Are you ready for Christmas?
We can get so caught up in the shopping,
the planning for get-togethers, the decorations, and the holiday events that we
forget why we are celebrating in the first place.
We encourage you to take the opportunity this
Advent season to get your family in the habit of devotion together. It only
takes a few minutes a day, and a few minutes together in God’s Word not only
refreshes our souls and reminds us of the precious gift of the Savior, but also
expresses to our children that our God is important enough to take the time. We
wouldn’t decide not to eat or sleep because we are “too busy”. Yet we often
make excuses to avoid something just as important. Are we really too busy to
spend a few moments at our Savior’s feet with our families?
Here are some ideas to help you get
started:
- Commit yourselves
to devotions. Set aside a time in the morning, or in the evening after
dinner or before bed. Have everyone in the family put aside other
activities to make Christ the center of your family. A few minutes are all
that it takes. You do have the time, if it’s important to you!
- Make family
attendance at Sunday worship, Advent, and Christmas services the most
important events in your family’s holiday celebration. Would you have a
birthday party and forget to invite the person whose birthday it is?
Now is the time to start a great routine
that can strengthen you and your
family throughout your whole lives. As a
gift to you from Faith Lutheran Church and School, we are sending home an
Advent wreath, candles and an Advent devotion book for each family. An
Advent wreath can serve as a great “countdown to Christmas” along with your
advent devotions and prayers.
God bless your Christmas and Advent
preparations.
Advent
for Families!
We had an enjoyable time with our families this
last Sunday as we decorated Advent wreaths together and had our first Advent
devotion.
This next
Sunday evening, December 6th
from 6-7 p.m. Faith Lutheran Church and School would like to invite your
family to our second Advent for Families
activity as we make a nativity decoration together (Jesus, Mary and Joseph).
All materials for the craft will be provided to each family. There will be
refreshments, and we will close with an Advent devotion together.
If you didn’t get to decorate your Advent
wreath last Sunday, you can also bring your wreath to this Sunday’s activity.
We still have ribbons, pine cones, flowers, and other decorations for your
family to decorate your advent wreath, which we will make available for those
who need them.
In the weeks following, we will have several
more Advent for Families activities
on Sunday evenings. All are welcome!
Advent
Soup Supper and Worship
This Wednesday, December 2nd, we invite you
to join us for our midweek Advent
service at 7:00 p.m.
There will be a soup supper in the fellowship hall prior
to the service. The supper begins at
6:00 p.m. We ask that you bring your
favorite soup or salad to share. Bread or desserts are also welcome. Don’t worry if you are unable to bring
anything, come and join us anyway! We look forward to seeing you there.
You
are invited to join us for our weekly school chapel service this Thursday,
December 3rd, from 8:30 to 9:00 a.m. Families
and friends are invited to come and join us in starting our day with the Lord.
Pastor Hackmann from Peace Lutheran Church in Eagle River will lead our chapel
service this week. Our current mission offering is designated for Jesus Cares Ministries.
The basketball teams will be playing
in the ACSAA tournament this week Thursday through Saturday.
The
boys’ first game is Thursday, December 3rd at 7:45 p.m. vs. Lumen
Christi.
The
girls’ first game is Friday, December 4th at 5:30 p.m. vs. Wasilla
Lake.
All
games will be played at Lumen Christi. Admission to the tournament is $5 for
adults, $3 for students, $1 for Seniors, and $15 for families. Children under
12 are free.
There will be basketball practice this week Tuesday,
December 1st from 3-4:30 p.m. Please note that
this is an early practice.
SPIRIT DAYS THIS WEEK!
No uniforms on Wednesday and Thursday! Wednesday, Thursday and
Friday this week are SPIRIT DAYS! Have fun and show your school spirit and
cheer on the Basketball teams as they compete in the ACSAA tournament this
week.
Wednesday
December 2nd – Hat Day
Wear
your favorite, most unusual, or most colorful hat. Dress to match your hat!
Thursday,
Sept. 17th – Classroom Color Day
Each classroom is assigned a color. All
students should wear clothing in their class color:
Kindergarten – Blue
1st and 2nd
Grades – Red
3rd, 4th, and
5th Grades – Green
6th, 7th and 8th
Grades – Black
Friday –
Sept.18th –Teal and Gold Day
Wear
our school colors with pride!
Handchime Choir meets Tuesday, December 1st at 12:30 p.m. since
the lower grades will be gone for a play on Thursday.
Grades
6-8 will be taking a field trip to Color
Me Mine on Wednesday, December 2nd.
Preschool
through grade 2 will be attending the Anchorage Junior Theater production of Madeline and the Bad Hat on
Thursday, December 3rd.
Junior
Choir meets this week on Friday, December 4th at 12:20 p.m. since
the grade 6-8 classroom will be gone for a field trip on Wednesday.
Coming up on Friday,
December 18th is our school Christmas service, “Did You Know?”
presented at 6:30 p.m. in the recital hall at the UAA Fine Arts Building. This is a school
function where the students will be presenting the service. All Faith students
are expected to be in attendance. Plan to enjoy this special worship
opportunity with your family!
Picture Retake Day – Picture retakes will be
on Tuesday, December 8th beginning at 9:00 a.m. Please let your child’s teacher or the office
know if you are planning to have pictures taken on this day.
Toddler Time is an hour
of educational activities, structured play and a snack for children ages 0-5
and their caregivers.
Toddler Time meets Wednesdays from 10-11 a.m. in the Faith fellowship hall. For
more information contact Mrs. Cara Ewings at 907-792-9388.
PTF Meeting Change – PTF will meet next
week on Thursday December 10th at 7:00pm. The meeting was moved to accommodate those
attending the basketball tournament.