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The Shepherd’s Voice December 2011

Paynesville Lutheran Church www.paynesvillelutheran.org

www.facebook.com/paynesvillelutheran

Join the Flock!

New Member Class will be offered in December

We will be receiving New Mem-bers at our worship services on Sunday, December 11th. There will be an Orien-tation Session on Sunday, December 4th from 1:00-3:00 p.m. Anyone inter-ested in becoming a member of Paynes-ville Lutheran Church is asked to contact the church office at 243-3624.

Order your Poinsettias

Order a poinsettia plant in honor or memory of someone you love. Plants are $15 each. Orders are due by Sun-day, December 11th. Order envelopes are located in the Gathering area or call the church office.

Come and worship

the REAL Gift

of Christmas

Christmas Eve 3:00, 4:30 & 7:00 p.m.

Christmas Day 10:00 a.m.

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Expecting Jesus The week after Halloween, I hap-pened to be in a store in St. Cloud, and to my absolute horror I actually heard the sound of Christmas music playing over the loud speakers! I actually stopped in the middle of the aisle, and could only shake my head in disappointment. Don’t get me wrong. I

LOVE Christmas music. But as I stood there listening to “Silver Bells”, I found myself wondering if I had somehow missed a holiday. Had I somehow slept through Thanksgiving? Every year it seems that retailers and our culture push the Christmas season earlier and earlier on us. In some ways, that may not necessarily be a bad thing. But in doing so, not only are we infringing on the turf of the Thanksgiving holiday, we are missing an important Church season called Advent.

Every year, Advent reminds us again and again, over and over,

that Jesus is coming. But it’s also a confusing season. The church sanctuary and our homes are decked out with Christmas trees and lights, and we hear Christmas Carols on our radios and in the stores as we scramble to find just the right gifts for our loved ones. Just what is this season of Advent?

The word Advent comes from the Latin term adventus, which

means “coming”. And many churches celebrate the season as a time of expectant waiting and preparation for the nativity of Jesus. But just as importantly, the Latin adventus is also a translation of the Greek word parousia, referring to the second coming of Jesus. So the season of Advent serves as a reminder both of the original waiting that was done thousands of years ago by God’s people for the birth of their Messiah as well as the waiting of Christians for Christ's return.

So what does this mean for us today? I love this Advent season and I love the Christmas holidays, but I

am also aware of how painful these weeks can be for many. We’re all supposed to be so happy, and our holidays are supposed to be picture-perfect. But for many that just isn’t the case. The contrast between this holiday image and the reality of our lives can leave us feeling remarkably guilty or depressed. We’re all smiles, but for many that’s just a cover to hide the very real pain and messiness of our lives.

