Pastor Darcy
In the church, the month of December is a time to look back with thanksgiving as the calendar comes to a close. It is also a time to look forward with hope and joyful anticipation for new opportunities as the new church year starts with the season of Advent.
As I look back, I feel such joy and gratitude for what God is doing in, through, and among the people and ministry of LCOC. See this video for a look back at 2016.
This past year has also included some growing pains as we work to establish best financial, staff, and volunteer practices. Why are we doing this? Because we want to be a healthy congregation that is clear about our purpose and the expectations and goals. We want to create practices that invite people to use their gifts and where adults and youth feel safe to participate. The purpose of LCOC continues to be about encouraging and equipping people to grow as committed disciples of Christ as we Gather...Grow...Give...and Go.
As 2016 comes to a close, I give thanks for Vicki Bayer and her music ministry at LCOC. She has been a blessing to LCOC and it has been a joy to work with her. While it is not easy to say good bye, we wish her well for the new places and opportunities that God is opening up for her.
As Advent and calendar year 2017 begins, I am filled with hope and joyful anticipation for the new opportunities that are before us. One highlight is the possibilities for children, youth, and families with young children. On November 20th, we had an intergenerational gathering during the education time where we celebrated how the young people are currently involved in the ministry at LCOC (an impressive list) and also shared new ideas. See the attached for the celebrations and the new ideas.
What is it that you are grateful for as you look back at 2016? What fills you with hope and joyful anticipation as you look forward to this new church and calendar year?
I give thanks for YOU!
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 Council President
Many thanks to the outgoing council members for their leadership:
Les Burroughs ;
Jon Schilder ;
Jim Olenik ;
Ashley Heuple ;
Denise Wilder ;
Brian Richard ;
Dale Casey
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GATHER
to worship God and fellowship with the community
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| Thanksgiving Service 2016 |
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Worship
December 2016
LCOC worship in December includes the 2d thru 4th Sundays of Advent, an Advent Vesper (Wednesday, Dec 14th), the Nativity of our Lord on Christmas Eve, and the 1st Sunday of Christmas (on Dec 25th)
- Lectionary notes:
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- December 4th (Second Sunday of Advent- Color Blue)
- Isaiah 11:1-10 describes the future ruler as a green shoot springing from a dead stump
- Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19 proclaims that the righteous will flourish with abundant peace
- Romans 15:4-13 extends God's promise to Gentiles (non-Jews)
- Matthew 3:1-12 tells of the appearance of John the Baptist
- December 11th (Third Sunday of Advent- Color Blue)
- Isaiah 35:1-10 prophesies the return from Babylonian captivity
- Psalm 146:1-10 lifts up those who are bowed down
- James 5:7-10 calls upon Christians to cultivate patience waiting for the Lord
- Matthew 11:2-11 tells of John the Baptist's expectation of the Messiah's judgment
- December 18th (Fourth Sunday in Advent- Color Blue)
- Isaiah 7:10-16 prophesies that a young woman will bear a son named Emmanuel
- Psalm 80:1-7,17-19 proclaims salvation if the Lord's face shines upon us
- Romans 1:1-7 is the Paul's introduction to Christians in Rome to spread the gospel
- Matthew 1:18-25 focuses on the role of Joseph in Jesus' birth
- December 24th (Nativity of our Lord- Christmas Eve- Color White)
- Isaiah 9:2-7 promises the birth of a royal child whose reign will be just and righteous
- Psalm 96 proclaims rejoicing in the heavens and gladness on earth
- Titus 2:11-14 states the appearance of God's grace in Christ Jesus brings salvation
- Luke 2:1-14 (15-20) brings God's greatest gift as a baby in a manager announced by angels
- December 25th (Nativity of our Lord- Christmas Day- Color White)
- Isaiah 62:6-12 invites the people to give God no rest until Jerusalem is re-established
- Psalm 97 lightens the dawn for the righteous and promises joy for the honest of heart
- Titus 3:4-7 states God's saves us not because of what we do, but saves us by mercy
- Luke 2:(1-7) 8-20 reveals the Glory of God to shepherds who share the good news
"...and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace", Isaiah 9:6 (KJV)
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| Bingo! 2016 |
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Fellowship
Thanks to everyone who contributed to our Thanksgiving Meal/Service on November 20th. Delicious soups were welcome on the cool evening.
