The St. Andrew family increases
St. Andrew received the following into membership last weekend: Brad and Ana Belstra and their son Brodey; Scott and Jaime Brunet and their sons Easton and Austin; Peter and Anneliese Diercks and their children Clara and Leo; Brad and Sarah Goecks and their daughters Lucy and Annie; Derek and Allie Johnson and their children Sage, Raine, and Rocky; Brad Keil; Reid Kovacs; Jason and Victoria Mellen and their children Nicholas and Michelle; Nate and Stacey Sandbo and their children Burke, Spencer, and Scarlett; and Joe and Annie Thomas and their children Logan, Camryn, Jack, and Reese. Let’s thank God for this blessed addition and welcome them with joy.

Christmas program thank you
Thank you to everyone who joined us for “Gifts from the Manger” this past Sunday at the Middleton PAC! Students, thank you for all your hard work preparing for the program. Parents, thank you for continuing to encourage your child(ren) to grow in the Word and spread the good news of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus. And a big thank you to Ellen Soukup and Kim Gnewuch for directing this year’s program. To God be the glory!

Poinsettia order
One way to get the sanctuary ready for the Christmas season would be through your donation of a Christmas poinsettia. The cost is $15 for a single plant or $25 for a double plant and can be picked up following Christmas Day worship. Orders can be made here and are due December 22.

Worship check-in
If you worship on-site, please fill out the Connection Card attached to your worship folder. Online worshipers, please continue to check in here.

Weekend worship songs
Preview some of the songs we will use for worship this weekend. Obviously ours won’t sound exactly like this, but listening to the links provided will certainly help you be more comfortable participating in the service.

“The Lord Is My Salvation” by Keith & Kristyn Getty
“Soon and Very Soon” by Andrae Crouch
“Hear the God of Love and Comfort” by Sarah Lambrecht
“Manger Throne” by Phil Wickham

Grow in Grace
Dr. Stacy Jensen gave a wonderful presentation at Grow in Grace on grieving with purpose called Glow in the Dark. You can watch the whole presentation here. Please be patient with the beginning. It is audio only. After a few minutes, you will be able to also see the presentation.

Awake and Alive
Awake and Alive is a ministry dedicated to encouraging the faith life of young adults. For more information on this ministry and their upcoming two-day conference in Waukesha, go here.

Lakeside registration
Are you looking at Lakeside Lutheran High School for next school year? Registration has begun. Here is more information.

Small Talk
Are you ready for a special Christmas episode of Small Talk? Do not be afraid, you won’t have to wait long. “Do Not Fear” is coming soon.

Impact
Are you in debt? The answer is no. Thank you, Jesus! For an explanation on that and much more, listen to Professor Kyle Bitter from Luther Preparatory School. You can listen to Impact here or wherever you find podcasts by searching “Kjenstad Impact.”

PowerHour
Children up to age 3 and their caregivers are invited to a birthday party for Jesus at the next PowerHour. Join us on Friday, December 15, at 10:30 AM in the gym. Click here more information on PowerHour.

Sunday children’s ministries
Plugged into Jesus and Musikgarten are on Christmas break. These children’s ministries will resume on January 14. We hope to serve even more kids in 2024!

Christmas gift assistance available
Are your circumstances this year such that you find yourself struggling to afford Christmas gifts for your family? The spirit of Christmas is God’s gift of Christ himself for us, but the same Jesus also miraculously extended a wedding party and did other acts to create joy for his people. If you are in need, let St. Andrew help your family associate the birth of Christ with joy, as tangible gifts remind us of the infinitely superior intangible gift of salvation. Please fill out this request form.

Love for our shut-ins
Last summer, six women from St. Andrew used their time and skills to provide a beautiful warm blanket or quilt to St. Andrew shut-ins. Mary Hack, Bonnie Shattuck, Connie Stolzman, Sandy Burkle, Barb Havens, and Lois Solverud brought smiles to all of them and are now bringing warmth during these cold months. May Jesus bless them for their care. Here are the smiling faces of those who received the gifts.
Pictured from left to right: Gail Goss, Jo Ann Meyers, John Oakeson, Dorothy Powers, Brad Salzwedel, John Trager, Paul Werth, Jeanne Witt, and Suzanne Zeitz. Missing: Don Samanas.

Spiritual care for shut-ins
Do you have a heart for bringing the Good News to members of St. Andrew who can’t get to church? Prior to COVID, several brothers and sisters would go to the homes of those shut-ins to visit, read a devotion, and pray. Of course, COVID changed many things, including our ability to go to homes and care facilities. Now that those restrictions are lifted, we again have this opportunity. Pastor Hunter ministers to these people once a month with the Word and the Lord’s Supper; some are regular online service viewers, but others would benefit from a second visit each month. Whether you’ve done this before or would like to explore it, we’d love to help you try it out. We’ll show you how it’s done, give you print resources, and even pair you up with another experienced visitor if you’d like. This “Spiritual Care” team doesn’t have meetings, although an informal coffee gathering once or twice a year may help us learn from each other. We’d like to begin this ministry in January. If you’re interested in getting more information, contact [email protected].

National mission trips | Save the date—January 21
Opportunities to “serve the world” well outside of Dane County are yours for the taking this summer. Through mission trips, teens and adults will grow in their faith, encourage others, and share the love of Jesus through various acts of service to congregations and communities outside of St. Andrew. Learn more at the informational meeting at 9:30 AM on Sunday, January 21. For more information about the potential international trip to London, please contact Pastor Clinton.

Caretaking need in early summer
A member of a sister church is hoping to line up care during a post-procedure recovery. She will need another presence around the clock at a recovery facility in Middleton. Some of that is accounted for, but if you would consider filling any of the missing hours (likely between 6 AM – 7 PM on weekdays), please contact Pastor Clinton.

Monthly Mission Partner
WayForward Resources is our December partner. This local organization provides several social services to the western Dane County area, including hosting a large food pantry. St. Andrew donated 757 pounds of goods to WayForward last month, but the need is constant. Find more information about WayForward (formerly Middleton Outreach Ministries) at their website.