March 2018 Faith Connection Lent: Listening For God, Revive In the letter Paul wrote to the church in Rome, he encouraged them to "be transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Romans 12:2) The season of Lent which began on Ash Wednesday, is a 40 day time for renewal; a time to let go of the things and ideas that hold us back and to allow God to "renew our minds". You are invited to join in this time of renewal and invite friends and neighbors to join us as well. SUNDAY WORSHIP TIMES 8:00 am Traditional 10:30 am Voices of Praise 9:15 Education Hour Coffee Fellowship Come and Join Us LENT Worship Services 5:15 pm All are invited to gather for a time of food and fellowship at the Soup Suppers after worship. Join us even if you can t make 5:15 pm worship. Wednesday Worship Schedule 5:15 Worship 6:00 Soup Supper On Ash Wednesday, people were marked with ashes in the shape of a cross to remind us of Jesus death on the cross and our baptismal connection to Jesus death, also shaped in the form of a cross on our foreheads. Lent begins with a cross and marks our life as Christians with this sign of death AND new life. As we let go of the old, the death of our limited ways of thinking and living, we are made new, renewed in our minds as we follow Jesus way, the way of the cross. Lent is a wonderful opportunity for a fresh start. To again listen for God, to develop new practices of prayer, reflection on Bible readings and quiet time. God promises to be with us always but often due to the noise of our lives, we aren't able to recognize God's presence, to hear God speaking to us. Lent encourages new habits and new awareness of God's direction in our lives, time to shut out the other voices and distractions of our lives and listen closely for God. We gather together each Wednesday evening during Lent at 5:15 for worship. We are using Holden evening prayer for our worship time and including time for silent reflection, time to think about the Bible reading for the evening and time to pray, to invite the Spirit of the living God to renew our minds, to transform us and our way of living, to give us a fresh start empowered by God's life-giving Spirit. Give yourself this gift of refreshment, of quiet prayer, of time for renewal and invite your friends as well. Following worship each Wednesday evening, everyone is invited downstairs for soup supper and fellowship. We are blessed in so many ways and during this season of Lent, we are invited to grow in our relationship with the God who created us, gave his life for us and continues to renew and revitalize us with God's amazing love. May this Lent be for you a time of renewal. REVIVE is another opportunity for growing in your faith. Go to www.revivewisconsin.org for more information on a city wide time of prayer in Marshfield. Jan Taylor and Karen Bohm have attended meetings and are helping us get involved in this evangelism opportunity with many other congregations in Marshfield. We can grow in our own faith as we gather, worship and share with others. God's Peace, Pastor Gisele Staff updates: We welcome Cheryl Zimmerman as the Communications Specialist at Faith. Cheryl will begin working with us this month, look for updates from Cheryl as she begins this new role. We continue our search for a Music director. This is a part time position and we ask for your prayers and your assistance in sharing this information with the people you know. In the meantime, we are thankful to the many talented musicians who are dedicating additional time and energy to provide inspirational worship.
