TIES Touched, we Invite, Equip and Send people in Jesus name

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1 TIES Touched, we Invite, Equip and Send people in Jesus name FAITH LUTHERAN CHURCH N35 W6621 Wilson Street, P.O. Box 246, Cedarburg, Wisconsin Office Phone Website - faithchurchkathy@wi.rr.com May 2018 STAFF Pastor - John C. Norquist Office Manager - Kathy Thiele Bookkeeper/Office Assistant - Judy Gronbach Sanctuary Choir Director - Tom Christie Organist / Pianist- Stephen V. Hibbard Celebration Director - Stephen V. Hibbard Financial Sec. Esther Rusch/Cindy Dellegrazio Treasurer Cory Schoofs Custodians - Gary & Kathy Gilstrap OFFICERS President Cindy Ball Vice-President Bob Becher Secretary Cindy Delegrazio COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVES Community Outreach Cindy Ball Executive Committee Cindy Ball, Bob Becher Education Joyce Caldwell Evangelism Joe Dorr Finance Advisory Cindy Ball, Bob Becher Music & Worship Joan Dorsey Mutual Ministry Esther Rusch Property Rick Mallouk, Tom Dennison, Bob Becher Stewardship Cindy Dellegrazio Trust Funds Joe Dorr Virginia Anderle 1 God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. 1 John 4:16 Recently the congregation sang the beloved hymn Softly and Tenderly which includes the poignant invitation for all who are weary to come home. While I can appreciate the sentimentality of that line, I heard something different this time. The readings that day were about God s abiding in us and our abiding in God. Abide is one of those churchy words that doesn t show up much in everyday speech, but it means to take up residence somewhere and establish a home. I ve sometimes taken the hymn s message to mean our returning to the institutional safety of the church, but that particular day suggested a much broader meaning. Homemaking is another word not much in use, and sometimes even taken negatively concerning gender roles, but it describes something wonderful that I think we all long for. Amid the upheaval and uncertainty of life it is a powerful thing to have a place to call home. Our actions can help or hinder the establishment of such a place, whether for ourselves or our fellow creatures. How powerful that God chooses to establish such a place in you, and that the means is our ordinary capacity to love!

2 Easter is more than one Sunday, but fills an entire season. Each time we gather for worship its power is there. During this season the church remembers how Jesus, no longer bound by death, continued working through his disciples. Through this wondrous relationship God takes up residence in the ordinariness of your life. God makes a home in you! Lest we imagine this as exclusive, our readings remind us that this homemaking is all about love and the relationships it creates. To love is to know God and find your home in God, joined to the entirety of God s beloved world. This powerful gift is yours each day, an invitation to forego the weariness of our fragmented lives and come home. God s peace, Pastor John May 6 Sixth Sunday of Easter Acts 10:44-48 Psalm 98 1 John 5:1-6 John 15:9-17 May 13 Seventh Sunday of Easter Acts 1:15-17, Psalm 1 1 John 5:9-13 John 17:6-19 May 20 Day of Pentecost Acts 2:1-21 Psalm 104: r Exekiel 37:1-14 Romans 8:22-27 or Acts 2:1-21 John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15 May 27 The Holy Trinity Isaiah 6:1-8 Psalm 29 Romans 8:12-17 John 3:1-7 Fun Facts From the Office May 6 May 13 Karen Borchardt May 20 Jeff & Amy Fischer May 27 - In its first four months of sales in 1958, over 25 million hula hoops were sold. 2

