an electronic newsletter of Joy Lutheran Church,  Prescott, WI
www.joy-church.org    715-262-5800    office@joy-church.org
Relevant + Hopeful + Generous        November 27-December 4, 2016

Upcoming Events at a glance (and quick links)
  
 
Check out...
           links to the Faith Formation weekly video
           and the Faith5 home devotional  resource God's Story Our Story 
Fall Schedule
8:15 Traditional Worship   9:25 Faith Formation   10:15 Contemporary Worship  10:15 Sunday School
Sunday marks the beginning of Advent

Advent is a four week season to help prepare to celebrate the birth of our Lord.  Fortunately Advent has not been commercial exploited so it gives a wonderful tool to keep perspective in the midst of a consumer culture.  I invite you make an advent wreath with 4 candles to help mark the time. Or pick up an advent calendar with a door to open each day.  There are also several online Advent calendars you can use (just google).  One that I like is from Busted Halo.  The Faith5 home devotions (in the bulletin each week, as well as online) are a great way to give a spiritual focus in the midst of busy lives.

One of the songs that helps me prepare for the season is this song from 513Free (a band from Eau Claire)  Upside Down Christmas

 


 
Here are some digital links to help with you estimate of giving

Hopefully you received a letter in the mail asking you to consider making a prayerful estimate of giving for the coming year.  It is a great spiritual discipline to help us be more intentional about our giving, as well as a helpful tool for our congregation in its stewardship of the resources God has given us to manage.  (If you didn't get a letter, let the office know so we can update our records)

The letter had paper versions of the estimate of giving card and a form for setting up or modifying your electronic giving, like we have done for many years.   If you would rather work digitally here are the links:   Estimate of Giving    Set up or manage my electronic giving

If you like the convenience of working from your phone.  We also have a church giving app called Give+  available as a free download.     How it works

Weekly Faith Formation Video 

Our Bible reading for this coming Sunday is the story of Daniel. If you want to get a preview or see it again during the week just click here.

Weekly Home Devotion Resource

God's Story...Our Story

5 simple steps to help bring your household closer to God and each other. 

Click here for this weeks Faith 5 home devotion.
Joy's Nursery
 
Joy Lutheran Church's Nursery is open from 9:15-11:15 and ready to care for your children.   

Joy's Nursery is professionally staffed with experienced child caregivers who will look after your precious little ones as if they were their own.

Joy proudly introduces Melissa and Kyra Miller, our professional Mother-Daughter Nursery Team!

Support the Alternative Gift Fair this Christmas!

As we enter the season of Advent, most of us have begun planning our holiday shopping list - and maybe we have already purchased many gifts for our loved ones. Perhaps we're thinking of the latest gadgets, newest toys, or other popular gifts. But, what if you could give a gift that makes a real, life-changing difference? What if you could gift something that was not only thoughtful and valuable, but that would also transform the life of someone in need? Well, this year you can do just that!
For the fourth year, the women of our church are sponsoring an Alternative Gift Fair. The mission of our Alternative Gift Fair is to provide our church community with a meaningful alternative to holiday gift giving, one which celebrates personal charity, community health and well being, and the preservation of our earth. The Alternative Gift Fair will offer all of us an opportunity to choose gifts of charitable donations, rather than buy more "stuff." It also teaches our children about the meaningful giving of gifts that grow the church, fight hunger, and transform lives.
Joy's Alternative Gift Fair will be held on Sunday, December 11th and Sunday, December 18th between services and after the 10:15 service.
What is an Alternative Gift Fair?
  • A different kind of shopping experience!
  • Gifts are purchased in honor of family, friends, and others. Instead of buying a box of candy for Aunt Sally, a shopper at this fair might decide to feed ten people at a soup kitchen ($20), or buy chicks which lay eggs for people in developing countries ($10), or buy a goat which provides fresh milk for children ($50), or water jugs to help people transport water in remote areas of Africa and Asia ($12) or a mosquito net to protect people in Africa from the bite of an infected mosquito which can transmit malaria and lead to death ($10) or school supplies for a child who can't go to school without them ($10). Then, Aunt Sally can be given an attractive gift card telling her about this unique present given in her honor.
Why alternative gift giving?
  • Because so many of the world's critical needs today are going unmet.
  • Because of our need and capacity to give.
  • Because Uncle Harry doesn't need yet another silk necktie.
 
