The Bridge Builder St. Matthew’s Weekly News

November 30-December 1, 2019

First Sunday in advent

Memorizing God’s Word Together

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” ~ Romans 15:13

Voters’ Meeting Recap

This year’s annual LWML Christmas Luncheon will be at 12:00 noon, Wednes-

day, December 4. Chicken will be pro-vided. Please bring a dish to pass and a

white elephant gift. During this Christmas season, we are also supporting Phil’s Friends with a mone-tary gift and food items for the Food Pantry. All ladies of the congregation are invited. Come and join the fun! Call Marge Michaelsen with any questions, ph: 630-257-6052.

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LWML Christmas Luncheon

Pewsisters Christmas Party Once again we gather for our annual Christ-mas party. It will be at 7:00 pm on Monday,

December 2 in the parsonage. It's a great time to come to Pewsisters, even for the first time. There will be treats! All ladies of the congrega-tion are invited.

Congregational Advent Day

The date for St. Matthew’s Congregational Advent Day this year is this coming Sunday,

December 1. All St. Matthew families are wel-come to participate. If you have children in Sun-day School, they will join you in the gym after a short lesson. Meanwhile, pick up a cup of coffee and a cookie and materials with which to make a quilt-like picture in the days before Christmas. Our project comes with a booklet of devotions, and it’s called "The Pieces that Make for Peace." Thanks to the Sunday School and Thrivent, there is no cost. Join us in this St. Matthew tradition and begin Advent with us!

The Pieces that Make for Peace

. . . and in loving memory of Anna Krueger’s Birthday and in celebration of Jordan Leffler’s 30th Birthday ~ by Marianne

Altar Flowers to the Glory of God . . .

Worship Assistants

Thank you to all who attended the voters’ meet-ing last Sunday. St. Matthew's 2020 budget has been approved, and we pray for the Lord’s contin-ued blessings in the coming year. The Leadership Council will continue to keep you updated on the proposal to sell a portion of the 127th Street prop-erty to the Village of Lemont, and how this oppor-tunity could help our church expand our ministry and mission to spread the Gospel in Lemont.

Date Time Deacons Ushers Acolytes Greeters Altar Guild

11/30/19 5PM Bob Klukas Jonathan Hayes Andy Skopec

Pam Samanich Amy Selle

Jim Leffler Elizabeth Hayes

12/1/19 9AM Ron Kolzow Evan Schiffman Noah Pharo Bruce/JoAnn

Jason Schiffman Marin Schiffman Aidan Potaczek Leatherman

12/4/19 7PM Bruce Leatherman Jack Gudgel Melanie Earnest

Lenore Duffy Karen White

12/7/19 5PM Bob Klukas Matthew Myers George/Pat Scheel

Jim Selle

12/8/19 9AM Ron Kolzow Samantha Welko Josephine Welko Kathy Henrikson

Jason Schiffman Alyssa Welko Kaylee LaChappell

Advent Soup Suppers Begin Advent soup suppers begin next Wednesday,

December 4, just before the first mid-week Ad-vent worship service at 7:00 pm. Come join us for good food and good fellowship at 6:00 pm. Soup suppers are also scheduled for Wednesday, December 11 and Wednesday, December 18.

www.worshipanew.org, or call toll free 888-286-8002 for more information

Christmas Poinsettias

The sign-up sheet for poin-settias is now in the narthex. In case you are not familiar, you can sign up, and a poinsettia will be ordered for you and put on the altar for Christmas Eve/Day. You may pick up your

poinsettia after the Christmas Day service or the following weekend. The cost is $15.00. You can pay by cash or check made out to St. Matthew Lutheran Church, and drop your payment in the offering plate by December 15. Also with the payment, please include the note you would like in the Bridge Builder (In memory of, In celebration of, In thanksgiving for… ). If you do not provide a note, the following dedication will be used: “To the Glory of God and in Thanksgiving for all of His Blessings”. Thank you for making our altar even more beautiful for the Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services as we celebrate the birth of Jesus.

