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Ebenezer United Church of Christ
January 2020 Eagle Newsletter
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Dear Friends,
Yes, my favorite time of year has arrived! We have snow and we need more snow! Oh life is good! God is a wonderful God!! A forecast for new snow is just around the corner and a new year is also waiting in the wings.
The New Year is a great time to let go of those behaviors we wish to change, and maybe start a few new habits that would bring joy and longevity to our lives. The New Year is a chance to be born anew. Sadly, most of our resolutions fall by the wayside the first week of January, but that doesn’t mean that we should consider our attempts to be failures and more to the point; we should never consider a failed resolution to be a sign that we are failures. With all the messages in the culture telling us that unless we have this product or that product, we are somehow social misfits, we don’t need to heap self-condemnation upon ourselves. The drive to appease the fashion gods is most apparent to me.
Last night a teenage girl came to the house with her parents. Her parents were wearing comfortable, waterproof shoes and boots. The teenager wore 2-inch-high heels which were open-toed. The temperature was in the single digits above zero. Her first words were, “I’ve got to get out of these, they’re so uncomfortable.” I asked her if they were uncomfortable then why was she wearing them. She replied, “They look good.”
Isn’t it about time in our lives when we cast aside those habits which are silly and maybe even hurtful? Isn’t it about time that we replace those habits with ones that enrich our lives and lead us toward more healthful relationships with each other and with our possessions? The place to begin a new way of life is with Jesus Christ and his teachings at the center of our lives. Attending church on a weekly basis is a great way of entering those new, healthful, life-giving and life-affirming habits.
Sunday mornings are a great time to worship that which is most important to a healthy life…God.
See you Sunday morning.
Peace & Grace,
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Tithing
I am thankful that God has blessed me with family and friends. God has blessed me with many relationships. Some of these are maintained over a long distance. Some are lived each day in many ways.
I am thankful for a warm home, plenty of food and clothes that are in good repair and fit comfortably. I am thankful for the essentials of life.
I am thankful for work. As with all work, some days and tasks are more enjoyable than others. At the center of work is a chance to express the joy of God’s blessings through time, labor and love.
I am thankful that I can express my gratitude to God through my words and deeds. I do this more publicly than most people.
I am thankful that I can show my appreciation through my offering. I have plenty of bills to pay each month. I certainly don’t need to add the church’s bills to my budget. I guess if I looked at the offering as just another bill, then I might be very hesitant to put money in the offering plate.
Every Sunday morning on my way to the Sunday School kids, I walk from the study to the basement. As I do this, I walk past the pictures of the Confirmation Classes from the 19th, 20th and now the 21st centuries. I pass by photographs of ministers who shepherded this church for a few years and some who shepherded us for many years. Many of the people in these photos lived and died here. Some were baptized, confirmed, married, and buried within this congregation. All were touched by others and by God. People who are not in these pictures were touched by those in the portraits. I pass by the history and the future of the church each Sunday morning. Each time I do this I see the people touched by Sunday morning offerings. I want to be part of that tradition.
I am thankful I pay for ministries and not bills.
Peace and Grace,
Pastor Mike
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Holiday Office Hours
The office will be open the following dates during the Holiday Season:
- Monday, December 23 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
- Tuesday, December 31 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
- Thursday, January 2 9:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Office hours beginning Monday, January 6 will be: Monday - Thursday 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Please note that during the holiday break, the church email will
not
be monitored; if you have an emergency, please contact Pastor Mike: 920-286-1956
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2019 Giving Statements
will be mailed in January; if any donations are mailed to the office before the end of the year,
please indicate which year you would like this donation to be counted
. Otherwise, all donations will be entered based on the date the check was written (this does not include Sunday morning giving).
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Confirmation Readers
January 5: Aiden Gleason
January 12:
no reader
January 19: Meghan Adamietz
January 26: Kaleb Plate
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Annual Meeting
It's time to begin planning for the Annual Meeting on January 18!
If you have a committee report that needs to be included in the Annual Report, please have it to the
church office
by January 3.
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Chilton Journal
Subscription information, as well as distribution locations around the area, can be found in any issue of the paper (which comes out on Thursdays).
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Coffee Hour Sponsors
January:
Women's Guild
February:
Mission Committee
March:
Church Council
April:
Worship/Christian Education Committee
May:
Bell Choir
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Prayer Box
A reminder that the Church is here for you! If you, or someone you know, is in need of a prayer, please fill out the form in front of the box (this can be done anonymously). The box is checked weekly. Any questions, contact the
office
.
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Join the Council!
Are you interested in being a part of the church council? If so,
they are looking for two new members to serve! Please let Kari Meyers know if you are interested, or have any questions.
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Karen and Ruth would like to thank Ralph Schmid and Kerry Duchow for their help in decorating church for the Christmas season. After all was done, the church looked beautiful and breathtaking. It definitely puts you in the spirit of Christmas and makes you reflect on what Christmas is all about.
We also want to thank Diane Sattler for donating some of her Nativity Scenes to the church. For years, Diane has rotated her Nativity Scenes for decorating the church windows and always made it interesting to see what she was going to display from year to year.
