The congregation had worked very hard onthe costumes for their outdoor live nativity.Children, youth, and adults had signed up fora chance to be part of the event. Yet everyonewas concerned whether they would have anaudience. For weeks, the congregation foundways to invite people to come and see theLive Nativity. They hoped people not affili-ated with a church might hear the story ofGod’s love made known at Christmas in rich,meaningful new ways.Thus, the congregation joined together on acreative publicity campaign. They used theradio, newspaper, Web sites, and posters; butmostly they personally invited people with asimple invitation, “Come and see!”Maya was heartbroken. She had lost allhope. Her good friend went to Maya’s hometo be with her, but the friend did not knowwhat to say or do. Finally, she invited Mayato come with her to church that night. Thefriend simply said, “Come and see.” Mayaagreed, for she was finally ready to try some-thing new. Clearly her current choices werenot working in her life.One thing we know about John the Baptist ishis willingness to testify about Jesus. Timeafter time, he tells the crowds to prepare forthe coming of Christ. After the baptism, Johntells his disciples about the Lamb of God.They in turn tell others about Jesus, callinghim the Messiah. This chain reaction beguntwo thousand years ago has not stopped. Disciples who are connected to Jesus tell oth-ers about him. They cannot hoard the goodnews. Instead, they want others to participatein that good news. The primary image of Jesus in this text is theLamb of God. A lamb is considered an inno-cent animal which still needs protection. Yet,Jesus as God’s lamb is freely given in thehands of the enemy to be sacrificed. Jesusdies in order to take away the sins of theworld. Those sins include each of our sins. PrayerLamb of God, you take away the sin of theworld. Have mercy on us. Amen.

ConnectionsSt. Mat thew Lutheran Church – Connec t i ng Fa i th W i th L i fe !

CALENDAR of EVENTS

SAT., JANUARY 1810am-12pm Concord Room Reserved/

Al-Anon Mtg 5:00 pm Holden Evening Prayer

SUN., JANUARY 19 8:30 am Worship 9:45 am Coffee Fellowship 9:50 am Sunday School 9:50 am Adult Forum10:45 am Worship 4:00 pm Daisy Scouts 6:00 pm High School Youth Group

MON., JANUARY 20

MARTIN LUTHER KINGDAY

OFFICE CLOSEDNo Morning Prayer Group

TUES., JANUARY 2110:00 am Men’s Coffee at

Lincoln Square 7:00 pm Bell Choir 7:00 pm Gentler Yoga 7:00 pm Scouts

WED., JANUARY 22 5:45 pm Adult Bible Study 6:45 pm STM Choir

FRI., JANUARY 24 11:30 am February Insight

Newsletter Deadline 9:15 am Chairish Yoga

SAT., JANUARY 2510am-12pm Concord Room Reserved/

Al-Anon Mtg10am-1pm ECIRMAC 5:00 pm Holden Evening Prayer

SUN., JANUARY 26 8:30 am Worship 9:45 am Coffee Fellowship 9:50 am Sunday School 9:50 am Adult Forum/

Sola Gratia FarmAnnual Board Meeting

9:50 am NOLA Mission Trip Meeting

10:45 am Worship 12:00pm Worship Leaders Meeting 6:00 pm High School Youth Group

Please check on your friends & neighbors during the winter months!

STAFF OF ST. MATTHEW LUTHERAN CHURCHPHONE: 367-1189 www.stmatthewurbana.org

Office Manager Gayla PellumNursery Ruby Splittstoesser & Emma LacefieldParish Nurses Aziza Awate, Kathie Pound, and Beth Riddle

Connections Deadline: Submit announcements in writing to the church office or by e-mailto gayla.stm@stmatthewurbana.org no later than 9:00 a.m. Wednesday. Thank you!

Please note: Names on the list for prayers will be posted for one month unless otherwise requested.Please contact the church office with any updates or extensions. Thank you.

Specialist Sean Splittstoesser,grandson of Ruby & Dan Splittstoesser

LCpl Nathan Brozak & 3rd Battalion India Company,

son of Beth KoplinskiRita, aunt of Cheryl Light-ShrinerCarmen, aunt of Cheryl Light-ShrinerSharon, aunt of Cheryl Light-ShrinerJohn Light, father of Cheryl Light-ShrinerPastor Tom HillertzZewdi Habtes, mother of Aziza AwateJim Lyons,

son-in-law of Gary & Cyntha HedgeConnie, friend of Chris BedfordSandy, friend of Jill & Dann DalyJeff Slade and his family,

friends of Liz SchwartzMarty Conatser, nephew of Liz SchwartzDebbie Siegler & family,

friends of Peg & John WarrinerFred Gould,

brother-in-law of Gary & June Volkening****************Tom Morris & family,

friends of Carla Rush****************

Neil Richardson,husband of Margo Richardson

Kylee and family,granddaughter of Chris Bedford

Cavera family, friends of Garris Graham****************Joni, friend of Chris BedfordGary Anderson & family,

son of Mary Anderson****************Liam & Abigail Hall, grandson of Cherylin

Stivers & great-nephew of Shirley Shaw****************John Gantz Isabella GonzalezDanielle Deck Gerald SmithKathryn Harum Garris GrahamDon Saupe Lana WegengBrad Hedrick Rick RiddleDorothy Graham Judi SmithPr. Ed Schneider****************Remember our shut-ins:Elaine Ebeling Leona Saathoff

PrayerRequests

Please keep all the members of St. Matthew Lutheran Church in your prayers as we work together to find a new Pastor who is a good match with our congregation so we can continue working together to be God's hands in the world.

