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Peace Lutheran Church

Peace Church Council


Joyce Hanson
PO Box 164
December 2018
Barrett, MN 56311
baskets@runestone.net
320-424-9726
Gaylene Hanson
222 Central Ave N
Elbow Lake, MN 56531
gaylenehanson@aol.com
218-685-4610
Lois Scherer
26873 Grand View Road #1
Elbow Lake, MN 56531
loisscherer@gmail.com
218-685-4465
DECEMBER SUNDAY SCHOOL NEWS
Todd Schneeberger
26875 Oak Point Rd
Elbow Lake, MN 56531 Our Sunday School Program will be presented on Sunday,
tbschnee@runestone.net
218-685-5210
December 16th at 10:30 am followed by a ham dinner and
Robert Shervey birthday cake. All are welcome!
21738 180th Ave
Barrett, MN 56311
rshervey@runestone.net We have two more Sunday morning practices from 9:15 to
218-685-4309 10:15 am and a dress rehearsal at 9:00 am on the 16th. We
Kim Lang
504 3rd Street
need all participants to attend the practices and dress
Barrett, MN 56311 rehearsal!
Urbangirl77@hotmail.com
320-528-2290
Lexi Danner There will be no Sunday School on December 23rd,
PO Box 152 December 30th, and January 6th.
Hoffman, MN 56339
alexis.danner@hotmail.com
320-986-2222 Our upcoming lessons will include the Apostle’s Creed
and the Ten Commandments. Community Service projects
Reverend Denise C. Croskey
6441 Country Lane SW will be Valentine cards/or cookies for Barrett Care Center
Farwell MN 56327 and Rolling Hills Residence in February, muffin deliveries in
320-886-9495 (Home)
320-267-3893 (Cell) March, and more in May. If you have suggestions, please
revdenise1@gctel.net let us know!

Joyce Hanson, Director


320-424-9726
baskets@runestone.net
Dear Peace Lutheran Friends and Family:
I was approached by Pastor Denise inquiring if our congregation has ever
participated in ay kind of adopt a family type event for Christmas. We have
not, which got me thinking. The more I thought, the more excited I
became. This is something that my family wanted to try, and I'd love for you to join
us! I contacted Grant County Social Services and we were matched with a family.
This is a mom, dad, and four kids. Mom and dad are under 35 and there is a
10-year-old girl and three boys ages 8, 5, and 2.
In the fellowship hall you will find a small tree with gift tag ornaments. These
ornaments have the children’s ages, sizes, and interests. As there are five tags per
child, it is not the expectation that participants would purchase all items on the list,
nor is it an expectation that participants would need to stick to the list. Participants
can pair up with friends and family if they wish to work together. There were not
specific adult wants or needs identified, so I also added a couple of tags for whole
family fun/family activities, household and laundry items and stocking stuffers for
the parents. Participants are also welcome to contribute cash for filling in any gaps.
Gifts should be brought to the church unwrapped by Sunday, December 9th after
services. The gifts will be brought to the Elbow Lake Community Building on
December 11th where they will be matched to the family and delivered. Wrapping
paper and tape have already been donated. If you are interested in joining our family,
please take a tag off the tree and have a fun time shopping. If you have any
questions, please feel free to call me at 320-815-8903.
Holiday Blessings! Jennifer McLaughlin

BARRETT/HOFFMAN COMMUNITY BLOOD DRIVE


THURSDAY, DECEMBER 13TH
1-6pm
Peace Lutheran Church
Help Fight A Severe Blood Shortage
There’s a critical need for blood donations. Please schedule to give before the
holiday to help ensure patient care.
Go on line to www.redcross.org to schedule an appointment or
call Sandy at 320-528-2342.
Peace Church Council Meeting, October 3, 2018

