St. Paul s Ambassador A newsletter making Christ Jesus known, looking forward to December 2017 So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us. 2 Corinthians 5:20 Advent Happenings! Come, Lord Jesus! In this season of expectation and anticipation, some things are happening at St. Paul s that I want to lift up as significant for us as the gathered community of faith: You re going to LOVE the Sunday morning worship during Advent. Beginning December 3rd, we will use familiar Christmas carol tunes to enhance our liturgy. This gives us the longed for tunes and gives a great feel of hope for the Advent season. Make sure to come and check it out - Dec. 3, 10, 17, & 24. Holden Evening Prayer with Soup and Bread! This is one of the most incredible services ever created, and features deeply moving themes and lovely melodies that will have you humming them all week long. This service will be held on SUNDAY EVENINGS in Advent, beginning on December 3 rd. We gather for soup and bread at 5:15 pm and then worship will begin at 6:00 pm. To help you learn the service, copies of the service are available on CD see Pr. Jeff if you would like a copy. This service will quickly become a part of your holiday preparation. DON T MISS IT!!! The ADVENT WREATH is always a centerpiece for our worship in December. O, Come, O, Come, Emmanuel provides powerful, hopeful words in our lighting of the Advent wreath. They have a strong tone of expectation and hope. Children, youth, and adults of St. Paul s will present a Christmas program on December 24 th during morning worship at 10:30 am. Children singing, carols ringing, hearts of joy we are bringing! Let s celebrate the hope of Advent together as we take part in these joyous events! Come, Lord Jesus! Pr. Jeff St. Paul s Ambassador December 2017 1
Gathering News Remember in prayer Please remember in prayer our members and friends who are experiencing illness, all who are in hospitals or nursing homes, those who serve in the military, and families who are grieving the loss of a loved one. Special care: Elizabeth Arnett, Mary Barb, Max Bowers, Elwood Funkhouser, Hope Funkhouser, Mertie Funkhouser, and Butch Hosaflook. Annual Congregational Meeting The 2018 spending plan of $161,102 was approved at the annual congregational meeting on November 26. The following four individuals were elected to serve three-year terms on the Congregation Council: Kathy Abrams, Susan Bell, James Reedy, and Mary Thompson. Trevor Moton was elected to serve a one-year term as youth representative. Thank you to everyone who offered to serve your community in this capacity. Christian Sympathy Christian sympathy is extended to the family of Evelyn Funkhouser, who died November 7. Congratulations Congratulations to Abigail Davis, Aubrey Dellinger, and Avarose Winner who celebrated their First Communion in November. Christmas Morning / Christmas Eve The Christmas Program will be presented at our regular morning service on December 24 at 10:30 am. A musical introit at 6:30 pm will lead into our candlelight Christmas service at 7 pm on December 24, followed by refreshments. Come and celebrate the birth of the Christ Child! Adult Education Learn from Tales of the Pointless People during the Sunday School hour. Faith isn t about earning points. Check it out! Altar flowers Altar flowers for December are given in loving honor of my family and in memory of my husband, son, and grandson by Louise Hawkins. Luke s Backpack/Food Pantry Thank you for the single-serving food you provide to Luke s Backpack! In October, the Bread of Life Food Pantry served 75 families (225 individuals) for a total of 3,803 lbs. of food. WELCA Members of WELCA held a fall retreat at Shrine Mont on October 21. The activities included a bible study from the book of Acts centering on the story of Lydia. Thank you! Lutheran Disaster Response sent us a letter of thanks for our gift of $1,735 for aid to those who have suffered the recent hurricanes. Thank you to WELCA for presenting the annual Thankoffering service on November 12. St. Paul s Ambassador St. Paul s Lutheran Church, Jerome Parish 4109 Jerome Road, Edinburg, VA 22824 Office 540-856-2639 Contact Pastor Jeff May at 540-333-5928 (cell) or 540-856-2413 (home) E-mail: stpjerom@shentel.net Web site: http://stpaulsjerome.wordpress.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stpauljeromeva Our mission is to be a living example of God s love. The Rev. Jeff May, Pastor Oma Gail Simmons, Organist Dara Booher, Pianist Congregation Council Linda Hawkins, Vice Chair Shelby Boyden, Secretary Anna Barb Matt Booher Gail Dawson Karen Doane Nancy Evans Pat Good Miranda Hawkins Becky Jenkins Keith Knupp Orville Smoot Youth representative: Jean Getz Articles for the St. Paul s Ambassador are welcomed from members and friends of the congregation. Please submit your articles to the church office or to Gail Dawson at gdawson22824@yahoo.com. Attendance and Offerings St. Paul s Ambassador December 2017 2 Date 2017 Worship Attend Worship Offering Sun Sch Attend Sun Sch Offering 10/22 70 $1,158.00 36 $25.00 10/29 105 $1,816.00 34 $13.25 11/5 76 $2,590.00 33 $17.00 11/12 64 $1,877.00 13 $3.00
