We're building a bigger heaven and better lives!
Advent Hymn Service with Woodwind Ensemble
Advent celebrates the first coming of the Messiah, Jesus, to live, die and be raised up for us. It also anticipates the second coming of Jesus Christ. He comes to judge against those who persist in turning away from Him and to judge for those who, by the power of the Holy Spirit through the Word, remain turned toward Him. This Sunday, November 29, is the first Sunday of Advent, and we will celebrate with an Advent Hymn Service featuring a Woodwind Ensemble comprised of our very own talented youth and adult instrumentalists and favorite Advent hymns.
God's Gift of Purpose for You
God’s going to give you meaning for your life. He’s going to bring you an assignment that’s going to bring adventure and fulfillment and joy and satisfaction like nothing else! Learn more this Sunday, November 29 at 10:45 a.m. 101 Pecan Drive, in Schertz [map and directions].
Nursery (infant to age 4)
A nursery is available for children infant – age 4 at any time during the worship service on Sundays in the Mother’s Room, to the left as you exit the worship area. The audio of the service is broadcast into the room.
J.A.M. (ages 5-8)
Children ages 5-8 are invited to join us for J.A.M., our age appropriate worship/learning experience for children, just after the Children's message this Sunday! Interested in helping with J.A.M.? Contact David White at 650-3166.
Just for Tweens (ages 9-12)
Kids ages 9—12 are invited to be a part of Tweens, a group specially designed for them. Join them this Sunday during the LifeLesson portion of worship for this fun learning experience. Want to know more? Call Becky Peterson at 945-7952.
Grace Prayer Team
Know the miraculous power of prayer. Word of Life has a team of prayer warriors ready to pray for you. The team meets on Sundays at 10:30 a.m. [map and directions] to pray for the morning worship and other needs. Also, prayer partners will be available to pray with you or for you after worship. Just come to the right side of the worship area.
If you would like the team to pray for you throughout the week, just let Pastor Ken know (566-2237 or Ken@WordofLife4u.com), and he will share your request with the team.
The team is compiling a quarterly newsletter and they would like to add your story of answered prayer. Please share YOUR story and/or become a part of this exciting prayer team. Contact Betty Tolsma 659-8107 or bettytolsma@sbcglobal.net.
Partnership with God
God offers great blessings to us when we wisely invest what He has entrusted to us. God's faithfulness moves us to trust in His promises and grow in our partnership with God by committing the first portion of our income. Many completed Partnership with God commitments and offered them to the Lord. If you have not done so please click on the link above and print it, or pick one up from the Info table this Sunday, complete it and place it on the altar or in the offering box.
Open Your Gifts Now
Recently, we were encouraged to discover and open up all the gifts God has given us and use them to serve. If we don't, we will cheat ourselves, God and the people around us. If we do, people's lives will be changed, God's Kingdom will grow, and we'll experience joy and fulfillment. Many completed Ministry Gifts Surveys and offered them to the Lord. If you have not done so please click on the link above and print it, or pick one up from the Info table this Sunday, complete it and place it on the altar or in the offering box.
Building a Bigger Heaven in Texas
In our prayers this week, we’re lifting up missionary pastor Wichieng Wetnyangran and the ministry of Peace Lutheran as they reach out to African immigrants in Hurst, Texas and beyond. We support their work through the gift of 10% of our Sunday morning offerings to Texas Partners in Mission (TPIM.) To find out more, visit www.txdistlcms.org/tpim.
When does a $10,000 donation = a $20,000 donation?
Now! For every dollar you give to our Building Fund until the end of 2010, the Texas District LCMS has generously offered to match it up to $100,000. What a great way to double the impact of your contribution! If you give before the end of the year, you may be able to save on your 2009 income taxes. As a bonus your donation will receive a high rate of return in the coming year through our Texas CEF Building Fund which is currently paying 2.53% apy. Just write "Building Fund" in the memo line of your check or place your gift in a Ministry Facility Fund envelope.
LifeGroups
For Youth (Grades 7-12)
Tuesdays 7:00 p.m.
Our culture does not value or hold dear those things which are important to Christians. Set aside time each week to reconnect with young Christians and with Christ. Learn from each other and from adult examples, how to shine your light for Jesus in the dark hallways of your life. Join us Tuesdays at the Osgood home, 3740 Limestone Mesa, Schertz. Questions? Mark Stemmermann, 508-2073.
For Women
Wednesdays 9:00 a.m.
Dive into the Bible to discover the treasures and answers it holds. Learn key concepts of our faith and break down the Bible to make it come alive! Great for new believers and those unfamiliar with Scripture. Meet Wednesday mornings at the Smith home, 3309 Dusty Crossing, Schertz. Questions? Call Sherri Smith, 659-2585.
For Women
Wednesdays 7:00 p.m.
Join us for Living Free: Learning to Pray God’s Word, by Beth Moore on Wednesday, December 2 at the Peterson home, 2839 Pond Apple, Schertz. Questions? Patti Mitschke, 566-1650 or Patti@WordofLife4u.com.
For Readers
Wednesday 6:45 p.m.
We’re reading, “A Redbird Christmas,” by Fannie Flagg. Join us for a book discussion on Wednesday, December 16, at the Schertz Library, 608 Schertz Parkway. Questions? Patti Mitschke, 566-1650 or Patti@WordofLife4u.com.
For Men
Thursdays 7:00 p.m.
Meet with other men for discussion of 1 Timothy, prayer and encouragement. Join us on Thursday, December 3 at the Mitschke home, 1531 Jasmine, Schertz. Questions? David Smith, 659-2585.
Advent Devotions
Advent is a great time to get into the habit of doing daily devotions or to vary your current routine. A great source for these in online, audio and podcast editions will be available at: www.adventdevotions.net beginning November 29.
Christmas Tea
The Ladies Christmas Tea will be held the afternoon of Saturday, December 12, at Sherri Smith's house. More details to follow. Please be thinking of neighbors and friends to invite.
Congregational Assembly
A Congregational Assembly will be held on Sunday, December 13 after worship (around noon) for the purpose of seeking the Spirit's guidance and calling a pastor. Pastor Ken is currently called by the Texas District and serves Word of Life on District's behalf. At a previous Congregational Assembly, the decision was made to move forward with a one-candidate, fast track call process, that candidate being Pastor Ken. The only item on the agenda for the upcoming meeting is to actually call Pastor Ken as our pastor.
Youth Fundraiser & Christmas Progressive Dinner
Saturday, Dec. 19, 5:30-9:00 p.m.
Meet at Peterson's, 2839 Pond Apple Dr., Schertz for appetizers. Kids stay at Petersons to be supervised by youth (fundraiser). Adults progress to Molina's, 1660 Cloudy Brook, Schertz for the main course, then to Betty Tolsma’s, 2705 Star Light, Schertz for dessert and singing.
The kids will have pizza, movie, dessert and maybe a craft or two. Freewill donations will be accepted for babysitting. Sign ups will be available for appetizers and desserts. Be watching for more information.
A Very Warm Thank You!
A very warm thank you to the congregation of Word of Life and the Neighborhood Ladies Bible Study for donating to the Thanksgiving baskets which were given to five families in need in our school district. We were able to deliver a $100 HEB gift card to each family, along with banana bread, Thanksgiving decorations, a Christian tract and WOL flyer. Each of the baskets was received with a grateful heart and many thanks. Look for the Angel Tree coming soon to help these same families at Christmas!!
Wanted: Administrative Services Provider
Pastor Ken is looking for an administrative services provider who can work about 1/2 day each week on a contract or volunteer basis doing detail oriented administrative tasks to assist Word of Life Fellowship in building a bigger heaven and better lives. For more information, click on the following link or pick up an Administrative Services Expectations description from the Info table and contact Pastor Ken, 566-2237 or Ken@WordofLife4u.com.
