Important Dates

12/4 Advent Faire

12/6 & 13 Holden Evening Prayer

12/11 Brother Heinrich’s Christmas-

12/24 Christmas Eve Worship

11/25 Christmas Day Worship

From the Pastor’s Desk 2

Dining Room 2

Helpful Reminders 2

FISH 3

Cookie Request 3

ELCA Good Gifts 3

Earthkeepers 4

Book Club 4

Education Team 5

Stewardship 5

Financial Information 9

In This Issue

December 2016 Central Lutheran MISSION STATEMENT

To be the hands and feet of Jesus by:

Loving God and one another

Nurturing faithful living

Serving those in need

Sharing the Gospel

Central is a Reconciling in Christ

Congregation

POINSETTIAS NEEDED It is the time when

we begin to think about the birth of Jesus the Christ and providing color and beauty to enhance our celebration. If you would like to donate toward the purchase of a poinsettia that decorates the church, please make your checks payable

to Central Lutheran Church marked POINSETTIAS and place them in the offering plate or mail to the church office by December 18th. If you prefer to bring a plant, please have them at the church by noon on December 24. Altar Guild

Christmas at Central Saturday, December 24, 2016

Christmas Eve

4:30pm Worship

9:30pm Lessons and Carols with

Holy Communion

Sunday, December 25, 2016

Christmas Day

10:00am Holy Communion

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From the Pastor’s Desk…….

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

As I write this epistle we have just concluded our worship on Christ the King Sunday, the climatic and final Sunday of our Church’s liturgical calendar. On this last Sunday of the Church year, our focus is on the reign of God made manifest to us in Christ, our sovereign King of kings and Lord of lords. In light of recent events, it seems timely for all of us to be reminded that our hope and trust lies in God alone: Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier of all.

Coming to the end of the Church year and the season of Pentecost also means we are about to launch into the begin-ning of another liturgical cycle with the start of a new Church year and the season of Advent. While the world we live in seems to spin at an increasingly frenetic pace, we as a community of faith take time to deliberately focus our attention on Emmanuel—God-with-us.

And so, as we prepare our hearts to receive anew the gifts of the Christ-child who dwells among us full of grace and truth, I want to invite you into a time of intentional reflection and meditation. We’ll begin by kicking off the season with Advent Lessons and Carols on Nov 27th at dusk (4:32pm to be exact). Our Together Tuesdays will continue (Nov 29, Dec 6, and Dec 13) with dinner beginning at 5:30pm followed by youth choir from 6:00-6:45 (note the time change), then games/activities for children/youth between 6:45-7:00 and concluding with Holden Evening Prayer for all ages from 7:00-7:30pm. I encourage you to make Advent Vespers a priority. The beauty and simplicity of this service will make anticipat-ing and then celebrating the birth of Christ all the more meaningful for each and every one of us. And we’ll do just that by celebrating the birth of Jesus on December 24th with a kid/grandkid-friendly Manger Service and live nativity at 4:30pm and a Festival Candlelight, Carol and Holy Communion Service at 10pm that night, followed by a Carol and Holy Communion Worship Service on Christmas Day at 10am.

Finally, on a more personal note, I want to thank all of you for your warm welcome and the kindness you have shown to me since my arrival here on Oct 28th. From the crew that unloaded the U-haul and helped me settle into my new home to the many hands and voices that contributed to making my Installation Service a joyful celebration, I am truly grateful. As we live into this new chapter of Central’s life together may our words and our deeds radiate God’s gracious love and mercy, even as we strive for peace and justice in all the earth, serving all God’s people following the example of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Grace and Peace, +Pastor Laurie

Please remember in your prayers: Evan Barrett, Janis Nash, Janet Lambert, Geri Hanson Dullea, Lily Richard, D’reen Stewart-Cook

Dining Room Food for Lane County Dining Room: As one of our outreach activities Central Luther-an provides a crew of volunteers to help staff the Dining Room on the second Thursday of each month. The Dining Room provides a free hot meal in a dignified restaurant atmosphere to anyone in need of a meal four afternoons a week. If you are looking for a way to find your place in our church's mission, this project may be a good fit for you. sign up to work a shift. Contact Sally Diehm by email sdiehm@gmail.com or by phone 541-852-0007 if you'd like to learn more.

