Christmas Worship Services

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1 December 2017 THE SERVANT SPIRIT verse of the month But the angel said to them, Do not be afraid; for see I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger. Luke 2:10-12 inside this issue 2-3 Worship and Learning 4 Faith Walk & Talk 5 Ministry & Mission 6 Congregation News 7 Children s Ministry 8 Junior/Senior High Ministry 9 Outreach & Fellowship Events 9 Worship & Music Ministry 10 Calendar of Events 11 Congregational Meeting 11 Servant Schoolhouse Christmas Season Worship Services Christmas Concert Sunday, December 3 Christmas Eve Sunday, December 24 (10:00 a.m., 1:00, 3:00 & 5:00 p.m.) New Years Eve Sunday, December 31 (9:00 & 10:45 a.m.) New Year s Day Monday, January 1 Office Closed Christmas Worship Services Sunday, December 3: A Christmas Concert The Fathers Love Bring your friends and families to our Choir & Contemporary Music Christmas Concert Sunday, December 3 at 9 & 10:45 a.m. Worship Services. Come for one service or stay for both! Sunday, December 24: Christmas Eve Candlelight Services Friends and families are always welcome to join us for our Christmas Eve Worship Services! Our worship times are as follows: 10:00 a.m., 1:00 & 3:00 p.m. Candlelight Services and 5:00 p.m. Candlelight with Communion. Childcare is provided for infants through 3 years old except at the 5:00 p.m. service. Children s Ministry Christmas Event! A Night In Bethlehem Sunday, December 10th 3:00 5:30 p.m. Who is invited? Everyone! Bring your grandparents, neighbor, cousin or a coworker! This will be a time to experience Christmas together. We will explore Bethlehem at the time of Jesus birth. There will be a live Nativity, activities, games, photo booth, snacks and a mission project. We will end our time in the sanctuary with the Christmas story and music. Please join us and take time with friends and family to experience Christmas together! RSVP to annel@servantofchrist.com by December 7th if coming.

2 worship & learning resources Prayer Resources on the WEB Visit our website for a resource on prayer. Go to which is part of the ELCA website. The page provides resources for individuals seeking to expand their prayer life. Contents of the page include meditation, healing, prayer requests, daily Bible readings and a short course called Prayer 101. This is an EXCELLENT resource, check it out! our mission Servant of Christ Mission Making Disciples We are committed in every aspect of life to encourage the ministry of the congregation and individuals to grow in the following biblical marks of discipleship: Prayer, Weekly Worship, Biblical Literacy, Spiritual Friendship, Serving and Giving. communion Christmas Reminds Us Do Not Be Afraid Pastor Eric But the angel said to them, do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. Luke Between mass shootings, social unrest, threats of war with North Korea, ongoing wars throughout the world, hurricanes, earthquakes, wild fires and the daily challenges of life there are many things that can cause one to wonder what s happening in this world? For some the onslaught of bad news is discouraging, for others even debilitating. For many it s easy to become numb to all of the bad news. Because too much bad news creates fear and uncertainty. Christmas reminds us The words of the Gospel from Luke which we read on Christmas Eve remind us that while there are problems unique to the 21st century that require 21st century problem solving the basic problem is and always has been humanity s relationship with God. Christmas is the simple yet profound account of God coming into the world as one of us to demonstrate The Lord s outrageous love for us. This includes making the ultimate sacrifice for all of the sins of humanity. While we may be concerned and even fearful of what s happening in the world we needn t be fearful of allowing The Lord to enter our lives this Christmas. It may happen through a song, a quiet moment alone or a tender moment with a family member. God can enter your life and mine in any number of ways and we needn t be afraid of letting him into our lives. My prayer for our congregation this Christmas is we will be open to seeing God at work in our world and where there is the slightest bit of fear of allowing him to enter our lives more deeply we will remember the words of the angel DO NOT BE AFRAID! May God bless you and your family and may God bless the whole world this Christmas! See you in church this Sunday! Advent blessings, Pastor Eric Upcoming Preaching Themes Sunday, 12/3 CHRISTMAS MUSIC FESTIVAL Bringing Communion to People in Their Homes! Please let Pastor Eric or Pastor Melissa know if there is a Servant of Christ member unable to attend worship due to medical reasons. The Pastors would be happy to bring communion to them in their home. Just call the church office at Sunday, 12/10 A New Christmas Outfit & Christmas Treats Text Mark 1:1-8 Theme John The Baptist was sent to prepare the way for Christ. While there was some confusion about John The Baptists identity he knew that his call was to point the way to Christ. Questions to Think About as You Read: 1) Why do you think so many people flocked to John The Baptist? 