Light of the Hills Lutheran Church 3100 Rodeo Road LCMS Cameron Park, CA A Birth Announcement As we celebrate Christmas in the year 2011 and into 2012, what will it take to get the attention of other people, especially those who don't even know who Jesus is? Do people even hear the announcement of the birth of Jesus anymore? Do they care? Pastor Alan Sommer On the night Jesus was born, the angels definitely got the attention of the shepherds! But it seems to me that they had unfair advantages! Think about it: The shepherds were alone and away from the town of Bethlehem. There was no one to distract them. • It must have been pretty quiet because it was at night. The only noises would have come from nocturnal animals or shepherd conversations. When the angel appeared, we are told that the glory of the Lord shown around the shepherds. • What about us? We live in a culture where it is pretty hard to impress other people. We have electronic gadgets that can do so much, right in the palm of our hands. We see incredible special effects in movies, where things that we know to be impossible seem to occur right before our very eyes. There are few times of quiet in our days, as the sounds of TV, music, and phone are everywhere. • • How can we help people to hear? I believe the account of the shepherds experience in Luke chapter 2, gives us some very strong hints. The shepherds received a message from God's special messengers His angels face to face. And when the shepherds left Mary and Joseph and Jesus, they had face to face in encounters with people they met. In the same way, I don't think there is any substitute for face to face conversations about Jesus. Most people are not impressed by shows of technology or special effects when it comes to being introduced to God. They want genuine relationships with other people, and it is in those genuine, honest relationships that God reveals Himself to others. There is no substitute for positive relationships built on honesty in which we can share the love and the hope of Jesus Christ. That's why I believe evangelism is so much more then bringing people to see a worship service or meet the pastor, although those are very important things. I think the most powerful form of evangelism is when one friend tells another about what God has done. What do you think? What is the best way to connect people to Jesus? What has worked for you? What can you do to share the love of Jesus with people over the next few weeks? Pastor Alan 2 Letter From Vicar Tristan Christ is the light of our lives that draws us to the Father. Every day we are renewed and brought to him. May God bless you this coming year in all that you do as we continue to serve our Lord faithfully! Isaiah 60:1-3 “ A r i s e , shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations Vicar Tristan Engle will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. Vicar Tristan Letter From Annie I’m kind of glad that it’s 2012. When I look back on my life and think about the last 10 or even 20 years, there are so many memories. 10 years ago, I graduated from high school. 4 Annie Tiberg, DY& FM 1/2 years ago I graduated from college and moved to Cameron Park. 5 years ago by brother got married. 11 years ago I went to my very first National Youth Gathering in New Orleans, LA, in 2001, in addition to Paris, France. My grandfather died 13 years ago. So many memories to remember with joy, and maybe even a little sadness. The funny thing about life is how fast time flies. We ask God to give us patience, and He gives us an opportunity to be patient, a time when it feels like time is slower than molasses. As a little boy I was always intrigued by the thought of finding a genie’s lamp. Think of it. Three full wishes that I could do whatever I wanted with. Anything at all and…Poof! I could have it in an instant. All that power. Whew, I would always get so excited just at the thought of it. And it’s something we’ve all done. What would life be like if…you fill in the blank. And, during the days following the New Year, many look to the coming year as a time of hope…of starting over. There’s so many wishes that we want and we hope that we can fulfill just one of them. So I ask you to consider…What is your greatest wish? But in reality, time is a constant in our life. It passes whether we want it to or not. We have no control over time. Often, it’s the swift passing of time that can cause us anxiety. Sometimes, when I’m in a reminiscing mood, looking through photo albums, or checking up with old friends on Facebook, I’m