Pastor Gregory Pope

Christmas - God’s Gift to You

When the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law,to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.

The Messenger

Pastor Gregory Pope (920) 758-3800

Trinity Ev. Lutheran Church11303 Wehausen Rd. Manitowoc, WI 54220(920) 758-7500 www.trinityliberty.org

Galatians 4:4-5

It’s the moment kids eagerly wait for: the time for tearing open Christmas presents. It’s thrilling to see their excitement and joy to find out what lies beneath the bow and paper. But often, just as quickly as the excitement erupted, it begins to disappear. When the flying bows and paper settle, feelings of disappointment and ingratitude so often start to surface. The moment everyone so eagerly looked forward to so soon ends up becoming yet another disappointment.

For so many the Christmas season and celebration ends up like the boxes strewn across the floor—empty. Christmas is about giving and receiving gifts, but its focus is not on the gifts and presents placed under a tree. The focus of Christmas is a baby who is God in human flesh placed in a manger.

Christmas is the celebration of the gift of God’s one and only Son, a gift he gave to the world. It’s the gift that I need, that you need, that this whole world needs. You see, the world – including you and me – is wrapped and covered in sin. It’s this covering of sin that leaves us empty and disappointed and looking for more gifts and presents that we hope will fill the void. But they can’t.

It is only through the gift of God’s Son, and his life and death that removes from you the ugly covering and wrapping of your sins. Jesus did not come to be placed under a Christmas tree, but to hang upon a tree, not as an ornament, but as the one who would die upon it to pay for all of your sins. His perfect, innocent life and death are gifts he offers to you to make you his perfect and holy child and heir of heaven.

Christmas is so much more than presents placed beneath a tree. It’s the sure and certain fulfillment of God’s most treasured gift to you, your Savior from sin, Jesus Christ. It’s a gift we want to share with you. It’s a gift we want to enjoy with you this season and all year long.

Message from the President

As I write this I am listening to talk radio. As a believer in Christ, I find it sad that there are people in this country, especially at this time of year, that look at a decorated tree (whether artificial or real) and don’t want it called a Christmas Tree. They feel empowered to demand that it be called a Holiday tree and heap criticism upon our governing body for calling that what it truly is…….a Christmas Tree. Feel sorry for these people and pray for them that GOD guide them to the true reason why we celebrate Christmas. Christ was born for all, yes even these that criticize or don’t believe the true meaning at this time. If you have an opinion regarding this conflict, weather you support Governor Walker or not, let your leaders know that, ”YES, it is called a Christmas Tree”. Onward Christian soldier, let’s inform our government how we feel and not let the unbeliever attempt to change even the terminology associated with our great celebration.

After the church service on Sunday the 4th, the Ladies Circle assembled a wonderful luncheon to welcome our new members. This gathering is a great way to socialize with all members and meet those that are new. The luncheon was well attended, requiring tables be set into part of the new lower level. Again, one of the great benefits of our expansion project

I was also part of the group on that Saturday which decorated the tree and other areas of the church. I want to thank everyone that was involved in these two efforts……….GREAT JOB, Thank you. Ushers, you have many cords to plug in to light all these wonderful symbols of the Christmas season, make sure you catch them all.

Please take a moment to view the beautiful Christmas cards printed with a photo taken of the alter area, decorated for the Christmas season. These are for sale in the lower level card display area and are well worth a look. The ladies have assembled them into small packets so there is no need to feel that you must purchase an entire box. Thank you ladies, what a wonderful idea. This is a great way to share our beautiful church with friends and relatives that have not been able to visit.

I wish to take this opportunity to wish you all a Blessed MERRY CHRISTMAS and a Joyous NEW YEAR!

