NATIVITY NEWS OCTOBER 2018

Transcription

1 NATIVITY NEWS OCTOBER 2018 Pastor s Ponderings The prophet Amos spoke about a famine of hearing the word of the Lord. The famine was no doubt caused by the people of God not preaching his word since the promise of the coming Christ, the gospel, had been given right from the beginning in Genesis. The people had God s word. They just didn t proclaim it. Looking around today, one is compelled to conclude not much has changed between Amos day and our own. So much of what people call the word of God isn t. God s word is neither the agenda of the Republican Party nor that of the Democratic Party, but you wouldn t know it to hear some people talk! Pious platitudes and legalistic tomes also parade as God s word. People who live on a steady diet of either one of those kinds of preaching starve to death malnourished by theological marshmallows or choking on the crushing bones of legalism. The word of God always seems to be in eclipse and hard to find. True enough, and the reason God hides his word so often remains a mystery. Still, God has not and will not leave himself without a witness. No matter how weak and ineffective it seems and how plagued from both within and without his church may be, the gates of hell will not prevail against it and God s word. Not only does God promise this to be true, history proves this to be the case also. Martin Luther s hammer signaled the continued proclamation of God s word and so we celebrate God s work through the reformer. To help us celebrate the Reformation and to demonstrate that God still speaks his word today, The Reverend Doctor Chris Croghan will join us October 27 th - 28 th for Reformation weekend. Chris is a Luther scholar, church historian and the co-director of Luther House of Study in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Part of Sioux Falls Seminary, LHOS s primary mission is to equip pastoral candidates with the skills and knowledge necessary to preach God s word of law and gospel in today s challenging times. Chris will join us Saturday evening at 6PM for a meet and greet that will include giant pretzels and beer like we had last year. He will preach at the 8AM service, teach a combined Sunday School from 9:15-10, preach again at the 10:30 service and teach from 1-3PM following a German food themed potluck lunch. I m asking that you please, please, please make every effort to be part of the weekend. Bring your friends too. Not only will you learn much, you will enjoy hearing God s word, a word that is for you! Peace and Grace Scott

2 ANNUAL CRAFT FAIR and BAKE SALE Unique crafts from Mississippi and around the world will be featured at the twenty-first annual Brandon Craft Fair, Saturday, October 6th from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Local artists from Central Mississippi will share their works both inside and across the shady grounds. Unusual hand-crafted items in the past have included jewelry, tatting, paintings, wreaths, doll clothes, stained glass, yard and bottle art, scarves, memo boards, wood crafts, pumpkins, home canned goods, and crochet. Crafts by artists from countries like Bangladesh, Ecuador, India, Indonesia, Israel, Peru, Kenya, Chile, Vietnam, Cameroon, Ghana, Mexico, and the Philippines will represent the international community. Home decoration and desk items, baskets, scarves, Christmas ornaments, nativity scenes, children s toys, games, puzzle boxes, bracelets, jewelry, musical instruments, and purses are some of the offerings. Many new items along with some popular favorites will be available. Gathered by SERRV, each purchase from the international collection enables artisans in developing countries to earn a fair income from their work and build a better life for themselves and their families. All items are selected especially for the Brandon fair by local committee members. Admission is free. All proceeds go to benefit community outreach ministries including Harbor House, The Center for Violence Prevention (assistance for abused women and children), Rankin County Human Resource Agency, Hope House, Grace House, Habitat for Humanity, Stewpot, and the Mississippi Firefighters Memorial Burn Association s camp for young burn victims. The baked goods area will again need to be well stocked with homemade breads, pies, fudge, cakes and cookies. Volunteers will also be needed to help set up, help during the show, help our young people man the food booth and, especially, clean up.

