The Messenger

Presbyterian United Church of Christ

www.facebook.com/PresbyterianUCC

www.pucclemars.com

858 7th Avenue SE

P.O. Box 729

Le Mars, IA 51031

712-546-6624

puccoffice@frontier.com

OFFICE HOURS

Tuesday– Friday

9:00 am - Noon

1:00 pm- 3:30 p.m.

Closed Mondays

Sunday Worship

10:30 a.m.

Nursery available for children under six years during worship

service.

Weather-related

cancellations will be aired on KLEM 1410 AM

2015 IMPORTANT DATES IN

DECEMBER

December 6: Congregation Meeting following Worship

December 13: Christmas Program

December 13: Noah’s Ark Christmas Program @ 2pm

December 24: Christmas Eve Service

**November 1 ~ Don’t forget to set you clock back an hour!

From: The Red Brick Church on the Hill

All Saints’ Day

In early Christian tradition, saints’ days began as a way to mark the

anniversary of a martyr’s death — his or her “birthday” as a saint. By the

middle of the church’s first millennium, there were so many martyrs

(particularly due to the persecution of Diocletian) that it was hard to give

them all their due. All Saints’ Day was established as an opportunity to

honor all the saints, known and unknown.

All Saints’ Day has a rather different focus in the Reformed tradition.

While we may give thanks for the lives of particular luminaries of ages

past, the emphasis is on the ongoing sanctification of the whole people of

God. Rather than putting saints on pedestals as holy people set apart in

glory, we give glory to God for the ordinary, holy lives of the believers in

this and every age. This is an appropriate time to give thanks to members

of the community of faith who have died in the past year.

All Saints’ Day has been celebrated on November 1 since the year 835. Previously it had been connected

with the Easter season as a feast of all martyrs.

This year we will be recognizing the following who have entered the church triumphant this past year: Jim

Kendall, Cindy Athens, Steven Scholten, Eddie Martfeld, Kevin James, Frances Braband, Linda

Angerman, Marion Athens, Abby Penning, Gale Dennler, and Bette Waite.

Celebrating Veteran’s Day

National ceremonies commemorating Veterans Day occur each year at the memorial amphitheater built

around the Tomb of the Unknowns. At 11 AM on November 11, a color guard representing all military ser-

vices executes “Present Arms” at the tomb. The presidential wreath is laid upon the tomb and the bugler

plays taps.

Each Veterans Day is a time for Americans to stop and remember the brave men and women who have

risked their lives for the United States of America. As Dwight Eisenhower said, "...it is well for us to pause,

to acknowledge our debt to those who paid so large a share of freedom's price. As we stand here in grate-

ful remembrance of the veterans' contributions we renew

our conviction of individual responsibility to live in ways that

support the eternal truths upon which our Nation is found-

ed, and from which flows all its strength and all its great-

ness."

Our Veteran’s will be recognized on Sunday, November 8,

2015 during the worship service.

HARVEST DINNER!

PUCC’s annual Harvest Dinner is fast approaching! The dinner will be held on

November 15th after Sunday church service. Again this year we will have the turkey

and ham catered and the rest of the meal will be potluck. You will need to bring your

own place setting. Sign up sheets are posted in the Narthex. Please join us for great

food and fellowship!!

Greek icon of saints and angels

around Christ’s throne (c. 1700).

Note From Pastor Jan

Zacchaeus was a wee little man, a wee little man was he. He climbed up in a Sycamore tree for the Lord he wanted to see…

