Come to worship

Sunday, November 6

All Saints Sunday

On this All Saints Sunday, we remember all those saints in faith who have gone before us, and celebrate a new life in Christ with Holy Baptism at 10:45 a.m. We will celebrate Holy Communion at 8:30 and 10:45 a.m. using liturgy from With One Voice at 8:30 a.m., and Electric Gospel at 10:45 a.m. The Cherub Choir will offer the anthem at 8:30 a.m. Donuts and Dialogue begin a new study entitled “The Challenges of Discipleship,” focusing on Blessed Living.

Sunday, November 13

On this Twenty-sixth Sunday after Pentecost we will celebrate Holy Communion at 8:30 and 10:45 a.m. using liturgy from Feast and Celebration, with Holy Baptisms at 10:45 a.m. Special music will be provided by the Bell Choir. Donuts and Dialogue will continue the study on “The Challenges of Discipleship,” focusing on Stewardship. Adopt-A-Family kicks-off today!

A Word from our Pastor

Welcome, Church Visitors!

We were delighted to receive 19 new members to our community of faith on October 16 and I have been in contact with several other families who are interested in joining in the future. First United has always done a great job in inviting people to visit our congregation, welcoming newcomers in our midst, and offering a variety of ministries for the people who join our church. As Pastor Karl and I always tell our new members, our church will never be the same after they have joined. Each person who walks through our doors has special gifts for ministry to offer to God and we are grateful to them for sharing those gifts with us.

As we continue to seek ways to be more welcoming to first-time worshipers and guests, the congregation council recommended that we purchase and install four visitor parking signs to be placed in the parking lots on both sides of the church. These four signs, marked, “Reserved for Church Visitors,” are placed closest to the doors leading into our worship space, enabling those who are unfamiliar with our parking lot and church building to easily find a parking space and gain access to the building. As many of our members know, it is not always easy to find parking in our lot on a Sunday morning so in a gesture of hospitality to those who are worshiping with us for the first time, we would like to reserve a few spots for them.

Thank you for helping to make visitors and guests to our congregation feel comfortable and welcomed. Through your invitations, your welcoming and open hearts, and the power of the Holy Spirit, we will continue to grow in numbers even as we continue to grow in faith.

Pastor Gail

FULC Flamingos

Plastic flamingos are once again migrating to the yards of First United members!

The Flock Senior High Youth Group has begun their Flamingo Fundraiser to raise money for their trip to San Antonio next summer. If you would like to make a contribution and anonymously place flamingos on another congregation member’s yard, call the Kleines at 467-8616, or the church office at 452-2401. A group of youth will safely deliver and carefully arrange the birds on the requested member’s lawn.

If you have flamingos placed in your yard, you may call the Kleines and, for a contribution to the San Antonio fund, have the flamingos transferred to someone else’s yard by the youth, or call to have the flamingos removed free of charge. Congregation members can only be “flamingoed” one time!

Donuts & Dialogue:

The Challenges of Discipleship

Would you like to discover more about being a disciple of Jesus Christ? Would you like to find new ways to connect the Word of God with daily life experiences? Would you like to explore ways to deepen your faith practices in everyday living? Then The Challenges of Discipleship is the program for you! Join us on Sunday mornings at 9:40 a.m. as we delve into the background for Sunday’s Gospel reading, connect the Biblical theme with daily life, and go home with a faith practice for the coming week based on what we learn together.

All adults are welcome to Donuts and Dialogue in the Genszler Room on Sunday mornings at 9:40 a.m. Try it, you might like it!

November 6: Blessed Living

November 13: Stewardship

November 20: Compassion

November 27: Advent Event, No Donuts and Dialogue

In Deepest Sympathy

We offer our Christian love to the family of Lowell Schaefer at his death; to the family of Bill Gottsacker at the death of his mother; and to the family of Pastor Audrey at the death of her father.