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Your Help Requested

Issues, Etc.

A DAILY, 15-MINUTE, VERSE-BY-VERSE BIBLE STUDY...The Word of the Lord Endures Forever, podcast hosted by LCMS Pastor Will Weedon and produced by Lutheran Public Ra-dio, Pastor Weedon will be leading a study this week on John 5: The Healing at the Pool on the Sabbath, Jesus Is Equal with God, The Author-ity of the Son, Witnesses to Jesus, and more. You can listen live or on-demand via the web-site at thewordendures.org and on the LPR mobile app.

A Veteran Recognition

As we were unable to photograph all of our veterans here at St. Matthew at our Veterans’ Day Recognition on November 10, we would like to mention another individual who was unable to be with us that day. Marc Graczyk, veteran of the United States Army, joins the ranks of indi-viduals in our St. Matthew family who have served his country through military service. Thank you for your service, Marc!

Join area Lutherans at the March for Life Chicago on SATURDAY, January 11, 2020. A March For Life Chicago convention kicks off the day, and a short walk around Daley Plaza begins with a line-up of inspirational speakers affirming the value of life and underscoring the importance of con-tinuing to speak out for life. LCMS President Rev. Dr. Matthew Harrison is participating. To take the NID-sponsored bus, meet at Trinity Lutheran Church, 1101 Kimberly Way, Lisle 60532 for pre-event worship at 9:00 am. Bus departs at 9:45 am and returns at 4:45 pm. Suggested Donation: $20. Bus reservations MUST be made by January 7 at 630.234.1491 or kbwrk123@gmail.com, and participants must download a free convention fast past. Also, Rev. Harrison is giving the opening prayer at the March For Life Chicago Banquet on Saturday evening. Find more information posted on the website marchforlife-chicago.org.

March for Life Chicago 2020

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General Fund and Ministry Operations Cemetery Fund .............................................................................................................................. $1,000.00 General Fund ................................................................................................................................. $2,402.80 General Fund: Flowers Altar ............................................................................................................ $71.00 General Fund: Building Repairs ..................................................................................................... $100.00 General Fund: Sunday School ........................................................................................................ $167.00 Other Dedicated Funds Missions: LWML ................................................................................................................................ $50.00 Total Offerings for Ministry Operations ................................................................................. $3,740.80 Weekly Amount Needed for Budgeted Ministry Operations ............................................. $5,440.00 Offerings Received for 2019 Ministry Operations Amount Needed for Budgeted Ministry Operations (approx. $5,440/wk) ...................... $255,680.00 Amount Received for Ministry Operations ........................................................................... $250,435.76

Offerings Received November 23-24, 2019

Offerings Received November 16-17, 2019 CORRECTED

General Fund and Ministry Operations General Fund ................................................................................................................................. $2,211.00 General Fund: Building Repairs ....................................................................................................... $50.00 General Fund: Cookbook Fundraiser ............................................................................................ $165.00 General Fund: Sunday School ........................................................................................................ $150.00 Other Dedicated Funds Missions: LWML ................................................................................................................................ $20.00 Total Offerings for Ministry Operations ................................................................................. $2,576.00 Weekly Amount Needed for Budgeted Ministry Operations ............................................. $5,440.00 Offerings Received for 2019 Ministry Operations Amount Needed for Budgeted Ministry Operations (approx. $5,440/wk) ...................... $250,240.00 Amount Received for Ministry Operations ........................................................................... $246,694.96

Worship Attendance

Saturday, November 23 , 2019 5:00 pm ........................................................... 44 Sunday, November 24, 2019 9:00 am ........................................................... 58 Total in Worship Last Weekend ....................................................................... 102

Joylyn Kure (S) Rachel Meyer, Missionary Brody Roberts Vladimer Schneider and Family Amber Smith Debbie Spahn Marcy VanDenBerge Lisa Vedok

Note: If you would like to include a specific individual on the weekly prayer list, you may call the church office or fill out a prayer request card, located in the narthex, and place it in the offering plate or turn it in to the church office. If you need to extend someone’s length beyond the first four weeks due to a long-term prayer situation, please contact the church office.

