DECEMBER 2017

NEWSLETTER

First

Presbyterian

Church

Huron SD

Andrew Crandall, Pastor—pastorandrew@santel.net Church Office—firstpc@santel.net Phone 605-352-8789

www.fpchuron.com

Pastor’s pen Brace yourself: Christmas is coming. Lights. Shopping. Trees. Shopping. Parties. Shop-ping. Decorations. Shopping. Charlie Brown fa-mously moped, “I guess I just don’t understand what Christmas is all about!” The Nicene Creed cuts through the clutter and says that Jesus the

Son of God came down from heaven and “became incar-nate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary, and was made human.” Jesus did this, “for us for our salvation.” The one through whom all things were made became one of us. The very God became very man.

But why? Why did God have to go through the mess of babyhood, hardship of life, and pain of death to save us?

A key idea for understanding why the Son of God be-came a human baby is “mediation.” In our modern world, we don’t take sin very seriously. While perhaps it’s helpful and healthy to focus on God’s love rather than own liabilities, we sometimes forget the biblical idea that our sin against God creates a separation from God. John Calvin (a French pas-tor, 1509-1564) reminds us that our rebellion from God has “…completely estranged us from the Kingdom of Heaven.” It’s like we’ve broken our legs at the bottom of the Grand Canyon and are trying to get back to the ranger station on the canyon rim by pulling ourselves up a 3 ft step ladder. It’s never going to happen! We need a go-between, a mediator.

Paul, then, with good reason says that Jesus Christ is the “one mediator between God and men” (1 Tim 2:5). In other words, the Son of God entered fully into our mess in order to sling us over his shoulders and bring us back to God. Calvin continues, saying that the Son of God, “… (continued))

We’ve Got Mail

First Presbyterian Deacons Thank you for the carnations, It was very nice of you. Marlas Balvin To the kitchen ladies of First Presbyterian. Your Fall

Festival Dinner on a Sunday night was as good as ever. Roger and I enjoyed the food and the fellowship. It was a busy night for you but it is always good to see so many people working together on a mission project of some kind. We here at the Genesis Feeding Pro-gram at lunch time really enjoyed the leftover massed potatoes, dressing and cole slaw that you gave us. Thank you so much-our cook serves approximately 40-60 people in need every day. Extra food is always appreciated.

Reva Pownell, Food Pantry Coordinator Salvation Army

PW Safe Birth Campaign Quarters save lives!

100 quarters saves one life. Deposit quarters in the Blue Tube in the East Room

Do something special for your December Birthday by donating a penny for each year of your age to the PW’s Birthday Box in the east room. You will help fund their mission projects

Have a special happy birthday!

Issue # 12 December 2017

fashioned for himself a body from our body, flesh

from our flesh, bones from our bones, that he might be one with us. Ungrudgingly he took our nature upon him-self to impart to us what was his.” In other words, the Son of God came to the children of humanity, that we might become the children of God. Christ took on our human nature that he might redeem it, restore it, rescue it. He took our death that we might have his life; he exchanged our sin for his righteousness; he clothed himself in our frailty that we might receive his strength. The Son of God has become so much like us, that we may begin to be-come like him. That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown!

CENTS ABILITY UPDATE…

Holy Buckets Penny Offering November $547.00 1/3 Hunger Program, 1/3 Men’s Prayer Breakfast/Salvation

Army meat, 1/3 Helping Hands for food. Total for year 2017: $4,222.00

December Celebrations

Birthdays: Jo Polly 84, Madelyn Nickelson 90, Joan Daugherty 85, Garney Henley 82, Dwayne Poulisse 81, Jill Baker 80 Anniversaries: Pete & Linda Marcus 48, Matt & Brenda Gilbert 7, Henry & Jackie Sievers 55, Jake & Nadean Vilhauer 56, Har-vey & Anne Wollman 59

December Funerals

CAKE PROVIDERS AND WORKERS Becky Casper, Janice Christensen, Helen Clark, Diane Clay-ton, Alissa Crandall, Maggie Caudell, Barb Daugherty, Joan Daugherty, Keith & Corinne Decker, Jack & Sharon DeDeyne, Betty Dornbush, Eileen Dracy, Shirley Duxbury

PW thanks the ladies who at-tended and purchased jewelry at the Premier Jewelry party on November 11. Including the do-nations we received and the proceeds Allissa Crandall do-nated, we will be able to fulfill our mission projects. Thank

You!

