Articles of Faith
Points to Ponder
from Elaine Chapman
Anticipation
As a child, I could hardly wait for the first days of school, the Sunday School promotions, and my next birthday. In December, of course, the sense of anticipation grew daily. On Sunday afternoons there were practices for the Christmas Eve program. Mom always made me a new Christmas dress, and the smells of cookies baking filled the house. All the Christmas catalogs had arrived, and my brother and I circled items that we hoped to receive from Santa. We decorated the church and put up the tree at home. Anticipation was sweet --particularly for a child with no responsibility for those activities!
As an adult, I often lose that sense of joyful anticipation of future events. I am quite content to wait for the future now. In fact, I want the world to slow down, not speed up! But every year, the season of Advent helps me reclaim that sense of anticipation. The Advent scriptures and hymns remind me that God is with me as Emmanuel every day of my life and even unto death. I can sing the words of Marty Haugen (WOV 633),”Rejoice, rejoice, take heart in the night, though dark the winter and cheerless, the rising sun shall crown you with light, be strong and loving and fearless. Love be our song and love our prayer and love our endless story; may God fill every day we share and bring us at last into glory.“
Ring the Bells
for the Salvation Army
Faith Lutheran is scheduled to ring the bells and man the Christmas kettles at Shopko on Saturday, December 10, from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. – thanks to all for signing up! During the Christmas season, the Salvation Army raises nearly one-third of their income for the year. Half of that comes in through the red kettles.
Help Prepare our Ministry Site Profile
On December 15, beginning at 6:00 p.m., Pastor Ron Moorman, who has been appointed by Bishop John Roth to assist congregations through the call process, will meet with our Church Council, our Call Committee, and other members of Faith to begin gathering information about Faith for the Ministry Site Profile. The Ministry Site Profile (MSP) is a description of the congregation that will be used by Bishop Roth and the synod staff to identify pastors who would be possible candidates to become the regularly-called pastor of Faith. Pastor Moorman anticipates that the meeting will require about 2 hours, and wants 25 to 30 people to participate. If you are not on the Council or the Call Committee and want to participate in this meeting, please tell a member of the Council that you want to participate in the meeting Thursday, December 15, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Members of the Council are:
John DemienLarry Noble
Barb FishbackKaren Sibert
Lillian KorousKim Streib
Dustin LeifheitRob Sweatman
Pastor Paul Schwartzkopf (Interim)
Christmas Schedule
Sunday, December 18
9:30 a.m. Sunday School Christmas Program
Saturday, December 24
7:00 p.m. Candlelight Christmas Eve Service
Sunday, December 25
9:30 a.m. Christmas Day Service
of Holy Communion
set to the tunes of Christmas Carols
New Year’s Day – Sunday, January 1
Combined Service
(one service) at 9:30 a.m.
(No Sunday School)
Inside this Issue:
Faithful Assistants
Flowers 2
from Pastor Paul 3
Ministries of Faith 4
Youth Events
& Youth Calendar 5
Thank You 6
Calendar 7
Food Center 8
Our Staff:
Paul Schwartzkopf,
Interim Pastor
Ron Moorman,
Regular GuestPastor
Larry Noble, President
Linda Strader,
Director of Youth
& Family Ministries
Violet Hutton,
Director of
Lay Ministries
Bonnie Wallace,
Parish Nurse
Andrew Salyer,
Music Associate
Susan Aherin
& Shelley Heitbrink,
Sunday School Superintendents
Kris Roth,
Parish Secretary
Articles of Faith – December 2011page 2
December Faithful Assistants
READERS (10:30 a.m.)
December 4 Doris Robinson
December11 Linda Strader
December18 Rand Burnette
USHERS
Dec. 4 8:15am Mary & Paul Scheerer
10:30 am Rand Burnette & Robert Jokisch
Dec. 11 8:15am Karen Sibert & Larry Noble
10:30 am Vi Hutton & Larry Sweatman
Dec. 18 8:15am The McQueen Family
10:30 am Bob Koepp & Rob Sweatman
Dec. 24 7:00pm Emily Davenport, Warren Davenport,
Paul Scheerer, & Sarah Scheerer
Dec. 25 9:30 am Robert Jokisch & to be determined
NURSERY ATTENDANTS
December 4 8:15am Wendy Kitselman
10:30 am Bonnie Wallace
December 11 8:15am Karen Sibert
10:30 am Kris Roth
December 18 8:15am Carmen Neeley
10:30 am Cindy Weger
December 24 7:00 pm to be determined (Christmas Eve)
December 25 9:30 am Laura Sweatman (Christmas Day)
FINANCIAL ASSISTANTS
December 4 John Demien & Kim Streib
December 11 Barb Fishback & Dustin Leifheit
December18 Lillian Korous & Rob Sweatman
December 25 Larry Noble & Karen Sibert
ASL INTERPRETER (8:15 a.m.)
