St. John Lutheran Church December 2019________________________________________________________________________

Church Office: 563-242-5588Pastor Daniel Pool: 321-6757, homee-mail: dpool@stjohn-clinton-ia.orgWeb Site: www.stjohn-clinton-ia.org

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Advent and Christmas ServicesDecember 1 - First Sunday in Advent,

Holy Communion

December 4 - 1:30 & 7:00 p.m. – Advent Service - Refreshments after the service

December 8 - Second Sunday in Advent, Holy Communion

December 11 - 1:30 & 7:00 p.m. – Advent Service -Refreshments after the service

December 15 - Third Sunday in Advent, Holy Communion

December 18 - 1:30 & 7:00 p.m. – Advent Service -Refreshments after the service

December 22 – Fourth Sunday in Advent, Holy Communion

December 24 - 6:30 p.m. – Christmas Eve Children’s Service December 24 - 11:00 p.m. – Christmas Eve Candlelight Serv.

December 25 - 9:00 a.m. – Christmas Day Divine Service, Holy Communion

December 29 – First Sunday after Christmas,

Holy Communion

Pastor Pool’s Sunday Bible Study

The Gospel of Mark In December, we continue our study on the Gospel of Mark. This class meets Sundays at 9:00 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall. No previous Bible study experience is necessary and it is always fine to sit and listen. Now is a great time to join us!

-December 1: Mark 10:17-31: The Rich Young Man

-December 8: Mark 10:32-45: The Lust for Power

-December 15: Mark 10:46-52: Blind Bartimaeus

-December 22: Mark 11:1-14: The Triumphal Entry

-December 29: Mark 11:15-25: Cleansing the Temple

Exodus Bible Study with PastorOur Tuesday Bible study is working through the book of Exodus verse by verse, exploring the departure from Egypt, the giving of the Torah, and the creation of the Tabernacle. Now is a great time to join us! We normally meet on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays. Our study is at 9:30 a.m. or 7:00 p.m. in classroom 1. New people are always welcome! Bring your Bible.

-December 3: Exodus 3: The Word on Fire

-December 17: Exodus 4: Signs and Wonders

Lutheranism 101 A new Lutheranism 101 Class for those curious about the Church and the faith begins January 4 on Saturday mornings for about 12

weeks. This class is recommended for those considering membership, but current members are also encouraged to attend. More information coming soon!

Advent and Christmas

Incarnation. That is what Christmas is all about. God Himself has condescended to come among us and take on human flesh. In the manger, Jesus is fully God and fully Man, and He comes to make us new. Through His holy life, His suffering and death, and His resurrection and ascension, He has achieved eternal victory. The curse is undone. Sin and evil are defeated. Heaven and nature sing. Behold this most blessed Child, the Son of God, who gives eternal life to all who will believe!

Advent is preparation for the coming of Jesus. We slow down and think about the meaning of what we celebrate. We mourn in lonely exile here. We fast. We pray. We rejoice in what is to come. We see the value of Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem born of the Virgin Mary. We appreciate His miraculous presence, in this time between the times, among us at the altar in the Divine Service. We ponder His final return on the last day when all things will be made well.

Of all the things you do this month, let me encourage you to make this time holy. Advent and Christmas should be filled with God’s Word, for His Word is the only thing that can make this season holy. Celebrate like Christians. Learn to speak about this season with your family. Grab one of our, Behold the Child devotions that will take you right on through Advent to Epiphany. Make time for Advent Wednesday Services. Let the Christmas Day Divine Service be your highest priority. Draw near to your Savior, this blessed Child.

Pastor

Advent Services Our Wednesday Advent Services begin December 4. Services are each Wednesday at 1:30 and 7:00 p.m. leading up to the celebration of the incarnation of Christ on Christmas Day. Please join us for a few quiet moments in this busy season to behold the true light that has come into the world?

    December 4: “For You And All The World”    December 11: “To Set You Free From All Your Sorrow”    December 18: “For You, To Bear Your Flesh in Weakness”

Advent Serving ScheduleEach year the congregation is divided into groups according to the church directory for Lent and Advent Services with one group serving after each service. Each family serving is asked to bring a plate or two of sandwiches, two dozen cookies, or a pan of bars. Otherwise a donation to purchase punch and coffee may be left in the marked container in the church kitchen. If you are not on the list to serve this Advent season look for your name on the Lent serving schedule in the spring.

The serving schedule is divided by those in the church directory as follows:

Dec. 4 – Dawn Adamiec to Ross EberhartDec. 11 – Jerry Edwards to Darrell JacksonDec. 18 – Doris Jacobsen to Lois Meyermann

Christmas Poinsettias

You may sign up and pay for a poinsettia plant after early or late service on December 1 or 8 in the fellowship hall. The poinsettia

plants will be used in the church as part of the Ladies Aid Christmas decorations. The cost is $11.00, and checks may be made out to St. John Lutheran Church.