Members Present: Joyce Hanson, Bob Shervey, Kim Lang, Gaylene Hanson, Todd Schneeberger, & PR Denise Croskey
Absent: Lexi Danner, Lois Scherer, Tami Weigel
Visitors Attending: Heather Danner
Meeting called to order by President Joyce Hanson at 6:31 pm
Devotion: Pr. Denise Croskey
Pastors Report:
Pr. Denise would like to use the bus to take seniors out on different local trips, if available. We agree it is a good idea for
members.
Going to be gone Oct 16-19 also Nov 20-23 there is no confirmation. We will find an emergency contact.
Secretary Report:
Motion to approve last meeting minutes made by Gaylene, seconded by Todd, MCU
Treasure’s Report:
Tami has not been able to get into the account yet due to the bank not giving her authorization Joyce will check in with the
bank.
Youth Directors Report:
Fundraiser- Very good, probably served 125 people. Raised 916.00, not sure on the expenses. The silent auction raised about
2685.00.

Sunday School Report:


Attendance- 6 preschoolers, Lexi and Chelsey are teaching that. 3-4 in upper grades taught by Kim and Joyce.
Community Service-possible reverse Halloween. Not necessarily on Halloween, but the Sunday School to go out and deliver.
Food Shelf, Cake for the Veterans, Jan- cookies for cops, Valentines and muffins.
Old Business:
Stove-still have an odor coming from the stove. Todd will call Steve.
Bus-is fixed and can be used.
Microphone- Gaylene makes motion, Bob seconds for spending up to $250.00 for a new microphone/headset for Pr. MCU

New Business:
Release time alternatives-Trying to come up with ideas for youth to come and share in fellowship. We will discuss more at next
meeting and ask congregation for possibly getting a committee.
Confirmation-5 boys, 1 girl so far. Most likely will have a couple more.
Nominating committee-Normally we have the outgoing council members as the committee, however we only have one out
going member. We are asking that the congregation help with this due to the loss of one of our council members
Call Committee addition- Kaleb Getz will be able to meet sometimes in addition to others
Church Directory Sandy Kashmark has a contact that has offered a solution. We are going pass on offer due to it not being a
solution to fix the whole directory.
Motion to adjourn at 7:41 pm by Todd, 2 nd by Gaylene, MCU
Kim Lang, Secretary

.
Ten women have signed up to attend the St. Lucia program at
First Lutheran Church in Kensington. It begins at 9:00am on
December 1st. If you would like to attend please call Pastor
Denise so you can ride with one of the drivers. First Lutheran
will be serving a brunch and will explain about St. Lucia and the
Scandinavian tradition. All are welcome.

December 11th at 9:30am is the chapel service at the Barrett


Care Center. All are welcome to attend and help with the service
and greet the residents.

December 16th is the Children’s Christmas Program and a meal


will be served following the worship service.

If you have any ideas for future day trips to attend something
meaningful to church or the season please let Pastor Denise
know so we can make arrangements to attend the event.

Thank you to everyone who helped with the “Hanging of the


Greens” worship service. I have so many people to thank for all
your work, suggestions, cooperation I wouldn’t know where to
begin. Thank you......it was beautiful. It took all of you to make
it meaningful. Pastor Denise

If you have left over cookies and or desserts that you want out
of your house after the Christmas dinner. Share them with the
congregation at the December 30th service. Or we can freeze
them and the confirmation students will enjoy them. They love
cookies!!! Pastor Denise
December 2018
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

2 ADVENT 3 4 5 6 7 8
3:30pm 6:30am Men’s 10am
9:15am Sunday School Confirmation Breakfast Faithful Folders
10:30am Worship 6:30pm Council

9ADVENT 10 11 12 13 14 15
9:15am Sunday School 9:30am 3:30pm 6:30am Men’s 10am
10:30am Worship Chapel Service- Confirmation Breakfast Faithful Folders
WELCA
Barrett Care 1pm Bloodmobile
Center

