Sean Ewbank, Pastor ST. THOMAS LUTHERAN CHURCH

Edward R. Aller, Pastor Emeritus

9393 Church Road

Grosse Ile, MI 48138

(734) 675-0005; (734) 675-8807 Fax: (734)675-5068

Pastor Sean: (734) 250-1655

Emails: pastorsean@stthomasgi.com office@stthomasgi.com Website: www.stthomasgi.com

JANUARY 2012

Happy New Year!

2012 starts with a bang for us here at St Thomas! On New Year's Day we will begin with worship and during that service the focus will be on dedicating the year to our Lord through our thoughts, words, and actions. Part of our worship that morning will be a focus on the gifts given to us in baptism. Those gifts include God's promise to always be present with us and to always forgive us. This focus will set the theme for our year together.

On Saturday and Sunday January 7th and 8th Pastor John Cummings will be our preacher. He is from Grace in Action, our new church beginning in south west Detroit. Last fall we hosted a benefit meal for this ministry and we will be giving to Pastor John our gift. As of this writing, we have collected just over $1,700. If you would like to add to this number, you can make checks out to St Thomas, just put in the memo portion that it is for Grace in Action. Anyone want to see our gift grow to $2,000 or more?

Saturday and Sunday January 14th and 15th we will begin a five week sermon series based on the book Love at Last Sight. This book is about relationships; specifically giving us tools to make our most important relationships stronger and more meaningful. What I really like about this book is it, of course, is helpful to spouses. Beyond that, however, it explores all of our meaningful relationships so it is not just about or for couples. This really is a book and sermon series for all of us.

Enclosed elsewhere in this newsletter you will find the schedule we will follow. The book is divided into 30 short daily reading assignments. You will also be encouraged to meet with a small group of friends four times during the four weeks. If you already have a small group, get started

now contacting each other and setting up meeting times. If you are not in a small group, make a note of that on your comment card on Sunday or call the church office and we will get you into a group. New ones form each time we do this.

It is my sincere hope that we all learn more about relationships and how to make them stronger and more meaningful.

This will change us as a church and as individuals for the better.

Again, I wish you all a Happy New Year! This is St Thomas' 49th year. As we look forward to our 50th in 2013, any ideas of how best to celebrate all that God has done and continues to do through us are welcomed to be shared with me or John, your president. May 2012 be a wonderful year for us all.

Peace, Hope, Love, and Joy, Pastor Sean

SUNDAY SCHOOL CHRISTMAS PROGRAM

A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;

from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. ~ Isaiah 11:1

St Thomas youth performed The Jesse Tree during worship on Sunday, December 18th. The Christmas Pageant focused on the history of our faith, and how Jesus is the fulfillment of all God's promises. In the weeks before the program students in Sunday School studied the stories and Jesus' family tree through Jesse, back to Abraham, and all the way back to Adam and Eve. The Christmas program can be viewed on the website: www.stthomasgi.com.

MUSIC SUNDAY Thank you to all who provided Christmas music on Sunday, December 4. The children were wonderful with the hand bells. Other music greatly enjoyed included selections from the guitar group, Sandra Papp, Jeff Kline, and Dan Sanquist.

CHRISTNET WARMING CENTER Grosse Ile Interfaith Council of Churches sponsored ChristNet the week of December 18 – 25. St. Thomas’ night to host was Sunday, December 18. There was no problem finding volunteers to help. The Gibsons provided dinner and the Karrar Family assembled lunches. Thank you to the many others who chaperoned the evening.

ADVENT TEA

120 ladies enjoyed the Interfaith Advent Tea on December 3 at the Ford Yacht Club. 56 were members/friends of St. Thomas. Delicious food topped the lovely Christmas place settings and decorated tables. The speaker was Miss Wheelchair Michigan who spoke of her accomplishments while being wheelchair-bound, including being 2nd runner-up to Miss Wheelchair – USA. She also gave everyone a small tiara as a reminder to never let anything keep you from reaching your goals. Thank you to Marge Noyce, Ann Wesley, Kathie Kline, Cheryl Shelton, Carol Cameron, Lisa Blackburn, Judy Kohler, and Denise Keeler who either decorated, sponsored or served as a hostess at a table.

GIVING TREE Thank you also to all those who put many of the needed items under the Giving Tree. Boxes of household cleaning/paper products, toiletries, coffee, men’s gloves & socks and a handful of gift cards were taken to Blessed Hope on December 14. Some of the guests there having lunch that

Blessed Hope provides every day for those that are hungry, were more than happy to help carry in the donations. In some situations, helping families this holiday with the necessary items not covered by Bridge cards enabled parents to buy their children gifts with dignity. Pastor Gary Shippling sent the following note: Thank you and all the wonderful people at St. Thomas

for all the gifts and blessings that you dropped off. These

items will mean a lot to the families we help. Too often

we forget just how important some of the more basic

items are to people who have difficulty getting them.