Our worship series for the next six weeks is called “Expecting

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Leadership Structure of the Congregation Congregational Officers President, Mary Janotta; Vice President, Todd Lemke; Secretary, Marlys Sorenson; Treasurer, Don Lindgren Church Council Mike Bennett, Cheryl Colbert, Mary Janotta, Todd Lemke, Don Lindgren, Mar-lys Sorenson, Tony Whelchel, Pastor Dan Dornfeld and Interim Pastor Denny Wright Board of Deacons Fellowship, Patti Cremers; Membership/Adult Ed, Karen Mehr; Social Con-cerns, Dianne Beihoffer; Stewardship, Pam Pfeifer; Worship/Music, Cheryl Col-bert; WELCA, Nan Mayer; Youth and Family, Tony Whelchel Board of Trustees Mike Armstrong, Mike Bennett, Brad Carlson, Sam Eisenbraun, Kent Kortlever, Loren Meierhofer Youth and Family Board Camp/Mission, open; Confirmation, Cherie Nelson; Nursery/Youth Special Events, Jamie Fearing; Sunday School, Audra Lura; VBS/Preschool, Megan Whelchel; Youth/Family, Tony Whelchel Preschool Board Karen Swenson and Raymond Velyan Personnel Committee Randy Jacklitch, Mary Janotta, Michele Johnson-Amundson, Bobbe Teigen Worship & Music Committee Ross Amundson, Cheryl Colbert, Leigh Dornfeld, Jeff Johnson, Jean Louis, Janell Moburg, Kelly Salzl, Kari Shumaker, Steve Whitcomb and Pastor Denny Wright Endowment Committee Don Anderson, Patti Cremers, Dave Mutschelknaus, Marv Niedan, Chris Stanley, staff Pastor Dan Dornfeld, Pat Hansen Triune Ministries Communion Ministry, Judy Lindgren; Faith Full Friends, Marlys Sorenson and Arlene Sullivan; Prayer Disciples, Lynda George Wedding Coordinators Vivian Johnson, Pat Solum and Karen Whitcomb Resource Committee Joelle Haines, Dee Johnson, Teri Johnson and Karen Swenson Paynesville Lutheran Women of the ELCA President, Shirley Jensen; Secretary, Sue Greening; Vice President, Kathy Lura; Treasurer, Kay Fore; Program/Mission Growth, Bev Aas, and Vivian Johnson; Funeral Committees, Group 1 (Chairs)-Pat Hansen, Kathy Lura; Group 2 (Chairs)-Lois Nehring and Betty Loomis Kitchen Committee Lois Nehring (Chair), Dixie Anderson, Dee Haines, Pat Hansen, Marilyn Hoiseth, Judy Lindgren, Sharon Nelson and Jean Payne Altar Guild Chairpersons Alice Gronli, Diane Keller and Nan Mayer Sunshine Lady Vivian Johnson Cradle Roll Lois Runge

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Visit our website for current information on PLC activities!

PaynesvilleLutheran.org

AND check us out on Facebook!

facebook.com/PaynesvilleLutheran

or our youth Facebook page facebook.com/PaynesvilleLutheranYouth

“Messiah” by artist He Qi

This art print hanging in our Fellow-ship Hall depicts Jesus as our Messiah. If you look closely, in the print you can see references to Jesus as our Lamb of God in the top right cor-ner. We also have the promise of the Mes-siah that we were given in the form of a baby as shown by the manger.

The manger is the end of a path, referencing John 14:6, where Jesus reminds the disciples that he is “the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” And of course, the central image of Jesus himself in the print shows him as the risen Lord, which is how we know that Jesus was and is our Messiah. He is surrounded by singing angels---as a possible reference to him coming back for us, or simply as the announcement of our Lord by the heavenly host.

If we have made an error or omission in this newsletter, please contact the church office so that we may correct our records.

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November 27: Power in Our Weakness PSALM 80:1-7, 17-19; MARK 13:24-37

December 4: Miracle in our Messiness PSALM 85:1-2, 8-13; MARK 1:1-8

December 11: Light in our Darkness PSALM 126; JOHN 1:6-8, 19-28

December 18: Promise in our Impossibilities PSALM 89:1-4, 19-26; LUKE 1:26-38

December 24: With Us and For Us (Christmas Eve) ISAIAH 9:2-7; LUKE 2:1-14

December 25: God in our Flesh (Chrismas Day) HEBREWS 1:1-4; JOHN 1:1-5

January 1: Hope in our Future (New Year's Day) ISAIAH 61:10 - 62:3; LUKE 2:22-40

Jesus.” Our expectations for the season are always very high, and most often our expectations are not met. For some, this is a season of disappointment, failure, grief, pain, and hardship.

If that describes you, I want to urge you to hold on to hope, because this is a season of hope.

We don’t celebrate this season of Advent because our lives are perfect. We celebrate it because they aren’t.

We celebrate this season because we need to be reminded of

the hope that is ours in Christ. We celebrate because we are a people who dare to believe that one day Jesus will return, and that all that our hearts ache for, all that we believe Jesus has accomplished on the cross, will be fully and completely revealed. Advent Peace, Pastor Dan

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Financial Stewardship the bottom line . . .

Congregational Member Report…

Baptisms - Logan David Jacobson, son of Christopher and Jennifer Jacobson, baptized on November 27, 2011

Deaths - Lucile Dahlman, November 8, 2011; Edith Thomsen, November 12, 2011; Gary Swenson, November 20, 2011.

