Rev. Jack Shannon……….…................………... Senior Pastor

Rev. Erich Sokoloski..…..…………..………….Associate Pastor

Rev. Don McMillan….……………….Pastor of Caring Ministries

Jill Spasaro …………………………...Director of Administration

David Sherman…….………..………...………..Minister of Music

Kenny James……….………….Director of Contemporary Music

Tony Clark…….……….…..…………..Director of Youth Ministry

Lori Barbe……………….Director of American Lutheran School

Rachel Williams.………….…………….Administrative Assistant

Abbie Cornelius.…………Administrative Assistant/Bookkeeper

Rita Brammer……………………………..………….Receptionist

Larry Lee……………………….……….…..……..A/V Technician

Benita Rose………..……………………………………...Organist

Denny Larson..…………….………………...Facility Coordinator

Lloyd Cox….…………………….……...…….Facility Coordinator

Doug Book…………………………….Food Service Coordinator

Cyndi Carr……………..………………………………...Custodian

Beth Edwards…………………….Facility Coordinator/Custodian

8:00 AM Traditional Worship

9:00 AM Contemporary Worship

9:15 AM Connections Education Hour

10:30 AM Traditional Worship

10:30 AM Contemporary Worship

10:30 AM Chino Valley Worship

3:30 PM Community Meal

NOAH’S NURSERY 7:45—10:15 AM (Birth—5 yrs.)

10:15–11:45 AM (Birth—3 yrs.)

CHURCH OFFICE HOURS Mon - Thurs: 8:00AM — 4:30PM

Friday: 8:00AM — 2:00PM

AMERICAN Lutheran CHURCH

PLUG INTO THE HIGHEST POWER

American Lutheran Church

1085 Scott Drive, Prescott, AZ 86301

Phone: (928) 445-4348 Fax: (928) 445-8343

www.americanlutheran.net

Prayers for the New Year Tender Shepherd – As your flock we want to clearly hear your voice above the noise of busyness and worldly pursuits. Clear our calendars so that we can

spend more time with you. We are created in your image and as image-bearers of you Lord, teach us how to walk the walk and not just talk the talk. Amen

Sunday, January 26 - Noon - Sanctuary

FOR YOUR $$$ INFORMATION

Council Members John Porter & Lois Hilgendorf will be holding pre-budget review meetings on January 12 & 19 at noon in the library. If you have any questions or concerns about the ALC church budget, this will be a meeting that you will not want to miss.

Terrific Tuesday Lunch (TTL - a time of fellowship for adults of all ages) will host ALC member and award-winning photographer, Joe Webster. Joe will present “Spirits of Arizona’s Past: Ghost Towns, Ranches, & Ruins” featuring Joe’s own photographs, and sharing his personal knowledge and humor. If you have a yearning to explore, this is a program you will enjoy! RSVP to ALC church office at 445-4348. TTL gathers at noon in the fellowship hall, and has a homecooked meal with a suggested donation of $5. Come for the food and fellowship and enjoy the program. If you are able to take a break from work, and the usual office chatter, you might try TTL.

terrific TUESDAY

Lunch

HAND IN HAND WIDOWS’ group luncheon will be on Tuesday, January 7 at the Olive Garden Restaurant, 3060 E State Route 69, Prescott. Please RSVP to JoAnn Dovala at 928-445-8686

Don Curtis and family invite you to share “A Celebration of Life” for their beloved Agnes Curtis. It will be a time of reflection and celebration of Agnes’ life. Light refreshments will be served. Date: Friday, January 10, 2020 Time: 1:30 PM

Place: ALC Fellowship Hall All are welcome to attend! Cards are most welcome. Family suggests memorial gifts to be given to the Coalition for Compassion and Justice in Prescott.

