Christmas 2013 CLC CrossWord

CHRISTMAS 2013

Christ Lutheran Church • Highlands Ranch, CO • Gathering † Gifting † Sending

Christmas at CLC

Carols, Communion and Candlelight Come and join the joy and wonder of Christmas at one of our four Candlelight Christmas Eve Services on December 24th, 2013.

1:00pm

Children and Family Service, Featuring the Carillon Ringers

3:00pm

Children and Family Service, Featuring the Children’s Choirs

5:00pm

Contemporary Service, Featuring the Crossroads Band and Praise Team

7:00pm

Contemporary Service , Featuring the Crossroads Band

9:00pm

Lesson’s & Carols, Featuring Celebration Choir Nursery Care will be available at the 1, 3, 5, 7 & 9pm services.

STAFF: Rev. Tom Shelly, Sr. Pastor pstrfstr@clchr.org Rev. DJ Dent, Associate Pastor pastordent@clchr.org Debby Kinsella Director Outreach/Equipping dkinsella@clchr.org Gary Knutson Director of Youth & Family gknutson@clchr.org Deb Morgans Director of Preschool dmorgans@clchr.org Mary Behnke Administrative Manager mbehnke@clchr.org Sallie Burns Financial Secretary sburns@clchr.org Linda Holcombe Director of Music lindaholcombe64@gmail.com Nicholas Koltay Administrative Assistant nkoltay@clchr.org Carrie Mallery Principal Pianist Larry Scalfari Pianist Barbara Pierson Director Nursery Ministry Barbara.Pierson@comcast.net Meliha & Predrag Vajzovic Custodians CHURCH COUNCIL: Ken Kroneberger kenk@jcmh.org Lee Bergstrom lee_berg@yahoo.com Nancy Bauer nancybauer@q.com Rick Boyer safetyguy74@yahoo.com Julie Waggoner waggoners5@gmail.com Norm Beulke nbeulke@gmail.com Adrian Hafner backyardkids@hotmail.com Bret Sumner bretsumner@hotmail.com John Ringkob jer@dascoinc.com John Riley johnriley05@comcast.net All articles, photos and notices for the next issue of CrossWord are due by the 15th of the month.

Send to mbehnke@clchr.org. Editor reserves the right to edit for content and space.

Pastor Tom’s Message Advent and Christmas 2013 at Christ Lutheran Church

Child of Promise At Christ Lutheran Church we are so blessed with all the children around us here in Highlands Ranch! It is an amazing scene when you see the children come up during worship for the Word with Young People time.

Each Child is unique and filled with childlike innocence yet also childlike curiosity. Wanting to know and experience all they can, their faces are bright and full of expression. Each child is a blessing in their own way. Each child a promise that God is still at work in the world!

This Advent season before Christmas and this Christmas Eve we will focus on The Child of Promise who through baptismal waters has become our brother in the family of God. As Children of the Heavenly Father we too reach out and embrace this Child of Promise in this life and share together the blessings and burdens we have.

The Bible is full of promises, but ultimately all of the promises of God are found in the Christ Child. During Advent, the weeks before Christmas we will reflect on the original Hebrew names given to the Christ, the Promised One. The meaning of those names still holds meaning for our lives today as People of Promise awaiting the Christ Child!

On Christmas Eve we will have 5 different hours of worship, each special in some way. At 1 p.m. we will have a family and children’s service with our bell choir the Carillon Ringers. The 3 p.m. service will also be geared to families and children and will feature our children’s choirs Joy and Jubilation.

Both 1 & 3 p.m. services will have a special gift for the children with which they will be invited to be a key part of the worship service.

At 5 p.m. we will have our first Contemporary Service featuring Crossroads Band. At 7 p.m. we will have our second Contemporary Service featuring Crossroads Band. Both 5 & 7 p.m. will have Crossroads performing Christmas Eve in Sarajevo by Trans-Siberian Orchestra at the beginning of the service.

