SHORELINES DECEMBER 2015

FIRST COVENANT CHURCH NEWSLETTER

In This Issue: Pastor’s Corner December Calendar December Sunday Schedule Church Events Other Events

Pastor’s Corner “I will thank the Lord with all my heart as I meet with his godly people.” Psalm 111:1 NLT It seems every year as we write the end of the year Merry Christmas greeting to you that we say the same thing which is, thank you. But every year we find that looking back over the preceding twelve months that there is a great deal to be thankful for.

Area News & Our Views Sunny Days News

SUNDAY SCHEDULE 9:00 A.M. Sunday School 10:00 A.M. Coffee Fellowship 10:30 A.M. Worship Wednesday Schedule 6:45 P.M. Youth Groups (see schedule—page 10) 7:00 P.M. Adult Bible Study

We are thankful for growth, not just numerically but spiritually, as well. We do find it a joy and a privilege to “meet with his godly people” that make up First Covenant Church of Worthington. We are thankful for everyone who leads and disciples others. We also are thankful for and want to mention by name our paid staff who ironically many of you may not get to see as they are here during the work week. So thanks to Sandy Wilson and the three years she gave to Sunny Days Preschool. To Macy Oldre who has come in strong as our new teacher. For Carol Haffield who has always been there for us and the kids. For our custodian, Lauri Vander Veen and her daughter, Kayla and husband, Ken who’ve kept the building so clean. Finally, thanks to Pam Soderholm, our church secretary, who keeps this place going on a weekly basis. For the staff, leadership, teachers, helpers, prayers, encouragers, worshippers, we thank God that we’re in this together with all of you. God bless and Merry Christmas. 1

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday 1

Wednesday 2

3

7

9

15

16

Dale Martin Robert Redman

Judy Gustafson

21

22

9:00 Sunday School 10:00 Coffee Fellowship 10:30 Worship 6:00 Christmas Program Craig Stewart Ted Martin Curt Williams 27 No Sunday School 10:00 Coffee Fellowship 10:30 Worship Kay Voss

11

8:15 Prayer Time

12 Christmas Program Practice 9:30 A.M. Chad Harms

17

18

10:00 SDP Program 1:30 SDP Program 6:45 Youth Groups 7:00 Adult Bible

10:00 SDP Program

Dave & Sheila Bos Tom & Sharon Klucking

20 4th Sunday in Advent

Marci Moshier

Bob Seifert

9:00 Sunday School 10:00 Coffee Fellowship 10:30 Worship

Allen Harms Jerry Luinenburg

23

Christmas Program Practice 9:30 A.M. Church Decorating & Potluck Supper 5:30 P.M.

10

Mason Harms Dwaine Hodenefield

14

5 8:15 Prayer Time

6:45 Youth Groups 7:00 Adult Bible Study

Elsie Roos

133rd Sunday in Advent

8

4

Saturday

Karissa Maxwell

Chad Kremer 9:00 Sunday School 10:00 Coffee Fellowship 10:30 Worship with Communion

Friday

6:15 #507 Youth Rally at American Lutheran 6:45 Youth Groups 7:00 Adult Bible Study

Lead Team 7:30 P.M.

6 2nd Sunday in Advent

Thursday

19 8:15 Prayer Time

Clair & Diane Willemssen Sara Eggink

24

Christmas Eve

Christmas Program Practice 9:30 A.M.

Bob & Cathy Seifert

25

Christmas Day

26

7:00 Adult Bible Study

Christmas Worship 9:00 A.M. Melanie Loy

Charles & Phyllis Middagh

28

29

30 7:00 Adult Bible Study

Brian Ling

Ferne Schneiderman

Curt & Teresa Williams

31

New Year’s Eve

DECEMBER 2015

SERVING YOU IN DECEMBER GREETERS: 6 Walter & Clarice Gehl Charles & Phyllis Middagh 13 Brian & Michelle Ling Dean & Carol Christopherson 20 Dale & Shirley Martin Tom & Sharon Klucking 27 Ted & Sarah Martin lair & Diane Willemssen

SCRIPTURE READERS: 6 Gene Foth 13 Brian Ling 20 Sarah Martin 27 Kolette Eggink

WORSHIP NURSERY: 6 Colin & Gretchen O’Donnell 13 Dave & Sheila Bos 20 Richard & Bethani Fellows 27 Lauren Martin & Sara Eggink

COFFEE FELLOWSHIP: 6 Leroy & Kolette Eggink 13 Ted & Sarah Martin 20 Greg & Becky Clark 27 Paul & Deb Olsen

SOUND SYSTEM: 6 Tom Ahlberg 13 Jeff Ling 20 Dean Christopherson 27 Greg Clark

COMMUNION SERVERS (December 6th): Jerry Luinenburg Dale Martin Lil Foth Nancy Flynn

USHERS: Howard Rachuy & Arnold Sexe Gene & Lil Foth

*If you cannot serve on your assigned Sunday, please find a replacement or call the church office at 376-5109.

