What Child Is This? St. John Lutheran Church & Preschool 122 Cheyenne Mesa Hamilton, TX 76531 Phone: (254) 386-3158 Preschool (254) 386-3332 Fax: (254) 386-3159 Pastor pastorreich@gmail.com Secretary stjohnlutheranoffice@gmail.com Preschool stjohnlutheranpreschool@gmail.com Youth Coordinator youthstjohnlutheran@gmail.com Website: www.stjohnhamilton.org May we continue to be used by God and share the Gospel with A Heart for Hamilton County and the World!! This is the question that a nineteenth century poet asked in the hymn titled What Child is This? The angel who announced this child s birth answered the question this way, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. The hymn writer answered it this way, This, this is Christ the king. They both want to make known the identity of this child. Unfortunately we are living in a time where many are asking, What child is this? and even more do not even have a clue to ask the question. During Advent, our Wednesday evening services will center around this hymn, What Child is This? The goal of this series is to set before us the unmatched blessing of the Lord s incarnation. The hymn helps us in this regard by making connections that we might not otherwise make. The sermon series draws upon the themes of Holy Scripture and teaches us to appreciate the full range of blessings that are ours through faith in the child who is God from before the foundations of the world, and who was born of the Virgin Mary. Confronted and comforted by this reality, with penitent and hope-filled hearts, we join to sing: Haste, haste to bring Him laud, Hail, hail the Word made flesh, and Joy, joy, for Christ is born, The babe, the son of Mary! Jesus is the child that we should have no doubts about. He is the child that came to save us from our sins. He is the child that we are to proclaim as the Savior of the world. May we be richly blessed this Advent and Christmas season as we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. May we continue to share the message of our risen Savior with A Heart for Hamilton County and the World!
Anniversaries 9th Patrick & Deborah Roberts 44 yrs 11th Quin & Lindsey Hanson 14 yrs 13th Lucas & Kristen Robinson 5 yrs 14th Joe & Michele Cathey 33 yrs 23rd Gary & Tootie Schoen 52 yrs 26th Marvin & Sandra Witte 48 yrs 27th Carlos & Fabiola Olalde 27 yrs 28th Louis & Frances Donahoo 33 yrs Birthdays Upcoming December Events 2nd- 7:15a - Men s Club 1:30p - Nursing Home Devotions 3rd 6:30p - Preschool Board 9th- 11:15a - Bd of Trustees Bd of Ed/Youth 10th- 6:30p - Bd of Elders 11th- 1:00p - Glory Gamester 5:30 p Board of Finance 16th 3:00p - Preschool Christmas program 24th 6:00p - Childrens Christmas program 25th 10:00a - Christmas Day Service 31st 6:30p - New Years Eve Service 1st Jaley Reich 3rd Jimmy Whitt 6th Kade McKandless 8th Cora Hurst, Grace Hurst, Tucker Ondrusek, Deborah Roberts, Doyle Roberts 9th Laverne Brown, Danny Rudd 11th Chrissy Kensing 12th Lexie Ward 13th Kelsi Clowdus, Jerry Zschiesche 14th Kasey Kunkel 15th Roberta Craig, Claudia Skocpol, Grant Surley, Mitch Surley 16th Karen Johnson 17th Avery Hall 19th Doyle Cook, Amber Tyson 20th Johnny Clark 23rd Brad Surley 24th Reagan Wagner 25th Melissa De La Garza, Chelsi Hall 26th Henlee Wagner 27th Bonnye Wenzel, Irene Zaruba 28th Lindsay Hanson 30th Jane Wagner Baptisms 3rd Alice Jeschke, Kade McKandless, Steve Young 7th Jaley Reich 8th Brenda Schrank 9th Bert Schrank 10th Ima Roberts 11th Ted Jahns 12th Martin Wenzel 15th Lois Hungerford 16th Sharolyn Lawson, Billie Looney 17th Maycon Stork 18th Joseph Polster, John Robinson 19th Geraldine Kauitzsch 21st Mary Jeffers, Charles Rudolph, Gretchen Rudolph, Michael Rudolph 22nd Phiona Clark, Danna Hurst 23rd Kaitlyn Walton 24th Emily Wagner 30th Trevor Sellers 31st Chelsi Hall, Sam Hall, Reagan Wagner 2
Opening/Breakfast Sundays 8:30am Sunday School Sundays 9:00am Church Worship Sundays 10:00am Quilting Tuesdays 9:00am Wednesdays After School Youth 4:00pm Senior Youth Mom s in Prayer 6:00pm Men s Bible Study Thursdays 6:30am Our Military & Families: Travis Beach, Nick Cantara, Josh Chorenziak, Lauren Jeffers, Matthew Medina, Ernie Mendez, Payden Nolen, Richard Sepolio, John Slough, Warren Stanley, Micah Stork, Keith Voges, Garrett White, Scott Williams Our Homebound & Nursing Facilities: Dove Hill: Kendra Code, Jean Ranney, Lillye Sanders, Larry Stamberger, Maxine Wenzel Hamilton Health Care: Mildred Kauitzsch, Melinda Rogers, Leamon & Lydia Wagner, Leona Fulton Sr. Care Center, Stephenville: Ruth Young The Meadows, Gatesville: Faye Senger Homebound: Louis & Frances Donahoo, Albert & Artie Peters, Mae Pietzsch, Ruth Reneau, Frances Schrank Ricky Brown - dealing with neck, breathing & other health issues Frances Donahoo - dealing with heart & other health issues Louis Donahoo - dealing with heart & other health issues Gary Gromatzky - dealing with nerve damage in back Betty Hardin - Back home Kolton Kensing - dealing with severe migraines and dizziness