Our Mission Statement:

Saint Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church, in the name of Christ,

cares, shares, and provides Christian growth opportunity to our community.

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

God’s Work. Our Hands

It is important for us in the busy season

leading up to Christmas that we pause

and reflect on what Christmas is all about.

This year’s theme focuses on The

Magnificat.

All Advent offerings and meal offerings

will go to Second Chance Building Fund.

Lunch will be served in the Fellowship Hall each Wednesday following the 10 a.m. service. Please join us!

Newsletter of Saint Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church, La Grange, Texas

Advent Services will be held Wednesdays during Advent

10:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.

December 5, 12, and 19

2018 Christmas Worship Schedule

Monday, December 24

5 p.m. LYO Candlelight Christmas Eve Worship Service

9 p.m. Candlelight Christmas Eve Worship Service

Sunday, December 25

9 a.m. Christmas Worship Service

A Message from your Pastor:

I’m not going to lie, I started playing Christmas music this year right after Halloween. There, I said it. God forgive me, but sometimes it’s so easy to get caught up in the negativity around us. The struggles in our lives are real, the hardships of many almost unbearable. Sometimes we just “need a little Christmas.” I suppose that’s why so many people turn to Hallmark movies. I joke with people about the plots always being “the same” and the end eerily similar, but for a moment it takes us away from the realities of our everyday lives—nothing wrong with that! When Mary arrived to visit with her relative Elizabeth, Elizabeth’s baby “leaped in her womb” and she (filled with the Holy Spirit) exclaimed, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.” (Luke 1:42-45) Mary’s response is what we call the “Magnificat”: “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.” There was much unhappiness in Mary’s world. They were poor, mistreated by the government and the religious leadership. They were overtaxed and given little to show for it. The pregnancies of Mary and Elizabeth (John the Baptist) were little noticed at the time; but their impact would change the world. The long awaited Messiah was about to come into the world, not as a mighty warrior ready to take the throne, but as a little baby who would eventually die on a cross. What didn’t sound like a good news story turned out the be THE Good News! This Advent season, as we explore the Magnificat during our midweek Advent services, we are invited to place ourselves in Mary’s world and await, not the coming of the Christ child, but his return. Come, let’s wait together! . Thanks be to God, Pastor Candy

TABLE CHURCH December 16

5:30 p.m. Fellowship Hall

Caleb invites you to join us for dinner

and a new way to worship.

Chillin’ with Caleb

Hey St Paul! With November coming to an end, I have much to recap for y’all. To start, the LYO Tamale

Sale ended on the 20th with pickup taking place from 4-6. In total, we sold over 1,600 dozen tamales and

raised over $5,000 for our LYO Group. Thanks to all who supported our Youth via this fundraiser! On the

15th, our Young Adult Group met to celebrate Thanksgiving together (See attached picture below). We had

9 Young People gather in the home of Kyle Hartmann. Truly a wonderful time was had by all. WOW also

met on November 7th and 14

th.

This month in December, we’ll see the LYO have their Progressive Dinner on the 2nd

, Sponsor two

children from the Welfare Board, and assist with the 5 PM service on Christmas Eve. WOW will meet on the

5th and 12

th, with the 12

th being our WOW Christmas Party. Young Adults Group will meet again at the

Hartmann house on the 20th for a Christmas Celebration complete with White Elephant and Hot Cider.

Finally, Table Church will be held in the Fellowship Hall on December 16th. We hope to see new faces join

us there!

Our Young Adult Group

gathering for Friendsgiving!

December Birthdays & Anniversaries

Jim & Carolyn Buchanek Dec 5 31 yrs

Charles & Wendy Friemel Dec 8 8 yrs

Tom & Diana Glynn Dec 10 41 yrs

Tim & Susan Knesek Dec 14 33 yrs

Mike & Paulette Sturrock Dec 22 45 yrs

A. C. & Annazell von Minden Dec 23 64 yrs

Henry & Gladys Weber Dec 27 59 yrs

James & Sharon Elias Dec 31 41 yrs

Scott & Kathy Toensing Dec 31 32 yrs

2 Joy Kuehn, Dawn Porter, Susan Roden

3 Amanda Hunger, Kyla Pietsch, Tootsie Tiedt

4 Colby Jochen, Tracye Jones, Jen Kindsvatter

5 Bea Rost

7 Mindy Davis, Melissa Oehlke, Clay Wolff

8 Emma Fitzpatrick, Marjorie Hackemack, Bill Schneider

9 Kay Dippel, Kayla Elles, Silas Hernandez, Hunter Sabo, Joy Skelton

10 Lance Stancik, Ty Toddy

11 Donnie Dippel, Holly Howard, Alexia Jones

12 Conner Cantwell, Holly Fritsch

13 James Boyd, Scott Byler, Marsha Pietsch

14 Wendy Friemel, David Jochen, Karen Mayer, Candace Halpain

15 Meredith Berger

16 B. J. Moerbe

17 Agnes Hannes

18 Parker Wood

19 Gloria Baumbach, Brandon Byler

20 Rebecca Dittrich

21 Danna Radcliff

22 Byntlee Bishop, Kathie Nitsche

23 Lisa Grimes, Zion Hernandez

24 Destiny Psencik, Raelynn Richter

25 David Ehler, David Schneider

26 Cody Karisch, Matt Miller, Florence Otto

27 Trey Cunningham, Lucille Warnken

29 Paul Mikula, Justin Wright

30 Keslyn Davis, Odis Pfeiffer, Johnnie Roberson, Austin Spann

31 Toni Keilers

Titled “Night of Nights,” this year's Vespers service of word and

music will feature the TLU Choir, TLU Treble Choir, Kantorei

Chamber Choir, and the TLU Symphonic Winds and Percussion.

The music for this service will focus on Advent as a season of

preparation for the coming of the Christ child. In addition, the TLU

Choir will premiere two works for SATB choir and piano four hands:

"In the Bleak Midwinter" by Deb Mayes on the famous text by

Christina Rossetti, and "Where Can I Find Him?" by William Averitt

on a newly composed poem by Dr. Robert Bode. San Antonio

actress, Sam Carter Gilliam, will perform short monologues

between the musical numbers which weave a story and lend

context to the music being performed.

Tickets for each Vespers service are free but required.

Friday, Nov. 30, at 7:30 p.m. in Jackson Auditorium

Saturday, Dec. 1, at 7:30 p.m. in Jackson Auditorium

Sunday, Dec. 2, at 4 p.m. in Jackson Auditorium

Sunday, Dec. 9, at 4 p.m. at St. Martin’s Lutheran Church, Austin

(no tickets required for the December 9 performance)

CHURCH WOMEN UNITED (CWU) TOY DRIVE

December 9 is the last day to bring toys. Please bring new, unwrapped toys for infants-age 14 to the collection box. Please include batteries with toys that require them. Toys will be bagged Tuesday, December 11 at St. Paul, 8:30 a.m. Anyone wishing to help bag toys is welcome. Monetary donations should be sent in check form to: Church Women United, PO Box 56, La Grange, TX 78945. Mannie Fritsch-Schmid and Amalia Woolf are St. Paul’s CWU representatives.

POINSETTIA ORDER FORM

We will order 16 regular size plants (to fill our flower tree stand) and 2 Altar

arrangements.

You may donate in memory of or in honor of loved ones and your name will be

listed in the bulletin like before.

If you’d like to make a donation toward the poinsettias, please do so (you pick

the donation amount). The regular size poinsettias can be picked up (by

anyone that wants them) after the service on Christmas morning.

____________________________________________________________________________(Your Name)

(in memory / in honor of)

______________________________________________________________________________

If your group has a special event planned, let us know by the 20th of the month for inclusion in the

newsletter. Any of these organizations and groups would be pleased to have you become a part of

their ministry and activities. Make plans to attend the next gathering or meeting!

Afternoon Circle meets the first Tuesday, December 4, 2:00 p.m., in the Fellowship Hall for their Christmas party.

Fishers of Men will meet Monday, December 10, 6:30 p.m. at Tim & Susan Knesek’s home for their Christmas party.

Bring a snack to share. You are invited to join us!!

Friends in Faith meet Monday, December 3, 6:30 p.m. at the home of Faith Frerichs. We will make our traditional

fruit baskets, so bring items for the baskets. All are asked to bring snacks to share!! You are invited to join us!

Tacky Tuesday (Lutheran World Relief Quilt-Tacking) will not meet in December. They will resume meeting the third

Tuesday in January, 8 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall. No experience necessary. Join us for fellowship, food and a

worthwhile project.

Come Quilt With Us – Monday Morning Quilters quilt every Monday at 8:00 a.m. Beginners as well as quilters are

always welcomed!! See you in the Quilting Room.