Why an Alternative Gift Fair?
  • Because it is a celebration of abundant life for the world's people.
  • Because it is an appropriate nonprofit response to consumerism.
  • Because it helps us raise many dollars for the world's needs, nourishing peace in our global community.
As we prepare to celebrate Jesus' coming into this world, just think of how many families' lives could be changed with just one of our small monetary gifts. The gifts we choose to give through the Alternative Gift Fair have the capacity to grow the church, fight hunger, and transform lives - all in God's name. Will you help by "purchasing" an alternative gift on December 11 or December 18? (If you have questions about the Alternative Gift Fair, please contact Marcia Lindseth or Kristin Tibayan.)

Order Your Poinsettia Plants Now!

If you would like to purchase Poinsettia Plants to help decorate our sanctuary this year, there are two stations in the Narthex to do so.  Look for the "Poinsettia Flowers"
sign on the tables.  There, you will find the order envelopes.  Please fill the envelope out in full, place your check or cash inside, seal the envelope and either place in the offering tray or return to the office by Sunday, December 18th.  If you wish to dedicate your Poinsettia in honor of or in memory of a special loved one, please make sure to indicate that on the order envelope in the space provided.  Your Poinsettias may be taken home after the Christmas services to further brighten up your holidays!  Cost is $10.00 per plant.
You Are Invited! The Pampered Chef Fund Raiser For Joy's Wednesday Night Suppers! Saturday, December 3rd, From 9 AM-Noon!

Get delicious ideas for your table, holiday gifts and entertaining. Try out the hottest new products and catch up with friends! AND...best of all...30% of all sales will be donated to Joy's Wednesday Night Suppers, keeping the cost to families the same!
Donate needed non-perishables for fun prize drawings! Needed items include: Cake mixes, corn bread mix, Jell-O, instant pudding vegetable oil, dish washing soap, paper napkins, ketchup, mustard, western and ranch dressing, Kool-Aid sugar free drink mix, mayo, zip lock baggies, saran wrap and aluminum foil. Catalogs and order forms are available and orders will be delivered in time for Christmas! For more information or if you have any questions, please contact Kelly Poff at (H) 715-262-4281 or (C) 651-261-8802
Click on the link below to see the whole catalog, order for pick up delivery to church or direct to your home. Please share it with friends and family near and far!
REMEMBER...Pampered Chef gives back 15% and Kelly matches that so we are giving to Wednesday Night Dinners 30% to keep meals affordable and to add needed equipment.
 
Click Here To See The Catalog!
Alcohol-Free Communion Wine

Joy is now offering alcohol-free wine for Communion. In the past we have offered grape juice as well as wine in the cup, in order to be sensitive to those who prefer not to consume alcohol.  But in doing so we loose the sense of unity of sharing a common cup.  So we are going to try offering alcohol-free wine for all.  Special thanks to Scott Calton for creating the beautiful common cups we will be using.  We will still  be offering gluten free wafers for those who need to avoid gluten.
Wednesday Night Suppers at Joy!

November Menu 
Nov. 30th ~ Cheesy Potato Soup

December Menu
Dec. 7th ~ Pork Stew
Dec. 14th ~ Mexican Lasagna
Dec. 21st ~ Chow Mein
Dec. 28th ~ NO SUPPER

Wednesday Suppers are a free will donation and all are welcome to Joy to enjoy delicious food and wonderful fellowship.  Supper time is 5:15 ~ 6:30 PM.

Searching For A Unique & Meaningful Christmas Gift?  

Please consider purchasing a gift certificate from Joy Lutheran Church! We have gift certificates available for $5.00 each for our always fantastic, Wednesday Night Suppers! This is a wonderful way to support Joy and to invite your friends, family and neighbors to
EXPERIENCE JOY! with us. Gift Certificates are available for purchase in the Office.
 
QUILTERS
LEFSE MAKERS
LEFSE GALS
BLESSING OF THE QUILTS AND BOXES
TREATS & TREASURES
TREATS & TREASURES
Thanks to All Who Participated in 2016 Treats and Treasures Sale

Thank you to all who helped make the JWELCA "Treat and Treasures" event on Saturday, November 19th so successful! $3000 was raised, the largest amount ever taken in at this event. These monies will be used to support JWELCA contributions to our church, our community, and our mission outreach. This is the major fundraising event for JWELCA so we really do appreciate all who supported this event in any way. Thanks to everyone who came and purchased something and thanks to everyone who donated cookies, baked goods, or items for the Country Store or Granny's Attic!  
 
