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Of all the gifts for which we thank God, above all is the gift of Himself to us, His erring but redeemed children! “Whom have I in Heaven but You? And earth has nothing I desire besides you” (Psalm 73:25).

Our purpose is to reach out to families and individuals of all backgrounds and bring them into healing and transforming relationships with the Lord Jesus and with others in His Church through the sharing of God’s Word and Sacraments.

THE CHIMES December 10, 2006 Listen to Sermon Here St. Paul Lutheran Church and School a multiethnic family of faith 1025 Lake Street * Melrose Park, IL 60160 Church Ph. No. 708-343-1000 * School Ph. No. 708-343-5000 Fax No. 708-343-8635 www.stpaulmp.org Rev. Thomas R. Johnson, Senior Pastor  Mr. Douglas Grebasch, Principal

CALENDAR

EVENTS THIS WEEK AT ST. PAUL, December 10 - 17, 2006
TODAY:	9:00 AM	Worship Service (NHC)
		Servicio de Adoración (NSC)
		Coffee Hour
	10:30 AM	Sunday School / Christian Growth Hour
TUESDAY:	7:30 PM	Praise Team
WEDNESDAY:	6:00 PM	Soup Supper
	7:00 PM	Midweek Advent Service
	8:00 PM	Ed / Stewardship Boards
THURSDAY:	9:00 AM	Quilters
		Mailers
	7:00 PM	Choir Rehearsal
		Spanish Bible Study
SATURDAY:	5:30 PM	Contemporary Service (NHC)
SUNDAY:	9:00 AM	Worship Service (HC)
		Servicio de Adoración (SC)
	10:15 AM	Coffee Hour
	10:30 AM	Sunday School / Christian Growth Hour

Midweek Advent Service: Wed. Dec. 13 (A hymn sing will precede beginning at 7 PM)

Theme: “Mission in the Last Days: God’s Plan for a Multiplying Church through the Power of the Holy Spirit”

Wednesday, Dec. 20: Children Christmas Service followed by a reception in the cafeteria

Remember to send your Christmas Greetings to all your St. Paul friends via The Newsletter. Your donation in lieu of postage will help defray other church non-budgeted expenses. The Newsletter Christmas edition will be mailed on Dec. 14.

(Greetings list will also be included in the Dec. 24 Chimes, if you miss the Dec. 14 mailing)

LUTHERAN HOUR MINISTRIES launched The JCPlayZone website, www.jcplayzone.org, which is a safe online play space for children ages 2-6 and their parents. This site will allow children to learn about Jesus through interactive games, puzzles, crafts, and more. Lutheran Hour Ministries offers a wide variety of media programs and ministries to reach millions of people around the world with the saving message of Jesus Christ and connect them to the church.

WELCOME ALL Toddlers to Sunday School in the Extended Day Care room across from the cafeteria. There will be playtime and a short Bible lesson/activity. Parents are encouraged to attend adult Bible class or stay with their child, according to preference. If there are any questions, please see Johanna Johnson.

Advent devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries are available online at: http://adventdevotions.net/. More information about Lutheran Hour Ministries is available at: http://www.lhm.org/.

Please include the following prayer needs in your personal and family devotions this week.

ü We pray for those in care facilities and at home who are physically unable to worship with us. We also ask God to heal and comfort the following members and/or friends of our congregation:

Florence D.	Hellen D.	Evelyn V.	Emily B.
We also want to continue to remember those in nursing facilities, those who are recovering, and those who are receiving ongoing treatments.

*(If you would like us to pray for someone, please let Maria, our church secretary; know, either by phone or with a request card. Names of congregational members will remain on this list for 4 weeks unless additional requests are received.)

ü We pray for those celebrating birthdays the week of December 9^th – 15^th

11:	Gladys Mielke, Antoinette Smith, Kameron Toney.
13:	Lester Fiene.
14:	Daniel Lehmann, Jamall Howleit.
15:	Catalina Leos, Jerome Swift.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

INCLUDED in this issued of Chimes is a packet of The Wheat Ridge Christmas Seals. Please

mail your monetary gift directly to Wheat Ridge Ministries. More packets are available in the narthex. Take some packets home and give some to your family and friends. Your gift to this program leads to more ministries of health and hope in Christ’s name.

