The Contact

Faith. Family. Community.

TREE DECORATING

The Worship Committee will be putting up the Christmas trees in the sanctuary and library/fellowship hall area on Thursday, December 3 at 5:30 PM. You and your family are invited to come and help. If you have any questions or would like to help, please speak with Bob Nicolai.

CHRISTMAS PROGRAM/REHEARSAL

First grade and older will rehearse for the Christmas program on Saturday, December 5 at 9 AM. This year’s Christmas program will be on Sunday, December 13 at 4 PM. The program will feature Zion’s children, teens, and young adults. This year’s program is titled “It’s a Jingle Out There: Come Home to the Manger.”

THE TABLE

On Saturday, December 5 at 5 PM, Zion will be starting the new alternative, worship service called “The Table.” This is a more casual service with reflection and communion, but no praise band. Everyone is welcome, especially families. Worship will be in the annex area of Fellowship Hall.

CHRISTMAS CAROLING

Come and join the fun of Christmas Caroling to our shut-ins on December 6 from 2-4 PM. There will be food and hot chocolate after at Zion. Sign-up on the nursery bulletin board.

December 2015

In This Edition:

Pg. 2 Prayers, Birthdays & Anniversaries, Group Gatherings

Display Case

Pub Theology

Pg. 3 Address Change, Meetings, Choirs, Thank You’s, Congrats, Hospitality, Altar Guild, & Secretary Notes

Z-Book Club

Poinsettias

Children’s Sermons

Christmas Worship

Mitten Tree

Pg. 4 Greeters

Confirmation & Sunday School

Flower Chart

Lutheran Magazine

Gift of Goodies

Epiphany

Pg. 5 Readers, Acolytes, & Ushers

Annual Meeting

New Zion Staff

Directories

Pg. 6 Consecration Update

Pg. 7 Explanation of Worship Elements - Gathering

Pg. 8 Explanation - Word

Pg. 9 Explanation - Meal

Pg. 10 Explanation - Sending

Financial Report

Pg. 11 December Calendar

SOWERS

Calling all sowers: We will NOT meet in December. If you are interested in joining this group, please speak to Jeanette White or Sharon Pugh for more details.

OUT - TO - LUNCH BUNCH

Out-to-Lunch Bunch will meet on December 10 at 11:30 AM at Happy Joe’s North. Sign up is available on the nursery bulletin board.

SUPPER CLUB

Supper Club will meet on December 19 at 6 PM at Yacky Shack. Sign up is available on the nursery bulletin board.

GROUP MEETINGS

Group 5 will meet with their spouses on December 15 at 11:30 AM at Pizza Ranch for their Christmas Party. Group 6 will meet on December 6 at 4 PM for the Christmas Party at The Corner Grill in Blue Grass. Dessert will follow at Vivien Halloran’s.

DISPLAY CASE

The next display case will feature Christmas decorations like figurines, candles, centerpieces, small wreaths, etc. Please have your items to the church by December 1.

PUB THEOLOGY

Pub Theology is a concept, not a place. If you are 21 years old or older, please attend, make new friends, meet new people, and engage with your community regarding topics that matter and are rele-vant in the world today. The next meeting will be at 6:15 PM at Boonie’s on Tuesday, December 1.

PRAYERS AROUND ZION “Let us pray for the whole people of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.” FOR THOSE THAT ARE ILL: Tiffany McCleary Karen Goodell Pat Tober Esther Axel Dick Marr Bob Nicolai Jean Orr Ron Subbert Elaine Van Greivenhof FOR THOSE WHO HAVE LOST A LOVED ONE: Richard & Cheryl Jacobsen on the loss of Richard’s brother-in-law, Jack Johnston BIRTHDAYS & ANNIVERSARIES *Denotes 90+ years, **denotes 100+ years, anniversaries listed are 50+ years. *Anita Davis 12/9 Barbara Sabbath 12/13 Ruth Busch 12/15 Pat Tober 12/19 *Shirley Stange 12/23 Ruth Starkweather 12/24 Elaine Petersen 12/25 Bob & Bonnie Nicolai 12/15 Sharon & Betsy Martin 12/18 George & Wanda Blackwood 12/28

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ADDRESS CHANGE: UPCOMING MEETINGS: Gateway @ 3:15 PM 12/2 All Comm. @ 6:30 PM 12/3 Executive @ 5:30 PM 12/10 Council @ 6:00 PM 12/10 CHOIRS PRACTICES: Bell Choir @ 6:15 PM 12/2 12/9 12/16 12/23 Senior Choir@ 7 PM 12/2 12/9 12/16 12/23 THANK YOU: CONGRATULATIONS: HOSPITALITY: 12/6 - Property 12/20 - Stewardship ALTAR GUILD: Scott, Michelle, & Lizzy Richardson SECRETARY NOTES: There will be only one service on December 27 at 9 AM! For January’s Contact, all articles need to be turned into the office by noon on Tuesday, December 22. Contact Assembly will be at 9 AM December 31.

