Our Mission Statement
We of Joy Lutheran Church foster
grace-filled relationships with Christ
through worship, fellowship, and service.
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Notes of Joy - Week of December 13, 2020
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“Rejoice always,” begins the reading from 1 Thessalonians. Isaiah and the psalmist make clear that God is turning our mourning into laughter and shouts of joy. “All God’s children got a robe,” go the words of a spiritual. It is not so much a stately, formal, pressed outfit as it is a set of party clothes, clothes we are happy to wear. We receive that robe in baptism, and in worship we gather for a foretaste of God’s party. |
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Holy Communion will be offered Sunday, Dec. 13th in 2 ways:
- At our 9:30 AM Worship, and
- At a "Drive In" Communion opportunity 11:30-12 Noon - West Parking Lot
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Sunday, Dec. 13 Worship
In-person and Online
Third Sunday of Advent
Our Sunday worship will be available LIVE on the Facebook app only beginning at 9:30am; the recorded service can be viewed on Facebook any time after 10:15am.
Note: A link to our mitigation rules is below. We are wearing masks, practicing 6ft distance in chairs, and keeping services short due to COVID-19. We are being very safe - if you’d like to worship with us, please try it out!
Note: Churches are still being allowed half capacity at their gatherings, with 6 ft distance. (They are in a different category than other gathering groups both due to freedom of worship but also the infrequency of our gatherings).
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Mid-Week Advent Services: Holden Evening Prayer
Did you see the first two Midweek Advent Services?
They are posted on our Joy Lutheran Facebook page. They will be posted every week on either Tuesday or Wednewday and will remain there so you can access it at a time convenient for you.
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Window Painting this Sunday
The Sunday School activity this week is window painting. Please have kids bring an apron or wear older clothes. Any adults who would like to stay after worship to take on a window or help clean up after Sunday School are welcome!
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Is anyone able to offer a special music number at the 5:30 pm Christmas Eve service? |
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Our Christmas Film
We are excited to see the upcoming film that the children and youth are making to tell the Christmas story! A big thank you goes to Cynthia Oistad and Katie Lanehart who approached Megan Bladow, the director of TBA Theater Company, and asked if she would help put this film together.
The plan as of now is to show the Christmas Film twice:
9:30 am Sunday Service, Dec. 20th (Tentative)
5:30 pm Christmas Eve, Dec. 24th
The TBA Theater Company (non-profit) has given hours of their time and expertise to put together our Christmas Film "Pageant" this year. Special donations appreciated. Earmark your check for TBA, or give electronically (see Joy's website), select "special offering" and send an email to joylutheran@gmail.com stating it is for TBA.
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CHRISTMAS EVE Plans - Thursday, Dec. 24th
5:30 pm Shortened Family Service with Candle Light
- Showing of the Christmas Pageant Film by our very own youth and children
8:00 pm Outdoor Shortened Worship (around a Fire Ring)
- Litany/ Prayer, Candle light and Christmas carols
- In our EAST (upper) parking lot (Please park in the WEST (lower) parking lot so there will be no cars in our outdoor "worship space")
We would like you to SIGN UP for the indoor service as space is limited. A signup sheet is on the Opportunities bulletin board in the upper narthex, or email us at joylutheran@gmail.com
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Children's Message - Saturday at Noon
Pr. Karen records a 3-5 minute message for young people each week. The Children's Message is available on Facebook every Saturday at noon. Click the Facebook link above.
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Food Pantry needs donations... Its a rough time of year for many families. Bring donations (chili, soup, meats, TP especially needed) to the Church or write a check and earmark it for the Chugiak-Eagle River Food Pantry.
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Poinsettias
We are ordering 12 potted poinsettias for the Christmas Eve altar. If you’d like to sponsor one of them, please sign up on the Opportunities bulletin board. They are $15.
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Ice Candle Luminaries Needed
Pastor Karen is hoping to arrange "ice candles" in our outdoor worship space on Christmas Eve. The more the better. Have you ever made any or are you willing to try it and bring some that day in advance so she can arrange them? Please speak with or email her if you are interested. They are frozen ice shapes that we can place candles in. There are several YOUTUBE tutorials you can look up.
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Sunday School
Sunday School continues and we’d like to thank all of you who are helping and all the parents for bringing their kids!
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Joy of Reading Book Club
The Joy of Reading Book Club will have ZOOM-only meeting for December.
Marty and Lori Atrops will be sending out the ZOOM information. The date will be Monday, December 21 and will start at 6:30 PM. Although we are sad to give up our in-person meetings, a ZOOM meeting will still allow us to talk books and maybe more people will feel comfortable joining. Our tenacity is impressive!
The book for December is The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes by Anna McPartlin.
Coming up:
January – Jimmy Bluefeather by Kim Heacox
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COMING UP:
Sunday, Dec. 13 -- Holy Communion will be served in-person & drive-up
Wednesday, Dec. 16 -- Midweek Advent Worship Online
Sunday, Dec. 20 -- Worship with viewing of Christmas Film
Monday, Dec. 21 -- Joy of Reading Book Club via ZOOM
Thursday, Dec. 24 -- Christmas Eve Worship (5:30 & 8:00)
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The next church council meeting will be Tuesday, January 12, 2020 at 7:00pm. |
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