INSIDE: Easter Season Study: A Gospel of Hope • Wanted: Candy • Chicken Dinner tickets on sale

Worship

Join us for worship!

Sunday, Apr. 16:

• 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, Apr. 19:

• 6:15pm: 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.

• 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.

Knitters

Prayer shawl knitters meet every Tuesday at 3:30pm in the upper room. Open to all!

Grief Support Group

Carrying on after the death of a loved one can be difficult and lonely. Join with others who listen and care for each other. Two opportunities every third Wednesday: 10am in the Upper Room, 7pm at the house. NEXT: Apr. 19. Led by Carla Stanton.

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.

Wanted: CANDY! (and Easter Eggs)

Easter is here, and the First Lutheran Youth that work on Parents’ Night Out are excited to add an Easter egg hunt to the next night out (more info below). To make this event a success, the youth are kindly requesting donations of candy and Easter eggs for the hunt. Please bring your donations to the church office. They also want to remind parents/guardians who have signed up to bring baskets with their kids on Friday, Apr. 21.

Parents’ Night Out

Bring your children (AND YOUR EASTER BASKETS!) for an evening of fun with the middle and high school youth groups’ fundraiser! WHERE: at First Lutheran, NEXT: Friday, Apr. 21, 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 the Tri-synod Youth Gathering. RSVP your child or sign up to volunteer at 1stlu.org/nightout, by Wednesday, Apr. 19.

4K Faith Building Block: The Keys

• Sunday,  Apr. 23: parents/guardians only

• Sundays,  Apr. 30 & May 7: parents/guardians with children

• Sunday, May 14: 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.

Advanced Care Planning Workshop

Did you know that Wisconsin is not a next-of-kin state for medical decision-making? If you reside in the state of Wisconsin, designating a medical decision-maker is incredibly important, regardless of your age. Join this workshop on Sunday, Apr. 23, at 11:45, and learn more about how to legally designate a medical decision-maker. We'll also talk about Advanced Directives: a lifelong conversation with yourself and your loved ones about what medical decisions you would want them to make for you in case you can't make them for yourself. We'll learn and explore together, in hopes of leaving feeling empowered. Workshop led by Vicar Kathryn Thompson, who has experience with Advanced Care Planning as a chaplain. For anyone 18 and older.

Chicken Dinner!

Tickets are now on sale by youth through Sunday, Apr. 16, or in the office, M–F, 8am–4pm. Meals cost only $12 presale, and $15 at the door while they last. And most importantly, funds raised support youth going on the synod youth gathering and to Sugar Creek Bible Camp! Meals are provided by Premier Catering, and will be available for pick-up at First Lutheran on Thursday, Apr. 27, 11am–6pm. FOR YOUTH: ticket packets are available in the office and due back in the office WITH THE MONEY by Wednesday, April 19, by 7 p.m. Youth and families can sign up for a shift to help with takeouts at 1stlu.org/chixdin.

Sugar Creek Events

• April 29-30: Elementary School Retreat

• May 6: Spring Volunteer Work Weekend

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

Preschool Springfest

Springfest, on Sun, Apr. 30, at 3pm, is our preschool’s major fundraiser and provides an opportunity for preschoolers to showcase their singing talents. After the concert, there is an ice cream social and silent auction. For all family members, grandparents, friends and neighbors! All bids will support the ministry of First Lutheran Preschool… so consider any bid over face value as a donation to the preschool’s ministry (and a good way to lock in that bid)!

Pastor Ben’s Farewell @ English

Come & celebrate Pastor Ben's campus ministry with LUMin! Farewell gathering at English Lutheran, La Crosse, Sunday, Apr. 30, 6-8pm. Join us for nachos & pie as we celebrate Pr. Ben's ministry & wish him well. We will join in a blessing for Pr. Ben at 6:30pm. Any gifts given in Pr. Ben's honor will benefit LuMin.

Sugar Creek Volunteer Weekend

Sugar Creek has a wide variety of projects for any skill set and level of ability. Come with your family or by yourself and enjoy the blessing of serving others by making Sugar Creek Bible Camp ready for summer camp season! Help play a part in building, cleaning, arranging and preparing the camp's buildings, trails and equipment for a safe and busy season ahead. Choose from a range of outdoor and indoor projects: Paint, garden, stain, clean cabins, do trail work, wood chip, build fences, split and stack firewood, move sheds, lay shingles, and more. Many hands make light work! Enjoy Sugar Creek hospitality and hearty meals all day Saturday, May 6—or you can stay over Friday night and be ready to go bright and early Saturday morning. Friday night lodging and Saturday meals are FREE for volunteers at this event! RSVP: office@sgrcreek.org or call 608.734.3113.

Blessing Graduates

First Lutheran will bless graduates in worship on Wednesday, May 3, and Sunday, May 7, at all services. Join us for a special blessing to uplift this milestone. Graduates will receive more details about this service in the coming days.

