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| Newsletters > Good News > 03-05-08 | ||
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Winter As we shovel our way through winter, we continue with our Lenten Season. As you know, Lent is that time for us to “snuggle-up” closer in our relationship with God. As we continue to drive on packed-down snow, and ice covered roads, we continue traveling down the road with Jesus. Lent is that time for us to journey with Jesus as we reflect and recall Jesus’ road to the cross and what that means for us. Eventually, the snow and drifts will come to an end and melt away. The same is true with the season of Lent - it will melt away to the warmth and sunrise of Easter! This gives us something to look forward to! But for now, we will listen to the weather forecast as well as our Lenten lessons. Feel free to put down your shovels and join us for our Holy Week services. They are as follows: Palm Sunday, March 16 8:30 & 10:45 a.m. In His Amazing Grace,
Donuts & Dialogue Join the lively discussion of Daniel Erlander’s book, “Baptized, We Live,” on Sunday, March 9, as we continue to talk about Lutheran Basics, and what it means to be a Lutheran! Donuts & Dialogue schedule: Mar. 9 Lutheran Basics
Snow Cancellations In case of inclement weather, and services need to be cancelled, please listen to WHBL, WBFM, or WHBZ, or watch for the listings on the following television stations: WISN Channel 12, WTMJ Channel 4, FOX Channel 6, WFRV Channel 5, or WLUK Channel 11. You can also check the Press website at news@sheboyganpress.com.
In Deepest Sympathy We offer our Christian love to the family of Hazel Rohling at her death.
Family Ski Trip Thanks! Thanks to all of the families that attended the February 24 ski trip to Sunburst Ski Hill. We had 28 skiers and tubers of all ages! It was a beautiful day, and a wonderful time was had by all.
Valentine Thanks! Expressions of thanks have been pouring into the church office from the many college students who received a box full of delicious Valentine goodies, lovingly made and given by members of our church. Here are just 2 of the notes we received: “Thank you very much for the valentine gift box! I was very surprised when I returned from a cold walk from class to find it in my mailbox! The treats were great & enjoyed by both me & my friends! Thanks for being so thoughtful - it made my day! God Bless!” “Thank you very much for the Valentine’s box I received last week. It was the perfect thing to cheer me up after a long day of classes and shoveling all the snow we got. Thank you very much & God Bless.”
EASTER BREAKFAST March 23 You and your family are invited to join us for breakfast on Easter morning, March 23, from 7:30-10:30 a.m. in Fellowship Hall. This year’s menu includes eggs, bacon, sausage, ham, fruit and donuts. There will be a free-will offering to cover the cost of the breakfast with proceeds going toward the youth Mission Trip.
ASP Mission Trip Team Please sign up to help with this year’s Easter Breakfast as part of the duties required for this year’s trip.
Easter Egg Hunt Due to our cold and snowy winter, this year’s Easter Egg Hunt will move INDOORS to Fellowship Hall on Saturday, March 22, from 10:00 a.m. until 12 noon . Please join us, and the Easter Bunny, for games, crafts and egg coloring, as well as hunting for eggs! Sign up in the Gathering Area, or if you have any questions, contact Mary Gorges or Thom Nicla. Our thanks to Louis and Joyce Milsted for helping us plan this event!
Lenten Event - You’re invited! Our annual Lenten Event will be held on Palm Sunday, March 16, in the Gathering Area beginning at 9:40 a.m. There will be crafts and other activities to help families prepare for Holy Week. If you are interested in helping with this event, please contact Mary Gorges at 452-2401. Thanks!
First Communion Preparation Students who have completed the Holy Communion Preparation classes will receive their First Communion on Maundy Thursday, March 20, at the 7:00 p.m. worship service, where they will use their own personal chalice, which they designed and made on Wednesday, March 5. If you have any questions, please contact Mary Gorges.
Men’s Group All men of the congregation are invited to the Men’s Group which meets on the first and third Wednesdays of each month. On March 19, our guest speaker will talk to us about our Juvenile Court System. Please join us!
Second Graders & Parents Bible distribution will take place at the 8:30 a.m. worship service on Sunday, April 20. Old Testament instruction will follow on that day at 9:40 a.m. , and it will continue on Sunday, April 27 with New Testament instruction. A letter with more details will be mailed out in March. Please contact Mary Gorges if you need further details.
