WORSHIP NOTES FOR 2018 NOVEMBER
All Saints' Day - November 4
November 1 is the day in which the Holy Christian Church celebrates the remembrance of those who have died in the Lord. Churches often move this celebration to the closest Sunday to November 1, hence we observe it today. Mt. Calvary recalls the faith given to Leona Varty and Jack Holloway as they shared it with us before our Lord called them home. The First Reading is taken from Revelation 7 in which John the Apostle describes a huge number of saints and angels singing praises to the Lamb, who sits on the throne. The Epistle Reading, also written by John, reminds us of God's love and that He has made us His children. Finally, the Gospel Reading comes from the lips of Jesus, who calls us blessed because the kingdom of God belongs to us. Hymns for this feast include: "For All the Saints"; "Ye Watchers and Ye Holy Ones"; "Thine the Amen, Thine the Praise"; and "We Sing for All the Unsung Saints."
25th Sunday After Pentecost - November 11
We give our offerings joyfully, even if we don't have abundant monetary blessings from God. Consider these two poor widows. In the Old Testament, Elijah asks a widow to bake her last meal of bread before she dies; however, God's miracle shows that the oil and flour never run out, even after three years! Similarly, the widow in the New Testament puts her last two mites in the offering. These widows gave all that they had, trusting that God would supply them with more. In the Epistle Reading, the author reminds us that we will die, Christ will come again, and that there will be judgment. Hymns for this Sunday include: “Lord of All Hopefulness”; “All Depends on Our Possessing”; “We Give Thee but Thine Own”; and “O Savior, Precious Savior.”
26th Sunday After Pentecost - November 18
As the end of the Church Year approaches, we are reminded that there is also an end of the world. The important things to remember are that our names are written in the book of life and that we will shine like the stars. Jesus asks us to encourage one another and be faithful in our gathering with other Christians (Hebrews 10:11-25). Jesus Himself mentioned that signs of the last days include wars, rumors of wars, famines, and earthquakes. Hymns for this Sunday include: “The Day Is Surely Drawing Near”; “My Lord, What a Morning”; “Jesus, Thy Blood and Righteousness”; and “Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence.”
Thanksgiving Day Service - November 22
Our national day of Thanksgiving occurs on the fourth Thursday of November. We thank God for all the abundant blessings He has given us. We are reminded that the Israelites in the desert were fed with manna from heaven for 40 years and that their clothes also lasted the same amount of time. We can also rejoice with Paul because of God's goodness. Finally, we can be like the one leper who returned to Jesus, thanking Him for being cleansed from the dreaded disease of leprosy. Hymns of rejoicing include "For the Fruits of His Creation"; "Now Thank We All Our God"; "Praise and Thanksgiving"; and "Come, Ye Thankful People, Come."
Last Sunday Of The Church Year - November 26
Today, we receive the final reminder of the last day of the Earth. In the Old Testament Reading, we hear that the heavens and earth will vanish like smoke, but that our salvation will last forever. In the Epistle of Jude, we are encouraged to build ourselves up in faith and God's mercy; this will lead to eternal life. In the Gospel Reading, Jesus tells us that the sun and moon will go dark, the stars will fall, and that He will return with great power and glory. Hymns that prepare us for this day include: “Lord of Our Life and God of Our Salvation”; “We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God”; “Rise, My Soul, to Watch and Pray”; and “Wake, Awake, for Night Is Flying.
WORSHIP NOTES FOR 2018 DECEMBER
“The Mouse that Stole Christmas....but caused the greatest Christmas hymn to be written!!!”
PLACE: St. Nikolaus Church, Oberndorf, Austria
TIME: Christmas Eve, 1818
What a surprise when the organist couldn't get the organ to function on the morning of December 24 in this quaint little village nestled in the Alps!!! Legend has it that a mouse chewed several holes in the bellows, causing the organ to be unusable. Pastor Mohr quickly wrote out a hymn, and Franz Gruber came up with a tune which he played on a guitar. That night the two sang a duet and the choir repeated the last line of the hymn. Thus began the first singing of "Silent Night." This could have been the "one and only" performance, except.... sometime later the organ repairman saw the hymn and asked to take a copy with him.