16 ADVENT 17 18 19 20 21 22
9:15am Sunday School 6:30am Men’s 10am
10:30am Worship- 3:30pm Breakfast Faithful Folders
Sunday School Confirmation
Christmas Program

23 ADVENT 24 25 26 27 28 29
10:30 Worship Christmas Christmas NO Confirmation 6:30am Men’s 10am
Eve Day Breakfast Faithful Folders
Candlelight No
30 Service
4:30pm
Worship
Service
10:30am Worship
Crossings from Pastor Denise
I am the worst pastor ever because I have a difficult time preaching about waiting and
preparing when I’m personally the most impatient person God ever created.
I like to start decorating for Christmas as soon as I have a break. Well it didn’t happen over
Thanksgiving. It didn’t happen on Monday, November 26, on my day off. Now I’m waiting and
getting nervous about when the elves are going to show up during the night to decorate our home. I
keep hoping I will wake up in the morning and miracle of miracles its finished. Well I guess it
doesn’t happen that way does it? The other thing is I don’t want to waste a miracle on Christmas
decorating. It’s just not right when so many people need miracles to happen in their life.
Our daughter who lives out of state informed us over Thanksgiving dinner that we do not have
to decorate the whole house. She had the audacity to tell us that we should “cut back.” Heresy!!
Slander!! Our daughter of all people knows me better than to say something like that. Now I’m
more determined than ever to start the decorating process.
I remember when I was in graduate school and I had a bad week. My husband said to me,
“You can quit.” Can you imagine??? That remark just spurred me on with more determination.
So back to my point of me telling you to slow down and enjoy Advent. I can’t do it. Why?
Because I can’t slow down. How can I tell a congregation to wait and decorate because its not
Christmas yet. Really, I would much rather encourage you to do what you love. Whether it be
family traditions like cooking and baking, decorating or eating, shopping and gift buying. Listen to
me.....do what makes you happy for Christmas.
Advent is a time of preparing and I’m sure most of you are doing exactly that......getting ready
for our Lord’s birth and celebrating Christmas.
Advent is a time of waiting. I’m as wound up as any child gets before Christmas......I’m
waiting, waiting, waiting!! As I said earlier, I’m not patient. It’s difficult for me to wait for
anything. Christmas being one of the times.
As a result, I ask for your forgiveness. Please forgive me that I’m not the wonderful preacher
that tells you to not go overboard with Christmas. Instead look the other way, wink at one another,
and know that I’m right there with you trying to remember everything that I want to accomplish for
my family’s Christmas. And because our daughter lives out of state the packages have to be in the
mail even earlier than I would like to think about.
Phil and I will be driving to Fargo (because Herberger’s closed in ?Alexandria) on December
10 to accomplish all the gift buying. Stay off the road because we will be burning it up! Again so
much for waiting and patience!! December is Phil’s busiest time of the year as well because of
dental insurance. It will be a production and assembly line at the Croskey house following that
shopping expedition.
So again, I encourage you and reassure you that all will be accomplished that needs to be
finished.
I’m an advocate of “CUE.” COMPLIMENT, UPLIFT AND ENCOURAGE. I encourage you
to love Christmas because its an exciting time of the year. Some of us wait all year for it. We love
you Jesus. Thank you God for sending us a babe in a manger so we can experience the joy and love
that you have for each and every one of us.

Merry Christmas and love from the Croskey family.


ADVENT SUNDAY WORSHIP SERVICES
“COMFORT AND JOY”
Isaiah 40 is one of my favorite chapters in the Bible. Our Advent Sunday series is a four part
series on a selected portion of Isaiah 40. This series helps capture the comfort that Christ
comes to bring—peace, pardon, presence and power.
Service one (Peace of Christ) is based on Isaiah 40:1-2 and highlights for that true peace
comes only through Jesus Christ and the forgiveness that he brings. He ends warfare without
and within. He is our one and only Prince of Peace.

