CHRISTMAS SCHEDULE

While I have only been here at Prince of Peace for a few months, I have already witnessed the great demands of time and energy placed on so many of us, both children and adults. I still believe with all my heart that the simple act of "gettin' to the church on time" as an old tune puts it, can give meaning and purpose to everything else we do.

With all that would pull us in other directions, I will offer only one reason out of many for keeping worship a top priority...when we come together around God's Word and sacraments, we get a foretaste of the feast to come. May this preparation allow the familiar words of our liturgies and hymns to resonate with a new power and meaning this Christmas and into the New Year.

Your partner in ministry,

Pastor Chad

Please mark your calendar for the Prince of Peace's annual meeting on January 22, 2012 at noon. All members are invited to attend and take an active role in shaping our church's future.

This year the submitted written reports of the Council, Pastors and Staff will be made available in both electronic format and in printed format at least one week prior to the meeting. The final budget numbers often not in a finalized state until just prior to the annual meeting, so the proposed budget may not be available. However, every effort will be made to publish this information prior to the meeting.

If you would like to submit suggestions for areas to be addressed during the annual meeting, please email your topics to thom.heinrich@gmail.com.  Doing so will insure the question is researched and the best information is provided to all members during our gathering time. 

CHILDREN'S MINISTRY NEWS

Christmas Eve Service -    

The 3 PM Christmas Eve Service will be primarily led by our Young People.  If your child is interested, please contact Katie as soon as possible!  We are looking for children to help with the following areas:

1. Readers
2. Leaders
3. Special Music (as prelude)
4. Ushering
5. Sign Holders


Children's Ministry Events will be picking up again in the New Year, but here are just a few updates/notes for all to know

• February 10th we will be having our Valentines Banquet!  This event is for the entire Congregation
• DIGGIN IN will be returning during Lent!  This is for all Sunday School age kids and will be from 6:15 - 6:45 pm on Wednesday evenings.  We will begin on Ash Wednesday - February 22nd
• POPpers Events for the Winter are as follows (dates and times subject to change)
    a. Jannuary 29th - Tubing @ Elm Creek
    b. February 26th - SKYZone


SUMMER DATES: Even though Summer seems like a long ways away, here are some important dates to put on your calendars

• POPS Camp (formerly known as Veggie Camp)

  June 11th-15th AND July 16th-20th

• WAPO Dates for 2nd-6th Graders

  SEEDS Weekend (Completed 2nd and 3rd Grade): July 27th-29th

• YOUTH Week (Completed 4th-6th): July 29th-August 3rd

• December 21: Christmas Parties
• December 28: NO Axis - Merry Christmas!
• January 4: 7th/8th 1 Kings - 2 Chronicles, 9th Baptism

• December 21: Reindeer Tag
• December 28: NO Programs.
• January 4: Dodgeball

Youth Event - January 20-21:

Our next event is coming up soon. The Ultimate Lock-in is January 20-21 at the Maple Grove Community Center. This is our most popular event of the year, and no wonder, with 10 churches and 400+ youth it's a blast! The cost is $30 and a non-perishable food item. Forms are available outside of the youth room and are due January 5th! 

 

Youth Ministry Questions?   

For basic youth ministry information the web is updated often and the facebook pages are a constant flow of information too!  If you need dates, times, future events, etc., just check there.  For information sent right to your facebook feed "like" any of our groups (Revolution or Axis) on facebook, or from the POP Youth webpage!  If you are interested in joining Axis, Revolution or iRev stop by and talk to Natalia on a Sunday morning!      

 

 

 

C.E.A.P. Donations
 Thank you POP for faithfully supporting CEAP! Did you know that...

• 12 members deliver our bin donations to CEAP, serving monthly?
• We are the only church staffing two Meals-on-Wheels routes?
• Several members serve CEAP on an "on call or need" basis?

 Thank you for serving our community.

CEAP Snowbird Help
 We are in need of "snowbird subs" for the months of January-March. A "snowbird sub" would drive once or twice a month. The route takes approximately an hour beginning at 11:00 am on Thursday. If you can spare an hour or two each month and have reliable transportation we could use your help! Please call Ken Lundgren, 763-424-9654 or call the church office at

763-560-8958.

The POP Decorating Committee wants you!
Do you like to decorate your home or the homes of friends and family? If you answered yes to either of these questions then we hope you will consider joining the POP Decorating Committee.

No previous experience required. Just a willingness to help out. Please sign up in the church office or by calling  763-560-8958.
 

Christmas Information:

• The CEAP Holiday Program where families can "shop" for gifts and receive food (there is no cost to the families), is Tuesday, December 20th. POP staff and members volunteer their time each year to help families shop. If you are interested in a shift there are still a few openings for the 11:45 am - 2:00 pm shift. You can sign up for a time by calling Lynell at 763-560-6838 or by checking the board in the office. Thanks!!
   
• CEAP Toy Drive - Thanks to everyone who made the Prince of Peace Toy Drive a huge success. 217 toys were donated. The toys were delivered to CEAP last week and are sure to make a lot of children happy on Christmas morning.

Sunday School News: 
  

The Sunday School Christmas was fantastic! Thank you to the students, parents and teachers who helped to make it possible. Also thank you to the behind the scenes volunteers (screens, sound, video, photo, etc.) who helped capture the day.

Upcoming Dates in Sunday School

• December 18th - Sunday School Class Christmas Parties
• December 25th and January 1st - NO Sunday School (Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.)

Join Senior Choir and release the Spirit's voice within you!

Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! Psalm 95:1-2

Senior Choir needs voices in every section, and it's likely that you're the person we've been waiting for! Won't you please consider joining Senior Choir on Wednesday evenings from 7:00-8:30 p.m.? The people of Choir are some of the most compassionate, caring, and especially fun-loving people you will encounter. They've been waiting for you! Secondly, in many ways they're just like you - students, parents, grandparents, retirees in a wide range of occupations and walks of life. We have a number of members who travel periodically or have occasional work conflicts, so we have learned to be flexible, and we almost always need a large pool of members to cover every Sunday. Check out Senior Choir this Wednesday -- you will be welcome!

Please remember.....All offerings that you wish to have credited to your 2011 statement for tax purposes must be received in the Prince of Peace church office by noon, Friday December 30th. The office closes at noon that day for the New Years Day Holiday. Mailed offerings must be postmarked by December 31, 2011 if they are to be credited to your 2011 statement. Thank you.

Do you enjoy playing catch, learning about Cricket, or pushing a child on a swing? Maybe you would like to do something quieter like color, read or just sing together with a group of children. If you feel more confortable painting, doing some repair projects, or help complete Cottage 5 - construction and handyman work is always available with no experience necessary. Mission Jamaica provides these opportunities.

If you are interested in sharing God's love and joining 16 other Prince of Peace members, please contact Terri Revell,

763-566-0807 or Vicki Weber, 612-859-9169. Thank you for your prayers as we begin our preparation for our trip March 10-17, 2012.

For more information on the above events and or other activities/events at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church visit: