ENews: Advent Wednesday Services today at Noon & 5:45pm

Advent Mid-Day @ noon & Evenings at 5:45pm

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WEDNESDAY EVENING
ADVENT SERVICES: 5:45

"Prepare the Royal Highway!”
Dec. 16: Detours.

Each Wednesday, we gather for Advent evening prayer service at 5:45. Soup & Salad supper will be served for ½ hour before and after the service (starting at 5:15 and resuming at 6:15). Donation of $6 to support our Living Springs food ministry ($3 for children under 12, chicken fingers available). Take a break from the hectic holiday pace to find peace in God’s house as we join in prayer and celebrate the call to “prepare the way of the Lord!” Just stop on the way home. Invite a co-worker, neighbor, or friend!

WEDNESDAY MID-DAY PRAYER: 12:00

For those unable to attend the Advent evening services (or desiring to worship twice each Wednesday), Advent mid-day prayer service will be offered at noon on Dec. 16. Led by Vicar Marty.

“Love Is Born at Christmas!”

Living Springs Living Nativity

Saturday, December 19
Sunday, December 20

7:00 pm

FREE, for the entire family!
Animals, characters, and more…

Pause from a hectic holiday pace to witness a 30-minute living enactment of God’s gift of love for you…the birth of Jesus!

Bring a lawn chair…hot drinks provided.

Christmas Tree Lot
Trees on Sale for $35 for any size

(additional donations always happily accepted!)

Wednesday 6:15pm - 8pm
Friday 5:00pm-9:00 pm
Saturday 10:00 am -9:00 pm
Sunday 12:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Or stop by the office any time during the week!

The Christmas Tree Lot is a major funding source for all our life-changing youth ministries at Living Springs. We encourage every member of the congregation to sign-up for at least one time slot during December. (If you cannot do an entire 4-hour section, consider 2 hours; just type in the hours with your name in the sign-up link). With all that entices our youth in today’s world, thank you for bonding together to make sure that these young lives can be shaped by the gift of faith through the youth ministry of Christ’s church.

Christmas Eve 2015:
Experience
God’s Gift of
Christmas Love
… for You!

5:00pm Family Candlelight Worship
(special children’s message & communion)

7:00pm Festival Candlelight Communion Worship

Note: this year, in our time of musical leadership transition, there will be no 10:00 service. We encourage everyone to worship at either the 5:00 or 7:00 service - and look forward to possibly resuming our late service in the future. Please sign up to help with these services: (either in the narthex or at SignUpGenius ).

On Sunday, December 27, we will have one worship service at 10:00am, with no Sunday School. Join us as we celebrate the 1st Sunday of the Christmas season with this beautiful service of Lessons and Carols.

YEAR-END GIFTS AND OFFERINGS

We give thanks to God for all who have given so generously to support the amazing ministry of Christ here at Living Springs throughout the year. Our bookkeeper reminds us that all year-end gifts should be received by Monday, December 28 in order to be included in the year's final deposit of offerings. May the Spirit continue to inspire our giving of love, especially in this annual year-end opportunity!

Click the icon for the
December FAITH5 verses

In sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ, we commend to Almighty God our brother, Bob Jones, former member of Living Springs, who passed to life in the Church Triumphant. The Lord bless him and keep him; the Lord's face shine upon him with grace and mercy; the Lord look upon him with favor and + give him peace.

We give thanks to God for the blessing of Bob in our lives, and invite your prayers & support for his wife Jackie and all his family in these days ahead. Burial will be in Dayton, OH. Please contact the office for Jackie's address if you would like to send a condolence.

