News and Announcements
Christmas Tree Sale - Online Sign-Up
Congratulations
• To Lincoln Todd Werner, son of Ashley and Tony, who was baptized into the Christian faith on Sunday morning, December 3.• To Wesley Manderscheid, son of Bruce and Janet, and Meghan Neff, who were married on Friday afternoon, December 1, at County Line Orchard in Hobart, Indiana. Jeff conducted the service.
• To Emily Rae Brunner, daughter of Stephani and Kurt, who was baptized into the Christian faith on Tuesday evening, November 28.
• To Harper Rose Dimmer, daughter of Katie and Evan, and granddaughter of Sherrie and Mike, who was baptized into the Christian faith on Sunday, November 19.
Special Thanks
• To Allen and Patt Cottrell for cleaning our glass candle burners in preparation for Christmas.
• To Gabe Pasten and his family for providing Nursery Care on Sunday morning, December 3.
• To Alex Lopez and Mike, Ryan and Brandon Lesnik for setting up our sanctuary Christmas tree.
• To Rev. Don Niederfrank, our Minister of Visitation, for conducting our Sunday morning services on November 26.
• To Pru Palacek and her friends Glenyss Gilliam and Linda Speerbrecher, for providing special music on Sunday morning, November 26.
• To Joe Rychtik and Chris Wach for stringing the exterior lights in the Christmas tree lot.
• To David Franks and Louise Mollinger for opening the Christmas tree lot on the weekdays, and to Scott Symes for opening the lot on the weekends.
• To Angelo Lopez for wiring our new Christmas Tree Trailer with lights and heat and for installing two new exterior lights.
• To Barb Bahr for coordinating the reception following Darrell Bretl’s memorial service.
• To the twenty three high school students who unloaded our Christmas trees (450!) on Tuesday, November 21. Special thanks to Ralph Perez for inviting them to participate as part of the Port Pride program.
• To Bob Eichner for directing the unloading of the Christmas trees and for organizing the lot.
• To Mira and Annette Stimac for cleaning the inside of our new Christmas Tree Trailer.
• To Julie Eslinger, Beckie Perez and Donna Yellen for serving as Parent Drivers and Helpers for our Confirmation Class Adventure to Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity.
• To everyone who helped set up the Christmas tree lot: Bill Bond, Payton Greisch, Brad Katzer, Joe Rychtik, Ray Shupe, Ryan Soerens and Scott Symes.
• To Gary Bria and Lyle Falk for installing shelves and a desk in our new Christmas Tree Trailer.
• To Jane Spalding for preparing the beds in the Creekside Commons for our annual Christmas Tree Sale.
• To Brett and Jennifer Dimmer for purchasing a new handheld digital microphone for the church sanctuary.
In Memoriam
• Darrell Bretl died on Monday evening, November 13. A memorial service was held at the church on Tuesday evening, November 21.
From the Archives
25th ANNUAL CHRISTMAS COOKIE SALE AT WINTER MARKET
Our annual Christmas Cookie Sale (in memory of Sally Gilson Ziegler) will be held this coming Saturday, December 16, from 9:00 to 1:00, in Fellowship Hall, in conjunction with the Winter Market. Members and friends of the church are invited to bake and contribute their favorite holiday cookies. Please drop off your cookies anytime on Thursday, December 14. You are also invited to help assemble the boxes of cookies from 5:00 - 6:30 on Thursday evening.
CHURCH SCHOOL AND FAMILY SERVICES
Our Church School meets one Sunday each month at 10:00. We also celebrate a Family Service each month at 10:00. All children 4K through 7th grade are invited to participate. The next Church School Sunday is this coming December 17.
ADVENT REFLECTION AND COMMUNION
Each Thursday evening during the church season of Advent, December 7, 14 and 21, you are invited to join Jeff for a time of silent reflection and prayer followed by the celebration of Holy Communion. We gather in the church sanctuary at 6:00 and are on our way by 6:30. Please help spread the word!
CHRISTMAS GIVING
In celebration of Christmas, you are invited to order a poinsettia and/or donate to one of the six community organizations that our church supports on an ongoing basis. Your poinsettia will help decorate our sanctuary for Christmas. Your gift of money will help lift the spirits of those who are in need within our own community. Please return this form by Monday, December 18.
32nd ANNUAL CHRISTMAS TREE SALE
Our annual Christmas tree sale began the Friday following Thanksgiving and runs until Christmas Eve. We sell the finest quality trees all grown in Wisconsin! Once again, everyone is invited to help sell trees. Please sign-up online.
CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICES
We have planned four services for Christmas Eve at 10:00, 4:30, 7:00 and 9:30. At the 10:00 Sunday morning service we light of the fourth Advent Candle of Love. The 4:30 Christmas Pageant is designed especially for families with young children. The 7:00 service features the Senior Choir and Christmas Brass. At the 9:30 service we celebrate the sacrament of Holy Communion and enjoy special music provided by several members of the Senior Choir. All three evening services include candle lighting and a selection of our traditional Christmas hymns. Please invite your neighbors and friends to come and join us.
SNOW CANCELLATION POLICY
With winter upon us, we want to remind you of the snow cancellation policy for our Sunday services. If it should be necessary to cancel one or both of our Sunday services, we will put a message on the church answering machine by 7:00 on Sunday morning. Please call the church office, 284-2022, if you have any doubts about the weather.
23rd ANNUAL HOLIDAY COAT DRIVE
Harborview Cleaners in Port Washington is hosting their annual Holiday Coat Drive for the Port Washington Food Pantry. You may bring coats to the cleaners now through Friday, December 22. They will clean the coats free of charge and deliver them to the Food Pantry. Harborview Cleaners is owned and operated by Barb Bahr, a member of our church.
ANNUAL STEWARDSHIP CAMPAIGN
Our annual Stewardship Campaign is underway. Members and friends of the church are asked to make a formal pledge to support the church financially in the year to come. Please visit our Stewardship Page for more information or to complete the online pledge form.
NURSERY
Each Sunday morning during the 10:00 service, we provide a nursery for children newborn through 4-years-old. Care is provided by our 8th grade Confirmation students and their families. Parents are required to register their children, and to sign their children in and out of the nursery. We want to do our very best to make the nursery a safe and secure environment.
COLOR POSTCARDS
Many of you have received a set of color postcards to remind you of our church programs and services. Please feel free to pass them on to neighbors or friends or share them on your Facebook page or other social media. Additional copies are available on the literature rack in the church entryway.
WEDNESDAY LUNCH AT CHURCH
Each Wednesday at Noon, you are invited to meet Jeff at church for lunch and Bible study. The group always takes time to visit before reflecting upon the lectionary reading for the upcoming Sunday. Coffee is always provided, but please bring your own lunch.
MEN’S BREAKFAST
Men in the church are invited to gather for breakfast every Thursday morning, at 8:00, at the Dockside Deli. The group often has fun considering a Question of the Day. If you are able, please come and join the conversation.
YOGA AT CHURCH
A gentle yoga class is held in Fellowship Hall every Wednesday evening from 5:15 - 6:15. The cost is $10 per class. For more information, please contact Susan Niederfrank at susanniederfrank@gmail.com.
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS
An AA Group meets at our church every Sunday afternoon at 3:00. For more information, please contact the church office.
GLUTEN FREE COMMUNION
We continue to offer a gluten-free option for receiving the Sacrament of Holy Communion. The gluten-free communion bread is purchased commercially, and prepared separately, so that there is no chance of contact with our regular sourdough communion bread.
MISSED CHURCH?
If you wonder what you missed, CDs of the service are always available in the church office.