STOP!!! Read This!!!

E-Update

December 18, 2018

Forest Lake, Minnesota

We are called, gathered and sent to be a people living, loving and serving as Jesus did so that all may know Him.

Worship Time

Sundays:

9:00 AM &

10:30AM

Great Hall

Office Hours:

Monday - Thursday

8:30 AM - 4:30 PM

Stay Connected

www.hosannaforestlake.net

Join our email list here

STOP!!! READ THIS!!!

Be Still- to Prepare for Christmas

A Note From Pastor Linda

Dear Busy, Busy Friends~

Think about it. It's no accident that the Advent/Christmas season is the noisiest, busiest, most materialistic and most stressful time of year. It is into this week, the final week of Advent, that we consider these words from the 200-year-old song, Silent Night:

Silent night! Holy night!

Son of God, love's pure light.

Radiant beams from Thy holy face,

With the dawn of redeeming grace,

Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth,

Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth.

What might it look like to BE STILL- if only for a moment of time? What might it look like to STOP and LET GO of one thing.

Psalm 46.10 reminds us:

Be still, and know that I am God!

The command to "be still" comes from the Hebrew root meaning "to be weak, to let go, to release." In Hebrew grammar, when t wo imperative commands are linked- like BE STILL and KNOW- the emphasis falls on the second imperative command. In other words, we are to let go in order to know that God is in control; perhaps even to be available to fully experience God in a manger, the radiant beams from Thy holy face.

STOP! Be still and know...

~Pastor Linda

P.S. Christmas Eve Worship Times: Monday, December 24 at 4 PM in the Great Hall and 9 and 10:30 PM in the Garden Chapel.

Prayer Requests

Comfort and Strength in Cancer Journey

Bill Grimes, father of Ryan Grimes; Megan Olrich Sullivan, family friends of Christenson family; Cindy, mother of Char Houle; Jackie, friend of Elaine Schumacher; Bob Murphy, friend of Mary Gookins; Jeremy; James Henriott; Bria Leisgang, niece of Sharon and Doug Sill; Deb Krinke; Ryder Clark, family friend of Rochelle Busch; Joe, brother of Teresa Bredahl; Beau Anderson, friend of Sill family; Tonya, friend and coworker of Vicki Croce; Beryl, friend of Elaine Schumacher; Terry Longville, friend of Sharon Sill; Bob Rupar

Healing, Recovering or Facing Other Health Issues

Don Moody, brother of Ruth and Marlin Lackas; Laurie Kunze, Niece of Roger and Cindy Kunze; Mike, father of Nick Bredahl; Leah Anderson, granddaughter of Ruth & Marlin Lackas; Hannah Bergan; Doug Sill; Ella Wenzel; Larry, brother of Michelle Spanjers; Marlys & Jerry Berg, sister and brother-in-law of Dave Oster; Leona Lucker, great aunt of James Henriott; Harry Eckert; Jeff Johnson, brother of Julie Ohman; Margot LeBoeuf, neighbor of Mary Thompson; Larry, friend of Elaine Schumacher; Joan Davis, grandmother of Mike Collins; Cole Behnken; Lynda Olson; Alex, niece of Dave and Laura Livermore; Dee Eckert; Dale, friend of Tammy Cortes; Stephanie Lackas, daughter of Ruth & Marlin Lackas; The Oster Family;Ashlyn; Juniper, granddaughter of Buck & Laura Carlson; Laura, mother of James Henriott; Joanne Johnson, mother of Julie Ohman; Sharyn, sister of Barbara Johansen; Matt Anagnostou; Nathan Acker; Dick Westcott; Sharon Kari; Cooper, great-nephew of Mary Gookins

Keep Safe From Harm

Cole Anderson, grandson of Ruth & Marlin Lackas; Adam, grandson of James Henriott

Comfort In Hospice

Steve Kari

Comfort in Grieving

Family and friends of Joan Davis, grandmother of Michael Collins; Family and friends of Josh Diebel, friend of Livermore Family

