St.

Johns Lutheran Church ELCA

1300 W. Benjamin Avenue
Norfolk, NE 68701
(402) 371-1985
stjohn@cableone.net
www.stjohnsnorfolk.com

Our Mission: Loving God . . . Loving People . . . Reaching Out!

PRAYER CONCERNS AND JOYS:
Marsha Nelson in the loss of her father, Larry Nelson
Steve Orwig
Alecia Simonsen & baby Hunter
Tom & Midge Hedrick as they mourn the loss of Toms mom, Margaret Hedrick
LONG TERM PRAYER CONCERNS:
Dennis & Sara Fegley
Lt. Col. Darin Huss (deployed)
Rosemary Westerhold

Norma Hunter
Keagan Sullivan
Harlin Westerhold

Carol Severa
Scott Leader

Names will be listed in the bulletin for 2 weeks for immediate prayers and 3 months for long
term prayers. Those who wish names to remain on the list longer should contact the church
office @ 402-371-1985. If you know someone who is in need of prayer but whose name is not
listed, it may be that they have asked not to be included in the printed bulletin. Please
remember them in your personal prayers.
Flowers on the altar this December weekend are sponsored by Ken Wragge in celebration of
Terry Halls birthday; and by Eline Brosh in memory of sister-in-law Carlene Bowen. A special
arrangement is sponsored in honor of Eline Broshs 90th birthday by son and daughter-in-law
Brian & Nancy Nissen.

GOOD NEIGHBORS PACKING & DELIVERY

Good Neighbors will be packing food boxes on Wednesday, Dec. 14, with
deliveries on Thursday, Dec. 15. If you would be willing to help with this ministry,
we will see you Wednesday morning around 8 AM! Thank you for being the hands
and feet of Christ in our community!
Armchairs are available if you are in need of an armed chair during worship.
Just ask an usher!
Dr. David E. Cox Interim Senior Pastor
Justin Wiese Assistant Pastor, NeLCM-Norfolk Campus Pastor
Jacquie Samway PMA, Coordinator of Congregational Care
Jolene Ziebell Coordinator of Youth Ministries
Gail Ermels Office Manager
Jim Carter Custodian/Grounds Keeper
Midge Hedrick Office Assistant

SUNDAY, DEC 11
8:30-9:30 am .............................Breakfast on the Hill
10:00 am ...................................................... Worship
50 Years on the Hill Celebration
MONDAY, DEC 12
10:00 am ............................................. Staff Meeting
8:30 pm ..................................................... Solid Rock
TUESDAY, DEC 13
7:00 am ................................ Mens Prayer Breakfast
2:00 pm ............................................... WELCA Board
5:15 pm ............................................... Finance Team
5:30 pm ........................ NeLCM Governance Council
6:00 pm ........................................Temple ChristCare
Pat Monson, 402-371-8803
6:30 pm .................Majesty Choir Cantata Rehearsal
WEDNESDAY, DEC 14
8:00 am .............................. Good Neighbors Packing
12:30 pm ...................................... Mission Life Team
1:30 pm .................................... Searchers ChristCare
Connie Hagstrom, 402-649-4862
6:00 pm ...................................................... SHOCKED
7:00 pm .............................................Call Committee
THURSDAY, DEC 15
8:00 am .......................... Good Neighbors Deliveries
9:00 am ............................................. Rebekah Circle
1:30 pm .................................................... Ruth Circle
6:30 pm ................................. Majesty Choir Practice
7:15 pm ........................................ Cantata Rehearsal
SATURDAY, DEC 17
5:00 pm ................ Majesty Choir Christmas Cantata

SHOP FOR MINISTRY

DEC 11
DEC 18

8:30 am
11 am
8:30 am
11 am

Donna Short
__________
Elenore Merritt
Michelle Dagerman

Pledge update: 84 Estimate of Giving Cards for

2017 have been completed and returned.
Thank you! If you have not yet had a chance to
do so, please place your pledge card and Time
& Talent sheet into the offering plate or drop it
into the box at the back of the church. More
copies are available, if needed -- just ask an
usher!

OFFERINGS
Mission Emphasis (DEC) ................. Good Neighbors
Greenfiber Funds for DEC .............................. Mosaic
General offering for 12/3/2016 .................$6,699.65
Dedicated Funds spent to cover
General Fund expenses .....................$24,634.76
End of OCT General Fund Deficit ........... $1,962.02
Year-to-Date General Fund Deficit ....... $28,119.97
Attendance 11/27/16 .................... (225, 77, 61) 363

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 11
10 AM
COUNCIL PERSON OF THE WEEK
DAN DENKINGER
GREETERSWendell & Ethelyn Fossum,
Richard & Leona Pfeifer
USHERS Mike Kai, Mark Nelson, Mike
Widhalm
READER Diane Hansen
COMMUNION ASSISTANTS Jeff & Cathy
Erwin, Ken Wragge, Terry Hall,
(Connie Hagstrom, Jim Merritt)
POWERPOINT Midge Hedrick
SOUND Spencer Dagerman
LECTIONARY READINGS:
Isaiah 35:1-10
Psalm 146:5-10
1 Corinthians 3:9-17
Matthew 5:13-16

St. John's Call Committee has received the

names of two candidates for the position of
Senior Pastor from the Nebraska synod office.
The committee is in the process of reviewing
the profiles of these candidates. We ask for
your prayers as we go through this period of
discernment.
St. John's Call Committee

The new 2017 flower chart is

available in the west hallway. This is
an excellent way to remember a
loved one or a special occasion with
flowers on the altar. You can always pick up
your flowers after the late Sunday service or on
Monday morning in the church office. Flowers
that are left behind are delivered to a shut-in or
someone hospitalized. Thank you for all your
generous donations in the past and thank you
to Floral Expressions for sharing their talents!