Special thanks to the following people who made it all happen:
 
The lefse makers who peeled 150 pounds of potatoes and made 202 packages of lefse: Rosie Culhane, Joan and Lee Northouse, Loretta and Ken Knight, Phyllis and Dick Hoffmann, Shirley and Norm Johnson, Elaine and Bill Most, Deanna and Ken Roen, Linda and Tag Johnson, Bernard Voelker, Wilma Timm, Bobbie Flatz, Jayne Parmeter, Karen Lehman, Debbie Nahorniak, Marv Lindseth, Diane Meyer, Kathy Enerson, Donna Zerahn, Carol Peterson, and Pastor Steve Meyer.
 
The people who donated ingredients for the lefse making: Debbie Nahorniak, Linda Wilson, Bobbie Flatz, Jayne Parmeter, Shannon Clarke, Sandy Satchell, Carol Peterson, Cathy Martin, Marcia Lindseth, Elaine Most, and Lynda Johnson.
 
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans for $250 in Action Team Grants that helped with the purchase of some new lefse griddles and lefse making ingredients.
 
Overall Chair: Cathy Martin; Publicity: Emilie Horken; Cookie Walk: Hope Olson, Susan Metcalf, Becky Tharp; Kitchen: Jayne Parmeter; Donna Zerahn; Bake Sale: Joan Schaack; Granny's Attic: Mary Jonikas; Linda Wilson; Country Store: Mary Jonikas; Cashiers: Emilie Horken, Sandy Satchell, Julie Fiedler; Set Up/Take Down: Emilie and Dick Horken, Cathy Martin, Hope Olson, Joan Schaack, Mary Jonikas, Sue Hood, Georgia Freidel, Linda Wilson, Char Burgeson, Diane Meyer, Norm Johnson, Lee Northouse, Bobbie Flatz, Sharyn Calton, .
 
As one can see, it takes a lot of people working together to make the "Treats and Treasures" event a successful one. So again, thanks to all for working, contributing, and supporting this big women's event!
 
Mission Project News . . .
++ Thank you to everyone who contributed underwear, hats, and hand warmers for homeless men in the Twin Cities. This was a project that the youth of our church did in conjunction with their Shanty Town Project. If you made a donation, you've made a homeless man a bit warmer this winter. You may continue to bring those items as the youth will be going out again to deliver more items to the homeless in the Twin Cities. Thank you!
++ Thank you to all people who packed an Operation Christ Child Christmas Box. During the week of November 21st, we delivered 69 boxes from our church to the Samaritan's Purse Collection site. Through this project, we have helped countless children living in traumatic and impoverished circumstances to know that there is a Savior who loves them. Thanks to Hope Olson for her leadership this year in this mission project and for delivering all the boxes to the collection site. The shoeboxes were blessed in church services on November 20th.
++ Thank you to Joy's card Ministry for making greeting cards for all the young persons who received their first communion on Sunday, November 13th and for making many items for the Treats and Treasures sale.

.
JOY YOUTH
Calling All Children!!
Joy Church Christmas Program 
Sunday, December 18th, 10:15 AM 

Time to sign up to be a part of Joy Church Children's Christmas Program!! Kids PreK-7th grade!! CLICK the link below!

We will have one practice Saturday December 17th 9-10:30am and we will be preforming Sunday December 18th at 10:15am worship Service.

PreK will be trees please wear a brown or Green shirt and practice singing "Away in the Manger" "Oh Come All Ye Faithful" and "Go Tell it on the Mountain"

Kindergarten will be donkeys please wear gray and practice singing "Away in the Manger" "Oh Come All Ye Faithful" "Joy to the World" and "Go Tell it on the Mountain"

1st Grade will be a Shepard please wear a brown shirt and practice "It came Upon a Midnight Clear" "Oh Come All Ye Faithful" "Joy to the World" and "Go Tell it on the Mountain"

2nd Grade will be angels please wear a white shirt and practice "It came Upon a Midnight Clear" "Oh Come All Ye Faithful" "Joy to the World" and "Go Tell it on the Mountain"

3rd Grade will be soldiers please wear a gray shirt and practice "Oh Little Town of Bethlehem" "Oh Come All Ye Faithful" "Joy to the World" and "Go Tell it on the Mountain"

4th Grade will be Innkeepers please wear any color shirt and practice "Silent Night" "Oh Come All Ye Faithful" "Joy to the World" and "Go Tell it on the Mountain"

5th -7th Grade will be Wise Men please wear any color shirt and practice "We Three Kings" "Oh Come All Ye Faithful" "Joy to the World" and "Go Tell it on the Mountain"

CLICK HERE to sign your child up!

