THE PROGRESS. Advent Faith Conversations. with Pastor Steve Schumacher

Transcription

1 News and events for Advent, Christmas, Epiphany and beyond! Advent 2018 THE PROGRESS Faith Conversations with Pastor Steve Schumacher Season of Advent, 2019 Christ Be Our Light, by Bernadette Farrell is the hymn we will sing during Advent to highlight our theme. In the refrain we sing, Christ, be our light! Shine in our hearts. Shine through the darkness. Christ, be our light! Shine in Your church gathered today. The darkness is laid out in each verse, It is Christ who is our light, who also shines through us, and who shines in the darkness. Christ is the light of the world. And Christ shines through us, his Church. Most of us are probably familiar with the 1st part of the verse, Vibrant Worship 4 Growth & Teaching 6 Congregational Care 8 Outreach & Evangelism 9 Regular Features Faith Conversations 1 Birthdays & Anniversaries 8 Youth & Family 5 Jesus Christ is the light of the world whether we follow him or not. instead we walk in his light. In fact, the way the New Living (Continued on page 3)

2 The purpose of Pilgrim Lutheran Church is to glorify God by fostering: STAFF PASTOR: Steven Schumacher DIRECTOR, FAMILY & YOUTH MINISTRIES: Shannon Fleischfresser DIRECTOR CHRISTIAN EDUCATION: Kim Waterstraat PARISH WORKER CARE & OUTREACH Rachelle Lessard CHOIR DIRECTOR/ORGANIST: Amy Boers MUSICIAN: Mark Reiman CONTEMPORARY MUSIC COORDINATOR: Mike Peluso OFFICE COORDINATOR: Melody Rath NURSERY ATTENDANTS: Victoria Trivitt Marin Wilson LITTLE PILGRIMS PRESCHOOL DIRECTOR: Ruth Rhodes Vibrant worship Pilgrim is a prayerful place of vibrant worship where the gospel of Jesus Christ is faithfully proclaimed in a family-oriented, intergenerational atmosphere. Varied worship expressions come together to provide a rich response to the love of Christ in our lives. Bible-centered growth and teaching Pilgrim is purposeful about nurturing faith and spiritual growth in all who enter its doors as well as for those who are not able to enter. Pilgrim is a place where, led by the Holy Spirit, all children, youth, and adults measure of the stature of Nurturing congregational care Pilgrim members strive to nurturing care to one another. Pilgrim is a family; care for one another is evidenced in all aspects of congregational life. Pilgrim is a place of health and healing where people of all ages find help for their life journeys. Intentional outreach and evangelism the abundant life that they have received through faith in Christ and intentionally reach out to people of all ages with the love of Christ beginning with South Hill, Washington, and moving outward to the ends of the earth through local, national, and world-wide outreach. The Progress is published seasonally for members and friends of Pilgrim Lutheran Church. It is available in electronic (.pdf) and hard-copy formats. Submissions may be sent to the church via . Comments and subscription updates for The Progress may be ed to editor Melody Rath, office@pilgrimpuyallup.org. 2

3 Faith Conversations cont. from p. 1 on the road to life, and to have it abundantly. This light is not meant only for us, and is not experienced by us alone, but rather in community with others this is where abundant life is found and experienced. We walk in the light of Christ as we live generously, sharing our time, talents, and treasures. This life we are promised is life together. Who knows when we might be agents of light for someone else. And just as important, when someone else might be the light of Christ for us! We all can experience darkness, at times troubled or lonely, hungry and thirsty. Thankfully, we may not be literally homeless, but can feel displaced and unmoored; and maybe actual homelessness can occur. At these times a community that supports and loves one another is essential for life. Such a community is the light that leads to life. As we begin a new church year with Advent, the invitation is to commit to be a follower. How about, if in the year ahead, we commit - through our 4 Core Values (worship & prayer, reading our Bibles, being present in our community, and encouraging each other) to discover what it means to be a follower of Christ what that looks like and how that is lived. The truth is you will find it in the community of those around you. And so, may you have a blessed Advent season leading us to Christmas. And may you take light. Join us for Sunday worship, Pilgrim Wednesdays, Advent related studies offered already. 3

