LIVING TODAY FOR ETERNITY COMFORT AND JOY IN CHRIST

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1 D E C E D I T I O N LIVING SAVIOR LIVING TODAY FOR ETERNITY Lutheran Church z Notes From Pastor z By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. John 13:35(a) Inside This Issue Notes from Pastor...1 Activities & Events...2 Articles of Interest...5 Birthdays & Anniversaries..9 August Calendar...10 nnn COMFORT AND JOY IN CHRIST As I sit down to write this December article, it s not visions of sugarplums dancing in my head that occupy my thoughts, but all the busy days ahead over the next month. December is a special time of the year when the sparkling lights of the decorated trees reflect in the eyes of young and old alike. It s a time for family memories to be made and special moments to be shared with friends. The whole world seems to have a joy that comes out just for Christmas. At the same time, December is filled with schedules chock-full of shopping, parties, traffic, practices, cooking, and yes, extra worship services. Even with all the great reasons to look forward to December, it seems that each year our popular culture is drifting further and further away from what Christmas really is all about. Whether someone says, Happy Holidays or Merry Christmas isn t the issue as much as in whom do they find their true happiness and what does the Christ of Christmas really mean to them. This Advent season, as we prepare for celebrating the birth of Jesus once again, I invite you to join us for our All Church Family Devotional Worship Services on December 3rd, 10th and 17th at 5:30pm. The series this year is called Comfort and Joy. During those three evenings together we ll see how Christ brings us comfort and joy through his peace, pardon and presence. It s getting back to the basics of Christmas why we, as Christians, truly celebrate this time of the year. Want to get a sneak peek of the series? Check out Isaiah 40:1-11. It begins with Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.

2 Upcoming Events December 3, 10, & 17 Advent Meal & Worship December 4 Ladies Lunch Bunch December 6 & 7 Houston Lutheran Chorale Concert December 9 The Radio City Rockettes December 13 Christmas In Montgomery Ladies Lunch Bunch Thursday, December 4 at 11:30 GOOD BYE, AU REVOIR, ADIOS, AUFWIEDERSEHEN UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN Our sister in Christ, Lota Yarber and her husband Ike are moving to California to be with their daughter and family. Lota has been devoted to serving the Lord at Living Savior in the Altar Guild, Ladies and LWML. She will be greatly missed. We all wish her and Ike a safe journey and God's richest blessings in their new home. The December "Ladies Lunch Bunch" will be held at "The Yellow House Café" Eva St (105 past 149 on the left) in honor of Lota. You can contact either Julie Krenz at church or phone or Helga at so Julie can make reservations. Advent Midweek Activities Wednesday, December 3, 10 & 17 Come join us each Wednesday in Advent at 5:30pm in the Fellowship Hall for a Family Devotional Worship at 5:30pm followed by crafts for kids and fellowship for adults. A light, kid-friendly meal will be served at 6:15pm; kids eat free and adults eat for a free-will donation. The LWML will be preparing the meal on Wednesday, December 3rd. The youth will be preparing the meal on Wednesday, December 17th. If your group would like to prepare a meal on December 10th, please contact Annet Riley at asriley@ymail.com or (713) December 14 Children s Christmas Program December 24 Christmas Eve December 25 Christmas CHRISTMAS CAROLING Thursday, December 18 at 10:00AM Come join us as we spread some Christmas Cheer to the shut-ins of our church We will meet in the church parking lot. We would love to have your voice. This is one of those things that you get much more from than you put into it. Join us Contact Judy if you have any questions. Thanks