3 Remember to bring your donations of non-perishable goods to the church by the last Sunday of each month (except those months with five Sundays when we collect for the Center for Violence Prevention). Canned main dishes of beef stew or chicken and dumplings are always in short supply as are canned meats like Spam, tuna, chicken, etc. Spaghetti, along with spaghetti sauce with meat, is also a good item to share. All items are delivered at the end of each month to the Rankin County Human Resource Agency for their pantry. October & November Birthdays Anniversaries Mitch & Dorothy Leavell 10/07 Lynn Templeton 10/02 Lauren & Julie Thatch 10/20 Sandy Bettiga 10/05 Bart & Sandy Bettiga 10/21 Carol Bergum 10/10 Ned & Barb Balsley 10/23 Dorothy Moore 10/13 Clyde & Marlyn Hatten 11/03 Rick Kirby 10/13 Lydia Weisser 10/14 Jan Behringer 10/19 Sue Caldwell 10/24 Savannah Stevens 10/26 Katie Kirby 11/01 If you wish to participate, please look for Robbie Seward 11/07 the sign-up sheet on the table in the narthex Wendy Ketchum 11/08 and provide your birthday and/or anniversary Jennifer Seward 11/10 month & day only by your name so we can Mitch Leavell 11/18 wish you a Happy Day! Marcia Weaver 11/18 Keith Anderson 11/21 Linda Tucker 11/22 Happy Birthday & Anniversary to All!!!!! Nativity Prayer List Please keep in your prayers: Marie McAlpin Dianne Echols, Logan Vanus, Colton Byrd and

4 OCTOBER CALENDAR OF EVENTS October 3 October 5 5:00 7:00 PM Craft Fair-Bake goods delivery, work night October 6 9:00 AM 3:00 PM Craft Fair/Bake Sale October 7 8:00 & 10:30 AM Services with Holy Communion 9:15 AM Sunday School & Adult Bible Study 11:30 AM Service of Healing & Anointing with Oil October 10 October 14 October 17 October 21 October 24 October 27 October 28 October 31 8:00 & 10:30 AM Services with Holy Communion 9:15 AM Adult Bible Study 8:00 & 10:30 AM Services with Holy Communion 9:15 AM Sunday School & Adult Bible Study Youth Lunch Reformation Eve Night Pretzels & Beer Fellowship Meet & Greet Dr. Chris Croghan 6:00 PM 8:00 & 10:30 AM Reformation Sunday Services with Holy Communion (wear red) 9:15 AM combined Sunday School/ Bible Study German Themed Potluck Dinner following the 10:30 Service Followed by an afternoon teaching session from 1:00 3:00 PM Food Pantry Collection

5 NLC October, 2018 Volunteer List 10:30 Service October 7 October 14 Greeters Debi Poole Ambassador Lynn Templeton Ushers Hunt Family Lector Rick Kirby Comm. Asst. Rick Kirby Nursery Pamela & Katie Mae Rials Counters Mitch & Dorothy Leavell Acolyte Cameron Kirby Altar Care Cindy Braatz Greeter Kathy Peters Ambassador Linda Tucker Ushers Keith Anderson/Tommy Templeton Lector Mitch Leavell Comm. Asst. Mitch Leavell Nursery Lynn Templeton Counters Keith Anderson/Norma Swanson Acolyte Vivien Stevens October 21 October 28 Greeters Meade Entrekin Ambassador Ruth Burgess Ushers Tony Caldwell/Kathy Peters Lector John Halverson Comm. Asst. John Halverson Nursery Hannah Poole Counters Hack Walston/Kathy Peters Acolyte Kathy Rials Greeter Renate Hunt Ambassador Meade Entrekin Ushers Mitch Leavell/Rick Kirby Lector Joe Hunt Comm. Asst. Joe Hunt Nursery Sue Caldwell Counters Cindy Braatz/Sandy Bettiga Acolyte Wade Caldwell If you cannot serve on the dates shown, please try to swap with someone and let the office know of the change. Thanks. Treasurer s August Report of Budget(Operating)Expenses* Planned Actual Actual Actual Expense* Paid Expense* Offerings* Difference Aug, ,422 13,078 8,085-4,993 Aug, ,277 12,294 9,136-3,158 YTD, , ,622 90,218-14,404 YTD, , ,739 84,199-18,540 * excluding special funds