Today: “What Are You GETTING for Christmas?” • Isaiah 35:1-10; James 5:7-10; Matthew 11:2-15 • Because we all love to get gifts, anticipation builds when we don’t know what we’re getting. As we focus on Jesus’ birth, it is a time for anticipation and expectation. There are great gifts that Jesus brings—not just for us, but for all people. As we embrace Jesus’ gifts of love and life and peace, we are filled with joy and hope—a confident expectation of seeing God act. And we will find as we unwrap these gifts that not only are we changed, but all creation is transformed by the power of Jesus’ love.
To view or print Sunday’s Worship bulletin: https://poporlando.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/2025_12_14-Trad-Advent-3.pdf
Sunday Nursery • 9:00am – While our 9:00am nursery is not staffed, but parents are welcome to use this space with their children, providing their own supervision, and watching the livestream. 11:00am – Our trained, background-checked volunteer will continue caring for children ages 6 months to 5 years during the 11:00am services.See DCE Eric for more information!
Bible Classes
Adult Sunday Morning Bible Class at 10:00 am • The class is led by Jim Essig. We are studying the Gospel of John. Classes are in the Music Room during our 10:00 am Education Hour, between 9 am & 11 am worship.
SUNDAY SCHOOL FOR AGE 4 – GRADE 5: Kingdom Quest • Kingdom Quest is a Bible overview curriculum that teaches children the core stories of the Bible and helps them see why they matter today. We help children experience God’s love through Bible stories, crafts, gamesand more., as we learn to follow Jesus. The children will have a lot of fun and learn important faith lessons at the same time.https://poporlando.breezechms.com/form/57d9c8
Youth Bible Class – 10:00am • The youth bible class meets in the board room (church office) for Bible study. They will be looking at what the Bible says about serving him as a teen and having bible-based discussions. Be sure to have the bible app downloaded onto your phone!
The Mid-week Bible Class for Adults • Wednesday Mornings 9:30am – 10:30am in the Board Room. Led by Pastor Ken, we look ahead to the Scriptures for the upcoming Sunday.
Are you looking for meaningful daily devotions that connect with everyday life?
• Our Daily Bread. “Helping you connect with God. Every day. Every way.” | https://www.odb.org/
• Lutheran Hour Ministries https://www.lhm.org/dailydevotions/
• Advent Devotions from the FLGA District – sign up here: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/gOzX378/ADVENT
Altar Flowers • Sponsor Sunday Altar Flowers in celebration of a special occasion or in memory of a loved one. Please fill out the form online or contact our church office. https://poporlando.breezechms.com/form/flowers Today’s Altar Flowers are given by Bob and Jackie Judkins in Loving Memory for their son Kevin Judkins
Christmas Poinsettias – Order Today! • If you wish to place Poinsettias this Christmas season, please fill out an online form or use the Poinsettias Envelopes located by the entrances. https://poporlando.breezechms.com/form/poinsettias
Pastors and Staff Appreciation Gift • Our Personnel Committee and Board invite you to thoughtfully consider giving a special donation for an end-of-year gift to pastors and staff. As God has blessed PoP/PdeP with dedicated brothers and sisters in Christ who have a heart for His mission, this is one of many ways to show appreciation as a church to our staff. Please note “Staff Gift” on envelope or in your online gift.
LWML Cookie/Dog Treat Sale – Pick Up Today! Christmas cookies and doggie treats are ready for pick up. If you did not preorder, please check and see what the ladies may yet have available to purchase. Thank you to all those pre-ordered, as well as those who baked or helped wrap. Proceeds go to missions.
Stay Connected by Getting the E-blasts from Prince of Peace! • News and Updates on Wednesdays, Weekly News on Saturdays, and special features. Sign up at https://bit.ly/poporlando-sign-up
Angel Tree Gifts – Thank you!!! Thank you to all who took angel from the trees and purchased gifts or made donations. Special thanks, also, to the many volunteers who helped sort gifts last Sunday and others who wrapped gifts this past Wednesday. Please pray for the children receiving these gifts, that they and their families would know the greatest gift, the gift of Jesus, God’s Son, born in Bethlehem.
Holiday Shopping Made Easy – Gift Cards Through RaiseRight! • The Gift Card program through Raise Right supports our youth ministry.You can use this ID code: CFA82EEB65547 to identify Prince of Peace Youth as the organization to benefit from your order. Please go to RaiseRight.com or download the free app on your phone.
