INSIDE: Volunteer Appreciation Party, Photos for Upcoming Member Directory

Worship

Join us for worship!

Thank You Sunday, Mar. 5:

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

• 10:30am: live stream at 1stlu.org/live, and in-person. Nursery available.

Wednesday, Mar. 8:

• 6:15pm: Holden Evening Prayer, live stream at 1stlu.org/live, and in-person. Nursery available.

Current Precautions

• Masking: masks are welcome and not required, and encouraged for those recently exposed.

• Social distancing: not required, but of course, we ask everyone to respect all who desire social distance.

• Hand sanitizing: stations are available at the entrance and near the welcome center.

• Stay home if you have any symptoms of COVID or had a recent positive diagnosis.

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

Kindergarten Faith Building Block: Lord’s Prayer

• Sundays, Mar. 5 & 12: parents/guardians with children

• Sunday, Mar. 19: 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, the Faith Building Block is lifted up in worship.

Parent Share 

Join Carla Stanton, member of First, certified spiritual director and mom of three, in room 201 every Sunday morning at 9:15am. At Parent Share, we pray and talk about raising our children faithfully. Questions? Click here to contact Carla.

Lenten Small Groups: Beyond Question

Oftentimes, a person reads a book to discover answers. What if you invested a few minutes a day throughout Lent, using a devotional so that you could dwell longer in questions? Beyond Question is a daily devotional that provides a question rooted in a gospel text along with a connecting piece of “Biblical Wisdom”, a “Transformative Thought”, a “Psalm Fragment”, “Questions to Ponder” and a “Prayer for Today”. The book is available for purchase in the narthex or the church office. You may choose to use Beyond Question on your own, but it will likely become much more meaningful by gathering with a small group once a week. Small groups will meet once a week on Wednesdays or Sundays throughout Lent. Current options include:

• Wednesday mornings, Coffee with Pastor Karyn, 6:30am: Narthex

• Wednesday nights, 5pm: Upper Rm

• Wednesday nights, 7pm: Fellowship Hall

• Thursday afternoons, 1:30pm: Upper Rm

• Sunday mornings, 9:15am: Thomas Rm

• Sunday mornings, 11:45pm (light lunch provided)

Sign up at 1stlu.org/next. Invite a friend to join you!

Household Photos & Upcoming Member Directory

This summer First plans to print new directories for members. But unlike previous years, which involved scheduling a sitting and enduring a sales pitch, this year we will create them ourselves and print them in-house. The new print directory will necessitate up-to-date info for members in our database, so are asking the following of all members…

1. Update your contact info!

   • The easiest way to do this is through our online directory; simply log in at 1stlu.org/directory. Need to set up an account? Email a request to andy@firstlu.org.

   • NOTE: Lots of fields for both family and individuals can be included or excluded from the directory. They are included by default, so any field you want to “exclude from directory” needs to be checked.

   • You can also send updated contact info to andy@firstlu.org, with the following updates: address, phone numbers and emails, AND if you want them included or excluded from the directory

2. Provide a family photo!

   1. The easiest way to do this is to get an informal snapshot taken between services at our “photo booth” to the right of the Welcome Center. Volunteer photographers have offered their time and talents to help take the photo. This is nothing formal! We just want to be able to add faces to the names in our database! We hope to provide this photo booth through April 30, so make certain to take advantage as soon as possible.

   2. You can also email a family snapshot to andy@firstlu.org.

Questions about the online or print directory? Email andy@firstlu.org.

Coffee with Pastor Karyn

Coffee with Pastor Karyn is open to all and meets at 6:30am each Wednesday in the narthex. See you there! Questions? Contact karyn@firstlu.org.

Western Donation Drive-Thru Events

Western Technical College will once again host a drive-thru donation event for Suits for Success on Friday, Mar. 10, from 8am–5pm, in Lot C. In addition, students in Western's IT-Computer Support Specialist programs will collect E-Waste during this time.

• E-Waste Recycling Event: will accept modems, cable boxes, speakers, mice, PCs, networking equipment, mobile devices, keyboards, gaming systems, LCD monitors, laptops, and printers.

• Suits for Success Donation Drive: collecting new or gently used professional clothing and medical scrubs. 

The Church Basement Ladies @ The Muse

Meet four lovable Lutheran ladies you grew up with & loved who serve up lutefisk and lefse with love in the church basement. The musical is set in 1964 in a rural Minnesota Lutheran church that is about to face some changes. Resistant to the change is staunch Norwegian matriarch, Mrs. Lars Snustad (Janet Papenfuss.)