MISSIONARY ADDRESSES Bruce Ahlberg Correspondence Address: 6ta Avenida Norte #33 Antigua, Guatemala

Contribution Address: 15850 Richardson Springs Road Chico, CA 95973 Francisco & Stephanie Ramos 214½ E. Blue Earth Ave. Fairmont, MN 56031 [email protected] Or 6 bis, rue d’ Arsonval 75015 Paris France 3

AREA NEWS AND OUR VIEWS

By Gene Foth

FOR UNTO YOU IS BORN THIS DAY IN THE CITY OF DAVID A SAVIOUR, WHICH IS CHRIST THE LORD.  Luke 2:11                                              Let us celebrate this wonderful gi  from God! GENE & LIL FOTH’S Christmas  tradition  is         The annual Christmas Family Tradi on for       an annual FONDUE. This tradition started when  PAUL, DEB, DREW AND BRYCE OLSEN  our  children  where  in  high  school  and  is  re­ are to go to  the Thomas house (Deb’s side of the  quested by our family each Christmas since.  family) for       oyster stew  Fondue was popularized in North  America in the 1960’s. It begins with   a  Fondue  pot  over  a  chafing  stand  which  is  heated  with  a  sterno  can­ dle. Fondue is a “cook yourself” pro­ cess  and  allows  for  plenty  of  time  to  visit  while  the meat and potatoes are cooking. We serve a  tossed  salad  with  a  variety  of  salad  dressings,  dinner rolls and Sirloin steak cut into cubes and  small  round  potatoes  from the can. The food is  cooked  by  dipping  long- And playing card & dice games with the Aunts and  stemmed forks with meat  Uncles and  potatoes  attached  into hot peanut oil.  After the table is cleared, we gather in the front  room  to  read  the  Christmas  story,  sing  Christ­ mas carols and exchange gifts.         

SHARON KLUCKING says “We always went to 

     We usually have 3 to 4 people per  fondue pot with each having their own color of  fork handle.

the Christmas Tree Farm…..and so we walked along  looking for the “perfect Christmas tree”!  Our daugh‐ ter SUZY KLUCKING (BRANDNER) would say, “wait  for the one who whispers ‘take me’! That tradi on  con nues in SUZY’S Christ‐ mas…..and every year, even  today, we say ‘                                             this is the Best tree ever’!”

TOM AHLBERG: “When asked to remember and  ELNA SEXE submi ed the following story on her  share Holiday Tradi ons I would like to recall family  tradi onal Family Christmas.  sleigh rides and caroling but the fact is our family tra‐ She  says,  “  I  grew  up  in  a  Scandinavian  background  di ons revolve around food. Swedish food to be exact  family.  Many  Christmas  tradi ons  have  come  from  Swedish grandparents such as, church, Sunday school  although we do allow some Czech treats in. Being  Swedish is a heritage I love to hold on to. Our Christ‐ and school programs, sending gree ng cards, giving of  gi s  and  food.  Christmas  Eve  was  our  favorite  me.  mas meals were several si ngs. We  Before we ate the evening meal, each member of the  would begin with potato sausage  family read a por on of the Christmas story from Luke  (potatas Korve ),  brown beans, pota‐ 2.  We  began  the  meal  with  fruit  soup  consis ng  of  toes, ham, a few salads and enough  plums,  raisins pears, prunes  and  apricots,  riced pota‐ other things that will fill you up. A er the first course  toes, lutefisk in cream sauce, meat balls and rice pud‐ would come the Lutefisk. Mind  ding with lingonberries. Then it was the excitement of  you that not all Swedes eat  opening  gi s  and  tas ng  the  decorated  cookies  and  lutefisk, only the good ones.  candy! We eat our fish with white  Christmas  morning  sauce that mom would use  we  were  up  early  to  some of the fish juice to flavor.  a end  the  “Julo a”,  Fish and potatoes, what a feast! Later when we were  the  tradi onal  s ll stuffed with the Osta Kaka Strawberries would be  Christmas  service  in  set out along with dozens of cookies and coffee. Osta  our church.”  Kaka is a custard type of dish made with milk curds,  Julo a is  thanks to the Christopherson's. What a treat! a Swedish service  Actually the meal prepara on is a big part of the tra‐ that celebrates the  di on. Not the cooking but the making sausage with  me of birth of  Je‐ my Grandma and Aunts from my Dad's side. Way back  sus Christ. Jul means  many years ago they needed  Christmas, o a is  someone to dig into the  the  me which is  ground beef, pork, shredded  slightly before dawn. The service is held every Decem‐ potatoes, onions and spices to  ber 25 at 4 AM. Tradi onally, the service should end  mix it all up. I am not sure if I  before, or at the  me of, dawn: hence  volunteered or was volun‐ the  word o a is the  me just before dawn.   teered but I was elbow deep in  Elna says, “Over the years “Julo a” has been ge ng  meat. I imagine I was the mixer  to be later in the morning.    and sausage stuffer for 30+  The remainder of the day was usually spent with rela‐ years and the tradi on con n‐ ves either at noon or evening.”  ues with Lona and I making    "Korve" on Thanksgiving even‐ ing. It took a part Swede to  show me how good course  ground mustard is with the  sausage, thanks Lona. The  lutefisk had to be skinned and  soaked and baked and guess  who was volunteered  for that  duty, yours truly. Oh the mem‐ ories and joy!                 Tradi ons are a gi  to all 

