MONTHLY NEWSLETTER

GRACE AND PEACE

LUTHERAN CHURCH

DECEMBER 2015

VOLUME 12

Secret Santa to a Senior

December 2nd - Advent Service at Emanuel

December 6th - Ladies Christmas Party

December 9th - Advent Service at Christ

Lutheran

December 11th - Tree Lighting

December 13th - Council Meeting

December 16th - Advent Service at G&P

December 15th - Mission of Grace Meal

December 18th - Blue Christmas Service

December 24th - Christmas Eve Program

Church Events The holidays can be a difficult time for seniors. They are more perceptive to the passing of time, the absence of loved ones or friends who have passed away. They may feel disconnected from children and grandchildren who live far away. Many seniors are alone at this time of the year. The Mission of Grace can shine a light of hope and cheer for many seniors who are lonely during the Christmas season. The Mission of Grace would like to identify seniors who might not otherwise receive gifts this Christmas. We will then work with local churches to help assist with the purchase and distribution of gifts by placing trees and ornaments within their church. Each senior's gift requests are written on a Secret Santa to a Senior tree ornament. If you know of a senior who might not be remembered, lives alone, or is going through a hard time let’s shine a light of hope for them this Christmas. We will need the senior’s full name, address, phone number, and their wish list. Bring this information to Grace and Peach Lutheran Church or the Mission of Grace. For additional Information you may contact Vicki Oshodi or Roberta Meyer at 812-476-8201 or 812-464-2919. The program will run November 30th-December 18th.

♥ From Roberta’s Heart ♥

Dear Grace and Peace family and friends, I want to tell all of you how humbled and thrilled I am to be your pastor. The celebration at my ordination was beyond anything I could have dreamed. Everyone told me how they felt the love and support for each other there is in our church. And Grace and Peace sure knows how to celebrate. One pastor told me she never had so much fun at an ordination. Words can’t express my deep gratitude to all of you for your love and hard work to make it a special day. The children were amazing. Every one of them did such a good job. The choir set the mood of celebration, beginning with “Oh, Happy Day!” It was uphill from there! And all the behind the scenes work made the day one we will all remember. I want you to know I am very aware of the hard work that went into this service and reception. Cleaning of the sanctuary and the whole church, (thanks to our Fresh Air buddies) the preparation of the bulletin, which is a treasure to me), setting up communion and the baking of the bread, the PowerPoint, the , photographers, getting the pastors’ dressing room set up with coat racks, water and food, getting everything ready for the reception, (the food was great), the cake, the borrowed chairs from Emanuel Lutheran church, the practices, the prayers, the travelers who came from far away (including a big chunk of the choir who came back from New Orleans, just in time!)…all these and more ( I know that I probably don’t even have a clue how much went into this day), what I am trying to say is Thank you, everyone!!! I love you all! Here is a Facebook post from Cheryl Lawrence that pretty much sums up the day:

So good to be home in time to participate in the Ordination of our new Pastor Roberta Meyer, at Grace and Peace Lutheran Church in Evansville. It was such a wonderful celebration, and so moving as the Spirit of the Lord was surely all around us. Tears flowed as Warren Hale blessed us with "Spirit Song", after Gina Moore-Thompson opened up the service with "Oh Happy Day", and the children lifted their voices and brass, followed by a powerful sermon from Pastor Brenda Piper, which reminded Roberta of her role as a Servant-Leader, and the role of the congregation to work alongside her; and that despite all of her plans to follow a different path, God had set her on this one...and she had accepted His call. After Theresa Burress, took us all to "The Rock", the Bishop pronounced Roberta as our Pastor, and the choir sang "Total Praise" amidst cheers, tears, and one Pastor who literally jumped up and down. What a service!!

Yes, Cheryl, what a service and what a congregation. With that ordination as a sendoff for our ministry together, all I can say is “Look out World! Grace and Peace Lutheran Church is “proclaiming God’s Grace and Sharing God’s Peace!” With deep gratitude and joy to Our God for all of you, Pastor Roberta

Roberta Meyer’s Ordination

Youth In Action

by Rachel Mayes

Youth take an active role in the Ordination Service of our Pastor -- Roberta Meyer

The Youth Field Trip

Saturday, December 12, 2015

Cooking Glass at Ivy Tech

Grades 6-12 – No Cost

Contact Rachel Mayes for

more information

The Youth’s Christmas Program Sunday, December 20, 2015

10:00am Music, Skit, Inspirational Message

Advent Is Here

Amongst the hustle and bustle of the holiday season the church is offering opportunities for all of us to prepare are hearts with times of worship, fellowship, and service to others. Please put these important dates on your calendar:

ATTENTION ALL GRACE AND PEACE AND

FRESH AIR FAMILIES AND FRIENDS!