Faith Education & Making Connections There is no Sunday School March 25 th and April 1 st Thank you to everyone who has volunteered to teach Sunday School and confirmation! Your generosity is greatly appreciated! Sunday School Offerings In Fall the Sunday School kids were in competition with one another to see who could get to $100 first, younger or older kids? For spring we are going to work collaboratively and see if we can get to $300 by May. Their offerings for Spring will benefit the Wildwood Zoo here in Marshfield. There is a sign up for the Last Supper Presentations at Wesley United Methodist Church outside the front office. There are two nights of this presentation, both at 7pm. Monday March 19 th and Wednesday March 21 st. Please sign up if you are planning on going one of the nights. We can call ahead and reserve seats if a big group from Faith is planning to go. Walking together is on March 17th in Eau Claire at the Davies Center. The cost is $20 per person. Attendees will choose from over 35 ministry workshops created to share new ideas, unique ministry experiences/ experiments, creative leadership ideas, and more. Topics include worship/music/preaching, faith formation, social justice/ environmental care, local and global mission, and congregational renewal and leadership. There is a sign up on the front office if you want to go with your contact info and if you want/can drive or need a ride to the event. You need to register for Walking Together online at http://nwswi.org/home/calendar-of-events and clicking on the event registration form or print off the form and mail it in. NOW Meal Packing. We will be packing meals for the United Way s Nutrition on Weekend program on Thursday, March 1 from 4-5 PM. Meet at the United Way office or let Kim know if you need a ride from church. Cinnamon Bun Sunday will be March 4, 2018. On Saturday evening, March 3, Youth will be frosting the buns, having supper and then enjoying some time together. Can Collection. Don t forget to bring in your empty cans on Sunday, March 4 to help support Faith Lutheran Youth. Here is a schedule of upcoming events. together by the Synod Youth Board. Please let Kim know as soon as possible if you have questions or are interested in going. 2017-2018 Calendar (as of February 15, 2018) Mar 1 United Way NOW Service (4 PM) Mar 3 Cinnamon Bun Prep &Game Night (5:30) Mar 4 Cinnamon Bun Sunday & Can Collection Mar 7 FLY Meeting after Soup Supper Mar 10 ChristJam (Bethany in Rice Lake) Mar 14 Youth Advisory Team (6:30 PM) Mar 21 FLY meeting after Soup Supper Apr 4 Apr 5 Apr 11 Apr 13 Apr 18 Apr 22 Check out the Faith Lutheran Church FaceBook page for pictures from many of our meetings and events. FLY meeting (6 PM) United Way NOW Service (4 PM) Youth Advisory Team (7 PM) Feed My Starving Children FLY meeting (6 PM) All Church Youth Gathering Mtg Loyal (2:30) May 2 No FLY meeting tonight May 3 United Way NOW Service (4 PM) May 12 Youth Service Rehearsal (6 PM) May 13 Youth Sunday June 26 Leave for ELCA Youth Gathering
Thrivent Members 2017 Choice Dollars expire on March 31, 2018. Please remember to use your dollars, either contact Thrivent on-line or call 800-847-4836 and say Thrivent Choice. There was a computer glitch on the Easter week entries. They did not show up on your 2017 year end statement. If you would like a corrected statement emailed or mailed to you please call the office and Dar will let me know. Pam Johnson, Financial secretary U n i t t o E n d R a c i s m - A p r i UNITE TO END RACISM Dear Saints in the Northwest Synod of Wisconsin, This is an invitation to join me on a trip to Washington e D.C. The term trip is really an understatement for it is a journey and a rally to end racism. Unite to End Racism is both a rally and a call to action organized by the National Council of Churches with partners the National African American Clergy Network, Conference of National Black Churches, Sojourners, Franciscan Action network, Churches Uniting in Christ and Religious Action Center of Reformed Judaism, and its member communion. This act of ministry to combat and end racism has us depart Eau Claire on April 3 rd at 11:00 a.m. On April 4 th we will join folks from all over the United States for an Interfaith Service of Prayer and Preparation at the Lincoln Memorial and a Rally on the National Mall. Then we will return to the buses and arrive back in Eau Claire around 1:00 p.m. on April 5th. The cost is $250. I have registered and would love to have a great big group from the synod join me. Registration ends on March 1, 2018. Please pass the word on to your colleagues, congregational members and friends who are yearning to walk the talk in combatting racism. Please visit the Wisconsin Council of Churches to register www.wichurches.org Peace, Rev. John Sutherland, Assistant