VIL Potluck On Monday, March 17, St. Patrick’s Day, we invite all members, 55 years of age and up, to wear something GREEN to our potluck luncheon, beginning at 12 noon in Fellowship Hall. Following lunch, Rod “O’Eissens” will talk about his recent trip to Guatemala with the Thrivent Habitat for Humanity program. Please make reservations by calling the church office at 452-2401, and let us know what you can bring for the luncheon if you are able. And make plans to attend our April Spring Event when Jumes will cater our luncheon. The menu will include hot ham and beef sandwiches, potato salad, baked beans, coleslaw, fresh vegetables, bread, rolls, beverages and desserts, all for only $10 per person. After lunch Steve Farwig will give a presentation on the work of First United’s Foundation Fund. Please watch for further details.
Support the Mt. Meru Coffee Project! Congregations like ours have helped make the Mt Meru Coffee Project grow! When the Project began, coffee prices were so low that many of the farmers could no longer receive a family income, so they stopped tending the coffee plants on their small 1-3 acre farms. The Coffee Project provides consistent and fair prices, and now more and more farmers are diligently caring for their coffee plants, adding new plants and replacing those that have been uprooted. The Diocese of Meru, with help from you and the Greater Milwaukee Synod, has started revitalizing the 280 acre Makumira Estate so that it can be used as a regional demonstration and training farm. There are several segments to this redevelopment including facilities for crop and livestock training, soil testing, coffee cupping (tasting), and Ag lab facilities. The first 8 acres of a 24 acre plot is being cleared, cultivated and prepared for the planting of a new variety of plants to be made available to the farmers. These new plants are resistant to diseases that now cause great difficulty for the farmers and often destroy much of their crop. These new plants can be grown from cuttings rather than seeds, and can even be grafted to existing stumps. This avoids some of the growing time normally lost when uprooting old plants and allows the plants to produce a crop much faster. Our synod is asking us and all of the Mt Meru Coffee Congregations to help raise approx-imately $6000, which is needed to develop this coffee plot. Approximately $2,000 is needed by mid April for the first stage. Please help if you can! Make checks payable to First United Lutheran Church, attn: Mt. Meru Coffee Project. Your generosity is very much appreciated by the coffee farmers of the Meru Diocese! If they were here with us they would say… Asante sana !
ELCA Global Mission Event: Mark your calendars, and plan to attend the ELCA Global Mission Event July 17-20, at the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse ! Hear the Gospel in new ways from international guests who challenge us to live out our calling as global Christians. Immerse yourself in exciting music and worship from around the world! Attend workshops, meet people of all ages from different countries, discover opportunities for global service, celebrate and learn! Programs are offered for all ages! Please visit the ELCA website at www.elca.org/gme/gme2008 for more information or to register! Watch the kiosk for more information!
Collecting food for local Food Pantry First United is collecting food and other needed items for the Food Pantry at St. Mark Lutheran Church. The St. Mark Food Pantry is open the first and third Fridays of every month from 10:00-11:30 a.m. , and provides service to over 125 people each time. There is a collection barrel and a shopping cart conveniently located next to the small “serving kitchen” (next to the Gathering Area). Non-perishable food items, paper products, detergents, soap, and other items can be brought in at any time, and are very much needed! Our collected food is then delivered to St. Mark. The Food Pantry of St. Mark is also in need of volunteers to help with registration and the handing out of food. If you’re interested in helping, please call Bev Sorenson at 458-4279. Items Most Needed: Canned soups (NO soup in boxes please!) PLEASE - NO bags of flour!! Please place donated items in the barrel or shopping cart provided. Thank you!
Prayer Shawls and Lap Blankets The Holy Knitters are committed to making Prayer Shawls and Lap Blankets for people who are confined to their homes, struggling with long-term illnesses or disease, recovering from surgery, or going through a difficult time. If you know someone in our congregation, a close friend, or someone in your family that would appreciate a prayer shawl or lap blanket, please call the church office (452-2401) or contact Deaconess Deb. We have lots of colorful, donated yarn that could be made into warm hats, scarves, mittens, or baby blankets. We just need people who are willing and able to do it! We also have some “grannie squares” and yarn for two different afghans, for anyone that is interested in finishing those! JOIN US on the second Monday of each month from 5:00-6:00 p.m. in Room 8! We need and appreciate your financial support, so we can continue our ministry. Please write checks to First United, memo: Holy Knitters.
