The First Word
Volume 15, Issue 3
FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH AND SCHOOL — HELENA, MONTANA
December, 2013
Seek FIRST His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33
Special December/January
Dates
First Sunday of Advent………….Dec. 1
Deadline to order Christmas…...Dec. 4
tree/turn in permit to office
Women’s Christmas Event……..Dec. 5
Youth Christmas Tree Hunt….…Dec. 7
First Edition Book Club-Kraft home
God’s Love Servant Event……..Dec. 8
Christmas Caroling
Developmentally Disabled…….Dec. 12
Christmas Pageant/Dinner
First Lutheran School………….Dec. 20
Christmas Program
Christmas Eve………………….Dec. 24
Christmas Day………………….Dec. 25
New Year’s Eve/Watch Night...Dec. 31
Women of the Word……..Jan. 16 & 30
Book of Ruth Bible Study
The most indescribable gift
Christmas is such a wonderful time of
the year because we have the opportunity
to celebrate the wondrous gift of God’s
Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior. Because of
God’s gift to us on the very first Christmas, Christmas has become a gift-giving
season.
With so many people to whom to give
gifts—sons and daughters, mothers and
fathers, aunts and uncles, grandmas and
grandpas, friends and co-workers—it is
difficult to find the right gift for everyone.
God had no such problem. He knew exactly what each person needed. In fact,
He knows our needs better than we know
them, and He knew them before we were
born. The timing of His most incredible
gift was perfect!
“When the time had fully come, God
sent His Son, born of a woman, born un-
der law, to redeem those under law, that
we might receive the full rights of
sons” (Galatians 4:4).
How do we respond to what God has
given us? Shouldn’t we be asking, “What
have I given to Him?” Certainly, we
don’t go to the mall to shop for Jesus.
The greatest gifts we can give Him are not
found there. The best gift we can possibly
give Him is our hearts, and to show Him
our love by faithfully and obediently doing what He asks of us. God is pleased
when we allow Him to work through us as
channels of His love to others. We will
remain His channels when we stay focused on the most indescribable gift, the
gift of Jesus.
May we all keep Christ as the heart of
this Advent and Christmas season, and
make Jesus the reason for our joy.
Lessons from the angels
In This Issue
Sharing the Christmas story…………2
The Pastor’s Page…………………….3
Advent & Christmas Schedule………4
Memorial Trees………………….…….5
December/January Birthdays………..6
Happenings at Our School…………..7
To frightened shepherds on the first
Christmas Eve, a host of angels sang,
“Glory to God in the highest, and on
earth peace, good will toward
men” (Luke 2:14, KJV).
Nineteenth-century minister Charles
Kingsley explained how these key words
tell the meaning of Jesus’ birth and give
meaning to our lives.
• Glory. “That little babe, lying in the
manger among the cattle, was showing the
very highest glory of the great God who
had made heaven and earth. To stoop, to
condescend, to have mercy, to forgive —
that is the highest glory of God.”
•Peace. “God is not selfish. He sacrificed himself for us. Sacrifice yourselves
then for each other! Give up your own
pride, your own selfishness, your own
interest for each other, and you will be ...
at peace.”
•Good will. “God loves you, and he
wills to raise you out of this selfish, quarrelsome life of sin, into a loving, brotherly, peaceful life of righteousness. That
babe in the manger at Bethlehem is a sign
to you and me that God will freely give us
that spirit of love if we ask for it.”
Page 2
The First Word—December, 2013
Sharing the Christmas story
— from your Board of Stewardship
the advent of His birth, the knowledge
that not all experience this joy brings a
sorrow to us, as it does to the heart of
our Lord.
Just as God in His love sent His Son
into this world to save the lost, so we
are now sent to tell others of that love.
Our church’s mission is to follow
Paul’s admonition to Timothy:
“Devote yourself to the public reading
of Scripture, to preaching and to
teaching. Watch your life and doctrine
closely. Persevere in them, because if
you do, you will save both yourself and
your hearers” (1 Timothy 4:13,16).
The season of Advent will
provide
opportunity
for us to
reflect on
God’s great
love for us
as fallen sinners, which caused Him to
send His very own Son, Who came for
the ungodly, even for those who will
never acknowledge His sacrifice and
who reject His free gift of salvation.
Along with the joy that we have in
our Savior, especially at this time of
A tale of the candy cane
The account of the candy cane’s origins circulates every Christmas season
and is more likely a fun story
than historical fact. No matter; tales often contain truth.
This tasty treat can convey
important elements of our
Christian faith.
