GRACE EV. LUTHERAN CHURCH LCMS

Transcription

1 Grace Newsletter GRACE EV. LUTHERAN CHURCH LCMS th Street, P.O. Box 156, DeWitt, IA PH: Fax: WEB: December THE REAL MEANING OF CHRISTMAS! How many times have you heard that statement? Well it is that time of year again. December has come and with it all of the joys of Christmas. Once more I would like you to ask yourself... what is the real meaning of Christmas? Is it the gifts under the tree, the lights in the windows, the cards in the mail, that Christmas dinner with family and friends, snow in the yard (not too much) stockings hanging, and shouts of Merry Christmas? Is this really Christmas. For many people, Christmas is a time of sorrow. They don't have the extra money to buy presents for their children, family and friends. Many are saddened at Christmastime when they think of their loved ones who will not be able to come home for various reasons. That huge Christmas dinner may be only a wish and not a reality for some. Yet, Christmas can be a season of great joy. It is a time of God showing HIS great love for us. It can be a time of healing and renewed strength. Yes, Christmas is we celebrate the birth of the Christ child. God sent HIS SON into the world to be born. His birth brought great joy to the world. Shepherds, wise men and angels shared in the excitement of knowing about this great event in Bethlehem. They knew that this was no ordinary baby. The prophets had told of the coming of Jesus hundreds of years before. Then the star stopped over Bethlehem just to mark the way for those who were looking for this special child. Now open your Bibles and read; Luke 2: 4-19 Why did Jesus come? Jesus was born so one day the price could be paid for the things that we have done wrong. Jesus came to earth so that HE could die on the cross for all of our sins. It is because of this fact, manger to the cross that we can truly celebrate Christmas Be happy this Christmas! No matter what may be happening, we know that we are God's children. Once again, during the month of December we will be having a number of special services... Come and Worship your Advent King and then your NEW BORN KING! This joy and peace that you will receive will last all year as you look to God for all of your needs! Serving Christ Jesus and HIs Church, Pastor Rafferty Grace Lutheran Camp nd St., P.O. Box 156 DeWitt, IA Camp Reservations: Grace Lutheran Preschool P.O. Box 156 DeWitt, IA preschool@gracedewitt.org Rev. C. Ronald Rafferty revraffertty@gmtel.net Mark Sperry, DCE msperry@gracedewitt.org

2 SERVING THIS MONTH: The Elders: 8:00 a.m. Clint Albrecht 10:30 a.m. Jim Harroun Dec 7th 7:00 p.m. Jon Betz Dec 14th 6:00 p.m. Jon Betz Dec 14th & 21st 7:00 p.m. Steve Smith December 18th 3:00 p.m. Clint Albrecht Christmas Eve 6:00 p.m. Jim Harroun Organist: Diana Baetke The Acolytes A/V Technicians 4-Dec 8:00 AM Carter Drury Need Volunteer 10:30 AM Toby Griem Need Volunteer 7-Dec 7:00 PM Emma Grace Hartman Need Volunteer 11-Dec 8:00 AM Brody Proctor Steve Butler 10:30 AM Abie Jensen Steve Butler 14-Dec 7:00 PM Michael Schneider Need Volunteer 18-Dec 8:00 AM Hannah Sunday Vicki Becker 10:30 AM Carver Krukow Vicki Becker 21-Dec 7:00 PM Madison Lawrence Need Volunteer 24-Dec 6:00 PM Cole Tobey Need Volunteer 10:00 PM Emilie Butler Steve Butler 25-Dec 9:00 AM Paige Griem Need Volunteer DECEMBER IS REFERRAL CENTER MONTH Grace Lutheran will once again be collecting items for the Referral Center. The Referral Center is in need of non-perishable food items, toiletries and paper products. Your donations can be placed on the display in the foyer anytime between December 1st and December 20th. Special Gifts Given Include: In loving memory of Norm Rowray a gift of $30 was given to Grace Camp. In loving memory of Guenther Schnack a gift of $10 was given to Sunday School, $10 to Church and $70 to Grace Camp. In loving memory of Rodney Passig a gift of $10 has been given to Grace Camp Friendship Garden. In loving memory of Edvin & Esther Soenksen, Douglas Casad, Kurt Christensen, Margie Gisel and Guenter Schnack $300 was given to Grace Lutheran church to be used towards the purchase of Eternal Candles. PSSST! Following the Worship Services on Sunday December 4 th, 11 th, and the 18 th the Elders will be collecting contributions for a Christmas Offering for Pastor Rafferty and Mr. Mark Sperry/DCE as an expression of congregational gratitude for their dedicated service to the Lord and His church. The gifts will be presented to them during the 6 p.m. Christmas Eve Service on December 24 th. The Elders will have a collection box in the narthex during these services for everyone wishing to contribute. Proceeds will be equally shared by the Pastor and DCE, unless anyone wishes to designate specific amounts to each. If so, please place your gifts in separate envelopes marked for Pastor Rafferty or Mr. Sperry. Offering Envelopes for 2017 will be available in the foyer after Thanksgiving. Please take a minute following services to pick up your envelope box. Please do not use these envelopes until January! St. Joseph Parish in DeWitt will be having their annual Cookie Walk on Saturday, December 3rd, from 9-11:30 am in Harness Hall. A variety of Christmas cookies will be available for $5 per pound. New Christmas cards and napkins are available for sale downstairs. Please take a moment to stop by the display near Grace Hall to look at all the cards and napkins displayed.

