Atonement Lutheran Church Newsletter - The Messenger

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December 8, 2009 - Volume 30, #45

• Save a Tree, Save a Stamp, Save some Money!

  Have you signed up to get the Messenger Online?

  To sign up for electronic "delivery" complete the online form at: http://www.alcsyracuse.org/mailinglist.php

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• Hanging of the Greens - December 20

  Please join friends and family for a great pasta dinner, hosted by our youth group, followed by the hanging of the greens!

  Dinner follows the 10:45 service (about noon). Reservations are appreciated and can be made by calling the church office at 492-9065.

  After dinner, everyone is invited (and bring friends!) to decorate the church for Christmas. There are both heavy- and light-duty decorating chores, so there is something for everyone!

  Youth Group! Your help is needed for the Hanging of the Greens Pasta Dinner, a fundraiser for youth group activities (see Mrs. Holmgren for your setup/serving/cleaning assignments).

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• Christmas Plants
  
  Don't forget to order a beautiful Christmas Poinsettia that will grace our sanctuary for Christmas. Plants are $11 each. Donations are being taken after worship on Sunday December 13 and 20 - or may be mailed to church. Be sure to include your desired memorial inscription.

  ...and, can you help?....

  You may never have heard of a "Plant Santa" but you can be one.....with very little training, and no chimneys involved! How? By looking over the Christmas plant delivery list in the Sunday bulletin and choosing a home to stop by with a Christmas plant. Your brief visit will assure our shut-ins that they are not forgotten this Christmas season......and after you have left, the plant will be a daily reminder that they are in our prayers as we enter into new year as the Atonement family.

   

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• Holiday Basket Needs

  We are gathering the necessary items for Christmas baskets and need your help. Our food pantry, like so many others, is running low, as are our donations. Please help where you can.

  Contributions are always welcome. Last year, filling out the baskets, after sorting through the donations, cost almost $900.

  Many of our families have children who are off from school and need to be fed the two meals that they usually get at school. At Thanksgiving and Easter we feed at least 20 families and at Christmas we do about 20 baskets plus meat to an additional 30 families. Any help is appreciated. Most needed items include:

  • Peanut butter and Jelly
  • Mac and cheese (boxed)
  • Hi C or other fruit juice drink
  • Cereal
  • Jell-O and pudding mix
  • Coffee/Tea
  • Canned beans and corn
  • Canned cranberry sauce
  • Quick bread mixes
  • Canned fruit & peaches, pears or mixed fruit
  • Holiday candy
  • Spaghetti and spaghetti sauce
  • Soups & especially chunky type
  • Cans of stew, spam, tuna
  • Raman noodles
  • Boxed Scalloped/AuGratin potatoes
  • Seasonal funfetti cakes and icing

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• Appleseed's Latest Offering - Della's Diner: Blue Plate Special
  
   

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• 4-5-6 Club - Festival of Trees and Christmas Tea
  
  

  The 4-5-6 club had fun looking at the many beautiful trees on display at the Festival of Trees. Some even chose to write letters to Santa. Ten children and four adults met at the coffee shop on Saturday afternoon and made the drive to Shoppingtown Mall where the festival is being held. Of course just getting there made a great opportunity to practice Christmas pageant songs! There were so many Christmas trees on display that nearly everyone had their own favorite tree. Afterwards everyone regrouped at Atonement where delicious cookies, brownies and cocoa were provided by wonderful adult volunteers. Many thanks to the adult volunteers who made this afternoon possible.

   

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• Third Week of Advent
  
  

  Many road trips have a stretch that is just no plain fun. It could be a long section of boring road. It could be that part of the trip where you know you're going to hit bad traffic even at three in the morning on a Tuesday. For me it's New York City. Many of you know that my parents live in western Long Island. There is no way I can get there without dealing with NYC. If I could, I would, but I can't. In many ways hearing John the Baptist's challenge to each of us that we take a good hard look at our lives and don't assume too much before we get to the joys of Christmas is such a stretch on our journey. There are times when I would rather not listen to John. There are times when I'd like to ignore those rattles under the hood of my prayer life, or try and overlook my low-octane attitudes towards my neighbors. Yet every year in Advent John firmly reminds us like a concerned mechanic that we need to pay attention. And what's more there's no way to get around him. But then, there's no way to Easter without first going through Good Friday either.

  ~ Shalom y'all, Vicar Christine

   

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• 61 Blankets!

  61 Blankets! The Women of the ELCA thanks everyone for their support of the BLANKET Appeal. We collected $305 - translating to sixty-one blankets that will be sent to people in need. Someone somewhere will be warm because YOU cared.

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• Bible, Baked Goods, and Beverage (BBB)

  BBB will meet on Saturday, December 19th in the Coffee Shop beginning at 9am. Our Romans bible study will have us looking at Romans 6:13b aka "Moved to a New Address." Anyone needing a ride call Karen at 492-9347