December 2007

The Gospel (Good News) describes the events of Jesus’ birth in a powerful and dramatic way. Luke tells of Mary, a young woman who became pregnant in an unusual way, at the behest of the Holy Spirit; her “husband to be” who was able to overcome the jeers and comments and customs of the day and marry her anyway, at the behest of an angel; and their first child who was born under unusual circumstances in a place that rarely birthed babies, at least not human babies. And if that wasn’t enough, Luke makes the seemingly outrageous claim that that baby, born under those unusual circumstances, is the son of the Living God!

Such a thing requires a response. Angels came, rejoicing and filled with joy, to announce him. Shepherds came to see for themselves and knelt before him. Magi brought him expensive gifts. And Mary? Well, Mary “treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart.” (Luke 2:19)

Advent is fast upon us. It won’t be long before Christmas arrives. I was just wondering, how are you going to respond to the Good News of the coming of the Christ child this year?

Even as I ask the question, I can think of ways in which many people in our culture will answer; shop, eat, drink, rush around, give gifts that someone doesn’t need and I can’t afford, get all wound up about Christmas even if I don’t know Jesus so I don’t really have anything to celebrate, bicker with my “ex” over who has the children for the holidays, fight with another shopper over the last Game Boy in the store, try to think of a reason not to go to a party and end up feeling resentful but going anyway…… y a d a y a d a.

But what if we took our clues about what to do for Christmas from the scripture instead? Can we be like Joseph and get past the jeers and comments of those who think we are weird if we want more than a room full of wrapped packages and a large credit card bill? Can we be like Joseph and make decisions that run a different course than the rest of our culture? Can we be like the angels and let this be a time of rejoicing over Jesus instead of the packages under the tree? Can we be like the angels and announce him? Who have you told about Jesus this year? If you haven’t already shared the faith with someone you are running out of time, the year is almost over. Can we be like the shepherds and “come and see for ourselves”? If there is something you don’t understand about the Scripture of the teachings of Christianity, have you asked the question. And have you been responsible for your own spiritual life? The church and its staff can only present opportunities; learning more, loving more, giving more, helping more, trusting God more, can only come from you. Can we be like the Magi and share our blessings with our Lord? They came from the Lord in the first place, what better thing to do with them than to use them for things that please the Lord? Can we be like Mary and treasure these words, the words of God for our life, even when the challenge us? When Jesus said things like “love your enemy”, “forgive 7 times 70”, “pray for those who hurt you”. “do to others as you would have them do to you”, “love God with everything that you are and others as God loves them”, he gave us a powerful list of things to treasure. What would change in your life if the things that God wants were the things that you want? Can we be like Mary and ponder these things in our hearts? Can you slow down and just spend time with the Lord? Can you “be” as well as “do”?

Christmas is coming. It is Good News! So, hear the word of the Lord and go; walk a different way, rejoice, announce, come and see for yourself, share your blessings, treasure what God treasures, ponder! And have the best Christmas ever.

Mark Your Calendars:

January 13^th- KOK/COOL Cooking Up Fun

January 19^th - High School Movie Night

January 27^th- Family Ministries Tubing at Perfect North

Christmas Morning @ the Garber’s (Breakfast & Worship) 10:00 AM. Please RSVP @331-4694 by 12/20/07.

Plan to join us for food and fellowship at 6 P.M. before the Advent mid-week worship services the first three Wednesdays in December. Food prepared by the circles raises money for WELCA to donate to the day care we support in Chile, youth mission trips, Gulf Coast recovery, and other worthy causes. Cost will be $5 per adult and $2 per child under 12, with a family rate of $12 maximum. Dec. 5: Mexican menu by the Hannah Circle, Dec. 12: chili and salad by the Ruth and Mary Circles, and Dec. 19: barbecue sandwiches by the Martha Circle. Please sign up ahead of time if possible on the bulletin board list to help in preparing for the proper number of hungry worshipers. Please pray for these fellowship events.

