Peace Church Council

Peace Lutheran Church

Joyce Hanson
PO Box 164
Barrett, MN 56311
baskets@runestone.net December 2019
320-424-9726
Gaylene Hanson
PO Box 198
Elbow Lake, MN 56531
gaylenehanson@aol.com
218-685-4610
Todd Schneeberger DECEMBER SUNDAY SCHOOL NEWS
26875 Oak Point Rd
Elbow Lake, MN 56531
tbschnee@runestone.net Peace Sunday School will be presenting their Christmas Program on
218-685-5210
Sunday, December 15th at 10:30 am. Our theme this year is “A Time
Robert Shervey
for Christmas” which will feature:
18659 220th Street
Barrett, MN 56311 ~A Time to Get Ready ~A Time to Listen ~A Time to Sing
rshervey@runestone.net ~A Time to Remember ~A Time to Share ~A Time to Thank
218-685-4309
Kim Lang We are looking for large, artificial tree to hang ornaments on and
PO Box 223 several different and unique clocks (they don’t need to work).
Barrett, MN 56311 Please let Joyce know if you have anything we can borrow. Thanks!
Urbangirl77@gmail.com
320-528-2290
There will be no Sunday on December 22 & 29th. Classes will resume
Jon Danner
on Sunday, January 5th.
PO Box 152
Hoffman, MN 56339
jon.danner@yahoo.com Thank yous go out to our Sunday School students who did such a
320-760-3926 great job presenting our Christmas Program; to our Sunday Staff:
Terry Lien Chelsey Anderson, Karen Block, Deb Erickson, Marlene Dreier,
606 3rd Street Kim Lang, and Kristy Simar, for making our program run so smoothly;
Barrett, MN 56311 Karen Block and Deb Erickson who provided our lovely music and
lienterrence@gmail.com
320-528-2063 taught the kids the words; to Peace Men’s Choir for adding their
musical touch; to Beth Schneeberger who make the delicious cup-
Trenton Gatzlaff
Elbow Lake, Mn 56531 cakes; and Pastor Eliza and our congregation who supports us in
retongatzlaff2017@gmail.com everything we do!
320-219-4213
Pastor Eliza Johnson Merry Christmas to all and to all a blessed New Year!
PO Box 266
Barrett, MN 56311
Joyce Hanson, Director
763-234-4399
pastorelizajohson@gmail.com Phone #: 320-424-9726
Sunday, December 1st Altar Guild will be having a Lasagna Dinner after
worship. Free will donation.
December 10th at 9:30am—chapel service at the Barrett Care Center. All
are welcome to attend and help with the service and greet the residents.

December 15th at 10:30am is the Sunday School Christmas Program.

Reminder-Donations for adopt a family need to be delivered by

December 9. If you have questions contact Jennifer McLaughlin at
320-815-8903.
Please talk with Gaylene-Simpli Flowers- if you are interested in
a poinsettia for Christmas here at Peace; there are limited colors and
number of poinsettias available. Her number is 218-685-610

Christmas Worship Service Schedule

Sunday, December 15th, 10:30am
Sunday School Christmas Program
Sunday, December 22rd, 10:30am Worship
Sunday, December 22nd,
6:30pm Blue Christmas
A Service of Healing & Hope
Tuesday, December 24th,
4:30pm Christmas Eve Candlelight Service
Wednesday, December 25th,
Christmas Day, No Worship Service
Sunday, December 29th, 10:30am
Lessons & Carols
Peace Church Council Meeting Minutes

Wednesday, October 2nd, 2019; 6:30 pm

Present: Todd Schneeberger, Gaylene Hanson, Joyce Hanson, Terry Lien, Tren-
ton Gatzlaff, Pastor Eliza Johnson, and Treasurer Tami Weigel. Absent: Kim
Lang, Jon Danner, and Bob Shervey.

Meeting was called to order at 6:32 pm by President Todd Schneeberger.

Devotion from Exodus was given by Pastor Eliza.

Pastor’s Report:
~Pastoral Acts – 1 funeral, 1 memorial service, 1 baptism
~Attended Fall Theological Conference 9/15-17, theme “Building a Bigger Ta-
ble”
~First Breakfast Club to be held this Friday
~Bible Study focused on Genesis
~Confirmation – had 2 core classes, Spirit Lab this Sunday at Peace

Secretary’s Report was accepted with changes. Motion was made by Gaylene,
seconded by Todd. MCU

Treasurer’s Report was not available due to computer problems.

Old Business:
~The bus was sold for $500.00

New Business:
~Council granted a visit by the Gideons
~New Member Sunday – we need to pick a Sunday and possibly have a mentor
introduce them
~Bread for the World is on October 20th
~Stewardship Themes – VANCO (automated giving program) will be explained
in the November newsletter
~Time and Talent list will be distributed
~Counting Process – implemented in January, 2 needed for each Sunday, de-
posits will be made on Sunday in the overnight depository at Star Bank
~Budget Planning – reviewed Pastor’s benefits. We will work on budget next
month. Motion was made by Joyce, seconded by Gaylene to approve the Gold+
Portico Benefit plan in 2020 for Pastor Eliza.
~We need to begin looking for two council members beginning in 2020.
~A new laptop computer needs to be purchased for Pastor Eliza.
~List of goals was presented.

Motion was made by Trenton, seconded by Gaylene to adjourn at 8:01 pm.

Submitted by Joyce Hanson, Secretary

 December 2019
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1ADVENT 2 3 4 5 6 7
9:15am Sunday School 6:30pm Council 6:30am Men’s 7:00am
9:15am Bible Study Breakfast Breakfast Club
10:30am Worship 3:15pm 10am
11:30am Altar Guild Confirmation Faithful Folders
Lasagna Dinner

8 9 10 11 12 13 14
9:15am Sunday School 9:30am 6:30am Men’s 10am
10:30am Worship Barrett Care Breakfast Faithful Folders
Center Worship
Spirit Lab at United
Lutheran from
5:30-7:30pm

15 16 17 18 19 20 21
9:15am Sunday School 6:30am Men’s 7:00am
10:30am Breakfast Breakfast Club
Worship/Sunday 10am
School Program Faithful Folders

22 23 24 25 26 27 28
NO Sunday School 4:30pm Christmas Day 6:30am Men’s 10am
10:30am Worship Christmas NO Worship Breakfast Faithful Folders
Eve Worship Service
6:30pm Blue Christmas Service
A Service of Healing &
Hope

29 30 31
NO Sunday School
10:30am Worship
Service of
Lessons & Carols
 December 2019
Advent is my favorite season of the church year.
Advent is the four Sundays leading up to Christmas
Eve and it is the time when we attempt to slow
down. We slow down to anticipate God coming into
the world as a little baby – as a savior named Jesus.
Advent coincides with the holiday rush – the parties,
the shopping, the decorating, the eating, the baking, the card making, the volunteering, and on and on. Many of these
holiday tasks are joyful and meant in fun, but too much of a good thing can be distracting. The weeks of Advent and the
worship to God that we practice during those weeks, is a reminder to re-center, to reconnect, and to remember the
greatest gift we will ever receive – the gift of God with us, Immanuel, Jesus.
I think that this season means so much to me because it is a reminder of a message that is often given less focus in our
faith. As Christians we often hear the most about Jesus’ death and resurrection – we are reminded of it in our liturgies, our
creeds, our prayers. This message of life after death is incredible and significant, so I understand its prevalence in our
practices. However, at Christmas, we also receive an incredible and significant message. It is the message that heaven is
here and is human. When God comes to be with humanity by becoming human as Jesus, we are told that our human
experience – the good stuff and the hard stuff – all matters to God and brings us closer to the divine.
Advent is a time for us to rest in knowing that God has brought heaven here to us in a mysterious way through the birth
of Jesus. As we await the coming of Christmas this year, we also recognize the times where we feel anxious or antsy in the
waiting time – when being human is just a tough thing to be. Because we believe that Jesus is the son of God and God
with us, we live in a time of knowing and un-knowing – the now and not yet. We know that Jesus is who he says he is, we
practice believing that heaven is here with us, and we also know that a bigger and closer experience of heaven is yet to
come. God has room and grace enough for all of it.
I invite you to be a part of our community at Peace in the waiting. The advent season this December will include many
opportunities for worship, relationship-building, and memory making. I pray that you experience heaven here with us in
one of the many ways that God will be with us this season: bible study, meal sharing, the Christmas Program, worship
arts, Blue Christmas worship or our traditional Christmas Eve service. I also pray that you find some time of quiet this
month. I pray that God grants you rest and space in an otherwise busy time to just be and receive this gift we are prom-
ised. Oh come Immanuel.
Local Author Releasing Her First Book Worldwide on December 15

Local author and community member, Natalie Dawn Hanson, has written her
first book titled, Made to Soar: Christ-Centered Truths to Encourage, Equip,
and Empower Moms, which will be available for purchase, worldwide, on
Sunday, December 15, 2019.
To celebrate her book’s release, a Made to Soar Book
Launch Party is taking place on Sunday, December
15, at the Common Grounds Coffee House in
Alexandria, MN (516 Hawthorne Street). Doors
open at 2:30 p.m. for pre-party festivities including
refreshments, live Christmas music, photo opps, and
book signing. The party begins at 3 p.m. with a candid chit-chat and inter-
view with the author, book reading, door prize drawings, and some special
music.
It’s sure to be an uplifting, joyous Christmas-time event! Women and men
of all ages are invited to attend this celebration. Grab a few friends and
come and enjoy a lovely afternoon as together we launch, Made to Soar into
the world—all for God’s glory—and pray for God to use it as a vehicle to
bring hope to other women.
 Serving in December
Dec. 1 Altar Guild
Dec. 8 Eileen & Chuck Olson
Tami & Andrew Weigel
Dec. 15 Sunday School Program
Dec. 22 Lee and Pat Ronhovde

Ushers for Christmas Eve Service at 4:30pm

Lee and Pat Ronhovde
Tom and Sandy Perry

Dec. 29 Karen & Steve Ellis

Karen Block

Altar Guild
Work Group # 3 Leaders
Marlene Dreier
Lee & Pat Ronhovde
Gaylene Hanson
Tom & Sandy Perry
Kay Johnson

USHERS/ACOLYTES
**Please arrive by 10:15 to
receive instructions.

December 1 Acolyte-Tristan Fagre

Usher– Camden Anderson

December 8 Acolyte– Jenna Lang

December 15 Sunday School Christmas Program

December 22 Acolyte-McKaylyn Stevens

Usher-Simon Moritz

December 29 Acolyte-Ayden Danner

Usher-Isaac Overson
PEACE LUTHERAN CHURCH
PO Box 206
Barrett MN 56311

December 2019

Office: 320-528-2536 email: Office@PeaceBarrett.org

218 Church Street PO Box 206 Barrett, MN 56311