|
Newsletters |
|
|
|
|
| Newsletters > Good News > 04-05-06 | ||
|
|
||
|
Come to worship this Holy Week...
Wednesday, April 5 Our Lenten journey continues with worship services at 10:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Sunday, April 9 - Palm Sunday Palm Sunday, or Sunday of the Passion, will be celebrated at 8:30 and 10:45 a.m. using Lutheran Book of Worship, Setting 1. The Christus Choir will sing at 8:30 a.m. ; the Sanctuary Choir will sing at 10:45 a.m. Maundy Thursday, April 13 Holy Communion worship will be held at 10:30 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. , when the young people in grades 2-4 will receive their First Communion. Good Friday, April 14 The worship service on Good Friday will take place at 1:00 p.m. The Sanctuary Choir will chant the Passion. Easter Sunday, April 16 7:00 , 8:30 & 10:45 a.m. We celebrate our Risen Lord with three festive Holy Communion services filled with joyous music. An Easter Buffet will be served in fellowship hall from 7:30-10:45 a.m.
A Word from our Pastor: Ten-to-ONE Campaign to Make Hunger History During the Easter season, First United will take part in the Ten-to-ONE Campaign to Make Hunger History, a synod-wide program developed by Bishop Paul Stumme-Diers. The name “Ten-to-ONE” plays off the ONE Campaign, a global effort to Make Poverty History, and it asserts that we can do more together to eradicate hunger than we can do individually. Put simply, the Bishop is requesting that every member of every congregation in the Greater Milwaukee Synod contributes $10 to help make hunger history. If we as a congregation and a synod achieve this goal we will have raised, collectively, $950,000! On April 16, envelopes will be made available for each individual of our congregation in which you can make your $10 (or more!) contribution. You may put it in the offering plate, or send it to the church office. On June 1, at our Synod Assembly, we will be having a ceremonial in-gathering of the money raised for this campaign. It will be an opportunity for each congregation to present what it has collected from its membership. Bishop Paul writes, “It is our duty and delight to feed the hungry. It is my hopeful expectation and our common joy that every one of the 95,000 baptized members of the Greater Milwaukee Synod will pray daily, study diligently, advocate strenuously, and contribute at least $10 to this campaign to raise $1 million to make hunger history.” Watch for more information about this exciting campaign and join me as we strive to make hunger history! Pastor Gail + + +
Donuts & Dialogue Town Hall Meetings Donuts and Dialogue will not meet for the next three weeks, as the Lenten Event will take place on April 9, Easter is on April 16, and Confirmation is on April 23. We hope you will join us, however, for two town hall meetings on April 30 and May 7, when we will talk about the upcoming transition after Pastor Karl retires on July 31. Pastor Gail and members from the Council and Personnel Committee will briefly share information about the interim period and answer any questions. The meetings are meant to be informal and conversational. Both will take place between services, at 9:40 a.m. , in the Genszler Room chapel.
The next deadline for Good News articles is Monday, April 10. This issue will be in homes on Wednesday, April 19. Thank you!
Calling all high school youth - your help is needed! You are invited to help at this year’s Easter Buffet in the following areas:
Sign-up sheets are located at the Youth & Family Station near the front entrance of the church.
Our next meeting date: Wednesday, April 26, Mandatory Meeting and Bible study, 6:00-8:00 p.m. in fellowship hall. All San Antonio attendees, both youth and adults, don’t forget to turn in $10 for your t-shirt to the church office. Think of ideas on how we can “customize” our shirts, and bring those ideas to our next planning meeting. Call or email Joanne D’Alton (803-0742, jrd22@charter.net).
7th & 8th Grade Choir Reminder Two choir practices remain for the 7th and 8th grade choir preparing to sing during the Confirmation service on April 23. These practices are scheduled for Wednesday, April 5, and Wednesday, April 19, at 5:30 p.m. Even if you were unable to attend our first practice you can still join us for the final two!