May the lord bless all of you this season, and in the year

to come.

MERRY CHRISTMAS! Pastor Gary.

DETROIT MISSION DEVELOPMENT For those of you who may have missed it, we had a wonderful attendance at the luncheon on Sunday, November 13, to benefit the new mission development in Southwest Detroit. Pastor John Cummings was on hand at the beginning of the service and presented a great video showing the many things happening in this diverse and largely Spanish speaking community. The benefit luncheon was a great success in helping to raise money for this mission. An anonymous donor pledged to match $500 if $500 was received in the free will offering and this far outreached this $500 goal. To date we have over $1,700!

Pastor John will, again, be at St. Thomas to preach January 7/8, 2012 and he has sent a note of how much he is looking forward to leading us in worship that weekend. We would like to present a check to Pastor John of all mission monies received. If you missed the luncheon and would still like to donate, please place your contribution in the offering basket in an envelope marked for this purpose.

The following is a little summary about the mission. If you would like to learn more about this Southwest Mission congregation, please visit their website noted below. The Southwest Detroit Mission Development is a new mission start of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The goal is to create a new community of faith based on the principles of community organizing, which means that the structure and purpose of the new faith community will be defined by the interests and needs of the people living and working in the neighborhood. Southwest Detroit is a diverse neighborhood, about 70% Latino with a mixture of White and African American thrown in, and even a little Arab American and American Indian. It is a thriving, bustling neighborhood full of shops, restaurants, bakeries, churches, schools, and all kinds of non-profit organizations. It is also known to be the only growing neighborhood in the city of Detroit. To learn more about the new developments and pictures, check out www.southwestdetroitmission.blogspot.com. If you have any questions, please speak to Al Skrocki or Pastor Sean.

MEN’S LUNCH I hope that you had a merry Christmas and that the year 2012 is going to be better than the last year. We are privileged this month to have Chef Pastor Ted Aller prepare our lunch. The snowbirds that usually leave, wait until Thursday! Don’t be surprised that Pastor may have day old pie and maybe ice cream. So mark your calendar for January 4 at 12:00 noon. Special note: Each day we have in our neighborhoods families that need food - not only holiday time but, as I said, each day. We would like to join in the program the WELCA ladies started in providing help for these families. Each month when you come for the Men’s Lunch, please bring in two non-perishable food items and please check the expiration dates. If you forget, there will e a $1 fine. Let’s give help to those that are in need during the year.

WELCA

DONATIONS to Sacred Heart's Food Pantry continues. Thank you to all who have been bringing in needed items. The third week of each month the donations are taken over to the Food Pantry at Sacred Heart. Collected are non-perishable goods such as Progresso Soups and Campbell Chunky Meals (used by the older population to add to their Meals on Wheels food). In addition to other canned foods, children's snacks such as small containers of applesauce, fruit, juice boxes, small bags of cookies, peanut butter & jelly are appreciated.

WELCA COOKIE WALK The WELCA Cookie Walk on December 18 raised $465. These funds will go towards the Rev. Edward R. Aller Scholarship Fund which will be awarded in May.

BAPTISM On Christmas Day, December 25,

Evelyn Joyce Kelso, Infant daughter of Joel and Valerie (Noyce) Kelso, was Baptized into the life of Christ at St. Thomas Godparents are Keith & Heather Lakatosh.

Grandparents are Jack & Marge Noyce.

HOLIDAY/JANUARY SCHEDULE

No worship service December 31 – New Year’s Eve

New Year’s Day Worship is at 10:15am.

Quilters resume January 9.

Sunday School resumes January 8.

Youth Night resumes January 15.

YOUTH NIGHT SUNDAYS

Youth Night will resume January 15th. All the kids will be participating in a program, Love First, that goes along with our church wide series, Love At Last Sight. The youth program will start January 15th, take a break February 5th for the Super Bowl, and finish up the 4 week series on Febuary 12th . Youth night is for all youth 1st-12th grades and meets Sundays 5-7pm and includes a meal. For more information talk to Krista Ewbank, 307-3278.

OTHER ITEMS TO NOTE MARTIN LUTHER SPECIAL ON PBS: A two-

part Martin Luther Special, narrated by Liam Neeson, will be shown on PBS: Monday, January 2 at 10:00pm – Martin Luther – “Driven to Defiance” and on Monday, January 9 at 10:00pm is entitled Martin Luther “The Reluctant Revolutionary.”