Shirley Meissner - recovering from shoulder replacement surgery Norma Marwitz - dealing with cancer Emilie Reeves - recovering at home from a stroke Brenda Schrank - superficial bladder cancer Women s Bible Study Thursdays 8:00am BUILDING FUND $ 230,000 $ 200,000 $ 150,000 $ 100,000 Noland Arbaugh - family friend of Darryl & Mischelle Beach, returned home due to finance issues. Pray for courage and provision to finish his degree and live independently. Molly Beach - niece of Darryl & Michelle Beach suffering from an auto-immune disease & other health issues Layla Evetts - 6yr old diagnosed with an DIPG tumor. Still undergoing tretments MRI scheduled for November Donna Featherson - (Trevor Seller s friend s mother) diagnosed with stage 3 stomach cancer. Paul & Edith Gates - (Clark Pumphries Grandparents) dealing with various health issues Danny Horton - (Jimmie Horton s brother) at home going to rehab Carolyn May - friend of Pat Crouch recovering from massive stroke Henrietta Medina - liver count went up. Changing medication Renee Pietzsch - (Jerome & Alice s daughter-in-law) surgery was successful in removing tumor from liver; doctor said they got all cancer Darren Price - undergoing cancer treatments Theresa Schoen - (Gary & Dennis Schoen s sister-in-law) diagnosed with stage 3 illness; is doing better $ 50,000 $ 10,384 Current For those who grieve: Special Prayers: Rain; Teachers & Students; President & Government Officials (local, state & federal) 3 Please contact the church office with updates on prayer requests for friends and loved ones.
Finance Update TO everyone who helped with the filling of pew cards, sharpened pencils, filled busy bags, in the office, our Wednesday afternoon program, Community Thanksgiving meal, and so much more. 4
The Eagle December Sunday morning services can be heard on 2018 MEN S CLUB The Men s Club meets on the 1 Sunday of the month. Join us Sunday, Dec. 2 at 7:15 am for the Men s Club meeting and to help make sausage and pancakes for breakfast. st Wednesday evenings at 6:30 pm Sunday mornings at 7:30 am Wednesday @ 6 PM Senior Youth Room Contact: Mischelle Beach cell: 512-660-2325 email: mbeach1962@me.com Women s Bible Study Thursdays @ 8:00 AM A new non-profit organization that has been formed with the goal of providing safe, comfortable and reliable transportation for Cancer patients and their caregivers to and from Houston. Tentative schedule is 10:30 am Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday outbound to Houston from Hamilton and Monday, Wednesday and Friday inbound from Houston arriving at 4:50 pm. Pick-up and drop-off location has not been determined at this point. If anyone in our congregation would like to volunteer on these days and times, we could possibly be the pick-up and drop-off location. If you are interested in St. John being a part of this and possibly overseeing this, please contact the church office and let us know. For further information you can go to www.drivinghopetexas.org. 5
St John Ruth Guild No Ruth Guild Meeting for Dec. Quilters can still use any scraps of material, old sheets etc. #16 - Education Loan Repayment - $100,000 Entering the work field with educational debt is not unusual, but for many full time LCMS church workers who are called to serve for a low-level income with large loans to repay, the debt-to-income mismatch is more than a financial issue. It s a ministry issue and is a mounting challenge in LCMS. Yet men and women make these financial commitments because they believe this is the path God has chosen for them and they want to serve their Lord in full time church work. LWML Grant #16: Educational Loan Repayment Assistance Grant will help full time church workers to pursue their calling even in settings where their income is low by providing aid with loan repayments. Through the support of your prayers and mites, this $100,000 grant will provide $2500 toward educational debt loans for forty qualified LCMS full time church workers for the 2017-2019 biennium. For more information please go to www.lwml.org/2017-2019-mission-grant-16. Those preparing for full time church work are assuming increasing levels of educational debt in order to prepare for ministry. Debt concerns can discourage young people from entering full time church work. LWML Grant #16: Educational Loan Repayment Assistance Grants will help full time church workers to pursue their calling even in settings where their income is low, by providing help with loan repayments. This LWML grant of $100,000 provides $2500 toward their educational debt for each qualified full time LCMS church worker. Please keep this grant in prayer, asking for God s blessings on our church workers. We pray that they are encouraged in their work with the help of this debt repayment aid. For more information please go to www.lwml.org/2017-2019-mission-grant-16. 6
