Burlington Lutheran Church. December 16 at 10:00 am Sunday School Christmas Program

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1 Burlington Lutheran Church December Pastor Laurin Vance: cell# , Office Hours: 9:30-noon & 1-3:30 Tues.-Friday December 16 at 10:00 am Sunday School Christmas Program December 23 at 10:00 am Prophets and Angels: an Advent Festival of Lessons and Carols Bridge Contents: Page 2 & 3 Pastor s Message Page 4 Round Table Discussions, Advent Bible Study & Family Promise Page 5 LWR, Christmas Party Potluck, Posáda & Warm Closet Page 6 BLCW, Breakfast at BLC, Box Tops, & Soup Labels Page 7 Mini Craft Fair & Friendship House Page 8 Christmas Basket Project Page 9 Relay for Life 2013 Page 10 Advent & Christmas Parties, Services & Programs Page 11 Remember in Your Prayers & Attendance and Offerings

2 December 2012 Dear Members and Friends of Burlington Lutheran Church: Soon And Very Soon, We Are Goin To See The King! (ELW 439) A great hymn of our church that says much about direction in our lives as people of faith. We re goin someplace. To do something. Something big. Something important. A Holy Something. God has in mind for us to be goin to see the King Jesus. We would do well to adopt that direction as Advent has now begun. What is it that we will do while on our way to see King Jesus lying in the manger on Christmas Day? What, between December 2 nd and the 25 th, will we be doing that fills our time in a way that God will pronounce holiness upon it as we diligently anticipate the content of our soon and very soon? Scriptures say that Christ is in us and we are in him already. Scriptures also say that Jesus time is near. In us and nearly here. Both. At the same time. In other words, God is not bound by what we know of time and space, so God can be fully present, and yet, not yet here. So, we are in a time of soon and very soon.we are in time in which we can let the light of Christ that is within us do things to fill up the space between right now and when Jesus will be born in us today. My faith says Christ is in me, but no more than Christ is in you. The pathway I will strive to honor, then, is the way that the Christ that is within me tells me about. I will strive to listen to him. I will strive to meditate. I will strive to worship. I will strive to pray. I will strive to break bread and share the Cup with you all. I will strive to be more attentive to the lost and lonely. 2 REMEMBER IN YOUR PRAYERS Bob Mainard, Vida Evans, Marion Johnson, Lyle Fox, Diane Vaughan, Kaydee Curbow, Marge Ellestad, Evelyn Ness, Bill & Neva Leed, Ruth Robertson, Ron Buchholz, Teedie Storie, Evelyn Fischer, Doris Reichert, the family of Viola Sexton, Janice Burwash and family, Ryan Campbell, Donna Mitchell & anyone else we may have missed. Lord, we ask for healing for all those who are ill, injured or who mourn. In Jesus name. Amen Attendance and Offerings for October 2012 October 7 Attendance 86 $4, , , ,083 Total Offering $10,862 Budget Target $15,833 Copies of the Financial Statement and the Council Minutes are on the table across from the secretary s office. Please sign the attendance book each Sunday. 11

3 Advent & Christmas Parties, Services & Programs Sunday 2 8:45 Worship Holiday Craft Fair to benefit Christmas Baskets 9:00 First Sunday Breakfast 9:45 Sunday School 11:00 Worship Tuesday 4 10:30 BLCW Christmas Potluck Sunday 9 8:45 Worship 9:45 Sunday School 11:00 Worship Thursday Packing for Christmas Baskets Saturday 15 9:00 Delivering Food & Gifts Sunday 16 Christmas Program 10:00 Sunday School Program 4 pm Young at Heart Potluck at Marsha & Ed 5 pm Posáda Celebration with El Camino at BLC Sunday 23 10:00 Cantata Prophets & Angels Holiday coffee, punch & Christmas cookies following Cantata Dec. 24 Christmas Eve Day 4:30 pm Worship 10:30 pm Worship Dec. 25 Christmas Day 10:30 am Worship Sunday 30 10:00 Worship I want to fill up this waiting time, this Advent 2012 time, with the things that Christ leads me to and learn more about what things I want to do that lead me away from responding to Christ, who is in me. I know that Christmas Day will arrive very soon. Depending on how much I will have attempted to deaden the spirit of Christ within me now, I will be able then to feel a commensurate amount of Joy come Christmas Day, when I finally arrive at the manger. My project now is to slough off the tedious, anxiety provoking trappings of a Christmas that have nothing to do with the embracing love of God given in the baby Jesus. My project is to hear Christ within me and be led by his daily invitations into a holy life. I already know that Christ has redeemed me, but do I really believe it? I thank the Lord that I don t have to answer that question; but, still I want to get better at hearing Jesus voice to harken to his path. We can do that together this Advent in worship, in daily meditation and contemplation of what Jesus has for us to do to prepare ourselves for his Incarnation at Christmas time. It will come very soon. In Christ s restless peace, Pr. Vance 10 3

