INSIDE: Bells 20th Anniversary • Preschool Springfest • Blessing Grads

Worship

Join us for worship!

Sunday, Apr. 30:

• 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, May 3:

• 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.

Bells Celebrate 20th Anniversary!

This Sunday we give thanks for the ministry that is our bell choir! They will play the prelude and as part of the gathering hymn, and will receive a special blessing as we celebrate twenty years of their music at First Lutheran!

4K Faith Building Block: The Keys

• 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.

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.

Pastor Ben loves pie! We're looking for bakers who would provide a pie or two for his Farewell Gathering on April 30. Find more info and sign up here: bit.ly/3KH0Wpk. Feel free to contact Jen directly at admin@luminlax.org to sign up as well!

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.

Sunshine Team

The Sunshine Team meets on the first Thursday of every month. Next meeting: May 4, 9:30am. Various jobs: cleaning, sweeping, mopping, vacuuming, washing windows and cleaning carpets. Help make First look nice! Refreshments are supplied to replenish your reserves! Dues are free! Questions? Contact Dan at dan@firstlu.org.

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.

Stephen Ministry Info Meeting

Stephen Ministry is gearing back up to care for our members and is excited to announce a new class is forming. If you would like to find out more about this important caring ministry, join us for an informational meeting on May 7, 9:15am in the Mary Room.

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.

You, Me, Us: Being Human Together

Pastor Karyn invites you to join in her quest to be a better human by joining a 3-week workshop she’s calling: You, Me, Us: Being Human Together. We will explore our personality, how we can strengthen our relationships, why values are important and how our family history impacts who we are. We will gather on May 10, 17 and 24 at 7pm. You can sign up by emailing Pastor Karyn at karyn@firstlu.org. Not just for those who are coupled, this workshop is for any person, in any kind of relationship.

Chicken-Q @ Trinity Lutheran

Thursday May 18, noon–6pm, at Trinity Lutheran, 1010 Sill St., La Crosse. Tickets: $12. Dinner includes charcoal chicken, baked beans, potato salad and a roll. Proceeds to benefit Trinity Lutheran ministries. Your support is greatly appreciated!

May 21: One Worship & Congregational Meeting

The attendance of all members is requested at this congregational meeting on Sunday, May 21. On this day First Lutheran will have one worship service at 9am. Within that time of worship, we will call to order a congregational meeting that simply asks for all our voting members to support our welcome statement. After the meeting there will be a celebration of both the welcome statement, Sunday School and Confirmation.

Questions about the welcome statement? Pastor Karyn and Pastor Stanton will be sharing answers to a few of those questions every other week day, from now until the congregational meeting. Watch them on Facebook, YouTube and on our website at 1stlu.org/statement.

OWLs Fly to Vesterheim

On Monday, May 22, the OWLs (our Older Wiser Lutherans at First, for anyone 55+) will fly to Vesterheim Museum in Decorah, IA. Meet at the church at 8:30am. We will stop on the way to Decorah for a quick break and have lunch at a local restaurant while we are there. Museum cost: $10; you pay for own lunch. If you would like to be part of this fantastic adventure, please let Brian Narveson (owls@firstlu.org or 630-816-5917) know by Sunday, May, 21.

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 3, 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. 

Confirmation Camp… For Youth Going Into Grade 8

Our upcoming confirmation students get a chance to start their confirmation journey in the beautiful valley of Sugar Creek, the week of Sunday, June 11, through Friday, June16. We will learn in faith together while we do Bible study, horseback riding, hiking, swimming, campfires, and so much more! For youth going into 8th grade. Questions? Contact Pastor Karyn at karyn@firstlu.org.

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 students who are 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.

410 Prayers

Join Kathryn for a time of prayer, every Monday–Friday, at 4:10pm, on our Facebook page.

Happy Birthday!! 

If you have received a birthday postcard from First in the past several months and still have it, bring it into church Mon–Fri, 8am–4pm and pick up a small gift.

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.

Sunday School

• Sunday, Apr. 30

  • Sunday School

• Sunday, May 7

  • 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.