Advent Services : We are joining with Emanuel and Christ Lutheran for our Wed. evening advent series call Comfort and Joy. We will be worshipping at each of the three different

Dec. 2: at Emanuel: The Peace of Christ: (Isaiah 40:1-2): True peace comes only through Jesus Christ and the forgiveness that he brings. Jesus ends warfare without and within. Jesus is the Prince of Peace.

Dec. 9 at Christ Lutheran: The Pardon of Christ: (Isaiah 40:3-5): We prepare the way of the Lord through repentance, as the forgiveness we receive through Christ makes the rough places of our lives smooth.

Dec. 16: at Grace and Peace: The Power of Christ: (Isaiah 40:10-11): God came to live among us and be our Savior, but God’s power was displayed in the weakness and humility of the manger and the cross. *There will be no advent service on Dec. 23 since our Christmas Eve service is the next day.

Dec. 6 The Women’s Christmas party after church in the parish hall. (Around 11:30 am) There will be a meal, games, and a chance to be together. Bring a $10 gift if you wish to participate in the gift exchange, or just come to enjoy the company. To give us an idea of how many are coming, please let Vicki Young know if you plan to attend or call Mary in the office.

Dec.11 Story-Ornament Tree Decorating (and potluck meal and game night) : 6:00 pm This is an ex-citing event. Everyone is asked to bring an ornament to decorate our Christmas tree in the sanctuary. It has to be a special ornament either handmade or bought that symbolizes God’s presence in your lives. We will share the stories of our ornaments with each other and hang them on the tree. Then we will share a meal of covered dishes we are inviting you to bring. We will furnish drinks. And also, bring board games, too! It will be a great night for all of us.

Dec. 15 Mission of Grace December Christmas Meal from 6-8 at Emanuel Lutheran Church: This is when we give gifts to everyone attending: We are asking for wrapped gifts labeled for boys, girls, men and women. If you donate a child’s gift, please indicate the age for which the item is appropriate.

The following items are needed for the clothing table: Socks Blankets Gloves, hats, scarves Long underwear Jeans for men (especially large sizes) Coats

Dec. 18 Blue Christmas Service at 7:00 pm at Grace and Peace Lutheran Church . The Blue Christmas service acknowledges that, for many people, Christmas is a time of grieving, loneliness, sorrow, alienation, and sadness. This service offers a way for people to claim those feelings and still feel sur-rounded by the compassionate love of God. Please pass the word to anyone you know who would want to come to this service.

Dec. 24 Christmas Eve Service at 5:30 This will be a candle light service with Christmas carols, readings, and Holy Communion, celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. Come join the celebration.

Connect

*We will begin every small group (Bible study, Sunday School, Youth Group, choir, any meeting, even two people getting together to change a light bulb) with prayer and/or a devotion. If you need any guidelines on this please let me know.

*We will have a fellowship activity, (at least one) with the whole congregation in order to build relationships within our faith community. On Dec. 11, we are having our “Story Ornament” tree decorating night. Everyone bring an ornament to put on our

tree that symbolizes how God has been working in your

lives this past year. You may make an ornament of buy

one. Jot down your story to share with everyone. I would love to make a little Story Ornament Book with

our stories.

PRAY

And we are working on a special project that the whole congregation will do during Lent. You will hear more about that soon. So be looking for it!

THE TEAM’S ASSIGNMENT The Team has an assignment we are doing, too. We will be doing an on line project where they will report to my email once every two

weeks with their individual responses to this question: What did you read in the Bible that intrigued you? The team members are: Toni Beumer, Ron and Vicki Young, Luke Anderson, Jazma Brewer, Cher’Rita Horne, Vicki Oshodi, Ben Daugherty, and Pastor Roberta.

Jesus…one another…the world Transformational Ministry Link 1: Spiritual Transformation

The connect team went to our first workshop at the end of October. We met with our team coach, Bruce Bye, in early November. We have started the first phase of our journey, which is SPIRITUAL TRANSFORMATION.

