Pity Party for One

I was recently hosting a PITY PARTY FOR ONE. That is, I was the only one invited - go figure! Do you ever get invited to these type of parties?

A few weeks back, I was crabbing to myself about the house in Appleton not selling as I was pumping gas into my car. My complaining was about how gas cost me money, and commuting cost me time.

The next day, Lee Anne, in the church office, handed me a piece of paper with “Count Your Blessings” on the top of it. It changed my perspective, and it even allowed me to cancel the PITY PARTY FOR ONE that I was having. Statements such as the following were on this piece of paper:
...If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof over your head and a place to sleep ... you are richer than 75 percent of the people in the world.
...If you have money in the bank, in your wallet and spare change in a dish ... you are among the top eight percent of the world’s wealthy.

Well, I am blessed! God has been very good to me!

As Thanksgiving Day approaches, I am going to respond to the blessings I have:
...I will give thanks for the wonderful opportunities to serve as your Pastor;
...I will allow someone into the traffic flow, even though I am in a hurry;
...I will offer a gentle smile to someone who seems down and out;
...I will call someone who is struggling and needs a few words of encouragement.

I have been blessed.

Maybe you feel the same way.

Let’s be a blessing to others! In His Grace, Pastor Todd Smith

DONUTS & DIALOGUE

Because the Advent Event and Annual Meeting take place in December, Donuts & Dialogue will only meet twice in the next few weeks. We invite you to join us in the Genszler Room from 9:40-10:30 a.m. on November 25 and December 16 for a time of Bible study and reflections on the texts. Please note the following schedule:

November 25 - Bible Study
December 2 - Advent Event (No D&D)
December 9 - Annual Meeting Part 1 (No D&D)
December 16 - Bible Study
December 23 & 30 - There will be only one worship service at 9:30 a.m. (No D&D)

In Deepest Sympathy

We offer our Christian love to the families of Jill Bruckner at the death of her father; of Dan Roberts at the death of his brother-in-law; of Marianne Comstock at the death of her aunt; of Bill Bogenschultz at the death of his mother; and of Jake Bertram at his death.

Give a Ring

Signing up to be a Bell Ringer for the Salvation Army is much easier this year, as they have gone high tech! And there’s no need to pick up or drop off kettles this year! Just go right to the site you have chosen! Bells and aprons are on-site! When your shift is through, you just leave your ringing supplies with the kettle and enjoy the rest of your day!

Here’s how to do it on-line:
1. Google “salvation army sheboygan” or try ww.sasheboygan.org
2. Click on “Volunteer FIRST” logo.
3. Click on “2007 Red Kettle Campaign” listed under Opportunities to Volunteer.
4. Click on location where you would like to ring.
5. Find a date and click on time slot.
6. Click “RESERVE Selected Shifts” button. (If additional locations are desired, use the browser’s back button until you reach the page listing all locations. Then follow steps 4-6 above.)
7. Once you have selected all the shifts you’d like, click the green “First Time Visitors” button and fill out the registration form. Make sure to fill in all the necessary information (those printed in red).Please name FirstUnitedLutheranChurch as the organization to be recorded.
8. Click “Submit to Register as a Volunteer” button on the bottom of the page.
9. A final page will appear. Click the blue “Reserve this Shift” button.
10. Print out your confirmed shifts and have fun ringing!

If you have any questions, please contact Patty Aker at 920-693-2005. She’ll also be happy to find a bell ringing time to fit your schedule!

Is your forte’ cooking?

We are in need of two volunteers on Friday, December 7, to help prepare an evening meal at Bridgeway, a transitional housing facility for women with children. Bridgeway is located at 1251 Geele Avenue, 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 program on 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 church office (452-2401). Thank you!

Lost & Found

Are you missing a jacket or coat? Listed are just a few of the items that have been located throughout the building: a green Columbia fleece, a red/black ski jacket, and a pink American Eagle Sweatshirt. Please check the Lost & Found bin near the Gathering Area restrooms if you are missing these items.

