Notes of Joy for the Week of November 17, 2019

Our Mission Statement We of Joy Lutheran Church foster  grace-filled relationships with Christ through worship, fellowship, and service. 

Gospel: Luke 21:5-19 The end is near. There is no doubt about it. The warnings are dire. The tone of today’s texts is ominous. But the baptized know how to live in the “meantimes.” The baptized are strengthened for the living of these days in word and sacrament. The baptized rally around the invitation of the apostle: “Brothers and sisters, do not be weary in doing what is right.”

Christmas Cheer for the USS Abraham Lincoln LT. Chaplain Christina Mauntel, USN, (served as pastor in Valdez) asks for our help in providing some Christmas cheer for sailors aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln whose deployment has been extended past Christmas. Some sailors will not receive packages for the holidays due to lack of families or financial resources. Most sailors are 18-24 in age and this is their first deployment. Joy Lutheran is “adopting” 13 sailors and 7 additional service members from another squadron (5 male/2 female). Gift suggestions: *Jerky *Amazon gift cards ($20) *Toothbrushes *Goldfish crackers/pretzels *Q-tips *Letters/cards *Fruit snacks/dehydrated fruit *Candy/mints (no chocolate) *Nuts *Money for phone cards (JLC will purchase these, at $22 each, with your donations as only approved ones bought on a military site can be used.) Bring in any items by Nov. 24th. If you choose a particular individual and fill a box, please leave it unsealed and bring to church by Nov. 24. (They will need to be mailed early to get there by Christmas.)

Pastor Karen’s Schedule Interim Pastor Karen Sonray is now working with us half-time. But if you have a pastoral emergency, she is available any time at 907-434-1862. In general she is coming to Joy on Sunday, Tuesday afternoon 2:00-5:30 pm, and Wed, 9-5 and some Friday mornings.  Pastor Karen will be out of town Nov. 18 - 24 , this trip was scheduled before her appointment as our Interim Pastor. In case of an emergency, Pastor Dan Bollerud has agreed to be available at 306-3047, call or text.

Confirmation Confirmation class is after Sunday worship, from 10:45am - 12 noon. Bring a friend! Women of the ELCA Thanks-offering Service & Luncheon Ladies, you're invited to attend the Women of the ELCA Thankoffering Service and Luncheon at Central Lutheran Church (15th & Cordova in Anchorage) on Saturday Nov. 23rd at 11:00am. Bring a salad topper to share, as salad greens are provided. Open to all ladies of ELCA congregations. You may bring your kids (we have a pray/play space in our Sanctuary) or RSVP before Wed. Nov. 20th to have childcare on site. Special Music If you would like to provide special music on an upcoming Sunday, let the office know or talk with Pastor Karen. Thanksgiving Eve Service We will gather on Thanksgiving Eve for worship at 7:00pm. Please join us for peaceful reflection and thankful prayer before the busy holiday festivities begin.

Advent Wreath Making and Workshop Sunday, December 1st after worship Bring the family!   Bake sale  Fun stations for all ages (note: We are looking for a few folks to staff some stations. Crafts? Face painting? Ideas?)

Holy Communion Training     Saturday, Dec. 14 11:00 am - Elementary age               12 Noon - Kindergarten and under  Would you like Pastor to talk to your child about the meaning of Holy Communion and how we receive this special gift of Jesus? Or is your child in need of a refresher?  You can bring your child Saturday, Dec. 14 th for a short class. We will meet in the Sanctuary and Narthex area. Thank you. If you cannot attend at that date and time, speak with Pastor for a time that will work for you! She is also available by request before or after the midweek Advent soup supper or worship (Wednesday evenings in December before Christmas).

Christmas Lights Pastor is looking for some folks who might be interested in adding Christmas lights out on our western frontage to bring cheer and an invitation of Joy as we prepare to welcome the Christ child. We need to tackle the electricity issue to see if it’s possible to access electricity on that side of the parking lot. Is this something you have interest or expertise in? If so, talk to a Council member or Pastor Karen.

