CLEF January 2015
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First English Ev. Lutheran Church Inside this issue: Call Process Update 2 Council Meeting Minutes Council & Board Members 3 Notes from Pastor Ulmanis 4 Letter from Bob Foster 6 With the Members Thrivent Financial Summary Schedules + Contact Info 7 Adult Education 9 Organ Fund Columbarium Board of Fellowship 10 Bd. Of Social Action 11 Parish Ed./Youth News 12 Preschool Kroger 13 JanuaryBirthdays 16 Serving in January 17 JanuaryCalendar 18 Preparing ourselves for worship Dear friends, One of the important things to consider around worship is how we help, not just members but also, or perhaps especially, visitors to our congregation to have as good a worship experience as they possibly can. We have a hymnbook that is hard to navigate even for seasoned Lutherans, so imagine that you are new to First English and to a Lutheran worship. Let me tell you about a couple of tools that can be useful to you, and to visitors, in your preparation for worship…. That’s right… preparation for worship… there is more to worship than just sitting in a pew. There are hymns to sing by all members of the congregation, there are readings to be heard, prayers to be prayed, responses to be given, and a meal to be shared…. In the worship guide (also known to some as the bulletin) you will see that there are headings added to break up the worship service into the different sections of the service. This will help you find a flow to the worship as we move from one section to the next, from the start to finish. The other tool for worship is the insert titled Worship and Activity Information. There you will find several items that are helpful to you in worship. Some of them are…. …an introduction to the Sunday (what is the focus of the day) and notes on the worship service, including congregational responses to the Eucharistic prayers for the 11:00 Holy Communion Service. …a listing of the Holy Scripture readings for the coming Sunday so you can read the texts at home before coming to worship. By doing this the text will not be unfamiliar to you as you hear them read by the lector. …an introduction to the readings for the day to help give you a context in which they were written and, perhaps, help explain the text in a general way before you hear them read. …an overview of how we receive Holy Communion at the different worship services (very helpful to point out to visitors around you). There is more to worship than simply sitting in a pew but some of it is best experienced by coming prepared for worship. Take advantage of these tools to help you get the most out of worship at First English. Pr. Krister Ulmanis JA N UA RY 2 0 1 5 JA N UA RY 2 0 1 5 JA N UA RY 2 0 1 5
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Transcript of CLEF January 2015
First English Ev. Lutheran Church
Inside this issue:
Call Process Update 2
Council Meeting Minutes
Council & Board Members 3
Notes from Pastor Ulmanis 4
Letter from Bob Foster 6
With the Members
Thrivent
Financial Summary
Schedules + Contact Info
7
Adult Education 9
Organ Fund
Columbarium
Board of Fellowship 10
Bd. Of Social Action 11
Parish Ed./Youth News
12
Preschool
Kroger 13
JanuaryBirthdays 16
Serving in January 17
JanuaryCalendar 18
Preparing ourselves for worship
Dear friends,
One of the important things to consider around worship is how we help, not just members but also, or perhaps especially, visitors to our congregation to have as good a worship experience as they possibly can. We have a hymnbook that is hard to navigate even for seasoned Lutherans, so imagine that you are new to First English and to a Lutheran worship. Let me tell you about a couple of tools that can be useful to you, and to visitors, in your preparation for worship….
That’s right… preparation for worship… there is more to worship than just sitting in a pew. There are hymns to sing by all members of the congregation, there are readings to be heard, prayers to be prayed, responses to be given, and a meal to be shared….
In the worship guide (also known to some as the bulletin) you will see that there are headings added to break up the worship service into the different sections of the service. This will help you find a flow to the worship as we move from one section to the next, from the start to finish.
The other tool for worship is the insert titled Worship and Activity Information. There you will find several items that are helpful to you in worship. Some of them are….
…an introduction to the Sunday (what is the focus of the day) and notes on the worship service, including congregational responses to the Eucharistic prayers for the 11:00 Holy Communion Service.
…a listing of the Holy Scripture readings for the coming Sunday so you can read the texts at home before coming to worship. By doing this the text will not be unfamiliar to you as you hear them read by the lector.
