WOMEN OF THE EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH IN AMERICA SOUTHEASTERN IOWA SYNODICAL WOMEN S ORGANIZATION

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1 D I WOMEN OF THE EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH IN AMERICA SOUTHEASTERN IOWA SYNODICAL WOMEN S ORGANIZATION R E C T I O N S Spring 2018 Southeastern Iowa Women of the ELCA 31st Gathering will be held, June at Windsor Heights Lutheran Church Windsor Heights, IA 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man will be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are past away; behold all things are to become new. IN THIS ISSUE President Sue..... pg.2 LWR.. pg Vice President Kris... pg Gathering...pg Notes from Treasurer pg 4-5 Cluster News..pg LSI Coin Challenge..pg. 8 Nomination Form..pg 9

2 Words from our President Sue Mangels 2

VICE PRESIDENT S CORNER Last Saturday I attended the Winter Retreat, held at St. John Lutheran, in Madrid. It was a cold and snowy day outsi a warm and beautiful day inside.

3 VICE PRESIDENT S CORNER Last Saturday I attended the Winter Retreat, held at St. John Lutheran, in Madrid. It was a cold and snowy day outsi a warm and beautiful day inside. I got to see many old friends and meet many new friends in the Northeastern part Synod. The speakers were great, we had Bible study and got to sing many favorite hymns. There was lots of good food, prepared by the ladies of St. John s. As I drove home that afternoon I had a warm feeling of being with other Lutheran Women of our Synod. I always enjoy hearing what other churches and Clusters are doing to promote God s love As I finish my six years on the SWO Board I m proud to be a Woman of the ELCA. We work together trying to make a better life for the people of our churches, our Synod, our state and the World around us. The money that is sent to SWO by our units and Clusters is used to help many organizations. As you know by now I am the liaison from the SWO Board to the nominating committee. This year we are looking for a new vice president, treasurer, and four board members, plus three women to serve on next year s nominating committee. When I agreed to serve on the board six years ago I never realized how my life would be enriched by meeting all the wonderful women of Southeastern Iowa. Thank you for the opportunity to serve you and Our Lord. Publication and Deadline Dates Issue Deadline Mailing Date Spring..Feb. 10..March 1st Summer...April 10...May 1st Summer Issue Deadline: April 10 Fall..August 10...September 1st Winter November 10 December 1st 3

4 Dollars and Cents from the SEIA Synod WELCA Treasurer (Linda S Kortemeyer) A recent article talked about the future of our monetary system and predicted our current dollars and cents will no longer exist. Everyone will do transactions with Smart phones or another electronic device. I got to thinking about organizations like WELCA and wondered what that change would mean for us. How many women would be left out of making contributions unless they went along with the methods prescribed by our future leaders? We all realize change is going to happen, but how can we help shape those important matters which affect our diverse universe in a positive way? Our lives are constantly having demands and requests for our time and talents. We only have so much we can give, so what we do needs prayerful consideration. We have to set priorities and be good stewards of our money and time. We must plan now for the next generation and plant strong roots of faith wherever we can. That is what our contributions to WELCA are doing planting strong roots of faith. So as this new fiscal year begins, I pray all of our women work together to make our goals attainable and realistic so we can make a difference. When we make an offering, no matter what the amount, do so with a thankful spirit. We know there are times when we are unsure what we are doing really counts; but when all our women come together with their individual and group offerings, we make great progress. Thanks to all of our WELCA contributors you have made a difference and helped so any groups. I receive beautiful thank you notes from the organizations we have assisted, and my heart is inspired and renewed each week working as your treasurer. The women who were able to attend our July Triennial in Minnesota had unique opportunities to really see the impact our organization has worldwide. Your contributions to LWR of those beautiful quilts, various kits, and monetary donations for shipping was overwhelming one of the best years for Iowa. At our June 2017 convention we were able to divide $2,400 among seven different organizations to help them in their work in our communities. Thank you so much for making this happen. One area we need to focus on in will be our church unit and cluster offerings. For some reason those contributions were down this year. We give 50% of those offerings to the CWO; and because we were lower on our budgeted amounts, we didn t meet our yearly goal. This wasn t just an Iowa problem but across the country and the CWO staff had to make some serious decisions and changes. I hope this year we can go above and beyond our goals and make sure the activities at our CWO can continue to support so many worthwhile projects. We understand several of our churches are struggling with changes but we encourage all of you to invite new women to join your activities, talk positively about things we do, show others we are not discouraged but we are happy to be doing things which will make a difference through the years. Cont d on Page 5 4

Dollars and Cents from the SEIA Synod WELCA Cont d from Page 4 We hope when our cluster groups have meetings (usually twice a year), they will remember to ask for an offering and say a prayer of

5 Dollars and Cents from the SEIA Synod WELCA Cont d from Page 4 We hope when our cluster groups have meetings (usually twice a year), they will remember to ask for an offering and say a prayer of thanksgiving. We realize you have expenses during those cluster meetings which need to be paid. We are very thankful for the offerings your clusters send to the SEIA SWO after your meetings and we count on this money in our budget each year. We are encouraged to hear about the various topics and programs the clusters design. We know as you advertise your events well, more women will see the importance of learning new things and join in our work as Women of the ELCA. We will conduct an audit in March and our financial records will be in our GPR at the June 2018 convention in Windsor Heights. Continue your good and faithful work and see the joy in the work you are doing whether it is in small or large groups Blessings to all for Linda S. Kortemeyer, Treasurer 5

Lutheran Chaplaincy Outreach (LCO) is at a crossroads, your financial support is needed!! We have implemented a 1 2 of 1 percent campaign since 2013.

6 Lutheran Chaplaincy Outreach (LCO) is at a crossroads, your financial support is needed!! We have implemented a 1 2 of 1 percent campaign since We ask that you go to your WELCA Boards, your church councils and ask to fund 1 2 of 1% of your WELCA/congregation budget to support LCO Ministry at the UIHC indefinite ly. You need this partnership with LCO. HELP US, PARTNER WITH US WITH 1 2 OF 1 % TODAY. Your gifts directly fund A ELCA Chaplain at UIHC Mail checks to: LCO 123 East Market Street Iowa City, IA For more information call or go to and click the Support LCO on the left side of the front page. Thrivent Grants Did you know that each Thrivent Member is allowed to receive up to 2 Action Team Grants per year? GO TO: To get more information. Directions Subscription Form Cost is $5 annually payable to: Make check out to: SEIA Synod Women of the ELCA Mail to: Linda Kortemeyer 3406 Forest Road Davenport, IA If you are sending in a subscription for more than one person; or if you are a board or Cluster Leader renewing or new subscriber please put the information on a separate sheet of paper, with names and addresses Date Name Address City State Zip + 4 Phone Church and Town Address Cluster 6

A note from Karen Godeken The women of the Pare Diocese conducted a Binti Mama seminar with the Diocesan Women General Meeting in the Hedaru parish on November 6 and 7 in 2017.

7 A note from Karen Godeken The women of the Pare Diocese conducted a Binti Mama seminar with the Diocesan Women General Meeting in the Hedaru parish on November 6 and 7 in Seventy women from the parishes attended the meeting including 30 wives of church leaders. The women elected their leaders and discussed: Economy and Christian women Role of a Christian woman in household's economy Establishing three years' goals and strategies The women established a plan for the economic empowerment of women. They discussed domestic violence in the diocese. The prepared for the Diocesan Women's Festival. The made plans to establish nursery schools in all the parishes in the diocese. Rosemary thanked us for the funds we sent for Binti Mama which helped make this event possible. 7

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10 Report on Winter Retreat in Madrid, Iowa St. John Lutheran Church in Madrid IA hosted the SEIA SWO Winter Retreat on February 3. Thank you Pastor Marcus Badgley for leading the 27 attendees in song to open the retreat. Thank you Laura Natatich for playing the piano. Two coordinators from ACCESS - an assault care center - were the speakers. Alicia Van Cannon and Mercy Webb discussed services offered to all individuals regardless of gender, age, or sexual preference. Human trafficking, domestic and sexual violence victims can receive help thru ACCESS. The ACCESS Crisis Line is Love gifts were collected and given to ACCESS by attendees. A wonderful Passion Soup lunchon and desserts were served by the WELCA ladies of St. John's Lutheran Church. Thank you to Betty Richter, Marilyn Green, Marilyn Samuelson, Carol Wilcox for serving lunch. After lunch an interactive bible study from the Gathering magazine was led by Judy Hardesty. A special Thank You to Maureen Johnson for being the register, getting the speakers, and knowing who to ask to provide lunch. Unfortunately Maureen was unable to attend the retreat. She had surgery and is recovering very well. Please send her a card her address is located under "Justice" for SEIA SWO Directory in the back of this issue of Directions. Get well soon Maureen!! 10

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The Southeastern Iowa Synodical Women s Organization has lost another great lady, Cathy Soppe, She was our president at one time, and very active and involved. She will be missed.

12 The Southeastern Iowa Synodical Women s Organization has lost another great lady, Cathy Soppe, She was our president at one time, and very active and involved. She will be missed. CATHRYN ANN SOPPE Anamosa Cathryn Ann Soppe, 66, of Anamosa, joined her husband, Thomas Soppe, on Thursday, Feb. 8, Cathy was a devout Christian with many years of service in the church. She had a great joy over many years leading and participating in Bible study groups, including ministering to ladies at the Linn County Jail. Always giving more than was asked, her generous soul will carry on with the people she touched. Cathy wanted to thank Dr. Jason Booth and his staff, the Ghosh Center and their staff, and the Dennis and Donna Oldorf Hospice House and their staff for all their support. In addition, her family and friends are particularly appreciative of the many wonderful neighbors and friends she had to assist with any need she had. Among other family, Cathy is survived by her daughters, Carrie Soppe (Josh Northcutt), Sara Jayne (Rod Baldwin) and Jenni Jayne; as well as her beloved dog, Dion. In keeping with her wishes, there will be no services. Donations may be sent to whatever you have a passion for. God loves and forgives all and this soul will be honored and protected in each of our memories. 12

13 At our last board meeting Sue Mangels brought up a project to help with LWR Quilt Kit shipping. Here it is. 13

Gathering Love Gift Windsor Heights Lutheran Congregation, together with a number of other congregations in the Des Moines area, participate in a program called "Family Promise of Greater Des Moines"

14 Gathering Love Gift Windsor Heights Lutheran Congregation, together with a number of other congregations in the Des Moines area, participate in a program called "Family Promise of Greater Des Moines" and have chosen this for our Love Gift. The house that we use for our week to house and feed the participants is very much in need of a new refrigerator. We plan to ask for donations of money to purchase a new refrigerator. We will put out a box for these offerings at the gathering. This program is active in many areas of the country and has been serving communities since Here is their Mission Statement: The Mission of Family Promise of Greater Des Moines is "To mobilize our community to help homeless families achieve stable housing and income through compassionate care, hospitality and professional support. Gathering Love Offering Our key note speaker will be Kellie Markey from "Dorothy's House" a shelter in Des Moines for victims of Human Trafficing. 1. The date: Friday, June 22 to Saturday June 23, Place: Windsor Heights Lutheran Church th Street Windsor Heights, IA 3. Hotel Info: Days Inn th Street West Des Moines Phone There is a block of rooms reserved under: SWO-mention this when making your reservations, by June 4, 2018 to get the rate of $80.00,plus tax per room. Maybe a bit higher for more in the room. And like last year the Business Meeting will be on Friday afternoon. So, keep that in mind as you decide to be a delegate. 14

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16 RESOURCE PAGE HUMAN TRAFFICKING COMMITTEE Sandy Chandonia Kathryn Bly Cell Phone Rhonda Hershberg Southeast Iowa Synod Website To get to our web page-click on About-then click Southeastern Women s Organization to get to our page 2018 Nominating Committee Chair-Jane Kruse-805 S. 14th Ave., Washington, IA H C Carolyn Ahlstrom th Ave., Story City, IA H Nancy Locker 801 Prince Street, Grinnell, IA H

17 RESOURCE PERSONS Directions Editor Lynda Miller 1808 S. 11th Avenue Eldridge, IA ChurchWide Women of the ELCA 8765 W. Higgins Rd. Chicago, IL ext Women Together in Prayer Mondays at Noon SE Iowa Synod Council Board Position Karen Goedeken 6400 N. Glen Dr. Palo, IA Today s Dream Tomorrow s Reality Racial Justice Advocate Deb Husak 2071 Hwy. E43 Toledo, IA CLUSTER LEADERS (Note: only the Chairperson receives a free subscription to the Directions. If a Cluster wishes the Board to receive it, they should send in subscription forms with payment). I need to be informed when the Chairperson changes. Cluster #1 Cluster #2 Marilyn Greene Ardy Hinds Pat Kolpin 305 West 5th St NW Elm Ln. 400 McCellan Apt. #4 Huxley, IA Ankeny, IA Tama, IA marilyngreene29@yahoo.com cycloneardy@hotmail.com Cluster #3 Inactive Cluster #7 Inactive Cluster #4 VickeiAdamson Ramsey Road Anamosa, IA vickia@relmach.com Roberta Jurgensen Cluster #5 Carol Gruhn 1025 N. 4th St th Ave. N. Clinton, IA Clinton, IA gruhn15@hotmail.com Cluster #6 Norma Bailee 2610 N. Division St. Davenport, IA bailienorma@gmail.com Cluster #8 Delores Stigge N. Gear Ave. Burlington, IA Cluster #9 Anita Simmons 1117 D Ave. Albia, IA alsimmons@mchsi.com Cluster 10/11 Lavon Heston 6300 School St Apt 309 Windsor HeightsI A lavonheston@msn.com Please send updates to: Lynda Miller 1808 S. 11th Ave. Eldridge, IA lmchurchlady56@gmail.com 17

Southeastern Iowa Women s Organization Directory 2017-2018

Keokuk, IA 52632 H 319-524-7615 C-319-795-2022 sue.

com Cluster Liaison 8 Secretary Lynda Miller 1808 S. 11th Ave.

Davenport, IA 52807 H 563-359-7364 korte4m3@gmail.

52732 H 563-242-4326 C 563-212-0497 virginiaeggers1949@gmail.

N Clinton, IA 52732 H-563-243-4484 C-563-357-4426 Cluster Liaison

9E Iowa City, IA 52240-3936 C-563-726-2492. Judy.Hardesty3@gmail.

2nd Madrid, IA 50156 H-515-795-3525 C-515-681-4275

net Cluster Liaison 1 DISCIPLESHIP 18 Ardy Proehl 513 NW 3rd St.

18 Southeastern Iowa Women s Organization Directory President : Sue Mangels 523 Messenger Rd. Keokuk, IA H C sue.mangels52@gmail.com Cluster Liaison 8 Secretary Lynda Miller 1808 S. 11th Ave. Eldridge IA H C lmchurchlady56@gmail.com Vice President Kris Elgin 2440 Newport Avenue Oskaloosa, IA C rselgin1@hotmail.com Cluster Liaison 9 Treasurer Linda Kortemeyer 3406 Forest Road Davenport, IA H korte4m3@gmail.com STEWARDSHIP Virginia Eggers th Street Clinton, IA H C virginiaeggers1949@gmail.com Cluster Liaison 5 Carol Gruhn th Ave. N Clinton, IA H C Cluster Liaison 7 JUSTICE Judy Hardesty 320 E. Washington St. Apt. 9E Iowa City, IA C Judy.Hardesty3@gmail. com Cluster Liaison 3 Maureen Johnson 722 E. 2nd Madrid, IA H C dbhouser@huxcomm.net Cluster Liaison 1 DISCIPLESHIP 18 Ardy Proehl 513 NW 3rd St. #8 Ogden,IA Cell arproehl@gmail.com Cluster Liaison 2 Karen Miller 4130 Northwest Blvd. Apt. E201 Davenport, IA C grammy630@msn.com Cluster Liaison 6 Ramona Vonsprecken 114 Erie Street Maquoketa, IA H C Cluster Liaison 4 Send corrections to Lynda Miller 1808 S. 11th Avenue Eldridge, IA lmchurchlady56@gmail.com

19 CLUSTER NEWS Cluster 1 Met on Sept. 30, 2017 at Bethesda Lutheran Church in Ames. Devotions were given by Pastor Bryan Simmons. All were welcomed by Karla Mortensen; Ardy Hinds introduced our guest speaker- Pastor Bonnie Parker who spoke on Katie Luther. After the program, Marita Rouse, representing SEIA synod council, spoke about the council. After offering, and prayer we enjoyed a delicious lunch. Ardy Hinds called the Business meeting to order Roll call was held, 36 people attended, representing 8 different churches. The treasurers report was given. Maureen Johnson from SEIA Women s Synod reminded us of the Fall Retreat on October 21 at Faith Lutheran Church in Eldridge. There will be a Winter Retreat at St. John s Lutheran Church in Madrid on Feb. 3, She also reported that the Gathering will be June 22 and 23 at Windsor Heights Lutheran Church, Windsor Heights. Our Spring Meeting will be April 28 at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Slader. The program will be on Prayer. Cluster 2 Cluster 2 met for their "Fall Event" at Trinity, Newton on Oct. 7th. A beautiful Bible Study was presented by Pastor Ken Ahntholz on our theme "God's Masterpiece" from Ephesians 2. We did some singing. About 25 women were in attendance. Love gifts were collected to be sent to LSI. A brunch of coffee cake, fruit and coffee was served by the Trinity women. Following brunch, John Claes from Lutheran Services of Iowa spoke showing a Power Point on the work that is done among our most vulnerable in our state. Our church is so blessed to have such an organization and their work is to be commended. An offfing was taken and our Cluster donated generously. Ardy Proehl gave her report from the SWO. Next event will be held in April of 2018 at Trinity, Marshalltown. All women are welcome and encouraged to attend our semi-annual events. Cluster 4 Cluster 5 Our meeting will be Saturday, April 28, 2018 at First Lutheran Church in Maquoketa. The theme for the day will be God s Creation. There will be speakers from the area about Parks to People progress. The Love Gifts wll be go to the Community Cupboard. Our day wills tart at 8:30 ending at noon for lunch prepared by ladies of the church. Our Fall Meeting will be September 22 at Faith Lutheran Church in Andover. Cluster 6. Save the date for Cluster 6, SEIA for their Spring Gathering on Saturday, April 21, We will be at Grace Lutheran Church, 1140 E. High Street, Davenport, Iowa Registration will be at 8:30. There will be a presentation and discussion on Church Safety Awareness. We encourage discussions during breakfast on how some churches are currently preparing for safety. Short business meeting and election of officers will follow. We are asking for donations of in kind-gifts for Hope at the BRICK House. Suggested items are: paper products: compartment plates, napkins, toilet paper, paper towels, plastic spoons, plastic forks; school supplies: college ruled notebook paper, pencils; food items: fruit cups, juice boxes, gold fish or cheese cracker snacks We look forward to seeing you and invite anyone from other interested churches to attend. Contact Barb Spies at for any questions or further information.. Cluster 8 The Fall Cluster meeting was held at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Mediapolis on Thursday, October 12,2017 with 23 in attendance. Pastor Jerlenn Schlesser led the worship service on Mathew 25: 35 & 36 with Holy Communion. The speaker was Char Blodgett, executive Director of the Burlington Area Homeless Shelter. She explained how the shelter operated and their needs. The In Kind Gifts were for the Homeless Shelter. The Spring Gathering will be at Messiah Lutheran Church in Burlington in April Continued on Page 20 19

