Check out Strictly Organic’s website to see what they are currently roasting at www.strictlyorganic.com (do not order directly from Strictly Organic) and then place your order at coffee@nativityinbend.com or call Bonnie at 541-815-8878.

Be sure to state if you want whole bean or ground. Each 1lb bag is $13 and the youth will receive about $4 of that.  Thanks for supporting our youth and Fair Trade practices.

We’re excited to welcome Pastor Craig Jorgensen to Nativity as our interim pastor. Below you’ll find a letter from our Council President Lisa Bailey that explains more.

Welcome Pastor Craig!

“Hello Nativity Family,

I wanted to let you know that your church council voted to accept the Oregon
Synod’s recommendation of Pastor Craig Jorgensen as our interim pastor.  He
will start work on Friday, January 13, 2012 and will be delivering the Word
and Sacrament starting Sunday, January 15, 2012.

Some of you may have met Craig, as he and his wife, Jo, have been members of
Nativity since March 2011.   The Executive council have had the opportunity
to meet with Craig several times over the last few weeks and we are excited
to have him join our ministry.

Pastor Craig is an Intentional Interim minister, which means that he has
been specifically trained in the ministry that is required for a church in
the interim period.  He brings to us years of experience in ministry and
pastoral counseling.

Please welcome Pastor Craig at services this Sunday.

Pastor Craig can be reached at 541.280.0988

Please feel free to contact anyone on council with any questions you may
have.

Peace,

Lisa Bailey
Nativity Council President”

All are invited to spend Christmas with our family here at Nativity. As we celebrate the Immanuel, “God with us” we are reminded that we are created for relationship. Please consider joining us this year at one of our services listed below…

Christmas Eve Worship ­ Saturday, Dec. 24
5:30 pm Children’s Participatory Service
8:00 pm Candlelight Communion Service
11:00 pm Midnight Eucharist Service

Christmas Day Worship ­ Sunday, Dec. 25
10:00 am Nativity at Nativity (Las Posada)

Sunday After Christmas ­ Sunday, January 1
10:00 am Worship Service

Christmas is not about our perfection or faith but about God’s constant movement toward us. It is the affirmation of God’s love for this world. You don’t have to believe anything specific to celebrate Christmas with us. You’re welcome as you are. Come!

Cold weather is back and times are tough. But Nativity has been the recipient of wood donations over the last few years and this year is no different. Volunteers have prepared the wood for use and we distribute on Saturdays.

If you need firewood please call WILLING TO HELP @ 541-749-2002 to get your name on the list and arrive no later than 9:30am.

If you’d like to help prepare the wood for distribution, we’ll be working from 9am to 1pm this Saturday. Your help is welcome!

Our address is here: 60850 Brosterhous Road
Bend, OR 97701

Dear Family of Faith at Nativity Lutheran Church,   

I am writing to you to let you know about a big change that is happening in my life.A couple of months ago, I was contacted by the Bishop of the Pacifica Synod about a mission that needed new leadership. Central City Lutheran Mission, an outreach of compassion to the poorest and most vulnerable in San Bernardino, California, is looking to rejuvenate its ministry. He asked me
to come see it and consider taking the call.

Let me share the nature of this mission. It began as a joint venture of 5 area congregations to serve the people who live in challenging part of the city. The community suffers from gang violence, high unemployment, drug addiction, and an alarmingly high rate of HIV infection. The mission has opened a health clinic, a homeless shelter, after school programs for children, a food pantry, and free hot meals twice a day. There are English as a second language classes and classes for immigrants who seek to get their high school degree. They serve homeless HIV positive people with 12 HUD homes and programs to keep them healthy and reduce the rate of infection. Currently, there is not a worshipping community, but that is a goal for the near future. If you would like more information you can visit their website at www.cclm.org.

I visited the mission and interviewed with the search team. Ivy and I prayerfully considered the
possibility of relocating to this part of the country. It has become clear that this is where God’s spirit is
leading me to serve so I have accepted the call. This call will challenge me to grow in many ways.
I will be working in a different language (Spanish), in a diverse multicultural setting, and with people
whose lives are fragile due to extreme poverty. I would welcome your prayers.

This decision causes me to feel many mixed emotions. I am excited to embark on this challenging
adventure, yet I am deeply sad to be leaving Nativity and all of you wonderful people. You have
seen me through some of the most challenging and rewarding times in my life. We have expanded
our mission to become a vital source of hope to many in Central Oregon. I am proud of you and of
who we have become together.

Yet I am also feeling confident in Nativity’s future. We have excellent leaders on our church council
and on our staff. We have many more capable people who can be called upon to serve in this time
of transition. We have a caring and competent Bishop and synod staff who will work with Nativity to
find interim and eventually new pastoral leadership.

I will be serving at Nativity through the end of this year. My last Sunday will be December 25th when
we celebrate the Nativity at Nativity together. I will make myself available to you for conversations
or coffee over the next 6 weeks. If you would like to schedule an appointment, you can email me at
david@nativityinbend.com or call the church office.

Please keep our leaders and our congregation in your prayers. God has led Nativity through
changes in the past and God will once again shape Nativity through this transition.

Peace,
Pastor David Nagler

On the Wednesday evening before Thanksgiving, members of Bend’s diverse faith bodies will come together to celebrate and give thanks for the rich abundance of creation and community that we share.

At 7pm on November 27th, we will gather at First United Methodist church for an Interfaith Thanksgiving service. It’s an opportunity to affirm our common humanity in a time of division and polarization. People of all faiths, beliefs, suspicions and convictions are welcome.

Join us!

The meeting comes ahead of the first synod assembly to happen east of the Cascades in years. In 2012, the annual gathering of ELCA congregations in Oregon will take place April 27-29 in Sunriver, OR, right in our backyard.

Our warmest welcome to our leaders and colleagues!

Bring your dogs, cats, zebras, etc! All are welcome…