…an introduction to the readings for the day to help give you a context in which they were written and, perhaps, help explain the text in a general way before you hear them read.
…an overview of how we receive Holy Communion at the different worship services (very helpful to point out to visitors around you).
There is more to worship than simply sitting in a pew but some of it is best experienced by coming prepared for worship. Take advantage of these tools to help you get the most out of worship at First English. Pr. Krister Ulmanis
J A N UA RY 2 0 1 5 J A N UA RY 2 0 1 5 J A N UA RY 2 0 1 5
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WE’RE ON
THE WEB
www.feelc.or
MISSION STATEMENT
‘GO, MAKE DISCIPLES’
First English Ev. Lutheran Church
800 Vernier Road Grosse Pointe Woods,
48236-1530 Phone: 313.884.5040
Fax: 313.884.4460
www.feelc.org
Interim Senior Pastor
Rev. Krister Ulmanis
Associate Pastor
Rev. Christina Veres [email protected]
Ed./Youth Coordinator
Renata Conger [email protected]
Music Coordinator
Bob Foster
Director of Bell Choirs
Christina Judson
OFFICE HOURS
8a.m. — 12:30 p.m. lunch
1:30p.m. — 4:00p.m.
(Monday—Friday)
WORSHIP SCHEDULE: Through Memorial Day 2015
9:30 a.m. - Early Worship with Holy Communion 9:30 a.m. Adult + Youth Sunday School
11:00 a.m. -Late Worship (Holy Communion 1st & 3rd Sunday)
Update-Senior Pastor Call Process
The call committee has resumed our weekly meetings after the Christmas break. So far, the committee has: Reviewed 35 candidate profiles... -Considered 12 candidates for telephone or video conversations... --Removed 6 candidates because they are In discussion with other congregations... ---Had telephone or video conversations with 5 candidates as a committee.. ----Removed 2 candidates after initial discussions with them... -----Have 3 still under consideration after initial conversations... ------Have our first face to face interview scheduled early January. We are still receiving candidate profiles from the Synod Office, and review them as they are received. We are praying for the Lord's guidance in our mission to find and call the right Pastor to lead our congregation. Please help, by keeping us and First English in your prayers. God's Peace, First English Call Committee.
What do YOU think? Members of the Call Committee are available on Sunday mornings or at your convenience via phone, email, or in person. If you would like to ask questions or share your opin-ions please let us know. Below is contact information for each member of the com-mittee. Not sure who we are? See our photo on the poster in the lounge. Mark Balle- (313)882-8111 (h),
John Blohm- (586)469-0199 (h),
Trevor Clor- (313)220-1028 (c),
Jeff Gates- (313)399-7409 (c),
Waynette Hostetler- (586)978-8755
Chris Judson- (313)886-4914 (h),
Randie Kohler- (734)546-0900 (c),
John Nyquist- (248)705-2180 (c),
Marc Simone- (313)886-6544 (h),
Susan Ulmer- (313)884-4726 (h)
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OFFICERS
**President – Marc Simone
**Vice President – Roger Ulmer
**Secretary – Christina Judson
**Treasurer – Pam Southard
**Financial Secretary – John Nyquist
Church Properties **Gordon Bush, Dir. Matthew Nyquist, Asst. Dir. Marc Simone Mike Garrisi Mike Nehls Jeff Gates Jim Nelson Evangelism **Patty Foster, Dir. Judy Leo, Asst. Dir. Caryl Litzenberger Monna Nieto Margot Kahl Renee Strobl Kathy Lang
Social Action **Diann Ohman, Dir. Penny Damore, Asst. Dir. Yvonne Winston Pat Thomas Heide Montroy Shawn Vinson Kay Butler Berkesch Virginia Ditty Claudia Gram Pat Milne B.J. Decker Sue Reck Parish Education **Christine Simone, Dir. Randie Kohler, Asst. Dir. Patrick Glynn Andrea Glynn Joanne Swanson Pam Balle Amy McIntyre Fellowship **Claudette Momenee, Dir. Josie Herrington, Asst. Dir. Karen Bezel Miranda Berkesch Robbin Vitale Carol Sauter Gary Ford Sue Ulmer Jan Wilson
