Announcements for Sunday, January 27, 2019
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Sunday School
Sunday, Jan. 27
Gr 2 Faith Building Block: What’s Fair, lifted up in worship
9:15am Gr 4 Faith Building Block: Apostle’s Creed (1st meeting, parents/guardians only) - Phillip Rm
9:15am Sunday School, Sugar Creek Sunday - Fellowship Hall
Sunday, Feb. 3
9:15am Gr 4 FBB: Apostle’s Creed (2nd meeting, parents/guardians & child) - Fellowship Hall
9:15am Sunday School
New registrations welcome any time of the year. Contact Sunday School superintendent Beth Miller at sundayschool@firstlu.org or stop in the Sunday School office in room 206.
Confirmation
Sunday:
9:15am Gr 6 & 7 Bible Classes
Wednesday:
7pm Gr 8 & 9 Small Groups
Annual Meeting Pre-Caucus
THIS Sunday, Jan. 27, 9:30am in room 205. The annual meeting (Feb. 10 after second service) at First Lutheran (otherwise known as First’s Potluck!) is:
an opportunity for members to eat together
celebrate our work together over the past year
get excited about the year ahead
Leaders are elected to attend to the details of receipts and expenditures, personnel decisions, facility maintenance and all the other conversations required to make First Lutheran thrive. We do not dwell on the details of those conversations at the potluck. Instead, we use the potluck to consider the BIG picture. If you are interested in more detail, however, you are warmly invited to attend the annual meeting pre-caucus between worship services Sunday, Jan. 27, at 9:30 in room 205 where elected leaders will offer a reading of the budget, a detailed capital campaign update, strategic plan update, provide names of all nominated leaders to be voted on at the potluck and hear about our review of the Foundation.
Annual Report Available
In advance of First’s Annual Potluck on Sunday, Feb. 10, an abbreviated one-page annual report for 2018 will be mailed to households in your year-end financial statements. A full, more in-depth annual report may picked up at the Welcome Center or downloaded at 1stlu.org/report.
Volunteer Appreciation Party!
Why? To thank everyone for being Christ’s hands and feet! THIS Sunday, Jan. 27, 11:45-12:30pm. in Fellowship Hall. Join us!
Faith Alive! U: Weekend workshops
Join other adults for an afternoon of exploring, questioning and learning about your faith. The Faith Alive University Workshop takes place THIS Sunday, Jan. 27 from 12:30 to 2:45pm, following the volunteer appreciation party. You will have the opportunity to attend two 1-hour classes: When Law Becomes Gospel, The Unsung Power of Lament, Young Adults in Global Mission & ELCA Global Engagement, and Power of the Positive Spoken Word. Childcare will be available.
Middle School Youth Group
Our middle school youth group gathers weekly on Sundays. Starting at 5:30pm with a meal, and then breaking off for fun, fellowship & devos. Stay connected and learn what our middle & high school youth groups are up to! Download the Remind app on iTunes or Google Play and use the join codes @1stlums for our middle school group and @1stluhs for our high school group. Questions? Contact Pastor Stanton, jason@firstlu.org.
NEWSLETTER ASSEMBLY
It’s a relaxing way to volunteer! Monday, Jan. 28, at 9am, to assemble the February newsletter. See you there!
Cookies for Common Ground
Let’s show our local college students some love by making cookies for Common Ground, our synod’s campus ministry! Common Ground hands them out to ALL students at the campus tower EVERY Wednesday; last year they shared 20,000 cookies! Details:
Cookies must be homemade (campus policy)
No nuts, nor nut-butter/flavorings/extracts, etc.
Bring to church ON Sunday, Feb. 3
YOUNG YOUTH MP3 Night
For grades K-5, on Friday, Feb. 8, 5:30- 8:30pm, in Fellowship Hall. Wear your most comfy pajamas and bring a sleeping bag and pillow to lounge on if you like. We’ll meet, eat, play a couple of games and settle in for a movie and popcorn. RSVP to beth@firstlu.org.
Annual Potluck!
All members are invited to First’s Annual Potluck on Sunday, Feb. 10, at 11:45am, where we will eat together and our kids will play together, all while the adults share our greatest faith stories from the past year. God is doing all kinds of things at First Lutheran, so our Annual Potluck will be a celebration of what has been and a look ahead to what will be. Save the date so you can share in the fun!
Clothes Closet Help Wanted:
The First Teen Clothes Closet needs you! Could you spend 3:30-6:30pm on a Monday hosting shopping hours? Or a couple of hours a week — at your convenience — sorting donations at the house? Contact a committee member or the church office to learn more about volunteering.