(American Sign Language)
December 4 Debbie Radliff
December 11 Erin Heise
December18 Carole Hack
December 24 Marilyn SmithChristmas Eve 7:00 pm
December25 Debbie RadliffChristmas Day 9:30 am
A friendly request: PLEASE take a moment to sign up to be an usher, reader, coffee host/hostess, to donate flowers, and/or to be a Faith Ambassador for this year. The Sign-Up Sheets are located on the “Sign Up” bulletin board in the gathering area. Thanks!
CHANCEL COMMITTEE – Velma Leib
HOMEBOUND VISITOR– Rob Sweatman
FAITH AMBASSADORS
8:15 am: The Heitbrink Family
10:30 am: Larry Kuster
COFFEE HOSTESS/HOST
December 4 Kris Roth
December 11 Eleanor Stevens
December 18 Marilyn Smith
COMMUNION ASSISTANTS
December 4 8:15am Karen Sibert
10:30 am Vi Hutton
December 11 8:15am Lynne Philpott
10:30 am Terri Kimler
December 18 8:15am Ken Devlin
10:30 am Greg Kimler
December 25 9:30 am Rosemary Jokisch
FLOWERS ($12.50 per vase)
Dec. 4 By Erin Heise
& By Kay & Sharon Woodworth in celebration of the
birthday of their daughter, Joni Rammelkamp
Dec.11 By Jerry Bose in celebration of Ruth Bose’
& Llaina Groves’ birthdays
& By Connie Scarbrough
Dec.18 By the Davenport family
& Open for donation
Dec. 25 By Gayla Smith in honor of her baptismal birthday
& By Larry Noble in memory of Eileen
NO Ladies Project Day
In December
Articles of Faith – December 2011page 3
Christmas Is Coming
from Pastor Paul
Christmas is coming; we don’t have to watch out. We have the four weeks of Advent to prepare. It is enough.
In our culture, we expend a lot of energy preparing for holidays, and the hustle and the bustle are not all bad. We do it for family and friends, but the best Christmas gift that we can give them is ourselves. We do not need the anxiety or the fear that sometimes – perhaps too often – are associated with big holidays.
I have good news for you. Mary, the mother of Jesus, was not ready for the first Christmas. Joseph wasn’t ready either. Angel messengers said to each of them, “Fear not.” The shepherds weren’t ready for Christmas, and the angel said to them, “Fear not.”
Christmas is coming, ready or not. Only Christ was ready for the first Christmas. He is ready for this Christmas with the most important Christmas gift. Christ Jesus gives us himself. It is enough.
My wife Ann and I both pray that all of you may have an enlightening Advent and a very blessed Christmas.
Leaders for Sunday Morning Adult Classes
Beginning in January, Pastor Paul will be teaching the Confirmation Class on six Sundays in January, February, and March. On those Sundays we need Adult Class leaders. For those Sundays, we have available 10 Topics on DVD. Each topic has 2 or more units and a leader’s guide. The leader will have 3 duties:
- Start the DVD
- Stop the DVD
- Ask questions from the leader’s guide to prompt discussion about the DVD.
Many of you are able to do this. The topics are:
“An Apostles’ Creed for the New Millennium”
“In Heaven’s Name, Why on Earth” (a stewardship topic)
“The Parables of Jesus” (in Luke’s Gospel)
“Praying Like Jesus of Nazareth”
“Road to Coronation” (a Lenten Study)
“Women in the New Testament”
“Jesus Interprets His Own Person”
“Lord’s Prayer”
“Paul’s Hymn to Love” (1 Corinthians 13)
“Beatitudes in Matthew”
You may choose a topic that you would like to lead. Talk to Pastor Paul to schedule your topic and dates.
