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Our Mission Statement
We of Joy Lutheran Church foster
grace-filled relationships with Christ
through worship, fellowship, and service.
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This week's gospel: Matthew 3:1-12
At the heart of our Advent preparation stands John the Baptist, who calls us to repent and make a new beginning. As the darkness increases we turn toward the light of Christ's coming. For Christians he is the root of Jesse, the righteous judge who welcomes all, especially the poor and meek of the earth. We wait with hope for that day when the wolf will dwell with the lamb, and there will be no more hurt or destruction. From the Lord's table we are sent in the spirit of John the Baptist to proclaim that in Christ the kingdom of God has come near.
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This Week's Calendar
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This Week:
Sunday,
Dec. 4
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Worship
Youth Fellowship - Prayer Room
Thanksgiving Blessing Set-up - Brause Fellowship Hall
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Monday,
Dec. 5 |
6:30 PM
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Narcotics Anonymous - Library
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| Tuesday, Dec. 6 |
3:00 PM
6:30 PM
6:30 PM |
Theroux Christmas Recital Practice - Sanctuary
Alcoholics Anonymous - Library
Standing Together - Chugiak/ER Library Community Rm.
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| Wednesday, Dec. 7 |
5:00 PM
6:15 PM
6:30 PM
7:00 PM
7:30 PM
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Confirmation Class
Advent Soup Supper
Narcotics Anonymous - Library
Advent Worship
Choir Practice
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Thursday
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Dec. 8
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Noon
4:00 PM
6:30 PM
7:00 PM |
Banner Babes
Plunked Student Piano Recital - Sanctuary
Alcoholics Anonymous - Library
Church Council Meeting - home of Nancy Hemsath
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Friday,
Dec. 9 |
6:30 PM
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Narcotics Anonymous
- Library
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| Saturday, Dec. 10 |
8:00 AM
6:30 PM
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The Breakfast Club - All Welcome!
Narcotics Anonymous
- Library
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Next Week:
Sunday,
Dec. 11 |
9:30 AM
10:45 AM
10:45 AM
2:00 PM
7:00 PM
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Worship
Adult Bible Study - Brause Fellowship Hall
Youth Fellowship - Prayer Room
Theroux Music "Christmas Soire" Concert -
Sanctuary
Boy Scout Troop 219 -
Brause Fellowship Hall
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Weekly Worship Assistant Schedule
As you can see, our Worship Assistant Schedule has just been expanded to include
Advent and
Christmas. It's an especially busy time for families and at many jobs as the year winds down. With that in mind, please take a moment to consider serving in one of our Worship Assistant positions as you're able. To volunteer, please sign up on the schedule on the Opportunities bulletin board in the narthex. Thanks for your service throughout the year!
You bless us.
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Other Joyful News...
5 Questions for Advent
in preparation for Christmas
1.
What is important this Advent?
Key word is "this," not last year or next year.
2.
What do I NOT need to do this Advent?
Much of our behavior was learned years ago, much of it has no meaning for us, but we do it anyway. Do I need to do all the activities others say I should?
3.
What do I want from the month of December?
4.
What do I want from Advent?
For some it is a silly question. Advent is a forgotten season.
5.
What do I need to do to be comfortable with
Christ in my home this Christmas?
I can't answer for you, I'm still working on my own answers.
- Pastor Ted Conter
Standing Together: Tuesday, Dec. 6
Join us at Tuesday evening at Chugiak-Eagle River Public Library for the next meeting of the Standing Together book group. We'll have pizza and discussion facilitated by Vietnam vet Paul Smith in the Community Room beginning at 6:30pm. This month's selection is reader's choice from the anthology, which provides a great opportunity to join the group. Free books are available for you to pick up at the library, so there's plenty of time for you to find a story to share.
For more information, contact members of Joy's steering committee for this project: Pastor Martin, Elaine Pfeiffer, Henry Huntington, or Nancy Hemsath.
Mark Your Calendars: Jan. 29, 2017
Annual Congregational Potluck
As you look toward 2017, please save Sunday, January 29 for our annual potluck/congregational meeting. We will have much to celebrate and discuss, including approval of the 2017 budget and a newly revised constitution, and election of new Council members. Plus the sheer enjoyment of fellowship with our extended Joy family! More details to come.
Thanksgiving Blessing 2016
Thank you for all your food and financial donations. Through your support, we served 284 families. There were over 173 volunteers. Many coats were given out to all who needed a coat.
- Rev. Gracie Jackson, Love INC.
Christmas Giving Tree Update
The small Christmas trees are up in the narthex and ready for the gift cards! Each card represents a gift request from a family in the Chugiak/Eagle River area. As in years past, Joy Lutheran Church "adopts" 3-4 families and fulfills their gift requests, as well as provides each family with a bible and gift card for groceries. Julie Witmer has volunteered to coordinate this loving outreach again this year.
Eagle River Parks & Rec is accepting gift requests until Dec. 9 this year. (A little later than other years.) We have been advised we may not get our list until the end of the day, Dec. 12. That will leave only one Sunday between getting the list and delivering the gifts to families in our community who could use a little extra help this year. So stay tuned and consider providing one of the gifts from a card from the Giving Trees - once they appear!
December can be a hectic month, filled with too many things to do and not enough time to do them all. Come away and join us each Wednesday night for a short time of worship and restoration. We begin with a simple supper of soup, bread, and being together. After a long day, you don't have to worry about making dinner. Then, we begin a 30-minute worship service.
At each of our Advent Midweek services, we will focus on readings from the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah wrote and preached to the people of God during very turbulent times. Political realities threatened the security and safety of the nation's citizens. The apathy of the rich and leadership are condemned for their selfish focus of their own personal gains. Meanwhile, the widows and orphans languish and the general population is pessimistic about the future. The prophet steps in to proclaim both God's tough love against the stubbornness and sin of the people, as well as God's promised hope for the future. Isaiah is a perfect reading for Advent, a season of waiting in darkness for God's promised Light in Jesus Christ.
Soup Suppers begin at 6:15 (arrive when you are able). Worship at 7:00. Come to one. Come to both. Come and be filled. There's a signup sheet on Opportunities bulletin board in the Narthex.
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Joy of Reading Book Club
The Joy of Reading Book Club meets the third Monday of every month. Our Christmas Party Book Club will be at the home of Lori Atrops on December 19th. The book is
All the Winters After by Sere Halverson. The setting for the book is the Homer area.
January -
Circling the Sun
by Paula McLain
March -
Leave Me by Gayle Foreman
Sharing books and ideas with friends is a gift to yourself this season!
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"Unwrapping the Gifts"
Lutheran Women's Advent Brunch
Saturday December 3rd ,2016
Egan Convention Center 9:00 am
$
24.00
Please share and join your fellow sisters as we prepare for the Joyous Advent Season
Tickets will be available beginning October 8th, 2016
Tickets are available through your Church Contact Person or
Adrienne King (907 227-4174)
We will be collecting gifts of diapers (all sizes) and baby wipes to be donated to LSSA.
You may also drop these items off at your church and we can pick them up.
"Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above,
coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is
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STAY CONNECTED:
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Joy Lutheran Church
10111 E. Eagle River Loop Rd.
Eagle River, AK
907-694-9601
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