Sunday Class Psalms: Praying from the Heart

Transcription

1 Black Forest Lutheran Church Novmeber, 2016 Vol. I The Scribe Sunday Class Psalms: Praying from the Heart On this 500th Anniversary of the Reformation, its good to remember how important the Psalms were to Martin Luther, the father of the Reformation. He spent so much time praying the Psalms that he ended up memorizing all 150! The Psalms are the song and prayer book for God s people. They cover the whole range of human emotion and experience. Some Psalms give us words to express joyful praise and confidence in God s care. Other Psalms give voice to our deepest pain, doubt and fear. In all of them we encounter our God who promises to be with us no matter what we face. On Sunday, November 6, I m starting a new class called, Psalms: Praying from the Heart. Over several weeks we ll look at Psalms 27, 42, 69, 77, 100, 127, 131 and more. Bring your Bible and join me Sunday mornings in the sanctuary. Renovation The Renovation of our sanctuary and narthex will begin January 2. This may be disappointing, but we are postponing for several reasons: 1. Major items like doors and carpet aren't available until late November or December. 2. This is one of the busiest seasons of the church year. We don t want construction impacting Thanksgiving, Cantata, Christmas program or Christmas Eve Services. 3. We have signed a contract and locked in costs with our general contractor. They are also glad, since subcontractors will be more available in January.

2 Christmas Card Party for those in Prison Sunday, Nov. 6, 1-3 pm in the Fellowship Hall Last Christmas our congregation sent over 200 cards to prisoners in Colorado, Florida and Oklahoma. Prayer for Prisoners International over all, sent over 20,000 Christmas cards. Prayer for Prisoners International (PFPI) is based in Canon City with outreach to prisons all over the U.S. and even in Uganda. Many prisoners don t receive anything for Christmas, so a card from a stranger with a note inside means a lot to them. They get to see Jesus through that card, which is why we send only Christian cards. We would like again to help with this mission. On Sunday, November 6 from 1:00 to 3:00 pm in the Fellowship Hall we will meet to write & sign Christmas cards. The cards must be Christian, no Santas, snowmen, or other secular greetings. The reason we send Christmas cards is to show them the love of Christ, the reason for the season. We will have Christmas music and cookies. Please sign up on the fellowship hall bulletin board to indicate how many cards you will bring. If you have any questions, please contact Susan Stewart or Dave Reily. Stewardship Drive Thru Nov. 20 Our theme this year is Discipleship. Be praying about your own discipleship journey and how you feel led to respond to God s call. Several Committees are taking a Sunday to encourage us from their perspective as it impacts being a disciple of Jesus Christ and how that informs our giving of our selves, our time and our possessions to the glory of God. Fill out your estimate of giving on our website, or bring in the paper form which was mailed to you.

3 Mini Fair Trade Fair It was a big hit last year, so we have scheduled another fair trade fair to make your Christmas shopping a happier, easier experience with just a walk into Fellowship Hall on Sunday, November 13 between services. When you purchase an item from any of the displays, you are buying a unique gift and impacting a life in another country. On display will be olive wood from the Holy Land, beads, aprons, bags from Uganda, coffee, tea, chocolate from the Fair-Trade program and a variety of other items, such as Christmas decorations, purses, beans, etc. through the Lutheran World Relief program. Remember, we can only accept checks or cash. I would also like to mention that our friend, Michael Zoughbi, has a carving of Martin Luther, and it is beautiful and priced at $55. It s timely in that the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation will be celebrated in A new item - As a way of supporting Micheal Zoughbi s grandchildren s scholarship fund, I have made doll clothes for an 18 doll (includes American Girl doll), which will be offered for sale with 100% of the proceeds going to the scholarship fund. Reasonably priced from $6 - $12. Thanksgiving Eve Service Wednesday, Nov. 23 at 7:00p Thanksgiving Food Drive, we will have our traditional food offering for Black Forest Cares.