 Gary Vetter, Trinity Congregational President

News from the WELS From the office of President Mark Schroeder

Exploring options for the administration buildingA Synodical Council task force is exploring all options in addressing the recent setback in plans to relocate the synod's administration building.Here is a brief review of the situation. Earlier this year, the synod reached an agreement with a developer to sell the current administration building on Mayfair Road in Milwaukee, Wis., for $2.82 million. The sale was to be finalized in January of 2012, but the developer had until Nov. 4 to perform “due diligence” in making arrangements for rezoning and financing. When the offer was accepted, the Synodical Council authorized the purchase of a newer building in Pewaukee, Wis., for $2.85 million. The building was a perfect fit for our office needs, and we received an exceptional price on the property. That purchase was finalized last summer and tentative plans were made to move to the new building in December.At the end of the due diligence period, the developer who had agreed to purchase the current building withdrew from the purchase agreement after concluding his planned project for the site was not financially feasible. This resulted in the synod now owning two buildings.A task force was appointed by the Synodical Council to explore all options available to remedy this situation. Those options include renewed efforts to work with the city and interested developers to sell

the Mayfair Road building. In addition, the task force will also be considering the possible sale of the Pewaukee property.Obviously, it is not desirable for the synod to be holding two properties. However, we do have reserves that allow us to hold the two properties for a time without using any mission offerings to pay for this. The task force will consider all options carefully in an effort to arrive at a recommended course of action that will best serve the needs of the synod in the long term. The full Synodical Council will make any final decision.Vacant positionsTwo important administrative positions are currently vacant. The process to fill the positions of Director of Human Resources and Director of Communications has begun. Updated position descriptions for both positions will be made available after a review by the Conference of Presidents in December.The duties of both of these positions have been temporarily reassigned to other staff members. We are working to ensure that the services provided in both areas will continue without interruption. Please note that the WELS Connection segments for January through April 2012 are being completed this month and will soon be distributed to congregations.Advent preparationAs we prepare our hearts and homes for the Advent of our King, we direct our thoughts and worship to the One who came as one of us to redeem fallen mankind, and to the One who will come again in the clouds with all power and glory as the King of kings and Lord of lords. God’s richest Advent blessings to you all!

Serving in Christ, Mark Schroeder President

Wordell to coordinate Asian publicationsRev. Brad Wordell has accepted the call from the Board for World Missions to be the first coordinator for Asian publications for WELS Multi-Language Publications. Wordell, a missionary in Japan since 1999, will continue his work in Japan but gradually increase the amount of time he spends overseeing the translation, writing, revision, and printing of Asian publications.“The opportunities for bringing the written Word to the world in Asia are great,” notes Wordell. “The Lord is already blessing our outreach efforts through publications in many countries in Asia. In some countries, publications are extra important because it is dangerous or illegal for expatriate missionaries to live in the country. There is much more that can be done. So many good Lutheran books that we read and enjoy and maybe even take for granted are not available yet in many languages.”As the coordinator for Asian publications, Wordell will work closely with the Translation Working Group at Asia Lutheran Seminary in Hong Kong and with coordinators in other Asian mission fields.WELS Multi-Language Publications (MLP) offers resources such as Bible studies, evangelism materials, Bible commentaries, and sermons in 45 different languages. Visit Northwestern Publishing House's online store to see what materials are available. For more information on Asia missions, go to www.wels.net/missions.

Petermann receives MLS callOn Nov. 29, the Michigan Lutheran Seminary Governing Board issued a call to Rev. Joel Petermann to serve as the next president of Michigan Lutheran Seminary (MLS), Saginaw, Mich. MLS is one of two WELS preparatory high schools.

Petermann, a 1986 graduate of Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, Mequon, Wis., is currently pastor at St. Paul, Amherst, N.H. He also has served as president of WELS’ North Atlantic District since 2004.Rev. Petermann and his wife, Jane, are familiar with MLS because their two daughters have attended the school. One graduated in May 2011, and the other is currently a junior at MLS. The Petermanns also have an 11-year-old son.The position of MLS president has been vacant since September 2010. The vacancy is being filled by Dr. William Zeiger, vice president of MLS.

