Word of God Lutheran Church December 2015 Volume 3 Issue 12 In This Issue: Birthdays & Anniversaries - 2 Luther Bookworm Recommends - 3 All Saints Day - 4 Twenty fourth Sunday after Pentecost - 5 Youth Lock-in, November 14 th - 6 Twenty fifth Sunday after Pentecost - 7 Christ the King - 8 Christ the King, Rincon, GA - 9 Blessing OCC Shoeboxes - 10 First Sunday of Advent- 11 Intergenerational Event, Advent Wreaths - 12 Church Christmas Tree - 13 Angel Tree - 14 Global Hope - 15 Global Hope - 16 Midwest Food Bank - 17 Real Life Center - 18 Congregation Gift to Pastor Larry - 19 Upcoming Events - 20 Holy Lord, we pray for Word of God Lutheran Church that we be a beacon of hope, grace, love, and light in this world. May our open doors reflect your open arms to all. May our arms and hands reaching out to those in need reflect your love for all. May our forgiveness of one another reflect your forgiveness for all. Be with us afternoon as we dedicate our church property. Bring us together to follow you as we move through the planning process of our new facilities. Lord in your mercy..hear our prayer.
*Please send additions and corrections to wogadmin@ woglutheran. org Happy Birthday! 5 Matthew Fletcher 5 Jean Koon 6 Josh Crawford 6 Cynthia Light 7 Diane Lattimore 8 Stephanie Pike 9 Judi Holbrook 12 Grant Prather 14 Shae Switzer 17 James Moore II 19 Sonya Murphy 21 Jennifer Switzer 24 Jack Drury Happy Anniversary! 17 Sandy & Charles Davis 21 Cathy & Jim Moore 26 - Diane & Neal Lattimore 2
For our 8-12 age group: Christmas with Ida Early by: Robert Burch Fayette County author keeps us laughing about the zany adventures of Ida in rural Georgia during the Depression. Christmas Gift by: Ferrol Sams Ferrol Sams recreates his boyhood in Fayette County, Georgia during the Great Depression. 3
Nov 1, 2015 All Saints Day Attendance was 96 as we gathered for worship and remembered dear family members and friends who had died this past year plus those who died earlier. Caitlin Switzer and Vince Compagno 18 candles lit representing family and friends Owen Apfel was crucifer Abby Helvig was acolyte Sam Compagno gave the message Vija Cole served as reader and gave the children s sermon 4
Nov 8, 2015 24 th Sunday after Pentecost There was 141 in attendance worshiping together. JoAnn played patriotic music as a tribute to our veterans, who were asked to stand as the youth presented each of them with a thank-you card. Following worship Nancy Ruck led the Chapel Chat and a reception with finger foods was held to meet the guest pastor, Pastor Greene and his wife, Lorene. Congregation President Sonya Murphy read the announcements Gary Kent was the reader Cheryl Drury assisting minister Paige Drury acolyte Jack Drury crucifer 5
Nov 14, 2015 Youth Lock-in 6
Nov 15, 2015 25 th Sunday after Pentecost Attendance this morning was 119. A called congregational meeting was held after the worship service to vote on calling a pastor. Sonya Murphy read the announcements Special thanks was given to Danny Bell for the youth lock-in Anna Prather was crucifer and Grant Prather was acolyte Andi Laaker was worship assistant and Jon Durden was presiding minister Melinda Poff served as reader Diane Durden gave the message Vija Cole gave the children s sermon Lennon family operating the sound system 7
Nov 22, 2015 Christ the King There were 120 worshiping at Word of God Lutheran Church in Peachtree City, Georgia, this morning Edie was crucifer and Stephanie was acolyte Matthew Drury was assisting minister and Andi Laaker served as presiding minister Reader was Doris Dahlke Mary Prather gave the message Gunner and his dad Lars Diane Durden gave the message Bert Laaker gave the children s sermon 8
Nov 22, 2015 Christ the King Nov 22, 2015, Christ the King Sunday, the Rev Larry Lystig, pastor emeritus of Word of God Lutheran Church, installed the Rev Dave Hansen as pastor of Bible Lutheran Church, LCMC, Rincon, Georgia. The Rev. Rod Stephenson, retired LCMC pastor, read the Gospel lesson, Mark 10:42-45, and the Rev. James Cavanah, Th.D. pastor of Holy Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, Springfield, Georgia, preached the sermon. Members and guests were invited to the fellowship hall following the service for refreshments and finger foods. Pictured here left to right are Pastors Lystig, Cavanah, Hansen, and Stephenson. 9
Nov 22, 2015 Christ the King Exciting time this morning blessing 182 boxes for Operation Christmas Child from our congregation Card included in all OCC shoeboxes 10
Nov 29, 2015 First Sunday of Advent We had 96 worshiping this morning. Missy Lennon read the Gospel lesson and gave the message. Today's Gospel was from Mark 10:2-16. Missy's message examined God's Word about marriage in Mark and also in Genesis 2:18-24 Will Doil assisting minister Vince Compagno presiding minister Gwyn Wilson served as the reader Prather family lit first Advent candle Lynne Fletcher gave the children's sermon Behind the scenes: Doris Dahlke 11
Nov 29, 2015 First Sunday of Advent Today during the Sunday school hour families made Advent wreaths. Roy Eveland made the wooden frames, Amy Doil gathered the evergreen branches, and each wreath got four blue candles, one white candle, and a devotion booklet for the season of Advent in large type for the young and old. 12
Nov 29, 2015 First Sunday of Advent Before and after our worship service helping hands were decorating the Christmas. There is still more to do, so during Advent children and adults are encouraged to add another ornament every time they come! 13
