Peace in 2019 Annual Meeting Sunday, February 3

Transcription

1 110 North Third Street River Falls, Wisconsin firstchurchrf.org Rev. Chris Myers: Office JANUARY 1, 2019 Peace in 2019 Recently our church Men s Group has been unpacking the 12 discipleship traits identified by our congregation a few years ago (see picture). This past week we spoke about peace. It was a lively and fruitful discussion. We talked about those times when we have experienced peace personally. We spoke about how peace seems so elusive. We also spoke about the gift of peace Jesus offers us. Our scripture focus was this: Peace I leave you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. ~John 14:27 The peace Jesus offers here is more than a vacation, rest or reprieve from the trials of life. Remember Jesus spoke these words just before he was betrayal, arrest and crucifixion. The peace Jesus offers is not a way out of suffering, but a way through suffering. The peace Jesus offers is a gift from God that we sense most keenly when we give over to God a certain amount of control of all the things we worry about or that cause us anxiety. This does not mean that we surrender our responsibility, but rather we recognize there are limits to what we can affect or achieve on our own, and then sensing those limits, we place ourselves, our loved ones, our future, into God s hands. God s response it to give us peace, a peace that allows us to lift our gaze from the troubles that beset us and see those around us as gifts of God worthy of our love and attention. Jesus gives differently than the world. Thank God! Jesus gives freely, with no expectation of return, only the hope that, once transformed by this peace, we might pass it on, giving others the gift we have received. What a wonderful way to live into a new year, as God s peaceful people. Pastor Chris Annual Meeting The Annual Meeting of the Congregation will be Sunday, February 3 following the late 10:30 am worship service in the Fellowship Hall. In addition to the regular business of reports and elected officers, many of our church teams and committees will be presenting 3 minute snapshots of their work last year and goals for Lunch is served and childcare is available. Please sign up! No matter who you are. No matter where you are on your spiritual journey, you are welcome here! As Jesus courageous disciples, living God s grace, we strive to: ~ Worship faithfully ~ Welcome openly ~ Grow spiritually ~ ~ Care passionately ~ Serve generously ~

2 Charitable IRA Gift Don t miss the chance to make a charitable IRA gift this year. If you are 70 ½ or older and own an IRA, please consider making a charitable rollover gift before December 31. You can make a gift up to $100,000 directly from your IRA to help support the ministry of First Congregational. Your gift will: Not be included in your taxable income Satisfy your required minimum distribution for the year Reduce your taxable income, even if you do not itemize deductions Not be subject to the 50% limitation on charitable gifts Help the work of the church For more information about how you and the church can benefit from an IRA charitable rollover, contact your IRA administrator, tax preparer, or the church office. Treasurer s Report Dec 31, 2018 General Fund Income $ 467, General Fund Expenses 467, Net Income $ A full accounting of all income and expenses is available in the church office *A new budget will be approved at the February 3rd Annual Meeting. Thank You Church! On behalf of all the church staff, we thank you for your gracious gifts this Christmas season. For the cards, cookies, treats and gifts, we have received, please accept our heartfelt thanks. We have tried to thank you in person, but sometimes gifts simply appear on our desks or in our mailboxes. Please know how grateful we are for our mutual ministry in Christ. ~Pastor Chris and all the church staff E-Giving More & more parishioners are signing up for e-giving. It is quick, easy, and safe. It is designed to help both you with your home budgeting & financing of church ministries which continue even when you are away. Simply complete the application form found in the sign-up area to enroll. Questions can be directed to our church treasurer Missy Luedtke. If you already give electronically, please use the e-giving bookmarks in your pew as the offering plate is passed. Pledge Sheets for 2019 Please be sure to return your 2019 financial pledge sheets to ensure our church is financially healthy. Without the generous support of church members and friends, we cannot continue to provide the mission and ministry we do. Church pledging supports everything we do from confirmation to Sunday School, bell choir and chancel choir, Wednesday Meals and Wednesday School, a place to worship and a place to grow, mission in our community and mission to the larger world. The Discipleship Committee ask you to prayerfully consider the following three things: * If you do not pledge, start this year * If you do pledge, increase your pledge, even slightly * If you tithe, thank you, you have met the biblical standard of generosity Pledge sheets were dedicated at the annual Giving Thanks Meal on Sunday, November 11. If you have not yet returned your pledge sheet, please do so either through the mail, the offering plate or the church office. Please return them as soon as possible so the Trustees can finalize the 2019 church budget. May God bless you and us together as we seek to be God s faithful and generous people. The Discipleship Committee January 1, 2019 Page 2

