Category Archives: Advent

Baking Connections Virtual Event

Join us online for a special Gethsemane Baking Connections virtual event on Sunday, December 13th at 1 p.m.

Since we cannot feast and fellowship in-person this holiday season, we will be making beloved Gethsemane member Viola Hall’s famous Christmas Sugar Cookies together as a community from our own home kitchens! We will also visit together and discuss ways that baking can support our mental health, especially to battle loneliness and isolation during the holiday season in the midst of the pandemic.

Before the event, please read Viola’s recipe below, gather and pre-measure your ingredients (if possible). Then make plans to join us on Zoom!

Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86907311600?pwd=UmtTYWFuR25QcmNhUGJTVUtIS0lEUT09

Meeting ID: 869 0731 1600
Passcode: 339144

You can also RSVP on Facebook to let everyone know you’re coming: https://www.facebook.com/events/675323860012801

Viola’s Sugar Cookies Recipe

1 cup sugar
1 cup butter
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
Pinch of salt
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
2 cups flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together the sugar, butter, egg, and vanilla. Add baking soda, salt, cream of tartar, and flour. Mix until well blended. You can scoop out balls and flatten them for circles or roll them out and use cookie cutters. Place on greased cookie sheet, silicone baking sheet, or parchment paper. Bake for 12-18 minutes.

Substitutions for ingredients and for dietary restrictions:
*If you don’t have cream of tartar, you can substitute 1 tsp of lemon juice. Add to the wet ingredients instead of the dry mix.
*Use 1 cup coconut palm sugar or 3/4 cup maple syrup if avoiding refined sugar.
*For a healthier alternative to butter, try using 1/2 cup butter and 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce or to avoid butter all together use 1 cup coconut oil.
*To make egg-free, mix 1 TBS ground flax or chia seeds to 3 TBS warm water; stir well and let it set for 5-10 minutes.
*For a gluten-free option, use King Arthur or Bob Redmill’s Gluten Free flour or make your own flour from old fashion oats. Pulse in food processor or blender until smooth.

Advent Midweek Holden Prayer Services

Please plan to join us on Wednesday, December 2, 9 and 16 as we continue our Advent Midweek tradition of education and Holden Evening Prayer worship. Adult and Confirmation classes will be from 6:15-6:45 followed by Holden Evening Prayer. Please use the following Zoom login, and sign in as early at 6pm for fellowship time prior to classes.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89197937652?pwd=VStTczFDTVp3bHBqVllsNjkreFNvUT09

Angel Giving Tree 2020

Gethsemane Lutheran members and families are invited to continue a neighborhood holiday tradition by sponsoring T.A. Brown Elementary School children and families. Due to Covid-19, the school has asked us to do things a bit differently this year. We will not be collecting items, but will be asking individuals/families to donate gift cards which can be purchased through Gethsemane Lutheran Children’s Ministry Pre-School.

Go to our Signup Genius website using the following link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4FAAA622A2F5CE9-angel

Select a family dinner or a child, provide your contact information and follow the link provided to pay through the GLCM website using PayPal or a debit/credit card. You may also mail in a check to be received by December 12th to GLCM 200 W Anderson Lane Austin TX 78752. Deadline for gift cards purchased online is December 13th.

Thank you for your support of this ministry. Merry Christmas!

Advent Wednesdays

ADVENT WEDNESDAYS
December 11th & 18th
Advent soup and sandwiches prepared by Tim Huston
served at 5:30pm

Learning & Fellowship for all ages

Confirmands meet with Pastor Schnelle @6pm

Adults will meet with Pastor Gronberg and Roger Temme sharing his Advent story.

“Holden Evening Prayer” Eucharist @7pm
Confirmands meet with their mentors after service

Come light the Advent candles in preparation
for the twelve days of Christmas!

Advent Wednesdays

ADVENT WEDNESDAYS
November 30th, December 7th & 14th
Advent soup prepared by Viola Hall & Tim Huston
served at 5:30pm

Learning & Fellowship for all ages

Confirmands meet with Pastor Schnelle @6pm

Adults will meet with Pastor Gronberg and special guests sharing their Advent stories.

“Holden Evening Prayer” Eucharist @7pm
Confirmands meet with their mentors after service

Come light the Advent candles in preparation
for the twelve days of Christmas!

Christmas Eve / Christmas Day Services

Thursday, Dec. 24 – Christmas Eve

12 Noon Christmas Eve Eucharist
7:00 pm Christmas Eve Candle Light Family Worship, Santa Lucia,Christmas apples
11:00 pm Christmas Eve Candle Light Worship, Santa Lucia, Christmas apples

Friday, Dec. 25 – Christmas Day
Nativity of Our Lord

8:00 am Swedish Julotta (Sanctuary)
8:30 am Christmas Fellowship (Narthex)
9:00 am Eucharist, Carols, Christmas Story (Sanctuary)

Children’s Advent/Christmas Program

Waiting is just so hard, isn’t it? And yet every child knows the wonder-filled delight of waiting through Advent for the baby born in Bethlehem. Children, of every age, are invited to the Children’s Advent Festival on December 20th at 9:30am in the Multi-Purpose Room. Children will hear the story of the Prophets, the Holy Family, the Shepherds, the Angels, and the Magi told by St. Nicholas and St. Lucia. It will be a festive morning for all ages, with refreshments, goodies, song and story! Don’t miss it.

Children preparing to help tell the story through play acting and song, are invited to special rehearsals during Advent Midweek Connections on December 9th and 16th and during the Sunday School hour on December 13th in the Multi-Purpose Room.

Angel Giving Tree

The Angel Giving Tree to benefit T.A. Brown Elementary families has been placed in the narthex. Plan to fill your Advent/Christmas Season with the spirit of giving by being a Gethsemane Angel and giving a gift to the Angel Giving Tree.

Saturday, December 19, Gethsemane youth gather in the Music Room 9:30 a.m. to prepare and deliver the gifts for Angel Tree  families.  Please return your gifts for our families at T.A.
Brown Elementary by Wednesday, December 16.

Advent Wednesdays

ADVENT WEDNESDAYS
DEC. 2ND, 9TH & 16TH
Advent soup prepared by Viola Hall & Tim Huston
@5:30pm

Learning & Fellowship for all ages Confirmands meet with Pastor Susie @6pm

“Holden Evening Prayer” Eucharist @7pm
Confirmands meet with their mentors after service

Come light the Advent candles in preparation
for the twelve days of Christmas!

ADVENT TIME
The liturgical church year invites the baptized community to be transformed into the Advent Community by lighting candles in the Advent wreath, singing the traditional Advent carols, commemorating St. Nicholas, 4th century Bishop of Myra on Dec. 6; celebrating the first Lutheran worship service in Austin leading to the birth of Gethsemane congregation on Dec. 12; and learning from Santa Lucia to share with others on Dec. 13.

Advent is for the faithful anticipating the celebration of the One who came, comes, will come again—- ”Come, Lord Jesus. Come.”