Come, Get the Message
December 42nd Sunday of Advent
“Baptism in Daily Living”
In Mark 1:1-8, we read that the beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ is repentance and forgiveness as John proclaimed. The Holy Spirit we have received in the Sacrament of Baptism leads us to a life of daily repentance and forgiveness.
December 113rd Sunday of Advent
“The Testimony of John”
According to John the Evangelist (John 1:6-8 and 19-28), John the Baptist testified about the greatness of Christ who is still not well enough known in the wilderness of this world.
December 184th Sunday of Advent
“The Message to Mary”
In Luke 1:26-38, the angel Gabriel proclaimed the news to Mary that her son would be the most improbable human birth imaginable, and Mary considered it good news as she sang, in Luke 1:46b-55, the Magnificat which is today’s psalm.
December 24Christmas Eve 7:00 p.m.
“The Journey”
In this Christmas story, Luke 2:1-18, everyone traveled – Mary, Joseph, angels, shepherds, and the child, Christ the Lord, who came the farthest.
December 25Christmas Day 9:30 a.m.
“The Divine Mystery”
In the Gospel according to John 1:1-14, the Christmas story is the product of considerable theological reflection and proclaims the extraordinary dimensions of Christ’s birth.
AdultSunday School Class
Join Ann Schwartzkopf through December 11 as she presentsSymbols of the Christian Church. If you’ve ever wondered what certain symbols mean or why certain colors are used at certain times of the year, Ann is the person to ask.
Call Committee
Our ChurchCouncil has appointed the following to be the Call Committee for Faith:
Rand Burnette, chair
Barb Davenport
Larry Kuster
Dustin Leifheit
Diane Storey
Linda Strader
Melissa Street
Kim Streib
Articles of Faith – December 2011Page 4
Poinsettia
If you would like to purchase aPoinsettiato help decorate the church for Christmas, please sign up on the sheet in the gathering area and drop your check (or cash), for $10.00 made out to Faith Lutheran Church with a notation for Poinsettia, into the decorated box. Please indicate if the poinsettia is in honor or memory of someone special to you. Please sign up by December 6. After the Christmas Day service, please take your plant home to enjoy. Questions? Call Kris Roth (245-8919, Tuesday-Friday mornings).
A Simple Solution: Fair Trade
Coffee is big business —it’s one of the most heavily traded commodities in the world. But for the majority of small-scale coffee farmers, the benefits are few. One answer for small-scale farmers is Fair Trade. Fair Trade shares the bounty of the coffee trade with those who grow the crop, helping them build a better future for themselves and their communities.
By working together and pooling their resources to form a cooperative,farmers can sell their coffee directly to international buyers without relying on middlemen. Through Fair Trade, farmers receive a fair price that covers their cost of production and guarantees them a living wage for their labors.
Fair Trade far surpasses the temporary assistance provided to farmers through charity. Instead, the ongoing business of Fair Trade consistently contributes to the living conditions of farmers, their families, and their communities. Cooperatives use profits from Fair Trade coffee sales in establishing community improvement programs such as training in organic farming, leadership development, schools, and health clinics.
At Faith, we use fairly-traded coffee every Sunday during fellowship, and we provide members and friends of Faith with the opportunity to purchase fairly-traded coffee and tea for use in their own homes.
Regular (whole bean or drip grind) -- $6.50
Decaffeinated (whole bean or drip grind) & Flavored -- $7.50
Tea -- $3.00/box
Make checks payable to FaithLutheranChurch
with “coffee” in the memo line
and leave your payment in the basket on the lamp table at Faith.
Flavored coffees are available for the holidays!
Donate Blood
Please bring a photo ID with date of birth.
Tues., Dec. 6 PassavantHospital 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
Tues., Dec. 13 PassavantHospital 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
Schedule a time to give by calling Mindy
(1-866-GIVE-BLD, x 136)to sign up
or online at
Walk-ins welcome!
“Singing Gloria”
The Sunday School Christmas program, “Singing Gloria,” will be presented in the Faith sanctuary on Sunday, December 18 at 9:30 a.m. All children and youth, ages 3 and up, are encouraged to participate. Rehearsals will be held during the Sunday School hour on the following dates: November 27, December 4, and December 11. If your child will miss the first rehearsal, but you would like him/her to participate, please contact Susan Aherin, Shelley Heitbrink, or Linda Strader.
Upcoming Event! Mark your calendars!
