12/25/22 Weekly Congregational Update

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Dear Members and Friends of Holy Trinity,

 

I pray you are keeping warm over the next couple of days in the extreme cold weather that is coming our way.  Here are a few updates to pass along to you:

 

  1. We are offering two different kinds of worship services for Christmas Eve.  At 4:00 p.m., we will be returning to a Service of Lessons and Carols w/ Holy Communion and Candle Lighting.  This is a more family-oriented service with a Children’s Sermon and a nursery will be provided.  Holy Communion will be by intinction.  This service has been moved a little earlier to accommodate those with children and those who would rather drive in the daylight.

  2. At 11:00 p.m.,  we will be offering a liturgical service with Holy Communion and Candle Lighting.  This service is for those who wish to be at the church at the midnight hour of Christmas.

  3. Then on Christmas Day, we will have One Combined Worship Service at 10:00 a.m. with a slightly different liturgy format from what we normally do on Sunday morning.  This will be the last time you will have the opportunity to actually celebrate Christmas on a Sunday, until 2033!!!

  4. After tabulating all requests to place flowers on the altar in 2023, there are 11 openings remaining.  To request one of these dates, do not reply to this email, instead, please inform Pat in the office, beginning on Tuesday of next week.  She is taking Monday off. These are the remaining open dates:
    • March 19
    • April 30
    • June 25
    • July 30
    • August 6
    • August 13
    • August 27
    • September 3
    • September 10
    • December 17
    • December 31

 

Merry Christmas,

Pastor Fischer

12/18/22 Weekly Congregational Update

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Dear Members and Friends of Holy Trinity,

As we near the celebration of Christmas, there are many important things to share with you.

 

  • Tonight, Thursday, is the deadline for all Angel Tree gifts to be returned.  They are to be placed in the Office Parlor using the door code, if I am not in the office when you come by. Thank you again so much for your support of this very worthwhile outreach ministry to children in the Anderson area.

  • I want to put in one more plug for our Congregational Christmas Caroling and Chili event on Sunday afternoon.  This will be the first time in three years that we have this and we are looking forward to renewing this wonderful tradition.  We will begin to assemble in Fellowship Hall at 4:45 p.m. – giving out the music booklets, reviewing the stops, and figuring out caroling arrangements.  We will be dividing into two groups.  We will be LEAVING at 5:00 p.m.  If you arrive at 5:00 p.m., you will be late and slow down our excursions.  Please be on time!  If you have a Christmas sweater, Santa hat, or Reindeer antlers, etc. this will be the perfect opportunity to wear it.  We hope to return to Fellowship Hall by 7:00 p.m. where 5 different kinds of chili will be waiting for us, and desserts.  We even have some volunteers who have agreed to stay behind and keep the chili stirred.  Come out and enjoy some good old fashion Christmas Caroling!

  • We will have two worship services Sunday.  The Early Service will be using their normal liturgy, at 8:45 a.m. while the Christmas Pageant will take place as part of the 11:00 a.m. service.  Holy Communion will be offered at both services.

  • The deadline to place a poinsettia in the sanctuary for the Christmas Eve worship services is Sunday.  There is a form in the bulletin or send Pat an email or leave her a voice mail on the office phone with your information.  She will take care of it on Monday morning when she returns to the church office.

  • There are 11 opening dates remaining for altar flowers for 2023.  If you would like to place flowers In Memory Of or In Honor Of somebody, there is a signup sheet in the narthex, or contact Pat in the office.

  • The 2023 offering envelopes are ready for you to pick up in the room off the narthex.

  • If you are interested in a 2023 calendar, our two local funeral homes have placed some copies in the narthex.  Help yourself.

  • We keep the family of Betty Williams in our prayers upon her death on Friday of last week. Even though Betty was not a member of our congregation, she was a frequent visitor and was in attendance at our last Deutschesfest.

 

In Christ,

Pastor Fischer

12/11/22 Weekly Congregational Update

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Dear Members and Friends of Holy Trinity,

 

Here are this week’s updates to pass along to you:

 

  1. Saturday, our Congregational Workday will take place beginning at 9:00 a.m.  We will be focusing on sprucing up the church yard.  Bring your favorite rake.

