Together, Let s Plant a Seed

Transcription

1 Christ Lutheran Church Worship Sunday Morning Holy Communion At 8:00 & 10:30 a.m. Education Sunday Morning - 9:15 a.m. for All Ages: Children 3 & up Meet upsiairs in their classrooms Junior High Youth: Rooms 214 & 216 Adults Fellowship Hall Nursery Nursery is available for children who are infants through 4 years of age during Sunday morning worship and the Sunday School hour. Office Monday - Thursday from 9:00 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. Friday from 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m office@clcah.org Through God s Grace All are welcome as we joyfully, Receive to Give Learn to Serve and Worship to Grow. Together, Let s Plant a Seed November December Gratitude overwhelms me as I write this column, which I have to confess isn t always my first emotion when I sit down to write my article for our monthly newsletter. So often, I find myself wondering what to write about or how to convey all that is in my heart and on my mind. But this month, thoughts of gratitude come front and center. I am grateful for YOU, for this community of faith, for each and every one of its members and friends. I am grateful for the welcoming people I see greet our visitors every Sunday. I am grateful for the quiet, humble volunteers who sustain our ministries. I am grateful for those of you who work with our outreach ministries, transforming lives outside these walls. I am grateful for all the kind words, thoughts, and prayers you have shared with Jayme and me recently and that you share with every member of our community when the journey of life gets rough. I am grateful for your financial gifts, which make possible the ministries of this church. Traditionally, the month of November calls us to gratitude as we celebrate the holiday of Thanksgiving and the simpler but so much more valuable gifts of friends and family and the love from them that sustains us daily. That love shown and shared is a seed planted that bears fruit in our life and allows us to plant seeds for others. This year s stewardship theme calls us to think about planting seeds, and how the tiny, seemingly insignificant things we do can become larger treasures than we would have ever imagined: one kind smile, one word of forgiveness, one moment of grace, one hour in service... each of these small gifts has the power to move mountains. Jesus tells us so. Our stewardship theme, Plant a Seed, will challenge us to consider what we give back, starting small; for example, the tiniest of seeds can lead to big results. On Stewardship Sunday, November 13, our guest preacher, Rev. Kara Stewart, the campus pastor of Texas Lutheran, will explore this theme with us in worship at 8:00 and 10:30 a.m. At 9:15 a.m. we will engage in all-congregational service projects in Fellowship Hall. Read more about Stewardship Sunday on page 5. Soon you will receive a mailing containing your stewardship cards for the year. Please prayerfully consider what your contribution of time, talent, and treasure might be. Together, let s plant some seeds and watch them grow. -Pastor Leslie

2 Groups Angelicus Choir Every Wednesday 5:30 p.m. - Sanctuary Book Club First Tuesday 6:45 p.m. - Location TBA Conversational Spanish 2nd & 4th Tuesdays 7:00 p.m.-crossway Dominos Group First Thursday 9:30 a.m. - Fellowship Hall First Thursday Lunch First Thursday 12:00 p.m. - Fellowship Hall Gloria Choir Every Wednesday 6:15 p.m. - Sanctuary Healing Prayer Tuesday - 10:00 a.m. Rode Prayer Chapel Hope Circle TBD 9:30 a.m. - Primrose House Joseph s Sons First Monday 6:30 p.m. - Location TBA Lydia Circle Second Tuesday 6:30 p.m. - Primrose House Men s Breakfast Second Tuesday 7:00 a.m. - Bill Miller BBQ Quilters Every Tuesday 9:00 a.m. - Primrose House Sanctuary Choir Every Wednesday 7:05 p.m. - Sanctuary Other groups meet during the year. For information, please contact our church office or visit our website www:clcah.org. All Saints Sunday, Dia de los Muertos, & Calaveras Literarias: November 6 At Christ Lutheran, we celebrate a unique cultural tradition that remembers those loved ones who have gone before us. Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead is an annual two-day Mexican festival where family and friends remember departed loved ones. It is a vibrant celebration of life that gives artistic expression to mourning through music, color, dancing, food, art, flowers, and more. The dead are celebrated literally as though still alive and ofrendas or "offerings" are made in memory of them and their favorite sports, foods, drinks, and pastimes. Calaveras Literarias are poems written for the dead, celebrating their life and remembering them. Mexico's Dia de los Muertos inspires us to enhance our own tradition of remembering the dead on All Saints Sunday. Join us for contemplative worship at 8:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. on November 6. Congregants will be invited forward during the service to light a candle in memory of a dearly departed friend or family member, and a bell tone will sound for all those lost in the last year as we lift their name in prayer. If you would like a name added, please contact the church office. At 9:15 a.m., we will host an all-ages event in Fellowship Hall. We will partake of Pan de los Muertos, a delicious sweet bread, learn about the traditions of Dia de los Muertos, write Calaveras Literarias, and present other ofrendas in honor of our loved ones. Please feel free to bring pictures, cards, or any other mementoes that are meaningful to you in remembering and celebrating the life of someone who has gone before you. Thank You Gathering Honoring Worship Helpers, Ushers, and Money Counters: November 3 Hey, worship helpers, ushers, and money counters! You are dedicated groups and you deserve a HUGE thank you for all your effort and participation! It s time to let you all know how much we appreciate your service with a PARTY! All worship helpers and ushers are invited to join together in a time of thanksgiving for all you do to make worship run smoothly and to be meaningful. We also invite all money counters who faithfully arrive each Monday morning to count the offerings from Sunday services. Please join us in Fellowship Hall on November 3 from 5:30 7:30 p.m. for appetizers, beverages, and a time to say thank you for your service to these ministries. Page 2