Applications are now open for new guitar students!!!

Guitar Camp ministry is offered FREE of charge to kids who are interested in learning how to play the guitar (a free guitar is also provided). As students progress through the camp they will be given opportunities to lead music in a group setting in and out of worship. This camp is intended to raise up and support music leaders in our community.

Guitar Camp Students meet Wednesday during the school year 6-6:30pm at Joy Church.

Click Here to Sign Up! 
Worship Attendance and Giving
Sun.8:15 Sun.10:15 Sun. TOTAL Wed.6:30 Weekly TOTAL
23-October
58
170
228
N/A
228
30-October
46
78
124
N/A
124
6-November
75
147
222
N/A
222
13-November
85
148
233
N/A
233
20-November
67
112
179
N/A
179
Average 66
131
197
0
197

Regular Electronic Other Total
Offering Offering Income Income
9-October
$2218.00
$1122.50
$452.10
  $3792.60
16-October
$5133.64
$3947.00
$1689.95
  $10,770.59
23-October
$2215.00
$1155.00
$991.16
  $4361.16
30-October
$945.00
$7751.25
$835.76
$9532.01
6-November
$4454.00
$1222.50
$1271.00

$6947.50
Average $2993.13
$3039.65
$1047.99 $7,080.77
Budgeted Weekly Offering $5,780.00
October Actual Weekly Offering $7,265.52
*Remember we have a deficit budget and need more income than budgeted to reinstate
program cuts made in previous years and bring pastor's salary up to minimum guidelines.

Simply Giving Update

Thank you so much for using Simply Giving. We want to make it even easier for you to use.  We want to enable you to easily make changes or special gifts, as well as review your giving and print off reports anytime you want.  All we need is the email address you want to use.  Once we have that, and enter it into the system, you can access your Simply Giving anytime you want by entering a password that you will create from our church website. 
 
Obviously we have an email address because you are reading this. But in many cases we have more than one email address so we need to know which one you want to use to manage your account . So if you have not already done so please reply to bookkeeper@joy-church.org as soon as possible to let us know.
Worship Leaders for November-December   
worshipleaders
GREETERS
READERS
CHILDREN
WORSHIP
LEADERS
COMMUNION ASSISTANTS
NOV. USHERS
(ALL MONTH)
November 27
8:15
Tag & Lynda Johnson

10:15
Judy Hamann

November 27
8:15 
Joan Northouse

10:15
Heather Ewing



November 27



10:15


November 27
8:15 
Phyllis Hoffmann, Jim & Bobbie Flatz

10:15

8:15
Bernard Volker &
Norm Johnson

10:15
The Kleinschmidt's
December 4
8:15
Bill & Sandy Satchell

10:15







December 4
8:15

Robyn Keyport

10:15
Cathy Martin
December 4



10:15

December 4
8:15
 
Phyllis Hoffmann, Robyn Keyport, Carol Peterson

10:15
Tom Peterson, Hope Olson
December
8:15
 
Pete French, Jim & Bobbie Flatz

10:15
The Kleinschmidt's

weekWeekly Calendar 
   
27 Sunday
8:15am Traditional Worship Service
10:15am Contemporary Worship Service
NO SUNDAY SCHOOL OR FAITH FORMATION

28 Monday
7-8pm Joyful Bells Rehearsal
 
29 Tuesday
 
30 Wednesday
5:15-6:30pm Wednesday Night Supper
6-6:30pm Guitar Camp
6-6:45pm High School Youth Band Practice
6:30-7:30pm Joyful Choir Rehearsal
6:30-7:45pm Shift 67
6:30-8pm Confirmation Class-Workshop #7
 
1 Thursday
7:00pm Spirit of Joy Band Rehearsal
 
2 Friday
5pm Prescott Boy Scout Troop #133 Overnight at Joy
 
3 Saturday
7:30-8:30am Men's Bible Study
9:00-Noon Pampered Chef Fund Raiser for Wednesday Night Suppers
3-4pm HPAAC River Valley Band Christmas Concert

4 Sunday
8:15am Traditional Worship Service
9:25am Faith Formation
10:15am Contemporary Worship Service
10:15am Sunday School
 
 
Joy Lutheran Church  1435 St Croix St. Prescott, WI 54021
715-262-5800   office@joy-church.org   www.joy-church.org
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