Sunday Worship Themes

December 3 -

Advent 1: Mary’s Song

Luke 1:46-55

Pastor Phil preaching

December 10 -

Advent 2: Zechariah’s Song

Luke 1:68-79

Pastor Katherine preaching

December 17 -

Advent 3: Choral Proclamation

Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11; Luke 1:46b-55

Adult Choir

December 24 -

Advent 4: Angel’s Song

Luke 2:14

Pastor Phil preaching

Christmas Eve Celebration Service:

Detectives of Divinity

Isaiah 11:1-9; Revelation 21:1-7;

Luke 2:1-20

December 31 -

Sunday after Christmas:

Simeon’s Song

Luke 2:29-32

Pastor Phil preaching

Katherine’s Candor

Throughout the Advent and Christmas season, we look forward to

the opportunity to continue to sing one another’s heart songs with our

congregation’s favorite Christmas music. The music of Christmas

especially evokes meaningful memories, of childhood Christmas Eve

programs, of caroling for friends and family, of beloved Christmas songs

that represent the joy and festivities of the season for us.

The Gospel of Luke seems to lend itself very well to our Advent worship

series, as within the birth narratives of Jesus, there are four songs (known

also as the “Lukan canticles”) sung throughout the two first chapters of Luke.

The first Sunday of Advent will focus on Mary’s Song in Luke 1:46-55

(also known as “The Magnificat”). The second Sunday of Advent will center

around Zechariah’s song from Luke 1:68-79 (also known as “Benedictus”).

For the third Sunday of Advent, the Adult Choir will lead us in worship,

also focusing around the text of Mary’s Song. The fourth Sunday of Advent

will focus on the Song of the Angels from Luke 2:14 (“Gloria in excelsis

Deo”). And the Sunday after Christmas will focus on Simeon’s song from

Luke 2:29-32 (also known as the “Nunc dimittis”), which is sung at the

Temple after Simeon meets the infant Jesus.

If there are Christmas heart songs that are especially meaningful to you,

please let me know, so that we can be sure to sing as many of these favorite

carols as possible during the Advent and Christmas season. We look forward

to singing the songs of the season together in worship, so that we can join in

the song of the heavenly host: “Glory to God in the highest! And on earth

peace, good will to all!”

~Pastor Katherine

Wednesday Evenings at Tabor:

Detectives of Divinity

Christmas at Tabor December 3, 3:30-5:30 pm:

Parsonage Open House

Join us for some fellowship and refreshments

during this festive season! ~Phil and Mary

December 3, 6:30 pm:

Christmas Hymn Sing at Tabor

Please bring cookies for the social to follow.

December 9, 9 am:

Tabor Mennonite Women’s Christmas Breakfast

All women and girls are invited to the fellowship hall

to celebrate Christmas. Karen Andres and Marcene Entz

will bring the program.

December 10, 7pm:

Goessel Community Christmas Brass at Alexanderwohl Mennonite

Come enjoy an evening of fellowship and with the McPherson

Community Brass Choir under the direction of Jerry Toews along

with the Goessel High School Elbiata Singers under the direction of

Andrew Voth! An offering will be received during the service to

support the ministries of the Goessel Ministerial Alliance.

December 17: Choir Program during Morning Worship

The Adult Choir will proclaiming the Good News through song.

December 24, 6:30 pm:

Christmas Eve Celebration Service: Detectives of Divinity Come early to hear the piano and organ prelude by many different children.

December 30:

Worship followed by Fellowship Time.

Service begins at 10 am. Please bring Christmas goodies to share.

Christmas Giving Opportunities

Christmas Giving Tree The Goessel Ministerial Alliance Christmas Giving Tree project: Tags will be available on the tree at the Crossroads Credit Union on November 28 and gifts are to be returned by December 15. Here is an opportunity to help everyone have a blessed and happy Christmas!

