It is hard to imagine that it is January, 2008 already! Where does the time go? It sure flies by fast!

As I settle into the New Year at First United, I want to share with you something I want to take my time with.

I have talked with the staff, the Congregation Council, and the Personnel Committee about taking our time, and not rushing into, calling an Associate Pastor right away. I feel, given the vacancy of the Associate Pastor position, now is a good time to take a look at staff configuration. We are blessed with a wonderful staff that is already in place. So what staff configuration best serves God and First United? Is it one pastor, two, or three? Is it two Deaconesses and a full-time youth person? Is it no pastors, and we just let Cindy Wigdahl do everything? (Kidding!) You get the gist of taking our time and thoroughly evaluating the situation as we figure out how to best serve God and each other.

Because I feel we need to take our time with staff configuration, I want to welcome Pastor Bill Truby to our team! Bill has graciously agreed to be our Visitation Pastor. Pastor Truby will help with shut-in visits, hospital visits, and will be the staff representative to our Very Important Lutherans (VILs) group. And he will preach on an “as needed” basis. Thanks to Pastor Truby for his help and partnership! Welcome, Bill!

I give thanks for how very busy this church is. Every day a lot of good ministry is taking place, and though it gets chaotic at times, I give thanks that God is in the midst of the craziness with us!

In God’s Astonishing Grace,

Pastor Todd W. Smith

P.S. Just a friendly reminder that our Annual Meeting (Part 2) is Sunday, January 27, at 9:40 a.m. !

Congregational Annual Meeting - Part II

The second part of the Annual Meeting of our congregation will take place on Sunday, January 27, at 9:40 a.m. in the Genszler Room. The purpose of this meeting will be to adopt a Budget for 2008. Reports from the ministry committees will be available. The Stewardship Committee will present an update. Your attendance as a voting member is most important!

Snow Cancellations

If there’s a need to cancel services due to weather, please tune in to WHBL, or WTMJ (Channel 4 on Cable TV).

In Deepest Sympathy

We offer our Christian love to the family of Charlie Schleevogt at the death of his father; and to the family of Robert Buschmann at his death.

Sub Sandwich Sale - Super Bowl Sunday!
February 3

On the day of the Big Game, let the youth of our church help you with your lunch plans! They will be putting together pre-ordered 6" submarine sandwiches on the morning of the Super Bowl. Please fill out ONE order form PER SANDWICH and drop them in the order box in the Gathering Area. Cost is just $5 per sub, and 10% will be given to local hunger. (Order forms are available in the Gathering Area.) Subs can be picked up in Fellowship Hall that morning.

Soup Supper Clean-up!

The 7th and 8th Grade Confirmation students and their small group leaders are asked to help with clean-up after each of the Wednesday Lenten Soup Suppers. Guides and students need to report to Fellowship Hall no later than 6:00 p.m. on the night your group is scheduled:

Feb. 6 7th Grade boys Group #1 and 7th Grade girls Group #4

Feb. 13 8th Grade boys Group #7 and half of 8th Grade girls Group #9

Feb. 20 7th Grade boys Group #2 and 7th Grade girls Group #5

Feb. 27 8th Grade boys Group #8 and half of 8th Grade girls Group #9

Mar. 5 7th Grade boys Group #3 and 7th Grade girls Group #6

CONFIRMATION CAMP - Attention, Parents!!

As hard as it is to believe, we are asking that you register your child for Confirmation Camp prior to March 1, 2008 !

Confirmation Camp is scheduled for July 6-11, 2008 , at Crossways Imago Dei Village.

It’s a great way to meet youth from around the state, making new friends, and learning more about our faith in one of the most beautiful outdoor settings available. Crossways has excellent summer staff that works hard to connect with your children and help them to see how and why their faith matters.

The cost of camp this year is $365, but by applying before March 1 st the price is $340. If the church writes one big check and mails it in before the deadline, the cost per student drops to $325!! So please apply by the deadline of March 1 and make your checks payable to: First United Lutheran Church . Scholarships are always available to any family in need.