3 Houston Lutheran Chorale Christmas Concert Saturday, December 6 at 7:00pm & Sunday, December 7 at 4:00pm The Houston Lutheran Chorale invites you to join in celebrating 30 years of sharing the glory of our Lord s birth in song. The 2014 Christmas concert, Fear Not focuses on the message delivered to the shepherds, to Mary, to Joseph and to the Magi. We, too, are called to not be afraid of the majesty and mystery of Christ s birth. Rather we are to embrace it, sharing the story with the world. This year s concerts will be presented on Saturday, December 6, 7:00 p.m. at Memorial Lutheran Church, (5810 3rd St., Katy) and Sunday, December 7, 4:00 p.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church, (800 Houston Avenue, Downtown). Come listen, sing and enjoy the familiar sounds of the season, such as, Mary s Little Boy Chile, Carol of the Bells, Silent Night, Jesus, Jesus Rest Your Head, Joy to the World, and the title anthem, Fear Not. For complimentary tickets and concert information call or visit our website Thank you for blessing this ministry and being a part of this amazing tradition. Christmas in Montgomery Saturday, December 13 - Sunday, December 14 Friday, December 12th, in the evening, we can use the help of a few additional elves to set up for Breakfast with Santa. Saturday, December 13th begins at 8:00am with Breakfast with Santa in the Fellowship Hall. The day continues with Living Savior s choir and brass playing on the outside stage in downtown Montgomery, (close to the Community Center) from 4:30-5:00. We will be one of several groups participating. Chairs will be available. Please come hear us sing Finally, the day ends with the Candlelight Home Tour. LSLC will open the Fellowship Hall from 4:00pm - 8:00pm to serve cookies and wassail. Sunday, December 14, is our annual Christmas Dinner, beginning at 5:00pm. Join us for dinner and stay for the Children's Christmas Program, CSI:Bethlehem, starting at 6:30pm. We will join the Wise Men as they search for and follow the clues to find the New Born King. The Heavenly Sound Jr. Handbell Choir will be playing and the children will be singing some Christmas favorites. It will be a wonderful way to end a great weekend and start the Christmas season. We hope that you can come and join us as we spread the love of Jesus and the true meaning of Christmas to our community

4 Christmas in Montgomery ELVES AND COOKIES NEEDED We will be passing out cookies during the Montgomery Home Tour and after the Children s Christmas Program. If you would like to donate cookies, please label them Home Tour or Children s Christmas Program and place them on the counter in the storage room to the right of the stage in the Fellowship Hall. Thank you If you would like to help with any of the Living Savior Christmas in Montgomery activities, please contact Annet Riley at asriley@ymail.com or (713) Book Group A new book group will begin in January. It will meet on the fourth Thursday of the month to discuss the book for that month. The first book will be The Best Yes: Making Wise Decisions in the Midst of Endless Demands by Lysa TerKeurst. In this book, the author shares how she is learning that there is a big difference between saying yes to everyone and saying yes to God. For more information or to join, contact Annet Riley at asriley@ymail.com or (713) LWML News LADIES.Mark Your Calendars We are changing Ladies and LWML meetings from Tuesday afternoons to Thursday mornings at 10:00am starting in January. The first Thursday of the month will be LWML meetings (except in January, due to the holiday it will be on the 8th). This will give the Ladies opportunity to join the " Ladies Lunch Bunch" at 11:30. The second through fourth Thursdays of the month will be Ladies. Once per month Pastor Bailes will lead the study and the remaining studies will be led by one of the Ladies. This year s topic will be announced in January newsletter. We are hoping that changing the meeting times, it will give moms and grandmoms, who have to collect children from school, a chance to attend Ladies and LWML. Don t forget LWML is providing the Advent Meal for December 3. We are also helping with Breakfast with Santa and Christmas in Montgomery on December 13. If you can help with either of these events, please contact Helga Hellriegel-Schuller at Wishing you a blessed Christmas, celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior Looking forward to serving in ministry with you in the New Year.

