Stephen Ministries



Are you feeling a little down? Have you had a major change in your life that has left you feeling troubled? Do you have a big decision facing you and you don’t know which way to turn? Sounds like you need a Stephen Minister, and La Casa de Cristo has just the one for you.

Stephen Ministers are congregation members who have been trained by La Casa’s Stephen Leaders to offer FREE Christ-centered care to people who are hurting. A Stephen Minister typically has one 'care receiver' at a time and meets with that person once a week for about an hour. All care is confidential.

Look around you when you attend a Saturday or Sunday morning service; Stephen Ministers wear special badges to every worship service. You might just run into one.

But there’s an easier way to learn about Stephen Ministries: call Linda Barber at 623-256-1308, or contact the church office. Why are we called Stephen Ministers? Look up Acts 6:1-7.

From the Organist's Chamber

You've probably noticed me changing shoes in the sanctuary before or after service--or even wondered why there was a random set of shoes under a pew! That's because organists generally play with special leather-bottom shoes that help us slide around on the wood pedals. These special shoes are also quite narrow, so we can have more maneuverability. Pictured here are my original organ shoes from Oct. 1996! They cost around $95 then, and my organ teacher told me it would be one of the best investments I ever made (assuming I continued playing organ). Well, these shoes lasted me until 2017. Once we began using a "pedal cam" more and more often, it became obvious that these worn shoes were not camera friendly, so I went and bought another pair.

As the saying goes, "back in my day" we had to buy organ shoes from a magazine. 20 years later, new organ shoes (via the Internet) amazingly still cost $95! Who knew that this would be the one thing not hit by inflation!! I still use my 28-year old shoes when I do gigs around town and don't want to lug my newer shoes from church. My new camera-friendly shoes developed a noisy creak when I walk shortly after I got them, but the old ones never made a peep in all those years. They don't make 'em like they used to!

Dr. Jeremy Peterman

🎼 Get to Know Your Choir

Jim Weeldreyer



I grew up on a farm near Chancellor, South Dakota (a very small town in the southeast part of the state), and attended a one-room country school for part of my elementary education. I attended Chancellor High School, and my graduating class had 13 students. I graduated from South Dakota State University with a BS in Mathematics, and then attended Stanford U., where I received an MS in Computer Science.

I met my wife, Donna, when we were both freshmen at South Dakota State. We were married during the Christmas break of our senior year (she had always wanted a Christmas wedding) and were married for 59 years before she passed away this past summer. We were blessed with two sons, Bob and Jeff. Bob passed away eight years ago. Jeff and his wife, Kim, live here in the Valley. I have two grandchildren, Mikhaela and Jacob, who also live in the Valley.



Following school, I entered the Air Force. My first assignment was to attend Stanford University, and then I spent the rest of my Air Force career in the Washington, DC area, first with the Defense Intelligence Agency, and then with the Air Force Data Services Center. Following my Air Force service, we moved to Scottsdale, where I was employed by Honeywell and by Motorola in various software engineering positions. I have been retired for about 20 years.

My hobbies included a brief flirtation with photography when the boys were young. I also enjoyed managing the 20 acres of forest surrounding our cabin near Show Low, although Jeff and his family are doing that now.

I have a long history with La Casa de Cristo; in fact, we are charter members. We had just moved into our new home in Scottsdale in 1974, when Pastor Garman visited our home while he was canvassing the neighborhood to let people know of the new congregation that was forming. We attended the first service in Desert Shadows Elementary School and settled into regular attendance shortly thereafter. Donna and I were both raised in Christian homes, so the Holy Spirit has always been a guiding force in my life. I probably felt the Spirit's presence most strongly when I was dealing with my wife's illness prior to her passing away.

I have sung with the choir as a Bass since its inception. My favorite hymn is "How Great Thou Art." As a choir member, I love the fellowship we enjoy. Music provides a uniquely expressive way to show our love for God and for everything he has done for us. It provides a way to express great joy, and strong love and appreciation.

It's been a month since the Women's Christmas Table gathering filled tables with God's love by His invitation! We launched the holiday season in God's Word and Worship. Advent now invites us to prepare our hearts to make a straight path for Jesus in our lives; this is the very meaning of Advent. I'd like to encourage you to glance briefly and prepare even beyond the end of this year, into the blessing of 2025. Ahhhh...a fresh start, a new page, a new year.

We invite EVERY woman (ages 16+) to explore the blessing of the Women's Refresh Retreat Weekend ~ SO LOVED ~ for herself! January 31 - February 2, 2025. Register here.

Our registration deadline is merely days away! Yes, after December 15, this affordable opportunity will increase due to limited availability, and we don't want you to miss out. Should you need a payment plan option and/or scholarship assistance, please reach out to me and we will make a way for you to attend. I am here to help you prepare a way for the Lord!

Because you ARE So Loved!

With sincere love,

XOXOX

Paula Webb

Director of Women's Ministry

Many kids (including my own) spend a lot of time pouring over Target and Amazon ads. You know, the stores are smart; they send catalogs just for the kids to be able to circle what they want to show us the right thing! They want to give us insight on receiving exactly what they want. 

