INSIDE: Luther College Collegiate Chorale Concert • Chicken Dinner • 54321 Excercise

Join us for Worship!

Sunday, Apr. 21:

• 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. 24:

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

Foundation Sunday

The Mabel Anderson Scholarship was established from a generous bequest received from the estate of Mabel Anderson in 1989 in memory of her parents, Peder and Johanna Anderson. It was Mabel’s wish that this monetary gift would enable further growth of our church, its ministries and stewardship within the community. This year, the committee is awarding 11 scholarships to area high school seniors, who are moving on to post-secondary learning this fall: Brennan Garbers, Zachary Dahlke, Kyla Betz, Samantha Renkas, Taylor Hanson, Claire Johnson, Cole Everson, Jada Odegard, Samuel Bossman, Juliene McDonald, and McKennah Ferguson. Please keep them in your prayers. If you have questions about the foundation or how you can contribute, please contact the church office: office@firstlu.org / 608-783-2236.

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.

54321 Incarnation Witnesses — Gold

As we make our way toward Pentecost, you are invited to practice the 54321 exercise and then take a picture or two of something you have seen, touched, heard, smelled or tasted of the color for that week. This week, do the exercise and take one or two pictures of something GOLD that you notice around you. Email the photo(s) to karyn@firstlu.org. We will gather these photos and create a collage that will remind us throughout the summer to celebrate the embodied resurrection with our whole selves. Learn more about the 54321 exercise at 1stlu.org/next.

Knitters

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

Support the La Crosse Jail Ministry

Tuesday, April 23, 5–7pm. Culver's at 4101 Mormon Coulee Road will donate 10% of all sales at their location from 5–7pm to support La Crosse Jail Ministry.

Chicken Dinner!

Tickets are on sale in the office, M–F, 8am–4pm, through Apr. 24. Meals cost $12 presale; tickets will be $15 at the door while they last. This is a fundraiser for youth ministries. Meals are provided by Premier Catering, and will be available for pick-up at First Lutheran on Thursday, Apr. 25, 11am–6pm. Sign up for a shift to help with takeouts at 1stlu.org/chixdin.

New Hearing Assist Devices

First is in the process of upgrading our hearing assist devices. We currently have two demo devices available for those who are hard of hearing, which fit over the ear, not inside, so there is no need to remove your hearing aid. We can also provide a T-coil neck loop for those who have a cochlear implant or hearing aid that works with that technology. In the near future we hope to provide a dedicated WiFi network and app, so those who have hearing aids connected to their phones can easily hear in our sanctuary using their own devices.

Preschool Springfest

Springfest, on Sun, Apr. 28, 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 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)!

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 about 150 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: Apr. 29. You can sign up at 1stlu.org/monmeals, or contact bridget@firstlu.org.

Sugar Creek Events

• April 30 – Peer Ministry, Plan-it

• May 4 – Volunteer Work Weekend

• June 9 – First day of Summer Camp

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

Bible Readers Deep Dive: Psalms

Join Pastor Stanton for an online study of the Psalms! Life consists of 1) seasons of well-being, 2) seasons of hurt and 3) moments of surprise when we are overwhelmed with the new gifts of God. The Psalms—more than any other part of the Bible—are able to accompany us through all the seasons and moments! Each weekday Pastor Stanton posts a 5-10 minute deep dive into the Psalms. Find it at: FirstLutheranOnalaska.org, facebook.com/1stlu and youtube.com/1stlu.

Graduation Recognition

First Lutheran will bless graduates in worship on Wednesday, May 1, and Sunday, May 5. Join us on those days for a special blessing to celebrate this milestone. Graduates will receive more details about this service in the coming days.

Synod’s Anti-Racism Survey

The La Crosse Area Synod Anti-Racism Team would like your feedback regarding issues of race, racism, anti-racism work and how these issues intersect our faith and public life.

