10:00AM  In person and livestream

The new year in the church begins this Sunday, December 3^rd. We enter this holy time of year called Advent, coming. In anticipation of the Christmas and the gift of Jesus entering our world, Advent allows us to prepare to make room for Christ’s presence and to start anew.

Each week we will hear from a character of the Bible and listen to their Advent perspective beckoning us to join in this holy time of preparation.

This week, we hear from Isaiah the prophet of the Old Testament as we explore with him the hopeful expectations of a long-promised Messiah to come.

Hello! I'm Madison, the Office Administrator at Peace, and I am thrilled to be offering Yoga classes for the church and community in the new year!

What is Yoga? Yoga is a practice for healthy living.
Yoga is a mind and body practice that can build strength, flexibility, balance, resilience, and community. Using breathwork and asana (Sanskrit word for “poses”) an entire yoga practice allows the individual to develop a mind-body awareness that can help manage pain, reduce stress, increases mobility, prevent and recover from injuries.

These classes will be beginner friendly - for ALL ages and abilities. If you are interested in chair yoga, power yoga, or anything inbetween, please complete the survey below!

Today on the front page of the Herald there is an article about the McKenna Foundation giving out two $10,000 grants to local nonprofits through community voting.  If we all get our Food Bank teams and our Church Sunday groups to vote for the SOS Food Bank we would have a good chance of being awarded one of these grants.  This needs to be done before Dec. 6th.  Simply go to the McKenna.org website, scroll to the bottom and and click on "Impact Grants"  It asks for your name etc. and why you want to nominate our organization.

Please vote and pass on the invitation to vote, to all friends and church members to vote as well.  We can have a large impact in this voting pool.

Again, simply go to the McKenna.org website, scroll to the bottom and and click on "Impact Grants" before December 6th!

- Jo and Carol Franz

Get ready to support our youth on their journey to the ELCA Youth Gathering in New Orleans this Summer! We have two fantastic fundraisers coming your way:

Cocoa Cones:
Join us on December 10th and 17th in the Narthex as our youth group sells Cocoa Cones for just $5 each. These delightful packages come with all the ingredients needed to whip up 2 cups of delicious hot cocoa, complete with chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, and a mint. These festive treats make for perfect stocking stuffers, thoughtful gifts for friends, family, colleagues, or teachers!

M&M Containers: 
It's time to wrap it up! Please return your M&M containers full of change/cash to the Peace by December 3rd.

Once again, we will be decorating the altar with an array of Christmas Poinsettias. You can adopt a plant or two in honor of or in memory of a loved one. The sign-up sheet will be in the narthex or you can call Kathi Anderson at 210-643-8855 and she will add you to the list. There will be envelopes there for cash or checks or you can pay online under flowers. The cost is $14 per plant, and you may take yours home after either Christmas Eve Service. 

We give thanks for the life of Margo Woollven who died and was raised on Nov. 11^th.

Her celebration of life service will be on Monday, December 11th, 1pm at Chandelier At Gruene - Bretzke Ln New Braunfels, TX 78132. View the Facebook event page HERE.

We continue to hold the Woollven family in our prayers and honor Margo’s witness of faith.

What are you investing in?  Think about how you spend your time, energy, abilities, and gifts. Are they for the purpose of glorifying God and loving like Jesus so that each person experiences God’s way? Living with purpose let’s us live fully. How we use our gifts ultimately tell the story of our deepest convictions.

Jesus would have us invest in the kingdom of God. I’m not saying the church is the only way to do this, but it a community that God has called to bear light in the world. Together we are called to live with intentionality moving toward God’s vision of a world made whole through love.

Commitment cards were mailed out to the congregation for our Commitment Sunday on November 12^th. Thank you to all those who have made their pledge and ensure we are a vibrant community of faith extending God’s mission. If you haven’t had a chance to return your Commitment Card, there’s still time. You can find them HERE or at the church office. Please drop them off at the church office or the Sunday offering plates.

Peace,
Pastor Jake

Stewardship Snippet of the Week:
“Yet, O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.”  – Isaiah 64:8

Knowing that we are creations of God helps shape our self-identity. But Isaiah adds a wrinkle: we are clay that God, the potter, shapes and forms. As  good stewards of our lives, we prayerfully and eagerly invite the Holy Spirit to help us discern how God wants to mold us. The closer we are to who God means us to be, the happier and more fulfilled we are.

Advent is a sacred time to prepare for the coming of Christ into our world. It is a time of reflection and stilling our hearts and minds to allow space for God to fully enter into the chaos.

You are invited to this special worshipful season, that God might speak to you anew.

The Advent series will follow Biblical characters and imagine their hopeful hearts as they awaited God to act in their time.

Each Sunday and Wednesday we’ll hear a different perspective opening our eyes to envision our own hopeful expectations of God’s presence.

Come and join us for a meal on Wednesday night from 5:30pm-6:30pm, followed by worship from 6:30-7:15pm.

Wednesdays in Advent: 12/6, 12/13, and 12/20. 

We will be hosting our last time of the year from November 26th - December 3rd. We will need the following volunteer areas filled to welcome our guests:

• Serve as overnight hosts (2 individuals each night)
• Help with the afternoon/evening set up, clean up, and engagement with families (2 individuals each day)
• Support meal preparation, cooking, and serving (1 to 2 individuals each day)

Interested? Please sign up for a slot here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0944ACAC23AAFBC34-45781087-peace

Thanks,
Peace Lutheran Family Promise Team

Each year CASA of Central Texas hosts an annual Holiday Gift Drive. Community members are able to sponsor kids’ wishlists. Peace will have a Christmas Tree out in the narthex at the beginning of November with Angels on display with different wishes. Angels will be on display from November 5th - November 26th. Please make your selections and follow the instructions on the back of your Angel. We ask that you return your gift/s unwrapped (ensure the original Angel is attached to the unwrapped gift) under the tree by November 29th.

