All Saints Lutheran Church Fitchburg, WI December 15, What Time Is It? Christmas Eve Worship. Saturday, December 24

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1 All Saints Newsletter All Saints Lutheran Church Fitchburg, WI December 15, 2016 What Time Is It? Christmas Eve Worship Saturday, December 24 3:00 p.m. Family Worship with Lessons & Carols 5:00 p.m. Candlelight Worship ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Christmas Day Worship Sunday, December 25 8:30 a.m. Classic Worship 10:45 a.m. New Song Worship

2 Voices... Pastor Rich s Letter Christmas Good News: Godisnowhere. Things can be shattered. Hopes can be shattered. Dreams can be shattered and with slick winter ice, bones can be shattered. On the first Christmas in hilly Judea, unremarkable shepherds were doing their job. It was not glamourous. It was not envied. In fact, it was one of those jobs. But on the first Christmas the routine was shattered. I would submit that the shepherds were shattered. In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then the angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. (Luke 2:8-9) God showed up! The darkness was shattered and it was a new beginning. Instead of God is no-where, it was God is now- here. It was a beginning because the Gospel is good news. The Gospel of Mark laid it out plain as day. The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. (Mark 1:1) Darkness was shattered. Bleak, miry, hopelessness was shattered. What was shattered were barriers that kept us at arm s length, suspicious, and cynical. In this shattering was a brand new beginning. God is nowhere in Christ. Let this Christmas be a new beginning. Not any old beginning. Let it be a beginning in Christ. God creates. God creates light out of darkness, harmony from chaos and healing from brokenness. Shattered? Many have been this past year. The Christmas tidings, to you, shepherds, the up and coming, the down and out, confident or confused, shattered in whatever way, is God is now- here. Thanks be to God! Prayers of Joy and Concern... We rejoice at the baptism of Mackenzie Jane Nonn, daughter of Tim and Amanda Nonn, on December 4th at All Saints God s blessings on the recent relocation of mission partners Kathy Robinson and Shauna Robinson to Wausau, WI. Thanks be to God for the faithful ministry of the Good Neighbor Personal Essentials Pantry (GNPEP) in Madison. The pantry was founded by All Saints and three neighboring congregations in Thank you for your gifts and volunteering at the pantry. (

3 In Community... Save the Dates! December 18, 25 and January 1 No children s education classes January 2 Women Bible Study Series Begins, 9:30 a.m. 11:00 a.m., Fellowship Hall January 5 and 19 Holy Yoga (led by Amy Hoyte), 7:30 p.m., Sanctuary January 8 Budget Hearing, 9:45 a.m. - 10:30 a.m., Fellowship Hall January 9 MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers), 9:30 11:30 a.m., Fellowship Hall January 15 Annual Meeting, 11:45 a.m., Fellowship Hall. Bishop Froiland will be in attendance. January 21 Synod Event: Moving Deeper in Mission Together: The Grace of Giving Hosted at All Saints, 8:30 a.m. 3:00 p.m. February 3 All Saint s serves the Friday meal at St. Mark s February 19 Summer Camp Sunday! Santa Maria s Upcoming Services & Celebrations In addition to their weekly Sunday service at 12:30 p.m., here is a list of their special celebrations in store for December and January. All are welcome to attend! Thursday, December 22 nd Christmas Posada 5:00 p.m. (A stirring event re-enacting Mary and Joseph's journey to Bethlehem) Saturday, December 24 th Nochebuena Service 6:45 p.m. Saturday, December 31 st Año Viejo Service 5.p.m. Sunday, January 8 th El Dia de los Reyes Magos Sunday, January 15 th El Dia de la Candelaria 2016 Contributions Think TAX time! To have your financial giving listed for 2016, contributions must be received in the church office by December 31, 2016, or have a postmark of December 31, Offering Envelopes are available in the Sanctuary lobby for you to take home. If you would like to know about electronic fund transfer (EFT), please contact the church office at or office@allsaints-madison.org January 15, 11:45a.m. All Saints Annual Meeting in Fellowship Hall 1. Vote on 2017 Budget. 2. Vote on new Council members. 3. Vote on Synod voting members. 4. Vote on 2017 Nominating Team. 5. Other business and reports.

