OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS A listing of how you can support the mission of this congregation at this time.

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1 OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS A listing of how you can support the mission of this congregation at this time.. ADOPT A SPOT We have started an Adopt-A-Spot to help maintain our church facility throughout the year. See the sign-up sheets in the gathering area and be thinking about which area you (or a team) could adopt and take care of (i.e., clean, keep neat, weed, etc.) on a regular basis. Many hands will make light work! CHILDREN S AND YOUTH MINISTRY Children s Time is on Sunday mornings, 9:30 10:30 AM. All children are invited to active learning as we tell Bible stories together. Please contact Pete McElheny at peterandmasuyo.net if you would like to tell stories, lead music, lead a craft or art, or lead a cooking project. SUPPORT FOR HOMELESS FAMILIES WHO SLEEP IN THEIR VEHICLES Contact Kathy Munk at for contact information to connect with a new community group that is forming, with police department support, for this new effort, likely out of the St. Catherine s church parking lot. FAITH BASED TASK FORCE Do you have an interest in the homelessness situation in South County? We need someone who is interested in representing Advent on the Faith Based task force on homelessness in South County. Contact Marcia Nelson at CHURCH DIRECTORY UPDATES

2 We will soon be adding an insert to our Church Directory to include the contact information of new members. We would also like to include any changes to the current directory. If you have had any changes in address, phone number, address, or family members, please contact Sherry Quick at the church office or at with your updates. Look for directory sheets in the gathering area. CECELIAS CLOSET NEEDS COATS AND SWEATERS ALL SIZES Sew Seeds will be collecting gently used coats and sweaters in the bin in the gathering area until December 18. Cecilia's Closet works with the Compassion Center, Community Solutions, the homeless, and the police department. GROWING YOUNGER Six essential strategies to help young people discover and love your church by Kara Powell, Jake Mulder, Brad Griffin Beginning November 6, Sunday morning conversations for youth and adults will be working our way through this book and its meaning for our congregation. You are welcome to purchase and read this book, either in hardcover or as an ebook. All are welcome, whether or not you are reading this book. Bring your passion and interest in vibrant faith and vibrant ministry for today s world. In addition to working on the book s content and questions, we will spend time each Sunday growing the organizational side of our ministry with youth, children and families through developing teams. THANKSGIVING OFFERING FOR ELCA WORLD HUNGER APPEAL You are invited to make a special offering for the ELCA World Hunger Appeal, using the envelope in the pew. Stories of this tremendous work of our church are enclosed in today s and next Sunday s bulletin, and more stories and information can be found at World-Hunger 2

3 CHILDREN S CHRISTMAS PROGRAM preparation begins! There will be a Children s Christmas program during worship on Christmas Eve, December 24, at 7:00 PM. The program will feature the Christmas hymn From Heaven Above to Earth I Come by Martin Luther, and well-known Christmas carols. All children are invited to participate! Junior high school and high school youth are invited to have speaking parts and/or support the children in learning the songs, and to help in teaching. Adults are warmly invited to help in all the ways listed below. The children and others will begin working on music during Children s Time, 9:30-10:30 AM, every Sunday in Room 1. Please contact the church office if you can help: - teach a short lesson during the last minutes of Children s Time - work with costumes during December - copy music onto CDs for families or create.mp3 files to share 3

4 LIVE FREE UPDATE Advent Lutheran exists as evidence of God s generous love known to us in Jesus Christ. Our Live Free emphasis has helped us see the importance of setting our hopes on God, living richly in a deeper sense. This way of living is a priceless treasure and also the solid foundation upon which we can build our lives. To date, our personal commitments to the General Fund (Mission and Ministry) have reached $230,602 with 55 households pledging and $76,034 to the Mortgage Fund with 43 pledges. Through thoughtful stewardship by our congregation, the mortgage will be paid off in If you give through Simply Giving, the Stewardship Team and Financial Secretary still need your pledges in order to plan for You may either complete your pledge card(s) and place them in the offering plates, drop them off at the office, or our Financial Secretary, Greg Katterhagen, at rfwzrd@live.com. Thank you to each and every person and household who have made commitments of giving to Advent in If you haven t yet made a commitment of giving, we invite you to do so. General Fund commitment cards are white and Mortgage Fund commitment cards are green. Both are on the Resource Table in the gathering area. You may put completed cards in the offering plate or turn them in to the church office. In Christian fellowship, Your Advent Stewardship Team 4

5 SANTA CRUZ EL SALVADOR It is time to put together gift bags for our children in El Salvador. Please remember it needs to be a gallon size bag with your name and your child s name. If you don t know your childs name, I will add that. Gift bags are due by Sunday December 4th, to either Catherine Holmes or Lori Katterhagen. For those that presently do not have a child to sponsor we are always looking for new people to either give a one-time donation or to become a prayer partner and sponsor a child in El Salvador. For more information please see either Tom or Judith Dunham, Lori Katterhagen, Ian Hopkins or Catherine Holmes. We are have a craft sale to support Santa Cruz Al Salvador between and after services on November 13th and December 11th. Thank you for your support. 5