On Saturday, December 3, Faith members and friends of all ages are invited to the "Hanging of the Greens." We'll meet at Faith at 10:00 a.m. to decorate the church for the Advent/Christmas season and enjoy a continental breakfast.
Girls’ Night Out
Girls’ Night Out meets on the 2nd Monday evening of each month – please join us on Monday evening, December 12 at Leo’s Pizza (6:00 p.m.). All women of Faith (ages 18 and up) are welcome – bring your friends!!
Blood Pressure Screening
Sunday, December 18
after both services
2011 Contributions
If you would like an update on your year-to-date giving, please contact Janet Koepp, Financial Secretary:
Phone: 673-4180 (evenings) or
e-mail:
We will provide letters after the end of the year as usual.
Articles of Faith – December 2011page 5
Youth & Family Ministries
The Faith 5
In September, a new program was initiated among families in our congregation called “The Faith 5.” It is designed to connect church to home, faith to life, and parents to kids in a powerful way. Parents of families with children in junior high or younger had the opportunity to meet with Linda Strader to learn more about the program, but all family units or couples are welcome and encouraged to use this simple method for discussing matters of faith in the home. The five steps of the FAITH 5 are:
- Step One: Share highs and lows. Name something good and bad you experienced today. Can't think of a personal one? Check out the headlines from the news and teach empathy and compassion for the broader world.
- Step Two: Read a verse from your Bible. (You may choose your own, or a verse from the lectionary will be suggested for families each week.)
- Step Three: Talk about how the verse relates to highs and lows. Unpack the verse a bit. What does it mean in your own words? How might it relate to where you are today in your highs and lows?
- Step Four: Pray for one another's highs and lows, for your family, and for the world. Simply talk to God, thank Jesus for the good, and ask the Holy Spirit for guidance in specific problems.
- Step Five: Bless one another. Trace the sign of the cross on one another's forehead or palm as a reminder that you belong to God and to one another.
Interested in learning more? Feel free to contact Linda Strader by phone (245-0718 or 883-1096) or by e-mail (); or you can visit the Faith Inkubators web site:
Faith 5—Suggested verses for December
Week of December 4: “The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand forever.”—Isaiah 40:8
Week of December 11: “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”—1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Week of December 18: “Then Mary said, 'Here am I, the servant of the Lord: let it be with me according to your word.’”
—Luke 1:38a
Week of December 25: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.”— John 1:5
Week of January 1: “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my whole being shall exult in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness.”—Isaiah 61:10a
Questions? Comments? Cares or Concerns?
Please contact the Director of Youth and Family Ministries,
Linda Strader, anytime: phone: 217-245-0718 or 217-883-1096;
e-mail: ;
or you can find her on Facebook.
Saturday, December3:
Hanging of the Greens! For all ages
Join us for a light breakfast. Afterwards, we’ll decorate the church for the Advent/Christmas season. Friends are welcome!
Thursday, December 8: 6:45 – 8:30 p.m.
“Visions” Ministry at ISVI — Grades 7 & Up
This is a chance for our youth to interact with teenagers with visual impairments, some of whom have additional disabilities. We will meet at the IllinoisSchool for the Visually Impaired (658 E. State St.) where we will visit the TeenCenter to play games (air hockey, arcade games, Bingo, etc.) or just hang out with the students. Refreshments will be available for sale as well.
Please let Linda Strader know if you need a ride.
Saturday, December10: 8:30 – 11:00a.m.
Toys for Tots Christmas Party (Grades 7 & Up)
Meet at the American Legion Hall to help with the Toys for Tots Christmas party. Call Linda Strader if you need a ride (245-0718). To help with planning, please use the sign-up sheet on the
Youth Table if you’d like to participate.
Monday, December 12: 6:00 p.m.
Girls’ Night Out at Leo’s Pizza!
All women of Faith (age 18 & up) and their friends are invited to join us at Leo’s for delicious food and lively conversation. Some of us may opt for a walk over to the Frozen Penguin for dessert!
Wednesday, December14: 3:30 – 5:00 p.m.
SalvationArmyAfter-School Program — Grades 7 & Up
We’ll meet at the Salvation Army (331 W. Douglas) to assist with the After-School Program (homework assistance followed by games and activities). Please let Linda Strader know if you’re interested in helping to plan some activities for the children,
or if you need a ride.
Sunday, December 18: 9:30 a.m.
Sunday School Christmas Program