Opening Hymn - Lutheran Service Book #545 Word of God, Come Down on Earth. Baptism of August Wayne Frerking - p.268 (8:00am)

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1 ACTIVITIES FOR THE WEEK Sunday 12/10 8:00 AM Worship 9:15 AM Sunday School/Bible Class Church Office M-F: 8am-5pm (660) :15 AM Adult Information Class 9:30 AM LGSH Worship Service 10:30 AM Worship w/communion 7:00 PM SPLHS Christmas Concert Monday 12/11 1:00 PM Quilters (CC) 7:00 PM Cemetery Meeting (CC) 7:00 PM Worship w/communion Tuesday 12/12 8:00 AM Braille (CC) 10:00 AM Lectionary Readings (Sr Center) 7:00 PM Voters Meeting (Church) Wednesday 12/13 9:45 AM LGSH Advent Worship NOON BULLETIN DEADLINE 6:00 PM Jr High Youth Advent Meal 7:00 PM Advent Worship Thursday 12/14 12:00 PM Ladies Aid #3 Christmas Party 7:00 PM Joyful Sounds Friday 12/15 9:45 AM LGSH Bible Study Saturday 12/16 9:00 AM Happy Birthday Jesus Party 6:00 PM Living Nativity & Caroling Sunday 12/17 8:00 AM Worship w/communion 9:15 AM Sunday School/Bible Class 9:15 AM Adult Information Class 9:30 AM LGSH Worship Service 10:30 AM Worship Dial-A-Devotion (660) School Office M-F: 8-3:30 (660) DECEMBER 10, :00 AM & 10:30AM ST. PAUL S LUTHERAN CHURCH CONCORDIA, MO Opening Hymn - Lutheran Service Book #545 Word of God, Come Down on Earth Baptism of August Wayne Frerking - p.268 (8:00am) Order of Service - Divine Service Setting Three - p. 184 Service of Preparation P In the name of the Father and of the ϯ Son and of the Holy Spirit. C Amen. P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness. P Our help is in the name of the Lord, C who made heaven and earth. P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord, C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin. P O almighty God, merciful Father, C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being. P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the ϯ Son and of the Holy Spirit. C Amen.

2 Bible Class Today - December 10 Introit Latin for entrance. It is usually a psalm that is spoken or sung responsively that begins the Service of the Word) P Restore us, O God; C let your face shine, that we may be saved! P Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock! C You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth. P You brought a vine out of Egypt; C it took deep root and filled the land. P Restore us, O God of hosts; C let your face shine, that we may be saved! P Restore us, O God; C let your face shine, that we may be saved! Gloria Patri - p.186 (sung) (Gloria Patri is Latin for Glory to the Father. The Church has added this praise of the Trinity to Psalms and other liturgical items for centuries.) C Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Adult Bible Study - Jesus Is: Jesus is the fulfillment of the Old Covenant with Abraham. If there was an old covenant, what is the new one? is Jesus still present today? Why did He have to die, on a cross? Why not a more humane means of dying? It s all tied together. Clint Colwell will be leading this class in the school gym. Today s Scripture Readings - This Bible study will examine the three Scripture readings in Today s worship. What is their connection to each other and the message for us today? Topic and Discussion: "I've fallen, and I can't get up." -- "Help is on the way." Class meets in the Conference Center. Walter Loeber will lead this class today. The High School Sunday School will be worshipping at the Good Shepherd Home this morning and assisting with wheelchairs. Meet at the GSNH at 9am or if you need a ride meet at the church office at 8:45am. Sunday School - Join us at Sunday school during the advent season! The younger students will be learning more about the people surrounding Jesus birth, while the older students dig deeper into the gifts given to Jesus; Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh. We will be wrapping gifts as a service project and making crafts to help us celebrate the birth of Jesus! Kyrie - p. 186 (sung) (Kyrie Eleison is Greek for Lord have mercy. We ask God to hear our prayers according to His mercy.) C Lord, have mercy upon us. Christ, have mercy upon us. Lord, have mercy upon us. Collect of the Day (Prayer that collects the theme of the day) P The Lord be with you. C And with thy spirit. (sung) P Let us pray. P Stir up our hearts, O Lord, to make ready the way of Your only-begotten Son, that by His coming we may be enabled to serve You with pure minds; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. C Amen. Remember in your prayers Healing for Chet Fiene, Vernon Grefe, Rev. Jim and Anne (Gerdts) Gier, George Estes, Lloyd and Ruth Tebbenkamp, Jeanette Fuehring, Rose Becker, Ann Wolters, Jane Bergman, Joe Griggs, Marcus Bodenstab, Selma and Alvin Oetting, Helen Dankenbring, Alleen Fuchs, Michelle McGinnis, Amy Gerdts, Leona Brandt, John Pittman, Mary Ann Henning, Gary Bartel, Carol Henning, Darrin Woodall, Jeffrey Peterson. The baptism of August Wayne Frerking. Darrin Woodall and family at the death of his brother, Randy Woodall. Blake and Kelsey Hasselbring at the birth of their son, Hugh Robert Hasselbring. Samantha Mueller, member of St. Paul s, serving a Gospel proclamation assignment in Hungary, and for Kristen Lange as she serves in Wittenberg, Germany. Lead them, Lord, to reflect Your light in all they do and say. 2