3 Holiday Schedule Wednesday Advent Services 7:00 p.m. Advent Worship Dec. 7 th, 14 th & 21 st Christmas Cantata 8:00 a.m. - December 11 Grace Lutheran Church 10:00 a.m. - December 11 Immanuel Lutheran in Grand Mound 6:00 p.m. - December 14 Grace Lutheran Church Children s Sunday School Christmas Program 3:00 p.m. - December 18th Christmas Eve 6:00 p.m. Worship/Communion December 24 th Christmas Eve Candlelight Service 10:00 p.m. Worship/Communion December 24 th Christmas Day 9:00 a.m. Festival Communion Service December 25 th Children s Christmas Program Practice Time Saturday, December 17th 9:00-11:00 am Children s Christmas Program Sunday, December 18th 3:00 p.m. FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT!!! Please, join us on Friday, December 9th, for a Christian themed Christmas movie and to decorate sugar cookies for the Holidays. Cookie decoration will begin at 6:00 PM and children and parents are invited to decorate and consume some delicious CHRISTMAS CANTATA The combined choirs of Grace and Immanuel Lutheran-Grand Mound proudly present, Come Let Us Adore which will be performed on Sunday, December 11th, at 8:00 a.m. at Grace and 10:00 a.m. at Immanuel-Grand Mound.. If you can t make it on Sunday, please plan to join us on, Wednesday, December 14 th, 6:00 p.m., at Grace Church for our encore performance This spirited seasonal celebration is filled with classic carols and hymns, along with stirring new songs. Come join us in this worship celebration for Christmas! CHRISTMAS TREES will be available for sale at the Grace Camp Christmas Tree Farm beginning the Friday after Thanksgiving and Saturdays and Sundays until Christmas. A large selection of trees are available and camp board members will be available to assist you with tree purchases. If no one is there to help you, you can slide your cash or check in the mail slot by the door at the tree shed. Grace Lutheran has a Toys for Tots box located in the foyer. We would like to assist the mission of the U. S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots program by collecting new, unwrapped toys during November and December. These toys will then be picked up and distributed as Christmas gifts to less fortunate children in the community. So, as you shop, remember your assistance with this mission is greatly appreciated. REMINDER Please, remember when you have an activity or rent the church hall for any reason to make sure to lock the facility after you are done using it.