4 Glorify Corporate Worship ~ P rayer 4

5 New York City Mission Trip: We have a small group signed up to go to New York City this summer for a mission trip. We will be practicing service as accompaniment. This means that we will not be coming up with project ideas, we will be alongside of things already being done and offering our help in whatever ways we are needed. Our free time throughout the week will include exploring areas of NYC, learning in a variety of experiential ways, and having intentional faith conversations. There are many ways you can be a part of this trip experience, watch for more details to come! There is a song on the radio by Casting Crowns. It is called Only Jesus. I think it is in response to a song from a few years ago by Nicole Nordeman called Legacy. Nicole says in her song, I want to leave a legacy, how will they remember me, did I choose to love, did I point to you enough? Then Casting Crowns song says, I don t want to leave a legacy, I don t care how they remember me, only Jesus. As I ve thought about these questions and ideas these songs point to, I ve been doing a lot of thinking about those who have come before us. With All Saints Day just passed and Advent starting soon, I wonder about this idea of legacy. Family Fun & Fellowship Agua Viva I think that it doesn t matter if we want to or don t want to, we leave a legacy behind us when we leave a place, when we leave people, and eventually when we die. We can be intentional about what that legacy is, or we can ignore the impact our lives have on those around us. Both Nicole and Casting Crowns have the same idea though. When we make the decision to be Christ followers, an important and integral part of our legacy is about how we share Jesus in the world. Are you going to share Jesus with everyone or are there limits to who you share with? When people look at you and your actions, will they see the love of God? We are not expected to be perfect, but how will you be remembered? En Fuego What is happening Dec-Feb? Pilgrim Wednesdays will follow the Advent season through Dec with learning, worship, and caroling. January and February will be a focus on LOVE! Join us for weekly events that we are excited about! High School Youth are invited to a time of their own on Sunday afternoons! December 2, we will meet at 12pm for lunch and activity we will also discuss some upcoming opportunities. Confirming Faith has sent out important dates for the winter and spring. Contact Shannon if you have not received them! Movie Night (Saturday, Dec 15) Watch for information! Day in Seattle (Sunday, Dec 30) We will spend the afternoon on a photo scavenger hunt, have dinner together, and end the day with Compline at St. Mark s Cathedral. All are welcome. Details at the youth board. Chili Cook-off & Annual Mtg. Sunday, January 27 Winter Retreat (Feb 15-17) Details coming in January. Polka-dots the (Sat, Feb Tickets are $10 each. Fun for the whole family. Shrove Tues (Mar Snowtubing and sledding in January is becoming an all ages event. Look below for more details. Skating & Pizza party (Sun Mar 24) will be an afternoon of fun! Watch for more details. Minimum of 2 parents are needed for both activities; bowling might need more depending on numbers. Lock-in (Fri, Dec 21-22) We will have an evening of Christmas fun, from 8pm Friday to 9am Saturday. Sign up by Dec 19. Retreat at Lutherwood in January has been cancelled. Afternoon Adventures (Sun Feb 10) will be a Choose- Your-Own-Adventure style day. Sign up by Feb 3. Snowtubing and sledding, skiing and snowboarding in January is becoming an all ages youth event. Saturday, January 19 we will take all youth in grades 3-12 for a day in the snow. (If your youth is younger, they can come with a parent). Details are being finalized and information will be available after Christmas. Sign up early to reserve your spot! Coffee+Talk in December will take a break from the video conversations to have an Advent bible study. Join us with your coffee or hot cocoa in the eagle s wing youth room. Young Adult Ministry has had a regular gathering and will continue to meet on Sunday evenings. We do not plan very far in advance so that everyone is involved in the planning. So December 2 will be a bible study at church and we will move our 3rd Sunday in December to the 23rd in order to welcome our college youth, home for Christmas, to join us for ice YouthQuake 2019 will be in Centralia at Great Wolf Lodge. All youth in grades 6-12 are welcome to come. Price will raise as we get closer to the event. Early bird reg. ($150) due Dec 9. There will be speakers, a band, bible study, dance party, food, a weekend away, & fun in the Great Wolf Lodge waterparks. Talk to Shannon for more info.

6 Grow Bible Study ~ Faith Conversations Love God, Love One Another about you, but I tend to forget this many a time as I get so caught up in life! I try to control things, predict what should happen, and then get grouchy with others (ask my kids) when things focus on this center theme, somehow things just seem to fall in place and be so much more in perspective! Crazy! For me, it requires being intentional, and believe me, prayer REALLY helps God is full of grace and well, so is my family. So this theme we have for our church this year, I hope you find it positive to help guide you through this busy time of year! Our Sunday School is off to a great start! It is pure joy to see the children come each week, full of smiles and eager to be there! Every week, we pray together at opening that we will go out and be a light of young people, all created so unique, with their own print on the have faced challenges with new curriculum, crazy schedules and yet each week, they come full of love and ready to positively and faithfully influence us all. If you know a family who you believe would benefit from attending our Sunday School, please invite them! That is Sarah Lieu led our first Mission Sunday, where she intentionally taught the kids about offering, why we do it, where it goes, etc. All offering we collect goes towards our sponsor child in Sri Lanka, Ajanthan. Our next Mission Sunday will be in January. We enjoyed a fun Reformation Wednesday AND Sunday learning about the life of Martin Luther, complete with a surprise visit from Luther himself! I, for one, learned a great deal about how the Lutheran church came to be. A special thanks to Randy for his help making this happen, to all the teachers who participated, and to Shannon for creating a great Wednesday night activity. 6 (Continued on page 7)