Stewardship & Finance **Sherrill Wolford, Dir Jeff Jenson, Asst. Dir. Curt Sylvester Dan Rustmann Craig Kohler Waynette Hostetler Tom Liebold Steve Lang Youth Ministry **Amy Cornell, Dir. Lauren Nyquist Eve Feldman Danny Foster Heidi Feldman Karen Olson Liz Nyquist John Nyquist Worship & Music **Sandy Ford, Dir. Jane Stevens, Asst. Dir Mark Fett Glenn Whitcroft **Denotes member of the Church Council
Congregational Meeting Minutes of December 7, 2014
The meeting was called to order by President. Marc Simone at 12:10 P.M. Pastor Ulmanis opened the meeting with prayer. John Nyquist moved, Pam Southard seconded, the Annual Reports be approved.. Motion carried. Waynette Hostetler and Pam Southard presented the Treasurer’s report. Waynette Hostetler moved, John Nyquist seconded, the report be approved. After discussion the motion was carried Nathan Judson moved, Pam Southard seconded, the ballet for officers and board members be unanimously approved. Motion carried. Old Business: It was suggested the minutes of the Council Meetings be published in the CLEF. This procedure will be inaugurated immediately. Marc Simone presented a brief report on the progress of the Call Committee. In the absence of any New Business, Nathan Judson moved, Dennis Gates seconded, the meeting be adjourned. Motion carried. Pastor Veres closed the meeting with prayer. Time: 12:20 P.M. Respectfully submitted, Chris Judson
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Notes from Pastor Krister Ulmanis: We have just finished the Christmas season – just for fun, let’s see how well you know the Christmas story as it is presented in the Bible, as opposed to folklore or Hallmark. Here is a quiz – and remember that this is just for fun…. Answers are found later on in this issue of the CLEF…. Pastor Krister.
1. Christmas has always been celebrated on December 25. True or False 2. Joseph was from: a. Bethlehem b. Egypt c. Arimithea d. Jerusalem e. Nazareth f. New York g. Who knows? 3. How did Joseph and Mary travel to Bethlehem? a. Camels b. Donkey c. Walked d. Rickshaw e. Joseph walked & Mary rode a donkey f. Who knows? 4. Joseph and Mary were married when Mary became pregnant. True or False 5. Joseph and Mary were married when Jesus was born. True or False 6. What did the innkeeper say to Mary & Joseph? a. "Come back after the Christmas rush and I should have some vacancies" b. "I have a stable you can use" c. "Have you tried the King David Hotel in Jerusalem?" d. "Come on in!" e. None of the above
7. Jesus was born in: a. a stable b. a manger c. a cave d. a barn e. Jerusalem General Hospital f. unknown
8. Which animals does the Bible say were present at Jesus birth? a. Cows, sheep and goats b. Cows, sheep and donkeys c. Sheep and goats d. Various farm animals e. Lions, tiger and elephants f. None 9. Who saw the star in the east? a. Shepherds b. Mary & Joseph c. Three kings d. Both A & C e. Three Kings, Mary & Joseph f. None of the above 10. What sign did the angels tell the shepherds to look for? a. A star over Bethlehem b. A baby that doesn't cry c. A baby in a house d. A baby in a stable e. A house with a Christmas tree f. None of the above 11. What did the angel proclaim? a. "Joy to the world, the Lord is come" b. "Alleluia" c. "Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given" d. "Glory to God in the highest and peace on earth" e. "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" f. "Glory to the newborn king 12. What is Frankincense? a. A precious metal b. A precious fabric c. A precious perfume d. An Eastern Monster e. A child's garment f. None of the above
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13. What is myrrh? a. A spice used when burying people b. An easily shaped metal c. After Shave Lotion d. A drink e. None of the above 14. How many wise men came to see Jesus? a. One b. Two c. Three d. Four e. None of the above 15. To what does "wise men" refer? a. People of educated class b. Graduates from the Greek Academies c. They were Oriental Kings d. They were astrologers e. They were clever enough to follow the star f. They were sages 16. The wise men found Jesus in a. a manger b. a house c. a stable d. an Inn e. a good mood 17. The wise men stopped in Jerusalem a. To tell Herod about Jesus b. To find out where Jesus was c. To ask about the star they saw d. To buy camel food e. To buy presents for Jesus 18. Where in the Bible do we find the Christmas story? a. Matthew b. Mark c. Luke d. John e. A, B, C, & D f. only A & B g. only A & C h. A, B, & C
