Happy New Year! One year is over and another begins without any pause, only a transition. This is similar to traveling on the road and sliding over to an open lane when the one you are in tapers off - so too, our mission. Until Jesus returns, we have an ongoing purpose to help rescue those who are stranded on the Crossroads of life.

Like Thomas, we ask, “How can we know the way?” Jesus said, “I am the way.” He “merged” into a human body so that he could rescue us. This means we need to be aware of the people around us. How many of your friends, family members, co-workers, or neighbors don’t have access to a faith community? Every person reading this must know at least one. Include that person in prayer. Consider that person when you plan to attend some activity at Our Savior. Look for opportunities to offer support or help. Invite that person to church.

We hope to begin the completion of the Ministry Center soon. The Church Extension Fund loan committee will be meeting in early January. The Lord willing, the Stewards will meet soon after that to prayerfully consider our options to move forward. In addition to the original Building Up Reaching Out pledges, many of you have responded to the opportunity to participate in Giving Plus from Thrivent Financial. Through that initiative, we have been blessed with $24,000! Let’s continue to take advantage of this program in 2007!

Finally, we will be conducting a survey this month to get your input on Critical Targets. Your participation is very important. These objectives will help leadership and staff establish goals to meet the desired outcomes. We will also hold the semi-annual stewards meeting for additional communication. The purpose of these exercises is to discern the Lord’s will for our congregation by including as many as possible in the process.

Remain Rooted in Grace, Growing in Faith, and Serving with Joy.

In my December newsletter article, I mentioned that the Lay Governing Board would soon be coming up with some new Critical Targets and Goals, which will guide OSLM’s actions in the coming fiscal year and beyond. The Critical Targets are specific areas of our ministry in which we need to make an impact in order to fulfill our Mission; the Goals (one for each Critical Target) are short descriptions of the future state of affairs that we want to see five (or more) years from now. This is not something new: every year since the LGB was created, we have generated Critical Targets and Goals, and at each regular Stewards’ meeting, we have brought you up to date on what these are and on how well we are doing at meeting the Goals. What is new this year is that we are trying to look a little farther out into the future.

Each year we have also had some kind of forum in which we have received your input to these Goals. After all, the LGB does not act independently; we are the representatives of you, the Stewards of the congregation. Last year, for example, we had a set of “cottage meetings” during the Sunday School hour. This year, we are going to try something different. In your worship folder on January 7, you will find a survey form on which you will be asked to give your opinion on each of a set of six proposed Goals. You will have until the following Sunday to turn this in, so please take the time to respond thoughtfully and prayerfully. The LGB will compile the results and, if necessary, revise the Goals to reflect what we have heard from you.

At first glance, some of these Goals might seem to be nothing more than statements of the obvious, but each of them in fact represents a choice of direction for OSLM. One example that you will see is a Goal having to do with church growth. Now, some of you may think that of course we would want OSLM to continue growing both numerically and spiritually. But others of you may disagree, and think that, for example, it would be better for us to be spinning off daughter churches. A similar type of choice is involved with each Goal. In each case, you need to ask yourself this important question: what is the most effective way for OSLM to carry out the Great Commission? May the Holy Spirit guide you as you share with us your answers to this question.

We give God the glory for:

• Linda Greenhagen for writing the “outline” of our three Advent Services -- “The Journey of Hope,” ”The Journey of Love,” and “The Journey of Joy.” It was then turned over to each grade department where the teachers expanded, embellished, and extended the outlines into the worship programs presented. Then the students were “enlisted, equipped, empowered, and encouraged” to do their very best. (that was the hard part but it was made so much easier with all the parental volunteer help!) To everyone who made these programs special – thank you!
• Special thanks to Christa Even who played the piano/organ for our Pre-Christmas worship programs on top of all her other Christmas activities. (Christa plays for all of our weekly chapel services!) Thanks also to Amanda Newman for her direction of the band, classroom and choral pieces. Christa and Amanda are special!
• The students who participated and shared the wonderful message of Jesus’ birth. Children have a unique way that they can tell about Jesus and his birth.
• Thank you for bringing your treasured nativity sets. Looking at the variety demonstrates all the different ways we can view the birth of Jesus. The lesson might be that God approaches each of us in special and unique ways.
• Thanks to our students and parents for reaching the goal of $4000 for the van for our Brazilian Missionaries. Not only did you reach the goal – you went past it!
• Thanks to Lynn Dirks and Theresa Scharlemann for their “Kids Can” effort. They organized a canned food drive. Students were to bring cans of food to school to help stock the local food shelves. Our students brought in 3045 cans!
• Thanks to our 7th and 8th grade basketball coaches. They are 7th Girls: David Cauthen and John Parker; 7th Boys: Phil Acton and Mark Beguhl; 8th Girls: Rebecca Rogers and Johann Lotscher; 8th Boys: Fred Brauer, Scott Goodell, and Michael Lonsinger
• All the “little lambs” of OSLS!

