Monthly Newsletter of First Presbyterian Church / December 2016 December newsletter 909 Marschall Road Shakopee, MN 55379 952-445-3562 shakopeefpc@gmail.com Mark Your Calendar 12.6 Team Meetings 6:30pm 12.12 Game Day 9:30am 12.13 Deacons Meeting 10:00am 12.16 Loren Wolfe Christmas Concert 7:00pm 12.20 Session Meeting 6:30pm 12.24 Christmas Eve Service 5:00pm Mission of the Month Christmas Joy Offering Time to get out the Knitting Needles! Celebrate the true meaning of the season with life-changing gifts. This offering provides assistance for those who have dedicated their lives to the service of the church and supports racial ethnic leadership development at Presbyterian-related schools and colleges. We need hats, mittens & scarves to decorate the Christmas Tree. All items will be donated to the CAP Agency. 1
PRAYERS of the PEOPLE Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. Romans 8:30 Bobbie Wiggen - Pat Zwart - Jim Underwood - Ina Lipke Tal Nolting - Sindy Huth - Verda Wolf - Steven Beeney Linda Brooks - Jonathan Lindh - Rose Schmitz Jane Rockwell s grandson, Aaron - Gene Brown Family Annette Nicholas nephew, Dale; sister, Julie; and father, Dale LuAnn Amberson s friend, Jenny s niece Betty Engel s sisters Maggie & Nancy & close friend, Bob Norman *If you would like to be removed from the Prayers of the People list or know of someone who should be, please let the office know. DECEMBER PRAYER FAMILIES December 4 Gary & Ruby Hughes December 11 Betty Hvidsten December 18 Jerry & Yvonne Jenny December 25 Joe & Diane Johasen & Zachary Dec. 6 - Todd Boom Dec. 9 - Ronald Geis Dec. 9 - Alice Larsen Dec. 15 - LuAnn Amberson Dec. 15 - Dave Willemssen Dec. 17 - Carol Balvance Dec. 20 - Dylan Grave Dec. 23 - Darin Whitney Dec. 24 - Carol Boom Dec. 25 - Donna Beeney Dec. 27 - Kelly Whitney 2
Mark Your Calendars! Christmas Eve Service Saturday, December 24 5:00 pm Christmas Day Service Sunday, December 24 10:00 am Our last engagement on Loaves & Fishes for the year of 2016 is Tuesday, December 13 Sign-up Sheet in Narthex I would like to take the opportunity to thank everyone who helped throughout the year to make this ministry a success. I wish all of you and your family a joyful and blessed holiday season. For the Mission Team Rene Vanoni We are looking for a Fireproof File Cabinet(s) or Gun Safe for use in the church office. For more information or any questions, please contact the church office, during regular office hours. 3
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DEACON S NEWS The November meeting was filled with reports from each team and a very informative discussion led by Pastor Judy about how the Deacons could minister to those experiencing grief and loss. With December upon us, the Deacons are planning on helping with a Cookie Exchange on December 11th, serving coffee and bars after Loren s concert on December 16, giving treat bags to the young people on December 18th, and delivering holiday bread to seniors. All of the teams have been busy with cards sent, rides given, visits made, missions sent, nominations for Deacons and Elders being recruited, routine and non-routine maintenance continuing, and a successful Thanksgiving Potluck. May God continue to bless each of you in this Advent Season. Diana s Office Hours for December 8:00am- 5:00pm 8:00am- 5:00pm 8:00am- 8:00am- 8:00am- Office Office 5:00pm 5:00pm 5:00pm Closed Closed 8:00am- 8:00am- 8:00am- Office Office 5:00pm 5:00pm 5:00pm Closed Closed The Operation Christmas Child was a tremendous success we collected and have delivered 36 filled Shoeboxes. On behalf of the Mission Commission Team, I would like to thank the whole congregation for their generosity who contributed throughout the year for the Kenya Kids, to the Easter Bunny, the Back to School monetary contribution to Shakopee Community Assistance, and food to the CAP agency. We wish all of you and your family a blessed and joyful Holiday Season. Mission Commission Team Rene Vanoni 8:00am- 8:00am- 8:00am- Office Office 5:00pm 5:00pm 5:00pm Closed Closed Office Office Office Office Office Closed Closed Closed Closed Closed 8
