Trinity Lutheran Church 16 Temple Place



Trinity Lutheran Church 16 Temple Place

Fairhaven, Massachusetts 02719 Phone: (508) 993-6351

E-mail: pasttlc@ Website:

Pastor: Reverend Paul H. Wheeler Church Administrator: John Softcheck

Dear Friends in Christ,

Recently I have been sharing with numerous individuals and families the following prayer:

Merciful God, in the stillness of our souls we listen for your voice to know again that you are God. Quiet our restless hearts with the knowledge that you stand within the shadows, keeping watch over your own. Rekindle our faith and light the lamp of hope within our hearts. Then deal with us as seems best to you, for where you lead we can confidently go with Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The words and phrases of this prayer speak to the transitional passages of our life journeys. Found in

the ELCA Book of Pastoral Care, it is, in its simplicity, a dialogue with God which meets us in those

times and experiences when our need for Christ’s presence is great. I have shared them with those

facing illness and dying, with those facing difficult decisions in their lives, and with those seeking

spiritual and emotional guidance. My hope is that these words have become an aid for those who

seek to find guidance in the “One who keeps watch over” us. My hope is that these words bring

comfort and peace to hearts and lives that are restless. What I do know is, that the sharing of these

words with the other, becomes for me an exercise in knowing the need of this prayer in my own

heart and life.

As we enter this Advent season and prepare once again for the Incarnation of God in Christ, God’s

birth among us, I offer you this prayer as words to carry with you through the days ahead. In the

frantic and difficult nature that this time of year may bring to your life and the lives of those around

you, may you embrace this prayer as your own.

As you steal moments of solitude this time of year, hear these words in your life: “Merciful God, in the

stillness of our souls we listen for your voice to know again that your are God.”

These words are a simple phrase which packs the power of God’s love in our lives. Be still. Listen. Hear the voice of God calling to us to know we are loved and treasured, that we are blessed. Perhaps the example of Mary best describes the power of this prayer and the grace of God’s love. Mary, who in the stillness of her soul listened to the voice of God saying, “Blessed are you!” Mary, who survived the journey to Bethlehem and who gave birth among the animals of this world. Mary, who knew the chaos of that day and night and birth experience yet, with all that happened and all that would occur in the life of her son, in the end Mary “treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart.” Luke 2:19

In the stillness of our souls we listen. In the stillness of our souls God is with us in this Jesus born

among us, again and again. In the stillness of our souls we hear the voice of crying a newborn and

know again the treasure of God’s heart. As with Mary we ponder this gift of God’s Son; praying our

faith will be rekindled and the lamp of hope will be relit within our hearts.

A blessed Advent,

Pastor Paul

Sunday School Schedule

Listed below you will find our Sunday School schedule for the month of December and the beginning of January. In December the first three weeks will be reserved for rehearsals for the Christmas Program. The fourth week will be a ONE worship service only Sunday with the presentation of the program as part of that day. Thank you to all children, parents, and volunteers for their involvement this year in our nurturing the faith of all!

December 2

Christmas Play Practice

December 9

Christmas Play Practice

December 16

Christmas Play Practice

December 23

ONE SERVICE ONLY SUNDAY AT 10:00

December 30

Vacation! No Sunday School

January 6

Sunday School Returns with a New Rotation

Decorate the Church for Christmas

On Saturday, December 8, at 9:30 am, we will decorate he church worship space as we prepare for our Celebration of Christmas. Your help is always appreciated for this event. As we did last year, we will use an artificial tree and wreaths to decorate our space.

Also, we continue to use the Chrismon ornaments crafted by Arla Dahlene. Take some time before or after worship or drop by the church, to get an up close view of these

ornaments. We will try to have a pamphlet available on the table in the greeting area of the church

which will provide the meaning behind each Chrismon.

We will, also, decorate the chancel area with poinsettia plants. A sign up chart with prices is posted

on one of the church bulletin boards or you may call the office to order. The last day to order plants

will be December 17.

Shepherd’s Pantry

We thank all who continue to support the Shepherd’s Pantry through the food items dropped into the “Shepherd’s Pantry” container in the greeting area of the church. If you wish to volunteer as part of the Trinity team please contact Jackie Johansen, our church representative. Her phone number is 508-763-3492 and her e-mail is jackie.johansen@ Thank you!

Trinity Lutheran’s After School Ministry invites you to join with the children of the after school in a children’s concert along with an old fashioned carol sing on

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 9

1:00 PM

CONTACT INFORMATION

Church Phone 508 993-6351

Pastor Paul’s Cell 508 264-5624

(The church office will be open from 9:00 AM until 1:00 PM,

Monday through Friday. John Softcheck is our parish

administrator.)

