Parish News- December 7, 2008



Congratulations to Kyle & Makala Boczkowski, whose daughter Gracie Elaine will be baptized today. She will receive the following gifts as a reminder of this special day: a medallion from Thrivent Financial, a banner from the Women of the ELCA, a candle & a napkin.

Altar Flowers for December 7, 2008
One altar vase in memory of loved ones given by Joan & Fred Puckhaber. One altar vase in memory of loved ones, given by Nelle and Raymond Allen.

If you desire prayer for any reason, our Prayer Partners will receive you in the chapel after you have communed. The Prayer Partners for today are: (8:30AM) Kitty Brown (11AM)Wayne Weart & Nancy Romness.

Today the Outreach Center will be home to a silent auction from 8am-1 pm. The center has received in kind donations for the festival which remain as we were unable to hold the auction.  Help the Outreach Center recover from the "rainy festival" and benefit from many nice items at the same time. It will be a festive, holiday event with refreshments and Christmas items. Give us a call if you or your business has an item to donate to this benefit. 579-0420.

SHOP ON-LINE, GIVE TO THE OUTREACH CENTER at St. Matthew's. More than 700 of your favorite online retailers including Amazon, eBay, Target and more have partnered with GoodShop.com - donating a percentage of your purchases to the Outreach Learning Center, at NO additional cost to you! Go to GoodShop.com, select St. Matthew's Lutheran Church, Charleston, SC as your chosen charity, and click through to your favorite retailer and shop as usual. Also, Yahoo! has teamed-up with GoodShop's sister site, GoodSearch.com to donate a penny to the Outreach Learning Center at St. Matthew's every time you search the web. Visit GoodSearch and GoodShop, and start "searching & shopping" for St. Matthew's today!

Used Tennis Balls needed for the Outreach Learning Center. Please bring to the church office, there will be a  box for the tennis balls! Thank you!

The Genesis Youth are selling St. Matthew’s Christmas ornaments in the Outreach Learning Center. This is a fundraiser for the 2009 National Youth Gathering in New Orleans! For every generous gift of $20 you give towards this mission trip, you get an ornament as a thank you from our youth. They will have a table every Sunday in Advent, so please stop by!

Shop today and throughout the advent season for Gifts of Hope.  These gifts will benefit people here in South Carolina and in other parts of the world and is sponsored by the South Carolina Synod of the ELCA. The Gifts of Hope sales table is located in the Outreach Learning Center.  Gifts range in price from $5 to $200 and are a truly meaningful way to honor a friend or family member.

St. Matthew's worship services can now be heard on the new website kirkenmin.com. Listen whenever you wish. Services will usually be available within 24 hours from the time at which they occurred. This is Mark and Nancy Romness's new website.

The Genesis Youth are delivering care bags to elderly people in our neighborhood, assembled by volunteers at the Outreach Center. We'll meet at church at 3:00 and then go on delivery runs from there. Youth and parents welcome!

A Cookie Walk bake sale will be going on in the auditorium next Sunday between services, before and after the children's Christmas pageant. Please come and purchase cookies to support the Genesis Youth group. We'd also love for you to make cookies to donate to the sale. If interested,  please contact Matt at church this week

Our Outreach Center has an opening for a volunteer English as a Second Language teacher for the January semester.   The opening is to teach a day class (9:30-11:30) one day per week.  The position is through May.  Training is provided.  If you have an interest or need more information call Hayden Shook, ESL program manager, at 579-0420 Ex 40 or e mail her at haydenshook@bellsouth.net . 

Preparation for Baptism – Pastor Blalock would like to meet with anyone who is interested in being baptized or has a child to be baptized. Please contact LaVondilyn Watson, Parish Secretary, and 723-1611 ext. 16 to schedule an appointment.

December Nursery Schedule for childcare:
Sundays 8:00AM – 12:30 PM
Sunday, December 21, 6:00 -8:30PM
Wednesdays 7:15 - 9:15PM
Saturday, December 13, 9:30 – 11:30AM
Saturday, December 20, 10:30AM – 12:30PM

Child Protection Anyone who wishes to help with children and youth ministries needs to complete Stewards of Children training from Darkness to Light and complete paperwork. The training is available online! Once you begin the online program, you have two weeks to complete it. To sign up for the Stewards of Children online training, please contact LaVondilyn Watson, Parish Secretary, 723-1611 ext.16 to get St. Matthew’s Log in ID and password.

