Connect at Calvary December 2018

“Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see – I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people; to you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.’” Luke 2:8-12 What is the best gift that you have ever received at Christmastime? What is the best gift that you’ve given someone? I remember the year that we gave my Dad a bicycle. We had it hidden somewhere else and only a small box that was wrapped underneath the tree. He’s always able to pick up a wrapped gift and figure out what it is, so we didn’t want him to know – we wanted him to be surprised. He was very surprised when his gift was not what he though it was. We had wrapped a pair of socks in the small box. Of course, he figured it out and said thank you. But then, there was the look on his face when we brought the bicycle into the room! I’ll never forget it. My prayer for you is that you will enjoy your time of gift giving and receiving this Christmas season as you celebrate the greatest gift of all – the gift of Jesus. Let us pray. Living God, thank you for the gift of Jesus. Amen

December Weekend Worship Services 1-2, 8-9, 15-16, 22-23, 29-30 Saturday 5:30 pm Sunday 8:15 am & 10:15 am Wednesday Activities December 5/12/19 Wednesday Meal served from 4:45 – 6:15 pm

Wednesday Education Programming 3 years – 5th Grade 5:00 pm – 5:45 pm or 5:45 – 6:30 pm 6th Grade 5:00 – 5:45 pm 7th Grade 5:45 – 6:30 pm 8th – 9th Grade 6:30 – 8:00 pm 10th – 12th Grade 7:00 – 8:15 pm Wednesday Worship – 6:30 pm

Sunday, December 2 Sunday, December 16 9:20 am Women’s Chorus Rehearsal 9:20 am Women’s Chorus Rehearsal 11:20 am Living Prayer Rehearsal 11:20 am Living Prayer Rehearsal Monday, December 3 Monday, December 17 5:15 pm Wed. Band Rehearsal 5:15 pm Wed. Band Rehearsal 7:00 pm Hand Chime Choir Rehearsal 7:00 pm Hand Chime Choir Rehearsal Tuesday, December 4 Tuesday, December 18 6:00 pm Men’s Chorus Rehearsal 6:00 pm Men’s Chorus Rehearsal Thursday, December 6 Wednesday, December 19 9:00 am Quilters 6:30 pm Children’s Christmas Program Saturday, December 8 & Live Nativity 3:00 pm Christmas Caroling Friday, December 21 6:30 pm Congregational Potluck 5:45 pm Care Center Meal Sunday, December 9 Monday, December 24 9:20 am Women’s Chorus Rehearsal Christmas Eve Services 11:20 am Living Prayer Rehearsal 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm Monday, December 10 5:15 pm Wed. Band Rehearsal 7:00 pm Hand Chime Choir Rehearsal Tuesday, December 11 6:00 pm Men’s Chorus Rehearsal Wednesday, December 12 9:30 am Phoebe Circle & Naomi Circle Thursday, December 13 7:00 am Men’s Breakfast 9:00 am Quilters Friday, December 14 12:00 – 2:00 Classics Christmas Party

Fay Swenson, Suzanne Ray, Suzanne Swenson, Linda Atene, Raylan Piebenga Murphy, Carolie Zacher, Joshua Gordon, Hazel Mueller, Joann Piebenga, Julie Fraley, Mary Boyer, Charlene Buescher, Allan Dewald, Sharon Hermeling, Mark Schuh, Thomas Abell, Jordyn Bruski, Donna Kinzley, Ray Anderson, Orland Paulsen, Amy Alford, Freddis Williamson, Pauline Hohn, Borgie Sande, Charlotte Rowland, Leona Aaker, George Lee, Rollie Larson, Bill Groethe, Kadie Neuharth, Rich Elias, Trisa Scott, Florence Cook, Mary Repp, Ed Hoerner, Lori Mehlberg, Nick Arneson, Kristi Cihak, Ron Hveem, Zane Wulf, Mark Rossignol, All Military, First Responders & families

BAPTISM Johanna Anderson Busse and Adrianna Anderson Busse daughters of Andrew Busse & Anna Anderson.

SYMPATHY TO Doug and Dennis Jenner and family. Doug & Dennis’ mother, Alleen Jenner, died November 22nd. Haze Pearson and family. Haze’s husband, Dick Pearson, died November 25th.

We will decorate our Altar with poinsettias for Christmas. You may purchase a poinsettia in honor, memory of or in thanksgiving for a family member or friend. Each poinsettia will cost $10.00 and may be purchased at the Information Desk or in the church office. Deadline to purchase a poinsettia will be Sunday, December 16th.

Council Members… Patrick Badiuk, Tim Becker, Cheryl Chapman, Bill Eldridge, Jon Johnson, Reeva Mathieson, Nancy May, Jeff Schleusener, Doug Thrash Officers: President: Cheryl Chapman; Vice-President: Jeff Schleusener Secretary: Jon Johnson Treasurer: Tim Becker

The first Bluegrass Saturday is coming up on December 1st. Join us for coffee, hot cider, cookies and bars at 5:00 pm. Music begins at 5:20 and worship at 5:30. See you there!