Helpful reminders from the church of-fice: If you would like an-

nouncements in the Sunday bulle-tin they are due in the church of-

fice Thursdays at 10am. Articles for the newsletter are due in the church office noon on Friday, Decem-ber 16th. Please coordinate the use of the church for meetings, etc., with Kristi in the office so all groups may be accommodated. Thank you

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Parents: Would your college student or away from home high school graduate

like to receive home-baked cookies? Children's Ministry Team will be sponsoring a cookie swap after late service on December 4. We will bring cookies either ready to eat or ready to decorate. Once the cookies have been decorated we will put togeth-er packages to be shipped to our away-from-home members. Please provide us with name and mailing address and we will be happy to send a package of love their way the first week of December! Contact Lori Lund (541-556-0967) or Kathy Cather-wood (541-912-4340 or orklc@hotmail.com)

ELCA Good Gifts—Do you have people on your gift list that have

everything? Would you like to help your children or grandchildren understand that we can help some people in the world need help? Consider giving a gift from the ELCA catalog. $10 buys ten chicks. A water well for a village is $2,500 and there are lots of items in between. We are giving a latrine to my sister and her husband for Christmas. Our grandkids will get to choose what they want to fund. These are inexpensive to us but will change the lives of the people who need our help. To find out more: www.ELCA.org/goodgifts or call 800-638-3522. Clarice Bates

FISH -- FISH -- FISH -- Thank you to everyone who has helped to

make November a great FISH month! The FISH Box will be in the Narthex until December 1 so feel free to bring any food items to help. If you would like to make

a cash donation and have not been able to feel free to send it to the church office or to Steven and Norma Edman. We will have final totals available very soon. Re-member the FISH Box is located in the mission area all year long, and you are wel-

come to leave food items there at anytime. What a blessing to those in our community who find themselves in a crisis

situation. Please keep this ministry in your prayers

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.

From EarthKeepers: The holidays are a wonderful time for gathering with family and friends. However, we often find ourselves under time pressure, spending too much money, and creating too much waste:

*In the US we throw away about 25% more trash between Thanksgiving and New Years than other times of the year. *If every US family wrapped just 3 presents in re-used materials it would save enough paper to cover 45,000 football fields. *About 35% of us have an unused Christmas present collecting dust in a closet.

The following are some ideas for how to make sustainable holiday choices; perhaps you will find some creative ways to reduce your personal stress, simplify your holidays, and be kinder to the planet.

1. Decorate a tree for the birds. Place seed bells, suet, pine cones with peanut better and seed trays in your yard. This is a great activity for children and offers an important food source for birds during the winter.

2. Shop local, organic, and in season.

3. Avoid disposables and one-time use plastic products.

4. Buy only the food you need, recycle and compost your waste, and donate leftovers (if possible).

5. Recycle gift-wrap and greeting cards. Use greeting cards to make gift tags, decorations, or new greeting cards.

6. Commit to using less commercial wrapping paper. Wrap gifts in recycled materials such as old maps, funny pa-pers, old calendar photos, cloth napkins, kitchen towels, or handkerchiefs so the wrapping is part of the present. Fabric gift bags are easy to make and last year after year. Decorating butcher paper using different art techniques and media is a fun activity for children and adults as well.

7. Host a "used" ornament swap with friends instead of purchasing new ones.

8. Re-gift! Give a past present you didn't need or want to someone you think might appreciate it.

9. Consider gifts that support your local community and generate minimal waste. This includes things like theater tickets, gift certificates, charitable donations, and food gifts from your area or that you make yourself.

10. Give experiences as gifts. These might include taking someone ice skating, to the movies, out to dinner, over for dinner, or babysitting so that a young parent can have some free time.

11. Give a gift that helps someone go green. Items such as energy-saving power strips, LED light bulbs, motion sen-sor lights, stainless steel water bottles, and reusable shopping bags are great sustainable gifts.

