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The Lamplighter December 2019 • Salem United Church of Christ • Higginsville, Missouri

Dear Friends,

Christmas at Salem United Church of Christ is a special time. I have heard stories from many of us, telling about the large, natural Christmas tree in the sanctuary, near where the piano is now; about the paper bags of peanuts and oranges that each child received; about Sunday School Christmas programs from years past; and, of course, about the beautiful Christmas Eve service, which is a highlight of the year for many of us.

Count me among those who appreciate that service. Singing the hymns and carols, sharing communion in a hushed and crowded sanctuary, the lighting of our candles as we prepare to sing “Silent Night, Holy Night,” all of it makes for a beautiful and moving worship.

Christmas is a nostalgic time. Many of us look back fondly to the celebrations of our childhoods, or of oth-er past years. In my Lamplighter article for December of last year, I told you about my memories of family Christmas gatherings at my dad’s parents’ house. I can still get nostalgic about those times, times before my cousins and I grew up and created family traditions of our own, times before my grandparents, and several of aunts and uncles died, times when, as a child, I had little to distract me from the excitement and surprise of Christmas morning with my family.

But my cousins and I did grow up. We moved away from that small town in southern Indiana. We moved into new lives and new relationships. I look back on those times with fondness, but they are gone. The past is the past, and it is not coming back, no matter how badly we might want it to return.

That is where nostalgia does us all a disservice. Nostalgia fools us into thinking that our lives would be so much better if we could just go back to the way things used to be. But, as novelist Thomas Wolfe famously told us, we can’t go home again. No matter how much we wish we could, no matter how much we miss the days gone by, we cannot go back because we are not the same people we once were. We have all of us grown older, sometimes wiser, and our worlds are different. That is not a bad thing, no matter what nostalgia tells us.

Instead of wishing for the return of a past that really was not as golden and glorious as we too often think it was, let us look to the present. Let us strive to make the present the best that it can be. Let us be as generous with others as our families were with us. That does not mean spending extravagant amounts of money on things, but rather that we share our time, our love, our blessings generously with everyone we meet. Let us strive to be people who reflect the Good News of Jesus in all that we do and say.

This year, rather than going on a rant about people wishing us “happy holidays” because Christmas is all about Christ, even though not everyone we meet is a follower of Jesus, let us make a new tradition of keeping Christ in Christmas by following the sage advice that I am sure most of us have seen in a Facebook meme: “Want to keep Christ in Christmas? Feed the hungry, clothe the naked, forgive the guilty, welcome the unwant-ed, care for the ill, love your enemies, and do unto others as you would have done unto you.” That is a tradi-tion that we all can live with right here, right now.

Crystal and I wish you all a happy, peaceful, and blessed Christmas this year. May the joy of the day and of the season sustain you throughout the year.

Grace and Peace Tommy

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December 2019 The Lamplighter Page 2

Women’s Fellowship Circle

Schedules for December

Esther Circle – December 4, 11:00 a.m., to Noon, at John Knox Village East, hostess Wanda Niemeier., Noon Meal.

Ruth Circle – No plans.

Eve Circle – December 3, 6:00 p.m., in the Multi-Purpose Room, Pot Luck evening meal.

WOMEN’S FELLOWSHIP NEW THEATRE TRIP:

The Women’s Fellowship will be attend-ing the New Theatre matinee on April 8, 2020 to see Church Basement Ladies starring Cindy Williams. We have re-served 12 seats for that date. The cost will be $32.00 per person. A signup sheet is posted on the bulletin board by the church office. Please sign up and turn in money by December 18, 2019. Ladies, we will have to share rides as we do not have a church van. We will be leaving at 9:30 a.m. on April 8, 2020.

INCLEMENT WEATHER

CANCELLATIONS:

If the church council makes the decision to close church because of inclement weather, these are the stations that will have the cancelation notices: KMBC 9, KCWE 29, Fox 4, KCTV 5, 41 Action News, KMMO, KMZU, KOKO.

