St. Paul Lutheran Church
DECEMBER Newsletter
2016
St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, W2604 CO HWY P, Merrill, WI 54452
715-536-8459 Please leave a message.
Pastor Gregory Laska can be reached at Home #715-536-1511, Cell # 715-350-9741
email address is: grlaska@yahoo.com, or at church office on Mondays 9 am till Noon.
“St. Paul’s is Committed to Encouraging Growth and Fellowship by Sharing the Word and Gifts from GOD and by living our Christian Beliefs Everywhere and Always.”
Information for newsletters needs to be sent to gmoestreich@gmail.com before the 20th of each month for the next month’s newsletter. This allows for planning, editing, layout, printing and mailing to members by the first of the month. If you would like your newsletter by email please email your request to gmoestreich@gmail.com so we can add you to the list of members getting this newsletter in an email.
Pastor Laska and Rob will be gone on Vacation December 26th thru January 3rd.
Pastor Kramer from Merrill is covering for all Emergencies and the January 1st Communion Worship Service. Pastor Kramer can be reached at 715-722-0003
Tree of Love
This year we are offering a special opportunity to help some of the families in need from our congregation with Christmas gifts. In the narthex entrance at the back of the church there is a small Christmas tree starting on Sunday, November 27. On it will be numerous paper ornaments made by children from our Sunday School. Attached to each ornament is a slip of paper listing one of the following categories: boy (age), girl (age), adult man, adult woman. Also on the slip is a suggestion for a gift. The gifts may be homemade or bought from a store. Take the paper ornament and hang it on your tree at home as a reminder to pray for the child/adult. Bring your gifts back to church with the identifying slip on it no later than Sunday, December 18 so that the gifts can be delivered before Christmas. This effort is being coordinated by Pastor Greg and Heather Olivotti.
Christmas Fruit Baskets & Stockings
We will be purchasing fruit and making up fruit bowls for shut ins or adults in need of a little Tender Loving Care, please contact Joe, Kathy Schiefelbein or Pastor Greg if you know of individuals in need or just to show we care. We will also be giving out Christmas stockings to the children again this year, we are asking for donations of a small toy and variety of wrapped candy, the Church will include fruit in the stockings.
CHRISTMAS RAFFLE
The Church has received a donation of two Christmas stockings; one is 48 inches long and the other is 36 inches long. Both stockings are filled with games, toys and candy. The donor has requested that we sell raffle tickets and use the proceeds to purchase materials to build 6 foot picnic tables to be used at our outside pavilion. The tickets will be $1.00 each or 8 tickets for $5.00. The drawing will be held following the children’s Christmas Program on December 18th. See Kathy Schiefelbein or Marilyn Evenson for tickets.
Ladies Aid News
The Ladies of St. Paul Church are invited to a Christmas Party pot luck lunch on December 3, 2016 in the Fellowship Hall. Please come at noon for fellowship and great food.
Third Quarter St. Paul’s Scrip Report
The quarter Scrip profits are reported at $337.50. I would like to thank the dedicated sellers who take the time to sell Scrip every Sunday morning before and after Church. I would like to encourage our members to sign up to help sell Scrip and to purchase Scrip gift cards for your shopping or for gifts. The cards we currently stock are : Cosmo, Culver’s, Dairy Queen, Dave’s County Market, Crossroads County Market, Family Video, Fleet Farm, Holiday, Kwik Trip, Menard’s, Mobil, Pick & Save, Piggly Wiggly, Pine Ridge Restaurant, R-store, Shell, Subway, Walgreens, and WalMart/Sam’s. Special order forms are available for the many other cards available from Scrip, such as Kohl’s, Target, Motels, Restaurants, or online shopping such as Overstock.com, and Amazon.com. Orders are placed every week on Monday and available usually by Thursday evening or the following Sunday. Place your order early for your Christmas gift list. If you have any questions regarding the Scrip cards please call me at 715-536-6746 in the evening or leave a message on my cell (715-571-1203) and I will return your call after work.
Stewardship Commitment
If you made a pledge during our annual stewardship commitment appeal last year you will find an unopened envelope with this letter. Please open it now to see if you have kept up with your pledge. On the weekend of December 4, Pastor Greg will lead us in a prayerful and Biblically based time of reviewing our Christian Stewardship and what it means to respond to God’s love with a life of commitment. We are asking each family to consider their own commitment of time and resources to the sharing of the Gospel in our area. We pray that this effort may be a blessing for our ministry and for your personal relationship with Christ.
We are asking each family to complete the commitment form at the bottom of this page and to seal it in the envelope we have provided. On the weekend of December 18, we will ask you to put in in the offering plate during that service. If you are unable to bring the envelope that weekend, bring it at an earlier or later date in December when you are in worship and place it in the offering basket. If you are unable to be with us in worship, then fold the envelope into another one and mail it to us. They will be placed into a wooden box that will then be set at the side of our altar. No one will open the envelopes since it is a commitment between each family and God. Next year in November we will mail the forms back to you so that you may then review if your family has been maintaining the commitment made of time, talents and treasures.
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Our Heavenly Father has so freely given to us: life, food, clothing shelter, and faith in His Son Jesus Christ for our eternal life. In response, our family commits unto the Lord to do the following (check the appropriate space):
Studying God’s Word as a family
___ Daily ___ At least once per week ___ At least once per month
Being in Group Study when offered
___ Weekly ___ At least for one series per year
Attendance in worship services at least
___ Weekly ___ At Least 2 times per month ___ At Least monthly ___ At least 6 times per year
Serving on a Board or Committee
___ Already serving ___ Will accept when asked
Volunteering to assist at Church activities
___ At least once per month ___ At least 4 times per year
Volunteering to assist at community activities
___ At least once per month ___ At least 4 times per year
Praying for our ministry, its leaders and the pastor
___ Daily ___ At least weekly
Financial commitment to our ministry (As a dollar figure or as a percentage of income)
_____ Weekly _____Monthly _____Annually
Financial commitment to community charities
_____ Weekly _____Monthly _____Annually
Signature _____________________________________________________
Sunday School Christmas Program
All are invited to participate with the Sunday School Children on Sunday December 18th at 5:30 pm in the Fellowship Hall. We need you to help sing the many Christmas songs with the Children. Come for an enjoyable evening Celebrating the Birth of our Savior.
The Children will be having Sunday School in the Fellowship Hall on December 4, 11, and 18 to practice for the program during the Sunday School hour. We ask that any parents waiting for their child please wait in church or be very quiet so the children can hear directions.
Quartet 4-Him Christmas Concert
The Quartet 4-Him, from Merrill will perform a Christmas Concert for us on December 11 at the 9:00 am Worship Service. Come for a short service and quartet music to set “the Christ in Christmas mood” for you.
December Worship Schedule
December 4 Communion Worship at 9:00 am
December 11 Worship Service with Quartet 4-Him Christmas Concert at 9:00 am
December 18 Communion Worship/Stewardship Sunday at 9:00 am
December 18 Sunday School Program at 5:30 pm in Fellowship Hall
December 24 Candlelight Christmas Eve Communion Worship Service at 6:00 pm
December 25 Christmas Day Communion Worship Service at 9:00 am
Advent worship services are at Luther Memorial-Gleason on Wednesdays at 7:00 pm on November 30, December 7, and 14th. Saturday evening Worship Services are at 6:00 pm with the Children Program is at 6:00 pm on December 17th. All are welcome to join in worship at Luther Memorial-Gleason.
