Announcements for Sun., Aug. 28, 2022

Announcements
Written By Andrew Stutesman

INSIDE: THIS SUNDAY: Blessing Backpacks & Devices / Students & Staff • Worship Outdoors at 10am (NO LIVE STREAM) • Sunday School Teacher & Volunteer Orientation

Whether you are in school virtually or in-person… whether you are a student in kindergarten, high school, college, or an adult teaching or helping at any of those levels, God is with you every day, in every place. And First wants to kick off this school year with a blessing to remind you of just that. So we invite students and staff, K–college, to have your backpacks, briefcases, messenger bags, purses, laptops, tablets, etc. with them for worship THIS Sunday, Aug. 28, so that we may bless the start of your new school year!

Worship

Join us for worship!

Sunday, Aug. 28:

  • 8am: live stream at 1stlu.org/live, and in-person. Nursery available.

  • 9am: Summer Fun! For kids: Snacks and supervised play outdoors (gather at the Welcome Center). For adults: fellowship hour and Parent Share in the Upper Room.

  • 10am: outdoor worship, in-person (no live stream). Current forecast for Sunday morning: Mostly cloudy, with a 35% chance of scattered thunderstorms, and 75º. If rain threatens, worship will move indoors.

Current Precautions

Pastors and our COVID Advisory Panel get together as needed to evaluate when and how precautions should change. These are our current recommendations:

On Wednesday at 3pm, the CDC’s COVID-19 Community Level for La Crosse county was high. HOWEVER, please check 1stlu.org/precaution for the current, up-to-date level.

  • If HIGH: we ask everyone to mask for large gatherings (such as worship)

  • Small groups: online & in-person; precautions determined by the entire group

For a full description of current precautions, visit 1stlu.org/precaution.

Outdoor Worship This Summer

First will continue to do outdoor worship services once a month during the summer…

  • August 28, 10am

  • September 25, 10:30am

Bring your own lawn chairs, and perhaps a hat to shade your eyes. If the weather's bad that day, we'll move inside. PLEASE NOTE: There will be no live stream of the 10am outdoor service.

Lead Sunday School

There are opportunities to serve as a Sunday School teacher and volunteers. A Sunday School teacher is a commitment of 1 or 2 weekends a month in which you connect with our congregation's children! It is super easy with the curriculum! If you like to play games or would like to help organize or help in any way, please consider! Contact Pastor Stanton: jason@firstlu.org.

Sunday School Teacher & Volunteer Orientation

Sunday, Aug. 28, 5:30pm. For all Sunday School teachers and volunteers: come and learn what this Sunday School year has in store. And thanks again for you sharing your gift of time and talents with this ministry! Location: Fellowship Hall. Questions? Contact Pastor Stanton: jason@firstlu.org.

Newsletter Assembly

It’s a relaxing way to volunteer! Monday, Aug. 29, at 10am, to assemble the Sept./Oct. mini-newsletter. See you there! 

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 Jim Knutson or the church office for more info: jim@firstlu.org.

Social Media Director

The First Lutheran Teen Clothes Closet (FTTC) is looking for a high school teen to regularly post and engage with teens about the FTTC on relevant social media. A $100/ month stipend is available. Interested? Talk to Bridget Crave bridget@firstlu.org.

Website Update

We’ve begun transitioning our website to a new template. Many of the “blocks” that create the site have been reformatted in the new template, and may look out of place. Clean-up has begun, one page at a time. If you see a page that you think should be prioritized, copy the URL and send it to Andy at webmaster@firstlu.org. Thanks for your patience!

LuMin (Lutheran Campus Ministry) Gearing up for Fall 2022

Pastor Ben Morris at LuMin would love to connect with any students attending UW-La Crosse, Viterbo, or Western Technical College this fall! We're beginning to collect phone numbers and emails for our synod students to invite them to participate in campus ministry this fall. If you have student info to pass along, please email Jen at admin@luminlax.org and include the students name, cell phone number, email address, and where they will be attending school.

Double Your Impact for ELCA Leaders

This month we celebrate the 25th anniversary of ELCA Fund for Leaders! At the 1997 ELCA Churchwide Assembly, leaders of our church presented a case for establishing this ambitious scholarship program for those aspiring to ministry. In honor of this milestone, all gifts to Fund for Leaders will be matched, dollar for dollar, until we reach $25,000. One day, we hope to be able to fund every candidate for ministry in the ELCA. Your support can get us closer to that goal. You can empower emerging leaders to follow the Spirit and serve the church wherever it needs them most. Will you double your impact and make a gift to ELCA Fund for Leaders now? Together, we can build a stronger future for our church. Thank you for your generosity!

Sunshine Team

The Sunshine Team meets on the first Thursday of every month. Next meeting: Sept. 1, 9:30am. Various jobs: outside raking, trimming bushes, sweeping, cleaning, pulling weeds. Help make First Lutheran look nice! Refreshments are supplied to replenish your reserves! Dues are free! Questions? Contact Dan at dan@firstlu.org.

Grief Support

The Franciscan Spirituality Center offers the following opportunities for grief support. Online reg: www.FSCenter.org.

  • 5-WEEK SERIES: GRIEF CIRCLE (IN PERSON), Sept. 6, 13, 20, 27 & Oct. 4, Tuesdays, 10am–noon. Cost: $25 for series; enter code GRIEF60 for discount on online reg. This group is for those who are grieving the death of a loved one. It is a welcoming place to share your thoughts, feelings and concerns, where you can talk about your loss with other people who understand, because they are also grieving. Sometimes friends and family, although well-intentioned, may not understand the meaning of your loss and the depth of your pain. The support of others on the same journey can provide a great deal of comfort and healing. 