2) Whether in church or in their personal lives do you think many people are concerned with confessing their sins to God? 3) Do you think the word sin is relevant for most people today both inside and outside of the church? 2 THE SERVANT SPIRIT

3 worship & learning Sunday, 12/17 The Magnificent Seven One Text Luke 1: Theme When Mary was told she would give birth to Jesus her response became known as The Magnificat. She rejoices that she would be used by God. Questions to Think About as You Read: 1) When have you rejoiced that you have been used by God? 2) When you feel the prompting of The Holy Spirit to do something do you rejoice or recoil? 3) What would happen in a local congregation if everyone responded to God s call like Mary? In what areas of life are people typically hesitant to respond to God s call? Sunday, 12/24 A Christmas Pie Text Luke 2:1-20 Theme The Holidays and Christmas Eve in particular evoke lots of emotions about the past and hopes for the future. They all make a Christmas Pie with lots of emotions, feelings and expectations mixed together. Even the most bitter or bitter sweet Christmas Pie can become sweet when we focus on the real meaning of Christmas. Questions to Think About as You Read: 1) What was your best Christmas ever? 2) What was your toughest Christmas ever? 3) How do you stay focused on the real meaning of Christmas? Sunday, 12/31 Discernment and Wisdom Text Luke 2:22-40 Theme Simeon and Anna reveal to Joseph and Mary (again) about who their new baby Jesus really was. Mary and Joseph marveled at their discernment and wisdom. While this passage has to do with the identity of Jesus it is a reminder to us of the importance of wisdom and discernment in our faith and the role that those with those gifts can play in our lives. Questions to Think About as You Read: 1) Do you know anyone with wisdom and discernment when it comes to faith? 2) If your answer to question #1 is yes, under what circumstances would you reach out to them? 3) What keeps us from reaching out to others when it comes to faith? Baptism Class December 3 & February 4 at 12 Noon Learn about the meaning of baptism and how to arrange for a baptism here at Servant of Christ. We invite all ages to be baptized. Classes are held on the first Sunday every other month at 12 noon in the Family Room at the back of the Sanctuary. If you have further questions or would like to RSVP for a Baptism Class please call the Church Office at Lent Testimonies! Though it s only November planning is already underway for Lent If you know someone (perhaps it s you) who you think would have an important testimony to share please contact Pastor Eric by phone or at pastorhook@servantofchrist.com. THE SERVANT SPIRIT 3

4 faith walk & talk In the Flesh Pastor Melissa And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father s only son, full of grace and truth. John 1: 14 Lifetree Café October Topics Lifetree Café is an hour-long experience where you can meet with others to discuss a variety of engaging topics. It usually meets in the Fellowship Hall from 7:00-8:00 p.m. Questions? Contact the Church Office Dec. 5th: Secrets of Finding Contentment: Living a Satisfying Life Dec. 12th: Children with no place to call home: Helping kids in Crisis Dec. 19th: Mental Illness: Breaking the silence, overcoming the shame Dec. 26th: A Father and Son Beat the Odds: Overcoming Hardship This is what Christmas is all about the Word that is Jesus Christ, living among us, becoming flesh among us and showing us the truth bathed in the grace of his love. The interesting thing is that we, as Christians, believe that Jesus is still walking around in the flesh among us. It is just more difficult to see him. In Matthew 25:31-46 Jesus tells his disciples, Whenever you saw someone hungry or thirsty and gave them food to drink, whenever you saw a stranger and welcomed them or naked and gave them clothing, whenever you visited someone sick or in prison you were really seeing, serving and visiting me in the flesh. At Lifetree Café, which meets every Tuesday night at 7 p.m. in the fellowship hall, we often hear an individual