Marriages - none

Births - Henry Ross Bowden, born on November 3rd to Ross and Bridget Bowden in Fargo, ND. Proud grandparents are Bob and Candy Bowden.

Pastoral Care Reminder

If you or any member you know is hospitalized, homebound, or moved to a nursing home and would like to receive communion and pastoral care, please contact the church office. Hospitals do not contact us - that is the responsibility of a family member or friend. We are not able to visit our members if we are unaware of their circumstances. We want to make sure that all our Paynesville Lutheran members are taken care of.

October 1 - 31, 2011 Operating Offering 2011 to date $269,735.37 Operating expenses 2011 to date $251,974.49 Balance 2011 to date $17,760.88 Building Offering $7,053.59 Amount paid on Mortgage this month $7,000.00 Mortgage payment (7 year payoff) $6,385.00 Extra principal paid $615.00

Year to date building Loan Balance - Jan 1, 2011 $455,425.45 Loan Balance - Oct 18, 2011 $394,941.17 Principal paid to date $54,875.23

Thrivent Choice deposits to Undesignated Special Funds

October $ 36.00 Year to Date $ 2,268.00

Birthday Blessings to . . .

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If we have made an error or omission, please contact the church office so that we may correct our records. Thank you!

1 Sig Pfeifer, Chris Stanley 2 Rebecca Doll, Paul Lura, Brittany Stolt 4 Alivia Buggs 5 Jack Hennen 6 Jennifer Hasbrook, Todd Lemke, Doris Nepsund, Tami Stanger 7 Callie Hennen, Dorothea Kimbler, Jean Soine 8 Judy Larsen, Tyler Cromwell

10 Brittany Demo 11 Lou Gabrielson 12 Cole Roufs, Aaron Savelkoul, Kayla Youngs 14 Angie Amundson, Rylee Mumm 15 Shaelyn Desm, Ellie Kugler 16 Matthew Floura, Dawn Marklowitz 17 Jodee Buermann, Spencer Eisenbraun, Brandi Hoffenkamp,

Marilyn Hoiseth, Carolyn Welter

18 Rick Caldwell, Lynda George 19 Enid Olson 20 Logan Armstrong, Carol Desm, Wanda Haase, Brittni Larson,

Karen Peters, Gavin Swafford

21 Samuel Haines, Preston Welling 22 Beth Cook, Steve Lehmkuhl, Chuck Nelson 23 Kathryn Huselid, Adrean Louis, Carol Setterberg 24 Velda Larson, Janell Moburg 25 Vivian McMillan 26 Roy Colbert, Braydon Kierstead-Hahn 27 Courtney Hasbrook, Ann Lemke, Maggie Malling,

Angela Meagher, Pam Pfeifer

28 Norma Gabrielson, Amy Guzy, Ross Teigen 29 Kristine Schultz-Kierstead 30 Lauren Ellefson, Paige Welling 31 Wendy Karsch, Makullen Kleist, Drew Tangen, Josh Williams

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Junior High Youth Gathering was “liked”!

The theme for this year’s Junior High Youth Gathering was “Gracebook”---drawing on students’ fixation on Facebook. It was a great time for our group of 28 students and 7 leaders as we worshipped with 700 other students, played games like Four Square, Dodge ball and Ninja, dressed up for the Photo Booth, got “tattoos” and went swimming. The event raised nearly $2,000 in offering at the gathering that went to Lutheran Social Services of Minnesota for Child and Family Services. A big thank you to our adult leaders for spending a night with

our youth! Our Crosswalk group at last weekend's Junior High Youth Gathering in Willmar! The theme was "Gracebook", and it was a great night!!

Some of our Crosswalk students rockin' their "tattoo's" at the Junior High Youth Gathering!

Meeting for 7th – 12th Grade Mission

Trip to Daytona Beach on Sunday, January 8th

Next summer, Pastor Dan will be leading a mission trip for our 7th – 12th Graders to Daytona Beach, Florida from July 11th – July 20th,

with several days spent at either Disney World or Universal Studios. It will be a life-changing experience for our students! The next meeting for students AND parents will be on Sunday, January 8th after the second worship service. We will talk about more trip details, fundraising, out of pocket expenses and expectations. We will also decide whether we will go to Disney World or Universal Studios at this meeting. Talk to Pastor Dan if you need more info.

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Please pray for those in our congregation and in our families who are dealing with illness and pain; may they feel God’s healing presence in their lives.

Please pray for those in our congregation who have lost loved ones: The family and friends of Lucile Dahlman, Edith Thomsen, Gary Swenson and Pearl Sohlberg.

Please pray for the safety of the men and women serving in the military. Please pray for the safety of those serving our military overseas: Chad Wyffels in Qatar.

Prayers are listed in the bulletin each Sunday; we must have permission from the person before we print any names. Requests will be shared for a three-week period and must then be resubmitted. Please contact the church office at 243-3624 with prayer requests.

Mission of the Month The Mission of the Month for December is the Giving Tree for the local Community Center. Please "Snag a Tag" off the tree and bring the tag and unwrapped gift to the church office by December 13th. These gifts are for girls and boys ages 8 months up to 16 years. PLC members were very generous for this mission last year and it was much appreciated. Thank you. Other general needs are new or lightly used pillows, towels, pots and pans, men's and boy's jeans, any size sheets and tennis shoes in all sizes.

Winter Warmth

'Tis the Season'.... for remembering what the season is all about! This is a time when we remember family and friends as we do our Christmas shopping. Here at PLC we also have a chance to remember those who may be less fortunate than we are. In the Gathering Area this week is a tree with paper ornaments on which are written requests for those folks served by our Community Center. When that tree is empty, it will be placed in the Fellowship Hall. There it will be decorated with hats and mittens. If you would like to help with the decorating, you may bring items in all of December. The winter warmth will be given to the Community Center after the new year.

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Prayers of Healing and Anointing

‘Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up;

and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed.

The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.’ James 5:14-16

Do you, or someone in your life, need to feel God’s healing touch? Prayers for Healing and Anointing will be included in the December 11th 8:30 a.m. worship service. If you would like to take part in this portion of the service, please line up on either side of the Altar rail after you commune and you will be invited to come forward one at a time to the back of the Altar rail for prayers and anointing. Your specific prayer will be lifted up individually. God wants us to ask for His help, His healing. Please come forward to feel God’s healing presence!

Your Pop Tabs Can Help!

The Pop Tab Recycling Program is a fundraising project started in MN to support the Ronald McDonald House Charities. Aluminum beverage can tabs are collected and sold for cash which helps fund homes where families can stay while their child undergoes cancer treatment. Please save your beverage can tabs and place them in the Ronald McDonald “house” now located in the Sunday School wing. This is a worthwhile project we can all participate in….young and old. Let’s see how many we can collect by May 1st!

Women’s Bible Study is meeting on December 6th from 8:45 - 10:00 a.m. at PLC. Anyone is welcome! We are studying Becoming a Woman of Simplicity by Cynthia Heald.

Women’s Bible Study

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I would like to thank all the people who are working with the new iQuest program this year. It has been a great year so far with a few bumps in the road. The kids are doing a great job and the energy on Wednesdays is unbelievable. We have 72 students who come on Wednesdays, and we are looking to continue to grow.   Audra Lura Please mark your calendars with this BIG change for iQuest students: There is Christmas program practice on December 7th during iQuest time, and we will practice, then have the program on December 14th at 6:00 p.m. for those who attend iQuest on Wednesdays. I believe the calendar says there is no iQuest on December 14th, and that is NOT true. There will also be a program as previously announced for those children who attend iQuest on Sundays. This program may include your child if they attend both Wednesday and Sunday school, but not if they only attend on Wednesdays, and will be performed on Sunday, December 11th, at 10:30 a.m. (taking place of the second worship service) with a practice on Saturday, December 10th. Anyone interested in helping to corral the students during the practice sessions on the 7th or 14th would be appreciated, as this is a much bigger group of kids to keep track of than we have worked with in the past. We have a program that includes a skit, musical instruments, vocal solos, and costumes and lines. Please ask your child what special thing they are doing in the program, and help them to practice it, if needed. Let me know if your child is feeling left out, as I may have missed assigning someone to something special, and there are a few items left to assign. Thank you for allowing your child to be part of our program, and for encouraging your child to share their time and talents for Jesus! Connie Osborne

PREDATOR is back at PLC on Saturday, December 3rd!