Christmas Charity
Three Opportunities to Share

CHRISTMAS TREASURES
Sunday, December 2

We invite you to please bring an unwrapped toy or gift to church with you that day for children 0-18 years of age. The toys will be given to the needy children of Wellington Park Lutheran Church of Milwaukee, and to our local Salvation Army. There is always a special need to remember babies 0-2 years old, and teenage youth when selecting gifts. Please place your gifts in the playpens in the Gathering Area on Sunday, December 2.

Fourteenth Annual Thrivent
COOKIE & BAKE SALE
Sunday, December 2

This is a wonderful opportunity to purchase delicious homemade baked goods for the holidays and support our Adopt-a-Family program at the same time! All proceeds from the bake sale will go to help support our Adopt-a-Family program, so please help make this year’s event a success by donating some of your favorite homemade baked goods! Sign up on the kiosk to indicate what you plan to bring. Thank you in advance for your support and donations! The bake sale will run from 9:00-11:00 a.m.

Adopt-a-Family
Names available through December 2

Through our Adopt-a-Family program, individuals and families of First United are given the opportunity to “adopt” one or more individuals or families from the Sheboygan area who, because of their financial situation, are not able to afford Christmas gifts for themselves and their family.

If you are able to adopt, we ask that you please spend an average of $50 per child and $25 per adult. This is VERY IMPORTANT, because it helps ensure that the gifts will be equally distributed, especially within a family.

For those who prefer to have someone else do the shopping, financial contributions are also appreciated and very much needed, as they support the purchase of food certificates that are given to each family. Please make checks payable to First United, memo: Adopt-a-Family.

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 for sharing your gifts with those in need!

“Grow in Response to God’s Grace”

Thanks to all of you who have filled out your 2008 Stewardship Responses. We appreciate your gifts to the Lord. Those of you who have not yet made your response, please pray about your giving for 2008, and return your response form at your earliest convenience. If you have not received a form, you may pick one up at the kiosk in the Gathering Area, or call the church office at 452-2401, and we will mail a form to you.

If you are interested in giving electronically through the Simply Giving Program the application is on the back of the pledge form. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans underwrites this program.

Please consider increasing your percentage of giving to God through First United. When we “grow in response to God’s Grace,” we can do so much more to help those in our church family, our community, and around the world!

Special Offerings for the Holidays

As the end of the year approaches, there will be many opportunities for congregation members to give to special benevolence. Thanksgiving offerings will be given to support the Lutheran World Relief Blanket Fund. Christmas offerings will be given to several charitable organizations: the ELCA Disaster Relief Fund, Greater Milwaukee Synod Outreach Fund, Sheboygan County Interfaith Organization’s Transitional Housing Fund, and our own Foundation Fund.

Attention members 70 ½ years old and older!

The Pension Protection Act of 2006 allows donors to consider tax-free gifts from IRA’s directly to First United Lutheran Church . Tax-free IRA rollover gifts must be made from Traditional or Roth IRA’s, not from pension plans, stock option plans, etc., and these gifts can only be made in 2006 and 2007.

Contact your IRA Plan Administrator for additional qualification details. For any other questions, please call Kori in the church office.

End of Year Giving: Year-end reminder!

The end of the year is very busy for most of us, so just a reminder that if you are considering a year-end donation to First United in the form of appreciated stock, to please allow adequate processing time so that the gift can be accounted for by the end of 2007. It is also very helpful to let Kori (in the church office) know of the gift. She can then follow-up with the organization distributing your gift if it is getting close to December 31. Thank you!

Preschool Fun!

The month of October was filled with fun, and many different learning experiences in our preschool classroom. There was a visit from the Sheboygan Police Department and from a Kohler Volunteer Fireman. Chuck Stalzer did a great job showing the children all of his firefighting gear, and discussing what to do if there is ever a fire in your home. The children also learned that the most important tools a police officer uses are his ears and his notepad, and they got to see his really cool squad car!

The trip to the pumpkin farm was great! The kids had fun on a hay ride and finding their way through the corn maze. The month ended with a Halloween party in the classroom with costumes and gooey witches’ stew, and trick-or-treating through the church office!

Great Beginnings still has openings for three and four year olds. The preschool is also accepting children as soon as they turn three years old. If you would like more information on our wonderful preschool program, please contact Cindy or Mary in the church office.

