by Pastor Wade Wacholz Wait for it...

CALVARY LUTHERAN CHURCH 6817 ANTRIM ROAD EDINA, MN 55439-1704 PHONE: 952.941.1251 OFFICE CLOSED ON MONDAYS Tuesday-Friday: 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Welcome! Worship! Witness! DECEMBER 2018 PASTOR S PAGE by Pastor Wade Wacholz Wait for it... This is a time of year, I remember so well my days growing up. We anxiously waited for those old catalogues to come from Sears especially with page upon page of toys and games and sports equipment. Wonderful items to ogle over and make lists of, all in the hope that Santa (or Mom & Dad) would deliver big at Christmas. Man, it was hard to wait (and we even got in serious hot water, one year, when we snooped too hard and found Santa s hiding place in the attic!) Then, there were all the plans for traveling to Gramma s house, for the big feast with all the aunties, uncles and cousins gathered into the tiny old farm house. Some years we drove a whole day, some just an hour or two, but we had all kinds of trouble waiting eager to pack, impatient to leave, impossible to behave in the car (Are we there yet!). I wonder what happened to those days. I m not sure that our holiday season forces, or even asks, us to wait much anymore. These days it seems more like a head-long rush than a waiting game. What party, meeting, project, shopping, cooking, baking, card writing thing is next? It seems the season pushes us through itself and all the have to do it nows crowd out the when will it come? It s as if nothing is really coming and all there is surviving the rush. Here is my prayer: Lord, help us wait again. Help us sit still, maybe in some candle-lit quiet place, and wait. God, help us see beyond the pushes and pulls of all this holiday and instead look out ahead for a Holy Day. Spirit, calm us and hold us and turn us toward that coming day. Jesus, help me wait... for you. Amen. Pastor Wade WEBSITE: www.calvaryedina.org EMAIL: calvaryedina@calvaryedina.org PASTOR: Wade Wacholz pastorwade@calvaryedina.com CHILDREN, YOUTH & FAMILY MINISTRY: Rebekah Moir rmoir@calvaryedina.org DIRECTOR OF MUSIC: Daryl Erickson derickson@calvaryedina.org ORGANIST: Cynthia Betz crbetz1@gmail.com ADMINISTRATOR & EDITOR: Susan Burman sburman@calvaryedina.org BOOKKEEPER: Kristin Hueg krislie@hotmail.com CUSTODIAN: Robin Radosevich In This Issue Pastor s Page 1 Children, Youth & Family 2 Consecration Sunday 2 St. Catherine s 2 Love to Tell The Story 3 December Birthdays 3 Worship & Activities 4 Be the Church 5 Why Jesus? Why Church? 6 Offering Envelopes 6 Calendar 7 Advent Activities 8 Christmas Activities 8

DECEMBER 2018 NEWSLETTER page 2 CHILDREN, YOUTH & FAMILY MINISTRY by Rebekah Moir WOW! Word on Wednesdays You re always welcome to join us on Wednesday evenings at 6:30 p.m. as we dig deep into God s Word. In December, WOW! meets at St. Alban s at 6:30 p.m. Got questions? Contact Rebekah Moir at rmoir@calvaryedina.org WINTER BREAK: NO WOW! classes on December 26 th or January 2 nd. Why Jesus? Why Church? On January 9, 16 and 23, WOW! moves to Shepherd of the Hills for an inter-church exploration of our faith. This three-session program, called Why Jesus? Why Church?, is for everyone in confirmation class up through adults. Younger children will have a separate class, also located at SOTH. More details about this program on page 6. WOW! Christmas Program This year, our Christmas program is a joint performance by the kids from Calvary and the kids from St. Alban s. When: Saturday, December 15, at 4:30 p.m. Where: Calvary Lutheran, (Sanctuary) What: A joyful celebration of the birth of Jesus, followed by a light supper and caroling around the Christmas tree in the Fellowship Hall. Who: YOU! Please join us for this evening inter-congregational fellowship and support the children and youth of our shared Christian family. CONSECRATION Sunday: A Day of Gratitude by Pastor Wade Wacholz Thank you! We had an amazing response to Consecration Sunday over 69 members and friends attended worship and our 80 th Anniversary Luncheon. It was a wonderful celebration of generosity and welcome! Our stewardship results were outstanding! We have many more Estimate of Giving Cards returned than at this time last year and 9 families have turned in a card for this coming year that didn t in the prior year. Plus, almost 1/2 of the cards received Consecration Sunday showed increased support and the overall average pledge showed a very nice increase. We anticipate more cards to come in yet, but we already have a very generous response to the call to consider one step up for Christ and his Church. This amazing generosity is a genuine reflection of the amazing generosity we have received from God. God blesses us richly, not only in what we have received but by what we give. Thank you! Thanks be to God! St. Catherine s Evangelical Lutheran Church, St. Petersburg, Russia Calvary entered into a sister congregation relationship with St. Catherine s Evangelical Lutheran Church in St. Petersburg, Russia on July 4 th, 1993. This relationship was established by Calvary member, Gary Lehr, and we have stayed in touch and provided financial support for 25 years. Through the years, church members have visited St. Catherine s and St. Catherine s leadership have visited us at Calvary. In recognition of this milestone, a plaque with a picture of St. Catherine s is at Calvary. We will send a plaque with a picture of Calvary to St. Catherine s. Both plaques celebrate our 25-year partnership. Thanks be to God!

