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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 23, 2007 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, Pastor  Mr. Douglas Grebasch, Principal

CALENDAR

EVENTS THIS WEEK AT ST. PAUL, – December 23 - 30, 2007
TODAY:	9:00 AM	Worship Service (NHC)
		Servicio de Adoración (NSC)
	10:15 AM	Coffee Hour
	10:30 AM	Sunday School/Christian Growth
		Carol Sing at Westlake Hospital
MONDAY:	6:00 PM	Christmas Eve Program: Lessons and Carols (NHC)
	7:30 PM	Servicio de Nochebuena (SC)
	11:00 PM	Christmas Eve Service (HC)
TUESDAY:	10:00 AM	Christmas Day Worship Service (HC)
THURSDAY:	7:00 PM	Hisp. Bible Class
		Choir Rehearsal
SATURDAY:	5:30 PM	Contemporary Service (NHC)
SUNDAY:	9:00 AM	Worship Service (HC)
		Servicio de Adoración (SC)
	10:30 AM	Sunday School / Christian Growth Hour0

The Church Office will be closed on Monday and Tuesday.

The large Poinsettia plants in the Altar are a gift from John Fiene, our Thrivent Representative.

PASTOR JOHNSON and his Family want to wish everyone a Blessed Christmas and Happy New Year. We are very happy to be at St. Paul and thank you for your encouragement and support.

Merry Christmas! In Christ, Tom, Johanna, Natalie, Daniel and Joseph.

Women’s Bible Study. Have you started making your New Years Resolutions? How about joining a 12 week Bible Study Group! Let’s join together to learn more about our Wonderful Lord through His Word and through each other. “RETURNING TO GOD” A study of the Book of Judges, led by Mia K. Tuesdays: 6:30-8:00 PM, starting January 8, 2008. Please RSVP to the church office, 708-344-1000.

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:

Armond “Bud” C.	Flossie M.	Erna F.
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 Dec. 22^nd – 28^th

23:	Vada J.
24:	Essie W., Jon W., Lynne Z., Alisa W.
25:	Richard S., Seth B.
26:	Fred M., Alexander G.
27:	Nancy B.
28:	Gail G.

ü For those who mourn,

The family of Flossie Malecky, whom the Heavenly Father claimed to Himself this past Monday.

FROM PASTOR JOHNSON. “If you are in the hospital or are in need of pastoral care, please notify Maria in the church office. If it is an emergency, please call my mobile phone (in printed copy of chimes). Please don’t hesitate to call me at any hour if it is important; I keep the phone with me at all times. If the matter is important enough to think about calling a pastor, by all means call me. Please do not think you will disturb me or I will think the matter unimportant. Thanks!”

ANNOUNCEMENTS

STEWARDSHIP CORNER. Trust is a necessary part of our lives. We put in a month’s work, trusting that we’ll receive a paycheck for our finished labor. We get into our cars and drive, trusting that the mechanics have made them safe for our travel. If we can put our trust in fallible human beings, how much more can we trust our Heavenly Father Who promises that, if we give to Him first, He will provide for all we need (Malachi 3:10)!

YOUTH GROUP NEWS:

CAMP FORMS DUE TOMORROW! – by the 6pm Christmas Eve service. Call me if you have any questions.

- There will be no Supernova this Thursday, December 27^th.

- Anyone still interested in information on the mission trip for next June, please call me: 708-343-1000, ext. 243. There is lots of room still left to get involved, whether it be actually going or here back at home! In fact, see the insert on Spiritual Sponsors here in the Chimes!

- 5^TH STREET RESUMES TUESDAY, JANUARY 8^th, at 5:30pm!

- MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!

Appalachia Mission Trip information for June, 2008. How can you get involved? St. Paul is going out on a servant event trip this next June, and this is not just for the youth group. This is going to be a cross-generational event for everyone in the congregation. No matter your age, you can:

- come with us and participate,

- donations: funding, food supplies, gas cards, etc.

- be a spiritual sponsor.

The first two are somewhat self explanatory, but allow me to explain the Spiritual Sponsor: It is my goal that everyone actually leaving Illinois to participate on this trip have a spiritual sponsor back home on which they can depend. A spiritual sponsor’s primary responsibility will be to pray for their specific participant both before and during the trip itself, and then to help them debrief afterwards. A spiritual sponsor is only responsible for praying for their participant; financial sponsoring is not a requirement, nor is it encouraged for spiritual sponsors to provide specific financial support so that others may not feel pressured to do the same. This is a very important part to a mission trip. Prayer. How you want that sponsorship to look is up to you: if you want to take your participant to dinner afterwards to let them tell you about their experiences on the trip, that would be encouraged. If you want to send small gifts with them to the trip so they know they are being prayed for, that would be encouraged. Anything your creativity can come up with or nothing but prayer; either way, spiritual sponsors are behind-the-scenes helpers whose roles are irreplaceable. If you are interested in any of the three ways to participate in this trip, please contact Chelci at 708-343-1000 ext. 243.

New Year’s Eve Service: