“Come, follow me,” said, “and I `will make you fishers of men.” Mark 1:17

December 2017 St Peter Lutheran Church Mission Statement The members of St Peter Lutheran Church are called to reach the lost, to gather the faithful, to produce disciples for the

Kingdom of God.

St Peter Lutheran Church 130 Luther Lane, Gun Barrel City TX 75156 887-0436 Stpetergbc.org 2017-18 Church Officers President Gary Neidenbach (214) 542-5523 Vice President Rob Anderson 880-4353 Secretary Jerry Anderson 880-4353 Treasurer Pam Holland (832) 860-4579 Financial Secretary Linda Gatlin 498-7120

2017 Board Chairman Ministry Coordinators Elders Ed McKenzie LWML Jerry Anderson 489-2482 880-4353 Evangelism LaJean Fenske Director of Music Weaver 880-6628 903 714-2340

Trustees Michael Dahl Church Secretary 451-1008 Mary Foster 887-1641

Stewardship Roger Nielsen Preschool Tina Sifers 887-5349 Preschool Tele # 887-5077 Bd of Education Michael Shults Fellowship Diane Buchanan (903) 340-1092 (972) 345-5907

2 Christmas Blessings

For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.— 9:6

We celebrate Christmas in order to rejoice over God's most precious gift to us. The birth of Jesus Christ is a gift from God that came in simple wrapping, as well as a gift we don't deserve. But the gift of Christ also explains His purpose for humankind.

The gift of Christ was no afterthought. Long before there was a stable in , before and ever set eyes on each other, and even before there existed a garden called Eden, God decided to send His Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sins.

From the beginning, God knew humankind would fall short of His glory. That is why the Scriptures proclaim that Jesus Christ was slain from the foundation of the world. God made a decision from the very beginning that Christ would come to this earth to live and die and rise again from the dead. God's gift to us proves His purpose to redeem us.

The gift of Jesus Christ is what Christmas is all about. Jesus came near to us so we could come near to Him. Christmas is not about tinsel or shopping or gifts under a tree. Christmas is about the gift God gave on the tree where Christ died for our sins, giving us the gift of eternal life. That is what He has accomplished. This is the gift 3 He extends. And if you receive it, you will experience the merriest Christmas of all.

I share this because you understand we are not supposed to keep this to ourselves. We are supposed to let our light so shine before men that they may see our good works and glorify our Father which is in heaven. We are commanded by Jesus Himself to go into all the world and preach the .

As 2017 comes to a close and you consider your year-end giving plans, can I invite you to include being committed to helping the kingdom of believers in those plans?

4 Prayer Chain Report

To date we have about 144 prayer requests and praise reports. God has heard and answered all our prayers and we thank Him. A Flash of Christmas A different kind of light

It wasn’t my usual sort of Christmas. I’d gone down to Mexico, to the Yucatan Peninsula, where I was visiting my brother Edward. He was serving as a missionary priest to some small villages between Chichen Itza and Merida. I’d brought my Kodak Instamatic camera with me this was some 50 years ago – and on , I was using it to take pictures of the villagers celebrating the traditional Las Posadas, a procession through town that reenacted Joseph and Mary’s search for an inn in Bethlehem. My camera required flashcubes – after every four shots, I’d take the cube off and pop on a new one. I was going to throw the old cubes away, but each time I popped one off, a boy named Raul would appear and quietly say, “I will take that, Tomasito.” Soon Raul’s pockets were bulging with perfectly useless used flashcubes. With my brother as a trans- lator, I asked, “Why do you want those, Raul? They won’t flash again.” Raul smiled sheepishly and said, through my brother, “The old flashcubes don’t work for you, but

5 they work for me.” I felt bad that Raul didn’t realize the cubes had no value. The procession wound through the village, one door closed after another – no room at the inn – until we reached a Nativity, where the figure of Jesus was placed in the manager and the celebration could begin with the crack of a piñata. Just before Raul dashed off, he whispered an explanation to my brother: “In my home, we hang the shiny flashcubes on the branches of a tree, The cubes are our ornaments. They bring light to our home.” My brother and I stood there, looking at the Holy Family in candlelight, with the villagers around us. It seemed like just the right place to celebrate Christmas, among those who knew where true treasures could be found. In a humble manager beneath a sky blanketed with stars, with barnyard animals for companions. A place no one else would think to look for a king. Unless you knew how burnt-out flashcubes could sparkle on a tree.

