February We are Central to Winona, disciples of Jesus living a vibrant faith.

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1 February 2019 Weekly TV Broadcast Mondays, 7:00 p.m. Charter Channel 986 Wednesdays, 5:00 p.m. HBC Channel 20 Pastor Michael Short We are Central to Winona, disciples of Jesus living a vibrant faith. Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ; Here on the eve of my installation as the Directing Pastor of Central Lutheran Church, I give thanks to God for all of you. During the process which brought me here I have learned of the long struggle Central has had in calling a new pastor. Yet what excites me most and for which I give thanks is during those almost three long years you as members of Central have come to embrace and have stepped up to take control of the ministries of this church. This is as it should be. Churches are not the pastor s church but the people s church and ultimately they are Christ s church. But the ministries are run by the people with the help and guidance of the pastor. As such I am excited to be here as we begin our journey walking together to serve others in the name of Jesus. I know some of you already know parts of my story and the journey which lead me to this place. Yet now all of you have heard so here is another short version of God calling me to become a pastor and how I got to Winona. Growing up in the central part of Illinois I loved being outdoors and working on farms. I headed off to college to become a business person. I enjoyed numbers and business classes and received a BS degree in business and accounting. I worked for many years as a banker until being laid off after the bank I worked at was purchased by a larger bank. Later I worked for a law firm and an accounting firm managing the office and staff. Then I was hired to manage a small manufacturing company for a friend. During all of these transitions and job changes, I continued to consider what it was I was supposed to do in life. After much prayer and conversations with mentors and friends the one thing which kept being lifted up was; you need to go be a pastor. Not sure I wanted this or it was the right thing for me to do, I took a chance and began seminary. Suddenly everything from the money to pay for seminary to a job for Debbie, my wife seemed to fall into place. God was at work directing my life. After seminary I served two small rural churches outside Litchfield, MN (Beckville and First Lutheran, Cosmos). Then for the last 12+ years I have served as Senior Pastor of First English Lutheran in Platteville, WI. Now Debbie and I along with our dog, Annie have settled into a new house here in Winona. While we are still unpacking boxes and hanging pictures we are excited and feeling at home and you the members of Central have embraced us and cared for us in ways we were not expecting. God is at work in this place and the Spirit is pushing us to continue to serve the people of Winona. When it comes to service and ministry I often look to the baptismal promises as a guide. There we promised to gather to hear the Word of God and to share in the sacraments, to share in the reading and study of scripture and to work for peace and justice caring for all of God s creation until the day when our Savior comes again. Here is a good place for us to begin our journey together as we seek to serve others in the name of Jesus. In the meantime, may God continue to bless us, may Christ be ever at our side and may the Spirit ever push us to reach out in love and service to others. Pr. Michael Short, Directing Pastor W. Wabasha Winona, MN

