Weekly Newsletter – 11/19

Acolytes
5 Jackson Fischer/Ryan Schroeder
12 Lexi Engen/Cooper Holtegaard
19 Melony Wingert/Taelyn Kerns
26 Cooper Pickett/Josiana Corson

Altar Guild……………Darla Ebner/Rebecca Schwingle/Carol Solberg/Karen Quanrud
Ushers…………………………Dawn Hellickson/Devin Nagle/Doug Keene/Craig Britton
Communion Assistants
November 5………………………………………………….Mike Erdman/Bruce Hoff/Susan Pikula
November 19………………………………………….Sara Niemeyer/Darrel Olson/Andy Bunge
Money Counters
5 Darrel & Bev Olson                                    19 Sandy Amundson/Carol Solberg
12 Brad Leathers/ _________                         26 Susan Hager/Dawn Hellickson

Weekly CalendarSunday, November 19 
9:00 a.m.                 Worship/Communion/Kids sing
10:00 a.m.               Radio Broadcast
10:00 a.m.               Sunday school – Family Service Project
3:00 p.m.                  Pastor Kris’ Ordination at First Evangelical Lutheran in Kenyon, MN

Tuesday, November 21
11:30 a.m.            Exercise class

Wednesday, November 22
6:00 p.m.               NO Confirmation

Thursday, November 23 -Thanksgiving Day-Office closed

Sunday, November 26-Christ the King Sunday 
9:00 a.m.                 Worship – Installation service for Pastor Kris
10:00 a.m.               Radio Broadcast
NO Sunday school

*Help Wanted! We are still looking for a couple more people who are interested in being Technology Assistants  – Responsibilities include opening up the church on Sunday mornings, turning on the audio and video systems, setting up/managing the livestream, shutting down all equipment after services and locking up the church. May also be asked to manage the livestream during funerals. No experience, no problem -We will train you!  $35 a Sunday – Must be at least 14 years old. All interested people should contact the office  office@christlutheranpreston.org

*Pastor Kris’ Ordination Service – You are invited to the worship service of the Rite of Ordination for Kristine Hertsgaard Kincaid – Sunday, November 19 at 3:00 p.m. at First Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenyon, MN. The service will also be livestreamed on their Facebook page – First Evangelical Lutheran-Kenyon MN. There will be a reception following the service. The color of the day is red!  If you can’t make it and want to watch online, go to www.flckenyon.org to find the youtube link.  The link to the bulletin is Kris_Ordination_Bulletin_Four_Color_2_.pdf

*November is Food Share Month at Christ Lutheran – The Preston Food Shelf continues to face shortages due to an increase in need.  Donations of non-perishable food and personal care items can be placed in the grocery cart or basket in the Narthex through November 30^th.   Monetary donations can be placed in the offering plate or church office (please indicate Food Shelf).  

*Advent Candlelighters Needed – The season of Advent is the four-week time of preparation for the coming of Jesus. It begins on the Sunday nearest to November 30. This year Advent begins on Sunday, December 3and continues until Christmas Eve on December 24. We observe this holy season by lighting candles each of the four Sundays in Advent. Three of the candles are purple – to remind us to pray and serve others lovingly as we help prepare the way for Jesus. The candle for the third Sunday of Advent is pink and is a symbol of our joy as the birth of Jesus draws near. We’ve also added one white candle – we call this one the Christ Candle – to be lit on Christmas Eve along with the other four candles to remind us that Jesus is the light of the world, and that God loves us very much. If your family/household wishes to participate in the weekly Advent Candle Lighting, please contact Amanda in the church office, 507-765-2161. Pastor Kris will prepare a short reading to accompany the candle lighting. Dates needed are Dec 3, 10, 17 at 9 am, and Dec 24 during the 4:30 pm worship service. Thank you!

*Craft & Bake Sale Quilt Raffle – Be sure to purchase tickets for the Craft & Bake Sale Quilt Raffle! The drawing for a beautiful handmade 74″x81″ quilt made and donated by Mary Zimmerman will take place Saturday, December 2, 2:00 p.m., at the close of the Craft & Bake Sale. Also included in the raffle will be a holiday porch pot and a local products gift basket. Tickets are $5 and will be sold after Sunday services. If you’re interested in selling tickets, please let a member of the committee know.

