Be Prepared: Christmasize Your Life

As wild winter weather touched our area recently our ears acknowledge the wisdom of the weatherman (obviously a former Boy Scout) when he says: “Be Prepared!”  Good advice for all of us to hear, though we usually wait until the tornado is sighted, or the flood has hit, or the windstorm has passed before we take action. So it is with the biblical warning of Advent: “Be Prepared: Christmasize Your Life”. This is the theme for worship for the month of December at St. John’s and a good warning for the inevitable approaching storms of life: Be Prepared!

Advent is a four Sunday season beginning with a conversation of End Times and End Things. Ironically, Advent is also a season for New Beginnings. So while we hear the warnings that life as we know it on earth is not forever, we are reminded that we do abide in a kingdom that is without end as we welcome the new born King of Kings into our lives.
Join us for worship as we begin this new church year on December 1st and work our way from End Times to the cradle of Christianity in Bethlehem. Here are the topics we will cover:

December 1st - “Predictable Surprises?”
December 8th - “Christmasize Your Life”
December 15th - “Laws for a Healthy Personality”
December 22nd - “The Best Gift”
December 24th at 5pm - “Center Stage”
December 24th at 10pm - “Joy to the World”
December 29th - “Escape to Egypt?”

Calling All Angels!

We invite you to come to the church library any time before December 15th to see the return of the Angel Tree. Once again, you can help brighten the lives of residents in the Mendota Lutheran Home and Heritage Health with gifts listed on the Angel Tree tags. Items needed include unscented lotion, name-brand tissues (they’re softer!), Shower-to-Shower, plain envelopes, stamps, soft candy (regular and sugar-free), microwave popcorn, large-print word search books, men’s and women’s socks, adult XL sweatshirts, all-occasion cards, and memo pads. Instructions can be found by the Tree. Please bring your unwrapped items to the large box in the Fellowship Hall marked “Angel Tree” before December 15th. And then count yourself as a Christmas angel! Thank you!

Pastor's Column
Eagle Sightings by Pastor Dale

**What a splendid response we had as our church members and people throughout the community contributed to Tornado Relief efforts in Washington, Illinois. Jim & Carrie Delhotal and friends filled a trailer and drove it to the relief sites on Thursday, November 21st. When Christians see a need and respond so quickly and generously, God is pleased. Well done disciples!

**Every year about this time the local churches share time in ringing the bell and collecting money at various area locations for the Salvation Army. Money raised goes to a joint fund kept and distributed by the Mendota Police Department to stranded travelers and to residents who have emergency needs. When you hear the bells ringing or see the volunteer standing near the bucket, be generous and know that your gift goes to help others.

**Have you seen the newly published book authored by Rita Randecker with beautiful pictures photographed by our own Doug Ultch?  The book is exclusively about St. John’s stained-glass windows and what they represent.  It’s a magnificent book, well prepared, and worth time to read, digest and enjoy. You’ll never look at those windows the same again. The window over the altar has a greater history than most people would ever know. Talk to Rita if you are interested and thank her for preserving our history so artistically!

**I’ve been asked by the Diakonia and agreed to teach “Luther’s Ethics” this spring in Sterling. “Ethics” is dealing appropriately with good vs. evil, morality vs. immorality, principal vs. emotions. Luther’s ethics includes thoughts about the life of a Christian as a struggle with self and others.  If you’d be interested in casual conversation about Luther’s Ethics, speak with me and perhaps we can have some Table Talks over a cup of coffee with others interested in the subject.

**Warren Holmes is organizing a Clean Up Crew for Saturday, November 30th to help in Washington, Illinois after the tornadoes.  If you can help call Warren at (815) 228- 8244. Thank you for your Christian concern.

**Advent devotionals and Advent family calendars are available on the table in the narthex of the sanctuary for those who are interested.

**When someone refers to “St. John’s” are we thought of more for our mission than just a street address? I hope so!

St. John’s members Jim & Carrie Delhotal, Pastor Peterson, Roberta Wendel, and friend Teresa Knaff work to load the trailer with donations for tornado relief. The people of Washington say “Thank You” and “Please don’t forget about us!” (Thank you to Holland & Sons for the use of the truck and trailer!)

The Mendota Lutheran Home “Holiday Bazaar and Bake Sale” is scheduled for December 12th and 13th from 10am to 4pm. If you would like to provide baked items for the sale as well as any craft or other items, please bring them to the Activity Room anytime on December 11th or before 10am on December 12th. Baked items can be bread, brownies, cookies, pies, etc. Please be sure that items are wrapped for individual sale and labeled clearly. Thank you in advance for supporting this annual event. Additionally, envelopes for donations through the Auxiliary are available in the narthex, church office and the fellowship hall.

