Our congregation has totally taken this statement to heart. In addition to serving each other, we reach out into our Gwinnett County community to share our blessings with others.

For more information or to contribute or become involved in any of these projects, please contact the church office @ 770-963-4499 or via email info@christthelordlutheran.org

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has a few ways for you to help in Haiti. The ELCA has had a presence there for sometime. To give money, you can:

Go to ELCA.org and follow the prompts to give on-line
You can text Lutheran World Relief to 40579 and a donation of $10 will be given
You can mail your response to ELCA Disaster Response, P.O. Box 71764, Chicago, IL 60694
You can pick up a filer with info in the church and mail it
You can give you money to the church and we will send it for you.

Any gift is greatly appreciated and 100 percent will go to relief and ongoing recovery in Haiti.

I am looking for people to help plan, organize, lead, and work Outreach functions. This is a great way to help people and give back to our community.

Giving is living! Get involved with our current activities, or bring on one(s) that God is calling you for. Contact Richard Burgess at men@christthelordlutheran.org for more information! Thank you for your support.

Christ the Lord Lutheran joined in a partnership with Thrivent Financial for Lutherans to build a home for a Gwinnett County family in 2009. This partnership also involves Gwinnett Habitat for Humanity, a number of other Gwinnett County Lutheran congregations, and the homeowner, Karen Boston and her son, Anthony. The home was dedicated and the Boston family closed on a no-interest loan with Gwinnett Habitat.

Each of the participating Lutheran congregations sent volunteers to work on the project on Saturdays. Each of the congregations also committed to fund the construction (a minority partnership since Thrivent puts down most of the cash).

Now it is time for Christ the Lord Lutheran to “step up” and raise the $2,000 we committed to this project. Due to many other very worthy causes and the financial strain many of us are feeling, it has not been so easy to raise the funds this time around. But we can do it! Please write a check to the church and mark it “Habitat” -- $25 - $50 - $100, it all adds up!

The partnership with Gwinnett Habitat and Thrivent/Builds has resulted in the construction of four homes to date. Maintaining our commitment will ensure our ability to attract future Thrivent/Build projects. Please make a contribution today!

A total of $908.78 was raised through the SERRV gift sale on October 18. In addition, 7.5 percent of the amount raised will be donated to Lutheran Word Relief. Many thanks to the folks who helped in some way to make the sale a success.

Christ the Lord, in partnership with SERRV (a 50-year-old non-profit organization) and Lutheran World Relief, is once again sponsoring a sale of “fairly traded’ gifts for the Christmas season. Through this program, we are creating a direct link between our members and the thousands of poor, but highly skilled craftspeople of Africa, Asia, Latin America, and parts of the United States.

For families of newborns, the rewards and demands of parenthood are endless! During the pregnancy, at the time of birth and when the baby comes home, there will be some ups and downs and many unanswered questions. Families of newborns often feel overwhelmed and may not know where to turn for help.

First Steps is a volunteer-based program that visits with parents of newborns in the hospital to give support, parenting education and referral services that will assist in those early months of parenting. Families will get follow-up phone calls for continued support during the first three months.

First Steps is a wonderful program and resource for new families, but it cannot exist without volunteers. The program is in great need of volunteers right now. Volunteering for First Steps is a wonderful opportunity to make a difference in the lives of new families. If interested, please contact McKenzie Weaver via the church office.

New Iraqi families would love to make friends with Americans and help practice their English. We have two families in Lawrenceville and in Norcross.

Household items needed: Washer or dryer donations (the families are still washing clothing by hand), warm blankets, comforters, pots and pans, dishes, silverware, glasses, lamps. Still need tables, chairs, sofas and dressers. They can also use small appliances like clocks, alarm clocks, microwave ovens, vacuum cleaners.

New baby on the way: Need crib, car seat and port-a-crib for baby expected in December.

Please contact Betsy Jagels if you would like to do mission work in Lawrenceville. For more information, contact Betsy via refugee@christthelordlutheran.org .

Items still needed: school supplies, computers or laptops for teenagers for school, TV to help with English.