3 From the Council President... I write this while enjoying one of our early fall afternoons and shortly before joining many of you at the Oktoberfest celebration. The year is quickly winding down, and you may be assured that plans are already being put in place for the remainder of the calendar year. I just wanted to touch on a few of the things coming up. November is almost here and with it comes the season when we take a little time and look at our stewardship to our church, in both our financial and time contributions. We are always looking for new ways to engage our congregation, and this year is no different. You soon will receive mailings that ask you to tell us what your stewardship plans are for the coming year. I hope you will take the time to consider and contemplate what you can give to the church. As I wrote last time, we will have a solo pastor for the foreseeable future, as we discern the best staffing for our church moving forward. In the meantime, we all need to step up and take an active role in our church community. If you have ever thought, I bet I could be an usher or lector or Sunday school teacher or I could serve on one of our many committees, please let the staff or Parish Council know. Outside of what you can do for Christ Lutheran s own needs, this year we are implementing our God s work. Our hands project on Stewardship Sunday. Please give serious consideration to what you can do to help, and for parents, these are great opportunities to enforce the importance of serving others. Member News Sympathy to: The family and friends of Emma Lea Hallemann who died on October 1. The family and friends of Mary Hiller who died on October 9. Claudia Malitz and family on the death of her father, Charles Crawford, on October 8. I also want to give a brief update on the current focus of your council. The updated constitution is almost finalized for presentation to the congregation for consideration and adoption. The other current project which the council is working on, through a task force made up of various members, is updating some of our high use areas. The task force folks are talking with various members to discuss how to best update the CrossWay, the Parlor, and the Library. If you have strong feelings about what could improve the usefulness of any of those areas, please let Pastor Leslie, the staff, or any of the council members know your ideas. We are soliciting input from the main users of these areas, but we do not want to miss anyone who might also use these areas frequently or who just has a good idea on how we could improve their functionality. I hope everyone is having a great start to the end of the calendar year. While we often find ourselves pulled in any number of directions, especially during the holiday season, I hope each of you feel the pull to the church, our programs, and our events as one of those that gives back to you as much as you give to it. Robb Decker President, Parish Council Praises To The volunteers who gave of their time and effort to help with the Habitat for Humanity build. Carl Hughes for a wonderful Faith University study on the book of Galatians. All the third graders who completed the Bible Navigation class and received the Spark Bible in worship on October 23. Elizabeth Diggs and her crew for all the delicious German food and festive Oktoberfest decorations. All the Trunk or Treat participants - children, parents, and all who decorated their cars! What a fun night! Page 3

