1 Living Hope Newsletter November 2014 A Congregation of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod Worship Schedule Time Changes Sunday 8:15 am, Divine Service Family Education Hour 9:30 am Sunday 10:45 am, Praise Worship “Fall Back” an hour at 2 AM Sunday, November 2 as Daylight Saving Time ends and Eastern Standard Time returns. Enjoy an extra hour of sleep! Staff and Lay Leaders Pastor: Rev. Jonah P. Burakowski [email protected] Office Secretary: Angie Lynch [email protected] Interim Director: Cheryl Durheim [email protected] President: Bob Drew Vice President: Scott Bergstrom Secretary: Miriam da Costa Treasurer: Patty Carl Council Members at Large: Patti Eashoo, Jason Henslee, Bill Woods Financial Secretary: Mark Sporleder Spiritual Life Team Members: Russ Moore, Jim Evans, Judy Easler, Ann Price, Wayne Sprick Contact Information 325 Courthouse Rd Stafford, VA 22554 Office: 540-657-4105 CDC: 540-657-2700 www.livinghopestafford.org Office Hours Monday-Friday, 7:30am-3:30pm Christmas by Candlelight Ladies, you are invited to attend our annual Christmas by Candlelight celebration on Sunday, December 7, 6:30 pm. Please indicate interest in assisting or being a table hostess by contacting Linda Johannes at [email protected] or (540) 729-7122. Tickets will go on sale soon. We encourage you to bring guests – including high school ladies. Celebrate the beginning of the Advent season with your sisters in Christ around desserts, decorations, and music! Thanksgiving Eve Worship “Tis a gift to be simple. Tis a gift to be free…” In 1863 President Abraham Lincoln issued a Presidential Proclamation establishing Thanksgiving as a national holiday. While this is a civil holiday, Christians have gathered for centuries to give thanks to God for His many blessings and gifts following the harvest. So join us on Wednesday, November 26th at 7:00 PM as we give thanks for all that we have and all that we offer. 2 Living Hope Child Development Center Teachers and Staff Interim Director: Cheryl Durheim Program Manager: Diana Magrino Infants: Robin Stafford Meghan Conlon Michelle Cooley Toddlers: Robin Hulbert Kendall Garrison Trudy Taylor Two’s Full Day: Latrice Myles Cassie Eagal Three’s Full Day: Ellen Thompson Lenora Locke Four’s Full Day: Tonia Tyler Alicia Winston Katie Wimer Parish Program Coordinator’s Corner I like to see November as the opportunity to be thankful all month long, not just on Thanksgiving Day. I am so thankful that Nathan is ready to receive his Eagle Scout Award, and invite everyone in the congregation to attend his Court of Honor on November 22 at noon in the Hope Center. Lunch will be provided after the ceremony. I also send thanks out to all the people who worked together to make the Oktoberfest a success. From setting up, to manning grills, to bringing food and cleaning up, many hands made light work! During this often hectic time of year as you make your plans to celebrate with family and friends, please include us in your planning. There are many ways to be involved this month and through the Advent season, including supporting the youth groups as they provide Thanksgiving meals and Christmas gifts and food for three families in our community; the Thanksgiving Eve service at 7:00 on the 26th; the women’s evening Christmas by Candlelight on December 7th; the Family Christmas Celebration on the evening of December 19th; and of course, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services. “I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Corinthians 1:4 Peace be with you, Amy Child Development Corner Two’s Half Day: Kimberli Stewart Kathy Stoltz Three’s Half Day: Karen Jordan Carrie Juarez Four’s Half Day: Theresa Akridge Jennie Dellinger Before and After: Jennie Dellinger Trudy Taylor Kitchen Staff: Sarah Schick The holidays are fast approaching! How do we know…the kids are SO excited and are already talking about Thanksgiving and Christmas. Their enthusiasm is contagious and we’ve decided we are going to join in on the excitement. The teachers will be decorating their doors for Thanksgiving and for Christmas. We want YOU to judge the doors and pick your favorite. The winning classroom will receive prizes for the children as well as for the teacher and aide. Voting will occur on Sunday, November 16th for the Thanksgiving Door. For the Christmas Door voting will occur on Sunday, December 14th. There will be ballots and a ballot box to submit your vote. Please take a moment to walk down the halls and see the awesome creative