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3 The Feast Wednesdays 4:45-6:00 p.m., Grace Hall See Menu in the Feast News section of this newsletter. Adult Forum Sundays, 9:15 a.m., Library We start a 4 week session on the OT book of Job Feb. 10 through March 3. This is a fascinating look at human suffering and the Divinity of God. Everyone is welcome; any study resources will be provided. For questions contact Julie Palubicki at Celebrate Volunteers! Sun., Feb. 3, 9:15 a.m., Grace Hall You are invited to celebrate the vibrant ministries being carried out by volunteers at Central Lutheran Church. Please join us as we recognize those who contribute their time and talents to make these ministries possible. There will be a short program and refreshments to enjoy. Gather Bible Study Thurs., Feb. 7, 2:00 p.m., Grace Hall Take part in the second session of a two-part Bible study, Meetings with Jesus from the gospel of John in the Jan/Feb issue of Gather magazine. Coffee and refreshments at 3:00 p.m. All women are welcome! Congregational Annual Meeting Sun., Feb. 10, 11:15 a.m., Grace Hall Agendas are posted throughout the building. Annual Reports will be available. Root River Conference Assembly Sun., Feb. 10, 2:00 p.m., at Cross of Christ Lutheran Church, Houston, MN Please join Pr. Michael Short at the conference assembly. We will discuss the upcoming bishop election process in addition to any resolutions coming before the Synod assembly. If you would like to attend the meeting, please contact the church office at Upcoming Events CLC Book Group Mon. Feb. 11, 9:30 a.m., Grace Hall Mon. Feb. 25, 9:30 a.m., Library Is there a book you have been waiting to read but can't find the time? Have you read a book that you wanted to talk over with someone? Then joining a book group is the answer! The CLC book group has not selected a book to begin on February 25th. It is a great opportunity for you to share your ideas and try out the group. We meet twice a month on Monday mornings and we share, discuss and enjoy our time together. We are now finishing The Rapture Exposed which has deepened and changed our experience of the book of Revelation. We look forward to new members with new ideas. Hope to see you soon. Any questions, contact Gayle Garrity at Welcoming Table Mon., Feb. 11, 5:30 6:30 p.m., Grace Hall Project Fine community meal. All are welcome! Prayers for Healing Sun., Feb. 17, 8:15 &10:15 a.m., worship services Prayers for healing are offered each third Sunday of the month in Holy Spirit Chapel (left) during communion. At any time before or after you commune you are invited to join the pastor in prayer for healing for yourself or someone else. Worship Volunteer Training Opportunity Sun., Feb. 17, 9:15 a.m., Grace Hall Have you wondered what ushers, communion assistants, altar guild volunteers, lectors, or greeters all do? This event will be an opportunity to learn what these roles involve, get your questions answered, and sign-up if you decide you're interested. None of the roles require perfection, and you can serve alongside others who will gladly show you the ropes. Please consider joining us! Prayer Shawl Gathering Mon., Feb. 25, 6:00 p.m., Grace Hall Please join me for a gathering at the church. Bring your prayer shawls and we can visit and work on our shawls. If you are not working on a prayer shawl but would be interested in joining our group, please come to the gathering. No RSVP needed. Any questions, please contact Sheri Maier at

4 Notices Volunteer Recognition & Recruitment Event On February 3, 2019, 9:15 a.m., Grace Hall, Central Lutheran will recognize and thank our dedicated volunteers. We are blessed to have a dedicated and professional staff but volunteers are the core of our ministry here at Central. We have hundreds of things that need to be done each year, can you quickly name 5 of them? Did you forget the money counters? Prayer chain members? Lay ministry? Funeral committee? Office staff volunteers? Newsletter preparers? Volunteers will often tell you they enjoy what they do and "get a lot" of satisfaction from the activity. It makes them feel good that they can help. Those things are true but it also means they may be called upon when they have other commitments, the task may require a significant amount of time, the task may require physical and mental stress or the task may be complicated by others expectations. It is work for our Lord, but it is still work. This year we will have a special recognition of the congregational members who have served on our call committees over the last 3 years. We appreciate their dedication and input into finding a pastor to lead our congregation into the future. Please plan to attend this event for your fellow congregation members. We will also have information on the many volunteer opportunities available at Central and we invite you to consider becoming involved in our ministry as you are able. Southeastern Minnesota Synod Southeastern Minnesota Synod Assembly will be held on May 31st to June 1st at the Mayo Civic Center, Rochester, MN. At our synod assembly we will be electing a new bishop for our synod. If you would like to attend the synod assembly as a delegate from Central Lutheran, please contact the church office at More information will be available at the conference assembly on February 10th. (please see upcoming events section of this newsletter for more information.) Central Lutheran Church Mugs Mugs are now available for $8 each! Any proceeds will be applied to the cost of a new coffee machine for the Welcome Center/ Narthex. Mugs can be purchased at the Welcome Desk today or in the office during the week. Church Directory The photo directories are now available for purchase in the church office and on Sundays at the Welcome desk in the narthex for $6.00. Thank you to Dennis Glawe for his dedicated work to complete this project. And thank you to all the congregation members who became a part of a new way of doing things. If you have questions about the directory, you may contact Dennis Glawe at dennisglawe2@yahoo.com or Gayle Garrity at Blood Drive HATS OFF to the Red Cross Staff, donors, workers, etc. for a fantastic drive. Even though due to a printer glitch and a half hour delay we exceeded our goal of 30 by 3! Thank you to LouAnne Schwarz for her monetary contribution and thank you to the workers from Central: Myrna Olson, LaVern Hauschildt, Dorothy Sorum, Kathy Benke, Sue Cooper, Nancy Polson, Bev Spande. Myrna Olson, Nancy Hauschildt, Kathy Kulas, and Bev Spande for soup, bars and a meal for the Red Cross Staff. It was good to see friends and so many members from Central donating blood. Our summer drive is scheduled for August 8th 12:00 to 6:00 p.m. See you then! -Social Concerns/Missions Committee Good Gifts Thank you to those of you who donated to Good Gifts, a ministry of the ELCA, during the Advent and Christmas season. Your gift will make a difference in multiple lives! Thank you for being instrumental in furthering the global ripples of Central Lutheran Church. 4 Welcoming All Engaging Worship Growing Faith Compassionate Service