Online Survey Link

This survey takes approximately 4-7 minutes to complete. The deadline to complete the survey is Tuesday, May 14. The anti-racism team will share their findings at synod assembly, and their learnings will shape our work moving forward.

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, May 17, FOR: Birth–12 are welcome (Birth–3 will be in the nursery, ages 4 and up in Fellowship Hall). For this Night Out, bring a basket with your child for collecting Easter eggs & candy.

• Registration from 4:45pm-5:30pm

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

COST: Monetary donations will assist the middle and high school students with 2024 Sugar Creek Bible Camp, the mission trip and the Youth Gathering. RSVP your child or sign up to volunteer at 1stlu.org/nightout, by Wednesday, May 15.

One Worship, Sunday May 19

There will be only one service on Sunday, May 19, at 9am, followed by a celebration of the Sunday School and Confirmation year.

Faithful Readers

At First it’s our hope that we will be able to grow faithful readers from birth through adulthood. To do this, we will feature several books every month in our Resource Center just outside the church office. The reading focus for spring is Growing Faithful Readers. The highlighted books are…

• You're My Little Bookworm, by Nicola Edwards

• How to Read a Book by Kwame Alexander

• Ban This Book by Alan Gratz

• The Enchanted Hour: The Miraculous Power of Reading Aloud in the Age of Distraction by Meghan Cox Gurdon

The books are available to look at and order at the Resource Center, outside the church office. They can also be ordered at 1stlu.org/faithfulreaders.

Sugar Creek Summer Reg Now Open

Sugar Creek Bible Camp offers 17 unique and powerful summer camp programs, plus retreat ministries for youth in elementary school, middle school and high school – and adults and families! The camp is located on 660 acres in the bluffs and valleys of southwestern Wisconsin. Come learn, relax, encounter Christ and have fun at Sugar Creek Bible Camp! Explore sugarcreekbiblecamp.org for more information about next summer.

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 26. Min. attendance required: 2 families. 

Water is Life Synod Project

Why is there a well in the narthex? To make a wish for water, raising money for the La Crosse Area Synod Hunger Team safe water project! Safe and abundant water in a community means better health, better crops, better nutrition, and better quality of life. Water is life… water changes everything!

• Globally, 1.8 billion people—1 out of every 4 people—drink from contaminated water sources.

• Unsafe water claims the lives of 840,000 people each year, half are children under five.

• On average, women in Sub-Saharan Africa walk 3.7 miles each day to fetch water. The traditional five-gallon jug they use weighs 40 pounds when full!

Place your donations in the well, or donate online at 1stlu.org/next.

Outdoor Worship and Potluck

First will worship outdoors on Fifth Ave for the second service once a month during the summer, on the following Sundays, weather permitting…

• June 23, 10am

• July 21, 10am

• August 18, 10am

Bring your own lawn chairs, perhaps a hat to shade your eyes, and a side dish to share at the potluck (though everyone is welcome at the potluck even if you don’t bring anything!). If the weather's bad that day, we'll move inside. NOTE: There is no live stream of the 10am outdoor service.

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 Festival, Kwik Trip, Walmart and Woodman's cards. We now accept credit cards as a payment method (transaction fees are added to the face value of the scrip card). 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. 21

• Sunday School

Sunday, Apr. 28

• Sunday School

More info and online registration: 1stlu.org/sunschool.

Kindergarten Faith Building Block: Lord’s Prayer

Throughout the year, each age group has 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 (in Fellowship Hall), sharing in conversation and growing together in faith. Most sessions last for three weeks, and afterward, children will have a presence in worship in celebration of the Faith Building Block they learned about.

• Sundays, Apr. 21 & 28: parents/guardians with children

• Sunday, May 5: Faith Building Block lifted up in worship

Confirmation

Sunday:

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

Wednesday:

• 5:30pm Confirmation Dinner

• 6:15pm Worship

• 7:00pm Gr 8 & 9 Small Groups

More info and online registration: 1stlu.org/confirm.