HIGHLIGHTS
CARMEL REFORMED CHURCH
“Bound in God’s Love”
DECEMBER, 2014
HOPES AND FEARS
Sacred Christmas carols are a cherished tradition. But during sorrow and struggle, some lyrics may
seem hard to swallow. “O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant”? Where is the joy when my
loved one has just died? Where is the triumph if I’ve lost my job? “Silent night, holy night, all is calm
…”? Not in my house; I’m exhausted from the fighting. “The little Lord Jesus, no crying he makes”?
Our baby screams with colic for hours on end.
Yet … listen:
And you beneath life’s crushing load,
Whose forms are bending low …
Oh, rest beside the weary road
And hear the angels sing.
—”It Came Upon the Midnight Clear”
Truly, God reaches out to the happy and hurting alike. “The hopes and fears of all the years are met”
— and gathered up — in the babe of Bethlehem, who shares our joys and troubles. There are Christmas
carols for us all.
(Taken from NEWSLETTER Newsletter)
WHAT’S MISSING?
When shopping for gifts became too difficult, an elderly man decided to just send
checks to relatives. In his Christmas cards, mailed early, he wrote, “Buy your
own present!”
After the holiday, the man noticed he’d received few cards in return. Puzzled, he
went into his study, intending to write to a few relatives and ask what had happened. As he cleared his cluttered desk, the horrified man found the answer. Under a stack of papers were the checks he’d forgotten to enclose with his cards!
The lesson? Don’t be in such a hurry to give gifts that you inadvertently leave out what’s most important. Without the message of Jesus and his birth, the earthly trappings of Christmas are empty indeed.
(Taken from NEWSLETTER Newsletter)
December 7 AM: Heather De
Jong, Nikki Bomgaars, Kayla
Bomgaars, Jayden Fedders, Andrew Frick; PM: Carol Sandbulte, Carson Vanden Brink, Raia
Downs.
December 14 AM: Mimi Sandbulte, Erica
Robertson, Jaren Pierce, Alex Frick, Aubrey
Sandbulte; PM: Nicole Vanden Brink, Blake
Bomgaars, Katelyn Dykstra.
December 21 AM: Kristi Van Voorst, Rachel
Terpstra, Brett Segar, Brendan Downs, Sadie
Sandbulte; PM: Michon Moget, Mason
Vander Lugt, Kasi Koedam.
December 25 Christmas Day Service. Kendra Heitritter, Jo Moget, Nick Van Regenmorter, Kierra Wolfswinkel, Makenna Bollinger.
December 28 AM: Kristi Gesink, Jackie
Huizenga, Cassidy Bollinger, Kelby Haverhals,
Aubie Mulder; PM: Kay Koedam, Taya Gesink, Anthony Janisch.
January 4 AM: Donna Tea, Ronda Leusink,
Carter Vande Vegte, Anna Vonk, Dexter
Hooyer; PM: LeaAnn Van Regenmorter,
Ayda Maassen, Kaylen Wolfswinkel.
Call the church office by
noon on Thursday, with your
special number. If you are not
able to have special music the
scheduled time, please try to exchange with someone.
Top name is AM; bottom is PM:
Dec.
Dec.
Dec.
Dec.
Jan.
Jan.
Jan.
Jan.
Feb.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Feb.
REFRESHMENT SCHEDULE
R - serve on Sunday morning; C - each bring 5
dozen cookies.
Dec. 7 - R-Alan Sandbulte, Marlin Van
Voorst; C-Conni Hulshof, Ronda Leusink,
Amanda Haverhals, Rhonda Haverhals, Muriel
Oostra.
Dec. 14 - R-Dan Fedders, Bernie Mulder; CNicole Vanden Brink, Colleen Bomgaars,
Frieda Bartels, Mimi Sandbulte, Beth Te Grotenhuis.
Dec. 21 - R-Glenn Vander Lugt, Warren Post;
C-Jo Te Grotenhuis, Erica Robertson, Eug.
Sandbulte, Kaye Kuyper, Teresa Sandbulte.
Dec. 28 - R-John Leusink, Frieda Bartels; CHazel Haverhals, Helen Vande Vegte, Mary
Lou Verburg, Carmen Maassen, Linda Mulder.
Jan. 4 - R-Pete De Jong, Verlyn Van Regenmorter; C-Carol Langstraat, Anita Van Ravenhorst, Doree Wolfswinkel, Cheryl Sandbulte,
Paula Bollinger.
