FLC Mid Week Announcements

Worship Times:

Wednesday: 6:15pm

Saturday: 5pm

Sunday: 8:15am & 10:15am

All Worship Services are Live Streamed on Facebook Live.

https://www.facebook.com/

FLCBlair/

Office Hours

Monday-Thursday: 8:30am-4:30pm

Fridays: 8:30am-3:00pm

Phone Number

402-426-4073

Church Office Closed

The Church Office will be closed on Tuesday, December 26th and Monday, January 1st. If you have any questions please contact the church office at (402) 426-4073.

Mark Your Calendars!

Christmas and New Years Schedule

Wednesday, December 20th      6:15pm

The Longest Night Worship

(No LIFE Night Classes)

Thursday, December 21st          11:00am

Senior Citizen Worship & Lunch

Saturday, December 23rd           5pm

Sunday, December 24th            9:30am (Advent Service)

Christmas Eve Worship          4pm-Praise Band, Bell Choir,

                                                  and Brass Quintet

                                                 6pm-Brass Quintet

                                                  10pm-Chancel Choir

Monday, December 25th          10am

Christmas Day                        

Wednesday, December 27th      No LIFE Night

(No Worship Lab or Classes)

Saturday, December 30th           5pm

Sunday, December 31st             8:15am & 10:15am

Wednesday, December 20th

A special observation: The Longest Night Worship

Not everyone is up and cheery for the Christmas holidays. Dealing with the death of a loved one, facing life after divorce or separation, coping with the loss of a job, living with cancer or some other disease that puts a question mark over the future, and a number of other human situations make parties and joviality painful for many people in our congregations and communities. This special worship service speaks to the needs of people who find themselves somewhat blue at Christmas. You will find this worship to be reflective, accepting where we really are, and holding out for the Christmas promise of healing and hope.

End-of-the-Year

Contributions

In order for you to claim a deduction for contributions made to First Lutheran Church during 2023, the church office must receive your contribution by December 31, 2023. All contributions placed in the offering plates on any of the Christmas services will be recorded as 2023 contributions.

 If you are hand-delivering checks, please have them to the church office by 3:00pm on Friday, December 29. All checks must be dated in 2023 and if mailed, must be postmarked no later than

 December 31. First Lutheran Church will be

following these tax rules

when posting receipts. 

Offering Envelopes

The 2024 Offering Envelopes are out for you to pick up. The Offering Envelopes are in alphabetical order on the Welcome Center in the Narthex. Please stop by and pick your envelopes up. If you have any questions please contact Dawn in the Church office

at (402) 426-4073. Thank you!

New Christ in Our Homes are here

Christ in Our Homes-If you would like a Christ in Our Homes daily devotional they are available at the Welcome Center in the Narthex and also on the usher table outside of the LIFE Center for January, February, and March. The Christ in Our Homes is a book that has a daily devotional to read and pray. Please stop by and pick one up if you would like or if you need one delivered please call the church office at (402) 426-4073.

FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH

SENIOR CITIZEN

WORSHIP AND LUNCH

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2023

11 AM WORSHIP

with Holy Communion

LUNCH to Follow

Advent theme

In the season of giving presents, how about having some? Being Present in a true gift in this age of great distractions. It’s not healthy, it disrupts life and does not enhance relationships. This year let God give you the gift of Being Present. In this season, we will focus on what it means for us to Pause, to remember our traditions and to be present even when we are on the go. Special reflections and meditations will give you tools to share a very different experience of the season, a gift that will become a permanent joy for the rest of your life.

Church Directories have Finally Arrived!

The Church Picture Directories have finally arrived! They are labeled and you can pick them up in the office. Please stop by and talk to Dawn in the church office to get your picture directory. If you have any questions please call the church office at (402) 426-4073.

In the next several months it is our goal to educate the congregation on the

activities of the Committees at First Lutheran. We will plan to highlight the

activities of one of these committees each month. In doing this we will plan two separate activities for each committee. These include:

1. A presentation by the committee chair person or representative of the

committee to the Church Council regarding the committee’s activities. This

would include the goals of the committee, who makes up the committee,

what some of the activities of committee are, and how the Church Council

could assist the committee in their work.

2. Following the presentation to the Council, a short summary of the

committee’s activities will be included in the weekly E-Blasts sent to the

congregation.

The goal of this summary again will be to highlight the activities of the committee and hopefully increase the interest in the committees by the congregation and possibly help In the recruitment of the members to the committees.