4 To Know... A.D. (Adult Discussion and Discovery) A.D. (Adult Discussion and Discovery) is a Sunday morning learning opportunity offered from 9:45-10:30 a.m. in Fellowship Hall - East. A.D. seeks to connect faith and life through a variety of discussions on Scripture, current issues, topics, and guest speakers. We seek to also connect our mission to the community and wider world. Upcoming topics: Dec. 18 Jan. 8 Jan. 15 Christmas Music and Fellowship 2017 All Saints budget hearing w/congregational Council (Q & A with Church Council member(s)). Guest: Synod Bishop, Rev. Mary Froiland, South Central Synod of Wisconsin Q&A on ministries in our synod and issues in the new year. Bishop Froiland will be preaching and will attend our Annual Meeting. Jan. 22 & 29 Reading My Bible Again, Or for the First Time Which version is best? How can I start and keep going? Feb. 5 & 12 Service Team Workshops: Being a Grateful Greeter How can we best greet and welcome one another on Sunday mornings? Next New Member Session We invite you to become a member of All Saints! Please join us for a New Member Session to explore: What we are about How we journey together Next steps to grow in Christian faith and service! Saturday, February 11 9:30 11:00 a.m. All Saints Fellowship Hall (Childcare provided upon request) All Saints' Severe Weather Protocol: Assume worship at All Saints will go on as scheduled. To check on weather-related cancellations, call All Saints at (608) and listen for the recorded message.

5 To Follow... God s Work. Our Hands. Every day, we have opportunities to experience All Saints mission to Know, Follow and Share Jesus. Some of these opportunities arise in our individual lives. Many more opportunities allow us to join with others to engage our faith in service in our church, our communities, and our world. All are welcome to join the work of our ministries and small groups. THANK YOU! Many thanks to everyone who helped with hosting the pie social following the Thanksgiving Eve service, most notably Carol Eisele and Hospitality Team members Rita Olin and Jon & Nicki Troia. Thanks also to everyone who brought pies to share. A splendid time was had by all! From Reverend Lori Powell of St. Mark's Lutheran Church upon receipt of recent cash and food donations: "Words are not enough to express our thanks as our appreciation for your ministry and the opportunities we have for working together. Peace to you all!" All Saints Ministries and Small Groups/Contacts Adopt a Classroom Lori Jezwinski All Saints Community Garden Jim Sewell AV/Projection During Worship Jen Barakat Banner Team Carrie Labowski and Jeanie Sieling Children s Ministry, Pre-K through 5 Ronda Beggs and Leigh Luedtke Children s Youth Ministry, Middle/High School Jen Barakat Choir/Handbell Choir/Joyful Noise, 8:30 Service Nancy Pokorney Drama Team Gary Kriesel Holy Yoga with Amy Hoyte Ronda Beggs Hospitality Team Jen Barakat Good Neighbors Personal Essentials Pantry (GPEP) Dennis and Julie Ahnen Jail Ministry Karen Julesberg Kitchen Angels Margie Rem Lydia Small Group Caroll Borgen and Carol Eisele MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) Jen Barakat and Ronda Beggs New Song Band, 10:45 Service Melanie Wulfekuhle Pastoral Visitation and Care Team Sonja Markiewicz Property Team Jerry Sieling Service Teams, 8:30 Service Carol Eisele Service Teams, 10:45 Service Jen Barakat Special People, Special Needs Ministry Chari Farin St. Mark s Community Meals Gail Greuel St. Mark s Food Pantry Dawn and Matt Gramse Women s Bible Study and T630 Men s Bible Study Pastor Rich To Learn More... Interested in joining one of these ministries? Have an idea for a new ministry? Please contact Jen Barakat, our Ministry Coordinator. She is happy to help you connect with All Saints opportunities to share faith through practice. Jen can be reached at (608) , ext. 103 or jenbarakat@allsaints-madison.org. Jen s office hours are Sunday, 9:00 a.m. 12:00 p.m., and Monday through Wednesday, 9:30 a.m. 4:30 p.m.