Those Celebrating Wedding Anniversaries

In Our Thoughts and Prayers This Month

Those who are sick, recovering, in the hospital, or have other needs… (* new entry to list)

Mary Bayer (S) Laura Baudler Duane Corso Everett Eudy The Ferry Family Connie Hagen Chuck Hansen Donna Kilinskis Jim Kolzow

Marcel De La Cruz Jean Delgado Wanda Grabys (S) Dale Kramer Gladys Langheld (S) Grace Laskowski (S) Jeannette Mueller (S)

Members: (S=Shut-in, M=Military)

Those Celebrating Birthdays

Hillar and Sue Akk Dec 5, 1993 Wayne and Shirley Shoup Dec 15, 1956 Andy and Krysta Alongi Dec 19, 2008 Mark and Deanna LaChappell Dec 19, 2016 Alberto and Rachel Gamez Dec 30, 2011

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Fred Reeves Dec 1 Don Remes Dec 1 Carol Hamm Dec 2 Martha Weck Dec 3 Tori Baires Dec 4 Elsie Schultz Dec 4 Wayne Shoup Dec 4 Bella Birk Dec 5 Leah Henrikson Dec 5 Colin Crane Dec 7

Rich Panush Troy Samanich Elsie Schultz (S) Gen Sloman Marilynn Smith (S) Bob Welko Ben Zawaski

Betty Boldt Dec 11 Gladys Langheld Dec 11 Susan Nathan-Butt Dec 11 Eric Deubler Dec 13 Mike Shackel Dec 15 Aidan Thomas Dec 15 Mark Liset Dec 18 Alex Braun Dec 19 Dianne Jackson Dec 20 Kevin Jensen Dec 20

Noah Lisk Dec 20 Denise Burger Dec 21 Dean DeLaCruz Dec 22 Kelly Teska Dec 22 Carl Filippelli, Jr. Dec 25 Kelly Jensen Dec 26 John Boldt, Jr. Dec 27 Jack Bort Dec 28 Jean Delgado Dec 28 Anya Haucke Dec 30

a weekly publication of

ST. MATTHEW EV. LUTHERAN CHURCH 305 LEMONT STREET LEMONT, IL 60439

St. Matthew Ev. Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod REVEREND MICHAEL GUDGEL, PASTOR

JASON RANDALL, ORGANIST AND MUSIC DIRECTOR DANA PRICE, ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

ANNE DREVLOW, OFFICE ASSISTANT

305 Lemont Street ♦ Lemont, IL 60439-3678 (630) 257-5000

The church office is open varying hours Monday-Saturday. Please call ahead if you need assistance.

Pastor’s E-mail: michael.gudgel@gmail.com Pastor’s Home Phone: 630-243-6588

Church Office’s E-mail: office.stmatthewlemont@gmail.com Website: www.smlclemont.com

Saturday Worship 5:00 p.m. Sunday Worship 9:00 a.m.

Sunday School, High School, and Adult Bible Study 10:30 a.m.

The

Bridge Builder

Reaching the lost and encouraging the found with the saving grace of Jesus Christ

Online Giving Available On Our Web Site

St. Matthew’s website, www.smlclemont.com, is set up to receive secure, online

donations. Just click on the “Donate Now!” button on the home page, or scan this

QR code with your smart phone to set up your account and make your weekly

contribution.

The weekly bulletin deadline is Thursday at 9:00 AM, unless otherwise noted. Place articles in the church office mailbox in the Communications Center, or e-mail them to office.stmatthewlemont@gmail.com. Write down event dates and times on the church office hallway calendar if you would like them included in the Bridge Builder’s calendar.