Calendar of Upcoming Events

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1 Page 1 Western Iowa Synod Women of the ELCA Christy VanDeventer & Carolyn Johnson, Co- Editors December, 2018 **************************************************************************************************************** Western Iowa Synodical Women s Organization Newsletter Published Four times a year ****************************************************************************************************************************** ATTENTION: Please, send all your articles per (if possible) to Carolyn Johnson at den09car@q.com or Christy VanDeventer at cdvandeven@gmail.com. Thank you! PLEASE DO NOT SEND ANY INFORMATION TO Margaret Stangohr. Calendar of Upcoming Events June 22, 2019 Western Iowa Synodical Women s Organization Convention Bethany Lutheran, Emmetsburg, IA. October 2019 Tri Synod Retreat Story City, IA. July 2020 Women of the ELCA Eleventh Triennial Convention & Gathering Phoenix, Arizona ******************************************************************************************* EVERYONE IS WELCOME TO ATTEND Christmas Open House Saturday, December 8th 9 am - 2 pm Where: Western Iowa Synod Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, 318 E Fifth Street, Storm Lake FESTIVAL OF TREES * BAZAAR * DEMONSTRATIONS * REFRESHMENT *********************************************************************** PURPOSE STATEMENT ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ As a community of women, created in the image of God, called to discipleship in Jesus Christ, and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we commit ourselves to grow in faith, affirm our gifts, support one another in our callings, engage in ministry and action, and promote healing and wholeness in the church, the society and the world.

2 Page 2 MESSAGE FROM YOUR WISWO PRESIDENT We are almost to the end of It has been another busy and rewarding year for the WISWO Board with Spring and Fall cluster meetings, the WISWO convention, and our second WISWO Retreat. We mailed out leadership packets (which will be sent out electronically next year). We continue to the SCRIBE to all the churches and unit leaders for whom we have s. We have five board meetings at the synod office in Storm Lake through out the year. To all clusters that are planning events for the next spring, please let me know the date, time and place for your event by calling me at or den09car@q.com. We are in the process of planning the annual WISWO Convention to be held on Saturday, June 22, 2019, at Bethany Lutheran Church in Emmetsburg, Iowa. Please be aware of the resolution that WISWO passed at our 2018 Convention regarding Katie s Fund. BE IT RESOLVED that the Women of the Western Iowa Synod commit to supporting Katie s Fund so that the women of today and our daughters in the future will be able to apply for grants that will help them to reach the goals to which the Holy Spirit is calling them. Please consider Katie s Fund and our Seminarian Scholarship when you make your special offerings to WISWO. Thank you to all of you for supporting these WISWO initiatives. Wishing all of you a very Joyous and Blessed Advent and Christmas season. Yours in Christ, Marlyce Hauge DO YOU KNOW YOUR HYMNS? Dentist s hymn Weatherman s hymn Contractor s hymn Tailor s hymn Golfer s hymn Politician s hymn Optometrist s hymn IRS Agent s hymn Gossip s hymn Electrician s hymn Shopper s hymn Realtor s hymn Massage Therapist s hymn Crown Him with Many Crowns There Shall be Showers of Blessing The Church s One Foundation Holy, Holy, Holy There is a Green Hill Far Away Standing on the Promises Open My Eyes That I Might See I Surrender All Pass It On Send the Light Sweet By and By I ve Got a Mansion Over the Hilltop He Touched Me AND for those who speed on the highway. 55 mph God Will Take Care of You 75 mph Nearer My God to Thee 85 mph This World Is Not My Home 95 mph Lord, I m Coming Home 100 mph Precious Memories Give me a sense of humor, Lord. Give me the grace to see a joke, to get some humor out of life.

3 Page 3 MESSAGE FROM Cindy Wells Chilean Companions at Advent A 10-member group of Western Iowa Synod members, plus one Churchwide Global Mission staff person, traveled to the land of Chile to grow and share in companionship with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Chile (IELCH). Our travels took us from the central capital of Santiago to the extreme continental southern point of Punta Arenas at the Straight of Magellan, allowing us to visit nearly all 10 congregations of this small, yet dynamic, prophetic church. Social Justice, church, and localized highlights include: Popular Education in Health (EPES) We experienced how the empowerment of locals, particularly women, helps them to tackle their own health care struggles and results in dignified solutions. Domestic Violence As the only visible church presence, we participated in an immense and powerful march supporting the International Day Against Violence Against Women. Additionally, we visited an indigenous Mapuche retreat center for women s and land rights, and viewed the sewing machines furnished by the Western Iowa Synod that empowers women and financially strengthens those who suffer from domestic violence and poverty. Dictatorship Fallout We visited prior torture and detention centers while hearing the stories of a past detainee, visited the FASIC Center whereby documentation of cases loom in archives and social justice activity continues. Advocacy and Voting We saw the immense priority placed on voting in their national elections as well as the ways the IELCH puts its name and face forward at many public, political rallies. Visiting a myriad of Lutheran pre-schools through high schools, we enjoyed their various artistic talents, celebrated in their successes, learned from their models and learned what is needed to address their needs. We worshipped and opened the Advent season together as brothers and sisters in Christ. There was ample time spent with the youth, women and elderly of this church. We saw ecumenical efforts to address societal needs and disaster responses to fire, tsunamis, and earthquakes. There were efforts, too, to reconcile and reunite with another Lutheran body that split during the time of the dictatorship. We experienced the various creation marvels of the area lakes, oceans, thermal hot springs, volcanoes, mountains, penguins, seals, etc. A few of us stayed on even longer to experience the Antarctic as well! In all, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Chile showcases how to be a public church and the face of Christ amid those living there and among others in our midst. May we learn from such witness and find ways to bring that forth in our own faith journeys and church events. Feel free to join us on a next visit! For more information, contact Cindy Wells, Western Iowa Synod Director of Global Mission, cindy.wells@wisynod.org or , Dios les bendiga (and God bless you all)! Cindy Wells Director for Global Mission Western Iowa Synod ELCA "Joyfully called as servants to accompany congregations and leaders in God's mission: Praying. Encouraging. Serving. Equipping. Stewarding." Eph 4:11-13

4 Page 4 JUSTICE SPEAK UP! WHAT IS IT? Faith in action, addressing inequities in political, economic, and social systems Equity and impartiality, mercy and compassion Service to God in ways that bring healing and wholeness to the church, society, and the world WHAT CAN WE DO FOR JUSTICE? Pray Host a Bible study Promote awareness by having a speaker Contribute to organizations dealing with those issues *Volunteer in organizations dealing with those issues Join other people to promote legislation Organize safe places for victims TAKE ACTION! Linda Clarke, Carolyn Johnson and Gayle Petersen *********************************************************************** Dear WISWO, I am sincerely honored to have been selected as one of the recipients of the WISWO Seminary Scholarship. Your generosity has truly touched my heart and will help to further my seminary education. As I start this road, I am so very thankful for this wonderful gift. Because of this thoughtful gift you have helped lighten the cost of seminary. WISWO FALL RETREAT God Bless you all! Kandi Anderson It was a beautiful day for our 2018 Fall Retreat. She is Strong, She is Valiant, She is Fearless, She is Enough, She is a Child of God was our theme for the day. We enjoyed fellowship and stories over coffee, donuts and lunch. Pr. Lorna Halaas led our devotion on how to use prayer as a form of meditation. We prepared 25 health kits and 24 school kits to be sent to Lutheran World Relief. Paula Crandell taught us how to use alcohol ink to make beautiful tiles to take home as a remembrance. We ended our day with the thanks, worship and communion. We are thankful to all who planned the event and took time to attend. JACKETS FOR BABY CARE KITS At our retreat, Janet Wiener shared with us some fleece baby jackets that her sister LaVonne had made. Many of you asked about the pattern. It is Simplicity Pattern # 2523, and includes sizes xxsmall to large. Sue Boblit and Linda Clarke