Christ the Lord’s missionaries will be going on a mission trip with McKendree United Methodist, Hands and Feet Ministries and Lutheran Border Ministries from December 26 until January 2 to Piedras Negras, Mexico.

We will be working on the new school at the Alleluia Church. Different events at Cristo Rey Lutheran Church, including a block party for local residents.

- Sponsor a Missionary
- Put up Christmas decorations
- Rake leaves
- Pressure Wash
- Make a donation (earmark your check “Mexico Mission”)
- Babysitting so you can shop?
- Almost anything else you need help with

For more information, please contact Royce Herring (678-776-7046) or Richard Burgess (770-789-5591)

Care Team

The CARE Team is looking for volunteers from the congregation to serve as “contacts” with our growing number of sick and/or shut-in members. A contact person can make phone calls, write letters, visit or pray for the other person. If you feel called to this kind of caring ministry, please let Pastor Julie or another member of the CARE Team know. In serving others, you will be richly blessed!

Our next meeting is scheduled on Saturday, December 5th, from 9:30 to 11:00. We will write cards of encouragement to those on our prayer list, and discuss our ministry.

Baptism Shawls Needed

One of the many caring and compassionate ministries of our church is the Baptismal and Prayer shawl ministry. The prayer shawls are knitted or crocheted with love and prayers and delivered to our hospital sick or home shut ins. The Baptismal shawls are presented to the families during infant baptisms allowing the babies to be wrapped in love and support from the congregation.

The wonderful thing about this ministry is the fact that you can enjoy staying in your homes, and be part of the outreach that extends the love of Jesus.

We have been blessed by First Step Ministry with an opportunity to help new mothers with limited income, by using our talents in making blankets, booties and hats for their newborn babies.

This will extend our already established ministry of Prayer and Baptismal Shawls into our community.

Thanks to all those who have been giving so generously to the Lawrenceville Co-Op this fall. Over 1,000 families are being helped each month. With cold weather arriving earlier than normal, it’s expected that more people will be seeking help with groceries and utility bills.

In addition to the continuing need for food and money donations, the Co-Op can also use additional volunteers. If you’d like to consider volunteering some time to work at the Co-Op, there will be a Volunteer Orientation Session this month for you to learn more about what would be involved. The orientation will be on Thursday evening, November 19, at 7 p.m. at the Co-Op (176 Church Street, near the Lawrenceville City Hall). No advance sign-up is necessary.

Canned meats
Canned fruit
Beans
Stews and chunky soups
Cereal & oatmeal
Rice/potatoes
Toilet paper
Personal care items (such as
toothpaste, soap, deodorant, diapers)
Laundry/dish detergent

Our next blood drive will be January 24, 2010, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Christ the Lord.

You can donate blood every 56 days, so if you gave last time, you can give again in January. Sign up sheets are in the Narthex.

You can maintain healthly Iron levels in your blood by eating foods rich in iron -- whole meats, whole grain cereals and breads, etc. Combine foods rich in Vitamin C with food rich in iron - citrus fruits, broccoli, tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, cabbage, etc. Cook in a cast iron skillet. Drink water and avoid coffee and tea. Tannis in coffee and tea can block the absorption of iron. Drinking lots of water has countless benefits. Good nutrition is important in everyone's life, but especially to a blood donor, and iron is a major ingredient to good nutrition.

Red Cross iron level requirements make sure you can spare a pint of blood. The requirements also mean that each patient receives an iron-rich transfusion. Eat healthy and share your good health by donating blood.

If you have any questions, call 1 800 GIVE LIFE (448-3543) or visit at www.redcrossblood.org., or Richard Burgess via outreach@christthelordlutheran.org .

Everyone can serve

Look for opportunities to serve; don’t wait to be asked! Remember: You can serve without being a part of an “official” ministry.

We all can:
• extend the word of welcome, whether or not we are official greeters;
• be listening, caring friends, whether or not we are official lay counselors;
• be ready to give reason for the hope that is in us, whether or not we are on the evangelism team;
• be enthusiastic participants and ready to give a hand, whether or not we are on the planning or cleanup committees.

