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| Newsletters > Good News > 03-21-07 | ||
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Jesus Is Coming - Look Busy! A while ago I saw a bumper sticker that proclaimed - JESUS IS COMING — LOOK BUSY! Although we might chuckle at this sentiment, it has become very serious in our culture. Last week several of the church staff commented on how busy and stressed the youth and parents seem to be. Conversations with members at church and friends at home produce the same responses - “I am just so busy.” I keep on my office shelf a wonderful book, MARGIN: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives, by Richard A. Swenson, M. D. (and he is even a Lutheran). Here is a sample: Margin is the opposite of overload. If we are overloaded, we have no margin, or we have negative margin. If, however, we are careful to avoid overloading, margin appears. Most people are not quite sure when they pass from margin to overload. Threshold points are not easily measurable and are also different for different people in different circumstances. We don’t want to be underachievers (Heaven forbid!), so we fill our schedules uncritically. Options are as attractive as they are numerous, and we over book. (Page 92) I think that the key word in Swenson’s description of our dilemma is the word “uncritically.” We say ‘Yes’ too quickly and too easily. We do not pause to pray about our decisions. We do not ask others what they think or how this might affect them. We do not respect God’s command for Sabbath rest - and I am as guilty as the next person - although I am getting better at resting. The negative result of having no margin is, in the words of Wendell Berry: Pastor Jacobs
Good News Deadline Articles for the next issue of the Good News should be in the church office by Monday, March 26. The next issue will be in the homes on Wednesday, April 4, Holy Week.
Scholarship Requests The First United Lutheran Church Foundation Fund is announcing that the deadline for scholarship applications for the upcoming year are due by May 1, 2007 . Please submit your requests in writing to the Foundation Fund for consideration by that date. If you have any questions, please contact Dave Dielentheis, Foundation Fund chairperson, or Cindy in the church office.
Before you leave on Spring Break... Please check your Worship Responsibility Book to be sure that you are not scheduled while you’re gone! And, if you are, please find a replacement and call the church office before you leave! Thanks!
Grief Support - March 27 Come for a time of grief support from 6:30-8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 27, in the Genszler Room. You are encouraged to bring a picture of your loved one, and/or one or two items that remind you of them to the meeting. Please invite your family and friends to come with you, or bring a friend who you know that has experienced a loss.
Special Offerings for the Lenten Season The special offering on Ash Wednesday was designated for “Lutheran Social Services” (LSS). Lutheran Social Services is the social ministry arm of the ELCA congregations. Each year, LSS touches the lives of over 100,000 people through a variety of compassionate social services from adoption to counseling to older adult services. As a non-profit agency, LSS relies on the generous support of churches, corporations, foundations and thousands of individuals to continue its mission. Special offerings received during our Wednesday worship services throughout Lent will be designated for Crossways Camping Ministry. Crossways Camping Ministries is an outdoor ministry of the ELCA, providing camping/retreat experiences for youth and families. Three camps are located here in Wisconsin , and our own First United seventh and eighth graders will attend a Crossways camp this summer.
Holy Week Special Offerings Special offerings received on Maundy Thursday and Easter Sunday will also be designated for Crossways Camping Ministry. Crossways has opportunities for all ages! Whether you’re a grandmother, a first grader, a father...they have a program for you! Check out their website at www.CrosswaysCamp.org for information about their many family camping opportunities.
Lenten Bible Study Pastor Jacobs will continue his brief (30 minute) Bible Study on the Wednesdays during Lent after both the morning and evening services. Each week focuses on a different person that Jesus meets on the Road from Galilee to Jerusalem , from Safety to the Cross:
Easter Egg Hunt The children of First United and their families are invited to an Easter Egg Hunt at the home of Louis and Joyce Milsted on Saturday, April 7, from 1:00-3:00 p.m. Please sign up at the Youth & Family station located next to the Gathering Area for an afternoon of great family fun! Directions to the Milsted’s home are located by the sign-up sheet.
Come to Praisefest on Sunday, April 22! Do you enjoy singing and listening to praise music? Mark you calendars for a fun, worship-filled day of music, scripture, prayer, community, and lots of food! Praisefest is an annual worship celebration with the members of Cross Lutheran Church and all of their partner congregations, and because they are one of our partner congregations in Milwaukee , we are invited to come and sing our praises with them and the members of Ascension Lutheran Church , Waukesha , St. Mark from Neenah , and Immanual in Watertown . The worship itself consists of praise music that is sung by choirs or vocal groups from the various congregations, mixed with short scripture readings and prayer. The atmosphere is casual, fun, and exhilarating! It would be great to have a group from First United represent our congregation by singing a song of praise! So, if you sing and/or play an instrument, especially piano or guitar, and want to be a part of this, please sign up on the kiosk! Praisefest will be held at Cross Lutheran Church , Milwaukee , at 3:00 p.m. A delicious potluck dinner will follow, so there will be time to meet and get to know the members of Cross, and talk to their other partners, as well. So plan to come - whether you plan to sing, or just go to listen! Sign up on the kiosk if you would like to carpool. Directions to Cross are also available on the kiosk.
Life in Tanzania Most of us have not had the opportunity to travel to Africa, yet many of us know people who have gone there: people like Emmanuel and Rebecca Kamana and their family, who spent many years in a refugee camp in Tanzania; or like the Lindberg’s, the Weiskotten’s, and the Redman’s, who were our guests for Donuts & Dialogue in January. And people like Pastor Elizabeth Jaeger, from St. Luke Lutheran Church, Sheboygan Falls , who went to Tanzania last summer during her sabbatical. Even though we aren’t all able to go to Africa , seeing pictures and hearing stories from people who have gone can help us to better understand what life in Tanzania is like. Pastor Paul Mittermaier, from St. John Lutheran Church , Jackson , visited Tanzania about ten years ago with a group from our synod. He met and remembers the people from the Maangashiny Parish, our new companion church, and told me how welcoming the people were. Palm trees grow in that part of Africa , and Pastor Paul said that when they arrived they felt as if it were Palm Sunday. The people from the Maangashiny Parish came to the airport and welcomed them by waving large palm branches in their honor! Some time in the next few years we hope to bring some members from the Maangashiny Parish here, and welcome them as our guests. We also hope to have some of our members travel to Africa and visit them there. This exchange of visits will help us to get to know the people of Maangashiny better and will deepen our commitment to the companionship we share with them. In the meantime, please check out the new Tanzanian bulletin board in the Gathering Area, pick up a prayer card, and hold them in prayer, and purchase a bag of Mt. Meru coffee to support their farmers! ~Deaconess Deb Tanzanian Visions! Tanzania is located in eastern Africa on the Indian Ocean . It is home to Mt. Kilimanjaro , the highest point in Africa , Lake Victoria , the second largest lake in the world, and the Great Rift Valley . Natural resources include tin, phosphates, iron ore, coal, diamonds, gemstones, gold, natural gas and nickel. Despite all this, Tanzania is one of the poorest nations in Africa . For the next few weeks we will have the opportunity to view and purchase original oil paintings that were done by young artists who reside in the northern area of Tanzania , on the hills of Mt. Meru . These young artists are very committed to their church and to lifting them-selves from poverty through their artistic talents. The area where they live is one of the most remote in regard to communication and transportation, so marketing has been a problem. The paintings were brought by members of our synod who traveled to Tanzania last fall, and are on sale! All proceeds will go back to the artists. The paintings range in price from $25 to $55, and will be displayed in the Gathering Area and in the Genszler Room. Please make checks payable to First United Lutheran Church, memo: Meru Paintings, when purchasing a painting. Thank you for your support!
How I Care for the Earth - A Message from the Care for Creation Committee Working on the Care for Creation Committee has been a real spur to a semi-unaware conscience. There are so many ways, some big, but a lot small, that can affect our environment to preserve our earth in the beautiful state that God created it. I have started to USE the collection of cloth/canvas bags for shopping that have been in our house for ages. This idea finally started to work when I put the bags IN the car rather than stored in a closet in the house! If the bags are handy and in sight, I have no trouble remembering to use them. Amazing to me are the number of store clerks who now say, “That’s a great idea. I think I’ll try it.” Even two bags reused each week can amount to over 100 plastic bags not headed to a landfill site...or an overstuffed corner in the garage. Try it, you’ll like it. ~Bonnie Doyle
Thank You! Dear Friends of Heifer International: Thank you for your recent gift of $1,908.19 to Heifer international. You should receive an “official” receipt from our national office but I wanted to add my personal thanks as Midwest Regional Director. Your gift is very important to us as we seek to fund more than 500 projects around the world this year. ~Yours for others, David L. Boothby
Confirmation Students! A reminder to all 7 th - 9 th graders that, during Lent, your attendance at worship is required! Check-in is at the Welcome Center in the Gathering Area before worship at 6:30 p.m. If you are unable to attend, please contact the church office before worship so that your absence may be excused. On the first and third Wednesdays of the month the 9 th grade mentees will meet with their mentors immediately following worship. On the first Wednesday of the month they will meet one-on-one to discuss their selected topics; on the third Wednesday of the month all mentors and mentees should gather in the Chapel for a large group session. Questions? Please contact Thom Nicla or Pastor Gail in the church office.
9th Grade Confirmation Students! By now, you should have turned in the following items to the church office:
Sign-up sheets for the Confirmation Interview with Pastor Jacobs or Pastor Gail are on Debbie Frick’s desk in the church office. Interviews must be completed by March 29. Don’t forget your sermon notes! Twelve are required to be confirmed and you have plenty of time during Lent to catch up! If you have any questions, contact Thom Nicla or Pastor Gail.