3 Adult Forum The Adult Forum meets Sundays, 9:00 10:00 am. All are welcome! January 13: The Other Apocalypse: The Book of Daniel, Evelyn Purdy The forum will discuss the authorship, historical context, and imagery in the Old Testament Book of Daniel. Special attention will be on the image of the multi-metal statue in Daniel, chapter 2. Come and learn about this dramatic book of the Bible. January 20: Back Bay Mission, Carol Merriman In March a group of people from First Congregational will go to Biloxi, Mississippi to Back Bay Mission, an organization affiliated by the UCC. The forum will provide an overview of the Mission s work with homeless and low-income folks on the Gulf Coast. Come to learn about this work and how the experience at Back Bay is an opportunities to serve others as well as learn more about ourselves and the world. January 27: The W isconsin Council of Churches, The Rev. Kerri Parker The WI Council of Churches is composed of church bodies representing 18 Christian denominations. Together the participating church bodies work together to foster church unity, peacemaking, and social and economic justice. Come to learn about the WCC from the Executive Director, The Rev. Kerri Parker. February 3: The Doctrine of Discovery, Jeff Ryan Delegates at the Annual Meeting of the WI Conference directed congregations to study the Doctrine of Discovery during The Doctrine of Discovery is comprised of decisions made by colonizing powers to claim lands beyond their own borders. The implementation of these decisions have often denied human rights to indigenous people. Come to learn about this important issue. Jeff Ryan, a local expert and high school teacher in Prescott will be the presenter. Tuesday Afternoon Adult Study The Adult Study Group meets Tuesdays, 1:00 2:30 pm. Beginning on January 8, the group will begin discussing Christian Basics: A Primer for Pilgrims by Dorothy and Gabriel Fackre. Copies of the book are available in the church office for $ Participants do not need to commit to attending every week. For more information, contact Stacy Myers. A World of Peoples on the Move: The Response of Europe s Religious Communities to the Refugee Crisis A Learning Community Gathering, Tuesday, January 22, 6:30 pm All Europe has been impacted by the dramatic migration of displaced peoples in recent years, setting off refugee and migrant reception crises that continue to rock nations to their core. The United Nations reports that some 258 million international migrants worldwide are on the move, including over 25 million refugees and asylum seekers. Reverend Dirk Ficca is a Senior Advisor to the Church of Sweden s Europe-wide initiative A World of Neighbors supporting the response of religious communities and their affiliated humanitarian organizations to the crisis of displaced persons. His extensive work there the past two years has provided him unique understandings of the complex social, political, and cultural dynamics of coming to grips with the other as we, too, face one of the most defining challenges of this century. With a lifetime of international, multi-faith experience and extensive on-the-ground work like that he has launched with the Twin Cities Social Cohesion Initiative, we are pleased to welcome Reverend Ficca from Chicago to our third Learning Community Gathering Tuesday, January 22 in the Fellowship Hall. He will be returning to Europe in the coming weeks to begin wrapping up his groundbreaking work; we are fortunate that he will join us. Everyone is welcome to join us for this unique evening! Please note that our winter 2019 Learning Community Gatherings will be held Tuesday evenings. January 1, 2019 Page 3

4 Wednesday Family Meals Join us each Wednesday night for a healthy, home cooked family meal in the Fellowship Hall. Cost is $7 per person with a max of $30 per family. Please sign up by Tuesday at noon so we have enough food. Please also sign up to help set, serve or clean up. Whether you are single, a couple or have a minivan full, join us as a church family each Wednesday from 5:15 to 6:15 pm. January 9 Roasted pork loin, sweet and sour cabbage, mac n cheese, potato January 16 Parmesan crusted chicken, rice, salad January 23 Beef stroganoff, noodles, salad January 30 Boneless BBQ ribs, mac n cheese, vegetable Shrimp Boil! Join us for our annual Shrimp Boil on Sunday, January 27 following the late worship service at noon. Come enjoy a wonderful meal of shrimp, salad, bread and king cake (and hot dogs for non shrimp eaters!). All the proceeds go to our UCC partners at Back Bay Mission in Biloxi, Mississippi which will host our mission team this March. Tickets are $15 for adults and $7 for those under 12. Tickets must be purchased ahead of time so we have enough shrimp for everyone to enjoy. The book group s next meeting will be Tuesday, January 22 at 3:00 pm at the church to discuss The Deal of a Lifetime by Fredrik Backman (fiction). This novella is about a man s life, sacrifice and memory. Seven copies of the book are available in the church office. Please share since copies are limited. Annual Reports Due All Committees, please submit your Annual Reports, preferably electronically, by Monday, January 14 to Missy Luedtke at missy@firstchurchrf.org. Thank you! Confirmation Retreat January 11-13, 2019: Love Your Selfie This year s confirmation retreat will be at ARC in Osceola, Wisconsin centered around the theme Love Your Selfie. Confirmands in grades 7-9 will leave church at 6:30 pm on Friday, January 11 and return Saturday night at 7:30 pm to sleep at home, and then help lead worship at both services on Sunday, January 13. Special thanks to our Youth Minister JaNae Westrich who is leading the retreat as well as our adult chaperones and church interns who are helping with the retreat. Thanks to Donna Moseman who leading the Wednesday night craft program during the Family meals Dave Reilly, Jamie Mills, Kate Jennings and Marsha Pearson for leading the Advent Evening Prayers Mike Moseman who making more comfort birds to be given to those who are ill or struggling Our deacons who put in many overtime hours with Christmas programs, Advent evening prayer and Christmas Eve worship services Joan Hyland for making more quilts to be given at baptism Eunice Filkins for making prayer shawls to be given out to seniors and those ill or recovering January 1, 2019 Page 4

5 Screenagers: Growing Up in the Digital Age Join us for a special screening of the award winning film Screenagers in the church Fellowship Hall on Wednesday, January 16th at 6:30 pm. The film demonstrates the messy struggles families encounter over social media, video games and academics. The film offers helpful solutions on how we can help our kids navigate the digital world. Geared for teens and parents, all are welcome to attend and popcorn will be available. Check out the website with lots of helpful advice. Continuing the Conversation: Protecting Kids from Pornography Over 50 people gathered in October to learn about the dangers of viewing online pornography. It was sobering to learn how easily (and potentially innocently) children and teens can be exposed to online pornography. The presenter, Cordelia Anderson, discussed the impact of viewing online pornography on children s and teen s developing understanding of healthy sexual relationships and emotional well-being. The presentation was well-done, informative and designed to support parents in their parenting work. Ms. Anderson will be back to discuss these issues with teens and pre-teens at First Congregational Church. Please hold this date: Wednesday, February 6, Ms. Anderson will meet with 6th, 7th, and 8th graders 4:00 5:15, and then with 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th graders 6:30-8:15. A family meal will be served. Please make every effort for your children to be present for these sessions. For more information, please contact Stacy Myers. Resources: Children and Pornography Parents are familiar with needing to talk with their children about human bodies, reproduction, and sexuality. What could be new to parents is the need to have conversations with children and teens about how to recognize pornography and understand the dangers of pornography. Cordelia Anderson, a national expert on the topic of online pornography recommends several books designed to help parents begin talking about pornography with children. Available in the church office to review or borrow are two copies of four books: Good Pictures Bad Pictures: Porn-Proofing Today s Young Kids, Kristen Jenson Good Pictures Bad Pictures Jr: A Simple Plan to Protect Young Minds, Kristen Jenson God Made All of Me, Justin and Lindsey Holcomb Not for Kids! Liz Walker You are welcome to review these books in the office to help you decide if you want to purchase them or borrow a church copy. If you borrow a book, please return within a week. Children s Advent Musical A Stable Fit for a King January 1, 2019 Page 5

