December 11, 2022
Join us for a cool Christmas Jazz Sunday with Aaron Lack and the Vibe Tet playing at both services.
THIS SUNDAY
THIRD SUNDAY IN ADVENT
8:15 | Sanctuary
10:45 a.m. | Sanctuary + Livestream
What are you expecting from God this season? What do you feel God is expecting from you?
It will be a Sunday full of beautiful music with Aaron Lack and the Vibe Tet joining us for both services.
BREAKFAST
9:15 a.m. | Activity Center
Food for Fellowship invites all for breakfast every Sunday.
SUNDAY’SCOOL
9:45 a.m. | Activity Center
Come rehearse for the Christmas Program (it’s on the 18th). Don’t forget to fuel up beforehand by having breakfast with your friends in the Activity Center.
ADULT BIBLE STUDY
9:45 a.m. | Library + Zoom
Great discussions of the Good Book. This week we will discuss the first chapter of Titus. Contact Ruby Cadenhead for more information.
NEXTGEN
7:00 p.m. | Activity Center
It’s all fun and games (and Bible Study!) for grades 5-12. Contact Joel Timmons, Student Ministry Coordinator.
CHRISTMAS EVE
Come worship Christ, the newborn king! Candlelight and Holy Communion will be part of every worship service. Visit www.ShepHills.org/Christmas-Worship for more details and choose the service for you!
CHRISTMAS EVE WORSHIP
Saturday, December 24
“God Immanuel in Bethlehem, Austin, Buda, EVERYWHERE!”
Courtyard Worship: 4:00 p.m. + 10:00 p.m.
At 4:00 p.m., we sing along with our contemporary worship band, and children & families are part of telling the nativity story.
At 10:00 p.m., a quiet service with a blend of traditional and contemporary hymns invites us into an intimate night of reflection on the birth of our Lord.
Sanctuary Worship: 6:00 p.m. + 8:00 p.m.
The 6:00 p.m. service features our Choir and Bell Choir, brass, and a string quartet leading us in song.
The 8:00 p.m. service features a string quartet and harpist, with our traditional Lutheran liturgy shaping the flow of our worship.
Livestream: 6:00 p.m.
The 6:00 p.m. service will be live-streamed for those joining us from home.
Our Christmas Eve offering will go to support our ministry partner Upbring, specifically for the care of children. Upbring is a change-making organization whose mission is to create a world where all children are cherished. 100% of your generosity will go to Upbring’s New Life Center in Canyon Lake and BeReal Program in Austin/San Marcos. Thank you for being a community that cares for God’s children.
CHRISTMAS DAY
CHRISTMAS DAY WORSHIP “Come as You Are”
Sunday, December 25
9:30 a.m. | Christmas Breakfast and Fellowship in the Activity Center
10:45 a.m. | Sanctuary Worship
10:45 a.m. | Online rebroadcast of 6:00 p.m. Christmas Eve Worship
Come for a beautiful Christmas Day full of carols, special Christmas video, and the Christmas reflection, “Touch Down!” We will have just ONE worship. Come for breakfast and wonderful fellowship at 9:30 a.m.
ALL ARE WELCOME!
THIS WEEK
Check the calendars on Realm or the website for a complete list of events!
CAMPUS CLEANUP FOR CHRISTMAS
This Saturday, December 10
9:00 a.m. | Meet in the Courtyard
We are looking forward to rolling out a warm welcome to our visitors on Christmas Eve! Come help us make God’s campus and buildings ready to receive them. We have projects inside and out, for all ages and abilities, and leaders to guide the process! Plus food to keep you fueled. Click here to view the “to-do” list and pick a chore ahead of time, or just show up!
MEN’S BREAKFAST
This Saturday, December 10
8:00 a.m. | Activity Center
Come for fellowship and good eats. Milt will be smoking salmon as a special Christmas treat!
QUILTING
This Saturday, December 10
9:00 a.m. | Rm 205
Wednesday, December 14
1:00 p.m. | Rm 205
Let’s tie some quilt tops! On Saturday, bring others from your household and send them to help with the Campus Clean-Up!
PICKLEBALL
This Saturday, December 10
9:00 a.m. | Activity Center
Let’s hit some balls and then head out to help with the Campus Clean-Up so our church looks beautiful for Christmas visitors. Click here for Tuesday and Thursday play times.