With Sunday school in full swing once again this year, I’ve been thinking about the impact the Bible stories have upon our lives. The other day, I happened upon the story of Zacchaeus. Perhaps you remember the story, as do I, from the song … and as the Savior passed that way, he looked up in the tree, and he said, “Zacchaeus, you come down, for I’m going to your house today. I’m going to your house today!” When I visited Israel a few years ago, a tree was pointed out on the streets of Jericho that was thought to be the tree Zacchaeus climbed up into in order to see Jesus. Seeing the tree was such a reminder to me of Jesus’ time on earth, the way he was available to people and the way he transformed lives. We know Zacchaeus as a wee little man, but we may miss the fact that he in many ways was a lot like us. He had a job and diligently worked at his job to get ahead. As a tax collector, he had done well and had become rich. The problem was that in that day, many in his profession were recognized as being dishon-est, of gaining riches at the expense of the poor. The crowd thinks of Zacchaeus as a sinner, one whom even Jesus should stay away from. Whether he was truly guilty or not, the story doesn’t say. What the story does say is that there was a transformation in his life when he comes into the presence of Jesus. Immediately, Zacchaeus commits to giving half of his possessions to the poor and goes on to say, “if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.” Jesus responds, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.” Bible stories are not just for kids. This story of Zacchaeus has a powerful message for all of us. His life was transformed. Jesus names this transformation “salvation.” We recognize the transformation in his actions. He made a complete about-face. One has to wonder what exactly happened to Zacchaeus? What caused him to have such a desire to see Jesus that he, a grown man, climbed up a Sycamore tree along a busy city street? Who put this desire in him? I find it encouraging to think of how God quietly works within our hearts, beginning by giving us a desire to see Jesus. Zacchaeus climbs the tree, and Jesus sees him and calls out to him. I think of the scripture, “If you seek, you will find.” Jesus went to Zach’s home and Zach was changed. He was transformed. He now has seen Jesus and he will never be the same. An encounter with Jesus changes our lives. Is God nudging you? Is a desire growing up within you to seek Jesus in your life? What transformative

work does God desire to do in your life? Friends, this is a most amazing gift from God who knows and loves you and wants to do great things in and through you. Perhaps it is time to climb the tree!

With Thanksgiving,

October was a fun month at Noah’s Ark Pre-

school! We had several visitors including

Pastor Jan, Ms. Lisa from the Le Mars Public

Library, and Chief Dave and Chief Mike from

the Le Mars Fire Department! We also had our

pictures taken by Nancy Brechler from Nancy’s

Photography! The 4 & 5 year olds learned the

letters D, E, F, and G in October, and the 3

year olds learned the colors yellow, green, and blue. We ended the

month with Halloween parties!

We have a lot of fun plans for November! Pastor Jan will visit each of

the classes, and Ms. Lisa from the library will make her monthly visit to

read to each class. Victoria DeVos, the Plymouth County Naturalist,

will visit each of the classes to teach us how animals prepare for

winter, and some football players from the Le Mars Bulldogs will read

to the 4 & 5 year olds! The 4 & 5 year olds will tour the church for their

first field trip in November. We also have parent-teacher conferences

scheduled for November 9, 11, and 12. We will end the month by

celebrating Thanksgiving.

Save the date! The Noah’s Ark Preschool Christmas Program will be

on Sunday December 13 at 2:00 in the Sanctuary. Refreshments will

be served in the Fellowship Hall following the program.

Did you know Noah’s Ark Preschool is on Facebook?! Please ‘like’ us

on Facebook to get updates on what is happening in the classroom!

We do a lot of learning and have a lot of fun!

facebook.com/noahsarkpreschoollemars

Since the beginning of the school year, we have received many

generous donations of supplies for our classroom. We sincerely thank

you for all donations!

We look forward to a fun-filled November!

Children’s Chapel - Worship Ministry

As we celebrate the season of Thanksgiving, the Christian Educa-

tion Commission is very thankful for the many Storytellers and

Greeters that have volunteered their time to become involved in our

Children’s Chapel ministry.

This year we have begun each lesson with the use of the Circle of

the Church presentation set created and built by Rod Scholten.

We have learned that there are three great times in the year of the

church; Christmas, Easter and Pentecost. The time to get ready for

Christmas is called Advent. The time for getting ready for Easter is

called Lent and the season of Easter is also a time for getting ready

to come to the mystery of Pentecost. Colors are also used in our

Circle of the Church. Green blocks for ordinary time, purple for Ad-

vent and Lent, red for the glow of the Holy Spirit and Pentecost and

white for Easter. This avenue of learning invites children to move

through the church’s special kind of time, marked not by numbers

but by blocks of color.