4 Pine Ridge Reservation We will be sending Christmas Elder bags and toys to Kyle, South Dakota this year. Our goal is 50 Elder Bags and toys for children 2-8 yrs. old. Gently used blankets, adult and children s winter jackets and baby supplies will be gratefully accepted. The collection of these items has started and continues to the first week of December. Thank you for your continued support. Elder Bag Supply List: Gloves men and women Dish Soap Toothpaste Toothbrush Bar of Soap Deodorant Chapstick Men Crew Socks Plastic Container Can of soup, chili or stew Package hot chocolate Wash Cloth Dish Towel Recyclable Bags BFLC BOOK GROUP READ FOR NOV. The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe on Wed., Nov. 16th at 1 PM This book is non-fiction, a memoir of a son about his mother. Mary Anne Schwalbe is waiting for her chemotherapy treatments when Will casually asks her what she's reading. The conversation they have grows into tradition, and soon they are reading the same books so they can have something to talk about in the hospital waiting room. The ones they choose range from classic to popular, from fantastic to spiritual, and we hear their passion for reading and their love for each other in their intimate and searching discussions. All are welcome to join us at the church for discussion and refreshments. Books are in the church office.

5 Military Care Boxes We will be sending out Military boxes for Christmas, so if you would like to help by bringing in any of the following: Jelly Beans Comics Chapstick Peanuts Lemonade (ind. pacs) Gum Snack pac of cookies Sm. Hygiene products Cracker Snacks Protein bars Trail Mix Slim Jims Jerky (ind. pacs) Lifesavers Please mark them military and put them in the laundry cart in the narthex. Deadline: Dec. 4 Thanks for supporting our military members in this way! Aging Grace Fully Do you wake up and experience pains in the joints that weren t there when you were younger and say this getting older is for the birds. See what others have to say about aging in a small group called the Aging Grace-Fully. See Jan for details. Christmas Program Important: Do you enjoy working with children and parents? Would you prayerfully consider leading this year s Christmas Program? Please connect with Sedra, Dave Wintermute, Maureen Lang or the Church office. Musical talent skills are not required.

6 The office and Black Forest Cares will be closed Nov. 24 & 25. Nov. 27 Advent Begins- Children will be doing a special activity every Sunday during Advent. Just a reminder to set your clocks back one hour on Sunday, Nov. 6 Join us at RTLC on Nov for a weekend in the wilderness filled with fun camp activities, a thought provoking study, enthusiastic RTLC staff, delicious home-made meals and serenity that only the mountains can offer. Along with the RT Staff, this weekend will be led by an RTLC staff alum, Dan Bock. In celebration of its 500th anniversary, we ll be exploring the Reformation and how it is relevant to our lives today. We ll discuss what Reformation means to our Lutheran identity, and how we can change the world around us by standing up for what is right. Cost: $75. Any questions contact Sedra.

7 Council Nominees Fall is arriving and with it the annual Church Council effort to find the best possible future leaders for our church. I am leading this year s council nomination committee and look forward to hearing from you. We are seeking volunteers and recommendations for positions on the 2017 Council. Membership on council is both fun and rewarding, providing the opportunity to shape both the present and future ministry of our church. If you are interested in this important leadership role or would like to recommend someone for council, please contact Kathy Schwindt or Jan Duncan in the church office. Young Adults Getting together at Sedra and Kathryn s house at 7pm on Tuesdays. Great atmosphere, good topics, good people! If you have any questions please ask the office and let Sedra know. Topic: The DNA of Relationships based on Philippians

8 Sundays in Dec. 4-Putting together Elder boxes for Pine Ridge between services. Dec. 11-Cantata both services. Dec. 18-Christmas Program in the evening. Dec. 25 Christmas Day Worship at 10:30a Christmas Tea Theme: Peace on Earth Saturday, Dec. 3 at 10:00a Look for invites in your church mailbox. Going to El Paso for the Las Posadas Posada (Inn in Spanish) is a traditional Mexican Christmas Celebration. It starts with a reenactment of Mary and Joseph going from Inn to Inn and being turned away. There is also a children s play, singing, a special Posada dinner, Santa, piñata, Mariachi Band, music and dancing. We would drive Dec. 9 and will return Dec. 11. Sign-up!