5 Page 5 STEWARDSHIP Judy Wood has resigned from the WISWO Board following the November WISWO Board meeting. Thank you, Judy, for your service. Please send all your information to: Janet Buenger, 601 Minnesota Street, Holstein, IA Cell: , or jan.bing64@frontier.com. You may also contact: Nancy J. Peters, th Street, Sheldon, IA Home phone: , cell: , nancyp@nethtc.net. Janet Buenger and Nancy J. Peters DISCIPLESHIP For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven. (Ecclesiastes 3:1) As Lutheran Christians, we have an ancient, multifaceted, precious, often half-buried gem in our churches our practice of the seasons of the liturgical calendar. Every new year on this calendar begins with Advent, which means beginning, start, or approach. Advent is, wisely enough, not a single day, but a whole season that takes in the space of four Sundays before Christmas. Preparations take time. We moderns, young and old alike, need time to practice the ancient arts of watching and waiting. In the northern hemisphere, Advent begins counter-intuitively -- exactly when the days are getting shorter, the weather is getting colder, and the last bits of autumn s gardens and flowers are withering on the vine. At night, light streams out of church windows into skies darkened by the early nightfall of daylight-saving time, as midweek choir rehearsals and youth and children s programs take on an extra vibrancy. We re getting ready for the Christmas program! We re playing bells on Christmas Eve! The four weeks of Advent are a time of preparation with a dual purpose. We prepare to celebrate Jesus birth, yes. We look forward to Christmas so much that we are sometimes surprised when our musicians and pastors keep us from singing our favorite carols in church. Not yet, they say, although we may sneak in a Christmas song as a prelude or an anthem. But it s not time yet for all the Christmas hymns sung by the whole congregation and choir with full gusto. We are waiting, as if for the first time, for the birth of the King. We are also waiting for the end time. This is why, often also to our surprise and consternation, we liturgical Lutherans find ourselves listening to Old Testament prophecies, John the Baptist s thundering, and Jesus own words of warning on these Sundays of Advent. Our church is preparing for the coming of our Lord as a baby in the manger, but also for that day when he will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. Read Acts 2: Even though this passage of Scripture is usually proclaimed on the liturgical feast of Pentecost in May or June each year, it fits both themes of Advent: the events surrounding the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem as well as the wait and the watch for Christ to come again. Advent means something new is coming. Advent means believing that with God, all things are possible. The Advent story leads into the Christmas story, which leads to the hope of Christ coming again in power to set all things right. Prayer: All-Creating God, may this Advent season be filled with hope and joy, peace and new energy for all of us. Help us to trust in your gracious will, to serve your kingdom here on earth, to depend on your ultimate power. Fill us with energy, O Spirit, to do those things which you would have us do, and teach us to watch well, O Father God, for the One who s second coming we await, Jesus Christ our Lord, in whose name we pray. Amen. {Resource: Advent: A Season for All Generations January 2, 2009 Kim Campbell and Pam Jondal

6 Page 6 Triennial Convention, July 2017 It has been awhile since the 2017 Triennial Convention and you may not be aware of initiatives all of us should be addressing. As you plan for your upcoming year s programs and charitable giving, unit leaders may want to consider some of the initiatives passed as resolutions and memorials at the Tenth Triennial Convention. You may access a more details for each of these at the WELCA website: < A resolution was passed that affirmed the need [for clean and potable water] in Flint Michigan. Units are encouraged to act upon it by raising awareness and/or offering tangible support to the people of Flint, Michigan. A memorial passed that we recognize domestic abuse and violence and its signs, to become educated about the services offered in the community, volunteer at and financially support those agencies, post information regarding hotlines and services in various areas of the church facility and communications, and assist people in connecting them with agencies, professionals, and resources. Women of the ELCA are encouraged to hold in prayer the Bible Women of India as it ministers to families in India. A memorial was passed to work to end human trafficking: pray, educate, connect, and act. Various resources were listed in the resolution that could be used. The synodical women s organization presidents are to report what has been done at the 2019 Conference of Presidents, so any units who have addressed this initiative, please contact Marlyce Hauge, WISWO President. A resolution was passed to support leadership needs in our church by lifting women who might seek ordination as ministers of word and sacrament and as ministers of word and service (deacons) and to encourage women to pursue these callings, as well as to support the ELCA Fund for Leaders (FFL) which is a meritbased scholarship program. A resolution was passed to continue learning about and advocating for a carbon fee and dividend and other measures such as solar power to care for God s creation. There were other resolutions and memorials, but these encourage us to act for the justice needed in our world. Prayerfully consider taking steps towards these initiatives. MISSION STATEMENT OF WOMEN OF THE ELCA TO MOBILIZE WOMEN TO ACT BOLDLY ON THEIR FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST

7 Page 7 Highlights from the Clusters Dorcas Cluster: The Fall Cluster Meeting was at Twin Lake Christian Center, Wednesday, September 12, Deborah Cluster: No fall meeting. Esther Cluster: No report. Hannah Cluster: No fall meeting. Lydia Cluster: The Salem woman of the ELCA in Creston met Oct. 28 th to distribute money raised from their spring sales. $2000 was given to the following organizations: Appalachia service project, Beloit Children s Home, Crisis Intervention Center, Lutheran Disaster Fund, Lutheran Lakeside & Riverside Bible Camps, Matura, O Riley Center, Storybook Project, Women s Seminary Scholarship, Quilters, Lutheran Services of Iowa, and Global Health Ministries. We shipped to LWR the following kits: 3 personal, 20 baby care & 50 school, 52 quilts were sent in April and now 34 more. In December, several families will be adopted. Our spring meeting will be in April at Northboro at St. Paul s Lutheran Church. Sincerely. Joyce Anderson Mary Cluster: Disbanded Martha Cluster: Martha Fall Cluster was held at Augustana Lutheran Church, Sioux City, on October 26, The cluster was attended by 58 people. The meeting opened with a welcome and prayer by Pastor Del. Brunch was served. Pastor Del did the opening devotion, and then the opening hymn was sung. The program was on Hospices and led by Ann Myers of Hospice of Siouxland of Sioux City. It was very informative and interesting. Linda Clarke represented the WISWO Board. Roll call and an offering was taken. Pastor Del closed the meeting with a prayer and hymn. Sincerely, Marion Erickson Tabitha Cluster Disbanded Ruth Cluster: Shared some pictures of making bandages from sheets at their September 29 th meeting held at Ringsted. Please don t throw me away or stick me in a file! Instead, take me apart, copy me! Share me with the women of your Church. Thank You!!

8 Page 8 Pictures of the Chilean trip from Cindy Wells, WIS Global Programs Coordinator

9 Page 9 Western Iowa Synodical Women s Organization Directory BOARD Officers PRESIDENT Marlyce Hauge PO Box 311 Manson, IA H C den09car@q.com VICE PRESIDENT Sue Boblit 104 E. First Street Spencer, IA H C sdboblit@gmail.com SECRETARY Chris VanDeventer 1805 Hwy. 18 Algona, IA C cdvandeven@gmail.com TREASURER Dixie Petersen 2409 Littlefield Drive Exira, IA H crpfarm@iowatelecom.net Women of the ELCA Linda Post Bushkofsky 8765 West Higgins Road Chicago, IL , ext EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR BOARD Members STEWARDSHIP Nancy Peters th Street Sheldon, IA H C nancyp@nethtc.net Janet Buenger 601 Minnesota Street Holstein, IA C jan.bing64@frontier.com DISCIPLESHIP Kim Campbell 1403 Broadway Emmetsburg, IA H C kcampbell@iowalakes.edu Pam Jondal th Street Webster City, IA H pamjondal@gmail.com WESTERN IOWA SYNOD OFFICE 318 E 5 th Street, Storm Lake, IA Synod Liaison: Pastor Lorna Halaas lorna.halaas.rev@wisynod.org Cell: Office: Office Coordinator: Lynn Egesdal lynn.egesdal@wisynod.org JUSTICE Linda Clarke 909 S. Saint Mary s St. Sioux City, IA H lsclarke52@gmail.com Carolyn Johnson 504 W. Elm Ave. Pocahontas, IA H den09car@q.com Gayle Petersen P.O. Box 265 Ringsted, IA H C lghtnin@ringtelco.com THE SCRIBE (Co-Editors) Chris VanDeventer 1804 Hwy 18 Algona, IA H: / cdvandeven@gmail.com Carolyn Johnson 504 West Elm Ave Pocahontas, IA H C den09car@q.com

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