DECEMBER NEWSLETTER 2012 Dearly Beloved, You ve heard the expression before: Let s keep Christ in Christmas! That sentiment is more important than ever. There are so many expressions of the Christian faith that are being challenged and prohibited these days, especially around this time of the year. A group representing Good Shepherd marched in the Two Rivers Christmas Fantasy Parade, this past Saturday and were able to carry a banner reading, Jesus is the Light of the World! But, with the number of atheistic groups continuing to claim that their personal rights are being infringed upon, I wouldn t be surprised if, in upcoming years, the event is known simply as the Fantasy Parade and various religious organization (if they are still allowed to participate) will no longer be able to display a clear Christian message. GOOD SHEPHERD LUTHERAN CHURCH 3234 Mishicot Road Two Rivers, WI 54241 (920) 793-1716 goodshepherdlcms.com If that sounds pessimistic, it isn t meant to be; rather, it is simply a reminder of what s coming, according to the Bible. As the Church Year calendar recently came to a close, we heard Jesus warn His followers that, in the end times, they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come, (Matthew 24:9-14). It is that latter promise that we must cling to: And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world.
The Gospel is what Christmas is all about. It is the good news proclaimed by the angels to the shepherds that a Savior has been born for the world. The fact of our Lord s humble beginnings, and almost immediate persecution (by King Herod), is a reminder to us that His Kingdom (our Kingdom) is not of this world. The Kingdom to which we belong is a kingdom of grace and glory grace, as we are forgiven of all of our sins in this world; glory, as we look forward to eternal life in the next world. In the face of all adversity and oppression, we must continue to be bold in this proclamation of the Gospel, which not only speaks of salvation for all people, but also has the power to turn spiteful, unbelieving hearts around, so that those who were once against Christ, now can be for Him by His mercy, by His birth, death, and resurrection. Speak that message openly to those around you. Don t be embarrassed to greet people with the words, Merry Christmas. Go ahead and display a Christ-centered message in your yard and around your home. Happily share the truth that Jesus is the reason for the season. Indeed, let us be sure to always Keep Christ in Christmas! May Christ Abide, Pastor Kilps Advent Services will be held on December 5 th, 12 th, 19 th @ 6:30 pm Christmas Eve Service, December 24 th @ 6:30 pm Christmas Day Service, December 25 th @ 9:15 am SCRIP IN REVIEW We encourage everyone to place an order with us on December 2 nd, 9 th, & 16 th. Payment needs to be included with your order, and checks are payable to Good Shepherd Scrip. I d like to take this opportunity to explain what Scrip is, and how it benefits our church. Great Lakes Scrip Center serves non-profit organizations and major US retailers through innovative scrip fundraising programs. Founded in 1994, GLSC has helped retailers ring up more than $6 billion dollars in sales while raising more than $300 million for our non-profit clients. GLSC serves more than 14,000 client non-profit organizations in every state. GLSC has long standing relationships with America's most trusted retail brands including Walmart, American Airlines, Bath & Body Works, Burger King, The Gap, Home Depot, JCPenney, Marriott, Red Lobster, Olive Garden, and Sears to name just a few. In June 2002, Carol Burgess and Carol Smith, the founders of Great Lakes Scrip Center, were named West Michigan Entrepreneurs of the Year by Ernst & Young. GLSC Benefits to Non-Profits Scrip is Fundraising While You Shop - you raise money with no selling. GLSC volume buying means better rebates and more revenue for your non-profit organization. No scrip broker offers a wider selection of gift cards and certificates. GLSC Benefits to Retailers For retailers, GLSC offers access to loyal, motivated shoppers across the United States. GLSC non-profit organizations are eager to spend their shopping dollars with retailers who participate in scrip programs. GLSC works with participating retailers to maximize their