Saturday Morning Work Group is meeting in the morning (Sat., Nov. 16) at 9:00am for breakfast, followed by some church maintenance chores. We'd love to see you there!

We just want to take a moment to say "Thank you!" to Tim from Snowman Snowplowing. Tim was having a very bad day. His truck had a full load of sand and started having engine trouble. He asked if he could sand our parking lots for free to off-load some weight. His brakes also started acting up and he had to call a tow truck. But, our parking lot is looking good! Please say a prayer of thanks and best wishes for Tim (and his truck). He used his bad day as an opportunity to bless others. Couldn't we all use a lot more of that!?!

Thanksgiving Blessing The local Thanksgiving Blessing planning committee is up and running. This year’s event is Monday, November 25 . As the location host, Joy Lutheran Church will again provide coffee, cookies and other snacks for our neighbors, as well as maintaining a welcoming and joyful atmosphere. It is a time to extend our love and fellowship to those whom may not have a home church of their own and/or may be unfamiliar with church.  This year, Joy Lutheran is asked to contribute PEAS (we currently have 215 of our goal of 400 cans) for the meals. We have a great challenge ahead of us, so watch those sales! There's a sign-up sheet on the Opportunities bulletin board if you'd like to volunteer to: provide snacks for waiting guests (cookies, fruit, coffee, cider, etc.); provide "host" presence, refilling snacks, keep the coffee flowing,    monitor restroom supplies, answer building questions, etc.; deliver meals to home-bound neighbors (The number of these varies year to year and are often last minute requests, making planning a challenge. We request 2 people travel and deliver together for safety for all.); monitor exterior access as needed with sand, ice-melt, shoveling; and, assist with kitchen and refreshment cleanup at the end of the event. If you would like to volunteer for one of Love INC's positions, click on the link: https://signup.com/go/hiTVSwV . Love INC is also seeking volunteers to place reminder calls in the days leading up to Thanksgiving Blessing. Callers will begin calling on Wednesday November 20 through November 25.  Please go to the link to signup for all volunteer assignments.  This is an exciting time to meet people and another way to participate.

Meet the Newest Member of Joy Lutheran! The hot water heater that serves the daycare and lower section of the building went out this week. Thanks to the great service from Extreme Heating & Air, we were able to get a new one installed the morning after we called, before it was time to do lunch dishes at JCDC! Our new hot water heater has the most current safety features and will hopefully last a good long time. The technician also replaced, for no additional cost, a few sections of copper piping that had small leaks. The total bill came to $1,600. Quilt Fundraiser This beautiful Quilt was made by Sew for Joy! to go toward an upcoming Fundraiser - to help toward ongoing costs of ministry here. Details TBA.

JCDC is Hiring Preschool Teachers NOW! Joy Child Development Center is accepting applications for teachers.   Must b e 18 y.o. or older. They are most in need of teachers available to start when the center opens at 6:30am, or work a later shift until closing at 6:30pm. If interested or have any questions about qualifications or hours, please contact the director, Robin O’Mara at 694-2755.

Worship Assistant Schedule

Joy of Reading Book Club The Joy of Reading Book Club meets the 3rd Monday of every month and gets started around 6:30 PM. We share a light dinner and then move on to our book discussion. It’s fun and thought provoking! We have all grown from it. November 18 - Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud and the Last Trial of Harper Lee by Casey Cep - Lori Atrops will host. December 16 - The Moment of Lift by Melinda Gates - Sue Weimer will host. January 20 - Oregon Trail by Rinker Buck - Wayne & Judy Rush are hosting.   Everyone is welcome! If you haven’t read the book, just come and enjoy the evening with us.

Lost & Found I have a lovely turquoise earring in the office. Please stop by church to claim.

Joy Church Council Members Sue Weimer Scooter Bentson Clarke Hemphill Tom Bird Debby Bird Dina Torres, Treasurer The next church council meeting is Tuesday, December 10 at 7:00pm.

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