3 PLEASE PRAY FOR June Groehler (LaVerne Gresch s niece), Jessica Struhar, Jim Groehler (LaVerne Gresch s nephew), Alex (grandson of Jacquie Becher s friend), Laura (Margaret Radke s daughter), Sara (neighbor of Marcia and Bob Guse), Gloria (Wayne Krueger s sister), Marilyn (Retta Strehlow s sister), Emily Elert, Tim Hughes, Heather (Hinkelman) House and husband Christopher (cancer), Phil Dimmer, Lois Krueger, Jenny Zarling, Lee (Cindy Ball s cousin), Barbara Toon ( Cindy Ball s mother), John Dorsey (Tom s father), Shirley Burmeister, Betty Peterson, (former member), Rick Radke (former member), Diane Weber, Bob Stelter, Dr, Frank Jaskowiah, Genevieve Sear (Tom s mother),cordelia Taylor, Carol (Judy Gronbach s sister-in-law); for all those in mission work, especially Pam Schwalbach, Karen Puhl; for local churches, especially Advent, Immanuel, St. John and Trinity. May 1, 1987 Darrel and Shelley Blank 31 years May 11, 1991 Carl & Cindy Ball 27 years May 18, 2013 Tom & Cory Schoofs 5 years May 22, 1965 Bob & Marcia Guse 53 years May 24, 1975 Tom & Joan Dorsey 43 years May 24, 1997 Jeff & Amy Fischer 21 years May 27, 1972 Norm & Marsha Williams 46 years May 6 May 13 May 20 May 27-3

4 FAITH TRUST FUNDS: OUR LEGACY TODAY --- TOMORROW --- THE FUTURE May 2018 Not only has spring sprung finally! Faith Trust Funds Committee has also sprung into reviewing the grant and scholarship requests. We tend to think that January and February are quiet nothing much going on -- kind of a lull before spring should be just around the corner. Well, this year spring was a little late in coming, but the Trust Funds Committee is owning up to its expectations. At the beginning of each new year we, the Trust Funds Committee, encourages Faith members to request a grant for a charity, a non-prophet group, an organization that is reaching out to help others, etc. We also encourage high school students, who have participated in the Faith family or the community in a way of helping others, to share their future plans with us. We invite those students to request a Faith Scholarship to help with tuition if they are going on to further their education. We thank all of you that have followed the grant/scholarship request directions and got the paper work to us by the February deadline. It s always a delight to read those requests and match them up with the earnings from our investments. We have been very blessed to have Faith members recognize the need for gifting to the Trust Funds. Those gifts come from Charter members, some who have gone on before us, current members who are very kind to share with us, memorials, and gifts in honor of a person or an event. Those funds are invested and, as they grow, those funds are used to fulfill the requests. Each year in March and April, the Trust Funds Committee reviews the requests and recipients are notified in May. (As soon as the recipients are notified, watch for a list in the bulletin.) The Faith Scholarship recipients are invited to come to a designated Sunday service to receive their scholarship. All of this takes place, because Faith members want to reach out to others, while their gift continues to increase. Watch for more details about the recipients in June s FOCUS. May is a very important month for Faith Trust Funds. Not only should we be proud to share with others, and to know that we are helping individuals, groups, and programs, but it also is a reminder that we can continue to gift to the Funds. You may have noticed a beautiful colored envelope marked SPECIAL OFFERING FOR TRUST FUNDS in your Faith envelope box. We encourage you to share what you can and be a part of this special event. Thank you in advance for helping the Faith Trust Funds carry on and share. 4

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7 Reggie Jackson The Hidden Impact of Segregation Thursday - May 17 6:30-8:30 p.m. Concordia University Todd Wehr Auditorium Mequon, WI Reggie Jackson is a graduate of Concordia University and Head Griot (docent) of America's Black Holocaust Museum. He is the 2017 winner of the Frank P. Zeidler Public Service Award from the City of Milwaukee. The Faith Lutheran Church Social Justice Book Club is helping to fund this event. If you pledge to Pastor s Bike Ride Fundraiser and haven t paid yet, please do so as soon as possible. If you forgot what you pledged, please contact the church office. Pastor rode 160 miles in March. Thank you LaVerne Gresch will be accepting donations on May 13 th and May 20 th before and after church for geraniums for our gardens. Donations can also be dropped off at the church office. Thank you!!! Land Committee: Members: Cindy Ball, Dena Baule, Bob Becher, Darrel Blank, Tom Christie, Pastor Dale Erickson, Aaron Gresch, Esther Rusch, Tom Sear The land committee was formed shortly after the congregation took part in the asset mapping meeting which connects the gifts of our congregation to develop new ministries. There was an emphasis on doing something positive with our land. This new group has been meeting on a regular basis and came up with ideas to improve the land around Faith. These improvements will help develop a relationship with the community by fostering environmental education, community outreach, and land stewardship. A presentation was given on April 29 th about these ideas. They include a prairie garden, pavilion, prayer garden and columbarium. There is a questionnaire and a map included that shows what could be done with the land. We are looking at having a preliminary plan done to present by fall of Please fill out the questionnaire and return to the narthex or office by May 13 th. Your opinion matters in this process. You can review the presentation on Faith s website. We are excited and hope you will be too! Feel free to contact Dena Baule with any questions at Denabaule@gmail.com or