Advent: 200 Years of Silent Night

200 Years of Silent Night- all is calm, all is bright!
A year after writing the carol, Father Mohr was transferred to the village of Oberndorf in Austria, and it was in St. Nicholas Church in Oberndorf that Silent Night was first sung on Christmas Eve, 1818. This season we celebrate 200 years of Silent Night. Lord knows that we can use more PEACE and CALM and BRIGHT in our world. Join us for worship

Meal Train for the Sill Family

Some of you have asked how you may help Doug and Sharon Sill at this time. A Meal Train site was set up for them. If you are interested in taking them a meal,

click here . Currently, they have a few of their children home and will have more family home by Thursday. There are days available throughout the next few weeks when meals would be greatly appreciated. If you don't find a spot that works for you now, you can check back in a few weeks and more dates will be added to the Meal Train calendar. Contact Kelsey Grachek with questions.

Annual Connect360 Holiday Party

Wednesday, December 19

5:00 pm Dinner
6:00 pm LightHouse Worship - Christmas hymns 'n carols
6:45 pm Christmas Party - Showing "The Star" on the worship side of Garden Chapel. Adult + Kid sock exchange and special cookies!

*For sock exchange bring 1 pair of WRAPPED socks, adults or kid size.

Lutheran Social Services Homeless Youth Basket Collection at Hosanna

Now through December 19

Select a basket or an item off the Giving Tree outside the Great Hall (or two, or three) you would like to get for a homeless youth. You can work independently or get a group of people to contribute to your basket! All items must be new! Drop individual items off at Hosanna. Assemble baskets in a large storage container or laundry basket, as they can be reused, if you are making an entire basket and return it to Hosanna. All items must be returned by December 19. Contact Pastor Jen with questions.

Christmas Eve Worship Services

Monday, December 24

Join us for Christmas Eve Worships on Monday, December 24 at 4 PM in the Great Hall and 9 and 10:30 PM in the Garden Chapel. We will be needing some volunteers for each of these worships. Please contact Kelsey Grachek if you are willing to help.

Church Office to be Closed

Monday, December 24

Tuesday, December 25

Monday, December 31

Tuesday, January 1

The Hosanna office will be closed for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Years Eve and New Years Day to allow our staff to celebrate the holidays with loved ones. The office will be open with regular hours December 26-27 and January 2-3.

Year-End Giving

Dated By December 31, 2018

Friends, there is GREAT JOY in giving. I was reading

The Berenstain Bears and the Joy of Giving to our 3-year-old granddaughter Evie, a Christmas book about the valuable lesson that Brother and Sister Bear learn during the Christmas Eve Pageant. I was caught by surprise when Mama said, "You know what the Good Book says- it is more blessed to give than to receive." To which Brother responded, "We know, we receive an awful lot, so it's time we gave some of it back."

We simply cannot do it without you. Please join Mark and me in making a JOY-FILLED year-end gift to Hosanna's General Fund.

Click Here to Give

Family Movie Night

Wednesday, January 2

Welcome in the New Year with laughs and family fun! The movie will start at 6pm. All ages welcome. Film TBD. Cost is free. You're welcome to bring your own meal or movie night treats. Some snacks will be provided.

Safeguarding God's Children

Sunday, January 6

12PM - 4PM

This is an opportunity for those working in the areas of Children, youth and family to learn about best practices in child safety. This is open to anyone interested and strongly encouraged by church insurers for anyone working with children and youth. If you are interested in attending, please

January Book Club

The Gifts of Imperfection

by Brene Brown

Discussion Date: January 29 at 7pm

at Pastor Linda Friesen's Home

What is it like to live a wholehearted life? Courage, compassion and connection are needed in order for people to live wholehearted lives. They need courage to be vulnerable. They need compassion for themselves and for others. They need to make connections with others in order to both give and receive with an open heart.

Connect360

Registration is now OPEN!

We want YOU to join us for Connect360! Registration is now open on our website! If you haven't joined us for Connect360 Wednesday nights- give it a try!

5:00 pm - Dinner
6:00 pm - Lighthouse Worship
6:45 pm - Life Long Learning (L ³)

Life Long Learning is made up of Faith Formation, Confirmation, Higher Ground and Adult Education.

To receive more information, please contact the Church Office at [email protected]
or register on our website here.