Inside: Annual Meeting, Lenten Small Groups, Drive-in Worship Cancelled

In January, I assembled First Lutheran’s “COVID Advisory Panel”. The panel consists of five First Lutheran members and me. Dr. Jennie Kleven, Dr. Paul Molling, Rick Cornforth, Tim Smaby and Sheri Betz serve the community as health care providers, elected officials and a small-business owner. Together, we intend to meet weekly on Sundays to consider the current status of community spread, distribution of the vaccine, the impact felt by local hospitals and what guidelines are being offered by our county, state or federal governments. Things can change quickly. This group’s day to day work lives keep up with those changes. Thank you to all five of them as they offer their personal expertise and perspective to an ongoing crisis.

One thing 2020 taught me is to slow down and pay attention. To wonder and to be curious about what the Holy Spirit is doing in our lives and our world. As 2020 came to a close, I wondered about 2021 and how I would grow in my faith. The conclusion I came to was that there could be no better way to enter 2021 then to ground myself in the love of God and open myself to the Spirit through something as simple as a word? For several decades now, churches have been practicing the giving of “star words” at the time of Epiphany. Businesses are even joining in! Having a word of intention for a year is quite the thing now. It was quite serendipitous that the materials we were using for Advent included “star words”. I looked forward to what word would come my way.

On Jan. 7 and 9 several members of First participated in a training sponsored by ReconcilingWorks (RW). ReconcilingWorks is a para-church organization that helps our ELCA congregations live more fully into the vision of being inclusive of ALL people, particularly LGBTQIA+ people. On the same weekend nearly 40 households participated in a Faith Alive! U event on Sunday evening with the executive director of RW, Aubrey Thonvold, to hear more about the congregational process to become a “Reconciling in Christ” or “RiC” Congregation in the ELCA.

INSIDE: Annual Meeting Feb. 14, Lent & Holy Week Insert, Ash Wed Live Stream & Drive-Thru, Lent Small Groups

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Inside: Lent Around the Table Box, Drive-In Worship, Annual Meeting

Inside: Stewardship Week, COVID Advisory Panel Q&A, Bible Readers begin 1 Thessalonians

Watch a brief message from Dr. Paul Molling, a member at First and one of the doctors on our COVID Advisory Panel. He and the entire panel will be making themselves available for a Q&A Tuesday, February 2, at 7pm via Zoom.

Inside: COVID Advisory Panel, Knitters & Crocheters, Stewardship Week

When will First Lutheran re-open to indoor, in-person worship, small groups and Christian ed? To answer those questions wisely and faithfully, Pastor Stanton has assembled a 6 person panel…

Inside: Faith Alive! U: Reconciling in Christ, Bible Readers start 1 Kings, Synod School of Theology

Inside: Faith Alive! U: Reconciling in Christ, Synod School of Theology, The Doctor & the Apostle

Inside: 2nd Grade Faith Building Block, Blood Drive, Faith Alive! U: Reconciling in Christ

Inside: Those who dream will not be kept silent…