The stripes remind us of the
heart of Christmas, our Savior,
Jesus: white for his purity; red for
his blood shed on the cross. The
candy cane resembles the curved
staffs of the shepherds — the first people to visit the Christ Child and worship at the manger. And when the cane
Volume 15, Issue 3
is turned upside down, it becomes a
letter J, for “Jesus.”
Indeed, Jesus turns our lives
upside down and inverts our
presumptions: A poor baby
born in a stable becomes
King of kings and Lord of
lords; enemies aren’t for
hating but loving; blessings aren’t for hoarding
but sharing; the world
works for war, but Jesus
calls us to live in peace;
receiving is better than giving; sinners
are made saints; and death is conquered as God grants us eternal life.
Together, we preach and teach the
Word from the pulpit and through our
Bible studies. Together, we strive to
live as Christ would have us live, persevering by grace, in order that we
might bring glory to God and extend
His Kingdom.
We are grateful for this partnership
in the Gospel, and for your gifts of
time, talents and financial resources,
which you so willingly share in order
to carry out God’s work on earth.
God’s richest blessing on your Advent and Christmas worship and celebration with loved ones!
First Lutheran Church
Mission & Ministry Council
Officers
Gary Obermueller….President
Steve Longsworth...Vice President
Linda Fromm……...Secretary
Steven Johnson……...Treasurer
At-Large Members
Betty Brewer
Bruce Duenkler
Matt Elvbakken
Peggy Trenk
Shannon Walker
The First Word
Published monthly by:
A report from your Board of Finance
Income
Expense
Gain/Loss
Oct. 2013
FY 2014 Y-T-D
$47,533.43
$42,880.58
$ 4,652.85
$157,819.96
$150,858.97
$ 6,960.99
First Lutheran Church
2231 Broadway
Helena, MT 59601
(406)442-5367
Rev. Larry A. Miller…………….……………………….Pastor
Linda Fromm………………………...……….……….....Editor
Susan McCormack………………...Calendar/Servant Schedule
Volunteer Staff………………….………….……...…Collation
Deadline for the January/February First Word is
Wed., January 8. Place articles in the First Word
box in the church office or e-mail them to:
[email protected].
Volume 15, Issue 3
The First Word—December, 2013
Page 3
“Christmas is over!” That’s what someone said to me the other day. “Not just
for this year. It’s over! Done for! Through!” “It’s become another one of those runof-the-mill, secular holidays.” “We’ve X’ed out Christ, and without Christ, it’s over.”
While I agreed with my friend that Christmas without Christ would have little, I
take that back, NO meaning or purpose, I guess I wasn’t ready to concede that the world had pushed the
Savior out of His celebration, His day.
Then I came across this little reading from Max Lucado, titled “HE STILL COMES”:
The world was different this week. It was temporarily transformed.
The magical dust of Christmas glittered on the cheeks of humanity ever so briefly, reminding us of
what is worth having and what we were intended to be. We forgot our compulsion with winning,
wooing, and warring. We put away our ladders and ledgers, we hung up our stopwatches and
weapons. We stepped off our race tracks and roller coasters and looked outward toward the star of
Bethlehem.
We reminded ourselves that Jesus came as a babe, born in a manger.
I’d like to suggest that we remind ourselves he still comes.
He comes to those as small as Mary’s baby and as poor as a
carpenter’s boy.
He comes to those as young as a Nazarene teenager and as forgotten as an unnoticed kid in an
obscure village.
He comes to those as busy as the oldest son of a large family, to those as stressed as the leader of
restless disciples, to those as tired as one with no pillow for his head.
He comes and gives us the gift of himself.
Sunsets steal our breath. Caribbean blue stills our hearts. Newborn babies stir our tears. Lifelong
love bejewels our lives. But take all these away—strip away the sunsets, oceans, cooing babies, and
tender hearts—and leave us in the Sahara, and we still have reason to dance in the sand. Why?
Because God is with us.
He still comes. He still speaks.
From Christmas Stories: Heartwarming Classics of Angels, A Manger, and the Birth of Hope
Copyright (Thomas Nelson, 2011) Max Lucado.
Regardless of what people may desire to do to Christ and His Christmas, or what we
may do in our laziness and neglect of His holy things, including Christmas, He remains
Immanuel, “God with Us,” God in the flesh, who came and who through His Word
and Sacraments comes to be with us, to love us, and to save us! As long as that is
true, Christmas is and will not be over, until we go to be with Him, in His glory, in Heaven!
Until that great day,
Merry Christmas, and
rich Christmas blessings to you and yours!