Thrivent Choice Dollars • Support Prince of Peace by directing your Thrivent Choice Dollars® today. Simply go to www.Thrivent.com/thriventchoice to learn more or call 800-847-4836 and say “Thrivent Choice” after the prompt.
Mid-Week Advent Worship + Lunch • This Wednesday December 17, 11:00am worship followed by a light lunch (soup, bread and dessert). If you would like to help with setup, cleanup, providing soup, bread or dessert, please contact Kathy McCartin at her home number of 407-286-7288 or email of kathymccartin@gmail.com.
Preschool Wish List– Please consider shopping our preschool’s Amazon Christmas Gift Wish List this Christmas season. Items purchased will be delivered directly to our school for the children to use in their classroom. Items received before December 19 will be opened by the children during their classroom Christmas parties. Please use this link and thank you for supporting our church’s preschool ministry! Merry Christmas from your preschool staff and students! https://amzn.to/4rNZtm5
Fruits of Faith
Sunday, December 7
9:00 am Traditional: 113 | 11:00am Contemporary: 66 | 11:00am español: 72 | TOTAL: 251
Giving: Thank you for your faithful engagement in our ministry through your gifts and offerings.
November 23 offerings $14,696
November 30 offerings $17,332 (includes an individual’s RMD)
December 7 offerings $16,310 Needed each week: $11,032
Time To Take your RMD. Would you be in a more favorable tax position if you make an IRA gift to Prince of Peace? More members over 70½ have chosen to make a donation to Prince of Peace through their traditional IRA. Directing all or part of your RMD to the church is a Qualified Charitable Donation (QCD) that can benefit Prince of Peace without those dollars being included in your taxable income. Learn more by clicking here https://bit.ly/ira-charity-gifts.
Is the Stock Market Up? —Consider making a special year-end gift of appreciated stock, mutual fund, or another asset. The best assets to use for a gift are those that have been appreciated significantly, such as publicly traded securities, mutual funds, or real property. Assets you’ve owned for more than one year may qualify for a full range of tax benefits. Learn more by clicking here https://bit.ly/donate-appreciated-assets.
Stewardship Update (Worthy Is the Lamb): Thank you to all those who to this point have responded to our stewardship campaign. There is still time! We have continued to receive responses through the past week, and if you have not sent or brought yours in, there is still time for yours to be added. We have exceeded the number of responses from 2024 and 2023, and the number of responses keeps growing—our goal is 100 or more responses. We invite every family to share their prayerful, confidential response so we can celebrate what God is doing! You count!
PRAYERS – To add someone to this list or update us on their status, please email prayers@poporlando.com.
Prayers of Comfort: We pray that Jesus would surround these several families with His comfort and peace at this time:
• Karen Adkins and family at the death of her husband, Jeff Adkins (services Jan. 24 at 1:00pm)
• Dennis Sibly at the sudden and unexpected death of his wife, Cindy Sibly (services Jan. 17 at 11:00am)
• Lindee Owens and the Owens and Katt families at the death of Lindee’s husband, Jim Katt (services Jan. 10 at 10am)
• Ellen Boogher and her family at the death of Ellen’s husband, Chuck Boogher (services Jan. 31 at 11am)
Lord Jesus, you are the one who has victory over death and you have given us a life that will never end. Comfort those who grieve, and remind all that You are the resurrection and the life who will raise us up on the last day.
