CROSS OF CHRIST LUTHERAN CHURCH24155 Griswold Road, South Lyon, MI 48178

248-437-8810Fax: 248-437-7708

www.crossofchristlutheran.org Email: cross-christ@att.net Like us on FACEBOOK at: www.facebook.com/crossofchristsouthlyon

N O V E M B E R , 2 0 1 5

Sunday Worship: 10 a.m.Holy Communion is celebrated on the 2nd, 4th, and 5th Sundays of the month.

Sunday School: 10 a.m. – 3 years old through fifth grade Adult Bible Study: Sundays 9:00 a.m.

Youth Bible Study: 10 a.m. (1st & 3rd Sundays)

Dear Beloved Members and Friends,

We celebrate Thanksgiving during November. As a congregation, we will thank and worship God during our Thanksgiving Eve service on Wednesday, November 25, at 7 p.m. and the Sunday before at 10 a.m. on November 22. Our national day of Thanksgiving will be celebrated on Thursday, November 26. God is worthy of our thanksgiving for all the blessings He has given us.

You may be planning to have family or friends over to your home on Thanksgiving Day. You call, text, or email to invite them. You buy the turkey and other groceries for the Thanksgiving Day feast. You clean your home in preparation for the Thanksgiving celebration. If it snows, you shovel snow and put down salt. You may assign family members one or more tasks to prepare for your guests’ arrival. You prepare the turkey and put it in the oven. You heat the vegetables, make the stuffing, and prepare a dessert. You look out the window to see if your guests’ vehicles are on your street in front of your home or are driving up your driveway. You will watch for your guests’ arrival and give thanks.

Jesus urges us to watch for His coming back. Christ guides us to look for the signs that precede His second coming. Our Lord encourages us to be on guard and alert, because we don’t know when that time of His return will come. We can gratefully and joyfully do the assigned tasks God has given to us. As we prepare for Christ’s second coming and Thanksgiving Day, let us watch and give thanks.

You are a servant of Jesus by Baptism and by faith in Him. Christ has put you in charge of a portion of His house. Our Lord has put you in charge in your vocations as disciple, church member, child, spouse, parent, worker, neighbor, and citizen. Jesus has assigned you tasks in your vocations. Jesus has assigned you the task of making disciples of all nations.

Continued . . . .

Pastor’s Letter

November, 2015

Christ has given you the task of loving God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. Our Lord has assigned you the task of loving one another as He has loved you. Jesus has given you the task of honoring and obeying your parents. Christ has given you the task of loving and respecting your spouse. Our Lord has assigned you the task of bringing up your children in His instruction and training. Jesus has given you the task of working for Him whole-heartedly on your job. Christ strengthens you to accomplish the tasks He has assigned you. Thank the Lord for the tasks that He has assigned you and for the strength He gives you to do them.

Our Lord will serve you in His Supper this month. Jesus will give you His body in the bread you will eat. Christ will serve His blood to you in the fruit of the vine you will drink. Our Lord will bless you with forgiveness of sins, life, salvation, love, joy and peace in His feast of love. You will proclaim your Lord’s death until He comes again in glory.

Thank our Lord for all the blessings He has given us. Give thanks to our Lord for serving and blessing us in His Supper. Thank the Lord and sing His praise for all the blessings He gives us in His Supper.

May our Lord bless you during this month of November and always!

Sincerely Yours in Christ,Pastor Terry Nelson

Thanksgiving Worship Services

Sunday, November 22 – 10 a.m.Wednesday, November 25 – 7 p.m.

All are invited . . . . Annual

Thanksgiving DinnerSunday, November 22

After Worship

Come and celebrate Thanksgiving with your church family on Sunday, November 22, after the 10:00 a.m. worship service. Enjoy a delicious turkey dinner with all the trimmings. Suggested Donation amounts will be posted on the sign-up sheet. Donations of desserts are requested, as well as CLEAN UP help after the dinner. Sign up on the Information Board, email us at cross-christ@att.net, or call 24-437-8810 to reserve your spot!