This month's report is from the Children's Ministry Committee. Please click button below to view the Children's Ministry

Committee Report.

Social Concerns Committee:

This is just an update on the total contributions received for our Church World Service (CWS) sponsored Blair Hunger CROP Walk on October 8.  Twenty-six walkers raised $3,362 for world hunger! Our heartfelt thanks goes to all who either walked or contributed! We do not yet have totals from our ELCA World Hunger emphasis. It is not too late to contribute if you have not already done so. Please make your checks out to First Lutheran Church with ELCA WORLD HUNGER on the memo line, and either turn your gifts in at the office or mail them to FLC.  Our Lord is calling us to respond to the needs of the world NOW especially with the tragic wars that are going on and the food scarcity due to natural disasters and climate change, for "Inasmuch as you have done it to the least of these who are members of my family, you have done it onto me" (Mt. 25:40b).  

Our CHRISTMAS ALTERNATIVE GIFT EXHIBIT is now in the narthex and is available for your perusal and shopping pleasure through December 22.  There are more than 50 gift options available for that "person who has everything" but whom you would like to honor. We are especially focusing on the Washington County Food Pantry, God's Global Barnyard, Lutheran Family Services, and Oaks Indian Mission this year. Any gift you chose will accomplish two things--honor your loved one and do something helpful for someone in need.  Also Equal Exchange Fair Traded products--coffee, tea, chocolates, and nuts are again being offered. These items can make great "stocking stuffers."   

Also please note the WINTER OUTERWEAR INGATHERING which will begin on December 2nd and continue throughout December for Joseph's Coat and Open Door Mission.  Please bring new or gently used winter coats, gloves, mittens, caps, and socks. You will find the receptacle for receiving these items in the narthex. 

The SOCIAL CONCERNS COMMITTEE is seeking new members! If you are someone who is interested in reaching out to help others in our community, our country, and our world this committee is for YOU.  For more information please contact Eric Filows (402-739-0978), Lynette Jennings

(402-278-0164), John Mark Nielsen (402-427-4443), or Jim Peterson (402-426-2716).  

Do you participate in our online worship services?

If you watch our services on Facebook or other sites, please like the post or leave a comment each time. This will help us improve our accuracy in attendance numbers at First Lutheran.

W.O.W. Meal is back on Wednesdays!

No W.O.W. Meal this Wednesday,

December 20th!

Rushed on Wednesdays? 

Let us do the cooking!

Join us for the W.O.W. Meal

in the Fellowship Hall from 5:30 pm – 6:15 pm

prior to Worship Lab.

** Free-will offering **

  Come at 5:30 to fuel your body and then

stay for Worship Lab at 6:15

to feed your soul.

Choir News

Could the Spirit be calling you to add your voice to the choir?

If so, we can promise with great certainty:

You will feel welcome, comfortable, and involved 

The choir began rehearsals on Tuesday, September 5th at 6:30 pm in the choir room (take the elevator to the second floor and turn left).

Regular attendance is encouraged but don't be discouraged if you can't make it each week.

You are welcome to join as often as you can.

For more information and questions, contact Vince at VKrysl@firstlutheranblair.org

Come, join us in making a joyful noise!

Women's Bible Study

The Friday Morning Women’s Bible Study will begin Season 2 of the series “The Chosen”. This study will combine the movie with eight sessions in a study guide. This Bible study meets on Friday mornings from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m. in the Ark, which is in the lower level of First Lutheran. If interested in coming to this Bible study, contact Susie Pinquoch at (402) 426-8182 or spinquoch@gpcom.net.

WE NEED COOKIES/BARS

FOR DECEMBER!

We are needing cookies for December!

Please help if you can!

The Mid Week Meal needs your help.

We serve 240 people EACH WEEK.  That's 20 dozen cookies/bars EACH WEEK.

Please sign up to provide a treat for these folks!! We are especially in need in December.

Signup here or call Erika

(402-533-0918):  https://signup.com/go/hfewWuF

Pastor Glen's contact information

Pastor Glen's email is pastorglen@firstlutheranblair.org and his cell phone number is (402) 740-6395

if you need to contact him. 

Wednesday, December

20th, 2023

We will be serving Creamy Chicken Casserole, fruit, and dessert.

WE REMEMBER IN OUR PRAYERS

Please keep these people in your thoughts and prayers