Our Advent coffee/teas began November 27 with Scandinavian treats. We are looking forward to December 4th for our German Tea, the 11th for Italian/Hispanic yummies and the 18th for our melting pot delectation!
Watch the bulletin board for a sign up sheet for our Christmas Dinner to be served between services on Christmas Eve. Join us for some delicious Chinese food.
As January approaches, mark your calendar for our Annual Chili Cook-Off on the 21st.
blessings,
Tricia, Ray & Cindi
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| Prayer Breakfast |
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Men's Prayer Breakfast
Our next meeting is December 10th
at 7:30 am
in the DFH.
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| LCOC Prayer Garden |
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Community Prayer Group
The LCOC community prayer group meets the second Saturday of each month from 7:30 am to 9 am in the Work Room. We share prayers of concern and numerous praises along with a strong cup of coffee. We invite anyone who has concerns or praises to make them known to Colette L., Rita K., JoAnn R. Or Lorelei D. We offer this time to the community and congregation to join us for prayer, openly or privately. We will meet again on December 10th, at 7:30 am.
Matt. 21:13 - my house will be called a house of prayer,.....
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GROW
in our relationship with God through prayer, Bible Study, and service
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Adult Education
Starting in January:
Animate Series: Faith
Topics to include:
God: Faith is a Quest
Religion: Spirituality is not enough
Jesus: The Revolution of Love
Salvation: Abundant Life Now
Cross: Where God is
Bible: A Book Like No Other
Church: An Imperfect family
Stay tuned for more details and invite your friends to be a part of this series.
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New Study on Wednesday mornings at 10:00 am
beginning on December 14th:
Matthew: Being Discipled by Jesus
What would it be like to be discipled by Jesus?
What would he teach us about relationships, priorities,
wealth and his coming kingdom?
What would we learn from his actions?
You are invited to be a part of this study and to deepen our understanding of the Gospel of Matthew which is the focus for this church year.
Join us, the coffee is ready!
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You are invited to be a part of the Sunday learning opportunities for ALL ages at 9:45.
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Shekinah 2016
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Confirmation Corner
Your confirmation class is diving deep into the Old Testament also referred to as the Hebrew Bible. We covered the Torah; do you know what that is? Our class discovered that the Torah is the first 5 books of the bible. Science and Genesis have a complicated history. Both tell stories of the world we live in, but they answer very different questions. Genesis is not a textbook about how the world was created, but a beautifully gripping narrative that tells us that God wants us in on what God is up to in the world. It is a story not only of how we got here, but of who brought us into being and why. In Exodus, we learned that it is the central story of the Old Testament, the grounding for how the chosen people of God come to understand who they are and who their God is. It is easy to reduce Exodus to a story of Pharaoh and Moses, Israelites and Egyptians, but it is really about God.
We talked about the Ten Commandments and how we have a tendency to gloss over them as just a list of rules or some kind of pre-Christian tourist attraction in Scripture. But these rules didn't come from the local DMV or get voted on by Congress. The law laid out in Deuteronomy 5 is part of a greater thing - an agreement to be God's people.
The Confirmands had a great time working the annual Fall Thrift Sale. With your help and theirs we raised close to $900 towards our youth program. Thank you. Until next month - God Bless.
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Prayer Opportunities
A team of members here at LCOC have been working on enhancing our prayer ministry. As a result, we have established documents which, it is hoped, will assist us in managing our weekly prayer list and make the Prayer Chain easy to use. You are invited to use the prayer contained therein as you lift others in your daily petitions. If you have any questions, please see Jo Ann Rudy or Pastor Darcy.
New Sunday prayer list ministry:
* Someone will be available in the main entrance hallway before each service to take prayer requests to be included in during worship.
* We list only the person's first name and do not include details. The list may also include joys or concerns of the surrounding communities (such as Neabsco Elementary School, the military, county, state, national, and global events.)
* Unless notified with more information, names added to the Prayer List will be automatically taken off the list after three weeks of publication.
* Please take the Prayer List bulletin insert home to include these people in your daily prayers.
Prayer Chain Ministry:
Please send an email to prayerchain@lcocdalecity.org
or call the Prayer Chain Lead at 571-210-1979
Free Ceaseless Prayer App:
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Youth Group
Please prayer for our youth as they go to Chrysalis 2016, Metro DC Synod's annual Senior High Youth Retreat.