Two new worship facilitiesCongregations in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and Radcliff, Ky., will be worshiping in new facilities for the first time this December.St. Paul in Calgary will be holding its dedication service Sat., Dec. 10. St. Paul was started in 1985 as the first WELS church in Calgary. The congregation began worshiping in its own building shortly after being founded; however, the facility, meant only to be the first phase in a building plan, no longer was able to meet the congregation’s needs.“We were worshiping in what should’ve been our fellowship hall,” says Rev. Michael Vogel, who has served the 90-member congregation since 2006. “Now we built a new sanctuary, three classrooms, and a pastor’s office, and our old sanctuary is now our fellowship hall.”Part of the funding came from WELS Church Extension Fund (CEF). Vogel says, “We were wondering if we’d be able to afford this, and that was right about the same time the Church Extension Fund sent a letter about this matching grant they were offering for congregations like ours. So, it was perfect timing for us, because we weren’t sure we’d have the funds to do it. That was a real blessing for us.”St. Paul broke ground for the addition in June this year, and the project was completed in October. The congregation has already seen an increase in visitors checking out the new church.“I’m not a big believer in ‘if you build it, they will come,’ but to start it sure has worked out that way. So we’re real thankful to God for that,” says Vogel.Faith in Radcliff will be holding a dedication service for its brand new church on Sun., Dec. 11. The 180-member congregation was started in 1994 and has been worshiping in a storefront since 1996.Rev. Paul Horn, pastor at Faith, explains that Faith was eligible for low-interest rate loans and grants for WELS CEF in order to obtain their land and build their new facility.The new building is 7,900 sq.ft., seats 210, and sits on 5 acres of land. It includes a fellowship hall, two administrative offices, and three classrooms. After outgrowing the storefront’s capacity, Horn says the new building will allow the church to serve more people.Horn says the community is very transient due to its proximity to Fort Knox. “A lot of people are coming and going. And one of the things that is prevalent in this town is storefront churches,” says Horn. “So this means a permanence in our community. To the people that do come to the community, the building, it tells them, this is a permanent structure—these people are here to stay.”

WELS family assists with relief to JapanOn Dec. 9, a WELS family, sponsored by Christian Aid and Relief, will travel to Japan and assist the Lutheran Evangelical Christian Church, WELS' sister church in Japan, set up and operate a Christian community center to assist those affected by last spring’s earthquake and tsunami.Dan and Andrea (Andi) Jaspersen, along with their infant and toddler, will leave their home in Wyoming and spend a month in Japan. For Dan and Andi, they will, in a way, be going home. After graduating from Bethany College, the Jaspersens moved to Japan to teach English. They lived in the Miyagi prefecture—an area that was affected by the natural disaster—for four years, more than half their marriage, and had their first son there. And, they both speak Japanese, a big advantage in assisting with these efforts.When Andi saw that Christian Aid and Relief was looking for a family to participate in relief efforts in Japan for a month, she knew her family fit the bill, but the question that remained was whether Dan could take a month off work. To their surprise, his company allowed him the leave of absence.

“The way everything fell into place, including Dan’s employer being willing to give him a leave of absence—it was just so clear that it was God saying, ‘I want you here,’ ” says Andi.The Jaspersens learned a lot about the Japanese culture during their four years there, and Andi says religion is not a prevalent part of the Japanese life.“We can show them how active we are, or can be, in our faith and that God can be part of every day,” she says. “Right now is the perfect time to go in and attend to their physical needs, and then in the process, plant the seed so that someone down the road can water it, and hopefully that will grow over time.”To find out how you can help Christian Aid and Relief, visit www.wels.net/relief.

To receive more information on the WELS, please go to their to their web-site,www.wels.net. Here you will find the Forward in Christ, daily devotions and other information pertaining to the WELS.

The Bible-The Book of GalatiansThis month’s part of the Bible focus is a look at the Book of Galatians.

GALATIAGalatia was a large Roman province in the middle of Asia Minor (modern Turkey). The name Galatia comes from the name of the people who moved into this area several hundred years before Christ. They were the "Keltai" or Celtic tribes. The entire Roman province of Galatia stretched almost from the Black Sea in the north to the Mediterranean Sea in the south. The province included the cities of Iconium, Lystra, Derbe and Pisidian Antioch.