4 PARENT2PARENT Join us Sunday, December 4 th for the next meeting of Parent2Parent. We meet in Meeting Room #1, which is located right outside of Pastor Rafferty s office. What is Parent2Parent you ask? It s a new ministry program here at Grace designed to help us in our God-given vocation of being a parent. Topics will vary from month to month depending upon the group s needs. Contact DCE, Mark Sperry with any questions. Preschool Flooring Donations Due to wear and tear, the preschool carpet needs to be replaced. A portion of the profits from our recent fundraiser is going towards the new flooring. But we need your Help! If you would like to make a donation towards our new flooring, please designate your gift towards Preschool Flooring Fun Family Traditions That foster togetherness Make an advent calendar from candy kisses Put up house lights Trim the Christmas tree Watch It s a Wonderful Life Volunteer as a bell-ringer Go Christmas Caroling Drink hot apple cider Make fantasy fudge Attend a Christmas concert Hang Christmas stockings Read A Christmas Carol Give to those less fortunate Memorize/review Luke 2 Merry Christmas!!! Grace Lutheran Preschool Enrollment forms will be available beginning January 4, 2016 on the Preschool page of the website ( Enrollment forms and registration fee (3 s only) may be dropped off at the church office or mailed to PO Box 156, DeWitt, IA Class Schedule and Fees 3s : M & Th 8:30 11:00 $100/mo Limited to 8 T & F 8:30 11:00 $100/mo Limited to 8 $30 registration fee due at time of enrollment. 3s Classes will begin after Labor Day Children must be 3 on or before Sept. 15, From: Mrs. Jensen Ms. Shannon Ms. Angie and the Children at Grace Lutheran Preschool 4s: AM 8:15 11:15 (limited to 8 students) PM 12:00 3:00 Must be 4 on or before September 15, 2017 to qualify for free preschool 5-year-old tuition is $150/month and a $30 registration fee For more information, please contact the preschool office at (8:00-3:00 p.m. M-F) or preschool@gracedewitt.org.

5 In Memory of: Mr. Rodney T. Passig, 80, of DeWitt, Iowa, died early Wednesday morning, November 16, 2016, at Genesis Medical Center, DeWitt. Rodney Thomas Passig was born September 12, 1936, in Clinton to Rinehardt and Alta (Ketelsen) Passig. Rodney married Helen Jean Goddard January 27, 1957, at Grace Lutheran Church, DeWitt. Following graduation from Welton High School in 1954, he started working for Eclipse Lumber Company in Welton and became manager. Rodney was transferred and became manager of the Eclipse Yard in DeWitt and later purchased it. Rodney also owned and operated the lumber yard in LeClaire. He continued to work in the retail lumber business until retirement. He was a lifelong member of Grace Lutheran Church. Rodney was a former member of the Welton Volunteer Fire Department where he served as fire chief, the DeWitt Jaycees and was a charter member of the DeWitt Nite Lions Club. He was superintendent of the 4-H and FFA horse show in Clinton County for many years. Rodney was part of the Welton Basketball Team which was recently inducted into the Central Hall of Fame. He was an avid outdoorsman who cherished time fishing and hunting. In retirement, he and Jean enjoyed wintering in Arizona. Surviving are his wife, Jean; children, Debra (Chauncey) Tompkins of Onslow, Iowa, Joelle (Joseph) Comeau of Addison, Alabama and Todd Passig of Dorchester, Iowa; grandchildren, Katie (Rivers) Maners, Tessa (Kerry) Dake, Tara (Luke) Bouska, Tonia (Larry) Oronzio, Joseph R. Comeau, Danielle (Ian) Brothers and Lindsay Passig; 13 great-grandchildren; siblings, Sylvia (Robert) Bowman, Daniel Passig, Fred (Vic) Passig and Sally (Gary) Knutsen; a sister-in-law, Terri Shelton; nieces and nephews. Preceding Rodney in death were his parents, a brother, Duane and a sister-in-law, Ruth Passig. News from the Parish Nurse: A brief message for this Advent and Christmas season: we may feel overwhelmed with all we think we need to accomplish. Starting each day with God reading His Word, praying, being quiet is a great way to do what we can to keep our focus on Christ and His coming to be our Savior. Through His Word, He can direct us, comfort us, and give us ideas for sharing His love with others. He has blessed us and as we lean on Him, we can be a blessing to others. May your Advent preparation give you spiritual strength and help you recognize what is most important. Your Parish Nurse, Grace Gotoski, MS, RN THE ENDOWMENT COMMITTEE for Grace Lutheran DeWitt Endowment Fund will be accepting grant applications starting January 1 st to January 31, Applications for projects which provide support to missions, education, youth, worship and music and/or capital projects will be considered. Please look for more information in the January Newsletter if you have a project that could benefit from the Endowment Funds. Pastors Bible study in December will be focusing on the Incarnation, The Birth of Christ! Come and learn more about this miraculous events. Donuts and coffee too! Stewardship Corner Again we come to the time of year when we mark the great miracle of Christ becoming one of us. The Apostle John wrote, The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us (John 1:14). Jesus came to Earth; He bore humiliation and ridicule; He died that we might live; He was raised that we, too, might rise again and live forever with Him. From the fullness of His grace we have all received one blessing after another (John 1:16). How can we thank Him but to give ourselves and our lives in service to Him!