3 Christmas Nativity & Caroling Saturday, December 16 th 6:00 8:00 p.m. St Paul s Lutheran Church Parking Lot Weather permitting, St Paul s Lutheran Church will be hosting a live nativity scene on their church s north parking lot. The event will be on Saturday, December 16, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Come and enjoy hot chocolate, hot apple cider, and s mores. Several fire pits will be present to help with the evening chill as well as roasting marshmallows for mouthwatering delicious s mores. Bring your lawn chairs, don your warm coats, mittens and blankets, while sharing favorite Christmas carols by candlelight along with the reading of the Luke 2 Christmas story. As part of St. Paul s EACH ONE-REACH ONE, this serves as a great opportunity for all to come and enjoy this special evening of friendship and fellowship together with friends and neighbors. Please join us; as together we anticipate the upcoming Christmas season!! The Flowers Calendar for 2018 is posted in the church office. Those who wish to provide flowers for the altar or chancel during the year are invited to sign the calendar, which lists Sundays only. The calendar has space to sign for Altar --two matching arrangements--or Chancel --either one or two arrangements. Chancel arrangements will be placed on stands near the altar. Flowers may be given in memory of loved ones, in recognition of special occasions, or at other times. Donors are asked to arrange for order and delivery. An Altar Guild member will contact donors prior to the signed-up date to ask for information for that Sunday s bulletin. To sign up please stop by the church office Monday Friday, 8am-5pm and Sunday during the Sunday School hour, or you can call the office at Thank you. Lutheran Hour Ministries During the months of 2017, information has been shared about Lutheran Hour Ministries in the Proclaim. Also the weekly sermon topics for The Lutheran Hour have been in the Sunday bulletin. Hopefully this information has helped you see the far reaching ministry of LHM. If you have contributed the LHM in 2017 we sincerely thank you. If you have not previously contributed please consider doing so. Any amount is helpful and appreciated. If you choose to contribute you can by writing LHM on the bottom of your offering envelope or mail directly to Lutheran Hour Ministries; 660 Mason Ridge Center Dr.; St. Louis MO, or on the web at Also, please keep LHM in your prayers that our Lord will continue to bless this ministry and help it reach the hearts of people everywhere though the Holy Spirit. 10 Old Testament Reading Isaiah 40: Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. 2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the LORD s hand double for all her sins. 3 A voice cries: In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. 5 And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken. 6 A voice says, Cry! And I said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. 7 The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the LORD blows on it; surely the people are grass. 8 The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. [ 9 Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news; lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, Behold your God! 10 Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. 11 He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.] P This is the Word of the Lord. C Thanks be to God. Anthem - Joyful Sounds (10:30am) Prepare the Way of the Lord Epistle Reading 2 Peter 3: Do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. 11 Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, 12 waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! 13 But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. 14 Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. P This is the Word of the Lord. C Thanks be to God. 3

4 Alleluia and Verse - p. 190 (sung) (A declaration of praise at the reading of the Gospel) C Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia. Gospel Reading Mark 1:1-8 P The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the first chapter. C Glory be to Thee, O Lord. (sung) 1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 2 As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way, 3 the voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight, 4 John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6 Now John was clothed with camel s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And he preached, saying, After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." P This is the Gospel of the Lord. C Praise be to Thee, O Christ. (sung) Creed - (inside back cover of the hymnal) Hymn of the Day - Lutheran Service Book #341 Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates Sermon - 2 Peter 3:11-14 Adventure Offering and Rite of Fellowship (Please record your attendance on the friendship register in each pew and pass the register down the pew so all may record their attendance.) Prayer of the Church 4 Family Footnotes With the cooler weather coming on, I was talking to one of my friends about