to the Bishop jsutherland@nwswi.org EMPTY BOWLS COMING SOON! To donate Easter Lilies to beautify the Chancel area on Easter Sunday, pick up your donation forms from the table in the Narthex. If you have any questions call the church office 715.387.3757. Last date to receive funds and forms is Monday, March 26th. If you are bringing an Easter Lily please drop them off by Thursday, March 29th. Thank you. The Empty Bowls project was created over 20 years ago by a Michigan art teacher. He wanted to teach hunger awareness. He invited friends over for a simple meal. At the end of the meal, he invited his guest to take their bowl home, as a reminder that Somewhere, someone s bowl is always empty Marshfield Area Empty Bowls has been part of the Marshfield area since 2012 meeting first at UW Mfld Wood County, and more recently at Hotel Marshfield. The event has grown in every way over the years. Raising over $74,000 for Soup or Socks and an awareness that hunger in our area is very real and grows daily. The 2018 event will be at Hotel Marshfield on Saturday March 10 th from 11 am to 2pm. There will be hundreds of ceramic bowls to choose from, 20 soups and over 30 raffle prizes to try your luck at winning. The Empty Bowls committee has named the 7 th annual fundraiser as Lucky #7, hoping to raise 21,000 for Soup or Socks. Volunteers are welcome and needed as it takes many hands to make this event a success. Please contact Cheryl at souporsockscheryl@gmail.com to volunteer or talk to Christine Stromme or Pastor Dan. We are in need of volunteers able to pick up donated soups from area restaurants on Friday March 9. More info about Empty Bowls at: www.marshfieldemptybowls.org
Help for the Homeless Hygiene Drive Help for the Homeless hygiene drive will be collecting new personal care and cleaning products for area crisis agencies, including The Hannah Center, Mary s Place and St. Vincent de Paul. The goal of Help for the Homeless is to provide a year s worth of hygiene supplies to each agency to help stretch the agencies limited financial resources. ALL donations will remain here in Marshfield! There is a box in the Gathering Space for your donations,. Please donate generously here at church or at Festival Foods, Shopko, Pick N Save or Walgreens until March 11th and help us help our neighbors in need right here in Marshfield. Thank You. Mark Your Calendars! The Chequamegon Conference Spring Rally will be held on Saturday, April 7, 2018. Theme: Shepherd Lead Us Come travel to European cathedrals (and more) with Pastor Gail Sowell All women are invited to join us for a day of fellowship, renewal and relaxation. Registration: 8:30 am with refreshments. Rally from 9:00 am-2:00 pm. Lunch served at noon. Registration deadline: March 19th or at the door Location: St John s, Edgar Cost: $15.00 per person-make checks payable to Women of the ELCA $20 after March 19th Registration forms and information sheets are in the gathering space. Fill out your own form or contact Judy Rhodes at 384-2784 or jrossrhod@charter.net. There will also be a car-pooling sign-up. 2018 Council Representatives Gary Grassman President, Education garyg@c21goldkey.com Cheryl Ashbeck Vice President, Evangelism clynnashbeck@gmail.com Treva Tisdell Secretary, Education ttisdell@pdcmarshfield.com Bill Olsen Treasurer billolsen@tds.net Karen Bohm Property, W/ELCA dkrbohm@frontier.com Cole Hansen Youth btzchanson@gmail.com Jim Legge Sharing the Faith no email Thom Gerretsen Worship and Music tgwert@hotmail.com Jan Taylor Social Concerns/Green Team jantaylor15@gmail.com Sue Vrana svrana@charter.net Pastor Gisele Berninghaus pastorgisele@yahoo.com Dar Schubert, Secretary secretary@faithofmfld.org Anne Weber, Education & Family Ministry Director anneyfm16@gmail.com Richard Brunson, Choir Director bbrunson@gmail.com Kim Vrana, Youth Director kvrana@charter.net Cheryl Zimmerman, Communications Specialist wiffacenter@tznet.com Website faith@faithofmfld.org Check out the Faith Lutheran Church FaceBook page for pictures from many of our meetings and events. Council Highlights from Feb 15th Meeting No membership changes Council members will hold their retreat on February 24 th along with staff members Cheryl Zimmerman was hired for the Communication Specialist position No applicants for the Music Director position Council installation will be held March 4 th
