December 2018 Advent Wednesday Schedule 515 S.W Seventh St. Hermiston, Oregon (541) 567-6811 www.bethlehemhermiston.org December 5 - Christmas Tree 6:00 p.m. Potluck Supper 7:00 p.m. December 12 6:00 Potluck Supper 7:00 p.m. December 19 - Caroling! 5:00 Meet at the Church Potluck Supper to follow singing! Children s Service December 16 Preceded by Sunday Generations at 9:00 a.m. - Come to Sunday Generations to be in the Program Christmas Eve December 24 Christmas Day December 25 10 a.m. Sharing God s Word with All Generations!
Midweek December 5 th & 12 th These evenings will begin with a Potluck (and visiting) and conclude with and the Lord s Supper! 6:00 p.m. Potluck Supper 7:00 p.m. Christmas Tree! December 5 th After the Potluck we will begin the decorating (we will finish the tree after worship if necessary)! Christmas Caroling! December 19 th We will meet at the Church at 5:00 p.m., then sing & share with a few of our members and a couple of our community s assisted living facilities! Potluck Supper to follow singing! Sunday Lunch Out December 9 th at Shiki Restaurant Christmas Program December 16 th During the Sunday morning service. Come to Sunday Generations at 9:00 a.m. for breakfast and to be assigned a part in the Program Christmas Eve Service December 24 th at 7:00 p.m. This will be our Candlelight service, filled with Carols! Christmas Day Service December 25 th at 10:00 a.m. We celebrate the Incarnation of Jesus with Carols and the Lord s Supper! Following our service, you re invited to join your fellow Bethlehemites for lunch at Shiki restaurant (across from McDonald s). We have some space reserved for us to sit together and visit while we eat.
hristmas is coming! While the Hallmark Channel nand retailers strive to convince us that EVERYONE is hhappy during this time of the year, the truth is many people struggle with Christmas. I have a fellow pastor who has confessed his dread of Christmas he loves the holiday, but the stress wears him out. How can Christmas become a burden? If your expectation is a perfect family sitting around a perfect tree... well, you re likely to be disappointed. If your Christmas dream is giving & receiving the perfect gifts... sorry, you re probably going to awake from your dream and realize it was, after all, just a dream! EVEN IF YOU NAIL CHRISTMAS (and what are the chances of that happening?) won t the stress leading up to the event somehow manage to deflate the joy a tad? Christmas is about the birth of God s promised Savior! Did you realize the first promise of a Savior was delivered under the shadow of mankind s first sin? After Adam and Eve rebelled against the Lord, as He was doling our their punishment, God promised that a Son Who would save the world would be born of a woman (Genesis 3:15). Through the years that followed God s prophets would add to this promise: He would be born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14) He would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2) He would be a Prophet like Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15) He would suffer, be mocked, and slain (Isaiah 53) He would die for the sins of God s people (Isaiah 53:5-6, 8) He would rise from the dead (Psalm 16:10) These are but a few of the promises of the Messiah fulfilled by Jesus! Some count over 400 Old Testament prophecies/scriptures that speak of Christ. Oh, that birth forever blessed! Can you see why the angelic host of heaven filled the skies with their glory and the earth with their joyful voices? Here was Jesus, God s only Son, born to pay the price for the rebellion of humanity. Here in this newborn infant we find the fulfillment of God s promise to rescue and deliver us from sin, death and the devil! So when the cookies burn or the perfect gift is out of stock, refocus on the birth of Jesus! THIS is what Christmas is all about! Merry Christmas and to God be the glory! Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:10-11 kjv pastor@bethlehemhermiston.org pastorbethlehem.blogspot.com