C H R I S T I A N E D U C A T I O N

“Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it.”

Proverbs 22:6

SUNDAY SCHOOL classes are held at 10 a.m. for children three years old through fifth grade. Children are dismissed to their classes from the worship service after the opening hymn. During November, the children will begin working on the Children’s Christmas Program, tentatively scheduled for Sunday, December 13.

YOUTH BIBLE STUDY SCHEDULE: Youth in grades 6 – 12 meet during the worship service on the first and third Sundays of the month. They are dismissed to their classes after the opening hymn. YOUTH EVENT:

Cross of Christ YFC (Youth for Christ) BONFIRE NIGHT, Saturday, November 7, 5:00-9:30pm, at the home of Annie Nichols, 11435 Fairlane Drive, South Lyon. Youth in grades 6-12 are invited for a bonfire, hot dogs, marshmallows, beverages, hide and seek and more! FRIENDS are welcome! RSVP- Call, email, or text Amy at 810-333-6370 lockarda@slcs.us or Dom at 586-864-8623 or dae5@yahoo.com.SUNDAY ADULT BIBLE CLASS

Sunday mornings at 9 a.m.

The Adult BIBLE CLASS (Sundays at 9 a.m.) is seeing and discussing a DVD Bible study produced by the Lutheran Hour on the life and ministry of Martin Luther. It was Martin Luther, born in 1483, whom God would use mightily to declare unequivocally to the world that it is by grace – and grace alone – we are saved. All are welcome to join us!

CONFIRMATION instruction, for young people in 7th and 8th grades, is held Wednesdays, from 4:00 – 5:30 p.m. If you are interested in having your child join the class, give Pastor Nelson a call.

CROSS OF CHRISTCHRISTIAN PRESCHOOL

We are enjoying a large enrollment this school year at preschool. If you are new to our congregation and would like information, we would love to have you visit our school. We offer a play-based program for three and four year olds, with age appropriate academics and kindergarten readiness.

ADVENT WORSHIP

This year’s mid-week Advent worship services will be held on Wednesday afternoons in December (Dec. 2, 9, and 16) at 12:30 p.m. We hope the new time will work out for many.

NEW MEMBER WELCOME

WE WELCOMED our new members on Sunday, October 18 and thank God for them:Earl Baldwin Scott McFadden Brian Priskorn Diane Fenoglio David O. Nelson Lynda WhitcherJoAnn Fransik

May God bless them in our midst!

THANK YOU to Ettie Ann Hirth for organizing the church potluck on the 18 th, and to all who helped with set up and clean up!STEWARDSHIP COMMITMENTS

Thank you to all who turned in their 2016 COMMITMENT Form. We would like everyone to fill out a Commitment Form, even if you are unable to pledge at this time. Commitment forms can still be returned in the offering plate or mailed to the church office. Extra forms can be found on the table in the Gathering Hall. Our Financial Secretary, Chuck Deeds, confidentially reviews the pledges.CHILDREN’S HALLOWEEN PARTY

THANK YOU to Tom & Kelli Hackbardt, Amanda, Abbi, Lexie, and Annie for all of their hard work setting up and organizing this year’s Children’s HALLOWEEN Party. The party was well attended and all of the children had a great time!

Thank you to the many youth that attended and helped with the games. Thank you also to all who helped at the party, donated candy, baked goods, etc. and helped to clean up afterwards.

COMMEMORATION OF THE + FAITHFUL DEPARTED +

All Saints Sunday – November 1, 2015

We remember those called home to glory this past year:

Frank G. Huber January 7, 2015 Edward N. Hempel January 12, 2015 James R. Bedard January 25, 2015 Mary E. Pogarch April 27, 2015 Bill Campbell September 12, 2015 Neil E. Nichols September 15, 2015

P R E P A R I N G F O R C H R I S T M A S

OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD

Our congregation is again reaching out to needy children in desperate situations around the world through Operation Christmas Child. Please fill your own box (plastic or shoe box is fine). BROCHURES are available on the entryway table with suggestions. If able, please include a $7 donation in the envelope for shipping and place on top inside your box. FILLED BOXES ARE DUE BACK ON SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 15.CHRISTMAS LIGHTS

We thank Christmas Décor, by Eradico, for donating all of the outdoor Christmas lights for this upcoming Christmas season.