The anticipation of Christmas gifts- and the often heard phrase, “What I want for Christmas is…” can lead us to think that Christmas is ALL about receiving just the right gift or even buying the right gift for someone to fulfill wishes. 

However, we know that Christmas is much more than that. Christmas is about the most perfect gift- Jesus. Often it seems Christmas gets lost in all the other things at Christmas time. Many times, when families gather around the tree, the excitement revolves around gifts wanting to be opened.

Maybe, this year we can all take a few moments to reflect BEFORE we open the gifts on WHY we are gathered around the tree. We can simply stop, read the Christmas story from Luke 2 and remind us of the most perfect gift of all... Jesus! 

I pray that in the midst of Christmas busyness and in the midst of your holiday traditions that we can all stop... together... and reflect on celebrating the birth of Jesus. Merry Christmas!

Staci Medina

Director of Children's Ministry



Making Good Soil Great: A Faith Invitation



Jesus’ Parable of the Sower is a powerful illustration of how the gospel is received in our hearts. The story describes seeds falling in four places: on the path, where they are trampled and eaten by birds; on rocky ground, where they sprout quickly but wither because they lack roots; among thorns, which choke the life out of them; and finally, on good soil, where they grow strong and produce an abundant harvest.

Each type of ground reflects the various ways we respond to God’s Word. Sometimes, we hear it but get distracted or discouraged, and the message never takes root. Other times, we may start strong but fall away when life gets hard. Yet, when our hearts are like good soil—consistently nurtured and surrounded by God’s truth—the gospel can transform us and yield blessings beyond measure.

How do we cultivate good soil? One way is by being present where the Word is proclaimed, as often as we can. The more we engage with God’s message, the more opportunities we and our children have for faith to take root and grow. If you’re a family that comes to church once a month, why not challenge yourselves to come twice? Each visit is a chance for God’s Word to strengthen and multiply in your life. Together, let’s make our hearts and our church community a place where seeds of faith can flourish!

Ryan Callahan, Director of High School Ministry

Now that fall is over and we are into the winter season, it’s time to think about another type of fall. According to the Scottsdale Fire Department, falls are the number one emergency call to the fire department. They receive up to 125 calls per week. In response to this, the Scottsdale Fire Department is offering a free senior safety series at both Scottsdale senior centers:

Via Linda

10440 E Via Linda

Scottsdale, AZ 85258

480-312-5810

10-11:30am in Room

Granite Reef

1700 N Granite Reef Rd

Scottsdale, AZ 85257

480-312-1700

10-11:30am in Room 10

There are additional presentations offered on other safety related topics such as Palliative Care, Maintaining Quality of Life, Staying Home Safely (Veterans), Getting the Most from your Doctor Visit, and Exercise at Home. These free programs are offered on the first Tuesdays of each month (Jan 7, Feb 4, Mar 4, April 1, May 6, and June 3). For more information call the above numbers or click here.

Blessings,

Donna Bosley



Stop Osteoporosis in its Tracks

Did you know that approximately 54 million Americans are living with osteoporosis or low bone mass? Each year, osteoporosis leads to about 9 million fractures. Don’t wait for a fall or fracture to take action! The good news is that the risk of disease can be reduced, and the disease is treatable.

Your skeleton functions like a never-ending home repair project. Every day, specialized cells called osteoclasts break down old bone, leaving small cavities behind. Different cells, called osteoblasts, fill those cavities with collagen. Then the mineral-collagen substance hardens. Through this process, your bones renew and maintain themselves. As you age, your body produces fewer bone-forming osteoblasts while levels of bone-removing osteoclasts go up. This results in bone loss: calcium stores decrease, vitamin D production diminishes, hormone levels change and some medications accelerate bone loss.

Without screening, it’s hard to know if bones are weakened. You may not know until one breaks. To measure bone density, you may have a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scan. This testing is recommended routinely for:

* women age 65 and older

        * women younger than 65 who have osteoporosis risk factors such as low body weight, fracture history, or loss of height

        * men age 70 and older who are at a higher risk of osteoporosis

        * anyone who has a fracture after age 50

Talk with your doctor whether you need scanning or not.

Weight-bearing exercise ranks as one of the most important ways to keep bones strong. In addition, regular physical activity builds muscle, which cushions bones, improves balance and prevents falls.

Here are diet recommendations for a diet that enriches your bones:

·        Calcium is a mineral that helps bones stay strong. Women older than 50 and men over 70 need 1,200 mg a day. Dairy products play a starring role in a calcium-rich diet.

·        Vitamin D helps lock calcium into your bones. Ultraviolent radiation from the sun stimulates your skin to synthesize Vitamin D. Generally, 5 to 30 minutes of midday sun exposure on your face, hands and arms at least twice a week is enough to help your body produce Vitamin D.

Talk to your doctor if you need medication for osteoporosis prevention and treatment. Keep your bones hardy and strong!!

Blessings...

Jean Knowling, R.N.

Parish Nurse