This year we are inviting our 7th and 8th Graders to camp, but also adding the invitation of 6th and 9th grade students, as well. If it is your first time to camp, the church will reimburse you $100 of the registration fee after attending camp.

Please contact Thom Nicla with any questions or concerns!

Great Beginnings News
from Sandy & Erin

The children did a great job at their Christmas program! They gave it their all as they sang their hearts out in front of a huge audience.

In December we focused on baby Jesus, and what a great gift he is to us! We celebrated his birthday and made him a beautiful rainbow birthday cake. In the classroom the children enjoyed decorating and un-decorating the Christmas tree, making their own ornaments and playing with the manger scene. We also learned about the joy of giving as we collected hats, mittens, blankets and socks to donate to the Salvation Army.

As we look ahead to January we will turn our focus to Penguins and Polar Bears, learning about where they live, what they like to eat, what they do to keep warm, and of course there are a few cute art projects to go along with it! We will also have fun exploring ice and snow right in the warmth of our own classroom! We will continue to work on concepts this month including: Opposites and Small, Medium and Large. We have been doing a great job learning to recognize and sound out the letters of the alphabet, along with the sign language that goes with each letter. We have made it all the way to the letter O!

Enroll now with Great Beginnings Preschool
for the 2008-09 School Year

Parents, we are now starting enrollment for next year! If you have a child who will be three years old by September 1 (even if they miss that date they can start after they turn 3!), and are beginning to think about a preschool for your child, we encourage you to stop down at First United’s preschool room and see what we are all about! Take a moment to meet the teachers and to talk to the parents of currently enrolled students, and find out the wonderful things they have to say about this program. The bright, beautiful classroom and the huge Fellowship Hall are both used by our preschool to give the children every opportunity to learn, play and grow! Stop in and visit, and you won’t want to leave!

Boy Scout Pizza Fundraiser

First United’s Boy Scout Troop 861 is having a fundraiser at The Pizza Ranch in Oostburg on Monday, April 28. The money raised will be used to purchase new tents for the troop. The troop receives 10% of the sales during the time period worked and all the tips. The scouts will be washing dishes, busing tables, serving dessert pizza and bringing drink refills to customers.

For those who have not been to the Pizza Ranch before, it has a wonderful buffet with several types of pizza, chicken, potatoes and salad. The more people that come the better our profit will be! Please join us!

ALTAR GUILD - HELP WANTED

Several of our Altar Guild teams are in need of additional members. The time commitment is minimal - about one Sunday every 6 weeks. Both men and women are welcome! And you would be serving with an experienced member of the Guild. Please contact Lee Anne in the church office (452-2401), or Marianne Comstock at mskc37att.net or at 946-3289 if you’d be willing to serve. Thank you!

Worship Responsibilities
March-June 2008

It’s that time again to schedule volunteers for worship! The new Worship Responsibility Book will include the months of March through June. It would be so very helpful if you would contact the Church Office with dates you know you will not be available to serve! We hope to have this booklet in the mail by early February, so if you could contact the office with your dates no later than the end of January, it would be greatly appreciated. If you wish to be removed from a specific responsibility, please let us know that as well. We’re always looking for additional volunteers in all areas of worship. Please call us to volunteer!

St. Mark Food Pantry

“...the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them - the Lord, who remains faithful forever. He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets prisoners free, the Lord gives sight to the blind, the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down, the Lord loves the righteous.”
-Psalm 146:6-8

(This is taken from a letter received from the St. Mark Lutheran Church Food Pantry. The full letter is posted outside the church office.)

To all the churches, organizations, businesses and individuals who have so generously and faithfully assisted our food pantry this year, we give thanks to the Lord for your goodness and concern. We have had our struggles, and many times the pantry shelves were woefully bare, but we never fell short when needy people came to us for help. You made this possible, by allowing God to work through you to nourish and encourage the downtrodden. We give thanks to Him for this miracle of love.

...We estimate we will have served 2427 families by the end of 2007. In 2006 we assisted 2350 families, which was a significant increase over the 1923 families receiving aid in 2002.

...Our food pantry functions through the kind assistance of 31 volunteers. ... They sort food, distribute food on pantry days, pick up food from local sources, work at the registration desk, and write thank you letters to donors.

