December 2014 Pastor Jay Trygstad From the Pastor: I was serving

December 2014
Memos
St. Mark Evangelical Lutheran Church
St.
Mark
Evangelical Lutheran Church
Worth,
Illinois
Worth,
Illinois
708-488-6555
Pastor Jay Trygstad
708-448-6555
Pastor Jay Trygstad
E-mail: [email protected] + Web Site: www.stmarkworth.org + Fax: 708-448-6594
From the Pastor:
WORSHIP
WITH US
SUNDAY
8:00 A.M.
Classic Grace
(Traditional Worship)
~~~
9:30 A.M.
Prayer & Praise
(Contemporary)
Sunday School
Koetz Hall
I
was serving on a Cursillo team about 30
years ago (Cursillo is like a kingdom weekend only a day longer and we let the Catholics
join us.)
In his witness talk Father Clem told a story that I
will never forget. He said he was serving as a mentor on Saturday morning’s religious release time.
He was assigned to work one on one with a mentally retarded boy named Billie.
B
illie was a terror. He was rowdy and
loud in class. He would misbehave and
~~~
10:45 A.M.
cut up so that the other kids weren’t
Joyful Noise
able to focus on the lesson, and he
(Contemporary)
would embarrass Clem because Clem wasn’t able
~~~~~~
to keep him under control. This went on week after
week, and Clem decided that Billie obviously was
not getting anything out of the program, and that
he, Clem, he was wasting his precious Saturday
mornings working with this incorrigible kid. HE
Please submit articles had made up his mind he was going to drop out of
to be included in the the program, but he would give Billie one last
January Memos by
chance the following Saturday. The lesson that parthe end of December.
ticular week was, “Jesus loved me.”
You may email them
to the church office,
or drop them off at
the church..
Thank you.
LEARN
WITH US
SUNDAY
9:30 A.M.
Adult Bible Study
Fellowship Hall
~~~
9:30 A.M.
Jr. High Sunday School
Koetz Hall
~~~
Monday
7:00 P.M.
Celebrate Recovery
Church Sanctuary
~~~
Wednesday
9:30 A.M.
Adult Bible Study
Koetz Hall
7:00 P.M.
Confirmation
Fellowship Hall
~~~
Friday
7:00 P.M.
P. A. D.S.
Heaney Hall
Continued on Page 2
11007 S. 76th Ave., Worth, IL 60482
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As Clem expected, Billie once again was disruptive and caused problems in the classroom. At the end of the day, Clem asked Billie what the lesson was about. He knew
Billie would not know the answer, but if Billie didn’t know it Clem would feel better
about dropping out. To his surprise Billie answered, “Jesus loves me.”
Clem about dropped his teeth in shock, but then he probed a little further. He asked,
“But Billie, how what does that mean?” Billie said, “It means when I am lonely Jesus
comes to be with me. When I am bored Jesus comes to me and we play together.
When I’m sad, he cheers me up and we laugh together.
When I’m afraid, Jesus comes to me and I feel better.” Surprised by this unexpected
turn of events, Clem asked, “But Billie, how do you know Jesus does all those
things?” Billie responded, “Because you do.” I think I will always remember that
because that is what the incarnation is about. Jesus came to this world to be “God with
us” so that when we are lonely, or sad, or bored or afraid, he would come to us, and
comfort us, and show us how much God loves us.
This Advent and Christmas season I hope you will take the time and make the effort to
come and worship God, and to thank and praise Him for his great love and his
amazing love. Please consider inviting a friend to our Christmas worship.
Dec. 7
The Hour of Darkness
Dec. 14
The Resurrection
Dec. 21
New Beginnings
Dec. 24
Children’s Event : Birthday Party for Jesus (ages 3-10) 10:am
Dec 24
Candle light communion services at 5:30, 7, and 11 The Birth of a King
Dec. 25
The Birth of a King 10am
Your brother in Christ,
Pastor Jay
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Holiday Servants are needed
In December for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Please check the sign up calendars by the
church entrance for open slots and sign up if you can.
Thank You
Celebrate Recovery
This Christian recovery program is helping thousands of people recover from alcoholism and
many other addictions. BUT it's not just for addictions. The program is designed for ALL
people who have "hurts, hangups, and habits". That includes EVERYONE!
