WEEKLY E-MESSENGER FROM REFORMATION LUTHERAN CHURCH

 

For the Week Beginning December 15, 2017

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 p.m. Evening Prayer during Advent followed by a bible study

 

 

WEDNESDAY EVENING WORSHIP

During Advent we will hold our last Wednesday evening prayer service at 7 p.m. (12/20) followed by a study with Pastor Matt.  Evening prayer is approximately 30 minutes and the study is about an hour.  Can’t make it all – that’s ok! Come when you can and stay for the as long as you can – can’t make the prayer service, you can still come to the study – we want you! You are welcome!!!

 

CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS

Our bulletin board in the gathering area still has beautiful wooden Christmas ornaments available.  Please place your donation in the locked box by the bulletin board and feel free to take your ornament home immediately to decorate your tree.

PRAYER LISTS/REQUESTS

 

As we began our new church year, we too began our new prayer lists.  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 Applton, Phil Apruzzi, Baby Arabella, Haley Brunner, Christa Buergin, Amanda Ferraro, Coralee Gleason, Thomas Jansen, Don Keller, Joe Lombardo, Mark Mercerino, Beth Nilsson, Joan Nolan, John Powlesland, Francesca Rashid, Glen Robinson, Dolores Strockbine,

Christian Sympathy to the family and friends of Wally Colmorgan and Sigrun Feerst

 

 

UPCOMING EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES AT REFORMATION

Saturday, Dec. 16th – Dress rehearsal for the Christmas program at 2 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 16th – Parents “Time Out” babysitting event from 4-6

Monday, Dec. 18th – Greening of the Church for Christmas at 6:30 p.m. – Come help us decorate the church!! All are invited – kids, adults, men, women – everyone!!

Saturday, Dec. 23rd – On Saturday, Dec. 23rd at 5 p.m. we will have a special service of Holy Communion acknowledging the struggles many face at this time of year while trusting God’s shepherding love for us.

Sunday, Dec. 24th – Decorate the altar after worship with the poinsettia we are all ordering – form is below.  We’ve ordered 30 and so far have 21 taken – it’s not too late – order yours today!! The order form is below.

Sunday, Dec. 24th – Ushers needed for both the 4 and 9:30 services. Please see Curt Aussicker or Craig Munson.

UPCOMING EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES IN THE COMMUNITY

Sunday, Dec. 17th – Monmouth Civic Chorus to perform their annual Christmas concert at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank at 4 p.m.

CHRISTMAS

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 for Christmas Eve and will include lots of carols, choir, brass, handbells and candle lighting.

 

Christmas

There will be no Christmas morning service.

On Saturday the 30th at 5:00 pm, and Sunday the 31st at 9:30 am, the 6th and 7th days of Christmas, we will gather for services of Lessons and Carols with Holy Communion.

 

EPIPHANY

 Dinner Church, January 6th 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 Saturday Evening this year, the Worship and Music and Fellowship Committees have chosen this for our next Dinner Church event.

We will gather for a 3-course pot-luck dinner and Eucharistic celebration. As we share the meal 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!

We are planning to include some child-friendly “3 Kings” related activity as part of the gathering.

Keep an eye and ear open for further details, and be sure to sign up to participate as the date draws nearer.

 

Baptism of our Lord – Baptismal Recognition

At our morning service on January 7, The Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord, we will invite for a time of blessing and recognition, those who have been baptized in the previous year.

We will also offer an opportunity for all those gathered on that day to affirm the covenant God made with us all in Holy Baptism.

Come and celebrate the gift of Baptism and God’s great love poured out over us as God names us and claims us as children of God!