6 FOURTH QUARTER MISSION Provide gas and grocery cards for those in need in our community. Your contribution will go toward purchasing these cards for the church office to distribute to people requesting assistance. Checks should be made out to Advent Lutheran Church with 4th Quarter Mission-Gift Cards on the memo line. HOLIDAY CARE PACKAGES FOR OUR MILITARY We want to reach out to Advent s five young military members and thank them for their current service. So we are assembling Thanksgiving/Christmas care packages to mail to them. Non perishable munchies, cookies and candy are needed and welcome. Also cards and letters. Look for the collection box and an information flyer in the Gathering area on Sundays and in the church office during the week. Look at the military board in the Gathering area for their pictures and names: Ryan Cabral Colin Fleming Christine Himebauch Luke Northcott T.J. Ornduff Questions? Call Linda Loftesness at

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8 DID YOU KNOW? From Your Stewardship Committee It s been about six years since Advent Lutheran s Columbarium was attached to the west wall of the sanctuary near the organ. The Columbarium Committee was formed in 2008 and it was its appeal to the church council and at one or more congregational meetings that secured the authority to purchase the columbarium. There are 20 niches in the cross design, 19 of which have been purchased. An expansion of the columbarium was installed in June It is a vertical column containing 16 niches that sits next to the cross. None of the niches in the expansion column have been purchased yet. To view which niches are still available and to read the agreement that must be signed please visit the church office. There is a book that contains an application, the agreement and a diagram of the Columbarium. You may also contact Jim and Joyce Carr at or Dick and Cheryl Franzen at Today we celebrate the ministry of the Columbarium Committee which currently is made up of Jim and Joyce Carr, Dick and Cheryl Franzen and the current Operations Manager at Advent, Carrie Merrell. George Crowe, Craig Simberg and Ed Merrell have also been trained in the placing of the ashes in the niche. You are invited to take the communion elements to the altar for recognition of your stewardship at Advent and to receive a blessing from Pastor Warner. Your Gifts and Participation Make a Difference! 8

9 THOUGHT FOR THE DAY Thanksgiving Quotes by National Leaders We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of Heaven; we have been preserved these many years in peace and prosperity; we have grown in numbers, wealth, and power as no other nation has ever grown. ~ Abraham Lincoln, at Thanksgiving time during the Civil War, 1863 Let us remember that, as much has been given us, much will be expected from us, and that true homage comes from the heart as well as from the lips, and shows itself in deeds. ~ Theodore Roosevelt, 1901 As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. ~ John Fitzgerald Kennedy CHRISTMAS AT ADVENT Vivaldi s Gloria - Sunday, December 18, at 8:00 and 10:45 AM Blue Christmas - Monday, December 19, 7:30 PM Christmas Eve Family Service - Saturday, December 24, 7:00 PM Christmas Day Worship - Sunday, December 25, 10:45 AM New Year s Day Worship - Sunday, January 1, 10:45 AM 9

10 NURSERY CARE IS AVAILABLE ALL MORNING IN BERKLAND FELLOWSHIP HALL CHILDREN Grades 4-6: Magnificent Mondays on the third Monday of each month CONFIRMATION December 10 Service project, preparing for Christmas together HIGH SCHOOL AND ADULTS Annual Meeting of the Congregation today at 9:30 AM Growing Young next Sunday at 9:30 AM MID-WEEK BIBLE STUDY Tuesday 10:00 AM All are welcome every Tuesday in the Library WOMEN S SPIRITUALITY CIRCLE Meets on 10:00 AM in Library WOMEN S BIBLE STUDY MARY AND MARTHA CIRCLE Meets 2 nd Wednesday of the 10:00 AM in Berkland Fellowship Hall INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP SPIRITUAL DIRECTION For support in your prayer life, deepening your relationship with God and living out your faith with the gifts you are given, please contact Lee Tyler at or ltyler3@juno.com 10

11 .Week of November Sunday 8:00 AM Worship Service 9:30 AM Children s Time- Christmas Program Prep Growing Younger Fellowship Hall 10:45 AM Worship Service 1:00 PM New Life Church Worship Service Monday 7:00 PM Alanon in Rm. 2 Tuesday 10:00 AM Mid-Week Bible Study in Library 10:00 AM Sew Seeds Quilters in Fellowship Hall 5:00 PM Community Table Dinner in Fellowship Hall 7:00 PM Overeaters Anonymous in Room 2 Wednesday 7:30 PM Interfaith Thanksgiving Service at Thursday Morgan Hill Presbyterian Church Thanksgiving Day Holiday Office Closed 7:00 PM SAA Meeting in Room 1 Friday 8:00 PM New Life Prayer Service Saturday 8:30 AM Men s Fellowship in Library 10:00 AM Gather and Cantor Rehearsal 10:00 AM Women for Sobriety in Room 1 4:00 PM Iglesia de Cristo Church Service in Room 2 7:00 PM AA in Room 1 Next Sunday 8:00 AM First Sunday in Advent Worship Service 9:30 AM Children s Time Christmas Program Prep Growing Young in Fellowship Hall 10:45 AM First Sunday in Advent Worship Service 1:00 PM New Life Church Worship Service 11