HOLDEN EVENING PRAYER… We will be doing Holden Evening Prayer during Advent for our Saturday evening worship on December 8, 15 & 22 at 5:30. This is an opportunity to slow down and participate in a peaceful, meditative form of worship during a sometimes crazy Christmas season.

CALVARY CLASSICS CHRISTMAS PARTY Friday, December 14th- 12:00 Noon–2:00 pm Bring a white elephant gift and your favorite holiday treat to share. Meal will be provided. RSVP to the church office at 342-9043 by Tuesday, December 11th. Questions? Call the office at 342-9043.

WE NEED DISHWASHERS to help at our Wednesday meals on December 5th, 12th, and 19th. If you can help, contact Karla at 391-3850 or email [email protected]

Jessica Gromer, RN, will check blood pressures on Dec. 16th in the Dakota Room from 9:00–10:00 am.

6th – 8th GRADE CONFIRMATION PARENTS… We have prayerfully decided to transition to a new Confirmation Program. We will have an information session in the sanctuary on Dec. 19th immediately following worship. CHRISTMAS CAROLING, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 8TH FROM 3:00 – 5:15 PM. Join us as we spread Christmas cheer through song to other Calvary members in town. Meet at the church at 3:00 pm. Caroling Times: 3:15 – 3:45 pm Corral Drive Apartments; 4:00 – 4:30 pm West Hills Village; 4:45 – 5:15 pm Hospice House; 5:30 – 6:30 pm Worship at Calvary. We will have a potluck at church following the worship service. Bring the whole family – everything sounds better in a large group! Contact Kellie Meissner at 430-9684 for more information.

WE WILL BEGIN A NEW WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY on Monday, January 7, 2019. The study will be “God of Creation – A Study of Genesis 1-11” by Jen Wilkin. The creation story of Genesis has truths to teach us about the character of God and it begins teaching them in the very first sentence: In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1 Sign up at the Information Desk or in the church office. Questions? Call 342-9043.

December Events… December 5 – St. Nick Night December 19 – Children’s Christmas Program & Live Nativity. December 24 – Christmas Eve Services 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm Christmas & New Year’s Break NO Classes, Dinner or Wednesday Worship December 26th and January 2nd MUSIC NOTES…WELCOME TO THE GREAT SEASONS OF ADVENT AND CHRISTMAS! This Advent we are starting each service with the lighting of the Advent candle with a liturgy of song and prayer. This will replace our opening hymn for the season. It is intended to focus us on the coming of Jesus. Our gospel acclamation is a very powerful song from a pastor, recently released from a Turkish prison. He wrote this during his imprisonment and certainly speaks to hope in the darkness: Advent. We received permission to use this song from his parents. Special thanks to Matt Braden for finding it. On December 9th, we are hosting a Christmas concert from KSLT with Mark Schultz. We are looking for people to sing with him on a song...Love Has Come. Please see me for music and invite a friend to join. On December 16th, we will present our Christmas Cantata "The Glory of Christmas." It is beautiful; please invite a friend. If you would like to sing with us, we have numerous rehearsal times and would love your participation - see me for music and times. Finally, our Christmas Eve services are always the high point of the year, with filled pews and voices singing praise to God. We look forward to all the ways we worship God by offering thanks! And a special thanks to all the people who sing and play, you are always appreciated for your faith in action. Thanks to all for singing the faith and a very happy new year. Albin

CRAFTING AT CALVARY… Join us for crafting on Dec. 16th between the hours of 8:30 am and 5:00 pm. We meet in the Quilting Room at Calvary. Questions? Call Christie 484-5815. ARE YOU INTERESTED IN JOINING OUR UPCOMING CLASS? We need 10 couples to sign up by December 16th. Class starts January 10th and goes through March 7, 2019 (9 week class) from 6:15 pm – 7:45 pm. Materials can be purchased through www.daveramsey.com. (Note: They have new materials this year.) Financial Peace University makes a GREAT Christmas gift for someone you care about. Sign up at the Information Desk.

THE CALVARY IN ACTION COMMITTEE is sponsoring Head Start Classes in Kyle for Christmas this year. We are in need of 68 warm coats, hats, and mittens for boys and girls. You can take a tag off of the Christmas tree in the Narthex and purchase your items. Return your items, along with the tag you took from the tree, by December 12th.

