The Messenger

The Newsletter of Christ Lutheran ChurchWoodcliff Lake, New Jersey

The Church: Proudly Proclaiming Christ since A.D. 33

December 2013

Published byChrist Lutheran Church RETURN

32 Pascack Road SERVICEWoodcliff Lake, NJ 07677 REQUESTED

Dated Material – Please Deliver Promptly

Ministers: the people of God at Christ Lutheran ChurchDirector of Music: Argine Safari

Director of Youth Choirs: David ScanceMusician: Fred Messner

Administrative Assistant: Doris Crousewww.clc4u.com – 201-391-4224 – clc4u2@verizon.net

Nonprofit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDParamus, NJ

Permit No. 596

DEADLINE FOR THE JANUARY 2014 MESSENGER IS DECEMBER 10TH.

Join Us at the Train Station, Tuesday, December 10, 2013

We will need your participation in our first ever (but hopefully not last) “Train Station Caroling.” We want to sing Christmas carols to the commuters getting off the train at Westwood, Hillsdale, Park Ridge and Montvale for one hour (5:30-6:30 pm). We will have glow sticks to help us light the way, and we will hand out handmade Christmas ornaments with an invitation to our Christmas Eve services attached.

EVERYONE in the congregation can participate in this fun event, and it should be especially fun for children. We will sing one or two verses of one or two Christmas carols, (nothing too complicated or challenging). We need at least 10 people at each station, so invite a friend and “get on board”!

Linda Osolin

“Hanging of the Greens”Sunday, December 1 s t

3:00 p.m.

Join us for the fun and challenge for all ages to transform our sanctuary intoa reflection of the glory of the Lord.

Supper to follow for all helpers.

The Care CommitteeSunday December 1, 2013 marks the beginning of the Advent season here at Christ Lutheran Church and with it the Love Tree. Please take a minute to send your Christmas greeting to the congregation and make a donation to the Love Tree. You will find red cut-out hearts on the narthex table waiting to receive your greeting. As we do at the end of each year, the Committee draws down its Love Tree funds, together with other funds we may receive during the year, and donates to various needy organizations. As a result of your generosity to the Love Tree in the year 2012, we were able at the end of December 2012 to pass on your donations to the following needy organizations:

The Josephine Rispoli Garden at HMC $500.Lutheran Social Ministries of NJ 500. (to cover the cost of filling the gift bags assembled

at the Advent Dinner for low income families)Community Hospice of Bergen County 500.Habitat for Humanity 300.Debbie Kruegle (Wycliffe Translators of the Bible) 200.The Salvation Army 300.Habitat for Humanity 300.

Please give generously to the Love Tree. At the end of this year, we will again be using your donations to help needy organizations in and around our area.

Have you ever awakened during the night and said to yourself, “I feel cold; I need to put on another blanket?” There are people in the world today that are also experiencing the need of a blanket to keep warm. In cooperation with Church World Services we are again supporting the Blanket Fund. You will find, on a table in the narthex, Christmas cards that can be purchased with your donation of $5.00 each. Purchase one and share the warmth of the Christian spirit, together with the warmth of a blanket on a cold night.

Respectfully submitted,Mae Hulburt

Christ Lutheran Church Women offers a Thank you to those who have picked a name of one of the needy kids from DYFS or the Mentoring Moms program. By now, they have all been selected and you are finishing up your shopping. Once again, we brought the names of 50 kids from the Bergen Volunteer Center to the congregation and you have responded generously. For the kids from DYFS, you may be providing their only gifts.

The Mentoring Moms list ($25 max value gift) is due back by December 1 st . The gifts for the kids from DYFS ($50-60 value) are due no later than December 8 th .

Please remember to wrap your gifts, tag them with the recipient's name and Family # and bring them back to the Narthex. If you still want to donate cash or Target gift cards, please see Carla Hoenigmann (201-391-7843) – it is NOT TOO LATE for those donations. I can bring those to them through mid December. The Volunteer center uses them to buy gifts for people who were not matched with donors. A final report will be available in the January Messenger.

Are you interested in helping out with CLCW? Perhaps with another wine & cheese event or Trash & Treasure? If so, we can always use new members on our board!!! If you are interested in joining us, please call or see Kim Kearns.

The Christ Lutheran Church Women Annual Meeting will be Sunday, January 12 th , 2014 starting right after the second service. We invite all confirmed female members of the church to come and enjoy lunch and fellowship. Once again, a delicious buffet of soups and desserts will be our lunch. Come join us as we review Trash & Treasure 2013, the recipients of our donations and discuss plans for 2014!

Carla Hoenigmann

Genesis Garden 2013 Results

This year we grew and brought to the Center for Food Action in Englewood almost thirteen hundred pounds of food. Over the past five we have now delivered over three TONS of food to CFA.

Produce delivered included:BeansSquash

ZucchiniCucumber Egg PlantTomatoesPeppers

Hopefully we will start up again next May. Mark it on your calendar and join us. What better way to spend a spring and summer evening.

Take a look at the photo gallery on our church’s website – clc4u.com

Jim Christensen

The Synod has assigned two members of their clergy to work with us while we find a new Pastor; The Rev. Scott Schantzenbach, Assistant to the Bishop, and The Rev. Wesley Smith as Vice Pastor.

Rev. Scott Schantzenbach met with Church Council on November 21st to outline the next steps in the pastoral transition process. More details in the next Messenger.

