From the Pastor

Transition

As we head toward warmer temperatures, I sincerely give thanks for the wonderful opportunity to serve as your Pastor. Even though it has already been 7 ½ months since I arrived, we are still in transition, and we are right where we ought to be.

Transition is a time of adjustment and of that “c” word - CHANGE!

I am still becoming more familiar with First United , and I am sure you are still trying to become more familiar with me. The neat thing is that it’s okay!

Transitions can be an amazing time to grow - together - to change - together - and learn more about each other - together! Transitions bring new beginnings and fresh outlooks on how to share Jesus with the world!

I thank God for each and every one of you,

because we are a wonderful “fit” with a great opportunity to make a huge difference in God’s Kingdom!! I give thanks for our ministry of togetherness !

In His Grace, Pastor Todd Smith

Summer Worship Schedule

On Sunday, May 25, our summer worship begins with only ONE worship service at 9:30 a.m.

Beginning Thursday, June 5, at 6:30 p.m., the Marina Ministry begins.

Services are conducted at the Deland Center on the Lakefront. All are welcome!

Blessed to Be a Blessing

In the month of May, many of us will be receiving an “Economic Stimulus Plan” check from our government. However, there are many of our neighbors in great need that won’t receive a check. Here are some things to ponder:

Would this be a great opportunity to “Try-a-Tithe” (ten percent)?

Would this be a great time to talk to children about responsible stewardship, joint-decision-making, and the joy of generosity? “Where might we, as a family, send a portion of our rebate check so as to help our neighbor in need?

How might a gift of a portion of my/our rebate check enhance First United’s ministering among people in poverty or severe financial need?

Would this be a good time to address the financial concerns of our own family or church? Faithful stewardship includes taking care of ones own debts.

The members of the ELCA Conference of Bishops have committed themselves to an Economic Stimulus tithe to ministries among people in poverty. First United has decided to invite congregation members to make a special offering from their economic stimulus checks to one or more of the following ministries serving among people in poverty:

1. Sheboygan County Interfaith Organization (SCIO) - a local ministry that provides transportation, transitional housing, family sponsorship, food, and parish nurses.

2. Outreach for Hope - a ministry in the Greater Milwaukee Synod that raises money to financially resource Word and Sacrament ministries (about 15) among people in poverty throughout our synod.

3. Lutheran Disaster Response - this ministry organization is currently undergoing a second appeal for the Gulf Coast Recovery Project (Hurricane Katrina).

Special offering envelopes will be available in the pews beginning Sunday, May 18.

Affirmation of Baptism

 Congratulations to all our 9th Grade Confirmation students who will affirm their faith on Sunday, May 4:

Katie Amundsen
Mike Keller
Damien Behnke
Ashley Kovacic
Austin Chambers
Alexis Kuehl
Zach Chambers
Jon Langan
Danielle Dragan
Megan Lewison
Eric Gieseke
Caitlin McKichan
Joey Golubski
Mary Molepske
Stephanie Haegler
Kelsey Murphy
Brianna Hoffmann
Karl Schleevogt
Zach Horness
Jon Stinson
Jacob Johnson
Caitlynn Winkler
Mark Keller

Prayer Partnerships - June 14-22

Our group of 10 youth and 4 adults are leaving on Saturday, June 14, for Breathitt County, Kentucky, to live out Appalachia’s Service Project’s mission of making homes in this depressed area “warmer, safer and drier.” In support of this mission, we will be distributing the names of each participant and the address of the center we will be traveling to during worship on Sunday, June 8, the week prior to our departure. We will be asking the congregation to simply keep those people in their prayers during our ASP week. The address would offer those people in prayer to send a card or thoughtful note of support while we are in Appalachia.

Want to go to Tanzania?!

The members of our Tanzanian Partnership Committee are in the beginning stages of planning a trip to the Meru Diocese of Tanzania in early fall of 2009! We hope to take a small group of six to eight people to visit the members of our partner congregation, the Maangashiny Parish. We plan to visit their churches, schools, and homes, in order to get to know them better and learn more about their lifestyle and needs. We plan to go on a safari, and also hope to visit the synod office, and a Mt. Meru coffee plantation! Are you interested in coming with us?! Please sign up on the kiosk, or talk to Deaconess Deb (452-2401), if you are interested! Our next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, May 14, at 12:00 noon, in the Bride’s Room. Please join us!

Good News Deadline

The deadline for the next issue of the Good News is May 12. Please submit your article(s) to the church office at office@firstuni.org.

Postmaster: Mail all address changes to: Good News
2401 Kohler Memorial Drive • Sheboygan, WI 53081
Subscription is $3.00 per year.

Thank you for your donations!

Thank you for your generous donations of medical supplies and personal hygiene products to support Cross Lutheran Church’s “Bread of Healing” Clinic! Your donations will help many people from the inner city Milwaukee area who can’t afford health insurance. On behalf of Cross Lutheran Church (which is one of our partner congregations), thank you!