To be added to the church closing text list, send a text message to 81010 with the message @h8k8f7, when you do this you will get a text message telling you the church will be closed if there is inclem-ent weather. Thank you to June Howell for coordinating this!

Children's Christmas

Program Practice:

Children's Christmas program practice schedule. Practice will be during Sunday School 9:15 a.m.-10:15a.m. Practice dates will be De-cember 1st, and December 8th. There will also be a Sat-urday practice on December 14th. The name of the Play is "Star Stuck, It’s A Mira-cle" The Christmas Program will be December 15th during the 10:30 worship Service.

COOKIES NEEDED: Anyone willing to make a doz-en or so cookies for the Chil-dren's Christmas Program Re-ception, please drop them off

in the office during the week of December 8th through the

13th. Thank you!

VOLUNTEERS:

Everyone who is willing to help in setting up the stage for the Christmas Program, please meet in the sanctuary Decem-ber 8th after the Advent Cho-rale. Any and all help is appre-ciated!

SALEM VETERANS

SLIDE SHOW:

If you would like to watch the Sa-lem Veterans slide show that was part of the worship services on Sunday, November 10, you can tune into Citizens Cablevision Community Access Channel 3.

Lullaby for the Christ-child

First published in 1539 in Ger-many, the Christmas hymn “From Heaven Above” recounts the angels’ message to the shep-herds and then the spiritual jour-ney of the baptized Christian to Jesus’ manger-bed.

Try singing verses 8, 9 and 13 (translated by Catherine Wink-worth) as a tender lullaby of praise, a song of love and a pray-er to the newborn Savior. If the original tune is unfamiliar, use “Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow” or “Just As I Am.”

Welcome to earth, thou noble Guest,

Through whom the sinful world is blest!

Thou com’st to share my misery; What thanks shall I return to

thee?

Ah, Lord, who hast created all, How weak art thou, how poor

and small, That thou dost choose thine

infant bed Where humble cattle lately fed!

Ah, dearest Jesus, holy Child, Make thee a bed, soft, undefiled, Within my heart, that it may be A quiet chamber kept for thee.

Perfect as is

Who can add to Christmas? The perfect motive is that God so loved the world. The perfect gift is that he gave his only Son. The only requirement is to believe in him. The reward of faith is that you shall have everlasting life.

—Corrie ten Boom

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December 2019 The Lamplighter

Tim Bergsieker

Elva Dean Erdman

Charles Grumke

Sonnie Renno

Patty Kroll

Will Cottrill

Maclyn Rechterman

Rita Wallpe

Alex Starke

Gabriel Iles

Amy Goetz

Pete Thaller

Bryan Wesley

Carson Starke

Pat Warren

Wayne Lieser

Stacy Barnes

Ann Iles

Barbara Swigart

Annerose Wood

Mark Nolte

Marc Jensen

Sandy Akin

Camden Russell

Bryan Nolte

Annie Fiegenbaum

Marie Robinson

Eva Whitaker

Logan Warren

Randy Amor

Chris Catron

Lowell Grumke

Atticus Kerivan

Jordan Smith

Brayton Stoner

Nolan Stoner

Drew Lefman

Tina Bergsieker

Dorothy Peck

Mike Siegfried

Maria LaRue

Dennis Knipmeyer

Paul Heimsoth

Andrew Nevels

Denise Schowengerdt

Kenzie Rinne

Hugo Soendker

Jennifer Cole

Chance Alberswerth

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Best Birthday Wishes in December go to...

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The 37th Advent Chorale will be held at Salem United Church of Christ on December 8, 2019 at 4:00 p.m. The director will be Jamie Smith. The final rehearsal will be December 8 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. All who enjoy singing and fel-lowship are invited to participate!

Salem Angel Tree 2019

The Angel Tree is up and decorat-ed so you can choose the tag or tags you wish to buy for. Buy and wrap the gifts, returning them with the tags number side up, no later than Monday, December 16, at noon.