THE GALATIAN CHRISTIANSActs 13 and 14 tell us how Paul established Christian congregations in the southern Galatian cities on his first missionary journey. Both Jews and Gentiles became believers (Acts 14:1). Paul was accompanied by Barnabas as he preached in Iconium, Lystra and Derbe in southern Galatia. Read Acts 14:1-23. Paul made two more visits to Galatia, on his second and third missionary journeys (Acts 16:6 and 18:23). It is not certain just which cities of Galatia he visited in these journeys. It was probably soon after Paul's first visit in Galatia that some false teachers worked among the Galatian Christians. We commonly call those false teachers "Judaizers." These Judaizers taught the Galatians that a person had to be circumcised and observe the Jewish laws in order to be saved. They also taught about Jesus Christ; but they mixed law with gospel and works with grace. The result was that the Galatians were confused. The gospel was really shoved aside to make room again for the old law. If the Galatians continued to accept the Judaizers' teaching, they would lose their salvation. (This was exactly the same problem which the council at Jerusalem discussed, as told in Acts 15.) The Galatians needed to have the false doctrine of the Judaizers clearly exposed to them. They needed to have the pure Gospel of grace clearly presented to them again.

THE EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANSWhen Paul heard how the Galatians were listening to the Judaizers, he was astonished and perplexed (1:6, 4:20). How could they turn away so quickly from the teaching of free salvation by faith in Christ? Didn't they know they were in the process of throwing away the Gospel, Christ himself, and their salvation by following the Judaizers? Paul wrote the Galatians a clear and forceful letter in order to expose the false teaching of the Judaizers, establish his authority as an apostle of Christ, and to clearly present the doctrine of justification by faith in Christ alone apart from observing the law. In stressing the doctrine of justification, Galatians is similar to Romans. Both epistles clearly and unmistakably present the pure Gospel of grace. But perhaps we could say that when writing Galatians, Paul was writing in a more urgent and forceful way because of the immediate fatal damage the Judaizers were doing.

WHEN AND WHERE WRITTEN?There have been many different answers to this question. One widely accepted answer is that Galatians was written from Antioch after Paul's first missionary journey before the council in Jerusalem. This would be about 47 or 48 A.D. If this is true, then Galatians is the first book of the New Testament to be written. (Others say it was written from Ephesus in 56 or 57 A.D.)

THE CONTENTS OF GALATIANS1Paul defends his apostleship. (1-2) In Paul's absence, the Judaizers attacked Paul's ministry and said that his words could not be trusted. Paul therefore shows that he is a true apostle called and sent by God. His words are God's own truth. 2Paul explains the doctrine of justification. (3-4) Paul carefully and forcefully shows that human effort can make no one righteous before God; anyone who relies on the law to save him is cursed by the law. Man is justified by faith in Christ alone. 3Paul writes of the Christian's freedom in Christ. (5-6) He encourages the Galatians not to let themselves be burdened again by slavery to the Law of Moses, but to stand in the freedom that Christ gave. At the same time he warns them not to use their Christian freedom to live a life of sin, but to live a new life in the Spirit.

A THEME FOR GALATIANS:"MAN IS JUSTIFIED BY FAITH, NOT BY OBSERVING THE LAW"

THE EFFECT OF THE LETTER TO THE GALATIANSPaul's letter evidently accomplished its purpose. The Galatian churches joined in gathering the offering for the poor at Jerusalem. They must have expelled the Judaizers and clung to Paul's Gospel. Galatians greatly affected Martin Luther 1,500 years later. Luther called Galatians "my own little epistle" and said that he was "married" to this epistle. Galatians gave Luther the strength to fight against the legalism of the Church of Rome and to hold high the Gospel of pure grace in Christ. Anyone who is weak concerning the doctrine of justification and the place of the law will find real "meat" and strength in the Letter to the Galatians.

SOME IMPORTANT PASSAGES FROM GALATIANS"Even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!" (1:8) "Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, `The righteous will live by faith.'" (3:11) "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us." (3:13) "You are all the sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus." (3:26) "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love." (5:6) "So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature." (5:16) "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." (5:22-23)

Our current Sunday Adult Bible Class is on “The Gospel in the Psalms.” We meet Sundays at 8:15 am in the church basement. Please join us!

Our Thursday night Bible class is the 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month. We are discussing the WELS’ book, “What in the World is Going On?” This book talks about the false worldviews that threaten us in the world today, and how we are kept safe in the true Biblical worldview. You are invited to attend this class also.

Announcements Sunday SchoolGrades 4th-8thDuring this time of the school year we are actively working on the Christmas Eve Program. This class has plenty of recitations along with a new hymn to learn: CW 23 – Oh Come, Oh Come, Emmanuel. The children are doing a great job learning the hymn and also working on the recitations. A reminder to the parents that there will be a final practice after church on Sunday, December 18th. Also, there will be no Sunday School on Christmas Day and on New Year’s Day.

