From the Pastor: Hark the Glad Sound

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 Chapel Junior High Youth: Rooms 214 & 216 Adults Fellowship Hall There are no Christian Education classes on December 27 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 From the Pastor: Hark the Glad Sound Through God s Grace All are welcome as we joyfully, Receive to Give Learn to Serve and Worship to Grow. December Christmas carols and songs are among the most cherished traditions of the Christmas season. Joyful melodic lines invigorate our spirits and bring us cheer. Comforting carols, even in a minor key, can bring hope for a new world brought about by the Christ child. Familiar words dance in our head as the music fills our very beings with a sense of the abundance of God s love. And who doesn t treasure gathering together, bearing light to the world, as we sing the beloved carol, Silent Night? Music is central to the season, so this year at Christ Lutheran we are getting in the spirit through the theme of Hark! the Glad Sound! Each Sunday in Advent we will look at the songs of the faith, beginning with Zechariah and his song of praise at the birth of his son John, moving to Mary and her song of joy at the news that she would bear the baby Jesus, continuing to the song of the church and a moving Lessons and Carols service that isn t afraid to ask the questions of our faith, and concluding with the angels and their song of praise at the birth of the Messiah. Instead of lighting the Advent Wreath... this year, we will ring it. We will treasure special music offered by our adult, children and youth choirs, our band and orchestra instrumentalists, soloists young and old on every instrument, and we will take joy in hosting gorgeous concerts offered by visiting musicians. On Wednesday evenings our traditional Advent mid-week service of Holden Evening Prayer will again enliven our hearts to the promise of the season. You should have already received a mailing including important dates and times for all our events at CLC this holiday season in addition to a devotional booklet for the entire family that focuses on our theme and takes an in-depth look at the great carols of Christmas. We hope you, too, will listen and be inspired anew by the glorious story of the coming of the Christ Child. Hark! the Glad Sound! Indeed! - Pastor Leslie Price

2 Groups Angelicus Choir Wednesdays, December 2 & 9 5:30 p.m. - Sanctuary Book Club First Tuesday 6:45 p.m. - Location TBA Conversational Spanish Tuesday, December 8 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 Wednesdays, December 2 & 9 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 7:15 p.m. - Sanctuary Other groups meet during the year. For information, please contact our church office or visit our website www:clcah.org. Christmas Services Hark! the Glad Sound! We invite you to worship with us on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day as we celebrate the birth of Christ, Emmanuel, God with us, come to live God s love in our midst. As God becomes human, we rejoice in song and prayer, praise and thanksgiving as Christ comes offering redemption and salvation to all! Here s what to look forward to at our different worship offerings: Christmas Eve 4:00 p.m. Child-Friendly Service This Christmas Eve worship service is great for all ages; however, it is crafted specifically with children in mind. Children will have the opportunity to dress up as an angel, shepherd or sheep and come forward to be a part of the Christmas Story. Children will also be invited to come forward to lead the congregation in singing Away in a Manger. There will be a special Children s Time with Carrie Jowers, our Director of Faith Formation. And recognizing that young ones can be especially energetic on Christmas Eve, the service will last only minutes, with a shorter sermon. This service also offers Holy Communion and candle-lighting. Christmas Eve 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. Carols and Candlelight These two services are very similar. They help us enter into the transcendent beauty of this evening celebrating God s incarnation. Join us as we sing beloved carols and enter into the stillness and awe of this Silent Night. Pastor Leslie will preach. Communion will be offered as well as a ceremony of candle-lighting. This year, for the first time, the 8:00 p.m. service will conclude outdoors as we light our candles and sing together the gorgeous Silent Night. Nursery is provided at both the 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. services. Christmas Day 11:00 a.m. Christmas Story and Carols Hark! the Glad Sound! Christ is born! Join us on Christmas Day to continue our celebration of the birth of our savior. This is a great service to come to if you want to make sure you get to sing all your favorite Christmas Carols. It is a service of lessons and carols, telling the Christmas story through scripture readings and song. Please join us! December 27 Christmas 1 Worship at 8:00 and 10:30 a.m. On the Sunday after Christmas, we welcome you for a festive continuation of Christmas with our regular service schedule. Holden Evening Prayer Our Advent Wednesday worship services will be held on December 2, 9 and 16 at 6:30 p.m. in the sanctuary. We hope you 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 in Advent. This is a wonderful way to find a half hour of stillness and peace in the midst of an otherwise busy week. Page 2