The Ruth Guild met Sunday, November 25 and sent boxes off to our wonderful military. There is now a new donated Sharp microwave in the FLC kitchen. Yoga is planned for all the ladies in the church for January 27th, right after church. There will be no meeting in December. The Guild now has a collection tub for coats and sweaters for the homeless. As you notice you or your children have unwanted or unneeded coats or sweaters, please bring them to the church. They will be collected and delivered to the homeless at the end of December. Remember, everyone is invited to be a part of this missionary league. Hope to see you there! 7
Music Notes by: Gary Gromatzky Silent Night, Holy Night Silent night, holy night, All is calm, all is bright. Round yon virgin, mother and child! Holy Infant so tender and mild, Sleep in heavenly peace, Sleep in heavenly peace. Silent night, holy night, Darkness flies, all is light; Shepherds hear the angels sing, Alleluia! Hail the King! Christ the Savior is born, Christ the Savior is born! Silent night, holy night, Son of God, love s pure light Radiant beams from thy holy face, With the dawn of redeeming grace, Jesus, Lord, at thy birth, Jesus, Lord, at they birth. Silent night, holy night, Wondrous Star, lend thy light With the angels let us sing Alleluia to our King; Christ the Savior is born, Christ the Savior is born! Joseph Mohr 1818 A Christmas Eve Blessing The little town of Oberndorf, Austria, consisted of one winding street lined with quaint cottages and shops when young Josef Mohr arrived in 1818 to take the position of assistant priest at the newly-erected Church of St. Nicholas. Serving in this parish high in the Tyrolean Alps, Father Mohr soon made dear friends among the local villagers. A favorite acquaintance was Franz Gruber the village schoolmaster and church organist. Together, these two young men spent much time discussing matters of mutual interest, such as education, theology, and music. As Advent approached that year, the two friends lamented the fact that no one had yet been ble to compose the perfect Christmas hymn. As was the custom in the Alpine mountain villages, a group of traveling players arrived in Oberndorf just before Christmas. Their plan was to present a Nativity play in the local Catholic church. Unfortunately, the organ at the Church of St. Nicholas was being repaired and the church could not be used for their performance that year. A local shop owner generously opened his home to the players, however, and the play was presented, as planned, on the evening of December twenty-third. Josef Mohr was in attendance that evening. After the performance, moved by the beauty and simplicity of the pageant, the young priest stopped on his way home at a favorite viewpoint overlooking the small village of Oberndorf. There, under the sparkling winter stars, Mohr was moved by the beauty of the night and the inspiration of the Christmas story. Returning home, he lit his lamp and, in its soft glow, wrote the beautiful words of Silent Night, Holy Night. The next morning, Mohr took his three stanzas of six lines each to the home of his friend, Franz Gruber, and said, See if you can wed these words to a melody. Reading through the simple verses, Gruber is reported to have replied, Friend Mohr, you have found it the right song God be praised. Because there was no hope of the organ being repaired in time for the Midnight Mass that Christmas Eve, Gruber wrote the music for guitar. When the congregation was gathered for the services that evening, Mohr sang the tenor part. Gruber sang the bass and played the accompaniment on his guitar while a choir of young girls from the village repeated the last two lines of each stanza in four-part harmony. The Church of St. Nicholas seemed alive with the beauty of the first Christmas as the clear, pure strains of the original hymn filled the night. Father Mohr and Schoolmaster Gruber had never intended for their carol to become famous, but when the organ builder returned after the holidays to complete his repairs, he heard the song being sung. Enchanted by both verse and melody, he obtained a copy and took it with him when he returned to his home in Zillertal, about eight miles away. Soon the lovely Christmas hymn was being included in concerts throughout Austria and Germany, billed as a Tyrolean Folk Song of unknown origin. In 1839, Silent Night, Holy Night was first performed in the United States by a visiting group of Austrian singers. Before long, it was translated not only into English, but into several other languages as well. Without a doubt, it has become the best-loved Christmas carol of all time. Unknowingly, its author and composer had fulfilled their dream of discovering the perfect Christmas hymn. 8 May the Good Lord bless and keep every one of you this coming month.
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JOIN US FOR WORSHIP Monday Dec. 24 6:00 PM Children s Christmas Program Tuesday Dec. 25 10:00 AM Christmas Day Celebration Monday, Dec. 31 6:30 PM New Year s Eve Service St. John Lutheran Church & Preschool 122 Cheyenne Mesa Hamilton, Texas 76531 12