4 Sunday School for Parents We invite all our parents on Sunday mornings to head over to Primrose House after dropping off your children at Sunday School. You will find a cozy and welcoming space and time for conversation with one another. Conversations range from current events in our personal lives to current events in the news, but always with a particular focus on what it s like to be a parent in today s world and how we can best mentor our children. This year, Sunday School for Parents will be led by its faithful participants. Thanks to Joe Diana, Sarah Loyd, Margaret Suther, and Elizabeth & Will Garrett for leading this fall semester! Please note, nursery is also provided during the education hour for children not old enough for Sunday School. FAITH UNIVERSITY presents DEEP RIVER: THE HISTORY OF THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN SPIRITUAL The African-American spiritual, perhaps the only truly pure, American sacred music, has been a profound, enlightening, and inspirational musical genre for churches, including CLCAH. To honor the request of some of our Faith University students, Music Director, Daniel Long, will present a three-sunday course on this subject. We hope you ll join us for the history and interpretation of this musical genre, which will include listening to a variety of new historical and musicological findings from this extraordinary music. This will be a rare and fascinating exploration of African-American spirituals bring a friend on November 20, December 4, and December 11 at 9:15 a.m. in Fellowship Hall. Cross Over Jordan and join us! CLC Book Club In November, the CLC Book Club will discuss, The Train to Crystal City. The author, Jan Jarboe, lives in San Antonio and has earned many national honors for this beautiful book. She tells the story of a little known piece of Texas history, inspired by a chance conversation and an inquiring journalistic mind. You re invited to join us at the home of Carolyn Dufelmeier, 327 Busby. Mark your calendar now for November 1, at 6:45 p.m. Looking ahead to December, we will have a party and book discussion celebrating Christmas. The book is Holiday on Ice by David Sedaris. There will be more information on this meeting in December. Happy reading, Edna Robbins Page 4

5 Hope Bible Study The Hope Bible Study Group will meet on Thursday, November 10, at 9:30 a.m. in the Primrose House. Pastor Leslie will lead the Bible study and Frances Ware will be the hostess. Please join us! Day School Fall Fest & Thanksgiving Christ Lutheran Day School would like to invite you to our annual Fall Fest. Our celebration will be on Thursday, November 10, from 7:00-9:30 p.m. We will have a great dinner, a wonderful auction, fun fellowship, and adult beverages. We hope you will join us. Also, we invite you to join us at our Thanksgiving Feast on Friday, November 18, at 11:00 a.m. The children will sing and dance the Turkey Tango and enjoy turkey dinner and all the trimmings! We would love to have you join us on this special day of thanksgiving. We are so thankful to have Christ Lutheran Church support us with your prayers, special thoughts, and donations. We appreciate everything you do for Christ Lutheran Day School! We all hope you have a wonderful November. Also please visit us at our new website: or as a link from the church website. - Marilyn Hamilton Stewardship Sunday Festival Worship, November 13 at 8:00 & 10:30 a.m. Guest Preacher, Rev. Kara Stewart, Campus Pastor at Texas Lutheran University Special music from our Sanctuary Choir at both services Our children s and youth choirs, Gloria & Angelicus Choirs, sing at 10:30 a.m. Vibrant liturgy centering us on gratitude and giving back An opportunity to return our Financial and Time and Talent Stewardship Cards Plant a Seed Challenge, November 13, 9:15 a.m., Fellowship Hall, All Ages Event Together, as a congregation, we will engage in service to our neighbors. Pack Thanksgiving Food Bags for our local food pantry Make PB&J sandwiches for CAM (Christian Assistance Ministry) Write letters and make cards for the needy in our community If you would like to donate items for the Thanksgiving Food Bags, please see the bulletin board of items needed in the CrossWay. Page 5