The hymn then circulated throughout Germany and Austria-especially the music cities of Leipzig, Berlin, and Vienna. It received an English translation and became popular in London and New York City. The hymn continued to be translated into many languages and sung throughout the world, becoming the most famous Christmas carol. Perhaps the greatest appreciation has come from Wally Bronner, founder of Bronner's CHRISTmas Wonderland, when he erected the Silent Night Chapel, lining the sidewalks with posts of "Silent Night" in over 300 different languages!
In the 200 years that followed the creation of this hymn, let us remember that the joy from the coming of the Savior, sung by the angels, told by the shepherds, and witnessed by Mary and Joseph can never be stolen from us. May God grant you a blessed Christmas, as you celebrate the birth of His Son, Jesus.
PLACE: St. Nikolaus Church, Oberndorf, Austria
TIME: Christmas Eve, 1818
What a surprise when the organist couldn't get the organ to function on the morning of December 24 in this quaint little village nestled in the Alps!!! Legend has it that a mouse chewed several holes in the bellows, causing the organ to be unusable. Pastor Mohr quickly wrote out a hymn, and Franz Gruber came up with a tune which he played on a guitar. That night the two sang a duet and the choir repeated the last line of the hymn. Thus began the first singing of "Silent Night." This could have been the "one and only" performance, except.... sometime later the organ repairman saw the hymn and asked to take a copy with him.
The hymn then circulated throughout Germany and Austria-especially the music cities of Leipzig, Berlin, and Vienna. It received an English translation and became popular in London and New York City. The hymn continued to be translated into many languages and sung throughout the world, becoming the most famous Christmas carol. Perhaps the greatest appreciation has come from Wally Bronner, founder of Bronner's CHRISTmas Wonderland, when he erected the Silent Night Chapel, lining the sidewalks with posts of "Silent Night" in over 300 different languages!
In the 200 years that followed the creation of this hymn, let us remember that the joy from the coming of the Savior, sung by the angels, told by the shepherds, and witnessed by Mary and Joseph can never be stolen from us. May God grant you a blessed Christmas, as you celebrate the birth of His Son, Jesus.
1st Sunday In Advent - December 2
We begin a new church year, preparing for the coming (Advent) of our Lord. We will be using Series C, in which most of the Gospel Readings will be taken from the Gospel according to St. Luke. As always, we begin with the Gospel Reading of Jesus riding into Jerusalem, Symbolically, this is a picture of Christ coming into our hearts. In the Old Testament Reading, we hear Jeremiah describing God as a righteous branch, growing from the lineage of David; His people will be saved. Finally, Paul prays for the Thessalonians that their faith and love will be increased. Hymns that begin this church year include: “Savior of the Nations, Come”; “Come, Thou Precious Ransom, Come”; “O Lord, How Shall I Meet You”; and “The Advent of Our King.”
2nd Sunday In Advent - December 9
The preparation for the world to receive Christ was done by John the Baptist. We need to hear that we have sinned and are in need of making sure we have sufficient room for Jesus. Like Malachi, the last prophet in the Old Testament, we need to have a refiner's fire to clear out all the impurities inside us. We need Christ, who began a good work in us, to complete us so that we will be ready for His coming. Hymns for this Sunday include "On Jordan's Bank, the Baptist's Cry"; "Prepare the Royal Highway"; "Comfort, Comfort, Ye My People"; and “Hark! the Glad Sound."
3rd Sunday In Advent - December 16
We rejoice in Christ's coming since He will put an end to all our misery and suffering. Like Zephaniah and Paul, we rejoice because Christ is in our midst. Even John the Baptist, who was imprisoned for speaking against Herod's sin, needed to hear Jesus' words that the blind see, the deaf can hear, the lame walk, and the lepers are cured. Jesus was definitely the Messiah that God had promised throughout the past. Hymns for this Sunday include: “Hark! A Thrilling Voice Is Sounding”; “Rejoice, Rejoice, Believers”; “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus”; and “Arise, O Christian People.”