19. Who told Mary and Joseph to go to Bethlehem? a. The angel Gabriel b. Mary's mother c. Herod d. Caesar Augustus e. Alexander the Great f. no one 20. Joseph took Jesus to Egypt ... a. to see the Pyramids b. to teach him the wisdom of the Pharaohs c. to put him in a basket in the reeds by the river d. because he dreamt about it e. Joseph didn't take Jesus to Egypt f. None of the above 21. Why was Bethlehem called "David's City? a. David was born in Bethlehem b. David captured the City of Bethlehem c. David died in Bethlehem d. David took his summer holidays in Bethlehem 22. Jesus was born a. in the summer b. in the spring c. in the winter d. in the fall e. no one knows 23. Is the angel Gabriel referred to as being... Male or Female 24. The angels told the shepherds to go to Bethle-hem... True or False 25. Which of these characters are NOT mentioned in the Biblical account of Jesus birth. a. Mary b. Joseph c. Simeon d. some shepherds e. an innkeeper f. Anna the mother of Mary g. Melchior h. Santa Claus
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Dear Members and Friends of First English, For over ten years our organ technician has warned me that the leather and electronic components of our magnificent pipe organ were beginning to fail. They warned that the organ would become unusable in the very nearterm. As many of you know, the Board of Worship and Music requested esti-mates from three reputable firms specializing in organ restoration, and the bids came back earlier this year. After the Board of Worship and Music, the Church Council, and ultimately the congregation voted to pro-ceed with the bid of S.P. Keith & Associates at a cost of nearly $300,000.00, the challenge set before our congregation was, to say the least, significant. On October 19, 2014 we kicked off a campaign during our worship services to raise the necessary funds to restore our organ with a goal of raising the funds (as Pastor Schmidt outlined in his “Be an Organ Donor” sermon that day) by the end of 2014. It is with awe and gratitude that I can report to you that as of January 5, 2015, $298,920 has been raised. There have been many contributors who have made significant monetary sacrifices to contribute to this major goal, and, for that, I am overwhelmingly thankful. I am so proud to be part of a congregation that values the significance of our pipe organ and the role it plays in our worship life. The First English members have proven time and time again that they generously support endeavors they feel are important to our congregation. I am excited to know that we will now be able to proceed with the restoration, which will begin shortly this year.
With grateful appreciation, Robert Foster, Coordinator of Music
ALMOST THERE!! Thank you to everyone who has so generously
donated towards the organ fund. We are almost there!!
As of January 6 we need only $1,000.00 to reach our goal. Let’s make it happen!!!
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THRIVENT CHOICE DOLLARS We continue to receive your “Thrivent Choice Dollars” gifts! Thank you to all of our members who have directed their “Thrivent Choice Dollars” to support the mission and ministry of First English. Over $2,000.00 was donated last year to First English through this program. If you are a Thrivent policy holder you are eligible to also direct your support to First English. The rules have changed a bit in that now the gifting of the “Thrivent Choice Dollars” must be done annually. You can direct your gifts to First English by calling Thrivent at 1-800-THRIVENT (800-847-4836) and state “Thrivent Choice” or on line at Thrivent.com. Again, thank you for your support; it is greatly appreciated!
