Living Faith Weekly News (Week of December 1, 2024)

Pastor Halaas' theme for this Advent season!

There Is Room (Where Shepherds Lately Knelt)

Where shepherds lately knelt and kept the angel's word

I come in half-belief, a pilgrim strangely stirred.

But there is room and welcome there for me;

but there is room and welcome there for me.

Can I, will I forget how Love was born, and burned

its way into my heart - unasked, unforced, unearned,

to die, to live, and not alone for me;

to die, to live, and not alone for me?

Text: Jaroslav J. Javda, 1919 - 2008

Last Week

Thank you to Pastor David Halaas for his message and presiding over the First Sunday in Advent's worship service! We appreciate the help in worship from: Dawn Richards at the piano, Angela Catton assisting with Communion and live-streaming our service, Debbie Gibson reading scripture and Tim Kass' ushering and manning the sound board.

Next Week

Pastor Kelli Glasgo from Church of the Damascus Road

Living Faith welcomes Pastor Kelli Glasgo to the pulpit in the sanctuary of the Presbyterian United Church of Christ on the Second Sunday in Advent at our 11:00 worship service! The PUCC is located at 858 7th Ave. SE. Park in the front part of the parking lot and enter through the south facing entry door or the doors under the portico. Sandy Heeren will greet you at the door. Gail Kass will be accompanying us on the piano, Nathan Summerside will read Scripture, and Marley Stream will assist with Holy Communion.

Pastor Glasgo serves the Church of the Damascus Road, a prison ministry within the walls of the Fort Dodge and Rockwell City Prisons. The Church of the Damascus Road is an ELCA congregation but its members are ecumenical in nature with men coming from various denominations and religious backgrounds.

We hope you can join us as we learn more about this unique ministry in the Western Iowa Synod!

Faith + Fellowship with our PUCC friends will be from 10:00 - 11:00 in the Fellowship Hall of the Presbyterian United Church of Christ. Join in with the coffee and conversation!

December Calendar of Events

Saturday, December 7 - Sioux City Steeple Tour

Meet at the PUCC parking lot at 9:15!

Saturday, December 7 at the PUCC

Saturday, December 14th at St. John, Akron

Sunday, December 15th

Deadline for bringing boxes of cereal to Living Faith for the Le Mars Backpack program! Our goal is 350 boxes of cereal and to date we have 50 boxes under the tree in the narthex!

Living Faith's Second Annual All Congregation No Prep Christmas Program will be held during our 11:00 worship service on December 15! "The Christmas Parade" is a simple program involving all members but some no prep parts are needed! We have one volunteer to be an inn keeper and we need 2 more inn keepers. We will sing a few familiar Christmas songs and having a song leader would be helpful! It would be great to have volunteers for a nativity scene: Donkey, sheep, and cow! Please let Kay know if you would like a part! No costuming will be needed except a minimal headpiece for the animals! No lines to learn!

Living Faith will join our PUCC friends for a Christmas Caroling Party on December 15 at 3:00! Dress warmly and plan to stay for the soup supper following! Sign up on the sheet in the narthex!

Care Initiatives is offering a Blue Christmas service on December 15 at 3:00 at the Peirce Mansion (2901 Jackson) in Sioux City. The Blue Christmas event is a time to remember loved ones. There is also another Blue Christmas service that will take place on Sunday, December 22 at 6:00 at St. John, Akron which will be led by Pastor Trish.

December 24th Christmas Eve Services

Living Faith's Christmas Eve service will take place on Tuesday, December 24th at 1:00 PM. Pastor David Halaas will preside, Gail Kass will provide accompaniment and Holy Communion will be celebrated.

If you are unable to attend our 1:00 service, the PUCC will be holding their Christmas Eve Candlelight Service at 5:30 that night, Pastor Jan Christensen presiding.

The deadline for the Living Faith Scholarship fundraising match challenge was Sunday, December 1st and here are the results of our efforts: $6, 650 was raised following the announcement of the initial scholarship fund start-up of the $1,250 from the Jake and Verna Van Oort memorial gift. When the $5,000 match is added in, our scholarship fund will contain $12,900. Thank you to Living Faith and its friends for the generosity to begin this ministry for our youth!

If you would like to donate a poinsettia in honor or in memory of someone, please see the sign up sheet on the PUCC sign up table in the narthex. Poinsettias will decorate the sanctuary for Christmas Eve. The poinsettias are $10 each and the money can be taken to the PUCC church office. On Friday, December 13, the poinsettias will arrive at the church and will need to be unwrapped. Help is needed to do this and the time will be determined soon.

Living Faith's Christmas Tree at the Pioneer Village!

Thank you to all who came out to Century Hall last Tuesday - Kay Allen, Kari Kopperud, Gail Kass, Sharon Utesch, and Karen Schroeder - to get Living Faith's Christmas tree ready for the Festival of Trees at the Pioneer Village Christmas Wonderland at the Plymouth County Fairgrounds. This event takes place on Saturday and Sunday (December 7 and 8 and December 14 and 15) from 5:00 - 8:00 PM each day.