DEVOTIONALS FOR JANUARY – MARCH ARE AVAILABLE IN THE TRACT RACK.

2012 Offering Envelopes are in your church mailboxes if you have not picked them up already. Also, please turn in your Time & Talent surveys and pledge cards if you have not done so already.

BIRTHDAYS

Beginning this month we will begin listing birthdays in our newsletter. If you do not see your birthday appear, it may be that we do not have a

profile form filled out for you or your family. Please check with the office to fill out a form so

that we can update our database for our members. If you do not wish to have your birthday

publicized, please inform the office.

During the month of January we wish the following a very Happy Birthday!

Benko, II, Ava 01/19 Karrar, Kaitlin 01/07 Karrar, Kyle 01/07 Kline, Jeffrey 01/20 Kujala, Kent 01/15 O'Connor, Ursula 01/10 O'Connor, Kiernan 01/18 Perry, Emily 01/22 Reider, Joanne 01/03 Rock, Anne Marie 01/20 Wahl, Sean 01/11 Wahl, Andy 01/11 Wesley, Ann 01/06

ATTENTION

ST. THOMAS MEMBERS

ANNUAL MEETING

SUNDAY

JANUARY 29, 2012

FOLLOWING 10:15AM

WORSHIP SERVICE

January 14/15 Introduction

January 21-22 "The Art of Being All There" Begin daily reading in books, begin weekly meeting with small group

January 28/29 "The Art of Acting Intentionally"

Continue daily reading and meeting weekly

February 4/5 "The Art of Risking Awkwardness" Continue daily reading and meeting weekly

February 11/12 "The Art of Letting Go"

Finish daily readings and 4th and final small group meeting.

JANUARY SERVANTS OF ST. THOMAS

DATE

GREETERS

USHERS

COFFEE

HOST

LAY

READER

ALTAR

CARE

COMMUNION

ASSISTANTS

NURSERY

SUNDAY

SCHOOL

ACOLYTES

January 1 New Year's

Day (Communion)

Carol Pray & Bev Gover

Stu & Denise Keeler *

Grace Biggar

Cheryl Shelton

Volunteer Needed

*

No Sunday School

*

January 8 Baptism of our Lord

John & Cheryl

Shelton

Corey Bammer,

Paul Smolak, Adam Bickel

Judy

Cemer * *

To be Scheduled

To be Scheduled

Colin Bammer

January 15 (Communion)

Sonny & Debbie

Ouellette

Peter Rock, Bill Swasey, Judy Cemer

Sal Finazzo

Cheryl Shelton

Bill Stevenson (Sat.)/Judy

Cemer & Dick Withey

To be Scheduled

To be Scheduled

Ryan Blackburn

January 22, 2011

Judy Cemer & Elke

Malcomson

Matt Shelton, George

Thompson, George Nelson

Ethel Yops

* * To be

Scheduled To be

Scheduled Mia

Kohler

January 29, 2011

Stu & Denise Keeler

Fred Karn, Elke

Malcomson, Marcia

Aller * *

To be Scheduled

To be Scheduled

Danielle Thompson

January 2012

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

110:15am Worship (Communion)

Coffee

NEW YEAR'S DAY

2

No Quilting

3 4

12:00 Noon - Men's Lunch

59:00am Office Volunteers

6 7

5:30pm Worship Pastor Cummings/SW Mission Church (Noisy Offering)

810:15am Worship Pastor Cummings/ SW Mission Church10:15am Sunday

School(Noisy Offering)Coffee

BAPTISM OF OUR LORD

9

9:00am Quilters

7:30pm Church Council Meeting

10 11 12

9:00am Office

Volunteers

13 14

5:30pm Worship (Communion)

1510:15am Worship(Communion)

10:15am Sunday SchoolCoffee5-7:00pm Youth Night

EPIPHANY 2

169:00am Quilters

7:00pm Worship & Music Committee

17 18 199:00am Office

Volunteers

20 21

5:30pm Worship

2210:15am Worship"Love at Last Sight"

10:15am Sunday SchoolCoffee5-7:00pm Youth Night

EPIPHANY 3

239:00am Quilters

24 25 269:00am Office

Volunteers

27 28

5:30pm Worship

2910:15am Worship"Love at Last Sight"

10:15am Sunday SchoolCoffee5-7:00pm Youth Night

EPIPHANY 4

309:00am Quilters

31

December February

JANUARY 2012