Time Again for Cookies:

Wanted are cookies for the annual Sing-Along NEXT Sunday, Dec. 17, and for the Children Christmas Program reception on Wednesday, Dec. 20. Mark your contribution for either event, if you choose.

THE CARE CORPS is requesting your help to deliver the Christmas gift bags to our shut-ins. The distribution date is set for TODAY.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………

SHARE YOUR CHRISTMAS JOY. Buy a Red Poinsettia for the chancel Christmas decoration to be picked up after the Christmas Day Service (which then can be used as a gift for a needy person). Large plant (6+ blooms) price: $12. Place your order by Dec. 20 through the church office or give to an usher in a separate envelope marked “Poinsettia Plant”.

Name:_____________________________________________Telephone: __________________

No. of Plants: ________ Payment included ____Yes ____No Amount: $_______________

ST. PAUL SCHOOL NEWS this week

Click here for school newsletter page

HAVE YOU EVER…been given a glow stick? You know, one of those plastic sticks that glows when you snap it and shake it…it glows in the dark. In a real sense, you and I are very much like a glow stick. Sin snapped us and we were broken, the Gospel shook us with forgiveness, and now we glow and light up the darkness. Just as the light of the star led the Wise Men to the manger and the Christ Child, so we too need to light up the way and lead others to the true Gift of Christmas. This was the message Pastor Heller, from Lutherbrook, shared with the children in chapel this past week. Lutherbrook Child and Adolescent Center is a foster home facility that serves children who are wards of the State or whose families do not have the resources to provide proper care for them. As part of this month’s chapel offering, St. Paul students are being asked to bring an unwrapped gift to share with the children of Lutherbrook. If you would like to join the children and brighten a child’s celebration of Christmas, just bring a gift to church next week. This week’s chapel speaker will be our very own Frieda Zemke. Please note that this week’s chapel will begin at 10:00 rather than at 8:45.

A SUCCESSFUL ROAD TRIP…League play continued as the girls’ basketball team, coached by Kristin Ulrich, traveled to Trinity – Lombard. Although at times the offensive appeared to sputter, Lombard was unable to capitalize on the mismatches. As the game progressed, the offensive weapons of your Crusaders took control. Domination of the boards and the quick outlet pass were just too much for Lombard to handle. Chalk up another St. Paul victory. The girls’ next opponent will be Trinity – Burr Ridge. Look for the results in the upcoming edition of the Crusaders’ Adventures.

STRONG FROM THE BEGINNING…The 7^th & 8^th grade boys’ basketball team also took to the court against Lombard. From the opening quarter, the outcome of the game was never in doubt. Your Crusaders immediately took control of both boards and were effectively able to work the offensive. Trinity could not find a defensive answer for the fast break and were unable to prevent St. Paul from getting second and third shots at the basket. As the score began to mount, Coach Haak was able to clear the bench and allow each member of the team to receive substantial playing time. Mark up another one for the win column. The boys’ will also face Burr Ridge in their next game

A CHRISTMAS FIELD TRIP…On Tuesday, December 12^th, the children in 1^st through 8^th grades will board buses and head for the Chodl Theatre in Berwyn to see a production of The Nutcracker. The cast for this ballet is composed primarily of students from the greater Chicagoland area. Needless to say, our students are looking forward to seeing this classic Christmas presentation.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR…The Lower Grade children’s service, Jesus Lights the Way, will be held in the church on Wednesday evening, December 20^th, beginning at 7:15. Please accept this warm invitation to journey back in time to that star-filled night a little over 2,000 years ago and walk with the shepherds and the Wise Men to Bethlehem and stand in awe of the greatest Gift ever given to mankind.