Children’s Chapel November Schedule of Bible Stories:

11/1: Communion Sunday - No Children’s Chapel

11/8: A New Teaching - Mark 1: 21-28

11/15: Jesus and the Paralytic - Matthew 9: 1-8

11/22: Jesus and the Tax Collectors - Luke 5: 27-32

11/29: Mary & Joseph Show the Way to Bethlehem - Matthew 1-2

The Forum will suspend meeting due to a lack of interest. Save the Date!

This year’s Christmas Program will be held on De-

cember 13th during the morning worship service!

Hope to see you there!

Middle School Youth Group

The year is off to a great start! After a kick-off at Rejoice Community

Church in September, the joint Middle School Group from three

congregations has been meeting at PUCC on the 2nd and 4th

Wednesday evenings. On October 14th, the group enjoyed a trip to

Pumpkinland, north of Orange City. Thankfully everyone who

attended made it through the maze! A bit challenging with it getting

dark so early! Each night of youth group we enjoy time together,

which includes a lesson, games and always ends with Blue Bunny Ice

Cream treats! Adult helpers this year include Jacki Albers and Pastor

Jan from PUCC, Todd DeBoer from Rejoice Community, and Troy

Hughes from Calvin Christian Reformed Church. We are happy to be

able to join together with these other 2 congregations again this year!

Confirmation at PUCC

Confirmation class is off to a great start! On October

4th, confirmands received their Bibles from the

congregation. Bibles were passed through the

sanctuary, giving everyone a chance to pray for each

student as they embarked on their confirmation

journey. The class consists of 5 students this year, all

in the 7th grade. Each week, we welcome one parent

to experience the class, which is taught by Pastor

Jan. Students are going through the Confirmation

Curriculum titled “Professing Our Faith” from the We

Believe series. Meeting the first and third Wednesdays,

students are expected to attend worship at least twice a

month. Part of their homework currently is to read

through the gospel of Mark. Please keep Carter,

Emma, Owen, Seth, and Sophie in prayer as they move

through this special season of life.

Session Highlights ~ Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Elders Present: Pastor Jan Christensen, Evelyn Kendall, Deb Thompson, Roger Dempster, Mike Cunningham, Linda Smith, Arlo Swalve, Lowell Penning, Beth Kehrberg Excused: Kevin Albers, Rob Bixenman, Karissa Carlson

Moderator’s Report Pastor Jan gave a summary of her activities throughout the last month. She reports that the confirmation class is off to a great start with a nice group of five kids. They meet twice monthly for what will be a two-year process leading up to confirmation. Jan has asked that a parent be present at each of the meetings and has received the support of the parents. The middle school youth also meet twice monthly with Jackie Albers helping out. Jan may go to represent the PUCC during the high school youth group but is also looking for suggestions of anyone who may be interested in attending (currently PUCC has no representation). Jan continues to attend various func-tions/events: attended the wedding reception of Corinne and Logan Black, did a pet blessing at “Woofstock,” had lunch with the new pastor at Christ Lutheran Church, continues mentoring a woman under care of the presbyter and has been involved in pastoral care, serving home com-munion, visiting and counseling. Jan expressed both joys and concerns involving ministry over the past month.

Clerk’s Report MSC to approve the September 22, 2015 Session Meeting Minutes.

Communion was served to 73 on Sunday, October 4, 2015.

Deacon’s Report No report submitted.

Treasurer’s Report Rob was not present to provide a Treasurer ’s report.

Nominating Committee Report Jan reports that two of three vacant Deacon positions have been filled and several are considering.

MSC to approve the above reports as stated.

Commission Reports Lowell provided a summary for P & M. Cleanup including tree trimming and removal continues in the grove behind the church. Lowell has budgeted accordingly for the coming year. The lights in the chapel have been fixed. Playground equipment has been updated and installed.