5 Opportunities to Serve (Time and Talents) Opportunities to Give Visiting the Shut-Ins Lay Eucharistic Ministers visit our shut-ins on a regular basis, bringing Holy Communion through the elements that have been blessed in our worship services. If you are feeling the Holy Spirit tug at your heart to get involved in service at Central, we could use your help with making monthly visits to a shut-in or two. Training will be provided. If you are interested, please contact Chris Wilmot at or Pastor Linda Helberg at clc3.visit@gmail.com. Worship Greeters We need individuals or couples who are willing to welcome people as they enter Central Lutheran on Sunday mornings. For more information, talk to Aleah Harvey, clcmusic3@gmail.com. Seeking Communion Assistants Each month approximately 30 communion assistant slots are filled by a dedicated group of volunteers, but we could really use a few more to help share the responsibility. Communion assistants are those that help serve the bread and wine and pick up the communion cups during the service. Please consider trying it. Many have found it to be a meaningful way to participate in worship. Contact Greta Poser if you're interested at or by ing- gbernatz@gmail.com. Someone will meet with you before the service to go through the process and then serve alongside you during the service. If you like it, you can choose to be added to the distribution list and sign-up to help when it works for you. December Food Basket Time to celebrate! In December, 563 lbs. of nonperishables and $ in cash were brought in for the Food Shelf which converted to 1091 lbs. of food. The grand total so far is 9834 lbs. We exceeded last year s goal by 3806 lbs. Thank you, thank you for making this a banner year. A special thanks goes out the Bob Hermann. With all your continued support we help keep the food shelves stocked for those in need. Thank you for supporting this ministry. ~ Social Concerns/Missions Committee. Convenient Giving You can make an automatic gift to Central Lutheran Church from your savings or checking account once a week, once a month, or twice a month. Pick up the form in the entrance, or check out other automatic giving options on Central s website. Thrivent Choice Dollars If you have any Thrivent Choice Dollars, please consider directing them to Central Lutheran Church. Nominations for CLC Council and Committees February 10, 2019 Central Lutheran Church Foundation: Mia Martin- term to Feb Ed Berkley- term to Feb *Thank you to Scott Olson and Bill Davis who have completed their terms. Church council: President elect- Bill Davis Member-at-large- Tammy Lepper Swensonterm to Feb *Thank you to Judy Davis and Carol Kramer who have completed their terms. Nominating committee: Steve Everson- term to 2021 Myrna Olson- term to

6 Worship, Music News Aleah Harvey, Director of Worship, Music, and Arts We now find ourselves in a bit of a lull in the church year. As things wind down following the rush of Christmas and before the preparation and anticipation of Holy Week and Easter, I have the opportunity to focus on several large-picture projects. One of these projects involves analyzing our current modes of communication. Staff members devote a considerable amount of time in conveying information through various methods including the announcement page, e-news, newsletter, website, social media, etc. We want to be sure that our efforts are strategic and effective. I also believe that we are missing opportunities to engage with members of the Winona and area communities. We have some wonderful things happening at Central Lutheran! More individuals should be made aware and be given the opportunity to participate in ministries or activities occurring at Central Lutheran. Please respond to the communications survey. It has been shared through and on our Facebook site. Paper copies will be available on the welcome table in the Narthex. Members in assisted living facilities will also be invited to participate when visited by volunteers or staff. I ask that you submit your response electronically or to the church office by February 10, Thank you in advance for your participation! Your responses and comments will be valuable to strategic planning efforts. I am excited for the future of Central Lutheran Church! Feast News The Feast spring season is off to a great start. Thanks go the Aerospace Mechanical Workers Union from Peerless Chain for sponsoring the January 9 meal, as well as providing a serving crew- Thanks so much! Peerless Chain Company will include service to the Feast as they observe a milestone anniversary in February. The Feast is working on making the task of cooking more approachable. Anyone interested is welcome to shadow the experienced cooks. Menus and quantities are available, and your supplies will be available to you. All it takes is a call to Kendra Budnick, Head Cook, Please consider this opportunity to truly live out the mission of being Central to Winona. You will be immeasurably rewarded, and there is compensation provided. FEBRUARY FEAST MENU: February 6: Pizza Hotdish February 13: Chicken Wild Soup February 20: Hamburger Rice Casserole February 27: Potato Bar We are Central to Winona, disciples of Jesus living a vibrant faith. 259 W. Wabasha Winona, MN