Tabor Church Food Pantry Gift boxes will again be assembled for families that we have assisted through-out the year. Your gifts of food and mon-ey will go to help fill the boxes and pur-chase hams, fruit, and gift cards to Keith’s Foods to be used for perishable items. If you would like to assist with packing boxes, call the church office for details.

Advent Giving: MCC Relief Kits Multiple situations of crisis around the world such as Syria, Iraq and Ukraine have depleted MCC's warehouse inventory. Please help MCC replenish its supply to continue responding to needs around the world. Relief kits provide valuable supplies to families whose lives have been disrupted by war or disaster. Items for MCC Relief Kits will be collected throughout Advent. Shopping lists are in your church mailboxes. Please bring items to give during the Sunday morning offering or place in the basket in the foyer.

Christmas Eve Offering will be received to help with shipping costs for MCC Relief Kits. Please make checks payable to Tabor Mennonite Church with MCC Relief Kits on the memo line.

Phil’s Ponderings:

‘Tis the Season…for Giving

Throughout the months of November and December each year, we are

each presented with many opportunities to give money and items to support

many wonderful and worthwhile causes. In the past weeks, we have had

opportunity to give money to support the Tabor Mennonite College Task

Force, Bethesda Home, the “whale” playground at Camp Mennoscah, the

Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Meat Canner, the church budget,

the building project, the Goessel Ministerial Alliance, and purchasing toys

for refugee children in Ecuador. In the coming days and weeks, we will

have more opportunities to give: to the church building project and budget,

to support our Mennonite Mission Network Mission Partners, for MCC

Relief Kits, to the Tabor Food Pantry, and to the local Christmas Giving

Tree project. And, in addition to all of this, many local organizations are

requesting financial contributions on “Giving Tuesday” and throughout

December as they near the end of their fiscal years. ‘Tis the Season…for

Giving, not to mention all the Christmas gifts that will be purchased and

given away in coming weeks.

While all of these many opportunities to give money and items may seem

overwhelming to many people, I choose to see this season of giving as a

gift. This is a season in which we are constantly reminded and encouraged

to give generously to support other people and ministries taking place both

locally and globally. In the midst of a culture where so many people focus

on themselves, this is a season to focus our time, attention, and money on

others. And, this season of giving reminds me that our church budget that

we just passed at our congregational meeting does not accurately reflect the

complete benevolent giving of our congregation. Yes, we support many

worthwhile ministries through our church budget. And, we also support

many other worthwhile ministries beyond our church budget! This season

of giving is a gift, a reminder to think beyond ourselves and give what we

can to support others.

Thinking of gifts, the Advent and Christmas season is the time each year

when we reflect on God’s greatest gift given to humanity: the gift of Jesus,

God’s Son, the Messiah. In this season, we anticipate celebrating the birth

of Christ Jesus, who came as a helpless baby and then fled as a refugee,

who lived in poverty throughout his life, who taught and embodied the

ways of God’s upside down kingdom through service, compassion, and

love, who died a shameful death. In this season of giving, we celebrate

Jesus, who gave his whole live for the benefit of others and also taught us

how to truly give. You see, Jesus didn’t call us to give 10% of our time,

talents, and treasure. Jesus didn’t ask us to follow him half way. Jesus

called us to give our whole lives to follow him, to proclaim and embody

God’s kingdom like he did, to serve others with compassion and grace.

Jesus called us to give 100%, which impacts all that we are and all that we

do and say. Therefore, in this season of giving, as we anticipate celebrating

the birth of Christ, let us continue giving generously to support many

worthwhile ministries, and let us give our whole selves to following Jesus

and living the way of Love.

~Peace, Pastor Phil

Karina Brandt: Journey International

Christmas in Ecuador:

“Karina says one of the main things she wants for Christmas is just mail and communication from home,” says, Jill, Karina’s mom. “We’re finding that mail takes weeks or more.”