December 17, 10:30 am Practice 9:10

Congregational Pot Luck Following the Program

Christmas Around the World!

Sunday:

Sunday School begins @ 9:10am. 3yrs-K, 1st-3rd, 4th & 5th, 6th-8th, 9th-12th Adults

Classes. Worship at 10:30 Men’s Prayer Breakfast

The men meet for breakfast the 1st and 3rd Sunday of the month at 8:00 am at the Plains for breakfast. Wednesday:

Praise Team meets at 5:10 Choir at 6:30 LOGOS K—8th grade and Senior Highs meet

for a meal at 6:00 pm. Congregation members may eat with them for a $2.00 donation.

PW - Presbyterian Women meet the 2nd

Wednesday of the month at 1:30. Covenant Group Meets in fellowship hall at

11:00am on the 3rd Wednesday. Thursday:

A non denominational Bible Study meets at

9:30 am every Thursday, upper level of the CE Wing. All are welcome to join.

_____________________________

1st - 8th Grade

Schedule Dec. 6 Angel Tree Gift Wrapping/Caroloing. 13 Family Time, Bible Study, Worship Arts/Rec 20 Family Time, Bible Study, Worship Arts/Rec 27 No Logos

December Dates to Remember

Dec. 10 Choral Worship Service 17 Children’s Program during worship Potluck 24 Worship 10:30 am Candlelight Service at 4:30 27 No activities Did you know… That the hanging of the greens is a Western Chris-tian ceremony in which many congregations and people adorn their churches with Advent and Christmas decorations. This is done on or directly before the start of the Advent season, in preparation for Christmastide. The meaning of the service Almost 2,000 years ago, the story goes, a clutch of sleepy shepherds were watching over their sheep on a star-brightened hillside in Palestine. It was a still, uneventful night. Suddenly the darkness was filled with a strange light. The stillness was broken by angel voices singing “Glory to God in the Highest, on earth peace, goodwill to all.” So begins Christ-mas, the most beautiful and meaningful celebration of the Christian calendar. Christmas actually begins with Advent, the season through with we are moving. Both the seasons of Advent―the season of “going toward” the birth of Christ―and Christmas have a long history. These seasons and their customs have developed through many centuries and many countries. Old customs and observances are refined, renewed, replaced; new ones are added. Some of our customs have pagan ori-gins but have been “converted” by redefining their meanings. What is significant for us is not what they may once have meant but rather what they mean for us today. On November 26

th our church building will begin to

wear its Christmas apparel. As we make ready for the birth of the child by preparing this sanctuary, we make ready our-selves and the sanctuary of our own hearts. We are mindful that, although it is not Christmas yet, it will be here soon, very soon. As we decorate the church, not only will we explain the history of the symbols of these special seasons, but we will rededicate these symbols―and ourselves―to the service of God.

Boost the Troops items due Dec. 3

Please submit names and ad-

dresses of military personnel

to the office.

firspc@santel.net

Angel Tree Gifts need to be returned to the Church by

December 17.

39 Operation

Christmas

Child Shoe

Boxes were

packed by

Sunday School

classes and

members of

the congrega-

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The Mission Committee thanks you for all of your support.

Thanks to the committee for all they do on our behalf

Members

Finnley Korkow Roger Tarbox Cobbie Magness Dwayne Poulisse Don Urquhart Bev Erdahl Jay Morris Roger Bierstedt Jerry Galliger Charles (Al) Katz Ron Hastings JoAnn Long Alan Schmidt David Hook Joyce Reiter Madelyn Nickelson Ron Reed Melba Galliger Kathleen Amundson Ada Pownell

Assisted Living, Nursing Homes & Home Bound Sun Quest Village: Shirley Fullerton, Sara Jorgensen Lorraine Jacobson, Idel McDonald, Eva Vilhauer Stoney Brook Suites: Madelyn Nickelson, Joyce Reiter Sun Quest Healthcare: Henry Sievers, Kathleen Amundson, Violet Tschetter: Ione Buckley Out-of-Town Nursing Homes: Jill Baker, Courtyard Apts: Marilyn Rogers, Ruth Winters Home Bound: Mahalia Connell Sioux Falls Assisted Living: Norma Bonnes

Summerset Court, Rapid City: Don UrquhartGogolin Military Personnel and Families

President Trump Government Officials Prison Inmates Military Personnel & families

