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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 January 6, 2008 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, – January 6 - 13, 2008
TODAY:	9:00 AM	Worship Service (HC)
		Servicio de Adoración (SC)
	10:15 AM	Coffee Hour
	10:30 AM	Sunday School/Christian Growth
MONDAY:		Market Day orders due
TUESDAY:	6:30 PM	Women Bible Study (led by Mia Koehne) in the DC
	7:30 PM	Praise Team
WEDNESDAY:	7:00 PM	Stewardship / Ed Boards
THURSDAY:	9:00 AM	Quilters
	7:00 PM	Adult Choir Rehearsal
		Hispanic Bible Study
FRIDAY:	7:00 PM	8^th Grade Family Night
SATURDAY:	5:30 PM	Contemporary Service (HC)
SUNDAY:	9:00 AM	Worship Service (HC)
		Servicio de Adoración (SC)
	10:30 AM	Sunday School / Christian Growth Hour

Please, feel free to take a Poinsettia Plant home today, after the service.

They will be removed during this coming week.

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 Koehne. 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:

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 Jan. 5^th – 11^th

5:	Traci W.
6:	Dorothy D.
7:	Warren H.
9:	Robert B., Kristy R., Louis W., Corey B.
11:	Fernando M.

ü In thanksgiving,

for Maciel M., who this morning will be received into church membership at the Spanish Service.

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. Isn’t it amazing to think that “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us” (John 1:14)? Who are we that the Word Himself should come to this squalid world to live among us? We are those He loves – loves so much that He would leave Heaven, would abase Himself, would suffer for us, would die for our sin, would rise so that we, too, can rise. We are those who, in response to this great love, serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness.

FROM THE CLAUSS FAMILY: “We would like to thank everyone for their expressions of sympathy and support. The prayers, food, flowers, and many acts of kindness are greatly appreciated.”

YOUTH GROUP NEWS. 5^th Street Meeting will not meet this week.

v Don’t forget to use the GoodSearch website to raise money for our youth group! www.goodsearch.com and enter “St. Paul Lutheran Church – Melrose Park” in the charity line! We are slowly but surely making money and it’s awesome!

v APPALACHIA! We still need adults willing to serve with the Appalachia mission trip in June of 2008. The list of needs is as follows:

- SPIRITUAL SPONSORS - adults committed to praying for one of the students going on the trip. No financial commitment is required, just the commitment to pray for and talk with one student about the trip.***

- CHAPERONES – adults to join us on our trip, supervise work projects (no labor experience needed), help with meal preparation, and to drive.

- DONATIONS – donations can include anything from simply money, to gas cards, to dry goods for our food for the week.

To all my youth group volunteers: Please forgive me for not having the calendar out to you earlier. I had planned to have it to you before Christmas, and, well, the best laid plans…we all know how that goes. Please forgive me and they are on their way ASAP. Thank you for your patience!

Our junior high/high school youth group on Thursday nights has been discussing different religions and how they compare to Christianity, and to continue our discussion of such things, this week we are going to study Judaism. Thursday night Bible study will be all about Judaism and then this Friday, January 11^th, we have been invited to observe a conservative Jewish Friday evening service. If anyone in the congregation is interested, please join us! We will meet at church at 5:45pm.

ST. PAUL SCHOOL NEWS this week

Click here for school newsletter page

IF YOU DIDN’T…have the opportunity to attend the Upper Grade Christmas Service, you missed a most wonderful retelling of the Christmas story. Through songs, Scripture readings, and dialogue, the children shared with the congregation the message of that first Christmas and the most precious present ever given to the world. A word of thanks goes to the children, their teachers, Chuck Haak, Frieda Zemke, Kristin Ulrich, Ollie Hemmann, Karen Koehler, and Sharon Boos for all the hard work and effort they put into this worship service.

THE THIRD MADE THE DIFFERENCE…This past week, the 7^th & 8^th grade boys’ basketball team, coached by Chuck Haak, went up against St. Luke – Itasca. In the opening quarter, Itasca took the lead by working the ball around the perimeter and hitting the outside shot. In the second period, your Crusaders pressured the guards, denied the open look at the basket, and had a three-point half-time lead. The third quarter marked the turning point in the game. St. Paul took command of both ends of the court. Your Crusaders were able to work the ball to the low post and hit the high percentage shot. The lead soon increased to double digits and that put the game out of reach for Itasca. CHALK UP ANOTHER VICTORY!!!

SPLIT RESULTS…This past Friday, both the girls’ basketball team and the 7^th & 8^th grade boys’ basketball team traveled to Concord – Bensenville. In the first half of the opening game, the lead continued to change hands. However, in the third quarter, your Lady Crusaders foun