The Trumpeter Augustana Lutheran Church, Sioux City, Iowa December 2016—Volume 24, Issue 12 From the Pastor Advent began on the last Sunday in November. Advent is In This Issue the season we celebrate the coming birth of Jesus...but it is Address Change-pg. 3 not Christmas! The season begs us to wait, to slow down, Birthdays, Baptism Birth- and to reflect on the beginning of the church year. That is days, Anniversaries-pg. 4 not an easy thing to do: some radio stations began playing Calendar-pg. 7 Christmas music on November 1, the holiday ads followed quickly after Children’s Christmas Pro- that, and then, of course, Black Friday and Cyber Monday! gram-pg. 1 Advent is also a time of preparation and anticipation. The chancel at Christmas Caroling-pg. 1 Augustana looks very different on the First Sunday in Advent than it Christmas Movie Event-pg. does on Christ the King Sunday the week before. The white is replaced 1 with blue, the color of hope. The Christmas trees are put up, but they Congregation Council High- are not decorated for Christmas. In fact, there are lights—blue lights— lights-pg. 6 but they are not lit until the Fourth Sunday in Advent. CROP Walk Report-pg. 6 Because of Christmas falling on a Sunday, we will have our usual Financial Report-pg. 6 two services on Christmas Eve—at 5:00 and 10:30 pm. We will have a From the Pastor-pg. 1 single service on Christmas Day at 10:15 am. (We will also have a sin- Korv-pg. 3 gle service on January 1 at 10:15 am. We will celebrate “The Name of Lucia Festival-pg. 3 Jesus” on January 1 and there will be a baptism. Mission Team Highlights / For the seventeenth years, our family prays that you have Worship/Music Team-pg. 3 a blessed Advent and a Merry Christmas. Open Positions-pg. 3 Remember in Prayer-pg. 2 Pastor Del & Jane and Eric and Jana Social Concerns-Giving Tree-pg. 4 Worship Assistants and Other Servers-pg. 5 Christmas Movie Event and More Young and youngest members of Augustana: Christmas Caroling If you are in First Grade, Kindergarten, Preschool, or even too young Enjoy singing Christmas car- to go to school-like you’re still a toddler or baby, you are invited to the ols? Looking for a way to make special Christmas Movie Event on Sunday, December 18 at 3:00 pm. someone’s day during this sea- Please bring your parents, too! If you have older brothers and sisters son? Join us at 1:00 on December who want to come along, they are invited also. 4 as we travel around the city to We are planning an event which will include watching the DVD “The sing carols to our homebound Story of Christmas” and having fun activities and Christmas snacks. members. This is a wonderful in- Each family attending will receive the three items pictured below: tergenerational event. “The First Christmas: A Play and Learn Book,” “The First Christmas: A Spark Bible Story,” and “The Story of Christmas” DVD as a gift from the church. The storybook and DVD can be used year after year to create a new Christ- Children’s Christmas Program mas tradition. The Children’s Christmas pro- We expect that the event will last no gram will be a part of longer than 90 minutes and should be a lot the 10:15 am service of fun. on Sunday, December Hope to see you there! 18. Please join us for this special event. Remember in prayer: How Well Do You Know the Members of Robert Barger (Kris Whitsel’s grandfa- ther), Connie and Phillip (son) Bean (friends Augustana? of Jean Huff), Emrich Bell (Seatons’ grandson), Todd Augustana is known as a very warm and caring Boland (Linda Nygard’s nephew), Oriah Boling-Ellens congregation. We are very cordial on Sunday (Schossows’ niece), Ron Brinck (Macfarlanes’ friend ), mornings, but do you know those members who Jean Clem (Jean Huff’s friend), Clara C. Davis (Ja’Net’s maybe don't sit close to you. (Because for the mother), Mari Ellsworth and family (Amy Swenson’s most part we always sit in the same place.) friend), Darrell Elvik (Ollie Nygard’s cousin), Charlene Fellowship outside of Sunday morning is diffi- Epis (Elaine Kreutzian’s sister), the family of Jeff Emer- cult to establish because of all the many social and son, Dave Farley (Nygards’ cousin), Ken File (Sheila work commitments individuals and families have. Schossow’s father), Barb (Becklund) Filer (former mem- We would like to try and set up fellowship groups. ber), Pastor Lorene Glant, Doug Gough, Kris Grunig How this would work is that a couple or an indi- (Strohbeens’ friend), Jon Hanson (Judy Swanson’s vidual would indicate they would like to participate. friend), John Hart, Paula Hebron, Ron Houske (Jack All names submitted would be put in a box and Ward’s friend), Judy