WEEKLY BULLETIN - Good Hope Lutheran Church

Faithful Women of Good Hope


Serving God and Others


12-8 Bulletin

The altar flowers today are given in honor of their daughter, Robin Abbruzzese and her birthday today by Ron and Vickie Hoeft.

The cost of the radio broadcast is donated in loving memory of Willard Schifer by Mary Lou and the family.

Welcome back to Pastor Roger Giese, who led worship and preached on November 24.

THIS WEEK AT A GLANCE
December 8-14, 2019
Sunday: 8:30 a.m. Worship Service*
No Confirmation Class
9:00 a.m. Youth Play Practice
9:30 a.m. Sunday School/Youth Choir/ Children’s Bell Choir/
10:45 a.m. Worship Service
2:30 p.m. Wildlights at Zoo
4:00 p.m. Christmas Concert
Monday: 3:30 p.m. WOW Comm.
7:30 p.m. Dartball – away
Tuesday: 9:30 p.m. Bible Study
7:00 p.m. Prop. Care Comm.
Card making cancelled
Wednesday: 8:50, 9:20, 1:00 Presch. Chapel
5:15 p.m. WOW prayer
5:30-6:15 p.m. WOW meal
6:00 p.m. Spirit of Praise Choir
6:30 p.m. Stwdship. Comm.
6:30 p.m. Bell Choir
7:30 p.m. Senior Choir
Thursday: 7:00 p.m. Preschool Christmas Program
Saturday: 8:00 a.m. Men of Hope
*Holy Communion

Greeter(s) for next week: 8:30 Elma Diller
10:45 Connie Smith

We thank the Pope family (8:30) and Tom Etsinger (10:45) for lighting the Advent Wreath in the services today.

Christmas Concert today:  Please plan on attending United in Harmony's 3rd annual Christmas Concert at 4 PM Sunday, December 8 in the Sanctuary. A variety of sacred and popular Christmas music will be performed including a prelude by Patty Neff. A love offering will be collected to support the Bucyrus feeding ministries including Good Hope's WOW program. -Randy Fischer

Folks are needed to participate in the Lighting of the Advent Wreath for Dec 15 at 8:30 a.m. Please call the church office as soon as possible if you would be willing to do this (419-562-0286).

Several young adults have expressed an interest in meeting as a group. An initial gathering will be held next Sunday, December 15 between services (9:30 a.m.) in the dining room.
Youth/Family News from David Wolfe
419-230-9544
dwolfe005@gmail.com
The trip to Wildlights at Columbus Zoo is today. We will be leaving the church at 2:30 p.m. Cost is $5.00.
There will be a Christmas Shopping Spree at Polaris on December 15. We will leave the church at 2 p.m. Please sign up on the youth bulletin board.

There will be a Christmas Open House at Ray and Sandy Fankhauser’s house on Sunday, December 15 from 1- 4 p.m. (1120 Hillcrest Dr., Bucyrus.) Their house is handicap accessible. Please see insert.

There are still around 20 poinsettias left to be ordered! They are coming from Evergreen in Plymouth. Please get your order to the office as soon as possible.

Please take note of the restored angels on the wall in the front of the sanctuary. Mike and Sharon Zahn and their 8th grade granddaughter, Katie Jordan, worked many hours to restore and refurbish them; Katie painted the faces. The angels were originally made in the late 1970s by Ann and Red Cosgrove. Thank you for this beautiful gift.

The Stephen Ministry Team's new book study will be New Seeds of Contemplation by Thomas Merton. Members of the congregation are welcome to join us on the first Thursday of each month at 7:00 p.m. If you are interested, please contact Bonnie Wolfe, Susan Holdcraft or call the church office so we can order a book for you.

The deadline for the January newsletter is early … on December 10!

Senior Choir will have an additional practice on Monday, December 23 at 7:00 p.m.

Thank you to Mary Scott and all her helpers for the festive Christmas decorations around the church. Please take time to enjoy the them!

“Straight Outta Bethlehem” will be performed at 8:30 a.m. on December 29 by Good Hope’s youth. This program is filled with sweet, singing orphans who live and serve at the Inn of Bethlehem. They are led by a perky, optimistic girl named Starr.
Each of the orphans has been taken in off the streets of Bethlehem by the innkeeper, a kind woman named Trixie. Each is happy to serve the people of the Inn of Bethlehem, and to be a part of their unique “family.” Two of the orphans even have an animal choir that they care for in the stable!
The musical opens with the orphans meeting our antagonist, Blake, who is more pessimistic about life than Starr. He’s learned not to let down his guard or trust people. He is determined to earn some money at the inn, and then get “straight outta Bethlehem.”

Ladies:  If you wish to read the books from the WELCA Fall Gathering, sign up on the paper on the WELCA cupboard in the narthex. The books are The Slave Across the Street, and Slavery in the Land of the Free. Anyone who wishes may read these books; just try to get them read in a timely manner so you can pass them on to the next person on the list. Please keep the two books together as a set.

Ladies: The red bracelets some of you ordered at the Fall Gathering have been tied up in customs. As soon as Ally receives them, I will get them to you. -Sarah

Several asked for the fruit salad recipe and or the lemon cookie recipe from the reception for Pastor Renee. I don’t remember who all requested these recipes, so I laid some copies on the WELCA cupboard in the narthex. Just pick one up if you want one. -Sarah

If you get cold during a worship service, grab a shawl from the basket at the back of the church and throw it over your shoulders or over your legs. Just drop the shawl back in the basket after the service. -Sarah

Good Hope needs a couple of laptops to run the software for the smart boards we got from Wynford Schools this summer. Do you have one in good condition you could donate? Please let the office know. Thanks!

WELCA is collecting warm winter hats and mittens. The mitten tree is located near the Charles Street entrance.

Many individuals and groups use parts of the church for various reasons at all hours of the day and night. Too often, when an activity is done, lights do not get turned off in rooms used. Please, help save on the church’s electric bill; take the responsibility of turning off a few light switches. Consider checking the bathrooms to make sure those lights are off. Even though there may be others elsewhere in the building, the lights you have used need to be shut off.
-Sarah Gebhardt.

This past Wednesday there were 48 meals served at WOW (including 3 meals delivered by Ed and Sandy Wertz) and 30 attended the prayer service. Thank you to Deb Tackett, Joyce Schifer for the meal of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, salad and dessert.
Thank you also to all those who helped with the meal and clean up: Nancy Heiby, KayCee Smith, Dave McDiffitt, Al Basinger, Marjorie Boudinot, Bonnie Wolfe, Linda and Terry Spiegel, David Wolfe, Larry Tackett.
Thanks to Patty Neff for playing the piano for the prayer service.
Two families were helped from the WOW food pantry.
The containers WOW needs currently are clean, empty 8 oz. cool whip containers, 16 oz. containers and 24 oz. cottage cheese containers.
171 items were given out by The Closet. Thank you to Brent Pensinger, Mel McDiffitt, Linda Bean, Dara Wade for helping in The Closet.
The Closet needs these items (only):  socks for kids, men and women, winter gloves and hats, jeans, sweatpants, sweatshirts, sweaters and coats. A big thank you to the Zahns who find good items at auctions and continue to donate them to The Closet.
Please note change in The Closet schedule—it will be open the third Wednesday December.

Thank you to everyone for your prayers and cards during my surgery and recovery. It was much appreciated! -Ed Wertz

Many thanks from the Geneva Ehmann family to everyone for your concern, prayers and cards after her passing. Thank you too for all those who assisted with her funeral and luncheon. We are truly grateful!



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