December 2014 tabletalk by Tabletalk

2014

, familyofchristonline.com

55317

952-934-5659

’ Saving Baby Jesus What a world we live in! There is scarcely a thing that people won’t steal if they can. And scarcely a topic Google cannot find you info on. Wikipedia even has an article titled “Baby Jesus Theft.” I learned from this article that stealing Jesus is a common prank. (What a world we live in! Who would do that?) Churches, businesses, and communities are stepping up security to discourage would-be thieves – sinking the Holy Infant in concrete, installing tracking devices on the figurines, placing surveillance cameras in outdoor scenes, and more -- to keep Jesus where everyone expects to find him, in the manger. These measures don’t always work, however, so the headlines keep coming: “Away From a Manger: Baby Jesus Statue Stolen From Nativity Display” “Police Looking for Baby Jesus.” “Saving Jesus: Church Tracks Jesus with GPS” I’m not in favor of stealing Jesus. But I found one story in the media from way back rather touching. Wikipedia says it was based on a real-life incident. In "The Christmas Story," the 1968 remake of a 1953 episode of the television series Dragnet, Sergeant Gannon and Officer Friday are called upon to investigate the theft of a Baby Jesus from a church nativity display right before Christmas Eve. Unable to solve the crime, the officers tell the priest that Mass must be celebrated without the Baby Jesus. The figurine is restored when a boy arrives with it in a shiny red wagon. He tells the officers that he had prayed to Jesus for a wagon for Christmas, and promised that if he got one, Baby Jesus would have the first ride. How will we protect the Baby Jesus from real thieves this Christmas? It’s easy to take our eyes off the Holy Child when we have so much shopping and baking and card-writing and concert-going and present-wrapping and house-decorating and entertaining and who knows what else to do. At least, that’s what I have found. Here’s an idea for you and your family: Keep Advent. Make sure the Baby Jesus doesn’t get lost in the holiday shuffle. This year make weekly worship and Sunday school a priority. Each Sunday in Advent, worship is shaped around a theme that builds towards Christmas Eve and the 12 Days of Christmas. Together we wait, and the excitement builds. We sing as a new candle on the Advent wreath is lighted. And new figures appear under the stable near the altar to help tell the story of the coming of the Christ Child bringing hope, peace, joy, and love to the world God loves. See you in church!

Speaking of nativity sets ... Do you have an interesting one that you’d be willing to lend to FoC for a few weeks in December? We want to create a display with a wide variety of nativity sets, hopefully some from other countries. The display will be set up in the corner of the narthex with the hutch. Just bring yours & add it to the others. Make sure you include a recipe card with your name & the country of origin for the set. On the last Sunday of the year, Dec. 28, our theme for worship will be “Nativity Sets from Around the World.”

& dvent

Advent begins November 30. The theme for our Advent worship is: Created by God, let us live in hope . . . let us act in peace . . . let us sing out in joy . . . let us love. Advent begins with the gospel text from Mark 13:24-37, which tells us to anticipate the second coming of Christ, & to stay alert & keep watch while we wait! The waiting is not passive though, it is active. So we invite you to join us in church each week, & be active in your faith through devotional readings, worship, song, & prayer.

LUTHERANS & LEFSE In the Spirit of being active in faith, we invite you to take a few minutes between services to participate in some Advent activities that will help you bring the meaning of Advent into your home. Join us for the following in the conference room: • Nov. 30 make an advent calendar • Dec. 7 make an advent wreath • Dec. 14 make a “giving bag” • Dec. 21 join Dick Braun as he leads a short devotion on the Christmas story through word and art. No need to sign up — just come when you can (& yes, enjoy a piece of lefse!). Luther Seminary has posted a booklet of daily Advent devotions on its website: http://www.luthersem.edu/advent/ (There’s also a link to it on our website — familyofchristonline.com ) Additional free Advent resources are available for children and adults at our Welcome Center in the narthex.

Christmas Eve Worship Wednesday, December 24

2:30 & 4:00 pm Contemporary, family-friendly worship with the ringing of the bells. (We will provide bells, or you may bring your own from home.)

7:00 pm Candlelight, holy communion, & carols 9:00 pm Candlelight & holy communion

A portion of our Christmas Eve offerings will be shared with Simpson Housing Services, which works with homeless families, and Bountiful Basket, our area food shelf.

Table of Contents Finance & News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Christmas Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 J-Term . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 How You Can Help . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Church Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang”. . . . . . . 7 Preschool & Children . . . . . . . . . . 8 Confirmation & Beyond . . . . . . . . 9 Meet the Staff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Nativity Sets from Around the World On Sunday, December 28, we have only one worship service at 10:00 am. Our theme this year is “Nativity Sets from Around the World.” We will enjoy an opportunity to see a wide variety of crèches and hear about their origins. We will also enjoy devotions, sing carols, and have cocoa during our fellowship time. In years past, we often invited folks to wear loud holiday sweaters to this service, so who knows? We may spot a few of those in the congregation as well!