Cut-Ups On Wednesday Mornings—We iron and cut squares the first and second Wednesday of each month for the

LWR quilts. We also prepare the kits for sewing tops. If you have a couple hours or more, join us at 8 a.m. Note: We

will not meet in December, so make plans to come in January!

The Altar Guild meets quarterly. Their next meeting is Tuesday, February 12, 4:00 p.m., in the Friendship Room.

For those who don’t know what the Altar Guild does, they set up communion for each worship service, refill candles after

worship to be ready for next service, change altar hangings & banners, check to see necessary communion supplies are on

hand, make sure Christ Candle has oil, and make sure candle snuffer is free of soot. New members are needed, so if you

would be willing to serve St. Paul as an Altar Guild member, please let the office know! Note, you will NOT be asked to

serve both services a weekend, unless you want to!

LET’S STOCK THE SHELVES AT AMEN FOOD PANTRY

Keeping the shelves full at the food pantry is always a challenge. To help with that, on the second weekend of each month, we will wheel the AMEN grocery cart into the Narthex and ask you to bring a non-perishable food offering to fill it. In October AND November combined, we collected over 200# of groceries! Other times, the AMEN cart is located just inside the double doors under the drive through. If the door is locked, leave your donation beside the door and we will put it in the cart. Monetary donations to the AMEN Food Pantry are always welcome (mark your envelope AMEN).

Please consider feeding those who are hungry.

The church office will be closed Monday, December 24-January 2.

Call Pastor Candy, 979-966-2459, for emergencies.

St. Paul’s Pastor and Staff wish you a safe and

blessed Christmas!

2019 OFFERING ENVELOPE BOXES will be in the Narthex beginning the weekend of December 15/16. Note: All offering received by December 31 or postmarked by December 31 will be reflected on your 2018 Giving Statement.

Confirmation 2018-2019

(Confirmation Class is Wednesdays from 6:00-7:00 p.m.)

Class Dates:

November 7, 14 & 28

December 5, 12 & 19 - (Advent Worship Services)

January 9, 16, 23 & 30

February 6, 13, 20 & 27

March 6, 13, 20, 27 & April 3 - (Lenten Worship Services)

April 17 & 24

May 1 (Confirmation Service Practice)

December: 2 – 4:00 PM LYO Progressive Dinner

5 – 6:30 PM Advent Service

12 - 6:30 PM Advent Service; Shopping for Christmas Gifts for Children after service

19 – 6:30 PM Advent Service

24 – 5:00 PM LYO Christmas Eve Worship Service

The LYO would like to thank everyone that helped with our tamale sale and everyone who purchased tamales!! We are very lucky to have the constant and generous support of our St. Paul church family. We have a few dozen frozen spicy tamales for $10 a dozen - contact the church office. We donated our bake sale proceeds of $274 to the Fayette County Benevolent Society for Deputy C. J. Lehmann.

During this time of year, we publish a list of our senior membership who are homebound or residing in nursing centers. Please consider visiting, calling or sending a greeting card during the holidays (or anytime during the year.) This may be a ministry your family would enjoy together. Contact the church office, 968-5657 or stpaul@cvctx.com, for their home addresses and/or phone numbers. At home: Verlene Citzler, Kay Dippel, Juanita Frels, Monroe Hengst, William & Rose Hunger, Elton & Ruby Jochen, Lorine Kopecky, Rose Mayer, Art & Elizabeth Schneider, Lucille Warnken

Care Inn Nursing Center, 457 N Main, La Grange, TX 78945: Bernice Hengst, Estella Lueders, Glennie Oppermann, Mary Ann Miller, Shirley Spacek, Pearlie Tumis

Monument Hill Nursing Center, 120 State Loop 92, La Grange, Texas 78945: Leon Heintschel, Lorene Kirkpatrick, Verlene Noak, Lorine Sunderhuse, Anton Vasek, Aleyn Voss

Schulenburg Regency Nursing Center, 111 College St , Schulenburg TX 78956: Shirley Ehler

Bastrop Nursing Center, 400 Old Austin Hwy, Bastrop, TX 78602: Johnnie Roberson

Oakland Manor, 1400 N Main St., Giddings, TX 78942: Claude Mertz

CHILDREN'S SUNDAY SCHOOL is Sunday, December 9.

Children 6th grade and below will gather with Caleb in the back of the Sanctuary after communion to go to the Parlor for Sunday School. Parents can pick their children up at 10:30 a.m.

