INSIDE: Summer Art Series • Outdoor 10am Worship

Join us for Worship!

Sunday, July 21:

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

• 9am: Summer Art Series in narthex.

• 10am: outdoor worship, in-person. Current forecast for Sunday morning. If rain threatens, worship will move indoors. Outdoor worship will not be live streamed.

• 11am: potluck; we’ll provide the burgers and brats and ask that you bring a side dish of your choice (nothing with nuts, please).

Summer Events Insert

Lots of summer events happening at First! View and print a PDF of our summer events at 1stlu.org/next.

Summer Art Series Continues!

Join us for another summer art series! Back again on the 1st and 3rd Sundays of June, July and August! We will gather between worship services to create a simple and relaxing art project together. (Get a sneak peak!) One more way we build community, together!

Knitters

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

Spend a Week at Sugar Creek!

You can still sign up for stronger connections to peers, experiences of God in the outdoors, and genuine care from positive young adult role models. At Sugar Creek, small cabin groups help weeklong adventures lead to lifelong connections to God... and to each other. Choose from 17+ safe, fun Christ-centered adventures. All grades K-12 enjoy a fully certified, highly trained and devoted youth ministry staff team. Fully accredited, Sugar Creek has provided summer Bible camp programs open to all for over 55 years. Financial assistance is available from the camp. Learn more at sugarcreekbiblecamp.org.

Teen Shoe Give-Away

Teens want to feel good about how they look, and a big part of that is the shoes they wear to school. You can support the First Teen Clothes Closet's back-to-school shoe giveaway and purchase a new pair of athletic-style shoes. A shoe Giving Tree will be in the narthex during most of July. Take a tag from the tree and buy the pair of shoes described on the tag. The tag will have brand and size wanted. There also will be tags with a dollar amount for a donation if you would rather support the closet with a cash donation, and we'll buy the shoes. Last year we handed out over 120 pairs of shoes during the one-day shoe giveaway. Your support is appreciated. The shoe giveaway is part of Trinity Lutheran Church's neighborhood block party. We participate because the teen closet is located at Trinity. This is a great way to meet, get to know and serve our neighbor. If you are interested in helping on the day of the event (August 12) you can sign up at 1stlu.org/next.

Sunshine Team

The Sunshine Team will take a break in June and July. They’ll get together again on Thursday, Aug. 1, at 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.

Baptismal Preparation

The next baptism preparation session will be Saturday, Aug. 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 608.783.2236 by Sunday, Jul. 28. Min. attendance required: 2 families. 

Lead Sunday School & VBS

There are opportunities to serve as a Sunday School teacher and a leader in VBS. 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. VBS is another way to connect, this is so fun and is high energy. 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.

Vacation Bible School: Start the Party!

Plan to be here for Vacation Bible School this summer, Sunday, Aug. 4, through Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024. Invite your neighbors! For 4K through grade 5 in the fall (3-year-olds are welcome to attend in the nursery). Register at 1stlu.org/next.

Sunday, Aug. 4–Wednesday, Aug. 7

• 5pm dinner in Fellowship Hall

• 6–8pm VBS program

Thursday, Aug. 8 only…

• 5pm all-church picnic at Van Riper Park

• ~6pm swimming at Onalaska Aquatic Center!

Also: 1) Help in the kitchen! Many hands will make light work. Claim ONE night between Sunday, Aug. 4, through Wednesday, Aug. 7, to prep, serve and clean up the meal that VBS families will enjoy together. Food will already be purchased. Menus are decided. We just need a couple hours of your time. 2) Bake/make bars/cookies, too! But nothing with nuts, please! Email jason@firstlu.org if you can take a kitchen shift or bake.

All-Church Picnic And Waterslide!

All are welcome to the closing celebration of VBS, starting at 5pm on Thursday, Aug. 8, at Van Riper Park. We’ll eat together outdoors (First will provide the main course; bring desserts/treats to share - nothing with nuts, please) and then close with water fun at the Onalaska Aquatic Center!

Sugar Creek Golf Fundraiser

Join Pastor Stanton’s team on Monday, Aug. 19, at Viroqua Hills Golf Course, to raise money for Sugar Creek. Reg and check-in at 11am. Shotgun at 12:30pm. 18 holes, 4-person best ball! More info: 1stlu.org/next.

16th Annual First Fest!

On Sunday, Sept. 8, 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!

Sugar Creek Youth Retreats 2024-25

Retreats are one of the best ways to build relationships among youth, adult leaders and the wider community. Sugar Creek retreats allow you to show up and be with your age group, knowing that you can enjoy all of the fun and activities. Save these dates for your calendar now!

• September 27–28: Pray This Way Middle & High School Retreat (Grades 6-12)

• November 2: Hallowed Be Your Name Elementary Retreat (Grades 1-5)

• February 7–8: Your Kingdom Come High School Retreat (Grades 9-12)

• March 7–8: As it is in Heaven Confirmation Retreat (Grades 6-10)

• April 26: Daily Bread Elementary Retreat (Grades 1-5)

Website Under Construction

The church’s website is under reconstruction for the summer as we upgrade to the latest version offered by our web developer. If you have suggestions for the website, now is a good time to offer them. Send suggestions to andy@firstlu.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.

Free Clean Fill

Approximately 20–30 yards of sand and pea gravel, available behind the church house. Take as much as you like. Must pick up. Questions? Contact our building and grounds manager, Dan, at dan@firstlu.org or by calling the office at 608.783.2236.

New Members

By choosing to become a member, individuals and families commit to being part of a shared mission. Please let us know if you are interested in membership. One of our pastors will connect with you to find out how we may best be church together in the months and years to come. Call our office for more information at 608.783.2236 or email office@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 Festival, Kwik Trip, Target, 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.