4 Round Table Discussions 2013 Beginning the second Sunday in January, and for the following Sundays up to our Congregational Meeting day, the Council invites everyone to begin the discernment process of approving our operating budget for The congregation will vote on the budget the last Sunday of January. Of course, we want everyone to know in detail what the figures are, to ask questions of each other and offer suggestions to improve the budget. By the time we vote, we hope that it will be thoroughly vetted in these scheduled Round Table Discussions. Currently, there are four drafts to comment on, each with implications for our ministry together. Our hope is that everyone will participate in the discussions on Sundays. We will meet in the basement, unless another room is necessary. We will announce where each session will be. Advent Bible Study Again this year small groups are forming to do an individual daily meditation, then meet weekly in a home to discuss learnings and ask questions and hear insights from each other. Pastor attends each weekly meeting. Each day has 3 pages of "pick and choose" material. Form a group, or ask to join one already assembled. We have been blessed each year we've done this. Relay for Life 2013 Relay For Life 2013 is tentatively scheduled for June 15 & 16 (the weekend after B-EHS graduation), and within the next few months I'll have an opportunity to sign our team up at a very reduced "early-bird" rate. But before I do that, I need to know that we will have a team! Please give careful consideration to joining the team, and being an active participant in the event. Here's what it means to be on the team: Pledge to raise at least $100 in personal donations Sign-up to walk at least an hour during the event. Spend some time before or after walking--hanging out at out team site, and supporting the rest of the team We need at least 12 members to make a team, please consider joining us. me at janiceburwash@gmail.com, call , or put a note in my box if you want to join the team. Cancer can be one of the largest obstacles people face in their lifetimes. But when that obstacle is overcome, our entire community grows stronger. Join our team and help create a world with less cancer and more birthdays. Family Promise For more information about Family Promise please contact Pr. Vance. The program develops churches as temporary housing for homeless families with children. Pr. Vance is leading an effort to provide these services in the churches of Skagit Valley. 4 9

5 Christmas Basket Project: It s that time again! Once again we will be participating in the Skagit Valley Herald Christmas Fund project--providing food staples and grocery gift cards for about twenty families and gifts and books for all the kids in the families. Here are some important dates to put on your calendars: NOW: Start shopping for grocery staples. See the shopping list below. Sunday, December 2: During the First Sunday Breakfast Signups for gift and book shopping. Craft Sale This helps fund the grocery gift cards each family receives; we ll receive up to $500 matching funds from Thrivent. Thursday, December 13: 6:00 7:00 p.m. Pack food and gift boxes. Saturday, December 15: 9:00 a.m. Deliver Christmas Baskets. This is a great opportunity for caring and sharing in our own community. Questions? See Janice Burwash or janiceburwash@gmail.com GROCERY SHOPPING LIST for Christmas Baskets Please note the specific items we are asking for, we try to give each family two boxes of grocery staples. Canned Fruits and Vegetables Breakfast Cereal Canned Meats (especially Tuna) Fruit Juice Pasta and Pasta Sauce Soup Rice and Beans Sugar (5 LBS) Macaroni and Cheese Flour (10 LBS Cocoa Mix Baby Food Powdered Milk Diapers Candy (individually wrapped) Lutheran World Relief money for shipping quilts Thank You! Thank you for such a great response to our fund for freight money for shipping the quilts for Lutheran World Relief. We received $240 and were able to pay for all the freight plus send $127 to buy blankets. B.L.C.W. Christmas Party Potluck Young at Heart December 16 at 4pm at Ed and Marsha Knutzen s Bring your favorite dish. Beverages provided All are welcome! Young or old! A Christmas Posada, Dec. 16 th -5pm at BLC Posáda: A Latin American traditional procession in which the holy family searches for shelter where the Christ Child may be born. El Camino de Emmaus invites you and yours to an evening of singing, candle light and worship as we make our way around Burlington Lutheran Church (inside and out) looking for a place for the baby Jesus to be born. This simple service in sung dialog is followed by a fiesta with Mexican food and a piñata! Bring the whole family as we celebrate the holy hospitality of Christmas! Questions? Call Mary at Warm Closet 1-3pm on Wednesdays Save those warm items for the Warm Closet. Blankets & Socks are Needed. 8 5

6 CIRCLE BIBLE STUDY December 4 at 10:30 am Christmas Potluck All ladies of the church are invited and encouraged to attend. We will meet in the conference room. Come join us! Mini Craft Fair December 2nd at BLC To Benefit the Christmas Baskets! Bring your cards, potholders, stools, crafts, etc. to sell. More info call Pat Anderson Breakfast by Barry & Brenda & the first breakfast crew Breakfasts is at 9am on Dec. 2nd. Our goal is to start early enough to bring the Sunday School families together, then have space for the second service families to arrive before the first service gets out at 9:30. So come on, bring a friend and join the family. Box tops for education Please put in Doris Reichert s box. Save and clip your box tops for education to help support Lucille Umbarger Elementary School. You can find them on General Mills products and partnering brands, like Cheerios, Betty Crocker, Hefty, Juicy Juice, Ziploc, Kleenex and many more! Soup Labels Phyllis Johnson collects soup labels to help West View School. She took 85 last month. Please put the soup labels in her mailbox. Must have bar codes. Thank you! Thank You Dear Friends & Family of Burlington Lutheran Church, Thank you all for the prayers, cards and thoughtfulness shown to me over this long road to recovery. Hopefully I will be back to church to see you all soon. I love and appreciate all of you. Thanks again. With Love, Teedie Storie Friendship House Reminder We collect money each Sunday for a monthly donation to Friendship House, which is a shelter for the homeless in Mount Vernon. Donation envelopes are in the pews for your convenience. Please help if you can, any amount is greatly appreciated and needed. 6 7