7 - Steve Rozeboom
Jerry Rus
14 - Alan Sandbulte
Betty Sandbulte
21 - Florence Sandbulte
Christmas Program
28 - Gary Sandbulte
Harv Sandbulte
4 - Henry Sandbulte
Howard Sandbulte
11 - Kevin Sandbulte
Owen Sandbulte
18 - Rick Sandbulte
Rodney Sandbulte
25 - Shawn Sandbulte
Steve Sandbulte
1 - Vince Sandbulte
Michael Sas
8 - Ron Schmith
Matt Segar
* * * * * * * * * * *
Dec.
Dec.
Dec.
Dec.
Jan.
7 AM - Jim Vande Zandschulp
Alex Vanden Brink
PM - James Vanden Brink
14 AM - Heidi Vande Zandschulp
Eddie Vander Weide
PM - Warren Vonk
21 AM - Glenn Vander Lugt
Preston Vander Plaats
PM - Kelly Zinnel
28 AM - Randy Vander Weide
Ken Verburg
PM - Tom Zwart
4 AM - Pete Vonk
Henry A. Wolfswinkel
PM - Dave Bohl
TRANSFER
The membership of Eric Sandbulte has
been transferred to Faith Reformed Church of
Brookings, SD. May God bless him in his new
church home.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
At our Annual Congregational
Meeting on November 17, we
elected four new consistory members. Jerry Noteboom and Loren
Punt were elected to the office of
elder and will replace outgoing elders, Jeff
Haverhals and Alan Sandbulte. Jerry Renes
and Jared Terpstra were elected to the office of
deacon and will replace outgoing deacons Phil
Hooyer and Chad Robertson. The newly
elected consistory members will be installed
and ordained on Sunday, January 4.
A big thank you to all who
helped make our Harvest Supper
and Auction a success. Thanks
to those who helped with setting
up and clean up. Thanks to all
those who helped organize and serve the Dad’s
Belgian Waffle supper. To the GEMS for providing and serving snacks ad beverages during
the auction. To those who picked up donated
items. To those who helped during the auction
and silent auction. Each and every one was so
very much appreciated.
A big thank you to all who donated items,
and bid on those items at the auction. The proceeds for the evening after expenses comes to
approximately $20,500.00.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
PIGS-IN-THE-BLANKET
Thank you to everyone who
packed a shoe box for Operation
Christmas Child. We collected 81
boxes this year. Your gift of love
may be the door God uses to open a child’s
heart to Jesus Christ.
The pigs-in-the-blanket have
been selling well. We will be
making them one more time before the holidays. So watch the
bulletin for the day and time. We would appreciate your help to make the last batch. One
afternoon of your time is all we need. The fellowship while we make them is great, so join
us in working for the PITB project.
Proceeds from the PITB sales will go to the
Multi-Purpose Building Fund.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
* * * * * * * * * * * *
* * * * * * * * * * * *
OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD
REMEMBER OUR SERVICEMEN
DURING THE HOLIDAYS
Saturday, December 20, 9:30-11:30 a.m.—
Sunday School Christmas Program practice for
Nursery thru 6th Grade.
Sunday, December 21, 6:30 p.m.—Sunday
School Christmas Program. (Note time!)
Thursday, December 25, 9:30 a.m.—Christmas Day Service with Pastor Voskuil.
Sunday, December 28, AM and PM worship
services, but No Sunday School or youth meetings.
There will be NO New Year’s Eve Service.
As the holidays approach, please remember
our servicemen with a card or note.
Trevor Pritchard
PSC 41 Box 2371
APO, AE 09464-0024
ET3 Burrington, Daniel P.
USS Kauffman
Dept. CS Div. CE
FPO AE09576-1513
Deacon’s Corner – DECEMBER
Financial Report - Carmel has again completed its financial year. The Annual Financial
Report has been compiled and everyone received a copy in their church mailbox. We
again were blessed financially and were able to meet all of our obligations. Thank you for
your support of the work and missions of Carmel Church.
Outreach Fund – The Outreach Fund is available to assist Carmel Reformed Church members participation in mission projects/trip by providing financial assistance for registration and travel expenses.
This does not include normally scheduled JR/SR youth group trips. The fund will reimburse ½ of travel
and registration costs up to $500.00 per individual per calendar year. Please contact the Outreach Fund
deacon or one of the other deacons for an application form.
Pig-in-the-Blanket Fundraiser - The proceeds from the Pig-in-the-Blanket fundraiser will go to the
Multi-Purpose Building Fund.
Zestos –The Zesto’s Freezer in the church kitchen continues to have food items for those who are in
need. If you are in need, please help yourself to whatever is in the freezer, no questions asked. If you
know someone in the surrounding communities that is in need this would be a great opportunity to be
the hands and feet of Jesus by taking some food items to them.
Christian Care – The Christian Care Fund is available to assist with financial needs for those who are
encountering difficult circumstances and are struggling to cover their basic financial needs. Please see
the Christian Care Fund deacon if you are in need of assistance.