Pastor and Shari Miller
Page 4
The First Word—December, 2013
The Bright
Volume 15, Issue 3
of Bethlehem
Advent and Christmas Worship at First Lutheran
Advent Sundays and Wednesdays
See the birthplace of Christ
in a whole new way this Advent season
as we learn more about the little town
where Jesus was born so long ago,
and what Jesus - the bright Star of Bethlehem,
reveals to us even today.
Jesus comes to Bethlehem
to be born a star—the Star of Creation,
and the ruler over heaven and earth.
His presence brings light to the world,
which is his creation.
We were created in his image
to shine forth with his love
into the dark streets
of our own cities and towns.
Jesus comes to Bethlehem
to be the Star of Hope
to a people long forsaken.
The fears of all the years
are washed away
by the sure hope of his salvation,
which we are blessed to share
with the lonely and the least among us.
Jesus comes to Bethlehem to shine
as the Star of Unity, bringing together
a land and people long divided.
Through his birth, walls of hostility,
both physical and figurative,
can be torn down
and people can live in harmony
with one another again.
Jesus comes to Bethlehem
to enlighten the world as the Star of Joy.
The great glad tidings he has to tell
bring a smile to our faces
his good gifts of forgiveness,
freedom from death and everlasting life.
Children’s Christmas Worship
December 15 – 11 a.m.
A Star is Born,
led by the children of the congregation,
brings to light Jesus, the Star of Christmas,
Each one of us, young and old,
is called by God to play a starring role
in telling the Good News of Jesus’ birth.
Christmas Eve
December 24 - 3, 5, 7, and 11:00 p.m.
Christmas Day
December 25 – 10:00 a.m.
Celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ,
the Bright Star of Bethlehem,
in this candlelight service for
Christmas Eve bringing to light
through Word and song
that the baby born
in the little town of Bethlehem
is the very glory of God incarnate,
come to save us all.
Sunday after Christmas
December 29 - 10 a.m.
Lights … Camera … Now what?!?!
Our “Youth After-Christmas Special”
focuses on the many ways
our waiting for Christmas
and the coming of Jesus
is really a time of action.
With mini-dramas and references
to sports, movies, Youtube and school life
we are encouraged to respond
to God’s love in Jesus by moving
from “inaction” to “in action.”
as we radiate to others
Please Join Us as We Celebrate the Birth of Jesus Christ
… The Bright Star of Bethlehem … and His Coming to Save Us!
Volume 15, Issue 3
The First Word—December, 2013
Page 5
Memorial trees honor First members
I would like to take a few moments
to call your attention to three new
trees we have added to the landscaping around First Lutheran Church and
School.
First is a white lilac in the southeast
corner adjacent to Highland Street,
planted in memory of MaryAnn Lebahn, who was instrumental in the
foundational years of First Lutheran
School. Thinking of white lilacs
brings to mind Isaiah 1:18: “Though
your sins are like scarlet, they shall
be as white as snow; … they shall be
like wool.” The word wool reminds
me of the lamb MaryAnn brought to
church many years ago. Take a moment to remember MaryAnn when
you see a beautiful display of white
lilacs this coming spring.
Next is a Burr Oak tree planted in
the playground area in memory of
David Halvorson. David’s faith and
biblical understanding were such a
blessing to the First Lutheran School
Board when he served as chairman of
that board. David was a big, burly
man who had a teddy bear’s heart,
and who had such a soft spot for children growing in God’s Word. The
Burr Oak was chosen because we
wanted something big, strong, and
native to Montana. Remember David
as you watch this tree grow over the
children playing in the playground.
The third tree is a maple on the east
side adjacent to Highland Street,
planted in memory of Etta Mae Carlson. A maple was chosen because of
its beautiful fall color. Etta Mae’s
smile always brightened our day.
First Lutheran School was truly
blessed that in the autumn of her life
Etta Mae listened when God put it on
her heart to leave memorial funds to
First Lutheran School. Her memory
and faith will never be forgotten.
Remember Etta Mae when you see
the beautiful splash of fall color when
the maple leaves turn.
— Pam Koenig
First Lutheran School Board
With God’s
blessings, the First
Lutheran School
Luau and Silent
Auction held on
October 25 was an
overwhelming
success, netting
$7,812. Adding
the $1,500 match
from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Lewis and Clark
Chapter 30515 brings a grand total of
$9,312 for our school!
Thirty-three volunteers (including 19
Thrivent members) donated their time
and talents to the planning and carrying
out of the event, and 190 people attended. Those who offered their services
put in a total of 301 volunteer hours!
Members of the chapter board, which
include First members Bruce Duenkler
and Linda Fromm, would like to thank
all those who volunteered, and all those
who attended!