Marionette Show
     Our annual performance by the Frisch Marionette Co. will be “Jack and the Beanstalk.” Sponsored by the Men’s Group and Fellowship Committee, this year’s show will be presented on Sunday, December 2, at 4:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. Refreshments will be served beginning at 3:30 p.m.
    The cost is $12.00 per family. For the fifth year, money collected will be donated to Angel Tree Ministries to provide Christmas gifts for children who have a parent in prison. Once again, Thrivent will provide additional funds.
    This production features a live giant. Kevin Frisch is the master puppeteer; his wife, Alix, designed and detailed each costume; and his brother, Steve, composed and performed an original musical score for the show. Before and after the performance, the children will get to see these hand-crafted characters up close, learn how they operate and how the story has been put together. Please pray for this ministry.

Angel Tree Ministry
This year Gloria Dei has 60 Angel Tree children to sponsor, and there are still children available. Each child receives two gifts: one is a toy and one is clothing, each costing $15-20. You can also help by being a part of our delivery team. On Saturday, December 15, we will pair up to deliver gifts and the Christmas gospel to children in Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati. If you are interested in being a sponsor or a delivery team member, e-mail Bonnie Handahl at bbhand@fuse.net or call 331-7137. Please pray for the Angel Tree ministry.

It's time to order your beautiful, foil wrapped, fresh florist quality poinsettias to help decorate our sanctuary for Christmas Eve services. Sign up in the narthex to reserve your plants. Your $12.00 donation may be placed in the offering anytime up to December 24. Please mart that it is for 'poinsettias' in the memo portion of your check. Plants may be taken home following the 11:00 p.m. service Christmas Eve.

In conjunction with the celebration of Gloria Dei’s25th anniversary, members will have the opportunity to purchase fine custom commemorative pewter Christmas ornaments that depict the church’s name and the Gloria Dei’s window logo. The ornaments are $10 each, and proceeds will be donated to ELCA World Hunger Relief. Those who wish to purchase an ornament may do so in the church office during the week or on Sunday mornings during Advent. To reserve an ornament for purchase, e-mail Lisa Huddleston at huddleston@zoomtown.com. Quantities are limited, so get yours now!

Adult Education

     During the first three Sundays of December, we will revisit the Christmas gospel.
      December 2 – a Bible study from the Serendipity Bible called “Prophecy About Christ: the Birth of Jesus.”
      December 9 and 16 – “The True Christmas Story: Herod the Great, Jesus the King.” In this two-part video, historian and teacher Ray Vander Laan travels to the land of Israel to reveal fascinating truths about the events surrounding the birth of Jesus.
   December 23 and 30 – No classes.
    Join us each of the first three Sundays at 9:50 a.m. in Room F-1 of the Fellowship Hall. The presentations will surely speak to your heart well beyond the Christmas season.

Please pray for the Adult Education classes.

Now that we have all enjoyed our Thanksgiving Dinner and time shared with friends and family, it’s time to turn our attention to the next even more important celebration of Christmas.

As God demonstrated His love for us by giving and then sacrificing his son for us, we can share that love with our community in several ways. Some of us adopt a child from the Giving Tree, some of us adopt a child from the Prison Ministry’s Angel Tree program, some donate hats, scarves and mittens to hang on the Mitten Tree, and others will continue to fill the United Ministry shopping cart with much needed food, paper products and every day toiletry products. Don’t like or have time to shop? Checks for more turkeys and other United Ministry expenses are always appreciated. Leave them in the “Buy a Bird” box made out to UM.

How will you choose to demonstrate your love for God and Neighbor this Christmas? Please pray for these ministries and have a peaceful and blessed Christmas celebration!