s true life story about how they experienced God in the flesh in the midst of prayer, or marital problems, health problems, addiction problems, or as they have traveled around talking to strangers. Here are some of the comments that Lifetree Café guests have left on the comment cards about Lifetree episodes no matter what the topic: Wow! What a wonderful experience. Thank you God for bringing me here! It was fun, thought provoking and good to have conversation with other adults. God was here and placed us at the table where he needed us to be. I had a great time. I was surprised at how easy it was to open up and talk. Would you like to experience God In the Flesh? Then please join us at Lifetree Café for real conversations with real people. We believe that God is present and ready to meet us in a new way. May your Christmas be a time of seeing Jesus in the flesh in your own life and in the lives of those around you Peace, Pastor Melissa bible studies Young At Heart Meets Monday, December 4 Young at Heart will meet on Monday, December 4th at 11:30 a.m. in the Family Room at the back of the Sanctuary. We ll continue our study of Paul s letter to the Romans. Remember to bring your lunch. Live the Abundant Life in 2018! Please join us for a Bible Study on Tuesdays at 9:30 a.m. or 6:30 p.m. beginning January 9th for six consecutive Tuesdays and ending February 6th. The Gifts of Imperfection/Worthy In Jesus We will be reading The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown and exploring what the Bible has to say about topics such as worthiness, authenticity, shame and perfectionism. Where did shame originate? What is God s path to freedom from its pain? Am I actually worthy? How can I know for sure? As we examine fruits of research and study the Word of God you will learn how to shed the burden of shame, embrace who you truly are, and walk forward in abundant life. Sign up on the bulletin board in the outer narthex or contact Pastor Melissa for more information. 4 THE SERVANT SPIRIT

5 ministry & mission Your Gifts to Servant of Christ Matter and Make a DIFFERENCE! Because of your giving to Servant of Christ we will again this year be able to distribute gift cards to the social workers at both Oxbow Elementary and Dayton Elementary Schools. The social workers will then distribute the cards to families in need. Additionally, hundreds and hundreds of gifts will be given through the Adopt-a-Family program. Each year we receive thank you notes from families whose lives have been touched by your generosity. Many of you have also provided health kits to be distributed through Lutheran World Relief. It is remarkable the footprint Servant of Christ has in our community and around the world in the name of Christ and it happens only because of your generosity. Thanks be to God!!! Keep up the good work and generous giving!!! SOC Adopt-A-Family for Christmas Ministry Just a reminder that Gift Tags must be purchased, wrapped and with the tags attached and dropped off at SOC no later than Sunday, December 17th. Thanks in advance for your compassion and generosity. Servant of Christ Disciple of God Award Accepting Applications for Academic Year The award, to support the next generation of Christian leaders committed to serving Servant of Christ and its community, is in its 6th consecutive year and 48 previous recipients. The award of $3,000 is to partially fund higher education to any accredited state institution of higher education by providing undergraduate monetary awards to confirmed members of Servant of Christ. Students will need to apply each year, as the award is not automatically renewable. The deadline for submissions is early March Awards will be provided to qualified candidates based upon criteria and an application process which will include leadership back to Servant of Christ and/or the community. Applications are available on the SOC website ( and in the SOC church office. If you would like further information on this award application or to financially donate to this award, please contact Annette Carlson at bible studies 6 a.m. Wednesday Women s Bible Study Women of all ages are welcome to join our group every Wednesday morning at our new location of Servant of Christ Lutheran Church. We will meet in the office conference room. Don t worry if you. Don t worry if you cannot stay for the whole hour/come and go as your schedule allows. For further questions call the church office at Remember, God loves each one of us. You are precious in His sight. 6 a.m. Friday Morning Men s Bible Study All men are welcome to join this group every Friday morning at 6:00 a.m. for Bible Study, hot coffee, lively discussions, and fellowship. We meet at church in the Family Room at the back of the Sanctuary. Saturday Morning Men s Study December 16 The Saturday morning Men s Bible Study will meet on Saturday, December 16th from 8-9 a.m. in the Family Room at the back of the Sanctuary. We will continue our Study of the Gospel of John. THE SERVANT SPIRIT 5