Grief Group November 26

Join us on Monday, November 26, as we support one another and learn some specific ways we can better cope with the holidays. We will meet in the Genszler Room from 6:30-8:00 p.m. Friends and family are always welcome!

Great Beginnings “We Care” Program

Great Beginnings preschool is currently involved with the We Care Program through Pick & Save grocery stores. We Care is a donation program which allows non-profit organizations to raise additional funds simply by shopping at Pick & Save. In order for us to benefit from this program all you need to do is use your Advantage Saver’s Club Card and designate the Great Beginnings Preschool identification number with your card. This can easily be done at the customer service counter. Our I.D. number is: 292900. Thanks for helping our preschool program grow!




Daily Devotional book available

The Upper Room Disciplines is one of the most popular daily devotional books available today. “Disciplines” follows the same revised common lectionary we use for our Sunday worship. It offers daily scripture reading, wonderful stories and reflections from 53 different Christian writers. Each scriptural and real-life based meditation includes suggestions for prayer and further reflection that will help you be more open to God’s love and guidance. The Upper Room Disciplines are only $9.60 each. Please sign up on the kiosk by Sunday, December 2, to order.

Advent Event
Traditions of the Christmas Season

This year’s Advent Event theme will focus on the traditions of the Christmas season. If your family has a special tradition that you would like to share with the congregation, please contact Mary in the church office. We are looking for individuals willing to help out with activities for this inter-generational event. If you would like to help, please contact Mary Gorges at 452-2401.

Mitten Tree:
Giving Warms the Heart
Sunday School Mission Project

The Sunday School classrooms are doing a hands-on mission project during the Christmas Season. Children ages 3-8 th grade are asked to bring new socks, mittens, hats and gloves to Sunday School through Sunday, December 9, and they will be distributed to needy families in Sheboygan. Please drop items in the classrooms or in the boxes in the Gathering Area.

Christmas Program Rehearsal

The children’s Christmas Program Practice will be held on Wednesday, December 12. On that evening pizza will be served in Fellowship Hall as well as a birthday cake for the Baby Jesus. Following supper, all are invited to make Christmas crafts for the homebound of our church, or for members of their own families. If you can help with pizza and activities on this busy evening, please contact the church office, or sign-up on the kiosk in the Gathering Area.

These are the specific times for that evening:

5:00-8:00 p.m. Pizza & Crafts for families in Fellowship Hall
5:00-5:30 p.m. Cherub Choir practice
5:00-6:00 p.m. Praise Band
5:30-6:15 p.m. 3's-2nd Grade Practice (meet in classrooms)
5:30-6:15 p.m. Christus Choir practice
6:30-8:00 p.m. 3rd-8th Grade practice (meet in Sanctuary)
(Grades 7 & 8 be here by 6:30 pm !)

Both Christmas programs will be held on Sunday, December 16. BUT NOTE THE CHANGE: The 3's-2nd Grade program will be during the 8:30 a.m. service! The Grade 3-8 program will be during the 10:45 a.m. service, as in years past. Also note that the 7 th and 8 th grades will be a part of this program! If you have any questions, please contact Mary Gorges or Thom Nicla at 452-2401.

Attention Parents
of
College Students

Beginning in January, 2008, we would like to celebrate your son/daughter’s birthday via email greeting. Each month in the Good News we’ll highlight their birth date and email address so that members can surprise them with a note on their special day. Most importantly, we encourage the congregation to remember our youth in prayer. Please contact the office at 452-2401 if you would like your student included in this program.

Lutheran World Relief Semi stops in Sheboygan

On Saturday, October 27, a fifty-three foot semi-trailer was loaded with 983 boxes of blankets, quilts, sewing kits, soap, health kits and layettes in the parking lot of First United Lutheran Church . Donations were brought by 35 different churches from 23 area communities. Many thanks to all who gave of their time to load and reload the trailer!

~Robert Thiel & Arvold Mikkelson, Local Chairmen

Annual Meeting - Part 1

On Sunday, December 9, the first part of the Annual Meeting of the congregation will take place in the Genszler Room at 9:40 a.m. All members are encouraged to attend!

