Christmas at St. Andrew s

Transcription

1 No Dock Christian Education classes are offered this weekend so that families may worship together. Week of Dec. 23, 2018 Christmas at St. Andrew s All are welcome. Join us as we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Christmas Eve Worship Contemporary Worship 1, 5 & 6:30 p.m. Family Worship 2, 3 & 4 p.m. Candlelight Service 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, & 11 p.m. Christmas Day Worship 11 a.m. * New Service Added * THE DEPOT CHURCH A C O M M U N I T Y O F S T. A N D R E W S Christmas at the Depot Christmas Eve 5:15 p.m. (Worship also on Sunday, Dec. 23, 5:15 p.m.) Oneka Elementary, 4888 Heritage Parkway N, Hugo, MN TheDepotChurch.org

2 Advent The word Advent is derived from the Latin word adventus, meaning coming, which is a translation of the Greek word parousia. It is traditionally a time of waiting for Christ to come. Christ comes to us as a baby in a manger and Christ will come again in glory and revelation. In a world where it is easy to doubt, the church is called to remember God s faithfulness. Faithful: It s Who God Is. This fourth week of Advent, as we see the light coming into the darkness, we get ready to embrace the Christ Child. Jesus, salvation for all, is coming into the world. The way has been prepared, our hearts and minds are open and our waiting has almost come to a close. Like Zechariah, we declare with our mouths wide open the love, hope, glory and peace that comes with knowing Christ. Advent Fireside Chats Sunday, Dec. 23; 7:30 p.m. Live with Intern Pastors Caroline Keenan & Erin Morris Bring your Bible and Advent wreath with candles and share from home this special 15-minute Advent Devotional broadcast live or later on Facebook. The Gospel on Monday with Pastor John Straiton Mondays, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Great Hall Join any time as we take an in-depth look at the Gospel lesson for the following weekend worship. There is no cost for this class; however, please sign up at saintandrews.org or by contacting Dianne Nash (dnash@saintandrews.org or ). Tis the Season to Care for Creation! For God So Loved the World God created the world and all that is in it. God loves the world and calls us to do our very best in caring for it. Here are some eco-friendly suggestions that help keep our world merry and bright! 1. Use a real tree after the holidays, take it to a compost site. 2. Use LED lights they save energy and money. 3. Ditch the wrapping paper (it can not be recycled) be creative and use something that is usable or able to be recycled a scarf, the comic section, an old map, eco friendly food wraps, etc. 4. Give less stuff give an experience such as a class, an adventure, a concert, a play or a game. 5. Buy food that is locally sourced and organic. Questions of Faith (Discipleship 301) Tuesdays, Jan. 8, 15, 22, 29; 2019; 7 p.m. Sanctuary Have you ever wondered, Why is there so much violence in the Bible and the world today? or What do we really believe about heaven and hell? Pastors Mike Carlson and Sarah Breckenridge will answer questions many people are asking about faith, God and all things religious. Send your questions to faithquestions@ saintandrews.org. Each week Mike and Sarah will answer some predetermined questions and then answer as many of yours as possible. All are welcome. No registration required. Prayer School with Pastor John Straiton Wednesdays, Jan. 9-30, 2019, 7-8 p.m. Sanctuary Room 201 Join Pastor Straiton for a four-week Prayer School. Our goal is to increase and enhance the power and practice of prayer. Along with presenting a fresh perspective on the purpose and practice of prayer; you will also learn how to pray a Daily Prayer Liturgy created specifically for St. Andrew s. At its center, prayer is simply being present to the presence of God. There is no fee for this class; however, registration is required. You may register at saintandrews.org or by contacting Dianne Nash ( or dnash@saintandrews.org). 2

