December 2016 LIVING SAVIOR Lutheran Church LIVING TODAY FOR ETERNITY Getting Ready for Christmas and Easter Have you ever noticed that it often takes a lot more time to prepare for something than the event itself actually takes? It can easily take two hours to prepare a meal that can be devoured in 10 minutes. A wedding and reception that take months to plan are over in three hours. Or perhaps it s that high school two-act play that you ve been practicing for three afternoons a week for three months that s over in one evening. Even though it s over in a flash, it s worth the preparation. As we spend the month of December getting ready for Christmas, we know that it is worth it as well. Yes, the family memories made are lasting, but the greatest reason we get ready this season comes in the form of our Savior born in Bethlehem. In fact, God prepared for centuries to send his Son into this world so that the world would know his love and grace. Think about all the hours of preparation on the part of prophets to get Israel ready for the coming of the Messiah. Makes our four weeks of Advent pale in comparison! During these weeks of preparation, remember that it is all for an event that lasts beyond just one day. His coming was the beginning of the rest of eternity, for that Baby born in Bethlehem one day hung on a cross and then three days later rose in victory. We prepare for Christmas as people looking forward to Easter. When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. (Galatians 4:4-5) Inside This Issue Notes from Pastor...1 Activities & Events 2 Articles of Interest.5 Birthdays & Anniversaries.. 7 Calendar. 8
MARK YOUR CALENDAR December 1 Ladies Lunch Bunch December 7, 14, & 21 Advent Mid- Week December 10 Breakfast With Santa & Parade December 11 Annual Christmas Dinner & Children s Program December 24 Christmas Eve Worship December 25 Merry Christmas! December 31 New Year s Eve Ladies Lunch Bunch Thursday, December 1 at 11:30am LADIES LUNCH BUNCH will be on Thursday, December 1 at 11:30am at the Pizza Shack. Please visit our website to sign-up or sign-up in the Fellowship Hall. Contact Annet Riley for more information. Thursdays at 10:00AM The Thursday morning Ladies' Bible study has begun a new study entitled Under His Wings: Indecision/Certainty. The first part is Indecision:Looking to God for Answers in Our Lives (A Study of Psalm 20). The group meets from 10:00 to 11:00 on Thursday mornings. If you are interested in joining this group, please contact the church office or Annet Riley (asriley@ymail.com or 713-598-2556) so that we can have materials available for you. Please prayerfully consider joining us as we look to God for answers in our lives. Advent Mid-Week Meals & Worship Wednesday, December 7, 14, & 21 5:00-6:00pm light supper 6:15pm preservice singing 6:30pm worship Advent is right around the corner! Please take time out of your week to join us for fellowship and worship. If you would like to help with one of the meals or make a contribution, such as drinks for one of the meals, please contact Annet Riley (asriley@ymail.com or 713-598-2556).
Coming Events Breakfast with Santa Saturday, December 10 Christmas in Historic Montgomery and Breakfast with Santa will be here before you know it! We are currently accepting candy donations for the children's goodie bags in the red collection box. Halloween candy can now be purchased at a discounted price and left-over Halloween candy will also be accepted. Also, Thrivent seed money is available to purchase the food for the breakfast. If you are a Thrivent member, please consider volunteering to request this seed money. The request is done online. Help from extra elves is always appreciated. If you would like to be a part of this fun event or for more information, please contact Annet Riley (asriley@ymail.com or 713-598-2556). Annual Texas Christmas Dinner Sunday, December 11 beginning at 5:00pm Living Savior's Annual Texas Christmas Dinner is coming soon! This is always a fun event, a great meal and a wonderful way to start the Christmas season. Mark your calendar and plan to come for dinner and stay for the Children's Christmas program at 6:30. Children s Christmas Program Sunday, Dec. 11th at 6:30pm Rehearsals will be on Sunday mornings during November and a dress rehearsal will be on Friday, Dec. 9th at 6:00pm. If your children or grandchildren would like to be in the program, please contact Cheryl Bailes at the church office or at cgbailes@livingsaviortexas.org. PRAY UP MONTGOMERY Tuesday, December 20 The emphasis for November is: Mayor, Police Chief, Fire Chief, Judges, Sheriff, County Officials, Pastors, and Leaders of Education Pray that they seek God s guidance, that they are upright in their decisions, and sensitive to citizens and work for the good of the whole as a Godly community and for the future of this wonderful area in which we live.