CHURCHDECORATING FORCHRISTMAS Saturday, November 28th – 9 a.m. Thanksgiving weekend

Help is needed (both men and women) to put up our Christmas tree and decorate the sanctuary for the Christmas season. We usually complete the task in an hour or two. Hope you can attend!POINSETTIAS

We need your help - sign up to place Poinsettias on the altar for Christmas services!

Watch for a sign-up sheet in November to purchase POINSETTIA plants for the church sanctuary for Christmas week. The beautiful three-stem plants may be taken home after the Christmas Eve worship services.

COINS FOR CROSS OF CHRIST

Dream Catchers Save your “spare” change for Cross of Christ ministry in our Dream Catcher containers. Take home a labeled can, available on the entryway table.

LWML MITE BOX COLLECTION Throughout the year you can collect change in a LWML mite box and place it in the larger box, provided on the entryway table. Your spare change can make a big difference for Missouri Synod mission work. Banding together under the LWML umbrella, Lutheran women have touched millions of people in more than 30 countries.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

If you are looking for a year-end donation for a specific need/project, give Bonnie a call for a list of most needed projects. . . . .. Bonnie Reichert (248-349-1555)

ACTIVE FAITHRemember Active Faith with nonperishable food items during this holiday season. (A donation box is located at the front entryway.) This is a way to thank God for all He has given us. Our congregation pledges $250 per month to Active Faith. Monetary donations are also welcome.____________________________________________________________________________STEWARDSHIPCORNER

Are You One of the Nine?

The account in Luke 17:11-19 of Jesus’ healing of the ten lepers is very familiar to us. We remember how these poor afflicted outcasts cried out to the Lord for healing and that Jesus had pity on them. As they went on their way to the priests to get official verification of their healing as Jesus told them to do, they saw that they were indeed cured of the dreadful disease. Nine continued on their way, but one, so filled with gratitude, put off the official trip so he could return to Jesus.

Isn’t this just like us? Aren’t we so often one of the nine? We put our requests before God, and, when He answers them, we go our joyful way, forgetting to thank Him for hearing us and blessing us. Still He continues to pour out His goodness on us. Take a walk on a summer morning, and you can’t help but praise Him for the beauty all around – for the world He has created to sustain us and for us to enjoy. Go to bed at night, safe and secure in your home, with a full stomach and an unworried mind and thank God for His benefits.

Sit down with your Bible, unconcerned that anyone might storm your door and take you off to prison for your “subversive” activities, something that happens regularly to our persecuted brothers and sisters in the faith. Gather with other believers on Sunday morning to hear and sing the Word, partake of Christ’s body and blood which impart forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation, and to pray thanking God for His blessings. The people of God are thankful people, for they realize how much they have been given.

We should be thankful because God is worthy of our thanksgiving. It is only right to credit Him for “every good and perfect gift” (James 1:17). Expressing thankfulness helps us remember that God is in control. Thankfulness should be a way of life for us, naturally flowing from our hearts through our mouths. The Apostle Paul tells us to “give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:16). Thank Him with your words of thanksgiving. Thank Him with deeds of service to others. Thank Him with giving your money. Thank Him with your life, for He gave His for you.

NOVEMBER BIRTHDAYS

1 Bryan Lach 4 Emily Deeds 5 Sarah Walrath11 Matthew Gilbert

Deanna Sieting15 Louise Rucker16 Amy Lockard

Esther Schlosser17 Jan Flook18 Juanita Tunis20 Drew Hantz21 Diana Baker22 Brian Priskorn23 John Gilbert

Pastor Nelson24 Jeannine Hosbach

Colleen MartinDawn Petz

27 Amy Deeds28 Hazel Richardson30 Brenden Lach

Nicholas Stevenson

NOVEMBERANNIVERSARIES

12 Gary & Nancy Cash

Let the church office know of any dates missing or incorrect.