The CR team meets every Monday at 7:00 P.M. Please join us if you can.
THANK YOU
- to all who participated in our shoebox collection for Operation Christmas Child! We
sent 120 shoeboxes from St. Mark this year - please join us in praying for the children
who will receive them.
- for the amazing response to our request to help a family who lost their home in a fire.
Through your generosity (and a grant from Thrivent), we were able to supply a
Thanksgiving Dinner and much more!
- to everyone who donated to the Adopt-a-Child program at Together We Cope. On Christmas morning, please think of the happiness you brought to some of the 1,500 children
of the south suburbs.
THE MISSIONS COMMITTEE
The Poinsettia Plant order
form is on the closet door
by the entrance. Please
place your order ASAP.
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And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer;
and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.
Isaiah 65:24
Let us pray . . .
Mark Rukijzo, Bob Scott, Candy
Breen, Bob Rames, Bob & Jackie
Haller, George Gibbs, Kevin Hart,
Chase Landgren, Linda Macak,
Miriam Ungar, Mary Brady, Erwin
Brauer, Dick Brouhard, Miriam
Smith, Joe & Gloria Melnyk,
Joan Silke, James Claude,
TheaNelle Kerr, Elaine Mauer, Tim
Brewer, Heidi Studnicka, Fred
Decker, Damien Deist, and Millie
Dietrich in the passing of her sister
Elaine.
President Obama and other world
leaders, and Bishops Elizabeth and
Wayne and all Christian church
leaders.
For the homebound including :
Ruth Voegele, Dave Brasel, Diane
Anetsberger, Mary Smith, Lois
Fisher, Joy Rossner, Sami and
Agnes Khoury, and Mildred
Hense.
For those serving in the
military including:
Kirsten Smock, Dale Smock, Joe
Ruger, Luke Bialcyk, Seth Kluge,
Isaac Bartosik, Nathan Rogers,
and Matthew Stemos.
Psalm 6:9
The LORD has
heard my cry
for mercy; the
LORD accepts
my prayer.
M I S S I O N S S U P P O R T : Manuel Alvarez Ramirez (our St. Mark sponsored child in Mexico), our Missionaries (Justin & Kari Eller and Nick & Becky Lauranzana), PADS (our volunteers and those who seek
shelter with us), our Prison Ministry, Operation Christmas Child (and the 153 children who received our
shoeboxes last year), D'Ante Davis (studying at Benedictine University), the students, staff and families of
Grace Christian Academy, the Worth Food Pantry, Pastor Saeed Abedini, the ELCA”s Lutheran Disaster
Relief efforts, and our Teddy Bear Ministry
T O THE O UTGOING C OUNCIL :
Thank you for your sacrificial service to the Lord and the people of St. Mark.
Nancy Wojcik, Judi LaBuda, Katie Mucha, Tierza Lammel, Nancy Hogel, and Pat
Budz
T O THE I NCOMING C OUNCIL :
We welcome you and appreciate your willingness to serve the people of St. Mark in
this leadership capacity. Welcome: Sheila O;Neil, Rich Otto, Paulette Loper,
Andy Noren, Kristy Oblak, and Kathy Kuehner.
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Happy December Birthday
1. TheaNelle Kerr, LaVerne Koschnitzki,
2. Geno Sepulveda
4. James Doolan, Eric Pfluegner
5. Jeffery Ryan Johnson, Barbara Claude, Amy Lewis
6. Leroy Koschnitzki, Margaret Hanson
8. Jennifer Collier
10. Kimberly Novak
11. Patricia Shrader, Stacey Horan, Gilbert Rivera, Mark Urban
12. Jimmy Gonzalez
13. Michael Rubino
14. Ted Mata
15.Anthony Virag, Robert Noonan, Janet Czajkowski
16. Janet Matson, David Young
18. Ruth Voegele
19. Robert (Bob) Plowright
20. Barbara Chudy, Matthew Marr
21. Marilyn Garr, William Neubauer
22. Bonnie Kaye Schallmo, Amanda Rubino
23. Laura Mikos, Philip (Phil) Basa
24. Joseph Barry, Jr.
25. Stefanie Baldauf
26. Paula Marr, Rainy Loper
28. Ruth Thoele, Emily Piantek, Carl Kolegas
29. Kelly Evans
Christmas
Is just weeks away. Consider using Divine
Dollar gift cards as you shop. Divine Dollar
cards make GREAT Christmas gifts. Gas
cards are also available. Stop by the Divine
Dollar table to see all they offer!
