Dec 4 News & Announcements

News and Announcements Christ Lutheran Church Eagan Minnesota

December 4, 2016

Verse of the Week: Romans 13:12

What hope! An Eden prophesied Where tame live with the wild; The lamb and lion side by side, Led by a little child!

A shoot will sprout from Jesse’s stem, A branch from David’s line, A Prince of Peace in Bethlehem: The fruit of God’s design.

As banner of God’s love unfurled, Christ came to suffer loss, That by His death a dying world Would rally to the cross.

Come, Jesus, come, Messiah Lord, Lost Paradise restore; Lead past the angel’s flaming sword—Come, open heaven’s door.

LSB 342 Text (sts. 1–4): © 1998 Stephen P. Starke Used by permission: LSB Hymn License .NET, number 100012578.

Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2006 Concordia Publishing House.

ADULT BIBLE CLASS meets Sundays at 10:15.

Come and join others in studying God’s Word!

Religious Christmas Cards are for sale in the Fellowship Hall.

You can put your check or cash in the container provided.

Copies of the 2017 Budget are available on the table in the narthex if you want to review it. This will also be part of the Annual Report which will be distributed in January.

The HUMAN CARE BOARD will be working with other local churches to help support the Holiday Gift Shop again this year. The Holiday Gift Shop provides gifts to families in the Eagan area who qualify for food through the Open Door Pantry. This year instead of a giving tree, the Human Care Board will be collecting gift cards for any dollar amount for Walmart and Target. If you prefer to give cash to support our efforts you may do so. Please put your gift cards or cash in a small envelope, marked “Holiday Gift Shop” and put in the wooden box in the Narthex on the LWML table. The cash and gift cards will be used by the Holiday Gift Shop to fill in with gifts in areas that are still needed. We will collect through Dec. 11. Thank you for your support.

Christmas Tea The Christmas Tea is coming up on Saturday, December 10, from 11:00-1:30 in the Fellowship Hall. Don’t miss your chance for a spectacular meal, engaging conversation, and a wonderful opportunity to help our Middle-Eastern brothers and sisters in Christ, who have literally walked in the footsteps of Jesus.

This year’s Christmas Tea is bringing Christmas back to its Middle-Eastern roots by sharing some wonderful food and supporting an LCMS mission known for their work in the Middle East, POBLO International. (See more information below.)

Tickets are $15 each with $10 donated directly to POBLO International. Tickets will be on sale starting November 5th. Only 100 tickets will be sold for this spectacular event. You can reserve your tickets by contacting Gabriel Hartog (email: gabriel.hartog@gmail.com, or Phone: 612212-8919). Remember to bring your checkbook or the exact amount of cash to buy tickets at church.

More information about POBLO (People of the Book Lutheran Outreach) and our local missionaries: POBLO’s mission work consists primarily of missionary training, church planting, and grassroots evangelism through Bible studies and one-on-one conversations with those interested in exploring the Christian faith or learning more about Jesus. The fields are ripe for harvest (John 4:35) right here in the U.S., and POBLO is responding. People from other religions now have the freedom to learn about and practice Christianity without fear. (POBLO is a Recognized Service Organization of the LCMS.) The POBLO missionaries who will be sharing their work at the Christmas tea are Nader and Georgette Alaraj, who are originally from Palestine. Nader started his career as a medical technologist, working for fifteen years in the medical field in Omaha. Georgette has a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and taught for 6 years. Both were raised in Christian homes, although Nader felt a personal calling to serve the Lord shortly after arriving in the United States in 1998. After helping to organize the Arabic Christian Fellowship of Omaha and sharing their faith in practical ways in that community, they moved to Bloomington MN to begin their outreach to non-believers in this highly diverse city. They have two small children and are members of St. Michael’s Lutheran Church in Bloomington.

Are you missing a Bible? An NASB was left above the coat hooks several weeks ago. It has a leather cover and is well-used with the name Kirk Johnson written inside. If you know who this belongs to, help us return it to the owner. It is currently on the Lost and Found table. Thanks!

Advent Devotional booklets are available in the narthex from Lutheran Indian Ministries. They are written by their missionaries who are serving Native Americans throughout the US and Canada.

This is a wonderful time of year to add more to your devotional life.

If you’d rather have an online version, Lutheran Hour Ministries has Advent devotions at https://www.lhm.org/advent/. The theme is Christmas Memories, and it’s ready to download and print. Take time this holiday season to make Christmas memories that last – memories that lovingly honor the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Wednesday, December 21, 5:30 pm Meet at Eagan Pointe Senior Living Open to All! Pizza at church following caroling, Before Advent Service at 7:00 pm

Our Gifts to the Lord Nov 26/27 General Fund Nov 21-25 Joyful Response Total Weekly Need

Attendance $3892.10 $ 595.00 $4487.10 $6935.00

Thanksgiving Eve Saturday Nov 26, 5:00pm Sunday Nov 27, 9:00am Sunday Nov 27, 2:00pm Total (weekend)

58 19 87 N/A 106

Advent and Christmas Services At Christ Lutheran Church Mid-Week Advent Services Wednesday, December 7, 7:00 pm Wednesday, December 14, 7:00 pm Wednesday, December 21, 7:00 pm Christmas Eve Services Saturday, December 24, 5:00 pm and 9:00 pm Christmas Day Service Sunday, December 25, 9:00 am

(There are small flyers with our service schedule on the table in the narthex that you can share with friends, neighbors, and co-workers.)

An Advent Devotion from Lutheran Hour Ministries: Did your family have a Nativity scene in the front yard, under your tree, or on a table? I remember staring at the angel wondering what it will be like to see one of these beautiful creatures face-to-face.

As Luke continues his account of the first Christmas, Zechariah the priest is in the temple. He's laying the incense on the altar. Suddenly, through the clouds of smoke, an angel of the Lord appears. But for Zechariah it isn't the wonderful, thrilling scene I imagined – not at all. The aged priest is struck with terror, shaken to the core.

As the Christmas story unfolds, we'll see angels appear to Mary and to the shepherds, keeping watch over their flocks by night. And both will have this same reaction: one of being instantly filled with terror. You and I would be too.

No matter how good a person you are, coming face-to-face with the holiness of an angel shows you your failings, and fills you with dread and fear. How much more terrifying will it be to look into God's face when He comes with His angels in great power and glory to judge us on the Last Day? That's one of the truly wonderful things about Christmas. The promised Savior did not come as a fearsome, mighty warrior to strike fear and terror into each of us. Instead, He came as a tiny Baby lying in a manger. He didn't come to terrify us; He came to take away our sin and guilt and assure us of God's love and forgiveness.

THE PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Your Son to live among us and save us by Your perfect life, Your innocent suffering and death, and Your glorious resurrection. Calm my heart when I'm gripped with fear, and fill me with peace and joy. Amen.