Donuts & Dialogue Confirmation Class for Grown-Ups! Were you confirmed decades ago? Would you like a refresher course in Lutheranism? Have you forgotten what a sacrament is? Come to Donuts & Dialogue in March as we return to the Lutheran basics with The Lutheran Course, somewhat of a Confirmation class for adults! Based on the handbook that our 7 th and 8 th grade Confirmation students are using, The Lutheran Course is taking us through the Lutheran Reformation, baptism, communion, and sharing our faith with others. With video presentations and group conversation, The Lutheran Course is a fun way to refresh our memories of what we learned all those years ago! Pastor Gail will lead one more session on March 25 between worship services in the Genszler Room.
Monday Night Books The next Monday Night Books will take place on Monday, March 26, at 6:30 p.m. , featuring The Brief History of the Dead by Kevin Brockmeier. The City, as described in the book, is inhabited by the recently departed who reside there only as long as they remain in the memories of the living. A full book description can be found on the kiosk in the Gathering Area, along with a sign-up sheet. Even if you have never attended a Monday Night Books group, you are welcome to come join the conversation!
Befrienders are here for you Whenever you need someone to just sit and listen and not judge; whenever you feel lonely and need a friend; whenever you long for someone to support and encourage you through a difficult time, just talk to a Befriender! Befrienders are members, like you, who were trained to be caring, confidential listeners. They give of themselves often by contacting other members who are sick, homebound, recovering from surgery, or just need someone to talk to. Befrienders are also trained and happy to bring home communion to members who can’t come to church regularly because of physical or other limitations. Our Befrienders are such a blessing to our congregation, and they are here for YOU! If you would like a Befriender to give you a call, please call Deaconess Deb or the church office at 452-2401.
Great Beginnings Notes If you know of a family looking for a preschool, Great Beginnings is now offering enrollment for the 2007-2008 school year. If you have or know of a child who will be three years of age by September 1, 2007 , please consider enrolling them in our wonderful preschool. Enrollment information is available in the church office, or you can contact Mary Gorges or Cindy Wigdahl in the church office if you have questions.
Monday Night Books for Kids read Harry Potter On Monday, April 16, Monday Night Books for Kids will discuss your favorite Harry Potter book! We couldn’t decide which book was our favorite, so a Harry Potter theme night was determined to be our best option. If there should be a great interest in the Potter books, we will plan more times to meet in anticipation of the final book of the Harry Potter series being released this summer. Please come and join us as we discuss these wonderful books, share in fun activities, and maybe do a little cooking, too! Friends are welcome! Questions? Contact Mary Gorges for details, or see the sign-up sheet on the Youth & Family bulletin board.
VBS Vacation Bible School Mark your summer calendars! Our annual Vacation Bible School program will take place July 30 through August 3. Watch for more information to come!
First Communion - Maundy Thursday First United Second Grade youth have been busy preparing for their First Communion, which they will receive on Maundy Thursday, April 5, at the 7:00 p.m. worship service. If you have any questions, please contact Pastor Gail or Mary Gorges at 452-2401.
“Journey to the Cross” Lenten Event Join us on Sunday, April 1, for our annual Lenten Event. The theme this year is, “Journey to the Cross,” and will take place in the Gathering Area during the education hour ( 9:40-10:40 a.m. ). We are busy working on four activities for the whole congregation to participate in, so come and join in as we prepare for Holy Week and Easter Sunday!
Songs & Supper parents... Please note there will be NO PIZZA on Wednesday, April 4 th!
Report from the Mission Exploration Team (MET) We want to thank everyone who participated in the Wall of History/Wall of Dreams project. We have archived the History and will be transcribing the “Dreams” for our final report. Here’s a sampling:
We have also compiled about 12 video interviews with members and will produce an edited version for both the MET report and evangelism. We have begun to create the “Congregational Profile” which includes not only history and demographics, but also the vision for future mission and ministry. A key part of this will be describing “The Leader We Seek” which will include both pastoral skills and leadership style. Our tentative goal is to complete our work by early May, and then to share the mission statement, mission goals and leadership profile with the congregation. We want to stress the word “tentative” since there could be delays or the need for more time. We encourage you to talk with a member of the MET Team and share your views and ideas for the future.