ACCREDITATION PROGRESS – Our Accreditation Team – led by Mickey Angerman and our committee chairs – are moving along strongly. We are planning to have the final visitation for accreditation completed in the fall of 2007. It is much closer than you might think! As a reminder, our school ESLR’s (Expected School-wide Learning Results) are:

• Kids of the King walk like Jesus.
• Kids of the King are avid learners.
• Kids of the King develop important life skills.
• Kids of the King enhance their lives with enriching activities.

OPEN HOUSES COMING! While you may not be thinking about it quite yet, it is the time for us to begin developing plans for next fall’s (2007) enrollment. We will be conducting several Open Houses for new students, continuing students, area preschools, etc.

• The first OPEN HOUSE will be in January (exact date not yet set). This Open House will be for area preschool directors who might refer their “graduates” to OSLS.
• The second OPEN HOUSE is February 6 from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. (in the gym). This is the open house where we give information about OSLS to potential new families who are interested in our school. This would be a great time and place to invite neighbors and friends to “take a look” at OSLS! They will have the opportunity to visit classrooms, talk to teachers in smaller groups, and talk to other parents about our school.
• The third OPEN HOUSE is February 13 from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. This open house is intended for continuing students. It is a chance for parents of current students to look ahead to the next grade level, talk to teachers, and other parents. There will be hot chocolate and cookies for students and parents.
• A final OPEN HOUSE will be in April or May. This is still in the planning stages but will be “aimed” at inviting area realtors to learn about our school and perhaps let their clients know about OSLS!

UPCOMING EVENTS

• NO SCHOOL January 15 – Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday.
• End of 1st Semester on January 19. Can you believe the year is half over?
• On January 26-28, students in grades 6-8 will be participating in our 3rd Annual Talent Fair. This is an “opportunity” for our students to “show off” their talents in the areas of fine arts, literature, science, and social studies. Before Thanksgiving, students were given the guidelines to complete their projects. It will all come to realization on January 26 when students will set up their projects. Judging will occur on Saturday, January 27. Projects will be available for viewing on Sunday morning (after church) and again at 1:00 p.m. You will be amazed at the talents displayed by our students. Winners of the science projects will go on to the annual Tri-Valley Science and Engineering Fair conducted in February. Winners in the other areas of fine arts, literature, and social students will be entered in the Alameda County Fair.

Thank you to all who gave their time to make our Christmas worship at Our Savior more meaningful – Altar Guild, those who decorated, singers and instrumentalists, those who put together worship folders, ushers, and AV people. Many were blessed by your efforts!

As we begin a new year, it’s a great time to look at our lives and the way we fill our time. Has God blessed you with a gift or interest that you would be willing to share? Our music groups always welcome new members, and January is a perfect time to begin using your voice or instrument in praise to God. The schedule for all music groups is included on the calendar, and if you have questions, you can always call Christa Even at 447-1246, ext. 231 to get more information.

January is the time our children’s musical groups begin preparing a musical for the spring. This year, we will be doing “Kings, Dreams, and Schemes,” a lively account of Daniel. Anyone in 1st through 8th grades can participate by coming to our after-school choir rehearsals. Join us – it’s great fun! You’ll learn new things and will have an opportunity to serve God and others with your music! Parents, we invite you to encourage your children to participate!

• Blood Pressure Monitoring will be offered in the Family Room after the worship service on the first and third Sundays of each month.
• Pinochle Club—This group meets on the second Tuesday evening of the month. Everyone is invited to come out for a game of cards on Tuesday, January 9, from 7—9 p.m. in Room 18. Come and join in the fun!
• The Christian Reading Club of Our Savior meets on a monthly basis to share insights and reactions to a monthly reading assignment. The book is Facing Your Giants by Max Lucado (ISBN #0849901812). This book is available at www.amazon.com. We’ll meet for our discussion time on Tuesday, January 16, from 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. in Room 8. Call Steve Christopher at 447-1246 ext. 228 for more information.

Upcoming Events

• Crab Feed, Saturday, February 3, 5 p.m. in the gym.
• Women's Retreat, February 23 - 25, 2007 at Villa Maria Del Mar in Santa Cruz.

Wanted
Adult Volunteers who are passionate about helping the youth of OSLM to grow in fellowship and in their spiritual lives. If you are interested or want more information, contact Timothy Potthoff by calling 447- 1246, ext. 261 or email at dcetimothy@h otmail.com.

FISH (7th and 8th grade)
Like to run around? Like to have fun with your friends? You can do both at the crazy Game Night on Friday, January 12 from 7 - 9 p.m. in the OSLM gym. Come for all the cheers, groans, and laughter.

CLIMB (9th-12th grade)
Video bowl on Friday, January 19 from 11:30 p.m. - 1:30 a.m. at Granada Bowl in Livermore. Come de- stress after finals. There will be music, bowling, and crazy fun. The cost is $11, which includes bowling and shoes. RSVP to Timothy by January 14 so we can let the bowling ally know how many to expect.

The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor.
1 Corinthians 3:8

Our Savior Lutheran Ministries is such a wonderful place to work. I have the opportunity to work in a place surrounded with God’s beauty and also with his love. Here at the ECDC we have the privilege on a daily basis to share the love of Christ with these little children he has placed in our lives. We may, in a sense, be a planter—one who is planting the seed of God’s love. What a true blessing! We often do the planting, but our seeds need water to grow, and what a blessing to have a wonderful congregation to do that watering. You may be asking as a member of OSLM: “How am I doing any watering?” You “water” when you pray for us, and when you do, that seed begins to grow. Some of you read to the little children, and again, that seed grows. Some of you sew for us or iron for us and those are all ways that you are watering our seeds. My prayer for you this new year is to find ways that you can water those seeds that are planted. It may simply be a daily prayer that God blesses the children and allows their light to grow; it may mean giving us a call to find out what you can do to help those seeds grow. You can do watering every day no matter where you are or what you do. Just let your light shine and those seeds that are planted will grow.

December was a wonderful month for the ECDC. We shared God’s love for us by singing our special Christmas songs at our weekly Christmas chapels. We pretended we were sheep and followed the shepherd to baby Jesus. We dressed as wise men and shared our gifts with baby Jesus. We ended our month with a birthday party for Jesus with all the “bells and whistles.” We are excited to begin January surrounded by God’s love. We hope that your new year will be merry and bright, filled with God’s love.

Have you noticed the special art work that has enhanced our worship throughout the Advent and Christmas season? Kris Back has added to our seasonal banners with the second blue Advent banner – it’s beautiful! She, with the help of the Liturgical Arts Group, designed the colorful mural on the front wall, also. This project turned out to be a very rewarding group effort! We pray that you have been blessed by the participation of the following people:

Kris Back, Ruth McDonald, Pat Leatherman, Jean Auble, Laura Cabral, Mary Cabral, Julia Lee, Linda Futral, Bill Even, Christa Even, Marcus Schildbach, Ray Zinnel, Ken Girardin, Lynn Kramer, John Rajczyk, Cathy Kinter, Roger Kinter, Diane Schildbach. If we missed anyone, our apologies and thanks!

Thanks, too, to all who helped decorate the sanctuary for Christmas – you have enriched the worship of many!

Celebrate the Bounty of the Bay at the 9th Annual Crab Feed on Saturday, February 3, 2007 from 5 - 9 p.m. at Our Savior Gymnasium! Enjoy All-You-Can-Eat Crab, Caesar Salad, Pasta, Garlic Bread, and Dessert. There will be music, dancing, and lots of family fun! Join us - it'll be all it's cracked up to be!

Tickets will be available in the church office beginning January 3 and on Sundays in January during fellowship time. Costs for tickets are $20 for adults, $10 for kids ages 5 - 10, and kids ages 4 and under are free. Buy your tickets early - seating is limited!

Please click here for the Financial Report for November and also the Fiscal Year-to-Date Report.

The mission pledge is current and all expenses have been paid.

General Giving for November is DOWN 14% from projected giving but part of this may be from members who have redistributed funds to the school in order to obtain matching funds from Thrivent and plan to catch back up in 2007. Given this fact we are still on target YTD.

Balances in our checking and savings accounts total $378,937, which includes $70,363 in the Building Up – Reaching Out fund. The Church’s portion of the mortgage as well as architectural fees are being paid out of this fund.

Monthly pledges needed to make the mortgage payment are $22,000. In November, we received $28,488.

The Thrivent Matching Funds program will generate $12,445 for the benefit of the Ministry Center through November.

To ensure your church contributions are tax deductible, do not file your 2006 income tax return until you have received a written acknowledgment of your contributions from the church. Some of your contributions may not be tax deductible if you file your tax return before receiving this written acknowledgment.

Our loan application is working its way through LCEF. They are planning to take it to their board by the first or second week of January for review and/or approval, so we should have an answer soon. In the meantime, keep praying.

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans will continue to make your donations to the Ministry building fund GROW—and all that’s required is a simple little form.

If you’re already supporting the Ministry Center building fund or would like the opportunity to do so AND are a Thrivent member, your donations to the building fund can grow by 50%.

As we begin a new year, Thrivent Financial members age 16 or older are again eligible to participate in the GivingPlus Program by supporting our school and/or Early Childhood Center. Members can donate up to $600 to both or either of these organizations each year and have their donations supplemented by Thrivent Financial, who will contribute $1 for every $2 donated, up to a maximum supplement of $300 per person, per organization, per year. These funds will be used to help with the school's portion of our building and loan payment program. (Please note: This program is no longer available to Associate Members.)

Thrivent is a NON-PROFIT organization. To maintain that status, the IRS lets them distribute their earnings to Lutheran schools and service organizations by supplementing the gifts made by individual contributors. Let’s help them maintain that status while we support the completion of our Ministry Center!

Information about this program is available from Joe Ryno in the church office (447- 1246, ext. 221) and you can learn more about the simple process that will allow God to multiply your gifts to His Ministry at OSLM.

Men of Our Savior - we will gather again at the home of Mark McDonald on Sunday, January 21, 2007, for for the Meat Bowl, to watch the last round of the NFL Play-offs. We'll meet in the early afternoon (specific time will be announced, based on the game schedule for that day) for the two conference championship football games, where the winners go to the Super Bowl.

We'll have plenty of meat! Mark is also planning for some "team specific" dishes! (Root for New Orleans - Mark's hometown team!)

We'll enjoy a time of fellowship and there will be things for the uninterested football fan. We will also do some planning for the Easter Breakfast sponsored by the men of Our Savior.

Cost will be your free-will donation to help cover expenses. You need to RSVP to Steve Christopher in the church office at 447-1246, ext. 228 or email him at schristopher@ oslm.net no later than Tuesday, January 16.

February 23-25, 2007 is the Women's Retreat weekend, a time when the women of Our Savior will travel to Santa Cruz to unwind, enjoy the peace and beauty of the ocean, have fun and fellowship with other women of faith, and spend some much needed time in worship and prayer. If you’re looking for a break from the demands of a hectic personal and/or professional life, perhaps a weekend away is just what you need!

Connie Schramm from St. John’s Lutheran School, in Orange, CA, will be our guest speaker.

This year, we’ll be staying at the Villa Maria del Mar retreat center. You may view the retreat center online at www.villamari adelmar.org. Most of the accommodations will house two women per room, but there are a limited number of single rooms available that will be given out on a first come, first served basis. The cost of the weekend is $215, which includes two nights lodging and six meals.

To reserve your spot, look for the reservation table after worship services on Sundays in the gym, or call Kathy Newman at 447-1246, ext. 420. Reservations will be taken throughout January until our limited space is filled, so sign up soon! Please consider joining us for relaxing, fun-filled weekend!

Our Savior Lutheran Ministries is a Christian Community--

• Rooted in Grace
• Growing in Faith
• Serving with Joy

Worship Schedule

• Sunday Worship and Communion: 9:00 a.m.
• Sunday School for all ages: 10:30 a.m.

Critical Targets and Goals

To accomplish our mission and ministry here at Our Savior:

• Pastor: A new Senior Pastor has been installed by October 1, 2006.
• Worship Attendance: The average weekly worship attendance for 2006-07 is 15% greater than for 2005-06.
• Community Awareness: OSLM is making use of all relevant means of communication to make the people of the greater Livermore area aware of our ministries and activities.
• Ministry Center: The Ministry Center is completed by September 1, 2007. Plans have been developed for the full use of all campus facilities to advance the Mission of OSLM.
• New Member Assimilation: At least 75% of new Communicant Members received during 2006- 07 become involved in some group or activity at OSLM.
• Ministries to the 18 - 35 (Young Adult) Age Group: Ministries and activities specifically intended for the 18-35 age group are in place and functioning well. The number of Communicant Members in this age group has increased by 30% during 2006-07.
• Ministries to Unchurched School Families: Ministries and activities specifically intended for unchurched school families are in place and functioning well. These include at least three new approaches for targeted witness to this group.

Mission Statement

Our Savior Lutheran Ministries’ Mission is to carry out the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 1:8) by:

• Proclaiming salvation through God’s grace in word and song;
• Building Christian relationships;
• Caring for the people of the community; and
• Equipping God’s people for Life in Christ.