reminded that with the passing of time comes new adventures, new opportunities to live out my faith and to do life together with others. I’m reminded that though the things, events, experiences and even people of the past are gone, there is still so much life to be lived. For most of us it is probably the ones we’ve had every year; lose weight, spend more time with the family, work harder for the promotion, etc. For me, I always said, “This year…this year I’m going to stop procrastinating on my homework.” That didn’t work out too well. And as we try and better our lives in whatever way possible this coming year, we remember these words Isaiah speaks to the Israelites. “Arise, shine, for your light has come.” How true that is for them and us. Our light has come. We just celebrated His coming last week on Christmas with Jesus’ birth. He has given us a new life in Him. Not a life steeped in darkness but one abounding in light. That’s why he talks about the dawning of the day. With the dawn, everything begins again, fresh and new. To live in the present is not necessarily an easy task. We’re either stuck remembering the past, or focusing so much on controlling our circumstances in the future that we forget to take time to breath and enjoy the day at hand. We celebrate this renewing of our bodies each and every day, not simply once a year for the New Year. This talk about time passing reminds me something else: how we are to live each day for itself, and to 3 praise God in all things. Psalm 62: 8 says, “Trust in Him at all times.” So in the good times, the joyful times, the sad times, the tough times. Ecclesiastes 3 is what I call the “time chapter”. God tells us that there’s “a time for everything, a season for every activity under heaven”. The fact that God has provisions for our time is amazing to me. That He knows all and that His word tells us this multiple times over and we still don’t trust Him with our past, present, or future. We still don’t give Him all of us, we hold pieces back to our sinful selves, so we can have control of something. deemer of human life.” Women’s Foothill Chorus Christmas Concert The Women’s Foothill Chorus performed their Christmas Concert at LOTH on December 10. Another great performance was enjoyed by all who attended, and the Sanctuary was nearly filled with people. LOTH Library News This new year, I encourage you give all of you: your hopes & dreams, struggles & challenges, fears & failures, relationships & friendships over to Jesus. Let Him take control of your life, so that you can live faithfully in the hope of His salvation. Remember that you are dearly loved, and that the God who moves mountains is the same God who lives in your heart. Trust His plan for your life. Daily give Him your heart. He always has and always will have your best interests at heart. Try this for a New Year’s Resolution—Read a book from our LOTH Library. Our library houses many books that are waiting for you to take home and read. Try one of our many fiction books or as Pastor says “five in the morning and five at night.” To help with this we have several shelves of Bible Studies. You don’t even have to return them. Take them home, write in them, and take a journey in Scripture. Carol Womble Living in Faith & Hope with You, Annie 2012 God’s Creation Calendars: $5! ONLY 17 LEFT! Church Library Book Review by Donna Maier Get your beautiful Scripture-verse infused 2012 calendar today! Quantities are limited! See the youth at the table outside the Sanctuary! All proceeds go to help lower costs for this summer’s Jr High and High School youth events! Gianna Aborted and Lived to Tell About It , written by Gianna Jesson and Jessica Shaver stands as a powerful witness against the abortion industry and its war on the unborn. God has used Gianna to reinforce respect for life and Jesus' love in her heart. Gianna's beautiful voice and Christian witness have emphasized that life is to be a cherished and protected. Realistic accounts by her birth mother, foster mother, and adopted mother are included. Children’s Play and Annual Christmas Dinner Rev. Dr. James I. Lamb, Lutherans For Life, states” When we view abortion through the lens of our Christian faith, we do not see a moral issue that needs correcting or a political issue that needs strategizing. We see a spiritual issue that takes priority. The child in the womb belongs to God, formed by His hands and purchased by His blood. Abortion not only assaults human life, it assaults the Creator and Re- Thank you so much to everyone who helped with the Children’s Christmas Play, “Nothing is Impossible with God” and the Annual Christmas Dinner. It was a wonderful evening full of joyful celebrations of the Savior’s Birth and fabulous fellowship. Thanks again! Annie Tiberg, DYFM 4 The Children’s Christmas Play was held on December 11, at 4:00 PM. The story of Christmas was told in a play that Annie Tiburg wrote. The Annual Christmas Dinner was held following the Children’s Christmas Play, and held in our new Education Building’s Fellowship Room. Some 15 homeless persons from the Placerville area were our guests at the supper. 