The Messenger N e w s a b o u t o u r c h u r c h ,

o u r m i n i s t r i e s a n d o u r p e o p l e

D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 8 Living Waters Lutheran Church and Preschool

Come and gather beneath the tree of life, root of wisdom, branch of peace, fruit of healing and release.

Come and gather beneath the tree of life,“ from Holy Communion Tree of Life Setting by Marty Haugen

Hanging of the Greens

Kim Vaughan, Organizer

It’s time to deck the halls and trim the trees. Please come to help decorate the church.

Saturday, December 1 10 a.m.

Pizza will be provided for lunch!

Breakfast with Santa

Sponsored by the Fellowship Committee, Joanne Carlock and Karen Hoeppner, Co-Chair

Santa will arrive at Living Waters Lutheran on Saturday morning, December 14. This is the second annual “Breakfast with Santa.”

Pancakes will be served and Santa will arrive to greet the children and adults. This is a community event, so bring yourselves, children, grandchildren, and neighbors.

Cowgirl Up for the Lord Secret Sister Event

Patty Pauley, Organizer

Secret Sisters is baaack! Forms can be found in the fellowship hall under the bulletin board. This is open to all ladies and is a seasonal group, ending in April with a reveal luncheon.

This year we are going to learn to “Cowgirl Up for the Lord.“ So, please join us. No meetings to attend. Just share some love and smiles with another “sister” in the church. All instructions can be found with each form. Any questions, see Patty Pauley or Kari Reece. All forms can be returned to Patty.

Christmas Caroling Contact Gayle Backiel

Join with others to sing Christmas carols at area health care centers. We’ll visit The North Port Pines, The Gardens of North Port, Quality Health Care Center, and The Springs at South Biscayne to sing and bring greetings to the residents. Meet at the church on Tuesday, December 4, at 4:30 p.m. to carpool. The first stop is The North Port Pines at 4:45 p.m.

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From the Pastor

By Rev. Lyle Truitt

“Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the lord.” Luke 2:11

Greetings Friends,

Well, here we are in the midst of the blistery, cold winter season of South Florida where we have to turn on the heat in the early morning to break the chill in our living rooms. And that usually takes about five minutes. And that’s usually on four or five mornings of the winter season.

Oh, how I miss the change of seasons! I really do.

“Oh, but pastor, why would you ever want to have to fool with that white stuff?” Well, I guess it’s because I have so many marvelous memories about that white stuff, and most of them involve folks who are dear to my heart.

For example… Back in 1981, and back in Denver, Colorado, when I was working for Sysco Food Service (in the food distribution industry), I was the warehouse superintendent and my team had to prepare some orders and deliveries on the morning of Christmas Eve. It had already been snowing for hours and it was predicted that this would be a very, very heavy snowfall.

So, we hustled and completed our task at work, and then I called Loni to tell her I was heading home; it normally took me 20 minutes. I could tell Loni was worried about my drive home, as she mentioned that the kids were anxiously awaiting their Daddy.

Unfortunately, about a mile and half from the house, my pickup skidded on the ice and I ended up in a snowdrift. I was stuck.

So, I had abandoned my pickup truck and gathered up the kid’s gifts and put them in two large trash bags and threw the bags over my shoulder and began the walk to my home. There was already 2 feet of snow that had fallen and the wind was blasting and there were snow drifts of 3-4 feet. So it was a very challenging journey to the house.

But when I finally arrived on the front porch of our home, with the trash bags (filled with gifts) hanging over my shoulders, (like Santa Claus) and Loni and the kids met me at the door, and I saw their excited faces, it looked like a Norman Rockwell portrait………a family portrait of love. I will never forget that moment……ever. When you and I and our “church” family gather on Christmas Eve this year, THAT moment will also be a portrait of family love. And once again we will remember how a very special child was greeted when he finally arrived.

No, not on the front porch with trash bags of gifts… but in a manger…with the greatest gift of all…God’s love.

Thanks be to God! Merry Christmas!

And see you around town!