The children in our school will be learning about Jesus birth all month. We begin with the part about the angels announcing His birth, then the shepherds and then the wise men. Watch for artwork in our hallways to see what part of the story we are learning each week. There is an awesome opportunity for our church members to share their faith with each child. Each year we share the Christmas story in our classrooms by dressing the children up in Christmas story costumes and they act out the entire story for their parents. We d love help getting the costumes on each child if you have an hour to spare helping in our classroom. (Ramona helps each year, and she is awesome!) We will also be sharing the story in our After Christmas Programs on At Chapel 10 Lepers sitting outside the village they saw Jesus, cried out to Him and ALL 10 were healed... but only ONE came back to Jesus to say Thank You! January 9 & 10. We will feature all of our classes in a special program on these two nights. We need lots of volunteers to help seat parents, watch children, and welcome families as they come to hear the story of His birth in our sanctuary. Please sign up to help with this awesome event when the clipboard comes your way. We ll also be asking for cookies and candy canes to share with our families. (Or maybe the church has another idea of something we can share with families?) And, for this special Christmas Program, we will be welcoming back Alumni to help read in our Christmas program! Our preschool celebrates 40 years this year and we thought it fitting to invite the many who have participated in our school over the years. If you know of alumni who are still here in Hermiston and would like to be part of our program, please have them contact Pastor or myself. We, the preschool staff, wish you a Merry (Christ-filled) Christmas! In the Savior's love, Tess
Acknowledgements Pictures: reverendfun.com Jokes: From www.jokes.christiansunite.com The Hotel is Full A Jewish lady named Mrs. Rosenberg many years ago was stranded late one night at a fashionable resort - one that did not admit Jews. The desk clerk looked down at his book and said, "Sorry, no room. The hotel is full." The Jewish lady said, "But your sign says that you have vacancies." The desk clerk stammered and then said curtly, "You know that we do not admit Jews. Now if you will try the other side of town..." Mrs. Rosenberg stiffened noticeable and said, "I'll have you know I converted to your religion." The desk clerk said, "Oh, yeah, let me give you a little test. How was Jesus born?" Mrs. Rosenberg replied, "He was born to a virgin named Mary in a little town called Bethlehem." "Very good," replied the hotel clerk. "Tell me more." Mrs. Rosenberg replied, "He was born in a manger." "That's right," said the hotel clerk. "And why was he born in a manger?" Mrs. Rosenberg said loudly, "Because a jerk like you in the hotel wouldn't give a Jewish lady a room for the night!"
4 Addison Moseley 19 Warren Hall 12 Jacob Schwarz 19 Tim Holtz 13 Verlyn Schulz 20 Ethan Reeder 15 Michele Misener 21 Tina Reeder 15 Sandi Trapp 28 Helen Huebner 15 Anna Rivera 31 Payton Hergert 17 Sarah Gaulke BAPTISM BIRTHDAYS 4 Lorinda Schwarz 19 Kristi Flyg 7 Mike Martin 19 Warren Hall 9 Peggy Martin 22 Tess Adams 10 Arlene Hennings 24 Jake Flyg 16 Ray Anason 26 Sofia Rivera 17 Mitchell Johnston 31 Tim Holtz December 4, 1996 (22st) Dan & Kristi Hergert December 8, 2001 (17th) Sam & Kristin Connell December 14, 1981 (37th) Richard & Valerie Horton December 20, 1986 (32nd) Richard & Patti Brittin December 21, 1977 (41th) Tom & Helen Huebner December 21, 1991 (27th) Ken & Sally Cromer December 27, 1980 (38th) Duane & Linda Neiffer December 29, 2012 (6th) Joe & Amanda Cooney
1 st Sunday after Christmas 4 th Sunday of Advent 3 rd Sunday of Advent 2 nd Sunday of Advent 1 st Sunday of Advent Bethlehem Lutheran Church Hermiston, Oregon Office 567-6811 Preschool 567-7829 www.bethlehemhermiston.org December S u n M o n T u e Wed T h u F r i S a t And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who Bible Study Confirmation Bible Study love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. @ 8 a.m. @ 8 a.m. Ministry Offering 9:15 a.m. 2:00 p.m. at Shiki Hibachi @ 8 a.m. Romans 8:28 niv 9:15 p.m. 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Putting up the Christmas Tree! Peacemakers 9:00 a.m. Board of Directors Mtg. 6:30 p.m. 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Peacemakers 9:00 a.m. Flowers December 2 OPEN 9 Nate & Andrea Rivera 16 Mark & Tess Adams 23 OPEN Christmas 24/25 Members are invited to bring Poinsettias to decorate the Sanctuary 31 OPEN Potluck Dinner 6 p.m. Potluck Dinner 6 p.m. 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 1 Peacemakers 9:00 a.m. Caroling at 5:00 pm. Potluck to follow Winter begins 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 @ 8 a.m. @ 8 a.m. 30 31 Candlelight Service Christmas Day 10:00 a.m. Those Who Serve Pastor: Rev. Mark Adams Elder: Mike Martin Preschool Director: Tess Adams Secretary: Tanna Osmin Organist: Kathy Nichols & Judy Hall Greeter: Ramona Wagner Family Prayers Dec. 2 Marge Walchli 9 Teresa Walchli 16 Vern & Tricia Weber 23 Kyle & Brenna Weyand 30 Ronda Wright