December 19, 2006
Scripture Readings for Sunday
Micah 5:2-5a; Hebrews
10:5-10; Luke 1:39-55
Happynings Reminder
The Happynings
will be on a Christmas break next week.
The next edition will be mailed out on January 3rd.
Thank You!
To Becky Bruinsma
and all of the Sunday School teachers for their work in making the Christmas
program a success. Your dedication to
our youth is appreciated.
Good Shepherd Winter Retreat
After all the hustle
and bustle of the holidays, prepare for some relaxation. Plan
to join us for the annual GSC winter retreat at Good Earth Village. We will head down Friday, January
26th for some fun, fellowship, fun, food and did I mention FUN? This
is a very enjoyable weekend for the entire family. Watch for registration
forms in the narthex or call Janis Evers for more information at
281-9613.
Pictorial Directory Update
Pictures are done being taken!
We have a total of 57 percent of our member families represented in our
directory this year. Families who didn’t
purchase additional portraits may pick up their free 8 x 10 portraits on the
table in the narthex. We are close to
submitting our activity pages, so the printing of our directory should begin
within a month. Look for our finished
directory in February or March!
Thank you to ALL who helped to make our
picture taking a success. And thank you
to Brian Krolak, who is helping to design the activity pages and the cover.
Congregational Meeting Follow-Up
Thanks to
everyone who attended the Congregational Meeting on Sunday, December 3! We had good food, great fellowship, and
accomplished some important business to get us ready for next year. Here are a
few highlights from the meeting:
The following
members have been elected to Council Sheila Bennett, Donna Caflisch, Frank
Fawcett, Scott Kruse, Wes Neimatalo, and Stephanie Reddersen.
Eric Woodford was elected to the Audit
Committee.
The
Budget for 2007 was approved, along with some amendments to the constitution
and bylaws to improve processes and help things run more smoothly.
Sunday School Schedule Change
Be sure to notice the change in schedule for the next
two weeks at Good Shepherd. On December
24 & 31, there will be one morning service at 9:30am. Also, there
will be no Sunday School on either of these dates. A list of our Christmas Eve services can be
found on Page 3.
This Week at Good Shepherd
Wednesday,
December 20
9:45am Stay and Play
5:30pm Confirmation
5:45pm Simple Supper
7:00pm High School Youth Group
Senior Choir
Thursday,
December 21
6:30am Bible Study
Saturday,
December 23
5:30pm Worship
Sunday,
December 24
9:30am Worship (No Education Hour)
3:30pm Family Christmas Eve service
(no communion)
5:30pm Christmas Eve service (Communion)
10:00pm Christmas Eve service (Communion)
Monday,
December 25 – Christmas Day
Tuesday,
December 26 – Office Closed
7:30am Men’s Coffee
Saturday,
December 30
5:30pm Worship
Sunday,
December 31
9:30am Worship (No Education Hour)
Come early for extended Prelude by Chimes
Monday,
January 1
New Year’s Day
Tuesday,
January 2
7:30am Men’s Coffee
10:30am Staff Meeting
6:30pm Jubilation Chimes
Middle School Ski Trip
Grades 6-8, you are invited to our annual Middle School ski
trip to Spirit Mountain
in Duluth, MN. Come for a great time with friends, good
skiing, and a chance to get away and refocus.
All levels of snow traveling experts are welcome. Download the information sheet at: www.gscyouth.com/jrhighskitrip.html
SEMN ELCA Synod L.Y.O Trip to Tanzania
June 4 – 16, 2007. High School youth that are interested in
going on the trip: applications and more information are available at the synod
website www.semnsynod.org. If you have any questions, please contact
Lane Zaffke at Cross of Christ in Houston
or talk with Mark.
7th & 8th Grade
Retreat
Come spend part of your weekend with friends at Good
Earth Village. There promises to be great sledding, games,
discussions, movies, star gazing, and all manner of winter camp fun. Things happen on January 12-13 (Friday to
Saturday). Cost of the retreat is $20.
Parents are needed to help make this retreat a success.
Habitat 2007 Calendars
This past October Rochester Area Habitat for Humanity
dedicated their Youth United house; a house built with manpower and funds
raised by youth in the local community.
Several youth and adults from our congregation helped with the
building. Now RAHH is fundraising for
the second house (building to start in Spring).
You can help by purchases a 2007 Habitat calendar for $18. Included in the calendar are 19 pages of
coupons from over 20 local businesses!
Get yours on Sunday at the youth rolls table.
November Financial Summary
November Income $40,971
November Expenses $43,302
November Net Loss ($2,331)
Year-to-date Income $423,726
Year-to-date
Expenses $475,754
Year-to-date Net
Loss ($52,028)
We Await the Christ Child
Advent and Christmas at Good Shepherd
December 23 & 24
5:30pm Saturday Worship – Advent Four
9:30 A.M. Worship – The Fourth Sunday in Advent
There will be one morning service
and no Sunday School on this morning.
