Announcements
December 17, 2017
Our Christmas Schedule: Christmas Eve Sunday Service is at 9:00 a.m. with Sunday School/Adult Class at 8:00 a.m.; Christmas Eve Children’s Program will be at 4:30 p.m. and Christmas Day Service with Holy Communion is at 9:00 a.m.
Children’s Christmas Program Practices will be today December 17th Dress Rehearsal from 3-5 p.m.; Wednesday, December 20th walk through for First Grade-LYF and Religion School will be from 5-6 p.m. Then we will eat and have Religion School until the 6:30 p.m. Advent Service.
Adult Class – December 24, 2017: Topic: “Artwork of the Nativity”
Devotional – “This Week in the Church Year “devotional resource sheets are available on the back table for you to pick up.
Parish Messenger Articles are due to Linda Kerkove for the January/February edition on December 31st.
Pastor Chats will continue after the first of the year. If you wish to have him come before, please feel free to call and set up a time.
Amazon Reminder - When you are shopping on Amazon be sure to use www.smileamazon.com first and choose the church so St. John’s will get a percentage credit back from amazon as charitable giving.
Christmas Cards are available at the back of the church for purchase. They are marked. Please, leave your money with Mary Gifford or the church office. There is also individual cards in the rack for $.50 each.
Annual Report Articles – I will be starting to work on the Annual Report at the beginning of the new year. Please start working on your articles and submit them to me as soon as possible. You can email them to me at churchoffice@stjohnsburt.org. Also, changes in addresses, phone numbers etc. get those to me also. Rosann
Christmas Committee is still taking donations for the new tree, decorations and candy bags. You may donate by marking an envelope and placing it in the offering plate.
Lessons on the Liturgy: Christmas Trees
The origins of the Christmas Tree is the source of an interesting scholarly debate. Several reputable scholars credit Martin Luther with decorating the first Christmas tree in his home. Lights represent the starry sky, the star on top is the star that led the Magi, or an angel on top is Gabriel who announced Jesus’ birth. One old tradition was to decorate the tree with red baubles to represent the fruit on the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, showing that Jesus’ birth began to reintroduce Paradise to creation.
Building Healthy Families: Over the coming Christmas season we will spend more time together than usual with our families. As you gather, keep a watchful eye out for excessive negative talk including complaining, fault-finding, and passing on gossip. Sharing gossip and negative messages of gloom and doom is not only sinful and dishonoring to our Father, it also fosters a depressing atmosphere in the home (…and in the church). Instead, look hard for the positive and talk about it often! “Whatever is pure, whatever is lovely…think on these things.” Philippians 4:8 Lutheran Family Service
This Week at St. John’s – (December 17, 2017-December 24, 2017)
Greeters Next Week: Roger Lavrenz
Acolyte This Week: Jordan Blocker
Head Usher: Roger Lavrenz
Ushers for December *Vern Koestler, Gordon Oleson & Joe Heyes
Elder for December: Boyd Shipler
Trinity Bible Studies – St. John’s members are welcome to attend any of the following Bible Studies at Trinity:
· Wednesday AM Adult Bible Class – Mornings at 9:30 a.m.
· Women’s Bible Studies during the school year on Monday mornings at 7:00 a.m. and 9:30 a.m.
· BYOB (Bring Your Own Bible) - Sunday Evening Bible Study at 7:30 p.m. in Fireside Room. We will be studying The Book of Hebrews
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