SCHEDULES & CONTACT NUMBERS
Pastor Krister day off is Friday. He can be contacted at 226-787-2370 or by e-mail at [email protected]. Pastor Chris’ day off is Friday and in an emergency she can be contacted at 248-231-5091. Her email address is [email protected].
Church office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. with the office closed for lunch from 12:30-1:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Sue’s email is [email protected].
Did you know that private music lessons take place at First English Church during
the school year?
Piano with Carrie Roach (586) 530-8872;
Piano/Organ with Donna Gorzelski (248) 990-3652 or
[email protected]; and
Saxophone, flute, clarinet, and oboe with Laura Schwanitz
(586) 744-5379 or [email protected]
Brandon Michoski passed away December 25, 2014. “None of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's.” Romans 14:7-8
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Thank you to all of our members who contributed in any way during this very busy Holiday Season – our choirs, our teachers, those who helped with the many services, those who assisted with our fellowship gatherings, those who beautifully decorated our church, those who bought Christmas gifts for our adopted families and provided groceries and gift cards for the food baskets.
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WOMEN’S CIRCLE BIBLE STUDY
The topic of our Women’s Circle Bible studies for this fall is “Transforming Life and Faith.” This study will look at the transforming power of Jesus, the transformations of Paul, Moses, Lydia, Philip and the Ethiopian, plus more. The November study focuses on a portion of the Exodus deliverance story. Through this story we come to understand how God uses signs both to show his power and to strengthen the faith of Moses
and the Israelites. We will also see that for people in the Bible and for Christians today, growth in faith so often takes time. Grace Circle will be studying the book of Nehemiah. All women of First English are encouraged to participate in the learning, service and
fellowship of one our various Circles.
Please see the calendar for Circle meeting dates and please join us.
Grace Circle - Fourth Monday at 7:00 p.m.
Peace Circle - First Tuesday at 7:00 p.m.
Faith Circle - First Tuesday at 10:30 a.m.
Hope Circle - Second Wednesday at 11:30 a.m.
Check the calendar at www.feelc.org
9:30a.m. ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL On October 31, 1517 Martin Luther nailed his “95 Theses” to the church door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg Germany. Historians have assigned this event as the beginning of the Protestant Reformation. Thus in 2017 we will celebrate the 500 Anniversary of the Reformation. Our Presiding Bishop, Elizabeth Eaton, has suggested that as we look forward to that celebration we study Luther’s Small Catechism. She points out that “it could be argued that no other experience is more universally Lutheran than studying Luther’s Small Catechism.”
So, our Adult Sunday School Class for this fall will be an overview of Luther’s Small Catechism. Not only will this give us an opportunity to celebrate our Lutheran Heritage, but Luther’s Catechism is also an excellent review of the basics of the Christian Faith!
We have a nice size group on Sunday mornings, but we would love to have YOU join us as well. Our sessions meet during the Sunday School Hour, 9:30 - 10:30 a.m. in the Lounge.
Thursday morning Bible Study will be resuming on January 22, 2015 at 9:30 a.m.
In response to comments and questions Pr. Krister will lead a few sessions on worship – what are we doing and why are we doing what we are doing? Everyone is welcome and bring a friend.
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Our organ at First English is over fifty years old, and over the past 10 years has had switching
components beginning to fail. Because the original components of the organ console haven’t been
manufactured since the early 1970’s, the console and its related switching need to be rebuilt to have the
organ fully functional again. The three bids that we are looking at estimate repairs to be approximately
$300,000. Total funding at this point is at 298,920.00, including the gracious gift from the estate of
Gladys Greenburg. If you wish to help with these repairs, please mark your envelope "Organ Fund" or
use an “Organ Fund” envelope and place in the offering plate or leave in the office.
Thank you! -The Board of Worship and Music.
Please see Bob Foster’s letter on Page 6.
Coffee Hours The new 2015 schedule is posted on the lounge refrigerator door.
BOARD OF FELLOWSHIP news
COLUMBARIUM FOR FIRST ENGLISH The down payment for our Columbarium has been paid, and Eickhof Columbaria, the company who will be doing the installation, has scheduled to begin working on our Columbarium this coming February.