9 Dear BFLC, Thanks for believing in us and the worthiness of those we serve! Blessings, Lance La Puente Our Dear Friend at Black Forest Lutheran, Wow! When Mary drove up with her SUV filled to the brim with hygiene kits the shelter guest flooded out to help unload. Your continued faith and support for our mission means more than our words can express. Thank you so much for sharing and caring. Sincerely, La Puente Staff & Volunteers Dear BFLC, Thank you so much for your recent gift of $ to Rainbow Trail s Annual Fund. Dave Jarvis RTLC Dear Friends, We recently received your gift of $1,000 to Lutheran World Releif. Thank you! Daniel Speckhard President and CEO Dear Friends in Christ, Thank you for your gift of $1, to Food for the Poor. Robin Mahfood Food for the Poor Dear BFLC, Thank you for your donation of $1,000 made in support of the Family Promise mission of providing hope and help to families with children who find themselves in a homeless situation. Michael Royal Executive Director

10 Didi News Although Didi is working on counseling and helping women, orphans have been showing up outside his door. They are looking for food and have barely anything to wear. Even if we collected something to share, there is no way for packages to be safely mailed to him. As it turns out, Serafina is in Pennsylvania, visiting their children. She will be returning to the Congo in December. If we collected some Tee-shirts and trail bars, they could go with Serafina and get to Boma safely. We will soon have more details and a collection box in the Fellowship hall. If anyone would like to donate T-shirts, perhaps flip-flops, and some trail bars; we will send them to Serafina in time to take to Boma when she returns. The shirts and flip-flops need not be new, just try to make them sized for a child. We can t send too much, but a modest box of donations would help Didi help the orphans. If you have any questions, contact Ed Storey. PRAISE! With the Panzos for new five-year visas. Please continue in prayer with them regarding the unstable political situation in the DRC.

11 Thanksgiving Dinner Basket Drive Our traditional food drive for Black Forest Cares. All items are appreciated for a turkey dinner. If you would like to donate a turkey please sign-up on bulletin board. The turkeys need to be at the church by Sunday, Nov. 13. IT S BACK! Book Stew is scheduled for February 1 9-March 12, A collection box is in the fellowship hall. THANK YOU! Senior Social Will resume in January, 2017

12 Nov. 6 Nov. 13 Nov Nov. 23 Nov Daylight Ends/Christmas Cards Social Ministry Mini Fair HS Youth Gathering Thanksgiving Eve Service Office Closed November Wedding Anniversaries Audie & Tracey Debusk 5 Tom & Tina Passarelli 5 Austin & Ethel Cleis 12 Dave & Wendy Lisowski 16 Jack & Donna Yonce 19 Ray & Linda Sherrier 20 David & Betsy Wintermute 20 Don & Wendy Crist 21 Bill & Kris Partridge 22 George & Diana Pupich 25 Jerry & Ginny Johnson 30

13 OUR STAFF Pastor - Kenneth D. Hohag Director of Ministries - Jan Duncan Youth & Ed Director - Sedra Fitahiana Raz Administrative Assistant - Lisa Regennitter Organist - Barbara Gurnett Senior Choir Director - Melanie Hohag Ministers - All Members Weekday Hours 9:00am-2:00pm OUR HOURS Tuesday-Friday (Closed Mondays) Sunday Hours Phone: Fax: bflc@bflchurch.org Web site: bflchurch.org SUNDAY WORSHIP SUNDAY SCHOOL SUMMER WORSHIP 8:00 & 10:30 a.m. 9:30 am (September - May) 9:00 am (June August) Contemporary Worship Schedule 8:00 & 10:30 am 1 st Sunday of each Month 10:30 am - 3 rd Sunday of each Month Communion is offered at all services. OUR MISSION Our mission is to reach out to the world with the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ through worship, education, service and witness.