St. Paul s Interesting Teens & Tweens (SPITT) Eli Boyden and Karla May enjoyed learning about Who goes with us? in our everyday lives wherever we go. This was the theme of the Virginia Synod seventh and eighth grade youth event at the Eagle Eyrie retreat center in Lynchburg, Virginia. We thank our church family for your support through gifts of money and affirmation! The youth met on Sunday, November 19 to discuss upcoming events and to prepare for the ELCA youth gathering in Houston from June 26 through July 2, 2018. The youth gathering sent us a link of the video to watch about listening to several stories from people before forming an opinion. We learned a lot from this speaker and from our other preparations. Please join us for the youth sponsored Christmas caroling/hayride around the block on Sunday, December 17. We will begin at 4 pm and return to the church for soup and a surprise dessert made by the youth, with congregational worship to conclude our evening. From the Faith Community Nurse Corner Greetings to all! Tis a gift to be simple The words run through my head, and I know there is a message in those words. We are entering the holiday season, which takes on a speed and complexity all its own. Be simple, I hear it; knowing that for many, the season will be simple not by choice but by circumstances. Even Jesus birth was simple, born in a manager. Here too, the circumstances dictated the simplicity. So as we approach the holiday, try to remember to be simple; take time to enjoy each day with friends and family. Wishing you a blessed Christmas, Jeannie But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23 FYI: Christmas Wrap will again come to St. Paul s in Strasburg on Wednesday, December 13. Check your bulletin for more details Jeannie Coffman, Shenandoah Valley Lutheran Ministries Faith Community Nurse Relay for Life St. Paul's Relay for Life team was recognized as being in the #5 spot throughout Shenandoah County for its fundraising efforts! The team is now gearing up for the 2018 relay to be held at MMA on Friday, May 4. We are always happy to have new team members join us. If you would like to be a part of this year s Relay, please see Denise Dellinger or Phyllis Lytton for registration forms. We will host several luncheons after worship, and have other fundraisers throughout the coming year. More information will follow later. St. Paul s Ambassador December 2017 3
Thankful for Our seniors (Senior Recognition Sunday, October 29) St. Paul s Ambassador December 2017 4
Thankful for First Communion (November 2017) Thankful for Trunk or Treat (October 2017) St. Paul s Ambassador December 2017 5
ST. PAUL'S LUTHERAN CHURCH NON - PROFIT ORGANIZATION JEROME PARISH U. S. POSTAGE & FEES PAID 4109 JEROME ROAD PERMIT #14 EDINBURG, VIRGINIA 22824 EDINBURG, VA 22824 CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED Welcome to St. Paul s Lutheran Church in Jerome, Virginia! Worship with us every Sunday at 10:30 am / Learn with us at 9:15 am Mark Your Calendar! Upcoming Events for St. Paul s Dec 3: First Sunday of Advent. Breakfast at 8:30 am. Holy Communion, 10:30 am; Sunday School, 9:15 am. Supper, 5:15, followed by Holden Evening Prayer at 6 pm Dec 10: Second Sunday of Advent. Holy Communion, 10:30 am; Sunday School, 9:15 am. Light supper at 5:15, followed by Holden Evening Prayer at 6 pm Dec 12: (Tuesday) Congregation Council meeting at 7 pm Dec 17: Third Sunday of Advent. Holy Communion, 10:30 am; Sunday School, 9:15 am. Christmas caroling led by the youth from 4 to 5 pm. Light supper at 5:15, followed by Holden Evening Prayer at 6 pm Dec 24: The Morning of Christmas Eve. Christmas program and Holy Communion, 10:30 am; Sunday School, 9:15 am. Christmas Eve. Musical introit at 6:30, candlelight service 7 pm, refreshments following. Dec 31: Traditional Service of Lessons and Carols, 10:30 am; Sunday School, 9:15 am St. Paul s Ambassador December 2017 6