CHRISTMAS IS ONLY A COUPLE OF WEEKS AWAY…Are you finished shopping for relatives and friends? “What” do we get for the children, for Mom and Dad, Grandma and Grandpa, let alone all the nephews, nieces, aunts or uncles? If you’re not sure of “what” to get a family member or friend…give him or her a gift certificate…you can’t go wrong with that. If you plan on treating yourself at Christmas time to something special…like a new LCD TV…why not purchase it through Manna gift cards? The gift cards are just like cash. Check out the list: Circuit City, Best Buy, Kohls, Borders, and so many other stores are available to you. Questions about the program? Contact Mrs. Koehne. (Note: The last Manna order before Christmas will be on December 18^th, with delivery on December 21^st. Given the volume of participation during the Christmas season, individual orders will be available for pickup on Thursday, rather than Wednesday.)

JOURNEY TO BETHLEHEM. First Baptist Church of Oak Park at 820 Ontario Street, extends an invitation to our congregation to join them for its annual Journey to Bethlehem live nativity to be held next Saturday and Sunday, December 16 & 17, 6:00 - 8:00 PM, on the front lawn of the church. Journey to Bethlehem is a five-scene retelling of the story of Christ’s birth. The scenes include the annunciation at Mary’s house, the journey of Mary and Joseph, the Magi at Herod’s place, the Shepherds’ Field, and the stable. Each scene is re-enacted by members of the congregation. The cast also includes sheep, goats, llamas, a donkey, and a camel. As a Christmas gift to the community, there is no charge for the event. Hot cocoa and hot cider will be served at the Welcome Booth.

DECEMBER NEWSLETTER ITEMS:

As the Newsletter is very cumbersome to duplicate online, a few important items from the most recent issue are included here. We will endeavor to keep them up to date.

“HOME IMPROVEMENTS FOR THE HOUSE OF GOD (“Red” Envelope)

--VS--

“CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT” (“Blue” Envelope)

It is important for members to understand that the above 2-envelopes are “DIFFERENT” and the purpose for the 2-envelopes is “DIFFERENT”.

The “HOME IMPROVEMENTS FOR THE HOUSE OF GOD” (“Red” envelope) is for our current “SPECIAL DRIVE” with a goal of $30,000 to be received by Thanksgiving.  These monies are needed to pay the balance of the invoices for the major “BUILDING REPAIRS” (Total $60,000) approved at the Voters’ Meeting on 09/10/2006.  Your donations to this “SPECIAL DRIVE”, over and above your regular contributions, are needed to reach the ‘GOAL” .  As of 11/05/2006, we have received **$21,938**-------**$8,062** SHORT OF OUR GOAL.

The “CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT” (“Blue” envelope) is a “regular monthly” envelope.  These monies are held in a designated account to provide “SEED MONEY” for future major repairs, just as they did this fall.  As there will be numerous additional “BUILDING REPAIRS” in the near future, it is extremely important that the monthly “CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT” envelopes be utilized so that the ‘CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT” designated account is replenished. The commitment of the members of St. Paul to use both of these envelopes is important. If you have any questions, contact Barbara Karg, Treasurer, or Jane Pluss, Business Manager.

PROVISO PANTRY FOOD DRIVE. For the past several years, the Care Corps, with the help of other members, have participated in a food drive for the needy in our area at Cub Food Stores in early December. The food products were contributed to the Proviso Food Pantry, for which we have an ongoing support.

This year, due to the closing of the Cub Stores, it is necessary to change the nature of the drive. On December 2-3, 9-10, the Care Corps will collect food or a monetary contribution for the Pantry. Tables will be set up in the narthex and in the lunchroom for accepting your gifts.

Items which can be used are non-perishable products such as: Canned Vegetables and Fruits, Tuna, Soup, Packages of Rice, Cereal, Beans, Potato Products, Mac & Cheese, Pasta, Tomato Sauces and Paste. Please support this effort with your on-going care for the needy in our area!

FROM THE CARE CORPS

Time Again for COOKIES

The Care Corps is again requesting your help with the provision of home-baked cookies which will be included in the December Gift Bags for our Shut-ins. The current edition of Portals of Prayer is also sent.

Please bring your contribution of cookies to the School lunchroom by Thursday, Dec. 7^th in time