4th Sunday In Advent - December 23
This is another Sunday in which we hear the good news of Jesus given to ordinary people. The little town of Bethlehem, only a few miles from Jerusalem, would be the birthplace of God's Son. John the Baptist, while inside his mother's womb, leaped for joy when Mary, who was pregnant with Jesus, came to visit. Hymns for this Sunday, which show the great happiness with the coming of Jesus include: “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”; “My Soul Rejoices”; “O Little Town of Bethlehem”; and “The Angel Gabriel from Heaven Came.”
Christmas Eve Candlelight Service - December 24
We greatly rejoice in the birth of Christ. We are like the people described in Isaiah that have seen a great light breaking up the darkness. We rejoice with Paul as he tells Titus that God's grace has appeared in the birth of the Savior. Finally, we hear the good news of the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem and how it influenced the shepherds and angels. Some of the familiar Christmas carols that will be sung include "Silent Night"; "Once in Royal David's City"; "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing"; "From Heaven Above to Earth I Come"; "Away in a Manger"; and "Angels We Have Heard on High."
1st Sunday After Christmas - December 30
Christ came to fulfill the law in our place and to bring joy. In the Old Testament Reading, we hear God's requirement to have the first-born child and animals consecrated to Him. In the Gospel Reading, Mary and Joseph bring Jesus to be circumcised and consecrated. Simeon, when he saw the child, rejoiced because he saw the salvation that God prepared for His people and the Gentiles. Hymns for this Sunday include "Let All Together Praise Our God"; "Angels from the Realms of Glory"; "In His Temple Now Behold Him"; and "Of the Father's Love Begotten."
CHURCH NEWS
Camp Restore Fundraiser
Thank you to all who attended our "first annual" fundraiser on October 14! We so appreciate your attendance, donations, and prayers in support of our Camp Restore Detroit Ministry that this event would be a success! It was a great afternoon. We had 125 people in attendance, including three of our Neighborhood Police Officers. Monetarily, we raised a very fair sum that will go towards supporting this important ministry. Thanks to all who helped at the event. We can always count on the great people at Mt. Calvary and are grateful for your support. Thanks, too, to Amy, Abby, Chris, Elizabeth and George for the great job they did in relating their true life CRD experiences to all in attendance!
Offering Envelops
Your 2019 offering envelopes are in your mailbox in the church office. January 6, 2019, will be last date to submit your 2018 offerings.
Christmas Poinsettias
We will once again have beautiful red poinsettias surrounding the Christmas trees in the chancel. If you would like to place one or more, the cost is $10 per plant and there will be a sign-up sheet in the Altar Guild Room. Please place your order no later than Friday, December 7. Thank you!
Christmas Card Tree
The “Christmas Card "Tree” will again appear in the Altar Guild Room just after Thanksgiving so you can post one card for all your friends at Mt. Calvary. You can always route the extra money you would have used on individual cards and postage into your offering envelope or your MITE box (see Lucie if you need one!)
Decorating The Sanctuary
Please plan to join your fellow church members in decorating the sanctuary on Monday, November 26, at 12:30 p.m. The old phrase, “Many hands make light work” is definitely appropriate in our endeavor to beautify the sanctuary in honor of the birth of Jesus, our Savior.
Voters Meeting
The next Voters Meeting will be held on Sunday, September 16, following the Worship service. Please plan to attend this meeting.
The Slate For Church Officers 2019
The following slate of officers was approved by Church Council and will be submitted for election at the Voters Meeting.
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Chairman of Congregation
Board Of Elders Board Of Elders Board Of Trustees Board Of Stewardship Board Of Education Board Of Education |
William Buchanan
John Hupp Adam Kurtz Lorraine Roy Marion Kunert Susan Riske Carol Vietzke |
2021
2021 2021 2021 2021 2021 2021 |
Church Council Meeting
There will be a Church Council meeting on November 26 at 10:00 a.m. There will be no meeting for the month of December. If you are unable to attend, please contact Bill.