Z-BOOK CLUB

Our next Z-Book Club meeting is Monday, December 7 at 5 PM at GeoJohnz. The book we are reading is “The Face on the Milk Carton” by Carolyn Cooney. Janie Johnson seen a face on a milk carton of a girl that was kidnapped 12 years ago. To Janie’s surprise, this little girl was her. How could this be? Trying to piece things together, nothing adds up. Is Janie, Janie? Join us to find out!

POINSETTIAS

Poinsettias are ready to be ordered. Please use the envelopes located in the Narthex. Fill out the information on the front of the envelope, enclose $9 per plant, and return your envelope by December 13. Plants will come from Garrison’s in Wilton.

CHILDREN’S SERMONS

This year’s theme for the children’s sermons is “Let’s Take a Trip.” Each week the children will “take a trip” to Nazareth, the Hill Country, Jerusalem, the Desert, and Bethlehem to find out about Jesus.

CHRISTMAS WORSHIP

There will be a Christmas Eve Worship Service at 4 PM (family service) and 9 PM on December 24. The Sunday School children will be singing as well as the Senior Choir will perform a Christmas Music Concert beginning at 8:30 PM. Both services will be with candle light and communion.

MITTEN TREE

Sunday School Sponsored Opportunity: The 4th and 5th Grade Class put up the Mitten Tree that will remain up until Epiphany in January. Mittens, hats, scarves, socks, underwear, and sweat pants can be placed on the tree. They will be given to LSI, MCSA, and schools for children in need.

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CONFIRMATION & SUNDAY SCHOOL

Please note that confirmation classes will not be meeting on December 23 and 30 due to Christmas and New Year’s. Classes will resume on Wednesday, January 6, 2016. Sunday School classes will not meet on December 27 but will resume on January 3, 2016.

FLOWER CHART If you would like to sponsor flowers for the altar in 2016, the new sign up sheet in on the nursery bulletin board. Order flowers of your choice from the florist of your choice or you can just reimburse Zion for the $30 altar flower fee.

THE LUTHERAN MAGAZINE

The Lutheran comes into the homes of Zion’s members each month. We budget for this expense, but encourage you to donate to cover the cost $9 per household subscription. If you have not yet donated for The Lutheran and want to do so, please have your donation into the office by December 31.

GIFT OF GOODIES

On Sunday, January 3, 2016, hospitality will be Gift of Goodies. You are asked to clean out all of those left over cookies, fudge, candy, etc. and bring it to church to share. That way you get to clean out leftovers and we all get to taste the goodies.

EPIPHANY

Epiphany is January 6. Epiphany means “manifestation.” On this day we celebrate the revelation of Christ to the Gentiles—that is, to all nations. Some Christian traditions celebrate three great epiphanies on this day: the magi’s adoration of the Christ child, Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan River, and his first miracle, changing water into wine. The word and sacraments are for us the great epiphany of God’s grace and mercy. We go forth to witness to the light that shines brightly in our midst.

GREETERS UP: 8:00 AM 12/6 - Dana & Sally Echelbarger 12/13 - Rosendo & Stacey Ramos 12/20 - Tom & Susan Burzlaff 12/24 (4PM) - Don & Shirley Stange 10:30 AM 12/6 - Jim & Linda Maas 12/13 - Tim & Vivien Halloran, Rowan & Rory McBride 12/20 - Bill Mark & Dick O’Brien 12/24 (9PM) - Jim & Linda Maas 9:00 AM 12/27 - Irmgard Shoppa GREETERS DOWN: 8:00 AM 12/6 - Toby Sander & Karla Bickle 12/13 - Tom & Susan Burzlaff 12/20 - Mark & Julie Evans 12/24 (4PM) - John & Melody Evans 10:30 AM 12/6 - Bill & Pat Chrisman 12/13 - Jon & Sarah King 12/20 - Kent Egel 12/24 (9PM) - Mark & Wendy Subbert 9:00 AM 12/27 - Keith & Mary Butcher