Get ready, 7th – 12th Graders--Pastor Dan and Tony Whelchel are hosting another Predator Tournament on Saturday, December 3rd from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. Predator is a form of super- charged Hide and Seek, and it promises to be an awesome night! The winner of November’s tournament was Andrew Swenson. Prizes will be awarded to the Predators who win the tournament. Just show up that night to register.

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It is already the beginning of December, and I cannot believe how the time has flown by. The students will learn about Advent through the Christmas Program practice and program. We will learn about how the people waited and waited for Jesus to come. During the iQuest lesson times, for both Sunday and Wednesday students, we will have Christmas Program practice for all

students. This is a great time of year; the snow is here and the kids are playing in it. I know that the kids are counting down the days until Christmas when they get gifts and see family. But let’s all take some time to remember the reason for the season, Jesus. We would not have Christmas without his birth and it is a great time of year to remember to give to others and to be thankful for all that we have. I wish everyone a merry Christmas and a happy New Year! December iQuest Events: December 10th Christmas program practice for all age groups (this is for the Sunday Program students) December 11th Christmas program for Sunday iQuest students. Program time is 10:30 a.m. with a potluck following December 14th Christmas program for Wednesday iQuest students

Program starts at 6:00 p.m.; potluck dinner beginning at 5:00 p.m. Please have your dinner items at church by 4:45 p.m. Potluck on December 14th—Youth and family board to serve A – L main dish; M – Z salads; Dessert provided

December 21st Christmas party and activities for Wednesday iQuest students Dinner is kid’s choice Wednesday night Worship and Praise service starting at 6:00 p.m. - the Praise Band will play Future Dates: January 4th Wednesday iQuest resumes January 8th Sunday iQuest resumes Teachers meeting 11:15 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

iQuest News

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Thank you to everyone for attending the November Thank offering meeting. We collected $350 to send to the Synod mission projects. Thanks also to Barb Ingalsbe and Viola Bengtson for sharing some of their experiences at the Tri-annual in Spokane, Washington this past summer. Please

remember to mark your calendars for the Christmas potluck on Thursday, December 1st at 6:00 p.m. Bring a friend! We will have a short business meeting followed by the singing of Christmas carols and music by Donovan Tharaldson. Hope to see you all there. Faith Circle Reminder to the members of Faith Circle to bring two dozen of a purchased snack, candy, or cookie item to our Christmas pot luck meeting on Thursday, December 8th. We will meet in the church Fellowship Hall for Bible study at 10:30 a.m. followed by lunch around 11:45 a.m. We will also put together the snack bags for the Community Center.

Décor Committee Update The Decor Committee continues the process of rearranging and returning items to the walls at PLC. You may have noticed the beautiful new Veteran's display added to a wall in the Fellowship Hall in October. One of our congregation members made the beautiful case, and we are excited to have the display in a prominent place for all to enjoy! We also took down the large mirror in the entrance area and replaced it with one of our vibrant new pieces of artwork glorifying God by Christian artist Dr. He Qi. Three additional pieces of artwork by Dr. He Qi are located throughout PLC. His art is used in the wildly popular confirmation curriculum “Faith Inkubators”, and displayed at our ELCA Headquarters in Chicago, which served as the inspiration for the Décor Committee to select this artwork for PLC. You may have also noticed the front entrance hallway has a fresh coat of paint. The updating will continue for the next couple of months. One of the goals of the Committee is to help “Point Others To Jesus” by creating a warm and welcoming environment for everyone wishing to Worship at PLC. Thank you for your continued patience.

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Our Advent Decorations at PLC

You may have noticed that there are no ornaments on our Christmas trees in the sanctuary, and no lights are twinkling yet! As we celebrate the season of Advent, and as we wait for the light of Christ to come, we remind ourselves Christ’s light is coming by keeping the Christmas lights off. During the week of Christmas, the ornaments will also be added to the trees to remind us of the gift of the baby Jesus.

Senior Shepherds

The Senior Shepherds are a group of “senior” citizens, age 50 and above, who get together monthly to share breakfast and fellowship at various restaurants in the Paynesville area. This month they will be meeting on Tuesday, December 20th at 8:30 a.m. The meeting place has yet to be determined. If you have any questions, please contact Ardis Dosdall at 243-3602.

Church Council Minutes are available in the Gathering Area at church.

REMEMBERING THE SAINTS

Those remembered during our worship services on November 6th include:

Clara Sorenson, November 27, 2010 Katherine Halverson, November 28, 2010 Millie Chesney, March 20, 2011 William 'Jack' Bugbee, March 27, 2011 Richard 'Dick' Morelan, April 21, 2011 Daniel Stone, July 21, 2011 Kendra Kleven, September 5, 2011 Thomas 'Heavy' Hanson, October 3, 2011

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Christmas list? We have a great selection of coffees, teas and chocolate available on the Fair Trade table in the Gathering area at PLC. They all make tasty gifts in the upcoming holiday season. 2012 Altar Flower Chart

Sign up now to provide flowers for the Altar in celebration of an event, in honor of someone special or in loving memory of someone you love. The flower chart is located on the door to the church office.

Donation to the Community Service Center

Due to your generosity, we were able to present a check for over $800 to the Community Service Center to be used to purchase turkeys for the holidays. The funds were received from a special offering taken on Sunday, November 13th and also from the proceeds from the summer product table. Thank you!!!

Allison Jansen, CSC Director and Pastor Dan

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Dear Mr. Mutschelknaus, Thank you for the generous gift of $400 received on November 1, 2011. Your gift will make a difference in many lives. For 16+ years, we have been laying a solid foundation for making a difference, in the lives of people from our community and the surrounding counties. Our hearts are touched every time we experience someone who has a renewed dream in their heart which has been made possible by people like you who give of their own substance. For God is at work in you both to will and to work for His good pleasure. Philippians 2:13. We are grateful for your support and pray that the blessing of God be upon you throughout the coming New Year. Sincerely, Saundra Laidlaw, Program Director Dear Paynesville Lutheran Church, Thank you so much for the lovely peace lily that you sent for mother’s funeral at Stockholm Lutheran Church in Cokato. She cherished her many years with her church family there at Paynesville Lutheran and your love to her! Love, Cynthia, Jon and girls, and Bruce and Lori (Lucile Dahlman’s daughter)

ELCA Good Gifts Check out the ELCA Good Gifts catalog located in the Gathering area. The catalog offers unique and meaningful opportunities for you to support your favorite ELCA ministries. What a great way to share the Christmas spirit with your loved ones and the world!

Paynesville Lutheran Church Annual Meeting

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Deadline for reports / articles is

Friday, December 16, 2011

Deadline for financial report information is

Friday, January 6, 2012

Reports will be available to pick up in the Gathering area at church on Sunday, January 15, 2012.

Looking for that great gift for the hard-to-buy-for person on your 9

A Message from Your Call Committee A blessed Advent season to you and your loved ones from the Paynesville Lutheran Call Committee! We have been hard at work gathering information, and preparing necessary documents in order to move forward in the call process. After review and approval by the Church Council, we have sent our paperwork into the synod office. The synod office will review our information, and then begin to send us names and documents of potential candidates for our review. The document review and interview portions require the call committee to operate in strict confidentiality with the potential candidates. We ask for your prayers and support as we listen for the guidance of the Holy Spirit in calling the new Associate Pastor for Paynesville Lutheran. Portions of the documents that the candidates see contain information taken directly off of the last congregational survey. After reading all the comments, the following five areas of primary focus for the new Pastor during the first year of ministry came through as common themes:

1. Demonstrate an engaging and relevant preaching style. 2. Be part of a team when working with the Lead Pastor, church

council, and staff. 3. Communicate and connect with all ages in the congregation. 4. Become involved with youth and families. 5. Visitation

The following are five ways the congregation promised support and encouragement for the new Pastor during the first year of ministry, also based directly off the survey results:

1. We will support you through active participation in congregational life.

2. We will support you through prayer. 3. We will be welcoming to you. 4. We will encourage you to use your unique gifts and talents. 5. We will be open to change and new ideas.

Thank you for your continued support of the call committee, and participation in this important part of our congregational life together. Paynesville Lutheran Church Call Committee

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Endowment Grants

Due to the generous support of the Paynesville Lutheran Endowment Fund, we were able to make the following grants / scholarship awards listed below. Consider a gift to the Endowment Fund this holiday season.

Simply Giving A Simple and Convenient Way to Give

This fall, consider signing up for electronic giving. Paynesville Lutheran Church relies on the financial support of the congregation and electronic giving offers an easy way to give on a convenient, recurring basis. To give electronically, please complete a Simply Giving form and turn it in to the church office, or contact the church office for additional details. Thank you!

Applicant Purpose Amount

Received Alex Naujokas Scholarship $1,000.00 Altar Guild New Paraments $1,300.00 Jared Campbell Music lessons $500.00 Julie Youngs Honduras Mission Trip $400.00 Overcomers International Fellowship

Feeding meals to the homeless

$400.00

PLC Praise Band Music Equipment $650.00 PLC Décor Acoustic Panels $250.00 Paul Shumaker Scholarship $545.40 Paynesville Area Schools 6th Grade Winter Camp

Camp costs $200.00

Paynesville Area Community Center

Meal delivery $500.00

Paynesville Historical Museum Ebenezer relocation $300.00 R.O.S.E. Center Transportation costs $500.00

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Dear Dave, Pastor Dan and the Endowment Committee, I am so grateful to Paynesville Lutheran Church for your support. It has been an honor to follow God’s call to seminary, but that would not be possible without the thoughtful support of this Christian Community. My family has been blessed in so many ways and I continue to pray for you s your continue to be a blessing to so many others! Your brother in Christ, Paul Shumaker Thank you for the gift of $250 from the Endowment Fund to assist plans for installing an acoustic ceiling in the Fellowship Hall at PLC. Our goal is to reduce the noise level in the Fellowship Hall and make a more pleasant sound atmosphere for gatherings. PLC Decor Committee Dear Mr. Mutschelknaus, On behalf of the Meal Delivery Fund board members, I thank you very much for granting our request for some financial assistance. It is so nice to be able to help our volunteer drivers a little, who in return help us to help seniors stay in their own homes longer. Thank you. Sincerely, Linda Manz, Meal Delivery Fund Board Member Thank you to the Endowment Committee for the contribution to the Altar Guild to help pay for the beautiful new Paraments at PLC. We appreciate the donation and look forward to many years of use from our new paraments. Sincerely, PLC Altar Guild members PLC, Thank you so much for the scholarship and your support over the years. I really appreciate it!!! Sincerely, Alex Naujokas Dear PLC Endowment Committee, Thank you for the scholarship money! I will use it for piano lessons at the Wirth Center in St. Cloud. I am looking forward to improving my piano skills and playing for the church. The scholarship is a huge benefit to our family. Thank you for your generosity. Sincerely, Jared Campbell On behalf of the “Paynesville Historical Society”, I wish to thank you for the recent grant of $300. We will be using these funds to help with the expenses associated with the move of the Ebenezer Church. Thanks again! Vicki Jennings, Secretary

Thank You

Leadership Structure of the CongregationCongregational Officers Senior ShepherdsThe Senior Shepherds are a group of “senior” citizens, age 50 and above, who get together monthly to share breakfast and fellowship at various restaurants in the Paynesville area. This month they will be meeting on Tuesday, December 20th at 8:30 a.m. The meeting place has yet to be determined. If you have any questions, please contact Ardis Dosdall at 243-3602.

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