6 congregation news New Altar Flower Chart for 2018 The 2018 Altar flower chart is now available for you to sign up for the Sunday(s) you want to give flowers. The cost is $30.00 per Sunday. The flower chart is posted on the bulletin board in the Narthex. Please sign your name and phone number on the chart, fill out a form with the wording you would like in the Sunday bulletin, and then attach your form with cash/check payment and place them in the offering plate or turn them into the church office. Make checks payable to Servant of Christ and write Altar Flowers on the Memo Line. You are welcome to take the flowers you purchased home after the 2nd worship service or during the week. THANKSGIVING THANK YOU! Thank you to all who helped make the 40th anniversary of the ministry of Servant of Christ possible. Thank you to our speakers and all who brought food. The Lord has certainly blessed the ministry of SOC! Financial Stewardship Update As of the writing of this article we are still in the process of pulling together all of the pledge information for 2018 and completing the follow up mailings. If you haven t taken the opportunity to make a commitment for 2018 you can call the church office for a stewardship packet. Also please consider the Simply Giving automatic withdrawal method of giving. Your commitment for 2018 will help Servant of Christ: A. Continue to support incredible ministries beyond our walls B. Make an impact in the name of Christ in our community and around the world C. Continue to support and strengthen our current ministry D. Remain fiscally responsible E. Budget effectively 2017 Year-End Message In the course of year-end tax planning, you may find yourself considering a special one-time donation. There is a growing trend among donors to make contributions to their favorite organizations via the Web during the final week of the year. As you contemplate year-end gifts, please keep Servant of Christ in mind. We welcome your donations through the giving page on the church website at or by mail. Gifting Made Easy Would you find it helpful to have your offerings debited directly from your bank account as you probably do with other obligations? Servant of Christ offers electronic giving for those of you who wish to have contributions transferred electronically to the church s account. Simply complete and return an electronic giving authorization located at the kiosk in the narthex or go to and click on the giving page. Simply Giving Reminder Please remember that if you changed your giving amount for your 2018 pledge and are on Simply Giving we ask that you fill out a new automatic giving form so that gets changed as well. You need to authorize us to debit the new amount. Thank you for your generous financial support. Annual Meeting Sunday, January 28th 12 Noon in the Sanctuary The annual meeting for Servant of Christ Lutheran church will be held on Sunday, January 28th at noon in the sanctuary. It is necessary that we have a quorum in order to be able to vote on our new church council as well as the upcoming budget for Please make plans to attend. 6 THE SERVANT SPIRIT

7 children s ministry from Anne Dates to Remember Family First Sundays These Sundays are for 1st grade through 6th grade. On these Sundays parents come with their children to class. As families, you experience and grow in your faith together. This year our theme will be MARTIN LUTHER. The dates will be January 21 and April 15. First Communion Class for students 5th grade and older This class will take place with Pastor Eric on February 11th at 1:00 p.m. Please contact Anne Larsen if you are interested in having your child attend the class. First Communion Classes and Service 4th Graders Classes will be February 25, March 4, 18, and 25 Classes take place after 10:45 a.m. service in the lower level First Communion classes are for 4th grade students. If you have an older student interested in a one-time class please contact Anne Larsen First Communion Service for 4th grade will take place on April 8th Stepping Stones of Faith Stepping Stones of Faith take place on Sundays when we take a few minutes in service to recognize where children are in their faith journey. On each of these dates, the children come with their class to service and we give each child a gift and a blessing. The children return