DECEMBER 2018 NEWSLETTER page 3 Sanctuary Stained Glass LOVE TO TELL THE STORY The use of evergreen trees to symbolize eternal life dates backs to ancient days. The start of the Christmas tree tradition as celebrated at Calvary is attributed to 16 th century Germany when devout Christians brought decorated trees into their homes. However, two Baltic cities claim to be the first outdoor Christmas Tree celebration [Tallinn, Estonia (1441) and Riga, Latvia (1510)]. Insert picture of Calvary s Christmas Tree It is widely believed that Martin Luther was the first to add lighted candles to a tree. As the story goes While walking toward his home one winter evening, composing a sermon, he was awed by the brilliance of stars twinkling amidst evergreens. To recapture the scene for his family, he erected a tree in the main room and wired its branches with lighted candles. Calvary s continues this tradition with a live Christmas tree near the Altar decorated in colors of red, white, gold and silver. Wreaths and garlands are hung on the organ balcony and the stair railings by the Sanctuary. You are invited to join the decorating on Saturday, December 8 th at 9:30 a.m. to set-up and decorate the tree and hang the garlands! Following worship on Sunday, December 23 rd. Join us to decorate the Sanctuary with Poinsettias and candles! We each have our story.. We each have our journey. Looking for your favorite poem, Bible verse, music, song or picture. Do you have a memory or a mentor that made a difference to your faith and life? This space is yours! Please share your story. See Susan Burman in the Church Office or send it to sburman@calvaryedina.org. DECEMBER Birthdays 12/1 Kurt Von Schmidt-Pauli 12/17 Richard Hay 12/4 Donna Belanger 12/18 Greg Coon 12/11 Libby Strittmater 12/23 Alethe Schlaefer 12/12 Debbie Scott 12/23 Julia Betz 12/13 Daryl Erickson, 12/23 Michael Betz 12/13 Steve Larson 12/25 George Stenehjem 12/15 Lynne Peterson

DECEMBER 2018 NEWSLETTER page 4 OUR WORSHIP & ACTIVITIES WORSHIP ON SUNDAYS at 10:30 a.m. You ARE INVITED! Come as you are! Celebrate Holy Communion on the first and third Sundays. Our Sunday Worship Service is broadcast through Southwest Community Television. Check it out on Comcast Cable TV Channel #15. See calendar on page 8 for broadcast times. CHECK OUT OR REVISIT OUR CHURCH WEBSITE: http://www.calvaryedina.org! CLC WOMEN ogether COFFEE HOUR following Sunday Worship Thank you to the Social Ministry Team! They are our hosts for December! From September through April, a member of the Church Council hosts & provides refreshments for one month, which could be 4 or 5 Sundays! If you would like to assist, please contact Bonnie Rust. Please see the list in the kitchen. Join us for Coffee, Love & Community! SUNDAY CONNEC IONS: Word & World for the Week Ahead Join us for our twice-monthly faith formation time. We gather at 9:30 a.m. for 1/2 hour on the 1 st and 3 rd Sundays of each month. JOIN US on SUNDAY: December 2 nd and December 16 th. Together, we will reach into, behind and around the Narrative Lectionary text for the day and talk about how it connects to our lives & community in the week ahead. Grab a cup of coffee and meet us in the Library! MEN s BREAKFAST & FELLOWSHIP Join us on Saturday, December 8 th at 6:45 a.m. (yes, that s early!) at Shepherd of the Hills. Enjoy breakfast and listen to Dr. Mark Tranvick (Professor of Religion at Augsburg College) on Faith and Politics II. Come for the food, stay for the speaker, start your day. WOMEN s BIBLE STUDY & COFFEE FELLOWSHIP All are invited to our monthly Bible Study on the first Wednesday of the month. Join us on Wednesday, December 5 th at 10:00 a.m. Our discussion comes from the Gather Magazine (WELCA). There is NO Women s Coffee Fellowship in December! BOOK CLUB The Calvary Book Club meets on the third Tuesday of the month. We enjoy thoughtful and lively discussions. Join us on Tuesday, December 18 th at 5:30 p.m. as we discuss our December reads: Charlotte s Web by E.B. White (1952) and Edward s Eyes by Patricia MacLachlan (2007) These two children s books teach us great lessons about love, life, and death. Join our group for fellowship and a good discussion. COME & PREPARE CALVARY FOR ADVENT & CHRISTMAS! SATURDAY, December 8 th at 9:30 a.m. Set-up and decorate the Christmas Tree. Hang garlands and wreaths! SUNDAY, December 23 rd at 12:30 p.m. Decorate the Sanctuary with Poinsettias. Put out candles, candelabras and more...