Church Basement Ladies has resonated with anyone who grew up in the church. Whether you are Lutheran or Catholic, you know these women from funerals, weddings and potluck suppers held throughout the Midwest still to this day. Grab your church members and make a night of it that you will never forget! Get ready to laugh and cry at these unforgettable characters. Showing three weekends in March: 10 & 11, 17 & 18, 24 & 25; performances start at 7pm. General admission: $28, reserved seats: $32. More info: themuselax.com.

Friends of the Warming Center   

The Warming Center opened Nov. 1 for unhoused people, and the area ELCA churches have agreed to provide evening meals the 1st and 2nd Friday of each month, November–April. Prepare the meal in your kitchen and drop it off at the Warming Center ready to be served. Other people serve the meal, you just prepare it. You are welcome to use the Hunger Task Force for meal ingredients. Next meal: Friday, Mar. 10. More info and reg at 1stlu.org/warm. Questions? Contact bridget@firstlu.org.

Drawing from the Well

This group is for women of First and the greater La Crosse area seeking to support one another in their spiritual growth. We gather to develop a deeper relationship with one another, meeting on the second Saturday of the month, 9:30–11am, in the narthex. NEXT: Saturday, Mar. 11. Contact Bridget Crave for more info: bridget@firstlu.org.

Spring Ahead!

Daylight Savings Time begins next weekend, so make certain to set your clocks ahead one hour when you go to bed Saturday night, Mar. 11, or you’ll be late for church on Sunday morning!

Sugar Creek Events

• March 15: EARLY enrollment deadline for summer camp

• March 17–19: Middle school retreat

• April 8: Easter egg hunt & brunch

• April 29–30: Elementary school retreat

To register for the above events, contact the camp at 608.734.3113 / camp@sgrcreek.org.

Preschool Open House

Join us for our open house on Thursday, Mar. 16, from 4:30-5:30pm. Come meet the teachers, see the classrooms, get class options and registration info for the 2023-24 school year. We accept children ages 2 and older who are potty trained. Registration is Monday, Mar. 20, from 9:30am–noon for church members, and 10:30am–noon for the community. To register, stop into the First Lutheran Preschool during the registration times above, or call the preschool at 608.779.4504.

Funeral Planning Workshop

Sunday, Mar. 19, 11:45am. Sponsored by the Foundation Fund Committee, this special event will focus on thoughtful funeral planning. Pastors Stanton and Karyn, will lead the presentation and discussion on how each of us can make decisions now that will bless our loved ones after our death. Joining them will be Vicar Kathryn, a chaplain at Gundersen. If you would like to know more about thoughtful funeral planning, this session is important for you! Lunch will be provided. We encourage all adults (regardless of age) to join us on March 19. RSVP at 1stlu.org/planning.

Sing on Palm Sunday!

The next choir performance will be for Palm Sunday, and rehearsals start up fresh on Wednesday, Mar. 22, at 7pm in the sanctuary. Open to all people ages 12 and older. No audition and no formal training required, just a desire to enhance worship through the beauty of music! Full schedule and sign up at 1stlu.org/choir. For more info, contact Todd Saner at todd@firstlu.org.

Parents’ Night Out

Bring your children for an evening of fun with the middle and high school youth groups’ fundraiser! WHERE: at First Lutheran, NEXT: Friday, Mar. 24, FOR: Birth–12 are welcome (Birth–3 will be in the nursery, ages 4 and up in Fellowship Hall)

• Registration from 4:45pm-5:30pm

• Followed by dinner and activities till 8pm (parents can pick up early if needed)

COST: Monetary donations will assist the middle and high school students with 2023 Sugar Creek Bible Camp and potential mission trip. RSVP your child or sign up to volunteer at 1stlu.org/nightout, by Wednesday, March 22.

School of Theology Spring Retreat    

Saturday, Mar. 25, 10am–3pm, at Prince of Peace Lutheran, La Crescent. TOPIC: Spiritual Practices, led by Pastor Mike Woods. COST: $40 plus food (TBD). Email or call to reg: office@lacrosseareasynod.org / 608.788.5000. The retreat will require a Spiritual Gifts inventory be done prior to attendance. 

Easter Flowers

Your gift of $15 to the Easter Fund will be used to purchase flowers to beautify the sanctuary on Easter Sunday. Remaining contributions go towards purchasing new paraments. Please make your gift by Sunday, Mar. 26. Gifts can be placed at 1stlu.org/give, or use the form in the announcements page and turn into the office.

Graduation Milestone & Recognition Dinner

Graduates: You and your parents/guardians are cordially invited to mark the milestone of your graduation at First Lutheran’s High School Graduation Recognition Dinner on Sunday, Mar. 26, from 5:30–8pm at the church. Let us take this opportunity to honor you and your accomplishments as you prepare to become a 2023 graduate. RSVP to the church office by March 15: office@firstlu.org / 608.783.2236.

