St. Stephen’s Weekly News:
Week of December 1, 2019

Welcome Visitors If you are visiting today, we welcome you in our Risen and Living Savior, Jesus!

• Please let us know you worshiped with us by signing our guest book in the entryway or a Care Card in your pew and drop it in the offering basket.
• If visiting, please don’t feel obligated to give an offering. St. Stephen’s members express thankfulness to God through their voluntary offerings which then support the congregation’s work.
• Introduce yourself to a Pastor, and worship with us again!

Holy Communion will be offered next week in all services. You may register by card at any time.

Radio Service: 9:30am on AM 1430 WBEV
Sunday, December 1, 2019
Sermon: Wait Gracefully and Peacefully for Jesus’ Advent!
Hymns: 70, 66, 64, 60
Sunday, December 8, 2019
Sermon: Prepare to Meet Your Savior
Hymns: 61, 63, 64, 66

First Friday Communion: Our brief communion service for those who can “get out” but for whom being at a full service is difficult will be Friday, December 6^th , at 1:30pm. in the church.  Please use the ramp or elevator entrance.

Advent Song Service Our Advent Song Service featuring Junior and Senior Choirs will be Sunday, December 22 in the 9:00 and 10:30 services.

Seth Dorn pastorsdorn@gmail.com 631-7028

Philip Heyer pastorheyer@saintstephen.org 887-1117

Paul Stratman pcstratman@gmail.com 885-6960

Bible Studies

• Women’s Bible Study Group meets on Wednesday nights at 6pm. Copies of the study are available in the church entry and at study time. All women of the congregation are welcome.
• Men’s Bible Study meets on Sunday nights at 6:30pm in the meeting room above church office. All men are welcomed and encouraged to join.
• Fall Bible Study “God’s Grace Learned Through Hard Lessons”. This study will be an overview of the book of Numbers. When hard times come, we can easily give up and feel like God is not with us. However, we will see the rich grace of God given to his people even during very difficult times. We will meet Mondays at 7:00pm and Wednesdays at 11:00am. All are welcome!

WELS International Youth Rally June 23-25, 2020, the youth rally will be held in Knoxville, TN. This is for all teens who are confirmed. At this rally there are workshops, recreation, and entertainment. Come join with over 2000 fellow teens to build your faith and friendships. If anyone is interested, please speak with Pastor Dorn. We need to know who will be going by January. Financial assistance is available for those wishing to attend.

Relax with a Christmas Concert!  Sunday, December 15 at 3:00 P.M. Maggie (former St. Stephen’s member, pianist) and husband Tim Rebers (tenor) will present a Christmas concert in our sanctuary, titled “Mystery & Celebration”.  There will be sacred and secular pieces, some arranged by Tim.  It’s free and open to the public.  Invite friends.  Donations are appreciated.

Decorating For Christmas:

20 people or more are needed, please meet at the front of church (ramp door will be open)

• Saturday, December 7^th, 8:00am – Put up/Decorate 12 ft. Christmas trees (strong men encouraged to participate)

Any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to Rudy Gaytan at 887-3083.

Joint Advent Service the 4th annual joint Advent service with Beaver Dam/Juneau/Horicon/Lowell will be held at Good Shepherd, Wednesday, December 4 at 7pm. There will be devotions by the pastors, and special music by the choirs of all churches. Please join us for this special service.  Dessert reception to follow service.

Advent by Candlelight 2019  There is a sign-up sheet at both church entrances for any of our ladies who would like to attend Advent by Candlelight.  This year’s program will be held Sunday, December 8th.  The title of the program this year is Letters from Biblical Women.   The event will begin in the church basement at 2:00 p.m. with registration, meet and greet until 2:20, when dessert and coffee will be served.  At 2:50 we will go to the church sanctuary where the program will take place.  The program will start at 3:00 or when all are seated.  Please join us!  If you have a seating request or hostess preference, or any food allergies, please note that on the sign-up sheet.  The last sign-up date is Dec. 1st.

Quarterly Voters’ Meeting will be on Sunday, December 8^th, at 11:40 am.  At this meeting we will adopt the 2019 Ministry Spending Plan and call for a Principal.  All voting members are encouraged to attend.

Ladies Aid Christmas Party will be held on Thursday, December 5, 2019 at NOON in the church basement.  The cost for ladies aid members is $6.  Our collection will be given to the Radio Fund.

St. Stephen’s Radio Service Join us on WBEV 1430 for a special one hour Christmas radio service, Wednesday, Christmas Day, December 25 at 11am. This service is a composite recording of our School and Candlelight Christmas Eve Services from previous years.

St. Stephen’s Piano Students Recital will be held on Monday, December 16^th at 6 pm. The recital will be taking place in the church this year. We ask that the ramp entrance be the main entrance for this event.

St. Stephen’s Band Students Recital will be held on Tuesday, December 17^th at 6 pm in the school gym.

Here To Help Do you have questions, concerns, or positive comments about St. Stephen’s?  St. Stephen’s Council Members will now be wearing pins to help you identify them.  Please seek them out as they are here to help and serve.

Our Response to God’s Grace in Christ:

Participation:
Thursday, November 21:  114

Sunday, November 24:  82 + 185 + 144 = 411

Calendar: 

Sunday, December 1 – Ushers D

7:30, 9:00, 10:30am – Worship

8:30am – Coffee Fellowship-Blood Pressure Clinic

9:00am – Sunday School

9:30am – Radio Service, WBEV 1430

5:30pm – Men’s Basketball

6:30pm – Men’s Bible Study

Monday, December 2

7:00pm – Bible Class

Tuesday, December 3

6:30pm – Board of Property and Maintenance

7:15pm – Sr. Choir practice

Wednesday, December 4

11:00am – Bible Class

1:45pm – Hillside Manor Service

3:30pm – Public School Catechism

7:00pm – Advent Service at Good Shepherd

Thursday, December 5 – Ushers D

12:00pm – Ladies’ Aid Christmas Lunch

6:30pm – Handbells

7:30pm – Bible Information Class

Friday, December 6

1:30pm – First Friday Communion

Sunday, December 8 – Ushers E

7:30, 9:00, 10:30am – Communion Worship

9:00am – Sunday School

9:30am – Radio Service, WBEV 1430

11:40am – Quarterly Voters’ Meeting

2:00pm – Advent by Candlelight

5:30pm – Men’s Basketball

6:30pm – Men’s Bible Study