to the classroom with their lessons. January 28 1st grade February 4 Kindergarten February 25 2nd grade April 15 5th grade May 13 6th grade 4th grade Stepping Stone is the First Communion Sacrament Children s Ministry Christmas Event! A Night In Bethlehem Sunday, December 10th 3:00 5:30 p.m. Who is invited? Everyone! Bring your grandparents, neighbor, cousin or a coworker! This will be a time to experience Christmas together. We will explore Bethlehem at the time of Jesus birth. There will be a live Nativity, activities, games, photo booth, snacks and a mission project. We will end our time in the sanctuary with the Christmas story and music. Please join us and take time with friends and family to experience Christmas together! Some Christmas information for Sunday School students: All the Sunday School students will be singing along with both the Joyful Noise and the Hallelujah choirs. There is an opportunity for 1st 6th grade students to be part of the Christmas Story skit. THE SERVANT SPIRIT 7

8 junior/senior high ministry from Calvin & Mary EQUIP Parent Nights are Back! Chicago Mission Trip Thank you for supporting our Pumpkin Patch we made around $1000 for our trip! Definitely worth the effort so thank you so much!! Next mission trip meeting is Dec. 3rd, 10 a.m downstairs conference room. Senior High Wednesday Nights from 6-7:30 p.m. Join us for worship, teaching, fellowship, and discussion as we grow in our walk with the Lord together!!! Dec 6th and 13th we continue our discussion of Jesus s life and miracles. Break out your UGLY Christmas Sweaters and come and join us for our annual Ugly Christmas Sweater Party December 20th from 6-7:30 p.m. food, games and prizes! (No Senior High on December 27 enjoy your Christmas break) Fusion Winter Retreat Over President s Day Weekend students in grades 7-12 will be going on the Fusion Winter Retreat at Camp WAPO! The cost of Fusion is $70/person before January 10th (early bird), and $85/person January 11th-February 11th. Check out the Senior High page on the Church s website. The most current and up to date info will always be there! Hey parents of Confirmation students, EQUIP Parent Nights are back in action! Woohoo! EQUIP stands for Encouraging QUality Interactions in Parenting. 4 times a year we will be inviting a guest speaker to come in and speak on a certain topic. Come at 5:30 p.m. for pizza, hang out in large group that starts at 6 p.m., and sneak out a bit early at 6:30 p.m. for the guest speaker. Below are dates and topics; parents are asked to come to 2 of 4 EQUIP Parent Nights. January 24th Healthy Relationships April 18th Drug and Alcohol Use and Abuse Food Drive December 20th Our annual Food Drive for the Confirmation students is coming up on Wednesday, December 20th. We go out into the community and collect food, no matter the weather! All food donations will be donated to CEAP for the holiday season. Even locally a lot of families go hungry, and our students help to meet that need! If you would like to contribute your own non-perishable donations, bring them on Sunday, December 17th! Fusion Winter Retreat! February 16th-18th Over President s Day Weekend students in grades 7-12 will be going on the Fusion Winter Retreat at Camp WAPO! The cost of Fusion is $70/person before January 10th (early bird), and $85/person January 11th-February 11th. Fusion Winter Retreat focuses on our personal relationship with Jesus, and growing deeper in our faith. We ll dig into our Bibles, worship together, and talk about how we can live out our faith outside of church. Fusion Winter Retreat has a lot to offer, and it s not just for the outdoorsy types. For outside stuff there is broomball, tubing, bonfires and s mores, gaga ball, and more! Inside stuff we ll have crafts and activities, board games and card games, fires, hot cocoa, and more! Bring your friends, sign up as a small group, or be the bold one and be the first of your friends to sign up. You are not going to want to miss it! Calvin Mary 8 THE SERVANT SPIRIT