Monday Night Community Meals

For many years, Trinity Lutheran Church on the northside of La Crosse has hosted a meal on Monday nights. First Lutheran has agreed to help with this important community ministry, by preparing a meal, serving the food and cleaning up. We need people to plan and prepare the meal to feed 60-80 people, and folks to serve the meal (5-6pm) and help with cleanup. Meal prep can be done at your convenience. Many times people prepare the main course a week ahead, freeze it and reheat it. Food for the meal can be gotten at no charge from the Hunger Task Force in La Crosse. NEXT DATE: Mar. 27. You can sign up at 1stlu.org/monmeals, or contact bridget@firstlu.org.

Baptismal Preparation

The next baptism preparation session will be Saturday, Apr. 1, at 10am in the narthex for anyone who is considering or has scheduled a baptism. To register or ask questions, call the church office at 608.783.3326 by Sunday, March 26. Min. attendance required: 2 families. 

Mabel Anderson Scholarship

The Mabel Anderson scholarship application is available online at 1stlu.org/scholarship. Completed applications are due on Saturday, Apr. 1. Students may apply if they will graduate from high school in the spring and have plans to pursue post-secondary education. The application includes writing an essay and completing a worksheet that reflects the student’s involvement in church activities. Contact the office with any questions: office@firstlu.org / 608.783.2236.

Palm Sunday Breakfast Fundraiser

Sunday, Apr. 2: Fundraiser for youth going on mission trip and to Bible camp. No coffee hour, Sunday School nor confirmation between services. Breakfast will be served between services. Food donations are needed, and youth can raise funds by working at the breakfast; sign up for both at 1stlu.org/palmsun.

First Teen Clothes Closet's High School Art Show

Sunday, Apr. 2, 1–3:30pm, at the First Teen Clothes Closet in Trinity Lutheran Church, 1010 Sill St., La Crosse (park on Charles St. and enter south door). Our clothes closet is partnering with art students and teachers at Onalaska and Logan High Schools to bring teen art to our walls! We would love to have you come and see what they've created, while also touring our clothes closet! Light refreshments will be served.

Holy Week Schedule

Holy week is the week leading up to Easter Sunday on April 9, starting with Palm Sunday on April 2. Join us for worship every day of Holy Week…

• Palm Sunday, Apr. 2, worship at 8:00am & 10:30am.

  • Palm Sunday breakfast in Fellowship Hall.

  • No Sunday School nor Confirmation classes.

• Monday, Apr. 3, worship at 6:15pm.

• Tuesday, Apr. 4, worship at 6:15pm.

• Wednesday, Apr. 5, worship at 6:15pm.

  • Gr. 5 Faith Building Block, bread baking, 4pm.

• Maundy Thursday, Apr. 6, worship at 12:15pm & 6:15pm.

  • Gr. 5 Faith Building Block lifted up at 6:15pm worship.

• Good Friday, Apr. 7, worship at 12:15pm & 6:15pm.

• Faith Story Dinner Theater, Apr. 8, at 5:30pm.

• Easter Sunday, Apr. 9, worship at 6:30am, 8:00am, and 10:00am (updated).

  • No Sunday School nor Confirmation on Easter Sunday.

The office will be closed at noon on Friday, Apr. 7, and all day Monday, Apr. 9.

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, Apr. 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.

Sugar Creek Summer Reg Now Open!

More children, youth, families and leaders are putting “first things first” with a retreat at Sugar Creek. Why? Because fun, safe, meaningful adventures in the great outdoors make the difference! Reserve your adventures and encourage practical leadership skills and a deep sense of purpose rooted in God’s love. Sign up today at www.sgrcreek.org (no risk; refundable deposit before June 1).

Prostate Cancer Support

Navigating a prostate cancer diagnosis, treatment(s), and after-effects is tough and worthy of peer support. Recently, a non-medical First Lutheran member found himself on this path and would like to make himself available for e-mail, phone or in-person conversations with anyone interested in having a friendly ear to listen and provide mutual support. Email awh051230@gmail.com or call the church office who will provide a phone number. 

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). Members can make these changes on their own at our online directory: 1stlu.org/directory. Or you can send them to office@firstlu.org.

Sunday School

• Sunday, Mar. 5

  • 9:15am Sunday School

Questions about Sunday School? Visit 1stlu.org/sunschool.

Confirmation

• Sunday:

  • 9:15am Gr 6 & 7 Confirmation Classes - Fireside Rm

• Wednesday:

  • 5:30pm Dinner - Fellowship Hall

  • 7pm Confirmation Small Groups

Questions about Confirmation? Visit 1stlu.org/confirm.