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. DECEMBER CALENDAR OF EVENTS AND SERVICES

for the ADVENT and CHRISTMAS SEASON

Saturday, .Dec. 1 Hanging of the Greens, 10 a.m. with pizza afterwards. Sunday, Dec. 2 The First Sunday in Advent Service, 10 a.m. Election of church council members, immediately after the service. Tuesday, Dec. 4 Christmas Caroling at North Port Pines, The Gardens of North Port, Quality Health Care Center, and The Springs on Biscayne, 4:30 p.m., meet at church. Wednesday, Dec. 5 Soup and Bread Supper, 6 p.m. Advent Mid-Week Worship Service, 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 6 Community Dinner, 4–6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 8 Women’s Christmas Luncheon sponsored by the Living Waters unit of the Women of the ELCA (WELCA), noon. Sunday, Dec. 9 The Second Sunday in Advent Service, 10 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 12 Soup and Bread Supper, 6 p.m. Advent Mid-Week Worship Service, 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 16 The Third Sunday in Advent Service, Children’s Christmas Program, 10 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 19 Soup and Bread Supper, 6 p.m. Advent Mid-Week Worship Service, 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 20 Community Dinner, 4-6 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 23 The Fourth Sunday in Advent Service, 10 a.m. Monday, Dec. 24 Christmas Eve Candle Light Service, 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 25 Christmas Day Worship Service, 10 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 30 The First Sunday after Christmas Day Service, 10 a.m.

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WELCA Christmas Luncheon

By Char Dewitt

The Living Waters Unit of the Women of the ELCA will hold their annual Christmas luncheon on Saturday, Dec. 8, at noon. Lunch will be served followed by a short meeting to vote on which charities to support this year and election of officers for 2019. Entertainment will be provided by the La Casa Singers. Bring a dozen cookies to participate in our cookie exchange. ALL WOMEN are invited.

CHILI COOK OFF WINNERS Submitted by The Fellowship Comm.: Joanne Carlock and Karen Heppner

The November Chili Cook Off competition was fierce. There were six chili cooks and 34 discerning judges. Special thanks to cooks: Christine Norton, Patty Pauley, Jerry Pauley, Jane Fundyga, Pastor Lyle, and Steve Vaughan. Jerry Pauley won 1st place and Steve Vaughan won 2nd place. All of the chilies were delicious, as well as, the many wonderful desserts. The competition will continue next year.

Ashley Mock, a Woman with a Mission By Gayle Backiel with pictures courtesy of Patty Mock, Ashley’s mother

Ashley Mock is a young member of Living Waters Lutheran Church who is the Peace Corps. She is in Africa learning how other people live and how to help them. Most re-cently she was at a training seminar at the Linde Hotel in Malawi where she learned to make briquettes of compressed paper and sawdust to use for cooking. She is also learn-ing to graft fruit trees which will eventually help feed people. If you would like to contribute to a Christmas gift for Ashley, please make a donation in the decorated box in the Narthex that has her name on it. This gift box will be available December 2 and December 9. Her mother will put the funds in Ashley's account so she can purchase items she needs.

Ashley grafting fruit trees

The Time of Christmas begins with the season of Advent*

Advent is from a Latin word that means “coming,” and its emphasis is on preparation for the coming of Christ. The first part of Advent focuses on the coming of Christ as King and Judge, while the latter part look to His coming in the incarnation. The mood of Advent, therefore, is one of hope, anticipation, and preparedness. There are four Sundays in Advent, beginning with the Sunday closest to November 30, the Festival of St. Andrew. In the one-year lectionary, the Third Sunday in Advent is called Gaudete, which means “rejoice.” its theme is the anticipation of the joy coming into the world at the Nativity.

*Excerpted from The Altar Guild Manual, Lutheran Service Book Edition by Lee A. Maxwell, Concordia Publishing House, 2007.

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Living Waters Lutheran Church & Preschool — December 2018 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 Hanging of the