Welcome!St. Matthew

Lutheran Church is a fellowship of Christian believers

called to: grow in Christ, share the Gospel, serve God’s people.

Do come again to St. Matthew

Lutheran Churchwhere you

are always welcome.

Worship with UsSaturday, 5:00pm

• Healing Service on the 3rd Saturday of the monthA relaxed & informal worship held in the Christ Chapel.

Sunday, 8:30am Spirited traditional worship that focuses on participation throughthe liturgy, the great hymns of the Church and corporate confession of our faith.

Sunday, 10:45amPraise & worship in an open & accessible style. Christ ChapelThe chapel is always open for individual or group prayer.

A Word from Stephen MinistryStephen Ministers are here for you in your time of need. We aretrained to listen without judging and to let God do the healing.If you would like to meet with a Stephen Minister please contactthe office.

ALTAR FLOWERSThe flowers on the altar this weekend are in celebration of the wonderful members ofSt. Matthew Lutheran Church. We are a great church family!Help make our altar beautiful! Celebrate a birthday, anniversary, someone’s life orjust because. The sign up sheet is located on the bulletin board in the narthex. The2020 sign up sheet is now posted on the bulletin board in the narthex.

Jesus Christis the same,

yesterday,

today andforever.

Hebrews 13:8

KICK OFF YOUR WEEK WITH PRAYEREach week a group of St. Matthew members gathers in the chapel forinformal prayer – Monday mornings, 8:30-8:50am. All interested peo-ple are cordially invited to take part in this short service. In addition,any prayer concerns may be brought to our attention prior to that time.Requests in writing can be placed on the chapel altar on Sunday, as weekend e-mailsto the church office do not reach us in time. Best, bring your petitions in personMonday morning.

MEN’S COFFEE THIS WEEK!Our Men’s Coffee group meets twice a month! All available STMmen are invited to gather for a cup of coffee & conversation onthe first and third Tuesday of every month. Our next meeting willbe Tuesday, January 21st at 10:00am in the corridor outsideCommon Ground Food Coop at Lincoln Square in Urbana. Menof all ages are welcome & encouraged to join our discussions.

WEDNESDAY ADULT BIBLE STUDY Our Adult Bible Study on Wednesday's between nowand Lent will focus on a variety of subjects led by JackFrost. He will start with the following topics: AdjustingYour Focus, Hope In Troubled Times, An Open LetterTo The Weary, Why Doesn't God Answer my Prayer, and others. Join us in theAugsburg Room at 5:45pm.

ADULT FORUM NEXT SUNDAYSola Gratia Farm Annual Board Meeting

and Adult Sunday ForumNEXT SUNDAY, JANUARY 26TH

9:50am in the Augsburg RoomPlease join us on Sunday, January 26th for Sola Gratia Farm's Annual Meetingand Adult Sunday Forum. Traci Barkley, Director, and John Williams, FarmManager, will present highlights of 2019 including the farm's mission impact inour community and the year's financial report. Stick around to ask questions,sample farm veggies and hear what's in store for this coming season!

THE OFFICE WILL BE CLOSED ONMONDAY, JANUARY 20TH

IN HONOR OFMARTIN LUTHER KING DAYNo Morning Prayer Group will be held.

No Prayer Group This Monday!

HELP SUPPORT OUR MISSION TRIP TEAMThe Adult Mission Trip 2020 Team will be going in February againthis year. We will leave on February 2nd and return onFebruary 9th.If you would like to support us financially, we could use some extra funding. Pleasecheck out the fund request envelopes on the easel in the narthex near the MissionTrip display. Many thanks to the folks who have already contributed to our trip.Even though we have places arranging work we don’t have the same housingarrangements and cost has increased substantially. Each participant pays motelswhile traveling and evening meal costs in New Orleans. Any help in this area wouldbe appreciated.As always, we appreciate everyone’s prayers and encouragement. Thanks to the StMatthew family we have been able to put a lot of people back in the comfort of theirown homes. God’s Work, Our Hands

– John Warriner

STM QUILTERS HAVE A BIG YEAR AHEAD OF THEMWe are working on the quilts for the Senior High Graduates. Wehave 6 grads this year. If you would like to donate to this awesomeministry Gift Cards to Joann Fabrics would be greatly appreciated.We are also working on Project Linus Quilts. Thank you to JanetJohnson who makes quilts at home and then donates them to us. Oneof her quilts is hanging in the narthex. The STM quilters meet the 2nd and 4thTuesdays of the month at 9:00–12:00. Everyone is welcome to join us. Contact PegWarriner 217-369-5433 for more information.

