KOK Advent Presentation Sunday, December 18Th 10:30 Am
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December 2016 Advent Pot-Luck Supper & Candlelight Prayer Service December 21st More than 800 million people — Everyone is invited to slow down during this busy holiday that’s 1 in 8 people in our world today season, and enjoy a pot-luck meal together at 6:00pm — are hungry. As members of the and then worship at 6:45pm, using the Holden’s Evening ELCA, we are called to respond. We Prayer service. Our Prayer Team will be present to offer are a church that rolls up our sleeves anointing with oil, and laying on of hands with prayer for and gets to work. Working with and healing of body, mind, and spirit. We all have wounds through our congregations, in the and brokenness in our lives. It is important to bring United States, Puerto Rico and the ourselves deliberately and expectantly to Jesus, the U.S. Virgin Islands Lutheran churches great physician. overseas and other partners, ELCA Everyone is encouraged to attend this evening as a World Hunger is uniquely positioned family, this will take the place of H2H Confirmation Class to reach communities in need. From and 5/6 Youth Group this week. Please sign-up (call health clinics to microloans, water 492-2099 or email [email protected]) to bring a wells to animal husbandry, dish to share. Beverages will be provided. community meals to advocacy, your gifts to ELCA World Hunger make it possible for the ELCA to respond, KOK Advent Presentation supporting sustainable solutions that get at the root causes of hunger and Sunday, December 18th 10:30 am poverty. This year we are There will be a special service at concentrating on purchasing medical 10:30am on Sunday, December and health based gifts. Look for the 18th. Join us as all of our Kids of tree in the narthex with the following the Kingdom children share about ornaments available: Hope, Advent and teach us about Vaccination $30 Peace, Joy and Love. Following Mosquito Net $10 the presentation we will be Clinic Visit $10 serving cookies and beverages in Water Tablets $10 the fellowship hall. All KOK Food for Orphan $21 families are asked to provide a Food for Orphan/1 year $250 small plate of cookies. Train a Health Care Worker $100 From Pastor Steve. O Come, O Come… O Wisdom, you came forth from the mouth of the Most High, and reach from one end of the Earth to the other, mightily and sweetly ordering all things: Come teach us the way of prudence! O Adonai, ruler of the house of Israel, you appeared to Moses in the fire of the burning bush, on Mount Sinai you gave him your law: with outstretched arm, come and redeem us! O Root of Jesse, you stand as an ensign to the people; before you kings shall keep silence, all nations bow in worship: Come and save us, and do not delay! O Key of David, and scepter of the house of Israel; you open and no one closes; you close and no one opens: come and deliver us from the chains of prison, we who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death! O Rising Dawn, brightness of the light eternal, sun of righteousness: come and enlighten those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death! O King of Nations, and their desire, you are the cornerstone that binds two into one: come and save the creature whom you have fashioned from clay! O Emmanuel, our King and Lawgiver, the Desire of all nations and their Salvation: come and save us, O Lord our God! These antiphons date back at least to the reign of Charlemagne (771-814), and one source suggests they were in use in some form as early as the 6th century. These prayers of Advent remind me where I need to keep my attention focused this season. The health, healing, safety, and wholeness I seek—the Bible’s word is salvation—cannot be ordered from Amazon or procured from any source but God alone. The wonder of the season is that, when it finally does come, it’s in a form that neither I nor the world can recognize by the packaging. Yet, it—or rather he— still comes, as a babe in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. Homeless families seek shelter where they can remain together; communities of color struggle for equal treatment under the law; refugees long for new places to call home; world leaders discuss scenarios for limiting climate breakdown; another enraged shooter claims the lives of innocent victims. This is the world we live in; a world where shattered lives raise their voices in hope of deliverance. We need a Savior! The miracle of Christmas is that he is already “God with us.” God grant us the eyes to recognize Emmanuel and the hearts to embrace him however, whenever, and wherever he comes among us. Living in hope, Pastor Steve This year, please remember a few of our friends who are home bound when writing out your Christmas cards. A friendly note wishing someone a Blessed Merry Christmas is enough to brighten