We will continue with the same policy as approved earlier concerning sale of the niches, i.e. before construction begins, the companion niches, which hold two urns, will be sold for $1,500.00; after construction begins they will sell for $1,800.00. We will give the congregation sixty days notice before raising the price to $1,800.00. Niches will be assigned on a “first come-first-served” basis, with members being able to choose the location of their niche within the Columbarium. To date thirteen dou-ble niches have been sold. If you are interested in purchasing a companion niche, please contact the church office.
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BOARD OF SOCIAL ACTION
CHRISTINE SIMONE: OUR FACILITY COORDINATOR
Christine Simone is our Facility Coordinator She is also our Pre-School Director and is very familiar with our facility She will be doing the scheduling of our many and varied activi-ties within our facility. If you have a facility request, please contact Christine at 313-655-7367 or [email protected].
Pantry You’ve heard the expression “back to basics.” This time we’re talking food. Each
month we’ll ask members to donate another “basic” to restock our pantry. January is everything month. We have depleted our stock during the Christmas season. Consider buying one or two for our shelves. Obviously if you find a great deal for pantry basics, bring ‘em in. There’s always room for more!
Thank you, Giving Tree Givers and Cookie Walkers!
T’was the night before Christmas and all through First English, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. The Giving Tree gifts were wrapped, packed and gone in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be at Immanuel. And, thanks to ALL of you, Santa will be arriving for 115 needy children, bringing gifts and food and Kroger gift cards (for turkeys) to 34 families. Well done, First English elves!!
To all the cookie buyers, food buyers and anonymous donors, your hearts should be glowing. We raised $892, which will more than cover the cost of Kroger gift cards. Even better, Thrivent will provide matching funds. So by giving once, you give twice!
A special thank you to our Social Action elves who toiled tirelessly in the FELC workshop (a.k.a. the nursery and Pastor Krister’s office), buying, wrapping, organizing, checking, packing, more buying, rewrapping, reorganizing, rechecking, repacking gifts and food. Shawn, Virg and Pat M. could teach Santa a thing or two about spread sheets, quality control and fast production. Yvonne, Shawn, Virg and Pat T. are bargain shoppers extraordinaire. Sue R. knows all about cutting corporate red tape (Kroger gift cards magically appear). Heide adds the sunshine and just the right amount of irreverence to keep us on our toes. Sue V. works under Rudolph’s radar, processing checks and cash and requests. Dieter, our Harvest/Santa Bear, suffers through clothing changes with nary a complaint, and encourages everyone to keep giving. And, wouldn’t Santa marvel at the food packing muscle provided by Penny, Kay, Claudia and BJ! We know he would love Carolyn’s cookies! On second thought, I prefer to keep all these skills in-house. I don’t want anyone poached by North Pole headhunters!
Social Action elves, you deserve a short winter’s nap…until we start our outreach all over again in 2015.
Happy Giving in the New Year!
Diann Ohman, Board of Social Action
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Parish Education/Youth News from Renata Sunday School Thank You!
A big thank you to the Board of Parish Education, Sunday School teachers, and parents who helped to make the pageant such a marvelous success. It is a true blessing to see the children profess the birth of their Savior in front of their friends, family, and brothers & sisters in Christ of all ages. Pictures will be posted to the church website soon!
Thanks also to all who attended. We hope you felt the joy of the season as you watched our performance and that this joy will stay with you the whole year through!
This Month
Pre- and elementary school are learning about Isaac & Rebekah and their twin sons, Jacob & Esau. Kids, remember to bring your bibles with you every Sunday! Parents, remember to read through the stories with your children at home.
Middle school is reviewing the concept of “The Church,” specifically how it functions as part of God’s plan. They are also reviewing the Sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion. Join us this month for some great refresher info and fun conversation!
Confirmation & Youth Group State Gathering Recap
From December 27-30, 2014, members of our Youth Group (and a visitor from Cross of Glory) attended the ELCA State Gathering in Lansing. These three-and-a-half days were focused on love: love toward God, love toward oneself, and love toward others. Through unique worship opportunities, small group discussions, and com-munity service projects, God was definitely at work stirring up love in the hearts of all who attended. We thank you for your continued support of Youth programming so that our young people can continue such amazing experiences.