6 New Timeline Image This new image, entitled Coming of the Magi, is part of First Congregational s Picture the Bible collection. It was created according to our specifications by Chicago artist Jackie Lakely in memory of Lois Smith. Lois was baptized and confirmed at First Congregational. She was a member of Women s Fellowship, the Women s Bible Study, and served as the congregation s recording secretary for over 30 years. This gift in Lois memory will expand the congregation s work encouraging biblical literacy and interpretation. A few things to notice: Mary is dressed in her traditional blue. Jesus is wrapped in rice paper in folds reminiscent of Japanese origami. The wise men bear gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The star that led the wise men to the Bethlehem is visible through the window. In keeping with Matthew s gospel, Mary and Jesus are in a house not a stable. Coming of the Magi is the first of five images that have been commissioned in memory of Lois Smith. Watch for the remaining four images to be unveiled in th Anniversary Party You are invited to an Open House celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Bobbie and Jim Kuhn on Saturday, February 23 from 1-4 pm in the church Fellowship Hall. They respectfully ask for no gifts. I wish to thank the church for giving me two flowers. The poinsettias and the amaryllis really add much color and beauty to my apartment. Many thanks!! ~Peg Steinmetz Men s Group Gathering! Our men's group meets every other Tuesday in the Youth Room for coffee, treats, conversation and fellowship. Our next gatherings are Tuesday, January 22 and February 5 and 19, at 8:00 am. Join us! Shoebox Thanks To the right is a picture of the thank you card send to us from those at the Kinnic Alcohol and Drug Rehab Center who were presented with Christmas Shoeboxes filled with socks, cards, books, toiletries and a gift card to Dairy Queen. Thanks to the yoga group and Jean Smith who coordinated this outreach this year. Gift Received is the day respite program hosted by our church for those with living with dementia. It provides a safe environment for clients to be cared for allowing their caregivers some precious time to attend to other things. As one caregiver told Norma Revels, the program director, this program has been a God-send for our family. People in the community are taking note of this program. We recently received word of a $1,000 donation to from a community member to help maintain this needed program. Congratulations and keep up this needed ministry to our community! January 1, 2019 Page 7

7 Sustainable Living Tip Nowadays a large segment of our population buys drinking water in plastic bottles. Experts tell us that bottled water is no cleaner, or safer, or healthier than municipal tap water. In the interest of reducing the negative impact of plastics upon our environment, why not make the change back to environmentally friendly and safe tap water instead. Save a number of the plastic bottles you have purchased. By keeping them properly cleaned, they can be re-filled with tap water and re-used many times over before disposing of them for recycling. And furthermore the money you save will begin to count up over a period of time. ~Brought to you by the Mission Education Committee Cribbage Night The group meets on the second Monday at the church. Players are asked to donate $2 and the group decides which charity. Playing time starts at 7:00 pm. All players and abilities welcome. The winner of the December game was Bob Johnson. The group donated $198 to the Giving Tree. The next game will be January 14. Save Your Family Fresh Receipts! ARC gets $1,000 for every $150,000 in receipts, so every dollar counts. ARC is the agency funded by local churches to help address the immediate needs of people in our community (rent, utility, gas, repair help). A box for receipts is on the back table. Giving Tree Thank You On behalf of the Angels on Earth Giving Tree program, I would like to thank our congregation for their extreme generosity. Our thanks go out to the Cribbage group for their contribution which purchased the items to complete a turkey dinner and also Subway gift cards for the nine families. I would like to thank JoAnn Lentz for her donation of frozen meat. I would like to thank the ladies; Norma R., Bonnie J., Lu, Rene, and JoAnn L., who checked and sorted the gifts for each families boxes. I would like to thank you all again for your caring generosity. ~Diane Welsh Who won? The winner from our annual Packer vs Vikings Underwear Drive is The Simpson Shelter! Over $2100 worth of underwear was donated through our three week mini-drive. God bless all those who contributed. And God bless all those will receive and wear them! Simpson Shelter Needs Cereal; Bath towels-gently used or new; Coffee (ground preferred), tea, hot cocoa; New thermals for men & women-all sizes; New waterproof hats & gloves for men & women; New bras-all sizes; New women's underwear-sizes 5 & 6; New boxer shorts-all sizes; New white t-shirts-all sizes; Disposable shaving razors & shaving cream; Hand & foot warmers; Travel size soap, shampoo, conditioner, body wash & lotion; New white socks for men & women. There is a box in the gathering area. Thank you! Newsletter Each month we send out about 350 printed copies of the newsletter. Some of you have expressed an interest in receiving this electronically, instead of a paper copy. If you contact the church office, you can now be unsubscribed from the printed copy. It will be included in the Weekly Word. You can also access the newsletter through the church website: firstchurchrf.org. Please know that we need at least 200 copies of the printed newsletter to be mailed to obtain the bulk mail rate. Thank You From Christmas Shoebox We just wanted to take a moment to thank everyone for their generous donations, whether it was in cash or items. We filled 57 boxes with about 23 different items this year and they will be delivered on December 18 to the gentlemen at the River Falls Kinnic Rehab center. We had help from those at, our confirmation youth and interns as well as those who attend the yoga here at First Congregational. You all are amazing God s people! Blessings to All, Jean Smith, Judy Grimm, Diane Crist January 1, 2019 Page 6