The ALC offering counting group is in need of addit ional volunteers. Qualifications are: willingness to help and the ability to balance a checkbook. For more details, contact Norma Bauer: call or text (928) 713-5401 or email cabauer@northlink.com A BIG thank you to Ed Carr who has

been one of ALC’s Facility Assistants for the past 5 years. Ed has decided to “retire again.” Ed has been a valuable asset to ALC and will be sorely missed! Congratulations Ed on your retirement; now you can enjoy going to movies again and spending more time with Helen. The Body of Christ

Needs You

One reason you need to be connected to a church family is to fulfill your calling to serve other believers in practical ways. The Bible says, “All of you together are Christ’s body, and each one of you is a separate and necessary part of it.” (1 Corinthians 12:27 NLT) Your service is essential to the body of Christ. Each of us has a role to play, and every role is important. There is no small service to God; it all matters. No ministry in the church is insignificant. Some are visible, while some are hidden and work behind the scenes, but all are valuable. Small or hidden ministries often make the biggest difference. There is no correlation between size and significance. Every ministry matters because we are all dependent on each other to function. When one part of your body fails to function, you get sick. The rest of your body suffers. Imagine if your liver decided to start living for itself: “I’m tired! I don’t want to serve your body anymore! I want a year off just to be fed. I’ve got to do what’s best for me! Let some other part take over.” What would happen? Your body would die. Today thousands of local churches are dying because of Christians who are unwilling to serve. They sit on the sidelines as spectators, and the body suffers. God calls you to a service far beyond anything you could imagine. He created YOU for a life of good deeds, which he has already prepared for you to do. Whenever you serve others, you are actually serving God. (insert from Rick Warren) VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED FOR ALL WORSHIP SERVICES: Ushers, Greeters & Communion Assistants Training will be given upon request. Contact Rachel in the church office if you can help!

This month’s article highlights the Christian author Eric Metaxas, the #1 NYT’s bestselling biographer of Bonhoeffer, Martin Luther, 7 Women and the Secret of Their Greatness, and 7 Men and the Secret of Their Greatness. His books have been translated into more than twenty-five languages and his writings have appeared in the WSJ, NTY, and the New Yorker. As host of the daily nationally syndicated show, The Eric Metaxas Radio Show, he has interviewed well-known thinkers and writers plus edited original essays that grapple with extraordinary topics from “Making Sense out of Suffering” (Peter Kreeft) to “The Case of Civility -- and Why Our Future Depends on it” (Os Guinness) in Life, God, and Other Small Topics, Conversations from Socrates in the City. Metaxas says his books “express just the basics of the faith, from a basic, ecumenical viewpoint.” He has written 30 children’s books, script for Veggie Tales, spoken at the National Prayer Breakfast, and is senior fellow and lecturer at large at The King’s College, New York City. All the books listed here plus Metaxas’ Everything You Always Wanted to Know about God (But Were Afraid to Ask) The Jesus Edition are found in the ALC library. During the month of January you can find them on the shelves of the library cart outside the worship areas on alternate Sundays. Reviewed by Vonna Reynolds ERIC METAXAS BOOKS OF IMPORTANCE

Eric Metaxas is a writer with a command of the English language that he uses to bring out what made certain men and women in history such important examples of Christians totally following the calling of God. His most intriguing works in my mind are Martin Luther and Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy. His success is measured by the fact that his works have been translated in twenty-five languages.

In his books on Martin Luther and Dietrich Bonhoeffer his research takes the reader into the inner mind of these two great theologians. There is a lot to learn about how Martin Luther, with all his personal issues, broke Christianity out of the grasp of a Catholic Church that had not only restricted the true meaning of the Bible but kept control of all of Central Europe through the imposition that only ordained members could save the people. This was no simple change; this was the Protestant Reformation. The fact that Luther survived being active as he was in bringing God’s message to the people is itself an example of God using a man for important purposes. The protest that came from the Reformation spread across Europe from Germany and eventually England and thence to the Americas. This was a Christian Revolution.

In his book about Bonhoeffer we come across the same “reformation” in a sense. Throughout the book Metaxas keeps the reader on edge about what is going on in the growth and final debacle of Nazism. Bonhoeffer does this by creating a means to keep bringing the true meaning of Christ Jesus’ love and sacrifice to students, laymen, and pastors, all of who are experiencing the closing of Hitler’s fist over the freedom of Germans. Bonhoeffer’s defense of the downtrodden people included the Jews. He literally stood in the way of Hitler’s madmen. How he accomplished what he did is because of his irrepressible love of God and of the Scriptures. Eventually, after the fourth attempt on Hitler’s life Bonhoeffer, an active supporter of the men who made those attempts, was hanged one month before the Germans made their unconditional surrender. The reader is led from one crisis to another and Metaxas uses his ability to provide the story with slow climatic intensity. It is a masterpiece.