2017 OFFERING ENVELOPES

ARE NOW AVAILABLE IN THE WEST
HALLWAY.

Sermons are now available online @

www.facebook.com/stjohnsnorfolk
ALSO: If you missed the Sunday School
Christmas Program, you can view it in its
entirety on facebook.

CALENDAR CHANGE:
SHOCKED Youth Group will will be meeting
on WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14 as originally
planned and not DECEMBER 7 as reported
last week.

Ornaments commemorating St. Johns

50 Years on the Hill are still available for a
suggested donation of $5 until they are gone!

Look for the

ELCA Good
Gifts
window in
the Narthex. If
you would like
to donate to the Sunday Schools project,
grab an envelope from the table and insert
your donation. Suggested donations for
pigs, chicks and bees are listed. You can
also give online @ www.elca.org/goodgifts
or through your online giving to St. Johns.
St. Johns Men in Mission have also picked
up this project for the Christmas season!

The Salvation Army is

again collecting new
pajamas for their
pajama project
(children sizes 8-adult
L, boys and girls).
Please consider
making either a
monetary donation or
buying a new pair of pajamas so that all of
Norfolks children can sleep in warmth. Checks
can be made payable to: Norfolk Salvation
Army Pajama Project and can be dropped off or
mailed to Salvation Army, 112 N. 7th St.,
Norfolk. New pajamas can be dropped off at
Salvation Army or WJAG radio station.
Deadline is Friday, Dec. 16. Thanks for your
support! Call Kris Scheer @ 402-371-6742 with
any questions.

POINSETTIAS are
now available to
purchase for St. Johns
Christmas Eve altar
from Floral Expressions.
Each plant is delivered to St. Johns,
wrapped and ready for display. This years
purchase price is $13. If you would like to
order a plant, please enclose your check or
cash in an envelope marked poinsettia.
Please take your plant home after Christmas
Eve worship. Thank you!

Mildred Christensen continues her physical

therapy @ Brookestone Meadows in
Elkhorn. If you would like to send notes of
encouragement, her address is:
Mildren Christensen
c/o Brookestone Meadows Rm 2517
600 Brookestone Meadows Plaza
Elkhorn, NE 68022

WHO: Shop for Ministry

sales person(s)
WHAT: Hy-Vee and
Lous Thriftyway gift
cards
WHERE: West hallway
WHEN: Fifteen minutes
before and after
Sunday morning
worship services
HOW: Contact the church office
(402-371-1985)

NOVEMBER COUNCIL HIGHLIGHTS

The St. Johns Congregation Council spent
most of the November meeting discussing
the 2017 budget and examining proposed
changes to the congregations constitution.
The budget changes will be prepared for
final approval at the December meeting.
A constitution review was started because of
required and suggested changes from the
2016 ELCA Churchwide Assembly.
Required changes were approved in October
but task force chairman Ron Lofgren lead
the council in reviewing specific changes in
constitution wording, seeking to reflect
current practice and updating the wording.
Reports were received from the Stewardship
Team, Fellowship Team and the Benefaction
Board. The next congregation council
meeting is scheduled for Wednesday,
December 21.
A complete copy of the minutes is available
outside the church office or by mailing or
emailing the church office.

YOU ARE INVITED!

To contribute to the Christmas Project that
Chosen Christcare has participated in the last 3
yearsraising funds for the Madison Juvenile
Detention Center. Currently, they would use
the funding for 3 meals: Christmas Eve,
Christmas Day, and New Years Eve. There are
28-32 young people living at the Center. The
cost for those meals last year was about $300.
They would be meals from McDonalds,
Subway, and ?. Those meals are a treat to
them. Any additional money would be used to
buy gym equipment such as basketballs,
footballs. They are also needing to replace
board games. Please come into the office to
contribute or place money into the offering
plate marked for Madison Juvenile Detention
Center.
As a side noteRedeemer Lutheran Church of
Wayne has been contributing the money for
gift bags for each of the young people.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 17
5 PM
COUNCIL PERSON OF THE WEEK
KEVIN BONDERSON
WORSHIP ASSISTANT
JIM CARTER
GREETERS/USHERS Rod & Shirley Hughes
READER Dale Stephenson
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 18
8:30 AM
COUNCIL PERSON OF THE WEEK
KEVIN BONDERSON
WORSHIP ASSISTANT
JIM CARTER
GREETERS Donna Short, Carol Sorsen
USHERS Merlin Milander, Gayle Short, Jim
McMahon
READER Tom Hedrick
FELLOWSHIP HOUR Temple ChristCare
COMMUNION ASSISTANTS Duane & Barb
Timperley, Tom & Midge Hedrick
POWERPOINT Janet Erickson
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 18
11 AM
COUNCIL PERSON OF THE WEEK
KEVIN BONDERSON
WORSHIP ASSISTANT
JIM CARTER
GREETERSKristi Johnson, Jeann Granstra
USHERS Greg & Sandra Korth, Del Johnson,
Ken Wragge, Terry Hall
COMMUNION ASSISTANTS Jeann Granstra,
Laurel Moore, Kristi Johnson, Brenda
Carhart
POWERPOINT Rachel Carhart
LECTIONARY READINGS:
Isaiah 7:10-16
Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19
Romans 1:1-7
Matthew 1:18-25