8 Faith Lutheran Land Committee Questionnaire Please return to the narthex by Sunday May 13 th. Feel free to contact Dena Baule with any questions. or Faith Lutheran s Visionary Statement: Awakened by God's manifold grace, we are discovering gifts of people, church land and community, engaging them for service to neighbors in the name of Jesus. Thank you for taking your time answering these questions. This information will greatly assist the Land Committee with completing the next steps of the project. Overall Master Plan How does this design show our faith in our Creator s love and care for the earth and its people? Do you feel this plan shapes our property to draw members and non-members into the beauty and peace of the land God has given us to care for and why? Do you feel this master plan supports our visionary statement about being good stewards of the land and why? Pavilion What are the potential uses for the pavilion? How would the pavilion enhance our outdoor space? What are your thoughts about the pavilion project? 8

9 Prairie and Prayer Garden Who will utilize the prairie and walk paths? How would the prairie contribute to our outdoor space s value? Do you feel a columbarium is an important feature in our prayer garden? Do you have any other comments or thoughts? We would like to discover a renewed mission by working together with others to create this space for growing our congregation and faith. Do you have any talents you would be interested in using to help with the installation or maintenance for any portion of this project? 9

10 THANKING CORDELIA TAYLOR As many of you know, our Faith Family was blessed for over thirty years by our relationship with Cordelia Taylor. Cordelia was the founder, administrator, and loving nurse of Family House, a faith-based nursing home, which cared for the indigent elderly and disabled adults in Milwaukee s poorest area. Over the years the Family House complex and mission grew and such services as after-school programs and a health clinic were provided. Among the many honors awarded to Cordelia is a Doctor of Medical Science Honorary Degree from the Medical College of Wisconsin. She has been seen by some as the Mother Theresa of Milwaukee. Yet this amazing woman, at the age of 83, is not experiencing the dignity of a financially secure retirement. Family House closed a year ago, after Cordelia had sacrificed her personal financial wellbeing to keep it funded. Since then, the complex has been broken into, ransacked, burglarized, and made uninhabitable. We at Faith would like to show our appreciation to Cordelia for all her selfless service to her community by giving her a monetary gift. Please give as generously as possible. Faith s Trust Funds Committee is considering matching a portion of the funds raised in this free will offering during the month of May. Checks made to Faith Lutheran Church should be marked For Cordelia. In addition, please pray for Cordelia. Saint Ben s helpers needed Have you ever wondered what St. Ben s is all about? This ministry of a daily, free community meal at St. Benedict the Moor Catholic Church in Milwaukee has been part of our congregation s ministry for many years. Many in our congregation and beyond have shared in preparing a tuna casserole, baking a dessert, or volunteering to serve through the six Fridays our congregation has committed itself to. Our next date is Friday, April 13. Some regular supporters of this ministry are no longer able to help, and we could use some new volunteers! There are three ways to help, and you can do one or all of them: Bake a tuna casserole using a pan and ingredients you pick up at church the week before we serve, and bring it back to church between 3:15 and 3:30 to be delivered with the others. Drop off a dessert to be delivered with the casseroles anytime during the day we are scheduled to serve. Enter through the office door and leave the dessert on the counter in our Fellowship Hall. Travel with the group to serve the meal at St. Ben s. Arrive at church by 3:30 and ride along with other servers. You ll be back in Cedarburg with plenty of time to spare for your evening. You can sign up to help on the sheet posted in the narthex at church. All ages are welcome to participate, and this can be a great activity for families to do together! If you have questions, contact the church office at