Receiving Care through Hospice: Ron Henderson (in Texas), Merle Kroeplin, Lori Lawicki (Vanessa Vaché’s sister-in-law)
Hospitalized: Joe Heinz, Pete Spudich • Recovering at Home or Rehab Facility: Julio Aviles (hip replacement), Dale Fennell, Curtis Harris (hip replacement), Judy Holzscheiter, Jim Ingersoll, Susanne Johnson, Connie Lerchen, Ava Lindsey (12 y-o granddaughter of Chris & Vicki Stork), Stephen Monroe (friend of Carrie Tedford), Jeff Powell, James Stanley, Shirley Stockett, Gene Terrenova, Zaida Vargas, Carla Warnock
Receiving Treatments: Jayson Gerken, Erica Aviles (DIL of Julio Aviles), Sarah Von Braun, Sylvia & Maurice Bourgeois (Judy Finnie’s sister and BIL), Mark Cotton (Judy Finnie’s nephew), Bob Denton, Jim Flynn, Joanne Hahn, Michelle Hollingsworth, Becky Rouse Jones, Cameron LaPointe, Bill Maneri (friend of Ken & Judy Holzscheiter), Lisa Repalo, Elena Santana, Jeff S, Barbara Smith (mother of Brooke McKinnon), Tina T, Amber Vittone, Debbie W, Brenda Williams
Healing and Strength: Karen Adkins, Dave & Mary Ann Ault, , Ron Bledsoe, Deaconess Ligia Borges, Rebecca Brooks, Linda Dicks, Sarah Dierking, Bob & Virderie Eldredge, Judy & Jim Finnie, Daryl Flynn, Louanne Fussell, Michael Halstead, Ron Howard (Gwen Taliver’s son-in-law), Pam Ingersoll, Chris & Kristen Ivanic, Jerry Jordan, Larry Martinez, Michael McCarty, Karen Melick, Maddie, Tausha Miller, Camille Neville, Raya Pokigo, Raven, Miriam Rivera, Sheila Roberts, Pam Robertson, Nitza Rohena, Rex Serio, Angie Shroyer, Hannah Steinbronn, Carmen & Juan, Rosalee Wessel, Ted Wessel, Betty Wienrich, Cricket Winters, Leon W, Linda Zamsky
Continued Care: Pat C., Kelly DeFrietas, Al Dicks, Bob E, Linda House, Linda Jackson, Bill Jordan, Otto Krumpholc, Mary K.M, Jean LaPointe, Micki LoBue, Mario Muniz, Todd O, Betty Schnell, Michael, Noel, & Roger V; Jerry Warnock
Family & Friends: Vesta & Mark Sauter (aunt and uncle of Leah McCormack), Rex Seeds (friend of Barbara Hahn), Michelle S. Chapman’s mother (cancer), Rob and Lori Angus, Everette B., Delores B, Michael B, Sean Brownstein (Rita Santana’s friend) Evelyn Brucks, Donna C, Danny Conlin, Rennie Conyers, Elizabeth Dawson, Howard Dion (uncle of Judy Finnie), Mike Ritzel (Judy Finnie’s nephew), Steven Dorsagano, John Elmore, Amanda Fearce, Mark Fennell, Joanne (Jeanette Gabay’s sister), Rick Perre Haley, Christina, Stephanie, Joanne, Ruth Johnson and Nancy Schloemer (sisters of Kathy McCartin), Mark Sauter, Matthew, Michael, Samantha, Jason, Daniel Baudry, Fran Federman, Jim Obenour, Carlyn and Sarah (fighting cancer), Cindy Rock, Jean Rogers (Jim Finnie’s aunt), David Rodgers, Karla Schloemer, Brandy (Karen Melick’s friend), Vern (friend of Shar and Frank Dluhy), Pat Williams, Karen Wahl, Fred Thomas, Eric Shrieves (partner of Lynn Olglesby)
Special: Lord Jesus, fill our hearts with anticipation for the celebration of Your birth and as well as your return. The gifts that You bring are far greater than anything we could expect or imagine. Let our gratitude be expressed in sharing these gifts with the world. • We pray for all those who are suffering, in need, or anxious during these uncertain times. • We pray for our nation and our world: Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy. Lord Have mercy. • Watch over our first responders and keep them safe.
Prayers for those in the military or deployed, especially those connected with our PoP/PdeP family: Jake Allison, Sam Beasley, Zachary Carbonell, Billy Embach, Kyle Holysz, Matthew Rojas, Meghan Rojas, Amanda S, Greg S, Geoffrey, Antonio Watt, Anthony Witcher, Isaak Allan
Preschool Prayers – Class of the Month: This month we pray for our friends in the Tiger Cubs Class (3-year olds) – Ms. Glenda, A’Zarayah, Aidan, Alyssa, Caleb, Diago, Dylan, Georgette, Jed, Kevin, Sabrina, Saskya, Aaron, Ian, and Max. We ask the Lord to keep these little ones in His constant care and to pour out His blessings upon their families.
Christmas Eve Worship — Wednesday, December 24
5:00pm Family Worship | Glow Sticks | Family Life Center
7:30pm Traditional Candlelight with Holy Communion
10:00pm Traditional Candlelight with Holy Communion
Christmas Day – Thursday, December 25 – 10:00am with Holy Communion
Sunday, December 28 – normal worship schedule
New Year’s Eve Worship — Wednesday, December 31
6:00pm Traditional English with Holy Communion
7:30pm Vísperas de año nuevo