8 FIRST CONGREGATIONAL UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST STAFF Chris Myers - Pastor Dave Ostendorf - Minister for Community and Outreach Stacy Johnson - CE Minister JaNae Westrich - Youth Pastor Missy Luedtke - Office Assistant Neal Prochnow - Moderator Scott Perau - Choir Director Marsha Pearson - Music Coordinator/Organist Terry Mithun - Organist Jamie Mills - Bell Choir Director Tim Bylander - Building Supervisor Dave Mountain - Custodian Office Phone: Office office@firstchurchrf.org Website: PASTOR S HOME PHONE NUMBER Chris Myers chris@firstchurchrf.org FIRST CONGREGATIONAL UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST 110 N. Third Street River Falls, Wisconsin NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT #53 RIVER FALLS, WI ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED JANUARY 1, JANUARY 2019 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY New Year s Day 3:45 pm Wednesday School Free Counseling Church Office Closed 6:00 pm Jubilee Ringers Center 3:00-8:00 pm 6:30 pm Pre-Confirm (6th Gr) 6:30 pm Confirm Yr 2 (8th Gr) 6 8:00 am Music Practice 9:00 am Worship Service 9:00 am Adult Forum 10:00 am Coffee Fellowship 10:30 am Worship Service 10:30 am Sunday School 11:00 am WEVR Broadcast 2:00 pm Piano Recital 13 8:00 am Choir Practice 9:00 am Worship Service 9:00 am Adult Forum 10:00 am Coffee Fellowship 10:30 am Worship Service 10:30 am Sunday School 11:00 am WEVR Broadcast 20 8:00 am Choir Practice 9:00 am Worship Service 9:00 am Adult Forum 10:00 am Coffee Fellowship 10:30 am Worship Service 10:30 am Sunday School 11:00 am WEVR Broadcast 27 8:00 am Bells Practice 9:00 am Worship Service 9:00 am Adult Forum 10:00 am Coffee Fellowship 10:30 am Worship Service 10:30 am Sunday School 11:00 am WEVR Broadcast 12:00 pm Shrimp Boil 7 Board Meeting 5:00 pm 14 Newsletter Deadline Cribbage 7:00 pm Annual Reports Due 8 Men s Group 8:00 am 9:00 am-3:00 pm Personnel Mtg 11:30 am Bible Study 1:00-2:30 pm 15 9:00 am-3:00 pm Bible Study 1:00-2:30 pm Wellhaven 3:00 pm Boards and Committees Meetings 6:30 pm Church Council Meeting 7:30 pm Men s Group 8:00 am 28 Endowment Grant Request Deadline 9:00 am-3:00 pm No Bible Study Book Group 3:00 pm Strategic Planning Meeting 6:30 pm Learning Community 6;30-8:00 pm 29 9:00 am-3:00 pm Bible Study 1:00-2:30 pm 9 12:00 pm Investment Com Mtg 3:45 pm Wednesday School 6:00 pm Jubilee Ringers 6:30 pm Confirm Yr 1 (7th Gr) 6:30 pm Confirm Yr 3 (9th Gr) 16 3:45 pm Wednesday School 6:00 pm Jubilee Ringers 6:30 pm All Youth Screenagers 23 3:45 pm Wednesday School 6:00 pm Jubilee Ringers 6:30 pm Confirm Yr 1 (7th Gr) 6:30 pm Confirm Yr 3 (9th Gr) 30 3:45 pm Wednesday School 6:00 pm Jubilee Ringers 6:30 pm Pre-Confirm (6th Gr) 6:30 pm Confirm Yr 2 (8th Gr) Greenwood Kindness Retreat 10 am-3 pm Free Counseling Center 3:00-8:00 pm Leave for Confirmation Retreat for 7-9th Graders 6:30 pm 12 Stoppelmoor Funeral 11:00 am Visitation 10:00 am Return from Confirmation Retreat 7 pm