St. Paul Lutheran Church - Rockford

Week of November 24th, 2013

Saturday,  November 23^rd

 9:00am – 2:00pm – Mission U Witness Training (Northwest Site)

 6:00pm - Contemporary Worship/Communion (Northwest Site)

 Sunday, November 24^th LWML Mites Due

  8:00am & 10:30am – Worship (Central Site)

  9:15am -  Bible Class/Sunday School  (Central Site)

  9:15am – Worship/Communion (Northwest Site)

10:30am – Bible Study (Northwest Site)

  6:30pm - Jr. Confirmation (Northwest Site)

Monday, November 25^h

 10:00am -   Monday Morning Bible Class

  6:30pm – Church Council (Central Site)

Wednesday, November 27^th

  7:00am – 7:45am -  Men’s Devo & Prayer (Stockholm Inn)

  8:25am – Chapel

  7:00pm – Thanksgiving Eve Worship (Del & Geri Stewart Gymnasium)

Thursday, November 28^th

  Happy Thanksgiving!

     Offices Closed

        No School

Friday, November 29^th

Offices Closed

No School

Saturday,  November 30^th

  7:00pm – "Messiah" (Trinity Lutheran)

Sunday, December 1^st

10:30am  – Worship/Communion (Central Site)

  9:15am -  Bible Class/Sunday School  (Central Site)

  NO 9:15am Worship (Northwest Site)

  NO Bible Study (Northwest Site)

  3:00pm - "Messiah" (Trinity Lutheran)

  6:30pm – Jr. Confirmation (Northwest Site)

Serving in God’s House at Central Site Today:

Preacher: Pastor Thies

Ushers: 8:00am –  Group 1              10:30am – Group 5

Elder: Tim King

                   

       Serving in God’s House at Northwest Site Today:

Preacher: Pastor Thies                      Elder: Dennis Slagell

   

                      

       

Prayer for the Day is a daily devotional ministry. To hear a devotion recorded by Pastor Thies, please call the special Prayer for the Day phone number (963-7641) and then dial 3 when the call is answered.

Who could you invite  to this week’s Thanksgiving Service on Wednesday?  This is a wonderful joint event of church, school and community where we worship and give thanks to our Lord for all His blessings to us.  We will provide you with invitation cards so that you can invite them in a special way.  You can do it!

Thanksgiving Eve Worship is this week – Please join the St. Paul Church and School families in the Parish Hall Gymnasium this Wednesday, November 27^th for a special service of thanksgiving and praise to God. The service will be blessed by music from the school children, the St. Paul Band and the 100 man chorus singing, “How Great Thou Art.” Be sure to make worship a central part of your Thanksgiving by attending the 7:00pm worship service!

Our Final 125^th Anniversary Event – Next Sunday, December 1st, we plan to have only one worship service for the weekend at St. Paul. Our guest preacher will be Pastor Greg Seltz, the Lutheran Hour Ministry national pastor! The Lutheran Hour has been a radio program proclaiming Christ for decades. But these days it does so much more to equip us for our daily walk with and proclamation of Christ, including “MISSION U” that we presented this weekend on Saturday. Pastor Seltz will be delivering the sermon at the only service on Sunday, December 1^st at 10:30am at the Central Site. Prior to that he will lead us in a special Bible Class that he shares around the country at the usual class time of 9:15am in the Undercroft. Following the service there will be a luncheon in the Undercroft. Please bring a dessert to pass. Everything else will be provided!

Advent Daily Devotion Booklets – are provided at the entry ways at both sites from Lutheran Indian Ministries.  The first devotion begins with next Sunday’s beginning of the Advent Season but you are welcome to take your copy today to be ready to begin.

St. Paul’s Board of Social Ministry will begin collecting toys, books, hats, scarves, mittens and gloves for the Rockford Rescue Mission for Christmas beginning next weekend. The ages are newborn to 12 years of age. Please do not wrap the gifts. Donations will be distributed at the Rescue Mission’s Christmas buffet. Please have items in provided boxes at each site by December 15^th. If you have any questions, please call the church office.

Christmas Carol Service – Celebrate our Savior’s birth at the Annual Christmas Carol Service on December 8^th in the 10:30am service. Hear the message of hope conveyed through the Word, music and song presented by our musicians and choirs.

Do you think there should be prayer in public schools?  Well we have an opportunity to make it happen in an after school program at our neighboring Haskell School near Central site through a partnership with Crossroads Kids Club.  We are considering a meeting on the subject with some community partners for Tuesday, December 10^th at 1pm.  If you would like to explore more and consider participation in “taking Jesus to the neighborhood” in this way, please see Pastor Thies or Sue Wilkinson in the church office (815-963-5435).  There is no better way to change Rockford than a proclamation of the gospel of Jesus where there is none yet made!!!

We are considering a CHURCH 4U restart for Sunday, January 12^th.  We have a tentative meeting to coordination set for Wednesday, December 4^th at 1pm.  If you are interested in helping us out with it in any capacity, please contact Pastor Thies or Sue Wilkinson in the church office (815-963-5435).

Please be sure and let us know about your health events, especially if it means staying in a hospital or other facility.  We want to pray for your and keep up with you there.  The best way is to call the church office, email at church.office.stpaulrockford.org or tell us on a Care Card in your bulletin.

Prayer Chain – If you would like to be a part of the prayer chain, please contact the church office and ask for details.

 Little Lambs is now accepting applications for fall enrollment. Please call Jan Morton at 815-965-3335, ext. 218.

Mrs. Lynn Warner is our admissions counselor. You are always welcome to provide names and contact information to her for perspective school families. You can reach her at 815-965-3335.

Ladies Guild will have their meeting on December 4th at 12:30pm at the CENTRAL Site.  Our business meeting will follow the Potluck Luncheon.  Bring your MITES and the nickels you have saved all year in your Christmas stocking.  The St. Paul Band will present a joyful musical Christmas program following the meeting.