Rev. Smith is the Pastor of Zion Lutheran Church in Saddle River. He served as our Vice Pastor during our last search for a Pastor. I just received a letter from Bishop Bartholomew containing the responsibilities of the Vice Pastor. I want to share them with you:

1. To meet monthly with the Congregational Council of Christ Lutheran Church and provide them with pastoral counsel and guidance.

2. To preside, or arrange appropriate Lutheran presidency, at any extraordinary worship services such as weddings or funerals.

3. To supervise the educational program of the congregation, and, if possible, to teach the catechetical program.

4. To call upon and provide pastoral care for those members of the congregation who are hospitalized or long term home bound.

5. To make him available, including how to be reached, to those who need to see a pastor, e.g. crisis counseling.

6. To see that the administrative matters of the congregation are well attended to, and especially that the Parish Register is correctly

maintained during the interim.7. To report on a monthly basis to the Assistant to the

Bishop as to the status of the congregation’s life in the interim.

The letter also states that “The Congregational Council of Christ Lutheran Church is responsible to assist and support the Vice Pastor in every reasonable way so that the mission of the congregation continues to be well served.” This your Council will do.

I am sure that all of us will work together as we move forward and with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we will meet our challenges and become a stronger Church with increased membership.

Yours in Christ,

Don Rudie, President

From Your Worship CommitteeWorship with the approval of Council has instituted several different practices while we pursue our quest for a pastor. Beginning November 10, 2013, the 8:00 am service has been suspended with the 9:00 am, 10:30 am, and 9:40 am Sunday School remaining as usual. Having only two services makes it easier to get a supply pastor along with being less expensive. On occasion we may have a minister who is not ordained,

and communion will not be held. In response to many requests, both Lessons and the Gospel with an introductory explanation will be read at the 10:30 service.

Worship sincerely requests that those making announcements use the microphones. Announcements will be made before the beginning of both services. Those speaking are asked to sit in the front pew to save time, returning to their preferred seats when finished.

In between shopping, cooking and all the other stuff we do before Christmas, how about taking a little time to contemplate on what Christmas is really about. The library has three new books on display this month to help you: 

Christmas is not YOUR birthday: experience the joy of living and giving like Jesus, by Mike Slaughter  The case for Christmas: a journalist investigates the identity of the child in the manger, by Lee Strobel The purpose of Christmas, by Rick Warren (author of The purpose-driven life)

 These and other Christmas books are on display in the library.

Don't forget to look at the new children's books in the narthex, they make wonderful gifts and help our library's small budget!

Dot Dohrmann, Librarian

Each December Sunday Worship at 9:00 and 10:30 amSunday Church School at 9:40 am

December 1 - 10:30 am ichurch- 11:30 am Worship hosts narthex coffee- 3:00 pm “Hanging of the Greens” with dinner at 5:30 pm

December 8 - 5:00 pm Advent Dinner

December 10 - 5:30 pm Train Station Caroling (meet at 5:00 pm)

December 12 - 4:00 pm CARE party for Waterfront

- 4:45 pm Sunday school caroling and passing out gifts

with pizza afterwards

December 20 - 7:00 pm Youth Christmas Party at Dolce's home

December 22 - 9:40 am Sunday School Christmas Program 10:30 am ichurch

December 24 - 7:00 pm Family Candlelight Worship 11:00 pm Candlelight Worship

December 29 - 10:30 am One worship service of Lessons and CarolsNo Sunday Church School

Advent is calling! Prepare The Way of the Lord! This is the time when the church both anticipates and celebrates the presence of God in Jesus Christ. December 1st is the beginning of Advent. Come and worship each Advent Sunday to experience the coming of Christ through the Gospel, special new music by the Chancel Choir, carols, and the lighting of the Advent Wreath, with Christ in the center of it all.

C e l e b r a t e t h e B i r t h o f C h r i s t Christmas Eve, Tuesday, December 24th

Come and worship with your church family and friends toWelcome the New Born King!

7:00 p.m. Candlelight Family WorshipYouth Choirs and Holy Communion

11:00 p.m. Candlelight WorshipSpecial Choir Music, Instrumentalists and Holy Communion

Order Flowers NowBeginning December 1st you may order your poinsettias for decorating the altar on Christmas Eve. Just complete an envelope from the table in the Narthex. Your purchased poinsettia may be picked up

following the 11:00 p.m. Christmas Eve service. Help will be needed to deliver remaining poinsettias to those of our

congregation who are sick or shut-in. Call the church office to volunteer to help.The 2014 Altar Flower Chart will be available in the Narthex on December

8th. You are invited to choose a Sunday date you might wish to purchase altar flowers during 2014. For those who sign up, further information will be mailed to you. The flowers are $40. per Sunday.

Christmas Eve Participants NeededChancel Choir seeks members for Christmas EveIf you are interested in singing but can’t commit to every week, you are invited to sing with the choir for the 11:00 pm Christmas Eve worship. Rehearsals are Wednesday evenings at 7:30 pm. Consider joining us.Handchime Choir rehearsals for Christmas Eve services begin Sunday, December 5th following the 10:30 service. New members are welcome. See our Music Director, Argine.

Happy birthday, Jesus!

Each Christmas, a family celebrated by holding a birthday party for Jesus. To remind themselves of Jesus’ presence, they placed a chair of honor for him at their dinner table.

The highlight of the party was singing “Happy Birthday” to Jesus and then blowing out the candles on a special cake.

One Christmas, a visitor asked the family’s 5-year-old daughter, “Did you get everything you wanted for Christmas?”

The girl paused and then answered, “No! It’s not my birthday!”