December 17, 2023
ANNOUNCEMENTS.
Men’s Band Christmas Concert. Sunday, December 17th, 6 pm at Trinity.
Spaghetti Meal, Sunday, December 17th, 5 pm. served by our Youth Gathering Youth.
Crew December 20TH for all 3rd-6th graders from 3:30 pm till 5:00 pm.
Christmas Eve Worship Services, Sunday, December 24th, 9 am, 2 pm, 4:30 pm, & 9:00 pm. Please note that the 9 am service will not have a Candlelight portion. All services have Holy Communion.
No Wednesday Worship on Wednesday, December 27th.
Office closed December 25-29.
Office closed on January 1st.
High School Lock-In, Saturday, January 6th, 6 pm till Sunday, January 7th, 7 am. Friends welcome! Sign up in the Narthex. I need parent drivers for the Scavenger Hunt at 6:30 pm.
Please consider bringing your Deer Hides to Trinity! They can be placed in the shack in front of the church. Please hides only, no heads or feet.
Sign up to bring snacks for Crew and/or Sunday School. Any and all are very much appreciated. Sign ups are on the table in the Narthex.
MUSINGS FROM PASTOR BRAD
On Thursday, I stood in front of my pastoral colleagues (and our Synod bishop), and led worship in a Elf costume. Yep, an elf costume, the last thing I had to do as part of our Mission Madness. I got lots of laughs from my colleagues and a few people who said they were not surprised in the least!
But as I thought about preaching in that outfit, it gave me some inspiration. An elf is a servant. The elves in the North Pole make the toys, make sure the North Pole runs, takes care of everything. They work for Santa, they are not Santa, but they are servants. Santa needs them. Without them, nothing happens.
We are elves for Jesus, servants who serve for the sake of the mission of Jesus in the world. We share the Gospel of Jesus Christ in word and deed to others, shining the light of Christ on the world. We don’t save people, Jesus does. But we show people the love of God in Jesus Christ. We tell them of what Jesus has done for them. How Jesus carries their burdens, forgives them their sin, strengthens them in weakness, and is with them always. We serve the Lord in word and deed, no matter where we are. We are elves for Jesus. You are elves for Jesus.
I hope that as you get ready to celebrate Christmas that you would give thanks for the babe born in Bethlehem who has come to save us. And I hope that you might remember that you are an elf for Jesus, serving the Lord in whatever way that you can. May you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
PICTURE OF THE WEEK
Me in my elf costume with my pastoral colleagues
