December 11-12, 2010

Vol.2010, Issue 50 Conspiracy is . . .

an invitation to engage more fully in authentic worship and giving at . There are four basic ideas: WORSHIP FULLY, SPEND LESS, ARTICLES INSIDE: GIVE MORE, LOVE ALL. The focus for the third week of Advent is GIVE MORE. ADULT EDUCATION God’s gift to us is his son – a relationship built on pg. 2 love. So it’s no wonder why we’re drawn to the idea YOUTH MINISTRY that Christmas should be a time to love our friends pg. 3 and family in the most memorable ways possible. But what does a Christmas giving tradition modeled on God’s giving look like? Not a nicely wrapped pg. 2 present or a gift card. TIME is the real gift Christmas offers us, time for relationships built on love. And no matter how hard we look, it can’t be found at the mall. Time WOMEN'S MINISTRY to make a gift that turns into the next family heirloom. Time to write Mom a letter. pg. 3 Time to take the kids sledding. Time to bake really good cookies and sing really bad Christmas carols. Time to make our love visible through relational giving. Sounds a KNIT AND CROCHET lot better than getting a sweater, right? GROUP pg. 3 Need an idea for relational giving? For giving more while spending less? Take a look at the lists being distributed this weekend. Use these ideas or be creative and come NEW BEGINNINGS PARTY up with your own ways to give more relationally to those you love. Talk with your pg. 3 family about ways you can give as God did – give yourselves. This year, give time. Give presence. Give More. PRESCHOOL REGISTRATION pg. 3 Note: Last week we collected over $176 in coins for cleaner water in the world. Keep it coming! NOTE FROM Susan McDonnell, Coordinator PASTOR PETERMAN pg. 4

ALONE FOR CHRISTMAS? HAVE AN EMPTY CHAIR AT YOUR TABLE?

Some of our members are virtually alone for the Christmas holiday and would Bible Readings for appreciate an invitation to dinner on either or Christmas Day. Other Next Weekend Dec 18/19 members enjoy opening their homes to these individuals and getting to know them apart from just seeing them at church. If you would love to spend a part of your holiday Isaiah 7:10-16 with a family/couple OR if you are a family/couple who would like to increase the Psalm 80:1-7,17-19 size of your celebration by one or two persons, please sign up in the Commons and Romans 1:1-7 I’ll make the matches! Matthew 1:18-25 Pastor Laura

025GODLV-1 ADULT EDUCATION SUNDAYS AT 9:30AM CAFÉ ANGELS We welcome Pastor Peter to the adult forum! Beginning today, for three weeks, we will examine our Christmas celebrations in more detail. Here's a brief outline of what Pastor Peter has planned to share-- Setup: Orr Family

December 12th: Using some cool videos from the "Reform" series, we will explore more Can you help with cleanup? deeply the theology of Christmas. Contact Karen Orr at [email protected] December 19th: Sharing family that nurture and strengthen our faith.

As always, adults are encouraged to attend any Sunday you are available. Coffee, tea and PRAY FOR WORSHIP bagels are available in the hallway by Fellowship Hall. The adult education class will meet LEADERS in the Eagles Wing classroom opposite the church sanctuary. December 12th Andy Senft

VOLUNTEERS WANTED December 19th Todd & Carol Stranahan Altar Guild

-Our Altar Guild, part of Worship Ministry, is looking for a few people to work in teams of two to prepare the sanctuary for worship services. Each team serves for one month. Training will be provided. If you are interested or have questions, contact Cherie Joy at 267-367-5411 STEWARDSHIP CORNER or [email protected] or Sandy Anthony at 215-757-4709 or [email protected]. Season of generosity

As you contemplate donations this Community Outreach Chairperson holiday season, please keep God’s Love Lutheran Church in mind. Community Outreach Chairperson - This position entails someone to be the contact person Your contributions are needed for for the existing sub-ministries of Outreach which includes Emergency Relief Assoc., Bucks everything from special programs to County Housing Group, Knit and Crochet Group, St. Nicholas Day, and others). Each sub- basic operating expenses—both are ministry runs smoothly and little involvement is needed from the chair. The start of new deserving of your support. Please be outreach programs is always welcome. Training and guidance will be provided. If interested, as generous as you can this holiday contact Sandy Anthony at 215-757-4709 or [email protected]. season and in the year ahead. For the convenience of church members, we offer electronic giving. Contact the church offi ce for more information. BULLETIN HELPERS NEEDED

Do you have time to help fold bulletins for Christmas? We will start the process on Wednesday, December 22 at 10am. Please call before you come over to ensure that we are ready for you. We’ll work hard together and then share some Christmas cookies. ATTENDANCE AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION

For Nov 27th/28th Attendance 247

For Dec 4th/5th Attendance 278 HANGING OF THE GREENS Sunday, December 19 at Noon Envelope Giving as of 9/30/10: Actual YTD Giving 305,688 Please come and help us prepare our church for the celebration of Christmas. We will Budgeted YTD Giving 299,292 decorate our sanctuary and commons after the Contemporary service on December 19. Difference 6,396 We will hang garland, wreaths and bows, as well as ornaments on our tree. All ages are invited to help out. 025GODLV-2 YOUTH GROUP SCHEDULE WOMEN’S MINISTRY YOUTH: GRADES 6-12