During this process each congregation is required to do some things that will strengthen us spiritually. They are the following:

BRING AN ORNAMENT

“The Lights Before Christmas”

01 - Mary Kunce

03 - Dr. Tom Anderson

05 - Faith Simpson

06 - Brad Happe

06 - Alyssia Oshodi

11 - Starr McNary

12 - Colleen Furgerson

14 - Dee Dee Lawrence

20 - Vicki Oshodi

27 - Rianna Johnson

27 - Amy Eads

27 - Stacey Johnson

28 - Owen Anderson

30 - Jessica Simpson

December 26th - Kenneth & Debra Stewart

Please contact the church if you or someone in your family is sick, shut-in, hospitalized, or if there is a death in your family.

Our Pastor, Roberta Meyer, will be available to come and visit you.

Call the church office to set up an appointment (812) 476- 8201. Or email gracelc1937@yahoo.com

This Month at Grace & Peace

Reflections On Advent

I came across this thought provoking reflection on Advent and wanted to share it with all of you. Pastor Roberta

Waiting is a key Advent theme, as is anticipation. Instead of

letting culture define this season’s message (i.e. buy, buy, buy and

spend, spend, spend), we can offer a powerful alternative in the

story of Jesus. Christianity’s emphasis on worshiping, serving,

loving, and giving provides an antidote to the stress and

overindulgence that is constantly foisted upon us.

We need this precious time of waiting, anticipating, and preparing to once again open our hearts, minds, and lives

to God incarnate and to the alternative, countercultural message of the gospel. The Revised Common

Lectionary’s emphasis on Luke’s account for the new church year affords the perfect opportunity to discuss

power, money, and the forces of empire in contrast to Jesus’ message of how the disciple should spend his or her

time, resources, and energy.

The church, as Christ’s body on earth, is the perfect place to hear, own, and share a new way of being and doing.

The church can offer a safe and secure community where people can say “no” to excess consumption and “yes”

to loving and sharing with neighbors near and far. The beloved community can be a place where all people can

come as they are and find acceptance and thrive as children of God. (What if that’s not the case in your

community? Well, pray about it and work on it. God does hear your prayers!)

The long and short of it is this: Advent is here, so wait wait…but do tell. Tell the story. Offer the alternative in

love. People need and want to hear it. Sharron R. Blezard, http://www.stewardshipoflife.org/2012/11/wait-wait%E2%80%A6please-tell-me/)

Can I Be Trusted with Much?

Oswald Chambers wrote, “Not every man can carry a full cup. Sudden elevation frequently leads to pride and a fall. The most exciting test of all to survive is prosperity.” This quote provides a clear warning: Those who become prosperous are also very likely to become filled with pride. Pride can cause inflated egos and self-worthiness. Agur, a writer of proverbs, gave us this warning: “. . . give me neither poverty nor riches but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ or I may become poor and steal and so dishonor the name of my God” (Proverbs 30:8-9). When our bills are paid and we have money in the bank, we may feel secure and depend only on ourselves. In speaking about the curse of success, someone once said, “Ninety-nine people out of 100 can handle adversity whereas only one out of 100 can handle prosperity.” The wealth that many seek can be more of a curse than a blessing. God blesses us with work and the ability to earn our incomes. Unfortunately, we may foolishly begin to believe that we are solely responsible for the success we’ve achieved. As Moses wrote, “You may say to yourself, ‘My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.’ But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth . . .” (Deuteronomy 8:18). We should understand that only by God’s grace are we able to have a place to call home, a savings account, and a retirement plan. God’s Word is clear that we are managers, not owners. “The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it” (Psalm 24:1). Even though it is difficult to pass the test with money, the Holy Spirit, working through the Word, enables us to understand that all we are and have are gifts from God. Joseph provides us a good example of stewardship. Separated from his home and family, he still trusted God and feared him, refusing to give in to the temptations that came with the position God enabled him to fill. As second in command in Egypt, one of the most powerful kingdoms of his day, he retained his humility, realizing that he was only the manager of Egypt’s resources. But he managed those resources well, working at it “with all [his] heart, as working for the Lord, not for men” (Colossians 3:23). Just as God empowered Joseph in his stewardship, so he does for us today, whether our resources are vast, as were Joseph’s, or small. ©