Mark your calendars for our Conference Annual 11th Night Concert

Sunday January 6 at 1:30 p.m.

Martin Luther in Carmine

Musicians from all local Lutheran congregations will perform Advent/Christmas/Epiphany music. An offering will be received to support Young Adults in Global Mission (YAGM) – an ELCA program which trains and sends young adults to work as missionaries for one year. They go to countries all over the world. Concert is followed by light refreshments. Always inspiring! Always a great time to gather with fellow Lutherans!

Double your gift, make twice the impact! Until December 31, you can do twice as much for someone living in hunger and poverty. That's because a group of Lutheran World Relief supporters is challenging you to give a gift — then they'll DOUBLE it to help hurting families. Your gift will transform the lives of people like Paulina and Phillip, who fled violence and war in South Sudan. They live in the Palabek refugee settlement in Uganda and once struggled to survive from the rations they were given. Thanks to the generosity of people like you, they receive seeds and agricultural training. Now they grow a variety of vegetables to eat — and even to sell so they can buy the things they need. This Christmas, as you count your blessings, give a gift that doubles in value and impact for people living in poverty. Make your check payable to St. Paul and mark your envelope “LWR matching gift” by December 31 and your gift will be matched!

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Dec 1 & 2

Ushers Don Koether

Rhonda Koether Clay & Gail Cook

Marc & Stephanie Fitzpatrick

Lectors

Altar Guild Faye Bresan Lisa Moellenberndt

Flowers Altar - Annette Citzler

Dec 8 & 9

Ushers

Todd Oehlke

Gerald & JoLene Hughes Gloria Raschke Becky Wessels

Lectors

Altar Guild Faye Bresan Tanya Psencik

Flowers

Dec 15 & 16

Ushers James & Kathy Brewer Gene & Sherry Jaster Kenny & Patti Weber

Lectors Keslyn Davis

Altar Guild James & Kathy Brewer Faye Bresan

Flowers Christmas Flowers

Dec 22 & 23

Ushers John D. & Kay Marburger David Jochen Family

Lectors Sid Roden

Altar Guild Annette Citzler Sid & Susan Roden

Flowers Christmas Flowers

Dec 24 5 p.m. 9 p.m. Dec. 25 - 9 a.m.

Ushers LYO Scott Toensing Family Wayne Anders Family

Lectors LYO

Altar Guild Ginger Friemel Ginger Friemel Lisa Moellenberndt

Flowers Christmas Flowers Christmas Flowers Christmas Flowers

5 p.m. 9 a.m.

Dec 29 & 30

Ushers Edmund & Betty Anders Shawn & Ann Raborn Ralph & Faith Frerichs

Lectors

Altar Guild Janice Homeyer Gloria Raschke

Flowers Altar - Peggy Pfeiffer

Messenger Monthly Newsletter of Saint Paul Lutheran Church

December 2018

Saint Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church Evangelical Lutheran Church of America PO Box 567 La Grange, Texas 78945

Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage Paid La Grange, Texas

Permit No. 83

Pray for Peace!

Saint Paul Lutheran Church Leaders

The Rev. Candis O’Meara, Senior Pastor

pastorcandis@gmail.com (979)966-2459

Caleb Parks, Faith Life Leader stpaulfaithlife@gmail.com.com

(512)944-7859

Melinda Zajicek, Office Administrator stpaul@cvctx.com

(979)820-8793

Sherise Davis, Organist

Bonnye Karger, Organist

Jean McHenry, Organist

Kathy Toensing, Adult Choir/Praise Band Choir

Sharing & Caring the Love of Christ

Saint Paul 2018 Congregation Council

Gene Jaster, President

Jackie Skelton, Vice-President

Linda Anders, Secretary

Gail Cook, Treasurer

Katy Adams, Finance/Endowment

Scott Toensing, Property

Dianne Lude, Worship/Technology

Lisa Moellenberndt, Youth & Parish Ed

Cindy Schwertner, Staff Support

Debbie Busch, Youth & Parish Ed

Parish Office Hours: Monday 1:00-5:00 p.m.

Tuesday-Thursday (closed for lunch noon-1 p.m.) 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

Friday 8:00 a.m.-noon Office Phone: 979-968-5657 Fax: 979-968-6950

Pastor Cell Phone: 979-966-2459 Fellowship Hall Phone: 979-968-9603

www.stpaullg.org stpaul@cvctx.com