By Thomas R. Farrell, Scarsdale, New York Guideposts Magazine - December 2017

6 Stewardship Ministry December 2017

Christmas is coming. It is a joyous time of feasting. The Church feasts upon the Word of God in sermon, song, and sacrament. We hear the proclamation of the message of the angels: “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10–11). We mingle our voices with theirs as we sing, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased” (Luke 2:14)! We receive the proclaimed Savior, Christ the Lord, not wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in manger, but wrapped in bread and wine placed into our mouths for the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation. We feast in great joy indeed because of this great blessing from our Lord and God. God’s people in ancient Israel also feasted with great joy. The Lord showered His abundant blessing on His people. And He commanded them to feast upon it (Deut. 16). The people were to go to the place appoint- ed,where the Lord would make His name dwell, and give offerings, each man as he was able, according to the blessing of the Lord that He had given them (Deut. 16:10, 15, 17). And there the Lord would bless them with joy as they feasted upon what the Lord had provided. They 7 ate of the choice parts of their offerings. They en- joyed the company of all the people of God as they together heard His promises of blessing, sang of His bountiful goodness, and partook of what He gave. We feast on the Word who became flesh to dwell among us, not just during Christmas, but through- out all the year. We feast not just on the salvation He has wrought for us in His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, but we feast also on all the temporal blessings that God gives out of His fatherly divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in us. We enjoy the rich bounty that God provides, not only in Word and Sacrament, but also in house and home, property and income, family and friends. Let us then, as did our brothers in the faith from ancient Israel, give as we are able, according to the blessing of the Lord our God that He has given us. Let us, like them, give generously of the first fruits of our income, which He gives, so that all may know and enjoy the salvation He gives and the joy we have in the Savior born in the city of David, who is Christ the Lord.

8 Christian Symbol

Branch (Tree) of – Isaiah used the image of A new tree growing from What appears dead to foretell God’s redemption of Israel: “A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit” (:1). During this prophecy Assures us of the coming of the , descended From King David and thus His father, Jesse.

9 Lutheran Advent Traditions By Deaconness Betsy Karkan

At a time when much of the world is frantically gift shopping, putting up Christmas lawn decorations and anticipating the arrival of Santa Claus, around the world are observing the liturgical season of Advent. From the Latin word for “coming”, Advent is a time of preparation and anticipation for the coming of Christ both in the past in His incarnation as the baby Jesus, but also in the future with His promised second coming as Christ Triumphant. Furthermore, Advent is a time to focus on His present coming to us in the Word and Sacraments[1]. In the Lutheran church there have been many traditions observed during Advent that help Christians to both prepare for and anticipate His coming at this time. Martin Luther encouraged families to ob- serve Advent as a time for them to teach their children about the coming of Christ. 10 Advent marks the beginning of the church calendar. It traditionally starts on the Sunday closest to St. Andrew’s Day (November 30th) and continues for four Sundays until Christmas. During this time the liturgical paraments and vestments in many churches will change to violet to recognize Advent as a time of preparation and repentance as well as a symbol of the royalty of the coming King. The color blue can also be used as a symbol of anticipation and hope.

Christians in many countries have adopted various traditions of lighting candles during Advent to observe this as the time of the coming of Christ who is the light of the world. One widespread tradition is the use of an both in the church and the home to mark each Sunday in the Advent season. While the origin of this as an Advent tradition dates back to the Lutheran church following the Refor- mation, the current form commonly used today was developed more recently and is used in many other Christian churches throughout the world. The wreath is made out of evergreens in the shape of a circle to represent eternal life. It consisted of four candles originally; three purple or blue candles to match the liturgical colors and one pink candle lit on the 3rd Sunday in Advent. This 3rd Sunday is known as , meaning “rejoice” in Latin and comes from Philippians 4:4. Lighting this 3rd candle, Christians relax the fast to rejoice for the promised Messiah is coming soon. Many Advent wreaths also have a 5th candle, the Christ candle, 11 which is lit during the time of Christmas, symbolizing that Christ, the light of the world, has entered the darkness.