Important Information Holiday Worship Opportunities Christmas Eve services: 4:00 p.m. candlelight 6:00 p.m. candlelight 8:00 p.m. with Communion and candlelight Sunday, Christmas Day: 1 service at 10:00 a.m. (no Sunday School or Bible Class) New Years Eve: No services LWML Meetings All ladies are welcome to join us in "serving the Lord with Gladness on the first Monday of the month at 10:00am. Dime Stocking Don t forget to add 12 dimes to your collection and turn in your donations by December 4. Save your little stocking for next year. World Relief School Kits We continue to collect for School Kit items! A comprehensive list of items is located on our website. Sunday, New Years Day: 1 service at 10:00 a.m. (no Sunday School or Bible Class) Stop by the Fellowship Hall and pick an angel or two off the tree and help a family feel the Joy of this Christmas season. Summer Mission Trip Dates: June 17-24 Location: Puerto Rico Cost: $1,000/person This is a trip that is open to all ages, so it can be a family affair!!! The cost covers air-fair, lodging, and food. A deposit of $100 is needed from whoever is interested in going by Dec. 28. (We have some budgeted money that we can use for this trip and the budget year ends Dec. 31.) For more information please contact Cheryl Bailes at the church office or at cgbailes@livingsaviortexas.org
MUSIC NOTES May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him. Romans 15:13 We have closed out the Church Year, (no more green paraments for a while), and we are now in the season of ADVENT. The season of blue paraments, anticipation, of house cleaning, heart cleaning, reflection of memories, living in the moments of preparation, and looking to the future of our heavenly home All of this because of God s mercy and grace seeing what a mess we are in and giving us the ultimate gift of salvation through His Son, born as a baby just like you and me. December 4 th will already be the second Sunday in Advent. Are You Prepared? We all need to do some personal heart cleaning! The choir will be going Christmas caroling to our shut-ins that afternoon. This is always a special time for this dedicated group. Do you like gifts?? The Wednesday night series will focus on a different GIFT each week. Very special gifts! Come and see The second Midweek Advent Service will be on Wednesday, December 7 th, focusing on THE GIFT OF LOVE. You might recognize this as being Pearl Harbor Day actually the 75 th anniversary of this world changing event. To honor those fallen in this battle, and those who were involved, our pre-service singing at 6:15 will include a time of remembrance and patriotic singing. Service will actually begin at 6:30. Light supper is served from 5-6 p.m. Choir practice will be at 7:15 each Wednesday. Sunday, December 11 th will be a point check for our Advent journey Are You on the Way? Sunday 12/11, from 5-6 will be our Congregational Texas Christmas Dinner. The children will lead our worship at the Childrens Program at 6:30..dont miss it this treat! Wednesday Advent Service on the 14 th focuses on THE GIFT OF PEACE, what a pertinent message!. Schedule is the same as previous Wednesdays. The Last Sunday in Advent on the 18 th entices us with Are You Braced for This? hmmmm. The Last Midweek Advent Service is on Wed, the 21 st. THE GIFT OF LIFE. Give yourself a break from the mayhem and come for a quiet time in church at 6:30. There will be a light supper also this evening from 5-6. Saturday, December 24 th Christmas Eve Services will be at 4, 6, and 8 p.m. There will be special music and candle lighting at each service, with communion being celebrated only at the 8:00 service. Theme: THE GIFT OF JOY! There are 4 Sundays in Advent, plus the culmination of Christmas Day on Sunday, the 25 th. Speaking of Christmas Day on Sunday, there will be only ONE SERVICE at 10:00 a.m. Be