3 Faith University: Sunday Mornings at 9:15 a.m. December 6: Art & Faith: Liturgical Artwork Art has long been a vehicle for expression of faith and enhancement of spirituality. Whether craning your neck backward for a view of the beautiful Sistine Chapel, listening to an artful poem by T.S. Eliot or appreciating the expressive banners that adorn our sanctuary, it is easy to recognize the many contributions art makes to our life of faith and to be grateful for these glorious gifts. Our final class in this three-part series will be held December 6 in Fellowship Hall. It will feature liturgical artwork and be co-taught by our resident liturgical artist, Mary Overstreet and Pastor Leslie. Come join us as we reflect on the myriad of ways we give artistic expression to our life of faith. December 13: Join us at 9:15 a.m. in the Sanctuary for the Children s Christmas Pageant, The First Christmas. The children have worked diligently to put together this stunning production, which tells the Greatest Story ever told. Don t miss this sweet event. December 20: Faith University invites all adults to a Christmas Party in the CrossWay. There will be Christmas goodies, festivities and fellowship! Praises To All who turned in Time and Talent cards and Stewardship cards. Rosario for all her delicious meals at many events in November. All small group participants and leaders for their involvement and commitment. Elizabeth Diggs for decorating Fellowship Hall. Faith University: Night School Faith University Night School meets at 5:30-6:15 p.m. on Wednesday evenings in the Parlor. We meet during children s youth group and choir activities to give parents an option to grow in their faith while their children participate in Wednesday evening programming. However, Night School is open to all. You don t have to have a child involved in Wednesday evening activities to join our conversation in the Parlor. Night School is discussion oriented, adapting easily to the questions that surface and providing a comfortable atmosphere to converse about faith struggles, doubts and uncertainties while also appreciating how we are growing in faith. This December, we will continue a study of Krista Tippett s book, Einstein s God, which is a collection of interviews between Tippett and esteemed doctors, professors and writers on the subject of science and the human spirit. Pastor Leslie will lead this class. We will meet on Wednesdays, December 2, 9 & 16 and then take a break until after the first of the year to enjoy the holidays. Lucy Circle Who are The Lucies? We are Lutheran women who appreciate a good read, good conversation and fellowship. We invite you to join our friendly group on Sunday, December 20 when we ll discuss a short essay, Channel B by Megan Stielstra, from The Best American Essays 2013, edited by Cheryl Strayed. We meet at 9:15 a.m. in the Parlor. Page 3

4 Hanging of the Greens Please join us on Sunday, December 6 after worship at 11:45 a.m. in the sanctuary to decorate the church for the Christmas Season. We need adults and youth of all ages (yes, that means you!) to help with a variety of festive chores, including decorating the sanctuary, the Christmas tree, the CrossWay and exterior doors. While the adults and youth decorate, children will be busy in Fellowship Hall enjoying lunch and making ornaments! We have some fun and creative projects for the children to make and then to adorn our sanctuary tree. After we finish, there will be lunch in the CrossWay featuring Rosario s famous chili and tamales! We look forward to seeing LOTS of you there! Angel Tree By the time you receive this issue of the Proclaimer, we hope you ve already had a chance to select an angel from our Family Service Association Angel Tree and you re shopping for clothes, toys, household goods and other special gifts to bring Christmas joy to someone who could use a boost. 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 Wednesday, December 9. 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 very much appreciated by these families, also. For more information, call the church office at River City Ringers: A World of Christmas The River City Ringers will be performing their 2015 Handbell Christmas concert, A World of Christmas on Friday, December 11, 7:30 p.m. at Christ Lutheran. Join the River City Ringers as they retell their handbell Christmas story with a repertoire of traditional hymns and modern day Christmas songs! Christmas Caroling: Hosted by our Faith Formation Team On Sunday, December 20, at 4:00 p.m., we will meet in Fellowship Hall to go caroling in the neighborhood surrounding CLC. Everyone will be given song sheets and we will head out to share the Christmas spirit with our fellow neighbors. We will return to the church around 5:00 p.m. to enjoy fellowship with hot chocolate and cookies for the children and wine and cheese for the adults. Hope all of you can make it! Page 4