See our complete online calendar at http://tinyurl.com/kjy643f

& Making Your Pledge If you haven’t yet turned in your pledge for 2015, please do so as soon as possible. Our pledged gifts greatly help us set our plans and goals in motion for providing the necessary funds for the year to come.

Financial Health Check As we enter the final month of 2014, we celebrate the generosity and spirit of giving in our congregation. We are doing fairly well with our offerings, lagging only a little bit behind our expenses for the year. And we note that much has also been given through Seeds of Hope, the summer’s fundraiser, “Holiday Wishes” Adopt-a-Person program, Books for Africa, Bountiful Basket, and much, much more. We thank you for all the ways you consistently give. We pray that all of us are able to be generous and faithful in our year-end-giving to help Family of Christ end 2014 in the black.

Financial Update General Fund Balance as of 1/01/14 $15,040

Income thru 10/31/14 $628,238

Expenses thru 10/31/14 ($649,839)

General Fund Balance as of 10/31/14___ ($6,561)

Average October/November weekend attendance: 370 people/weekend

Nominating Committee Our congregation’s president, Chris Nelson, has appointed a nominating committee to find candidates for vacant council positions. This committee is led by vice president Earl Gebauer & includes Nick Hanson, Deb Pladsen, Valerie Stuhr, Kim Weispfennig and Pastor Josh. Are you (or is someone you know) interested in being considered for a lay leadership position within our church? Please speak to any member of the nominating committee or the pastors. This year, there are three council members finishing their first terms (each is eligible to a second term). The nominating committee meets Tuesday, December 9.

& Christmas Cookie Walk

Saturday, December 13 • 9:00 9:00--11:30 am Join us for a morning of cookies & fellowship. Come fill up containers of yumminess for only $10 each. Having a party? Great! Dessert’s all ready! Neighbors stopping by? No worries—you have treats on hand! You may also buy scrumptious FoC honey (a great gift): $2/small jar; $5/large. WE NEED LOTS OF COOKIES! Sign up on the board in the narthex, bake your festive, holiday-themed cookies/treats & freeze them (or wait & bake them at the last minute!), and bring them to FoC by 1:00 pm Friday, Dec. 12. We’d appreciate at least 6 dozen/baker. Thanks for making this event fun & festive!

John Hill’s Jazzy Christmas Sunday, December 21 • 4:00 pm Our own John Hill is back for an encore concert after his great presentation of Christmas music last year. Working with a number of musician friends, John and Dustin Bendell will play their laid-back jazzy style and help you celebrate the joy of the season. Admission is free. They will play selections from their holiday CD entitled “Christmas,” which will be for sale after the concert.

In the midst of the snow, we continue to grow ... Once again, we are offering a variety of classes on three Thursdays in January (Jan 15, 22 and 29). Classes for all interests, abilities, and ages will be offered during the 6:00, 7:00 and 8:00 hours. Offerings will include a different Pinterest craft each week, fitness classes, knitting and whittling, yoga, college funding, parenting, and more. New this year! Adult, parent/child and pastor-led book studies with a simple meal provided! Watch for an on-line brochure at www.familyofchristonline.com and brochures and sign-ups in the church narthex in mid-December!

See our complete online calendar at http://tinyurl.com/kjy643f

Bountiful Basket Need: December — Disposable Diapers (A list of needed items is always posted on their website: bountifulbasketfoodshelf.org)

Blood Drive Did you know that every 2 seconds someone needs a blood donation? Memorial Blood Center will be here all morning on Sunday, December 7. Sign up online at mbc.org/searchdrives (sponsor code 4049) to reserve a time to give. If you have eligibility questions, contact the MBC nurse at 651-3327208. And even though advance sign-ups are very helpful, walk-ins will also be welcomed on Dec. 7.

