Announcements for Sunday, June 14 2020
Inside: Preschool Registration, Sanctuary Book Discussion, and Bible Readers.
There are still a few openings for 2020-2021 at First Lutheran Preschool! Space is limited, so register today! For more info, contact Preschool Director, Melissa Rolbiecki at preschool@firstlu.org.
Online Worship
Join us for worship online this Sunday at 9:15am and on Wednesday at 6:15pm, at 1stlu.org/live.
Cancellations
In-person worship, weddings, funerals and small groups will not be taking place in-person until further notice.
For an up-to-date list of online options and cancellations please visit firstlutheranonalaska.org/thisweek.
Sanctuary Book Discussion & Sermon Series
Do you ever feel overwhelmed? Do you crave time and space to replenish? Can you name a sanctuary in your life? These are just a few of the questions addressed by Sanctuary, a short, easy-to-read, powerful book by Terry Hershey that is great for individuals and even better for couples, families and groups of friends. All members and friends of First Lutheran are strongly encouraged to read Sanctuary and engage in the questions at the end of each chapter. Teens would greatly benefit from this little book, too. It could be a great summer read! Each Wednesday worship throughout the summer will be rooted in a chapter from Sanctuary. The book is available to purchase directly from the author Terry Hershey at terryhershey.com. He has updated his website to offer a special price: $10 per book plus $4 shipping.
Bible Readers Bible Study
Ever wanted to read the whole Bible? Pastor Stanton will lead a year long, 5 days-a-week journey starting June 8! From Pastor Stanton: For years, I’ve wanted to lead a Bible study with people of all ages, genders and Bible study experience. But there was no good day of the week or time of day to meet. So instead of a weekly study at the church… I want to bring a daily Bible study into your internet machine. I’ll post a 3-5 minute video by 5am Monday through Friday on Facebook and Youtube. If social media isn’t your thing, I could also e-mail each day’s video. Send me a request. By June next year… we will have read through the whole Bible, having read for about 15 minutes a day. But we won’t jump in head first. Before making a daily habit, we will need to examine our habits and make space for reading from Scripture every day. From June 8—June 26 I will use my daily video time to help you examine your morning routines so that you may prioritize Scripture reading. Those are a must if any of us are going to succeed. This study is for ANYone who can read, 3rd graders to our eldest friend; members and acquaintances far far away. Use whatever Bible you’d like.
Baptismal Preparation
The pastors are considering baptisms on an individual basis. There has been a request to have a baptismal prep class on Wednesday, June 17. If you or someone you know would be interested in participating in this class, contact Pastor Stanton directly: jason@firstlu.org.
Sympathy to the family and friends of Pastor Roger Hjelle
We lift in prayer the family & friends of Pastor Roger Hjelle, who died Monday, March 30 at 75 years of age from an underlying heart condition. The family will have a drive by meet and greet time on June 18 from 4–7pm at Good Shepherd, La Crosse.
Coffee & Conversation: The Art of Downsizing
We spend our adult lives selecting furniture, cookware, souvenirs and decor to make our living happy and comfortable. When it comes time to move into a smaller place, it’s not easy to decide which items won’t make the trip. Join us for the conversation on Monday, June 22 from 10:30–11:30am. Sara Wrobel, Executive Director of Causeway Caregivers and Facilitator of Before the After, will have some prompts to help you think about your living space and the heirlooms your children will (or won’t!) want. This will be an online conversation; request access from Julie Nelson at jnelson@gruw.org.
Census Takers Needed for 2020 Census
The U.S. Census Bureau is currently looking to hire 2020 census takers in the La Crosse area. By working for the 2020 census you can help ensure everyone is counted. Accurate counts have a huge impact on our community: data influences decisions about which roads are fixed, which schools are built, businesses opened, what medical services (medicaid) are offered and more. Positions are part-time, flexible, and pay $17-$22/hr. Apply online: 2020census.gov/jobs. Questions? Contact Kay DeLanzo, Recruiting Assistant, Madison Area Census Office, 720.966.4327, Kay.a.delanzo@2020census.gov.
Bible Bits
A project that we are starting to work on is to send a Bible verse video to Sunday school students. This video and verse from you would fill up the student's Bible with peoples names that are important to them and remember that God loves them and so do we! Beth will send a video (made by members) with directions to the Sunday school students that would give the opportunity for the youth to highlight the verse and write your name near it. This is a way to stay connected to our Bibles and our congregations' youth during this time. For more information, contact Beth at beth@firstlu.org.
410 Prayers
Join Kathryn for a time of prayer, every Monday–Friday, at 4:10pm. Kathryn is posting prayers on both Facebook and Twitter.
Grief Support Group
Carrying on after the death of a loved one can be difficult and lonely. Join with others who have experienced loss, and listen and care for each other. This group is currently provided care by phone. Questions? Contact Director of Small Group Ministry, Bridget Crave: bridget@firstlu.org. More info at 1stlu.org/griefsupport.
AV Ministry
Our live stream set-up is starting to get into place, and the next phase involves members learning the set-up so we can continue to provide this ministry to everyone at home. We will be in need of two leaders/volunteers each Sunday: 1) to run projection (as we always have) and 2) to direct the live stream. Ideally we’d like a 2 week commitment on both Sundays and Wednesdays, the first week to lead projection and the second week to learn the live stream. If you know someone with these gifts, or if you are interested in being a part of this ministry, pass their name or your name to andy@firstlu.org.
Readers!
We are seeking people of all ages who would be willing to be our readers each week. This would mean doing a video of yourself or family reading the assigned text and then uploading it to a google folder. If you are willing to do this, email Pastor Karyn: karyn@firstlu.org.
Prayers!
Pastor Karyn is looking for people who are willing to be our pray-ers. If you are willing to offer up a prayer or let us know a way we can be praying, send me an email to karyn@firstlu.org. Thanks!
Help Those in Need
If you are looking for ways to help locally, go to the Ugetconnected site to find a variety of needs, from writing letters or drawing pictures to seniors, to delivering pre-packaged meals or sewing. It's hard to keep track of all the various organizations, so this is a great spot to find out how you can help. Go to 1stlu.org/needs.