... If anyone is so moved to work more closely with the St. Mark Food Pantry, they are welcome to call Bev Sorenson at 458-4279. ... Even if the extra help is available only once every two or three months, it will make a big difference!

First United Men’s Group

All men of the congregation are invited to the February 6 meeting of the Men’s Group Our guest speaker will be a Merchant Marine who served during World War II. Join us Wednesday, February 6, at 1:30 p.m.!

Youth Mission Trip Meeting
January 28, 7:00 p.m.

The Appalachia Service Project (ASP) is a Christian ministry that fosters human development by addressing the housing needs of Central Appalachia (the mountainous region where Kentucy , Tennessee , Virginia and West Virginia come together), repairing homes for 400-500 low-income families. Typical repairs include: repairing roofs, building room additions, providing wheelchair ramps, installing or repairing plumbing, updating unsafe wiring, securing foundations, digging drainage ditches, constructing porches and steps, installing insulation and siding, and weatherizing homes.

Our youth will be a part of this project this summer! We need to discuss deadlines, workshop dates and share other important information regarding the trip. PLEASE bring your parents to this meeting!

We are still in need of two adult chaperones for the trip. We also have room for a few students yet. If you would be interested in attending, the dates are June 14-22. Sign up soon, or contact Thom Nicla (946-1465) with your questions!

Parents - we invite you to Camp Sunday on February 3

On Sunday, February 3, at 9:40 a.m. (during the Sunday School hour), we will be highlighting all of the family, youth and children’s camping opportunities through Crossways Camping Ministries. So please, come along with your child to Sunday School to learn more! We will have games and other activities, as well as brochures from Crossways to hand out!

YOUTH QUAKE
March 7-9, 2008
(Optional event)
6th - 9th Grades

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such as great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” Hebrews 12:1

Registration deadline is January 27! Cost is $175 per person! Location is Wisconsin Dells Chula Vista Resort! Chaperones are needed! Sign up on the Youth & Family kiosk, or call Thom Nicla in the church office!

Holy Communion Prep

Holy Communion preparation will begin February 10 for the 2 nd grade youth of our congregation. If you are new to the congregation, or if your child has not received Holy Communion instruction, and you would like to participate, please contact Mary Gorges. Parents are also asked to come to instruction with their child/ren. Children will also need to bring their Bibles to these meetings. Students that complete this instruction will receive their First Holy Communion on Maundy Thursday, March 20, at the 7:00 p.m. worship service. Please put the following schedule on your calendar:

Sunday, February 10 - 9:40 a.m.

Sunday, February 17 - 9:40 a.m.

Sunday, February 24 - 9:40 a.m.

Wednesday, March 5-7:15 p.m. (Chalice Making)

Grief Group

The cold, dark months of winter can seem especially difficult and long, especially when you are grieving the loss of a loved one. Find the support of others who care at our next Grief Support meeting on Tuesday, January 29. We will meet from 6:30-8:00 p.m. in the Genszler Room. Bring your family and friends!

~Deaconess Deb

Children’s Choirs - Come and Sing

Here at First United we are blessed to have two wonderful children’s choirs that participate in worship about once a month. We are always looking for kids to join us! You don’t have to have a great voice, just a love for singing! Rehearsals are each Wednesday afternoon. The Cherub Choir (4-year olds thru 2nd Grade) practice from 5:00-5:30 p.m. The Christus Choir (Grades 3-8) practice from 5:30-6:15 p.m. There’s nothing more beautiful than children’s voices raised in song! Please consider joining. If you have any questions regarding this program, please see Wayne Wildman, Mary Gorges or Thom Nicla.

Used Musical Instruments Wanted

In February or March 0f 2008, Dr. Abe Caceres will teach music at Makumira University in the Diocese of Meru. With a doctorate in Ethnic Musicology, Abe brings a wide variety of New World , Old World , Asian and African musical traditions to the classroom. However, musical instruments are necessary to continue and expand this program. If you have an instrument that you would like to donate, please bring it to the church office by Sunday, January 20, with a note stating that it is for Tanzania . Offerings towards the shipping costs, and supplies such as valve oil, strings, instrument care and cleaning supplies are also very welcome.