Help Fight Hunger FoC has a packing session scheduled at Feed My Starving Children on Mon., Dec. 15, 9:30-11:30 AM. Note the date change to Monday. No need to sign up, just show up (18732 Lake Dr. E.). Our Saviour’s Shelter On Friday, December 19, FoC serves a meal at Our Saviour’s, a shelter for homeless men & women located in Minneapolis. Volunteers are needed to make food (residents love our home-cooked meals), serve, or both. There is a sign-up sheet on the CIA bulletin board near the kitchen. Please label the container your food is in "Our Saviour’s," and bring it to church by 5:45 PM on the 19th. If you are serving, please be at church by 5:45 to car pool. Questions? Call Elaine Larson (952-442-2881). Donations Needed CIA is sponsoring a collection of winter clothing for Our Saviour’s Shelter. Needed items are: warm gloves, mittens, hats, scarves, socks, men's boots (sizes 12-17), & men's winter coats (sizes large-2X). A collection box will be placed by the kitchen bulletin board beginning Sunday, November 30. Donations are needed by Fri., Dec. 19, when they will be taken to Our Saviour’s shelter by the FoC volunteers serving a meal that evening. Thanks for your generosity. Questions? Call Elaine Larson (952-442-2881). Christmas Eve Worship Help Needed Christmas Eve is fast approaching, and we have opportunities for families to help out during each of our services (2:30, 4:00, 7:00, & 9:00 PM). We specifically need ushers and communion servers for all services. New this year, we are offering communion at the 2:30 & 4:00 services. We will commune by intinction, which requires less setup and cleanup. So if you’ve never served communion before, this is an easy way to get started! If you’d like to help, sign up on the kiosk in the narthex or contact Kim Schaeferle (kim@familyofchristonline.com). Thank you! Can You Help? Each January, we honor during worship those baptized the previous year. Through generous financial gifts, we have been able to give each of those baptized a special Faith Chest to store mementos of significant milestones along their journeys of faith. These hand-made wooden chests are imprinted with the Family of Christ logo, and serve to remind these newest members that Family of Christ will continue to walk along with them on their journeys. If you would be interested in supporting this ongoing ministry with a financial donation, please contact Leann Thompson, Director of Faith Formation, at leann@familyofchristonline.com .

Calling All Musicians If you’re interested in playing in the pit orchestra for “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,” sign up on the music room door. Rehearsals start mid-January. Questions to Mary Renz (952-393-5981; mary@familyofchristonline.com). Performances are February 27-March 1.

Pr Kristie’s Book Club Tuesday, Dec. 2 • 7:00 PM Pr Kristie’s book club is reading Unbroken by Laura Hildenbrand. They’ll gather at the Hennigs’ house on Dec. 2 to talk about it. Get your copy now and plan on coming for a rich conversation about an inspiring WW II story of courage and resilience. Men and women, young and old are invited. Appropriate beverages will be available for all. Looking ahead, our next gathering is Tuesday, Jan. 20, & we’ll discuss Learning to Walk in the Dark by Barbara Brown Taylor. Buy the book now & read it through the holidays! For All FoC Women & Friends Family of Christ is creating opportunities for women of all ages to connect. Enjoy laughter and holiday cheer at “A Don’t Hug Me Christmas Carol” on Friday, December 5, at 7:30 PM, at The New Century Theater in downtown Minneapolis. Cost is $20/person. See the sign-up sheet in the narthex or email Leann (leann@familyofchristonline.com) or Pr Jeanne (Jeanne@familyofchristonline.com). Speaking of FoC Women... ...take note of a women’s retreat being planned for the weekend of April 17-19 at Luther Crest Bible Camp in Alexandria, MN. Look for sign-up information in January. If you’d like to buy a gift certificate for someone as a Christmas gift, talk to Leann or Pr Jeanne. (Let them know if there’s someone who might think this would be a great gift for YOU! Leann & Pr Jeanne have been known to act as Christmas elves on occasion...)

(Connecting from different angles and sharing insights) If you’re 20-30 something, single or married without kids, join us on Wednesday, Dec. 10, 7:30 PM, at Starbucks in Chanhassen. We’ll discuss the book Unbroken by Laura Hildenbrand. Come & bring a friend! For more info, contact Derek Syverson ( djsyverson@comcast.net ) or Pastor Jeanne ( jeanne@familyofchristonline.com ). Common Thread Progressive Dinner: January 4 We invite all church members over the age of 50 to take part in delightful dining & sparkling conversation during the Common Thread Progressive Dinner. If you’re interested, please RSVP by December 14 to Patricia & Roger Rood: aresqr@yahoo.com or 952-443-3445. Common Thread Dinner Night Out Common Thread will not have a Monday Dinner Night Out in the month of December. Dinner Night Out resumes Monday, Jan. 26. with site TBA. See our complete online calendar at http://tinyurl.com/kjy643f

& Family of Christ Preschool We will celebrate Jesus’ birthday during our annual Christmas program on Thursday, Dec. 18, at 10:00 AM in the sanctuary. Our program is based on the book Happy Birthday, Dear Jesus! by Greg Holder and Diane Stortz. All are welcome to attend, and there will be treats in the narthex after the program.

Important Dates: * Monday, Dec. 1 — Thanksgiving break; no school * Friday, Dec. 5 — Parents’ Day Off, 9:00 AM-2:00 PM * Wednesday, Dec. 17 — Christmas program rehearsal * Thursday, Dec. 18 — Christmas program, 10:00 AM * Dec. 19-31 — Christmas break; no school

Family of Christ Preschool FoC Preschool offers classes for 2-, 3-, 4-, & 5-year-olds, a Jump Start Kindergarten class, afternoon enrichment classes, and optional Lunch Bunch and Stay & Play for afternoon care. For more information or a tour, contact Susan Schmidt: preschool@familyofchristonline.com ; 952-380-9838.