Adoption Fund – For those considering an adoption please consider inquiring as to whether you will
qualify for the Carmel Reformed Church Adoption Assistance Fund. This fund makes available up to
$1,500 to assist active Carmel Reformed Church members with adoption costs. See any deacon for details and a copy of the application form. All requests will require consistory approval.
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SR. RCYF SCHWANS FUNDRAISER
The Sr. RCYF is having a Schwan’s Fundraiser until December 30. When you order, the Sr.
RCYF will receive 20% on all product sales from November 16 - December 30, 2014. They will earn
5% from December 31, 2014 to November 16, 2015. The Sr. RCYF will also earn 40% on eGift Cards
(online only; limit 1 per customer, per campaign). To participate in this fundraiser you must order
online or by phone. Existing Schwan’s customers on a designated delivery route must also order either
online or over the phone to contribute to this fundraiser.
Products are delivered directly to the home of each supporter during the fundraiser. If you are
not home at the time of delivery, they will leave your items in a protected freezer bag at no cost to you.
HOW TO ORDER: Go to: www.schwans-cares.com/c/16646 to place an order. By phone:
call 1-855-870-7208 (campaign ID no. 16646). If you have any questions about this fundraiser or need
help with ordering, contact Paula Van Voorst, 712-441-3710 or Hans Smolders, 712-441-1639.
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CADET FUNDRAISER:
The Cadets are selling Pizza Ranch punch cards as a fundraiser.
They are $5. If you have not been contacted and would like to support this fundraiser, contact one of
the Cadets or head counselor, Josh Leusink.
S. S. MISSION PROJECT
This year’s Sunday School
mission project is “Talking Bibles”. Talking Bibles make it possible for men, women and children
to hear and understand the spoken
Word for the first time.
Our mission offering is off to a great start.
So far we have collected $986.20. So we’ve
collected enough for almost 30 Bibles. How
many Bibles can we give with our mission offering this year? Remember the Sunday
School mission offering is taken the second
Sunday of each month.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Angels Walking by Karen
Kingsbury
Somewhere in heaven a decision has been made. An Angels Walking team has been assigned to a desperate mission.
Can the small and seemingly insignificant actions of the unseen bring healing and redemption?
A Big Apple Christmas by Reyes, Sattler,
Sowell, Turansky
Four heartwarming stories that capture the
sights and sounds of Christmas in the Big Apple. Romance is in the air, but can faith bring
the love light home?
A Bride by Christmas by Goodnight, Hake,
McDonough, Stenzel
In an era when a single woman had little
hope of support and security outside marriage,
four young women find themselves talked into
weddings on the eve of Christmas celebrations. Can these unlikely couples find happiness and trust God with their future?
The Miner's Lady by Tracie Peterson
Two families have been sworn enemies for
decades but young love still blooms. When
tragedy occurs, is there any hope that the hatred that has simmered between these two
families might be resolved?
KEN DAVIS
“LIGHTEN UP & LIVE”
Ken Davis - “Lighten Up & Live” event is
coming to Hull, Saturday, December 13, 7:00
p.m. It will be held at Western Christian High
School Gymnasium. The doors will open at
6:15 p.m. Tickets are available at the Hull
Chamber Office, American State Bank in Hull,
True Vine in Sioux Center and Something Special in Rock Valley. Tickets are $20 for general admission, $15 for groups of 10 or more.
For more information please contact Shelly at
[email protected].
* * * * * * * * * * * *
JFA SERVING OPPORTUNITIES
Justice For All is planning the 2015 January-February ‘Serving & Learning’ Opportunities and would love to have you join one of the
teams! Projects are being planned in Mexico,
Mississippi, & Haiti throughout the months of
January & February. For specific locations
and dates, you can check out our website –
www.jfa-nwiowa.org; or email [email protected] or call Pat or Lauren at 712-4762804. There will be an informational meeting
on Monday evening, January 5, 2015 at JFA
Ministry Center, 1335 Valley Dr, Rock Valley,
IA at 7:00 p.m. Sign up is possible by picking
up an application at JFA, or by email. If you
are interested in the Mexico trip, please contact
Pat by the end of December.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
NEED A CHRISTMAS GIFT IDEA?