11 Mission of the Month -Crossways Camping Ministries The mission of Crossways Camping Ministries is to bring people together in Christ so that lives are changed and communities enhanced. Crossways consists of three camps in Wisconsin, Imago Dei Village, Pine Lake Camp, and Waypost Camp. The camps provide programs for different ages and camps of different lengths something for everyone, all summer long. The camps also provide time for retreats at other times of the year, including Scrapbooking Retreats, Quilting Retreats, and a Family Christmas Retreat. Confirmation students regularly attend Confirmation Camp during the summer. We will celebrate Crossways Camping Ministries here at Faith on Friday, May 18, with a Mini-Camp Out, starting at 5:00 PM with outdoor activities, supper at 6:00 followed by typical camp activities, including a hike in the woods and a campfire with camp songs and S Mores. This event is multigenerational for youth, families, grandparents, singles, everyone! A sign-up sheet will be in the narthex, or you can sign up on line on Faith s website, Summer camp brochures will be available at our Camp Out. The Camp Out will be followed by a Lock-in for Youth beginning at 9:00 P.M. We are inviting our partner congregations, Immanuel, St. John, and Trinity to join us. Your donation to the May Mission of the Month, Crossways Camping Ministries, will help maintain camp facilities, fund programs, and help to pay for locally grown food to include on menus. Thank you for supporting this ministry. Come and join us for a fun evening at our Mini-Camp Out. 5/2 Kyle Downey Cynthia Hoogester 5/6 Joan Dorsey Judy Johnson Bob Stelter 5/7 Braden Baken 5/8 Darrel Blank 5/10 Bradley Diamond Halie Wittenberg 5/11 Ella Anderle 5/12 Stephan Kinnunen 5/13 Logan Baule 5/15 Alisa Norquist 5/20 Wanita Bach 5/21 Chad Williams 5/23 Aaron Gresch 5/30 Matthew White 5/31 Carl Ball 11

12 EASTER BREAKFAST 2018 Easter Breakfast was a huge success once again this year with 54 attendees. A total of forty-six signed up for the event, and eight additional people joined us for a fun-filled breakfast with delicious food and delightful fellowship with our Faith Family members. We were prepared to seat everyone comfortably for this meal! We would like to thank our Set-Up Committee of Mike and Marilyn Isbell, Joe and Dottie Dorr, Cindy Ehlers, Aaron Gresch, Fred Rusch, and Bev and Glenn Yurske. In addition, we sincerely appreciate how everyone came together to claim their serving dishes of food, to clear the tables, to gather all the tablecloths, and to reposition the chairs. we sincerely appreciate the efforts of Mike and Marilyn Isbell for vacuuming and for taking home the tablecloths to wash. Everyone worked together, and we were able to leave the building by 11:15 a.m. It was a wonderful way to celebrate Easter Sunday prior to the church service! The overall plan for this year s event changed significantly from previous years because we requested that participants bring a delicious food item to share with the group to replace a catered meal. We were able to do this without asking anyone to make prepaid reservations or to contribute a Free Will Offering. The wide assortment of delicious food was amazing! Our only problem was the church security system that would not unlock the building until 7 a.m., so many of you had to wait a bit longer for that fresh cup of coffee. Thank you for your patience, and we will be certain to work this out more effectively next year. Easter falls on April 21 next year, so start thinking now about the food item you would like to bring. Our Continental Breakfast this year featured delicious baked egg dishes, homemade breads, muffins, coffee cakes, butter horn pastries, Kringles, fruit salads, and deviled eggs. Individuals prepared hot dishes at home in the morning, so they were nice and warm for the serving table. Overall, the abundant food contributions were delicious! Thank you so much for making this year s Easter Breakfast such a successful and fun-filled event! Easter Breakfast 2018 Co-Chairwomen: Laverne Gresch and Judy Johnson In the Footsteps of the Apostle Paul Seats Available I m leading a group from Grace Lutheran in Grafton and St. John s Lutheran in Brookfield, on a trip In the Footsteps of the Apostle Paul to Greece, the islands of the Mediterranean, Ephesus and Rome from June We have thirty people already signed up, but do have a few remaining spots if someone would like to join us. If you, or someone you know, might be interested in joining us, please feel free to contact me. Pastor Paul Bulgerin Pastor@gracegrafton.com