talent within our teachers. Thanks for supporting our teachers! Cheryl Durheim 3 Youth Group Meetings The Middle School Youth will meet on November 9 & 23, 7:15 - 8:00 PM. We look forward to seeing everyone on those nights. Watch your e-mails for topics and events. The High School Youth will meet on November 2, 16 and 30. We look forward to seeing everyone at the events. Don’t forget we have a special event on the 2nd. The 16th we are going to discuss “Game Changing Verses”. Harvest Meal & Trivia Night Think you know your Bible? What about current events? How about those useless bits picked up from Facebook posts? Come and put your knowledge to the test at The Living Hope Harvest Meal and Trivia night on November 8, 2014. Dinner (Roast beef, potatoes, vegetable, rolls and dessert) will begin at 6:00 PM, trivia will begin at 7:00 PM; $12.50 per person or $10 for trivia only. Child care (dinner of hot dogs and mac & cheese provided) is available for a donation. Form your team now! Not sure about pop culture--Purchase a Youth Group member for your team! Tickets are available from Youth Group members, Barry, Trudy, Bill, Crystal or in the office. Thanksgiving Turkeys The youth groups are once again sponsoring 3 local families in need with a Thanksgiving meal. Pick a feather off a turkey in the foyer and make a donation. The Youth will be shopping on November 23 after second service. We will also deliver the baskets that afternoon. We invite all members to travel with us as we deliver to the homes. Any questions, see Barry, Trudy, Bill or Crystal. Upcoming Events Nov. 2nd - 7-8 PM HS Youth Group Meeting Nov. 8th- 6:30 pm Harvest Meal/Trivia Night Nov. 9th- 7:15-8 PM MS Youth Group Meeting Nov. 16th- 7-8 PM HS Youth Group Meeting Nov. 23nd – 11:45 AM Thanksgiving Turkey Day Nov. 23rd - 7-8 PM HS Youth Group Meeting Nov. 30th -7-8 PM HS Youth Group Meeting 4 Your Kids are Invested with LCEF, Why Aren’t You?® You see the joy the children in your life experience as they save through their Young Investors (Y.I.) Club investment and share God’s blessings with others. Join them now with ConnectPLUS, your very own Lutheran Church Extension Fund (LCEF) investment. For NEW investors only,* ConnectPLUS features: Opportunity to empower ministries 3% fixed rate on the first $5,000 Second-tier rate on balances over $5,000 $500 minimum to open Two-year term Additional investments of at least $25 allowed ConnectPLUS is available to individuals 18 and older who have not had an LCEF investment in the past 24 month. Offer subject to change. Visit lcef.org or call 800-843-5233 to join in the joy of working together for His kingdom. LCEF is a nonprofit religious organization, therefore, LCEF investments are not FDIC-insured bank deposit accounts. This is not an offer to sell investments, nor a solicitation to buy. LCEF will offer and sell its securities only in states where authorized. The offer is made solely by LCEF’s Offering Circular. Investors should carefully read the Offering Circular, which more fully describes associated risks. ConnectPLUS is not available to investors in Ohio and Pennsylvania. *for more information about eligibility and to get an application, call 800-843-5233 or visit lcef.org. Work Day The Property Team invites you to join them for the monthly work day on Saturday, November 8th, 8:00 AM. Come out and help to keep the building and grounds of Living Hope spiffy and attractive. Men’s Breakfast Living Hope men will gather on November 1st at 8 am for breakfast. The meeting spot is Mikes 610 Dinner in Stafford. It’s a time of conversation and growing friendships. December’s breakfast will be on Saturday, December 6, 2014. 5 Confirmation News CONFIRMATION At Living Hope we believe and teach that infant baptism demonstrates God’s gracious act of claiming and redeeming us for a life of faith as well as for eternal salvation. After baptism, our lives are a continuous process of learning and growing and it is important for the church to partner with parents in fostering this growth. Confirmation is a time for middle school students to focus on the teachings of the church and to experience what it means to be involved in worship, fellowship and service through the body of Christ. Our sixth grade confirmands are in the process of learning about God’s salvation plan outlined for us in the Bible. We have begun to familiarize ourselves with the 66 books of the Bible as we work through the major themes in the Old and New Testaments. Our seventh and eighth grade confirmands