5 NOTES FROM THE MUSIC DEPARTMENT Finishing up all the Thanksgiving leftovers, we turn the calendar page over and find lots of squares already filled in with events It s time to break out the Advent Wreaths Surrounded by a ring of greenery are placed 3 purple and 1 pink candle with a white candle in the center. This serves as a time marker for children as we walk through the weeks before we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The candles represent: HOPE, PEACE, LOVE AND JOY. The white candle in the middle is the Christ Candle for Christmas Day Opportunities for Worship are abundant this month as Advent Sunday worship actually began on November 30 th with COME, O HOPE. Thanks to our Youth for participating COME, O STAR reflects the message for Sunday, December 7 th, COME, O JOY on December 14 th, and COME O KING on December 21 st. Remember, Advent means COMING (to come) NEW NEW NEW MID- WEEK ADVENT SERVICES watch for the letter P Wednesday, December 3 rd at 5:30 begins our first COMFORT and JOY Family Advent Devotion Worship. Service is at 5:30 with craft time, and light supper (with kid friendly food) is at 6:15,(kids eat free/ freewill offering others) with choir or confirmation at 7 p.m. THE PEACE OF CHRIST in our troubled times is the first week s theme. NOTE: Our three Wednesday Advent devotion services will take place in the FELLOWSHIP HALL. This is a new and exciting approach to this season s mid-week worship, is Spirit-filled, and you will be blessed. COME and see what we re talking about. Our children will participate in these services, learning how big people serve during church services. Wednesday, December 10 th, at 5:30, the amazing PARDON OF CHRIST for our troubled hearts will be meditated on as God s Word speaks to us, washing over us with His forgiveness. The PRESENCE OF CHRIST worship experience on Wednesday, December 17 th will focus on the comfort and joy that only our God-With-Us (Emmanuel) can give. Again, this service is at 5:30. December 24 th, CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICES: 4:00, 6:00, and 8:00 p.m. 4:00 service will have children s message, special music and candlelight with Silent Night 6:00 service will have special music and candlelight with Silent Night 8:00 service will have special music, Holy Communion, and candlelight with Silent Night Sunday, December 28 th will be the Sunday we remember Simeon in the Temple, as he held the baby Jesus in his arms and declared, Lord, let your servant depart in peace, for I have seen my salvation. Up close and personal, he did just that Another ahhhhh moment. (we call this the Nunc Dimittis in our liturgical service) Wednesday, December 31 st, at 5:00 p.m., in the sanctuary, we reflect, meditate, and worship as we Watch and Pray together in the quiet of the evening. This is a communion service and wonderful way to close out the year with our church family. May God Bless your preparations for the celebration of the birth of our Savior Remember in prayer and deed those who are sad, lonely, in need, grieving, or ill. Joy to the World, the LORD is come

6 Thank You I want to sincerely thank all of you for your prayers. Also, thanks for all the cards, telephone calls, e- mails, visits, and offers of assistance. This has been hard on me because I have really missed church and seeing all of you. It will be awhile before a scan can be done to see if the treatments were successful. If I survive this ordeal, it will be due to God's grace, your prayers, excellent medical care and a wonderful caretaker, my wife. May God bless you all. -Jim Powell A great big thank you to all who donated and helped with the Garage Sale -Shirley Wiess LSLC Staff Christmas Bonus Living Savior continues to be so abundantly blessed with a most dedicated staff who lead us in our walk with a gracious and saving Lord Jesus Christ. Your elders want to provide an opportunity to show our staff how much we appreciate having a Christ-led staff at Living Savior and we plan to do this by providing a year-end bonus. The current staff is: David Bailes Judy Kutach Linda Dornier Carol Bowen Steve Cirtaus Kathy Cirtaus Pastor Music Director Church Secretary Communications Administrator Facilities Maintenance Facilities Services If you are able and would like to provide a financial gift for the above employees, the following methods are available: Check to LSLC (tax deductible) designating on the check what the funds are to be used for (staff bonus); A separate check to LSLC (tax deductible) designated for each individual; You may write a check and make it out directly to the individual (not tax deductible). A gift may of course be given directly to the individual privately (not tax deductible). Donations will be accepted through December 21 st. All funds collected will be provided to the individuals on December 28 th, Thank you for considering this opportunity to show our appreciation and may God s richest blessings and peace be to each and every one of you. Thank you, the Elders Living Savior Lutheran Church

7 LSLC Stewardship Supporting Mission Churches Go into all the world and proclaim the Gospel to the whole creation. Mark 16:15 So, we tithe.where does it all go? LSLC tithe supports the LCMS Texas District in it s missions. This month we highlight Rev. Mark Seeger, pastor for Deaf Youth Ministry of Texas in Austin. Since Pastor Seeger began his ministry in 1991, approximately 2,000 youth have heard the saving message of Jesus Christ through his magnetic smile and his hands using sign language. Our tithe goes to support ministries like Pastor Seeger s. If you would like more information about the supported ministries of the Texas District, please visit Guidelines for Healthy Eating As the holidays approach and food tempta3ons abound, it is 3mely to address some sugges3ons for healthy ea3ng. Ea3ng should be an ac3vity done with others, if possible. Chew your food well. Savor each bite and try to chew each bite slowly (about 20 3mes). This ac3vity aids diges3on, slows ea3ng speed and allows for your brain to sense when you are full. Ea3ng too fast can cause you to overeat and be uncomfortably full. Eat smaller por3ons. Listen to your body. When you think that you are hungry between meals, drink a full glass of water and wait about figeen minutes before heading to the refrigerator. OGen3mes when we think that we are hungry, it is really that we are dehydrated and need to replenish our fluids. Avoid sugary liquids and drinks with caffeine. Limit juices to one glass per day. Aim to eat low fat healthy proteins like poultry, fish, beans, nuts (unsalted preferred) and limit your intake of cheese and processed meats like bacon and cold cuts. Choose the serving size of your meat to be about the size of a deck of cards. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables and go for a variety of colors in your choices. Opt for fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables and by the way, white potatoes and French fries don t count as a vegetable. Carbohydrates that are whole grain and high in fiber are your best choices. Again avoid sugar and salt as you choose your breads, crackers, noodles, rice and cereals. Choose healthy oils like olive and canola oils and avoid foods with trans fats. When apending a cocktail party, a glass of tonic water, club soda or Perrier with a twist of lemon or lime can be a fes3ve, yet wise beverage choice. Enjoy your holidays as you do your best to make healthy choices and eat smart