ready to hear about THE GIFT OF GLORY! Remember the Sabbath Heads up! December 31st is on a Saturday and there will be NO New Years Eve service this year. There WILL be ONE service on Sunday, New Years Day at 10:00 a.m. Afterall, it IS the Sabbath! Be an example to your family and neighbors, and start the year off right! May your worship during this wonderful season have special meaning to you and for you wherever you are in your walk with Jesus! There are many folks who are just waiting to be invited to church. Pray that the Holy Spirit will empower us to do so. What glad tidings we have!!! Have a Blessed Christmas! December Bible Readings Sunday, December 4 Isaiah 11:1-10, Romans 15:4-13, Matthew 3:1-12 Sunday, December 11 Isaiah 35:1-10, James 5:7-11, Matthew 11:2-15 Sunday, December 18 Isaiah 7:10-17, Romans 1:1-7, Matthew 1:18-25 Saturday, December 24 Isaiah 55:10-13, 1 Peter 13-9, Luke 2:1-20 Sunday, December 25 Isaiah 40:1-5, Colossians 3:1-4, John 1:9-18
Miss Church? Have you missed church recently due to scheduling, illness, etc? Did you know that there are worship opportunities available on the radio or on-line? The Lutheran Hour, with wonderful pastors from our synod, is broadcast every Sunday at 12:30 p.m. on 105.7 FM radio. The call letters for this station are KHCB (Keeping Him Close By). During the week, this station has commercial free broadcasting of Christian programs and music. You can obtain their schedule at www.khcb.org. Another closer to home opportunity is available on our website, www.livingsaviortexas.org. Thank you to Larry Wunderlich, videos of Pastor Bailes preaching his latest sermon is available for your viewing. Just simply visit our website, click on the button labeled Media at the bottom right of the home page. The most recent newsletters and sermon videos are posted for you! Now, even if you miss, you can still stay current! If you have any articles, photos or news-worthy items, please send them to Carol Bowen at news@livingsavior texas.org. The deadline for the December newsletter is Friday, December 23. Happy Birthday!! Mike Newman 12/5 Robert Mattfeld 12/6 Kim Wunderlich 12/8 Olin Crowley 12/10 Steve Cirtaus 12/11 Bethany Perez 12/11 Frank Kutch 12/12 Ed Moe 12/13 Joe Henschel 12/14 Kathryn Langlois 12/15 Eric Mattfeld 12/15 Jim Martin 12/16 Terry Behnke 12/19 Brittany Downing 12/25 Diane Hadley 12/29 Tammy Dawson 12/30 Ron Fangmann 12/30 Lee Kurtas 12/30 Elle Godfrey 12/31 Happy Anniversary! Kevin & Sarah Wieghat 12/6 Gary & Kim Howze 12/18 Charles & Ruth Bland 12/20 Roger & Carol Bartel 12/30 Tim & Tiffany Mattfeld 12/30
December 2016 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY 1 FRIDAY SATURDAY 2 3 8:30a Church Council Mtg 10:00a Music Practice 10:00a LWML 11:30a Ladies Lunch Bunch Pizza Shack 4 8:00a Worship 9:15a Fellow. 9:30a Voter s Mtg 9:45a Kid s Christmas Prog. Rehearsal 10:45a Worship 5 6 7 8 9 6:00p Girl Scout Troop 10822 7:00p LongRange Planning Mtg 3:45p Pre-Confirm 5:00p Advent Meal 6:30p Advent MidWeek Service 7:15p Choir 10:00a Ladies Bible Study 6:00p Kid s Christmas Prog. Dress Rehearsal 10 Christmas in Montgomery 8:00a Breakfast with Santa 11:00a Parade 4:00p Home Tour 11 8:00a Worship 9:15a Fellow. 9:30a Sun. Sch.& Bible Class, 10:45a Worship 12:15p Confirm. Class 5:00p Christmas Dinner 6:30p Children s Prog. 12 13 14 15 16 17 3:45p Pre-Confirm 5:00p Advent Meal 6:30p Advent MidWeek Service 7:15p Choir 10:00a Ladies Bible Study 18 8:00a Worship 9:15a Fellow. 9:30a Sun. Sch., Bible Class 10:45a Worship 19 21 22 20 6:00p Girl Scout Troop 10822 10:00a Music Practice 23 5:00p Advent Meal 6:30p Advent MidWeek Service 7:15p Choir 24 Christmas Eve 4:00p, 6:00p Candlelight Worship 8:00p Communion & Candlelight Worship 25 Merry Christmas 10:00a Worship 26 27 OFFICE CLOSED OFFICE CLOSED 28 7:00p Choir 29 10:00a Ladies Bible Study 30 31 New Year s Eve