~The Social Ministry Committee

Sunday, May 18, is Volunteer Sunday

During both worship services on that day, we will take the time to recognize all the hard work that so many of you do for First United. There will also be a small token of appreciation given to all our volunteers. It’s our small way of saying “THANKS” for all you do!!

Great Beginnings Notes…

WOW! What a month we had right here in the classroom! We learned about the Easter story, and took some “dead branches” and planted them, and guess what? They came back to life, just like Jesus who died on Good Friday and came back to life on Easter morning!

We turned our dramatic play area into a veterinary office. The children enjoyed caring for all of the sick and injured animals, and boy, did we go through the Band-aids!

We talked about weather, and watched March come in and go out like a Lion!

A local dentist came for an in-class field trip, she sang, played the guitar and taught us a lot about our teeth. She also had these really cool puppets that squirted water at the children!

As we look ahead to April, we are focusing on April showers and all the mud it makes. We will explore mud-making right in our classroom.

We have a grocery store set up in the classroom, where the children enjoy shopping, buying and bagging their groceries. We will also be taking a walking field trip to Pick-N-Save to get a behind-the-scenes look at how a grocery store is run.

We are also taking a trip to Maywood Environmental Park for a spring hike on April 23. It will be a morning filled with learning and exploring the wonderful park.

Great Beginnings is now accepting enrollments for the next school year. If you would like to visit our school, please come to our Open House on Wednesday, April 17, from 6:00-7:45 p.m. Judy Stock will be performing that evening, and there will be games and crafts to enjoy!

If you have any questions about our program, please feel free to call the church at 452-2401 to speak to Sandy Gosse or Mary Gorges.

Please welcome our New Members:

Delong Family
Andrew and Kate, and their children, Adrianne Essex and Cole Delong, come from Menomonie, Wisconsin, for new teaching jobs. Both Andrew and Kate are teachers in the Sheboygan Area School District.

Eirich Family
Pat and Nancy, and their children, Kyle (17) and Marissa (14), come to us from St. Mark Lutheran Church. Pat works for the city of Sheboygan as a Building Inspector, and enjoys golf and woodworking. Nancy is a surgical technician, and enjoys gardening and attending Kyle and Marissa’s athletic events.

Matthew Harms & Stephanie Wagner
Matthew and Stephanie live in Howards Grove and plan to be married this summer. He works as an Assistant Vice-President/Loan Officer at Cleveland State Bank, and she is a teacher in Howards Grove. They both enjoy spending time with there families, playing volleyball, getting involved in different organizations in the community, and coaching.

Kertscher Family
Jim and Kay, and their children Kyle (9) and McKayla (7), come to us from the Milwaukee area. Jim is an accountant at Bemis, and Kay is a teacher in the Sheboygan Area School District. The family enjoys traveling, playing games, soccer, baseball and basketball.

Helen Klunck
Helen is a Sheboygan native, and is enjoying retirement. She is also the mother of Nancy Eirich and grandmother of Kyle and Marissa.

Joan Manlick & Carol Smies
Joan and Carol have moved from Milwaukee to Oostburg. Joan is retired, and enjoys baseball and watching sports (she’s a Vikings fan!). Carol grew up in Cedar Grove, and after living in Milwaukee, returned to Oostburg to be close to her parents. She also enjoys baseball, reading and puzzles.

Mendini Family
Kelly and Sandi, and their children, Matthew (11), and Katelyn (9), moved from Menasha following a new job. Kelly is a project manager/estimator, and Sandi is a teller supervisor. Their hobbies include golf, travel, gardening, reading and spending time with the family.

Tom Zilavy
Tom comes to Sheboygan following a job transfer, and works at the Aurora Sheboygan Clinic. He is the father of two daughters - Kim (20) and Missy (19), and enjoys biking and tennis.

Second Graders

Starting on Sunday, May 4, the Second Graders will be joining Rotational 4 Star Sunday School. Please bring your Second Grader to Fellowship Hall that morning as they begin this new milestone in their journey of faith here at First United. Questions? Please contact Mary in the office!

Last Day of Sunday School

Mark your calendars! The Sunday School children will be singing in worship on Sunday, May 18, for the last day of Sunday School. A note will be sent home with the kids with the specific details. On this last day of Sunday School there will be an Ice Cream Social and a Veggie Tale movie in Fellowship Hall. Students will receive their certificates that morning, as well. Kids should be taken to their classrooms, and the teachers will then take them to Fellowship Hall. All children should be picked up in Fellowship Hall at the end of the education hour. Questions? Call Mary Gorges!

Thank you, volunteers and teachers!

Thom and Mary would like to express their thanks to all the adults that helped with the Sunday School programs, Confirmation programs, and all the family and special events that happened during this last school year. Our volunteers are truly the ones who make our programs a success here at First United. THANK YOU!!!