Metaxas has written shorter versions of men and women of God who were led to accomplish amazing things (7 Men and 7 Women). Their lives have influenced us to this day. Reviewed by Randy Reynolds

CELEBRATE RECOVERY is a biblical and balanced program that helps “regular people” overcome hurts from the past and negative habits in order to live in freedom with Christ. The Beatitudes are our roadmap. Meetings are every Thursday in the Fellowship Hall with Meet, Greet & Eat at 5:30 PM followed by worship and teaching at 6:00 PM. Thursday, Jan. 9 Everyone has a story. Come to the CR meeting this Thursday to hear how the Lord showed one believer that attachment to negative behaviors can be broken through faith in Jesus Christ. Thursday, Jan. 16: We will discuss the importance of stepping out of denial and realizing that you cannot heal a wound just by saying it’s not there! Thursday, Jan. 23: We will hear the story of someone who overcame the past by trusting Jesus for the future. Told openly, this sincere message may speak directly to many in the room. You will be blessed. Thursday, Jan. 30: What things in your life can you reliably control? Think about it. In this week’s lesson we learn how important it is to stop believing that we are completely in charge of our own lives. Jesus said: “My purpose is to give life in all its fullness.” (John 10:10).

Church Library News Deepen

Your

Faith!

Widowers’ Come join Pastor Don for some food & fellowship! The ALC’s Widower’s lunch bunch meet the 3rd Wed. of every month at the Prescott Junction Restaurant at 11:30AM, 1121 E. Sheldon St., Prescott. The next meeting will be Wednesday, January 15.

Many thanks to Pastor Don for his calls and visits, to my church family, especially the Hand in Hand Widows group for all their prayer support and cards during my treatment, surgery and recovery. Kay Grothe

Senior Connection Speakers Bureau

Presentation

Ever wonder what Medicare Parts A,B,C and D cover? Want to know if you are eligible? Come learn about your options and get your questions answered in this educational presentation. Presenter is Glenn Berkley, Licensed State Agent, Humana. Seniors and Family Caregivers are invited to attend this FREE, non-commercial educational presentation, where you may ask questions in a respectful, caring environment. DATE: Thursday, January 16, 2020 TIME: Noon—1:00 PM PLACE: ALC Activity Center (downstairs)

A HUGE thank you to all of you who volunteered at this year’s Walk Through Bethlehem! For those helping with the build, acting, costumes, bringing in baked goods, safety patrol to taking down. We couldn’t have done it without you!

Sunday 1/5 WOW Registration in Narthex between services 8 & 10:30AM Traditional Worship 9 & 10:30AM Contemporary Worship 9:15AM Connections Adult Education Hour 10:15AM ALC Kids 10:30AM Chino Valley Worship 11:45AM Youth Choir 12PM Pastor Don’s 25th Anniv. Ordination Celebration 3:30PM Community Meal Monday 1/6 8AM Prayer Time 10AM Women’s Cursillo 12PM Ignite Discipleship Group 1PM Moms in Prayer Group 4PM Beautiful Signers 5PM Men’s Cursillo

Tuesday 1/7

8:30AM Katharina Von Bora Quilt Group 9AM Book Club 9:30AM Leadership & Program Staff Meeting 12PM Hand in Hand Widows Group - Olive Garden 1:30PM Miracle Prayer Time 6:30PM Tues. Men’s Bible Study

Wednesday 1/8 8AM WOW Winter Session 9:30AM ALS Chapel 11:30AM Women’s Cursillo 5PM Peals of Praise 6PM ALC Sr. High at The Rock 6:30PM Sanctus Choir

Thursday 1/9

5:45AM Crossfire Men’s Ministry 8:15AM “Good Book...Good Men” Bible Study 8:30AM MOPS Meeting 9:30AM ALS Chapel 3PM Good News Puppets 2PM Library Volunteers 4:45PM Friendship Bible Study 5:30PM Celebrate Recovery 6PM ALC Jr. High at the Rock 7PM Celebrate Recovery Small Group Meetings

Friday 1/10

9AM Charity/Knit Group 1:30PM Agnes Curtis Celebration of Life

Saturday 1/11

NO Activities

Sunday 1/12 8 & 10:30AM Traditional Worship 9 & 10:30AM Contemporary Worship 9:15AM Connections Adult Education Hour 10:15AM ALC Kids 10:30AM Chino Valley Worship 11:30AM Prayer Team Mtg. 11:45AM Youth Choir 3:30PM Community Meal 4PM Scouts Troop 7106—The Rock Monday 1/13 8AM Prayer Time 10AM Women’s Cursillo 12PM Ignite Discipleship Group 1PM Moms in Prayer Group 5PM Men’s Cursillo 5:15PM Monday Women’s Bible Study 5:30PM Girl Scout Troop—The Rock