7 Grow Bible Study ~ Faith Conversations Our Christmas Play is quickly approaching! PLEASE mark your calendars for Dec. 8 and 9 at 4:00 as we share this gift of learning about Jesus with our entire community! I can attest to the fact that all of our cast members have been HARD AT WORK preparing under the direction of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (always a crowd pleaser) and we ask that you invite you kids how proud we are of all their hard work and dedication! Proceeds from the free will offering will benefit Little Pilgrims Preschool. Following each performance, we will have a cookie reception. Yum! I encourage you to give Pilgrim Wednesdays opportunity! We have dinner at 5:45, followed each week by a different activity. It is a lot of fun for the entire family! Blessings through this Advent season as we lead up to the birth of Christ and remember the reason for the season! Warmly, Kim Registration for Fall Preschool and Pre- Kindergarten opens in January. Due to schedule changes, spots will be limited, so contact Little Pilgrims to ensure you get one

8 Gather Fellowship ~ Encouragement Fellowship Brunch Come enjoy brunch and carols of the season following worship on Sunday, December 16th. We will also be putting together our Christmas food miss the fun, festive fellowship event! Pilgrim Wednesdays During December Join us Wednesday nights during December as we gather, grow, worship and go! Dinner is at 5:45, with activities following at 6:30. December 5 December 12 GATHER for a potluck and Advent festival. GLORIFY with Holden Evening Prayer. December 19 Pilgrim Wednesday Winter Schedule GO! Join us as we take our voices out for some Christmas caroling! Pilgrim Wednesdays will resume January 9th, with dinner at 5:45 and activities! Chili Cook-off and Bingo Start dusting off those chili recipes and save the date of Sunday, January 27th for our annual chili cook-off and bingo! Will you be the one taking home the honors of best chili this year? Parish Registry 01 MichaelAnn Wilson 02 Adrian Jones 04 Judy Payne 05 Cindy Holland 07 Susan Ashpole 07 Joanne Stein 08 Mike Schmidt 10 Julie Halpin 13 Elise Schumacher December Anniversaries 06 Chris & Ingrid Staeck 20 Mark & Lori Reiman 22 Dick & Sharon Larson 13 Denise Woodbury 15 Bob Cudney 16 Carole Williams 17 Chuck Larsen 18 Jennifer Altrichter 18 Araceli Estrada 19 Michael Whitley 19 Stephen Whitley 22 Carolline Mills December Birthdays 22 Judy Whitley 22 Phil Yates 25 Barbara Bina 27 Beth Hack 29 Marty Kogle 29 Mike Peluso 30 Debbi Hall 30 Duane Rhodes 30 Rob Trivitt 25 Loren & Norma Heyne 28 Rick & Mary Eastman 28 Paul & Sandi Endter Gone to glory Lu Swanson, September 1, Memorial service held at Pilgrim September 29. Nathan Rath, October 28, Memorial service held at Pilgrim November 10. 8

9 Go! Serving ~ Giving Pilgrim s Holiday Basket Program Thanks to your generous giving and loving hearts, we are able to sponsor 25 families for both Thanksgiving and Christmas this year! At Thanksgiving we provided food for Thanksgiving dinner and the week beyond, and for Christmas food and gifts for each family. In addition we were blessed by a request to provide Thanksgiving food bags for 5 additional families who otherwise would have gone without! Names for Christmas gifts are now available! Please take a moment to stop by the table in the narthex for a name or two or maybe you are interested in taking a whole family! We will put together food bags and gifts following worship on December 16th. We will need lots of hands to make quick work! Again, thanks for your generous support of this important ministry of Pilgrim Lutheran Church! Lunch at New Hope Resource Center Pilgrim continues to provide and service lunch at the New Hope Resource Center on the second and fourth Mondays of each month at 11:30. Thank you to the faithful volunteers who so generously give of their time, talents and treasure by donating food, preparing food and helping serve the guests who come in for a warm lunch. If you would like to help or want more information, please contact Rachelle. Seafarer s Center Thanks to your donations we were able to deliver fifty Christmas Gift Boxes to the the KPPC for their generous support and for the beautiful handmade caps (see a photo on the bulletin board in the fellowship hall). Thanks also to Victoria, Natasha, and Logan for helping pack and gift wrap the boxes. It is a joy to share Christmas with a mission field at our doorsteps. 9

10 th St. E., Puyallup, WA Phone - (253) , FAX - (253) office@pilgrimpuyallup.org ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED NEW Sunday Morning Schedule Worship: 9:00 AM Fellowship: 10:00 AM Sunday School: 10:15 AM Adult Education: 10:30 AM (September - May) Little Pilgrims Preschool (253) Mission Statement We are called to share the Good News of Jesus Christ, to live as God's servants and to reach out to all people. We re on the Web: Like us on Facebook: Facebook.com/ Proceeds benefit Little Pilgrims Preschool