Great Beginnings Sunday

Thank you to the congregation for all your support of our wonderful preschool during the month of April. Thanks, also, to the Great Beginnings Board, Sandy Gosse and Erin Mueller for all of the hard work in making last months’ Great Beginnings Sunday and Arts & Carnival Night a huge success! Great Beginnings Preschool is currently taking enrollment for the 2008-09 school year. Please contact the church office for more information.

One more thank you…

The Kiddie Keep and Great Beginnings Preschool would like to say “thank you” for the used-a-bit toys which were recently received. Your generosity was totally awesome!

Yes! The Library is open!

The Library of First Untied will be open all summer! Self-service instructions are posted at many locations within the room, which is located halfway between the sanctuary and Fellowship Hall. Come in and browse, or check out some of the wide variety of new books to read!

Summer Storytime

The Children’s Ministry is offering a weekly 1-hour story session for kids ages 3-6 on Wednesday mornings this summer. Most sessions will take place in the Great Beginnings Preschool room. Storytime will start at 10:00 a.m. and end promptly at 11:00 a.m. Children will hear a story, sing songs and learn finger plays. A craft and free play will also be offered. Registration is required, and there is a limit of 20 children per session.

The fun begins on Wednesday, June 11. (No session on Wednesday, July 30.)

Our last session will be Wednesday, August 13. Questions? Contact Mary Gorges to register!

Come to POWER LAB
Vacation Bible School - July 28-August 1

Vacation Bible School Registration (our theme is Power Lab this summer)has begun. VBS is for 3-year olds through 5th Grade.

Pre-register today! Forms are available in the church office!

 Star Wars Retreat

“The Force” was with First United’s twenty-two youth, along with youth from around the state that participated in the first ever “Star Wars Retreat” at Crossways Imago Dei Village in April. The weekend was spent discussing how the themes of the Star Wars movies relate to our own journey of faith, the importance of mentoring and friends and redemption we find through Jesus Christ. Thank you to all the participants for a very fun and rewarding weekend!

7th & 8th Grade Confirmation:Test and Celebration

A comprehensive test of the material covered over the last year, that will make your students sweat, will be conducted on the final day of Confirmation, May 7, at 6:30 p.m., along with a party to celebrate our year of growing in our faith and in our relationship with each other.

Confirmation Camp

A reminder to parents that Confirmation Camp will take place July 6-11, 2008. If you have not yet registered your Confirmation student for camp, and would still like to do that, please see Thom Nicla.

Graduation Sunday & Mission Trip Blessing

Graduates of High School, College and Technical School, plan to attend worship on Sunday, June 8, so that we may honor your accomplishments. Please plan to wear your cap and gown and meet in the Chapel at 9:00 a.m. so that we can assemble for a group picture. We are also asking that you send or bring a wallet-size graduation picture to the church office by Sunday, May25. We will also be commissioning the ASP group that day, as they journey off to Kentucky.

30-Hour Famine

On April 25-26, First United’s youth participated in a 30-Hour Famine with the Hmong Alliance Church and St. Luke Lutheran Church to increase awareness of local and world hunger issues. Money was raised through pledges to benefit World Vision, an organization dedicated to aiding those in need throughout the world. During our weekend we also held a local food drive, and donated the proceeds to the Salvation Army. We would like to thank Pastor Cheng Her from the Hmong

Alliance Church on South 11th Street, for hosting the event this year.

In Deepest Sympathy

We offer our Christian love to the families of...

Michael Franks at the death of his grandmother;
Amy Molepske at the death of her grandmother;
and to the family of Al Loesing at his death

Upcoming Events for VILs

Due to the low number of people who responded with interest in attending the “Body Worlds” program and the Fireside production of “Anything Goes,” we have cancelled our plans for both programs.

May 19, 2008 (time to be announced). A VIL “drop in” to be held in Fellowship Hall. Refreshments, games, good conversation, fun for all. Free!

June 16, 2008 , 12:00 p.m. Annual VIL Picnic in Fellowship Hall. Grilled brats, burgers, beans, salads, chips, desserts, beverages. Cards, games and conversation to follow. Free-will offering. Call church to make reservations.

No program in July.

August 11, 2008 , Brewer Game at Miller Park - Milwaukee Brewers vs. Washington Nationals. Lunch at Miss Katie’s Diner. Bus leaves church at 10:00 a.m. Good seats on 1st level. Help available for those who have trouble walking. Very important to get reservations in early! Total cost for tickets, meal, transportation and gratuities: $52 per person. Call church for reservations - open to non-VILs as well!!

September 15, 2008 - program to be announced.

October 9, 2008 - dinner and show at Broadway in the Dells to see the “Best of Broadway” featuring memorable songs and dances from classic “Broadway of the Past” to contemporary “Broadway of Today.” Show, dinner and transportation - approximately $65 per person. Call church for reservations. More information to follow.