5 Christmas Recital: December 5 The Mu Phi Epsilon San Antonio Alumni chapter will be holding a Christmas recital on Saturday, December 5, at 2:00 p.m. at Christ Lutheran. Members of the alumni chapter and several local collegiate chapters will perform a variety of Christmas songs, both vocal and instrumental. We invite friends and families of all ages to join us for this event as we celebrate this holiday season with joyous song. There will be a small reception after the program with hot chocolate and refreshments. The chapter will also be collecting donations for our annual Bettye Jo Shryock Memorial Scholarship, awarded to a collegiate music major each year. We look forward to seeing you there, and wish you a very happy holiday season. Giving Tree: A Backpack Drive to Welcome Refugees Our young women s group, Café, and our young men s group, Mulligans, invite you to help them welcome refugees by participating in a backpack drive. This holiday season, you will find a Giving Tree on a bulletin board in the CrossWay where we ask for your help in collecting items for the women and children refugees who are being released from detention centers in south Texas. These backpacks will then go to the Interfaith Welcome Coalition (IWC) to be handed out to the women and children as they get off buses from detention centers and prepare for the next leg of their journey. Please take a leaf from the tree, purchase the items listed, and bring them back to church with the leaf attached by Wednesday, December 9. Items on each leaf are estimated to cost about $20-$30. Café & Mulligans Christmas Potluck After sponsoring the Giving Tree Backpack Drive to help welcome refugees, our young women s group and young men s group will gather for a joint Christmas Party where we will assemble the backpacks. Please join us on Monday, December 14 at 6:30 p.m. in Fellowship Hall. We invite everyone to bring a side to share and BYOB. Chicken wings will be provided as the entrée. Nursery will be available for children with a suggested donation of $5 a child. RSVP for childcare. All young women and men welcome! Page 5

6 Youth & Children Children's Sunday School for December Please be sure to mark your calendars with the dates listed below: Sunday, December 6: Rehearsal for Christmas Pageant (meet in the Children's Chapel at 9:15 a.m.) Saturday, December 12: REQUIRED Christmas Pageant dress rehearsal at 9:30 a.m. Sunday, December 13: Christmas Pageant during the 9:15 a.m. Sunday School hour (please meet in the Children's Chapel at 8:45 a.m.) Sunday, December 20: Sunday School Christmas parties Sunday, December 27 & January 3: No Sunday School (holiday break) Sunday School will resume on Sunday, January 10! The First Christmas Children's Christmas Pageant Come celebrate with our children and youth for the best story ever told the birth of Jesus! You are invited to come hear the story of "The First Christmas" told and acted out by our Christ Lutheran Sunday School children and youth. Please join us at 9:15 a.m. on December 13 in the Sanctuary. A cookie reception will take place after the 10:30 a.m. worship service in the CrossWay. Pageant parents, please have your children here that morning no later then 8:45 a.m. to get into costume. A huge thank you to Margaret Suther for her leadership with the pageant! If you can help with costumes, staging or with shepherding children the day of the pageant, please contact Carrie Jowers! The Spark and The Outlet: Wednesday Night Programming The Spark and The Outlet: The Spark and The Outlet will not meet during the month of December and will resume their regular schedule on Wednesday, January 13! The Angelicus and Gloria Choirs: The Angelicus and Gloria Choirs will have combined rehearsals on Wednesdays, December 2 & 9 at 5:30 to 6:15 p.m. to prepare for the pageant and singing at Lessons and Carols on Sunday, December 13. These are important rehearsals, not to be missed! Both choirs will then break for the holidays and resume on Wednesday, January 13 Page 6

7 Confirmation Class Youth & Children The Confirmation students have hit the ground running. They have had two very successful large group sessions, and they are all very devoted to coming each Sunday morning to Sunday School. They are a great group and a ton of fun to be with! Our next large group will take place on Wednesday, January 6, at 6:00 p.m. with a Pizza Feast at 5:30 p.m. The topics will cover King Solomon, Psalms and Wisdom Literature. Here's what else is coming up in December & January for our 6 th -8 th graders: December 6: 9:15 a.m. David Talksheet in Required Confirmation Class December 13: 9:15 a.m. Attend and assist with the Christmas Pageant December 20: 9:15 a.m. Christmas Party (Senior High Room) December 27 & January 3: No Sunday School Christmas Break. Sunday School resumes January 10. January 3: First Sunday evening dinner, 6:00 p.m. at EZ's a new and fun ministry of fellowship January 6: Required Confirmation Large Group 6:00 p.m. (Pizza Feast at 5:30 p.m.) January 9: Middle School Sleepover Retreat (4:00 p.m.) The Confirmation Class has requested a middle school sleepover retreat at the church. Please mark your calendars for Saturday, January 9 at 4:00 p.m. More information to come. Acolyte Schedule for December December 6: Matthew Diana December 13: Leah Vasquez December 20: Ander Escudero December 24 (Christmas Eve Service): 4 p.m.: 6 p.m.: December 27: As you can see, we have open spots on the December calendar. If you would be willing to serve, please contact the church office. Thank you to all of the Confirmation Class for assisting in worship. They have done a wonderful job! CLC Day School News Thank you all for your support for the CLDS 60th Anniversary Fall Fest Celebration. I was so happy to have so many members of the congregation join the Day School for this special evening event. I hope everyone enjoyed a delicious meal, entertainment and fellowship. Thank you also for your generous donations! We are now preparing for the Christmas holidays. We will have a special visit from the Magik Theatre, which will present "Merry Christmas Mouse" on Friday, December 4 at 10:00 a.m. The pre-k classes celebrate with a "Happy Birthday Jesus" party with donations going to Any Baby Can. Our Christmas program will be on Thursday, December 17 at 10:00 a.m. Everyone at Christ Lutheran Day School wishes you a very Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year! - Marilyn Hamilton, Director Page 7

8 Youth & Children The Light: Senior High Youth Ministry The Senior High is finishing up their Bible study with the book, "A Faith-In-Action." Starting in January, the Senior High students will choose their next Bible study. Also, starting in January, the youth will begin going out in the community once a month to do works of service, such as assisting at the Food Bank, and serving at Haven for Hope and CAM. If you are interested in joining us for any of these events, please contact Carrie Jowers in the church office. The Senior High Youth Mission trip has been set for July 16 through July 23 in New Orleans, LA. The youth will be working with Project Homecoming to assist with the continued clean-up and housing construction post-hurricane Katrina. Deposits of $100 per each youth attending are due January 1. More information will come in January. Here's what's coming up in December for our Senior High Youth: Brunch Light: Sunday, December 6, join us for the 10:30 a.m. worship service; then stay to decorate the church for Christmas or help assist the children in making Christmas ornaments for the Christmas tree. Lunch will be provided. Night Light: Sunday, December 13, Christmas Party at the house of Carrie and Jeff Jowers starting at 5:30 p.m. Night Light: Sunday, December 20, Christmas Caroling and light refreshments starting at 4:00 p.m. in Fellowship Hall. Winter Break: No Sunday School on Sunday, December 20 through Sunday, January 3. Sunday School will resume on Sunday, January 10. Parenting Preschoolers Faithfully: Advent Workshop Preschool families! Save the date for an Advent Workshop on Tuesday, December 1 in Fellowship Hall, 3:00-4:00 p.m. Our Parenting Preschoolers Faithfully program is working a little differently this year. Instead of monthly meetings for discussion, we are holding four events this year. Two are service opportunities and two are events for parents and children together to celebrate two important seasons in the church year: Advent and Lent. These offerings are in conjunction with Christ Lutheran Day School. Our Advent Workshop on December 1 offers a special time for parents to attend with their 2-5 year olds. (Nursery is provided for younger siblings.) This is a wonderful opportunity for hands-on learning to help children and families better understand and experience the spirituality of the season. We will learn about the anticipation of the Advent season, make an advent wreath to help us count the weeks to Christmas and have some other festive fun! Hope to see you there! Page 8

9 Calling all Band and Orchestra Instrumentalists! Do you play a band or orchestra instrument? Would you like to play at church? Pastor Marie would like to put together an ensemble of members to play in both worship services on December 20, the fourth Sunday in Advent. All levels are welcome, beginners to alumni. If you are interested, there will be one required rehearsal at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, December 16. Please let Pastor Marie know if you would like to participate by Sunday, December 6, so she can have the appropriate music ready by rehearsal. Help The Agape Ministry Amazon Smile is an easy way to help Agape every time you shop at Amazon. 0.5% of your purchase price will be donated to Agape. To sign up, go to Amazon Smile and create an account. Be sure when choosing your charity you select THE AGAPE MINISTRY OF SAN ANTONIO. When you want to shop at Amazon, go to Amazon Smile, log in, if required, and you re ready to shop. It s a really easy way to help The Agape Ministry who does so much to help our less fortunate in our area. Call me or the office if you have questions. Thank you so much, Carolyn Dufelmeier Page 9