Ruth: Your God Will Be My God
Grief, poverty, discrimination, acceptance, security, and joy – these contemporary issues were also
faced by devout believers long ago. One of only two books of the Bible named after a woman, the Book
of Ruth tells the story of a young widow and her widowed mother-in-law who must rely on a kinsmanredeemer.
Although written some 3,000 years ago, the story of Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz is a
story of love and faithfulness. Through their lives, we see the greater drama of a loving and faithful God providing His people with a greater Kinsman-Redeemer: Ruth's
descendant, our Savior, Jesus Christ. In this study you will learn about:



WOW Bible Study
on Ruth
begins January 16
at 7 p.m.!
the inclusion of the Gentiles in God's plan of salvation;
the devotion to others God enables in us through faith; and
the hope we have through God's promises in His Word.
Why not start your new year off with a new Bible study? The Women Of the Word
(WOW) will meet the following dates at church at 7 p.m. to discuss this fascinating
book of the Bible: January 16 and 30; February 13 and 27; March 13 and 27; April 10
and 24; May 8 and 22. Mark these dates on your planners, tablets, phones, calendars,
and join us!
Page 6
The First Word—December, 2013
Volume 15, Issue 3
Offering envelopes for 2014 now available
Offering envelopes for 2014 are now available for pick
up in your mailbox in Ziegler Hall.
The number of envelopes ordered for 2014 was reduced
and this change has resulted in several families being assigned a different envelope number for 2014.
Thank you for your understanding as we continue to be
good stewards of God’s “first fruits.”
If you would like more information about the Joyful Response electronic giving program, please contact Connie
Onstad. Electronic giving is:
 Simple—electronic payments are transferred
on the dates you request
 Safe—no worrying about lost or stolen checks
 Convenient—donations are transferred directly
to the church
December/January Birthdays!
December 1
Jalyn Gardipee
\Lindsay McCarthy
December 2
Michelle Anderson
Scotty Rucker
December 3
Marissa Lebahn
Jacob Sparks
December 4
Julie Eklund
December 5
Tammi Gozelanski
Pam Koenig
December 7
Charles Gozelanski III
Calvin Rucker
Jess Wareham
December 9
Patricia Jacobs
December 10
Keith Newmeyer
December 11
Dmitri Hindman
Jessie Lavender
December 14
Laura Bjerke
Howard Davis
December 15
Pat Clinch
Robert Wagner
December 16
Marilyn Petek
December 17
Megan Davis
Peni Jo Jones
December 18
Leona Boland
Jocelyn Brown
Ed Hartman
Dave Petek
December 19
Karen Giulio
Tamara Ulrich
December 20
Joan Nicholls
Jeff Sparing
December 21
Lynn Koch
Gordon Stockstad
December 22
Joyce Burgett
December 24
Paul Baumann
Doug Gedrose
Sally Winn
December 25
M. Maynard Sternberg
December 27
Chantel Duty
December 28
Sandra Meek
December 29
Danielle Blair
Raye Newmeyer
Sandee Riemann
Cindy Warsinski
December 30
Richard Bridegroom
Sabrina Brott
Donna Pare
Dora Staffelt
January 1
Betty Briese
Jennifer Charles
William Charles
Thelma Gossett
Ben Gregory
Crystal Warsinski
January 2
Savannah McCormack
January 4
Robert Veach III
January 6
Stacy Weber
January 7
Clarice Cook
Peter Jones
January 8
AJ Buhr
Landon Gilbert
Marlys Jarvis
Jason Mercer
Emily Winn
January 9
Nick Jorgensen
Bob Summerer
Marge Ulmer
January 10
David Gunderson
Jana Spaulding
Audree Spurzem
January 11
Sean Clinch
Wally Smith
January 12
Stephanie Giulio
Augustus Hanson
January 14
Bernice Haycraft
January 16
Matthew Bridegroom
January 17
Virginia Clifford
Mary Daly
Trent Stefanik
January 18
Crystal Bertellotti
January 19
Cooper Brilz
Haven Humble
Steven Leitzke
Bert Poor
January 20
Kylee Gardipee
January 21
Keith Lee
Dan McGrane
January 22
Connor Koenig
Audrey Mandera
James McCormack
Jayden Nachtsheim
Lisa Peterson
Torri Petz
January 23
Wardeen Kuenzel
Tara Mercer
January 24
Patricia Martin
Fran Sternberg
January 26
Charles Gozelanski IV
Robin Sayler
January 28
Johanna Allen
Joni Veach
Ryan Veach
January 29
Susan Buhr
Lois Lebahn
January 30
Matthew Shields
January 31
Lauren Antonick
Brock Gardipee
Elmer Simon
Shilo Stefanik
Volume 15, Issue 3
The First Word—December, 2013
Page 7
Happenings at First Lutheran School
Pastor
Larry Miller
Director
Denise Underwood
First Lutheran
School’s Christmas
Program, titled
“’Twas the Night
Before Christmas,”
will be held at 10
a.m. on Friday, Dec. 20, with refreshments following. Please join us as we
celebrate the birth of our Savior!