GAME DAY December 12 9:30 am Fellowship Hall The SFPC 2nd Annual Christmas Yes, it is here on December 11, 2016. This is an opportunity to obtain some out of the ordinary cookies for Christmas. The Christmas Cookie Exchange will be held in the Fellowship Hall at 11:00 AM. The rules are simple. No Sign-up is necessary. 1. Bake up to three (3) dozen of your favorite Christmas cookies, PLUS one (1) dozen, or more, to share with the Congregation at the 11:00 coffee hour. (No donuts that morning) 2. Package in new plastic bags of either 6 or 12 cookies per bag. 3. Bring to the Fellowship Hall before Worship hour. 4. During coffee hour, exchange your cookies by picking up an equal number of cookies baked by someone else to take home. Bags may not be opened for variety. 5. Some people like to have the cookie recipe. If you wish to share the recipe, attach it to the plastic bag. 6. Enjoy Coffee Fellowship. SMILE: AmazonSmile is here! What is AmazonSmile? AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support your favorite charitable organization every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you ll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to your favorite charitable organization. You can choose from nearly one million organizations to support. It is a good day for SFPC! Just in time for the Christmas Shopping Season. Beginning November 22, 2016, if you order anything through Amazon, you can help balance the budget at SFPC when paying Amazon by first designating First Presbyterian Church, Shakopee, MN as your Charitable Organization. Before ordering go to AmazonSmile.com. Sign in to Amazon as usual. Choose Change your charity. In the box that says: Or pick your own charitable organization type in First Presbyterian Church, Shakopee, MN. You should see First Presbyterian Church, Shakopee, MN as your current charity. Then proceed to order as usual. When ordering from Amazon look for the words Eigible for AmazonSmile Donation. That assures you that Amazon will contribute.5% of the purchase price to First Presbyterian Church, Shakopee, MN. It doesn t sound like much, but over a year it can add up as a good benefit to our church. While we don t expect much during the first years, we hope to be surprised. Encourage friends and relatives to designate FSPC as their charity. Join Us Sundays... SUNDAY SCHOOL 8:45AM WORSHIP 10:00am Coffee Fellowship Immediately Following Worship 9
Closing Thoughts "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." - Matthew 6:34 NIV Dear members of the Session of Shakopee First Presbyterian Church: It has been a joy to serve as your temporary supply pastor over the past several months. As you may have already heard, I have informed the Session that I will not be available to continue in that role after my current contract expires at the end of 2016. I want to acknowledge with deep gratitude the way you have so thoughtfully cared for me and Mike, especially as we have been dealing with our son s illness. So many people have reached out to tell us they are praying for us, and have reached out to our son with healing prayers and good wishes, even though they have never met him. We cannot thank you enough for your many wonderful acts of kindness and compassion. As we enter into the season of Advent, we acknowledge that the world we live in is not the world that God intends. This is true globally, where there are so many areas dreadfully affected by violence and poverty; it is true in our country, which has become dangerously polarized, with many citizens fearful because of widespread acts of hatred; it is true in our churches, many of which are declining in size and resources, and beset with uncertainty about what the future will hold. In Advent, we acknowledge that we are waiting for God to set things right, as God has promised to do. And so we light candles in the darkness. Each Sunday during Advent, we light one candle, then another, then another. Each Sunday, we see that the darkness becomes a little brighter. In Advent, we live in hope, and in expectation. In Advent, we also acknowledge that we are God s partners in helping make the world better; we cannot just sit back and wait for it to happen. And so it is my hope and my prayer that each one of you would find ways to be actively involved. Be kind to one another. Forgive one another. Be bold in speaking out against injustice. Support the weak, honor all of God s children, return no one evil for evil. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all, until we meet again. Grace and peace, Pastor Judy 10