Dining Out

plus

movie goers

equals

Dinner & a Movie

This month we’re jointly planning “Dinner and a Movie!” We will meet on Saturday, November 12, between 6:00-6:30 p.m. for a movie at the Marcus Theaters in Sheboygan. As we’ve done before, the movie will be chosen by Pat and Bill Wetzel the week preceding the event. All interested parties will receive notice of the movie chosen and the exact time we need to meet at the theater. Following the movie we’ll dine on casual Italian cuisine and discuss the movie at Pit Stop Pizza on Wilgus Avenue. Spend a relaxing evening with your FULC friends with food, fellowship and fun! Sign up on the kiosk in the church gathering area.

Youth Group Pizza Sales

Pizza order forms are now available and can be found at the Youth and Family Ministry bulletin board near the front entrance of the church. The pizzas will be assembled and fresh made at church on Sunday, November 20, and ready for pick up that evening between 6:00 and 7:00 p.m. Pizza orders must be turned in to the church office no later than November 13!

Mark your calendar!

Here are some important dates for our up-coming Adopt-a-Family drive:

November 13 -Kick-off Sunday

November 13-December 4 - Names available for adoption

December 4 - Last day to select names

December 11 - all gifts need to be in and wrapped

December 13 - gift wrapping 5:00-7:00 p.m. in the Youth & Quilter’s rooms

December 14 - Sorting of gifts

December 15 - Delivery & pick-up of gifts

Shoo the Flu!

Flu shots will be available here at First United this year! Participants must be 18 years and older to receive a vaccination. On Sunday, November 6, from 9:15-10:45 a.m., you can get your flu shot for $20, or your pneumonia shot for $27. Medicare Part B and Medicaid (T-19) are accepted for both flu and pneumonia shots. So get your shot and Shoo the Flu or Shrug the Bug!



“Youth Helping Seniors Saturday”

Saturday, November 5,

8:00 a.m.-12:00 noon

SENIORS! Do you need windows washed? Storm windows put on? Leaves raked? We have senior high youth ready to help! From 8:00 a.m. until 12:00 noon on Saturday, November 5, the youth of our congregation will be available to help get your homes ready for winter. A sign-up sheet is located on the kiosk in the gathering area, or call Rod or Mary Eissens, 457-4007, or the church office to sign up.

Great Beginnings Preschool News

Parents! We are inviting your two year old child to join our Great Beginnings Preschool family as soon as he/ she turns age three! Great Beginnings Preschool, sponsored by our church, is changing our format! We will, for the first time, be enrolling children in our program as they turn three years old. You do not have to wait until next September to find the perfect learning environment for your child! Please contact Cindy in the church office for more details!

Adopt-a-Chair

The choirs of First United need new chairs! For safety, posture, good singing, we invite you to “adopt-a-chair!” The cost is $80 for each chair, and we need a total of 50 chairs. If you are willing to “adopt” one, please make your check payable to First United. Thank you!

Please mark these dates on your calendar:

All Committee Night

Monday, November 14

6:15 p.m.

(Committee Chairs please note that Annual Reports will be due by January 2)

Thanksgiving Service

Wednesday, Nov. 23

7:00 p.m. at First United

Advent Event

Sunday, November 27

9:40-10:40 a.m. in fellowship hall

Christmas Treasures

Sunday, December 4

Adopt-a-Family Kick-off

Sunday, November 13

Monday Night Books

Get a head start on the next book for Monday Night Books! On Monday, December 5, at 6:30 p.m. in the Genszler Room we will discuss Gilead by Marilynne Robinson. Please read the entire book prior to this date and come with your questions and insights. Gilead was the 2005 Pulitzer Prize Winner in fiction and chronicles the life of Reverend John Ames and his forebears during the Civil War. A complete book description and sign-up sheet are on the kiosk in the gathering area. Questions? Contact Pastor Gail (452-2401).

Prayer Box available for Prayer Requests

Do you ever want someone to pray for you, but hesitate to ask for prayer during worship on Sunday morning? Maybe you need prayer, but want to remain anonymous. Look for the white “prayer box” in the gathering area!

Anytime you are in need of prayer, simply fill out a prayer card and put it in the prayer box. All requests will remain completely confidential. The Grounded in Prayer Group will pray for you weekly for as long as you request.

