|
 |
Quick Notes and Reminders
Please check the calendar for more information.
|
Faith Feast and Faith Night:
There will not be Faith Feast or Faith Night until Wednesday, January 4.
F
ood Pantry Items The items for December is
Diapers, baby wipes, formula and baby food.
|
This Week's Blog
All the Light We Cannot See
|
John 1:1-14
"All the Light We Cannot See" is the title of a novel by Anthony Doerr set in Europe in the 1930's and 1940's as totalitarianism envelopes Germany and marches on into France. The main character stumbles upon a mysterious voice broadcasting on the radio. While tyranny descends and the world unravels into ruin, the anonymous voice communicates hope-a hope that cannot yet be seen. And in the simple act of speaking out loud, this hope becomes a reality.
Eventually.
It takes a few years and a lot of suspenseful, heartbreaking page turns to get there.
Christmas morning we are greeted, not by shepherds and angels on the outskirts of Bethlehem, but by an anonymous disembodied voice transmitting from who knows where. On this day people all over the world are tuning in to listen. Recorded long ago, this voice is still speaking to us now, telling us, "The light shines in the darkness."
But if we are looking beyond the Christmas lights it just doesn't really seem possible, does it?
The winter is literally a dark time, because the days are so short. But looking out upon the world, it seems as if the shadows of cruelty and violence, bigotry and greed, deceit and avarice are advancing. Looking upon on upon our own lives, there are places where grief, anger, fear, and loneliness create deep voids that threaten to swallow all that is good.
But still the voice is speaking these curious and confounding words of hope:
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
In the proclamation the Word is made flesh.
In the speaking this hope becomes incarnate.
In the listening this future becomes our present reality.
The light shines in the darkness, even if we cannot see it...yet.
Pastor Sarah
|
|
Christmas Eve services will on Saturday, December 24 at
- 3:00 p.m.
- 5:00 p.m.
- 7:00 p.m.
Christmas Day service will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday morning
|
|
The church will be closed on the following dates:
Have a blessed Christmas!
|
|
After many years, the Out-to-Lunch Bunch and Office Volunteers' Lunch groups have decided to combine and meet just once a month. The new Lunch Bunch will meet the second Wednesday of the month at various restaurants. Please come for lunch on Wednesday, January 11, at 11:30 a.m. at Gilroy's on 8th Street in West Des Moines. Please contact Miranda at mirandakurtt@faithlc.org or 225-8334 if you plan to attend. Everyone is welcome!
|
|
Reminder Year-End Contributions
|
Just a reminder that If you would like your year-end contributions to appear on your 2016 statement, please put your check dated 2016 in the offering plate by December 31; mail your check, making sure the envelope is postmarked on or before December 31; or bring your check to the church office prior to year-end. If you are planning to bring your check to the office, please note that the office will be closed on the following dates: Monday, December 26, Tuesday, December 27, and Friday, December 30. If you have questions, please call the church office.
|
|
 I was blown away by my Faith congregation this year. The gifts you gave to take to our elderly at Luther Park were wonderful! They were very useful and beautiful. The staff was very grateful when I delivered them and assured me they would be put to good use. Thank you again. When you have given to one of them, you have given to ME. (Jesus).
Vi Munsch, Faith's Luther Park Representative
|
|
First Tuesday's Women's Group
|
The First Tuesday Women's Fellowship will meet at 7:00p.m. on Tuesday, January 3, in the Adult Education Room at church.
The study, Christian Faith and Freedom, will focus on Session One, "No Other Gospel," in the January/February 2017 issue of
Gather
. For more information, call Susan Petersen at
223-0646 or Stephanie Hoff at 278-4003.
|
|
Children and Family Ministry
.
|
CFM is hosting a day camp on Monday, January 16th. The camp is open to all kids age 4 (PreK) through 6th grade. Counselors from Lutheran Lakeside Camp in Okoboji will be here to lead us in songs, crafts, games, and more! This will be a sneak peek for those interested in attending Lutheran Lakeside during the summer. The day camp at Faith is a fundraiser for CFM, the cost is $35 per camper and runs from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. Each camper should bring their own sack lunch. We need at least 4 adults to volunteer for a portion of the day - if you volunteer for a shift, your child can attend camp for free! Contact Andrea for more information. Register here:
http://bit.ly/MLKdaycamp
|
|
Children and Family Ministry will host it's 4th Annual Mother Son Dance on Friday, February 17, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Please contact Andrea or Erika at cfm@faithlc.org if you can help with the event. For details and ticket sales will be coming soon.
|
|
Youth and Family Ministry
.
|
Ski Trip Registration is open for the 9-12 Grade Ski Trip to Welch Village on January 15-16! Trip details-including schedule, cost, and how to register-are available online at http://bit.ly/skitrip17. Contact Jake Bouma at jakebouma@faithlc.org if you have any questions.
|
|
|
Youth Mission Trip Registration
|
Registration is now open for the 2017 mission trip to Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Tucson. Any Faith student currently in grades 9-12 is eligible to participate in the trip, which is scheduled for Saturday, June 10 - Sunday, June 18, 2017. The journey, a joint effort of the ELCA's Southeastern Iowa Synod and its partner synod the Grand Canyon Synod, will open our eyes to the opportunities that Christ sets before us as we serve and learn about the joys and challenges of the culture and the church's role in responding to issues like human trafficking, homelessness, and immigration/border issues. To register, go to http://faithlc.org/youth-mission-trip.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
