Hilltop Headlines

8:00am:

Elders: Clay Knippa, Steve Muchow

Organist: Kyle Borcherding

Greeters: Linda Pittsford, Lori Schultz

Communion/Offering Assistants: Arlan Bamsch, Roy Capdeville

Ushers: Stanley & Audrey Bielss

Hilltop Cafe: Joanne Vande Werken

Donut Pickup: Jonathan Kern

Golf Cart Driver: Sam Kurio

Audio: Clay Braun

Presentation: Chad Mathews

AV Tech Director: Cody Stephens

10:45am:

Elders: Mark Breckenridge

Greeters/Offering Assistants: Linda LaRochelle

Greeters/Ushers: Ashley Schmidt, Becky Brettnacher, Ben Norris, Sue Cowie

Hilltop Cafe: Nathan Smith

Communion Assistants: Al Barton, Denise Patrick, Kirk Kemnitz, Mike Cowie

Golf Cart Driver: Matthew Vande Werken

Connections Coordinator: Josh Hobratsch

Presentation: Jen Jordan

Camera: Alisha Johnson

Offerings/Electronic Giving for this week:

Home $18,046.14; General $19,304.40; Handbell Choir $4,000; Annual Fund $6,200.15; Capital Improvements $300; Cemetery Fund $10.53; Thanksgiving Meals $150; Capital Campaign $551.50

Attendance: 8am - 120; 10:45 - 227

10% of General Funds go to the following organizations: TX Dist LCMS, CHS Round Rock, Water Mission, Camp Lone Star, Brookwood in Georgetown, Faith in Action, Rev. John H. Kieschnick Endowment: $2,144.93

Dear Zion family –

The holiday season is off to a great start at Zion. This past Wednesday, with lots of shouting kids to help us, we lit up Zion’s 2024 Christmas tree. If you missed the tree lighting service, you can still enjoy it here. It even happened to begin snowing right as we lit up the tree – with a little help from some special effects. And there’s still so much more to come for the holidays.

This Sunday at 9:30 am, please make plans to join us for a special voters’ meeting in the sanctuary. We’ll be discussing and voting on Zion’s 2025 budget and on a potential plan to build a fieldhouse. Lots of exciting things are in store at Zion!

Then, next Wednesday, December 11 at 6:30 pm in the worship center, the third through eighth graders at Zion Lutheran School will be presenting a special Christmas program. You’ll be able to see and hear the Christmas story come to life through the gifts of our students!

Finally, this Sunday, it's the Stories of Christmas. Have you ever wondered how and why some of your Christmas carols got written? You can join us for worship this weekend to hear the stories behind your favorite Christmas songs. We’ll sing lots of carols and celebrate Communion together in a service you won’t want to miss. We worship at 8 am in our beautiful historic sanctuary, at 10:45 am in our wonderful worship center, or online at zionwalburg.org.

Your pastors love you!

– Pastor Zach, Pastor Kevin & Pastor Kyle

On Sunday, December 8 at 9:30 am in the sanctuary, Zion will hold a special voters’ meeting to approve the budget for 2025. Join us to hear about the exciting things we have in store for next year. Agenda is in the button below. Paper copies are in the Narthex and Lobby.

Help us celebrate the birth of Jesus this Christmas season by adding to Zion's Family Tree! We are asking each family to bring ONE ornament (unbreakable please) to decorate our Family Tree in the Lobby. Choose an ornament that represents your family in some special way. We will keep the ornaments and add to the Family Tree each year as Zion continues to grow. Thanks for participating in this fun Zion tradition!

2025 offering envelopes are on the tables in the entryway of the narthex. If you no longer use/need paper envelopes, please drop your box in the bin below the table so we don't reorder for next year. OR if you don't see a box and you'd like one assigned, please let the Church Office know 512-863-3065. Thank you!

The Kentucky mission team is looking to collect new socks of all kinds.

For men, women and children.

Warm socks, fuzzy socks, socks with grippy bottoms.

Wool socks, knitted socks, athletic socks. You name it!

The socks will be shared to those in need in the community and the nursing home.

Look for a collection bin in the Worship Center lobby from Dec 1 through Dec 10.

Dear Zion Family,

This past August, Zion's Board of Christian Education and Church Council recommended the formation of a Principal Call Committee in accordance with the congregation's bylaws to conduct a search for a permanent principal so someone may be officially installed in this important role. This Call Committee has now been formed. As part of the initial steps in this process, we are reaching out to solicit referrals for potential candidates.

If you have a recommendation or referral, we kindly ask that you contact Brian Hodgkins at 512-277-0984 or by email, bl.hodgkins@gmail.com, prior to December 20, 2024. Your input and support in this important process are greatly appreciated.