POINSETTIAS: We will appreciate having poinsettias in church again this Christmas. If you wish to place a plant in memory of someone, please notify the church secretary (584-3603) by Wednesday, December 18, so that she can print it in the church bulletin. Be sure your name is on the plant that you bring. Please leave it in the fellowship hall on the stage by Thursday, December 19, or by noon on Friday, December 20, (Please do not bring the poinsettias before these dates), the flower com-mittee will place the plants in the sanctuary. You may collect your poinsettia after the Christmas Eve Service.

“Thank You”

To the Christmas decorating committee, the church is glowing

with the light of Christmas!

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From the Church Records

Financial Report:

General Fund Balance 10/01/19

Current deposits

Current expenses

($19,682 Church Expense)

($29,000 Endowment Fund Expense)

Current Fund Balance 10/31/19

$36,544

$14,035

$48,682

$ 1,897

Building Fund:

Current Fund Balance 10/01/19

Current deposits

Current expenses

Current Fund Balance 10/31/19

$8,639

$ 164

$4,970

$3,833

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O.C.W.M. (Member Contributions for Oct.) $164

December 2019

JOHN KNOX VILLAGE AND MEYER CARE CENTER BIBLE STUDY

John Knox Village and Meyer Care Center have a weekly Bible Study that is led, on a rotational schedule, by the Ministerial Fellowship. Liz Lindsey (Presbyterian) will be leading in the month of December. The Bible Study is held every Wednesday, 10:15-10:45 a.m. in the Gathering Room.

HARVESTERS SCHEDULE First Assembly of God Church of Higginsville hosts a Harvesters Community Food Network distribution of food on the third Thursday of every month. The work day begins at 8:30 a.m. and ends approximately at Noon. After the food is distributed, volunteers are asked to stay and help clean up the area. Anyone willing to help is asked to call 660-584-3372, (First Presbyterian Church), and leave your name, phone number, and mailing ad-dress. Wear comfortable clothes.

TA TRUCK STOP-CONCORDIA

COUNTRY PRIDE:

Travel Centers of America-Concordia, MO-Country Pride Restaurant has a Church Program! We are offering 10% of your ticket price to be donated back to your local church. All you have to do is come in to dine with us, eat, and inform your server that you would like to participate in the program, give your church’s name, your name, and we will take care of the rest!

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41 10-13-19 74

23 10-20-19 103

38 10-27-19 76

35 Average

Total Average 123

88 CHORUS OF FRIENDS PRESENTS:

The Glory of Christmas

(Conducted by: Dr. Guy D’Aurelio)

Performance Schedule:

Friday, December 6, 7:30 p.m., Lexington First Assembly of God Church

Saturday, December 7, 7:00 p.m., Concordia Baptist Church

Sunday, December 8, 4:00 p.m., Higginsville Immanuel Lutheran Church

Friday, December 13, 7:30 p.m., Waverly Christian Church

Saturday, December 14, 4:00 p.m., Corder Zion Lutheran Church

Sunday, December 15, 4:00 p.m., Wellington United Methodist Church

Cantata by Lloyd Larson

Welcome, Jesus! Welcome all wonders in one sight, Eternity shut in a span, Summer in winter, day in night, Heaven in earth, and God in man, Great little one, whose all-embracing birth Lifts earth to heaven, stoops heaven to earth. —Richard Crashaw (1612-1649)

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December 2019 Page 5 The Lamplighter

Please accept my apologies, I put the October minutes in the No-vember Lamplighter and it should have been the September minutes. So, here are the September minutes. (Sarah Berry)