5 To finish up on a cold winter night with comfort food and a wonderful desert by the fireside convinced all of us that we would be signing up for next year. LOTH Seniors - ”The Classics” LOTH Seniors will meet for fellowship at the church on Monday, January 16, at 12:00 PM, for a potluck luncheon. All seniors are invited to attend, contact Millie or Dick Anderson for any information 530-677 -4721. If you plan on attending, please let Millie or Dick know and what food items that you can bring. Needed food items are: Main Dish, Salad, Rolls, Desserts. Sign up’s will start in January and all new groups will be put together. We will try very hard to put you with someone you might never have met! This is such wonderful fellowship opportunity that I hope we get twice as many families next time! Don’t hesitate to sign up if you are a single, I can testify that you will feel very comfortable with your group and Vicars are always willing to lend a hand when it’s your turn to entertain. 2011 Supper Club Wrap-up Carla McCreary The inaugural year of LOTH Supper Club is drawing to an end and the word is that it was an overwhelming success! We had eight “clubs” of four families each….some families had children some families were comprised of only one. Each family hosted one dinner during the year. With schedules tight and lots of people very busy we felt that three months would give enough time to come up with one date that everyone could make. Some of our groups talked about doing luncheons instead of evening dinners and that’s a great idea if you have people in our group who don’t like to drive at night. With that in mind you could do a luncheon after church or a Saturday picnic? There are no rules other than to have fun and get to know some new people. It’s amazing how we can worship with people week after week and yet never really know them. Supper Club Coordinator LWML Quilting and Sewing Group The LWML quilting and sewing group is changing meeting dates starting in January. We will meet on the 1st and 3rd Mondays from 9:30 until 3pm or so. Note: The church is closed on January 2nd so we will not be meeting. On the third Monday when we meet, the Classics group also meets. Come and sew with us and then we can join the Classics for some food and fun. We hope you will consider meeting with us for fellowship and sewing. We have jobs for non-sewers also. My group consisted of three couples and me which left an extra seat if you wanted to have an even number. No surprise our Vicars are more than willing to fill that spot! Our group worked out where Vicar Ryan came to two suppers and Vicar Tristan came to two. I heard other groups also invited the Vicars plus neighbors when there was available space. The Vicars both commented on how much they enjoyed getting to know members in an informal atmosphere. Neighbors thought it was fun to meet new people and find out those Church people really aren’t that scary! Peggy Morlan Thank You From Pregnancy Counseling Services Thank you for the beautiful handmade baby blankets. Because of your love and generosity, babies and children will be warm this winter. Thank you for giving us something to give. As for food, well Lutherans are known for appreciating good food and my group was no exception. We started off with a simple Italian meal then we had an all American Barbeque followed by an exceptional Oktoberfest meal. We finished in November with a meal of pot pies and homemade macaroni and cheese. With much gratitude, Pregnancy Counseling Services of Placerville 6 LWML News How about this headline? “LWML hits $100 million, a mite box milestone.” This news clipping, from our LCAMS Reporter, goes on to state that the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League has received $100 million in mites since the organization’s founding in 1942.. This milestone includes funds from the LWML Districts nationwide as well as those received on the national level at the LWML’s office