WE ARE THE CHURCH TOGETHER

Transcription

1 WE ARE THE CHURCH TOGETHER December, 2013-January, 2014 STURGEON BAY MORAVIAN CHURCH 323 SOUTH 5TH AVENUE, STURGEON BAY, WI Holiday Greetings from the Staff In this season of welcoming the Christ child your church staff wishes to offer you our thanks. We are so grateful for the opportunity to serve you. Our partnership continues to make a difference for Christ as we serve him in this community. The blessings continue to flow and enrich so many lives. On behalf of Reeder, Vickie, Bob, Jill, Ann and Ross, I want to wish you the very best for this Christmas season. It is a joy for us to serve you. Our prayer is that you will experience the peace, hope, joy, and love of Christ in a truly significant way. Worship Opportunities Pastor Matt Sunday, December 1 Holy Communion Sermon: Peace on the Mountain Scripture: Isaiah 2:1-5 Sunday, December 8 Sermon: A Glorious Vision Scriptures: Isaiah 11:1-10; Matthew 3:7-12; Romans 15:4-6 *Candlelight Service at Shiloh 6:30 pm Christmas Eve, Tuesday, December 24 Candlelight Service/Special Music 4:00 pm Candlelight Service/Brass Ensemble 6:00 pm Candlelight Service/Adult Choir 8:00 pm Sunday, December 29 Lessons & Carols Sunday, December 15 Sermon: Wisdom is Proven Right Scripture: Matthew 11:1-19 *Children s Lovefeast 4:30 pm Sunday, December 22 Sermon: God With Us Scriptures: Isaiah 7:10-14; Matthew 1:18-25 Sunday, January 5 Communion Drawing of Watchwords for 2014 Sunday, January 26 Anniversary Lovefeast

2 Page 2 Calendar Calendar Wed. Night Youth: Lambs & Rams 4:30-5:30; Sister s Chorus 6:30-7:00; Nazarites 7-8:00; Youth Bible Study 7-7:30: Sr. High 8-9:00 Discipleship Class: Wed. 5:30-7 pm Sunday School: 9:00 am Loaves & Fishes Meal: 1st, 3rd & 4th Friday, 5:30-7:00 pm at NWTC. Youth Choir Performances: During 10:30 worship on 12/1 Jr. & Discipleship Choirs and on 12/8 All Choirs. Women s Groups: Women s Ministry 3rd Tues., 6:30 pm.; Quilting Group/Potluck 3rd Thurs., 9:00 am Biblical Women Bible Study: 3rd Mon., 10:00 am and 6:30 pm Honor Circle: Dec. 10, 11:30 am Potluck at Nancy Lehmkuhl s Home Faith Circle: 2nd Tues., 1:30 pm Pine Crest Bible Study: Men s Tues., 7:30 am; Adult Study Wed., 8:00 am and Sun., 9:10 am Walking Group: 2nd Sat., 9:00 am Blood Pressure Checks: 2nd Sun. 9:45 am Coffee Hus: Sun., 9:00 am Adult Choir Rehearsals: Sun., 9:00 am No Sunday School Dec. 29 Special Events Children s Lovefeast Dec. 15, 4:30 pm Christmas Caroling Dec. 18, 6:00 pm Worship Opportunities See Page 1 Church Council Jan. 19, 11:30 am Meetings Building & Grounds 12/02 & 01/06 5:00 pm CEC 12/03 & 01/07 6:30 pm Stewardship Committee 12/05 & 01/02 8:30 am Budget & Finance 12/09 & 01/13 12:00 pm Joint Board Meeting 12/09 6:30 pm Trustees Meeting 01/13 6:30 pm Elders Meeting 01/13 7:30 pm Christmas Eve Volunteers Needed Ushers Christmas planning has started. If you are interested in ushering for the 4, 6 or 8 o clock Christmas Eve service (and get guaranteed seats!) please contact Scott Bader at or srbader@coldwellbanker.com. Five ushers are required for the 4:00 service and four for the 6 and 8. If you are willing to usher at the Quincy Street entrance contact Tom Pinney at You will be required to meet the vehicle and assist the handicap person, which may include a walker or wheel chair. Christmas Eve Candle Servers Candle servers needed for 4, 6 and 8 o clock see article on page 3.