Thank you,Jennifer Pope – Sunday School Teacher, Grades 4th-8th

Trinity Ladies CircleOur meeting in November went smoothly and we accomplished a lot. During the meeting we discussed various topics such as the Tuition Assistance Program at MLHS. Our activity for the meeting was putting together the Thanksgiving display in front of the church. Other discussions at our meeting were the New Member Welcome dinner and also bringing cookies for the shut-in bags for Christmas. We also completed elections at this meeting. The TLC officers are as follows: Cindy Williamson (President), Lisa Petersen (Vice President), Lois Fisher (Secretary), and Darlene Kiesow (Treasurer). Finally, please note that there will not be a TLC meeting for the month of December. Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year from the TLC!

Fellowship CommitteeThe Mystery Dinner had 33 people that participated. People enjoyed food from Altona in New Holstein, Friar Tuck’s, Luigi’s and Samantha’s.Thank you to those who donated toward the Christmas candy bags.The collection for Peter’s Pantry is going well. About 100 items have been taken down so far with the remainder going down after the 18th.We are still looking for people to join the Fellowship Committee. So please really think it over and let Pastor Pope know if you are interested. The group takes care of setting up who will serve Lenten meals (we do not serve one), helping out Easter breakfast (this year it is going to be egg bakes, fruit and muffins), doughnuts for Examination Sunday, church picnic, mission fest lunch and candy bags. The more people that you have the easier things get done! Please consider! Board of Evangelism

Building and Grounds

Please remember to keep the 2 spots marked for handicapped in our parking lot on the west side of church for those who are in need of them. Also, that you keep the lane clear (on the east and west sides of church) so the cars can go around church. We also ask that you do not park in front of church, on the shoulders of the road or in front of the church office. This is for safety purposes, with winter coming soon it is easier for the plows to get through. We ask that you use one of the 3 parking lots. Thank you.

New Defibrillator Trinity has had the blessings of receiving a Heart defibrillator. The defibrillator is located below the mailboxes on the right side. If you are qualified or comfortable using this machine in case of emergency, please contact the church secretary. We plan to have a list so people have the information. Thank you for your help.

New Members We are asking that new members please drop off a 4x6 picture of themselves or their family to the church office or to get their picture taken at the church office. We are making a board of the new members to welcome them to our church. Also if you had information sheets in your mailbox, could you please get them back to the church secretary so we can get your information into our computer system. Thank You!

Shut –insThese are the following members that reside in their own homes, nursing homes or assisted living facilities. Please remember them in your prayers and if you have time give them a visit.

Constance Cummings – Walnut Grove, ManitowocHarold Gulickson – living at home in New HolsteinViolet Gulickson – nursing home in New HolsteinLorena Nagel – living at home, rural ManitowocBernice Pleuss – River’s Bend, ManitowocAllen Reichardt – living at home in ManitowocMyron Schreiber – living at home in ReedsvilleCaroline Schwalbe – Felician Village, ManitowocElaine Sieker – River Wood Estates, ManitowocBernice Vetting – River Wood Estates, ManitowocWally & Faith Woepse – Manitowoc Health Care Center

College StudentsThese are the following young people going to college from Trinity. Please remember them in your prayers.

Jessica Johnson – attending school in ScotlandAlex Kasten – Lakeshore Technical CollegeAlaina Luckow – Silver Lake CollegeStephanie Nagel – UW-PlattevilleSamantha Ott – UW-ManitowocEmma Wallander – UW-Green BayBeckee Williamson – UW-Green Bay

Address Change Please notify the church office if you have a change of address, phone number or e-mail address. We need to keep our church records up to date. This is important for church mailings and helpful to Pastor. Thank You!

Church Office HoursPlease remember the church office hours are Monday 9 am -1 pm, Thursday 1-5pm and Friday 9am -2 pm.