Pastor Paul pasttlc@

John Softcheck jsoftcheck@

Church Website at

CHRISTMAS WORSHIP SCHEDULE

December 24

6:00 PM

A Candlelight Service of Lessons and Carols

11:00 PM

A Candlelight Service of Word and Sacrament

December 25

10:00 AM

A Festival Service of Holy Communion

REMEMBER IN YOUR PRAYERS

(Listings may be extended 3-12 months

by contacting the parish office)

Normand Taylor (12/13) Sue Sellers (10/13)

Zachary Hollister (8/13) Debbie Kackley (8/13)

Tom McCaffrey (7/13) Bernice Quirk (4/13)

Nancy Collins (4/13) Bob Britto (4/13)

Kina Helgeland (4/13) Harold Thuestad (4/13)

Tom Helgeland(4/13) Joseph Gaudiello (4/13)

Virginia Robinson (3/13) Vivian Lee (3/13)

John Powers (3/13) Letitia Jeram (2/13)

Norma Markey (2/13) Raymond Sylvia (2/13)

Linda Leahey (2/13) Kenny Stanley (2/13)

Helen Jenkins (2/13) Cynthia Farrell (2/13)

Marta Johannessen (2/13) Barbara Medhaug (11/12)

Charlotte Theg (11/12) Jessie Davis (1/13)

Vivian Laverdure (1/13) Joe Garcia (1/13)

James Lilly (1/13) Bob Stubblefield (1/13)

Mark Matson (1/13) \ Shana Schoener (1/13)

Jerry Costa (1/13) Priscilla Taylor (1/13)

June Perry (1/13) We pray for these members of the military:

Jeremy Ewing (11/13)

Coats for Kids (and grownups too) Community Coat Drive

The 23 rd annual coat drive is seeking next to new, gently worn or new coats for their community coat drive. If you have any such coats you would like to donate please drop them off to the church office by December 6th. Coats will be distributed through the Unitarian Church of New Bedford on December 8th and may be dropped off there also on that day between 9 and 11 am. Coats for Kids will also accept hats, mittens, gloves, and scarves but NO Clothing. Coats for both children and adults are needed. Thank you!

[pic]TLC PLAY AND LEARN CAMPUS-DECEMBER NEWSLETTER

The holidays are upon us! How quickly time goes by.  As I am typing this the children are in the other room weaving pumpkin mats for Thanksgiving as they just heard a story about the first Thanksgiving.

We are wrapping up our AVON fundraiser.  We had more orders this year than last year from our parents.  All profits excluding expenses will be given to TLC Play & Learn Campus.

We thank you for including us in your Christmas fair.  The children enjoyed making shell trivets to sell and cookies for others to pay to decorate.  Our parents helped with donations to sell and helped in the room.. We also thank Gail Pierce for all her assistance.

If you come by on Tuesday or Thursday you will hear the children singing as they practice for the annual Christmas concert.  We thank Klara Barlow, Joni Gaudiello, and Ellie Haines for all their assistance.  Please come to the concert to get into the Christmas spirit.  It will be Sunday, December 9 at 1 pm.

We are currently signing children up for vacation week at the end of December.  We may go on a field trip if we are open.  It will be a short vacation week, only three days. 

There are currently 41 children enrolled.  If you have or know a child or children who are interested in joining the fun, please call 508-994-3826 to speak with us or leave a message to set up an appointment.

Please remember that there are many ways that you can help your afterschool ministry.  You can be a volunteer or mentor, donate wish list items (outdoor balls, goodies for snack, or a monetary gift), and pray for the children, their families, and the staff.  We thank you all and appreciate your continuing support. Have a blessed Christmas season.  Our families thank you for providing and supporting this ministry and safe haven for their children.

CHRISTMAS FAIR

The Annual Christmas Fair of Trinity Lutheran was held on Saturday, November 17th. Hosted by the Women’s Fellowship of the church the event was a festive and joyous occasion. We thank their tireless efforts and their joyful service. To all who attended and to all who served, we thank you for your presence. The funds raised through the sale help the ministry of the church and the ministries of the local community. By consensus the woen agreed to give the following amounts to the church and local organizations. We Thank the women for their support of the ministry of the church and the community.

 Trinity Lutheran Church                                                $ 3000

 Pastor's discretionary fund          500

 Salvation Army                                 500

 Shepherd's Pantry                          500

 Community Nurses of Fairhaven         500

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Stewardship

Contained in the November newsletter are both your financial commitment sheet and your time and gifts sheet for this year’s stewardship campaign. We ask that you prayerfully complete each one and return to the church office as soon as possible.

ADVENT MIDWEEK SERVICES

ALL Services held at 7:00 PM!

ALL services led by the Confirmation class!

Dates and Themes are listed below!

Join US!

Wednesday, December 5

From the Manger to the Cross

Wednesday, December 12

From the Manger to the Cross, the Sequel

Wednesday, December 19

From the Manger to the Cross, Trilogy

MISSION STATEMENT

TRINITY LUTHERAN CHURCH

In the Spirit of the Loving God

We Worship

Nurture

Witness

Serve

Celebrate

In the cross of Christ!

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