This Week at Esther
Sunday, November 15th – Twenty Fifth Sunday after Pentecost
Sunday Fellowship Before and After Worship
9 am – Sunday School
9:15 am – Behold Connect & Reflect: Coffee & Conversation
10 am – Worship with Holy Communion led by Pastor Dennis Preston
2 pm – Worship at St. William’s
*SUNDAY SCHOOL SCHEDULE*
Nov. 15- 9 am
Nov. 22 – 9 am – Christmas Program Practice
Nov. 29- NO SUNDAY SCHOOL
Dec. 6 – 9 am – Christmas Program Practice
Dec. 13- 8:30 am – Christmas Program Practice and Program to follow in Worship at 10 am
Dec. 20 – All People Sunday School
Dec. 27- NO SUNDAY SCHOOL
*SERVING IN NOVEMBER*
Pastor: Nov 15- Pr. Dennis Preston, Nov 22 – Pr. Greg Billberg, Nov 29- Pr. Ken Bowman
Organists: Marcia Guenther
Altar Care: Donna Pederson
Usher: NEED VOLUNTEER
Acolyte: Nov 8- NEED VOLUNTEER, Nov 15-NEED VOLUNTEER, Nov 22- Sawyer Ratajesak, Nov 29- Sawyer Ratajesak
Lay Reader: Chris Carter
Communion Assistant: Chris Carter
Birthday Card Sender: Confirmation Class
*NEWS AND NOTES*
Check out the Esther Calendar on our website to stay up to date on everything happening! Go to estherlutheran.com and click on “Esther Calendar.”
MARK YOUR CALENDARS! OUR LEFSE-MAKING EVENTS ARE COMING UP!
*FIRST EVENT:
Friday, November 20th – 5 pm AND Saturday, November 21st – 8 am
*SECOND EVENT:
Friday, December 4th -5 pm AND & Saturday, December 5th -8 am
Any and all help is greatly appreciated! Whether you can help for a little while or the whole time, we’d love to have you join us. Thank you for your time and support!
Youth are selling 2027 calendars! Cost $10. There will be a sign-up sheet in the Narthex. Orders due by November 29th.
We will be decorating for the Christmas Season following worship on Sunday, November 22nd. Any help is appreciated!
Widows & Singles Share & Care Day will be Friday, November 20th. They will meet at Immanuel Lutheran Church, Parkers Prairie, at 12:30 pm for a potluck dinner. At 1:00 pm Arvig cybersecurity analyst, Amanda Nelson, will speak on how to detect AI scams. RSVP to Joyce at 320-815-4132 by Nov. 13th.
Applications for both campers and camp counselors at Luther Crest is open. Don’t forget that financial assistance is available through our Camp Fund to help cover camp costs. We encourage everyone to apply and take advantage of this opportunity! If you need an application, you can find the Esther Lutheran Church Camp and Spiritual Growth Fund Application on our website at estherlutheran.com under “Faith Formation Resources.”
Get your lefse ready for the holidays! Each package includes four lefse for $7. Please submit your orders by November 30th. Order forms are available in the Narthex, or you can place your order by calling Lana Doll at 218-280-6326.
December 6th is our Christmas Market! A sign-up sheet for soup & BBQ will be available soon. If you are unable to bring food, but would still like to contribute, monetary donations are also welcome. Please make checks payable to WELCA and give them to either Luella or Lana.
AmeriCorps is currently seeking individuals in the Parkers Prairie area who are interested in making a difference in their community by serving as tutors at local schools as math and reading tutors. These opportunities can be a great fit for retirees, individuals looking to give back to their community, or anyone passionate about helping students succeed. There is a flyer in the Narthex with information.
Simply Flourish in Parkers Prairie is once again sponsoring its “Sponsor a Resident” program. This year, every resident at St. William’s Living Center and McCornell Court will receive a 4.5-inch poinsettia and a handwritten holiday card. If you would like to help spread some Christmas cheer, please contact them at 218-338-3800 to sponsor a resident. Thank you for helping make the season brighter for our local seniors!
The Bell Tower is leaking and needs to be repaired. Because of the high reach and difficult area to work with, we do not have an exact idea of cost, but it could surpass $50,000. Please consider helping with this important and much needed repair. Help keep the bell ringing! Please send your donation to the church: 11019 625th Ave Parkers Prairie, MN 56361 or scan the QR code on this website.
Vanco online giving platform is a great way to set up a scheduled giving plan for even when you cannot make it to church. Scan the QR code, go online to estherlutheran.com, go to the tab “Give to Esther Lutheran Church” and click on the link https://secure.myvanco.com/L-ZP4R or download the app Vanco Mobile Faith Engagement. Any questions please ask Mandy Arvidson.
We welcome you to join in the weekly “Behold the New Has Come” devotions available on our website estherlutheran.com on the “Behold” tab. Devotions are posted to the website and emailed out each Monday. If you are not currently on the email list and want to be, please notify Mandy in the office. Each weekly devotion includes a challenge for the week.
This past week’s challenge is:
What does it mean “to become something”? What do we become through our baptism? Both the Word, Jesus incarnate and the Holy Spirit are present at our Baptism. We are called through our baptism to be Jesus in the world, through our relationships and through our encounters with others every day.
Take a moment this week to dwell on the idea of becoming the embodiment of Christ for other people. How can you be like Jesus, the Word incarnate? How can we be lights in our relationship with God and with others in the world?
We hope these devotions and weekly challenges will inspire conversations and stories that we can share with one another as, together, we grow in faith through this initiative.