The Sunday School Christmas Program “A Night in Bethlehem” will take place on Sunday, December 15th during the 10:30am worship service and will include students from our youngest preschool class through sixth grade.  Some of our High School students will also be involved.  If any of the 7th or 8th grade Confirmation students wish to participate or help out with the program, there are positions available. Contact James Younger (jjyounger@gmail.com) if you have any questions.
We will be rehearsing the program only during the Sunday School Opening and the Sunday School Hour. Therefore, it is very important that your child attends Sunday School these next few weeks leading up to the program so they are able to practice. The younger students will not be wearing costumes for the Christmas program. They are welcome to wear their regular Sunday School attire, or can “dress up” in their holiday clothes if you wish. Following the program, we will all gather in the parish hall for fellowship and cookies. If you would like to donate cookies for the Christmas program reception, please let Kathy Politsch (539-7657) know that you will be bringing them to the kitchen at 9:15am or earlier on December 15th.
The Sunday School teachers will be giving to the Mendota Food Pantry again this year rather than buying gifts for their students. We would like to suggest that our students do the same. There will be collection boxes and a shopping cart located throughout the church to put your canned/boxed food items in during this Christmas season of giving.

YOUTH NEWS

Confirmation Youth — Several Confirmation students along with Pastor and Maria enjoyed the recent “Lord’s Prayer” retreat at Lutherdale. Confirmation students should mark their calendars for the “Apostles’ Creed” retreat scheduled for March 14th to 16th. Hopefully, the weather won’t be quite so chilly then!
We will also be heading to Lutherdale for Confirmation Camp from June 16th to 20th.

“Poured Out 2014”
Middle School Mission Trip
We had a great meeting in November and after much discussion and voting by the students in attendance, we are pleased to announce the destination for our 2014 Mission Trip! We will be heading south to Bayou La Batre, Alabama (Bayou/Alabama Gulf). We also decided that we will serve that community from Sunday, June 29th through Thursday, July 3rd (leaving Mendota on June 28th and returning on July 4th). If you are an 8th grade through high school student and are interested in participating in what will definitely be an awesome trip, please give your $60 non-refundable registration fee to Maria before January 12th. This will reserve your seat in one of the vans. If you have any questions, please see Maria. You can also check out www.youthworks.com for details.

2014 Mission Trip Information —
We had a great meeting in November and after much discussion and voting by the students in attendance, we are pleased to announce the destination for our 2014 Mission Trip! We will be heading south to Bayou La Batre, Alabama (Bayou/Alabama Gulf). We also decided that we will serve that community from Sunday, June 29th through Thursday, July 3rd (leaving Mendota on June 28th and returning on July 4th). If you are an 8th grade through high school student and are interested in participating in what will definitely be an awesome trip, please give your $60 non-refundable registration fee to Maria before January 12th. This will reserve your seat in one of the vans. If you have any questions, please see Maria. You can also check out www.youthworks.com for details.

Spaghetti Supper & Madrigal Singers on Wednesday, December 11th —
Our annual Spaghetti Supper & MHS Madrigals performance is scheduled for Wednesday, December 11th. The freewill offering supper will be served from 5pm to 6:30pm in the Fellowship Hall and the Madrigals will perform at 7pm in the Sanctuary. This event requires a lot of hands to make it successful and we are changing it up a bit from past years to focus more on SERVING our guests. All junior high and high school students (and their parents) are asked to join us on Sunday, December 8th following the 10:30am worship service. We will go over job assignments at this time as well as pre-cook the spaghetti and wrap the silverware.
There are a few items remaining on our “Would You Please Donate” list. Please check with Maria if you are interested in helping out by making a donation.
Thank you in advance for your participation!

Holiday Helpers are Available —
Do you love the Christmas decorations, but don't have the time or energy to put them up? Is your Christmas tree ready to go, but safely tucked away under a sheet in the basement and you need some strong helpers to carry it up for you? Could you use some assistance baking holiday cookies? How about some help addressing your Christmas cards or wrapping gifts?
Your St. John’s Junior High and High School Youth would love to provide some assistance during this especially busy, but cheery time of year. Please contact Maria in the church office or on her cell phone (815) 499-0187 if you would like some help preparing for the Christmas season. We have many youth who are willing to help out!