January Newsletter Information
Beginning with the January edition of the newsletter, they will again be published monthly. Your newsletter articles for the January Newsletter will be due by Monday, December 17.
Board Of Elders Meetings
There will be no Board of Elders meeting for the months of November and December. The next meeting will be Tuesday, January 15, at 7:00 p.m. at the home of Jerry Roy.
Gifts For All God's Children Christmas Party
You're invited to join us for our “Gifts For All God's Children” Christmas party on December 15! This event will take place from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and again from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. At these times, Christmas gifts will be distributed to the Head Start families. If you or someone you know would like to be involved in helping with the event, please contact Terrie in the church office. We would love to see you there as we celebrate the incredible birth of our Savior!
Christmas Cookie Request
We will once again need some of your delicious cookies for preparing a few small packages for shut-ins (about 5 anticipated) who will be visited before the holidays and also for the gift distribution for the Head Start families (part of the Gifts for All God's Children holiday effort) on Dec. 15. Bring your cookies to church on November 26 (the day that the sanctuary will be decorated for Christmas). There might even be a sufficient supply for some taste-testing while all the decorating and packaging is getting done!!
LWML MITES UPDATE
Thank you to those who turned in their MITE box contents on LWML Sunday, celebrated on Oct. 7. When Lucie attended the Michigan District LWML Convention in July, she received a print-out of the MITE Box contributions of every congregation in the Michigan District. Mt. Calvary's total for the 2016-2018 biennium was $408. Including the MITES collected in October, plus MITES sent in July 15 and Sept. 1 of this year, Mt. Calvary has already contributed over $150. The National LWML recently sent out an eNews update of the progress for the National's 2017-2019 biennium. The goal is $2,075,000 and as of Sept. 30, $1,348,037.96 has been received. Twenty-five percent of the MITES we send in support the National LWML Mission Grants and the other seventy-five percent supports the Mission Grants chosen by the Michigan District LWML. Your MITES accomplish great things! Camp Restore Detroit has submitted a Grant proposal that we hope will be considered at the National Convention next summer in Mobile, Alabama. Please watch for updates on this opportunity to have some of our MITES come back to work at Camp Restore Detroit!
Feel free to visit the LWML website (www.lwml.org) and the LWML Michigan District website (www.lwmlmichigan.org) to learn more about the Mission Grants that are currently being supported on the national and the district level.
Feel free to visit the LWML website (www.lwml.org) and the LWML Michigan District website (www.lwmlmichigan.org) to learn more about the Mission Grants that are currently being supported on the national and the district level.
Scrip News
It's time to start thinking about ordering those gift cards for your holiday shopping needs and gifting needs. There will only be three Sundays in December for placing orders (Dec. 2, 9, 16) so your order can be available by the middle of the week it's placed. The paper order forms are available in the folder on the table across from the church office. If you've not checked out the complete list of retailers available, you might want to check out the list as it includes many "regional" offerings such as Piggly Wiggly, Sinclair gas, Albertsons, Sprouts, etc. Visit www.shopwithscrip and if a retailer you want to order is not on the paper form, write it in on the back side of the form, bottom of right side column. Low denomination cards, which are perfect for those small gifting needs, will be available soon so watch the Sunday bulletins for updates. Once they are available they will also be added to the order forms.
Keep in mind that each gift card you order earns a rebate through the Great Lakes Scrip Center, and 75% of the profit earned on each card is routed to help cover the expenses of our Food Bank efforts (the remaining 25% helps cover the expenses of operating a SCRIP program such as the postage/handling expense on each week's order). But we need your orders to keep those profits coming in! We also use the Kroger Community Rewards Program to build our money raised for the Food Bank, but as this program has become more popular we're seeing our share of the contribution from Kroger decreasing. The only remedy for that is to get more families and friends to designate Mt. Calvary on their Kroger account and to do more shopping at Kroger.