new recipes, soups, stews, and all of those other warm comfort foods that one thinks about closer to the holidays. Then I ran across this phrase in my devotion a few minutes later,...marinate our minds in Scripture... I am a words person, so I love the way that phrase sounds. It provides such rich imagery. After having read this, I have now associated that phrase in my mind with cooking, so I think that will be a good reminder for me to stay connected. Just as a cook lets stew simmer to absorb all of the flavors to bring about the best taste, so we need to be in God s Word so that it may saturate into our minds and be a blessing for us in the moments and days to follow. Discerning God s will is a difficult thing, but if we want to know the will of God, then we know that we have to be in His Word. Having that prayer time and opening our Bibles to Scripture is powerful. Sometimes we do not know the words to say in our prayers, but the Holy Spirit searches our hearts and intercedes for us, so having our heart and mind in alignment with Scripture gets us closer to the mark of being able to know where God is leading us. It s all tied together! And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will. Romans 8:27 (Some ideas taken from Lutheran Church Charities Devotion, December 1, 2017) ~Gina Martens, Family Life Director The SPLHS Music Department will present its annual Christmas Concert at St. Paul s Church on Sunday, December 10 th, at 7:00pm. The concert is entitled Christmas Around the World and will feature the Chamber Orchestra, Band, Singing Saints and the Saint Paul Chamber Choir. With the Singing Saints preparing for their first European tour this May, it means you will hear carols sung in English, Latin, Polish, Slovakian, German and Hungarian. You will also hear favorites such as Handel s Hallelujah Chorus performed with full orchestra, J. S. Bach s Wachet auf with strings and tenors, and the spritely soprano duet Laudamus te from Vivaldi s Gloria. And if that isn t enough, you also get to sing along to three of your favorite Christmas carols with the orchestra and choir! The concert is free, but a free-will offering will be taken to support the music program. Please plan to attend this exciting evening. Hearing Assist Units are available for parishioners who would like a little more clarity with the sound in Church. They are available at the church Office, or if you would like to try one, contact one of the ushers before a church service. Religious Christmas Cards are now available at the school office or the Good Shepherd Home. Cost is $6.50 per box. Thank you for supporting your school. 9

5 Sr. High Youth Mark your calendars! We will have our Christmas party on Friday, December 15 th from 6pm-??? at the Kollbaums. We will enjoy treats, fellowship, and laughter as we celebrate the birth of our Savior. If you would like to bring a treat to share that would be great, but not necessary. We will do a white elephant gift exchange again this year. If you need directions or a ride, contact Angie Kollbaum at HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESUS! Families - Please join us for a celebration of the birth of Jesus on December 16th from 9-10:30 at St. Paul's Lutheran School Gym. There will be lots to play, see, learn, and eat! Everyone is welcome! Invite a friend! If you have questions, please Stacey Steinkuhler at steinkuhlers@sedalia200.org or Sarah Heins at smheins73@gmail.com The Mens Club of St. Paul s will meet on Monday, December 18th. The executive board will meet at 6:15pm with the regular meeting beginning at 7:00pm. Matt Rose will have the topic of wildland fires. Everyone is invited to attend. Children s Christmas Eve Service - FINAL PRACTICE will be held on Wednesday, December 8:30am in the church. If you are unable to attend our 6:00pm service on Christmas Eve, you are welcome to join us on Wednesday as we prepare to worship together to ponder and celebrate the words God shares with us in Luke 2! Giving Tuesday The Lutheran Women's Missionary League (LWML) collected approximately $26,314 on Giving Tuesday, November 28. The giving amount met the matching donation of $20,000 made possible by two anonymous donors who donated $10,000 each. That brings the total to $46,314 to be given to the mission goal of the LWML. Thank you for your missions support. Contribution Note All worship service contribution checks should be made payable to St. Paul s Lutheran Church or SPLC. You may use the memo line to designate your gift to a specific fund or group within the church. Thank you, Julie Bonar A HEARTFELT THANK YOU to everyone at St. Paul s who has offered support, prayers and assistance of so many kinds to the young men and women of the Concordia community who will be the future of the church in many ways, Saint Paul Lutheran High School is privileged to be part of this community, and we appreciate so very much all who have shared their gifts and talents with our students. Blessings to all of you, - SPLHS Faculty and Staff The Lord s Prayer (8:00am) C Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen. (The 8:00am service will conclude with the Benediction and the closing hymn, Lutheran Service Book #875 Father, We Praise Thee ) Service of the Sacrament (The 8:00am service continues on p. 194 in Lutheran Service Book.) We believe that in the Lord s Supper our Lord gives to us His true body and blood with the bread and the wine for the forgiveness of our sins. We recognize the charge that St. Paul offers in 1 Corinthians 11:27-28 that those who come to receive the Lord s Supper ought to examine themselves so that they do not eat and drink in an unworthy manner. Therefore, out of concern for those who have not been instructed in the faith or who hold to a different confession, we ask that only members of Lutheran Church Missouri Synod congregations receive the Sacrament. If you would like to learn more about what our congregation teaches, to inquire about becoming a member or have questions about our practice, please speak to one of the pastors. For those who have problems consuming alcohol, you are invited to receive diluted wine from the purple glasses in the center of the tray of individual cups. For those who have dietary restrictions, gluten free wafers are available upon request. Distribution Hymns Lutheran Service Book #804 Lutheran Service Book #566 Lutheran Service Book #622 O Worship the King By Grace I m Saved Lord, Jesus Christ, You Have Prepared 2018 Contribution Envelopes can be picked up in the Church Narthex. 8 5

6 Closing Hymn - Lutheran Service Book #875 ******* Father, We Praise Thee Preacher - Rev. Bart Mueller Liturgist - Paul M. Mehl (8:00am) Rev. Tom Lange (10:30am) Organist - Kathryn Oetting Acolytes - Will Rehkop 8:00am Jacob Lunbeck 10:30am Greeters - Gene and Janelle Virus 8:00am Tim and Karen Bauer 10:30am LGSH Service Leader - Rev. Warren Schmidt LGSH Message - Comfortable? Maybe: Comforted? Yes! LGSH Pianist - Mary Roepe Acknowledgments Divine Service, Setting Three from Lutheran Service Book 2006 Concordia Publishing House. Reprinted with permission. Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Created by Lutheran Service Builder 2006 Concordia Publishing House. Next Sunday s (12/17/17) Scripture Readings: First Reading - Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11 Second Reading - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24; Gospel - John 1:6-8, The Lutheran Hour can be heard any time on the internet. Type in Lutheran Hour; click on the first paragraph, THE LUTHERAN HOUR; click on LISTEN. This week s message by Rev. Dr. Ken Klaus is titled, Prep Time. Preparing for Christmas is quite different than preparing for Christ. Today s Lutheran Hour message explores those differences. 8:00 AM The Lutheran Hour, KCMO (710 AM) 8:00 AM The Lutheran Hour, KLEX (92.5 FM) 10:00 AM The Lutheran Hour, KMMO (1300 AM) 10:10 AM The Lutheran Hour, KSIS (1050 AM) 1:30 PM The Lutheran Hour, KWIX (1230 AM) August Wayne Frerking, son of Alic and Chelsea Frerking, will be received into our Lord s kingdom through Holy Baptism in the 8:00am service today. His sponsors are Abram Frerking and Kylie Wagner. 6 Voters Meeting A regular Voters meeting of St. Paul's Lutheran Congregation will be held on Tuesday, December 12, at 7:00pm in the church sanctuary. Along with regular business we will also be voting to call a Principal for St. Paul s Elem School. The candidates are Nathanael Poppe, Christopher Dohning, Corey Nelson. A complete bio on each candidate is included in this Sunday s bulletin. We hope that you will be able to attend this important meeting. We encourage all members to be involved in the decisions of our church. Advent Meal Jr. High Youth will be serving the Advent Dinner on Wednesday, December 13 th. We will be serving spaghetti, French bread, salad, and desserts. Proceeds will help support our Youth Ministry and attending the Missouri District Jr. High Retreats. Youth families are asked to help provide pasta, sauce, salad, French bread or dessert. We will begin set up at 4pm. Check the SPLC Youth Facebook page or contact Angie Kollbaum ( ) for more information. The SPLC Youth will be working with the SPLC Evangelism team for the Live Nativity event on Saturday, December 16 th from 6-8pm. Youth in grades 5-12 will be participate in the Live Nativity as well as help to greet and serve those attending. Contact Mark Kusel or Angela Kollbaum if you would like to participate. Christmas Decorations Forms to contribute a poinsettia or make a donation towards decorating the church for Christmas may be picked up in the Church Narthex or Church Office. Contributions must be received by Monday, Dec. 18th. Thank You to the youth, leaders, and parents for raking leaves at my house. It was greatly appreciated ~ Shirley Kimball and Family. Reformation DVD If you ordered a DVD from the 500th Anniversary of the Lutheran Reformation Hymn Sing they are available for pick-up in the church office. Attendances & Offerings Last Week 10:00 Sunday: 300, 163; LGSH: 89 Advent: 266; LGSH: 88 Sunday School: Jr. High: High: 2 Bible Classes - Adult: 57 LGSH: 48 Midweek: 7 Home - $32, Missions - $2, Growing by God s Grace - $25 Debt Reduction - $380 Building - $10 Home Improvement - $ Comfort Dog - $ Lutheran Bible Translators - $85 SPLHS - $85 Orphan Grain Train - $25 Lange Mission - $25 Christmas Meal Bags - $340 World Mission - $20 Faith/UCM Campus Ministry - $100 7