scrip marketing efforts, and coordinate them with the retailer s overall merchandising strategies. Scrip is a powerful tool for changing shopping behavior. GLSC offers retailers access to more than 5 million motivated, scrip-buying households. Scrip program marketing amplifies the power of your existing marketing communications activities. GLSC offers retailers a sophisticated system for activating, distributing and tracking individual gift cards. It s fundraising while you shop, and you won t have to ask anyone to sell anything ever again. Scrip fundraising gift cards are the same gift cards you would normally purchase from a retailer in your local retail stores, and they work the same way. And with over 500 of the country s biggest brands, Great Lakes Scrip Center has something to appeal to every family in your organization. You ll find cards you can use at grocery stores, gas stations, restaurants, movie theaters, home improvement stores, and almost any business that accepts gift cards. Virtually anywhere you shop will accept some form of Scrip. Our organization can earn up to a 20% rebate on each purchase. Any non-profit group can start taking advantage of scrip fundraising. For instance: Public or Private Schools Churches Bands or Music Groups Sports Teams Scout Troops Many more Using Scrip couldn t be easier. Your member families purchase gift cards for places where they plan to shop, and use those cards instead of cash or credit. Great Lakes Scrip Center sells those gift cards to your nonprofit organization at a discount. You sell them to your families for full face value and your families redeem the cards for full face value. Your non-profit keeps the difference as a rebate, earning a percentage of every dollar spent using the scrip gift cards. Instead of making a fundraising company rich, you can keep that money within your organization. As an added benefit, many scrip users find that they become smarter shoppers by using the gift cards and planning ahead for every purchase. Once your organization completes the simple enrollment process, just tell us the name of your program coordinators (they are: Diane Wachsmuth & Krista Wilcox). These ladies are the liaisons between your organization, your families, and GLSC. They collect family orders and combine them into a single organization order. The coordinators place their order with GLSC, and it is filled and shipped back to you for distribution to your families. With Great Lakes Scrip Center s free online scrip management software tools, the process is easier than ever for both coordinators and families. Your Great Lakes Scrip Center gift card order makes its way to your non-profit organization once payment is received. You can pay by check, but most of our customers choose the convenience and speed of electronic fund transfer, a service provided by the Automated Clearing House, a trusted nationwide network of banks, financial institutions, businesses and millions of customers. When you authorize an ACH payment, the exact amount of your order is taken from your bank account on the day your order is placed. Ordering online through Scrip couldn t be easier. You can even use our free optional ShopWithScrip.com service to let your families order themselves. And you keep full control of your scrip program - ShopWithScrip also gives you full reporting, based on the date ranges you choose. You can select sales and earnings history for individual families or for your entire non-profit organization. And all reports can be exported to a text file or spreadsheet for easy customization. When you multiply that by the number of families in your organization, scrip can quickly become your organization s biggest and most powerful fundraiser. For those families that hate selling, it s painless! The earning potential for scrip fundraising is limitless. It all depends on the number of families you have signed up, and how enthusiastically they use the scrip fundraising concept. For example, an organization of 150 families easily spends between one and two million dollars per year on food, clothing and other essentials. If these families use scrip for these purchases, they can raise as much as $40,000 to $80,000 per year for their organization, without spending any more than they normally would.