This year's retreat will be December 2-4, 2016 and is again being held at the 4H Center in Front Royal, VA.Through Large, Small, and E-(xperiential) Group sessions, Chrysalis provides opportunities for learning, growing in faith, worshiping, meeting new people and renewing old friendships - and having fun with other youth just like themselves outside of their home congregation.
For any questions please contact:
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GIVE
of our resources, time, and talents in response to God's extravagant generosity towards us
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| Stop Hunger Now 2016 |
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Stewardship
During December, we will be doing our Untrim-a-Tree program that we have done for many years. Watch for the board with all the tags to appear.
On January 14, 2017, we will join together again to assemble 10,000 meals for Stop Hunger Now. We've had so much fun the past two years with this event, and we were much more efficient this year than last. Maybe we can pull off this 2 hour production line in even less time in 2017! As you may remember, the 10,000 meals ingredients cost us $.29 per meal, or $2900 total. In 2015, we used a portion of our 40th Anniversary Appeal to defray the cost, and in 2016, we had an anonymous donor contribute $2800 toward the event.
2017's EVENT IS DIFFERENT. We need to come together as a congregation to raise the money. The food for our annual meeting on November 13th was provided for the congregation through a Thrivent Action Team. And your donations to the free will offering for your meal really gave us a start! We will also be collecting free will offerings during each of our Advent teas this year. With the generosity our congregation demonstrates time and again I'm sure we'll have the money for SHN in no time at all.
Many thanks!
Denise Wilder and Brian Richard, Stewardship Co-chairmen
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Amazon Smile:
Amazon members can help support LCOC while you shop! Click on the link below and pick Lutheran Church of the Covenant as your favorite organization and start shopping! We will receive a percentage of the sale.
Good shop:
Support Lutheran Church of the Covenant when you search the Web at goodsearch.com or shop online with Goodshop.com.
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| New Classroom |
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Property
From the first grade children in our new classroom!
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GO
forth to serve others and share the story of God's love for all
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OPPORTUNITIES TO USE OUR GIFTS
AT LCOC AND BEYOND
We are fortunate to be able to use our gifts that God has provided us through a variety of ways. Ongoing ways to use your gifts are to sign up to be a part of supporting Neabsco Elementary in many ways and in being a part of the gardening team at LCOC to help keep our landscape beautiful. Future experiences involve Breakfast with Santa and Mrs. Claus, Breakfast with the Easter Bunny, (If you have questions, please see Jo Ann Rudy), and helping with Vacation Bible School - (all at LCOC).
When we choose to give our time, energy and talents to serve others, we are taking part in God's work to share the love of Christ and give God glory. With God working in us and through us, we can make a difference!
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| I WALK for ACTS |
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OPERATION TURKEY
Special thanks to all who brought in Thanksgiving food for ACTS and Neabsco Elementary. Over 350 pounds of food was delivered to ACTS and several bags and gift cards to Neabsco. The recipients at both these places were very grateful for the wonderful people at LCOC and their extravagant generosity. Thanks again.
Thanks again for all your support of the Evangelism Team here at LCOC. Darla
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Mend-A-House
October 8, 2016 |
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Project Mend-A-House
At the Taste of the Town for Project Mend-A-House LCOC was given the Community Partner of the Year award. Way to go LCOC!
Would you like to participate in the next project?
contact Ralph Morse
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"All that I have thy hand hath provided,
Great is thy faithfulness Lord unto me".
All that we have comes from God, ALL are gifts from Him - our homes, our clothes, cars, food, money, and especially our loved ones. Many of you know that He gave to Roger and me, a daughter, Mia Jo, a precious gift.
Mia Jo loved going to Sunday school, Vacation Bible School, and we're sure she would have enjoyed Youth Group and all that entails, if she had lived.
When you lose someone, especially a child, it becomes very important to you to keep their memory alive. As I look around the church, I see many things that we and others have given to the Glory of God and in Mia's memory ~ the cross in the back; the stained glass window in front; some of the stained glass on the side; the memorial case in the entryway, and other things.
Roger and I have been working with the ELCA ~ the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America to help keep Mia Jo's memory alive and to give God glory.
We have established a Mia Jo Rudy Donor Advised Fund. This fund will provide $1,000.00 a year (hopefully for a long time) to help with costs associated with Sunday school; Vacation Bible School; to help with the costs for the kids to go to Shekinah, Chrysalis, Shema, the National Youth Gathering; or where it's needed most as far as the children and youth are concerned.