Faith Alive! U: Embracing Awkward Conversations

Sunday, May 7, 11:45am, presented by Rev. Libby Howe. Some people live by the rule to never talk about politics or religion. When that happens important things go unsaid and unheard. We lose the opportunity to listen and understand others' experiences. We miss out on important learning that leads to deeper empathy and love for others. We also squander our responsibility to participate in the way decisions are made (the democratic process) that affect the lives of our communities and country. In this workshop, we will explore how to have conversations about things that matter—often those "hot topics" that people avoid. You will gain some clarity about how your faith informs both what you believe and how you choose to express those beliefs. You will learn some strategies for how to approach and navigate tough conversations in ways that strengthen connections instead of pushing others away. Lunch and childcare provided.

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: May 8. You can sign up at 1stlu.org/monmeals, or contact bridget@firstlu.org.

Special Service on Sunday, May 21

There will be only one service on Sunday, May 21, at 9am, followed by a special congregational meeting where we will vote on our new Welcome Statement, and close out the Sunday School and Confirmation year with a celebration.

Easter Season Study: A Gospel of Hope

A Gospel of Hope, by Walter Brueggemann, encourages readers to embrace the audacity required to live out one’s faith. Join Pastor Stanton as he offers a 2–3 minute online reflection each weekday rooted in Walter Brueggemann's wisdom on topics ranging from anxiety and abundance to partisanship and the role of faith in public life. Easter is a week of weeks: seven weeks before Pentecost, and a perfect time to explore what it means to live a new life NOW. Find this study on our YouTube and Facebook channels, through the end of May.

Sugar Creek Summer Reg Now Open!

Summer camp registration at Sugar Creek is open, and campers are signing up! Spots for programs are filling up quickly, so make sure you don’t miss out. First Lutheran is happy to reimburse the $100 registration fee (contact the office)! Reg and more info online: sugarcreekbiblecamp.org.

Baptismal Preparation

The next baptism preparation session will be Saturday, June 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, May 28. Min. attendance required: 2 families. 

Donations for Rummage Sale to Support Alzheimer’s

OWLs member Sharon Zimmer and her husband, Chuck, have been married for almost 40 years. Chuck was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s at age 60, along with PPA dementia (same kind as Bruce Willis). Sharon has a huge goal of raising $5,000 for EndAlz and Alzheimer’s locally. To do so, she is having a rummage sale in mid-June and is asking for donations of all sorts: clothes, furniture, working appliances, toys, sports gear in good condition, etc. (Please no household paint, tires, cribs or outdated electronics that are costly to dispose of.) If you have something you would like to donate, she can be reached at 608.783.6757 / zimmers725@gmail.com. The money raised for Alzheimer’s will go to research and local education.

JOURNEY Tri-Synod High School Youth Gathering

July 24-27, 2023, All high-schoolers who are currently in 8th-12th grade are invited to join us for JOURNEY at UW River Falls where we will encounter God and one another in new ways through creative ministry, challenging conversation, inspiring guest speakers, service learning, and uplifting worship. This event will include participants from the Northwest Synod of WI, the La Crosse Area Synod, and the Northern Great Lakes Synod. RSVP to Pastor Stanton: jason@firstlu.org.

Fundraising to Support Our Youth

Your weekly groceries, gas and shopping money can support youth ministry! Scrip cards are often sold in the narthex on Sundays between services, and are also available in the church office M–F, during office hours. We have Kwik Trip, Woodman's, Target and Festival cards. To find out what's currently available and when you can buy them, call the church office at 608.783.2236 or send email to office@firstlu.org.

Donations For Ukraine

Lutheran World Relief has committed $7 million to respond to the crisis in Ukraine, and expects to increase this amount as they receive additional support. With millions of individuals displaced in Ukraine and with citizens continuing to flee Ukraine each day, the needs grow daily. Donate at LWR.org.

Lutheran Disaster Response is accompanying companion churches and ecumenical partners in Ukraine, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia to respond to the crisis in Ukraine and Eastern Europe. Gifts to “Eastern Europe Crisis Response” will be used in full (100%) to assist those affected by the crisis in Ukraine and neighboring countries. Donate at elca.org/LDR.

From Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service: The U.S. will now welcome up to 100,000 refugees from Ukraine. We need to act fast to prepare for these refugees, currently 90% of whom are women and children. There is an urgent need for resources, including emergency medical care, temporary housing, financial support for basic necessities, and much more. Donate at LIRS.org.

OASIS Respite Program

OASIS is a weekly program for people in the beginning to mid-stages of dementia, Alzheimer's and other brain-related diagnoses. This respite time provides socialization, brain enrichment and activities while the person's caregiver gets a much-needed four-hour break. The suggested donation is $20 per visit for the activities and a nutritious lunch. OASIS is an outreach program of Causeway Caregivers and can be reached at 608-780-0417.

Sunday School

• Sunday, Apr. 16

  • Sunday School resumes

• Sunday, Apr. 23

  • Sunday School

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

Confirmation

• Sunday:

  • Gr 6 & 7 Confirmation Classes - Fireside Rm

• Wednesday:

  • 5:30pm Confirmation Dinner - Fellowship Hall

  • 6:15pm Confirmation Class - Fireside Rm

  • 7pm Gr 8 & 9 Small Groups

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