3 St. Andrew s To Host 3rd Annual Excellence in Preaching Symposium Pastors, preachers or anyone interested in delivering great sermons are invited to attend the Excellence in Preaching Symposium on Saturday, Jan. 5, from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. The symposium will be led by internationally-renowned author and speaker Rev. Karoline Lewis, Ph.D. Lewis will also be the guest preacher at St. Andrew s worship services that weekend, including Saturday, Jan. 5, at 5 p.m. in the Great Hall, and Sunday, Jan. 6, at the 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. traditional worship services in the Sanctuary. One of our key initiatives at St. Andrew s is to promote leadership, and key to that strategy is to strengthen preaching both here and throughout the ELCA, stated St. Andrew s Lead Pastor Mike Carlson. We believe that Christ meets people in a very unique way through worship, and that when great preaching effectively articulates the Gospel of Jesus Christ, lives are changed and the world becomes more like the world Jesus wants. There is no cost for the symposium and registration is not required. Men s Bible Study and Prayer Group St. Andrew s guys of all ages are invited to the Men s Bible Study every Tuesday from 6:30-7:30 a.m. in the Great Hall (includes coffee and rolls), We are currently studying the Gospel of Matthew. The Men s Prayer Group meets every Monday from 7-8 p.m. in the Sanctuary Prayer Chapel. These are valuable ways to connect with Christ and other men. For more information about Men s Ministry, contact Dianne Nash at , or visit saintandrews.org. Prayer for Those We Love 1st & 3rd Tuesdays, 1-2 p.m. Sanctuary Prayer Chapel To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing. Come and pray with and for others. Lift up your family, your friends and the world to our loving God. No need to sign-up, just drop in any time. Women s Ministry Women s Gathering at the Loft Sunday, Jan. 6, 5-7 p.m. The Loft in Stillwater Coffee, wine, cheese crackers, freewill offering. Have you ever created a vision board of some things you want to accomplish or do or change? What is your vision for the new year? God prepares us and gives us the plan. conversation - process and look ahead. Come share with Coach Heather Whelpley, along with Pastor Sarah Breckenridge and Sue Lennartson. Winter Sampler/Dog Sled Trip Thursday, Jan. 24, 2019, 4 p.m. to Sunday, Jan. 27, 2019, 4 p.m. $198 fee. Register and details: saintandrews.org. Worship at The Depot Church Sundays 5:15 p.m. Evening worship services are held in Hugo at 5:15 p.m. at Oneka Elementary (4888 Heritage Parkway N., Hugo). The Depot Church is a community of St. Andrew s dedicated to gathering and building Christian community in the Hugo area. Join Pastor Brian Norsman and Jenny Sung in this exciting time in our church life. 3

4 Children, Youth & Family Ministry Making Tough Decisions About College Tuesday, Jan. 15, 7-8:15 p.m. Sanctuary Room 204 For those planning to attend college, choosing where and for what reasons is a source of stress for many teens and parents. This session provides an introduction to the college search process (including types of colleges, the application process, and financial aid) as well as discusses how to make college decisions that align with your personal values. High school students also invited to attend! (No childcare.) Facilitated by Mark Jackson, Heidi Lender, and Carrie Carroll three St. Andrew s members with experience working in higher education.. Family Frolics Mondays through May 20 (closed for holidays) 9-10:45 a.m. in the Youth and Sports Center Gym Children birth through preschool (with a parent or adult) are invited to run, jump, and play during a drop-in, open gym time. No prior registration required. For more information, contact Lisa Heyer at or lheyer@saintandrews.org. Wednesday Night Alive Wednesdays, 2:45-7:15 p.m. Youth and Sports Center Closed Dec. 19 and 26 Children and youth are invited to our afternoon drop-in program with open gym, games, movies, and pizza and snack sales. Come after school or prior to evening programming (such as Confirmation or children s choirs). Supervision is provided for youth grades 6-12; children grades 5 and younger must have a responsible adult present. Thank you, St. Andrew s families for bringing your cultures to life at Christmas Around the World! Thank you! ROCK Basketball Mondays, 5:30-6:30 p.m.; Jan. 7, 14, 28; Feb. 4, 11 in the Youth and Sports Center Ages: Kindergarten Grade 2 ROCK (Recreational Opportunities for Christian Kids) Basketball is designed as a noncompetitive, skills-based basketball program with an emphasis on good sportsmanship and team play. Devotions and prayer are part of every session. Volunteer assistant coaches (grade 6 adult) are necessary and appreciated! The children need additional assistance at skill stations and a friendly face for encouragement. For more information, contact Laurel Bornholtz at or lbornholtz@saintandrews.org. High School Singers Past and Present Invited to Sing at Christmas All High School singers from St. Andrew s (current and alumni) are invited to sing for Christmas Eve 11 p.m. service. Please join us at 10:30 p.m. in the music room. Questions: please contact Andrew Haase, director, andrewahaase@gmail.com. 4

5 Children, Youth & Family Confirmation Confirmation Key Dates: Wednesday Tracks -Confirmation resumes Jan. 9 Sunday Track -Confirmation then resumes Jan. 6 High School Ministry High School Christmas Lock-in: Jesus at the Movies: Christmas Movie Marathon Sunday, Dec. 23, noon-4 p.m., in the Youth and Sports Center All high school youth are invited to a Christmas movie marathon! We ll watch an assortment of Christmas themed movies and talk about where we saw the presence of Christ in each film. Bring your blankets, wear your Christmas themed pajamas, and come hungry for Christmas cookies. Lunch will be provided, but bring your own snacks to share. Volunteer Opportunities Help Wanted: Tax Assistance The pay for this position is priceless. It typically comes in the form of hugs and appreciation. A Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) site has been serving the community out of the Great Hall for the last 10 years. We use IRS-provided software to prepare taxes for low income tax payers free of charge. If you can use a computer, you are qualified. We will train everything else. Dates and times of operation vary from February through mid April. For more information please contact Cathy Longtin at cathylongtin@gmail.com or Third Chapter Ministry 3rd Chapter Gathering Baby Boomers and Beyond Tuesday, Jan. 15, Great Hall 6:30 p.m. Casual Conversation 7-8:30 p.m. Gathering Potluck appetizer or dessert; freewill offering Our presenter is internationally known Tahni Cullen, author of Josiah s Fire, - an amazing story of hope and blessing. Tahni has been featured on national television talk shows, national retreats, keynotes. Tahni will share her story on her son, Josiah, who is autistic. Josiah is creative and has a message of hope. Please come with a heart to learn more about the gift of generations, how we understand and bless each other, and the journey of autism - but mostly come to hear how generations bless each other - how life changing this can be. Wholeness and Wellness Day Baby Boomers and Beyond Saturday, Jan. 26, Great Hall 8:30 a.m. Casual Conversation 9 a.m.-noon Gathering Featured presenters: Pastor Rich Bimler from Chicago, author of The Joy of Aging! Trainer and teacher Shannon Maxiner, owner of Fitness Focus in Mahtomedi St Andrew s Pastor of Congregation Care Kyle Jackson with Parish Nurse Dana Gabor. Skits and worship with Donna Bennet from Hudson, Wisconsin. Pastor and Luther Seminary Professor Rollie Martinson with his newly released book, Elderly Rising! This Boomer and Beyond generation is a time in life with many changes, challenges, opportunities and the unexpected. God has something good to say to us! Cost is $15 at the door. If you would like to assist with this great experience please Dir of 3rd Chapter Generation Ministry Sue Lennartson at slennartson@saintandrews.org. 5

6 A new way to watch Livestream! Change happens January 20 Did you know that hundreds of people watch us remotely every month via livestreaming? To give viewers a more reliable and higher quality experience, we are making process improvements on our livestream worship broadcast starting Jan. 20. We will be switching Livestream providers from sermon.net to Vimeo. What this means for you: If you watch from your computer, there is nothing you need to do. You will still be able to watch St. Andrew s traditional services live, as well as archived services, by clicking on the orange Livestream bar on the saintandrews.org home page. If you prefer to watch from a mobile device (phone or tablet), you ll need to download the Vimeo app and search for the St Andrews Lutheran (no periods, no apostrophes) channel. If you watch from a Smart TV, we suggest you download Vimeo and create an account. Follow the steps provided on your TV. A handout with instructions on how to access the Vimeo app will be at Hospitality Desks in early January, or online on our Media Center page on saintandrews.org. Wedding Music Workshop Thursday, Jan. 17, 7 p.m. Led by organist Bill Chouinard in the Sanctuary, this informal presentation provides organ and piano settings of a variety of processionals, recessionals, preludes, postludes and hymns to aid in the planning of a Christian service of marriage. Other music related issues will be discussed with ample time for questions. Sign up with Dianne Nash at (dnash@saintandrews.org). Holy Land Tour 2019 Preparations are being made for another St. Andrew s Holy Land Pilgrimage Nov. 9-21, The trip will be hosted by Pastor Mike Carlson. For more information please contact Lisa Weyrauch at lweyrauch@saintandrews.org or Safety First at Church Keep yourself and others safe in church. Please consider the following tips to help reduce medical incidents during worship. Dehydration: Drink plenty of fluids in the morning-arrive at church hydrated and ready to go. Reminder- this does not include coffee! Rising Suddenly: Stay seated or rise slowly when asked to stand in worship. Blood Pressure fluctuation: Get your blood pressure checked: Follow up regularly with your primary care provider and have BP and medications monitored. Nutrition: Eat breakfast before coming to church. Eating a regular meal prior to attending worship will help prevent low blood sugar issues and gives you energy for the days activities. Our Mission Proclaim Jesus Christ, Live in Christ, Serve! Our Vision Empowered by God s love, we help transform lives, communities and the world so that everyone may know Christ s healing power. Our Core Values We reflect the love of Christ. We serve with hearts of hospitality. We are all in this together. We strive for excellence. 6