Ash Wednesday Service

The season of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, February 6. On that day First United will offer two worship services in the Sanctuary: one at 10:30 a.m. and the other at 7:00 p.m. Lenten worship will continue on the Wednesdays of February 13, 20, 27, March 5 and 12, with two services offered at 10:30 a.m. in the Chapel, and 6:30 p.m. in the Sanctuary. And all are invited to the soup suppers offered prior to each Wednesday Lenten service, beginning at 5:30 p.m. in Fellowship Hall.

Lenten Soup Suppers

Soup suppers will be offered throughout Lent, including Ash Wednesday this year! Soups, prepared by Bill and Pam Gottsacker of City Streets Restaurant, will be served along with rolls and beverages. Peanut butter and jelly will also be available for the kids. If you’d like to share a dessert with those attending, we’d be so grateful! Please join us each Wednesday during Lent, beginning February 6 at 5:30 p.m. , for a great soup supper and great fellowship!

SCIO News

Winter Farmers Market: Purchase meats, honey, jams, jellies, soaps, and various other items. The market will be held from 9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 26, at First Congregational Church UCC, 310 Bluff Avenue .

Pick ‘n Save “We Care” Program: Support SCIO by adding the SCIO identification number to your Advantage Plus Savers Club Card by filling out an application at the service desk. Then every time you shop at Pick n’ Save and use your card, SCIO receives a monetary donation. The identification number is: 073450.

Volunteer transportation drivers needed: A variety of hours and options are available (daily, weekly, monthly, part-time casual). If you can provide this valuable service, please contact judy Tauschek at 457-7272, ext. 11.

Working Women’s Wear: Donations accepted on Saturdays from 10:00-12:00 noon , or by appointment. SCIO programs are in urgent need of maternity clothes, size large.

Rainbow Kids
Spring Schedule & Registration

Registrations are being accepted for peer support groups for children, teens, and their parents who are grieving a loss due to death, divorce, separation, or abandonment. These 14-week programs group participants with trained facilitators to address the issues confronted in family loss situations. To register, call Rainbow Kids at 452-2838.

Newsletter Deadline

The next deadline for Good News articles is Monday, January 28. The next issue will be in homes on Wednesday, February 6.

Let a big bowl of homemade soup drive those chills away!

Join the VILs on Monday, January 21, at 12 noon in Fellowship Hall for a bowl of Pastor Truby’s delicious homemade soup and homemade bread! Following lunch, the movie “A Prairie Home Companion” will be shown, complete with popcorn. Please call the church office to make your reservation!

Internet Safety Night

On Wednesday, January 30, Trinity Lutheran School , 824 Wisconsin Avenue , is sponsoring a family Internet Safety Night that is open to the public. From 5:30-6:00 p.m. , a Chili Dinner will be offered in the school gymnasium. At 6 p.m. , two different presentations will be offered: one is aimed at teaching 3rd-5th graders about online risks; the other one will discuss the logistics of facebook.com. At 6:35 , Special Agent Michael Hoell will present a one-hour program of suggestions to safe-guard children on the internet, and introduce online risks, victim offender typologies and more. Please contact Debbie Schneider at 208-1311 if you have questions.

Let’s hit the slopes! A Ski Trip!

First United will be hitting the slopes on Sunday, February 24, for a Youth and Family Ski Trip at Sunburst! We will be taking the church van that day at 11:00 a.m. for an afternoon of winter fun! If you are interested in joining us on this ski trip, please see the sign-up sheet on the Youth & Family kiosk for details.

Valentine Goodie Boxes

The 7th and 8th Grade youth will once again prepare Valentine goodie boxes for First United’s college students. Homemade “shipper friendly” baked goods, along with other treats, are needed to fill these boxes. If you would be willing to provide goodies, please see the sign-up sheet on the kiosk, and bring the pre-cut items (items that won’t crumble when shipped!) To the Youth Room by 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, February 10.

And PLEASE call the church office with the name and address of your student/s before January 31!!