Tuesday 1/14 8:30AM Katharina Von Bora Quilt Group 9:30AM Leadership Staff Mtg. 9:30AM Mary/Martha Circle 1:30PM Miracle Prayer Time 6:30PM Hope Circle 6:30PM Tues. Men’s Bible Study

Wednesday 1/15 8AM WOW Winter Session 9:30AM ALS Chapel 11:30AM Widower’s Lunch Bunch—Prescott Junction 11:30AM Women’s Cursillo 4PM Executive Committee Meeting 5PM Peals of Praise 6PM ALC Sr. High at The Rock 6:30PM Sanctus Choir

Thursday 1/16 5:45AM Crossfire Men’s Ministry 8:15AM “Good Book...Good Men” Bible Study 8:30AM MOPS Leadership Meeting 9:30AM ALS Chapel 11:30AM Senior Connection Speakers Bureau 2PM Library Volunteers 4PM Heavenly Chimers 4:45PM Friendship Bible Study 5:30PM Celebrate Recovery 6PM ALC Jr. High -The Rock 7PM Celebrate Recovery Small Group Meetings

Friday 1/17 NO Activities

Saturday 1/18 No Activities

Sunday 1/19 8 & 10:30AM Traditional Worship 9 & 10:30AM Contemporary Worship 10:15AM ALC Kids 10:30AM Chino Valley Worship 11:45AM Youth Choir 3:30PM Community Meal

Monday 1/20 8AM Prayer Time 10AM Women’s Cursillo 12PM Ignite Group 1PM Moms in Prayer Group 5PM Men’s Cursillo 5:15PM Women’s Bible Study

Tuesday 1/21 8:15AM Katharina Von Bora Quilters 9:30AM Leadership Staff Mtg. 1:30PM Miracle Prayer Time 4PM Deborah Circle 7:30PM Tues. Men’s Bible Study Wednesday 1/22 8AM WOW Winter Session 9:30AM ALS Chapel 11:30AM Women’s Cursillo 5PM Peals of Praise 6PM ALC Sr. High at The Rock 6:30PM Sanctus Choir

Thursday 1/23 5:45AM Crossfire Men’s Ministry 8:15AM “Good Book...Good Men” Bible Study 8:30AM MOPS Meeting 9:30AM ALS Chapel 2PM Library Volunteers

5:30PM Celebrate Recovery 6PM ALC Jr. High -The Rock 6PM Church Council 7PM Celebrate Recovery Small Group Meetings

Friday 1/24 9:30AM Safety/Security Meeting

Saturday 1/25 No Activities

Sunday 1/26 8 & 10:30AM Traditional Worship 9 & 10:30AM Contemporary Worship 10:30AM Chino Valley Worship 11:45AM Youth Choir 12PM Annual Business Meeting 3:30PM Community Meal 4PM Scout Troop 7106 at The Rock

Monday 1/27 8AM Prayer Time 10:30AM Women’s Cursillo 12PM Ignite Discipleship Group 1PM Moms in Prayer Group 4PM Beautiful Signers 5PM Men’s Cursillo 5:15PM Monday Women’s Bible Study 5:30PM Girl Scout Troop 764-The Rock

Tuesday 1/28 8:15AM Katharina Von Bora Quilters 9:30AM Leadership Staff Mtg. 12PM Terrific Tuesday Lunch 1:30PM Miracle Prayer Time 7:30PM Tues. Men’s Bible Study

Wednesday 1/29 8AM WOW Winter Session 9:30AM ALS Chapel 11:30AM Women’s Cursillo 5PM Peals of Praise 6PM ALC Sr. High at The Rock 6:30PM Sanctus Choir

Thursday 1/30 5:45AM Crossfire Men’s Ministry 8:15AM Good Book … Good Men Bible Study 9:30AM ALS Chapel 4:45PM Friendship Bible Study 5:30PM Celebrate Recovery 6PM ALC Jr High at The Rock 7PM CR Small Group Meetings

Friday 1/31 No Activities