3 Page 3 Page 3 WE WE ARE ARE THE THE CHURCH CHURCH TOGETHER TOGETHER Christmas Eve Reminders Members please fill up the courthouse parking lot first so our visitors and guests will find it easier to get into worship. You cannot reserve seats. Please plan on arriving with your party if you wish to be seated together. We have overflow seating in the basement with viewing via our close circuit television projection system. Christmas Super Sunday On Sunday, December 22 we will be having our second intergenerational Super Sunday during the Sunday School hour at 9:00 am. We will be singing Christmas carols and learning how to make our various Moravian Christmas crafts like stars and candles! This is for all ages so please join us. Reflection on the Light Christmas Eve Candlelight Service Many of you have participated in the Christmas Eve candlelight services. Many haven t -- when you pass The Light to members, guests, friends and family you experience the warmth of The Light, see the reflection in peoples eyes and are in awe of it s meaning. Every year it instills in my heart what Christ mas is truly about. If you and your family, or as individuals, would like to be a part of this experience by serving candles at either the 4, 6 or 8 o clock service please contact the church office at by December 9. You will be required to arrive a half hour prior to your serving time. Lisa Smith, Candle Coordinator Unity Prayer Watch December 1 Shortly after the August 13, 1727 communion, the Moravians established an Hourly Intercession, believing that continual prayer was an absolute essential for the Church to grow and thrive under the leading of God s Spirit. That daily Prayer Watch continued unbroken for one hundred years, with Moravians in prayer every day, 365 days of the year for one hundred years. It was during that time that the Moravian Church exhibited its greatest growth and vitality. During the 1957 celebration of the 500 th anniversary of the Moravian Church, the Prayer Watch was re-established; inviting congregations around the world to each take responsibility for a day of prayer. Our assigned day of prayer is December 1. If you are interested in signing up for a half hour of prayer during this 24-hour period, please contact Linda Albert at

4 Page 4 In the Life of Our Church Family We are pleased to welcome Ezra James Stutting, son of Lincoln Stutting, born May 21, 2013 in Sturgeon Bay, into our church family by the sacrament of Infant Baptism. Ezra is the grandson of Joe and Jami Stutting. His sponsors are Josh Stutting, Kim Stutting and Heather Herlache. Trouble Hearing? Missing out on what s being said during worship? We have a system in place to help you! It is a very small receiver, about the size of a deck of cards, with its own volume control. This receiver blocks out the background noise so you only hear the voices coming through the microphone, ie: the pastor and lay readers. Attached to the receiver is a standard ear bud, you simply attach the cord and insert the ear bud in your ear. If you don t have an ear bud, you can purchase one for $15 and keep it with you as your own personal device. See Tom Pinney or contact the church office if you would like a demonstration. Advance Directive Do you have an Advance Directive? An Advance Directive is important if you become physically or mentally unable to communicate your desires for medical care if you have an accident or become ill. Your family and doctors will better understand your preferences if you have expressed them in writing. One way to accomplish this is through an advance directives form that names a durable power of attorney for health care choices and includes a health care choices directive. Advance directives allow you to state exactly what treatments you do or do not want if you are unable to communicate your wishes. If you don t have an Advance Directive you may want to consider it. If you are interested in learning more, please let me know. If there is enough interest I will set up a workshop with Chaplain Susan Johnson of Ministry Door County Medical Center. Carolyn Bridenhagen, Parish Nurse Biblical Women Study The Biblical Women study will be held on Monday, December 16 at 10:00 am and 6:30 pm in the adult education room on the lower level of the CE building. You are welcome to attend either session. The theme is A Faithful Follower, The Widow from Zaraphath. But she said, As the Lord your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of meal in a jar, and a little oil in a jug; I am now gathering a couple of sticks, so that I may go home and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die. I Kings 17:12 Stewardship Annual Offering Target Amount for $300,000 Expected Offering as of 11/17/2013 $ 267,509 Actual Offering to Date $ 236,076 Offering Shortfall ($ 31,433)