in St Louis. These contributions have been used to support Christian outreach in 42 countries on five continents. NATIONAL YOUTH GATHERING 2013! It’s time! Information meeting for ALL CURRENT 8th graders-Graduating Seniors and their parents, Sunday, January 22nd, 12:302pm. Please plan to be at this VERY important information meeting to prepare for the next NYG. Students must be turning 14 and entering their freshman year of high school by July 2013. We will be discussing general details for the gathering, plus looking at fundraising. No commitment is necessary that day, but the first commitment deadline is coming in March. Please PLAN to be there. Sign up on Annie’s door! See DYFM Annie Tiberg if you have questions. LCMS National Youth Gathering; July 1-5 2013; San Antonio, Texas. Visit www.lcmsgathering.com for more info on Today, we look forward to the mission work of the Lord set at the 2011 LWML convention with a mission goal for the 201-2013 biennium of $1.825 million to support 19 grants as we reach out to share the joyfull news of Christ around the world! Several of the LWML’s 19 grants are as follows: Human care and pastoral ministries developed in Latvia and Lithuania - $87,500 Lutheran Braille workers provide English Braille bibles to Africa - $100,000 Light of Christ Chinese Lutheran Mission, St Louis - $75,000 All praise be to God for giving us the opportunities to contribute our mites each month, as we join with others to support our mission work around the world. In other news, all LOTH ladies are invited to attend our next LWML Quarterly Meeting on January 25, at 1:30 PM. We look forward to having Vicar Tristan as our guest speaker that afternoon, as we enjoy a time of fellowship and delicious refreshments. Please make an effort to attend - we look forward to seeing you! Marilyn Rutkowsky Memoriam Ladies: Where can you get a day of fun, fellowship, hear a great speaker, PLUS lunch, for $5.00? Set March 17 aside and come join all the Women in Misson at our LOTH Rally. Watch for details next month. Sandi Schmidt October 19, 1950 - December 19, 2011 Memorial Service 7 PM on December 28, 2011 Alice Wentland, President, LWML 7 High School Events! Jr High Events! Sunday, January 15th, 1-3pm: Bible Study on MOSES! Bring your Bible, a snack to share & a friend! Sunday January 8th, 1-3pm: Games & Bible Study! Bring your Bible and a friend! Prepare to LEAD! ALL YOUTH Events: SNOW DAY: Wanna go play in the snow? Saturday, January 21st, 8:30am-4pm! This all depends on IF we have snow! Sunday, January 29th: Eskaton Worship! Come and help lead worship with the residents of Eskaton Retirement Village in Cameron Park. Meet at church at 2:45pm to go over our skit! Then we will walk/drive over to Eskaton for worship at 3:30p. Parents can pick up at Eskaton at 4pm. Reminder: Sunday Morning Bible Class 9:30am! GO FIND YOUR CLASSROOMS UPSTAIRS IN THE EDUCATION BUILDING! :-) YAY! 8 This month, I’m highlighting another article by one of my Concordia University, St Paul, MN professors, Marilyn Sharpe. Marilyn works with congregations around the US to help partner churches and families for faith-formation in the home. Epiphanies By Marilyn Sharpe January 6th is the day the church celebrates Epiphany, commemorating the coming of the Magi to Bethlehem to worship the infant Jesus. What an unlikely scenario – scholars from the East, bringing gifts fit for a king, following a star and astrological predictions, challenged by the jealous and unscrupulous King Herod, arriving to find the son of a peasant couple, falling down to worship this unlikely king! Elderly Anna and Simeon, present in the temple when Joseph and Mary brought the infant Jesus to be dedicated, through the Holy Spirit, recognized this baby as God’s redemption and salvation. This is the story of the entire season of Epiphany – people in unlikely settings, times, and places see Jesus, and through a knowledge not their own, recognize Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God, the Savior of the world. Now, 2,000 years later, the Holy Spirit still works through unlikely people in improbable places to recognize Jesus in daily life. Where have you met this Jesus? Are you on the lookout? Often, it is our children who help us with these sightings of the holy, in the midst of the mundane. Trevor turned four in mid August two years ago. His mother came in to a class I was teaching that day with his story. Too excited to sleep, Trevor was up before the sun and woke his mom. She wrapped him in a quilt and they sat on the patio, waiting for the sunrise. When the sun crested the eastern horizon, Trevor gasped and turned to his mother. “Mom,” he exclaimed, “How did Jesus know that orange is my best color?” A meteorologist could have explained the color, but it took a four year old to declare the intimate presence of Jesus in his life! Epiphany! Twenty years ago this month, our six year old neighbor was diagnosed with leukemia, placed in intensive care, battling for his life. His brother was with another family. His parents spent virtually all of their time at the hospital. A friend and I cleaned their home and I volunteered to do their laundry. There was only a tiny pile of dirty clothes. No one was home to generate laundry. I returned home to face a virtual haystack of dirty clothes in my laundry room. I remember picking up my nine year old son’s muddy jeans, hugging them to me, and thanking God for the gift of children healthy enough to dirty clothes. To this day, I have never viewed laundry in the same way. It is no longer a chore I dread, but an opportunity to give thanks for God’s gift of health and daily joys that mark a life together in Christ. Epiphany! Can we help the children we love to see the holy in the ordinary? Can we uncover the epiphanies all around us? Can we create a culture of gratitude, and with the psalmist declare, “O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever.” Ps. 107:1 FAMILY ACTIVITIES 1. At bedtime, recount all the things for which you are grateful in a prayer of thanks. 2. At dinner, give each family member two tea light candles. Light the first, naming a person who has been the light of Christ to them this week. Light the second, naming one person for whom we have been the light of Christ. 3. Send all the kids on a hunt to find evidence in unlikely places of the things for which we can thank God, like dirty dishes, too much food in the fridge, mud on the floor, toys strewn around, or laundry piling up. Gather, share, and thank God. 4. Say thank you to one another for those countless daily gifts, like a ride to school, hot coffee, wet towel hung up to dry, help carrying in groceries, cleaning up toys. 5. Cradle your child’s face in your hands, and say, “I see the face of Jesus in you.” What a blessing. 9 Serving Our Lord in January E = 8:00 AM l = 10:45 AM 1 8 15 22 29 1 Altar Guild e l Karin Arnal e l e l e e Shirley Fidler l L Acolytes Cody Adamovich e Pam Small e l Dorothy Polster l Megan Horner e Chris Horner e Joe Fowler l Maureen Popielarz l Jordan Weistrich e Pam Small e Kilee Voll l Dorothy Polster l Delaney Rhodes e Emily Fowler e John Voll l Daniel Tucker l Cody Adamovich Greeters e Darlene & Phil Bair John Voll e l Gerlinde & Willie Zobel Joe Fowler l e Vicky & Paul Hough l Kristen Palmer, Becky Wolkenhauer Musicians e Eileen & Don Keesler eL Alison Dumas 15 22 29 Projectionist e Sherry Fowler 8 eL Marilyn Helsley l Dolores & Bob Jarvis e l e l Anne & Alan Diers eL Fred Weber e l Lynn & Del Haven e Jane & Will Nelson l Karin Arnal, Linda Olsen Ushers Elders George Ganschow, Ryan Tygenhof e e l Vicar Tristan e l e l e Susan & Kirby Vickery l LRon Chan, Undine Krauss e l e l e l e l e l Daniel Tucker, Sean Tucker Coffee Setup/Clean Up Paula Weeks Counters e e e e e 10 Ron Chan & Cliff Hendryx e e e e e e e e e e l l l l L l l l l L January Birthdates Date Name 01 – Mike Shaw 02 – Fern Haunschild, Staci Horner, Kimberly Schneider, James Young. 03 – Dine Krauss, Phyl Rowe, Carter Wymer. 06 – John Lane 08 – Ron Chan, Susan Vickery 10 – Mike Cannon, Louise Gibbs, Sue Mackin 11 – Hannelore Hartmann 12 – Ellen Katz, Tanya Stanberry 15 – Lee Paul 16 – John Stanberry Date Name 18 – Janet Rhodes 19 – Rita Fetterly 20 – Amanda Graziano, Mike Parish 21 – Dolores Jarvis 23 – Dee Benson, Logan Hoiseth 24 – Mark Hammer, Ryan Tygenhof 26 – Brigitte Auguston, John Eilders, Leon Turnbull 27 – Tara Turnbull 31 – Delaney Palmer HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! December 2011 Statistics Attendance: Total: YTD Total: % Change 10/11: YTD Change 10/11: 1st Service: 2nd Service: Sunday Ave Attend: (251 in 2011) 1,6668 14,011 -14.0% -8.5% 119 117 236 Church Membership as of: 08-31-2011 > 60 31 - 60 18 - 30 13 - 17 6 - 12 0-5 146 131 63 30 38 12 420 > 60 31 - 60 18 - 30 13 - 17 6 - 12 0-5 34.8% 31.2% 15.0% 7.1% 9.0% 2.9% 100% 11 Christian Symbols “Ecce Agnus Dei” Latin for “Behold, the Lamb of God,” this is the phrase John the Baptist used twice to point out Jesus to others (John 1:29, 36). It marks Jesus’ Epiphany (manifestation, revelation) as the Anointed One (Christ, Messiah). Bible Quiz In the book of Judges, a cycle is repeated many times: The Israelites do “what is evil in the sight of the LORD,” God hands them over to an enemy nation, they cry out to the Lord and he appoints a judge, or political/military leader, for them. Under the judge’s leadership, the Israelites conquer their adversary and prosper — until they start doing “what is evil in the sight of the LORD” all over again. The Year Who was not one of these judges? The Year is closed, the record made, The last deed done, the last word said. The memory alone remains Of all its joys, its grief’s, its gains. And now with purpose full and clear, We turn to meet another year. —Robert Browning A. Deborah B. Ehud C. Esau D. Shamgar Answer: C (See Judges 3–5.) 12 December Council meeting recap: New Secretary. Council voted to approve Peggy Morlan as the new Church Council Secretary, and offered thanks to Maureen Popielarz and Annie Tiberg for taking minutes in the interim. Property Development. Mark Jerpbak reported that an agreement was reached with the State Water Resources Control Board regarding soil erosion on the site. Mark also indicated that the Foothill Girls Softball League will be putting the infield in and likely taking care of some of the ongoing maintenance for the ball field. The church is preparing to take a final draw on its construction loan. A few large items, such as a canopy between the two buildings and repaving on Rodeo Road, remain open. Additionally, John Popielarz discussed a preliminary $5,000-$6,000 estimate for a fence that would restrict unauthorized access to the new HVAC units. Finances. General offerings have increased somewhat in the last half of the year after a very sluggish summer. As of the end of November, general offerings are only $6,000 below the 2011 budget. Paul estimated that, while it is not uncommon to have a strong giving month in December, annual offerings for 2011 may come in around $10,000 below budget. If the 2011 giving pattern continued to 2012, annual giving would be approximately $30,000 below the 2012 approved budget target. Thrivent Choice Dollars. It was again mentioned that, while the direction of Thrivent Choice Dollars to LOTH has brought approximately $7,000 to LOTH in 2011, this figure represents only slightly more than half of the Thrivent Choice Dollars that LOTH members have available to direct. Facility Use Deposit. Maureen raised the idea of instituting a deposit, either refundable or non-refundable, for use of LOTH’s facilities, to cover cleaning and other expenses. Maureen will develop a recommendation for this and Council will discuss in January. Food Ministry. Brian Theaker reported that he and an ad hoc committee have been working to develop a food ministry policy for LOTH. Brian praised LOTH’s food ministry, and expressed his hope that codifying a policy would in no way interfere with this very effective ministry, but observed that a policy could help clear up some ambiguity around whether food bank moneys collected can be used for LOTH-specific food ministry expenses. The council will review the proposed food ministry policy in January. Web Site. Pastor noted that LOTH’s web site increasingly could be the first point of contact for potential visitors, and offered that a “technology committee” could be useful in helping LOTH better use technology to further its mission. Rich Wright noted that with LOTH no longer using Member Connect, the web site could be reconfigured with password protection to allow members to access church documents such as policies. Please contact me if you have any questions or comments about this report. Yours in Christ, Brian Theaker Congregational President 13 14 15 Alan Sommer, Pastor [email protected] LOTH Web address: http://www.loth.org Annie Tiberg, DCE Director Youth & Family Ministries [email protected] LOTH e-mail address: [email protected] Tristan Engle, Vicar [email protected] LOTH Office Phone: (530) 677-9536 Maureen Popielarz Business Manager [email protected] LOTH Fax: (530) 677-4376 Church Office Hours Business Manager Office Hours Monday - Wednesday 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM Monday 8:30AM - 4:00PM Tuesday 9:30 AM - 4:00 PM Thursday 9:30 AM - 4:00 PM Thursday - Friday 8:30 AM to 2:30 PM Church Newsletter Dorothy Polster, Church Secretary [email protected] Dick Anderson, Editor - ”The Beacon” (530) 677-4721 [email protected] Light of the Hills Lutheran Church 3100 Rodeo Road Cameron Park, CA 95682 16
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