LADIES... LET’S PLAY BUNCO!Play a fast paced game, win great prizes, and have a lot of fun.Please bring your drink of choice. The next BUNCO Nightwill be Thursday, January 30th starting at 6:00pm in theAugsburg Room. No need to sign up... everyone is welcome. We have a great time! Join the fun & bring a friend!!!

FIRST FRIDAY FELLOWSHIPA new opportunity has started for St. Matthew members to gettogether out in the community. Our next First Friday Fellowshipwill be February 7th and meet every first Friday of the month at7 am. We'll gather at the Harvest Market in Champaign where you can get a coffee,tea, or even some breakfast. Everyone is welcome!

“LET’S DO LUNCH” LADIES LUNCHEONJoin us on the second Friday of each month at 11:30 am at adifferent restaurant each month. No age limit, no jobs to do,no colored hats to wear, nothing to study, strictly social &fun. Come when you can whatever months you can. Thenext lunch will be held Friday, February 14th at Outback Steakhouse on NorthProspect in Champaign. The sign up sheet is posted on the bulletin board in thenarthex. If you forget to sign up... come anyway! Women of all ages are welcome!

PRAYER SHAWL MINISTRY NEEDS YOUR HELP TO CONTINUE!Our prayer shawl knitter pool is dwindling. We are wonderingwhat to do about continuing to offer this ministry. We havegiven out 205 shawls to folks that have suffered illness, grief,etc. We currently have 8 shawls and some of us have more inthe works. If you would like to participate or help us keep this ministry going, pleaselet me or Gayla in the office know. Thanks, Mary Anderson, 344-3296

STM FOOD PANTRY The first full weekend of every month, we ask themembers of our congregation to bring in items forour food pantry. Our food pantry provides a week'sworth of meals to families within the communityon a regular basis. You can pick up a full list of theitems you can choose to donate in the narthex following our weekend service. Thank you all for your continued support to STM Food Pantry. We need torestock several items on our shelves. Cash donations are also welcome. Justindicate St. Matthew Food Pantry in the memo line of your check. Pleaseremember to take along this list of our needs. The following items are most needed at this time: boxed mashed potatoes,Hamburger Helper, spaghetti sauce, spaghetti noodles, hot cereal, mac andcheese, and canned or bottled juice.

You are welcome to place items in the food box at any time throughout themonth also. If you have any questions about the Food Pantry or would like tobecome a volunteer to help make deliveries call the Church office at 217-367-1189 or Doris Gebauer at 369-6772.

A reminder that the need for food never goes away.

STMFood Pantry

ARE YOU A Snow BIRD? HAVE YOU MOVED? Are you moving to a new address or enjoying a sunny,warm climate this winter? Please let the office know! Weneed your new mailing address or if you will temporarilyaway we need to know when you will be leaving ANDwhen you return. We need update our mailing labels with your newaddress. If you’re just away for the winter months, we can hold yournewsletter or we can send it to your “warm” address. The post office chargesus and the mailman collects cash from the office for our returned mail.

NEW OFFERING ENVELOPESYour 2020 offering envelopes are available for pick up in thenarthex. They are arranged alphabetically. Please recycle any2019 envelopes you had left at the end of the year. Also, evenif you give through Simply Giving you still have envelopepackets to be picked up. Envelope packets not picked up willsoon be mailed out at an expense to the church. Please get yours today!

JUST A REMINDER…If you have made changes to your pledge to St. Matthew for2020 and generously give through our Simply Giving programplease be sure to update your Simply Giving by completing anew form that was included in your acknowledgment letter &returning it to church. Forms are also available in the back of the sanctuary, in thechurch office, or call/email and one can be sent to you. Thank you for your supportof the ministries and programs of St. Matthew Lutheran Church.

Randy Alumbaugh, Financial SecretaryPLEASE LET US KNOWWHERE YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS NEED TO BE CREDITED!

Our church receives funds for many purposes. Please help us tocount your contributions accurately. For any checks from you (orinvestment companies) towards our capital campaign, generaloffering, mortgage, flower fund, mission trips, etc., please make note (or have yourinvestment company make note) on the memo line so that we can get your givingaccounted for correctly. Thank you for your generosity.

THE STM GARDEN OF REMEMBRANCEWhen your family is planning for end of life situations,prayerfully consider St. Matthew Garden of RemembranceColumbarium as your final resting place. The price is veryaffordable- $1200 includes two urns, niche space for two andengraving costs for two names. Application forms are in the office. Memorial paversare also available- 8 x 8 is $150 and 12 x 12 is $200. Application forms are in theoffice and on the table by the coffee bar.