6 Ride 2 Recovery Veterans Day Ride as One Event On Friday, November 11, Veterans Day, don t be surprised if you see a bunch of cyclists hanging around at Christ Lutheran! Ride 2 Recovery is an organization that helps to support our healing veterans and service members with their rehabilitation through cycling and community. They will be leaving on their Veterans Day ride from the parking lot at CLC. The ride will cover 60 miles and is open to all who would like to participate. You can register for the ride online at The event is named Ride as One, because the riders will travel as one group to show their support for and commitment to our healing soldiers. If you would like to come out and cheer on the group as they head toward the finish line, they should be returning between 2:15 and 2:45 p.m. that day. If you would like to help by offering some small refreshments to thank the riders and service members, please contact Pastor Leslie. For questions about the event in general, you can speak to Jayme Brown at church on Sunday or him at jaymeb@ride2recovery.com. Parenting Preschoolers Faithfully All parents of preschoolers are invited to join Pastor Leslie and Day School Director, Marilyn Hamilton, once a month during the school year for a time of fellowship and learning. The hope of Parenting Preschoolers Faithfully is to provide a space where parents can nurture their own faith as a way to better enable them to nurture their child s faith. This fall we will meet on the following Tuesdays at 9:15 a.m. (or after Day School chapel) in the Parlor. Our study this year will be based on Lisa J. Miller s book, The Spiritual Child: The New Science on Parenting for Health and Lifelong Thriving. Upcoming dates: Tuesday, November 15, and Tuesday, December 13. Visitor Wine and Cheese The CLC Welcome Team invites all visitors and new members to a Wine and Cheese gathering on the Plaza on Tuesday, November 15, at 5:30 p.m. Please join us and get to know more about CLC in an evening of fellowship, fun, and food. Page 6

7 The Gathering: Two Brother s BBQ 3rd Thursday Each Month 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. On the 3 rd Thursday of each month, we will gather for a time of food and fellowship. Webster defines the word "gather" as "to bring or come together," "to accumulate or collect. Well, that's what we will do! Every age and generation coming together singles, married couples, and families all are welcome to attend The Gathering. We will meet on November 17 at 6:00 p.m., at Two Brothers Barbeque located at West Ave. There is a large playground for the younger children. For more information, please contact the church office. Lucy Circle the Conversation Continues Lucy Circle invites CLC women, their guests, and visitors to join us for our monthly hour of discussion and fellowship the third Sunday of each month during the Sunday school hour 9:15-10:15 a.m. This year we are reading stories from Contemporary Latin American Short Stories, edited by Pat McNees. We next meet on Sunday, November 20 to discuss, Yzur by Leopoldo Lugones. The stories are short, the conversations are friendly and interesting, and the authors, among Latin America s most famous, are often new to us but always relevant. Grab a cup of coffee in the CrossWay and join us! Habitat Landscaping: November 19 CLC participated in the Habitat Build on September 30 and October 1. If you weren t able to be there, we have another date to help Habitat celebrate its 40 th year of building homes in San Antonio! On November 19, our Habitat home will be ready for landscaping. If you have a green thumb or even if you don t, we hope you ll help plant grass and bushes at our new Habitat home! The Dedication Ceremony for all the homes is at 10:30 a.m. on November 19. Come wish all the families the very best on this next chapter of their lives. Sign up in the CrossWay or talk to Paul Mathsen. Page 7

8 Youth & Children Senior High: The Light Living in God s House Together Our Senior High Bible Study Group will meet twice this month at the home of Jeff and Carrie Jowers. We will meet from 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., on November 6 and 20. On Sunday, November 20, we will celebrate Thanksgiving together! Save the date for our Christmas party on Sunday, December 18, starting at 5:00 p.m. There will not be a Bible Study on Sunday, December 4, due to the Advent Festival. For more information, please contact Carrie Jowers, Director of Faith Formation, in the church office. Confirmation Class (6 th -8 th grades) The Confirmation Class is doing a wonderful job of assisting in worship as Acolytes. A huge thanks to Beau Perez, Emily Giesecke, Ander Escudero, Dustin Bendele, and Griffin Hall for serving as Acolytes in October. Acolyte Schedule for November: Sunday, November 6: Leah Vasquez Sunday, November 13: Confirmation Retreat Sunday, November 20: Katrina Weidman Sunday, November 27: Matthew Diana Confirmation Sunday School Schedule: Sunday, November 6: 9:15 a.m. All Ages Fellowship: All Saints Day Sunday, November 13: 9:15 a.m. All Ages Service Project: Stewardship Sunday, November 20: 9:15 a.m. Christmas Pageant Rehearsal Begins Sunday, November 27: No Sunday School (Thanksgiving Break) Here's what's coming up for Middle Schoolers Middle School Retreat: Friday, November 11 Sunday, November 13 (Camp Chrysalis) This is a fun weekend filled with small group time, fellowship with others in our synod, prayer stations, and special guest speakers. The theme for the weekend is Love Your #Ownselfie. The weekend will be all about loving yourself as God made you. Registration forms were sent out in September. Please register now if you are planning on attending. If you have any questions, please check with Carrie in the church office. Page 8

