Help bring a brighter Christmas to Woodbury Elementary families
Advent brings with it a contagious spirit of giving. However, many families right here in our community are unable to buy Christmas gifts for their kids. Five Oaks teams with Kids Hope USA to help bridge that gap for families in need at Woodbury Elementary. Please stop by the KHUSA Giving Tree in the Commons this weekend and take a gift tag. These gift tags include wish list items for kids as well as gift cards and essentials for families. All unwrapped gifts and tags need to be returned to Five Oaks by December 17. This picture above shows the gifts that our Kids Hope mentors delivered to Woodbury Elementary as a result of our Giving Tree efforts last year. Thanks to your generosity, we provided gifts to 44 students and provided needs for 35 families.
KHUSA is always looking for mentors who are willing to give one hour a week to a child at Woodbury Elementary. Your time is priceless to that child! These students may have academic, social or emotional gaps that aren't being met at home and in turn present a challenge to them at school. Our Kids Hope mentors meet with their student once per week for an hour and do things like board games, math games, reading, and just talking with their student. If you can spare one hour week, please check out the info on mentoring at the Ministry Cart in the Commons this weekend. You also may ask questions by emailing khusa@fiveoakschurch.org.
Family dedications this weekend
Steve & Carly Dus, dedicating Neala Lorraine
Jordan & Nicole Gustafston, dedicating Emma Lynn
Aaron & Kate Erhardt, dedicating Clark Joseph
Todd & Beth Harmening, dedicating William Haizhong
Ben & Theresa Gulsvig, dedicating Ruby Jane
Tim & Rachel Montgomery, dedicating Josie Faith
Derek & Kristin Sellers, dedicating Adelyn Mae
Prepare-Advent services start this Sunday: invite your neighbors!
Don't be trampled by Advent this year. Our Prepare-Advent services offer a meaningful, interactive, visitor- and family-friendly way for each of us to ready our hearts for the birth of our Savior. Join us December 3, 10 & 17 at 4:30 pm for worship, followed by Advent traditions and activities, fellowship and some great takeaways -- including free cider and a hot cocoa bar! This is an easy ask for inviting neighbors and friends. All ages are welcome as we anticipate the coming of the true light, the light to everyone!
As part of our Prepare-Advent services, we will be hosting a Shoe Away Hunger drive. Please bring along some gently used footwear, including sneakers, sports shoes, casual shoes, boots, flip flops, ice skates, etc.This footwear is turned around by "Good in the Hood" to obtain food that is provided to the needy. Look in your closets for any new or gently used footwear to bring along when you come to our December Advent services on Sunday afternoons. Please put them in a plastic bag and hook them together with a rubber band. Click here for more info on this Impact project.
Students: Party in your pj’s
Students: Don your pajamas and join us for our Five Oaks Students Christmas party on Wednesday, December 20, 6-8 pm. This PJ’s-clad event will feature games, food, and Christmas-themed worship. Invite your friends! Questions? Email Justin, jtalk@fiveoakschurch.org.
Christmas serving opportunities: simple effort; huge impact
Your heart is in the right place. You want to give back and serve at Five Oaks in some way, but you are in a crazy season of life. You maybe feel like the only time you could serve would be 10 pm on Tuesdays, right? What you need is a serve opportunity to fit that crazy season of life, an opportunity to try something once to see how it goes. Consider the ideas in the Christmas SERVE handout from last weekend, also found at the Ministry Cart in the Commons. These are easy, one-time ways to serve at Five Oaks this Christmas. Best of all, your one-time efforts will make a big impact. You may fill out the info in the SERVE handout, and our Connections Director, Jennifer Clemens, will reach out to you personally to help you find a good fit.
One impactful way to help in Five Oaks Kids
We are still looking for help in the Retreat, our ministry for differently-abled children in our church family. This ministry blesses many children in our church with different physical and learning challenges, and it blesses their parents by allowing them to worship each week with great peace of mind. If you are able to volunteer even once each month at our 9 am service, please contact Laura at retreat@fiveoakschurch.org.
Help your girlfriends experience Christ this Christmas season
“For Unto Us,” our Women’s Christmas event, will be an evening of fellowship, Christmas foods and desserts, and carols. This is a great opportunity to invite a neighbor, coworker, or girlfriend who doesn’t have a church home for Advent fellowship. Women, join us December 14 at 6 pm for the FREE event. Please RSVP or send questions to Kristin, kristin@thesellersfamily.com.
Five Oaks book club
When: Second Tuesday of every month
Time: 6:45 pm - discussion at 7 pm
Where: Five Oaks Church, Fireside Commons
New members are welcome throughout the year. Join anytime. Call or email Dawn Goenner, go.dmge@gmail.com, or (651) 238-1605, to find out what our upcoming titles will be.
New member candidates
John & Jill Eiselt
Nathan & Kathryn Schroeder
Community News
WANTED: Your home!
Want to make a difference from the comfort of your own home? Invite a Japanese college student studying at Bethel University this winter (February 17th - March 13th) to be a part of your family! Share your love and faith with your student, and you'll plant a seed. Your student takes classes during the day and spends the evenings with you. Transportation help to/from Bethel is provided as well as a stipend. For information contact Lisa Bekemeyer, lbekemeyer@me.com or 651-253-9498.