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SIERRA LUTHERAN CHURCHDecember 2011
AN EARTHY ANCESTRY
Christmashave you ever considered Matthew 1:5-6a a vitally importantpart of the Christmas story? Not too exciting when you read this part of
the genealogy of Jesus Christ . . . Salmon the father of Boaz, whose
mother was Rehab. Wait a minutewas that Rehab the prostitute in the
book of Joshua? She is in the line of David and Jesus? Youve got to bekidding!
I find it all the more exciting that God chose the most unlikely charactersin the Bible to bear the gospel message of salvation in Jesus. I recently
saw a play called Rehab, and was reminded what a key role she playedin the whole salvation story. Rehab was a prostitute who hid the Israelite
spies before the great battle of Jericho. Because of her cooperation withthe Israelites, the first major battle for Canaan and the Promised Land
paved the way for numerous victories and the subsequent settling of the
land. Obviously, Rehabs life was redeemed, giving birth to thehonorable Boaz who married Ruth, and the story goes on through the line
of the great King David.
The Christmas story is all the more credible when you think of how God
orchestrated the entry of His Son into the womb of the Virgin Mary.
Born of human flesh, this baby Jesus was thrust in the middle of sinful
humanity. I find it amazing that God didnt line up a group of righteous
and holy men and women to pass the clean genes to one generationafter another until Jesus. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us,
the gospel of John proclaims. Though sinless, Jesus was not spared theassociation with sinful and imperfect peoplepeople like you and me.
NE
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Can we human beings grasp all of this, that He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us allhow will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things? (Romans 8:32) What a gift we receiveonce again this Christmasone who identifies with us, one who understands us, one who loves us, one who
forgives us and who gives us eternal life through faith in Him. Celebrate the good news of great tidings thefirst shepherds experienced that Holy Night. He is one of us, the incarnate onehuman all the way, yet fully
Godpowerful to defeat all our enemies, even death itself. What a giftGod is realthere is no doubt about
it. Merry Christmas!
Pastor John
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CHRISTMAS SCHEDULE
Be sure to invite your friends and family to our Christmas services this year:
Christmas Eve Festival Service 7:00 p.m., Saturday, December 24. Join the Praise Team as we sing thesongs of Christmas to the glory of God. Lynda Qualls will enthrall the children as they gather around the
Christmas tree for another story of Christmas. Join the praise team in a contemporary Christmas program using
the music of Todd Agnew. We conclude by lighting our candles to the tune of Silent Night.
Christmas Day service 9:00 a.m., Sunday, December 25. Were not cancelling our Sunday service; instead,
we will celebrate a SINGLE SERVICE SUNDAY in a simple, beautiful way as we celebrate Christs birth.Holy Communion will be served.
MICHAEL KINGSLEY HERE JANUARY 1
January 1, 20129:00 a.m., SINGLE SERVICE SUNDAY. Rev. Michael Kingsley will be our pulpit guest
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VICE PRESIDENTS REPORT
A GHOST STORY
I know that Halloween is over, but boys and girls gather around the campfire and listen to this ghost
story. Let me begin by reminding you that I graduated from the United States Military Academy,
commonly known as West Point. The Cadet motto is Cadets will not lie, cheat or steal, and as a group
are probably the most stable and intelligent college students in America. But those same Cadets will tell
you that West Point (founded on the ground of a famous Revolutionary War Fort) is haunted. And I
believe that it is.
During the winter of 1988 I visited a classmate and close friend who was the Commandant (one stargeneral) of the Academy. I stayed at his quarters, which is a stately mansion located next to the
Superintendents (three star general) quarters. Late in the evening, my friend began to tell me about the
unexplained happenings that the Superintendent was observing. In the basement of the quarters is a
room that a very famous early superintendent (Silvanus Thayer, The Father of West Point) used as his
office and sleeping quarters. The then present-day Supe would frequently go down to the room and
find it in disarray. Even though the room was locked, and the locks changed, the room would become
disheveled after it was cleaned and locked. The general stopped visiting the room and was convinced itwas haunted.
I had heard of many ghost stories when I was a Cadet. The most famous happening occurred in a
room next to where I had lived. A number of Cadets actually observed an apparition which cannot be
explained away, except as a supernatural appearance. They saw a ghost. I did not, but I believe the
stories. For a very detailed report of their stories look it up on the Internet at Ghosts of West Point
(http://westpointaog.org/ghosts).
But why am I telling you this? Remember the ghost story of the disciple Thomas refusing to believe
that the figure in front of him was the resurrected Christ? Thomas would not believe it until he placed
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Merry CHRISTmas from your youth! This month is jam-packed with fun for ourkids. On December 13th we will be walking Christmas Tree Lane. (Volunteers todrive would be greatly appreciated.) On December 17th is the annual ChristmasCaroling at Donna Henriksons home. This is a great event that the whole church
is invited to. (Kids and Adults alike.) On December 19th
we will have our firstCooper Christmas Bash at the home of Dennis and Jennifer Cooper. This is asemi-formal event for our kids. We are also going to be having our annualviewing of the Nativity Story on the last Monday night before Winter Break, dateTBA. Everyone is invited to view this amazing film that reminds us of the REALmeaning of CHRISTmas.
New this year, we will be teaming up with the Church of Tollhouse for a great
New Years Event! Details TBA.
Some of you may have heard that, because of recent cutbacks, I have had to findanother (temporary) job. I plan to still be VERY involved with our youth, doingeverything that I was doing before. I will still be having Monday night youthgroup on every Monday that is not a holiday, and my wife, Samantha, will beteaching the youth on Sunday mornings, using a message that we have worked
on together. I will also still be visiting the High School and Jr. High campus onmy days off. God still has given me a calling for the youth here at SLC, so I amconfident that He will show me the way to make this all happen.
If you are interested in volunteering with our youth program, please let me knowvia email or call me at 559-702-6870. I would love to create a God driven,reliable team to work with our youth during special events.With much love to my church family,
Robert DuPree
Slydude05@gmail com
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Council elections in JanuaryPlease be in prayer regarding who God is callingto fill the open positions on the CongregationalCouncil. Elections will be held at theAnnual Meeting in January. Moreinformation regarding the positions needingto be filled, in accordance with our newlyapproved constitution, will be forthcoming.For now, please pray for Gods directionand guidance as we move forward to implementthis new council. He may be calling youor someone you know to step into thesevacant positions. Please pray for discernmentfor all of us. If you have questions or areinterested in running for office, pleasecontact a member of the nominating committee:
Pastor John, Lori Pape,Sallie Karp, Robert DuPree,Christine OKelley orBev McCann.
Join the ladies ofHope and Joy,Saturday, December 10th,at noon at the homeof Doreen Pickering.Please RSVP to DoreenAt 855-3797.Lunch will be potluckand secret prayer palswill be revealed atthis time.
Our outreach forDecember is ourChristmas family.
Health, Peace, and sweetcontent be yours.~ Shakespeare
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Thank You to Mandi Coburn, the Kitchen Crew, and all theHelpers for putting on another successful Advent Workshop!!!!!
_______________________________________________________________
Advent Workshop in Gods Kitchen was great. Despite the fact that our mighty
leader, Shirley, couldnt be there due to health problems in the family (pleasepray for Jim and Jimmy), everybody worked well together and had a good time.
We had 13 pots of various types and flavors of excellent soup, a table full ofbread, and lots of desserts to satisfy anybodys sweet tooth. Our church family
does come together to provide a feast for all and many people came back formore! Thank you one and all for providing and helping and thanks be to God
KITCHEN CORNER
May the blessing of the Christmas star bring joy to yourholiday and light your way in the new year.
Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying ina manger. (Luke 2:12)
BEST WISHES FROM THE SLC KITCHEN TEAM
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Greetings
My name is Richard D. I represent the Auberry Fellowship of Alcoholics
Health Matters: Flu Season 2011-2012 (reprise)
Once again I want to remind all of you to get the seasonal flu shot. Every person from 6months old to all our elderly should get this immunization. The flu shot protects againstinfluenza B virus and the H1N1 & H3N2, and the influenza A virus. The vaccine becameavailable in October and should be given before December to give the greatest protectionbut it's never too late to get the flu shot.
Check online for Flu shots in Fresno County. Our Prather CVS will give
immunizations. The costs for the flu shot in most areas range from $20 to $30. Manylocal medical offices will administer the vaccine. There may be more sites opening uplater in the month.
In my humble experience, those who get the flu shots regularly have fewer colds (also avirus) or fewer episodes of bronchitis. You should get the immunization if you haveasthma or chronic bronchitis. Make your life a little easier and get theimmunization. Youll be glad you did! Call me if you have any questions: 323-6603 or
765-7364.
Fran Garwick, Nurse Practitioner
BBEE
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Are you just the person weve been looking for?
Do you love helping people especially when it means meeting the needs of people within the
congregation? Do you recognize a new face in our congregation and welcome him or her warmly? Do you enjoy participating in fundraisers or hands-on projects that benefit organizations or
individuals in need within our community? Are you a Thrivent Financial for Lutherans member?
If you said yes to most of those questionsyoure the one! Were looking for people just like you tobe a Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Congregational Advocate for your congregation.
As a Congregational Advocate, you can: Build relationships with congregation members and leadership, and with Thrivent Financial
members and financial representatives. Understand the needs and ministries of the congregation and help find the right charitable,
social and educational solutions to meet those needs and then help make them happen in thecongregation.
Support and promote educational, charitable and social programs offered through ThriventFinancial to bring members together in the congregation.
Interested in helping?Contact your Lutheran Engagement Team, Linda Waage at 916-342-9692 or Mary Morey at 209-551-5528 for more information.
Did you Know?
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SLC Sunday School.
Sunday School 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.Pre-K thru 2nd Grade Room 2
3rd thru 6th Grade Room 3
One Service Sundays Children to be released after the Childrenssermon.
PLEASE JOIN US!