9 Youth & Children Sunday School Offering: God s Global Barnyard The children have been collecting money to buy animals through the ELCA s God s Global Barnyard program as part of their offering this year! Willie the Pig, our offering piggy bank, collects our money every week during Sunday school. The money raised goes to help families in developing countries buy animals to sustain their livelihood. The children are very excited to be able to help out others in need. Barnyard piggy banks went home in September; if your child didn t receive one, please let their Sunday School teachers know. No Sunday School Classes on, Sunday, November 27 No Sunday School on Sunday, November 27, for all ages (3-year old- Confirmation Class) due to Thanksgiving Break. We will resume Sunday School on Sunday, December 4. Gloria and Angelicus Choirs The Gloria and Angelicus Choirs are in fall rehearsal mode. Please mark your calendars with the important dates listed below: Rehearsals: Choir Rehearsals will run each Wednesday through December 14 (please note no rehearsal on November 23 for Thanksgiving Break). Combined rehearsals (both choirs meet together from 5:30 to 6:15 p.m. due to the Advent Worship schedule which begins November 30 and continues December 7 and 14.) Assisting in Worship: Sunday, November 13 at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, December 11 at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, December 18 (Christmas Pageant) at 9:15 a.m. Page 9

10 Christmas Pageant: December 18 at 9:15 a.m. Pageant parts will be given out during the Sunday School hour on October 30! Please mark your calendars to come see our children and youth tell the story of Christmas: The Best Story Ever Told you won t want to miss it! The pageant will be Sunday, December 18, during the Sunday school hour (9:15 a.m.). Children will begin rehearsing pageant lines during Sunday school beginning November 20. Pageant parts will be given out on Sunday, October 30. A CD with music will be sent home along with pageant details on November 13. Saturday, December 17, there will be a final dress rehearsal from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. that is REQUIRED for all children and youth participating in the pageant. We are in need of parent volunteers for this year s pageant. We are looking for guitar players, costume assistants, and prop setup and tear-down. If you are interested, please let Carrie know. Advent Festival for All Ages: December 4, 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. On Sunday, December 4, we will celebrate Advent with a church-wide Advent Festival to help get ready for the new church year! Children and adults will travel to the different stations for fun activities to participate in. Stations will include: making reindeer food, nativity photo op, cookie decorating, making Advent calendars and wreaths, games, ornament-making station, and service projects for inner city children. We need volunteers to help set up and manage stations throughout the Advent Festival. Please contact Carrie in the church office. Faith Formation Team Our Faith Formation team will meet on Sunday, November 20, during the Sunday school hour in the church library. If you are interested in serving on this team, please contact Carrie Jowers. Page 10

11 Family Service Association Angel Tree CLC will be participating in the Family Service Association Angel Tree project. There will be a Christmas tree in the CrossWay beginning November 20. If you would like to help provide Christmas joy to someone who could use a boost, choose an angel from the tree and shop for clothes, toys, household goods, and other special gifts for someone who will be very appreciative and warmed by your generosity. Please sign the registration sheet if you choose an angel. Please know that if you picked an angel who asked for something you cannot afford, any gifts you can give will be appreciated. Please bring WRAPPED gifts to the CrossWay no later than Tuesday, December 6. Be sure and attach the angel and identifying label and keep the gifts together in a bag. Gifts of non-perishable foods and new or gently used household items, linens, and furnishings are also needed by these families. For more information, talk to Linda or Larry Sulser, or call the church office at Fair Trade Sunday, November 27 Hollye Schwartz, owner of All s Fair, a fair trade boutique in San Antonio, will be in the CrossWay on Sunday, November 27, with handmade items and foods from around the globe for sale in honor of Fair Trade Month. Fair Trade is an organized social movement that helps artisans and producers in developing countries make better trading conditions and promote sustainability. Fair trade insures that workers get fair compensation for their products. The annual CLC Fair Trade Fair is always a popular event with exotic teas and coffees, handmade gift items, chocolate, and other goodies. Get an early start on your Christmas shopping and hear how fair trade is impacting our brothers and sisters worldwide. Save the date! Advent Wednesday Worship Holden Evening Prayer Our Advent Wednesday worship services will be held November 30 and December 7, 14, and 21 at 6:30 p.m. in the sanctuary. We hope you will join us for this beautiful, calming worship based on Holden Evening Prayer. The lovely music of this vespers service sets the tone for the season reminding us of the beauty of the Christmas story each Wednesday during Advent. Our readings this year will center on our advent theme, which will explore traditional names for the coming Messiah: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Prince of Peace, and Everlasting Father. Each week we will meditate together on just who this child is. What a wonderful way to find a half hour of stillness and peace in the midst of an otherwise busy week! Page 11

12 Couples Night Out It s time once again to get together with other couples to focus on relationship care and celebration! This fall semester, we will share dinner, drinks, music, and fellowship on Friday, December 2, making this the perfect opportunity to discuss how the holidays bring great joy to our relationships but also can cause points of stress and disagreement. Together we will revel in the joys of the season while also learning how we can grow stronger in our relationships with one another. Come and enjoy this night out with your loved one, while also enjoying the company of other couples. Tickets are $20 per couple and are available in the church office. Free childcare will be provided, but must be reserved in advance. Please Pastor Leslie at leslie@clcah.org if you need childcare for the evening. Drinks will be served starting at 6:00 p.m. and dinner at 6:30 p.m. Please purchase your tickets by November 28 so we can prepare enough food for all. Eucharistic & Visitation Ministers Mini-Training and Fellowship We are so grateful to our Eucharistic and Visitation Ministers for all they do to extend the love of God to members of our faith community who cannot be with us. These faithful volunteers regularly visit with and bring Holy Communion to the shut-ins and homebound of our congregation. Quarterly, the volunteers of this ministry meet for food, fellowship, and conversation about how we might grow in our pastoral care and ministry skills. This group will meet on Monday, November 7, at Terry Westerman s home from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. If you aren t a part of this group but would like to become a Eucharistic or Visitation Minister, please talk to Pastor Leslie or Carolyn Dufelmeier. Daylight Savings Time Ends Our stewardship team is planning a stewardship opportunity in December. The event is sponsored by Redeemer Presbyterian Church on Saturday, December 3, 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at 3200 E. Houston St. We will pack boxes of food in a warehouse environment. It will be 10 degrees cooler than the outside temperature and industrial. Breakfast and lunch are served. You can show up anytime and be of help. Parking is a challenge so carpooling is Remember to move your clocks back one hour before you go to bed Saturday night, November 5. Daylight recommended. People of all ages will be there. Please call the office or talk to Joe Diana for more information. Savings Time ends at 2:00 a.m. Sunday morning. Enjoy an extra hour of sleep that night! Page 12

13 New Member Sunday On Sunday, December 4, we hope you ll join us when we welcome a group of new members during the 10:30 a.m. worship hour. There will be a reception in the CrossWay following the service to meet and greet these new members of our church family. If you are interested in joining, please contact Pastor Leslie and plan to attend the orientation on December 4 at 9:15 a.m. in the Parlor. River City Ringers Christmas Concert Join the River City Ringers on Friday, December 9, at 7:30 p.m. as they present, "A Few of Our Favorite Rings." Each member has chosen a holiday favorite to include in this year's Handbell Concert Series. Bring a date, family, and friends as the River City Ringers present an evening of music that includes your favorites. Stay tuned to the RCR Facebook page for more concert information. God s work. Our hands. T-shirt Order Members of CLC proudly wear our ELCA bright goldenrod God s work. Our hands. t-shirts as we participate in service projects in the community. We shine as we serve! We are placing an order for shirts for anyone who needs one. If you would like to order a shirt, please call or the office with your size(s) and name(s) by December 1. There is no cost. If you or your children have a shirt that you are no longer wearing or have outgrown, and would like to donate for someone else to use, please return it to the church office. Page 13