You are also welcome to come and pray with us every Thursday from 9:30-10:30 a.m. in the Genszler Room. Our prayer group is small, and very casual, but is also very committed. We would love to have you join us whenever you can! So stop in, and be grounded in prayer!

Harvest Dinner

All VILs and guests are cordially invited to the VIL Harvest Dinner on Monday, November 7, at City Streets Restaurant in Sheboygan. We’ll enjoy a delicious Thanksgiving meal that will be prepared by Bill and Pam Gottsacker. The cost is just $11.00 per person. Please call the church office to sign up.

Holiday Service of Remembrance

Thanksgiving and Christmas can be particularly difficult times for those who are adjusting to the death of a loved one. During this season, often observed with joy and festivity, we especially miss those we have loved and lost. Wenig Funeral Homes are hosting a Holiday Service of Remembrance on Sunday, November 13, at 2:00 p.m. at Gibbsville Reformed Church in Gibbsville (Hwy 32, five miles south of Sheboygan Falls). During this service suggestions will be shared on how this holiday season can still be made very special even though it may be very different from ones in the past. Practical tips on how to include the memory of your loved one in your holiday traditions will be shared. There will be a special candlelight ceremony of remembrance, music, and a holiday blessing. Light refreshments will follow.

The event is open to the public, but particularly focused toward those who have lost a loved one during this past year. Childcare will be provided. For more information, please call 467-3431.

Gifts in a Jar

Do you need Christmas gifts for teachers, grandparents, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews? Look no further because we have the perfect gift idea for you! These “Gifts in a Jar” contain mixes sure to please everyone on your list! We have yummy cookie mixes, a delicious hot drink mix, soup mixes that are perfect for a winter meal, and new this year, a snack mix meant especially for that special guy on your list called “Nuts & Bolts.” Sales will begin in November and continue through December.

Annual Meeting

Part I

December 4

On Sunday, December 4, the first part of the annual meeting of the congregation will take place in the Genszler Room at 9:40 a.m. Voting for various offices will take place at this meeting. (See “Meet the Candidates.”) All members of the congregation are encouraged to attend!

You are invited to a Harvest of Mission Partnership Celebration

The members of First United are invited to attend a brunch and Harvest of Mission Celebration at All Peoples’ Lutheran Church, Milwaukee, on Saturday, November 5, at 10:00 a.m. This gathering will be to celebrate the partnership that we and other congregations have with All Peoples’, and to bid farewell to Pastor Greg Van Dunk, who has served as their pastor for the past 15 years. Pastor Greg has accepted a call to serve as pastor of Atonement Lutheran Church in Muskego, Wisconsin. Sunday, November 6, will be his last day at All Peoples’ church.

Please mark your calendars and plan to attend! All Peoples’ would like to know how many are coming, so please sign up on the kiosk by Sunday, October 30. Pastor Karl and Deaconess Deb are planning to attend, and would love to bring you along!

Singles

Sheboygan Area Lutheran Singles Group exists to support Christian singles, including those who are widowed or divorced, of all denominations. If you are interested in what they have to offer, please pick up a copy of the November Singles Calendar on the kiosk in the gathering area.

Parents Night/Morning Out

Parents, it’s all set! The date, time, volunteers, activities and location are all ready - all we need is YOU!

First United is now taking registrations for our first Parent’s Night Out on Saturday, November 19, from 5:30-9:00 p.m. Children can be dropped off at church and will be cared for by members of our youth along with adult supervision. We hope to offer this evening out on a monthly basis. Pre-registration will be needed so we can plan the proper amount of supervision.

Our first set of Parent’s Morning Out will be offered on the following Saturdays:

November 26

December 3

December 10

December 17

Each Saturday (if we have enough children registered) we will be doing fun activities and playing with the kids from 8:00 a.m. until 12:00 noon. These are great opportunities for parents to get holiday shopping or gift wrapping done. Please look for registration information and sign-up sheets on the Youth & Family Board.

If you would like to help out, please contact Mary Gorges at 452-2401. Both of these programs will require registration before the dates so we can plan to have enough youth and adult supervision! A good will offering will go towards the children and youth programs here at First United.

Thank You for Supporting

LUTHERAN WORLD RELIEF

and

The Clothing Drive !