+++++++++++++++

Attendance

Sunday School Worship Date # Date # Date # Date 11/06/16 64 11/05/17 38 11/06/2016 172 11/05/2017–173 11/13/16 59 11/12/17 32 11/13/2016–167 11/12/2017–139 11/20/16 33 11/19/17 42 11/20/2016–160 11/19/2017–131 11/27/16 33 11/26/17 35 11/27/2016–155 11/26/2017–103 Elder of the Month: Deacon of the Month: Dick Biel Roxanne Gogolin

Family & Friends

Jack Alexander Michaela Biel (Dick & Pam Biel’s daughter-in-law) Molly Channell Kay Clayton (Chuck’s mother) Dale Crump (Galliger’s son-in-law) Kim Crump (Galliger’s daughter) Rick Featherstone (friend of Dawn Meink) Joyce Gardner (Sharon Hastings cousin) Jason Gehrt (Madelyn Nickelson’s grandson-in-law) Larry Claypool (Renea Katz’s father) Wayne Granum (Chuck Groth’s brother in law) Arbadella Huber (Dick Biel’s aunt) Reese Krynauw, (granddaughter of Christ & Laurie Marcus) Kenneth Kruger (Brenda Schmidt’s uncle Gladys Hrdlicka (Donna Meiers’ mother) Tami Israel (friend of Barb Peterson) Cloe Jesson (Marlene Gamber’s friend). Mary Louise & Leslie Jensen (Brenda Schmidt’s parents) Timothy LeRoux (Deannie’s son) Janelle Martinez (Louise Van Poll’s friend in the Peace Corp) Kim Mattke (Dawn Meink’s friend) Glen Millage (Pastor Andrew’s uncle) Delbert Minske (friend of Barb Peterson) Patricia Moore (Greg Hepper’s aunt) Bernie Moore (Jason Lemke’s father in law) Susan Munion (Galliger’s friend) Marian (Wold) Martin (friend of Lori Magness) Roxi Miller (friend of Diane Clayton) Kathi Mueller (wife of Mike and daughter-in-law of Karen) Priscilla Mueller (Dick Biel’s aunt) Al & Jean Neifer (friends of Galliger’s) Ron & Doretta Nelson (sister of Berneice Muilenburg) Rich Sabalier (friend of Berneice Muilenburg)

Melvin Schlimgen (Donna Hepper’s dad) Marilyn Schiekoff (Phyllis Lemke’s sister) Sonnie Schimke (grandson of Merle Schimke) Marcia Pietz Solie Patricia (Arth) & Louie Timp (friends of Ron & Sharon Hastings) James Teer (Mona Kotas’ brother-in-law) Norm Tofflemire Mike Warburton (friend of David Hook and Michaela Biels’s grandfather)

Amy Weller (Dar King’s daughter)

December 2017

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1

2

3

Men’s Prayer Breakfast 8:00

Sunday School 9:10

Worship 10:30 Holy Buckets

4 5 6

Praise Team 5:10 LOGOS 6:00

Senior High 6:00 Adult Choir 6:30

7

8

9

10

Sunday School 9:10 Worship 10:30 Choral Service

11

Pete & Linda

Marcus 48

Matt & Brenda

Gilbert 7

12 Ch. Ed. 6:30

Fin./Steward 6:30

Miss./Evan. 6:30

Bldg./Gr. 7:00

Church Life 7:00

Worship/Music 7:00

Session 7:30

13

Circle 1:30

Praise Team 5:10 LOGOS 6:00

Senior High 6:00 Adult Choir 6:30

14

15 16

17 Eileen Dracy 81

Men’s Prayer Breakfast 8:00

Worship 10:30 Children’s Program

Pot Luck

18 19

20 Jo Polly 84 Covenant 11:00 Praise Team 5:10 LOGOS 6:00

Senior High 6:00

21

Garney Henley 82

22

Dwayne Poulisse 81

Madelyn Nickelson

90

23

Henry & Jackie

Sievers 55 Jake &

Nadean Vilhauer

56

24

Worship 10:30 Christmas Eve Candle Light service 4:30

25

Office Closed

26

Joan Daugherty 85

Jill Baker 80

Office Closed

27

28 29

Phil & Linda

VanDeWalle 50

30

Harvey & Anne

Wollman 59