Friday, December 10th Announcements

Come worship with us at 9:30 This Sunday is the third Sunday of Advent when we will light the candle of love.  Our choir will perform their cantata, Tidings of Joy, A Celtic Christmas.  Due to technical difficulties, we are unable to stream Sunday’s worship live. Join us in person, or view the service on the YouTube channel on Monday. 
 
Today’s devotion is from Joseph M. Martin the cantata’s composer: Christmas joy wraps us in the beautiful, surrounds us with song, and cradles us in arms of promise. Christmas joy is a gift of grace that glistens like silver snow and becomes even more beautiful when shared with others. So then, let the music of joy sound again! Let the voices of Light break through the silence and teach the shadows to dance. Let there be hope in this place and grace in every heart. Let there be singing and glorious celebration. For behold, we bring you good tidings of great joy, which will be to all people! Christ, the Lord, is born!

Worship Helpers. Greeters/Ushers: Sydney Conrad & Carson Cook; Sound, Screen & Streaming: Lisa Vossekuil; Videographer: Matthew Brakhane; Musicians: St. Paul Choir; Counters: Steve Dick and Lisa Vossekuil.
 
Sunday Bible Study: Bible Study meets at 10:45 a.m. following morning worship in the front most classroom near the church office. During the class, we invite questions, comments, and connections, as we expand upon the readings from the worship service.  
 
COVID Reminder: Masks are encouraged for all services and ministries at St. Paul. Please come, worship, and be fed! If you want to wear a mask to keep some distance between yourself and others at any service or ministry, for any reason, please do so with St. Paul’s full blessing.

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Wednesday God Squad & Confirmation: God Squad & Confirmation Classes will be held December 15.  The meal will be provided by the Advent Meal volunteers. NOTE: Class will not meet December 22.  God Squad (4 yrs. to 6 grade) begins at 5:40 p.m. with a meal. Confirmation (7 & 8 grades) starts at 6 p.m. Children and youth are welcome to join at any time throughout the year. Please sign-up for God Squad through our website home page.
We have an urgent need for substitute God Squad teachers. Please consider how teaching God’s children will help them grow spiritually. Contact Rainy Gibbens (rainygibbens@hotmail.com, 515-462-2122 or 515-229-1119 ) if you are able to help.   
Wednesday Gift for Parents & Guardians. Come inside to see all the good things that are happening at God Squad and Confirmation. You are welcome to join us for the meal, the activities, and the lessons. Be the first parent or guardian to approach Coordinator Rainy Gibbens, referring to the free gift. You then will receive two tickets to the Iowa Theater and a certificate for the concession stand. This is a weekly gift that can be received once per family as a blessing for all you do in God’s name for your children. We are glad to give this gift to any family stepping forward!  This week’s winners were Michael and Jenny Rhoads, parents of Kayci and Haleigh.

Questions at the Drift. Everyone is welcome to join in conversation “drifting into questions Christians aren’t supposed to ask” at The Drift on the Winterset square Wednesday evenings. Sponsored by 1st Presbyterian Church, the conversations strive to reflect compassion, openness, respect, and a willingness to listen and learn and love. Come either at 5:00 to eat together or at 5:45 for the discussion.

Trust Fund Buys Goats. St. Paul’s Trust Fund committee purchased 40 goats through the ELCA Good Gifts Christmas program for $1000 and a matching grant from the ELCA. Goats can go where other animals can’t, surviving in some of the worlds’ most challenging terrain. Goat’s milk provides nutrition for children and their families, and goats are quick to reproduce, which means a family can pass this life-saving gift onto others.

Holiday Hop Report. Liz Hansen, chair of the Holiday Hop, is pleased to share with us that $3811 was received for your wonderful donations to the event. Half of the proceeds will go toward the capital campaign, Faith in our Future; and the other half will be split between CRISP and Matura of Madison County.

Matura Operation Santa Program. To participate in Operation Santa, visit the Winterset Public Library to select tags from the Christmas giving tree. The tags will provide information about the children to help select your gift. Deadline for dropping off your gifts at the library is Wednesday, December 15.  Another option is to donate gifts or gift cards for children ranging in ages from infancy to 17 years. You may contact Matura and request the size of family or number of children you would like to sponsor. Sign up to sponsor a child/children or family no later than Friday, December 10 by contacting Beth Forst at Matura 515-462-4704.

 

Advent Suppers and Services. Join us Wednesdays, December 15 and 22 for an Advent meal served from 6:15-6:45 pm. Advent service will follow at 7:00. We are seeking food providers and workers for this time of fellowship. Please sign up on the clipboards or contact Debi Martens (515-402-7861; debi.martens21@gmail.com) with your questions or offer to volunteer.

Living Nativity. The traditional living nativity will be December 21 and 22 from 6:00-8:00 pm at the Madison County Historical Museum. Adult and youth volunteers are needed to be angels and shepherds, and families with babies are needed to portray Mary, Joseph, and Jesus. Learn more and sign up on SignUpGenius for one-hour shifts. Please contact Megan Barrett (515-402-7861) with your questions.

Upcoming Worship Helpers Sunday, December 19, 9:30 am.  Greeters/Ushers: Needed; Reader: Needed; Sound: Needed; Videographer: Needed; Musician: Needed; Singer: Needed; Counters: Wayne Martens and Lisa Vossekuil; Communion Bread: Bonnie Fenimore; Communion Servers: Needed.

Choir: Please join St. Paul Choir rehearsals Wednesdays evenings at 7:10 pm. We sing about twice a month. We are excited to see current members and enthusiastically welcome any new members as we sing praises to the Lord!

Worship Service Helpers/Volunteers Needed!  If you are able and willing, we need your help in returning our 9:30 service to “normalcy.”  It’s important that all of the positions be filled. Worship team members Debi Martens and Pat Nelson are available for any “training” you may want.
3 Easy ways to sign up:

  1. Use SignUpGenius! It’s easy to access at this link and will even send you a reminder of your commitment. 
  2. Volunteer Kiosk: We have clipboards on the kiosks in the entryway for you to sign.
  3. Call the Church office at 515-462-4270.

Ongoing Transportation Ministry: St. Paul’s  transportation ministry helps families who have are in need of transportation to appointments. Our current recipients are Ronnie and Shirley Addy who need transportation to Ronnie’s kidney dialysis three days a week in south Des Moines at Fresenius Kidney Care, 6651 SW 9th Street.  His appointments begin at 10:30 a.m. and end at approximately 2:30 p.m. He needs to be picked up no later than 9:40 at North Ward, 415 N. 2nd Street, Winterset, at the south door of the east building. Ronnie is unable to get into a high vehicle. Please contact Shirley with any questions 515-468-0121. Ronnie’s cell is 515-468-1982. Please use SignUpGenius to indicate when you are willing to drive Ronnie. Note you may sign up to take him, return him, or do both. Please include your cell phone number in the comments. This is a long-term ministry, so check back often as SignUpGenius is updated.


Church office phone:  515-462-4270
Church office email:  Office@stpaullutheranchurch.net
Pastor Ioan Ittu email:  Pastorioan@stpaullutheranchurch.net
Pastoral Emergencies: 515-419-5224