Further instructions and information will be out on display near the Angel Tree in the narthex starting this Sunday! Should you have any questions, please reach out to Brandi Raschke- raschke.brandi@gmail.com

Sign up in the Narthex or online with SignUp Genius HERE

If you're eager to lend a hand with the live nativity, explore the various areas where your assistance will make a difference by clicking on the link below.

If you want to hear more, call Becky Voges at 830-587-4003 or email beckyvoges@yahoo.com for more information.

Mission: “The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.”

Area of Focus: The Salvation Army exists to “meet human need wherever, whenever and however we can.” 

Come ring the bell with us in support of the Salvation Army at Granzin's Meat Market on Saturday, 
December 16th. We will be signing up for 2-hour shifts from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm.
Granzin's Meat Market
1644 McQueeney Rd.
New Braunfels, TX 78130

Register Below:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0944ACAC23AAFBC34-46238617-salvation
Not able to ring with us? They can always use more bell ringers. RegisterToRing.com to sign up with your family and 
friends!

If you would like to support this cause financially, please make checks out to Peace Lutheran Church. Giving online is 
available as well by clicking the link or scanning the code below. Regardless of your method of support, please be sure 
to include "Mission Spotlight" in the memo. Click here to give online - https://bit.ly/3MP8sPF 

Mission (Why do we exist?)
To love like Jesus so that each person experiences God’s Way.
 
Vision (What kind of community is God calling us to be?)
A world made whole through love.

Core Values (What guides our daily actions and decisions?)
Shalom – Actively pursuing reconciliation and wholeness. [John 14:27]
Compassion – Recognizing and entering into our shared humanity. [Luke 10:25-37]
Service – Responding to the needs of others. [Matthew 25:31-40]
Grace – Sharing the love that God first gives us. [I John 4:7-10]

Perspectives (Which parts of our church will we focus on?)
Stewardship (Time, Talents, Treasure) (e.g., Healthy Fund Balance)
Loving Our Neighbors (e.g., Family Promise Program)
Ministry/Processes (e.g., Dynamic Worship)
Discipleship (Learning and Growth) (e.g., Life of Faith Initiative)
 
Objectives (goals) (What do we want to accomplish?)
Measures (metrics) – How will we measure progress?
Targets – What are our targets for the next year? Two years? Five years?
Initiatives – What can we do so that we reach our targets?

SEEKERS AND SPONGES:   meets on Sunday mornings @  8:30AM in-person and ZOOM   

Seekers and Sponges has started a "Study Curriculum on Civic Life and Faith."  The ELCA Task Force on Studies for Civic Life and Faith has released a study curriculum for use throughout our church as we engage the question, what does it mean to be a Christian in civic life.

The study invites participants to delve into the nature of politics, the meaning of the Scriptures, the purpose of government, the responsibility of congregations and church-related organizations, First Amendment issues, the relationship of faith-based living and civic life, connections between worship life and serving neighbor in society, the nature of citizenship, and other relevant topics.

Printed materials will be available in the classroom or you may access the material at www.elca.org/civics and faithstudy

In our class, everyone in our group becomes a teacher for one another, sharing experiences and perspectives that facilitates a respectful, enlightening approach to adult learning.      

Please join us in the multimedia classroom at the end of the hallway.  You will find the discussion engaging, insightful, and challenging, and it will expand how you look at your faith! 

Click HERE to join by Zoom. 

PEACE PRAYER MINISTRY:

Did you make any resolutions for the New Year? Many of us have a desire to have a more intimate prayer life, so might I suggest carving out more time for prayer and reflection? Peace Lutheran Church has an active Prayer Ministry. We have an Email Prayer Chain, we have a Zoom “Sweet Hour of Prayer” Group that meets every Monday morning at 9:00 a.m. and we have a Prayer loom that is included in our Sunday morning prayers. I would like to welcome new members to join our email Prayer Chain and our Monday morning Prayer Group. We have experienced some amazing, answered prayers this year and we have given comfort to many of our members in their times of distress. Please consider being a part of our Prayer Ministry in this new year. You can email me at beckyvoges@yahoo.com for more information.

Our weekly Prayer Group Zooms every Monday at 9:00 am  via Zoom only.   Click HERE to join by Zoom.  We have a devotion, share prayer requests and pray over each request. The group is led by Becky Voges.  If you would like to be a part of the group, please email Becky (beckyvoges@yahoo.com).  All prayer requests will be kept confidential. 

Prayer Chain Requests - email Becky (beckyvoges@yahoo.com).

PASTOR'S VIRTUAL CONVERSATION:   
Every Monday from 3 pm - 3:30 pm; Come join Pastor Jake on Zoom to ask questions, check-in, and lift up prayers. Join HERE - Meeting ID: 991 3660 5065; Password: 015347

TECH SUPPORT:
Need some technical support? Trying to stay connected in a virtual world can be frustrating when things don't work or the technological learning curve seems steep. If you need some help, contact: Patti Kassel @ kasselpatti@gmail.com 

We are part of one church body organized in three expressions — congregations, synods, and the churchwide organization. Each expression has its particular functions but all three together share a common mission of doing God’s work in the world and proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ. Together, they ensure a solid foundation of leadership, active involvement in communities, opportunities for dialogue and diverse perspectives, creative partnerships, and support for members and ministries of the ELCA.