Greens 10:00 AM 2 Worship Service

10:00 AM Sunday School

10:00 AM

3 Council Reports Due Worship & Music Cmte. Meets

10:00 AM

4 5 Cut Ups

9:00 AM - 11:00 PM Preschool Chapel

10:20 AM Prayer Team Bible

Study 12:00 PM Soup & Bread Supper

6:00 PM Advent Mid Week Worship Service

7:00 PM

6 Community Dinner

4:00 PM - 6:00 PM Bread & Pastry Ministry

4:00 PM - 4:30 PM Choir Practice

5:00 PM

7 AA Meeting

8:00 PM 8 Women's Christmas

Party 12:00 PM

9 Worship Service

10:00 AM Sunday School

10:00 AM

10 Church Council Meeting Preschool Board of Directors

1:00 PM

5:30 PM

11 Prayer Shawl Group

4:00 PM - 5:30 PM Girl Scout Meeting

5:30 PM - 7:00 PM

12 Cut Ups

9:00 AM - 11:00 PM Preschool Chapel

10:20 AM Prayer Team Bible

Study 12:00 PM Soup & Bread Supper

6:00 PM Advent Mid Week Worship Service

7:00 PM

13 Bread & Pastry Ministry

4:00 PM - 4:30 PM Choir Practice

5:00 PM NWPCCA 7:00 PM

14 AA Meeting

8:00 PM 15 Breakfast with Santa

9:30 AM - 12:00 PM

16 Children's Christmas

Program 10:00 AM Worship Service

10:00 AM Sunday School

10:00 AM

17 18 19 Cut Ups

9:00 AM - 11:00 PM Preschool Chapel

10:20 AM Prayer Team Bible

Study 12:00 PM Soup & Bread Supper

6:00 PM Advent Mid Week Worship Service

7:00 PM

20 Community Dinner

4:00 PM - 6:00 PM Bread & Pastry Ministry

4:00 PM - 4:30 PM Choir Practice

5:00 PM

21 AA Meeting

8:00 PM 22

23 Worship Service

10:00 AM Sunday School

10:00 AM

24 Christmas Eve Christmas Eve Candle Light Service

7:00 PM Christmas Eve Candle Light Service

9:00 PM

25 Christmas Christmas Day

Worship 10:00 AM

26 Cut Ups

9:00 AM - 11:00 PM Prayer Team Bible

Study 12:00 PM

27 Bread & Pastry Ministry

4:00 PM - 4:30 PM Choir Practice

5:00 PM

28 AA Meeting

8:00 PM 29

30 Worship Service

10:00 AM Sunday School

10:00 AM

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From the Church Council by Gayle Backiel

Church members will be electing new members for the Church Council on December 2, right after worship. If you would like to be involved in the life of the church as a council member, please see a nominating com-mittee member: Gayle Backiel, Kim Vaughan, or Kris Dines.

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Dec. 1 Jesse Buck Dec. 2 Karl Mortensen Dec. 3 Evan Boyette Dec. 5 Rich Pelto Dec. 9 David Bozich Dec. 10 Kay Steen Dec. 11 Pamela Johnson Dec. 17 Lee DeWitt

Dec. 19 Harold Boeck Dec. 21 Elinor Mortensen Dec. 22 Bill Donley Donna Godshall Dec. 24 Karen Hoeppner Carol Sutton Dec. 25 Larry Grimard Dec. 30 Garrett Buck

T h e M e s s e n g e r is published monthly by Living Waters Lutheran Church with printed copies distributed the last Sunday of each month. Copies are also available at: www.LivingWatersLutheran.com and via email distribution.

To have information included in the newsletter, please write your content and send it to Barb Cartwright, editor and publisher: anchorstitch@aol.com or phone 941-743-4770. Articles must be submitted by the 21st of each month. Arti-cles may be edited.

Physical Address Living Waters Lutheran Church and Preschool 12475 Chancellor Blvd, Port Charlotte, FL 33953 Mailing Address PO Box 8064, North Port, FL 34290 941-625-8090 www.livingwaterslutheran.com Church Office: Kris Dines kris@livingwaterslutheran.com Pastor Lyle Truitt: plylet65@gmail.com Office Hours: 9:00 a.m.-Noon, Mon-Thurs.

If you have questions about our church, its ministries or about becoming a member, please email Pastor Truitt at plylet65@gmail.com or call 941-625-8090.

Happy Birthday

Surprise someone on this list by sending a birthday greeting.

Council Members: Gayle Backiel, President/ Small Groups 941-769-0882 rbackiel@verizon.net

Rick Backiel, Co-chair Property Maintenance 941-769-3903 rbackiel@verizon.net

Joanne Carlock, Vice Pres/ Fellowship 941-426-5434 jcarlock99@yahoo.com

Jane Fundyga, Financial Sec/ Member Care 941-240-6406 jfundyga@gmail.com

Gary Hiltz, Stewardship & Co-chair Property Maint. 781-985-1020 hiltz.gary@gmail.com

Larry Nelson, At Large/Ushers 941-979-5966 larrypnelson9805@gmail.com

Mike Poe, Treasurer 941-426-3843 mddlpoe@hotmail.com

Kim Vaughan, Secretary/ Worship Liaison 443-277-6306 Notmuchafraid @hotmail.com

May you and yours have a Very Blessed Christmas!