We’d also like to thank Dexter Sattler for the poinsettias that he donated. They certainly add to the beauty of the church with their bright colors and fullness.
We hope everyone has a chance to attend church this holiday season and see what we’re talking about.
Merry Christmas everyone!
Karen & Ruth
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Thank you to the Men's Group for their beautiful work on the tree!
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Thank you to everyone for their contribution to the 9th Annual Cookie/Candy Walk on December 7!
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Thank you to Shirley for yet another wonderful Sunday School Christmas Program! It was enjoyed by all 165 attendees!
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Below is the upcoming ushering schedule;
please note that the church office does not find a replacement,
but we are happy to help you get in contact with possible subs!
Please let the office know
when any changes are made.
January:
January 5: Council
January 12: Sunday School
January 19: Don & Donna Pingel, Kimberlee & Jennifer Pringle
January 26: Ken & Shirley Lisowe, Kelly Brown Family
February:
February 2: Council
February 9: Sunday School
February 16: Glen & Rita Pingel, Kelly & Wayne Kress
February 23: James & Penni Gleason Family
If you have any questions about your ushering duties,
click here
for the instructions.
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Our Sunday school has been collecting fun kids band-Aids which will be donated to Children’s Hospital at the end of our school year. Our kids are having a good time with this mission project and, as you can see, we have quite a collection already. There are over 80 boxes on display in one of the classrooms downstairs. If anyone would like to contribute to this project, please just be sure that they are latex free and with fun pictures or characters on them. See one of our teachers if you have any questions.
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Mission Education Committee's December Project...
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For the remainder of December, we will be reviving a project from the past. The 'Food For the Poor Chick Project' aims to provide food for families in the form of eggs and also income from extra eggs. Food For the Poor is a non-denominational organization helping families in the Caribbean and Central America. They have a 5-star rating with The Better Business Bureau, giving out 95% of monies received to the poor, and only 5% going to administrative costs!
A donation of $10 will buy 7 chicks, $30.00 a whole flock! Whatever amount you choose to give will be appreciated. Members of the Mission Committee will be accepting your donations after services on all Sundays in December. Please help us to meet our goal of 300 chicks by giving generously! And don't forget to take a chick ornament for every donation!
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Notes from the Music Corner ...
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HATS OFF to Ebenezer Brass handbell choir and St. John’s Chancel choir for a ‘sensational’ concert on December 15. The ringers, wearing parade hats, processed to Karen’s solo ringing “Parade of the Tin Soldiers.” When they removed their hats the audience was in for a real stimulating hour of inspirational and joyful music! The theme followed the five senses to reflect on Christ’s birth as well as some fun, light-hearted (Twelve Days of Christmas!) selections. The waning daylight coming through the stained glass windows turned into a warm feeling surrounded by the beautiful sanctuary decorations and lights. The atmosphere gave a true sensation of Christmas.
Thank You
to the ringers for hours of practice and preparation,
Thank You
to director Jill for her dedication to ‘pull it all together’;
Thank You
to Ruth for the multitude of details she does behind the scenes;
Thank You
to St. John’s choir for the vocal addition. Most importantly –
Thank You
to all who attended and made the entire afternoon of music, food and fellowship an uplifting way of experiencing the Christmas spirit.
On December 10, Claudia and Karen traveled to Cedar Ridge Retirement Community in West Bend to present an invigorating concert of solo and handbell tree selections. They had spent countless hours preparing a very entertaining hour plus of Christmas music. Rev. Jerry Schrankler and wife, Helene, are residents at this Retirement community. They send greetings back to Ebenezer where Rev. Schrankler had served as interim pastor. Claudia and Karen also presented their ringing at Willowdale and the Homestead where it was truly enjoyed by all!
We were disappointed to miss Katharina Keller’s vocal contribution to the beginning of Advent on December 1 when services were cancelled due to weather conditions. She is hoping to be with us during her winter break so we’ll hope for better weather ahead!
At the time of this writing, we are anticipating special music for the upcoming Christmas worship services: Piano-organ duet and Ebenezer Brass at 4 p.m. Christmas Eve; Don and Kyle Pingel vocal and Karen Cmejla playing bells at the 11 p.m. Christmas Eve service; and Claudia Brown's handbell tree at 9 a.m. Christmas Day. THANK YOU to all for their time and talents. THANK YOU to all of the congregation for rejoicing with singing!!
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Ebenezer Church Council
Meeting Minutes: December 15, 2019
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Opening:
The meeting of the Ebenezer Church Council was called to order at 8:04 a.m. by Kari Meyers.
Present:
Colleen Marx, Kari Meyers, Andy Hofmeister, Pastor Mike, Ken Lisowe and Zach Platner. Absent: Barb Dekerf
Approval of Agenda:
Ken made a motion to approve the agenda. Vern seconded. The motion carried.
Approval of Minutes:
The November 2019 meeting minutes were previously approved via email.
Treasurer’s Report:
Colleen made a motion to approve the December bill list, Ken seconded. The motion carried.
Minister’s Report:
Christmas visitations will be this week.
Committee Reports:
- Christian Education and Music: No new news.
- Evangelism: No new news.