DECEMBER 2018 NEWSLETTER page 5 BE THE CHURCH.Our hearts and hands in the World & Community BE A SANTA TO A SENIOR We give thanks for all the volunteers from Calvary that deliver meals! Do you like wrapping Christmas gifts? Home Instead provides Christmas gifts for Edina Meals on Wheels clients. They need help with wrapping the gifts that are donated from Christmas trees at area Lund s/byerly s pharmacies from November 5th December 14th If you are able to help with the wrapping, join us at: Bloomington Creekside Community Center at 98th & Penn Ave Saturday, December 15th from 9:00a.m. 12Noon. Thanks for helping Be a Santa to a Senior. THANK YOU ROBIN! Robin Radosevich became our Custodian at Calvary in June 1998. Many of us have seen her work behind the scenes, moving and lifting things with ease. Robin sets up for all the activities of the church and for those who use or rent the building. And she comes in any hour of day or night to clean up and get ready for the next event. Robin is always friendly, hard-working, and dedicated (..and she never complains). With a smile and for over twenty years, she continues to fulfill these words from Philippians 2:14: Do all things without grumbling or questioning... Even when it means getting your hands dirty! For all this and more, we say a big THANK YOU to Robin! CHRISTMAS CAROLING Sunday, December 9th Our annual Christmas Caroling is Sunday, November 9th. We will meet at 1:00 p.m. at Calvary. Help spread the spirit of Christmas. Join us as we divide into two groups to visit our homebound members and sing songs of the season. Everyone enjoys and remembers Christmas Carols! Your participation is key as we travel planned routes and are usually done in 2 1/2 hours. Then we come back to Calvary for snacks and a chance to share our experiences. Please see Carol Dubay if you have any questions. Thanks! WORSHIP WITH CAROLS Sunday, December 23rd, 10:30 a.m. Daryl Erickson, Director of Worship & Music, coordinates and leads this festive worship! The service is filled with the sounds of the season as we sing carols & prepare our hearts. The Calvary Orchestra comes together once a year for this tradition. Anyone who has played an instrument, young or old, novice or expert is welcomed! Tune up and join us! See Daryl or stop in the Church Office if you would like to play. Music is provided. The Orchestra Rehearsal is Sunday, December 23rd at 8:45 a.m.

WHY JESUS? WHY CHURCH? DECEMBER 2018 NEWSLETTER page 6 By Rebekah Moir, Director of Children, Youth & Family Ministry As members of Calvary Lutheran, we come together to worship God, hear the good news of Christ Jesus, and share in Christian community with one another. Yet has anyone asked you, or have you asked yourself, Why? If you were to be asked, would you be able to articulate why you believe in Jesus and why you are a member of a church? More and more we hear about young people drifting away from the church for a broad variety of reasons, even those who were raised in faithful households. Martin Luther stated emphatically that a child s most important teachers of the Christian faith are her parents. Yet how can we pass on the faith to the next generation if we are not entirely sure what we, ourselves, believe and why? This January, we have an opportunity to come together and dig into these two central questions of our faith: Why Jesus? Why Church? Join us for a three-session exploration of what we believe and why we believe it, and formulate a personal statement of faith answering these two questions for yourself. Being able to articulate our faith is an important part of our faith formation and allows us not only to claim it for ourselves, but better share it with others. Two options for participation are offered: OR Wednesday evenings at 6:30 p.m. at Shepherd of the Hills Co-led by Pr. Joanna Mitchell and Rebekah Moir: on Wednesdays: January 9 th, January 16 th & January 23 rd. Sunday mornings at 9:00am at Calvary Lutheran Church Led by Rebekah Moir on Sunday mornings: January 13 th, January 20 th & January 27 th. Please sign up to participate on the board in the Narthex. Even if you are not a regular attender of WOW! or Sunday Connections, you are welcomed and encouraged to join us on Wednesdays over at SOTH or Sundays in the Calvary Library. Please Pick-up Your 2019 Offering Envelopes By Marty Fergus, Stewardship Coordinator Beginning Sunday, December 2, offering envelopes for 2019 will be available for pick-up in the Narthex outside the Church Office. If you currently have offering envelopes for 2018 and want to use envelopes again in 2019, please take the offering envelope box with your name already written on it. If you currently have offering envelopes for 2018 but no longer wish to use them in 2019, please leave the offering envelope box with your name already written on it on the table, and let Marty Fergus know that you no longer want a box of envelopes. If you do not currently have offering envelopes but want to use them for 2019, please select and take one of those boxes without a name currently written on it and write you name on the list of unassigned boxes by the number of the box you have selected. CONSIDER ELECTRONIC GIVING in 2019 By Marty Fergus, Stewardship Coordinator Have you thought about simplifying making your contributions to Calvary Lutheran by using electronic giving? It s simple to set-up. Just go to Calvary s website at www.calvaryedina.org. Scroll down to the section on Online Donations and click on online donations. Then follow the prompts to set-up electronic giving for making your regular contributions to Calvary.

