Family and friends of Howard Peters
Family and friends of Chris Rice
Family and friends of Emma Lou Tipple
Family and friends of Steven Hilgenberg
PRAYERS – Jon Cook; Millie Mutka; Jim Moravec; Myria Strong; Kathy Mayo; Barb Zima’s friends Mick, Steven and Marilyn Hummel; Gregory Bowens; Laurie Nelson; Amber Ross’s daughter Linda; Jerrie Van Haverbeke’s niece Jolane Gervasi; Sandy Bishop’s friend Kelly Newman; Randy & Diane Niemczyk’s daughter Julia VanAvery, niece Sarah Joda, Denise Runde and Denise Hazel; Dick Volland; Valeria Hesselberg; Chris Markussen; Anne Verona’s sister/brother-in-law Pat & Woody Woodworth and friends Dennis Peterson, Natalie Madine, Eli Peters and Randy Ballard; Strong’s friend Erin Molle; Debbie Cyrtmus’ mother, Rose Wicker and sister, Corrie Trittin; the Ebert’s friend Patricia Kulzick; Karen Stanton’s friend Mary Lou Zelinski; Patricia Rasmussen’s sister Christine; Joyce Leander’s cousin Laurie Nelson and friend Casey Hohs; Sandy Bishop’s brother Larry; Ashley Clark’s friends Keith & Becky Hernandez and Kristie Dehart; the Waggoner’s sister-in-law Cheryl Busse, and friends Karla Zyhowski, Melissa Branta ; Karen Engels niece Lisa and friend Bob; Ann Carlson’s people Walt, Darren, Curt and Troy; peace for all nations and comfort for those in distress.
PRAYER LIST PROCEDURE – Submit your prayer requests to the office in writing, by phone, by email or in person. If requesting prayers for someone other than yourself or an immediate family member, please obtain permission – unless the circumstances are public in nature.
Happy Birthday to you
Happy Anniversary to you
May the Lord Jesus Keep You
Ever faithful and true!
GUESTS – if you are visiting us today, please sign our book at the entrance to the sanctuary.
COOKIE SUNDAY/DECORATING THE CHURCH IS TODAY – After worship – and after snacking on some cookies – we will be decorating the church for Christmas!
DECEMBER CHURCH CALENDAR IS OUT –Copies are in the Narthex. And we will be updating the website calendar.
ADVENT SOUP SUPPERS – we are collecting non-perishable food items at our Advent Soup Suppers for the Vilas County Food Pantry.
GRAB A CUP? GRAB TWO ! – we need assistance with coffee hour. There is a sign-up sheet in the Fellowship Hall. Please consider assisting with set-up or clean-up.
JOLABOKAFLOD – is the tradition of gifting a book to someone on Christmas Eve. I will be hitting the local library book sales/thrift stores to find some good reads. Books will be wrapped and here for the taking after our Christmas Eve service. If anyone else is interested in participating – please feel free. (Please do not purchase new books).
JOIN US FOR OUR NON-REHEARSAL CHRISTMAS PROGRAM!
Dec 14 • Just show up as early at 8:30 AM! No rehearsals. No stress. ALL fun.
This year, everyone—kids, teens, adults, and grandparents—gets to be part of the Christmas story! Show up to choose your role and join the most delightfully unscripted Christmas program ever.
Want to be an angel? Grab a halo.
Feeling sheepish? Be an animal!
Mary or Joseph? We’ve got room.
Shepherd? Absolutely.
Townsperson? Bethlehem needs you!
Come as you are, become who you want, and help bring the story to life! Let’s celebrate Christmas together—with joy, laughter, and a whole lot of Jesus!
CHRISTMAS GARDEN – The Christmas Garden form is available. Please fill out and return to the Front Office by the morning of Dec 18. The cost is FREE, zero, zilch, nadda, nothing. If you would like to give a donation, that is appreciated, but not necessary.
ONLINE T-SHIRT SHOP – We are in the process of creating an online t-shirt shop. This would enable people to order a “Hearts on Fire” t-shirt whenever they wanted. We’ve also been working on a couple of designs that you may be interested in. If you have a t-shirt idea that you would like us to create – please let us know. All shirts will be sold ‘at cost’.
NEW YEARS GAME DAY – but early. On December 28 from 10:00 am – 1:00 pm, the Christian Ed team will be hosting an appetizer potluck with games for all ages. Drinks will be provided. Bring an appetizer (or not. It isn’t required), but bring your game face ‘cause it’s on like Donkey Kong!*.
* “It’s on Like Donkey Kong” is an iconic slang term that originated from the world of video games, specifically the classic arcade game Donkey Kong. This phrase encapsulates a sense of excitement, intensity, and readiness for a challenge.
FUN FACT – An Advent calendar, from the German word Adventskalender, is used to count the days of Advent in anticipation of Christmas. The Advent calendar was first used by German Lutherans in the 19th and 20th centuries, and has since then spread to other denominations. Lutherans making history happen once again.
Traditional Advent calendars feature the manger scene, Saint Nicholas and winter weather, while others range in theme, from sports to technology. They come in a multitude of forms, from a simple paper calendar with flaps covering each of the days to fabric pockets on a background scene to painted wooden boxes with cubby holes for small items.
Often the doors are distributed across the calendar in no particular order. The calendar doors open to reveal an image, a poem, a portion of a story (such as the story of the Nativity of Jesus), or a small gift, such as a toy or a chocolate item. Often, each door has a Bible verse and Christian prayer printed on it, which Christians incorporate as part of their daily Advent devotions.
After the war, in 1945, production of Advent calendars began again in earnest. However it wasn’t until the magazine Newsweek showed a picture of Eisenhower’s grandson on an Advent calendar in December 1953, that demand rose massively.
Aldi is famous for it’s wine Advent calendar and it’s cheese Advent calendar. I’ve been fortunate enough to experience both of these once. (They sell out fast!) Though a great experience – it did make me question my desire to try so many new things. I hate to say it – but there was cheese I didn’t like. (Please don’t kick me out of Wisconsin!)
NOTES FROM ANN – (same weird italics issue) Once again snowmaggedon passed us by. But – the power did go out at the church last week. I’ve been out of the office and scrambling to get things done today because we have company arriving at noon today! Hopefully I have checked my list twice and manage to not screw anything up this week. Hard to say if I will be successful. I’ve very much enjoyed my downtime this week. Burt and I hiked the Raven Trail near Woodruff this week. It was glorious! Right at 1.5 miles in the snow. The path was well marked and not hard to do. I did get a bit winded towards the end, but that was due to my stupid cold that keeps hanging on.
Due to it being overcast where we live – we missed out on the moonrise with the seven sisters constellation. And we also missed out on seeing the super moon last night. The pictures today are of a hemlock grove on the Raven Trail and a “dog gone I missed the seven sisters, but here is a moonglade” picture.
Hope everyone is staying warm!