CHURCH COUNCIL MEETING

September 19, 2019 – 7:30 pm The regular meeting of the Salem Church Council was held Thursday September 19th, 2019 at 7:30 pm in the Boardroom. Members present were Keill Borchers, Delbert Goetz, Mark Hook, Marc Jensen, Felicia Leonard, Barb Nolte, and Pastor Tommy. Absent Kevin Berry and Sharon Hoefer. Vice-President Marc Jensen called the meeting to order, Pastor Tommy opened with devotion from Psalms 32, and prayer. Minutes were read, amended and approved. The treasur-er’s report was given with balances of $1,123. in General Fund and $5,906 in Building and Grounds Fund. The Pastor’s mileage was 323 miles. Av-erage attendance for 8:30 service 29 and 10:00 service 76. Pastor Tommy reported the West-ern Association of the Missouri Mid-South Conference will have their fall gathering on October 12th at St. Paul’s UCC in Blackburn he will not be able to attend as he will be with our confirmands at the Festival of Sharing. Tommy participated in Boundary Awareness Training held at Blackburn on September 11th, which is required every three years to main-tain his authorization for ministry. Tommy will be on vacation Septem-ber 27th-October 5th. Jane Fisler- Hoffman will deliver sermons in both services on September 29th. Correspondence: Marc shared a thank you from the Show Me Chris-tian Home, for our donation of $150. A thank you was also received from Missouri Valley Action Back to

School event for our donation. John Knox Village East sent information regarding donations and/or individual participation registrations for their hosting of the 1st Lafayette County Walk to End Alzheimer’s on October 19th. Information will be placed in the bulletin. Committee Reports: Christian Ed: Mark Hook shared Youth on Mission will be holding regular meetings with their youth campers and adults they are currently looking for a coordinator. Plans continue regarding the June 6th 2020 Program in the Park for families of Salem. Rally Sunday was a success. The committee is looking forward to the return of more of the dream cards from individuals of Salem. Building & Grounds: Marc reported Schloman Asphalt will resurface the parking lot on September 23rd. Cemetery: Barb reported no meeting. Memorial: No meeting. Stewardship: Delbert report-ed no meeting. Evangelism: Felicia re-ported they will be collecting turkeys for the food pantry prior to Thanks-giving. Worship: Keill reported no meeting. Ushers: Keill reported the list is complete thru December. Unfinished Business: Donations dur-ing the month of August for Ebenezer UCC, totaled $1,310, and was sent for their flood disaster relief. Delbert act-ing with the Building and Grounds committee will be in contact with the Higginsville Police Department re-questing a walkthrough of our church building for input on security. New Business: Western Association Fall Meeting October 12, 2019 at Black-burn UCC, four representatives from our church can attend call the church office if you are interested. Budget Committee Meeting set for October 10th at 7:30 p.m. Fall Congregational meeting will be held on November 17th, 2019, Annual Congregational meeting January 19th, 2020. Council discussed Kevin as council president

will set up plans with T.V. and Radio Stations for bad weather cancellations. June Howell has offered to make announcements of cancellations on social media sites. A refund check in the amount of $866 was received from Selective Insurance (Property Insurance) from over-payment, this will be deposited into the General Funds. Mike Warneke, Jonathan Ssebambulide and other Ugandan staff mem-bers will be in the Higginsville area October 24th -27th. Re-quests have been made and ap-proved to invite all our members and community to attend our 8:30 worship to be held in the Sanctuary on the 27th for their message. A reception will follow in the Fellowship Hall. Dennis Knipmeyer has requested coun-cil’s acceptance in his gathering information regarding Energy Efficiency loans that are available. He will bring specifics to a later meeting. Council approved full payment of $2,566 (Work Comp. Insurance) premium to The Hart-ford from the Corder Money Market account. Announcements: Next council meeting Date: October 17th, 2019, 7:30 p.m. There being no further busi-ness, the meeting was adjourned with the “Lord’s Prayer”. Respectfully submitted, Barbara Nolte, Council Secretary

YEAR END

CHURCH BUSINESS:

Please have all church financial contributions and business transactions to the church office by 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, Decem-ber 31, 2019. Thank you for your consideration.

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December 2019 Page 6

WE EXTEND OUR

SYMPATHY TO:

The family of Mary R. Brueggenjo-hann. Mary passed away Wednes-day, October 2, 2019. Her funeral service was held, Tuesday, October 8, 2019, at Kaiser Wiegers Funeral Home.

ALSO

The family of Winnie Knehans. Winnie passed away Wednesday, October 30, 2019. Her funeral ser-vice was held at Salem, Saturday, November 2, 2019.