12. Look carefully at your holiday gift budget, spend less than you would normally, and spend the rest on donations to your favorite charities. Happy Holidays! Ideas provided by CatholicClimateCovenant.org 2016

The CLC Book Club will meet on Monday, December 12, 2016, at 7:00

P.M. in the CLCW Room to discuss A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman. Meet Ove. He’s a curmudgeon – the kind of man who points at people he dislikes as if they were burglars caught outside his bedroom window. He has staunch principles, strict routines, and a short fuse. People call him “the bitter neighbor from hell.” But must Ove be bitter just because he doesn’t walk around with a smile plastered to his face all the time? A feel-good story in the spirit of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry and Major Petti-grew’s Last Stand, Fredrik Backman’s novel about the angry old man next door is a thoughtful exploration of the profound impact one life has on countless others. “If there

was an award for ‘Most Charming Book of the Year,’ this first novel by a Swedish blogger-turned-overnight-sensation would win hands down” (Booklist, starred review). Jill Liedtke will lead the discussion. Come join us!

... and looking forward to January and the New Year ...

The CLC Book Club will meet on Monday, January 9, 2017, at 7:00 P.M. in the CLCW Room to discuss Bettyville: A Memoir by George Hodgman. In this memoir, George Hodgman, a writer and book editor, leaves Manhattan for his hometown of Paris, Missouri, to take care of Betty, his 91-year-old mother, “a woman of wit and will” with advancing dementia. He writes about their shared memories, small town life, the challenges of Betty’s life, and his own struggle for self-respect. Betty, who speaks her mind but cannot quite reveal her heart, has never really accepted the fact that her son is gay. It is “both an indelible portrait of a family and an exquisitely told tale of a prodigal son’s return.” Elizabeth Uhlig will lead the discussion. Come join us!

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Living Stewardship: Being the Hands and Feet of Jesus

Our financial stewardship campaign, Fearless in Faith – Fearless in Giving, has concluded. A God filled thank you to everyone who has made a commitment to Central Lutheran Church and the work of the Lord. We are in the process of counting, tabulating and totaling so we can report the success. This information will follow later. We reflected; we prayed and we committed. God’s love, goodness and blessings have been part of this effort. While stewardship practices can be understood as a response to His blessings, I think it can be inspiring to also see these practices as ways that God invited us into a life, so we can be multipliers of that goodness and trusted partners and co-creators with God of a better world. We are a church that is energized by lively engagement in our faith and life. Thank you for doing God’s work with a faithful, generous heart. It is not too late to make your commitment; perhaps you were away, misplaced your commitment card, or still praying about your commitment. The Commitment Box is still available; drop in the church office or place in the offering plate.

EDUCATION TEAM LOOKING FOR MEMBERS: The Central Education Team is looking for members to join our team. If you have an in-terest in participating in or considering classes for Central's adults, youth and young chil-dren's education, then we would love to have you as a member of our team.

We meet the second Monday of the month at 6 p.m.

If you have questions or wish to discuss joining our team please contact Kim Meyers or Rachel Vettrus.

Save the date! 2017 Day Camp will be held at Central Lutheran July 23 - 28. Camp Luther-

wood staff members will lead us through an exciting week of fun and learning. This year's theme is "Dive In." We will be exploring different water stories in the Bible and how God works through wa-ter. This program is designed for children going into 1st grade through 6th grade. Put it on your cal-endars now, invite your friends and we'll be giving you more information as the summer approach-es. If you have questions, contact Day Camp Coordinator, Kathy Catherwood at 541-912-4340.

All I want for Christmas is… healthy coastal ecosystems and communities

Coastal ecosystems face a number of challenges from environmental stressors including rising sea levels. Come hear Eugene native, Dr. Ariana Sutton-Grier, talk about her research and work with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on topics in-cluding:

Coastal wetland blue carbon

Natural and hybrid infrastructure for coastal resilience

Connections between nature, biodiversity & human health

Her expertise and research lie at the nexus of science and policy and seeks addi-tional opportunities combining science and policy to solve environmental prob-lems and promote habitat conservation. Come learn what you can do to help sup-port healthy coastal ecosystems and communities.