Saturday, December 7th at 9:00 am will be the Children's Handbell practice in the sanctuary. If you have not signed up, there is still time. Email Brenda Schroeder @ leeschroeder82@aol.com or Jonathan Schroeder @ pianomanlovespianowoman@gmail.com. The practice will be about 1 hour to 1 1/2hours for the Christmas program December 18th at 6:30 pm. If you have any questions, please email one of us and we will get back to you.

Thank you.

Jonathan and Brenda Schroeder

Thanksgiving and Christmas cards along with Friendship, Birthday, Sympathy, Thinking of You cards and other categories are available at the Card Ministry cabinet. Stop by and look through the selections. Boxed cards are $6.00, individual cards are 50 cents. thanks, Zion Evening Circle LWML

Choir benches from the old Sanctuary Choir Loft are available on a first come basis until they are gone. The suggested price is $100.00 each and the benches can be viewed outside near the music room steps and smoke house (see photo below). Please contact Dave Rowland at 737-240-0444 or email: old149er@gmail.com if you are interested.

On Sunday, December 29, Bob and Joanne Allen will celebrate a milestone of love and blessings, 70 years of marriage, their platinum anniversary. Platinum is a rare metal, resistant to wear and tarnish, a symbol of endurance. Bob and Joanne's marriage is a testament to the power of love and the beauty of God's grace and goodness. After the service, please join us in the worship center lobby to celebrate this occasion.

For the week of December 8-14 pray for:

December 8 - 2nd Grade students

December 9 - 3rd Grade students

December 10 - 4th Grade students

December 11 - 5th Grade students

December 12 - 6th Grade students

December 13 - 7th Grade students

December 14 - 8th Grade stduents

Share the Greatest Gift This Christmas

In a recent article by Kurt Senske, he emphasized sharing Jesus this Christmastime.

Have you ever received a message from someone right on time? Maybe you were searching for an answer, and someone came along and provided you with the information right when you needed it. What a gift!

While the Christmas season is typically a time when we think of giving to our family members, it is also when many people are searching for answers. Individuals who don't share the Christian faith are more open to hearing about Jesus and why He died on the cross for them. In a world starving for hope and encouragement, we can serve as messengers of Christ's love by sharing the right word at the right time because we have the Answer - JESUS! While we are celebrating with our friends and families, we can purposefully pause and share His love with others. How do we do this?

1. Pray for opportunities: Ask God to open doors and give you boldness to share your faith with others during the Christmas season.

2. Share the Christmas story: Talk about the story of Jesus' birth from the Bible and emphasize the significance of God sending His Son to earth as a gift of love.

3. Highlight Christmas carols and traditions: Explain how your favorite Christmas music or traditions relate to the biblical story and the meaning behind them.

4. Invite others to church events: Encourage family and friends to join you for Christmas Eve services or special Christmas programs at your church.

5. Provide personal testimonies: Reflect upon how Christmas has deepened your faith and brought you joy. Anticipate questions about your faith and be ready to explain the Gospel in a clear and understandable way.

6. Ask open-ended questions: Engage in conversation by asking questions about other people's Christmas experiences and beliefs, creating opportunities to share your faith.

7. Be genuine and respectful: Approach conversations with sincerity and respect for other people's perspectives.

8. Offer acts of service: Show the love of Christ through acts of kindness and generosity during the Christmas season.

As Christians, we know the joy of Christmas transforms our world and leads us to be agents of transformation and change. The shepherds received the joyful news of Jesus' birth and went to Bethlehem and met Jesus and the family, and then returned "glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them" (Luke 2:20b). Today, we are invited to do the same.

LHM thanks God for your partnership, prayers, and support as we work together as His witnesses to share the Good News of Jesus Christ as this world's ONLY hope for life and salvation. That is what Christmas is all about. God's blessing to you and your family this Advent season!

Sermon Schedule

Dec. 8

"Completely Ordinary Human"

Speaker: Rev. Dr. Michael Zeigler

Everyone has a story to tell and yours can be one through which Jesus is working to make the world new again. (Malachi 3:7)

You can listen to The Lutheran Hour on KLBJ on Sunday mornings at 7 a.m. or online at lutheranhour.org, through a mobile app, and on new media platforms like Spotify, iHeartRadio, Amazon Alexa, Google Home and Sirius XM satellite radio.

Pastors: Zach McIntosh, Kevin Hintze and Kyle Borcherding

Interim Principal: Suzan Winkelman

Church Office Hours: 8am-4pm Monday-Friday

Church Phone: 512-863-3065

School Phone: 512-863-5345 Fax 512-686-5807

www.zionwalburg.org

6001 FM 1105, Georgetown, TX 78626