5 Page 5 Report from Consecration Sunday Please remember it is not too late to pledge. Your written commitment to financially support the church is critical for our ability to accomplish the ministry and mission. So far we are behind last year in both the number of folks pledging and the amount of money committed to the budget. If you have never made a pledge before we urge you to do so as it is a huge benefit to our board in their planning for the year. If you have any questions about how to pledge or become an electronic giver please give Pastor Matt a call. Church Council Please plan on attending our annual church council immediately following worship on Sunday, January 19. The council will be held in the sanctuary. Church Council is our Annual Meeting where we elect officers for the coming year, approve the church budget and attend to the other important business for our congregation. It is important for all members to participate in this important gathering as an opportunity to be informed about our ministry, participate in choosing leadership, and making your voice heard about that which is important to you. Chili Cook-Off and Craft Extravaganza WOW!! The Chili Cook-Off and Craft Extravaganza was a huge success. The Chili was delicious, with Chief Rouge winning by seven votes. After packing up all of the items that didn t sell, cleaning up and sorting things for the After-sale Coffee Hus Sale we all went home and put our feet up to think over the day. There are many things we need to do differently for next year, but our overall view of the event is that it was terrific. By our count there were at least fifty people who need to be thanked for their wonderful support of this event..the crafters, sellers, servers, chili preparers and customers! Matt says this is going to be an annual event so start planning and creating for next year! Barb Herrick, Carolyn Bridenhagen & Jami Stutting The Pinwheel Quilt, made by the SBMC Quilting Group, was not auctioned off due to a lack of bidders. Plans are underway to offer this through a ticket raffle. Watch for opportunities to buy and/or sell tickets for this beautiful quilt. Missions Reflecting back on the previous year s service as the church includes partnering with others locally, nationally, and globally. By serving others we serve God and God s mission in this world. May we continue to listen as God invites us into his greater purpose. Relationships develop and grow with each other, those we go to meet, and with God. All those who are privileged to serve are grateful for the Sturgeon Bay Moravian faith community that continues to support and encourage the going out to represent this community and to live in the way that Jesus has shown us. As we look to the coming year and to the ongoing and new opportunities of Christ-like living, please consider how you might engage in God s mission to serve and honor God through those experiences. Jill Kolodziej

6 Page 6 This month we would like to thank our Funeral Ministry team, Coordinator, Esther Gauger and Volunteer Coordinators, Charlotte Schroeder and Carolyn Bridenhagen for providing food and comfort for grieving families. Our thanks to everyone who says yes when contacted to help with this important ministry. Holiday Preparations Moravian Stars the perfect gift: Advent Potluck: Lighted 12 Star $17.00 Lighted 22 Star $20.00 Glass Ornaments $10.00 The worship committee invites you to an Advent Potluck and Workshop on Sunday, December 1, from 11:30 am-1:30 pm. We will gather for lunch in the church dining room. If you plan to attend please bring the following: * A dish to pass with a serving utensil. * Your own table service. * Your own beverage. (Coffee, lemonade, and water will be provided.) After lunch, you are invited to join in the following workshop activities: * Adult and older youth activities: - Learn to make folded paper stars. - Help trim the hundreds of candles that are used for our December services. * Younger youth activities: - Dipping and decorating folded stars. - Decorating Christmas cookies. Christmas Caroling: December 18 6:00 pm All ages are welcome to join in sharing the Christmas spirit with our church family. Hot chocolate and cookies will be waiting for you upon your return.

7 Page 7 Chicken Pies Anyone? The women are planning ahead for the next Moravian Women s Conference (see information below) by creating a scholarship fund to afford more of our members the opportunity to attend this wonderful event. How better to achieve this goal than to offer our famous chicken (no veggie) pies with an extra special side of gravy...mmmm! Preorders Only by December 2 $12.00 (9 pie) How to Order: Stop in the fellowship room on November 24 or December 1, following worship, to order and pay for your pies or send in your order to the church office; include your name, phone number, quantity of pies and payment. Pick Up: Your frozen pies will be available for pick up in the church dining room/hallway following worship on December 15. If you are unable to pick up your pie on the 15th you may pick them up during church office hours. 12th Moravian Women s Conference At the 2011 Women s Conference we were challenged to Step Out of the Boat. In 2015 we ll explore what happens after we step out of the boat. What does it mean to Walk in the Light. Mark your calendars for this upcoming event. Dates: June 25-28, 2015 Location: Sandy Cove Conference Center, North East, Maryland Registration: $485/per person (early bird special beginning January, 2014 For more information: $550/per person beginning January, moravianwomen@gmail.com Phone

8 Page 8 Poinsettia s for Christmas For a number of years, we have used poinsettias to add to the beauty of our sanctuary for the Christmas Season. For only $17.50 each you can purchase a lovely red poinsettia. (6 pot) The plant will be foil wrapped with a bow. If you would like to place a poinsettia in the sanctuary this Christmas in memory or in honor of a special person, please complete the bottom portion of this sheet and return it, with your check, to the church office by: no later than Monday, December 2 Checks may be made payable to Moravian Church. (Please note that this is not a tax-deductible contribution, since you will be receiving the plant which has a value of $17.50.) The plant is yours, and we invite you to take it home following the worship service on December Poinsettia Order Purchaser s Name: Phone: Number of plants ordered: Typically plants are acknowledged in our Christmas Eve Bulletins in this fashion: Given in loving memory of or In honor of By: (name of the person or family giving the plant.)