Chamber Chorale Concert
The La Crosse Chamber Chorale will have a concert at First Lutheran on Saturday, Feb. 2, at 7:30pm. Music selections celebrate the beauty of the natural world. This is conductor Paul Rusterholz’s 29th, and final, season leading the chorale. The chorale will also perform the concert on Sunday, Feb. 3, at 3 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church in La Crosse. For tickets, call 780-6107, or send email to laxchorale@gmail.com. For more information, go to www.chamberchorale.org.
Baptismal Preparation
A baptism preparation session will be Saturday, Feb. 9, at 10am in the narthex for anyone who is considering or has scheduled a baptism. To register or ask questions, contact the church office: 608.783.2236 / office@firstlu.org.
MY NEIGHBOR IS MUSLIM – Exploring the Muslim Faith
Saturday, Feb. 9, 9am–2pm, at Good Shepherd Lutheran, 4141 Mormon Coulee Rd, La Crosse. Cost: $10, includes lunch. The synod Church in Society Committee in conjunction with Shoulder to Shoulder of La Crosse is hosting this workshop to help learn the basic tenets of Islam and understand our new neighbors. The intention is simply that this resource open doors, minds, and hearts and dispel stereotypes and myths about our Muslim neighbors just enough to start more conversations.
Blessing Office Admins
We invite all those who actually keep our work places together—our office admins—to join us on Sunday, Feb. 17, for worship and a special blessing for all that you do.
NEW-MEMBER SESSIONS
By choosing to become a member, individuals and families commit to being part of a shared mission. People who would like to become members of First Lutheran are invited to a three-week introduction to the church, presented in a small-group setting. The group will meet in the evening on Sunday, Mar. 24 & 31, and Thursday, Apr. 4. To register your family or ask questions, call our church office at 608.783.2236 or email office@firstlu.org.
Sign up for flowers for 2019
The sign-up sheets for 2019 altar flowers are on the bulletin board. If you would like to honor the memory of a loved one, check the bulletin board and sign up for an open week of your choice. You can also contact the church office to inquire about openings: office@firstlu.org / 608.783.2236.
Cancellations Due to Inclement Weather
If the weather ever makes you wonder whether your group is meeting for their ministry, check our website, Facebook page, or update the office with your cell number and provider so that we can text you. We’ll also notify WXOW.com, news8000.com and the La Crosse Radio Group stations: 106.3, 104.9, 102.7, 100.1, and 1490 AM. The staff and leadership of First intend to ‘make the call’ by 5pm at the latest. so everyone knows what to expect. Be safe this winter!
Sugar Creek Summer Reg Now Open
Your child or grandchild can have an amazing new experience this summer with the caring staff and beautiful creation of Sugar Creek! Now is the time to register, before your desired week fills up. Popular programs fill up fast! More info & reg at www.sgrcreek.org.
‘19 Mission Trips
During the week of July 21–26 in 2019 our middle school youth will serve in Duluth, MN and our high school youth will serve in San Francisco, CA. For more info & registration go to 1stlu.org/missiontrip.
Clothes Closet Needs:
Donations to the First Teen Clothes Closet have been steadily rolling in, but we have a few empty spaces on specific shelves. What we need (clean and gently-used, please!):
Athletic shorts (guys and girls, especially larger sizes)
Sweatshirts and hoodies (especially XXL)
Men’s jeans — size 38, 40 & 44 waist
Guys athletic and lounge pants
Clothes Closet Help Wanted:
The First Teen Clothes Closet needs you! As we serve more than 2x as many youth, that means more clothes to sort, more hosts needed, and more hands to organize. Could you spend 3:30-6:30pm on a Monday hosting shopping hours? Or a couple of hours a week—at your convenience—sorting donations at the house or “resetting” the Closet after a busy night? Contact a committee member or the church office to learn more about volunteering.
Sugar Creek Winter Fun Days
Though First will not be going as a group this year, members are still invited to come to Sugar Creek for a family outing on these Sunday afternoons: Jan. 27, Feb. 10 and March 25; all from 1-5pm. There’ll be snow tubing, broom ball, snow shoeing, wagon rides, and more! Call or email to register your family: 608.734.3113 or kati@sgrcreek.org. Cost (includes lunch): $7/person or $30/family.
Faith Alive Visitations
A group of First Lutheran members have initiated a new Faith Alive mission. Their goal is to “keep-in-touch” with our fellow members who are home bound. The visitation team will keep Faith Alive with phone calls, home visits or by mailing notes to remind “at home” members that our church loves and cares about them. Please notify the church office at 608.783.2236 or office@firstlu.org if you’re aware of an individual or care giver who is either long or short-term home bound.
Courageous Men’s Group
The Courageous Men’s Group are men of all ages who meet weekly on Wednesdays at 6am in the Fireside Room for a time of fellowship and study. Contact Chad Schultz, Jim Sysimaki, or the church office for more info: courageous@firstlu.org.
Stephen Ministry
If you know of someone who needs a caregiver, please speak with Pastor Karyn, or call the church office.