World Vision’s “30-Hour Famine”
High School Youth will be raising funds to help prevent world hunger. The youth will fast on February 27th-28th for 30 hours. If you would like to donate, please
speak with a middle or high-school student. You may also choose to attend “An Evening of Music” on Fri-day, February 6th from 6:00-9:00pm, where all bake sale funds support this year’s famine.
Important Dates
February 6, 6:00-9:00pm An Evening of Music (with HS bake sale)
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Accepting enrollment for 3 & 4 year olds for September 2015 First English Lutheran Preschool offers an academic program to help prepare your child for kindergarten. With a small class size, our program includes Bible lessons, math, music, science, art, language, beginning reading concepts and physical development. We have a very large and bright classroom for your child to spend their morning socializing with friends.
December was an exciting month in the preschool classroom. After much practice, the children acted out the story of Jesus’ birth and sang several songs in the sanctuary for parents & grandparents on December 17. One of our students enjoyed putting on a show so much that as we walked down the hall away from the sanctuary he asked,
“When are we gonna do that again?? January brings learning about winter and snow as we continue practicing our letter and numbers. We’ll learn about the life of Jesus from the children’s Bible. Watch the hallway outside our classroom as we share photos and winter & snow projects with those who pass by!
-Christine Simone
Please contact Christine Simone if you, or a friend, is seeking a preschool. Call Christine at (313)655-7367 or e-mail at
[email protected] to arrange a classroom visit.
Have you enrolled or re-enrolled yet?? Please take the time to go online and sign-up or renew your card and make your
donation designation to First English (#83535). It doesn’t cost you anything. If you don’t remember the email address that
you used previously to enroll, you can call (877)576-7587 to remove any email attached to your card number and then pro-
ceed to enroll again. Our fundraising efforts, by participating in the Kroger Community Rewards Program, have added
up to significant money - just by purchasing your weekly groceries! DOWN again from the last quarter, our latest quar-
terly check was in the amount of $178.00!! In the beginning we were receiving over $400.00 from Kroger. If you have
never signed up – please go to Kroger’s website krogercommunityrewards.com and follow the prompts. You will need
your Kroger card. Remember - It doesn’t cost YOU anything (It only costs Kroger)……..it only costs you a little time to
register your card.
KROGER COMMUNITY REWARDS PROGRAM - PLEASE Re-enroll
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Here are the answers to the Christmas quiz – … and remember that this is just for fun…. Pastor Krister. 1. Christmas has always been celebrated on December 25. True or False FALSE - Dec. 25 became a Christian Festival, arising out of the Pagan worship to the Sun Gods at the time of the win-ter solstice. 2. Joseph was from: g. Who knows?...In Luke's account: he was working in Nazareth, but was returning to Bethlehem for the census. a. Bethlehem in Matthew's account. There Joseph is from Bethlehem and only moves to Nazareth after returning from Egypt (Matthew 2:22-23) 3. How did Joseph and Mary travel to Bethlehem? f. Who knows? - no mention at all of the journey - Luke simply record that he, Joseph, went. 4. Joseph and Mary were married when Mary became pregnant. True or False FALSE - Matthew 1:18 5. Joseph and Mary were married when Jesus was born. True or False TRUE (maybe) Matthew 1:24 says that Joseph married Mary immediately following the visit from the angel. BUT, Luke refers to them as being engaged when Jesus was born. It can be argued that we don't really know. The two text seem contradictory. 6. What did the innkeeper say to Mary & Joseph? e. None of the above - No innkeeper is mentioned in the Bible, just the inn. 7. Jesus was born in: f. unknown - All we know is that it was Bethlehem. No mention of caves or stables. The reference to the man-ger comes after the e birth - Luke 2:7