Children’s Ministry Sunday School Christmas Program * December 7: We rehearse for the Christmas program during class time * December 14: Children’s Christmas Program during worship. There are no classes this morning. Special Sunday School Classes in the family room on December 21. Christmas/New Year Break is December 28—no classes. Sunday school classes resume January 4.

Christos All-Christos Shopping Event (for the “Holiday Wishes” program) Wednesday, December 3 Classes will take place from 6:00-7:30 PM (note the later pick-up time). We need parents to help chaperone. Contact Teri: teri@familyofchristonline.com ; 952-934-5659, ext. 21 Christmas/New Year Break is December 24 & 31—no classes. Christos resumes Wednesday, Jan. 7.

& Confirmation Important Dates: Wed., Dec. 3 • 6:30-8:00 PM Wed., Dec. 10 • Hot Topics: girls are at FoC; boys are offsite Wed., Dec. 17 • Hot Topics: boys are at FoC; girls are offsite Wed., Dec. 24 & 31 • No Confirmation; Merry Christmas & Happy New Year! Wed. Jan. 7 • Confirmation resumes

High School What Now? Hey, high school seniors, you’re invited to a special small group just for you! Meet monthly to talk about life & faith as you transition out of high school. Led by Dean Brown. You’ll meet at 10:15 AM in the youth room the first Sunday of each month. The remaining dates are Dec. 7, Jan. 4, Feb. 1, Mar. 1, Apr. 12 (the 5 th is Easter), and May 3. Drive-thru Devotions! High school students are invited to stop by the youth room after confirmation on Wed., Dec. 10, to pick up a devotion & a treat! The devotion will be something simple & quick you can do in the midst of your daily life. The Drive-Thru devotional materials will also be available in the youth room on Sunday, December 14. Bagels and Bible Study Enjoy an Einstein Bros Bagel & a discussion about the day’s Gospel text. We meet on the 2 nd & 4th Sundays of the month at 10:15 AM in the youth room. Our next meeting is Dec. 14. (See below for a special gathering on Dec. 21.) Newcomers are always welcome! Special Pastor-led Bagels & Bible Study Middle-schoolers, high-schoolers, college-age students: Come on Sunday, Dec. 21, 10:15 AM, for a special, pastor-led Bagels and Bible study in the youth room!

Mission Trips Registration Deadline is Approaching Fast! Monday, Dec. 1, is the deadline to register for 2015 mission trips. Visit www.familyofchristonline.com/youth for more info, or register online at www.tinyurl.com/focmissiontrips .     

Mission Day Camp: (3rd-8th graders): June 22-25 Soul Sisterhood Retreat: (6th-8th grade girls): June 28-July 2 YouthWorks Kansas City: (6th-12th graders): July 26-Aug 1 ELCA National Youth Gathering, Detroit: (9th-12th graders): July 14-20 El Salvador Mission Trip: (11th graders and up): July 8-18

After Dec. 1, please contact the trip leaders to see if there is space available. See our complete online calendar at http://tinyurl.com/kjy643f

Senior Pastor Josh Nelson 952-934-5659, ext. 13 josh@familyofchristonline.com

Pastor Kristie Hennig 952-934-5659, ext. 12 kristie@familyofchristonline.com

Leann Thompson Director of Faith Formation 952-934-5659, ext. 24 leann@familyofchristonline.com

Pastor Jeanne Aamot 952-934-5659, ext. 14 jeanne@familyofchristonline.com

Teri Burns Minister to Children & Families 952-934-5659, ext. 21 teri@familyofchristonline.com

Lindsey Ruhland Minister to Youth & Families 952-934-5659, ext. 30 lindsey@familyofchristonline.com

Mary Renz Director of Music Ministry 952-934-5659, ext. 23 mary@familyofchristonline.com

Susan Schmidt Family of Christ Preschool Director 952-380-9838 preschool@familyofchristonline.com

Kris Spangrud Finance 952-934-5659, ext. 18 kris@familyofchristonline.com

Jolene Satre Communications/Website 952-934-5659, ext. 11 jolene@familyofchristonline.com

Kim Schaeferle Connections Coordinator 952-934-5659, ext. 29 kim@familyofchristonline.com

Marilyn Syverson Church Administrator 952-934-5659, ext. 10 marilyn@familyofchristonline.com

Greg Provo Custodian 952-934-5659, ext. 26 greg@familyofchristonline.com

See our complete online calendar at http://tinyurl.com/kjy643f