Roger reported that the Worship Commission is getting ready for Thanksgiving and Christmas. This year holiday decorating will take place weekly starting at the end of November. In Rob’s absence, Pastor Jan mentioned for the Finance Commission that expenses continue to be lower this year compared to last.

The Mission Commission has put toys together and taken them to Gehlen to be sent to Honduras. If the toys are popular they will see that more are made and sent. Dennis has been in contact with P & M in regards to a community garden which is being planned for next year. Beth reported that the Noah’s Ark board shows an increase of nine students this year compared to last. Pastor Jan continues to offer chapel time to each section and has added a Bible Story each month for the older class. Deb reported for the Christian Education Committee that nursery cleanup will need to be rescheduled. All members of the church will be welcome when a date is determined. R.O.C.K program is off to a great start and the committee seems pleased with the program. MSC to approve the Commission Reports as stated.

Old Business The church growth task-force will meet 11/5/15. Personnel will be meeting to review the child protection policy. No further action has been taken on an opportunity for prayer.

Hill View Park fall retreat review: Dennis did a terrific job contributing to the service and leading the nature hike, Arlo did a fantastic job organ-izing the catered meal, approximately 52 people were in attendance. Jan has some ideas for the spiritual formation task-force. Jeff Peters will be facilitating an adult Bible study group starting 11/8/15. Regarding the Sabbatical, Jan recommended taking this off the table in order to communicate information regarding pastoral sabbaticals to the congregation. Session discussed various options available to help make a sabbatical happen. Session plans to prepare a

letter to be sent out to the congregation to better explain sabbatical and what it would mean for the PUCC. A discussion will be held during an upcoming congregational meeting.

Old Business Congregational meeting scheduled for December 6, 2015: new officers and possible sabbatical discussion. Session in pro-cess of determining commission and task force assignments for 2016. The process used by the Nominating Committee was discussed includ-ing the idea of having a written list of potential candidates submitted by the congregation prepared ahead of time. MSC to reschedule the De-cember session meeting for December 15, 2015. MSC to adjourn the Meeting at 9:10 pm. Meeting closed in prayer.

Month Income Expenses Difference

January $ 17,584.94 $ 17,446.77 $ 138.17

February $ 18,914.15 $ 19,861.01 $ (946.86)

March $ 18,013.81 $ 20,087.88 $ (2,074.07)

April $ 19,520.79 $ 19,748.11 $ (227.32)

May $ 33,546.40 $ 17,234.04 $ 16,312.36

June $ 13,297.78 $ 15, 767.12 $ (2,469.34)

July $ 9,201.69 $ 20,695.50 $ (11,493.81)

August $ 14,311.69 $ 18,770.10 $ (4,458.41)

September $ 17,971.77 $ 17,248.91 $ 722.86

Total $ 162,363.02 $ 166,859.44 $ (4,496.42)

NOVEMBER

BIRTHDAYS

November 4 Chance Marcotte

November 12 Maxine Pitts

November 13, Teri Brock

November 22 Dave Schneider

November 24, Christy Collins

November 26 Norma Martfeld

November 26 Parker Keunen

November 28 Cris Collins

November 29 Bruce Kellen

November 29 Fauston Mahlke

November 2 Dale & Donna Kluckman

November 29

Harold & Anita Hazen

THANK YOU ~ Hello Everyone, Thank you so much for your thoughts, your prayers and your cards. Arlo and I are truly blessed to have such a supportive church family. Love Lucille

THANK YOU ~ We want to thank Dennis Sohl for his participation in service during the All Church Fall Retreat on October 18th and also a special thank you to Arlo Swalve for organizing the Retreat!

THANK YOU ~ We want to thank Kym Peters for sharing a beautiful worship dance with us to Fight Song/Amazing Grace on Septmeber 27th.

THANK YOU ~ For your faithful giving to the ministry of this church. We are grateful for your gifts, both monetarily and through serving! You are a blessing!