  2. How is your patience?  Sunday, I will be preaching on the Second Lesson, James 5:7-10.  Even though I feel I will be mostly talking to myself, my sermon title is, “Be Patient.”

  3. I am happy to report that all name tags have been taken off our Angel Tree!  The gifts have already begun to arrive back in the Church Office parlor.  Please be reminded that all gifts need to be dropped off NO LATER than Thursday evening, December 15, of next week.  The gifts will be delivered to AIM on Friday morning so if you are late with your gift(s), you will be responsible for getting them to AIM.  Help us make sure that no child is left out.

  4. We have decided to cancel next week’s Family Fun Night (which was to be on Wednesday, December 14) due to the fact that so many will be involved in the Pageant practice that night.   The Advent meal will still take place that night at our regular time of 6:00 p.m.

  5. Our final Midweek Advent service will take place at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday of next week.

  6. The new Christ In Our Home devotionals for Jan/Feb/March are in the narthex for you to pick up your copy.

  7. Nancy Korn is in the process of putting together all the worship schedules for 2023.  Although the Time and Talent Sheets have been returned, we still could use a few more volunteers in certain areas.  If you are interested in serving as a Worship Assistant next year, please let me know.  “What does this person do?” you ask.  A Worship Assistant is used on the Sundays we have Holy Communion, basically the 1st and 3rd Sunday of each month, plus a few festive services.  They are robed up and sit in front of the choir.  There are two printed prayers that they read during the service, and they administer the wine from a pouring chalice (so a steady hand is required).  Training will be provided.     

       

The other area of need is help with the Altar Guild.  “What does this group do?” you ask.   There are 6 sub-categories, who serve in this capacity and do so for an entire month. They are:

    1. Preparing for Communion – Before the Early Service begins, this person sets up Holy Communion on the altar.  Then after the service, this person sets up Holy Communion for the Late Service.
    2. Communion Vessels – This person cleans up the Communion vessels and clears away the items on the altar, after the Late Service.
    3. Linens – This person take home the Communion linens, washes them and returns them to the church.
    4. Distribute Flowers – This person takes the altar flowers and delivers them to someone in need in our community – usually our shut ins.  This can be done anytime during the first part of the week. 
    5. Brass and Oil Candles – This person polishes the offering plates and flowers vases each week, and refills the oil in the candles.
    6. Replenish Pew Supplies – This person refills the Prayer Request cards in the pews, as well as envelopes, and sharpens pencils, as needed. 

 

If you are interested in serving the Lord in any of these ways, please send me a REPLY, letting me know.  Again, instruction will be provided for each position. 

 

  1. Many of you have reviewed and responded to your information I sent you last week connected to our new Church Directory for 2023.  If you have not, please take a minute and let me know if it is correct or not.  You have one more week to do so.  Otherwise, I will assume that the information we have for you and your family is correct. 

 

In Christ,

Pastor Fischer

 

12/14/22 FAMILY FUN NIGHT

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FAMILY FUN NIGHT
We have decided to cancel next week’s Family Fun Night (which was to be on Wednesday, December 14) due to the fact that so many will be involved in the Pageant practice that night.   The Advent meal will still take place that night at our regular time of 6:00 p.m.

A REMINDER THAT DURING ADVENT

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A REMINDER THAT DURING ADVENT
-The blue paraments symbolize the hope that comes to the world in the birth of
the Christ Child.
-We omit the Hymn of Praise.
-Each week we light an additional candle on the Advent wreath and sing an
additional stanza of “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.”
-The Prayer of the Day begins “Stir up….”
-We use the Nicene Creed.

12/10/22 CONGREGATIONAL MINI WORKDAY

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CONGREGATIONAL MINI WORKDAY
December 10
9:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon
We will have a mini congregational work day to:
• remove the wilted purple Wandering Jew (tradescantia zebrina) plants in front of church.
• trim five Kaleidoscope Abela at library, three at side of Office driveway and three shrubs
at front of Luther House.
• clean up remaining leaves around all shrubbery.
• clean up pecan debris from both trees at back parking lot.
• clean up debris in Luther House backyard and in church playground.
Bring trimmers, blower, rake, and wheelbarrow. We have one electric trimmer,
three rakes, three tarps and one wheelbarrow.

