Vol. 7 - No. 43 | November 29, 2018
St. Matthew Lutheran Church & School e-News
The First Sunday in Advent
This weekend we celebrate the First Sunday in Advent . The theme of our worship will be " Pine Sunday " based on Luke 19:38.

Worship Services this week:

Saturday - 5:30pm
Classic Worship

Sunday - 8:00  Classic Worship with Holy Communion
Sunday - 10:45 Contemporary Creative Worship with Holy Communion
HeartWork Luke 19:38
They said, “Blessings on the king who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and glory in the highest heavens.”
BIBLE/DEVOTIONAL READINGS – For the week starting December 2 , Bible readings are provided to assist you in daily reading and prayer. Click on the Bible passage to read the Scripture lesson at BibleGateway.com .
St. Matthew Lutheran - There's an App for that!
Along with our new and improved website (which you can see here ), we have a new mobile app! Go to the Google Play store (for android devices) or the App Store (on Apple devices) and search for "St. Matthew Lutheran."
UPCOMING EVENTS

December 1 - 7:00am - Breakfast for the volunteers that are decorating for Christmas
                     8:00am, Decoration of the Sanctuary for Advent and Christmas
December 5 - 7:00pm - Advent Service w/dinner @ 5:30pm
December 7 - 7:00pm - It's a Wonderful Life radio drama performance.
December 8 - 9:00am-11:00am Santa Breakfast
December 8 - 2:00pm It's a Wonderful Life radio drama performance.
December 9 - 9:00am, Cookie Walk
December 12 - 7:00pm, Advent Service, 5:30pm Dinner
December 14 - 7:00pm, Youth Ugly Sweater Party
December 15 - 4:00pm, Charlie Brown Christmas
December 16 - 10:45am, Sunday School Christmas Program

The New Church Year begins with the Season of Advent on the weekend of December 1 & 2, 2018. The Advent Devotional books "The Coming King" are on the Church Office Counter.
December 7 & 8
This beloved American holiday classic comes to captivating life as a live 1940s radio broadcast. With the help of an ensemble that brings a few dozen characters to the stage, the story of idealistic George Bailey unfolds as he considers ending his life one fateful Christmas Eve.
Performances will be Friday, December 7 at 7:00pm and Saturday, December 8 at 2:00pm in the St. Matthew Historic Chapel . This is a FREE event, open to all (free-will offering will be taken).
  Sharing The Joy Ministry,   HOLIDAY Gifting Tree
Please consider helping the Sharing The Joy Ministry fill the needs of children in the Lake County area by gifting bedding items. Sharing The Joy is working with Love Inc Southwest with their Bed Ministry program. This program supplies sheets, pillows, blankets, and beds to children in the Southwest Lake County area. 
The gifting tags on the tree will have an item on the back of the tag. The items needed are sheets, blankets, and pillows. 
CHRISTMAS PARTY INVITATIONS

CONGREGATION INVITED  - The Ladies’ Aid of St. Matthew invites the congregation to attend their Christmas Luncheon on Thursday, December 6th at 11:30am at Kemper Lakes. Cost is $27.00 per person. If you would like to attend or have any questions please call Janet Schockmel at 847-949-1736.
 
ALL LADIES - Mark your calendars for Sunday, December 9 for a Christmas Luncheon at Oregano’s at noon. I would like ALL ladies to mark this Sunday afternoon on your calendars for an  afternoon of fun and fellowship during the busy holiday season.  A sign-up sheet is posted on the church office counter. Please RSVP by November 25.  Nancy Blonski - LWML
YOUTH MINISTRY NEWS

Plan to join the Chicago Area Mission Partnership and fellow volunteers from Redeemer Austin in service to the people of
Port Arthur, TX -- January 5-13, 2019.
 Many veterans/widows/financially challenged live near the community Port Arthur—an area devastated by Harvey flooding, yet received drastically less attention and resources than the metropolitan areas.
Work sites near our host, Trinity Church Port Arthur. Please pray about your commitment and watch for more info.
If you have additional questions concerning this Mission Trip, please contact John Kelly at jkelly@ottosenbritz.com.
WILLING WORKERS

LECTORS - Would you like to read the Old Testament & Epistle Readings in a worship service? Contact the Church Office to sign up for this important worship ministry!

USHERS NEEDED - We are in the process of creating our 2019/2020 Usher Groups and Schedule. Please consider being an usher in one of our services. There is a sign-up sheet on the church office counter.

COFFEE HOUR  - There is a sign up sheet for coffee hour volunteers for 2019 on the church office counter.

NORENBERG NORDICS -  The Norenberg Nordics snow shoveling team are looking for volunteers to help with shoveling snow this winter. 
If you are interested please contact trustee Chris Norenberg.
 
BIBLE STUDY OPPORTUNITIES
SUNDAY
CSI BIBLE STUDY - This weekend, we welcome new members to St. Matthew at 9:20 in Luther Hall.
Next weekend, December 9, we will study the birth of Jesus Christ (Christmas)! Our Bible studies for 2018 will wrap up on December 16. There will be a special presentation from the Lutheran Emergency Response Team (LERT).
SUNDAY SCHOOL
Sunday School meets on Sunday mornings at 9:20am.   Parents! The CSI:St. Matthew Adult Bible study covers the same topic! You can grow in your faith along with your child and have great family discussions together through the week about the lesson. Please meet in the Sunday School Wing that is located in the lower level school classrooms.
The Children's Christmas Program will be on Sunday, December 16 @ 10:45am. 
ADULT DISCIPLESHIP CLASS - THE NEXT ADULT DISCIPLESHIP CLASS will begin meeting Sunday Mornings December 9 & 16 , then in the new year January 6 – March 3 during the Education Hour, 9:20-10:20 a.m. in the Upper Level Conference Room. This is an eleven (11) session, one-hour Informational class for those desiring to study the Basic Teachings of the Bible from the Lutheran Perspective. The study is designed for those individuals seeking membership in our congregation , and is also strongly encouraged as a review for all current members of St. Matthew.
THE YOUTH CONFIRMATION MINISTRY - THE YOUTH CONFIRMATION MINISTRY of St. Matthew Lutheran Church, will resume January 6.
MONDAY
LCC BIBLE STUDY WITH TIM HETZNER -  Who is Jesus According to Jesus  meets on Mondays at 9:30am & 7:00pm in Luther Hall.
TUESDAY
TUESDAY EVENING LADIES BIBLE STUDY - Tuesdays at 7:00pm in Luther Hall. The topic is: Spiritual Gifts-A Bible Study.    All women are invited to join us.
THURSDAY
THURSDAY MORNING LADIES’  -  meets on Thursday mornings from 8:30-10:00 a.m. in Luther Hall. December 13 will be our holiday gathering at Pilar Norenberg's home. We will then break until the new year, beginning January 3, 2019 .
SATURDAY
MEN'S BIBLE STUDY - This Week - Saturday - December 1 - Breakfast will be served 7-9am and the study will be a 9am - Is The Bible Reliable?
Saturdays at 9:00am in Luther Hall . This month we are wrapping up our study called Explore God , where we will discuss topics like: "Does Life Have Purpose?"; "Is There a God?"; "Why Does God Allow Suffering?"; "Is Christianity Too Narrow?"; "Is Jesus Really God?"; "Is the Bible Reliable?"; and "Can I Know God Personally?"
On January 5 we'll have a Prayer Breakfast and starting January 12 we'll begin our new study on the Book of Proverbs.
TECHNOLOGY HELP NEEDED
CONTEMPORARY WORSHIP
Do you love technology? We are looking for help in our Sunday Contemporary service. Our video software - ProPresenter - is not difficult to use, but it takes dedicated hands that would not be occupied else where (like preaching or leading worship).
If this is something you are interested in, contact Pastor Blonski!
VIDEO RECORDING AND EDITING - Do you have a passion for making videos? We are looking for people to record our sermons and devotional moments and edit them for broadcast on Facebook and Youtube and elsewhere. If you are interested, contact Pastor Blonski by email here or call him in the church office at 847/438-7709.
ST. MATTHEW MINISTRY NEWS
CHRISTIAN OUTREACH OF LUTHERANS (COOL) -  A food pantry for some of the neediest families in Lake County. Please bring a can of food/box of cereal with you when you worship and place them in Luther Hall. Thanks for helping those in need. November food item: Tuna.
The holidays are the busiest time of the year for COOL. The food pantry is looking for holiday helpers to work in the food pantry. Volunteers are needed to help pack food boxes and do some light clean up. Volunteers can work whatever schedule works for them. Volunteers are needed now until December 21st. Please contact Rick Steward at 847/662-1230 for more information.
 
SHARING THE JOY — Are you or somebody you know in need of meals? Sharing the Joy ministry of St. Matthew would like to help. Please contact the church office to set up meal deliveries.
UPCOMING TRIPS
JOURNEYS OF PAUL IN GREECE - October 5-15, 2019  
You are invited to join Rev. Timothy & Debra Kinne and Rev. Dr. Greg & Yvette Seltz on a land and sea tour of Greece as we follow the Journeys of Paul. For this 11 Day Tour we will take in places like Philippi, Thessalonika, Delphi, Corinth, Ephesus, Patmos, Santorini and Athens.   

2020 EUROPEAN TRIP & OBERAMMERGAU is an 11 Day Classic Classic European Tour (September 20-30, 2020) which will include Budapest, Bratislava, Prague, Nurnberg, Rothenburg, Heidleberg, a Rhine River Cruise, the Neuschwanstein Castle and culminating in Oberammergau for the 2020 production of the Passion Play.
The Passion Play is produced by the citizens of the Village of Oberammergau every ten years in thanksgiving to the Lord for keeping the Black Plague away from them ever since 1634. See Pastor Kinne for more information or to sign up for the trip. PastorKinne@StMattsOnline.com or 224-360-2629.
DEVOTIONAL RESOURCES
Taking Faith Home is available each week in the service folder. It is also sent via email each Friday afternoon.

Monday Bible Study Leader Tim Hetzner also offers a daily devotional via email here .
 
In My Father’s Footsteps is provided by Pastor Blonski and is a bi-weekly devotion available via email here .
A new devotional book written by Pastor Blonski is available! Music from the Manger is a book of 37 stories that tell how some of the beloved Christmas carols and hymns came to be, and how other music was inspired to re-tell the old, old, story of God’s love for us in the birth of his Son, Jesus Christ. There limited copies available in the church office. You can order a copy through Amazon here . There is also a Kindle version you can download immediately here .
NEWS FROM THE EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER

This week, our Emerging Skills and Interest was: Winter: Exploring Why Things Happen Because of Winter. The Letter of the Week was the letter "E", and David and Johnathan were the topics in our Religious Studies. During the upcoming weeks, the class with be practicing all of their songs for the "Early Childhood Birthday Celebration for Jesus" which will be held on December 21.  
See inside the preschool on our Facebook page:
Important Dates:
December 8 – Breakfast with Santa 9:00 am - 11:00 am
December 15 – A Charlie Brown Christmas Event – 4:00 pm
December 21 – Christmas Chapel / Birthday Party for Jesus 10:00am
December 21 – Early Dismissal – 11:00 am (No Extended Care)
 
Chapel Offerings
The chapel offerings collect each week will be for 'Rebecca's Garden of Hope.' This is a recognized service organization for The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod that reaches out to children with tutoring and mentoring services as they share the love of Jesus.