8. Which animals does the Bible say were present at Jesus birth? f. None 9. Who saw the star in the east? c. Three kings (arguably) BUT it is f. None of the above No mention is made of THREE kings. And the star was not IN THE EAST. The text refers to seeing a star at it's rising. The Wise Men were from the east. Therefore, if they followed the star, the star would have to be in the west. 10. What sign did the angels tell the shepherds to look for? f. None of the above = A babe wrapped in cloth lying in a manger (Luke 2:12) 11. What did the angel proclaim? d. "Glory to God in the highest and peace on earth" 12. What is Frankincense? c. A precious perfume 13. What is myrrh? a. A spice used when burying people - A link with Christ's birth and his death 14. How many wise men came to see Jesus? e. None of the above – There is no mention of 3 in the Bible, only that SOME men from the east 15. To what does "wise men" refer? d. They were astrologers = Men who studied the star (Matthew) 16. The wise men found Jesus in b. a house (Matthew 2:11)
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17. The wise men stopped in Jerusalem b. To find out where Jesus was (Matthew 2:2) 18. Where in the Bible do we find the Christmas story g. only A & C 19. Who told Mary and Joseph to go to Bethlehem? d. Caesar Augustus - The emperor had ordered the census 20. Joseph took Jesus to Egypt ... d. because he dreamt about it 21. Why was Bethlehem called "David's City? a. David was born in Bethlehem (Luke 2:4) 22. Jesus was born e. no one knows 23. Is the angel Gabriel referred to as being... Male or Female MALE 24. The angels told the shepherds to go to Bethlehem... True or False FALSE - the angels told them the facts - the shepherds took the initiate to respond (Luke 2:15 - "Let's go..." ) 25. Which of these characters are NOT mentioned in the Biblical account of Jesus birth. e. an innkeeper f. Anna the mother of Mary g. Melchior h. Santa Claus
16
1/2: Juanita Marshall, Brandon Simone
Rosemary Yake
1/3: Peter Koenig, Joshua Wiitanen,
William Zinn
1/4: Andrew Bertelsen, John Campbell,
Justin Hawthorn, Laurie Stempien,
Debra Stenzel, Glenn Whitcroft
1/5: Mark Lindeman, Russell Milne,
Robert Richards, Ty Telegadas
1/6: Alan Corbishdale, Jody Hartingh,
Angela Levinson, Katarina Stojish
1/7: Colin Beattie, Teresa Gassenfeit,
Daniel Lamar
1/8: Virg Ditty, David Sloss
1/9: Madeline Kohler, Ella Millard
1/10: Jennifer Frohock, Pastor Chris Veres
1/11: David Craig, Jr.
1/12: Brooklynn Marchetti, Mary Tito
1/13: James Butts, Neal Gram III
1/14: Kelli Elwert, Michael Tampakes
1/15: Wilma Greer, Anne Hartingh
Emily Southard, David Strozeski
1/16: Cheryl Conn, Luis Rondon Jr.
1/17: Betty Blohm, Gordon Bush,
Christine Gierman, Kaitlyn
LaMagno, Bradley Russell
1/18: Bradley Homuth, Spencer
Lohrstorfer, Jennifer McDonald,
Matthew McGrail, Peggy Kadrich
1/19: Kathleen Butler, Cori Chase,
William Hosbein
1/20: Elinor Wroblewski
1/21: Denise Homuth, Anthony Sturton
1/22: Mark Balle
1/23: Lynn Augustyn, Glen Hays
1/25: Kevin Reck
1/27: James Guest, Sharon Hassig,
1/28: Nathan Judson, John Kohler,
Thomas Milne
1/29: Suzanne Thomas
1/30: Kristen Engle, Jeffrey Hassig,
Matthew Jackson
1/31: Alison Corbishdale, Katy Roorda
Bryan Kadrich
If your birthday does not appear
on this list and you would like it
to, please contact the church
office with your information in
order to update our computer
records. Thank You.
17
GR
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11
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Jan. 18
Jackie
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Mark B
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Jan. 25
Mike
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Jane
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Jan. 4
K
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Marti M
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Sp
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