Our school is selling
Christmas wreaths again
this year. These beautiful wreaths are Montanamade with fresh greens,
pinecones and large red bows. Cost is
$25 and you may pick up an order form
in the school office. Wreaths will be
delivered to the church on Dec. 2 and
you may pick up yours any time after
that date. Beautify your home and support our school!
Teachers
Heather McIntosh, Heidi Westerbuhr,
Stacy Smith, Donna Fischer
& Melissa Mousel
2013
You are invited to join us
for
Christmas and New Year’s Services
Christmas Eve
3 p.m.
Candlelight Services
5, 7 and 11 p.m.
Christmas Morning
10 a.m.
New Year’s Day
Supper at 5:30 p.m.
Worship at 6:30 p.m.
Please keep saving your Box Tops for Education. In October, we
mailed $161.40 worth, and will mail more the end of February, 2014.
This is a very easy way to help First Lutheran School raise money.
Save/clip and paste onto box top sheets available in the school office.
In Miss Westerbuhr’s class, the “Book It” project is in full swing. The class is
keeping track of all the books the students are reading, so each student can reach
his/her goal and earn a certificate for a free pizza from Pizza Hut. The “Tricky
Words” being studied are “here” and “this,” and students are working on the letters Gg and Ff, learning how they are formed and how they sound.
In Mrs. Smith’s class, students memorize a Bible verse each month and put actions to the verse. Ask them to recite the verse for you! Second graders are
busy writing short stories, and, with the Christmas tree up, are busy making ornaments each week to make the tree beautiful. You are invited to come for a visit!
The Luau and Silent Auction were a great success, and
we are again offering a HUGE “thank you” to all church
and school families and to Thrivent Chapter 30515, which
provided a $1,500 match, making the grand total raised $9,312!
Mrs. Mousel’s 3 –and 4-year-old
classes are continuing to work their way
through the alphabet, and are now learning to recognize Ff and Gg, and the
sounds they make.
In worship, students learned about the
life of Moses, and are now talking about
the season of Advent, preparing themselves for the coming of Jesus.
Mrs. Fischer’s Prekindergarten classes
are busy working on songs for the Christmas Program. They invite you to join
them as they celebrate the birthday of
Jesus.
The students are busy learning the
letters Nn, Cc and Jj, and they love to
practice writing them and learning about
the sounds they make.
Students also enjoy bringing “Show and
Tell” items, which include the letter being studied that week.
In Miss McIntosh's class, students continue to work hard memorizing the books
of the Bible, and have now learned Genesis through Amos.
Second graders will begin a math unit
on money and time.
Every week, students work hard learning from 20-30 spelling words, plus challenge words. By the end of each week,
each child is responsible for writing a
sentence for each spelling word.
First Lutheran Church
2231 Broadway
Helena, MT 59601
Phone: (406)442-5367
Fax: (406)442-5285
Web site: www.firstlutheranhelena.org
E-mail: [email protected]
Return Service Requested
NON-PROFIT ORG.
U. S. POSTAGE
PAID
HELENA, MT
PERMIT NO.
127
FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH is a
Congregation of The Lutheran ChurchMissouri Synod
THE MISSION of First Lutheran
Church is “Sharing God’s Word
with Everyone, Everywhere!”
Women of all ages
are invited!
RIDES AND CHILD CARE AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST!
LEAVE CONTACT INFORMATION WITH THE CHURCH OFFICE,
442-5367.
Bring a dozen cookies or a snack to share for refreshments.
 BIBLE STUDY
 CAROL SINGING
 GIFTS
 REFRESHMENTS
NIGHT
Extraordinary
ONE
FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2013
6:30 TO 8:30 P.M.
Women’s Christmas Event
Tune in to—The Lutheran Hour—KAWZ 90.9 FM—Sundays at 8 a.m.; KCAP 1340 AM—Sundays at 9 a.m.
“Woman to Woman”—105.3 KMTX FM—Sundays at 9:30 p.m.
“Making a World of Difference”—Channel 11—Fridays at 5 p.m.