14 Grief and the Holidays Workshop For Anyone Grieving the Loss of a Loved One Grief can be a powerful and overwhelming emotion that changes your life. Understanding, compassion from others, and a commitment to allowing the experience to heal can take you on a journey of discovering meaning in life again. The holidays are an especially hard time. The season renews memories, family ties, and traditions. We become painfully aware that our special loved one is no longer present. This can be a very difficult time for those who mourn. The pain of the loss sometimes feels more present when contrasted with the spirit of the season. Grief and the Holidays is a workshop designed to help those who are grieving to better understand the grief process, how it affects us during the holidays, and how we can use this special time to continue to heal. These are one-time workshops that meet for about two hours. They are hosted by various congregations throughout our area and led by trained presenters. If you are interested in attending a workshop, the church office contains a list of dates, times, and locations for upcoming workshops. There are over 30 options, so you should be able to find one that fits your schedule and desired location. Just call the church office, and we will help you out. Our H4H Family Brenda continues to work hard at her job as a caregiver to residents at The Village at Incarnate Word, and she FINALLY has health and dental insurance! Yay! Huge news! On the bad news front (and there always seems to be bad news when you re working hard to rise out of poverty), she is battling a serious rodent problem that is pervading the apartment complex where she lives. Management says it cannot afford to eradicate the rodents from the multiple buildings so we re trying to help her figure out a solution short of moving yet again. Any ideas, friends? We have some new members on our team and we ll keep you posted on progress, needs and happenings. Please continue to pray for this family and know that they deeply appreciate your gifts of gift cards, paper products, cleaning supplies, food and essentials for the children. In October, Lucy Circle brought bags of needed goods to Brenda and her children in memory of Mary Hiller, who was very kind and generous to Brenda. Mary s obituary closed with these words and the Lucy Circle was honored to respond: She simply asked that friends and family celebrate her life with an act of kindness for someone less fortunate than themselves. That will make her heart sing. - Jan Norris Page 14

15 Upcoming Stewardship Projects Upcoming projects as part of our Stewardship theme Plant a Seed: Help Serve Thanksgiving Lunch to our Friends at SA Clubhouse We have a wonderful opportunity to help serve prepared food to the members of SA Clubhouse and give them a Thanksgiving meal they may not have otherwise. The doors open at 9:00 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day to begin preparing the food to be served at 11:00 a.m. We will eat and visit with the members, help clean up, and be finished by 1:00 p.m. This promises to be a blessing for all involved! CAM Christmas Store on December 3 The middle school and high school students will be purchasing Christmas gifts on December 2nd for the CAM Christmas Store. The youth invites the congregation to join them on Saturday morning, December 3, from 10:00 a.m. until noon to help assist them in setting up the store at CAM located downtown on McCullough Ave. For more information, please contact Carrie Jowers in the church office. Christmas Boxes of Blessings Our stewardship team is planning a stewardship opportunity in December. The event is sponsored by Redeemer Presbyterian Church on Saturday, December 3, 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at 3200 E. Houston St. We will pack boxes of food in a warehouse environment. It will be 10 degrees cooler than the outside temperature and industrial. Breakfast and lunch are served. You can show up anytime and be of help. Parking is a challenge so carpooling is recommended. People of all ages will be there. Please call the office or talk to Joe Diana for more information. Baking Bread at San Antonio Clubhouse on January 28 Details will follow at a later date. Staff The Rev. Leslie Price Pastor Carrie Jowers Director of Faith Formation Marilyn Hamilton Director of Day School Becky Richard Office Manager/Accountant Linda Sulser Administrative Assistant Dr. Dan Long Director of Music Ministry Bill Ross Organist Karli Anderson Youth Choir Director Sharon Wiedemann Youth Choir Accompanist Clara Tenorio Church Keeper Sam Tenorio Custodian Ryan Loyd Sound Tech Sandy Roe Nursery Attendant Parish Council Robb Decker, President Joe Diana, Vice Pres. Sharon Wiedemann, Treasurer Blossom Stobb, Secretary Sarah Loyd, Trustee Chris Fidao, Trustee Carolyn Dufelmeier, Trustee Pastor Leslie Price Page 15

16 Christ Lutheran Church 6720 Broadway San Antonio, Texas ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED Non-Profit Organization US Postage Paid Permit #325 San Antonio, TX Please join us on Stewardship Sunday, November 13, as together we Plant a Seed! Worship 8:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. 9:15 a.m. All ages service projects in Fellowship Hall Remember to bring your Financial and Time & Talent cards. Read more on pages 1 and 5.