9 outreach & fellowship events Scrapbook & Craft Weekend Dec. 8-9th Come and join us Friday, Dec. 8th at 3:00 p.m. through 3:00 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 9th for a weekend getaway of scrapbooking, card making, sewing, stitching, or whatever you have to finish! You can stay at the church all night or come and go as needed. For more information please call Teale Colston at Servant Supper Sunday, Dec. 17th (NOTE DATE CHANGE) Servant Supper has continued to be a great experience of sharing with one another and with the guests who come. Our guests have experienced growing deeper in understanding Christ s love. We have had an average of about people each month, which is awesome. This meal is open to everyone. We serve from 5-6 p.m. It s incredible the amount of support and volunteers that have been here each month helping out. Please consider getting involved in this wonderful ministry. worship & music ministry Praising God Through Music Psalm 28:7 NLT The LORD is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving. Praise God! The season of Advent and Christmas is a time of expectant waiting for our Saviour. We rejoice knowing that our Saviour was given to us as the most precious gift of all. It is through Him, we have salvation and eternal life. How do we praise God for this amazing gift? While we tend to lump all types of praise together under that one word, praise, I recently learned that the Hebrew language has seven different words for praise. Here is the list: 1. Halal Halal is a primary Hebrew root word for praise. Our word hallelujah comes from this base word. It means to be clear, to shine, to boast, show, to rave, celebrate, to be clamorously foolish. 2. Yadah Yadah is a verb with a root meaning, the extended hand, to throw out the hand, therefore to worship with extended hand. 3. Towdah Towdah comes from the same principle root word as yadah, but is used more specifically. Towdah literally means, an extension of the hand in adoration, avowal, or acceptance. 4. Shabach Shabach means, to shout, to address in a loud tone, to command, to triumph. 5. Barak Barak means to kneel down, to bless God as an act of adoration. 6. Zamar Zamar means to pluck the strings of an instrument, to sing, to praise; a musical word which is largely involved with joyful expressions of music with musical instruments. 7. Tehillah Tehillah is derived from the word halal and means the singing of halals, to sing or to laud; perceived to involve music, especially singing; hymns of the Spirit. How will you praise God during this season of Advent and Christmas? We hope one of the ways you will praise God will be to join us in song on Sunday mornings. Feel free to sing, clap, dance, and raise a hand if you want to. We were created to praise our maker. God loves it when we praise Him! God bless you this Advent season and God bless your Christmas too. Peace, Cathy Yseth Contemporary Worship Music Leader cathyy@servantofchrist.com THE SERVANT SPIRIT 9

10 calendar of events Ongoing Events Sundays: Worship Services 9:00 a.m. Traditional 10:45 a.m. Contemporary 9 & 10:45 Sunday School 3yr-6th Childcare available for infants through 3 year olds Mondays: 6:30 p.m. Celebration Choir Practice/ Fellowship Hall 7:00 p.m. Contemporary Team Practice/ Sanctuary Tuesdays: 11:00 a.m. Staff Meeting Noon Bulletin Deadline 7:00 p.m. Lifetree Café *7:00 p.m. Al-Anon *7:30 p.m. AA Meeting Wednesdays: 6:00 a.m. Women s Bible Study/SOC 5:30 p.m. Pizza 6:00 p.m. Confirmation 6:00 p.m. Senior High Group Meets Fridays: 6:00 a.m. Men s Bible Study/ Family Room *Not a church function Holy Communion Services are 1st & 3rd Sunday Brookdale-Champlin Worship Services On the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 2:00 p.m. Pastor Melissa Maltman or Pastor Eric Walbolt leads worship for the residents and visitors at the Brookdale-Champlin Senior Living Complex. The worship service is open to all who wish to attend. If you know someone there, please feel free to invite them. Current worship service dates are listed below. Tuesday, December 12 Tuesday, January 9 Upcoming December & January Events Dec 2, Saturday Dec 3, Sunday Dec 4, Monday Dec 8, Friday Dec 9, Saturday Dec 10, Sunday Dec 12, Tuesday Dec 14, Thursday Dec 16, Saturday Dec 17, Sunday Dec 18, Monday Dec 20, Wednesday Dec 24, Sunday Dec 25, Monday Dec 27, Wednesday Jan 1, Monday Jan 3, Wednesday Save the Date 8:00 a.m. Christmas Concert Rehearsal Christmas Concert/both services 12:00 noon Baptism Class 12:00 noon Sunday School Program Practice 11:30 a.m. Young at Heart/Family Room 3:00 p.m. Scrapbooking begins 3:00 p.m. Scrapbooking ends 4:00 p.m. Nordic Ski Spaghetti Dinner 3:00-5:30 p.m. Children s Christmas Ministry Event 7:00 p.m. Boy Scout Meeting 10:00 a.m. Quilting Group/Fellowship Hall 8:00 a.m. Men s Bible Study/Family Room 5:00 p.m. Servant Supper NO Contemporary Band Practice Confirmation Food Drive/Christmas Party 10:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m., 5:00 p.m. Christmas Eve Services NO Sunday School Christmas Day Office Closed NO Confirmation New Year s Day Office Closed NO Traditional/Contemporary Band Practice NO Confirmation Jan. 28, 2018 Annual Congregational Meeting 12 Noon in the Sanctuary You can download an SOC monthly calendar from our church website ( 10 THE SERVANT SPIRIT

11 congregational meeting Annual Congregational Meeting January 28, 2018 The Servant of Christ Annual Meeting will be held in the Sanctuary on Sunday, January 28 following the 10:45 worship service. We will be voting on new Church Council for 2018, approving a budget and talking about where we ve been in 2017 and where we re heading in We ve been blessed over the years to have some really good annual meetings. The results of these meetings enable God s work through the church to continue to be both efficient and effective. So please mark your calendar to be part of this really important once a year meeting. (The meeting will take up to, but no longer than one hour out of your Sunday.) If you are a *voting member, please plan to attend this very important meeting for our Church, Servant of Christ. We need to have 10% to have a quorum to approve the Meeting s agenda, budget and ballot votes. *Voting Members are: anyone Baptized & Confirmed by receiving the Sacrament of Baptism in this congregation or in the name of the Triune God, have been received by transfer from other Lutheran congregations or received by affirmation of faith into this congregation; and have been Confirmed by affirming their Baptism in this congregation or from other Lutheran churches, or adult baptism and have been received into this congregation. (2006 SOC Church Constitution; Chapter 8 Membership C8.01-C8.02.) 2017 Annual Report Article Submissions Deadline is Jan. 5, 2018 Church Staff, Church Council (President, Treasurer, and Stewardship/Christian Living), Committee Chairs and SOC Ministry leaders: Please have your articles for the Annual Report completed no later than noon on Friday, January 5th. Please your articles to tammyl@servantofchrist.com. If you have any questions call Tammy Lund at Recognition and Installation of Council Members Church Council members from 2017 will be thanked and recognized on Sunday, January 28 at both services. New and continuing Council members will be installed at both services on Sunday, February 4. Thank you 2017 Church Council and Committee Chairs for your service and dedication to the mission and ministry of Servant of Christ. servant schoolhouse preschool Christmas Joy at Servant Schoolhouse Preschool God loved the world so much that He gave His Son John 3:16 Every month the children at preschool learn a new Bible verse. The above verse is for the month of December. Our focus during the Christmas season will be on Jesus birthday, emphasizing that decorations, gift giving, and festivities are all done as a response to the joy we have in Jesus birth. This month we are looking forward to having our parents come spend a day with us in class. We will be singing songs, doing an art project and Santa s workshop will be up and running. Christ is the good news of Christmas! It is our prayer that your family s celebration will be joyful as you rejoice in this news! Registration for the school year begins in January. If you are interested in learning more about the classes offered, please call for registration materials or stop by for a tour! Happy Holidays! Diane Poling, Director/Teacher dianep@servantofchrist.com THE SERVANT SPIRIT 11

12 740 East Hayden Lake Road Champlin, MN ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED NONPROFIT ORG US POSTAGE P A I D TWINCITIES, MN PERMIT NO Time Value church contacts Christmas Season Worship Services Christmas Concert Sunday, December 3 Children s Christmas Ministry Event Sunday, December 10th from 3:00-5:30 p.m. Christmas Eve Sunday, December 24 Services at 10:00 a.m., Candlelight Services at 1:00 & 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. Candlelight with communion Office Closed New Year s Day Monday, Jan. 1 Annual Congregational Meeting Sunday, January 28 Remember to invite a friend to Servant of Christ! Scan this barcode with your smart phone and it will bring you directly to our website. Servant of Christ Lutheran Church 740 East Hayden Lake Road, Champlin, MN Phone: Fax: Website: Pastor Eric Walbolt: pastorhook@servantofchrist.com Pastor Melissa Maltman: melissam@servantofchrist.com Anne Larsen, Children s Ministry Director: annel@servantofchrist.com Calvin Konop, Junior High/Confirmation Ministry Director: calvink@servantofchrist.com Mary Monsrud, Senior High Ministry Director: marym@servantofchrist.com Susan Huemann, Choir Music Ministry Director: sueh@servantofchrist.com Cathy Yseth, Contemporary Music Ministry Director: cathyy@servantofchrist.com Pat Gallagher, Nursery Care Ministry Director Servant Schoolhouse Preschool Diane Poling, Director: dianep@servantofchrist.com Church Office Tammy Lund: tammyl@servantofchrist.com