Annual Meeting of the Congregation January 22

Annual Meeting of the Congregation

Sunday, January 22

12pm luncheon

12:45pm meeting in Fellowship Hall

We will be voting on Council, Trust Fund, Synod Assembly, Nominating Committee, and Call Committee nominees as well as the 2012 budget.

Be sure to attend!

LOMC Epiphany Retreat January 13-14

When they saw that the star had stopped,

they were overwhelmed with joy

-Matthew 2:10

Third through sixth graders: invite your friends and plan to come to LOMC for the "Follow the Star" Epiphany Retreat January 13-14 at Lutheran Outdoor Ministries Center in Oregon, IL. Learn about the season of Epiphany, warm yourself by the Christmas tree bonfire, and have fun team-building, star-gazing, and drinking hot cocoa! Stay in heated youth retreat villages and enjoy great meals and snacks. $65 per person. Registration forms and permission slips will be handed out in Sunday School. To find out more or register, contact Karin Graddy at karin@salemsycamore.org or 815-762-0758.

Epiphany Celebration at Heatherhope Farm

Salem members Pastor John Seraphine and his wife, Connie, invite other members of Salem to their Heatherhope Farm for their annual Epiphany celebration on Sunday, January 8, 2012, from 4:30-7:30pm.

The evening will be begin with a dinner in the house, proceed to a bonfire in the hay field, and conclude with a simple Celtic Epiphany service in the barn. One of the Seraphines' sheepdogs will gather the sheep into the barn to say goodnight as we sing our "Amens." The farm also has five young puppies that will crave attention from the children. All who plan to attend are asked to send an email to heatherhopefarm@gmail.com or phone 815-895-9736 to note how many are coming. Please bring your dried Christmas trees and/or greens, and say if you might be able to bring a salad or dessert to share. Epiphany at Heatherhope has become a winter tradition for many families for eight years. We hope you will join us for this special night, and be sure to invite your friends.

Epiphany Breakfast Celebration January 8

Come to Fellowship Hall at 9:15am on January 8 to see the Salem Puppet Praise Team's presentation of "Silent Mice, Holy Mice," the humorous story of how the beloved Christmas carol "Silent Night" came to be. Enjoy a breakfast of fruit, muffins, donuts, juice, and coffee. A sign-up sheet is in the Welcome Center to let us know how many are coming and also to sign up for something to share.

We will also be collecting new children's clothing for Hope Haven on that day!

New Year's Resolution to Lose Weight?!

Come join Salem's weight-loss support group, Fearfully and Wonderfully Made. Everyone is invited to the Fellowship Hall on Thursday evenings at 7pm for 20-30 minutes of light (simple) aerobic exercise followed by weight-loss tips, information, support, and prayer. We even support each other throughout the week on our Facebook group. It's always easier to stick to something new with support and accountability to a group. Let's all help each other stay accountable and achieve our goals! Questions? Contact Karin Graddy at 815-762-0758 or karin@salemsycamore.org.

Fleece Donations Needed

Salem's confirmation students need your help with a service project to keep some local friends warm. In November and December the students will make scarves as an Advent Service project to be given as gifts to Avancer House residents.

Then in January, we'll be joined by residents of the Opportunity House to work, side by side, to make scarves. Our guests will get take their project home! Our students will get to share the care and warmth in their hearts!

Please help us to spread the warmth and God's love by donating fleece for these projects. One yard will make several scarves. Please consider donating 1-2 yards. Solid-colored fabric or fabric with small designs work best. Coordinating colors would be perfect for the scarves!

The first of these projects began on Wednesday, November 30. Fleece is needed by that date to start us off, but can be dropped off throughout the month of December. There is a box for collection in the Welcome Center. You can direct questions to Judy Waterfield (815-751-4062).

Schedule of Holiday Services

Christmas Eve Worship Services

Saturday, December 24

4pm/7pm/11pm

Christmas Day Worship Service

Sunday, December 25

10:30am

New Year's Eve Worship Service

Saturday, December 31

5pm

New Year's Day Worship Service

Sunday, January 1

10:30am