So please consider ordering some gift cards for your gifting needs or for your own use. Gift cards are no longer allowed to have an expiration date or service charges for non-use. Gift cards allow your friends or family to purchase what they need, when they need it, and avoid those "return" lines at the stores after the holidays. Plus some of what you spent ordering the card is getting double use as that rebate helps operate our Food Bank. It's a "Win-win" so see Lucie Witte to start placing those orders!
Keep in mind that each gift card you order earns a rebate through the Great Lakes Scrip Center, and 75% of the profit earned on each card is routed to help cover the expenses of our Food Bank efforts (the remaining 25% helps cover the expenses of operating a SCRIP program such as the postage/handling expense on each week's order). But we need your orders to keep those profits coming in! We also use the Kroger Community Rewards Program to build our money raised for the Food Bank, but as this program has become more popular we're seeing our share of the contribution from Kroger decreasing. The only remedy for that is to get more families and friends to designate Mt. Calvary on their Kroger account and to do more shopping at Kroger.
So please consider ordering some gift cards for your gifting needs or for your own use. Gift cards are no longer allowed to have an expiration date or service charges for non-use. Gift cards allow your friends or family to purchase what they need, when they need it, and avoid those "return" lines at the stores after the holidays. Plus some of what you spent ordering the card is getting double use as that rebate helps operate our Food Bank. It's a "Win-win" so see Lucie Witte to start placing those orders!
Food Bank
Dates for the Food Bank are November 7 and 21 and December 5 and 19. We continue to receive food from Historic Trinity which helps to keep our expenses down. We were recently blessed with a lot of clothes from Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Washington, MI and know that our participants will be appreciative. Your donations of plastic grocery bags are always welcome
Headstart
The enrollment of Head Start is currently at 60 and will be held there for the time being. Since the Detroit Public Schools added a full day preschool, it is more challenging for our Head Start locations to fill enrollment spots to their previous capacity. This is an important program with quality teachers, and we continue to pray that more students will be added in the future. The children are busy learning new things each day and continue to enjoy the playground when the weather permits. We will be resuming the Wednesday reading program for the children in November.
Head Start Reading Program
We will once again begin our reading program with Head Start. We will be reading in the following months: November, January, February, March, April, and May. We have two classrooms in the morning and afternoon. If you are interested in being a reader, please contact Terrie in the church office for more information
Camp Restore Update
Even though Camp Restore Detroit is not in its busy season, things are still happening! Full schedule indeed! In September, CRD held a group of three meetings to make educated decisions concerning the 2019 year. During the first meeting, CRD board members, staff, volunteers, Mt. Calvary members, and community leaders and residents had a very successful discussion about the 2018 season. The CRD board members met a few days later for about 6 hours, discussing comments from the previous meeting, and making policy and procedure changes as necessary while taking into consideration all comments from the first meeting. The entire set of meetings culminated with a Sunday assembly to let others know what the board had decided. By the time these meetings were complete, people who attended and led the meetings felt successful, but very tired.
During the first week in October, a group of 7th and 8th grade students took a field trip to CRD. They learned about CRD, took a tour, and worked at a local community garden.
Also in October, Pastor Carrier, Lori, Amy, and Elizabeth went to the Michigan All Pastors’ Conference at Boyne Mountain Lodge where CRD and Pastor Carrier received the Phillip Award for providing HOPE for the people of Detroit. What a surprising, amazing honor!
Presentations were made during the past two months to different groups, including schools and LWML groups. On October 22, a camper group from Our Redeemer, Washington, Michigan came to serve our community.
Of course, CRD enjoyed over 100 people at the first fund-raiser dinner and auction in October. A huge thank you to the committee for putting a lot of hard work into the planning and to everyone who helped and attended the day of the auction. Great time; great fellowship!
Early in October, Amy was concerned that reservations were not coming in yet for 2019. A week later, reservations were beginning to come in at a fast pace for next year!
Off season? Not sure that truly exists. God is good!
--Lori Carrier
During the first week in October, a group of 7th and 8th grade students took a field trip to CRD. They learned about CRD, took a tour, and worked at a local community garden.
Also in October, Pastor Carrier, Lori, Amy, and Elizabeth went to the Michigan All Pastors’ Conference at Boyne Mountain Lodge where CRD and Pastor Carrier received the Phillip Award for providing HOPE for the people of Detroit. What a surprising, amazing honor!
Presentations were made during the past two months to different groups, including schools and LWML groups. On October 22, a camper group from Our Redeemer, Washington, Michigan came to serve our community.
Of course, CRD enjoyed over 100 people at the first fund-raiser dinner and auction in October. A huge thank you to the committee for putting a lot of hard work into the planning and to everyone who helped and attended the day of the auction. Great time; great fellowship!
Early in October, Amy was concerned that reservations were not coming in yet for 2019. A week later, reservations were beginning to come in at a fast pace for next year!
Off season? Not sure that truly exists. God is good!
--Lori Carrier
Lutheran "Woman Of The Year" Luncheon 2019
Please mark your calendar for Tuesday, March 19, 2019. The Council of Lutheran Women Luncheon will take place at Burton Manor in Livonia on that date. This is the Council's major fundraiser to build funds to be used to support the Scholarship Program and assist two Detroit Food Banks. The Luncheon will include the "Women of the Year" celebration and the speaker following the lunch will be Gayle Sommerfeld, one of the founders of MOST (Mission Opportunities Short Term) and author of "Beyond Sight", the story of how this ministry began. Details for the event will be available in December so please watch the Sunday bulletins for further updates.
Summer Camp / VBS
Please mark your calendars -- we have set the dates for the 2019 camp which will be held June 24-28, 2019. We were so appreciative of the help we received from the campers last year through our Camp Restore Detroit ministry.
Boar's Head Festival
St. John Lutheran Church, 16339 Fourteen Mile Road, in Fraser will present its Boar’s Head Festival on Thursday, December 6, Saturday, December 8 and Sunday, December 9. The Thursday and Saturday performances begin at 7:00 p.m., while the Sunday performance begins at 5:00 p.m.
The Boar’s Head Festival is an elaborate pageant, celebrating the Christmas season and concluding with the telling of Christ’s birth. All performances ask for a free-will donation, but require a “ticket” for admittance. Please contact St. John’s church office at 586.293.0333 for Thursday and Saturday performance. Call Daryl Witte at 586.775.4636 for Sunday’s performance.
The Boar’s Head Festival is an elaborate pageant, celebrating the Christmas season and concluding with the telling of Christ’s birth. All performances ask for a free-will donation, but require a “ticket” for admittance. Please contact St. John’s church office at 586.293.0333 for Thursday and Saturday performance. Call Daryl Witte at 586.775.4636 for Sunday’s performance.
Your Help Is Needed
We need your help! We will need extra cookies for the Christmas party on December 15 since we expect many children to attend. We also need empty toilet paper rolls for a craft project. A container will be available in the church office for your drop offs. Cookies can be brought the day of the Church decorating or bring them to church the week before the December 15 party. THANK YOU for your help!
Thrivent Choice
Many thanks to David A Habedank for his donation of his choice dollars to Mt. Calvary.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!
2018 November Birthdays
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07
09 10 16 22 |
Brandon Vietzke
Bradley Vietzke Martha Kurtz & Lorraine Roy Dale Vietzke Aiden Vietzke & Dylan Vietzke |
2018 December Birthdays
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02
09 |
Arnold Karcher
Carol Vietzke |
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!!
2018 December Anniversaries
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29
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Paster John and Lori Carrier (45 Years)
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Don't forget to stop by "From The Pastor's Desk..." to see what insights Pastor John Carrier has for the months of September & October.
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Downloadable PDF Copy Of The Newsletter To The Right | ||