Angel Tree In this season of Advent, we will have an Angel Tree in the church entrance. All of our gifts will be for residents at Southland Health and Rehabilitation. Each angel has a specific item and corresponding number written on it. Numbers 1 to 50 are gifts for long-term residents while numbers 50 to 100 are smaller items to be handed out to short-term residents. If you would like to help with this outreach, please choose an angel from the tree and place your wrapped gift under the tree. Our angel tree is a wonderful way to touch the lives of these members of our community who are sometimes overlooked during the Christmas season. 14
We received a prayer request from Pastor Zakkariah at the K.E.L. Orphanage in India. He is also requesting consideration to accompany a Global Hope team to visit the orphanage. Word of God has sent $1200 to Global Hope to help K.E.L. with the expense of a Christmas party, school supplies and budgetary needs. Please let the M.O.M. team know if you are interested in joining a mission trip to the orphanage. Lynn Fletcher's brother, Scott French, is president of Global Hope and can provide details. Please keep Global Hope and the K.E.L. Orphanage in your prayers. Dear Friends W.o.G.Lutheran church USA in Christ Hearty greetings to you in the loving name of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ We are thankful to God that we have been good fellowship with you and praying for W.o.G.Lutheran Church - USA, for your kind supporting to KATHRYN E.LARSEN MEMORIAL- Orphan children Home in India. We are thankful to you for provideing Dining Hall. Always we have been praising to God and thankful to you. All the home children are being well and praying for you and church members daily. Our mission work is going on smoothly and the Elders are being felt happy to have received the Catechism booklets which you have sent. Those booklets are being used in their congregations at the time Worships on Sunday. We need more and not only in English but also need in our language Telugu for better understanding to the congregation members please pray for it comes in Telugu I have been trying to translate and print. Prayers Request: The church building was unfinished it needs flooring; plastering, doors and windows need to be completed. All our congregation people are very poor and poverty they are not job holders but they are all doing coolly work (daily wages labor work) in spite of they give in their ability with the fear of God for its completed up to roof work. Haggai 1:13-14 13 Then spoke Haggai the LORD's messenger in the LORD's message unto the people, saying, I am with you, saith the LORD. 14 And the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and did work in the house of the LORD of hosts, their God, 15 In the four and twentieth day of the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king. All Glory and Honor to God our Father in Heaven YBIC Pastor, Zakkariah and Pastor, Abraham Global Hope 15
Global Hope 16
17
Real Life Center is a non profit organization established in 1998. Word of God began volunteering and helping out the Real Life Center financially about 4 years ago. For the month of October Real Life Center served 399 Families, 1,318 Individuals and 39,913 pounds of food were distributed. For the last 5 Christmases we have supplied bags of food for 130 families, which Real Life Center distributes to families in need. For the second year in a row Publix on Hwy 54 gave us $75.00 gift card that we used to buy Hams. Publix also gave us 130 shopping bags. If you are in Publix, please thank them for their gift. This year, Word of God has made a commitment to supply Real Life Center with 205 bottles of Laundry Detergent once a month. Real Life Center will store and distribute to the families. This is our second year fulfilling this commitment. This past year we had approximately 115 volunteers help with the Real Life Center Mobile Food Pantry. Approximately 150 families were served monthly. Please consider volunteering if you haven't. It's a once a month project occurring on the 4th Thursday of the month. Word of God also helps in the Real Life Center Warehouse. We will sort clothes, food and any other project they need done. We have already had approximately 50 volunteers this year. This is a once a month project on the 2nd Wednesday each month. Please consider volunteering if you have not already. 18
Russ Crawford installing the railing presented to Pastor Larry from the congregation in celebration of his 50 Years of Ministry Service. 19
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 3 4 5 "Tuesdays with God" ROMEO's Youth CONNECT Desserts & Devotions Assemble Bulletins ML/SC Meeting 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Sunday School Worship Adult Choir Rehearsal RLC Christmas Dinner Food Bags Faithful Hands Ministry "Tuesdays with God" Youth CONNECT Desserts & Devotions RLC Mobile Food Pantry Assemble Bulletins Midwest Food Bank Pre-Pack 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Sunday School Worship Chapel Chat Angel Tree Gifts Due 20 Sunday School Worship Adult Choir Rehearsal Midwest Food Bank Distribution "Tuesdays with God" Midwest Food Bank Distribution Finance Team Meeting 21 22 23 Midwest Food Bank Distribution Desserts & Devotions Assemble Bulletins Midwest Food Bank Distribution RLC Toys for Tots Assemble Bulletins Service Committee Meeting 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Worship Redeemer Soup Kitchen Assemble Bulletins The Collect is a monthly newsletter of Word of God Lutheran Church. It is published the beginning of each month. Please send submissions to wogadmin@woglutheran.org. Deadlines will be posted on the Upcoming Events Calendar! Want to learn more about WoGLC? V i s i t o u r w e b s i t e! 20