__________________________________MEMBERSHIP UPDATE

WEDDING:+ + Leslie Blackwell & Dan Vendzuh October 10, 2015

AREA NEWS:2015 LUTHERFEST, the annual Reformation Choral Festival sponsored by the Lutheran Center Association, will be held at Holy Cross Lutheran Church, 30003 Ryan Road in Warren, on Sunday, November 1, at 4:00 p.m. Join Lutherans from across the region for this celebration.

MEMORIALS & THANKSGIVINGS

+ + In memory of Frank Huber, a gift has been given by Elsie Huber.

+ + In memory of Neil Nichols, a gift has been given to Debt Reduction by Charlie & Rose Eldridge.

+ + In memory of Neil Nichols, gifts have been given by Gary & Edda Albin, Charley & Rose Hall, Warner & Arlene Krause, Alice Miller, Keith & Beverly Pixley, Mike & Deanna Sieting, Ben & Kathy Sulisz, Dennis & Donna Evans, Kayla Evans & Tyler Jedinak, Mr. & Mrs. Charles Kohs, Mr. & Mrs. Allan Arvy, and Steve & Jane Folino.

+ + In memory of Neil Nichols, gifts have been given by Carole Bedard, Bill & Ettie Ann Hirth, Myron & Joann Nims, Joann Stolz, and Jim & Patty Wadkins.

+ + In memory of Neil Nichols, gifts have been given by Robert & Barbara Geschke, Mary Bush, and Bradley Allan & Marybeth Kocsis.

+ + In memory of Neil Nichols, gifts have been given by Bob & Karin Wolski, Doreen Echols, and Bob & Roseanne Lawrence.

+ + In memory of Neil Nichols, a gift has been given by Ron & Bonnie Reichert.

+ + In memory of Neil Nichols, a gift has been given by Mary Senna.

+ + In memory of Neil Nichols, gifts have been given by Elsie Huber, Grant & Karen Neiswinter, Carol Copping, and Tracy & Debbie Ellis.

+ + In thankfulness for Kay Sutton’s recovery, a gift has been given by Carole Bedard.

N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 5CROSS OF CHRIST LUTHERAN CHURCH

Email: cross-christ@att.net Office: 248-437-8810 Fax: 248-437-7708 Web: www.crossofchristlutheran.org Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 9:00am Adult Bible Study10:00am Worship Praise Team10:00am Sunday School10:00am Youth Bible Study

Time Change: Fall Back

2 3

44:00-5:30pm Confirmation

56:00-8:00pmBrownie Troop

6 7 5:00-9:30pmYFC Bonfire

Nichols’ Residence

8 9:00am Adult Bible Class10:00am Worship +10:00am Sunday School

9 10

Election Day

114:00-5:30pm Confirmation

12 136:00pm Wedding Rehearsal

144:00pm Spain/Taylor Wedding

15 9:00am Adult Bible Class10:00am Worship 10:00am Sunday School10:00am Youth Bible Study

Operation CC Boxes Due

16 1710:00am Bd. of Evangelism/ Stewardship7:00pm Church Council

184:00-5:30pm Confirmation

193:00pm Abbey Park Service

20 21

2210:00am Worship + Thanksgiving Celebrated Choir & Brass 10:00am Sunday School11:30am Thanksgiving Dinner 4:00pm Rehab Center Worship

23 24

254:00-5:30pm Confirmation7:00pm Thanksgiving Eve Worship +

26Thanksgiving Day

27 28 9:00am Church Christmas Decorating

11:00am-5:00pm Smith Shower

29 9:00am Adult Bible Class10:00am Worship +10:00am Sunday School

30

+ Indicates Holy Communion

PRAISE GOD FROM WHOM

ALL BLESSINGS FLOW

AND LIVE YOUR LIVES IN

GRATITUDE FOR HIS WONDERFUL GOODNESS.

“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;

and His love endures forever”

(Psalm 107:1).