10 Meals on Wheels...A Delightful, Nourishing Ministry Many of us, as we grow older, find it difficult or even impossible to drive a car or board a bus. Without access to transportation and with other ambulatory and health issues, we may not be able to grocery shop or prepare meals. That s where Meals on Wheels comes in. What a gift it is as a volunteer to deliver a hot, freshly-prepared, nutritious meal to a shut-in, to exchange friendly conversation, to check on them and make sure they re okay. These folks could be our parents or grandparents. Down the road, they could be us! If you are able to find an hour once a week or every other week around the lunch hour, I encourage you to consider volunteering with this ministry. Christ Lutheran has two routes each one usually has 7-10 meals to deliver each day. If you can help, either as a regular driver or a substitute, please contact: Yomi Moreno Volunteer Coordinator Meals on Wheels of San Antonio Christian Senior Services T (210) , ext. 340 F (210) Jan Norris Meals on Wheels: Share the Love Blanket Drive Meals on Wheels is partnering with Subaru for a Share the Love Blanket Drive! You can help keep our seniors warm this winter by dropping off a new blanket at one of the participating North Park Subaru Dealerships. Texas nights can get cold, so let s make it our goal to make sure every senior in our program has a cozy blanket. The drive began November 19 and runs through January 1, Blankets can be dropped off at North Park Subaru Dealership locations at the Dominion and San Pedro. Page 10

11 Our H4H Family We still refer to Brenda and her children as our Haven for Hope Family and they are. We met them because of Haven for Hope as they were transitioning out of homelessness. But we are so grateful to report that Brenda is working hard, her kids are in school and they have lived in their apartment for more than a year now. Although Brenda continues to confront financial struggles and relies on us as her church family to help out when things are tough, she is working toward independence and we are cheering her on. To give you an idea of Brenda s challenges, her character and her humble, generous heart, Lisa Diana sent this story to the H4H Team this week: Brenda texted that she was very sorry but she was short on funds this week (she was unable to work recently when one of her children was hospitalized). When I asked her what she needed, she said she is hesitant to ask because of what we are already doing for her. I told her not to feel bad for asking; if we can help we will. She said she mainly needed diapers and pull-ups; she had gone to the dollar store and bought toilet paper and soap. She also said she hopes it s okay that she gave some of the food we donated to her last week to a homeless man she frequently sees at Wal-Mart who is in a wheel chair. She said she does that because she knows what it s like when you don t have food. She said the girls also remember what it was like not having food. I just wanted to share this because it was so touching. She feels like she can give to others because she has been given help. She also told me that the lady she is working for bought her a turkey and things to go with the turkey for Thanksgiving. - Thanks, Lisa. With Christmas approaching, we re gathering gifts and gift cards for Brenda and her children and there also are opportunities on the Angel Tree to give them gifts. If you d like to help, please let us know. And we hope it makes you feel good to know that Brenda is paying your gifts forward and teaching her children to be grateful and generous to others. - Jan Norris H4H: Thoughts on Poverty & Homelessness Mary Stolte, LPC, is a new CLC member who has joined the H4H Project team and has expertise in poverty and the barriers that poverty constructs. She will facilitate a discussion in the Faith University class on Sunday, January 10 at 9:15 a.m. in Fellowship Hall on the challenges and realities of homelessness, poverty and our role as a church in helping families like Brenda s. It s an opportunity to learn, share and consider our future in this ministry. Hope you ll join us! Staff The Rev. Leslie Price Senior Pastor The Rev. Marie Purcell Associate 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 Rosario Alferez Church Keeper Sam Tenorio Custodian Ryan Loyd Sound Tech Sandy Roe Nursery Attendant Parish Council Brad Wheeless, President Will Garrett, Vice Pres. Duane Westerman, Treasurer Blossom Stobb, Secretary Sarah Loyd, Trustee Bob Lynch, Trustee Joe Diana, Trustee Pastor Leslie Price Pastor Marie Purcell Page 11

12 Christ Lutheran Church 6720 Broadway San Antonio, Texas ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED Non-Profit Organization US Postage Paid Permit #325 San Antonio, TX Worship Advent Sundays November 29, December 6, 13, 20 Join us this Advent and Christmas Lessons and Carols Sunday, December 13 8:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Lessons and Carols Sunday, December 13 8:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Christmas Day Worship 11:00 a.m. Advent Wednesdays December 2, 9, 16 Holden Evening Prayer 6:30 p.m. Children's Pageant Sunday, Dec. 13 9:15 a.m. Sunday, December 27 Worship 8:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Christmas Eve Services 4:00 p.m. Child-friendly, 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. Traditional All Services with Communion