of the children and they last way longer.”

One  of  ARNOLD SEXE’S CHRISTMAS  NORWEGIAN     FAVORITE  is  LEFSE.  It  is  a  tradi onal  so   Norwe‐ gian flatbread.  It  is  made  with  le over  potatoes, flour,  bu er, and milk or cream. The most common way to eat  it  is  adding  bu er,  cinnamon or sugar  to  the  Lefse  and  rolling it up. 

“ G R A C E ” Around  1920,  the  photographer  Eric  Enstrom  took  a  picture  of  a  white-bearded  visitor  to  his  studio  in  Bovey, MN.  The resul ng image, which Enstrom called  “Grace”, gained interna onal recogni on and was des‐ ignated Minnesota’s official state photograph in 2002.  Eric  Enstrom  was  a  Swedish  American  photographer  who  lived  and  worked  in  the  mining  town  of  Bovey.  Bovey is located a few miles East of Grand Rapids MN.  Our  son-in-law,  Phill  Hall  and  our  granddaughter  worked in his studio several years ago when the studio  was really overloaded with high school year book publi‐ ca ons.  When inserting important dates into your new 2016 calendars, please schedule JANUARY 18 THROUGH 29 for the volunteer opportunity to MOBILE MEALS OF WORTHINGTON Our church is responsible to provide drivers for 7  routes each day.  56 people are depending on you  each day! Can you please take one hour off work  from 11 to 12 noon to help?  First Covenant Church   is also responsible  for volunteers November 14 to 25. Mark your          

INSERT THIS ADDRESS CHANGE IN YOUR  CHURCH DIRECTORY …… 

FELLOWS, KELSEY                                                    2250 WESTCHESTER DRIVE  APT 1                       MANHATTAN KS 66503

Enstrom was impressed with the kindness shown in the  face  of  an  i nerant  salesman  named  Charles  Wilden.  He  asked  Wilden  to  pose  for  a  picture  with  clasped  hands and bowed head, as in prayer, while seated at a  table  with  an  arrangement  of  household  objects,  in‐ cluding a book, a loaf of bread and a bowl of soup.    Enstrom composed “Grace” to represent survival in the  face of hardship and later connected it to World War I  and the heavy toll the trenches of Europe had taken on  American lives.  He explained that his inten on was to  capture  an  image  that  would  inspire  thankfulness  in  people. He aimed to evoke the spirit of religious faith,  thankfulness, and humility he associated with many of  the newly arrived European immigrants to Minnesota.  In  1950  the  Enstrom  family  sold  the  rights  to  “Grace”  to  Augsburg  Publishing  House  in  Minneapolis–  a  pub‐ lisher  associated  with  the  American  Lutheran  Church.  The  photograph  con nued  to  grow  in  popularity  and  by  1961  Augsburg  Publishing  had  sold  twenty  thou‐ sand prints.  The  original  picture  hangs  in  the  cabin  of  the  North‐ western, the Alaskan crab fishing boat featured in the  Discovery  Channel’s  TV  show  “Deadliest  Catch”.    In  1993  a  monument  to  “Grace”  and  its  creator  was  erected near the Bovey Village Hall. Every street sign  in Bovey has a picture of “Grace” in front of the street  name.  Story by Minnesota Historical Society 