Angel Tree 2022

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Angel Tree

WE NOW HAVE THE TAGS ON THE TREE!!!!!!

1. Pick a tag off the “Angel Tree” in the Narthex and go shopping.
2. Please do not wrap gifts.
3. Leave gift, with tag attached, in the church office parlor (use door
code).
4. Gifts should be returned NO LATER than, Thursday,
December 15th, after which, you will be responsible for delivering
your gifts to A.I.M.
5. In addition to selecting names from the Angel Tree in-person like we usually, do you also
have the option of making a donation and someone from WELCA will do, the shopping
for you. If you would rather participate in this way, just make a check out to “Holy
Trinity Lutheran Church” and put “Angel Tree” in the Memo. If you have any questions
on any of this, please contact Nancy Scalf or Beth Fischer

Christmas Services

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CHRISTMAS EVE
WORSHIP SERVICES – December 24th
Worship Service w/Communion Lessons and Carols – 4:00 p.m.
A nursery will be provided.
Christmas Eve Liturgical Worship Service w/Communion – 11:00 p.m.
Note: There will be candle lighting at both services.

CHRISTMAS DAY
One – Combined Worship – 10:00 a.m.

2022 POINSETTIAS for the Christmas Eve

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POINSETTIAS for the Christmas Eve services will be provided this year by Whitten’s for $16.00.
Donors will be listed in the worship bulletin for the Christmas Eve services. If you would like to
place an order for one or more, please fill out the form and place it in the offering plate or send
to the Church office. The deadline is Sunday, December 18th. Payment must accompany your order.
Plants may be picked up after the 11:00 p.m. service Christmas Eve. (Please leave the three white
poinsettias in the manger.)

 

Download the order form by clicking on the link below

poinsettia2022

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OTHER (To the Glory of God)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Given by

12/4/22 Weekly Congregational Update

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A few things to pass along to you this week include:

  • I am happy to report that the name tags on our Angel Tree have arrived!  The deadline to return the gifts is December 15, two weeks from today.  You can either pick up a tag or two on Sunday morning or let yourself into the sanctuary using the door code, or if you prefer, contact Nancy Scalf or my wife, to make a donation and let them do the shopping for you.

  • The December issue of our monthly newsletter, The Messenger, was mailed out yesterday, Wednesday.  You will notice that the information on the Angel Tree does not include the deadline as we did not receive this date in time before printing.

  • This past Monday, 19 volunteers from the congregation participated to help feed some of the children at risk in Anderson County elementary schools through the United Way’s SnackPack program. Together we packed 864 bags, 3 pallets worth, in an hour and 45 minutes! [See photo below]  If you would be interested in participating in future food packing opportunities, contact Mike Cox at salzburg1951@gmail.com to add your name and email to future notifications.

  • Congratulations are in order for Nancy Scalf on the birth of a great granddaughter, Oakley Jane Dunn.

  • Last night was our first Advent meal and Midweek Advent Service.  We had 35 in attendance in worship, which for us, quite honestly, is quite low.  Perhaps, some of us were not aware that Advent actually started in November this year.  In any event, I encourage you to come out for our remaining suppers and worship services on Wednesday night.

  • The recipient of this year’s Wednesday Midweek Advent Service offerings will be the New Foundations Home for Children in Anderson, which is a private, non-profit agency specializing in caring for emotionally troubled adolescents and families.

  • This coming Wednesday, I will be preaching on “Witness To Christmas – the Shepherds,” as we explore the significance of shepherds being invited to the birth of our Lord.

  • Sunday, I will be preaching on the gospel, Matthew 3:1-12, as we encounter John the Baptist in this season of Advent.

  • Saturday of next week, December 10, is a mini work day at the church, sprucing up the church grounds.  Please see a copy of the bulletin or the December newsletter for a list of details, or contact Ernie Thoms.

In Christ,

Pastor Fischer