Organizations can even decide whether the money earned goes directly to a general fund, a special savings fund, or even the families themselves. This could be used for tuition, special trips, or other expenditures related to the organization. Scrip offers the ultimate flexibility. It only takes minutes a week to think about where you ll be shopping and spending money in the days ahead, and those few minutes can add up to thousands for an organization. Every family in every organization is already spending money somewhere, so every month you put it off means missed revenue for your non-profit. Start putting that money to work for you and your kids. Forget about traditional fundraisers that involve selling or spending extra money. With scrip fundraising you can easily earn for you non-profit organization while you shop. Simply use scrip gift cards for everyday purchases, and earn a rebate on each one at no additional cost to you! We d like to thank those families who do participate in our Scrip Program. So far this year $4,000 has been earned because of your purchases. We keep a steady supply on cards on hand. They are: BP, CVS, Exxon/Mobil, Fatzo s, Festival Foods, Fleetfarm, KFC, Kwik Trip, Lighthouse Inn, Lowe s, McDonald s, Menards, M & M Restaurant, Papa John s, Papa Murphy s, Piggly Wiggly, Roundy s (Pick n Save, Copps), Shell, Shopko, Subway, Two Rivers Family Restaurant, Walgreen s, & Walmart. Frequently we do run out of our most popular cards, so to avoid disappointment we encourage you to place orders with us every other Sunday. Pick up can be arranged the following Thursday, or you can pick up your order the following Sunday after church. GIVING TREE There is a Christmas tree located on the north wall in the Narthex which has ornaments for the Manitowoc Healthcare Center & TREP. As in the past, each ornament has a gift suggestion for the participating organizations. We ask that the gifts be delivered to church no later than December 3 rd for TREP, and that they are unwrapped with the ornament attached. On Monday, December 7 th, the gifts will be taken to TREP/Manitowoc Healthcare for disbursement. Thank you for generosity and richest God s Blessings to you and yours during this Christmas season. The Evangelism Committee. BOOK CLUB We had a great get-together for our first meeting! The next session of Book Club will be held on Monday, December 10 th at 6:30 PM. Our selection will be A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens. Everyone is welcome to join us! TREE TRIM We will be getting together on Saturday, December 8 th at 10:00 am to decorate the Christmas tree and adorn the church for the Christmas season. Please consider utilizing this beneficial program offered to you. Everyone s support could potentially mean a large profit for our church! We will be placing orders on the following dates: December 2 nd, 9 th, & 16 th for all of your holiday shopping needs. Thank you, Diane Wachsmuth, Krista Wilcox and your Directing Council With Christmas just around the corner, consider using Scrip for all your shopping needs as well as your everyday needs! Merry Christmas and God bless your New Year!! CHRISTMAS CARDS There are Christmas cards available for purchase and can be found on the card rack in the Narthex. The cost for each box is $3.50
MEALS ON WHEELS The year 2013 will soon be here! I would like to ask that our congregation once again plan to deliver meals to the homebound. Your help is so very important to the Meals on Wheels Program. Without all of our dedicated volunteers, it would be impossible for this program to exist. Our congregation has been assigned to deliver on the following dates: January 21-25 February 25 March 1 April 8 12 July 29 August 2 August 19 23 September 23 27 November 18-22 Volunteers should be at the Two Rivers Senior Center by 11:15 am Any earlier causes confusion and any later affects the food quality. Thank you! CHURCH ELECTIONS This month we will be electing officers in our annual election. This year the following positions are up for election: Vice- President, Treasurer, Financial Secretary, Director of Evangelism and Property. We also need volunteers for the Board of Elders and Board of Education. If you would like to nominate someone or volunteer for any of those positions, please speak with Bob Hearley. SPECIAL VOTERS MEETING Is scheduled for Sunday, December 9 th, after the service, in order to approve the budget and elect officers for the upcoming year. LADIES OF GOOD SHEPHERD Our Chili Supper Fundraiser was a huge success. The Ladies of Good Shepherd would like to thank all who helped with kitchen work, waitressing, and clean up. God Bless you all. Word on the street is the