Kids & Youth: Join our Cooking Class! The Youth & Children’s Ministry of First United is offering a 4-session cooking class for the children and youth of our church. The sessions begin on Wednesday, April 18, and will continue through Wednesday, May 9. Please be here and ready to cook at 4:30 p.m. Dinner will be served at 5:20 p.m. Classes will be split into two age groups: Main course dinner items will be taught by Thom Nicla to kids in the 6 th grade and up; dessert items will be taught by Mary Gorges to the Kindergarten thru 5 th grades. The cost for these four sessions of classes is $10 per student. Registration slips can be found in the church office or at the Youth & Family Bulletin Board. Our first cooking session menu consists of Italian Sausage & Pasta, with a side salad. Dessert will be Rainbow Ribbon Cake. Meals will be served to the families who sign up and to those who participate in the Songs & Supper pro-gram. Call Mary Gorges or Thom Nicla at 452-2401 with questions!
Sunday, April 8 7:30-10:30 a.m. Fellowship Hall You and your family are welcome to join us for breakfast on Easter morning, April 8, from 7:30-10:30 a.m. , here at First United. This year we will offer a buffet which will include: *Eggs *Bagels *Sliced ham *Fruit *Sausage *Juice *Pastries *Pancakes There will be a free-will offering to cover the cost of the breakfast with proceeds going toward the High School Summer Mission Trip. Thrivent will also supplement funds for this event.
Easter Breakfast Assistance Calling all Middle and High School Youth! Your help is needed! You are invited to help at this year’s Easter Breakfast Buffet in the following areas:
Sign-up sheets are located at the Youth & Family Bulletin Board! Please help!
Sheboygan’s Rich Heritage Sheboygan and Wis-consin’s history of indigenous people and new emigrants is fascinating. In the coming weeks the Anti-Racism Com-mittee will highlight the migration of different races and cultures to our city and beautiful state. Fur traders and French missionaries explored the shores of Wisconsin in search of hunting grounds and new Christian converts. As Joseph Schafer writes, in “Outline History of Wisconsin,” 1925 Wisconsin Blue Book (Madison, 1925): “1698: Father Jean Francois Buisson de St. Cosme, a Sulpician missionary en route for the Mississippi, coasted from Mackinac along the west shore of Lake Michigan. Finding the Fox, Wisconsin route closed by the hostility of the Fox Indians, his party was obliged to seek the Chicago , Illinois , portage. October 4 they camped at a Potawatomi village on the site, it is supposed, of Sheboygan . Three days later they reached Milwaukee , where was found a large Indian town of mixed tribes.” The history of Wisconsin was patterned with hostilities and peace treaties with Native Americans as Europeans and white people dis-covered and settled west of Lake Michigan . For more information on Sheboygan ’s History, visit our local museum. On Saturday, May 19, the Sheboygan County Historical Society will present a program, Native Americans: Sheboygan County ’s first residents . Admission will be charged. Sheboygan County Museum Medical Supplies are Needed! “Bread of Healing” is a medical clinic that is organized and run by Cross Lutheran Church , Milwaukee , one of our Partner congregations. This clinic offers free primary medical care to people in the Milwaukee area who can’t afford health insurance. The clinic is non-profit. Everyone, including the doctors and nurses, volunteer their time and services. The Bread of Healing Clinic is in need of medical supplies. Please help by donating the following items:
They are also in need of 8 ½ x 11" computer paper, pens, pencils, labels (1 x 2 5/8"), UN-used cosmetics, all kinds of hygiene products, especially soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant and shampoo, and gift cards to Staples or Office Depot (to buy office supplies). Please check expiration dates and donate only new items in sealed packages, and bring them during the month of March to the Bread of Healing display in the Gathering Area. Thank you! ~The Social Ministry Committee Lent Worship continues The season of Lent continue with two worship services at 10:30 a.m. in the Chapel and 6:30 p.m. in the church. Services will be held on the final two Wednesdays of: And please be sure to join us for the Soup Supper offered at 5:30 p.m. in Fellowship Hall.
Lenten Soup Suppers Our evening Lenten worship services are preceded by a Soup Supper, prepared by Bill and Pam Gottsacker of City Streets Restaurant, and are served along with rolls and beverages in Fellowship Hall beginning at 5:30 p.m. Peanut butter and jelly is also available for the kids. And, if you’d like to share a dessert with those attending, we’d be so grateful!
Our Church’s 75th Anniversary Our church’s 75 th anniversary is fast approaching and we are looking for volunteers to co-chair this event. If you are interested, please contact Pastor Jacobs.
Holy Week Palm Sunday April 1, 2007 8:30 & 10:45 a.m. Holy Communion worship services Procession of Palms Lenten Event, 9:40 a.m. (in the Gathering Area)
Maundy Thursday April 5, 2007 10:30 a.m. & 7:00 p.m. Holy Communion worship services First Communion for 2 nd Grade students Stripping of the altar
Good Friday April 6, 2007 1:00 p.m. worship service Chanting of the Passion story
Easter Sunday April 8, 2007 Holy Communion Worship at 7:00, 8:30 & 10:45 a.m. Festive music at all services Easter Breakfast served from 7:30-10:45 a.m.
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