Advent and Christmas words – from Kurt FlathersAnd the Grinch, with his grinch feet ice-cold in the snow,Stood puzzling and puzzling. "How could it be so?It came without ribbons! It came without tags!It came without packages, boxes, or bags!"He puzzled and puzzed till his puzzler was sore.Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before.Maybe Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store.Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more!

This dialogue comes from the classic Dr. Suess, “How the Grinch stole Christmas”. The Grinch is pondering how, after stealing all the things he thought Christmas was all about, the people of Whoville could still celebrate. Christmas does not just mean a little bit more than packages and bows, lights and trees, and a jolly old fellow in red. It means a whole lot more. Christmas is the celebration of the incarnation of Christ. God comes down to us, takes on human flesh and blood. He becomes like us in every way, shape and form, but without sin. God the Father, sends his only Son, into our flesh, not to just stay a baby in a manger, but to become the Prophet, the Priest, the King, the Wonderful, the Counselor, the Everlasting God the Prince of Peace. Christmas is the celebration of God’s love for us, in sending what us poor, miserable sinners need….a Savior. This was the beginning of the plan of salvation since sin entered the world in Adam and Eve. God sends his Son to be our sacrifice, our atonement, our propitiation, our justification for our sins. He goes from a manger to a cross to shed His blood for our forgiveness. He gives us the greatest gift of His body and blood to redeem us by grace. He saves us from our sins. His empty tomb at Easter shows us that we are justified before God.

This Advent and Christmas season, focus more on the gift of a Savior, in Jesus Christ. That is the greatest gift, and it is free. No strings attached! It came without ribbons and bows, in a package of a little child in a manger. He was given to us so he could be given and shed for us in his true body and blood on the cross, for our forgiveness. Celebrate that this season!

Christ, by highest heaven adored, Christ, the everlasting Lord:Late in time behold him come, Offspring of the virgin’s womb.Veiled in flesh, the Godhead see, Hail, the incarnate Deity:Pleased, as man, with men to dwell, Jesus, our Emmanuel!

Advent Devotions Are Now Available

Behold The Child Advent Daily Devotions are now available on the guestbook stand and in the fellowship hall.

Thirty Seven days of devotions guide you from December 1 through Epiphany. Each devotion connects with the corresponding Wednesday Behold The Child Advent sermon series, drawing you closer to your Savior, the blessed Child. Please pick one up today.

Practice forChristmas Eve Children’s Service All Sunday school students from preschool through the Youth Bible Class who will be participating in the St. John Christmas Eve service are asked to attend rehearsal sessions. Those students who will not be participating will meet in classroom 4 during the Sunday school hour.

The rehearsals will be held during the Sunday school hour from 9:00 - 10:00 a.m. on December 1, 8, 15 & 22.

Ladies Aid PotluckThe Ladies Aid decorating committee will meet to decorate the church on Friday, Dec. 6 at 10 a.m. Many hands make light work! The Ladies Aid Christmas meeting will follow at noon. A potluck meal is planned. A short business meeting will follow with filling of gifts for shut-ins. Dirty Bingo will close out the afternoon. Please bring a white elephant gift to pass. All ladies are invited to join us. Thank you!

Mary Martha Christmas PotluckThe Mary Martha Christmas Potluck will be December 10 at 6:00 p.m. in the church fellowship hall for members and guests. The meat and beverages will be furnished. Members are asked to bring a dish to share and a table decoration. A mission donation will be received, and canned goods and paper products may be brought for the Victory Center. Bingo and cards will be played for fun. There will be no prizes this year.

Preschool NewsChristmas is such a special time in our preschool classroom. We read stories daily throughout the month of December about the birth of our Savior, Jesus and His love for us. We sing songs and learn finger

rhymes as we prepare for the program we will put on for our families. In our centers we imitate many of the things we are doing at home: decorating a tree, playing with nativities, baking and decorating cookies, writing Christmas cards and making and wrapping gifts. Throughout every activity we are developing both social and academic skills. As always, we thank you for your continued support of this very important outreach ministry.

Make Christmas Giving Easy with SCRIPBuy gift cards from the Scrip program and give them to friends and family for Christmas. The Scrip order will go in on December 1. Your

gift cards will be in your bulletin slots on December 8. Please think about

purchasing some gift cards for Christmas. It will make your shopping easier and it will benefit our preschool at the same time. Win! Win! Pick up your order form in the fellowship hall, fill it out and return it, with payment, to the blue box. Please make checks out to St. John.

University of Iowa Hospital Christmas Gifts

A box is in the education building until Dec. 8 for donations of gifts for the U of I Hospital patients. Packages should not be wrapped or labeled. The gifts will be taken to our Lutheran chaplains in Iowa City for distribution. Everyone in the congregation is invited to participate. Please see the bulletin board outside of the office for rules about what can and cannot be given.