The Children will be presenting their Christmas service December 16. However, there are
five Sundays in December. As a result, we will still be covering this important scripture
during the month.
.
We will be serving a meal following the children’s Christmas program. Please plan on
attending the Christmas program. Invite everyone for this precious Sunday of music and
Bible message. Your dinner will be ready for you in the fellowship hall upon completion of
the program.

Confirmation is moving right along. I have the privilege of meeting with nine of the best
students a preacher could ever ask for. They are good, bright, energetic, willing to help,
teenagers. We are working on the Ten Commandments and what they mean to us in our daily
life. Be sure to encourage the kids when you see them that you too went through
confirmation and look at how good you turned out!! After all we are all mentors to the youth
in the church.

Thank you to all for the work and genius thought that has gone into the children’s Christmas
program. It has been fun to watch everyone working on the program before worship services
on Sunday mornings. Pastor Denise

I received the following letter from Luther Seminary dated November 19, 2018. It reads as follows: “The ELCA has
projected that in 2019, this coming year, 1,000 congregations will be without a full-time pastor. Our congregations are
struggling to find pastors equipped to serve in our rapidly changing world. I’m writing you today because Luther Sem-
inary needs your help because together we can overcome this hurdle.
You can make an impact for these congregations. Will you support leaders in our mission to educate
with an impactful gift to the Sustaining Fund today?
Distance leaning programs, like the Distributed Learning (DL) program at Luther Seminary represents one way
to meet learners where they are to pen creative and accessible pathways to education. Currently, 50% of our students
are enrolled in the DL program. Across all Association of Theological Schools, enrollment in DL programs increased
200% between 2007 and 2017. Distributed Learning is one of our greatest opportunities for education future pastors.”
If you would like to help fund this program by making a contribution the address is:
Luther Seminary
2481 Como Avenue
St. Paul, Mn. 55108

Luther Seminary Education Fund


Serving in December
Dec. 2 Eileen and Chuck Olson
Dec. 9 Karen and Steve Ellis
Dec. 16 Sunday School Program/Ham Dinner
Dec. 23 Lee and Pat Ronhovde
Ushers for 4:30pm
Christmas Eve Candlelight
Service
Lee and Pat Ronhovde
Tom and Sandy Perry

Dec. 30 Leon Johnson and Faith Rudnitski


Karen Block

Altar Guild
Work Group # 3 Leaders
Marlene Dreier
Lee & Pat Ronhovde Gaylene Hanson
Tom & Sandy Perry Kay Johnson

Bernice Humann is living at the Barrett Care Assisted Living.


Her telephone number is 320-528-3005.
*********WELCA will meet Tuesday, December 11th at 9:30am
at the Barrett Care Center.

Christmas Worship Service Schedule


Sunday, December 16th, 10:30am S S Christmas Program
Sunday, December 23rd, 10:30am Worship
Monday, December 24th, 4:30pm Christmas Eve Candlelight Service
Tuesday, December 25th, Christmas Day, No Worship Service
The Snowflake Prayer
Thank you, God, for the gift of winter
For the cold, frosty snow and shimmering icicles,
For frozen lakes and rivers,
And most of all for snowflakes,
Every so beautiful, so special, so “one of a kind”
Let them remind me that I am like that in your eyes.
So beautiful, so special. So “one of a kind”.
Thank You God, for snowflakes,
Thank You God, for me. Author Unknown

Prayer at Christmas
In they infinite mercy, Our Father, grant us and to all
others, the spirit of kindness, goodwill and charity. Hasten
the day when men shall again hear the angel chorus paying
homage to Thee, the Prince of Peace, singing again the
glad tidings “Glory to God in the highest and on earth
peace to men of good will.” Amen Author Unknown
PEACE LUTHERAN CHURCH
PO Box 206
Barrett MN 56311

December 2018

Office: 320-528-2536 email: Office@PeaceBarrett.org


218 Church Street PO Box 206 Barrett, MN 56311

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