Shepherd Ministry The purpose of the St. Matthew’s Shepherd Ministry is to create, maintain and sustain loving and caring relationships within the life of our church family. If anyone in the congregation has not been contacted by their Shepherd, has a change of address or would like more information about this ministry, please contact: Janelle Othersen jnbothersen@bellsouth.net
Shepherds & Area Coordinators: Please mark your calendars for Shepherd Ministry Commitment Sunday on January 11 and a meeting on January 14 at noon or 6:30PM (dinner served 5:30 – 6:30).

The Daily Bible (NIV) is available for $8 in the Education Hallway. It would be a wonderful gift for a friend or family member. Daily Bible Reading study with Pastor Blalock – Sunday, December 21, 9:45AM, January 21 at 6:30PM,
March 1 and April 19 at 9:45AM.

We Care for Our Troops Prayer Wall is located by the elevator on the lower level of the first floor in the Education Building. Please add names, addresses and pictures of anyone you know who is serving in the military. For updates contact cindygreenwood@smlccharleston.org 723-1611x 26.

A Mother’s Lounge in Room 201 in the Education Building, located at the top of the steps by the Vanderhorst Street door, is now available with rocking chairs and a changing table.

Lay School of Religion will be at Advent Lutheran Church, 3347 North Rivers Ave. in North Charleston.  Professors from Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary will lead two classes. The price will be $47 which will provide lodging/gas/stipend for professors, and lunch on Saturday.  The classes will begin on Friday evening, January 16 and then Saturday, the 17th from 9-3. Registration deadline is December 15. Registration forms are in the church office.

If you missed Muenda Fair Trade last Sunday, Susie and Paul Dolpin are still located at the City Market and are excited to offer an online store featuring African and ‘Green’ recycled products. The website address is www.muenda.com.
For all at St. Matthew’s there are promotions available:
Susie is willing to donate 15% of purchases back to St. Matthew’s with any order. This is available on a permanent basis. In the coupon code box in the checkout process type in smlc.
The 15% from the purchases will be sent to the Clinic in Magoye, Tanzania.
With any orders over $100 there is Free Shipping.
There is a free drop off service at St. Matthew’s each Sunday available up to Christmas on all telephone orders

Supporting Fair Trade and a more sustainable society is important now more than ever. Buy environmentally friendly, fair trade gifts that give back to others!

Rehearsal for the Christmas Program for Preschool – Grade 5 today at 9:45AM in the Auditorium. Rehearsal for all grades – Saturday, December 13, 9:30AM.

XYZ's Then & Now Single's Lunch December 14 at 12:45 PM at the Riverview Holiday Inn.  All ladies 55 & over are invited to attend.

LMM: Join us for breakfast! On December 16th at 7:30AM we will enjoy breakfast while listening to Pastor Emeritus Richard Campbell, who will be the featured speaker for this month.

Many thanks to Darcy Patterson and her team of volunteers for setting up (and cleaning up!) the lovely Thanksgiving display, and thank-you to Willy McCrae at Boone Hall, who provided much of the produce used in the display at no charge!

OUR FAMILY MEMORIES
OF CHRISTMAS
written by
Patrick A. Williamson

The congregation is invited to the
Sunday School Christmas Program
Sunday, December 14, 9:45AM
in the Auditorium

Following the pageant, we’ll celebrate
Jesus’ Birthday with cake and punch.

Cookies will be available for purchase

The Week at a Glance

Sunday, December 7
8AM—1PM OLC Silent Auction
8:30AM Holy Communion (S)
9:45AM Congregation Meeting
9:45AM Christmas Program Rehearsal
11AM Holy Communion
12:45PM XYZ Then & Now Singles Lunch

Monday, December 8
10AM Respite Care (A)
3PM AS Kids (OLC)
5:45PM St. Matthew’s Ringers (CHR)
6:30PM Cemetery Committee
6:30PM ESL
6:30PM Circle 1
6:30PM Circle 2

Tuesday, December 9
8AM Men’s Work Crew
9:30AM ESL (OLC)
10:30AM Bible Study
12:30PM GED Tutoring (OLC)
2PM Staff Meeting
3PM AS Kids (OLC)
6PM Campus Ministry

Wednesday, December 10
9:30AM ESL (OLC)
12:30PM GED Tutoring (OLC)
2:30PM Elderhostel—Cstl. Lutheran Retreat Ctr
3PM AS Kids
4:45PM Alleluia Choir (CHR)
5:30PM Youth Choir (CHR)
6:30PM ESL (OLC)
7:30PM Gallery Choir (CHR)

Thursday, December 11
10AM Respite Care

Friday, December 12
10AM Respite Care


Saturday, December 13
9:30AM S.S. Christmas Program Rehearsal
11AM Women’s AA
8PM Charleston Symphony Orchestra Concert