Bench

Dec. 14 (Advent 3 – paraments are purple) – Reserved
Dec. 21 (Advent 4 – paraments are purple) – Reserved
Dec. 28 (Christmas 1 – paraments are white) – Reserved
Jan. 4 (Christmas 2 – paraments are white) – Available

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.

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.

CONGREGATIONAL CHRISTMAS POTLUCK DINNER:
PLC welcomes you to attend the Christmas Dinner on Sunday, December 14 after the Divine Service. The sign-up board will be in the Narthex soon 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 1:00 pm. We will have a brief warm up and then head out to a few houses to carol. We should be done between 3 and 4 PM. Dress for the weather.

LYS WREATH PICK UP:
On Sunday, December 7th the LYS will be handing out wreaths after church that were purchased through their fundraiser. There may be. a few extra for sale. If you know you will not be available to pick up on the 7th, please let Anna Gullixson know.

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.

REMINDER NOTES!

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

• Advent Services: Wednesday, 12/10 & 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.

MIDWEEK ADVENT SERVICE SERIES:
This year’s Advent series will be a meditation on 3 of the 4 canticles (songs) of Luke 2 surrounding our Savior’s birth, the Sacraments, and the stories of Abel, the Flood, and God’s promise to Abraham. Services will be held twice each Wednesday (December 3, 10, 17) at 1:30 pm and 6:30 pm (only the 6:30 pm service will be livestreamed and recorded).

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.)

FURNACE UPDATE:
A BIG thank you to the Trustees who arranged for the removal of our old furnaces and installation of the new ones for the nave. Also, thank you to those who gave extra toward the purchase of the furnaces. A large portion of the cost was also given in memory of James Steele who died earlier this year.

2025 WOMEN’S MISSION RALLY HOSTED BY BETHANY LUTHERAN CHURCH IN PORT ORCHARD:
The rally was well attended; it was uplifting and informative. The theme this year was “One Thing Needful”.  The speakers were Thomas Heyn and Timothy Bartels. The speaker presentation included information about progress and details at the missions in Peru.

Each year the members in attendance vote for what mission projects will receive our funds, collected via Mites and donations. 2026 Mission Projects will be:

1. ‘Gift of Life in Ukraine”: Gift of Life is a humanitarian mission in support of Gospel outreach working in partnership with the congregations of the Ukrainian Lutheran Church.  It’s Medical Clinics on Wheels have administered dental and medical care to thousands of children in under-served territory of Ukraine.
2. Bethany Lutheran College Scholarship Fund: A fund for teacher certification.

Mission Prayer partners are also assigned to all churches in our district; this changes each year. PLC new prayer partners are (please keep our prayers partners in your prayers):

1. Home Mission- King of Grace Lutheran Church in Waukon, Iowa
2. Foreign Mission – Martin Luther Schools in The Czech Republic

Thank you to all who contributed to missions through mite boxes this past year. We appreciate your continued support for mission work both locally and abroad. Please see the Midweek Update for more detailed information about Parkland Lutheran’s donations this past year.

90TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS!
The Women’s Club would like to invite you to join in the celebration! Bea Porter and Ruth Hoch will be celebrating in December; each lady will be celebrating her 90th Birthday!

The Women’s Club will have a birthday card for each woman on the circular table in the narthex for the next couple of Sundays. Please feel free to sign the special cards in the narthex and/or mail a card personally to them. The Women’s Club will arrange for the group cards, along with a gift, to be delivered to them on their birthdays. If you’d like to send a card in personal card, please see the Midweek Update for details.

BILL AND ASHLEY SHEDROCK AND FAMILY HAVE A NEW ADDRESS:
Please see the Midweek Update or email office@parklandlutheran.org for their new address. Their email and cell numbers remain the same as listed in the current directory. Be sure to keep in touch!

SYNOD PRESIDENT’S NEWSLETTER:
You can find a copy of the December Synod President’s Newsletter in the Narthex or on the Synod Website.

DECEMBER BIRTHDAYS:
Please join us in wishing a very Happy Birthday to our Parkland Lutheran members celebrating in December. For a full list of PLC member birthdays this month, please see the Midweek Update.

If we have missed wishing you happy birthday in the Midweek Update, please forgive us. We are still in the process of updating our birthday list. Please phone the church office @ 253.537.5492 to add your birthday to our list.

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 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.