November 2014 Faith Lutheran Church Newsletter Pastor s Journal Rev John Maroni A New Goal Is Set In mid October, I met with three members of the Personnel Committee and they conducted my first annual evaluation. This is in accord with the church s constitution which requires an annual evaluation of job-performance for each paid staff person. Part of this process is for the employee to set goals for the upcoming year. Here is one of the goals that I set for 2015. In response to the priority surveys and other comments from church members, which requested more activities where members can socialize, my first goal is to: Oversee 3-6 events (new or old) that encourage members to strengthen personal relationships with each other. Use input from the congregation concerning common interests. Also, identify key leaders and form planning teams, especially for events that receive positive feedback from the participants. These events will target three populations in our church: 1. Seniors 2. Teenage Youth, and 3. Families with Children. This newsletter intentionally gives you dates for events, well in advance, with the hope that you will pencil faith community into your calendars. Please let me know if you have any ideas for church activities that will bring people together around a common interest. Devotion: Plan To Do Nothing in Advent Everyone is busy. Business is epidemic and yet Jesus calls us to places of calm and invites us to quiet moments. Be still and know I am God, was spoken to the prophets of old. But many will rush through the Christmas season without ever taking a moment to contemplate how an old story can be relevant to our faith in God. But what if we planned to do nothing? Let Advent regain its rightful place among priorities. Reclaim the four weeks leading up to Christmas as a time to prepare our hearts, and our lives, for the coming of Christ. There will be two midweek services in the season of Advent. One service will be in the morning and the other service will be in the evening. The Scriptures and Devotion will be different. Come and do nothing! Advent Midweek Evening Service 7:00 PM Wednesday, Dec 3 Advent Midweek Morning Service 11:00 AM Wednesday, Dec 10 Christmas Caroling for the whole family Following Morning Worship On December 21. The Broncos won t be playing that day! Christmas Eve Candlelight Services 4:00 and 8:00 PM Eaton s Old Fashioned Christmas December 13, 2014 Our church will be hosting a station for Hot Cocoa and a table for decorating sugar cookies. To donate sugar cookies, contact Pastor John or Hilary Mars.
In Our Prayers Bonnie Graham, Janet Frederick, Keith Schuett, Jack & Ann O Brien, Marcy, Gale Hamblin, Alie Schafer the Stahlin family, Catherine (Rose Thompson s mother) Prayer Update Herbert and Dorothy Eckas continue to recover from a serious automobile accident last summer. Dorothy reports: I am feeling pretty good. Have been going to physical therapy & should finish in the next week or two. Herb probably will be in physical therapy until early next year. However, he is walking with either a walker or a cane in the house. If you want to send a get well card, the address is 5491 W. 25th Street; Greeley 80634. Women of Faith Lutheran Church BRING A PIE & BUY A PIE Sunday November 23 Following 10:00 AM Worship Service The Women of Faith Lutheran Church invite the congregation to bring their favorite pie and/or to buy a pie. It's perfect timing for the Thanksgiving Holiday. In December, The Mary & Martha Circle will meet at Penny Letterly s home. Women of all ages are invited to attend on December 12, 2014 at 11:30 AM. Thankoffering Service A thank you letter was sent to Pastor Lisa Schrader, thanking her for being our special guest pastor. The total thankoffering being forwarded to the Women of the ELCA is $350. Thank you ladies for saving your mites. Remember to put aside a mite every so often as you reflect on the gratitude tiles that remind us of The Good Stuff! ORDER YOUR POINSETTIAS Poinsettia Orders can be placed between now and December 11th. They can be donated In memory of in honor of and/or To the glory of God. The 6 inch poinsettias cost $9.00 each. See Jan Leffler, or the signup sheet, to place your order. Please pay for your Poinsettia when you place your order. Birthdays and Anniversaries Please help update our roster by reporting misspellings, corrections and omissions. It s hard to believe no one got married in December, surely we are missing some anniversary dates! November 21-30 Nov 21 - Brian Leffler Nov 22 - Shyanne Howes Nov 25 - Christine Raabe Nov 25 - Barb Roosen December Dec 3 - Paul Roosen Dec 5 - Harvey Leffler Dec 5 - Dan Willadsen Dec 12 - Julia Kothe Nov 30 - Herbert Eckas Nov 30 - Jennifer Cheney Nov 30 - Madeline Harper Dec 29 - Andrew Leffler Dec 29 - Lynn Raabe Dec 29 - Joan Rollin
Christian Education Our Sunday School Program has really stepped up this year and we are providing a quality experience for participants of all ages. It s never too late for a child to start attending Sunday School. Each class is based on the same theme as our morning worship service. So it s ok to miss a Sunday and come the next Sunday. Every Sunday begins with singing together in the fellowship hall. We recently added a Nursery Class for one and two year olds. Class Assignments and Rooms 1 and 2 year olds Nursery Preschool - Grade 2 Room 2 Grades 3, 4, 5 Room 3 Middle and High School Room 1 Adult Class Library November 23 November 23 Sunday School Schedule Nov 23 - Jan 25 November 30 November 30 December 7 December 14 December 21 December 28 January 4 January 11 January 18 January 25 Children Have Class Adult Class Is Cancelled Adults Are Meeting Children Are Not Meeting Christmas Break Christmas Break Adult Class Note: Beginning November 30, we will look at Advent themes during the four weeks of leading up to Christmas. All are welcome! Youth Corner Sunday Morning Meetings, 9:05 AM Currently the class is playing Monopoly. Come and practice what the Gospel is not! by hoarding your wealth and driving your neighbors into the poor house. YOUTH CAFE! First Sunday Breakfast The youth class will be making breakfast on the first Sunday of Every Month. Please stop by for breakfast and leave a small donation. Butterballs Fundraiser Orders Due Dec 14 Pickup Orders December 21 Laser Tag - Dec 29 or Jan 2 Do you love all of God s creatures, but just want to occasional blast someone to heaven with a laser gun? Here s your chance to go to Laser Tag and do what Jesus would never want you to do in real life! Over Christmas break we are going to Laser Quest, let us know which days works better for you. Worship Attendance Report Oct 5-58 Oct 12-42 Oct 19-90 Oct 26-65 Nov 2-61 Nov 9-64 Nov 16-55 Your attendance is appreciated!