Letter to the Church

Roberta Meyer and Grace and Peace Lutheran Church,

We would like to extend both our congratulations and our prayers n the event of Roberta Meyer’s ordina-

tion. May God continue to bless all that our Lord calls her into and all that He calls the ministries of Grace and Peace Lutheran Church into! Sincerely, The Church Council of Christ Lutheran Church Jasper, IN (signatures) Gladys Crouse, David Fisher, Kathryn Cozza, Judy Trevnio, Byron Hoffman, Lowell Dorsam, Jill Watson, Gary Atkins, Jeremy Breeden, Rev. Kraemer

Mission of Grace

GIVING ROOM SUNDAY:

1st Sunday of the Month

ALL ARE WELCOME!!

On the 3rd Tuesday of every month

Our Next Dinner is Tuesday, December 15th 6:00-8:00 p.m.

This month’s dinner will be held at

Emanuel Lutheran Church 1st Ave. & Franklin Street

The Mission of Grace An outreach ministry of

Grace and Peace Lutheran Church, Emanuel Lutheran Church, Christ Lutheran Church, Fresh Air Community of Faith, and

Unity Church of Evansville

YOU really do make a

difference! Please continue

to your generous giving!

Below is the list of items we

need.

Please continue to donate cleaning supplies, personal hygiene items, paper towels and toilet paper!

It is also time to bring in winter items, Jackets, boots, gloves/mittens, hats and scarves.

Grace and Peace Lutheran Church 200 South Boeke

Evansville, IN 47714

812-476-8201 E-mail: gracelc1937@yahoo.com

December 2015

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1

2 9:30- 1 Mission of Grace 10:00 Bible Study 5:30 Women’s Bible Study

3 6:30 Fresh Air Com. 7:00 Bible Study

4 5 9:30- 1 Mission of Grace 7:30 AA Mtg.

6 9:00 Sunday School 10:00 Worship Communion Council Meeting

7 7:00 Overeaters Anonymous

8

9 9:30-1 Mission of Grace 10:00 Bible Study 5:30 Women’s Bible Study

10 6:30 Fresh Air Com. 7:00 Bible Study

11 6:00 Tree Lighting Service

12 9:30- 1 Mission of Grace 7:30 AA Mtg.

13 9:00 Sunday School 10:00 Worship Communion

14 7:00 Overeaters Anonymous

15 6:00 Mission of Grace Meal

16 9:30-1 Mission of Grace 10:00 Bible Study 5:30 Women’s Bible Study

17 6:30 Fresh Air Com. 7:00 Bible Study

18 7:00 Blue Christmas Service

19 9:30- 1 Mission of Grace 2:00 Ordination of Roberta Meyer 7:30 AA Mtg.

20 9:00 Sunday School 10:00 Worship Communion Youth Group Christmas Program

21 7:00 Overeaters Anonymous

22

23 9:30-1 Mission of Grace 10:00 Bible Study 5:30 Women’s Bible Study

24 5:30 Christmas Eve Service

25

26 9:30- 1 Mission of Grace 7:30 AA Mtg.

27 9:00 Sunday School 10:00 Worship Communion.

28 7:00 Overeaters Anonymous

29 30 9:30-1 Mission of Grace 10:00 Bible Study 5:30 Women’s Bible Study

31 New Year’s Eve

Deadline for

January 2016 Newsletter: MONDAY,

December 28th

Church Council Members

Pastor – Roberta Meyer

President – Luke Anderson

Secretary – Don Smith

Christian Education – David Meyer

Congregational Life – Larry Johnson Evangelism – Fellowship – Becky Gaiser

Finance/Stewardship Team – Jeff Byrne

Property – Ron Young

Social Outreach - Vicki Oshodi

Treasurer – Toni Beumer

Worship and Music - Vicki Young

Youth –

Our Mission is: To Proclaim God’s Grace And Share God’s Peace

Through Love And Service

To All.

Adult Sunday School 9:00 a.m. Children’s & Youth Sunday School 9:00 a.m.

Sunday Worship Service 10:00 a.m.

Church Office: (812) 476–8201 Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday

10:00a.m. - 3:00p.m. Roberta Meyer (812) 431-0075

Website: www.grace-peace.org Email: gracelc1937@yahoo.com

Grace and Peace Lutheran Church

200 South Boeke Road

Evansville, IN 47714-1330

ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED