WEEKLY E-MESSENGER FROM THE LUTHERAN CHURCH OF THE REFORMATION
For the Week Beginning December 14, 2018
Third Sunday of Advent
THE WEEK AT REFORMATION
Saturday – 5:00 p.m. Service of Holy Communion
Sunday – 9:30 a.m. Service of Holy Communion
Wednesday – 10 a.m. Eucharist followed by Prayer Ministry
Wednesday – 7:00 p.m. Midweek Worship and Faithful Conversation
Thank you to Norma Beaty for organizing our WELCA Christmas luncheon. Approximately 17 women and Pastor Matt enjoyed a delicious lunch!
Thank you to all who came and helped to decorate the church last night! It looks beautiful
There are several plates on the desk in the office from the concert goodies. Please check them out and if yours is there, please take them home! Thanks so much!!
ADVENT
Sunday, Dec. 16 – Our annual Christmas ornaments are up on the bulletin board in the gathering area and ready to be purchased for a donation. We’ve had a tradition here at Reformation for many years now where ornaments are made and members can “purchase”, for a donation, an ornament to take home for their tree. The proceeds from this “sale” is donated to our fund specifically to refurbish the SCS wing windows. Please consider purchasing one of these unique and beautiful Chrismon ornaments created by Lorraine Cotter and Sue Homza.
Wednesday, Dec. 19TH at 7:00 p.m. we will gather for a Service of Evening Prayer and Holy Communion followed by a “faithful conversation” on praying with the saints in Advent
Saturday, Dec. 22nd – On the Saturday evening of Advent 4, December 22, at 5:00, we will hold a special worship service acknowledging that there are those who struggle with mourning, sadness, depression and other difficulties at this time of year when the world tells us we should be overjoyed. This service seeks to address the reality of the human condition while pointing to our hope in the One who is to come, the Incarnate Christ.
Sunday, Dec. 23th – SCS Christmas pageant followed by children’s party in fellowship hall after the pageant.
Sundays during Advent – SCS Pageant rehearsals during 2nd half of SCS with Pastor Matt and Julia Homza;
Handbell rehearsals every Sunday following worship at 11
Bible study continues on Sundays during Advent
Details on all these events are in the monthly newsletter sent out at the end of November
PRAYER LISTS/REQUESTS
If you have someone on the prayer list and you would like them to remain on the prayer list for the new church year, please call (732-229-9180), email (reformationwlb@gmail.com) or leave a note on Debbie’s desk. Please remember, unless otherwise asked, we will put your loved ones name on the weekly spoken prayer list for 4 weeks and then they will remain on the prayer list below and in the monthly messengers indefinitely (until you let us know we can remove them).
PRAYER REQUESTS
Amy Appleton, Joann Angellia, Linda Brady, Diane Clarke, Joy Crane, Isabella Downer, Bill Eidenire, Betty Errigo, Dave Fieltsch, Laurie Geckeler, Diane Kanach, Don Keller, Alan Keszler, Kathy Meyer, Mary Presley, Bonnie Skolnik, Helen Shiffler, Jeff Sperling, Annelene Zimmermann,
Christian Sympathy to the family and friends of Joe Clarke, Bob Clarke’s dad
The Children’s Program and Parents’ Time Out
On Sunday, December 23rd, the 4th Sunday of Advent, our children will perform a Christmas Program during worship.
Rehearsals are being held during Sunday school and will continue until the program date. Pastor Matt, Julia Homza, and a team of volunteers will be leading this each week in the class time from after Communion until 11:00.
There will be a dress rehearsal on Saturday afternoon, December 22, starting at 2:00.
Following rehearsal we will again offer a “Parents’ Time Out” from 4:00 – 6:00. The children are invited to stay and play, do crafts, and have dinner together, allowing their parents much needed time to prepare for the coming week!
Christmas Eve
In response to changes in our congregational demographics and attendance practices, we made adjustments in our worship times for Christmas Eve last year that seem to have worked for most of our families. We will continue in this pattern this year, offering two Services of Holy Communion on Christmas Eve.
4:00 – This will be a service geared toward families with young children, though all are welcome. The Children’s Sermon will be the primary sermon at this service. Some hymns will be shortened, and portions of the liturgy will be done in call and response form, allowing non-readers to more fully participate.
9:30 – This will be a Festival Service of Holy Communion for Christmas Eve and will include lots of carols, choir, brass, handbells and candle lighting.
There will be no Christmas morning service.
The First Sunday after Christmas: On Saturday the 29th at 5:00 pm, and Sunday the 30th at 9:30 am, the 5th and 6th days of Christmas, we will gather for services of Lessons and Carols with Holy Communion.
UPCOMING EVENTS
We’ll soon be putting together our 2019 Church Directory. Please check the current directory and send any necessary changes for your information to the church office at reformationwlb@gmail.com. Please don’t assume we have any changes. We try to make the directory as accurate as possible but we do make mistakes from time to time. Thank you!
EPIPHANY
Dinner Church, January 5th at 5:00 pm
13 days after Christmas, the Church keeps The Feast of the Epiphany. This feast marks the end of the Advent and Christmas cycle with remembering the coming of the Magi, Kings or Wise Men.
As Epiphany falls on a Sunday this year, and we’ll be observing it on Saturday evening, January 5th as well, the Worship and Music and Fellowship Committees have chosen this for our next Dinner Church event.
On that Saturday evening we will gather for a 3-course pot-luck dinner and Eucharistic celebration. As we share the pot-luck dinner, we will also pray, sing, read Scripture, hear preaching and share Holy Communion.
Those who have participated in our previous dinner church events have raved about how wonderful it is to spend an evening in prayer, praise, thanksgiving and Communion, all in a relaxed and casual setting. Why not give it a try!
Keep an eye and ear open for further details, and be sure to sign up to participate as the date draws nearer.
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