Lutheran Inter-City Network Coalition
(LINC) San Antonio
Lutheran congregations, ministries and individuals are combining efforts and resources to reach the multi-cultural and urban people of the San Antonio area with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We plan to equip and train servant leaders for ongoing ministry to care for the spiritual and physical needs of our neighbors in the name of Jesus. The Texas District has agreed to help in this endeavor by providing a $50,000 matching grant. To find out more, click on or pick up a new LINC flyer from the Info Table. You may make a donation directly or by writing a check to Word of Life with LINC in the memo line.
Say Thanks to Our Military
Pick out a card, personalize it and have it sent to a soldier serving in Iraq. Just visit www.LetsSayThanks.com. Xerox will print the card you select and send it to a soldier. You can't pick out who gets it, but it is FREE and only takes a minute.
Great Turkey Challenge
Help the San Antonio Food Bank put food on the table for families this holiday season by participating in this 5K Run/Walk event on Thanksgiving Morning, Thursday, November 26. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. and the event begins with a staggered start at 8:30 a.m. The event will take place in the King William district, starting at the HEB store at 646 South Main Avenue. Registration is $20/individual. Children under 12 are free. Register online at www.safoodbank.org.
Ministry Builders Saving Program
If you shop at Family Christian Stores, please ask about their Ministry Builder stamp program. It's like the old green stamp books, but it is NOT to be confused with getting your card 'punched' for future savings. At each purchase, let the cashier know you want to collect stamps. They’ll give you a booklet and a number of stamps, depending on the amount of your purchase. Just peel & place the stamps in the booklet. Once a booklet is full (20 stamps) pass it on to Pastor Ken or drop in the offering box. Word of Life gets $5 towards a Family Christian Store purchase for every booklet filled. This discount can be used on Sunday School supplies, Youth materials, Bible studies, Bibles and more.
Handel’s Messiah
Come hear this holiday classic at the Byron P. Steele High School Auditorium (1300 FM 1103, Cibolo) on Sunday, December 6 at 3:00 p.m. This special performance, by the San Antonio Symphony and The Master Singers, is presented by the Community Fine Arts Network. Adult tickets are $25, students are $8. Seating is general admission. Tickets are available at www.thecfan.org.
Online Calendar
You've read through the WordofLife4u. You sense what God wants you to do, but how do you keep track of events to invite your friends and neighbors to, groups where you can grow, and ministries where you can use your gifts to make a real difference? Check out our online calendar at: www.WordofLife4u.com/calendar.
Listen Online to Worship at Word of Life
If you have a broadband internet connection, you can listen to audio streams of recent worship services at Word of Life, or you can download a recording of the service to your computer or mp3 player and listen whenever you'd like. Click here! and you'll be directed to our Worship at Word of Life page. Left-click on "Stream" to listen to a service right away or click on "Download" (some require a right-click) to download a service to your computer and/or connected mp3 player to listen to later. You can view, save or print a copy of the LifeLesson notes too.
"Better Life" Links
What is the origin of America's annual Thanksgiving Day? - "While this was not the first Thanksgiving in America (thanksgiving services were held in Virginia as early as 1607), it was America's first Thanksgiving Festival." [more]
Thanksgiving - "Join us in giving thanks for the many ways God has blessed our lives. Find information and resources below to help you celebrate Thanksgiving..." [more]
Tithe Calculator - "If you'd like some assistance in calculating proportional giving, here are two valuable tools..." [more]
Radical Gratitude - "What a dying friend taught me about being thankful 'in all things'..." [more]
Prayer Requests and Thanksgivings
We Thank God…
for giving us so much for which to be thankful: for abundance of food, for life, for relationships, for purpose and meaning, for eternal life by grace, through faith in Christ
for a $100,000 matching grant offered by our Texas District to help build a ministry facility to reach out to our community
for favorable test results for Zach Hrncir
for our nation and our leaders
for standing guard over our troops and their families
for those who have sacrificed life and limb defending us
for all the resources God has entrusted to our care
for His promise to multiply our tithes and offerings to help build a bigger heaven and better lives.
