Worship Service Sunday 10:30 am Sunday School and Bible Class 9am Upcoming: 2019 Party & De-decoration Saturday, Jan. 5 at 4:00pm Please join us as we gather to take down the Christmas decorations. Once everything is put away, we ll have enjoy some food. Sunday, Jan. 13 Council Meeting after church. Work Party for Grace House at noon.
Pastor s Message: Success is dream turned into reality We have had two dreams this year that have had a lot of time and energy and passion poured into them. One is a reality and the other is about to be. The beautiful bell tower gives a grand wonderful new look to our historic building. It rings out to a time of the past when churches called out to the community that the opportunity to worship our loving God was at hand. We pray that every time you hear it you are reminded that an angel gets its wings. (Just kidding and trying to get you to watch "It's a Wonderful Life" to spark other fond memories from the past.) We pray that when you hear the glorious sound of the bell that you think of the gifts of God generously lavished upon us. We hope that our unchurched neighbors are pulled toward thoughts of God and who He is and what He longs to provide for them. The second is Grace House and is scheduled to close on December 27. We pray that God will use Grace House as a funnel of channeling his love through us and Interfaith Coalition to homeless families throughout the years. We hope that by helping meet the basic need of shelter that each family that stays at our refuge will be able to make steps toward independence. We will throw seeds of Christ's love that may blossom into a garden of joy. Tentatively, we will have a work party on January 13 at noon. We will have some food and then there will be painting, caulking, fixing and cleaning to do. If you can help please let us know so we can communicate any change to the date that may be required. If you would like to help the family move in at a later date or make welcome cookies or something like that pass that along as well. We plan to open the main part of the house first (February?) and then work on getting the mother in law's suite ready. I hope that at least one of these projects has brought you joy and satisfaction. We may need to focus on these projects versus new ones in the new year but there are always opportunities for you to serve in new ways by joining one of the many groups that have been serving or learning for years: Sunday School, Bible Study, food bank, community meal, Senior Center, choir, We are Grace (ladies tea, fall festival, ladies Christmas party, Easter egg hunt, garden tour...), youth group, evangelism, property, stewardship, preschool, VBS, decorations, LWML, coffee hours, luncheons, helpers during our services, musicians... Plus, you have the opportunity to help with many other blessed organizations outside the church. What did I leave out? May your new year be filled with peace and joy as you serve our amazing Lord and may he turn your godly dreams into reality. Happy New Year! Pastor Gather for protection and warmth During storms, emperor penguins huddle for warmth, taking turns at the center and on the perimeter of the group. While incubating eggs, up to 6,000 male penguins have been observed clustering for shelter against the harsh Antarctic winter. Partially grown chicks gather in protective crèches (French for cribs ); often surrounded by a colony of adults, these groupings ward off predators and cold. In stormy times, humans also need supportive groups; we can t survive alone. A church family allows us to take turns giving and receiving care. Amid social upheaval, injustice, illness, natural disaster and any loss or crisis, God invites us to gather for protection and warmth. In the church community, we support and strengthen one another and are empowered to go out again into the less-sheltered world.
THE LUTHERAN HOUR ROSE PARADE FLOAT Under the general 2019 Rose Parade theme of The Melody of Life, the LHM float theme will be Joy to the World, the Lord Is Come. The beloved hymn by this name proclaims the greatest of life s melodies, the sweet song of salvation and the eternal reign of Christ. In the birth of Jesus, which is prominently displayed in the center of the float, we meet the Promised One of God who comes to undo sins curse and, by His resurrection, gives us hope of eternal life. The float will feature sheet music created with crushed white rice and black onion seed. Trumpets and bells will be decorated with gold clover seed, various shades of yellow and bronze straw flower, dark and light lettuce seed, onion seed, and silverleaf. The sheep will be decorated with raw cotton pin curls and the donkey will have uva and pampas grasses. Decks of roses, carnations, and poinsettias will be at the base of the float. Not only people from the Pasadena area, but Lutherans from across the country volunteer their time and expenses to decorate the float. These volunteers are known as Petal Pushers and volunteer from one day to a week. To help reduce the cost of the Lutheran Hour Float, these Petal Pushers also decorate eight other floats. The two-hour Rose Parade featuring some 40 floats, 20 marching bands and 20 equestrian groups begins at 8 a.m. Pacific Standard Time on Jan. 1 and may be viewed on several network and cable TV stations. However, the Home & Garden Channel (HGTV) is the best. The Lutheran Hour Float is not guaranteed coverage on the other channels due to commercials and/or other TV commitments. The Home & Garden channel or RFD TV shows the parade in its entirety on cable TV. Please check local listings. An artist s rendering of the Lutheran Hour Ministries float in the Jan. 1 Rose Parade is based on the theme Joy to the World, the Lord Is Come. While serving as a chaplain at a children s hospital, Lisa Anderson once found a young mother kneeling in the chapel. When Anderson apologized for disrupting, the woman said, That s okay. I was just complaining to the Lord. I figure it worked for the Israelites! After laughing, the women began discussing how God listens to his people regardless of our approach. Indeed, Moses tells Aaron, Say to the whole congregation of the Israelites, Draw near to the LORD, for he has heard your complaining (Exodus 16:9, NRSV). And as David hid in a cave from Saul, he wrote, I pour out my complaint before [the Lord] (Psalm 142:2). No matter what we say or pray our allpowerful God certainly can handle it. And no matter what s troubling us, we can take heart! because Jesus has overcome the world (John 16:33, ESV).