6 Upcoming Events BUNCO: 1 p.m. on January 15 th General meeting: 7 p.m. on February 7 th Women s Retreat: February 24 th & 25 th LWML Mission Guild Serve the Lord with Gladness QUARTERLY MEETING At our November 1st meeting, plans for Graceful Harvest were discussed. A decision was made to provide gifts to the same missions as we did last December. The exact amount to be distributed will be determined after the Graceful Harvest. The current amount available is $1, If the amounts cannot be the same as last year, the gifts will be determined in the same percentage as in December of The draft of the minutes for this meeting are posted on the bulletin board in Grace Hall. WOMEN S RETREAT The topic is PRAYER. The leaders are Cindy Sperry and Michelle Diercks. Women can plan to stay overnight Friday, February 24 th, or attend Friday s session and return Saturday morning. More information will be coming. Mark your calendars! GRACEFUL HARVEST A report will be available for the January newsletter. MITES UPDATES LWML Iowa East District Goal for : $95,735. As of Nov. 10, 2016, $28,750 has been disbursed including for student aid for Concordia Undergraduates, Seminary, and Deacon/Deaconess programs. In addition, the mission grant for Rev. Duane Meissner, Bringing Christ to Belize, has been paid in full ($10,000). National Mission Grant Focus for December: We Are God's Workmanship International Student scholarship at St. Paul High School, Concordia, Missouri Grant Amount: $32,500 To assist in supplementing the expenses of six Saint Paul Lutheran High School (boarding school) students from impoverished countries who intend to return to their homes as pastors, teachers, missionaries or in other areas of church work. ADVENT GIFTS: Brighten someone s holiday by contributing gifts for the Advent Gifts Drive, sponsored by the LWML Mission Guild. Gifts are taken to the Davenport Lutheran Home (a nursing home facility for Lutherans) and University of Iowa Children s Hospital where children are treated for various illnesses. The drive will take place starting at the end of November! All members of the congregation are invited to participate in this annual mission project. Davenport Lutheran Home nail polish, nail polish remover, fingernail files, hair spray, hair brushes, jewelry, perfume, boxed tissues, watercolor paints, crayola crayons, hand lotion, aftershave, men s cologne, glue sticks, felt-tip markers, acrylic paints for crafting, foam/felt sheets, non-skid slipper socks, beads with large holes for jewelry making, men s/ women s cardigan sweaters/fleece (size medium to extra large), lip balms/chap stick, hot glue sticks (large and small), ladies headbands/hair clips, thermal gloves, handkerchiefs and Crayola colored pencils. University Children s Hospital crayons, coloring books, story books, stationery, tapes and stuffed animals. Please leave your unwrapped gifts in the totes on the stage in Grace Hall. Please note that the gifts must be brought to the church by Thursday, December 8th. Thank you kindly.