Our stewardship campaign for 2019, began in October. Thank you to all who have turned in your statement of intent cards. We have exceeded last year’s campaign both in number of cards returned and in dollars pledged. There are still statement of intent cards in the pews if you misplaced yours and want to add to these totals. Year-round Wednesday worship, continued support for our local mission partners, additional middle school mentor time and more adult connection opportunities can all be accomplished in the coming year with additional resources. We’ll share the results of this on celebration weekend December 1 and 2nd. COMMUNITY GIVING OPPORTUNITIES. At this time of giving, Calvary Lutheran Church is partnering with the local chapter of the Royal Neighbors of America (RNA) fraternal insurance company to raise funds to allow the HOPE Center to purchase laundry detergent for their guests during the coming year. RNA will match dollar for dollar all funds raised – up to $1,000.00. Any additional gifts of detergent are welcome as well. A “donation station” will be in the narthex of the church between services the second and third weekends in December as well as prior to Wednesday night services. A gift of clean clothes is truly a gift of dignity for a homeless person! For more information, contact Karen Pearson, [email protected] or call Karen at 605-877-5955.

MIDDLE SCHOOL MISSION TRIP FUNDRAISERS Fundraisers How Much Is It? Available Sunday Caramel Rolls $5.00 for one Dec. 2nd/9th/16th 8:15 and 10:15 am Cookie Dough $15 for 3# tub Dec. 9th/16 8:15 and 10:15 am Daddy Daughter $15 Daddy/Daughter 6:00 – 8:00 pm Dance (taking Couple: includes February 22, 2019 Donations for drinks, snacks and Silent Auction) photo booth  The caramel rolls are from Colonial House! Extra caramel rolls will be available for sale if you did not pre-order.  The cookie dough is from Eileen’s Colossal Cookies. We will have extra tubs of cookie dough available for purchase.  We are accepting your kind donations for the Daddy/Daughter silent auction. THANK YOU for your continued support of all the ministries at Calvary. Your time, talent and treasure are all appreciated. These numbers show our cash flow thru the end of October. 10/31/2018 Donations $ 630,198 Disbursements 781,538 Donations – Disbursements $ (151,340) We need your help to finish 2018 on a positive note. If your generosity follows historical patterns (we receive almost 20 percent of our annual offerings in December), we can lower this deficit. Don’t leave this up to “the other family” – it takes ALL of us to do God’s work at Calvary. With your help and an extra Christmas donation we can continue to fund our ministries, so we can all be equipped to go…love, serve and be the people of God. If you have any questions, please contact Kathy Miller at the church office, or any of your church council members.

Gifting appreciated stock may be one of the most effective ways to make your money work for you and benefit Calvary at the same time. Capital gains taxes on the stock are avoided. And, you will be eligible to receive an income tax charitable deduction for the full fair-market value of the stock at the time of the gift. To qualify for these special tax advantages, the security must have been held for at least one year. While the stock market has been a bit of roller coaster ride lately, if you have investments that may qualify, talk to your investment advisor about this opportunity. WHAT WOULD IT MEAN FOR US AS CALVARY MEMBERS TO BECOME AN ANCHOR CHURCH?

First, what is an Anchor Church? The Evangelical Lutheran Church of America is initiating discussions throughout the country seeking ways to revitalize the church through creative ministry partnerships. Calvary Lutheran Church is invited to become an anchor church, leading by example and welcoming the Holy Spirit to inspire all generations in a new ministry.

Pastor Becky Piper and Council President Cheryl Chapman took part in initial discussions at a recent meeting in Denver, Colorado, with church leaders throughout the ELCA. One of the key reasons for moving forward with the Anchor Church initiative is the dwindling attendance in ELCA churches— now averaging nation-wide 66 attendees each Sunday. Steps must be taken to reverse this trend.

Pastor Becky and Cheryl learned of various Anchor Church models. They were 1) Accompaniment—“walking along” other churches to learn and work together, 2) Church Without Walls—serving our community in areas of need, 3) Franchise—duplicating church sermons and programs in other churches, and 4) Adoption—taking over the assets of struggling congregations. ELCA is encouraging each congregation to prayerfully consider its path forward. Calvary Lutheran Church is committed to uniquely developing what an Anchor Church means for us, drawing upon some key ideas from the various models.

The timing could not be better for us. As Our Guiding Statements: we have begun our work in visioning and  Vision: a caring and connected faith developing a new strategic plan, we have community the opportunity to define our role as an  Mission: welcome and inspire all with Anchor Church in our community. Now grace, courage, and that our Values and Guiding Statements love  Tag Line: Reach up, have been developed, we are moving Reach In, Reach Out forward to setting goals and objectives to Our Values: implement our vision. Please join in the  Servant Leadership  Joyful Generosity discussion with Pastor Doug Hill on:  Intentional Relationships STRATEGIC PLANNING: SETTING GOALS Thursday, January 24, 2018 5:30 pm Supper and Meeting Calvary Lutheran Church

As we develop our goals and objectives, we know that we are already collaborating in many of our community commitments. We are working on many activities that fit into an Anchor Church model. For example, our ministry with Woyatan is an important example of being a “church-without- walls.” What else could we be doing? What does it mean to accompany Woyatan in their ministry?

Calvary Lutheran is on the leading edge of change for our church. Please join in the discussions, shaping our future and in sharing God’s word throughout our community. For more information, contact Pastor Becky, [email protected], 605-342-9043, or Cheryl [email protected], 605-484-0334.