5th & 6th Grade Lock - in Friday, April 28, the Fifth and Sixth grade classes are invited to an overnight lock-in here at First United. Kids can be dropped off at 7:00 p.m. and need to be picked up by 8:00 a.m. on Saturday morning. The cost of the event is $15. A sign-up sheet is located by the 6 th grade classroom and the Youth & Family Station. Parent volunteers are needed for this event! Please contact Mary Gorges at 452-2401 for more information.
A navy blue coat was found on the coatrack just outside the church office. Please notify the church office if you think it belongs to you. Thank you!
Blessings to the young people in grades 2-4 of our congregation who will receive their First Communion on Maundy Thursday, April 13, in the 7:00 p.m. worship service. They are: Grade 2: Annabelle Damkot............. Emily Krebsbach Jerrod Gamb ................... Thomas Kuehl Anna Gould ..................... Davis Larson Megan Grabowski ............. Rachel Novicki Alex Griessmeyer .............. Sydnee Pribbernow Hannah Harms ................. Peter Reinke Isabel Heins .................... Eric Schoerner Jacob Kieckhafer .............. Kyle Yedica Grade 3: Eli Belmore ...................... Tyson Roth Courtney Brace ................ Madison Rothwell Mitchell Daharsh ............... Alexander Strege Nathan Gerhartz ............... Emily Thorpe Audra Hoffmann................. Kirsten Weinfurter Matthew Jacobson ............. Ryan Wilke Kayleigh Ley ..................... Michael Winkler Kourtney Maslanka ............. Anthony Zerger Luke Peterson Grade 4: Carter Amundsen ............... Cassandra Krueger Riley Breitenbach ............... Tyler Maxon Austin Campbell ................. Weston Nelson Maja Fosmo ...................... Allison Mitchler Alex Gieseke ..................... Luke Reinke Allison Gilbreath ................. William Rupnick Jonathan Gould .................. Julia Schick Christopher Haegler ............ Gabriella Schneider Danny Novicki .................... Andrew Schuessler Madeline Kovacic ................ Christian Steinert
Holy Week Offerings Special offerings on Maundy Thursday and Easter Sunday 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 7th graders will attend a Crossways camp this summer.
“Greatest Need” offerings for April This month’s “Greatest Need” offerings (indicated on your church envelope) will once again be directed toward the Household of Faith Fund (HOFF). Your gifts to this fund are used to address financial emergencies for families and individuals in need. Thanks to your generosity, last year more than $6,100 was given to help and support many people in their time of need. Your kind gifts make it possible for the ministry and mission of First United to continue to provide support and service to many. Watch the church bulletin and Good News for further information throughout the year for special giving opportunities.
Scholarship Applications Due
Crossways Work Day During the season of Lent our special offerings have been going to Crossways Camping Ministries, the network which provides our Confirmation students with an awesome camping experience each summer. Now you have an opportunity to help out in a hands-on way on May 6! On that day, from 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. you are invited to lend your helping hand in getting our camps ready for the summer. Come and fix-up, paint-up, and clean-up any of the Crossway Camps - Imago Dei Village, Pine Lake Camp or Waypost Camp. Come for part or all of the day and bring your friends! Lunch will be provided. Questions? Contact Crossways at 920-882-0023.
Monday Night Books! Monday Night Books is back and we’re reading Doris Betts’ Souls Raised from the Dead. This fictional book examines the different ways a family and friends respond to an unexpected tragedy. Read the book and come on Monday, May 1, at 6:30 p.m. , in the Genszler Room. A full book description and sign-up sheet is on the kiosk in the gathering area. Questions? Please contact Pastor Gail (452-2401). Thank you for the Medical Supplies Thank you for your donations of medical supplies to support Cross Lutheran Church ’s “Bread of Healing” Clinic. This clinic offers free primary medical care to people in the inner-city Milwaukee area who can’t afford health insurance. This care includes medical exams, lab tests, and follow-up care. It is non-profit; everyone, including the doctors and nurses, volunteer their time and services. Donating medical supplies to the Bread of Life Clinic is one way we can support the ministries of Cross Lutheran Church , which is one of our partner congregations. There are many other ways we can be involved. If you would like to learn how you can be more involved in the ministries at Cross Lutheran Church , please contact Deaconess Deb. ~The Social Ministry Committee
Lenten Event Sunday, April 9 Join us here on Sunday, April 9, for our annual Lenten Event. The theme this year is “He Lives” and will take place in the gathering area during the education hour. 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.