We Ask God…
to inspire and empower us to be salt and light in this world and fulfill the purpose He has given us
to bless missionary pastor Wichieng Wetnyangran and the ministry of Peace Lutheran as they reach out to African immigrants in Hurst, Texas and beyond
to direct our purchasing of a property to help us reach our community with the Gospel and for resources to help buy it
to comfort the victims of persecution, terrorism and disaster
to bless our leaders with godly wisdom and guidance that they would lead according to His will
to bless Scott McDonald in his new home
to bless those who struggle during the holidays with depression, loneliness, or grief and move us to be a blessing to them
to bless students, especially Lucan Longoria
to bless David & Ana Koester and Chuck Tolsma with employment and to bless Stacy Kohan’s struggling business
to bless negotiations for the sale of Daniel Sanchez’s business
to protect our troops abroad, especially Logan Christiansen in U.A.E., Erik Moore in Iraq and Jason Leible, Juan Pizarro & Julie Astrachan in Afghanistan
to comfort Quint & Chris Wortham who lost their daughter in a car accident and Betty Tolsma’s neice who lost her husband, Hank.
to heal David Koester, Lisa Flowers, Yvonne, Jake, Joshua, & Jase Leible, Tara Wimberly, Curtis Doering, AJ Whitman, Sharon Aben and to heal those battling cancer: Chase Bargsley, John Dury, Rachel Midgett, Kayla Nunnery, Alden Malachowski, Marcia Waldgeir, Sadie Norris, Matthew Provencio, Manuel Coloura, Zach Vangundy, Amanda Conniff, Pam Smith, Kurt Bickel, Susan Doering and to comfort and strengthen their families
to empower us to connect our community to Christ.
Join us in prayer wherever you are! You may leave prayer requests at 566-2237 or Ken@WordofLife4u.com.
Thanksgiving Fun
Signs that You Went Nuts on Thanksgiving
Paramedics bring in the Jaws of Life to pry you out of the EZ-Boy.
Your after dinner moans are loud enough to signal Dr. Kevorkian.
The "Gravy Boat" your wife set out was a real 12' boat!
You get grass stains on your behind after a walk, but never sat down.
Your "Big Elvis Super-Belt" won't even go around your waist.
You receive a Sumo Wrestler application in your e-mail.
You set off 3 earthquake seismographs on your morning jog Friday.
Pricking your finger for cholesterol screening only yielded gravy.
You have 5 TV sets side-by-side to catch all the football games.
That rash on your stomach turns out to be steering wheel burn.
Representatives from the Butterball Hall of Fame called twice.
It looks like the left-overs are gonna last until Christmas.
Your arms are too short to reach the keyboard & delete this.
Just a ThoughtBy the President of the United States of America, a Proclamation
Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor--and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me "to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness."
Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be--That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks--for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation--for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his Providence which we experienced in the tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed--for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted--for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.
And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions--to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually--to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed--to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shewn kindness onto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord--To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease of science among them and us--and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.
Given under my hand at the City of New-York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.
-George Washington, Thanksgiving Proclamation, October 3, 1789
Joy & Peace,
Pastor Ken Mitschke
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P.S. For past issues or to subscribe [WordofLife4u].
Word of Life Fellowship-LCMS
1531 Jasmine Dr
Schertz TX 78154-3738
www.WordofLife4u.com
210-566-2237
Ken@WordofLife4u.com
We're building a bigger heaven and better lives!
Word of Life Fellowship LCMS
1531 Jasmine Dr
Schertz TX 78154-3738
Pastor Ken Mitschke
210-566-2237
Ken@WordofLife4u.com