Then something new, our last service will be a Traditional one at 9 p.m. featuring our Adult Celebration Choir presenting Lessons and Carols.

There will not be an 11 p.m. service this year.

All Services on Christmas Eve will have Carols, Candlelight and Communion.

The Bible says “A Child shall lead them.” May our own children lead us to the Christ Child. Come and see to what and where this Child of Promise leads us! + See You at Worship + Many Blessings + Pastor Tom

Advent/Christmas Decorating

Worship Teams for Christmas Eve

We will be decorating the church on Monday, Dec. 2nd at 9:00 am. We will put up Christmas trees and decorate them, hang garland and wreaths in the fellowship hall, narthex and Sanctuary. Please sign the response sheet if you are interested.

We are starting to schedule Worship Teams for Christmas Eve services 1:00, 3:00, 5:00, 7:00 and 9:00 pm. If you would like to help usher or serve communion, please watch for the sign-up sheets in the Narthex and pick the service you want or sign the response sheet.

Christmas Worship Team Training

Set-up Team for Christmas Eve

There will be a short training on Sunday December 22nd after the 8:00 service and before the 9:30 service at 9:00 am for the Christmas Eve worship teams.

Please come if at all possible to go over some of the different things we will be doing for Christmas.

We are in need of a team to help us set up chairs in the Fellowship Hall for Christmas Eve on Monday December 23rd at 9:00 am We will also be setting out the poinsettias that day. If you can help us, please sign the response sheet or call Debby at 303-791-0803.

Poinsettias

We will need volunteers to help in the nursery for the 1:00, 3:00, 5:00 and 7:00 Christmas Eve services. Please sign the response sheet if you can help.

If you would like to purchase a poinsettia for the altar on Christmas Eve in honor or memory of a very special person, please sign the response sheet and put a check in the offering plate for $16.00. We are putting together a list for the Christmas bulletin, so the sooner we get your information, the better. We also need people to help place Poinsettias around the altar on Monday, December 23rd at 9:00 am, and/or to water the flowers once a week for about 3 weeks. If you are interested in helping with either of these, please sign the response sheet.

Water Poinsettias

The poinsettias need to be watered twice a week from December 23rd to January 13th. If you are interested in helping with this please sign the response sheet.

Nursery

Shuttle Bus for Christmas Eve We will be using our own bus to shuttle people from the AMC parking lot across from the Outback restaurant on Christmas Eve. The shuttle will start at 2:30 pm and go until 8:30 pm. Please remember to come a little early so you can take advantage of riding the bus. On a day when there are around 1600 people worshipping at CLC, we would like to encourage all members and regularly attending guests to ride the bus. Many people who only attend church once or twice a year will be here so let’s show them God’s love by letting them have a parking space.

Christmas Clean-Up December 27th at 10 am. Please sign the response sheet if you can help!

Followers of Jesus Christ

8997 S. Broadway Highlands Ranch, CO 80129 Change Service Requested

There’s a place for you!

Outreach Ministries

Fair Trade Coffee Project ELCA World Hunger The Gathering Place Grant Avenue Street Reach Habitat for Humanity Harrington Elementary Lutheran Family Services Adult Mission Trips Outreach Uganda Urban Peak (MOPS) Mothers of Preschoolers

Music

Celebration Choir Crossroads Worship Band Confirmation Choir Jubilation Choir Joy Choir Carillon Ringers

Preschool

Caring Connection

Individual Care Team Confidential Prayer Tree Card Ministry New-Mother Ministry Prayer Shawl Knitters Chefs for Christ Pastoral Care and Counseling Chicks with Sticks Mission Quilters

Youth & Family Ministries

Sunday School Dynamite Youth Group (4th, 5th, 6th graders) Blaze (High School Youth) Sr. High Mission Trip Confirmation (7th & 8th graders) First Communion classes First Bible classes Baptism classes Family Nights