OUR FRIENDS AND CHURCH FAMILY

IN CARE FACILITIES Listed below are our members and friends (at the time of printing of the Lamplighter) now residing or recovering at our local and sur-rounding community nursing homes and care facilities. A card or visit from a church family member would be a delightful surprise! Meyer Care Center, 1201 W. 19th St., Higginsville, MO 64037 Al Dieckhoff Herb Echelmeier Mary Kirchhoff Anna Marie Rinne Barb Siegfried Earl Struchtemeyer Bob Tankesley Mary Ann Vorwark Lutheran Good Shepherd Home, 202 SW St., Concordia, MO 64020 Ann Nuelle Jake Stoecklin Arthur Thaller Country Oak Village, 101 Cross Creek Drive, Grain Valley, MO 64029 Viola Meinershagen Riverbend Heights Rehab & Health, Lexington Nursing Home, 1221 South Highway 13, Lexington, MO 64067 Mark Gieselman Addington Place of Lee’s Summit, 2160 SE Blue Parkway, Lee’s Summit, MO 64063 Roberta Summers (Apt. 212) (Roberta’s mailing address is Rob-erta Summers, C/O Carrie Tunison, 1207 SE Brookwood St., Lee’s Sum-mit, MO 64063.)

2020 ENVELOPES Are available in the Fellowship

Hall

ADVENT DEVOTIONAL BOOKLETS: Are available in the back of the sanctuary and outside the church office.

Special Days in December

December 1: First Sunday of Advent

December 8: Second Sunday of Advent Advent Chorale

December 15 Third Sunday of Advent Children's Christmas Program during the 10:30 a.m. Worship Service

December 16: Please have Angel Tree gifts to church by noon

December 18: Please call church office with poinsettia information for the bulletin

December 19: Homebound Communion

December 20: Homebound Communion Please have poinsettias to church by noon

December 22: Fourth Sunday of Advent YOM Cookie Sale

December 24: 7:00 p.m. Christmas Eve Communion/Candle Light Service

December 25: Christmas Day! Church Office Closed

December 31: New Years Eve!

The Christmas Eve Candlelight with Communion

Worship service will be

Tuesday, December 24, 2019,

at 7:00 p.m.

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CHURCH INFORMATION Tommy’s email: tlfaris@ctcis.net Tommy’s cell phone: 816-352-2052 Church Telephone: 660-584-3603 Church Email: salemucc@ctcis.net Church Website: salemucchigginsville.org Fax number: 660-584-5666

TRANSPORTATION AVAILABLE

Transportation is available to any worship service. Please call the church office to make arrange-ments, (660) 584-3603.

PASTORAL VISITS OR PRAYERS

Anyone who would like a pastoral visit or are in need of prayers, please call the church office, (660) 584-3603.

NEWS FROM THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY COMMITTEE:

Pick up one of the Dream Cards to share your dreams for the future of Salem. These will be on display during the year as we remember our past, serve our present, and celebrate our future together.

SALEM STORIES: Our 150th anniversary celebration continues as we tell our stories! We hope that you take time to interview someone in the church and let someone interview you! The committee is recommending that you download the StoryCorps app for Apple or Android and utilize this easy to use method for recording your conversation. If this will not work for you, Crystal will be happy to schedule a time with you for you to use one of her devices. Instructions are in the in the multipurpose room. Let’s gather our Salem Stories!

YOUTH ON MISSION 2020:

Calling all those interested in traveling to Youth on Mission in summer 2020! And, calling all of you who would like to see Youth on Mission continue and happy to volunteer some of your time to make sure it does. Our leadership team needs someone to plan a few monthly meetings that bring together the campers for fun and team building and we need a co-ordinator who can serve as the main point of contact for campers and the leadership team. Talk to Crystal today to share your time with this valua-ble mission of the church! Contact Crystal for info – crystalfaris@kclibrary.org; 816.876.3118.

Wild hope What keeps the wild hope of Christ-mas alive year after year in a world notorious for dashing all hopes is the haunting dream that the child who was born that day may yet be born again even in us.

