A Bridal Shower is being planned for Carrie Oleson on Sunday, January 20^th, in the afternoon. The exact time will be determined soon. Carrie Oleson & Jon Boyum are planning to be married on Saturday, February 23^rd. Carrie & Jon were team leaders on this summer's youth mission trip to Slovakia. If you have questions, contact Janet Poston at 612-866-8958.

Instead of sending Christmas cards to your friends at First Free, sign the card in the foyer and make a donation to two seminary students in Mexico City with financial needs.

If you would like to have offering envelopes mailed to your home, we would encourage you to sign up by marking giving envelopes on your Welcome Card. If you have questions regarding this, contact Mark Holman at 952-xxx-xxxx.

Children's Church (K-grade 3) and Junior Church (grades 4-6) will not meet today. When children's church is not in session, children should sit with their parents.

A trip to the Science Museum is being planned for Junior Church (grades 4-6) on Saturday, January 19^th. Meet at church at 9:00 AM. If you have questions, contact Ross Olson or Mary Anderson.

All Wednesday evening events will be cancelled until January 9^th, except Basketball & Devotions. They will meet on Wednesday, January 2^nd from 8:45-10:00 PM.

Missionary Prayer Focus

Herb & Debbie Bloomquist, Camp Shamineau, EFCA

• Please pray that God will provide the necessary finances to finish out the year strong. The events of 9/11 have effected overall giving to the camp ministry.
• Staff recruiting for the summer begins in January. As they visit colleges, please pray that God would lead them to the best and brightest young men and women of God for this important role. Take a look at our new Homepage, a new look!!

Would you like to get to know others in the church family informally? On Saturday, January 19, and Friday, January 25, we will have meals together in our homes. A sign up sheet and more information will be available next Sunday.

Instead of sending Christmas cards to your friends at First Free, sign the card in the foyer and make a donation to two seminary students in Mexico City with financial needs.

If you would like to have offering envelopes mailed to your home, we would encourage you to sign up by marking giving envelopes on your Welcome Card. If you have questions regarding this, contact Mark Holman at 952-xxx-xxxx.

There will be an extended Fellowship Time today and no adult Sunday school classes, but we will go back to our regular schedule on December 30^th.

Children's Church (K-grade 3) will meet today but will not meet on December 30^th. There will be no Junior Church (grades 4-6) on either Sunday, December 23rd or 30^th. When children's church is not in session, children should sit with their parents.

All Wednesday evening events will be cancelled until January 9^th. Boys' and girls' clubs and all regular church activities will start up again at that time.

Missionary Prayer Focus

GMAE Ministries - New Life Homes

• Praise the Lord that this has been a year of opportunity. Jesus has been shared with hundreds of hurting souls.
• Pray for GMAE, as they trust God to meet their year-end obligations. The upheaval of September 11^th has left them with a more urgent financial need now.
• Pray for God's blessing and protection on the entire GMAE staff of over 50 people of which our own Barb Hugo is a part.

Two children will be dedicated to the Lord this morning- Annika Linnea, daughter of Doug & Beth Brown, and Josephine Rose, daughter of Troy & Sara Carson. Let's continue to support our families in prayer and friendship.

Thank you kids, parents, and teachers for your well-done and enthusiastic Christmas program last Sunday morning! Special thanks to Mark McClun for writing the program, and to Patty Mellema for her help in directing the program.

The S.O.S. for Kids Christmas Project is complete! Thanks to the generosity of the people at First Free, over 100 gift bags and $250 in Target gift cards were collected and delivered on December 9th to St. Joseph's Home for Children.

Attention all orchestra people - young and old - join us the morning of December 23^rd and play carols in the narthex while people enter the doors for worship. Rehearsal will be at 8:30 AM that morning. We promise it will be a fun time!

The Junior and Senior High Youth Group will be having their annual Christmas Banquet at 6:00 PM on Wednesday, December 19^th. We will be going out for dinner so arrive promptly at 6:00 PM. Bring a white elephant gift for the gift exchange. Dress is semi-formal.

Instead of sending Christmas cards to your friends at First Free, sign the card in the foyer and make a donation to two seminary students in Mexico City, Isabel and Alejandro.

If you would like to have offering envelopes mailed to your home, we would encourage you to sign up by marking giving envelopes on your Welcome Card. If you have questions regarding this, contact Mark Holman at 952-xxx-xxxx.

There will be an extended Fellowship Time and no adult Sunday school classes on December 23^rd, but we will go back to our regular schedule of December 30^th. There will be no Junior Church on both Sundays, December 23rd and 30^th.

In order to get better acquainted, we encourage everyone to use the nametag in your bulletin. Extra nametags will be available at the Information Booth.

A special thank you to Mary Beth Wehrman and the Decorating Committee for the lovely job of decorating our church building for Christmas!

Mr. & Mrs. Harold & Mary Anderson are happy to announce the engagement of their son, Michael, to Miss Carrie Casper. The wedding is planned for next summer.

A time of Child Dedication will take place on Sunday, December 16, during the morning worship service. Parents desiring to bring their little ones to be dedicated should notify the church office as soon as possible.

Harold & Ann (Bubbles) Johnson invite you to Harold's 80^th birthday open house gala on Sunday, December 9, from 2:00-4:00 PM, at Oxboro Free Church (no gifts please).

Pick up Our Daily Bread at the tables in the foyer.

Missionary Prayer Focus

Dave & Patsy Alfors - EFCM - CAR

• Pray for God's protection and guidance for the Fulani team in the midst of civil unrest.
• Praise the Lord for His continued protection of our missionaries in Bangui during the most recent flare up of hostilities and fighting after last May's attempted coup.
• Pray for God's guidance for the Alfors as they look for a school to learn Arabic.

In order to get better acquainted, we encourage everyone to use the nametag in your bulletin. Extra nametags will be available at the Information Booth.

The flowers in the sanctuary are from Junius & Inger Stenseth given in loving memory of their son, Jonathan's birthday. He would have been 30 years old on December 3^rd.

Mr. & Mrs. Harold & Mary Anderson are happy to announce the engagement of their son, Michael, to Miss Carrie Casper. The wedding is planned for next summer.

Verne & May Carlson write, "Thank you for the many prayers for our son, Trent, when he had his heart attack. We thank and praise the Lord that he did not have heart damage."

All ladies are welcome to the Women's Guild Christmas lunch on Tuesday, December 4, 12:00 Noon, at the Point of France party room (6566 France Ave. So). Patsy Alfors will speak and Kay Tornquist will sing. Please bring your shoebox gifts for the Marie Sandvik Mission.

Fidelis Social at Crown College Chapel on Friday, December 7^th, Dinner Buffet begins at 6:30 PM with the Christmas Concert following at 8:00 PM. Contact Betty Carlson at 952-472-7848 for ticket information.

Harold & Ann (Bubbles) Johnson invite you to Harold's 80^th birthday open house gala on Sunday, December 9, from 2:00-4:00 PM, at Oxboro Free Church (no gifts please).

Pick up Our Daily Bread at the tables in the foyer.

Missionary Prayer Focus

Roy & Sue Haglund - Mission Aviation Fellowship

• Pray that they will be encouraged and will have a sense of accomplishment in all they do.
• Pray for physical strength and safety in travel and ministry.