7 February 2019 Mission: Provide the building blocks of child care by creating learning opportunities infused with faith while supporting the whole family What s Happening at your Child Care Center? When you walk into Central, you may not realize, there is a lot happening behind the scenes: Children s experiences We brought the outside in by bringing snow into the room to touch and talking about all of the interesting winter activities. The color white was experienced with white foods such as whip cream, coconut and mini marshmallows. Transportation by land, water and air along with the types of vehicles that go with each area. Making Memories with our youngest community members! Here are pictures of our younger children learning, experiencing and having fun! Contribution to the Winona Community We currently serve 52 families, 74 children enrolled. We are able to add a few children that fall into the age range where we have availability. We consider any help that we can provide to families, be it full-time care or part-time care, a win for the Winona Community. We have been holding tours to secure enrollment for future infant openings for the beginning of The Center s Team The center employs 40 staff at this time. The staff are continually working towards continuing their education with classes for training hours that the state requires. We will start annual reviews in February for the team. From our Center Family to Your Family Love is in the air the weather has been beautiful and the children have been able to get outside and they LOVE every minute that they are out there. Sending Valentine s Day Smiles to YOU! Questions, please contact us Phone childclc@hbci.com 7

8 Just having someone hear him out allowed him to surprise himself. These are the words I found myself scribbling on the nearest scrap paper in my kitchen one morning, as I prepared breakfast. I was listening to my new favorite podcast, But That s Another Story, and the guest that day was NPR host Sam Sanders. He was being interviewed about a book that changed his life, Dancy Senna s New People, the 2016 election, and how people can surprise us- if we let them. He told a story that echoed stories just shared in the sacred space of the Lutheran Campus Center a couple weeks earlier. The pastors of the Root River Conference gathered in early December at the LCC for fellowship, collegial support, and continuing education. We welcomed Steve Spilde from the Franciscan Spirituality Center ( ( ) to lead us in the spiritual practice of listening circles. He did this in light of the 2016 and 2018 elections, allowing colleagues the space to name what they were really feeling and thinking. We scraped chairs across the wooden floor, forming close circles in groups of 4-5 people. We were each given two minutes of uninterrupted time to speak, or just be silent. Then, there was a pause, and the next person could share. There was no cross-talk allowed. Just a deep listening. We named things some of us had been holding in for a while. By the end, it was clear to me that something unexpected and holy took place once more in our humble coffee shop space. Listening. Surprise. Deepening relationship with ourselves, one another, and God. The words that Sam Sanders shared on the podcast to which I had been listening held a greater meaning to me, I think, because of this experience at the LCC with my colleagues. Sanders said, Just having someone hear him out allowed him to surprise himself. Because these are things that he d been hearing and internalizing and thinking, but never said aloud, and giving him the chance to just say it, I think I honestly saw his worldview change that day, and gosh, probably about 20 minutes later, he invited me into his house... I think those moments can happen so much more often when we allow people to surprise us. We are in this really heated political climate right now where people feel the need on every single side of the aisle to stifle speech that disagrees with them, and it feels good to do that, but that is not letting people surprise you. Independent Theo(logy) is a rich time for students to engage in deep conversations, questions, and even allows for moments of surprise. As the saying from my seminary days go, sometimes we are heard into speech. I offer you this story today to illustrate that the gift of Lutheran Campus Ministry goes beyond students. This ministry is for staff and faculty of universities, for our community, and even for our beloved pastors in the field. We pray that the LCC stands as a community of Christ s love, peace, grace, and surprise for anyone who happens upon our little corner of the world, on Huff and King/9th Street. Thank you, as always, for your generosity and love. We cherish you, our friends. Peace, Pastor Corrine * Thank you so much for reading our monthly updates. If you would like to receive our biannual newsletters and other communications, please let us know by contacting us at ; kelleyolsonlcc@gmail.com or LCC, PO Box 4, Winona, MN You could also contact Central Lutheran Church office know at Thank you so much! May the Lord bless you and keep you. 8 Welcoming All Engaging Worship Growing Faith Compassionate Service