Could we have used this money for other things ~ of course we could have. But nothing brings us more joy than giving back to God (what is already His), bringing Him glory, keeping Mia Jo's memory alive, and helping to nurture the spiritual growth of the children at LCOC.
Lovingly, Jo Ann & Roger Rudy
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| Burning Bush |
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In Nature at LCOC
Dear LCOC Family Member ~
If you've never spent time in any of the outside sanctuaries surrounding our church, you are missing an opportunity to feel God's awesome peace and His presence. Allow me to take you on a walk through some of the gardens as we explore what happens in late autumn:
- The leaves continue to swirl through the air as they fall gracefully to the forest floor. Their dance is quite magnificent and so pleasant to watch.
- Much of the landscape is settling down for a long winter's nap. Many of the garden beds have been prepared for the colder weather. However, the cooler temperatures have allowed the pansies to continue to put on a colorful show.
- The Burning Bushes remain vigilant in their performance and the Heavenly Bamboo are now filled with their luscious berries. The blooms of the Fall Anemones are hanging in there and welcome you to the patio area.
- As you continue your walk, you'll see the resident squirrels working hard to build their nests and to store away acorns from the abundance that the Oaks have supplied. Along with the squirrels, the birds have started stripping the berries from the Dogwoods.
- The butterflies and summer insects are now gone. Familiar winter friends have returned, especially the Juncos (Snowbirds) and are checking out what the LCOC landscape has to offer in the way of food. They, along with our other feathered friends, sure hope that another bird feeder gets put up soon.
- Remember to look up as you pause just in case the resident hawk is gliding overhead. As you continue your stroll, you many see the fox that has returned to LCOC and likes walking through the parking lot during the morning hours.
You are encouraged to take a self-guided tour through our wonderful landscape here at LCOC. But be ready - you are going to experience God's peace and presence - so enjoy this special time with our Creator! Next month, we'll see what's happening as winter makes its' debut.
"Every leaf speaks to me, fluttering from the autumn trees."
Emily Bronte
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Happy Birthday to you!
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DECEMBER
1 Sarah M.
3 Willem S.
3 Ilse T.
5 Cooper S.
5 Kristi S.
6 Ethan D.
6 Lorelei D.
7 Jessica J.
7 Mickie K.
7 Kassidy R.
7 Sydney R.
8 Reagan D..
13 Marie E.
15 John K.
15 Nancy L.
15 Karen S.
16 Heather G.
16 Angela Z.
18 Clara C.
18 JoAnn E.
27 Joel B.
27 Jeffery M
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27 Marlies S.
30 Allison P.
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Happy Anniversary
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Randy & Patti B.
December 24, 1993
Les & Karen B.
December 30, 1967
Nate & JoAnn E.
December 19, 1987
Doug & Lilo S.
December 28, 1974
Walter & Ilse T.
December 6, 1960
Roger & Sonya W.
December 17, 1960
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Baptism Anniversaries
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Reagan D.
Diane D.
John E.
Gwyneth H.
Jennifer H.
Blake J.
Ruth J.
Thomas M.
Britt P.
Tyler R.
Veronica W.
Alexa W.
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Homebound Members
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Ruth J.
Jean J.
Mary S. |
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Members in the Military
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Tyler R.
Tom M.
Ryan L.
Samuel B.
Please remember to keep our service members and their families in your prayers as they serve our country. If you have someone to add to this list, please contact the office.
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Flower Calendar
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The altar flowers for this month are given to the glory of God and contributed by:
December 4
Jon & Tricia S. in celebration of Cooper's and Willem's birthday
Diane, Mark & Emily D. in celebration
of Ethan's birthday
Rick B. in memory of
Bob B.
December 11
John & Rita K. in celebration of John's, Scott R.'s and Michael M.'s birthday
Richard S. in honor of
Judy S.
December 18
Roger & Sonya W. in celebration of their 56th anniversary
Warren R. in honor of
Dorthy R.'s 97th birthday
Stacey R. in celebration of her
mom's birthday
December 25
Les & Karen B. in celebration of their anniversary
Doug & Lilo S. in celebration of their anniversary
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OTLWB Book Club
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The Book Club is meeting on December 5th
(at 12:30 p.m. in the workroom)
to discuss
A Man Called Ove
by
Fredrik Backman
If you would like more information, please see Sandy S. or Diane D.
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Take a look at our web site
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Office Hours:
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Monday - Friday
9:00 am - 1:30 pm
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