Congregation Council Your church council met on 11/16/2014. We will be calling the company that provides the copier to lower the cost which is currently $350 per month. We will be purchasing new software for the treasurer beginning January 2015. Pastor and Hilary will oversee our church providing cocoa and sugar cookies for Eaton s Old Fashioned Christmas. Our congregation will adopt a family in the Eaton community for Christmas. You can bring the adopted family a gift in honor of the Christ child during the Advent Season. Painting the fellowship hall will happen in January. The preschool has paid $1,027.36 for improvements and we paid for half the cost, $515.00. Small lights will be installed in front of the church to help lighting at night. We are planning to see Exodus the movie on Dec. 14. The 2015 budget was discussed and more planning will be done on All Committee Night, Dec. 1. We discussed the compiled congregational survey as to how it fits in with the budget and will be putting your voice into consideration with the planning of next year s budget. The next council meeting is 12/7/2014 at 6:00 p.m. 2014 Council Members Dan Willadsen, President Brian Leffler, Vice President Laurie Frick, Secretary Judy Niccoli, Treasurer Ron Hamblin, Officer Jan Leffler, Officer Hilary Marrs, Officer John Maroni, Pastor Personnel Committee The Congregation Council, except the pastor, serves as the Personnel Committee which manages staff issues and conducts annual evaluations of job performance. Currently, Pastor John and Steven Wray are the only paid staff. Finance Committee Report The finance report was compiled by Judy Niccoli and Jan Leffler. Checking Acct Balance 7,700.00 As of 11/15/2014 Savings Account Balances VBS Designation 348.00 Memorials 10,905.87 Savings 2008.22 *Properties 5,921.22 * Savings labeled Properties is the unused portion of an insurance settlement for hail damage. October Income Report Four Sunday Offerings 7,231.62 Total Rents 2,200.00 Memorial Donations 1,620.00 Special Offerings 54.36 Other Income 378.54 Total Income 11,484.52 October Expense Report *Payroll 5,213.31 **Properties 2,016.02 Benevolence 1,575.00 Insurance 1,163.85 Office/Copier 520.54 Professional Fees 175.00 Committees 171.35 Misc 65.95 Charitable (54.36) Total Expenses 10,846.72 * Payroll includes salary for the musician and salary, housing and benefits for the pastor. ** Properties expense includes janitor.
Church Correspondence
Church Calendar The rest of November 23 - Bring a Pie Buy a Pie, following morning worship 26 - Bonnel Thanksgiving Service, 10:00 AM 26 - Guadalupe Meal, cancelled 30 - No Youth S.S. Classes 30 - Adult Class will meet 30 - Cluster Advent Service, Immanuel Lutheran Church, 2:00 PM December 2014 1 - All Committee Night, 7:00 PM 3 - Advent Midweek Evening Worship, 7:00 PM 7 - Youth Cafe Breakfast, eat between 9:00 and 9:45 AM 7 - Council Meeting, 6:00 PM 10 - Advent Midweek Morning Worship, 11:00 SM 10 - OWLs Luncheon, Eaton Country Club, 12 Noon 11 - Poinsettia Order Due Date, see Jan Leffler or the signup sheet 12 - Mary & Martha Circle, all women invited to Penny s home, 11:30 AM 13 - Old Fashioned Christmas, Eaton Middle School 14 - Youth Butterballs Order Due Date 14 - Fellowship Movie Exodus, Greeley Mall, afternoon matinee 21 - Youth Butterballs Pick up, following worship 21 - Christmas Caroling, following morning worship 24 - Bonnel Christmas Service, 10:00 AM 24 - Christmas Eve Candlelight Services, 4:00 & 8:00 PM 28 - Christmas Break, No Sunday School January 2015 4 - Christmas Break, No Sunday School 4 - Youth Cafe Breakfast, eat between 9:00 and 9:45 AM 4 - Annual Reports Due from Committees 11 - Sunday School Resumes, all classes will meet 11 - Congregation Annual Meeting, following worship 12 - All Committee Night, 7:00 PM 18 - Council Meeting, following worship 21 - Family Ice Skate, Greeley Ice Haus, 6:15-7:45 PM