9 Council Meeting December 18, 2018 Council Update Present: Gayle Garrity, Bill Pfaff, Judy Davis, Paul Ness, Carol Kramer, Marie Holmquist, Dian Biesanz and Pastor Zaske Meeting opened with devotions from Pastor Zaske November council minutes were presented for approval, motion to approve made by Carol, seconded by Paul - - motion carried. Treasurer s report presented for approval, motion to approve made by Bill, seconded by Gayle - - motion carried. Staff reports, Director of worship, music and the arts, Technology, Operations, and visitation Pastor all presented for approval, motion made by Paul, seconded by Marie - - motion passed. OLD BUSINESS: Water leakage issue in the basement; Property committee will meet with Winona Nursery for clarification of the bid at which time we will continue on with the bid and educating and informing the congregation of the severity of this issue and the cost to repair it. After full and informative discussion with the congregation, we will then immediately begin fund raising to move ahead. Stewardship will be an ongoing soft approach throughout the year. Youth programs are in full force, Emma (a student at WSU) has been a wonderful addition to our volunteers to the youth program and seems to connect with the youth. Pastor Short will be informed of our direction with the youth programs and the hiring of a youth director as a priority. Short discussion of the nominations and elections of council members needed to fill council seats. These additions to council will be voted on at January meeting and presented to congregation at the annual meeting or possibly before. Business on hold at this time: policies (building use, cash gifts and gifts in kind). NEW BUSINESS: A date and time needs to be set up for a budget meeting; we need to discuss our goals, strategize on fund raising for big AND small needs/projects. We will concentrate on the first 2 weeks in January when Pastor Short will be present for ideas and input. Upon further discussion, a date of January 8 th was arrived upon for this meeting to fill Pastor Short in on pressing issues at Central, and Paul will present 2019 budget at this meeting, followed by discussion. Personnel committee has presented us with a 2% pay increase for staff. Further discussion and approval will be taken care of at January council meeting. Meeting adjourned to facilitate the Blue Christmas service. Dian Biesanz, Council Secretary 9

10 Financial Report Operating Fund December 2018 Total Income: $120, Total Expenses: $ 64, Offering Goal January $36, Thank you for your support of Central s ministry. Mortgage Monthly payments for interest and principal December: $3,146 Gifts for Building Fund December: $1, Gifts for additional mortgage principal reduction December: $18, Mortgage principal balance on Jan: $312, Gifts in memory or honor of someone MEMORIALS Dec THRU Jan UNDESIGNATED Memory of Mark Biesanz Given by Mary & Johnny Larkie Memory of Jerry Paulson Given by Arnold & Alanna Fenske Given by Lavern & Nancy Hauschildt Given by Joan & Paul Jackels Given by Lois Larson Given by Allen & Oma Paulson Given by John Paulson Given by Donald & Karen Rasmussen Given by Randy & Susan Snell Memory of Arnold Schindler Given by Arlene Neitzke BUILDING FUND Memory of Wendell Nordby Given by Ruth Nordby Memory of Jerry Paulson Given by Bev Spande Memory of Mark Biesanz Given by Bev Spande WATER REPAIR FUND Memory of Dick Kieper Given by Helen Kieper, Jack Kieper, Linda Bouck COFFEE MAKER Memory of Mark Biesanz Given by Carolyn Rasmussen DONATION Honor of Pastor Mike Zaske Given by Keith & Marie Holmquist In Celebration of our 46 Year s together Dian & Mark Biesanz MUSIC & ARTS Memory of Jerry Paulson Given by Dian Biesanz Given by Lester & Arla Hjelmeland Given by Karen & Ed Littlejohn Given by LouAnne Schwarz Given by Thomas & Christine Wilmot THRIVENT DOLLARS Given by Marilyn Marquardt Designated Gifts in December CLC WELCA - $2, Feast -$1, Flower Fund- $ Food Shelf - $ Funeral Fund - $ Hurricane Relief- $20.00 Memorials -$ Missions - $ Music & Arts -$2, Sunday School - $ Water Repair Fund - $7, World Hunger - $ Youth Fund - $

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12 NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID Permit # W. Wabasha Winona, MN Return Service Requested Congregational Annual Meeting Sun., Feb. 10, 11:15 a.m., Grace Hall Agendas are posted throughout the building. Annual Reports will be available. 12