Another tradition, is the observance of special commemoration days during the season of Advent, namely St. Nicholas, Bishop of Myra on December 6th and St. Lucia, Martyr on December 13th. As numerous stories surrounding St. Nicholas spread and became legend, Martin Luther was concerned that the observance of St. Nicholas day was be- coming separated from Christ the true giver of gifts. As a response and an effort to replace St. Nicholas Day, Luther began the tradition of celebrating the Christkindt or Christ Child who would bring gifts to children on Christmas Eve. Though Luther hoped to eliminate the secular traditions surrounding St. Nicholas, Lutherans today still observe his commemoration and give thanks to God for the gifts He gave him to bless others and confess Christ in a time of darkness and persecution. St. Lucia was a Christian martyr in the 4th century who is traditionally known as wearing a candle-lit crown to light her way through the catacombs as she brought food to Christians who were being persecuted. Her commemoration is meant to signal that Christmas is coming soon when Christ, the light of the world will arrive. Today many Christians throughout the world celebrate by lighting candles and attending major festivals not only to commemorate her confession of faith and care for persecuted Christians, but in anticipation of the coming of the Christ child. 12 There is so much beauty and rich tradition during the season of Advent to prepare Christians for the coming of Jesus, the babe of Bethlehem. When you see the altar draped in purple, remember your King who came to bring you life and salvation. If you don’t have one already, consider getting an Advent wreath for your home as you prepare for the coming of Christ, the light of the world. Give thanks to God for the confession of faith He gave to His people to shine His light in dark places. Learn about the tradition of reciting the (found in Lutheran Service Book along with # 357 “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel) and incorporate it into your Advent devotions. Finally, anticipate with joy the coming of our Lord!

[1] The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. “LCMS: Frequently Asked Questions.” n.d. The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Document. 2016.

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LIFE BIBLE STUDY December 14, 2017 “CONSECRATED BY INCARNATION”

Christmas celebrates more than just Jesus’ birthday. Christmas forms the foundation for all peace, love, joy and hope by revealing God’s salvation. It proves the Gospel to be our history, identity, and destiny and proclaims a distinctly life-affirming reality.

Join us on Thursday, December 14th at the Mills’ home at 10 am to study God’s Word on this topic. Bring a friend to study with us. A light lunch will be served after the study. For more information, contact Sharon Mills.

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DATES TO REMEMBER:

Friday, January 19, 2018 March for Life in Washington, D.C. Theme: “Love Saves Lives!”

Sunday, January 21, 2018 Life Sunday at St. Peter Lutheran Church Theme: “Hope for Life”

Saturday, January 27, 2018 Texas Rally for Life at the State Capitol in Austin

During January 2018 there will be a month long collection of Baby diapers & wipes for Forever Families in Kemp, Texas

15 THE BRICK

A young and successful executive was traveling down a neighborhood street, going a bit too fast in his new Jaguar.

He was watching for kids darting out from be- tween parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something.

As his car passed, no children appeared. In- stead, a brick smashed into the Jag's side door! He slammed on the brakes and backed the Jag back to the spot where the brick had been thrown.

The angry driver then jumped out of the car, grabbed the nearest kid and pushed him up against a parked car shouting, 16 'What was that all about and who are you? Just what the heck are you doing? That's a new car and that brick you threw is going to cost a lot of money. Why did you do it?' The young boy was apologetic. 'Please, mister...please, I'm sorry but I didn't know what else to do,' He pleaded. 'I threw the brick because no one else would stop...' With tears dripping down his face and off his chin, the youth pointed to a spot just around a parked car.

'It's my brother, 'he said 'He rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair and I can't lift him up' Now sobbing, the boy asked the stunned executive, 'Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He's hurt and he's too heavy for me.' Moved beyond words, the driver tried to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat. He hurriedly lifted the handicapped boy back into the wheelchair, then took out a linen handkerchief and dabbed at the fresh scrapes and cuts.

17 A quick look told him everything was going to be okay. 'Thank you and may God bless you,' the grateful child told the stranger.

Too shook up for words, the man simply watched the boy push his wheelchair-bound brother down the sidewalk toward their home.. It was a long, slow walk back to the Jaguar. The damage was very noticeable, but the driver never bothered to repair the dented side door. He kept the dent there to remind him of this message: 'Don't go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your attention ! ' God whispers in our souls and speaks to our hearts. Sometimes when we don't have time to listen, He has to throw a brick at us. It's our choice to listen or not. Thought for the Day: If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it.

If He had a wallet, your photo would be in it.

18 He sends you flowers every spring. He sends you a sunrise every morning.

Face it, friend - He is crazy about you! God didn't promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow, sun without rain, but He did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for the way. If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.

Submitted by Caron Yelsma

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The Evangelism Board would like to THANK everyone who participated in the Thanksgiving Event this year.

It was an incredible day from start to finish. God truly blessed us with a beautiful weather.

There were many wonderful and hard working volunteers that spent countless hours planning the event, preparing food, setting up and working the event... on Thanksgiving Day. We had a dozen volunteers from outside the church that spent the whole day working with us.

Praise the Lord for generous $$ donations from both the congregation and individuals outside the church. We con- tinue to appreciate the help from Thrivent, Cochran's, Sonic and Jalopy Joe's.

We were ecstatic about the number of people (270+) from the community who joined us for a delicious meal, either dining in or carrying out. Included in that count were 25 meals delivered to fire and police department in Mabank and Gun Barrel and several individual families.