MERE MOMENTS AWAY FROM SLAUGHTER, PARIS FANS AT EAGLES OF DEATH METAL CONCERT SANG SONG GLORIFYING  THE DEVIL (SEE 1 Peter 5:8)   with their hands raised high in the air, Paris fans at the Eagles Of Death Metal concert made the  Satanic “devil horns” salute without seemingly a care in the world. Amazingly, the song that was playing the moment the  shoo ng started was called ‘Kiss The Devil‘, and here are some of the lyrics from that tune:  “KISS THE DEVIL” – BY EAGLES  OF DEATH METAL    (1)   WHO’LL LOVE THE DEVIL   WHO’LL SING HIS SONG?  WHO WILL LOVE THE DEVIL AND  HIS SONG?  (2)     I’LL LOVE THE DEVIL       I’LL SING HIS SONG      I WILL LOVE THE DEVIL AND HIS SONG  (3) I’LL LOVE  THE DEVIL   I’LL KISS HIS TONGUE   I’ll KISS THE DEVIL                                                                                                                                   Source at:  http://www.nowtheendbegins.com/paris-concert-crowd-was-singing-kiss-the-devil-the-moment-terrorattacks-began/    As those people bled and died on the dance  loor of the Death Metal Concert, they went from singing  about the Devil to meeting the Devil face to face.  Hell is no joke, it is not a party and you do not have to end up there!  

Please share your favorite       winter ac vity for our Jan.  monthly newsle er!! Is it hockey? sledding?

PAIGE STEWART                        Photo Courtesy of Daily Globe

Snowmobiling? Ice fishing?        Ice ska ng?     

Paige Stewart, Soprano, was one of twelve students  in the 86-voice WHS Concert Choir chosen to par ci‐ pate in the Big South Honor Choir in Luverne. 

 Si ng in front of  the fire                    SAM MARTIN            with an                   Interes ng book?             Se ng puzzles?                  Please submit your short story  and/or picture  to Gene Foth   preferably before                       December 14

was in the cast of                 

 

SPECIAL DAYS IN JAN. 2016 1 NEW YER’S DAY JAN. 3 FESTIVAL OF SLEEP              10 HOUSEPLANT APPRECIATION DAY                                       12 NATIONAL PHARMACIST DAY                                                  14 DRESS UP YOUR PET DAY  18 MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY   

HARVEST THANKSGIVING FESTIVAL      SARAH MARTIN AND YOUR    HELPER  19 NATIONAL POPCORN DAY                                                                     ELVES for the beau ful center piece  23 NATIONAL PIE DAY                                                                 on the tables in Fellowship Hall.  You  27 CHOCOLATE CAKE DAY                                                          have  done earlier decora ons too and  28 NATIONAL KAZOO DAY, CLASH DAY, RATTLESNAKE  we are so grateful to you for your crea ve talent.  ROUNDUP DAY                                                                          30 NATIONAL INSANE ANSWERING MACHINE DAY               31 INSPIRE YOUR HEART WITH ART DAY                                  offering taken at the evening service $8,215.00 31 BACKWARD DAY

18 WINNIE THE POOH DAY (Author A. A. MILNE birthday)

Meeting Date Tuesday, December 1st The Lead Team will meet at 7:30 P.M. at the church.

WEDNESDAY EVENING SCHEDULE FOR DECEMBER:

Wednesday, December 2nd: 6:15 P.M #507 Youth Rally at American Lutheran for grade 7th-12th CHRISTMAS DECORATING 6:45 Youth Groups (K-6th) AND CHILI POTLUCK 7:00 Adult Bible Study Saturday, December 5th Supper at 5:30 P.M. with Wednesday, December 9th: decorating to follow. 6:45 P.M. Youth Groups All are welcome and 7:00 P.M. Adult Bible Study encouraged to help make the church Wednesday, December 16th: ready for the Christmas Season. 6:45 P.M. Youth Groups 7:00 P.M. Adult Bible Study SAVE THE DATE Wednesday, December 23rd: 7:00 P.M. Adult Bible Study

Christmas Program prac ces will be Saturday, December 5th, 12th & 19th at 9:30 A.M.