December: Education Loan Repayment Assistance Grants $100,000 Twenty called church workers each year during the biennium will each receive a grant of $2500 to help in the repayment of educational loans often difficult because of the modest salaries of church workers. These grants will help church workers turn away from their financial worries and focus on spreading the Gospel. January: Nursing Students Serving with Medical Team $25,000 Your mites would enable nursing students in the Concordia System to participate in a short term mission trip to Madagascar with a Mercy Medical Team. The experience gained from working with medical professionals would be invaluable as they provide medical and/or spiritual care to the under served. Please check the bulletin board in the Fellowship Hall for a detailed description of these grants. In case anyone reading this is not yet involved in this ministry of supporting our missionaries, please consider taking a mite box, and collecting your pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters. Mite boxes will be in the narthex (after Christmas) next to the BIG MITE BOX. God can do mitey things with just a little! So teach us to count our days that we may gain a wise heart. Psalm 90:12 Wintertime, during the dark and quiet mornings, I reflect on life and the direction I am heading. Are my goals for the new year in line with God s plan? The reality is that I cannot exceed the limits that time and circumstance have set for me. When I am sinking in fear that time is running out that s where God s grace meets me. At the end of my rope Jesus lifts me up. Psalm 62.8: Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Selah I am reminded in Ecclesiastes 3.1: For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven There is a time to work hard and there is a time to rest. I know that quiet time with an open heart is when God fills me up. I can listen to his whispering voice to guide me through this busy time of my life. I don t know how much time I have. I do know that having a heart of gratitude and knowing that God is in control makes my life joyful and that s time well spent. Gretel What did Jesus say brings greater joy in heaven than 99 righteous people? A. The singing of angels B. One sinner who repents C. 100 righteous people D. None of the above Answer: (See Luke 15:7.)
JANUARY 2019 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 3 4 5 Office Closed New Year s Day Epiphany Party 4:00pm 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 9:00 Bible Study & Sunday School Ladies Bible Study Pastor Circuit Meeting MEN S Bible Study 8 am 10:30 Worship w. Communion 13 9:00 Bible Study & Sunday School 10:30 Worship Council meeting Grace House Work Party @ 12 14 Ladies Bible Study 15 16 17 18 19 20 9:00 Bible Study & Sunday School 21 Ladies Bible Study 22 Music Meeting 2pm 23 24 25 26 Contemporary 10:30 Worship w. Communion 27 9:00 Bible Study & Sunday School 10:30 Worship 28 Ladies Bible Study 29 30 31 2/2 MEN S Bible Study 8 am
1 Kristi Galbraith 3 Athena Johnson Kara Hinchey Eadweard Johnson 2 Jason & Niki Wildermuth 5 Todd Pomerening 8 Laura Nelson Beckam Bleazard 10 Delray Carleton Cynthia Thompson 11 Ruth Chiko 15 Jay Pukaluk 18 Carl Chiko Don Johnson Charlene Liebert 19 Shane Thompson 21 Hunter Liebert Adeline Tucker 22 Carol Delong 23 George Holmes 24 Kelsy Berg 25 Kelley Zuch Jeremiah Tevelde 27 Ray Walser 28 Richard Johnson Rick Thompson 31 Cheryl Persse A new Flower Chart for 2019 is posted in the Narthex. You are welcome to bring flowers, use a florist or share a Sunday.
JANUARY Servants January 6 January 13 January 20 January 27 ACOLYTES Bella Caleb Anna Corinne Elee ALTAR COMMITTEE All All All All COFFEE HOUR Pam Markusen Lenore Onyon Dick & Ann Johnson Jacquie Robbins John Veleber Jeff & Rika Kent Rona Terry Steve & Debbie Roe Karen Halldorson Leona & Harold Olason Gladys & Rick Faulkner GREETERS Jim & Carolyn Higby Jim & Carolyn Higby John & Carole Liebert Rona Terry SCRIPTURE READERS Ron Leach Nancy Vogee Sandie Miller Carol Kloes LAY MINISTERS/ COMMUNION Carole Aguirre Dick Johnson Cheryl Persse Steve Roe PIANIST Cheryl Fischer Cheryl Fischer Cheryl Fischer Cheryl Fischer ORGANIST Brent Johnson Brent Johnson Musicians Brent Johnson USHERS Nancy Vogee Jay Pukaluk Ron Leach Dick Johnson P.J. Aguirre Jon Huffman Jim Hibgy Andy Hibgy