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KID’S KORNER
1…. 2….3….4…...5
One is for the manger where Baby Jesus
lay.
Two is for Mary and Joseph on that Christmas Day.
Three is for the wise men who brought three gifts of love.
Four is for the shepherds and angel songs above.
Five is for the animals who stood guard in the shed
Over Baby Jesus in His manger bed.
The Candy Cane
Jesus Gentle Shepherd, this cane of red and white,
Proclaims the sweet love story, born on Christmas night.
This cane, you see, when turned around begins your name of Love ,
now becomes a symbol of peace proclaimed above.
The lively peppermint flavor is the regal gift of spice ,
The white is for your purity and the red your sacrifice .
And so this cane reminds us, of just how much you care,
And, like your Christmas Gift to us, It's meant for all to share.
and
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Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with
child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.
Luke 1:28-37 The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored!
The Lord is with you." Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind
of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have
found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to
give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.
The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the
house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end." "How will this be," Mary asked
the angel, "since I am a virgin?" The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon
you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born
will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in
her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God .
Matthew 1:23-24 "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they
will call him Immanuel" --which means, "God with us." When Joseph woke up, he did
what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.
Isaiah 53:1-12 Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD
been revealed? He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He
had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
He was despised and rejected by men, a man of
sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one
from whom men hide their faces he was despised,
and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our
infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment
that brought us peace was upon him, and by his
wounds we are healed.
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Lutheran Ministries Media, Inc.
5 Martin Luther Drive ^ Fort Wayne, IN 46825-4996
Worship for Shut-Ins Sermon Summaries
December 2014
December 7, 2014 – 2 Peter 3:13-14
“Looking Forward”
by Rev. Dr. Thomas R. Ahlersmeyer, Holy Cross Lutheran Church~Fort Wayne, IN
Looking forward to Christ's coming -- either for the entire world or for YOUR life's end -- changes the way
you look at your past, yourself, your neighbor, and your eternity. Christ came, He comes, and He will come
again!
December 14, 2014 – John 1:6-8, 19-28
“Who Are You?”
by Rev. Paul E. Shoemaker, Emanuel Lutheran Church~New Haven, IN
Every person is confronted by the question, “Who are you?” When John the Baptist was asked that question
he told others he was the one who pointed others to the Christ. As Christians we can answer the question
“Who are you?” with the response, “We are God’s beloved children who share with others the Good News
about our Savior Jesus.”
December 21, 2014 – 1) Genesis 3:8-15 2) Micah 5:2, 4-5a 3) Luke 1:26-35
4) Luke 2:1-7 5) Luke 2:8-14 6) John 1:1-5, 10-14
“Christmas Lessons and Carols”
by Rev. James L. Elsner, Prince of Peace Lutheran Church~Stroh, IN
Hear the Bible’s story of salvation and the birth of Jesus through Scripture and song!
December 28, 2014 – Luke 2:36-38
“Realizing the Redeemer”
by Rev. Dr. Daniel J. Brege, St. Paul Lutheran Church~Decatur, IN
Anna, a prophetess, saw in the baby Jesus the long-awaited Redeemer. He was born to buy man out of slavery to sin, death and Satan. May we hear Anna's words and by the power of the Holy Spirit trust Jesus as
our eternal Redeemer.
Tel: (260) 471-LOVE (5683) † Toll-Free: (888) 286-8002
www.worshipforshutins.org † Email: [email protected]
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There is no longer a Tuesday PADS site available for those in need, so St. Mark
is helping out by opening our doors on Tuesdays for the next few months.
Many thanks to all who stepped up to host our first Tuesday night on
December 9th. Thank you for calling and volunteering your time. In all we had
39 souls. With all of the support from the congregation and the volunteers the
true meaning of Christmas was made evident to those in need.
Flo Breitbarth
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