Good Shepherd Ladies are the BEST COOKS in Manitowoc County ". ALL THE LADIES OF GOOD SHEPHERD are invited to our Annual Christmas Party. A potluck will be held here at the church on December 11th @ 6 pm, with The Copper Coins to entertainment us following the meal. They are an instrumental group who plays a variety of music from Celtic, Medieval, Gospel, Blue Grass, and more! Please join us and bring a dish to pass. The Ladies of Good Shepherd will be holding a bake sale after the service on December 16 th. Our great cooks/bakers will again have an array of tasty items. Leave the baking to us! Young Women s Retreat at The Heidel House Resort and Spa in Green Lake, WI. Event is scheduled on February 1 (Friday) & February 2 (Saturday) 2013. Registration deadline is January 10, 2013. So not wait until the last minute! The cost of registration is $40 before December 31, 2012. After January 1, 2013, the cost will be $50. Hotel cost is $99 a night, up to 4 in a room that is only $24.75 per person! Cost of meal is $40 for Saturday only (a breakfast buffet and a gourmet lunch). Invite a friend, a neighbor, a sister! Open to the public! Please contact your LWML board for more information or visit www.swd-lwml.org
FLOWER CHART The 2013 Flower Chart can be found on the corkboard near the church office. The cost for each arrangement is $25. 2013 VOLUNTEERS It s that time of year again that we ask you prayerfully consider helping out in various ways to serve the church and community in 2013. As always, we are asking for people to help with Altar Guild, Greeting, Ushering, Meals on Wheels, and Quilting. Occasionally there are other tasks that need attention, which will be printed in the weekly bulletin. Please leave your name with the office if you d be willing to help in any capacity with these duties. PRESCHOOL NEWS Thank you to everyone for your participation the Younker s Community Days Sale. We raised $510, and will be purchasing some great activities for our classroom centers. On December 20 th at 2:00 pm the preschool will having a book exchange, program and snacks to celebrate the Christmas season. If anyone would like to join us for the program, please meet us in the Narthex at 2:15 pm. Have a very Merry Christmas! Lori Kilps Dear Friends in Christ, The Board of Elders would like to extend our warmest and joyous Christmas wishes to you and your loved ones this Christmas season, and into the New Year. The Elders and Directing Council members will be accepting donations for Christmas bonuses for the Pastor and supportive staff here at Good Shepherd through December 20 th. Please put you donations in an envelope in the collection plate marked Christmas Bonus. A basket has also been placed at the back of the church, with envelopes. Thank you. As we strengthen our faith in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ in our daily devotion, home worship, our beautiful worship services, Bible studies, and our many other activities here at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, let us not forget the needs of our church in 2013. Together we can make 2013 the best year yet at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. May the Grace of God and the Love of Jesus Christ abide within you. The Board of Elders CHRISTMAS POINSETTIA S We will be adorning the altar once again with Poinsettia s during the Christmastide season. The cost is $10 per plant and the deadline to order is Monday, December 17 th. Please use the signup sheet, found on the announcement board as you enter the Narthex to purchase your poinsettia. You can either leave your payment with Diane in the church office or place in an envelope marked Poinsettia and leave in the offering plate. You may pick up your flowers immediately after the Christmas Day service, if you wish.
DECEMBER BIRTHDAYS Pahl, Angela 12/1 Wachsmuth, Howard 12/2 Berg, Susan 12/7 Klimesh, Arlene 12/8 Wilcox, Jacob 12/8 Smith, Eric 12/11 Mikeal, Brandon 12/12 Gottschalk, Charlotte 12/14 Krizizke, Cally 12/17 Smith, Thomas 12/20 Fricke, Craig 12/21 Krizizke, Alan 12/22 Maser, Mandy 12/24 Maser, Mindy 12/24 Schwantes, Carol 12/25 Kilps, William 12/26 Pahl, Chad 12/26 DECEMBER SCHEDULES USHERS: ALTAR GUILD: 2 nd - Team #2 Lu Mielke 5 th - Team #3 Sylvia Staff 9 th - Team #4 12 th - Team #1 16 th - Team #2 19 th - Team #3 23 rd - Team #4 24 th - Team #1 25 th - Team #2 30 th - Team #3 GREETERS: 2 nd - Wachsmuth 5 th - Whitehouse 9 th - Wilcox 12 th - Williams 16 th - Wochos 19 th - Gretz 23 rd - Hearley 24 th - Klimesh 25 th - Mielke 30 th - O Neill NEXT NEWSLETTER DEADLINE: Monday, January 21, 2013 FLOWERS: 2 nd - Wilcox 9 th - Klimesh 16 th - Fricke 23 rd - Poinsettia s 30 th - Poinsettia s