anyone’s day!! Here are a couple suggestions: Brett Schaumburg Dennis & Cathy Volkmann 1105 Horseshoe Lane SE 45 Valley Green Dr New Prague 56071 Jordan Page 2 "The Inn" Men of Hope To create emergency housing of at The men’s group meets on the 1st Saturday of each month at The Feedmill least 10 beds for single adults Restaurant for breakfast. So, mark your experiencing homelessness in Scott calendar for December 3rd @ 7:30 am, and Carver Counties. and please feel free to invite anyone you Research Group (best practices, know that might be looking for a new models, programming elements) church home or just some good Finance/Facility Group (funding, Christian guys to hang out with. locations, buildings) Community Outreach and Engagement (get community and county individuals and groups interested and engaged) If you are interested in an opportunity to be engaged with creating "The Inn" from the ground up, this is for you! Interested? Contact Sarah Gavert in the church office. Need to activate the prayer chain? Contact Sarah Gavert at 492-6102 or email: [email protected] Happy Birthday to You! 1 Jennifer Schultz 15 Chuck Wermerskirchen, Rod Lieske, Karis Blume, 3 Dale Lecy Kelly Lorenz, Tanner Oakes 5 Lisa Evenson 16 Lori Ballard, Jon Roemmich 6 Joan Hafslund 17 Monica Fremming 7 Amy Bounds, Randy Mattson 18 Harry Janssen 8 Makenzie Hennen 20 Kari Schmidt 9 Jamie Polley 21 Liz Thaves 10 Jason Pelowski 27 Bob Templin 11 Dean Christiansen 28 Jeff Will, Tiffany Kasper 14 Gene Sieve 29 Tom Dohnansky, Mallory Thill 31 Dan Garnhardt Page 3 Parents Corner. Ages 8-12 Sometimes it's the small things that help us find Jesus during the Christmas season — a smile from a Ring in an international Christmas by assigning a stranger, card from a loved one. But often parents country to each child. Besides reporting about how need to be intentional. Here are activities that parents that country celebrates the holiday, he or she can have done to help their families celebrate the birth of prepare a seasonal dish to share, or demonstrate a song our Savior or draw closer together as a family: or folkdance. Then pray for the people of that culture so that they too might understand the meaning of God's love. Age-Appropriate Christmas Ages 13-18 Activities This age group is old enough to bundle up and go Try these fun-filled, age-appropriate activities that caroling. During each visit allow for a few seasonal will direct children, and adults, back to the true songs and readings from the scriptures proclaiming the meaning of the holiday, to celebrate Emmanuel, God birth of the newborn king. Besides visiting the who is with us. neighbors, teens may want to stop by the local Ages 0-3 convalescent home, hospital, or homeless shelter. In order to avoid making Christmas a "don't touch All Ages holiday" for little ones, give them fun things Many families choose to celebrate Advent – the days they can touch. leading up to Christmas Day. There are fun Advent Move glass ornaments and lights up to higher calendars on the market, some with doors that open branches on the Christmas tree, and help your child and play songs, others that hide chocolate candies or make fun decorations for the bottom. other treats. Focus on the Family offers various Advent calendars, some free and some to purchase. To String pieces of colored tissue paper cut into learn more about the free downloads, go to squares onto shoestrings to hang as garland. FocusOnTheFamily.com/Advent. Get out the glitter and make paper ornaments. — Lynne Thompson Mold a nativity scene from clay dough and display in a prominent place. Tell the story of Christmas while you do this. Decorate cookies and build gingerbread houses together as a family. Ages 4-7 Help your little ones focus on others this season by making use of those Christmas cards received in the mail. Place the cards in a basket on the dinner table; taking turns each night drawing one out. Then pray together for that person or family. Also, start a family tradition by picking out a new holiday picture book to read each Christmas Eve. Some of my favorites are: 10 Minutes to Showtime, by Tricia Goyer The Crippled Lamb, by Max Lucado The Stable Where Jesus was Born, by Rhonda Gowler Greene The Christmas Rose, by William H. Hooks Page 6 ~ Prayer Concerns of Our Family and Friends ~ Claire Olivia Lindell - multiple health issues Paul L - cancer Brett Schaumburg - hemophilia Gracie B - leukemia Rev Ben - congestive heart failure Penny - breast cancer Beth - treatment for breast cancer Jackie - breast cancer Sarah - recovery from stroke Lisa - pain relief Don - end of his life journey Jerry - cancer Clarence - failing health Pam - ovarian cancer Dave S - health issues Jen - colon cancer Burt - recovery from pneumonia Austin - in recovery ~ Pray for those who mourn ~ -Larry and Kristie Breitung and family as they mourn the death of his father, William Leon Breitung.