13 Mission of the Month All-Year Outreach Ministry Each month our congregation emphasizes a particular outreach ministry. You are invited to support these ministries in whatever way your heart moves you. Contributions can be given in Mission of the Month envelopes found in your contribution envelope box or in the white envelopes in the church pews. Following is a list of Missions of the Month for 2018: January - St. Ben s: Contributions are used to purchase ingredients for tuna casseroles members bake. Volunteers also make cupcakes and serve the homeless every other month at St. Ben s in Milwaukee. Sponsor: February Mt. Meru Coffee Project: Contributions are used toward construction and maintenance of processing equipment so coffee farmers in Tanzania can increase production. Faith members are encouraged to purchase coffee throughout the year. Sponsors: Joe and Dottie Dorr. March Lutheran Volunteer Corps: Supports young adults who volunteer one or more years at clinics and social services. Sponsor: Alisa Norquist April Vacation Bible School: Outreach to area children. Five mornings during one week in the summer. Presented jointly with Advent and Immanuel. Sponsors: Pastor John and Alisa Norquist May Crossways Camping Ministry: Operates three camps in north central Wisconsin. Provides retreats for all ages to enjoy fellowship, God s creation and faithbuilding. Sponsors: Joyce Christie and Dena Baule June Lutheran Social Services: Reaches over 100,000 people annually through a variety of services: adoption, refugee services; children, youth and family counseling; older adult and special needs services. Sponsor: Joyce Christie July Pine Ridge Indian Reservation: Fosters better understanding between Indian (Native American) and non-indian peoples. Contributions help fund the heating assistance program, sandwich ministry, after school programs and more. Sponsor: Cindy Ball August Family Sharing of Ozaukee County: Provides food, clothing and household items for needy families living in Ozaukee County. Sponsor: Phil Dellegrazio September Luther Manor: Provides housing and care for older persons. Assisted Living, River Oaks in Thiensville, and Continuing Care in Wauwatosa. Sponsor: Joyce Christie October Simple Hope: Pam Schwalbach, daughter of Faith, leads projects that reach out to needy communities in Tanzania, providing assistance for transitioning from huntergatherers to living in a self-sustaining community. Sponsor: Janet Wendtland November ELCA World Hunger Appeal: Provides food, etc. and advocates for starving people around the world. Sponsors: Joyce Christie & Esther Rusch December Breaking the Chains Congregation: A worshipping community, authorized by the Greater Milwaukee Synod, made up of incarcerated men inside the Felmers Chaney Correctional Center, Milwaukee. Mark Thompson, son of Faith, is the called Pastor. Sponsor: Joe Dorr Note: Friendship Ministries is not on the list this year because they are carrying over sufficient funds for the year. They remain an important outreach ministry. Support for Ozaukee County Caregivers will be requested from Trust Funds in order to allow other outreach ministries to be added to the list. If you have questions about a particular Mission, please contact the sponsor. If you have general questions about the Mission of the Month program, please contact Joyce Christie. Thank you for your generosity. 13