News from Newtonburg Jesus Cares Christmas Service There will be a Jesus Cares Christmas service in Milwaukee. Several people with some teens from MLHS will go to this service—and you can come too! We have a small bus that will be departing Cleveland at the VFW at 12:30 p.m. and arriving back at 6pm. This is a great opportunity to see Jesus Cares in action and it is a service that touches your soul. This service is open to anyone that wishes to come.Kids c.a.r.e. update from St. John's Antigua -one of last year’s mission projects Oct. 10, 2011 -- Pastor Andres Johnston writes, "Despite a few obstacles, we are progressing on our playground project. Thanks to LWMS and the kids c.a.r.e. offering! The whole school is very excited. The court and fence are done. The playground equipment finally arrived and assembly begins today." "The children are playing on the playground and having so much fun! Many of them had to learn how to swing, but now they are having a great time. We've been looking for an opportunity to have a formal dedication and send pictures to LWMS, but so far rain has prevented it. Be assured that the gift is greatly appreciated and has further enhanced our school's standing in the community and, thus, our opportunities to share the gospel."Classroom Gift Exchange Students may have drawn names this past week for the Christmas gift exchange on December 23rd. Please limit the cost of the gift to the $3- $5.00 range. If you have questions, please talk to your child’s teacher. Pom Camp Pom Camp Registration forms came out today. Pom Camp at MLHS is scheduled for 1/7 (Sat) starting at 8:30 AM. They will perform their routine at the JV game on Jan 9th at 5:30 PM at MLHS. ALL girls, who are members of St. John’s Church, in grades K – 8 are welcome to attend.Spirit Day It is our tradition to always wear Black / Grey / Yellow on Fridays during the basketball season, to show our school spirit. Feel free to do so, starting with this Friday. Please do not wear anything that would detract from studying / or paying attention (face paint / hair color/ etc).

MLHS UPCOMING EVENTS December 23 Christmas Concert @ Capitol Civic Centre 4:30 & 7:30 PMDecember 24-31Christmas Recess

***Raise money for MLHS just by searching the Internet with GoodSearch - www.goodsearch.com - powered by Yahoo!

Trinity Financial Report for November

11/31/2011Actual Budget Difference

November Receipts $18,455.00 $20,740.00 -$2,285.00Year to Date Receipts $94,459.00 $96,945.00 -$2,486.00

November Receipts Short to budget by $2,285Year to Date Receipts short of budget by $2,486

Remaining Loan Balance $476,186

Property Appraisals from Collins State Bank complete. Appraisal was done by Jerry Thiel from Chilton. Listed below are the appraisal totals for each property:

Church $395,000Office $78,000Parsonage $177,000 Total $650,000

Grade Students Tuition Summations1-8 11 $3,552.37 $39,076.07 Austin Petersen 11/01/11Kind 2 $1,775.29 $3,550.58 Emma Petersen 11/01/11Pre 1 $1,065.77 $1,065.77Totals 14 $43,692.42

$4,262.78$4,854.71

Check # Date Payment Accumulative Commitment Balance7688 8/31/2011 $4,262.75 $4,262.75 $39,429.677717 9/30/2011 $4,262.75 $8,525.50 $35,166.927748 10/31/2011 $4,262.75 $12,788.25 $30,904.177787 11/30/2011 $4,262.75 $17,051.00 $26,641.42

12/31/2011 $5,446.67 $22,497.67 $21,194.751/31/2012 $4,854.71 $27,352.38 $16,340.042/28/2012 $4,854.71 $32,207.09 $11,485.333/31/2012 $4,854.71 $37,061.80 $6,630.624/30/2012 $4,854.71 $41,916.51 $1,775.91

Pre School Kindergarten Elementary School 1-8Chase Skinis Ethan Wasmer Jordon Sieracki (1)

Emma Petersen Makenna Krim (2)Aubry Schlies (2)Austin Petersen (2)Jason Wasmer (4)Dillan Wasmer (5)Brittany Kenneke (6)Jacob Krim (6)Madeline Schleis (6)Allyson Jungbluth (7)Hannah Schlies (8)

2011/2012 School Year Tuition

6 monthly Payments @3 monthly Payments @

Church Attendance for

NovemberCombined Total for Saturday/Sunday

“God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.” John 4:24

November_ 2008Week 1: 29/110=139Week 2: 47/128=175 Week 3: 52/113=165Week 4: 36/92=128Thanksgiving: 139Week 5: 32/107=135

