St Paul Church

The Youth Fellowship will meet on Sunday, November 23rd at 6:30pm to put the Christmas tree up in the fellowship hall. We will also meet December 14th after church for a light lunch and then bowling at Lakeside Lanes. On Saturday, December 20th, we will meet at 4pm to make cookie plates for our older members and friends of the church . We will deliver the cookies along w/ Christmas cheer and end the evening with a pizza party. Please bring 1 -2 dozen cookies for the cookies plates. We hope to see you there!

On Sunday, November 30th, the following students will be awarded scholarships during our 10:30am worship service. Kori Goeddeke, Brandi Stearns, Leann Holt, Brady Stuckey, Spencer Meinert, Chad Goeke, Bryce Stearns, Leann Quinn, Brianna Ludeking, Matt Wymer, Laura Miller. A detailed listing will be placed in the January newsletter listing the college they attend and their intended major.

Freeport Choral Society’s Annual Winter Concert will be at 4pm on Sunday, November 23rd at St. John United Church of Christ in Freeport. Guest director Karen Hewitson conducts the group for this concert with Randy Cook playing keyboards. Please note that this concert is one hour later than it has been in the past. The Community Hand bell Choir will perform as well as accompany some choral numbers.

The concert will feature a wide variety of musical styles and genres. The program includes octavos, from an antiphonal choir “Hodie Christus Natus Est” to “Deck the Nutcracker Hall,” a choral adaptation of “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy.” Classic Christmas songs such as “Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming,” “Joseph Dearest, Joseph Mine,” and “Fum, Fum, Fum” are joined by classical composer works by Holst and Berlioz.

There is no admission charge, but an offering will be taken.

It has been a long standing tradition at St. Paul to honor and remember those in our congregation that have passed on to their eternal home during this past church year, and we wish to continue that tradition this year. On Sunday, November 23rd we celebrate and remember the lives of Frieda Kubly and Verna Eggemeier. We will also dedicate any memorial gifts given to the church in honor or memory of members and/or friends of St. Paul.

One can not believe that Advent and the Christmas season are just around the corner. I was not in the mood until this weather change. Lavonne and I spent a weekend at the Christmas shows in Branson, which made me realize that it is time for our choirs to be preparing for December’s music.

With that in mind, the Senior Choir will practice this Wednesday evening, Nov. 17th at 7pm. The music we are preparing will be for December 7th and 14th. Other rehearsals will be Dec. 3rd and 10th. Watch the Sunday bulletins for the exact times depending on when other choirs will be practicing. The Women’s Choir will meet briefly after worship this Sunday, November 23rd to decide if they will be singing on the 21st. They will also be practicing on December 10th at 7:45pm for Music Sunday.

Our special music Sunday will be Dec. 14th. Amy will be available that weekend with the Jr. Choir. All choirs should be participating in that service. Again, I would encourage our members to invite guests to be with us for that Sunday. With that change, it might be possible for the Women to sing Dec. 21st and the Men on Dec. 28th. We will need to check with Lois and Merlin.

Plans are being made for the 11pm Christmas Eve candlelight service and we are looking for people that would be willing to provide music for that service. Contact Ron Welling or Mary Jane Zimmerman with your suggestions. It is a beautiful service and it has a lot of meaning on a December night.

If you are like us, we like to attend special Christmas programs during the season. There are all types depending upon your interests and it makes the season more meaningful. We hope that you can find some time to do the same and enjoy anything from a school program to professional one.

The pastors of the Stateline Ministerial Association are hosting a community Thanksgiving Day service at the Dakota Presbyterian Church beginning at 10am on Thanksgiving morning. We encourage you to attend and thank God for all the blessings He bestows upon us.

Cassie Wymer will be heading up this project again this year.

Operation Christmas Child is a fun and rewarding project for missions-minded churches and organizations that want to share the love of Jesus Christ with suffering children around the world. Since 1993, this project has shared the Good News of God’s love with children through the simplest of gifts — shoe boxes! Filled with school supplies, toys, and personal items, these boxes help introduce children to Jesus Christ and give them a Christmas that they never would have had. Operation Christmas Child is a project through Samaritan’s Purse whose president is Franklin Graham, which provides an opportunity for people of all ages to be involved in a simple, hands-on mission project while focusing on the true meaning of Christmas: Jesus Christ, God’s greatest gift.

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