Sunday Flowers

Each Sunday, flowers are placed in the chancel in memory of loved ones, or in honor of anniversaries, birthdays or baptisms. The 2008 flower chart will be been posted soon on the kiosk near the Welcome Center . There are a number of Sundays available in the coming year. Please sign the chart with your name, phone number and reason for placement. The cost is $35 (checks made payable to FULC). Your check can either be placed in an envelope marked “flowers” and placed in the offering plate, or brought directly to the church office.

Attention, Holy Weeders

As you may have noticed, the Wednesday crew has cleaned up the flower beds for winter. Thank you for your tender loving care of our beautiful flowers this summer! We hope you will consider helping again next spring!

~Marian & Bob Gorges, Property Committee

Good News Deadline

The deadline for the next issue of the Good News is Monday, November 26. This issue will announce Christmas events and worship. Please submit your article/s to the church office at office@firstuni.org.

Meals that need COOKIES!

Every Christmas season the Sheboygan area Meals on Wheels works hard to give their diners a little extra Christmas cheer by giving them a gift of homemade cookies. You can help by donating cookies! Meals on Wheels will accept fresh, frozen, chocolate - they only ask that you please not use silver balls, nuts, non-pariels, or other hard candies that could pose problems for tender teeth. Cookies can be dropped off at First Congregational Church, 310 Bluff Avenue , on Monday, December 17, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m., or Tuesday, December 18, from 9 a.m. - noon . Please park in the alley lot north of the building and enter through the glass doors. The kitchen is on your left. Meals on Wheels volunteers will package the cookies that Tuesday afternoon and deliver them the following day. Thank you!

Getting to know you...

Once or twice a month, we will be asking the congregation to wear a NAME TAG on Sunday morning. It is our hope that these name tags will make it easier for our newer members, our guests and our Pastor to get to know us. Please help by wearing a tag so that everyone has a chance to learn the names of the familiar faces we see at worship each week!

Poinsettias

Once again Christmas poinsettias will adorn our worship space at First United. If you’re interested in purchasing a poinsettia, please fill out the form located in the church pews. Please return your form to the church office by Sunday, December 16, and enclose $9.00 per plant in an envelope marked for “poinsettias.” You may pick up your plant/s on Sunday, December 30, after the 9:30 a.m. worship service.

Adopt a Family

We have the opportunity again to share some Christmas joy with families in need! You may choose to “adopt” an individual or family, and purchase a few, much needed gifts. Financial contributions of any amount are also greatly appreciated to purchase gifts for individuals that aren’t “adopted.”

Last year we provided additional joy to 310 people in the Sheboygan area! Thank you for opening your hearts and sharing the true meaning of Christmas with others!

Here is one of the many responses that we received last year:

“Thank you so much for your gifts. They have brought joy to our home this Christmas. At night I carefully placed the gifts under the tree. Early in the morning the girls woke up. They were so excited and happy! I pray to God in thanks, for He made such kind people to bring joy and peace into a stranger’s home! You gave love, not gifts. That is what Christmas means to us and to you. Thank you so much. God bless you!”

2007 Adopt-a-Family Schedule

* November 18-December 2: Names will be available for “adoption.”
* December 2: Last day to select names for “adoption” AND Youth shopping 2:00-5:00 p.m.
* December 2: Thrivent Cookie & Bake Sale 9:00-11:00 a.m.
* December 9: All gifts need to be wrapped & brought to the Bride’s Room.
* December 11: Gift wrapping Open House 3:00-7:30 p.m. in Youth & Quilter’s Rooms (to wrap gifts purchased by the youth for all people that weren’t “adopted”)
* December 12: Sorting Gifts, beginning at 9:00 a.m.
* December 13: Gift Delivery/Pick-up, beginning at 9:00 a.m.

Christmas Eve Worship Change

There is NO 10:00 p.m. service this year!
Instead, there will be a 10:00 a.m. service on Christmas Eve.

We hope this change will benefit families with small children, and those who don’t care to drive after dark. Volunteers are needed at this 10 a.m. service, including Greeters, Kiddie Keep, and a Van Driver. Please call the church office if you can help!