PALS (Parents of Addicted Loved Ones)
Monday, December 5
7:00 p.m. | Library + Zoom
Come receive hope and support. Click here for more information.
WEDNESDAY BIBLE STUDIES
Wednesday, December 14
7:30 a.m. | Early Riser’s Study on Zoom
10:00 a.m. | Late Riser’s Study in the Library + Zoom
Two times, same great study! Both are Pastor-led. Contact Pr. Lauren or Pr. Tom with questions.
CAREGIVERS LIFE BALANCE SUPPORT GROUP
Wednesday, December 14
2:00 p.m. | Library + Zoom
A new peer support group for all caregivers for people with short and long-term illnesses. This first meeting will focus on coping with the additional pressures spurred by the holiday season. Find more information on the calendar, or email Sandy Smith or call 512-569-6453.
ADVENT MID-WEEK
Wednesday, December 14
7:00 p.m. | Butterfly Center Chapel + Click for Youtube Link or Click for Facebook Link
Take a deep breath and lift your voice in song! We will be singing some of our favorite Christmas carols and studying the fascinating history behind them. If you are watching from home just click the links above. If you missed it, watch last Wednesday’s Advent Mid-Week using the YouTube Link above.
SUMMER MINISTRY STARTS NOW!
Next Sunday, December 18 + Sunday, January 15
9:30 p.m. | Activity Center
Mark your calendars for these two important dates for learning about the Camps, Retreats, the Guatemala Trip, and more! Take this opportunity to learn about the intergenerational Guatemala Trip and the Boundary Waters Youth Trip and sign up today!
CHILDREN’S CHRISTMAS PROGRAM
Next Sunday, December 18
10:45 a.m. | Worship
Come in person next Sunday for the Children’s Christmas Program based on The Night Before Jesus by Herbert Brokering, because it will not be a part of Livestream! This short, heartwarming piece will be between the Benediction and the Commissioning, and is exactly what you need to fill your heart with the spirit of Christmas!
MARIPOSA WORKDAY
Next Sunday, December 18
1:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. | 403 Vargas Road
Mariposa, the childcare facility established by Austin City Lutherans, is holding an “ACL Workday.” It will be inside work mostly, as renovations continue at Mariposa’s campus. Consider joining us and click here to learn more.
THE LONGEST NIGHT
Wednesday, December 21 + Livestream
7:00 p.m. | Sanctuary
A special worship of longing and lament for the grieving who struggle with the season.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
POINSETTIAS
Help decorate the Sanctuary for Christmas Eve! Purchase a poinsettia in memory or honor of a loved one. Envelopes for cash or check are at the entrances to the Sanctuary or use this online link. If you purchase online, email Amanda dedication information for inclusion in the bulletin.
2022 IS COMING TO AN END!
YEAR-END FINANCIAL PLANNING CONSIDERATIONS
Here is a reminder about the different ways to give for consideration with your end-of-year tax and financial planning:
Donations via US Credit Card, PayPal or other merchant processors must be made by midnight on December 31 in your time zone (statement must be stamped with a 2022 date) to be eligible for a 2022 tax deduction;
Check envelopes must be postmarked by December 31, 2022 to be eligible for a 2022 tax deduction;
Wires or electronic funds transfers must be sent by December 30, 2022 in order to be eligible for a US 2022 tax deduction (December 30 is the last banking day);
Gifts of Appreciated Stock – Must be transferred out by your broker no later than December 31, 2022. The option of giving of qualified appreciated stock held for over 1 year is becoming more popular. Shepherd maintains a brokerage account where it is very easy to transfer the appreciated stock as a gift. This is beneficial to both Shepherd and the giver as the giver may be able to deduct the appreciated value of the stock and avoid capital gains tax on the gain of the stock.
Gifts from Required Minimum Distributions – For those in a situation that requires minimum distributions from a retirement account (called required minimum distribution or RMD), there is an option called “Qualified Charitable Distribution” or QCD. Individuals turning 72 and those that turned 70 ½ in 2019 should verify they are making the proper RMD and consider the QCD as a possible way of avoiding paying tax on the RMD. The QCD must come directly from the retirement account custodian. If you are giving to Shepherd (or other qualified charities) and taking a RMD directly, please consider the QCD as this could potentially save you in additional taxes.
Donor Advised Fund (DAF) Giving – If you participate with gifts to a DAF, please consider including Shepherd of the Hills as a designee of your DAF gifts. If you are interested in setting up a DAF that may have significant tax benefits, the ELCA Foundation may be a viable option for you. More information about DAF and setting it up is available here. – (www.elca.org/Resources/ELCA-Foundation)
Charitable Remainder Trust – If you have set up a CRT, please consider adding Shepherd of the Hills as a beneficiary of the trust. The CRT is a good option if you want an immediate charitable deduction, but also have a need for an income stream to yourself or another person. It is also a good option if you want to establish one by will to provide for heirs, with the remainder going to charities of your choosing. Please consult your financial adviser regarding setting up a CRT or adding Shepherd of the Hills as a beneficiary.
For assistance in arranging gifts to Shepherd of the Hills, please contact Kevin Marlow, Finance Controller – email – kmarlow@shephills.org or call the office – 512-327-3370. Please consult your financial and tax professionals for further information and any financial or tax advice. The above opportunities are only to suggest some possible alternatives and does not constitute legal, financial or tax advice.
GIVING
Giving is an expression of joy and gratitude for the bounty of God’s goodness! There are so many ways to give-both financially and through serving.
BREAD FOR ALL DONATION NEEDS
Gathering Space Bins
Bread for All is requesting canned fruit, sugar, and oil this week. Thanks for keeping their shelves and our neighbors’ stomachs full!
DEAR GOD, THANK YOU! 2023 STEWARDSHIP
Thank you to all who participated in our Thanks-Giving Banquet Worship on November 20! It was an awe-inspiring day. If you have not yet done so, prayerfully consider making a gift in support of our Mission and Ministry Fund and/or Facilities and Campus Care Fund for 2023. Use a printed pledge card found in the hymnal holders in the Sanctuary, or make a pledge online. Pledges are an estimate of giving and can be changed if your financial circumstances change. Thank you for helping us do God’s work in the world!
PLEDGES, GIFTS, AND DONATIONS
Keeping current with your pledged or regular giving has never been easier because you can do it all online!
BEYOND CAPITAL FUND APPEAL
Thanks to your early giving support, we have reduced our borrowing for the Butterfly Center Renovation Project saving almost $5600 in interest cost. Please consider a gift to the Beyond Capital Fund Appeal as part of your finance and tax planning. The more we collect early, the less we pay later!
Learn more about Beyond here.
SERVING
Serving is a great way to give back and get to know others in our community. Whether you are interested in serving locally, being part of a global mission, or volunteering to help in a variety of ways on Sundays, we have a place for you!
We apologize for not listing last week’s Altar Flowers which were given by Anita Knight in memory of Donald Knight and in celebration of their daughter’s birthday and upcoming wedding.
This week’s flowers are given by Dabney Gomes in loving memory of Dick Staub, Jr. and Tom Moore, Jr.
If you would like to give Altar Flowers, find more information and sign up by clicking here.
PRAYERS
In need of prayer? Please contact a pastor to be put on the prayer list.
Would you like someone to pray alongside you during troubling times? Contact a Stephen Minister who can travel with you on life’s sometimes bumpy road.
We pray for Rodney Varner and Callie Ray Bell.
We pray for family and friends of Shepherd members: DeeAnna Frounfelter, mother of Amanda Forsberg; Adryana Aldeen, Director of Advancement at Mariposa; Sheila Pharis, Director of Mariposa Family Learning Center, on the death of her father; and the family of Jim Ernst on his death.
We pray for the people of Ukraine caught in the middle of war and violence. Our hearts break when women and children are displaced and families torn apart by the evil actions of others. May you break open hearts so that swords may be beat into plowshares, spears into pruning hooks.
We pray for our global ministry partners: Rev. Karen Castillo in Guatemala; Iglesia Luterana Augustina Virgen del Rosario, Aurora 8 de Octubre, Guatemala. We pray for Malcolm and Joy Henderson and the ministry of CHARIS in Haiti.
We pray for our local ministries: Mariposa Family Learning Center, Bread For All, and Upbring Ministries.
We pray for our faith community, that we may be a church without walls and live out loud…faithfully!
*Prayers for family and friends are listed for 2 weeks, unless we are notified otherwise.