have started reading selected chapters of the book Lutheranism 101 and sections of Luther’s Small Catechism as we unpack the Apostles Creed and Baptism. We are off to a great start and look forward to interesting discussions. It is our hope that at the conclusion of the three years of confirmation each student will be able to: Think of their faith in both the present and future tense; Make Biblical decisions concerning the importance of their faith and relationship with God; Question the secular world with respect and dignity; Be able to comprehend God’s unchanging love for them; Be able to apply what they have learned in their lives; Express joy in their worship of God; Be assured and provide assurance that they are significant to Christ and His Church Recognize that “mercy works” are an important aspect of the life of a Christian 6th Grade Confirmation – 6:30 – 7:30 PM on the 1st and 3rd Sundays of each month 7th & 8th Grade Confirmation – 6:00 – 7:15 PM on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of each month First Communion While in the past it was simply assumed that young people would complete Confirmation before receiving First Communion, this is no longer the case. Many Lutheran congregations, including Living Hope, recognize that children may be ready for First Communion before eighth grade. Each year children and parents of fifth graders are invited to participate in Communion instruction and more information will be coming regarding when this will be available. 6 Spiritual Life Advent Bible Study Around the ninth century Christians widely adopted the candlelit wreath for the weeks preceding Christmas Tide. Each candle has a significance during Advent and this year we will focus on the titles/themes of Prophecy, Bethlehem, Shepherds and Angels. Plan on an hour over beverages as we take time to focus on the hope and promise of Christmas at 10:30 AM and 7:00 PM on Wednesdays during Advent. This Bible study will be facilitated by Pastor Jonah and everyone is invited to attend. Advent Tide Schedule Wednesday, December 3 Wednesday, December 10 Saturday, December 13 Wednesday, December 17 Friday, December 19 10:30 AM and 7:00 PM 10:30 AM and 7:00 PM 9:00 AM 10:30 AM and 7:00 PM 7:00 PM Bible Study Bible Study Church Decorating Bible Study Living Hope Christmas Program Christmas Tide Schedule December 24 6:00 PM Family Service with the Praise Band 10:00 PM Candle Light Divine Service Opportunities to serve! Lector or Communion Assistant The Spiritual Life Team will be holding training on Monday, November 3 or Monday, November 10 at 7:00 PM for all (new or existing) Lectors and Communion Assistants. If you are new or a veteran, this training is for you so please mark your calendars. Contact Pastor Jonah or Russ Moore in the office at (540) 657-4105 if you have any questions. Musicians Wanted for Christmas If you are interested in playing an instrument for the Christmas Program on December 19 or during the Christmas Eve services at 7:00 or 10:00 PM please contact Paul Murtha, our Music Director, at (540) 720-0618 or [email protected]. 7 Birthdays 1st Isabella Mojica Anniversaries 13th Zenaida Soholt 2nd Keresa Stencavage 6th Cheryl Durheim Steve Sobrilsky 14th 19th Heather Boyles 1st Gail & Dean Bidle Brandon Pendry 3rd Scott & Diane Ballman Lisa Hunte 5th Jerry & Ronnie Trotta David Klimek 14th Steve & Mary Sobrilsky Jim Evans 17th Richard & Pam Karr Sue Tober 26th Dave & Cathy Butz 7th Eva Estrella 8th Breasha Rousseau 20th Larry Taylor 9th Kathryn Weinrich 21st Leigh Belton 10th Linda Johannes 23rd Patti Breitmeyer Juliana Layne Joan Leinonen 11th Bethany French 27th Jerome Meyer 12th Kathy Kitta 28th Chad Hildebrandt Dave Lemke 30th Mark Eashoo Andrew Egerton Rueter 8 November Worship Assistance Date 11/2 11/9 11/16 11/23 11/30 Time Acolyte Lector Communion Assistants Ushers 8:15 Amber Hunte Linda Melentis Linda Musselman Dave Duff Mark Rossin 10:45 Nolan Henslee Linda Johannes Crystal Rousseau Chad & Laurie Hraha 8:15 Jadon Eashoo Keith Angle Larry Taylor Bob Drew Mark Rossin 10:45 Stevencavage Nan Murtha Jason Henslee Mark Sporleder Jason Henslee 8:15 Jackson Hamill Scott Bergstrom Brenda Greene Alan Zeiser Dave Buff 10:45 Christian Stahl Stephanie Moore Jim Evans Chad & Laurie Hraha 8:15 Evan Hamill Larry Taylor Brenda Greene Bob Drew Mark Rossin 10:45 Brenda Rousseau Eric Doyle Ann Marohn Russ Moore Jason Henslee 8:15 Amber Hunte Linda Melentis Linda Musselman Dave Duff Mark Rossin 10:45 Nolan Henslee Linda Johannes Crystal Rousseau