Location: Central Lutheran Church

1857 Potter St, Eugene, OR 97403

Date & Time: Monday, December 19th, 7pm

Speaker Bio: Dr. Ariana Sutton-Grier, a

native of Eugene, is an ecosystem ecologist with expertise in wetland ecology and restoration, biodiversity, biogeo-chemistry, climate change, and ecosystem services. Dr. Sutton-Grier is a research faculty member at the University of Maryland in the Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center and is also the Ecosystem Science Adviser for the Na-tional Ocean Service at NOAA. http://suttongrier.org

A good will donation will be collected and will support the efforts of (http://www.blueenergygroup.org/) a non-profit that brings clean energy and water, and sanitation services to some of the world’s most isolated, marginalized communities, providing a foundation for health, education, and eco-nomic opportunity within the context of a changing climate.

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Central Lutheran Foundation In January of this year, your Central Lutheran Foundation awarded gifts in the amount of $56,815 supporting the mis-sion of our Church to be the hands and feet of Jesus by loving God and one another; nurturing faithful living; serving those in need; and sharing the Gospel. The Foundation also awards scholarships to selected graduating high school sen-iors. Because of available funds, this year we also awarded scholarships to individuals who had received a scholarship in the last three years. One of those individuals was Michael G. Baird, an engineering major at Rensselaer Polytechnic Insti-tute. Here is a letter from Michael.

Your continued support of my post-secondary education shows that you consider me worthy of investing in. It means, to me, that my education is something you value. You see promise and potential in me. You see hope in me. You care for my well-being. Thank you.

Now on the eastern seaboard for over seven months, I have never been separated from family before for such a length of time, whether my immediate family, school family or church family. But my separation has not been in vain, nor will it be permanent. I look forward to returning home for the Christmas season on December 20 when I will be able to tell you all in person about what I’ve been up to, but for now here is a glimpse into my life since spring semester last aca-demic year.

In the springtime, I took four classes and participated in the ASCE Concrete Canoe Competition. Earning 16 credits, those rounded out my academic work. In terms of club involvement, I serve as the Sports Editor of the school newspa-per, The Polytechnic, volunteered in the service organization, Circle K, and became a member of the service fraternity, Alpha Phi Omega. This semester I have continued my role on the paper, continued in Circle K and was elected historian of the chapter in May. I document weekly/biweekly service and fellowship events through photos taken in the fraternity. I am getting ready to compose the annual chapter scrapbook.

This semester course work consists of, again, four courses: Physics II, Introduction to Engineering Design, Material Science for Engineers, and General Psychology.

Over the summer I took my first job working as an area director at Camp Aquehonga, a Boy Scout Camp, in Narrows-burg, NY by the Delaware River on the border of Pennsylvania. From the moment school ended until the week before it resumed this fall, I was on the reservation, the largest in New York. My responsibilities included teaching merit badges and answering questions of the other instructors in my area. The badges that I taught included: pioneering, wilderness survival, camping, backpacking, hiking and orienteering. It was incredibly rewarding. I am so glad to have this under my belt now. If you can handle 12 year old boys in the outdoors, you can handle just about anything.

Well that’s my tale in a nutshell. Thank you again for helping me with the money you sent. This was a very special, unexpected surprise. Until December,

In Christ, Michael G. Baird

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I get about twenty health and nursing magazines a month. They have a common theme this time of year: GET YOUR FLU SHOT! If you have already had your flu shots "Good job!".

What exactly is the flu and why is it a problem? Lay people commonly use the word “flu” to describe nausea, vomiting or diarrhea, but there really is no such thing as “stomach flu”. (It is probably some kind of food poisoning.) Real flu is a nasty viral infection

that attacks your respiratory system….nose, throat, airways and lungs. It also causes aches, pains, fever, and heavy fa-tigue. Many people think the flu is basically just a bad cold, and there are some symptoms in common, but flu is a much more serious disease. (Think REALLY sick!) Flu is especially dangerous if you are diabetic, have immunologi-cal, kidney, cardiac or respiratory problems, or are over 65 or a small child or baby. Over a hundred thousand people are hospitalized with flu each year and 36,000 people die with it. I personally know of two elderly but functional peo-ple who died of the flu in the last couple years. A friend of a family member died at 48!! He was previously very healthy! (That is almost as many deaths as leukemia and ovarian cancer combined!) If the above weren’t bad enough, there is even some evidence that implicates flu as a major culprit in heart disease and stroke! I read one study that found that women who got the flu during the second trimester of pregnancy are more likely to have children with schizophrenia, although most of the kids were okay Still…..