Christmas Eve
3:30 P.M. Worship – The Family Christmas Eve Service (no communion)
It’s
About Time!
Bring the family and hear the story of Christmas told
through scripture, drama and music.
Special music will be provided by the Family Choir
5:30 and 10:00 P.M. Worship — Christmas Eve Service
with Holy Communion
Silent Night: A Christmas Eve
Candlelight Service
Celebrate the coming of the Christ child in a service of
Christmas lessons and carols, candlelight and Holy Communion.
December 30 & 31
5:30pm Saturday Worship – Christmas One
9:30 A.M. Worship – The First Sunday
of Christmas
A Musical Celebration
We continue to celebrate the birth of Jesus with a service
of special music provided by the Senior choir and chimes. This is the only
worship service this morning and there will be no Sunday School today.
December was a busy
month! We had several special events:
- LSS
Adopt-a-Family program (thank you to our generous families!)
- “Christmas
Shop” for our preschoolers
- parent
workshop on multiple intelligences
- book fair
- Christmas
parties and programs.
In the classroom, we
have had many pastors and church staff visit us during our chapel time. Thank you to our December visitors: Pastor Carol Solovitz (Zumbro), Mark Hannan
(Good Shepherd, Youth Director), Pastor Dave Berg (Good Shepherd), Pastor Gary
Benson (Zumbro), Annette Chmielewski (Zumbro,
Publications & Youth Administrative Assistant), Pastor Peter Nyckelmoe (Mt. Olive).
Other highlights were dramatic play (“nativity dress-up” and caring for
Baby Jesus), and many sparkly winter
crafts. We enjoyed learning what
Christmas is all about and sharing the joyful anticipation of Advent.
We continue to collect Campbell’s soup UPC’s and hope to be able to choose
some classroom equipment by the end of the year.
Rainbow School
wish list:
New or gently used…
Small (3-year-old)
tricycles
A chalk or dry-erase
easel
Book center
Building block
extension kits (dinosaurs, people and road signs)
Decorative paper
punches
Sleds (plastic
toboggans)
Small snow shovels
Med-Large boots for
the "extras" box
Wooden puzzles
Large rectangular
vinyl or plastic tablecloths
Plastic forks and
spoons
Disposable bowls
Paper towels
1/4 cup and 1/2 cup
food scoops with handles (for serving snacks)
Rainbow School has a new website at
www.rainbowschool.us. Thank you to Jon
and Kari Tollefson, friends of Rainbow School, for designing and setting up the site. You can find registration information,
newsletters, and much more on the website…check it out!
Rainbow School registration for ’07-’08 will begin on
January 2 for returning families and will open to the public on February
1. Our Winter Open House is on
Wednesday, January 31 at 6:00 p.m. For
tours and registration information, please email Beth Krolak, Director, at
rainbowdirector@hotmail.com or call 261-0586.
Worship With Us
Saturday – 5:30 pm
Sunday – 9:30am
Christmas Eve
Services
@ 3:30, 5:30, 10:00pm
|
|
God bless your year!
Dec. 19 Scott
Kolar, Tracy Tollefson
Dec. 20 Elliot
Mainz, Michael Stockfleth
Dec. 21 Diane
Theobald
Dec. 22 Joe
Hockert, Nicole Sankey
Dec. 23 Eric
Bertram
Dec. 24 Barb
Larson
Dec. 25 Hillary
Hanson, Brent Taylor
Dec. 26 Caroline
Anderson, Kelly Berg, Rita Howe
+ For all the members of GSLC,
especially: Gann and Lynn Karsten (Anna, John); Steve and Tami Kazeck
(Makinzee, Bailey, Taylor); Judy and James Keeler (Alex,
Abby).
+ For ELCA congregations in the Southeastern MN Synod, including:
Ascension in Albert Lea, Bethel in Northfield, Aurora in Owatonna, and Arendahl in Peterson.
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
559 20th Street SW
Rochester, Minnesota 55902
Phone: (507)
289-1748
Office hours: 8:00 am – 4:30 pm
Monday – Friday
E-mail info: gscsecretary@goodshepherdchurch.net
Worship Services (with Holy Communion)
Saturday 5:30 p.m.;
Sunday 8:15
& 10:45 a.m.
Staff
Dave Berg, Lead Pastor
Jack Friedli, Pastoral Assistant
Cynthia McLaren, Education & Music Director
Mark Hannan, Youth Director
Mike Thilges. Office Administrator
Vicky Mulvihill, Volunteer
Coordinator
Ellen Herder, Roger
Harty - Custodians
Happynings
Newsletter
Mike Thilges
gscsecretary@goodshepherdchurch.net
Newsletter deadline: Mondays by 4:30 pm
Web site
www.goodshepherdchurch.net
Paul Willemssen, Admin
(willemssen@charter.net)