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3700 S. Casper Drive, New Berlin, WI (262)786-2900 www.starofbethlehem.org January 2017

But I trust in you, LORD; Yet, before we get depressed, the Lord assures us that I say, “You are my God.” our times are in His hands. We can trust in Him! The My times are in your hands. Lord assures us that when it comes to the times of our Psalm 31:14-15 lives, He has all the bases covered. One time a small boy stood near Our past is forgiven through the shed blood the grandfather clock at his of Christ. house. He loved to count out Our present is taken care of through loud with the chimes marking a His merciful provision. new hour. One day, as the noon chime sounded 12, something Our future is secure through the promises happened! Instead of stopping of His Word. at 12, it kept right on chiming, Truly our times are in God’s hands! We 13-14-15-16… trust in Him! The little boy jumped to his feet Prayer: and ran into the kitchen, Eternal Father, as time passes, I praise shouting, “Mom, Mom! It’s later You that You are outside of time. Order than it has ever been before!” my times around Your will so that I may IT IS LATER THAN IT HAS truly trust in You. In ’ name I pray. EVER BEEN BEFORE! Amen. How true! For each of us, it is Devotion written by Luther Brunette Adapted from “Best-Loved Passages of the Bible” later than it has ever been before. We are all getting Some questions to pray about: older, changing by the hour, Am I trusting God with “my times”, and heading towards that or am I trusting more in myself? day when we will meet our How have I used the past time that Savior face-to- God has graciously given to me? face through our How will I use the future time faith in Him. that God has planned for me? One Service will be conducted on Sunday, January 1, at 9:30 a.m. New Year’s Day is the 8th Day after Jesus’ birth. Baptisms th On the 8 Day Jesus was circumcised and given the name, The daughters of Bobbi Aidan “Jesus.” Jesus means “Savior.” That is in keeping with Maxwell Juern, son of Jeremy what the angel said prior to Jesus’ birth: “because he will and Anna Juern, was baptized at save his people from their sins” (Mt. 1:21). We invite and Star of on Sunday, encourage you to join us for this special Service, as we start December 4, 2016. Adalyn Ericksen Tobiasz, daughter of the New Year with worship. Please invite family, friends, Patrick and Tammy Tobiasz, was baptized at Star of neighbors and co-workers to join us! Bethlehem on Sunday, December 11, 2016. Jonah Paul Jesus! Name of wondrous love, Schwartz, son of Senior Vicar John and Erin Schwartz, was Name all other names above, baptized at Waukesha Memorial Hospital on Thursday, Unto which must ev’ry knee December 15, 2016. May the Lord keep all of these little Bow in deep humility. lambs in his loving arms throughout life to life everlasting. “The promise is for you and your children Jesus! Name of priceless worth and for all who are far off – for all whom the Lord our To the fallen here on earth God will call” (Acts 2:39). For the promise that it gave, “Jesus shall his people save!”