Sunday, December 12: 9:30am during the education hour in the Loft Sunday, December 19: 6pm at church for a Christmas party

Stacey Sottung, Youth Coordinator

COFFEE SALES YOUTH FUNDRAISER RESULTS We’re selling coffee, tea, and chocolate each Thank you to everyone who participated in the T-Shirt fundraiser. We raised $212.45 which weekend before Christmas in the Commons. will help us add useful items to our beautiful loft. Buy items for your holiday gift giving! All profi ts from these sales benefi t the Lutheran In early December we received donations of two matching bookcases and a NEW fl at screen World Relief Small Farmers Fund. television. This will be mounted on the wall for viewing movies and video clips. We are now looking for board games, bean bag chairs, and age appropriate DVD movies. Contact Stacey Sottung, Youth Coordinator, at [email protected] to donate.

PRESCHOOL REGISTRATION FOR 2011-2012

Registration for the 2011-2012 school year will begin on Monday, January 3rd for NEW BEGINNINGS - PARTY congregation members, current students, and alumni families. Registration will be open SUNDAY, DECEMBER 12 to the community on Thursday, January 13th. AT 4PM New for next year will be a 3-day 3 year old program. We also have a 2-day 3’s class, 3-day and 4-day 4’s classes and a 5-day PreK class. Each month the children have yoga, music, We’re having a potluck dinner to celebrate gym and chapel time. Please call 215-597-0506 or email [email protected] to contact Christmas together. Families with young Janet Nelson, Director, for information and a tour. children are invited. Contact Nicky Hinderberger, Coordinator for more information at nickyhinderberger@ hotmail.com.

REPORT FROM KNIT & CROCHET GROUP MEN’S BREAKFAST FIELD TRIP ON FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3 Saturday, December 18 On December 3rd, fi ve members of our Knit and Crochet Group took a fi eld trip to Philadelphia. We visited the Rev. Violet Little, a Lutheran pastor, who started a mission All men of the church – meet us in Room church in the city for the homeless. We gave her 14 hat and scarf sets to distribute for us. A1 at 8am on Saturday, December 18. We’ll share some hot food and some fellowship. Pastor Little was ordained in 1992 and served 15 years in an urban congregation in Philadelphia with Pastor Janet Peterman. In 2007 she started The Welcome Center and John Connors and Carl Fricke, Coordinators subsequently The Welcome Church. In addition, she has a background in social work and has studied psychotherapy and psychoanalysis.

Twice a week, Tuesdays and Fridays, Holy Communion Lutheran Church offers space WEAR YOUR NAMETAG to The Welcome Center for serving meals to the homeless. They also show movies in a separate room, where we observed many folks taking a nap. Pastor Peter is trying to learn all of our names. During worship, please wear your Pastor Violet has also started many other projects: Welcome Home Kits (for those who are nametag located alphabetically in the easels lucky enough to get an apartment), a Choir (for providing music during outdoor worship in the Commons. Since we haven’t used services), Tea Time (for 3pm hospitality on Tuesdays and Fridays), and "The Women of nametags in a long time, yours may be Eat, Pray, Love" who prepare a monthly meal together. We were truly inspired! missing. Let Sandy Frantz know and she will make you one. 025GODLV-3 NOTE FROM PASTOR PETERMAN DONATIONS FOR THANKSGIVING TIME

Last week Nancy McPeak brought the gift scrapbook to me that she and Bridget Joss had Thank you, congregation, for your put together: It’s beautifully created, with pictures of many who came to the farewell lunch generosity to the Bucks County on October 24th, and notes from many of you. I love seeing your pictures smiling out at me. Housing Group. 27 turkeys and 522 My heart is warmed by your thoughtfulness in writing notes for the scrapbook, and by the pounds of food were delivered to the many cards, gifts and well wishes, both from that last weekend and in our last conversations food pantry at the BCHG in Penndel with each other. over the past week in celebration of Thanksgiving. I’ve begun exploring the Rosetta Stone Program you gave me: what a wonderful gift! Spanish should be rolling off my tongue in no time. Gloria Nelson, Coordinator

I am reminded of the German mystic Meister Eckhardt who said, “If the only prayer we ever prayed was ‘Thank you,’ it would be enough.” It’s hard to trust that: that those simple words are enough… but they are what I have, with a full and grateful heart. Thank you. Thank you HOME FOR THE for these gifts and for your thoughtfulness at our parting. And many blessings to you now. HOLIDAYS I’ll look forward to the ways our paths will cross again as God leads each of us in new ways! A local hotel chain has sent us a This week I begin my work as Interim Pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church on Cottman fl ier advertising a special Christmas Avenue in the Burholme section of Northeast Philadelphia. An important focus of their deal - $39 plus tax for a standard ministry is their thriving Lutheran parochial school, K-8. The congregation is in its 100th room from December 19-January 2. anniversary year, with some important decisions to make about their future. It’s a different Look for the fl ier posted across from kind of challenge for me. It is a pastoral transition, but more about evangelism and changing Fellowship Hall on our community demographics in their neighborhood than about a diffi cult pastoral transition in itself. I’m bulletin board or call the church offi ce looking forward to this new beginning and new challenge. for all the details So far I’ve heard from three of you who have had some kind of personal connection with Immanuel in the past, or with the neighborhoods near that church. Those connections, and the many ways you have helped to stretch me, and caused me to grow, makes it feel like you are sending me forth to this new place: what strength and power! I know you are with me, and I will remember you with gratitude, and in prayer.