Howard (Wards’ friend), Keith How- then randomly 4 tags would be pulled out and ard (Libertos’ friend), Pastor Paul Johnston, Betty Lar- those people would be a group who would meet son (Jean Huff’s friend), Ken Lawson (former member), four times in 2017. Each person or couple would Ron Leninger (Strohbeens’ friend), the family of Don host once. It could be a potluck dinner, a dessert Madsen (Dave’s father), Barbara Madsen (Dave’s moth- potluck or whatever you would decide. The event er), Kenneth McAlexander (former member Jon’s grand- could be held at the host home or at the church if father), Sara McAlexander (former member), Peter you wanted. Macfarlane (Steve’s father), Trevor & Nicholle Mammen If you would enjoy being a part of this fellow- and family (Deb Fegenbush’s family), Eleanor Moline, ship, please let the church office know or put your Marion Moline, Judy Moore (Mary Hettinger’s friend), name in a box that will be locat- Roy Muecke (Jean Huff’s friend), the family of Dick Null ed in the narthex. We will pub- (Linda Nygard’s brother-in-law), Denise Nurse lish the groups in the January (Robinsons’ cousin), Ouida Olson, Deloris Peterson newsletter, and then the groups (Julie McGlothlen’s and Dave Nelson’s mother), Wendy can start planning and getting to Pohl (Paige Gray’s sister), Rosalie Richardson, Stella know one another. Rixner, Sam Sales, Adrian Schubauer (Ja’Net’s grand- son), Alice Sea, Ray Seaton, Cynthia Seymour (Judy Swanson’s friend), Adam Smith (Gloria Smith’s grand- The Year of Matthew son), Kristie Smith (Gloria Smith’s daughter), Clayton The ELCA is among several Christian denomi- Swenson (Carla Glass’ grandfather), Chad Wolf (Dick nations which uses the Revised Common Lection- Lindblom’s friend), Leslie Walker (Schossows’ friend), ary (RCL). November 27 began the Year of Mat- the family of Jack & Jane Ward, Cindy Washinowski, thew during which most of the Gospel readings will Gary Winters (Nancy Van Meter’s brother), Carol Yaneff come from that biblical book. (Strohbeens’ friend), Tami Zerr (Lori Padmore’s sister), Most theologians agree that Matthew was writ- and those affected by disasters throughout the world. ten sometime between 80-90 CE. Many of the sto- December 4—Pastor Del & Jane Olivier; Eric & Jana ries in Mark and Luke are in Matthew, but they Olivier; Ouida Olson; Bob & Lori and Jack Padmore; Jan might be told in slightly different ways with different Page; Nicole Page. emphases. December 11—Jamison & Dawn Painter; Ron & Norma One major theme for Matthew is Immanuel Parker; Steve & Gay and Abbie Parker; Kurt & Shannon (God with us.) God is no longer thought of as be- and Carl and Ross Peterson; Doug Peterson. ing “up there.” God is on earth, living among us, teaching us, healing us. God is clearly embodied December 18—Tom Peterson; Aaron Peterson; Scott & in the ministry of Jesus. Lila and Zach and Isaac Plambeck, Renae Rapp and Matthew is symbolized by a Shea Stowater; Lynne Rask. Betsy Reiner-Acre; Kaitlin, winged man, or angel. Matthew's Karoline and Emily Nguyen. gospel starts with Joseph’s gene- December 25—Jason & Amy, Sophia and Isaiah Renneke; Mary Kay Richards; Rosalie Richardson; Matt alogy from Abraham; it represents Jesus’ Incarnation, and so Christ’s & Lindsey, Stella and Sofie Rixner; Iva and Nolan Rob- human nature. ins. 2 Mission Team Worship and Music Team Open Positions on Congregation H It is the responsibility of the Worship and Music I Mission Team to help Pastor with the planning of Council and Augustana Foundation worship events for the congregation. Board G The team meets quarterly and the music staff There will be three openings on the Congre- H meets weekly to select hymns, review bulletins, gation Council at the January 2017 Annual and give input for upcoming worship events. L Meeting: Adam Frisch, Shelley Hexom, and We have entered the Advent season and ob- Martin Sea. Adam and Martin are eligible for I serving the four Sundays in Advent. We are again second terms. Shelley has served two terms invited to participate in joint Midweek Advent ser- G and must be off for one year prior to being eligi- vices each Wednesday at 7:00 pm. H ble for another set of terms. Christmas Eve candlelight services will be held There will be one opening on the Augustana T at 5:00 pm and 10:30 pm. The youth will be lead- Foundation Board: Carla Glass, who is eligible ing the early service. The late service will be the S for a second term. traditional Christmas Mass. If you or someone you know would like to serve either on the Council of the Board, please Lucia Festival 2016 let Shelley Hexom, Dave Madsen or Pastor Del know.