THANK YOU to everyone who supported our 2005 Lutheran World Relief Boxcar Drive and The Clothing Drive! A special thanks to all who donated clothing, coats and kits, to the Quilters, who made and donated 214 beautiful quilts, to our Boy Scout Troop who loaded our donated items and quilts on their trailer, and to those who helped load the LWR boxcar. Your generosity and help is very much appreciated!

We will continue to collect warm winter clothes and coats for the Clothing Exchange until Sunday, November 6. Please bring items to the Clothing Exchange table in the gathering area. Thank you!

Thrivent Cookie & Bake Sale will be November 27

Our congregation’s Thrivent members will be hosting the twelfth annual Cookie and Bake Sale on Sunday, November 27, from 9:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m., in the Quilter’s Room. All proceeds will go to our Adopt-a-Family program. Please help make this year’s event a success by donating some of your favorite home-made baked goods! Please sign up on the Kiosk to indicate what you plan to bring. Thank you in advance for your support and donations!

Help Is Needed at Bridgeway

We are in need of two volunteers on Monday, November 7, to help prepare an evening meal at Bridgeway, a transitional housing facility for women with children. Bridgeway is located at 1251 Geele Ave., and is run by the Sheboygan County Interfaith Organization (SCIO). First United is a member of SCIO, and has agreed to help with their evening meal programon the seventh of every month. This may include helping the moms prepare, serve and clean up the evening meal, or it might be playing with the children so the moms can make dinner. The food is provided by Bridgeway, and the volunteers are invited and asked to stay for dinner to eat with the family. Can you help? Please sign up on the kiosk or call the office (452-2401). Thank you!

Daily Devotional Book Available

Are you looking for a good devotional? The Upper Room Disciplines is one of the most popular daily devotional books available. “Disciplines” follows the same revised common lectionary that we use for Sunday worship. It offers daily scripture reading, wonderful reflections from many different Christian authors, as well as prayer and thoughts for the day. The Upper Room Disciplines are $11 each, ($9.50 each if we have an order of ten or more). Please sign up on the kiosk to order.

Two Opportunities to Share with Others

Believe it or not, Christmas is just around the corner! As you prepare your hearts and minds (and homes) for the holidays, remember the needs of those less fortunate.

Christmas Treasures will be Sunday, December 4. On that day we invite all of you to bring an unwrapped toy or gift, which will be given to children of all ages in the Sheboygan area. There is always a special need to remember teenage youth when selecting gifts. Gifts will be collected during worship at both services on Sunday, December 4.

Adopt-a-Family names will be available beginning Sunday, November 13! Once again, we will have the opportunity to bring joy at Christmas to local families who are in need of compassionate and giving hearts!

Through our Adopt-a-Family program, individuals and families of First United are given the opportunity to “adopt” one or more individuals and families from the Sheboygan area who, because of their financial situation, are not able to afford Christmas gifts for themselves and their family. Beginning November 13, you may receive names for Christmas adoption on Sunday mornings in the gathering area, or by calling Cindy Van Akkeren at 458-3761.

If you are able to adopt an individual or family, we ask that you please spend an average of $50 per child and $25 per adult.This is important, because it helps ensure that the gifts will be equally distributed between families and with individuals within a family.

For those who would prefer to have someone else do the shopping, financial contributions are also appreciated and very much needed. Last year our Adopt-a-Family program provided additional joy to 66 families in the Sheboygan area! Thank you for sharing your gifts with those in need!

It will take many hands to make this year’s Adopt-a-Family a success. Please sign up on the kiosk, or call Cindy Van Akkeren (458-3761) or Deaconess Deb (452-2401) if you are able to help in any way. Thank you!

Thanksgiving Worship Service

Celebrate Thanksgiving by worshiping together with our sisters and brothers of First Congregational Church. Worship will be held here at First United beginning at 7:00 p.m. on Thanksgiving Eve, Wednesday, November 23.

Following worship you are invited to the traditional pie feast in fellowship hall! If you are able to bring a pie for the feast, it would be greatly appreciated. Please have your pie in the church kitchen prior to worship that day. Thank you!