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READERS: 8:00 AM 12/6 - Carolyn Kemper 12/13 - Richard Jacobsen 12/20 - Charles Potter 12/24 (4PM) - Bob Nicolai 10:30 AM 12/6 - Dyann Roby 12/13 - Tyler Baars 12/20 - Andy Smith 12/24 (9PM) - Bob Nicolai ACOLYTES: 8:00 AM 12/6 - Quintin Meerdink 12/13 - Cole True & Alexandria Steele 12/20 - Katie Harris 12/24 (4PM) - Lizzy & Matt Richardson 10:30 AM 12/6 - Phillip Smith 12/13 - Julissa & Destiny Williams 12/20 - Parker & Emma Freyermuth 12/4 (9PM) - Alex Creamer & Katie Harris 9:00 AM 12/27 - Julissa Williams CROSSBEARER: 12/24 (4PM) - 12/24 (9PM) - Katie Harris USHERS: 8:00 AM Jim & Julie Haage, Rosendo Ramos, Justin Dornbush, Kim Dieckman 10:30 AM Riley Padgett, Mike Watson, Mark Perisho, Duane Williams, Charles Meyer, Casey Cantrell

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ANNUAL MEETING

The Annual Meeting of Zion Lutheran Church will be January 24, 2016 at 12:30 PM in Fellowship Hall. This will be preceded by a potluck following the 10:30 AM worship service. All confirmed members of Zion are voting members and encouraged to attend. You will be asked to approve the worship schedule for the coming year and elections will take place at this meeting. The Nominating Committee will submit a slate of candidates. Other business may also be brought to the floor during this meeting.

NEW STAFF AT ZION

Zion Lutheran extends a warm welcome to our newest staff member, Chuck Geertz. Chuck is serving as our new janitor and is working Monday through Fridays in the mornings. Chuck is a 30 year veteran of the United States Army and is the president of the non-profit organization - Healing at English River Outfitters (HERO), an organization he founded to serve disabled veterans by taking them hunting and fishing as well as working with them on life skills. The mission of the organization is "to provide our veterans a safe outdoor experience where they can realize their strengths and their independence. To help promote healing and closure for our veterans and provide family reintegration.” More information can be found at: Veterans Reaching Out To Veterans. Please welcome Chuck as a member of our staff as he serves Christ through the upkeep of the property!

DIRECTORIES

If you had your picture taken by Lifetouch for this year's directory or had a photo submitted, you can pick up your copy of the directory now. They are located on a table upstairs by the sanctuary doors.

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CONSECRATION SUNDAY UPDATE

Pastor Cauley asked that I give you a brief overview of our Oct. 18 Consecration Sunday program results. This is our 4th consecutive year that we have used the Herb Miller Consecration Sunday Stewardship Program and I wish to thank our Stewardship committee members and our church council members for all of their work and follow up efforts that helped make this a very successful campaign. I especially wish to thank Dave Reusswig for his initiative during his Oct. 4 temple talk to re-introduce the Opportunities to Serve card to the congregation. This card was developed by my Stewardship predecessor’s committee (Bill Chrisman), and we had the privilege to introduce it in its current form. Up until Dave’s Oct. 4 temple talk, in over 18 months that the card was available to the congregation, we had 19 people fill them out. After Dave’s temple talk, we had 58 cards filled out. That’s over a 300 % increase in just one day! Praise God! In addition, 7 of our confirmands have filled out their Youth Time & Talent sheets and collectively all of these OTS responses have been sent to our church council members who will be contacting you in the near future to engage those who have agreed to share their time and talents with the body of Christ at Zion. Thank you in advance for making that commitment. As for the financial pledges that were sanctified on Oct. 18, we had 90 family units estimate their 2016 giving which totaled $212,000. Although we had fewer cards turned in than last year, our overall family unit per capita average has gone up by 1.7%, which tells me that many families prayerfully considered and favorably responded to a deeper relationship with their Creator and Redeemer. I thank God that you are willing to reach out to Him in grateful thanks for the blessing He has, and will continue to give you, in greater abundance in the years ahead. For those who have not yet returned your mailed pledge cards because you were unable to attend the Consecration Sunday service, you still have time to do so. Don’t let the opportunity to thank our God for his many gifts to each of us slip by without a response. Thank you all for a very successful financial campaign for next year and may God bless and keep you all safely in His flock.

Lutheran Liturgy: Explanation of the Elements of Worship

What is it and what does it mean? GATHERING...The Holy Spirit calls us together as the people of God. • Prelude: Music played while the congregation assembles and prepares for worship • Ringing of the Bells: Acts as a call to worship and a time for each of us to prepare our hearts and minds for worship • Confession and Forgiveness: Reminds us of the gift of baptism – we are claimed as beloved children of God and no failing as an individual or group can change that. We confess our sins not to right ourselves with God (which we cannot do), but to let go of what stands in the way of our relationship with God