Check It Out In Our Church LibraryChristmas is a good time to read to your children and grandchildren about the birth of Christ and the true meaning of Christmas. We have a lot of Chrismas books on display in our library, both children’s and adult.

Our church library is for the use of all members and their families. We have a good selection of books and videos and it is easy to check them out. Just sign your name and date on the card and put the card in the container on the table. There are no fines, just bring it back when you have finished and drop it into the crate under the table.

Church Christmas Tree

Sunday, December 1 after late service we will be putting up the Church Christmas tree. The tree is very large and it requires several people to get it hauled upstairs and assembled. We will also need lots of help to put on the hundreds of ornaments. All are welcome!

Confirmation, Youth Group & Choir Schedule During AdventThe Confirmation Class and Choir will meet at 8:00 p.m. on December 4, 11, and 18. Confirmation students should attend the Wednesday Advent Service at 7:00 p.m. on these dates. Youth Group will meet at 6:00 p.m. as usual.

St. John Cookbook

We are making a new St. John Cookbook to celebrate the 165th

Anniversary of our church. Our last cookbook was done 15 years ago to celebrate our Sesquicentennial. There is a committee who will continue to meet until the cookbook is finished. If you would like to help work on the cookbook, please watch the bulletins for meeting times. We appreciate any help that we can get but most of all WE NEED YOUR RECIPES!!

Please pick up forms in the fellowship hall, fill them out and return to the box. We need around 200 recipes to make the cookbook so please feel free to share several of your favorites.

Parents with Young Kids Sunday School Class

Have you tried out our Bible class for Parents with Young Kids? The class meets on Sundays at 9:00 a.m. and is designed for parents with infants, preschoolers, and kids on the way, who would like to be able to attend an adult Sunday school class. You may bring your kids to class, or if they are preschool age or older, drop them off in Sunday school. Young couples, with or without children, are welcome to join us. See you Sunday morning.

Offering Envelopes

Offering envelopes will be on the table in the fellowship hall beginning December 15. A sign-up sheet will be available for anyone who did not receive envelopes and would like them.

Covenant Box

Extra faith promise cards are available on the guest book stand. These may be placed in the Covenant Box in the church entryway.

Operation Christmas Child

This year we, once again, participated as a congregation in Operation Christmas Child. We sent 186 boxes of toys, essentials, and clothes to share the love of Christ with children around the world. Thank you for your generosity!

Do you shop at AmazonSmile?

Shopping at Amazon for Christmas? AmazonSmile will make a donation to St. John each time you make a purchase. Go to smile.amazon.com/ch/42-6005460 to register your account. After registering

your Amazon account, start each purchase at smile.amazon.com.

December Birthdays & AnniversariesC O N G R A T U L A T I O N S!

Happy Birthday to: Jeanetta Schepler, who will be 95 on Dec. 3. Wayne Suehl who will be 82 on Dec. 23James Kophamer, who will be 91 on Dec. 31.

Happy Anniversary to:Tom & Cindy Snyder, 20th Wedding Anniversary on Dec. 4.Tom & Sharon Brown, 55th Wedding Anniversary on Dec. 5.Ken & Vicki White, 60th Wedding Anniversary on Dec. 19.Doug & Sharon Martensen, 30th Wedding Anniversary on Dec. 30.

We list birthdays 80 and above and anniversaries for year one and every five years thereafter unless we receive a request not to do so.

Private Communion Calls

Pastor Pool makes his visits to those in nursing homes throughout the month. Those at home who would like to receive a communion visit are asked to call Pastor at the church office, 242- 5588, to schedule a convenient time.

THOSE WHO SERVE IN DECEMBER

Early

Elders: Jim Schnitzmeyer Kurt Flathers

Ushers: Sam Reynolds Brian Wall Calvin Lange

Nursery Attendants (Late)

1 – Camil Dell

8– Jennifer Kammerer

15– Margie Mueller

22– Tara Sirna

29 – Heather Becker

Recording

1 – Darlene Paysen8 – Darlene Paysen15 – Darlene Paysen22 – Darlene Paysen29 – Darlene Paysen

Late

Elders: Tom Hardersen James McHugh

Ushers: Bryce Petersen Randy Housenga Ryan Dell Kevin Dell

Acolyte Schedule

1-Early – Raelyn Schroeder1-Late –Elder4-Advent – Elder8-Early – Carver Lange8-Late – Brayden Parks11-Advent – Elder15-Early – Nolan Lange15-Late – Elijah Mueller18-Advent – Elder22 – Early – Addison Parks22 – Late – Hunter Holesinger24-Lessons & Carols – Elder24-Crucifer–William Schemers25-Christmas Day – Elder25-Crucifer-Jennifer Kammerer29-Early - Elder29-Late – Elder

NEWSLETTER DEADLINE: DEC. 20If you would like to put any information in the newsletter, contact Camil Dell, and get her the information by December 20.