Inside this issue: Council Corner 2-3. In the Parish Family 4. Call Committee Update. Offerings & Attendance. Christmas Family Support

Transcription

1 Christ the King Lutheran Church 1230 North 18th Street Escanaba, Michigan Address Requested Phone: (906) December 2018 We re on the Web! KING S HERALD December 2018 This issue of the King s Herald is given in loving memory of James A. & James P. Stasewich by Gayle Stoykovich Christ the King Lutheran Church Where We Are About God s Grace For God s People Inside this issue: Council Corner 2-3 In the Parish Family 4 Call Committee Update Offerings & Attendance Christmas Family Support Advent & Christmas Schedule During Advent we will be having Wednesday worship using one of our favorite services, Holden Evening Prayer. Worship begins at 7:00 p.m. and will be followed by treats and beverages being served in the fellowship hall. These services will be led by our lay leaders with our confirmation students serving in various ways. Christmas Eve worship will be at 4:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. on Monday, December 24th. Pastor Jim Duehring, Assistant to the Bishop will be with us to share in this most holiest of days. Each opportunity to worship will be an identical Candlelight & Carol service with the celebration of Holy Communion. Come, join us as we celebrate the birth of Jesus, the one who was brought into this world to bring light to the darkness and hope to those who have none. CHURCH OFFICE INTERIM PASTOR Rev. Tom Otis CHURCH OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR Arlene Cody address: c.lutheran@att.net WORSHIP SCHEDULE: Saturday 5:00 p.m. Worship Website: Sunday 9:00 a.m. Faith Formation ; 9:30 a.m. Coffee Hour; 10:30 Worship Holy Communion is celebrated at every Saturday and Sunday service. At the 10:30 a.m. service communion will be distributed using continuous communion. Those Who Serve 10 Calendar 11 Special points of interest: Faith Formation Students Share a Christmas Message Advent Midweek Worship s Begin on Wednesday, December 5th, 7:00 p.m. The Call Process Update

2 Page 2 Council Corner In these days he went out to the mountain to pray; and all night he continued in prayer to God. And when it was day, he called his disciples, and chose from them twelve... Luke 12: 1&2 These verses may be short, but they tell some great truths. Jesus demonstrates here the importance of time spent in prayer to God. He does this often throughout scripture, and often times it precedes something of great significance. Here, it precedes his choosing of the twelve disciples. He obviously did not take this decision lightly, and thus, he prayed all night before making his choice. Choosing his disciples is something Jesus still does. There is a call from him on the lives of those who serve his Church. There is someone out there that Jesus is preparing to send to our church. We need to keep this in mind as we work to call a new Pastor, and we need to be patient as Jesus prepares not only that new leader, but us as members of Christ the King as well. We need to remain in prayer. This becomes ever clearer as the Call Committee does its work. They have held three meetings so far, and several members along with the Church Council are all working diligently to complete our Ministry Site Profile. It is an interesting process and helps to define who we are as a church body, our strengths, ministry needs, and opportunities. We are on track to have this completed and submitted to the Synod by mid-december. After that, we wait to see who answers the call to Christ the King. Please pray for these committee members as they continue their work. And like Jesus did, please pray for those who will be chosen to answer the call to discipleship. As we enter the season of Advent, let us remain in prayer as we await the coming of our king! This year, we will continue to have Wednesday Evening s during the month of December. We will also be preparing special music for several services, A of Readings & Carols, and will be blessed to have Assistant to the Bishop, Rev. Jim Duehring with us for our Christmas Eve s at 4:00 & 8:00 PM. Last, and certainly not least, please mark your calendars for this year s Children s Program on Sunday, December 16 th at 4:00 PM. The young ones will be practicing all month and are always a joy to watch! The program will be followed by a light meal of hot dogs and cookies. Please join us and support our children as they offer their gifts and talents. Check out the calendar for important dates and fun events as we enter into the season of Advent! This is the time of year when we get to serve in many different ways as we look for the coming of our Lord & Savior, Jesus Christ. In closing, let us remember that this is Christ s Church, and we are here to serve as His humble servants and witnesses to His Grace. I leave you with these verses as we look forward to the birth of Jesus, new leadership and new opportunities to serve; 2018 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday :00 Call Committee Mtg. 16 4:00 Faith Formation Christmas Program 10:30 of Carols & Hymns :00 Choir Practice :30 Finance Mtg. 6:00 Choir Practice 6:00 Choir Practice :00 & 8:00 Candlelight/ Carol with Holy- Communion 31 1:00 Joy Book Club 7:30 Dartball :00 Joy Book Club 6:15 Executive Committee Mtg. 7:30 Dartball 18 1:00 Joy Book Club 6:00 Budget Planning Mtg. 7:30 Dartball 5 9:00 Quilting 9:30 Bible Study 12:00 Parish Life 7:00 Advent Mid- Week Worship 12 9:00 Quilting 9:30 Bible Study 7:00 Advent Mid- Week Worship 19 9:00 Quilting 9:30 Bible Study 7:00 Advent Mid- Week Worship :15 Council Mtg. followed by Christmas Party December :00 of the Word

3 Page 10 Those Who Serve Readers December 1/ 2 5:00 Deb Wayne 10:30 Carrie Boudreau December 8/ 9 5:00 Mary Jo Johnson 10:30 Brett Boudreau December 15/16 5:00 Nancy Norberg 10:30 Linda McDonald December 22/23 5:00 Lin VanEffen 10:30 Heather Albanez December 29/30 5:00 Dawn Martin 10:30 Roland Jacobson Altar Guild Acolytes December 1/ 2 5:00 Trevor Christensen 10:30 LeighAnne Burdalic December 8/ 9 5:00 Grady Iverson 10:30 Evan Burroughs December 15/16 5:00 Elizabeth Brandel 10:30 Jillian Cobb December 22/23 5:00 Caydence Carter 10:30 Ashton Moran December 29/30 5:00 Tregan Lippens 10:30 Colton Carter December 1/ 2 Diane & Bill Mitchell December 8/ 9 Sandy Jacobson & Judy Anderson December 15/16 Mary Jo Johnson & Beth Jacobson December 22/23 Lin VanEffen & Judy Anderson December 29/30 Diane & Bill Mitchell Assisting Minister December 1/ 2 5:00 Bob VanEffen 10:30 Lance Lindstrom December 8/ 9 5:00 Nancy Norberg 10:30 Roland Jacobson December 15/16 5:00 Mary Jo Johnson 10:30 Connie Schmidt December 22/23 5:00 Bob VanEffen 10:30 Roland Jacobson December 29/30 5:00 Lance Lindstrom 10:30 Sam LaMarche Communion Assistants December 1/ 2 5:00 Bob VanEffen 10:30 Lance Lindstrom December 8/ 9 5:00 Nancy Norberg 10:30 Roland & Sandy Jacobson December 15/16 5:00 Mary Jo Johnson 10:30 Leigh & Connie Schmidt December 22/23 5:00 Bob VanEffen 10:30 Roland & Sandy Jacobson December 29/30 5:00 Lance Lindstrom 10:30 Sam LaMarche Page 3 Church Corner Continues Who is wise and understanding among you? Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom. - But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace. James 3:13, Peace Be With You! Yours in Christ & On Behalf of Your Council, Lisa Temple, Council Vice-President & Luther Seminary L.I.M. Student A Beastly Christmas Can you believe it's that time of the year again - time for our annual Sunday School Christmas Program! We will be performing " A Beastly Christmas" which portrays Jesus' birth through the eyes of the animals. Please note the following dates December 2nd Program Practice 9:00-10:15 December 9th Program Practice 9:00-10:15 December 16th Program Practice 9:00-10:15 4:00!!! We always have lots to cram into every practice - please make every effort to have your child/ren on time and at each practice! We will be having ice cream sundaes after the PROGRAM PRACTICE on the 16th. A sign up sheet will be available to sign up for items needed. We will serve hotdogs and sloppy joes after the program. We will be asking for cookie donations also for after the program. We will NOT have class on Sunday December 23rd and December 30th. Have a blessed Christmas season!!

4 Page 4 In The Parish Family Readings for December Dec. 2 The First Sunday in Advent Jeremiah 33:14-16; Ps. 25:1-10; 1 Thess. 3:9-13; Luke 21:25-36 Dec. 9 The Second Sunday in Advent Malachi 3:1-4; Luke 1:68-79; Philippians 1:3-11; Luke 3:1-6 Dec. 16 The Third Sunday in Advent Zepharia 3:14-20; Isaiah 12:2-6; Philippians 4:4-7; Luke 3:7-18 Dec. 23 The Fourth Sunday in Advent Micah 5:2-5a; Luke 1:46b-55; Hebrew 10:5-10; Luke 1:39-55 Dec. 24 Christmas Eve Isaiah 9:2-7; Ps. 96; Titus 2:11-14; Luke 2:1-20 Dec. 30 The First Sunday of Christmas 1 Samuel 2:18-20, 26; Ps. 148; Colossians 3:12-17 Luke 2:41-52 Transferred to the Nursing Home: John Herlik was recently moved to the Freeman Nursing & Rehab Home in Kingsford, Michigan. It may very well be that there is a place in Escanaba that he can be transferred to soon. Keep John and his family in your prayers. Our sympathy is extended to Brad & Cassie Liberty as they morn the death of their daughter, Kallie Jean. May God strengthen and comfort Brad, Cassie and their families as they morn Kallie s passing. Thank you to all who decorated the church for the Advent & Christmas season. We had an awesome group of 17 who once the work was done were treated to pizza and pop. Bible Study: The Gospel of John Our Wednesday Bible Study Group continues to meet at 9:30 a.m. and is being capably led by Richard (Dick) Johnson. This month they will be wrapping up the Gospel of John. Here is a look at the weeks to come. December 5th John 20:19-23 The Spirit, Peace, and Forgiveness December 12th John 20:24-31 No Resurrection? No Church, No Faith, No Hope! December 19th John 21:1-25 Epilogue: John s Dual Great Commission The group will be taking the week of Christmas off but is expected to gather back together on January 2nd. Join them as they start a new book of the bible when they reconvene. Page 9 Let Us Pray For those Celebrating Birthdays On: December 1 : Barb Botwright, Cash Kenneally, Dennis Schaefer, Alesha Swanson December 2: Sandy Jacobson December 4: Jillian Cobb December 5: Tony Cody December 7: Kyle Sundberg December 8: Wayne Botwright December 10: Sally Farrell December 11: Brett Boudreau, Kelly Kenneally December 14: Leonard Johnson December 16: Linda McDonald, Laurie Tufnell, Holly Wendrick December 17: Carter Kang December 18: Ron Elie December 19: Bree Burroughs December 20: Josh DeVet, Holly Miron December 23: Josh Weber December 24: Carrie Boudreau December 25: Sandy DeMars December 27: Thure Dahlgren, Barbara Hammerberg, Estelle Henderson December 28: Macy Degnan December 29: Makayla Marshall, Carol Williams December 30: Michelle Alexander December 31: Jim Wayne Please Note: If we have your birthday or your family members birthday listed incorrectly or if it isn t listed at all please let the office know. One of the goals during this time of transition is to see to it that our members personal information is correctly listed. Prayer Shawls/Quilting Material To those who enjoy knitting or crocheting we have a request for you. Our supply of prayer shawls is running low and we could use more. These shawls should be made lap size and for a man, woman or child. Drop them off in the church office and they will be moved to the appropriate spot and dispersed as the need arises. Also, we received word from our Wednesday quilters that they are in desperate need of sheets or large pieces of material. They use these for the backings of their quilts. Drop off and place in the fellowship hall if you have any that you can part with.

5 Page 8 Page 5 The season of Advent begins on the first Sunday of December (2nd) and continues through until Christmas. The sanctuary will be adorned with a Christmas tree, garland, wreaths in addition to the Advent wreath. The following article gives a brief description of what each candle represents. Hope at the Inn Christ the King opened their doors this week to the homeless in our community as we participate in our week of Hope at the Inn. Thank you to all who have offered their assistance in providing the meals and various food items needed throughout the week. We appreciate your help in this area but we face a real challenge in staffing the shifts with volunteers, especially the 3:00 8:00 a.m. time slots. We ultimately will have these slots covered by the faithful cadre of volunteers from the community who serve wherever the need may be. If you would like to work a shift, but our week at Christ the King didn t work for you, we invite you to go online and checkout how you can help at the other host churches. Go to HopeAtTheInn.org and see what is available. Again, thank you for your ongoing support to this important ministry in our community. Keep the workers and the guests in your prayers daily. Poinsettias and Memorials Poinsettias adorn our sanctuary each Christmas Eve and add to the festive atmosphere. If you would like to give a plant as a memorial in loving memory of someone or would just want one to place on the altar we invite you to sign the back of your worship response card. The cost for a poinsettia is $15. If you prefer to give a monetary memorial you may make your intentions known in the same manner. All poinsettias and memorials will be printed in the Christmas Eve bulletin. Call Committee Update Work continues to proceed with the Call Committee. Final touches are being made to the profile papers and after one more review of them they will be submitted to the Northern Great Lakes Synod. Once that takes place its then wait and see how an individual pastor best matches up to our profile. In the meantime its business as usual here at Christ the King. We have been so blessed with a core group of retired pastors who are so willing to preach here each week. We even had the pleasure of having Pastor Jim Duehring, Assistant to the Bishop here on Reformation Sunday. He has so graciously agreed to be with us on Christmas Eve as we celebrate the birth of the Christ child. Our prayers continue to be with Bob VanEffen, Chairperson; Mary Jo Johnson, Recording Secretary; Sam LaMarche, Carrie Boudreau, Lynn Chylek and Mary Anderson as they seek to do the daunting task of securing a new pastor. This group is very capable led by Pastor Tom Otis our interim pastor as well as Roland Jacobson and Lisa Temple.

6 Page 6 Offerings & Worship Attendance For November Page 7 Christmas Family Wish List Date 5 P.M. 10:30 Total November 3/ November 10/ November 17/ November 24/ Average attendance for November: 103 Offerings For November November 3/ 4 $3, November 10/11 $2, November 17/18 $2, November 24/25 $1, Received this Month $10, Needed Monthly: $13, Difference: - $3, Year-To-Date Income: $135, Year-To-Date Needed: $ 150, Difference: - $14, Debt Retirement Received in November: $ Balance of Loan: $13, Online Opportunity to Give If you would like a convenient way to make recurring contributions we encourage you to consider our electronic giving option. To set up a recurring giving schedule, visit us online at and locate the Online Giving button on the right side of the webpage. It is a simple process that can be done easily. Memorials The following memorial is given in memory of Mike Sundstrom by family and friends. Single mom with two biological daughters and two step-daughters that she is still very close with. Girl age 12 clothing size 10/12 Could use socks and underwear, likes art stuff, being creative and active Girl age 10 clothing size 10/12 Could use socks and underwear, likes glittery things, she is very girly Girl age 4 clothing 4/5 Could use socks and underwear, likes art stuff, books, Shopkins, and baby dolls Girl age 1 1/2 clothing size 18 months Could use socks and diapers size 4 and crib sheets, likes books, puzzles, Paw Patrol and Mickey Mouse Mom clothing size large. Could use household items like cleaning supplies, blankets, and bath towels. Mom could also use bedding (queen & full), kitchen utensils and household items. There will be a table in the narthex for you to leave your donations. Joy Book Club Christmas is so much more than a holiday. So much more than buying and wrapping, and cooking and eating, and trimming with tinsel, and mailing out cards. It s a season for reflection, for preparation, for renewal. What better time to put aside our shopping list and reach for our Bibles, where the story of the Christ child awaits us. These are words expressed by Liz Curtis Higgs, author of the book The Women of Christmas. The women of Joy Book Club have chosen this book to study during the holiday. It takes a look at three women whose hearts belong to God. Elizabeth is barren, yet her trust in God remains fertile. Mary is betrothed in marriage, yet she is willing to bear God s Son. Anna is a widow full of years, yet she waits patiently, prayerfully for the Messiah to appear in the temple courts. Liz Curtis Higgs explores the biblical stories of these three women, unwrapping each verse with tender care and introducing you afresh to The Women of Christmas. Pick up a book in the church office and join the Tuesday Joy Book Club you ll be happy you did.