Inside: Read the book of Judges in 7 days, Synod School of Theology, Family Photos: a Cloud of Witnesses

Worship

• Join us for worship online this Sunday at 8am & 10:30am, and on Wednesday at 6:15pm, at 1stlu.org/live.

COVID-19 Update

• Pastors and the Vision & Leadership team regularly evaluate when and how the church can be open. These are our current recommendations:

  • Worship: online

  • Education: online

  • Small groups: online

• For an up-to-date list of online options and cancellations please visit firstlutheranonalaska.org/thisweek.

Preschool Faith Building Block: Praying Together

• Sundays, Oct. 25: parents/guardians with children

• Sundays, Nov. 1: parents/guardians with children

• Sunday, Nov. 8: Faith Building Block lifted up in worship

Throughout the year each age group will have a special “Faith Building Block” session in which parents or special adults are asked to attend class with their child on Sundays at 9:15am, sharing in conversation and growing together in faith. The session lasts for three weeks, and afterwards, children will have a presence in worship in celebration of the Faith Building Block they have learned. Gatherings will meet via Zoom; pastors will send out meeting codes to parents & guardians of youth in each grade before the first meeting.'

Register for the Sunday School Fruit of the Spirit Box! 

This is First Lutheran’s way of handling the pandemic & Sunday School. Do as much as you can including crafts, games, cooking, music, science, devotionals, verse and video! All you need to do is to register during the designated time and then you will pick up your box on the pick up day! Fruit of the Spirit box registration is open through Sunday, Oct. 25; register at 1stlu.org/sundayschool. Box pick up will be Saturday, Oct. 31, with activities running from Nov. 1–22.

Read the Book of Judges in 7 days!

Read stories about young people doing wild and crazy things in the “wild, wild West Bank!” Like strongman Samson going on a rampage with a donkey jaw bone, and Deborah leading an army of thousands to save her homeland! Pastor Stanton will be introducing this book to Bible Readers starting Monday, Oct. 26. Join at any time! These studies are for ANYone who can read, 3rd graders to our eldest friend; members and acquaintances far far away. Use whatever Bible you’d like! Follow Pastor Stanton’s daily guides on Facebook or YouTube, and if you’d like the daily video guides emailed to you contact Pastor Stanton at jason@firstlu.org.

Courageous Men’s Group

The Courageous Men’s Group are men of all ages who meet weekly on Wednesdays at 6am via Zoom for a time of fellowship and study. Contact Chad Schultz or the church office for more info: courageous@firstlu.org.

Synod School Of Theology

Classes being offered via Zoom, at 6pm on Thursdays: The Holy Spirit by Pastor Karyn Bodenschatz, Oct. 29–Dec. 10. Register now: office@lacrosseareasynod.org / 608.788.5000. More info: 1stlu.org/theology.

Last Call for Above & Beyond

Thank you to the 101 First Lutheran family members who have made an Above & Beyond pledge. Together, over $180,000 has been pledged to these final four projects that are estimated to cost $230,000. This is NOT a request for regular giving to the general fund… We know it's that time of year when we usually start talking about that, but we're moving our regular giving pledge conversation to January when we can have more time to talk about three BIG things we're excited to do in 2021! Stay tuned. For now, we're focused on completing our capital campaign, so if you haven't made your pledge, you could mail in the self-addressed stamped envelope we sent out three weeks ago... or e-mail the church: office@firstlu.org

Thank you SO much. Because of First Lutheran's amazing generosity in 2020, we are keeping up with our expenses and completing a campaign of over $1 million.  Which means (drumroll, please)... we will be able to burn our mortgage during a special Thanksgiving worship, Sunday November 22. Join us. It will be a blast!  

Fall Back! (Daylight Savings Ends)

Daylight Savings ends next weekend, in the night from Saturday, Oct. 31 to Sunday, Nov. 1. Make certain to set your clocks back one hour when you go to bed that night. But don't worry if you forget… you'll just be up before everyone else!