The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever. Psalm 121:8

We have organized a Prayer Bear Ministry at Gloria Dei. It is sponsored by three groups; the two Prayer Groups and the Friendship Bible Class. We purchase 9”x7”, pre-cut/pre-sewn, Prayer Bears and the Friendship Bible Class stuffs them. A small card with Isaiah 41:10 printed on it, is put into the pocket and it is ready to go. If you know of anyone (adult or child) that needs to know that Jesus loves them and that they are being covered in prayer by the faith family of Gloria Dei, please give them a Prayer Bear. Having a physical reminder of Jesus’ love and presence, can be a great comfort in difficult times. There will be a box of Prayer Bears, ready to go, at the Gloria Dei Church Office. Please fill-in the information page on the clip-board, with the date, the name of the person receiving the bear and your prayer request for them. The family of Gloria Dei, the two prayer groups and the Friendship Bible Class will then lift this person up in prayer.

This is an exciting ministry that will be far reaching. We will never know the impact it will have on the many lives of the people for which we will pray. Please pray for this new Prayer Bear ministry.

Exploring Your Faith Through Writing: All people interested in writing are invited to participate in a new group that will meeting 2 times per month beginning in January, 2008, at Gloria Dei. A variety of writing prompts and suggestions will be offered during the 8 sessions. Sandy Gaines has previously facilitated writing groups and is excited about beginning a group at Gloria Dei. Please call Walda Helvie @ 344-0103 or Sandy Gaines @ 371-0377 to register for the group. Call us if you have any questions. The group will be limited to 6 people, so call soon. Please pray for these writers.

Puzzles, have you ever tried to put one together? Does it look overwhelming at first when you open the box? Somehow though, you know all those pieces fit together to become the picture on the box.

Where do you begin? You might start by dumping the box out and looking for all the border parts. Slowly the pieces come together and you have the outside frame. A little more work and it begins to look like the picture on the box. After some effort all those pieces come together to make up the whole picture. When you finish it, you get a sense of accomplishment and a job well done.

How would you feel if after all that work you find there are a few pieces missing? The puzzle is not complete. It’s not whole. We need those pieces.

That’s how it is in the church when you come up missing. Your talents are a special piece in God’s puzzle here at Gloria Dei. We need your unique talents to complete this puzzle. Without you we don’t make a complete picture.

If you haven’t filled out your Time and Talent sheet yet, please take the time to complete one. You are the missing piece to our puzzle. Those of you, who have filled one out, thank you. Together we are becoming that completed puzzle.

If you need a Time and Talent sheet you can pick one up at church and turn it in at the office. You can also go online to complete one. Thank you and God bless.

In December, Hannah Circle will be having our annual Christmas ornament exchange. It is always such fun. It will be on December 16th at 2pm at the home of Lynn Berk. We will be setting our 2008 schedule and voting on our new president. We hope to see all of you there. If you would like more information, please contact Christy Frey at 586-8393.

The Martha Circle Christmas Dinner will be at the home of Jonna Bluemlein. 330 Iris Road, Fort Mitchell, at 6:30 P.M. on Monday, December 10. Bring a dish, a wrapped ornament to exchange, and items for our charity.

Mary Circle will meet Thursday, December 20, at the home of Mary Middleton for a Christmas get-together at 6:30 PM.

Ruth Circle will have their annual Christmas dinner on Friday, Dec 14th at 7:00pm. We will be meeting at the Stringtown Restaurant in Florence. This is a great time for fellowship during the hectic holiday season. Bring your spouse, significant other or friend. See ya there!

Ladies! Mark your calendars for Friday, March 7^th and Saturday, March 8^th for the women’s retreat in 2008 at Saint Anne’s convent in Melbourne. This is a great time for our ladies, young and old, to enjoy Christian fellowship, and to learn from several of Pastor Vicki’s excellent lessons. It is a great time for sisters, mothers and daughters, mothers and daughters-in-laws, friends, grandma’s and daughter and granddaughters, or any other combination I may have omitted. Please mark your calendars and save that time to join us. We would love to see you there. Questions can be directed to Geneva Reimer, 356-7911, or any lady who has attended in the past. Please pray for the Women’s Retreat.

The Fellowship Committee would like to thank Roger and Sandy Mullins for having us at their farm for the fall gathering and hayride. Fun, fellowship, hotdogs, donuts and apple cider were enjoyed by all. It was a wonderful event with many families attending.