Befrienders Live a Life of Faith What are specific ways we can live a life of faith? By an ACT of faith... Just as each story in the Bible reveals a specific act of faith, the church community is called to act, to respond to the needs of the members of the church, the neighboring community, and the human race. How do we know where to start? We can begin with one person, simply being a friend, as Eugene Peterson suggests in his book, Leap Over A Wall, ‘And then someone enters our life who isn’t looking for someone to use, is leisurely enough to find out what’s really going on in us, is secure enough not to exploit our weaknesses or attack our strengths, recognizes our inner life and understands the difficulty of living out our inner convictions, confirms what’s deepest within us. A friend.’ (From the Befriender training manual by Willard & Marcia Lund.) Befrienders are that kind of friend! Befrienders are people like you, who have been trained, and who commit time to be available as listening and supportive friends. Befrienders provide friendship to members who are unable to attend worship because of health or age-related issues. Befrienders reach out to people who are experiencing transitions such as the death of a loved one, a divorce, the birth of a baby, or the loss of a job. By simply meeting one-on-one, in quiet, confidential conversations, Befrienders offer the physical and emotional presence of someone who cares and listens.
Spend Time in Prayer this Lent! Prayer begins in the heart of God, who longs to have a relationship with us. That longing of God speaks to our hearts, and creates a restlessness, a yearning within us, to reach out to God through prayer. Regular, open communication is key to having a healthy relationship. This is true for human relationships as well as with our relationship with God. Keeping our relationship with God alive and well by committing to a regular time of prayer is especially important during Lent, as we prepare our hearts for Easter. Of course you can pray wherever you are, but sometimes it helps to have a special, quiet place where you can be alone with God. The Prayer Corner may be that place for you! The Prayer Corner has everything you need: a Bible, prayer and devotional books, candles, and a journal with tear-out pages, where you can write your thoughts. There’s even a “palm cross” that you can hold comfortably while you pray. The Prayer Corner is located in the far northwest corner of the worship space, and is available any time the church building is open. Please feel free to use it! You are also always invited to join the Grounded in Prayer group every Thursday morning from 9:30-10:30 in the Genszler room. Renew your faith. Spend time in prayer this Lent!
Lakeshore Chorale 2005-2006 Season Finale An Evening in Vienna : Celebrating the 250 th anniversary of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the Lakeshore Chorale focuses on one of the most popular classical composers of all time. The concert will be held at First United Church on Saturday, May 6, beginning at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $14 for adults, $12 for Seniors, $7 for students, and are available from Chorale members, at the door, or by calling 451-1863.
The April calendar for the Sheboygan Area Lutheran Singles is available on the kiosk in the gathering area. This group exists to support Christian singles of all denominations and includes all who are widowed or divorced. Questions? Call 457-6336, or 458-6605.
Lenten Soup Supper Clean-up The last Lenten Soup Supper clean-up takes place on April 5, and Groups 6 & 8 (7th grade boys & girls and Guides) need to report to fellowship hall kitchen no later than 6 p.m.
The History of Sheboygan County VILs are invited to enjoy a presentation on the history of Sheboygan County given by our County Historian , Bill Wangemann. We will enjoy a potluck lunch beginning at 12:00 noon in fellowship hall. Please bring a main dish, salad, or dessert if you are able. Call the church office for reservations.
All are invited to the new Easter Breakfast Buffet here at First United on Easter Sunday! This buffet will be served from 7:30-10:45 a.m. in fellowship hall. *This year’s breakfast will include:
A free-will offering will be taken, and all proceeds will go to the youth attending the San Antonio National Youth Convention this summer. *If you can help by donating food items, or by serving, please sign up on the kiosk. All food items need to be at church by 4:00 p.m. on Friday, April 14. Thank you!
|
||