College student packages

As a way to stay connected to our college-aged youth and brighten their day, a new ministry will be sending packages, in the fall and spring around exam time, to any college students we know about.

Anything, that is a treat and nice to find in a box at the college post office, is what we need.

Please consider purchasing an item (such as: Itunes cards, nuts, fruit snacks, breakfast bars, cracker packets, gum, chapstick, hand lotion, hot chocolate, tea, mugs, magazines, cough drops, mints, restaurant cards, Starbucks cards, etc.) and putting it in the collection box in the narthex. Donations of cash to pay for shipping are also needed.

Parents of college students: In order for your college student to receive a Christ the Lord College Care Package, please provide us with a current address. Forms are provided in the narthex.

Remember when you were 20 and away from home? Remember when home-cooked meals were “rare” even when they were well-cooked?

You don’t have to be a chef to feed hungry students at Georgia Tech (and visiting ones from Agnes Scott and Georgia State)!

We gather for dinner every Tuesday evening at the Lutheran Campus Center, and we need soft-hearted souls to bring food and join us in fellowship. Can you volunteer for one Tuesday night? You can cook anything you want. Or you can pick something up from the store and just bring it on! We usually plan for 16. (Got more money than time? Pastor Deb will go food shopping with your check!) You can be the hands and face of Christ to these kids!

Clothing donations

Have you ever wondered who could really use your old clothing that is still in good condition? You may want to consider donating it to Lawrenceville First Baptist Church, which operates a clothing mission to help local residents. This ministry has been quietly operating for many years, recycling donated clothing to those in need within our community. Many of the donations are sold at a low price in the mission’s store. Clients referred by the Lawrenceville Co-Op may receive free clothing once a month for up to a year.

Donations of clothing are accepted year-round at First Baptist. Baby and children’s clothes are especially needed. Clothing may be delivered in person on Tuesday, Friday, or Saturday mornings, beginning at 9 a.m. Or you may place your donations in the “Drop Box” in the church parking lot at any time. (Include your name and address on a note with the clothes you place in the Drop Box and the church will mail you a tax receipt.)

First Baptist is located at 165 Clayton Street in downtown Lawrenceville, just south of the historic courthouse. The clothing mission and its Drop Box are in a small brick building in the church parking lot, with a direct entrance from Luckie Street. (Please do not bring your clothing donations to Christ the Lord, as we are not able to store or transport them for you.)

Sandra Gustavson

If you are interested in making caring visits on behalf of our congregation, it’s never too late to join us. A caring heart is the only job requirement!

Serve in Our Community

Gwinnett Medical Center Volunteers Needed. Right now there is a shortage of volunteers at Gwinnett Medical Center. If you are interested in giving just four hours of your time a week, please inquire at the volunteer desk in the front lobby of the hospital. They will be happy to see you and will appreciate your willingness to help others. For more information, contact Sandra Wellington at 770 513-3918.

Gwinnett Children's Shelter. Contact the Gwinnett Children’s Shelter to become a volunteer at 678 546-8770 or via www.gwinnettchildrenshelter.org

Lawrenceville Co-op
The needs in this community are great. Please include some items for the Co-Op when you do your grocery shopping. You may bring your donations to the church on any Sunday and place them in the specially marked bins in the narthex. The following items are always needed:

Canned fruit
Canned meats/stews
Pork and Beans
Stews
Chunky soups
Cereal & oatmeal
Rice/Potatoes
Personal care items
Laundry Detergent

Remember in your prayers the following family and friends serving our country in the Persian Gulf:

Kurt Bradtmueller
Levi Bradtmueller, Jr.
Matthew Bugg
Jeremy Cochran
Lukas Paul Corpe
James Damato
Rhoda Daniel
Alan Edwards
Drew Felts
Brian Fransen
Terry Goosetree
Jacob Ingbritsen
The Rev. Dan Jones
Aaron Mock
Matthew Moran
Jimmy Otero
Jonathan Richard
James Williams

If you would like to add a name to this list, please include it on your attendance sheet or email info@christthelordlutheran.org.