—Frederick

Buechner

Light shines in the darkness In Nepal, where blindness is prevalent due to under-funded medical care and a lack of eye doctors, ophthalmologist Sanduk Ruit has made it his mission to treat poor people. He’s performed more than 130,000 cataract surgeries to restore sight, sometimes walking for a week with surgical equipment in tow to reach patients. Dr. Ruit also found a way for replacement lenses to be made locally for less than $3 each, rather than buying them internationally for 100 times as much. The physician brings healing to remote villages and celebrates “big eye-opening festi-vals” with people who “were blind yesterday, and … are seeing today.” At Christmas we celebrate the Word of God who came to live among us as Jesus, the light of the world. In countless ways since, God has brought light to those living in literal or figurative darkness. We celebrate people, such as Dr. Ruit and the 650 doctors he has trained, whom God uses to cause “light [to shine] in the darkness” (John 1:5).

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December 2019 The Lamplighter Page 8

2019 Annual Reports Are Due in the Church Office by January 4, 2019. Please have them typed or email them to: salemucc@ctcis.net

Please note your responsibility for the report.

Board of Elders Report-President

Church Council Report-President

Pastor’s Report

Christian Education Coordinator’s Report

Board of Christian Education-Secretary

Board of Christian Education—

(Financial Report) -Treasurer

Salem Cemetery-Lot Superintendent

Memorial Committee-Chairperson

Memorial Committee-

(Financial Report) - Treasurer

Salem Men’s Fellowship-President

Women’s Fellowship-President

Women’s Fellowship -

(Financial Report) - Treasurer

Endowment Fund-Report and Financial Report-Chairperson

Youth on Mission Report and Financial Report-Chairperson

Stewardship Committee-Chairperson

Evangelism Committee-Chairperson

Chancel Choir-Director

Handbell Choir-Director

Youth Choir-Director

Little Notes-Director

Chime Bells-Director

Worship Committee-Chairperson

150th Anniversary Committee

YOM COOKIE/BAKE SALE: Do you need some yummy, home-made cookies and/or baked goodies this holiday season? Our annual cookie/bake sale will be held after BOTH worship services on Sun-day, December 22nd in the Fellowship Hall, and as in the past, you may fill a box (or more!) and make a donation to Youth on Mission at that time. Can’t make it to our cookie/bake sale that day? Call Amy Goetz at 660-641-2406 to place your order and it will be delivered to you!

Overcoming despair

Christmas can be a difficult time for people who are hurt-ing or grieving. In the 1860s, poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow had reason to despair: America was at war with itself, his son was severely wounded in battle and his wife died in a fire. The first Christmas after his wife’s death, Longfellow wrote, “How inex-pressibly sad are all holidays.”

Three years later, on Christmas Day 1864, Longfellow penned a poem that later became the song “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.” The lyrics move from despair to hope — and, thanks to Jesus, so can we.

And in despair I bowed my head.

There is no peace on earth, I said!

For hate is strong, and mocks the song

of peace on earth, good will to men!

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:

God is not dead, nor doth he sleep!

The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,

with peace on earth, good will to men!

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Salem United Church of Christ

1500 Main Street

Higginsville MO 64037

Non-Profit Organization

POSTAGE PAID

Permit NO. 104

Higginsville MO 64037

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The Lamplighter

December 2019 • Salem United Church of Christ • Higginsville, Missouri

The Lamplighter

Is a monthly newsletter of :

Salem United Church of Christ Rev. Dr. Tommy Faris Kevin Berry, President

1500 Main Street Pastor Church Council

Higginsville, MO 64037 Sarah J. Berry Stanton Thompson, President

(660) 584-3603 Secretary Board of Elders

Fax: 584-5666 Doris Jane Stoner Tina Gibler, President

E-Mail: salemucc@ctcis.net Organist Board of Christian Education

Early Worship Jamie Smith June Howell

8:30 a.m. Music Director Christian Education Coordinator

Sunday School Anne Iles Lindsey Rolf, Volunteer

9:15 a.m. Youth Music Director Assistant Church Secretary

Worship Lowell Grumke

10:30 a.m. Custodian