Wednesday, December 30th: 7:00 P.M. Adult Bible Study

Please make every e ort to a end. The Christmas Program will be held on Sunday, December 20th at 6:00 P.M. as part of a dinner theater

There will not be Sunday School on Sunday, December 27th or Sunday, January 3rd.

CHRISTMAS WORSHIP Friday, December 25th 9:00 A.M.

PROJECT BLUE WALK FOR WATER

The Project Blue Walk for Water/Covenant World Relief offering will be collected.

Don’t forget to be filling the water bottles with change for World Relief; the offering will be collected at the Christmas morning worship.

9

Worthington Christian School Auction Saturday, December 5th Live & Silent Auctions All auction items donated by local businesses & supporters of the school. Lunch Counter 11:00 A.M. Serving pizza, BBQ’s, pies, bars, beans, chips, soda, juice & coffee Live Auction 11:30 A.M. All proceeds benefit SCS, and help decrease over 50% of tuition costs per student. COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS BASKETS The following items are needed to fill baskets for the needy families in Nobles County: Cash donations to be used to purchase food and gifts of warm clothing Non-perishable foods such as canned or boxed fruits, vegetables, meats, soups, rice, pasta or potatoes New (no used items) adult gifts of warm clothing, especially gloves, scarves, hats or earmuffs for men or women New toys for children Toiletries such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, soaps, combs Volunteers will be needed to help sort, pack and deliver the baskets. If you would like to help, please call either Diane Waldner at 372-2419 or Norma Janssen at 376-3789. Cash donations can be mailed to: Community Christmas Baskets P.O. Box 552 Worthington, MN 56187 Donated items may be delivered to the American Reformed Church, 1720 N. Burlington, Worthington between 8:00 and 10:00 A.M. on Thursday, December 3rd. If it is not possible to deliver the items at this time, please contact Dennis and Marie Weeks at 376-9180. Love INC's 5th Annual Christmas Tree Forest December 1st-3rd, 3:30-7:30 PM at the First United Methodist Church Come celebrate what God has done in our community through 19 local churches working together. Stroll through a stunning collection of themed Christmas Trees and vote for your favorite tree with a free-will donation. Also, place bids on trees being silent-auctioned. 10

FAREWAY & HY-VEE GROCERY CARDS AVAILABLE!!! Don’t forget to pick yours up on Sunday mornings, contact Howard Rachuy or Dean Christopherson or stop in the office during the week.

CHURCH’S WEBSITE Check out the website at www.firstcovenantworthington.org You will find the bulletin, newsletter, Sunny Days calendars and much more there.

Soles4Souls Village Northwest is collecting new and gently used shoes providing work opportunities for 180 people with a disability. Shoes will be shipped for distribution domestically and internationally to individuals that do not have proper footwear. Bring your shoes and place them in the collection box in the narthex.

CURRENT NEEDS FOR LOVE INC Watch the bulle n boards by the o ce and by the Jerusalem Room for their current needs.

FACEBOOK Did you know that First Covenant Church has a Facebook page?

“Pray Worthington” Tuesdays at noon at the Love INC office

Like us on Facebook and follow all the news! FYI Any money that is still being donated to the Building Fund will go toward building up the Contingency Fund.

DEVOTIONAL BOOKS Copies of Covenant Home Altar are available which go through December Pick up a copy on the table in the narthex.

Check out the bulletin board by the Fellowship Hall for posters with announcements of things that are happening around the area.

Check out the brochures on the table in the narthex about upcoming events. Also check out their website at: www.lbbc.com

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SUNNY DAYS NEWS

CHRISTMAS PROGRAMS Tuesday, December 15th at 10:00 A.M. for the Tuesday-Thursday Class Wednesday, December 16th at 10:00 A.M. for the Monday-Wednesday-Friday A.M. class and 1:30 P.M. for the Monday-Wednesday-Friday afternoon class Everyone is invited to join us!!

Sunny Days will begin their Christmas break on Monday, December 21st and classes will resume again on Monday, January 4th for the Monday-Wednesday-Friday classes and on Tuesday, January 5th for the Tuesday-Thursday class

CHRISTMAS POINSETTIAS We will be ordering poinsettias to make the church beautiful during the Christmas season. If you wish to purchase one in honor or memory of a loved one, please fill out an order form that was in the bulletin on Sunday, November 29th and also will be on Sunday, December 6th. Or you may email or call the church office to order one; please let us know how many you would like to order, who it is in honor and memory of and the color you would like. Choice of colors: red, white, pink or marble (white with red) . The cost is $10.00 each. Please order by Monday, December 7th. 12