… Or …

• Thanksgiving for Baptism: In our baptisms we are named and claimed beloved children of God. Our old, sinful selves are drowned so that we may be reborn – an act which occurs daily. Since we are only baptized once but still need to be reminded of this event we give thanks for it during service • Gathering Hymn: The Gathering Hymn contains imagery of people coming together in joy to worship God in community with one another • Greeting: Begins the service in the name of the name of the triune God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) • Kyrie: (used during different church seasons) From the phrase Kýrie, eléison (Lord, have mercy). Acknowledges that Jesus is present and that we are in need of his help, mercy, and love just as those who asked for healing in the gospels • Hymn of Praise/Canticle of Praise: Response to the request for aid made in the Kyrie which tells us how God meets the needs of the people – God became human in Jesus and through his life, death, and resurrection won victory over death and the forces of evil Prayer of the Day: Contains 5 basic parts: 1) Address – Who is being prayed to,

2) Basis/Rationale – particular characteristic or action of God is cited, 3) Petition – request is made, 4) Benefit – the desired outcome of the petition, 5) Doxology – praise of God

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WORD...God speaks to us in scripture reading, preaching, and song Luther believed that proclamation of the Word of God was essential to the act of worship. We believe that the Bible contains the living word of God which enters our hearts calling for radical change. Through hearing the word proclaimed we encounter God and are called to repent, or turn back to God • 1

st Reading: A reading from the Old Testament that usually ties in thematically to

the Gospel reading for the day which details God’s faithful relationship with God’s people throughout history • Psalm: Taken from the book of Psalms and acts as a response to the first reading • 2

nd Reading: The Epistle (meaning letter) lesson comes from the letters written to

early church communities by the apostles • Gospel Acclamation: Alleluia translates as “praise the Lord”. We are joyful because it is through the Gospel that God reveals Godself through the person and actions of Jesus • Gospel: We hear of the words and actions of Jesus which offer salvation, guidance, blessing, and challenge for our life as Christians • Sermon: Serves as a way to reflect upon the messages heard in the scripture readings. These scriptures were written at a specific time and place and often need to be interpreted and related to our modern lives • Hymn of the Day: Serves to emphasize the message just heard in the sermon. Musical proclamation of the Gospel and Sermon message that sums up the overall message of the day • Apostles Creed: Corporate/communal profession of our faith. Statement of what we know about God and who we believe God to be • Prayers of Intercession: We believe that religion is the communal expression of faith. For faith to fully be alive it must be in relation with others. The prayers of intercession provide an opportunity to express the needs of the congregation, remind us what we are called to do as Christians, and share individual prayers of celebration or lament with the entire body of Christ • Sharing of the Peace: Physical expression of our communal understanding of the nature of faith

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MEAL...God feeds us with the presence of Jesus Christ. The meal serves as a visual expression of the Christ proclaimed in the reading of scripture and in the sermon • Offering: We give because all that we have is a gift from God. We don’t give in order to receive God’s love (we already have it). We give out of gratitude to the abundance of God • Offering Prayer: A public and communal affirmation of the gifts given by the congregation commending them to God. This serves as a transition us into the meal • Great Thanksgiving

Dialogue: Salutation that makes it clear that God is with us Preface: Changes based on the church season – focus is on that we should

always give thanks to God for the gifts God has given us Holy (Sanctus): Join the angels in their song of praise from Isaiah in which

they proclaim God to be holy and references Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem with shouts of Hosanna (save us now!)

Thanksgiving at the Table/Words of Institution: Retells the words spoken by Jesus to his disciples at the Last Supper

Lord’s Prayer: Prayer which Jesus taught us Invitation to Communion: The meal is ready. Come and eat.

• Communion: One of the two sacraments as understood in Lutheran theology. Jesus comes to us in bread and wine to strengthen us, forgive sin, grant salvation and eternal life, and invite us into an abiding and life-giving relationship • Communion Hymns

Lamb of God: Acknowledges the redemptive work of Jesus Christ Others: Focus on communion images of bread and wine

• Prayer after Communion: Communal offering of thanks for the gifts received at the meal

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SENDING...God blesses us and send us in mission in the world. • Blessing: Final blessing of the service based on the instructions God gave to Moses as to how the priests were to end their services (Num. 6:22-27) • Sending Hymn: The Sending Hymn contains imagery that reminds us that Church is not a destination, it is a beginning. We come together for worship so that we might go out into the world revitalized, eager to carry out God’s mission by leading lives of love and compassion. • Dismissal: A bold commandment that sends us forth and details how we should act ***Luther on Music in General: “Next to the Word of God, the noble art of music is the greatest treasure in the world.” Martin Luther believed that music is a good gift of God and therefore is a means by which the church can pray, rejoice, lament, and profess faith together.

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Zion Lutheran Church 513 Sycamore Street Muscatine, IA 52761 563.263.5074 Visit us online at ZIONMUSCATINE.ORG Follow us at TWITTER@ZIONMUSCATINE

THE CONTACT DECEMBER 2015 | KEEPING ZION CONNECTED