Prayers

Rachel & Nic Peterson
Marlene Behenna
Rebecca Cox
Marlene Jorgensen
Anne Ducate & family - passing of John Ducate
family of Pam Appleton - sister-in-law of Jerry & Marj Appleton
Leon Furcron - husband of Gwen Furcron
Parker Cowherd - son of Allison & Jon Cowherd
Ron Wagner - husband of Vicar Marty Wagner
Linda Bostwick - Sue Loveless' sister
Carole Lindstedt - mother-in-law of Melissa Lindstedt
Mara Pils - great-granddaughter of Alice Renaud
Andi-Kate Cunningham - great-granddaughter of Janet Bate
Eric Garvin - cousin of Jen Necker
Dean Bruner - friend of Gwen & Herb Brantley
Lou Andresino - friend of Karen Kranz & Jeff Lummel
Terr Vorwerk - friend of Karen Kranz & Jeff Lummel
Kimberly Roberts - friend of Audrey Turnmire
John Frey - uncle of Wendy McKenzie
Tina Akers - co-worker of Judy Lawrence

Lessons for Sunday, December 20

First Reading: Micah 5:2-5a

The prophet Micah, having pronounced judgment upon Judah, speaks of a future shepherd-king who, like David, will come from the small town of Bethlehem. (Ephrathah refers to the area around Bethlehem.) This king will restore Israel and bring peace. New Testament writers understood this passage to be referring to Jesus.

Luke 1:46b-55

You, Lord, have lifted up the lowly. (Lk. 1:52)

Second Reading: Hebrews 10:5-10

The author of Hebrews uses the image of religious sacrifice to convey the significance of Christ’s coming. Through obedient acceptance of God’s will, Christ allows his own body to become the greatest sacrifice of all, one through which we are made a holy people.

Gospel: Luke 1:39-55

We are presented with Elizabeth, John’s mother, and Mary, the mother of Jesus, two women filled with the Holy Spirit and with faith. In Elizabeth’s inspired greeting and Mary’s song of praise we hear of a saving God who remembers, scatters, lifts up, and fulfills all things.

Click below if to see the upcoming schedule and/or to sign up for a future date.

December

Worship Assistants are needed for Christmas Eve. Please sign up at SignUpGenius.

SERVING THIS SUNDAY

8:15 Service

Council Person
Scott Graves
Assisting Minister
Lexanne Graves
Lector
Bill Franck
Communion Assistants
Sally Moore
Nowell Ramsey
Ushers
Sadonia Grimmer
Scott Graves
Greeter
Jan Schmidt
Acolyte
Caroline Moore
Crucifer
Jan Schmidt

10:45 Service

Council Person
Gail Buchanan
Assisting Minister
Adam Woodruff
Lector
Dea Jones
Communion Assistants
Steve Bloss
Gail Buchanan
Ushers
Audrey Turnmire
Sara Levitt
Andrew Levitt
Jan Berger
Greeter
Jeanette Bloss
Acolyte
Lauren Bloss
Crucifer
Leslie Bloss
Torchbearers
Pat Bartucca
Trish Davidson

Children's Message
V. Marty Wagner
Counters
Bob Turnmire (LC)
Marshall Hurlbert
Brantley Smith
Flowers
Ann Lynn Caughman
Mugger
Herb Brantley
Nursery
Misty O'Donnell
Refreshments
Sally Moore
Altar Guild
Kathy Brennan

A Little Church Humor...

Father John and His Young Parishioner

It was the Sunday after Christmas at St Peter and Saint Paul's Church in Borden, Kent, England. Father John was looking at the nativity scene prior to packing away the figures when he noticed the baby Jesus was missing from the scene.

Immediately, Father John turned towards the vicarage in order to call the police. But as he was about to do so, he saw little Harry with a red wagon, and in the wagon was the figure of the little infant, Jesus.

Father John walked up to Harry and said, 'Well, Harry, where did you get the little infant?'

Harry replied honestly, 'I took him from the church, Father John.'

'And why did you take him?'

With a sheepish smile, Harry said, 'Well, about a week before Christmas I prayed to little Lord Jesus. I told him if he would bring me a red wagon for Christmas, I would give him a ride around the block in it.'

Have you seen some funny church related humor? Please share! We are accepting your submissions