Reducing Food Waste We are called to love and serve each other, and to care for all of God s creation. The reduction of food waste is both a social concern and an environmental concern when we consider these two facts that stand in startling contrast: One third of the food raised or prepared worldwide does not make it from the farm or factory to our tables. -and- Hunger is a condition of life for nearly 800 million people worldwide. How can this be? The earth can produce enough food for everyone. Yet so many of our brothers and sisters still go hungry. We often concentrate our efforts on working to reduce world hunger, but we may not often consider how much food we waste. The food we waste contributes 4.4 gigatons of carbon dioxide equivalent into the atmosphere each year. A fundamental equation is off-kilter: People who need food are not getting it, and food that is not getting consumed is heating up the planet. Some of the food that is wasted is at the retailer level. Retailers reject food for all sorts of aesthetic reasons produce with bumps, bruises, or coloring imperfections. Other times, they simply order too much, not wanting to risk shortages or unhappy customers. Similarly, customers often reject less than perfect produce, overestimate how many meals they will cook in a week, or forget about leftover lasagna in the back of the fridge. Has kitchen efficiency become a lost art? None of us intends for food to go to waste; in our abundance, we simply allow it to happen. What can we do? How do efforts to reduce food waste tie to our faith, discipleship and stewardship? We can be more thoughtful about our grocery purchases We can finish up those leftovers We can advocate for programs such as those in France and Italy where supermarkets are forbidden from trashing unsold food. Instead, they are required to pass it on to charities, or animal feed or composting companies. We can celebrate and support programs such as Feeding the 5000 large public feasts made entirely from nearly wasted food You can read more about Feeding the 5000 at: https://feedbackglobal.org/campaigns/ feeding-the-5000/ We can support the ELCA s efforts to end world hunger. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me. Matthew 25:35 The ELCA sponsors programs that sponsor immediate relief to those who are hungry, thus meeting basic needs and recognizing the universal human right to food. But ending hunger is about more than food. By connecting people with the resources they need to produce food and gain access to clean water, education health and sources of income, long-term, sustainable change can be accomplished. The ELCA has details about its ongoing initiative to end world hunger at: http://www.elca.org/hunger/ If 50 percent of food waste is reduced by 2050, avoided emissions would be equal to 26.2 gigatons of carbon dioxide. Reducing waste also avoids deforestation for additional farmland. Whether on the farm, near the fork, or somewhere in between, efforts to reduce food waste can address emissions and ease pressure on resources of all kinds, while enabling society more effectively to supply future food demand. With excerpts from Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming, 2017 Next book club meeting is March 26th, 7PM We will meet at Ruth Stram s house. Discussion will be facilitated by Karen Bohm. "The Radium Girls" by Kate Moore
The Trouble with Plastic is Animals don t understand what it is so they get tangled up in it Or they eat plastic and it makes them sick. For the six weeks of Lent we are asking members of the congregation to say NO to Plastic Bags Why plastic bags? This man is dressed in the number of bags each person who shops uses per year-500 What happens to all those plastic bags? They go in the garbage We take them in to be recycled-2% We may reuse them for garbage or something else then they end up in the garbage and landfills How many plastic bags will we use this year? 200,000 plastic bags will be dumped in landfills Every hour! Each year, an estimated 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide. That comes out to over one million per minute. YOU CAN HELP! BYOB: Bring your own reusable bags. Say NO to plastic bags Buy in bulk as much as possible Recycle your plastic bags What can kids do? Help your parents remember to take their reusable bag into the store with them. Help them remember to say NO to plastic bags. What else can you do? Americans use 500 million plastic straws every single day. Plastic straws are causing many animals to die and are littering the ocean floor. Join the Straw Wars Just say No Thank You when you get your next soft drink and you are offered a straw. Will you take the pledge? I promise to Say NO to all plastic bags and plastic straws for the next 6 weeks of Lent. I promise to take care of God s creation by returning any plastic bag to be recycled. I promise to tell others what I am doing to help protect our earth and ask them to join in with me. And I ask God to help me. (After six weeks this could become a good new habit.) Let s Pray: Lord, help me to do my best to keep my promise to protect the earth and the animals by not using plastic bags and straws. AMEN Pick up your reusabe bag and rear view mirror reminder hang tag in the Gathering Space.