7 CHRISTMAS CAROLING & PIZZA PARTY If you re in 6 th -12 th grades, don t miss this event. On Sunday, December 11 th at 4:30 pm. We will be going caroling and having a pizza party to celebrate Christmas. During the pizza party, we will also have our traditional white elephant gift exchange. Please sign-up on the sheet located outside of Mr. Sperry s office to let us know you re coming. NO SUNDAY SCHOOL There will be NO Sunday School classes on Sunday, December 25 th or January 1st. Regular classes will resume January 8 th. WINTER CAMP Our annual Winter Camp for High School students is December 29 th January 1 st. You can register online or by picking up forms from Mr. Sperry at the church office. Deadline to register is: Wednesday, December 14 th. This is open to all 9 th 12 th graders and their friends. DONATIONS NEEDED Please check the list of items needs for this year s Winter Camp and consider donating to help keep the costs down. All non-perishable items should be dropped off at the Grace Kitchen by Wednesday, December 21 st. Food donations need to be dropped off at the Grace Kitchen by Wednesday, December 28 th. GRACE YOUTH December 14th 2:30 to 4:00 p.m. BINGO AT GRAND HAVEN A great Christmas serving event that will make many people smile. Rides will be provided from Grace Church at 2:00 p.m. Please contact Anke for more information or to let her know you will be attending. A big thank you to everyone who donated cookies, baked goods and crafts for the LWML Bazaar. Also to those who baked pies for the Luncheon. Especially a big thank you to all the volunteers who helped setup and serve the day of the bazaar. The Committee Thank-you to all of you who donated lamps, furniture, mattresses, bedding, pillows, kitchen items and clothing to our adopted homeless family. The single mom and her four children have moved into their rental home and seem to be adjusting to their space. The Mom is trying to continue to work, as long as she can find child-care for her night shift. Please, keep her in your prayers as she faces the everyday task of raising her family, caring for them and working. Thanks again, Board of Outreach & Discipleship Poinsettias for Christmas are being ordered through the Church Office this year. If you would like a poinsettia to be placed in the sanctuary, please complete the form and return with your payment by December 9 th. Flowers will be red. Cost is $ each. Name: In Memory of: In Memory of: In Honor of:

8 2 nd Jay Dies Chuck Goddard Gary Paarmann Bridget Henningsen Faith Ketelsen Grace Ketelsen Hollie Appleby Tessa Stevens 3 rd Cathy Youngers 5 th Dick Broadfoot Skylar Henningsen 6 th Stephanie Pillers 7 th Kristi VanLaere Brooke Paasch Trenton Weimerskirk 9 th Jim Owen Chad Jeffrey Laura DeLarm Carol Raffety 10 th Joel Kirby Katelyn Good 11 th Bailey Garrity 12 th Fonda Schnack 13 th Leon Roseland Christina Mitchell 14 th Makayla Shores 15 th Dean Marlowe Todd Hughes 16 th Scott Jacobsen Kim Haring Carolyn Lane 16 th Carly Small Dylan Azinger Emilie Butler 17 th Judy Hartmann Shelby Schroeder Tyler Erps 18 th Nathan Keeney Matthew Scott Matthew Diercks Gertrude Meyer Miranda Franklin 19 th Alyvia Stevens Luke Hill Jill Johnson 20 th John Gisel 21 st Verlene Reid Sara Suhr 22 nd Ellie Cagle Carol Anderson David J. Hansen Steven Butler 24 th Tammy Mickelson Robert Mundt Jason Mork 25 th Lauren Walker 26 th Sharri Block Jenny Marlowe 27 th David L. Mangan Jennifer McCormick Lori Olson Melisa Knight 28 th Gayle Fuller Kimberly Burzlaff 29 th Kolton Goddard 30 th Travis Ketelsen Chad Tobey 3 rd David & Stephanie Pillers 5 th Dave & Tracy Paarmann 6 th Allen & Brooke Barnes 9 th Louis & Cathy Ingwersen Sr. Donald & Connie Havener 15 th Ronald & Betty Jo Ketelsen 18 th Jamie & Jennifer Griem 20 th Daniel & Dona Bark 22 nd Kody & Shoni Hoffmann 28 th Lloyd & Mildred Harmsen Josh & Michelle Hetrick

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