Consider sending Karina a Christmas card and/or a note along with good wishes. Her address is:

Karina Brandt Cond. Puertas de Hierro, Casa 5 Ave. Galo Plaza Lazo No. 45-310 Código Postal 170503 Sector el Inca Quito Pichincha Ecuador

MCC

Meat

Canning

1 2

3 5 6 7 8 9

10 11 12 13 14 15 16

17 18 19 20 21 22 23

24 25 26 27 28 29 30

31

Pastor Rosie

Sabbatical begins

and continues

through March 1

Deacon

Christmas Party

9:30 am

Worship

10:45 am FF

3:30-5:30pm

Parsonage Open

House

6:30pm

Christmas Hymn

Sing

9:15 am

Community Prayer

10 am

Staff Meeting

Wednesday

Evening Activities

TMYF:

Giving Tree

Shopping

12 pm

Newton Lunch

Bunch

9am

Tabor Mennonite

Women

Christmas

Breakfast

9:30 am

Worship

10:45 am

Faith Formation

6:30pm

Christmas Brass

9:15 am

Prayer

10 am Staff Mtg

11:30 am

Tabor Ladies

Lunch Bunch

Wednesday

Evening Activities

TMYF:

Caroling

TMYF:

Christmas Party

9:30 am

Worship

Choir Proclaimation

10:45 am

Faith Formation

9:15 am

Community Prayer

10 am

Staff Meeting

Wednesday

Evening Activities

10 am

Stories & Stuff

Newsletter Items

Due

5-6pm

Commodity

Distribution @

Goessel Church

9:30 am

Worship

10:45 am: FF

6:30 pm

Christmas Eve

Celebration Service

Rusten Schroeder & Susan Merrifield December 10, 17 yrs.

Stan & Nancy Ediger December 16, 55 yrs.

Warren & Sheri Schmidt December 16, 28 yrs.

Alvin & Wilma Schmidt December 20, 65 yrs.

Larry & Dora Goerzen December 26, 45 yrs.

Bill & Sherry Unruh December 27, 31 yrs.

Brent & Pamela Abrahams December 27, 17 yrs.

Dan & Kathryn Smith Derksen December 27, 19 yrs.

Cleo & Faye Koop December 28, 43 yrs.

John & Laura Goerzen December 28, 3 yrs.

1 - Lavonne Hermstein

Mandy Funk

2 - Susan Goerzen

3 - Clifford Bartel

Mary Alderfer

4 - Darrel Schroeder

5 - LeNora Duerksen

Helen Schmidt

7 - Mark Seibel

8 - Ron Goerzen

Marcia Zuercher

Sarah Goertzen

Abigail Johnson

10 - Teresa Kennedy

Sharon Schroeder

Bob Unruh

11 - Frank Ashley

Venita Schroeder

12 - Nathan Ensz

13 - Rollin Schmidt

15 - Devin Schroeder

Corynn Nickel

16 - DeLome Schmidt

Dale Alderfer

Sheldon Goerzen

19 - Kent Jantz

Logan Wulf

Philip Schmidt

21 - Stan Goertzen

Mary Schmidt

22 - Joshua Goertzen

23 - Sophia Abrahams

24 - Grace Regier

Vickie Schmidt

Sherry Unruh

Denise Nickel

Alex Drake

25 - Brooke Haxton

26 - Brenda (Rollin)

Schmidt

Duane Adrian

Lina Unruh

28 - Deanne Franz

Shane Goerzen

Colton Diller

Ruth Peters

Daniel Graber

29 - Kristie Graber

Carolyn Schmidt

30 - Phyllis Regier

Eldon Pankratz

31 - Ben Schmidt

Tabor Church Calendar

Bulletin announcements are due on Thursday mornings, 8am.

10 am

Worship

Christmas

Fellowship to

follow worship

Tabor Serves at New Hope Shelter

Pastor Phil on vacation

Pastor Katherine on vacation