Who should get the flu shot? Pretty much all of us should get the shot, but there are exceptions. If you have

egg allergies, have ever had a severe reaction to a flu shot, or have had Guillain-Barre syndrome, you should probably not have a flu shot so check with your doctor. There are special recommendations for children and pregnant women, so talk to your doctor. The flu shot will not only prevent you from getting the flu, but it will keep you from accidentally passing it on to others….such as grandma, the baby next door, the women in her second trimester, or all the people at work! The flu shot is a chance to do something for yourself and for others… a nice combo. There is a fairly new flu shot for those of us over 65. Ask where you get your shot.

So why do we have to keep having flu shots every year? The virus changes all the time so last year’s flu

shot is going to be of little use this year.

Can I get the flu from the shot itself? The vaccine contains dead viruses so that you can’t get the disease

from the shots, but some people do report mild flu-like symptoms for a few hours and most people get a sore arm. Definitely worth it!

Where can I get a flu shot? All over the place! Costco, Albertsons, Bi-Mart and the Lane County Public Health Department (541-682-4041) and, of course, your doctor’s office. Many offices have flu clinics so you don’t have to schedule a full appointment. Some insurance companies will cover it, especially if you get it at a doctor’s office. I have been reimbursed for flu shots I received at Albertsons. (This year it was totally free with Medicare and my supple-ment) Check with your insurance company to be sure. Get the shot even if you have to pay for it yourself.

When should I get the flu shot? Today or sooner. October is the main start of flu season and it takes a couple weeks for the shot to work, but better late than never! There is a lot of time left in flu season! Sources: Mayo Clinic Women’s Healthsource, Harvard’s Women’s Health , Register Guard, McKenzie Willamette newsletter, Cleveland Clinic Heart plus about a million other articles. Clarice Bates, RN

PS: If you have not had a pneumococcal pneumonia shot in the last few years, get another one. The original info was that pneumonia shots worked for a lifetime. Sorry, it turns out they don’t. In addition, I heard on TV that you need a new kind of pneumonia booster that provides immunity a slightly different method. Ask your doctor. It is recommended for healthy folks over 65 and people with asthma, emphysema, diabetes and heart problems. If you have a cold or flu, STAY HOME if at all possible, Wash your hands often, cough into your inner elbow , not your hands, and don't shake hands until you have been well a few days. Studies show that if you shake hands with someone with a cold, you will not only get their germs on your own hands, but will pass it on to the next several people. You will also be passing germs at least a full day after you think you are well. Stay healthy...and help others do the same!

The Health Team Monthly theme: December's theme is mental health--loneliness, blue Christ-

mas, and depression. December 1st is World AIDS Day. The spiritual theme is Care for One Another.

Pastor Laurie A. Jones Installation Service

Sunday, November 20, 2016

Pastor Susan Kintner, Assistant to the Bishop presiding

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Central Lutheran CHURCH

A congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

1857 Potter Street Eugene 97403

541-345-0395 ~~ 541-345-2499(Fax)

Website: www.welcometocentral.org

Bulletin deadline: NEWSLETTER DEADLINE:

THURSDAYS 10AM THIRD FRIDAY OF EACH MONTH

Jan - Oct 2016 Jan-Oct 2015 Difference

Regular Envelopes $ 391,016.48 $ 366,045.49 $ 24,970.99

Other Offerings $ 3,530.07 $ 3,296.78 $ 233.29

Special/Holiday Offerings $ 4,551.00 $ 9,305.73 $ (4,754.73)

Other Income $ 38,604.32 $ 49,293.63 $ (10,689.31)

Departmental Income $ 73,170.77 $ 40,465.04 $ 32,705.73

Total Income $ 510,872.64 $ 468,406.67 $ 42,465.97

Total Expenses $ 564,605.91 $ 519,404.25 $ 45,201.66

YTD Net Income $ (53,733.27) $ (50,997.58) $ (2,735.69)