St. Stephen’s Weekly News: Week of December 13, 2020

This morning our video stream will be on YouTube at 8:00 a.m., and on Facebook at 9:00 a.m.

Follow along with our video worship services with this week’s worship bulletin: https://2020bulletinpdf.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/2020_12_13_Advent+3.pdf

Welcome Visitors If you are visiting today, we welcome you in our Risen and Living Savior, Jesus!

• Please let us know you worshiped with us by introducing yourself to a Pastor.
• If visiting, please don’t feel obligated to give an offering. St. Stephen’s members express thankfulness to God through their voluntary offerings which then support the congregation’s work.

Funeral Correen Kiekhaefer, was called home to heaven on December 2, 2020, age 84.  Private funeral service were held December 1, 2020.

Baptism Calvin Roy, son of Craig and Danielle (Macejkovic) Retzlaff, born June 4, 2020, was baptized last Saturday here at St. Stephen’s.

Radio Service: 9:30am on AM 1430 WBEV
Sunday, December 13, 2020
Sermon: Keep Christ in Christmas
Hymns: CW 21, 134, 11, 17
Sunday, December 20, 2020
Sermon: God’s Mystery Revealed
Hymns: TLH 66, 62, 55, 70

Video on Facebook and YouTube

Sunday worship will be streamed on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/ststephensbd/) and YouTube. Go to www.ssbdwels.com and click on “YouTube” and select Worship, Devotions or Bible Study.

Bible Studies

• Fall Bible Study “Gospel of John”. We are continuing our in-depth study of the Gospel of John. To join us for in-person Bible class, join us Mondays at 7:00pm and Wednesdays at 11:00am. Streaming video isn’t working from the basement, but we are recording the Monday session and putting it on YouTube, Wednesdays at noon. An archive of classes including all the previous chapters are available on Youtube for those who want to review or who haven’t attended and want to catch up and join the study in person or online.

Offering Designations Council has designated that offerings given with the Christmas Eve envelope will support WELS missions.  New Year’s Eve envelope offerings will support Lakeside Lutheran High School.

German Worship Service For Christmas will take place at 10am, Thursday, December 24^th, at St. Mark’s Lutheran (215 N. 6^th St.) in Watertown.  For more information, please call 920-262-8500.

2021 Offering Envelopes are available for pick-up in the church basement.  Please use the initial offering envelope in the front of your packet to cover the cost of the envelopes.  Envelopes may then be placed in the collection plate or in the box in the basement.

Join us here for
Christmas Eve Services

December 24^th 7pm, 8pm, 9pm
&

Christmas Day Services

December 25^th 9am & 10am

&

New Year’s Eve Services

6pm & 7pm

Special Christmas Video

Children’s Christmas Service

Premiers on YouTube

Thursday, December 24 at 4:00 p.m.

Special Radio Broadcast
Children’s Christmas Service
WBEV AM 1430
Thursday, December 24 at 6:00 p.m.,
with streaming audio at www.ssbdwels.com

Annual Report for 2020   Work is beginning on our Annual Report of Congregation Activity for 2020.  Boards, Committees, Organizations who submit reports are asked to submit them to the church office in the coming weeks, preferably by December 31.  The e-mail address for the office is office@ssbdwels.com.  Reports may also be personally delivered or mailed.

Voters’ Meeting Recap  The Voters’ Assembly met last Sunday for the Quarterly Meeting which also served as our Ministry Spending Plan (Budget) meeting.  Two major items of business were addressed.
A divine call was extended to Mr. David Schulz, our 7th Grade homeroom / Upper Grades Math Teacher / Head Organist and Director of Choirs / Interim Principal, to serve as our School Principal / 7th Grade Homeroom / Upper Grades Math and Music Teacher.  If the Lord leads Mr. Schulz to accept this call, we will then need to call a Teacher for 5th Grade Homeroom / History-Geography and Choirs-Organ.  Pray for Mr. Schulz that our Lord leads him to a decision that best serves the Lord’s kingdom work through our School.
A Ministry Spending Plan (Budget) was adopted, which expects expenditures in 2021 of $1,217d,928.00.  Remember that as we now operate under a “unified budget”, this amount includes our commitments for WELS Mission/Ministry and for Lakeside Lutheran High School.  It is an approximate 2% increase over the 2020 Ministry Spending Plan.

Our Response to God’s Grace in Christ:

Participation:

Wednesday, December 3     44 + 16=60

Thursday, December 4        29                  Total for weekend: 294

Sunday, December 6       40+70+45+50= 205

Calendar: 

Sunday, December 13

8:00, 9:00, 10:00, 11:00 am – Worship

9:30am – Radio Service,
WBEV 1430

Monday, December 14

7:00pm – Bible Class

Tuesday, December 15

6:30pm – Footsteps of Paul Tour Info Meeting

Wednesday, December 16

11:00am – Bible Class

3:30pm – Public School Catechism

Thursday, December 17

6:00 & 7:00pm – Worship

Friday, December 18

1:30pm – Worship

Sunday, December 20

8:00, 9:00, 10:00, 11:00 am – Worship

9:30am – Radio Service,
WBEV 1430