Remember the Carmel Cookbook makes a
great gift and they are only $10. Cookbooks
are available at the church office or at Casey’s
Bakery in Sioux Center.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
HULSTEIN, Chris & Ashley
3020 Ironwood Avenue
Hull, IA 51239
AN UPDATE FROM JONI BYKER OUR MISSION PROJECT PARTNER
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
When I look back at the year 2014, I honestly don't know what to say. It has been the most challenging,
stretching, scary, and really unbelievable year of my life. Everyone on my team would say the same
thing. As most of you are aware, the largest Ebola outbreak in history, landed on our doorstep in March
2014. It has changed our lives forever.
We went from not knowing a single thing about Ebola, to being on the world's stage, as one of the main
responders in the largest outbreak in history. And then, it touched us all in a very personal way, as two
of our own were diagnosed positive with the EVD virus. After the earth shattering news of the test results, it was decided that the best choice for our team at the moment, was to evacuate Liberia. To get on
that airplane, and to leave all 350 national staff behind, was an extremely difficult thing to do. There
were so many unanswered questions. But as our headquarters wisely advised us, we needed to pull out
briefly, so we can regain perspective, reload, and enter back in with renewed energy and strength. And
God did just that.
We reentered Liberia in September, and continue to be one of the main responders in this outbreak. I
have been working at our headquarters in Boone, North Carolina, for the last seven weeks. My role is
largely to support the response team in Liberia, through their various interventions such as distributing
infection, protection, and control kits as well as training family members on how to take care of their
sick loved ones, and helping guide our rapid response teams which respond to hot spots throughout the
country. We have sent two 747s in the last six weeks to Liberia, which includes 200 tons of Ebola supplies for our team. To date, we have distributed 4,000 infection, protection, and control kits, and have
trained 18,000 persons in Ebola awareness and education.
Although the numbers have decreased in recent reports, we are far from being out of the woods. There
are still consistently around 20 new cases every day, and Sierra Leone next-door is once again exploding with cases. Our team covets your prayers.
I will be returning to Liberia, December 28, as team lead for the response. I ask for prayer for me to
lead our team through this difficult situation. Please pray for wisdom, discernment, favor in our relationships with the government, and other organizations. And as always, pray for the protection of our
staff.
God is still good, despite what we have gone through in 2014 as a team. We don't always understand
what God is doing, especially when we see the suffering going on all around us. But, we trust Him. We
trust in His goodness, we trust that He is sovereign, and that He will get the glory through this. Thank
you for your continued donations, and thank you for praying.
Joni Byker
15 16 17 -
DECEMBER
1 2 3 4 5 6 -
7 9 10 11 12 14 -
Mrs. Reba Marra
Todd De Jong
Harv Sandbulte
Mrs. Brooke Byker
Mrs. Marcella Langstraat
Brad Oostra
Mrs. Carmen Maassen
Mrs. Sara Heijerman
Joe Heitritter
Mrs. Sara Sandbulte
Mrs. Conni Hulshof
Lloyd De Jong
Austin Vonk
The Steve Sandbulte’s
Mrs. LaVonne Van Essen
Bryce Meendering
Aubie Mulder
Mrs. Shari Kruid
Mrs. Karissa Roetman
Mrs. Amy Rozeboom
Wilbur Van Grootheest
Wyatt Leusink
Mrs. Donna Tea
Mrs. Gwen Klein
18 19 20 -
22 23 25 27 28 29 30 31 -
Mrs. Keri Statema
Charley Dibbet
Matthew Smolders
Mrs. Jaci Wynia
Mrs. Mary Lou Verburg
Mrs. Nellie Vander Vliet
Taya Gesink
The Eric Dirksen’s
Megan Punt
Trev Koedam
Chantelle Prins
Josh Leusink
Mrs. Misty Zwart
Mrs. Linda Prins
The Preston Vander Plaats’
Lanae Van Meeteren
Mrs. Becky Ochsendorf
Mrs. Kendra Heitritter
Mrs. Carol Van Voorst
Mrs. Carole Kleyer
Stan Prins
Reed Koedam
Hezekiah Vanden Brink
Cole Bomgaars
Sadie Sandbulte
Karlee Leusink
The Joe Heitritter’s
Dylan Moget
Glenn Lange
Mike Haverhals
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ATLAS of Sioux Center invites you to Harp & Bowl Community Prayer every Thursday evening
from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. at the HOME building in Sioux Center (located behind Culver’s). Come and go as
your schedule allows. For more details visit www.siouxcenterpandw.blogspot.com.
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Bring your family, neighbors and friends to enjoy a FREE meal together at New Life
Reformed Church on Thursday, December 11, serving from 6:00-7:30 p.m. The meal is
free and open to everyone. This month’s meal host is Pella Corporation
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Adoption Support Meeting. Katelyn’s Fund Orphan Ministry invites you to please join us at 7:00
p.m. on Thursday, December 11, in the Fireside Room of First Reformed Church, Sioux Center. Parents’
Night Out. Our team is thrilled to offer parents the opportunity to break away for an evening! Your children will be entertained in a fun and safe environment while you do a little Christmas shopping, enjoy a
wintery date night, or simply catch up on laundry with some steamy cocoa. Please watch for registration
information.