PLEASE KEEP THE FOLLOWING IN YOUR

THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS

Pat Hawkins

Jean Rowe

Betty Swalve

Mikalla Ericson

Tyler Finley

Marlyce Christensen

Walker Raymond

Mavis Kuper

Jim Farley

Dr. Ron Batz

Chris Jackson

Dennis Smith

Tyler Schweisow

Pat Walker

Lucille Swalve

Evelyn Kendall

Brad Athens

Rod & Colleen Scholten

Pam Schweisow & Family

The Family of Linda Angerman

The Family of Sonny Athens

The Family of Abby Penning

The Family of Bette Waite

Near to Our Hearts! Please remember our shut ins and others residing in care facilities. Home Bound: Bob Becker, Sally Plueger and Glenn Waite. Plymouth Manor: Arlene Kratochvil and Mildred Morton. Good Samaritan Society: Mavis Kuper Park Place Estates: Pat Hawkins, Jean Rowe and Evelyn Weber. The Abbey: Dr. Ron Batz Bickford Cottage in Sioux City: Marlyce Christensen Individuals Out of Town: Jean Koenig, Betty Lou Larson, Maxine Pitts, Gordon Thompson, Ruth Rann and Jane Truesdell.

Gifts in Memory ~

Through the years, this church has been the grateful recipient of many wonderful gifts in memory of loved ones who have entered the Church Triumphant. These gifts have been put to use in a variety of ways to bless the ministry of this congregation. For those who are looking to give a me-morial gift, there are two ways of giving. First, a monetary gift can be given to be used at the discretion of the church. These are called non-designated gifts. The session draws upon these gifts when a new project is in the works and needs funding. Second, gifts can be given for a certain purpose or project that is underway within the church. Donors are welcome to talk with the pastor re-garding current projects to choose from.

Come to the Sanctuary

The session is encouraging members and friends of this congregation to come to our beautiful sanctuary for a time of solace and prayer. Recognizing the need in our lives for stillness and communion with God, you are invited to come whenever the building is open and spend time with God. This is a great way to center on God, listen for God, and to lift up your concerns for yourself, others, and for the ministry of this congrega-tion.

Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service

Sunday, November 22

4:00 PM

At Rejoice! Community Church

NW Iowa Middle School Honor Band

Congratulations to Drake Oswald on

being selected into the Northwest

Iowa Middle School Honor

Band. Drake, an 8th grade student at

Remsen-Union Community Schools,

auditioned with his tenor saxo-

phone. He was selected as first

chair, which enables him to participate

in the All-Iowa 8th Grade Honor Band

in Des Moines in May. Drake, the son

of Jim and Stephanie Oswald and grandson of Roger and

Betty Athens, will be performing in a concert at Buena Vista

University Schaller Chapel on Saturday, November 7th. We

are proud of you, Drake!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

Roger and Betty Athens are celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary! They were married Sunday, October 30, 1955 at First Presbyterian Church here in Le Mars. The Reverend James Ransom officiated. Roger and Betty are hosting coffee time on Sunday November 1st! Come and join them in celebrating this wonderful occasion!

Wait Until Dark

Sophie and Rob Bixenman have been sharing their talents in acting with the community this fall through the Le Mars Community Theatre. Both had roles in the recent production “Wait Until Dark.” Sophie played a young girl who helped solve a murder and prevent anoth-er one, while Rob played the shady char-acter of Sergeant Carlini. At one point Sophie had the rare opportunity to stick her tongue out at her Dad! Only on stage, Sophie... only on stage!

Stewardship 2015

Once again this fall, it is the season we place a special emphasis on stewardship. Our Book

of Order in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is explicit in the importance of stewardship, not

only as something we do once a year, but as something that is part of our lives all the time.

“Giving has always been a mark of Christian commitment and discipleship. The ways in

which a believer uses God’s gifts of material goods, personal abilities, and time should reflect

a faithful response to God’s self-giving in Jesus Christ and Christ’s call to

minister to and share with others in the world. Tithing is a primary expres-

sion of the Christian discipline of stewardship.”