*Craft and Bake Sale Updates – Sat., Dec. 2, 2023, from 9am-2:00pm
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!!  The volunteer sign-up sheet to assist with the Craft & Bake Sale is now posted in the narthex.  We welcome one and all, including the men of our congregation, to help with the various tasks (I.e. setting up displays, cashier, greeter, stocker, helper to carry out purchases to a customers’ car, etc.). The sign-up sheet lists the assorted helper roles for varied shifts for Fri. Dec. 1; Event Day on Sat. Dec. 2 and (post event sales) on Sun. Dec. 3.  Please review the sign-up sheet and consider signing up to help support our missions!

Event fliers are currently being posted around the community.   You can also spread the word by telling family, friends & neighbors!   Family fun is planned for our event on Dec. 2.   Cheryl Schumacher will be offering a “Make & Take” craft for your child as you shop or enjoy a coffee/treat at the Gnome Cafe.  Children should be 5+ years old to participate.  The cost is $ 15 per child.  No reservations are needed as the project will continue until supplies last.  Your child/grandchild will build a special memory making a fun edible polar igloo to take home with them!

The Gnome Cafe will be serving fresh coffee, hot chocolate & apple cider along with delicious baked treats!  Rebecca Schwingle & Darla Ebner will also be making rommegrot & free samples will be served to shoppers when they visit the Gnome Cafe.  A volunteer sign-up sheet for families to help provide baked goods & to help serve in the Cafe has been posted outside the Sunday School classrooms.  We welcome your help & look forward to seeing you there!  This is a fun opportunity for our families, especially those with Sunday School age children, to jointly be a part of our event.

New this year is the addition of a three-prize raffle.  Raffle tickets are $5.00 each as we continue to sell them after each church service through Nov. 26.  Our goal is to sell all 750 tickets and we have distributed over 600 so far.  Thank you for supporting this fundraiser in purchasing tickets and helping to sell the tickets.

Thank you for the donations that have come in for this event to date as we continue to receive some monies.  The congregation can yet consider donating money to the Craft & Bake Sale, which is being used to purchase supplies, ingredients & items for gift baskets.  Please keep crafting and planning for how you may contribute items and especially baked goods.  The recommended pricing of baked goods and food items is as follows:

Feel free to reach out to any of this year’s co-chairs if you have questions or ideas.  Craft & Bake Sale Committee:  Barb Mielke (651-283-1312); Alison Leathers (507-251-8049); Janet Erdman (612-756-1578); Carol Solberg (507-421-5901); Gail Bunge (507-259-1444); Kayla Peterson (507-259-1504); Lori Winkels (507-273-9799)

*Women of Christ Lutheran Annual Fall Benevolence Drive – This is a reminder to send monetary donations to support our local community as well as the broader community! Donations can be mailed to:  Joyce Hellickson — 409 Winona St. NW — Preston MN 55965. In addition, your donation can be dropped off or sent to the church office or put in the offering plate at Sunday morning worship. Please make your check payable to Women of Christ Lutheran. We would appreciate receiving your donation by Wednesday, November 30, 2023.

*Luren Singers Christmas Concert 2023 – “Hope for Resolution and Peace” is the theme of the music Dr. David Judisch, Conductor of the 60-member male singers, has chosen for their concert on Sunday, December 10 at 2:00PM.  The venue is Trinity Lutheran Church in Spring Grove, MN, 205 East Main Street which is also MN Hwy 44.  Rachel Storlie is the guest soprano soloist. Admission is a free-will offering which will be divided to benefit the Houston County Food Shelf and the Houston County Ring and Run. The offering will be accepted during intermission

*Thank you for your faithful giving to help us continue the mission and ministry of Christ Lutheran Church during a time in the which the hope of Christ is needed more than ever. Offering envelopes have the church’s address on them and can be mailed in. Text, online and direct giving is also an option. For more information see our giving page:https://christlutheranpreston.org/giving

*Volunteer opportunities at Christ Lutheran – 1) Looking for volunteers to deliver Meals on Wheels. It would be once a month and takes about a half hour only. Call the church office to sign up. 2) Need one more money counter to count on the 2^nd Sunday of the month. Contact the church office. 3) Need Service Group Co-chairs! Contact Carol Solberg if interested.