Family Photos: 
a Cloud of Witnesses


All Saint’s Day has long been a day when the church gives thanks for all the saints, the beloved, who have died, especially in the past year. In a typical year, we would be asking for photographs of your beloved dead so that we can be surrounded by their witness on All Saint’s Day, Sunday, 
Nov. 1. However, this year, since we are not completely sure if we will be able to meet in person on November 1, we are asking that you gather together photos of your beloved dead in preparation for All Saints celebration in your home. More details will be offered in the coming weeks. If your loved one was a member of our congregation and died this past year, you will receive a letter with a special request. 
All Saint’s Day isn’t only about those who have died but also about those who have been newly baptized. If your child was baptized this past year, you also will receive a special request.

Election Day of Prayer

This year, on November 3, in answer to the call to fear, love and trust God above all things, and to practice our faith and citizenship together, we at First Lutheran are calling our members to a day of prayer. What does that look like, you may ask? The first thing is that we are inviting people to sign up to pray during each hour of the day starting at 5am and ending at midnight. Click here to sign up for any given hour, but it is not expected that you would pray for the whole hour. The second thing is that we will be live streaming prayer services throughout the day at 6am, noon, 6:15pm and 9:45pm. These will be, primarily, short prayer services centered around a specific scripture and include some songs and a reflection. The 6:15pm worship service will be Holden Evening Prayer.

Peer Ministry Preview / Kick-off

Peer Ministry kicks off with a preview with Renee Thies on Wednesday, Nov. 4 in the Fellowship Hall. This is for youth only, currently in grade 10. Bring a mask, stay distant, but be ready for a significant faith formation experience! Peer Ministry is a great way for our 10th graders to learn about how to deal with any situation that arises, large or small. It makes handling conflicts simple and equips them to be better listeners and be welcoming to all those around them.

Habitat for Humanity Auction

The La Crosse Area Habitat for Humanity will have an online fundraising auction from Nov. 6–12. Proceeds from the online auction of gift baskets will support the Faith Build house at 1112 Avon St. in La Crosse for Libby Olson and her two sons. For more information, contact Pam Hartwell at pam@habitatlacrosse.org or 608.797.3513, or go to the Habitat website: habitatlacrosse.org.

Faith Alive! U: The Year of Mark

When Hamilton, the musical, came out, it took the world by storm partly because of how strange it was. It combines history, show tunes and RAP! It’s just different. That’s what the gospel of Mark was like almost 2,000 years ago. There had never been anything quite like it. Good news, grounded in God’s love for everyone… meant to be heard by EVERYONE! Starting with Advent 1 on November 29 and throughout the next year, most Sunday sermons will be rooted in a reading from Mark. What is the message? What is the story? And how has Mark changed the world? Attend our next Faith Alive! U course on Nov. 8 at 6pm when Pastor Jason Stanton surveys the gospel itself while Pastor Karyn Bodenschatz describes the ways Mark has shaped the Christian imagination through art, music and more. It will be 30 minutes of Bible WOW followed by 30 minutes of beauty and expression with a few minutes at the end for questions and comments.This event is intended for confirmation students, high schoolers and all adults. To join the Zoom meeting go to the event page at 1stlu.org/FAUzoom.

Butter Braids Fundraiser

The Butter Braid Fundraiser has started and runs through Sunday, Nov. 8. Youth raising funds for youth ministries will need to create an online account. Members wanting to purchase Butter Braids should try to find a youth member who has set-up a fundraising account; they can send you a link where you can order from them online. If you don’t know of anyone to purchase from but would still like to place an order, please call the church office at 608.783.2236. All orders must be placed and paid for by Nov. 8. Orders will be delivered by the youth you placed the order through on Wednesday, Nov. 18. If you ordered through the church you can pick them up at the church on or after that date. More detailed info at 1stlu.org/bbraids. Questions? Contact Pastor Stanton at jason@firstlu.org.

Baptismal Preparation


The pastors are considering baptisms on an individual basis. The next baptism preparation session will be Saturday, Dec. 5, at 10am. To register or ask questions contact the church office at 608.783.3326 / office@firstlu.org.

Keep Up with Changes: Update Your Contact Info

Make sure the office has your current contact info, including current address, mobile number(s), carrier info (for reminders by text), and email(s). Send to office@firstlu.org.

Morning Musings

Where is God in all this? Who/what shall we pray for today? What are our questions? What is grounding us in a time when everything is shifting? Go to First Lutheran's website, Facebook page or our Youtube channel where each morning, Monday through Saturday by 8am, Pastor Stanton or Pastor Karyn post a "morning musing". It's a great way to stay connected!