- Mission: Annual Cookie and Candy walk was held on December 7th. The proceeds will go to Our Churches Wider Mission.
- Property: No new news.
- Stewardship: No new news.
- Membership: No new news.
Continuing Business:
- Bat mitigation: Nuisance Pro did an inspection on November 7. They found evidence bats in the attic. They have submitted a bid to perform bat removal. The Council will continue to look into this and get more specific information before making a decision.
New Business:
- New phones in office: The phones in the office, pastor office, lounge and kitchen were upgraded and are working well.
- Christmas service times: Christmas service times will be: Christmas eve: 4 p.m. and 11 p.m., Christmas day: 9 a.m.
- New door times: Church doors will now lock at 9 a.m. instead of 8:50. The door lock times will be adjusted for the Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services.
2020 Budget:
The council reviewed the proposed budget and with some changes Zach made a motion to approve it and Colleen seconded. The motion carried. Now it will go to the Congregation at the Annual meeting in January for the final review and approval.
**Next council meeting is on January 19, 2020**
Adjournment:
Colleen made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Andy seconded. The meeting was adjourned at 8:51 a.m.
Minutes submitted by:
Colleen Marx
Approved by: The Church council via email.
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Tod ~ David ~ Lorraine ~ Da’Nisha ~ Arlene Rebecca ~ Vern ~ Marlene ~ Audrey ~ Rod
Jeff ~ Steve ~ Janice ~ Ryann ~ Diana ~ Betty
Kathy ~ Don ~ Terri ~ Mary ~ Bob ~ Tom
Joan ~ Pastor Sue ~ Patrice
Due to privacy laws, last names cannot be printed on the prayer list because the Eagle goes on the church website which can be viewed by anyone on the Internet.
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Visitation List:
If you know someone who is ill/homebound that you would like to add to Pastor Mike's Visitation List,
please contact the office
(include a contact number and address).
Building Use Form:
If you would like to use the Fellowship Hall, please fill out the
Building Use Form
and return it to the office. We require a completed form for all events in the Fellowship Hall that are not related to EUCC
(if you are planning multiple events, i.e. a recurring meeting, you only need to fill the form out once.)
Newsletter Articles
are due to the
office
on the 3rd Tuesday of the month (unless posted otherwise); be sure to check the calendar for the month’s due date. Please also share any pictures for inclusion!
Weekly Bulletin Announcements
are due to the
office
by Tuesday mornings.
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Ebenezer Office Hours:
Monday - Thursday 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
(920) 849-4331
Pastor's Ebenezer Hours:
Monday 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Tuesday 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Wednesday 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Thursday 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
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Pastor's St. John Hours:
Monday 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Tuesday 1:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Wednesday 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Thursday 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
2111 Church St
New Holstein, WI 53061
(920) 898-4259
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Pastor's Cell Phone: 920-286-1956
Please make sure to write a note on the pad
on Sunday mornings if you need to communicate with the office. Pastor Mike is a little preoccupied on Sundays, so use this pad to assure these tasks are completed. Thank you!!!
Please schedule any appointments with Pastor Mike through the
office
.
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Denton Aebischer: Jan 2
Melanie Dvorak: Jan 6
Linda Dorn: Jan 6
Carolyn Platner: Jan 6
Janice Kloehn: Jan 8
Ashley Ditter: Jan 15
Sandy Dietz: Jan 21
Marshall McGinnis: Jan 22
Tiffany Porsche: Jan 22
Herb Woelfel: Jan 23
Owen Zwetow: Jan 28
Kash Payne: Jan 28
Jarrid Kress: Jan 28
Natalie Adamietz: Jan 31
Claudia Brown: Jan 31
May God bless your years and may you continue to bless Ebenezer!
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- Become a member of the Church Council; see Kari Meyers for details!
- St. Peter's UCC (Kiel) is holding a Blood Drive on Saturday, December 28 from 7:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. To make appointments, or click on the Bll call 877-232-4376. Walk-ins also encouraged.
- Join the Men's Breakfast on Thursday, January 9 at 8:30 a.m. at 7 Angels!
- Come have lunch with the Women's Guild on Thursday, January 16 at 1:00 p.m. at 7 Angels; all are welcome!
- The church office will be closed December 24 - December 30.
- Open office hours are:
- Tuesday, December 31 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
- Thursday, January 2 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
- January 3: Deadline for Annual Meeting Committee Reports.
- See the board for information on the January StrongBodies 20-week class!
- A list of needed items for Pillars Adult & Family Shelter has been added to the board.
- The Memory Cafe meets on the second Thursday of the month at the Chilton Public Library - see the board for details!
- Did you know the Chilton Library delivers? Learn more from the flyer on the board!
- Information about The Appleton Visually Impaired Support Group is located on the bulletin board for anyone interested in the topic of vision loss.
- The January/February Upper Room devotional guide is available in the Narthex book rack. Help yourself!
- A pew card for those that give electronically is available for placement in the offering plates on Sunday morning.
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Weather Closing
:
If the Chilton Schools are closed due to weather, the office will also be closed. If there are any events scheduled, they are also cancelled (this includes Confirmation, The Wired Word, etc.)
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