Yours in Christ - Pastor Janet S. Peterman

BOAR’S HEAD AND LOG FESTIVAL

ST PETER’S LUTHERAN CHURCH BLOOD DRIVE RESULTS 3025 IN LAFAYETTE HILL, PA 19444 The Red Cross and I would like to thank everyone who participated in our drive on Thursday, December 2 - we were able to obtain 42 pints of blood (our goal was 40). When this is broken Join us for this renaissance down into separate components, it helps 126 people in our community. Many people are pageant which includes authentic committed blood donors and I would like to thank them for supporting this worthy cause: medieval dances, music, and John Ortendahl, Kathleen Quinn, Bob Ritchie, Susan and John Selman, Patricia Shotts, costuming. The schedule for the 29th Donna Robbins, Howard Schmidt, Sue Nester, Anne Evans, John Davis, Neil MacTiernan, presentation is: Christopher Marchok, George Forsyth, Sue Cook, Beth Meyers, Ken Weisensale, James Humbert, Harry Kriger, William Quanstrom, William Herbison, John Embree, Kurt Feaster, Saturday, January 9 Roman Konowaluk, Jen Cacace, Sherry Robb, Ken Huth, Eric Stark, Kathy MacDonald, at 1pm, 4pm, and 7pm Frank Caruso, Karen Kashinsky, Erik Foster, Jim Bishop, Steve Kumor, Cindy and Barry

Gould, Carl Fricke, Eric Vernacchio, and Lisa Sassaman. Sunday, January 10 at 1pm, 4pm, and 7pm Our next blood drive will be in May 2011. Tickets are $10 and can be ordered Eileen Bishop, Coordinator from the church at 610-828-3098. 025GODLV-4 VISION United by the Holy Spirit, TODAY – Advent 3 we will make Christ known! 8:15am Traditional Worship 9:30am Education Hour MISSION Youth Group We will invite all people to experience God’s 10:45am Contemporary Worship love, grow in faith together, serve and care for Noon Theater Rehearsal Council Meeting 4pm New Beginnings 7:30pm A.A. Meeting GOD’S LOVE STAFF: Rev. Peter Naschke, Senior Pastor Rev. Laura Ingersol, Associate Pastor THIS WEEK LOCATION Kay Rozolis, Offi ce Manager Mon Boy Scout Troop 7pm Fellowship Ken Weisensale, Offi ce Manager Tues Rejoice Rehearsal 8pm Sanctuary Walt Kull, Rejoice! Director Wed Youth Choir 5:30pm Sanctuary Risë Kagan, Director of Choirs Bell Choir 6:30pm A1, A2 Clipper Erickson, Organist Chantry Choir 7:30pm Sanctuary Tom Baust, Heartsong Musician Thurs Emerging Church 6pm A1, A2 Carolyn Lavelle, Nursery Coordinator Fri A.A. Meeting 7pm Mods Stacey Sottung, Interim Youth Activities Sat Men’s Breakfast 8am A1 Sharon Sottung, Interim Youth Administration Heartsong Service 5:30pm Sanctuary Josh Morales, Sexton

NEXT SUNDAY – Advent 4 CHURCH COUNCIL MEMBERS: 8:15am Traditional Worship Nancy McPeak - President 9:30am Education Hour Lisa Sassaman – Vice President 10:45am Contemporary Worship Kurt Nelson - Secretary Noon Theater Rehearsal Dawn DeChirico Hanging of the Greens Chip Folk 6pm Youth Group Ed Franco 7:30pm A.A. Meeting Sandy Frantz Jim Pecuch Klaus Senss Bob Smoose Lisa Smoots Stacey Sottung GOD’S LOVE CHRISTIAN PRESCHOOL Janet Nelson, Director Financial Secretary: John Rozolis Treasurer: Janet Nordberg Pre-K: M – F 9:15-11:45am 4 yr olds: M, W, F 9:15-11:45am M, W, R, F 12:45-3:15pm 3 yr olds: T, R 9:15-11:45am T, R 12:45-3:15pm

STAFF NOTES Telephone: 215-497-0506 Email: [email protected] Pastor Peter‘s cell phone is 215-375-0509. His offi ce hours will be from 8am-4pm daily until he decides upon his normal day off. E-mail General address: [email protected] Rev. Peter Naschke: [email protected] Rev. Laura Ingersol: [email protected] Kay Rozolis: [email protected] Ken Weisensale: [email protected] Stacey Sottung: [email protected]

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