St.Paul’s Lutheran Church December 2018 Newsletter 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 send your request to gmoestreich@gmail.com so we can add you to the list of members getting this newsletter by email. All newsletters are available for pick up the last Sunday of each month in Church.

December Worship Schedule
December 2: Communion Worship Service at 9:00 am
December 9: Worship Service at 9:00 am
December 16: Communion Worship Service at: 9:00 am
December 23: Worhip Service at 9:00 am
December 23: Children’s Program at 5:30 pm
December 24: Christmas Eve Candlelight Service w/Communion 6:00 pm
December 25: Christmas Day Service w/Communion 9:00 am December 30: Contemporary Service
Saturday evening worship services are offered at Luther Memorial-Gleason at 6 pm. All are welcome to Worship Services at St. Paul's 9:00 am or at Luther Memorial -Gleason 10:30 am on Sundays.

December Usher Schedule
December 2: Lori Giese, Sandy Leskey, Mandy Sabatke, Don Voight
December 9: Sandy Leskey, Mandy Sabatke
December 16: Lori Giese, Robert Giese, Sandy Leskey,
Don Voight
Decmeber 23 (9:00): Steve Duley, Marily Evenson
December 23 (5:30): Ashley Dornstreich, Linda Pankow
December 24:Mark Kroening, Joe Schielfelbein, Linda Pankow, Keith Duley
December 25: Jeff Zahn, Carol Wyma, Jeanne Schubring, Dale Erickson
December 30: Marilyn Evenson, Jerry Hackbarth

Volunteers, please come 20 to 30 minutes before worship time to prepare the building for the Worship Service. Please take head count of attendance and write it on the clip board posted by the last pew on the east side of church each and every worship service. Please wear your Sunday best clothing, you are serving in the King’s house. Thank You for your service to our Lord and our Church Family.

Meeting the Budget: As discussed at the Voter’s meeting in October, funds for balancing the budget are running short. There is no special monies to fall back on. All members are asked to help meet this short fall with just a few more dollars a month.

Church Directory: The product given to us from our pictures over 4 years ago was unacceptable. It was commingled with Gleason's people and did not have a St. Paul’s cover. Along with other issues, this account with us was closed and we will not be using their services again. Speak with Pastor Greg if you have questions.

Pledge Cards Being Returned: Last year we asked everyone to fill out a pledge card with your promise of stewardship sealed in an envelope. What you promised was between you and the Lord. All those pledges were kept unopened in a box next to our altar in church. As we promised to you, we are now returning those sealed envelopes with this newsletter so that you may personally review whether you have kept up with your pledge. There are still a few months left in this year to make good on it. If you did not receive a sealed envelope back in this newsletter that means one of two things; either you did not make a pledge, or you failed to put your name on the outside of the envelope.




A2O: The topic for last week’s lesson was friendship is absolute. Through good times and bad we are all in. Our first lock in was a success. The Russian Gypsy (Kirstin) won the costume contest and we played Twister, Stratego and a fun game with Pastor Greg. We will be singing at the Christmas Eve service. There is a clipboard community service signup sheet in the narthex. A2O would like to offer our voluntary services particularly to seniors for any task they have. Shovel snow, rake leaves, help with a Christmas tree, etc. Next meeting is Tuesday December 4th at 6 pm.

Choir Practice: 8:00 a.m. before church on Sunday morning was a suggested time for Choir practice for the Christmas season. If you are interested, please let Don know if this time is good for you.

Pine Crest Nursing Home Christmas gifts: Pine Crest is looking for donations of Christmas gifts or money to purchase gifts for each of their residents. If interested in supporting this endeavor, please turn in donations by December 7 at the Nursing Home. A list of suggested gifts is on the bulletin board in the Narthex of the church.

Sunday School: Children will be practicing during Sunday School sessions for the Christmas Program on December 23 @ 5:30 pm. We will serve cookies, coffee and milk after the program.



Parable of the Squirrel The Wilson family had just finished their meal after his wife’s birthday party. Mr. Wilson suggested that all family and friends go out to the back patio for some special entertainment. When everyone sat on the patio chairs, he brought out a small stepladder so that he could reach the three birdfeeders to fill them. As soon as he finished, some birds came to sample what he had given for them. But a grey squirrel showed up promptly as well. Mr. Wilson proudly announced, “Here is where the fun begins! The star of our after-dinner show has arrived!” He had purchased the new feeders a month before and every feeder was advertised to be squirrel proof. One was covered with a mesh cage that only the small birds like finches could get through. That squirrel tried every hole just like it did the last time the feeder was filled. It then gave up in frustration. The second feeder looked like it would be easy for the squirrel but when it sat on the feeding perch the feeder began to spin around and around. The squirrel held on for dear life until it finally let go and was thrown to the ground. The third feeder had a special sleeve that covered the pole and every time the squirrel tried to climb the pole, the sleeve would take it down like an elevator. The squirrel went back and forth from one feeder to another for nearly an hour, while birds happily feasted on the fresh seeds. The Wilson dinner party was truly entertained, laughing at the squirrel who had finally been outsmarted. Before the group went back into the house, one of the dinner guests made an important observation, “Hey, I just noticed the big oak tree at the back end of the yard. That squirrel can get all of the acorns it wants without working at it.” Mr. Wilson’s wife replied, “But aren’t we just as foolish as that squirrel? God freely gives us salvation when we have faith in what Jesus did for us on the cross. But we somehow think we are so smart that there must be some other way. We think if we only give enough money then God will be impressed and save us. We think if we only do enough good works then that will take our sins away. We think that we are smarter than God, like Adam and Eve did in the Garden of Eden. I see the big oak tree as God’s abundant provision for the squirrel yet it drives itself crazy trying to be fed in some other way. Jesus said, “I have come that you might have life and have it abundantly.”​