Bench

Dec. 21 (Advent 4 – paraments are purple) – Reserved
Dec. 28 (Christmas 1 – paraments are white) – Reserved
Jan. 4 (Christmas 2 – paraments are white) – Reserved
Jan. 11 (Christmas 2 – paraments are white) – Available

CONGREGATIONAL CHRISTMAS POTLUCK DINNER:
PLC welcomes you to attend the Christmas Dinner on Sunday, December 14, after the Divine Service. The sign-up board is in the Narthex for everyone to sign up to bring food items and to help with cleanup.

CHRISTMAS CAROLING:
Please join in on the PLC tradition of Christmas Caroling to our members. Singers, please meet in the Narthex on Saturday, December 13, at 1:00pm. We will have a brief warm up and then head out to a few houses to carol. We should be done between 3:00pm and 4:00pm. Dress for the weather.

MENS CLUB THANK YOU:
The Men’s Club would like to thank the Congregation for attending our Thanksgiving Fellowship Hour and  for supporting both the Sunshine Fund and our BASH food drive collection. We look forward to next year to holding these events again. Thank You from the PLC Men’s Club.

USHERS OPPORTUNITIES
We are in need of one more usher to join our Monday Night Vespers team. This team would serve for just one year.  We currently have three but the ideal is to have four members, that way each usher only ushers three months a year.  If you would be willing to be a part of this team, please contact Mike O’Neill. We are also in need of an usher to work the New Years Eve Vespers Service. If you would be willing to usher this service, please sign up on the Usher’s Schedule on the board in the Narthex. Thank you for your consideration

PLS B.A.S.H. TOY DRIVE!
PLS is collecting toys for the B.A.S.H. Toy Drive! B.A.S.H. is a local food bank that supports many members of our community. If you would like to help, please bring a new, unwrapped toy by Tuesday, December 16. Toys can be placed in the collection boxes in the Ark (gym) foyer or at the end of the school office hallway. Thank you in advance for your generous donations!

ELHS SACRED CHRISTMAS CONCERT:
Evergreen Lutheran High School invites you to their Carols of Christmas concert featuring the Concert Choir and Band on Friday, December 19, at 7:00pm. Join ELHS for an evening of beautiful Christmas music as we celebrate the season together. We hope to see you there!

BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT AT ELHS!
Parents and alumni, this night is for you! On Monday, January 5, break out the letterman jackets, throw on your school jerseys, and bring your school spirit to Evergreen. Parents and alumni receive free admission. Enjoy Eagle gear giveaways and cheer on all four basketball teams.

• JV Girls play at 3:00pm
• JV Boys play at 4:30pm
• Varsity Girls play at 6:00pm
• Varsity Boys play at 7:30pm

TELSS BASKETBALL NIGHT:
All TELSS families wearing their school gear will receive free admission to ELHS basketball games on Saturday, January 16! Show your Viking pride as you cheer on the Evergreen Eagles! The Junior Eagle Cheerleaders will perform at halftime of both varsity games.

• JV Girls play at 12:30pm
• Varsity Girls play at 2:00pm
• Varsity Boys play at 3:30pm

ELHS DRAMA PRODUCTION:
The Evergreen Lutheran Players Present: Rogues’ Gallery

Two security guards arrive at Rogues’ Gallery to discover a multi-million-dollar sculpture in ruins after the museum was left unlocked—and neither guard showed up for morning duty. To uncover what happened, they watch back security footage while plotting what to tell their boss and how to explain to the artist that their sculpture is destroyed.

Dessert Performance: Friday, January 30, at 7:00pm ($10 per ticket)
Saturday Matinee: January 31, at 1:30pm ($2 students; $5 adults)

Click here to purchase your ticket today!

PLC CHRISTMAS LETTER:
This year’s annual PLC Christmas letter can be found in the Midweek Update.

DECEMBER GIVING FOR BUDGET AND MORTGAGE:
Please see the Midweek Update for details.

NOVEMBER BUDGET REPORT:
Our treasurer reports that through the month of November, our income in offerings and tuition is running slightly behind. However, he also mentioned that we are looking forward to a good December when we have historically caught up. We have also had and have numerous special offering requests at the end of the year (the unplanned furnace replacement {with the help of a memorial given in remembrance of James Steele}, the Thanksgiving offering, and our current Christmas offering designated for the ELS. In addition, we have had a series of larger-than-normal expenses for “maintenance and repairs,” as the Trustees have been working on various projects.

REMINDER NOTES!

CHRISTMAS SERVICES AT PLC:
Parkland Lutheran Church would like to invite everyone to attend the following services:

• Advent Services: Wednesday, 12/17 @ 1:30 pm (in-person) & 6:30pm (in-person & online)
• Advent 3 Sunday Service: Sunday, 12/14 @ 9:30 am (in-person & online) & PLC Christmas Dinner to follow service
• PLS Children’s Christmas Service: Sunday, 12/21 @ 4:00 pm in the gym. (in-person)*
• Christmas Eve Services: Wednesday, 12/24 @ 5:00 pm (in-person & online) & 11:00 pm (in-person)
• Christmas Day Service: Thursday, 12/25 @ 10:00 am (in-person & online)
• New Year’s Eve Service: Wednesday, 12/31 @ 6:30 pm (in-person & online)

*PLS Final Christmas Service Practice: Everyone is welcome to attend the final practice for the PLS Children’s Christmas Service on Thursday, December 18, at 9:30 am in the PLS Ark (gym). Parking will be available in front of the church and inside the playground fence starting at 9:10 am. The Ark (gym) doors will open at 9:15 am.

ATTENTION ALL PLC BOARDS, COMMITTEES & ORGANIZATIONS:
Once again it is time to start thinking about the annual report. All congregational boards, committees and organizations are requested to submit a report for the PLC annual report.

If possible, please email them to the church office at books@parklandlutheran.org. Those responsible for making those reports should have them in the church office before Monday January 12.

NEW FLOWER CHART FOR 2026:
The 2026 flower chart has been posted in the narthex. Please consider signing up for a Sunday taking advantage of this wonderful opportunity to beautify our church throughout the next year.

2026 OFFERING ENVELOPES:
Your offering envelopes have been placed in your member box. Please review your new envelope packet and remove it from your box. If you do not have an offering book in your membership box please remember you may have asked that you not to receive one. If at anytime you would like to have an offering book please contact the church office and we will get you one. (If you prefer to give electronically and do not need the physical envelopes, please let the office know that as well.)

ELS MATCHING GRANT OPPORTUNITY:
As the fiscal year comes to a close for the ELS, the end of the year of the year offerings have not quite matched our goals. There is a generous match of $10,000 for gifts given to the synod without designation of where it should be used (for example, it can’t be given specifically for the work of Home Missions in order to qualify for the matching grant). Please consider how you might be able to support our synod in this way as the year comes to a close.

THE GIFT OF GENEROSITY:
This holiday season, we thank everyone who has supported PLC this past year with their time, talent and financial contributions and look forward to support from all of our members in the year ahead. If you need a convenient way to make regular offerings or if you plan to make an additional gift before the end of the year, we encourage you to look into our electronic giving options. As the pace of life speeds up, especially around the holidays, you may find electronic giving a most welcome way to make contributions. Visit the PLC website or contact the church office for more information.