ECHOES Weekly-December 16, 2018 Our Savior’s Lutheran Church 2124 Viola Rd NE Rochester, MN 55906

WELCOME VISITORS! "Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, to the glory of God." Romans 15:7 We welcome new visitors and old friends, long-time Lutherans, Christians from every tradition, and people new to faith. To those who have no church home, want to follow Christ, have doubts, do not believe, you are welcome here. Regardless of age, color, culture, sexual orientation, gender identity, socioeconomic status, marital status, abilities or challenges, join us, you are welcome here. You are welcome to worship, to celebrate and sorrow, to rejoice and recover. This is a place where lives are made new.

Altar Flowers are given to the glory of God from Liz Harwick in of her sister Kim Pickett’s birthday.

Remember in your Prayers:

Concerns: Eric Schatz (Phyllis’s son); Lorrie Swancutt; Bonnie Storlie; Jean Sanders (Connie Leckband’s mother); Terry Wagner; Marsha Dick, Gladys Jensen

Military Concerns: Austin Nicklay; Aaron Holst; Chris Sikich, Margaret & Catherine Maher; Paul Schroeder; Clark Rose; Eric Brown; Scot Heathman, Ryan Nordstrom, Dan & Kelly Pickett, all our service men and women serving in the Military and all of our veterans who have served.

Missionary Partner: Palliative Care Program at Iambi Hospital, Tanzania

Seminary: Timothy O’Shields

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SIMPLY GIVING Several people indicated on the intent cards they may be interested in giving through Simply Giving. There are forms in the Business Center on the wall rack. They can be filled out and left in my box marked Financial Secretary in the Business Center, or you can contact me for more information. Tim Hornseth, Financial Secretary

Calendar Corrections The Beverages & Caroling is on the calendar twice in December. The correct date is December 20 not December 11. Please make this correction on your calendars.

Quilters are NOT meeting on December 18.

Office Hours—Week of Christmas December 24—Office Closed 4:00 & 5:30pm Worship 10:00pm Worship December 25—Office Closed 9:00am Worship December 26—Office Closed Pastor Fred is out of town Dec. 26—Jan. 2 Pastor Ben will be out of town after worship on Dec. 30—Jan. 1. If you need pastoral care Dec. 30—Jan. 1, please call Pastor Roy Satre at 289-0959

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FAITHFULLY FIT Thursdays at 8:30 am. Come to the narthex at church to do chair exercises, balance work, and routines with light hand weights. Laughter, another good part of keeping fit, and conversation make an enjoyable morning hour. All are welcome. We will not be meeting on December 20 or 27. We

will resume meeting on January 3.

2018-19 ALTAR FLOWERS Here’s a quick look... Dec. 23—Pflibsen Dec. 30—Servais Jan. 6—OPEN

Jan. 13—OPEN Jan. 20—Flynn Jan. 27—Seegmiller Feb. 3—OPEN

If you would like to give Altar Flowers, see the sign-up sheet on the large bulletin board in the hallway. Cost is $40.00 and the flowers are yours to take home after the last worship.

JOIN US FOR MEN’S FELLOWSHIP We meet on the 2nd & 4th Saturday of the month at 7:00am to study the Sunday Bible reading. All men are welcome to attend. Coffee and juice are offered. Bring your own breakfast roll or sandwich.

NOTE OPEN DATES

GATHER GALS will be meeting the 2nd Monday through May at 6:15pm at Dunn Bros N.

ADVENT MEALS & WORSHIP Join us for Soup & Bread Dec. 19—Ham & Bean and Broccoli Cheese Serving begins at 5:30pm in the Fellowship Hall Worship begins at 6:30pm

HOLIDAY OFFERINGS The Thanksgiving offering are divided between Channel One and ELCA World Hunger, addressing the needs of hungry people both locally and globally. The Advent offerings are divided between Salvation Army and Lutheran Disaster Relief, again addressing needs both locally and globally. The Christmas offerings are divided between the Women’s Shelter and Habitat for Humanity, addressing the needs of people needing shelter.

Sarah Circle Date: December 17 @ 1:00pm Location: OSLC Hostess: VaLinda Wondrasch Co-Hostess: Betty Peterson Bible Study: Group

NEW on the Narthex Counter Christ in Our Home The Word in Season

The Lutheran, December Issue

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ST. MARKY MARK'S FUNKY LUNCH And you in your 20s-40s! Why not stick around after GIFT and join us for our hour-long, every-other Sunday gathering where we read through the Gospel of Mark? SO! If you wish you knew more about Jesus and have wanted to read the Bible but wanted to read it with people in a similar life-stage who wouldn't judge you for not knowing 'everything,' or whatever, we hope you can stay after GIFT! Lunch and childcare are provided! Next Meeting Date: December 16

LAY MINISTRY NEEDS YOUR HELP! The most important task of the Lay Ministry Committee is to take home communion to members unable to attend church. This involves a monthly or every other month visit. The rewards from the visit far outweigh the time involved. Please contact Pastor Fred or myself if you are interested in helping. Doreen Markus, 281-1700

CONFIRMANDS QUESTIONS Sayer Flynn If God created us to be different from one another, why can't we get along? Courtney Holm How can we change the world? Alex Train How do we know that God hears us when we pray?