  • LISTENING TOGETHER: A MONTHLY GRIEF SUPPORT GROUP (IN-PERSON). Mondays, 5:30-6:30pm; First session is Sept. 12. Cost: Free. Advance reg appreciated; drop-ins welcome. This group meets the second Monday of every month and provides a safe place for those who are experiencing grief and the loss of a loved one to share their stories. You’ll have an opportunity to process your unique experience while receiving the comfort and compassion of others who understand. 

Changes in Worship Times

With summer drawing to a close, worship times will be changing once again, and will be as follows…

  • Wednesday, Sept. 7

    • 6:15pm, Wednesday evening worship resumes

  • Sunday, Sept. 11 (First Fest Sunday)

    • 8am & 10:30am, indoors and in-person, which will be the worship times through May 2023

Sing Fest!

Do you like music? Do you enjoy singing, even if it’s in the shower? Do you appreciate the power of music in worship? Then put all of these things together and join the First Lutheran Senior Choir! First Lutheran is once again excited to offer the “festival choir” format for adding your vocal talents to worship! We know that the busy lives we all lead can limit the number of volunteer activities to which we are able to commit. The first event the choir will rehearse for is First Fest. Practice begins Wednesday, Sept. 7, at 7pm in the Sanctuary. All are welcome… there is no audition and no formal training required, just a desire to enhance worship through the beauty of music! And the time commitment is just for the one performance (not the entire year). Full schedule and sign-up at 1stlu.org/choir. If needed, child care will be made available (just indicate this need on the sign-up form). For more info contact Todd Saner at todd@firstlu.org.

Sugar Creek 5K

Registration for the 9th annual Sugar Creek Bible Camp 5K Trail Fun Run/Walk is now open! Being held Saturday, Sept. 10 at 9am, at Sugar Creek Bible Camp, the course makes its way through each of the villages and prominent places on camp. Following the run stick around for the annual camp auction, the presentation of medals, and drawings for door prizes. Register at 1stlu.org/scbc5k.

Sugar Creek Fall Festival

Saturday, Sept. 10. Beginning at 9am: 5K Trail Run and Fun Walk (more info above). At 10am: craft fair, country store, silent auction, and BBQ pork lunch.

Dinner Theater: First Fest Edition!

Join us on Saturday, Sept. 10, at 5pm as we return to the golden age of the 1940s and the famous jazz club "Chez Mort." On this particular night, the club was the scene of a strange accident. Or was it an accident? COST: $10 per person, kids 5 and younger are free. Proceeds will go toward the refurbishment of the church office in anticipation of a third ministry team member. Space is limited, so sign up today at 1stlu.org/dintheater! (Registration closes on Sunday, Sept. 4)

Access to Online Member Database

As part of our website update, and in advance of First Fest Sunday when this will “go live,” we will be giving all MEMBERS the ability to view and edit their profile in our online member database. This requires each member to have an account to log into. Login information will be sent out via email in early Sept. Members will have the ability to:

  • View/update your personal and household contact info

  • Mark any part of your contact info as public (viewable by other members) or private

  • View your giving and print your contribution statements

  • View the online church directory and communicate with other members

Questions can be directed to andy@firstlu.org.

12th Annual First Fest!

On Sunday, Sept. 11, we invite you to join us for worship at 8am or 10:30am, and after the second service relax, catch up with friends, introduce yourself to visitors or members you’ve yet to meet, listen to great music, have lunch and have some fun! FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, so INVITE YOUR FRIENDS!

RING!

Are you open to trying something new? Join the fun—ring bells! We welcome widely varied musical backgrounds. No experience necessary! We’ll begin with the basics and learn to work together. Musical ability is a skill that can be taught. Do you want to be involved? The bells rehearse Tuesdays at 5pm in the choir room, starting Sept. 13.  For more info, contact Jim Knutson at jim@firstlu.org. Ring ‘dem bells!

Jail Ministry Fundraiser

The La Crosse Jail Ministry, which offers inmates spiritual direction, rehabilitative support and connections to faith communities, is having a fundraiser on Wednesday, Sept. 14, at Burrachos Fresh Mexican Grill in Onalaska. Burrachos will donate 25% of sales from 4–8pm to the jail ministry program. The offer applies all day to orders placed online. If you order in person, be sure to say La Crosse Jail Ministry at the register. If you order online, put La Crosse Jail Ministry in the comments.

Blood Drive

Tuesday, Sept. 20, 12:30-5:30pm. Every day ordinary people are saved by some pretty extraordinary people. People who give blood. Your donation could be the most valuable gift you have ever given. Just ask anyone who’s ever received it. Walk-ins welcome; appointments encouraged, schedule yours at 1stlu.org/blooddrive. Please bring a mask and photo ID.

New-Member Social

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 social at David Reay’s on Thursday, Oct. 20, 6pm, where you will get to know more about First and the staff in a relaxed atmosphere. To register your family or ask questions, call our church office at 608.783.2236 or email office@firstlu.org.

Upcoming Sugar Creek Bus Trips

  • November 16: Fireside Dinner Theater, "White Christmas"

Sign up early! Spots fill quickly. Call for info: 608.734.3113.

Stephen Ministry

If you know of someone who needs a caregiver, please speak with Pastor Karyn, or call the church office: 608.783.2236.

Andrew Stutesman
Communications and Marketing Coordinator
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