Monthly: 881

November 2009 Week 1: 42/107=149Week 2: 22/107=162 (Sunday School sang)Week 3: 43/82=125Thanksgiving: 133Week 4: 30/111=141

Monthly: 710

November 2010Week 1: 40/142=162Week 2: 53/114=167Week 3: 42/76=118Thanksgiving: 113Week 4: 40/79=119

Monthly: 679

November 2011Week 1: 39/126=165Week 2: 54/66=120Week 3: 40/59=99Thanksgiving: 132Week 4: 36/93=129

Monthly: 645

A Happy Birthday and God’s Blessings to…

12/12 Benjamin Kiesow 12/12 Joshua Kiesow 12/13 Lawrence Teesch 12/14 Brittany Kenneke 12/15 Alex Free

12/15 Elaine Sieker-93 yrs. Young! 12/17 Denise Preston 12/23 A.J. Kenneke

12/24 Lorena Nagel-98 yrs. Young! 12/26 Janet Matthias-83yrs. Young! 12/26 Breanna Hansen 12/26 Chase Skinkis

12/27 James W. Ott 12/31 Eunice Barnes 12/31 Emma Krueger

1/2 Diane Smith1/2 Chad Hackmann1/4 Larry Hochkammer1/4 Lucille Vetter-88 yrs. Young!1/4 Alan Sieker1/6 Adam Petersen1/7 Sally Propson1/11 Randy Siebert1/15 Steve Schreiber

Happy Anniversary To…1/12 Greg & Rhonda Buechner – 8 Years!1/18 Alan & Marlene Sieker – 48 Years!

If you have a December birthday or anniversary and it is not listed correctly please let us know so we can update your information. Thanks!

Date: Ushers on Schedule: December 17th Greg Buechner, Mike KiesowDecember 18th Keith Petersen, Len Arnold, Joseph Nagel, Jeff TuschelChristmas EveDecember 24th Gary Vetter, Mark Kiesow, Steve Pleuss, Jeff KastenChristmas DayDecember 25th James Ott, Todd Petersen, Marty Kiesow, David MellstromNew Years’ EveDecember 31st Alan Sieker (Server), John Smith (Server), August TeeschNew Year’s DayJanuary 1st Ron Kasten, Larry Hochkammer, Todd Bergmann, James Glaeser

If you are unable to make your scheduled service, please call Brian Glaeser @ 775-3941.

Communion Liturgy: Take, eat; this is the true body of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, given into death for your sins. Take, drink; this is the true blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, shed for you for the remission of your sins.May this strengthen and preserve you in the true faith unto life everlasting. Depart in peace; your sins are forgiven. Amen.

Altar Guild: December – Group 1: Helen Isaacson, Darlene Kiesow, Donna Nagel, Elaine Petersen

Our Greeters for December

December 18th Carol Kasten December 25th Eileen & Steve Pleuss

Bible Quiz – “Roots, Fruits, Leaves, Flowers”

1. What kind of leaf did the dove return to Noah’s ark with her in her mouth?a. Oakb. Olivec. Figd. Cedar

2. Jesus told his disciples that he would not drink again of the fruit of the vine until:a. The kingdom of God comesb. After his resurrectionc. The Passover was completed. All the world believed

3. Jotham tells an interesting parable where the trees of the forst seek a king. Which of the following accepts the offer:

a. The olive tree b. The fig treec. The vined. The thorn bush

4. After Adam and Eve knew they were naked, what kind of leaves did they cover themselves with?

a. Oakb. Olive c. Figd. Cedar

5. In the book of Revelation what were the leaves of the tree of life used for?a. Healing of the nationsb. Forgiveness of sinsc. Truth and guidance

d. Restoration of peace

Answers: 1.) b [Genesis 8:11] 2.) a [Luke 22:18] 3.) d [Judges 9:7-15] 4.) c [Genesis 3:7 ]5.) a [Revelations 22:2]

Christmas Crossword Puzzle(Words used are listed below the puzzle)

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 Jesus Is Born

From Thru-the-Bible Coloring Pages for Ages 4-8. © 1986,1988 Standard Publishing.Used by permission. Reproducible Coloring Books may be purchased from

Standard Publishing, www.standardpub.com, 1-800-543-1301.

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