The Salvation Army is one of the largest local social ministry agencies in our area. Now we have our own Salvation Army kettle along with a pledge by one of our members to match whatever funds are placed in the kettle. No one will ring but God may be calling. Please pray for this ministry and share your blessings with those in need.

I introduced myself to the congregation in October, but if I haven’t had the opportunity to me you personally yet, here are few things about myself: I grew up in Millersport, Ohio, a small town about 30 minutes east of Columbus, Ohio. My parents were teachers in the Millersport school system, where my younger brother and I attended elementary school and junior and senior high school. My church home growing up was Grace Lutheran in nearby Thornville, Ohio. I was active in the congregation and involved in the youth group there. I attended college at Wittenberg University where I majored in art. Taking classes in religion and involvement in campus ministry led me to consider a career in the church. After graduation I served as a day camp counselor for the Southern Ohio Synod, and then I was hired as Director of Christian Education and Youth Ministry at Christ Lutheran Church in Louisville, Ky. During my 11 years in Louisville, I was involved in youth ministry and Christian education at the congregation, conference, synod, and churchwide levels. I also attended seminary in Louisville and received a Masters degree in Christian education. As I was finishing my degree program, I also completed the process of becoming an Associate in Ministry in the ELCA.

In September I began my seminary studies anew at Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Columbus, Ohio. I am a junior (first year student) in the Master of Divinity program, pursuing ordination as a pastor. “Faith Seeking Expression” is one of my classes, and Rebecca Brode is my classmate. I have an evening class, ironically titled “Theology Today.” My favorite class, and probably hardest, is Greek. There is something very exciting about being able to open up a Greek New Testament and translate whole sentences! For the rest of the fall semester, my classes are Monday through Wednesday, so I am able to be in Northern Kentucky on the weekends. In addition to being on staff at Gloria Dei in the areas of Christian education and volunteer ministry, I will be fulfilling my Ministry in Context seminary requirement here, which will allow me to be involved in the congregation in a variety of other ways.

In October I was married to Anne Benson, pastor of St. Luke Lutheran Church in Cold Spring, Ky. Anne’s congregation is in the process of selling their current building and constructing a brand new, larger church.

Seasons are used to identify specific periods of time. The seasons of the year identify the characteristics of a cycle of plant life and growth. For example, the season of spring marks the beginning of new life and seedlings. Summer is green and lush with growth. Fall marks harvest and completion of the growth cycle. Winter marks the season of “rest” as the outdoor plant life remains dormant, waiting to begin again.

Christians associate the life and ministry of Jesus with specific days and months of the year. Some of the days or events, like Christmas and Easter, are the same as the secular calendar year. Some are just recognized by the church, including the days before Christmas that are defined to be a time to get our hearts ready for Jesus. Those days are called Advent. Advent marks the beginning of a brand new church year and another walk through the role Jesus played in our salvation.

Advent is the perfect time for parents, grandparents, teachers and other caregivers to share their faith with children. In worship, help your child learn that each season and festival day is color-coded to convey a special meaning—blue for royalty,

white for holiness and purity. Consider possible ways that you might incorporate the seasons of the church year to nurture your expressions of faith at home. You may want to use or display a visual aid to remind you of God’s presence and activity at specific points or throughout the entire year. The church year has historically been used to teach God’s story and God’s activity in and throughout history. It creates a sense of continuity as we grow in our intrigue and devotion to God—Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

The family of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church accepts the call of our Lord Jesus to "go therefore and make disciples" and to fulfill this call by:

SUNDAY SERVICES

Sunday worship services for everyone are offered at 8:00 a.m., 9:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., and 5:30 p.m. Holy Communion is celebrated every Sunday at all services. A nursery is also provided at all services. Sunday School for all ages begins at 9:50 a.m.

GLORIA DEI NEWS

The Newsletter of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church is published monthly. The deadline for articles is the 15^th of the month. Articles may be e-mailed to the editor, Val Eason, at newsletter@gloriadei-nky.org or faxed to 578-0273.

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