7 900 Stillwater Road Mahtomedi, Minnesota saintandrews.org St. Andrew s Worship Times Traditional Worship Sunday 9 & 10:30 a.m. Sanctuary Contemporary Worship Saturday 5 p.m. Great Hall Sunday 8:45 & 10:15 a.m. Great Hall The Depot Church, Hugo Sunday 5:15 p.m. Oneka Elementary Worship at St. Andrew s Village Sunday 1 p.m. Nursery care (ages birth to 5) at all services. Altar Flowers are given this week in honor of Lila Bakken s 90th birthday from her husband, Carl, and sons Dale, Tom, Scott, Ron and their families. If you have an emergency and would like to contact a pastor please call and follow the prompts. If you are having surgery or a medical procedure and would like a pastor to contact you, please call Lisa Grundtner at or Leave a message and a pastor will be notified. Sponsor Live Stream, Altar Flowers or Cookies Provide Live Streaming for Shut-Ins Individuals are invited to support the live streaming broadcast of worship at St. Andrew s. Cost is $50 and checks can be made payable to St. Andrew s Lutheran Church. Please fill out the form below and drop at reception desk. Altar Flowers and Cookies If you would like to donate altar flowers or cookies for worship to honor or memorialize people or events, please contact Joe Holmberg at or jholmberg@saintandrews.org for availability at least three weeks in advance or fill out the form below. Donations are $55 for each. Checks can be made payable to St. Andrew s Lutheran Church. Date of sponsorship requested: Sponsored by: Phone ( ) Altar Flowers $55 Cookies $55 In honor of... In memory of... To the Glory of God (circle one from each line and include details) Your sponsorship will be printed in this bulletin insert. 7

8 New Member Class Sunday, Jan. 6, 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Sanctuary Room 204 If you would like to become more engaged in your faith, more involved at St. Andrew s or want to hear what Christ is calling St. Andrew s to be in this world, come to our New Member Class. Contact Ronda Sowada to register for the class or if you have questions, or rsowada@ saintandrews.org. A light lunch is served and childcare provided. Conversations on Diversity Thursdays, Jan. 17, Feb. 21, March 21, April 18, May 16; 6-8 p.m. Great Hall Come and join Glocal as they host the Community Dinner featuring a different ethnic cuisine each time. During dinner hear their stories through music and then stay after dinner for conversation with others about how you experience the beautiful diversity of the Kingdom of God. Childcare is available. Diversity Team Thursdays, Dec. 13, Jan. 10, Feb. 14, March 14, April 11, May 9; 6:45-8 p.m. Great Hall If God has placed it on your heart to help St. Andrew s reflect the diversity of the Kingdom of God, then we invite you to join us. Be part of a team working to create educational and relational opportunities as well as systems that strive to address the ways that racism, sexism, ableism, classism, ageism and other forms of injustice limit participation, exclude and harm people, communities and the whole body of Christ. For more information please contact Deacon/Intern Pastor Erin Morris at emorris@saintandrews.org or Giving Information from the Finance Office Considering a charitable donation to St. Andrew s? Here are three options to consider: IRA Distribution If you are age 70½ or older, you may be able to reduce your taxes by making a contribution of part of your IRA s required minimum distribution to St. Andrew s. Your valuable support will enable us to further our mission and ministry. Please consult your personal financial advisor for information specific to your situation. Stock Giving Donating a gift of appreciated stock may be beneficial to you and St. Andrew s. Please consult your personal financial advisor for the option best for you, and allow enough time for the gift to be received before year end. Donor-Advised Funds A donor-advised fund or DAF, which is established with your financial advisor, is a charitable vehicle which exists to support charitable organizations like St. Andrew s Lutheran Church. When you contribute cash, securities, or other assets to a DAF, you are generally eligible to take an immediate tax deduction, the funds can be invested for tax-free growth, and you can recommend grants to any IRS qualified public charity such as St. Andrew s. Please consult your personal financial advisor for the option best for you. This information is not intended as tax, legal or financial advice. If you have any questions, please contact Patty Ingberg at pingberg@saintandrews. org or