The cost for each plant will be $17.00. Please put the form with a check, made out to OSLC (poinsettias in memo), in the offering plate or leave on Joanne's desk in the church office. Thank you to Scott & Wendy Moon and Sargent’s for supplying the poinsettias. All proceeds from the sales will benefit the OSLC

Youth. Your poinsettia will be available for you to take home after the Christmas Eve/Day Worships. Forms available on the Narthex counter or in the church office. Purchase deadline is December 16...TODAY

LIVING PRAISE CHILDREN’S CHOIR Children of all ages are invited to sing in Living Praise. This informal children's choir meets after GIFT every 1st & 3rd Sunday (Funky Bunch days). There will be a light lunch and fellowship followed by about 45 minutes of rehearsal. We will sing once or twice a month at the GIFT time. Contact Alecia Meline with any questions. Next rehearsal: December 16

THANK YOU VERY MUCH for your support of the Thanksgiving Pie Fellowship. We raised $207 for “Free Bikes 4 Kidz”. The money will be put towards great use. Thank you for your donations!!

JANUARY/FEBRUARY CONGREGATIONAL PROJECT Tied Fleece Blankets – The giving project for January and February will be making tied fleece

blankets for Lutheran World Relief. Donations of 2 pieces of fleece 58-59 inches wide and 80 inches long are requested. Bring them to the basket in the narthex. In later February a workday to tie the blankets will be arranged.

SEMINARY SCHOLARSHIP – The earning from the OSLC Endowed Scholarship Fund at Luther Seminary has been awarded for this school year. The recipient is Timothy O’Shields, who was also the recipient last year. You may have met him when he preached at OSLC last summer. His name will be listed in our weekly prayers.

STEWARDSHIP COMMITTEE UPDATE: A total of 131 Intent Cards have been received so far, for a total of $379,324.08. THANK YOU!

· Of those 131 cards, 20 are either new or did not send in an Intent Card the previous year. THANK YOU! · 66 are intending to give more than last year. THANK YOU!

AND, the 1st tier of our giving challenge is well within reach. We only need 8 more Intent Cards submitted before the Stewardship Committee and Leadership Team will contribute an additional $4,000 gift! It’s not too late for you to join in!

MAKING SENSE OF MARTIN LUTHER

Beginning on Thursday, January 17, we will make our way through the book Making Sense of Martin

Luther by Dr. David Lose. This is the 4th book in Dr. Lose’s Making Sense series. We will gather at

11AM in the Fellowship Hall. If you’d like to be part of the study and discussion, please sign up on

the sheet in the Narthex to order a book. Pastor Ben will be leading this study.

The study will go for 7 weeks

8:30am Worship Assistants Greeters/Offering: Bill Nicklay, Gross Family Communion Assts: Marybeth & Katie Kasperski Usher/Offering: Bill Nicklay, Gross Family Prayer Reader: Marybeth Kasperski 8:30am Sound Board: Tim Pickett 10:00am Sound Board: David Flynn Coffee Prep: Jorrie Johnson Coffee Clean up: Bill Nicklay Treats: Bill Nicklay Offering Counters: Kevin & Cindy Norgard Altar Guild: All Altar Guild Members Organists/Pianists: Ruth Benning, Mandy Lambrecht, Bruce Rohde, Jan Matson

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Luke 1:39-56 39In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, 40where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit 42and exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. 43And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? 44For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. 45And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord." 46And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord, 47and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; 49for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. 50His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. 51He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. 52He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; 53he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. 54He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, 55according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever." 56And Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home.

Sunday, December 16 Basket Delivery 8:30am Worship 9:30am Fellowship 10:00am Gift — X-mas Program 11:15am Funky Bunch Bible Study 11:15am Living Praise Monday, December 17 P.B. day off 1:00pm Sarah Circle Tuesday, December 18 3:00pm P.F. @ Dunn Bros. Wednesday, December 19 Weekly Deadline 5:30pm Meal 6:30pm Alternative Christmas Eve Worship Thursday, December 20 Calendar Deadline 6:00pm Promise Keepers 4:00pm Dorothy Day House 7:00pm Beverages & Carols at Whistle Binkies North

7:00pm Brass Rehearsal’ Friday, December 21 P.F. day off 9:00am Bulletin prep Saturday, December 22 P.F. day off 7:00am Men’s Fellowship Sunday, December 23 8:30am Worship 9:30am Fellowship 10:00am GIFT Worship Monday, December 24 Joanne off—Office Closed P.B. day off 4:00pm Christmas Eve Worship 5:30pm Christmas Eve Worship 10:00pm Christmas Eve Worship Tuesday, December 25 Office Closed 9:00am Christmas Day Worship

Office—289-3021 Website: www.rochesteroslc.org Pastor Ben Loven—pastorbenloven@gmail.com; cell 701-580-1559 Pastor Fred Rengstorf—pf@rochesteroslc.org; cell 507-273-4939 Joanne Hamilton, Office—office@rochesteroslc.org Carole Joyce, Family Ministry Consultant—carole35@charter.net

10:00am GIFT Worship

Next Week: Luke 1:57-66 Birth of John

8:30am Worship Advent Song Service

Trip to Holden Village Depart by train evening of June 16 Returning back June 23 Cost: $456 Adults 18+ yrs of age

$336 Youth Transportation is not included. Questions...See Pastor Fred Sign up on the large bulletin board.

3rd Sunday of Advent