Get Involved With our Tanzanian Partnership! Are YOU interested in learning more about the people of Tanzania ? Would YOU like to travel to Tanzania with a group from First United (and others from our synod) next year, to visit our partners in the Maangashiny Parish? Come to our next Tanzanian Partnership Committee meeting on Wednesday, March 5, at 12:00 noon , in the Bride’s room, and/or sign up on the Kiosk, or talk to Gail Showerman or Deaconess Deb to get involved!
Meals on Wheels Needs Help We are proud of the fact that twenty-six of our members deliver meals on 14 different Meals on Wheels routes, Mondays through Fridays! Some of them are currently unable to deliver meals, so we need a few new volunteers to serve as temporary substitutes. We are in special need of two people (to deliver together or if willing to sub) on the 2 nd Thursday of the month. Delivery time is from 11:15 a.m. to around 12:45 p.m. Can you help? Please sign up on the kiosk or call Virginia Mikkelson at 458-1522 or the church office (452-2401). Thank you!
Spring Ahead - Daylight Saving Time It’s time to SPRING forward! On Sunday, March 9, we begin Daylight Saving Time, so be sure to set your clocks AHEAD one hour before you go to bed on Saturday, March 8 th!
Spring Softball League Forming The Sheboygan Area Church Softball League is looking for some new members! Both women and men, ages 18-80, are encouraged to join. Please contact Lance Nennig for information!
Easter Lilies Easter lilies will again adorn our worship space on Easter Sunday. We encourage you to sponsor an Easter Lily in loving memory of a loved one, in living tribute or in gratitude to someone you love. The cost of each plant this year is $9.50 which you can put into an offering envelope with your form, and note on your offering envelope that the contribution is for lilies. The deadline for ordering is March 16. Given by (My Name) Please select the wording: In loving memory of: _________________________ In living tribute to: _________________________ In gratitude to God for: _________________________ ___ My lily may be given to a shut-in. Please enclose $9.50 in an envelope and place in the offering plate or return to the church office by Sunday, March 16th!
News from Great Beginnings Preschool We would like to send out a HUGE “thank you” to all of you who were so generous with your donations and assistance with our Preschool Bake Sale which ran during the primary election in February. We had many parent and grand-parent volunteers! Without your help we never could have done it! It was a HUGE success; we raised over $300 to put toward a new play-ground. We are looking to update our equipment and move the playground to a better location on the church property. If you would like to donate to our fund, please see Mary Gorges or Sandy Gosse. The preschoolers had a great time in February learning many different new and exciting things. We dressed up as astronauts and flew in our spaceship during our Space Unit; we learned that the sun is a star, and that Earth is one of 8 planets in our solar system. Then we worked our way through Dental Health, and learned how to take care of our teeth. We practiced brushing teeth clean (they were actually Legos) with toothpaste and toothbrushes. We learned what kinds of food help to keep our teeth healthy. The children also enjoyed their Valentine Party, and had a great time during Pajama Day as they ate pancakes and cuddled with their favorite blanket and stuffed friend. Our Christian Learning Time focused on the fact that Jesus is always with us, morning, noon and night, even during swimming lessons and snowball fights! We worked our way through S, T, U and V, bringing in items to share that begin with those letters, along with other activities that enforce letter recognition. As we look forward to March, we are going to learn about “new life,” including bunnies, chicks, eggs, and the new life we have because of the sacrifice that Jesus made for us. Great Beginnings is now accepting enrollments for next school year. If you have a child who will be three years of age, we encourage you to stop on down and visit our preschool room, talk to the teachers, talk to parents of currently enrolled students, and find out how great First United’s preschool program really is! Sandy Gosse & Erin Mueller
New Member Workshops First United invites you to take a look at what we have to offer! We are offering workshops on the Sundays of March 9 and 16 at 9:40 a.m. in the Chapel. We will talk about what it means to be a member and how you might grow in your faith life at First United. New members will be received into membership on Sunday, March 16, at 10:45 a.m. Please come!
Praisefest at Cross Come to Praisefest, a joyful worship service filled with music, with one of our partner congregations, Cross Lutheran Church , Milwaukee , on Sunday, April 6. Worship will begin at 3:00 p.m. , followed by a potluck dinner. Please sign up on the kiosk if you plan to go, so we can plan to car-pool.
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