6 To Share... SPREAD THE WARMTH: Thank You for Spreading the Warmth! Jail Ministry Winter Clothing Drive The need is great. Thirty-four (34) individuals on average were released daily from the Dane County Jail in a recent week. Think how many more will be released without warm coats or jackets in the winter days ahead. All Saints mission partners through early December generously donated 30 coats for these adult women and men. Our donations of 50 scarves, hats, and gloves will also provide welcome warmth. In addition, those who leave the jail daily on work-release privileges are in need of warm winter outerwear. When the Jail Ministry put out a call last year for winter wear, ASLC responded in amazing ways with about 200 items donated in just a few weeks. As a result of our successful effort, other member churches of the Madison Area Jail Ministry are participating this year. With more churches involved, more men and women are being served but additional donations are still needed to ensure all will be warm this winter. Will you join us in exceeding the 200 items we donated last year? Donations of new or gently-used coats/jackets, hats, scarves, and gloves/mittens will be accepted anytime through January 15. Thank you for caring. If you have questions, please contact Karen Julesberg at kejulesb@wisc.edu NEEDED: Volunteers for the VBS 2017 Leadership Team It's never too early to start thinking about VBS (Vacation Bible School), especially when we can get free shipping if we order our materials before Jan 31, Therefore, the time is truly at hand to begin forming the VBS 2017 Leadership Team - now! The All Saints VBS program is a fun and rewarding event that is whole-heartedly supported by our congregation and members of our community. Two large pieces of the puzzle are already in place: awesome kids who want to participate in this program and super-awesome older kids & adults willing to volunteer for leading the activities. Therefore, what this event needs now is a team of energetic leaders to bring these pieces together. Specifically, we need individuals interested in directing promotion, recruiting volunteers, facilitating registration & payments, and coordinating the three-day PreK VBS Program. In the past all of these roles have been facilitated by one person as the VBS Director, so it is possible to handle all of this from one source. But in this time of seeking new leadership it's probably best these roles are shared among a team. After all, many hands make light work. The tentative dates for VBS 2017 are: 'Big Kid' Program (Mon - Fri, June 12-16, 5:30-8:00pm) and 'PreK' Program (Mon - Wed, June 19-21, 9:30 am - 12:00 pm). I hope you will prayerfully consider accepting a leadership role on this team. Having led VB for the past three years I know first-hand you WILL be blessed through taking this opportunity to serve. For more information about the program and the expectations from accepting these roles, please contact me, Jen Barakat, at jenbarakat@allsaints-madison.org, or (608) , ext I am here to help!

7 All Saints News & Notes... Synod News Please check out Bishop Mary Froiland s message on Bishop's Message: Conflict Over Immigration. It is at and offered in English and Spanish. Synod Event: Moving Deeper in Mission Together: The Grace of Giving - Rethinking Time, Talent and Treasure. This event will be hosted at All Saints on Saturday, January 21, 8:30a.m. 2:45p.m. Online registration is now open. For details, please review the Southcentral Synod Newsletter What Matters available on our website at All are invited to attend! A sister church, St. Mark s Lutheran, 605 Spruce St., Madison, serves a free meal on Fridays, noon - 1 p.m., and opens their food pantry every Tuesday, 10 a.m. 12 Noon, and every Thursday 5:45 p.m. 7:30 p.m. Madison Area Jail Ministry annual fund raiser, Jazz for the Jail, is Saturday, January 7 at Lake Edge Lutheran Church, 4032 Monona Drive, Madison, WI. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., concert begins at 7:00 p.m. Join Chance Allies for an evening of Jazz music in support of the ministry at the Dane County Jail. Wanted: Winter Drivers As we approach another Wisconsin winter, the church office is beginning to receive requests for transportation to church on Sunday mornings from people living at our neighboring assisted living facilities. We are looking for reliable drivers who can be paired with riders in ways that develop close relationships with good communications to the benefit of all. If you would like to participate in this program and can faithfully commit through the winter months, please contact Ministry Coordinator Jen Barakat at (608) , ext 103, or jenbarakat@allsaints-madison.org. Also, Note... QR Giving Option: Using a smart phone scan this QR symbol and it will direct you to the GIVING page found on All Saints website at Congregation Council Meeting Approved Minutes copies are available in the church office. For a calendar of All Saints upcoming events, please visit our website at Church Staff Pastor Richard A. Johnson Office Phone: , ext. 102, Home Phone: pastorrich@allsaints-madison.org Congregational Council President, Robert Beggs Phone: ; rjbeggs@sbcglobal.net Ministry Coordinator, Jennifer Barakat Office Hours: Sun. 9 a.m. 12 p.m.; M-W 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Phone: , ext. 103, jenbarakat@allsaints-madison.org Adult Choir/Joyful Noise/Hand Bell Choir Director Nancy Pokorney, Phone: New Song Dir. Melanie Wulfekuhle, melanie.wulfekuhle@gmail.com Accompanists, Yana Avedyan, Lead Pianist; Janet Johnson, Nancy Pokorney, and Kristin Warner Sunday School Contacts, Ronda Beggs (rondabeggs@sbcglobal.net) and Leigh Luedtke (jimandleigh@gmail.com) Secretary Maria Gomer (Phone: ; office@allsaints-madison.org) (Hours: 9:00 a.m.-12 p.m., 1-4 p.m. Mon. Thur.) Childcare Staff Person, Chris Carollo-Zeuner (Chris is available in the nursery on Sundays, 8:30-11:45 a.m.) Custodian, Dennis Ahnen

8 Pictures from our Children s Christmas Program: Jesus Our Light Has Come!

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