3 Months @ a Glance

December Wednesday, Dec 21st - School out at 11:30am

Dec. 22 - Jan. 2 - No School (Christmas Break) Saturday, Dec. 24th @ 7p - Children’s Christmas Eve Service

Saturday, Dec. 24th @ 9p - Candlelight Service Sunday, Dec. 25th - Christmas Day Communion Service

Saturday, Dec. 31st @ 7p - New Year’s Eve Service

January Monday, Jan. 2nd - School Resumes

Friday, Jan. 6th - Basketball vs. First Lutheran @ Home Sunday, Jan. 8th - Congregation Open Forum

Friday, Jan 13th - End of 2nd quarter Sunday, Jan. 15th - Annual Voters’ Meeting

Friday, Jan 13th - Basketball @ Immanuel, La Crosse Friday, Jan 20th - Basketball vs. St. Matthew’s, Winona @ Home

Saturday, Jan. 21st - B Girls Tournament @ Luther High Friday, Jan. 27th - Basketball @ St. John’s, Caledonia

February Wednesday, Feb. 1st - 3rd thru 5th Grade Field Trip—Harriet Tubman @ Viterbo

Feb. 3-5 - A Boy Basketball Tournament @ Luther High Wednesday, Feb. 15th - Kindergarten Fun ‘ N ‘ Fitness Day @ Luther High

Sunday, Feb 19th - Children Sing

St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church and School

Sunday, December 18th, 2016

Welcome Guests! We are glad to have you worshiping with us today, and we pray that you enjoyed your visit here with us. Please be sure to sign the friendship registers in your pews so we can record your visit. Especially if you would like to know more about our church and what we teach, you’re welcome to leave your contact information and we will contact you shortly. If there is anything we can do to make your visit more pleasant or

answer any questions for you today, please don’t hesitate to ask, anyone around you, ushers or the pastor. We’re all here to help! Theme for Today’s Service: “God Himself Comes to Save Us” Prayer Before Worship: Lord Almighty, I am here today to praise and worship you. I know that because of my many sins I am not deserving to come into your presence. Understanding this makes me marvel all the more that you saw fit to come into the presence of sinners to live, suffer and die for people like me. Open my eyes, my ears, and my heart today to rejoice in your coming at Christmas and to look forward with eager expectation to your coming on the Last Day. Bless us all who have gathered here today with the joy and warmth of your forgiving love in Christ. Amen. The Meaning of Advent: Advent is a season of preparation and anticipation. We eagerly look for the coming of our Savior to three different ways: his coming in the flesh; his return in judgment; his daily coming in Word and Sacrament. Our Advent worship cry that includes all three of these facets is simply; “Come!” Throughout the prayers, verses, and lessons that single word is our invitation, our anticipation, our sure and certain hope that Christ will come to us just as he promised. Come, Lord Jesus. Come!

Pastor Silas Schmitzer Office: (608) 457-2711 Home: (608) 457-2714 Cell: (608) 304-9265 Email: pastor .schmitzer@gmail.com

Please visit us at: www.stmatthews-wels.com At our website you’ll find audio sermons, daily devotions, our church calendar,

and more information about our congregation.

Principal James Otto Office: (608) 457-2700 Email: jotto@stmatthews-wels.com

Church Council President: Jer ry Shepard Phone: (608) 498-2372

Welcome to St. Matthew’s! 2017. The classes are held in the Common’s at Luther on Wednesday evenings. Each class begins with a time of fellowship from 7:00- 7:15 p.m. The class presentation lasts from 7:15-8:15 p.m., with a time for extended discussion and fellowship to follow. Everyone is welcome. We pray that these classes will help you to find the truth for these troubled times. The schedule for 2017 is: January 4- Helping people with Mental Health challenges - by Mr. Joshua Lipps January 11- When same sex-marriage affects by family - by Pastor Robert Fleischmann January 18- A study of Psalm 118 - by Pastor Silas Schmitzer January 25- Luther ’s last years and the ongoing Reformation for us today - by Pastor Kevin Lisk

Our Week in the Lord

Sunday (12/18) Live Nativity at Riverside Park 7:30 AM - Small Group Music Practice 9:00 AM - Worship 10:30 AM - Sunday School 10:30 AM - Adult Bible Study 6:30 PM - Bible Information Class Monday (12/19): 2:50 PM - A Boys BBall Practice 6:30 PM - Choir Practice Tuesday (12/20): 2:50 PM - B Girls BBall Practice 11:00 AM - School Pizza Party—no lunch needed 12:30 PM - Blood Drive 2:30 PM - Food Pantry Open 6:30 PM - Public School Catechism Class Wednesday (12/21): 11:30 AM - St. Matthew’s Early Dismissal 12:00 PM - Ladies Aid Meeting 2:50 PM - A Boys BBall Practice 6:00 PM - Choir Thursday (12/22): Christmas Break—No School Friday (12/23): Christmas Break—No School Saturday (12/24): 7:00 PM - Children’s Christmas Eve Service 9:00 PM - Christmas Eve Candlelight Service Sunday (12/25): 7:45 AM - Small Group Music Practice 9:00 AM - Christmas Day Worship (L.S.)

Announcements Church Announcements Important Discussion for all Members of St. Matthew's

St. Matthew's leaders have the responsibility of keeping an eye on the financial matters of our church. They have been evaluating our financial situation very carefully over the past few months, and feel it a great effort is needed to make sure every member of our congregation is aware of how we're doing. Frankly, our offerings have not been keeping up with the rising cost of our ministries. A letter has been placed in your mailbox with greater detail about our present situation. Please review the letter carefully and discuss this situation prayerfully with your family. Our Treasurer, Bruce Harle, has made him-self available after Sunday services to answer your questions. Our Annual Congrega-tional meeting will be January 15, following our worship service. So that we all have ample time to discuss our options moving forward, we are holding an "Open Forum" for all St. Matthew's and St. Peter's members the week prior, on January 8. We want all the members of St. Matthew's to be informed and attend the meeting to help us make these decisions, so please mark your calendars and adjust your schedules so that you will be able to attend and participate.

St. Matthew’s School Announcements Christmas Program Our students have been preparing for this year’s Christmas Eve service titled “From Heaven Above to Earth I come.” The 7pm service focuses on God’s Son coming to Earth for us as we also prepare for the 500th Reformation. Please join us the evening of December 24 as the children lead us in this special celebration. Luther High Announcements Divine Call Mr. Jason Hagedorn who currently teaches at Luther High School has received a Divine Call to serve at Shoreland Lutheran High School. They are calling him to serve as instructor of Algebra I, Algebra II and Geometry. His duties would also include Assistant Football Coach and coach another sport. Please keep Jason, Shoreland and Luther High in your prayers. God's Truth for Troubled Times On October 31, 1517, Dr. Martin Luther posted a paper with 95 theses or statements on the topic of indulgences on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg Germany. The sale of indulgences was a troubling issue for Luther at that time in history. It was Luther’s intention that the topic of indulgences would be discussed in the light of God’s Word. We live at a time in history when there are other troubling topics for Christian people. And one of the best things that we can do is study them in the light of God’s Word. Our area Bible classes, which will be held at Luther High School in the historic year of the 500 th anniversary of the Lutheran Reformation, will help us find the truth we need to know in our troubled times. We would like to invite and encourage everyone in this area to join us in our study of God’s Word at our Bible classes in January of