IN GODS GRACE,
Cathy
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Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells,Jingle all the way,
Oh what fun it is to share,a babys on the way!
Celebrating our growing familyProud Grand Parents
David & Becki LaVoy Jordan
CongratulationsMicah & Ciera
(Baby due next summer)
Decembers Birthdays:1 - Becky Jumps 23 - Judy Aylward
Dan Smith7 - Renetta Helms
Joyce Reed 26 - Patrick McGuinnessGloria Williams Evan Pape
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December 2011 Worship Assistants
Dec. 4 Dec. 11 Dec. 18 Dec. 25One Service 9:00am
Altar Guild Shelley/Susan Shelley Shelley/Susan Shelley
Greeters 8:30am Pam & Joyce R. Rod & Marcia Alan & Sue ??
11:00am Stan Jerry & Fran T. George ---
Ushers 8:30am John & Joyce Dave & Joni Chris & Bob ??& & &Fern Mike Joyce R
11:00 am Stan Jerry & Fran T. George ---
Readers 8:30am Alan Chris Nordine ??11:00 am David B. David J. Lynda Q
Gods Word 8:30am ---- ??? ---- ???
Computer 8:30am Sam Sam Sam Shelley11:00am Shelley Shelley Shelley
Communion 8:30am Mike & Joyce R John & Lori ?? Assistants & Debby & Fern
11:00 am T. George Fran
Prayer 8:30am Yes YesStations
If you are unable to serve when scheduled please ask one of the other assistants to trade dates or provide a substitution for you,and notify Worship Coordinator Shelley Telles (855-5703) of the change.
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December 2011
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
16:30pm-Praise Team
Sanctuary
7:00pm-Kitchen Meeting
7:00pm-AA Meeting
Room 2
7:00pm-Everhart-Home
2 3
48:30am-Celebration
Service
10:00am-Sunday School
10:00am-Life Group
Velasquez-Library
11:00am-Heritage
Service
5:30pm-College Group
53:15-7:30pm-Free-Falling
(Middle & Senior High
Ministry)
Youth Room
7:00pm-AA Meeting
Room 2
612:30pm-Womens
Group- Library
6:15pm-Co.D.A.-Library
7:00pm-Life Group
Bookwalter Home
712:00 noon-Mens Prayer
MeetingBig Ds
7:00pm-Life Group
Pape Home
7-8:00pm Beginning
GuitarT. George
86:30pm-Praise Team
Sanctuary
7:00pm-AA Meeting
Room 2
7:00pm-Life Group
Everhart-Home
9 109:00am-Joseph Store
House
9:00am-Clothes Closet
12:00 noon- Hope & Joy
Doreen Pickering for
Location of meeting
118:30am-Celebration
Service
10:00am-Sunday School
10:00am-Life Group10:00am-Life Group
Velasquez-Library
11:00am-HeritageService
5:30pm-College Group
123:15-7:30pm-Free-Falling
(Middle & Senior High
Ministry)
Youth Room7:00pm-AA Meeting
Room 2
1312:30pm-Womens
Group- Library
6:15pm-Co.D.A.-Library
7:00pm-Life GroupBookwalter Home
1412:00 noon-Mens Prayer
MeetingBig Ds
7:00pm-Life Group
Pape Home
156:30pm-Praise Team
Sanctuary
7:00pm-AA Meeting
Room 27:00pm-Life Group
Everhart-Home
Salvation Army
Baskets - Sanctuary
16
Salvation Army
Baskets - Sanctuary
17
Salvation Army
Baskets - Sanctuary
188:30am-Celebration
Service10:00am-Sunday School
10:00am-Life GroupVelasquez Library
11:00am-Heritage
Service
5:30pm-College Group
193:15-7:30pm-Free-Falling
(Middle & Senior HighMinistry)
Youth Room7:00pm-AA Meeting
Room 2
2012:30pm-Womens
Group- Library6:15pm-Co.D.A.-Library
7:00pm-Life GroupBookwalter Home
2112:00 noon-Mens Prayer
MeetingBig Ds7:00pm-Life Group
Pape Home7-8:00pm Beginning
GuitarT. George
226:30pm-Praise Team
Sanctuary7:00pm-AA Meeting
Room 27:00pm-Life Group
Everhart-Home
23 24
Christmas Eve
Festival Service
7:00 p.m.
25
Christmas Day
One Service
Sunday
9:00 a.m.
263:15-7:30pm-Free-Falling
(Middle & Senior High
Ministry)
Youth Room
7:00pm-AA Meeting
Room 2Newsletter Articles Due
2712:30pm-Womens
Group- Library
6:15pm-Co.D.A.-Library
7:00pm-Life Group
Bookwalter Home
289:00am-Food Bank
9:00am-Clothes Closet
12:00 noon-Mens Prayer
MeetingBig Ds
7:00pm-Life Group
Pape Home
296:30pm-Praise Team
Sanctuary
7:00pm-AA Meeting
Room 2
7:00pm-Life Group
Everhart-Home
30 31