“Those who follow the discipline of Christian stewardship will find

themselves called to lives of simplicity, generosity, honesty, hospitality,

compassion, receptivity, and concern for the earth and God’s creatures.”

Beginning on October 25th, members and friends of this congregation will

be invited to prayerfully consider stewardship. In the weeks leading up to

this time, you are encouraged to read the above paragraphs several times,

meditating and prayerfully considering how God is calling you to live as a

faithful steward at this time of your life.

Pledge cards may be returned to the office or placed in the offering plates.

Gifts Promise will be dedicated on November 15th.

Upcoming Events @ Lakeshore Center!

Christmas by the Lake!

December 5th ~ 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM in The Lodge. There will be a program at 3:00 PM. All are welcome to join in the Christmas Celebration by the lake!

Scrapbook Retreat!

January 15-17, 2016. Bring your supplies and enjoy a full weekend of scrapbooking at the lake!

Phone: 712-337-3313

Check out their website for more infor-mation!

http://www.lakeshorecenteratokoboji.org

Congratulations!

Congratulations to Brett & Bonnie Schwiesow on their marriage! Brett

and Bonnie were married on October 16th in Oshkosh, WN. Brett is

the son of Pam and the late Kent Schwiesow. Brett also added three

more to the family, as Bonnie has three children,

Karlie, Brodie and Riley! Congratulation to you

Brett and Bonnie and the whole family!

Get Out and Vote on Tuesday, November 3rd

It has been said that church happens when one leaves the church building. We are blessed in this congregation to have a number of people

who serve in many different ways within our community and beyond. This month, we want to feature a couple of

people who have made themselves available to serve.

Cris Collins has been on the Le Mars Community School District Board of Education for 17 years. While Cris made

the decision not to run for another term, the Le Mars community had other plans. Cris was

elected by write-in vote in September! Surprised at first, Cris concluded he had a

responsibility to the community and the school to accept the voters’ decision. Thank-you

Cris for your years of service and willingness to continue serving in this way.

Dr. Chuck Holz is running for the fifth Iowa House District of Representatives. When a

position became open, Chuck was approached by several people, whom he highly respected, asking him to run. Chuck

sensed a calling to do so. Running unopposed, we are anticipating his election to office, and are thankful for his willing-

ness to serve in this way.

Election Night Soup Supper

Following your trip to the polls on Tuesday, you are encouraged to stop by Calvin Christian Reformed Church for a

delicious soup supper. This year the menu will include 3 kinds of homemade soup, pigs in blankets, taverns and a

variety of homemade desserts. Hours are between 5 and 7 p.m. Price is $8.00 for adults, $3.50 for children ages 5-

10, and free for children 4 and under.

Apples for Advent!

Enjoy tasty apple treats during fellowship time each Sunday of Advent this year. The first Sunday of Advent

is November 29 so get your taste buds ready. The coffee hour hosts will be sharing their favorite apple treats with

us.

The lighting of the first candle of Advent and decorating the Christmas tree will be a part of the worship service on

November 29. We will watch the children decorate the tree with the new Chrismons. While the children

hang them we will view enlarged pictures of the various styles and learn the symbolism of the Chrismons.

This summer several members of the congregation enjoyed time together chatting and making the Chrismons. Karen Peters was the "crew chief".

Poinsettias and the wreathes for the side walls will be put in place during worship on the 2nd Sunday of Advent, December 6. We will also serve communion that Sun-

day.

When you enter the sanctuary on December 13 you will see the large banners and the garlands already hanging.

The twinkling white lights on the garlands will make a perfect background for the Children's Program that third

Sunday of Advent.

Everyone is invited to "stay for dinner" on December 13. A warm meal is planned for all who attend the morn-

ing service.

On the fourth Sunday of Advent, December 20, the beautiful large nativity will be brought forward and put

in place.