Enjoy Christmas Caroling with SLM Sunday

St. John in Rutersville will host the next Wednesday worship (Dec. 13) for Advent. Soup will be served at 5:30 p.m. with the service at 6:30 p.m.

All are welcome to go Christmas caroling with a hayride and by horseback on Sunday, Dec. 10. Meet at Sand Rock Road, La Grange (the trailer for the hayride will be by the road) at 2:45 p.m. The trailer will leave at 3 p.m. The route will be down Sand Rock Road to Wied Road and then to Mueller Road and back to Sand Rock Road. Hotdogs, s’mores, and fellowship to follow. If possible, bring some goodies to hand out while caroling.

St. John in Ellinger will hold a Christmas gathering for the congregation immediately after church on Sunday, Dec. 17.

The Longest Night service will be held at St. John in Rutersville on Dec. 21 at 6:30 p.m. It will be led by Pastor Lawrence Bade.

Below is more information about The Longest Night service.

The Longest Night service happening with the Shared Lutheran Ministries group which includes Rutersville, Ellinger, Fayetteville, Warrenton.

The Longest Night is about our own personal loss and trying to find a way to manage that with the celebration around us.

It is a chance to remember

• Those whom we have loved and lost

• The pain of loss

• Ourselves this Christmas time

• Faith, the gift of light and hope that God offers to us The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. (From Gospel of John) The beauty of the Longest Night service reminds us we have a God who understands our suffering because God has endured human suffering.

God experienced all the sorrows of human life – from betrayal of a friend to ridicule, to death of a friend, to his own death.

When we say, “God is with us in our pain and sorrow,” we mean it in a very real sense. God, in Jesus, has experienced this before and knows just how to minister to us.

Finding hope in seemingly hopeless situations. In these moments of uncertainty, we know that we should take heart and not fear but that is not always easy to do. We cannot help but lose our hopeful attitudes. It is these times where hope is harder to find. Hope is holding onto the promise of God and believing that God is with us and leading us forward even when we ourselves do not know the way. Hope is especially important and real during times when it is hard to hope.

This will be the 6th year offering this worship.

The premise of the worship is easy … in the midst of the “happiness”, craziness and joyfulness, there are many of us unable to find that. The readings, reflections and music of this worship allow us to not feel those things and to not be ashamed of feeling down this season.

Worship services are still offered on Facebook, You Tube and KTIM 89.1 on Sundays at noon. Ellinger has worship every Sunday at 8 a.m. with communion.

Brethren Church

On Dec. 23, there will be no services at the church. Everyone is invited to join Industry Brethren Church for a Christmas Candlelight service at 4 p.m. followed by a light meal.

Fayetteville Brethren Church has services the second, third, and fourth Saturdays of each month at 10 a.m. Other services are at Industry Brethren on the second, third and fourth Saturdays at 5 p.m., Wesley Brethren on Sundays at 9 a.m. and Nelsonville Brethren on Sundays at 10:15 a.m. Rev. Mike Groseclose leads all the services. The Nelsonville service is live streamed on Nelsonville Brethren’s Face book page.

Hermann Sons

The Ellinger Hermann Sons Life will be meeting on Saturday, Dec. 9 at 2 p.m. at the Ellinger Fire Station. A collection of non-perishable items for AMEN will be gathered and the lodge appreciates any contributions. For any inquiries, please call Elaine Koehl at (979) 702-0664 or Diane Marusik at (713) 8195913. Raffle and Ribs Fundraiser Mindy suffered 2nd and 3rd degree burns covering over 25% of her body. This fundraiser will help offset medical and living expenses for her. The event will take place at the Ellinger Chamber of Commerce Hall on Sunday, Dec. 10 with a drive through starting at 10:30 a.m. Racks of ribs will be $30. Raffle tickets are being sold for $10 with over 75 prizes. Tickets can be purchased from Cassie Girard (979) 966-5018, Mike Schlabach (979) 966-9853, at La Grange Chevron, Audio-Video Plus in Schulenburg, Kalmus Service Station or La Grange Farm & Ranch.

Birthdays

Birthday Wishes to the following December celebrants: Milton Koehl Jr-8, Nancy Vasut-9, Genelda Stahmer-10, Brylee Brugger and Ted Stardig- 11, Brenda Stardig-12, Jagger Wessels and Jade Wessels- 18, Carolyn Bartosh, Bruce Kubena and Grace Ann Matocha-19, Annie Muel-ler 20, Patricia Horndt Flores and Jessica Kessel-23, Harvey Hayek-24, Jessica Martin and Bernetta Cook-28, Michelle Kubena-31.

Have News?

If you have news for the correspondent, you may email her at ellingernews@yahoo. com. You may also drop off news in the mailbox in the front of her residence. Please get her your information by Sunday evening for the upcoming week.