Called Home Regular Worship Schedule It pleased Almighty God to call out of this life the soul of We will return to our Regular Worship Schedule on January Georgia Stamm to our eternal home in heaven. A 7-9, 2017. Saturday Night Services will resume at 5:30 Christian Funeral Service was conducted here at Star of p.m., Sunday Morning Services will be at 8:00 and 10:30 Bethlehem on December 1, 2016. Committal was held at a.m., and Monday Night Services will be at 6:30 p.m. We the Valhalla Memorial Park on December 2. May the hope this schecule provides you will sufficient Lord comfort all who mourn with the sure promise of a opportunities to attend Worship Services each week joyous reunion in heaven. “Because I live, you also will throughout the New Year. “Come, let us bow down in live” (John 14:19). worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock Bible Information under his care” (Psalm 95:6-7). Course A new session of the Bible Information Course, a series of Spiritual Growth 10 lessons on the basics of our Christian faith, will begin on Thursday, January 19, at 6:30 p.m. Lessons go from Opportunities 6:30-8:00 p.m. If you would like to be a part of the next Our Spiritual Growth session, please contact any pastor or our Administrative Programs will resume on Assistants, Jodi or Julie, in the Church Office. The course Sunday, January 8. Our is free. All materials are provided. Please enroll to allow Jesus and Me Program for us to assemble enough materials and to ensure places for children will be at 9:15 you in this new session. We would love to share with a.m. Our Bible Study for you what we preach and teach, and why we do so. Teens and our Adult Bible Please join us! Class will resume at 9:20 a.m., and our Monday Night Bible Class will resume on Jan. 9, at 7:45 p.m. Please join us for these opportunities for Snow Removal spiritual growth for the whole family. There is also nursery The Trustees are looking for volunteers that care for infants and toddlers during the Adult Bible Class are able to help with snow shoveling. time in the Extended Care Room, right next to the If you are able to help in any Fellowship Hall or Large Bible Study Room. way, please contact Larry “Grow in grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Schaefer at 262-679-1801. Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever!” 2 Peter 3:18 Preschool, ELC, MEN’S BASKETBALL LEAGUE Your men are 1- & Kindergarten 1 on the new season. We got off It’s that time of year to recount to a rather snowy start to the and review the Lord’s blessings Enrollment for the 2016- season, with one week’s league upon our congregation for the past year. All those who 17 School Year cancelled on account of bad weather. The league submit an annual report for Star of Bethlehem School begins to enroll for your board, committee, the 2017-2018 school year in January for our resumes play on Sunday, Jan. 8. organization or activity, are Early Learning Center, Preschool, and encouraged to submit a report Kindergarten. We will be sending out letters Your team plays each week at to Jodi Wandschneider, our to all of our member families the first week in Administrative Assistant, by January overviewing all details. If you do not 6:00 p.m. Come and watch any Wednesday, Jan. 18. Thanks so receive a letter by January 7, please call our much for your assistance in office immediately. Timeliness is essential Sunday evening. Admission is free. trying to meet this deadline, so when enrolling. If you are not a member, and the report can be compiled would like information, please call our office. Fan support is welcomed! prior to our Annual Meeting on We would love to let you know about our Jan. 24. flexible, full and part time options for 3 and 4 GYM FLOOR REFINISHED year-olds, our kindergarten, and our school & CARPETS CLEANED THANKS family here at Star. Over the Lutheran Elementary A sincere thank you to all those School’s break for Christmas who provided plants to vacation, the gym floor will be beautify our sanctuary, to refinished. Please stay off the those who decorated our Our Annual Voters’ Meeting will be held on court until the “all-clear” signal is church for the Christmas Tuesday, Jan. 24, at 6:30 p.m. Adoption of given. Also, our carpets on the Season, and to all those who our budget, elections, new organizational church end and the lower level planned, prepared, and used structure, and other year-end reports are on will be cleaned on Monday, your unique gifts to present the agenda. We encourage all of our voters January 2. If you need to enter our Special , Christmas to come and do our Father’s business. the building, please do so through and New Year’s Services! the school entrance doors. The “Well done!” Sincere Thanks! carpeting should be dried and RESERVE THE DATE ready for use again on You are to be commended once again for The Martin Luther College Wednesday, Jan. 4, when the your generous outpouring of gifts for the Choir will be here at Star of Lutheran Elementary School residents at the Linden Grove Health Care Bethlehem to give a concert on resumes. Center. Your abundance of generous gifts Friday, March 31, at 7:00 p.m. impressed not only the residents but also the We will be serving the choir Linden Grove staff. Sincere thanks for this Weddings supper before the concert. We activity of love in behalf of these important will be needing about 60 choir members of our community. Special thanks members to be housed by our to our volunteers from Star of Bethlehem congregation, provided a bag without whom we could not conduct our lunch as they travel the next Wednesday Morning Services each week at day for concerts in Algoma and 9:30 a.m.; Nancy Albrecht, Pat Corner, Neenah. It is a rare privilege Courtney Giovinazzo and William Laverne Oberneder and Cindy Breber. If to serve as hosts for the choir. Denzer will be married at Star of others would like to assist, just come to the This will be their only concert Bethlehem on Friday, Jan. 6. lobby at the New Berlin Linden Grove Health in the Milwaukee area. We Sarah Gruszka and Jonathan Daley Care Center at 9:00 a.m. any Wednesday. encourage you to attend the will be married at the Pritzlaff in Our volunteers will be happy to show you concert, and willingly open Milwaukee on Jan. 14. May the what to do, primarily assisting the residents your homes to these future nd Lord bless them with many years to the worship area on the 2 floor. May pastors and teachers in training of happiness in this God-designed the Lord continue to bless our ministry to the at Martin Luther College. residents of Linden Grove! estate for husbands and wives.

GENERAL FUND OFFERINGS FOR 2016 From the President $1,000,000 Offerings I read recently that the busiest $900,000 shopping day of the year actually occurs on the day $800,000 Update after Christmas – December $700,000 Here is where we 26. Apparently, all those stand as of the end of $600,000 gift cards – and unwanted October with Annual gifts that are returned for $500,000 $1,020,41 Mission Plan (Budget). We give thanks to the something else – are the main reasons for the $400,000 $897,802 1 Lord for the treasures huge throngs of people that hit the stores on that $300,000 that Star members are date. However, in terms of dollar sales volume able to share to enable $200,000 it’s quite another story as all those bargains eat the work we do into retailers’ top line. $100,000 together to be accomplished. But there’s one gift – a very perfect gift – that we $- ACTUAL THROUGH 2016 BUDGET don’t have to even think about returning . . . . NOVEMBER 30 Jesus is that perfect gift.

Seven hundred years before the birth of Christ, Isaiah son of Amoz wrote: “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.” (Isaiah 9:2) A bit later, in Isaiah 9:6: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Does that sound like a gift that needs to be returned or exchanged? And what an amazing gift it is – that our almighty God sent his Son, true God from all eternity, Creator of all things, to purify us from the sins that condemn all of us! If that birth had never occurred – if the promised Messiah had never appeared – all of us would still be wondering around “in the land of deep darkness.” In our secular society, gifts can be readily exchanged or returned for something perceived to be more fitting or stylish. But who in their right mind would ever want to exchange the exquisite gift of the Christ Child? For it’s this same Child that readily exchanged his life for ours so that we might be right with an all- holy God.

We are hoping to have this new Pictorial Directory completed as May this wonderful season fill you with peace and a part of our church’s 50th Anniversary and the school’s 40th hope and joy! Anniversary celebration on August 20 of 2017. Please sign up to See you in church. have your picture taken! Thank you! Gene Szaj -- Church President