14 Faith Lutheran Church Council Minutes Summary April 12th, 2018 Members: Cindy Ball, Bob Becher, Joyce Caldwell, Cindy Dellegrazio, Tom Dennison, Joan Dorsey, Rick Mallouk, Esther Rusch, Treasurer Cory Schoofs Absent: Joe Dorr, Virginia Anderle I. Call to order, devotion, and opening prayer II. Treasurer s Report - Cory presented the financial statement for January and February on an Excel sheet. III. Consent Agenda Minutes from 3/8/18 were revised and approved at the 4/12/18 meeting. With the revision, the consent agenda was accepted unanimously. IV. Pastor s Report Pastor thanked us for his vacation time. A. Advent is forming Mission Exploration Team during their transition. Joyce Caldwell is going to serve on this committee. B. Synod Assembly is coming up at end of May. Joe Dorr and Michelle Burton are voting members and Pastor will also be there. Esther Rusch is organizing a pre-assembly gathering at Faith for the Northern Lakeshore Cluster on May 6 th. C. Reggie Jackson will be at Concordia on May 17 th. Erica Turner orchestrated this event. The Social Justice Book club members raised $285 to date for this $500 event. Council unanimously approved the solicitation of funds from the Faith Social Justice Group for the Reggie Jackson presentation on May 17 th. D. Peace Award, Cedarburg High School The Peace Award comes from an ecumenical council with many other churches participating. Council felt that Trust Funds has money specified for scholarships and therefore encouraged Pastor to go to Trust Funds to ask for the money. It was suggested that this should be a standing annual request of Trust Funds. Joyce Caldwell made a motion that $500 from Trust Funds be designated to support the Cedarburg High School Peace award and that it be a standing request every year. The motion was unanimously approved. E. April 21 st Cedarburg/Grafton Rotary Club will be planting trees at Westlawn Woods. This is organized by Cedarburg Green. Heidi Parker is organizing a chili lunch for volunteers. V. Committees/New/Old Business A. Financial Report a. Pastor Bike Ride Pastor reported he rode 160 miles in March b. Quilt Raffle Sale - $ was raised from the raffle. This will go to Capital Improvements. Motion was made to approve this designation of funds and unanimously approved. B. Property Management Bob, Tom, Rick a. Bob Becher presented and let us know that their committee met last week. Their goal is to develop a plan so that all property and maintenance projects go through the property management committee so that one group has the information on what needs to be done and set priorities. They created an excel spreadsheet which identified all the projects that are going on or need to occur as well as maintenance needs. b. Rick mentioned that he is checking out parsonage roof bids. c. It was suggested that a committee which serves under Property Management could handles the aesthetics of such things like paint colors, furnishings, etc. 14

15 d. Tom mentioned that they are also developing a list of work instructions. Their hope is to have a good organizational structure to help avoid future problems and discrepancies with opinions. e. Bob showed us the outline of Faith s property, so questions on what we can and can t do would be clearer. On April 29 th there is a forum identifying the ideas coming up from Land Use Committee. C. Music and Worship - Joan reported that the sound system is on hold due to other property/maintenance expenses. Their next meeting is April 19 th. D. Stewardship Cindy D., Esther report submitted. E. Trust Funds Joe D., Cindy B. report submitted F. Education/Church in Society Joyce Caldwell a. Report submitted. b. Joyce said that the listening session with young families/individuals went well. It was attended by 29 people c. Joyce and Pastor will meet with Dena Baule for a follow-up meeting. G. Active Shooter Training (tabled from 3/8/18) tabled again until May 2018 meeting. H. Easter Breakfast report submitted I. Office Requests Council members are asked to review this report from the office as there is deadline information from the church office. J. Date for next S.W.O.T. meeting April 29 p.m. (Note the time change from 11:30 a.m.) K. Land Presentation on April 29 th at 10:30am We would like as many Council members as possible present at this forum. L Spring Ladies Luncheon There is no one to host this year s luncheon. Cindy Ball suggested that we should have a committee in the future to do this. M. St. Ben s there are issues finding someone to coordinate this ministry. N. Cordelia Taylor discussion Cindy Dellegrazio has been in contact with Diana Radtke, a friend of Cordelia Taylor regarding helping Cordelia financially. Cindy asked Council whether they wanted to have Diana come to a Council meeting to hear more about Cordelia s needs. Council decided that it would be fine to do a free will offering as a sign of grace and kindness. Cindy D can ask Trust Funds whether they would want to match any free will offering to Cordelia. O. Brief discussion on Social Media Policy tabled until May 2018 meeting. Next Meeting: Thursday, May 10 th at 6:30 PM Meeting adjourned at 9:08 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Cindy Dellegrazio 15

16 2018 May PARTICIPATION SCHEDULE USHER TEAM 2 Mission of the Month: Crossways Camping Ministries Altar Care: Esther Rusch, Sandy Stelter Fred Rusch, Dick Bury, Norm Williams DATE TIME ASSISTING MINISTER PRAYERS READER CUP DEACONS ACOLYTES GREETERS May 6 COM 9:00am Ryan Fischer Julie Allen May 13 COM 9:00 am Vonna Pitel Addison Milam Darrel and Shelley Blank May 20 COM 9:00 am Dottie Dorr Braden Baken May 27 COM 9:00 am Olivia Norquist PLEASE LET THE OFFICE KNOW OF ANY CHANGES, THANK YOU 16