A special THANKS to Pastor Nelson's for his encourage- ment and enthusiasm as we moved forward with the Thanksgiving Day Event this year.

Most of all we appreciated all your PRAYERS throughout the last couple of months.

Jerry Anderson Board of Evangelism, Chairman "Commit to the Lord and all your plans will succeed" Proverbs 16:17

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OUR GREATEST NEED If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent us an educator.

If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist.

If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist

If our greatest need had been pleasure, God would have sent us an entertainer.

But our greatest need was forgiveness and acceptance, So God sent us a Savior. 21

St. Peter recognized our veterans on Sunday, November 13, 2017. How blessed we are as a congregation! Special thanks to Tom and Sharon Mills for all their hard work and pre- paration and to Greg Wilkinson and Karl Longacre for assisting with the recognition.

For those that were not available that day a family member proudly accepted the certificate for them.

22 Hi Everybody!

What a wonderful season it is. There is a special happiness at this time of year don’t you think? I know we are all so busy with preparing that sometimes we forget to stop and take a breath and just enjoy the moment. I know me and the Mrs sometimes forget to just be still. Of course with all our children around there is really not much time. Thanksgiving was especially wonderful this year. Did you realize we had so many outside volunteers to come and work to serve food, clean up, and all the jobs that this entails. What a wonderful service they did for us and the community. The food was especially delicious this year and all of the planning and preparation paid off big time. The in the church is being put up by Sharon and Tom Mills with David Weaver assisting. What a beautiful tree and there are brand new ornaments this year going on it. hanks to all those who worked on getting the new ornaments ready to hang.

23 You know since we are here at the church all the time we see things done that most people don’t see. Like for instance we saw Cindy Stuckey working on trimming the hedges in front of the church. Brenda Burns and Diane Brookins are here most everyday going through finances of the preschool What a great service they are doing - those two are so organized and they seem to work together so good. Have you ever thought how well our fellowship between Sunday School and Church is handled? Thanks to Diane Buchanan for making sure there is plenty of coffee and snacks for everybody. What a great fellowship time this is. Needless to say the Mouse family so enjoys this time. Don’t know if you have ever noticed how often Linda Gatlin and Pam Holland count money on Sunday’s but they do it quite frequently and would appreciate any help from others if you would like to volunteer to be a Teller. Just talk to Linda she will sign you up. That goes for the readers on Sunday too. A new year is coming up and if you would like to volunteer to read just let the office know. The readers do a wonderful job and this is such a great help to our Pastor. Did you know that Janet McKenzie sent Thanksgiving cards to our

24 members who have not been attending church lately to let them know we miss them and hope to see them soon. Take a look at the cards and mail one to someone you have been missing. Did you know the ladies of LWML are going to prepare a lunch for our preschool teachers to show appreciation to them for the wonderful job they are doing with our precious children. I heard it will be during the children’s nap time and there will be a gift for each teacher. We are looking forward to another celebration. The Advent meals will be here soon and this is always a great meal to enjoy and then to have a special service of Advent to end the evening. As I said this time of the year is so wonder- ful and to think we will be soon celebrating the birth of our Savior. Thanks be to God for his many blessings to us and keeping us all in his care. Just begin each day with a moment to Thank God for his blessings and another day to look forward to. Merry Christmas everybody from the Mouse family we love you all.

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12/1 Game Night 6:00 pm 12/2 Bible Study 8:30 am Women’s Luncheon noon / Vetonis 12/3 Call Committee (after church) 12/6 Advent Supper 6:00 pm Advent Service 7:00 pm 12/10 Elders Meeting (after church) 12/11 Preschool Board Meeting 6:00 pm 12/13 Advent Supper 6:00 pm Advent Service 7:00 pm 12/14 Bible Study / Mills Home 10:00am 12/15 Game Night 6:00 pm 12/16 Bible Study 8:30 am 12/20 Advent Supper 6:00 pm Advent Service 7:00 pm 12/24 No morning service Christmas Eve Candlelight Svc 7:00 PM 12/25 Merry Christmas (no service)

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12/1 Pam Holland 12/9 LaJean Fenske 12/16 Jerry Anderson 12/18 Tami Longacre 12/24 Elke Mueller 12/25 Nancy Cox 12/27 Linda Gatlin 12/30 Hiromi Dahl

12/17 Ed & Cathy Peterson 12/17 Paul & Desiree Velazquez 12/20 Rob & Jerry Anderson 12/24 Gene & Nancy Routt 12/30 Chuck & Judy Lohrmann 12/31 Bryan & Amanda Whitley

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