Chad & Laurie Hraha November Fellowship Servers 11/2 8:15 Mark Sporleder 10:45 Elsa Arntt 8:15 Sue Tober 10:45 Shannon Moses 8:15 Alan Zeiser 10:45 Liz Burakowski 11/23 8:15 Shannon Moses 11/30 10:45 8:15 10:45 Elsa Arntt Mark Sporleder Shannon Moses 11/9 11/16 Date Attendance [LY] Attd Avg [LY] Offerings Offerings [LY] Offerings FYTD Offerings LYTD Building Fund YTD 10/5 75/100 [87/110] 170[162] $4,312 $6,100 $72,453 $76,060 $150 10/12 72/75 [72/89] 170[163] $4,032 $4,579 $76,485 $80,640 $150 10/19 78/93 [73/79] 170[163] $8,644 $9,254 $85,130 $89,895 $200 **LY- Last Year, LYTD-Last Year to Date, FYTD- Year to Date 10/26 76/98 [107/96] 170[164] $7,650 $4,338 $92,780 $94,233 $200 Counters Doug Arntt, TBD John Kruelle, Bill Woods Chuck Johannes, Glen Schelin Lisa Evans Andrew English Doug Arntt, TBD 9 Poinsettia Orders If you would like to order a poinsettia, please fill out this form and return it in the collection plate or to the office. Each flower costs $12.50 and all orders are due by December 1st. Name: ________________________________________________________ Phone Number: ________________________________________________ In Memory of: _________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ Red Poinsettia Quantity: _________ x $12.50 Total: __________ White Poinsettia Quantity: _______ x $12.50 Total: ___________ *** Please include payment with this form. Make checks payable to Living Hope Lutheran Church. 10 11 12 I included this list in response to a series of discussions I have had with folks about interesting Lutheran books. Some are heavy theology while others are devotional or historical in nature. No matter your taste, enjoy! Pastor Jonah 13 Pastor Jonah’s Ponderings November 2nd is the scheduled first day of Daylight Savings and the realization that days are getting shorter. Shorter as the season changes from Fall to Winter and the axis of the globe shifts bringing about a change in the daylight. As the shadows of the day grow longer and the light of the sun seems to be a little more golden-rod in color, we look forward to a great many celebrations and festivals in the coming months. On November 27th the nation will celebrate its annual day of Thanksgiving with a variety of traditions including turkey; parades and football (go Lions!). We certainly do have a lot to be thankful for because our Heavenly Father continues to “richly provide [us] with all that [we] need to support this body and life and defends [us] against all danger and guards and protects [us]” (Luther’s Small Catechism, pg. 108). It is definitely appropriate for us to pause and return thanks to the One who continues to provide for our every need as it is, “In Him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28). As the nation stops to pause and offer thanksgiving, the Church is actually looking ahead. For these remaining weeks of November we are looking forward to the conclusion of the church year and the beginning of Advent - our celebration of hope in the promise. And what a promise it is! On November 23rd we will celebrate the Sunday of Fulfillment – the last Sunday of the church year. Our 12 month journey through the life and ministry of our Lord, Jesus Christ, draws to a conclusion and we consider again that the end of all things is near. We, as faithful disciples, have been denied nothing that has been in accordance with His perfect and gracious will and we look forward to His promised return as written in Mark 13:24-37. The following Sunday, November 30th, we will begin the season of Advent as we start the traditional countdown to Christmas using the Advent wreath. While we anticipate Christmas Day, we will be reminded to focus some of our attention on preparing our hearts and minds for our annual celebration of the birth of our Lord. Advent contemplation and reflection are part of our preparation and so we will have a series of Advent mid-week Bible Studies and daily devotional materials available. This month, as the nation gives thanks to God (being ever so careful to do so, however, without mentioning Him in any way), the church will give thanks for what He has given and for all He has yet to give. This is an exciting time and as the green in the Chancel gives way to the blue candles, paraments and banners and we look to “Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of His glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever” (Jude 1:24-25). Waiting and hoping with you, Pastor Jonah +
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