20 Cluster 9 Cluster 9 met on Sat., Oct. 14, at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Knoxville. Good Shepherd Interim Pastor Nat Bothwell gave devotions with the theme We Gather to Remember the Reformation and to Look Forward, and he presided at Holy Communion. Deacon Muriel Johannessen presented A Visit from Katharina Luther in which she portrayed Katy Luther from Katy s own firstperson point of view of her life. Five of the six congregational units in the cluster were represented. SWO Vice President and Cluster 9 Liaison Kris Elgin reported on the June SWO Gathering, the churchwide Triennial meeting in July, and next year s SWO Gathering. Cluster Leader Anita Simmons filled everyone in on the Gathering part of Triennial that she attended. The offering was contributed to SWO, Lutheran Services in Iowa, and locally to Family Fun Fest. St. Paul (Ottumwa) will host the spring gathering Cluster 10/11 The 10/11 Cluster Gathering was held at Resurrection Lutheran Church. Cindy Tonneson welcomed the guests and invited them to enjoy the refreshments and fellowship. Pastor Lisa lead the group in devotions asking what season we enjoyed the most. New Life and changing seasons are a blessing. President Lavon Heston introduced the guest speaker, Muriel Johannessen who portrayed Katharina von Bora. Katie was placed in the Benedictine Cloister by her father to further her education. As a teenager she was moved to a Cistercian Monastery and became a nun. It was there she learned about roots and foliage to use for healing purposes. This skill was used throughout her life, especially when the plague hit Germany. Martin Luther helped Katie and her friends escape the monastery by hiding in barrels used to transport herring. She married Martin Luther in She was a wife, mother, business woman, gardener, cared for the sick and entrepreneur. She began making beer using the hops from her garden and sold the beer to help with expenses. She was a faithful woman who followed Christ. The song, A Mighty Fortress is Our God was sang by the group accompanied by Peggy Brown. The business meeting began with the general offering, we received $203. RLC decided the Love Gift offering of $176 would go to Lutheran Disaster Response. The cluster board decided to give $75. to the Hunger Hike. Roll Call was taken with 6 churches being represented and 24 in attendance. The treasurers report and secretary's reports were placed on file. The synodical liason Ardy Proehl commented how energizing the Triennial Gathering was. Dates to remember are October 21-Fall Retreat, February 3- Spring Gathering and June 22-Synod Gathering. The LWR report was given by Diane Simonson, The next LWR Drop is October 21 at RLC. The April LWR Drop had 41 churches participating. 1,907 quilts, 83 sewing kits, 1276 health kits 167 school kits, 372 baby care kits 77 bars of soap and $3, for shipping was received. Suggestions were made on appropriate prints to use for quilts, where to order batting and diaper pins. The Spring 10/11 Gathering will be hosted by Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Ankeny on April 28, Lavon closed the meeting with a story, prayer and The Lord's Prayer. Thank you to all the RLC woman who in anyway took part in making this Cluster Gathering a successful morning enjoyed by all who participated. 20

CLUSTER CALENDAR Spring 2018 Cluster Gatherings Cluster 1.. April 28 Bethesda Lutheran, Ogden Cluster 2........April Trinity Lutheran, Marshalltown Cluster 3 Cluster 4 Cluster 5.

21 CLUSTER CALENDAR Spring 2018 Cluster Gatherings Cluster 1.. April 28 Bethesda Lutheran, Ogden Cluster April Trinity Lutheran, Marshalltown Cluster 3 Cluster 4 Cluster 5..April 28 Faith Lutheran Maquoketa Cluster 6 April 21 Grace Lutheran, Davenport Cluster 7 Cluster 8 April Messiah Lutheran, Burlington Cluster 9.. Cluster 10/11 April 28 Holy Trinity, Ankeny 21

22 Non-Profit ORG. U. S. Postage RETURN ADDRESS: Lynda Miller, Editor 1808 S. 11th Avenue Eldridge, IA REF: Women of the ELCA Return Service Requested PAID Rock Island, IL Permit No. 243 DATES TO REMEMBER 2018 Gathering-June at Windsor Heights Lutheran Church, Windsor Heights, IA NOTE TO CHURCH S PLEASE NOTE ON YOUR MAILING LABEL THAT THIS NEWSLETTER IS TO GO TO ALL WOMEN OF YOUR CHURCH, IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A WOMEN S GROUP, PLEASE PUT IT OUT FOR ALL WOMEN OF YOUR CHURCH TO SEE. THANK YOU

WOMEN OF THE EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH IN AMERICA. IN THIS ISSUE President Sue...pg.2 Cluster News...pg 10

D I R E WOMEN OF THE EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH IN AMERICA Southeastern Iowa Synodical Women s Organization Were you there? At the 29th Annual Gathering/Convention in Ely? Here are some pictures from