DECEMBER 2018 NEWSLETTER page 7 Photo Caption MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY 1 2 1st Sunday in Advent 3 4 5 6 7 8 9:30 a.m. Sunday Connections & Communion BAPTISM of Ainsley Jo Kollen 11:30 a.m. Coffee Hour & Crafters 10:00 a.m. Women s Bible Study 3:00 p.m. Staff Meeting 6:00 p.m. Bell Choir 6:30 p.m. WOW at St. Alban s 6:45 p.m. Voice Choir 9:00 a.m. Bulletin 9:30 p.m. Cable 6:45 a.m. Men s Breakfast @ Shepherd of the Hills 9:30 a.m. Decorate for Advent 9 2nd Sunday in Advent 10 11 12 13 14 15 11:30 a.m. Coffee Hour & Crafters 1:00 p.m. CAROLING 6:30 p.m. Executive Mtg. 7:00 p.m. Church Council 6:00 p.m. Bell Choir 6:30 p.m. WOW at St. Alban s 6:45 p.m. Voice Choir 9:00 a.m. Bulletin 11:15 a.m. Meals on Wheels 9:30 p.m. Cable 3:00 p.m. Dress Rehearsak 4:30 p.m. WOW! Christmas Program 16 3rd Sunday in Advent 17 18 19 20 21 22 9:30 a.m. Sunday Connections & Communion 11:30 a.m. Coffee Hour & Calvary Crafters 12Noon: Newsletter 5:30 p.m. Book Club 6:00 p.m. Bell Choir 6:30 p.m. WOW at St. Alban s 6:45 p.m. Voice Choir 9:00 a.m. Bulletin 9:30 p.m. Cable 23 4th Sunday in Advent 24 25 26 27 28 29 WORSHIP WITH CAROLS & Calvary Orchestra 8:45 a.m. REHEARSAL 11:30 a.m. Coffee Hour 5:00 p.m. CHRISTMAS EVE CANDLE- LIGHT WORSHIP MERRY CHRISTMAS! NO BELL Rehearsal NO WOW! NO CHOIR Rehearsal 9:00 a.m. Bulletin 12:30 p.m. DECORATE 9:30 p.m. Cable 30 Sunday of Christmas SWEATERS & CAROLS 11:30 a.m. Coffee Hour & Crafters 31 HAPPY NEW YEAR! DURING ADVENT: We remember Christ s first coming as a child born in Bethlehem. And we anticipate Christ s second coming as our Savior! As we light candles, we recall that: Advent is a time to wait. Advent is a time to watch. Advent is a time to prepare Advent is a time to praise.

DECEMBER 2018 NEWSLETTER page 8 First Sunday in Advent DECEMBER 2nd 10:30 a.m. Second Sunday in Advent DECEMBER 9th Christmas Caroling 1:00 p.m. WOW! CHRISTMAS PROGRAM Saturday, DECEMBER 15th 4:30 p.m. Our Mission: WORSHIP WITH CAROLS & CALVARY ORCHESTRA DECEMBER 23rd 10:30 a.m. CHRISTMAS EVE CANDLELIGHT WORSHIP DECEMBER 24th 5:00 p.m. SWEATERS & CAROLS DECEMBER 30th 10:30 a.m. Calvary Lutheran Church welcomes all who desire to grow in the love and compassion of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, worship the triune God, and witness in service to our community and the world.