What’s Happening This Advent?
This past Sunday we shared numerous resources for individuals and families to use during their Advent journey. An Advent calendar is available for your family’s use, and check out the individual devotional booklets available to Shepherd. Due to copyright, we are unable to publish those devotionals digitally, but will be sharing portions of them on our social media channels. Stay up to date with all things Advent-Christmas by checking the Advent-Christmas page on our website!
Christmas Poinsettias
By Sunday, December 5
Can you help us decorate the sanctuary for Advent and Christmas? We will be purchasing white poinsettias using funds collected last year for Christmas décor. These poinsettias will be used through Advent and Christmas. However, we’d also like to supplement with some red poinsettias for our celebration of Christmas. If you’re willing to help us out, sign up in the narthex. There is also room to indicate if you would like your poinsettia purchased in honor/memory of someone. Cost for poinsettias is $12. Not at the church, but want to get your name on the list? Contact Kathy.
Family Faith Night Wraps Diapers for Community Diaper Bank
About once a month, families involved in our Family Faith Nights engage in a service project. This month, we helped the Community Diaper Bank. Did you know that families who benefit from SNAP benefits cannot use thier benefits toward diapers? This often puts families in a bind when needing to provide for thier children. So as to help this effort, families from Shepherd and Grace repackaged diapers in smaller bunches to distribute. In the course of an hour, we packaged 1000s of diapers! As we were wrapping up our evening, leaders of the Diaper Bank said with great confidence that our group was by far the most efficient at completing the job put before them.
Ringers Needed for Salvation Army Red Kettle Campaign
Each year, Salvation Army recruits ringers to encourage giving at HyVee, Fareway, Wal-Mart, and Blaine’s Farm and Fleet. Ringing begins Friday, November 19. If you would like to sign up to assist, go to Register to Ring and complete your individual registration. Looking to ring with other Shepherds? Check with others and sign up together! Though we are not officially facilitating a specific time we are ringing together, members are more than welcome to coordinate together. Thanks for supporting local initiatives in our community!
LSI Angel Tree
This year, we are helping provide gifts for families through Lutheran Services of Iowa (LSI). Our Service Team has assembled an angel tree on the glass windows in the narthex with tags indicated gifts needed for children (boys and girls). Each child will receive either diapers/underwear and an educational toy. If you’d like to support a child, take a tag when at church, or contact Kathy Dunham who can sign you up. Gifts (unwrapped) are to be returned to Shepherd by December 12. Thank you for supporting families in Muscatine!
Close to Home Bulletin Board
Don’t forget to bring your “home” pictures to church to add to our bulletin board! Bring a picture of you and your “home” or a picture that signifies what is “home” to you. Once at church, use the white notecards to add your name and a brief description. Help us learn from each other what “home” means!
SOTC Christmas Party
Sunday, December 12
6:00 – 7:30 pm
Mark your calendars for a night of games, fellowship and fun! Those who attend are invited to bring a plate of Christmas cookies to share. Games will include some Christmas-inspired activities, along with other generic games suited for children and adults of all ages. More information to come soon. We hope to see you as we celebrate together!
Caroling at Sunnybrook
Sunday, December 19
10:45 am
Singing Christmas carols together is always a ton of fun, but it’s even more fun to help others smile! Following worship and fellowship on Sunday, December 19, we’ll carpool over to Sunnybrook to carol for residents. We’ll provide songbooks. All you need to bring is your voice, a facemask, and maybe a Santa hat or Christmas apparel! All ages welcome!