8 Missed Church? Have you missed church recently due to scheduling, illness, etc? Did you know that there are worship opportunities available on the radio or on-line? The Lutheran Hour, with wonderful pastors from our synod, is broadcast every Sunday at 12:30 p.m. on FM radio. The call letters for this station are KHCB (Keeping Him Close By). During the week, this station has commercial free broadcasting of Christian programs and music. You can obtain their schedule at Another closer to home opportunity is available on our website, Thank you to Larry Wunderlich, videos of Pastor Bailes preaching his latest sermon is available for your viewing. Just simply visit our website, click on the button labeled Media at the bottom right of the home page. The most recent newsletters and sermon videos are posted for you Now, even if you miss, you can still stay current If you have any articles, photos or news-worthy items, please send them to Carol Bowen at The deadline for the December newsletter is Monday, November 24. Happy Birthday Mike Newman 12/5 Robert Mattfeld 12/6 Kim Wunderlich 12/8 Olin Crowley 12/10 Steve Cirtaus 12/11 Bethany Perez 12/11 Frank Kutach 12/12 Ed Moe 12/13 Joe Henschel 12/14 Kathryn Langlois 12/15 Eric Mattfeld 12/15 Rodney Shuffler 12/15 Brittany Downing 12/25 Diane Hadley 12/29 Tammy Dawson 12/30 Ron Fangmann 12/30 Lee Kurtas 12/30 Elle Godfrey 12/31 Happy Anniversary Kevin & Sarah Wieghat 12/6 Gary & Kim Howze 12/18 Charles & Ruth Bland 12/20 Roger & Carol Bartel 12/30 Tim & Tiffany Mattfeld 12/30

9 December 2014 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY 1 5:30p Midweek Team Practice Troop :00p LWML 5:00p Girl Scout Troop :30p Family Dev. Service 6:15p Advent Meal 7:00p Confirm. 7:00p Choir 4 11:30a Ladies Lunch Bunch Troop Pastor s Day Off 6 8:30a Church Council Mtg. 10:00a Elder s Mtg. 7 8:00a Worship 9:15a Fellow. 9:30a Sun. Sch. 9:30a Voters Mtg. 10:45a Worship 1:30 Bailes Christmas Open House 8 9 1:00p Ladies 10 5:30p Family Dev. Service 6:15p Advent Meal 7:00p Confirm. 7:00p Choir 11 Troop Pastor s Day Off 5:30p Children s Christmas Prog. Rehearsal 13 Christmas in Montgomery 8:00a Breakfast with Santa 4:00p Home Tour Open House 4:30 Choir singing in the Square 14 8:00a Worship 9:15a Fellow. 9:30a Sun. Sch. & 10:45a Worship 5:00p Christmas Dinner 6:30p Children s Christmas Prog. 15 Troop :00p Ladies 5:00p Girl Scout Troop :30p Family Dev. Service 6:15p Advent Meal 7:00p Confirm. 7:00p Choir 18 Troop Pastor s Day Off 20 5:00p Bailes Family Christmas Party 21 8:00a Worship 9:15a Fellow. 9:30a Sun. Sch. & 10:45a Worship Christmas Eve 4:00p Worship 6:00p Worship 8:00p Worship 25 Christmas Church Office Closed Pr. Vaca. 28 8:00a Worship 9:15a Fellow. 9:30a Sun. Sch. & 10:45a Worship New Year s Eve 5:00p Worship Pastor s Vacation