'SCOOP' on the web
On this page will be the
'SCOOP', updated as it is released.
Also see the 'SCOOP' on the web, archives.
Pastor Bob’s Moment
Pastor Denise’s Page
Memorials report
Radio Ministry
In our church family
Ushers
Monthly Schedule
Sunday School news
Would you like a ride?
Thanks
Consistory report
Campus Ministry Meal
Riekes travel to Washington
Annual Meeting Summary
Second one day retreat coming up
Ecumenical -
cooperative Lenten Services
Women’s Brunch to be served
God uses all gifts for big purposes
Interested in joining our church family?
Look nice and help the organ fund
GOLDEN YEARS
Our apologies
Sauk Prairie Kids Companion program
Church camp is for all ages!
March 2004
First United Church of Christ
Out in the Wilderness
At the doorway of our Lent season is the thought-provoking Luke 4 text of Jesus led out into the wilderness. There Jesus is tempted to reject God and to trust rather in personal power, possession, and authority. The possibility of Jesus embracing one of these three as a focus for his life was real. The temptations were a honing point for the ministry of Jesus. Jesus had to decide what it meant to be “Son of God.” The Luke 4 text certainly tells us both what “to be a child of God” isn’t and then tells us how Jesus dealt with the reality of evil.
To me one of the exciting elements of the Luke 4 scripture reading is the place of the temptation which is “wilderness.”
Have you ever walked through a desert? I remember playing golf with my father and brother at the Desert Canyon course, carved out of the arid wilderness north of Wenatchee, Washington. Where there was water the course was lush and velvet green, where there was no water there was spike tooth sage, cactus, sand, arid, parched ground, snakes and scorpions. Signs reminded us not to leave the fairways to retrieve errant golf balls. To leave the fairways was to risk encounters with poisonous snakes, spiny cactus and
prickly sage.
Lent is a time for life reflection calling us to leave the “fairways” and to explore the wilderness of our existence, the frightening, uncertain places of our lives. Lent is our time to explore spiritual landscape where rules are unclear, times when we experience frustration, pain and exhaustion. Lent asks us to reflect on times when we experience temptation to hatred, anger, distrust and the fears that flit in and our of our hearts and minds. At these times it is so easy to turn our eyes away from Jesus and onto self, possessions, and the acquisition of possessions and power. My friends, these temptations in the wilderness of our lives are every bit as real and possible as these temptations were to Jesus.
Lent calls us to a fearless, moral examination of our lives as we look at what Jesus did when confronted with these temptations and as we again answer the question, and How shall I live in response to the God who has given me life?
Come and explore Lent with us at Sunday and mid-week worship services.
--Pastor Bob--
Dear Friends,
On Sunday, February 22 at 3 p.m. a special congregational meeting was held. The purpose for this meeting was to act on the recommendation of Consistory to rebuild and renovate our pipe organ, including the purchase of a previously owned organ. Attendance for this was good, as 68 members were present! Rick Davidson presented the Organ Committee report. He spoke of work over the past two years, what was proposed for the organ rebuild, and the cost of the project. Scott Riedel, the consultant for the project, reported on the technical details of our organ, the organ for purchase, and the blending of the two organs. Pastor Bob outlined the capital funds drive. Liz Bongard moved to purchase the organ from the Cathedral in Superior and to hire Phil Swartz to do the renovation work for a project total cost of $160,000. The motion passed 67-1. There were excellent questions asked, and a good discussion. On Monday a group of men traveled to Superior and loaded the organ on truck. Bill Fuchs has provided a place for storage. Our organ is being removed from the chamber. The organ will travel to the Rueter Organ Company’s workshop in Kansas, to be repaired and rebuilt. A pleasant surprise for the schedule: a church in Kentucky is behind in its preparation for their organ, so we have been given that slot in Rueter’s work schedule. This means the work has begun now (!), and that we hope to have it done before Christmas. So many things are coming together – it really is exciting.
I am thankful for the hard work of the Organ Committee. They have done wonderful work, and had fun in process! They are Evie Accola, Carl Barrett, Liz Bongard, Rick Chamberlin, Rick Davidson, Emily Fuchs, Dennis Kahn, Harold Koenig, Kristy Litscher, Verda McFarlane, Barb Meyer, and Lois Pieper.
Each of us will have opportunity to participate in this project. The Capital Campaign will begin the first of March, ending on Easter Sunday April 11. Please watch for the letter about this and prayerfully consider your response. There will be workdays to repair the chamber walls, bring the electricity up to code, and prepare the space for the ‘new’ organ. And there will be celebrations when the project is completed.
May we worship God with our whole hearts, offering up the best of ourselves. May God be glorified in our worship.
Yours in Christ, Pastor Denise
no Memorials received
We thank the sponsors of the February radio broadcasts of our 8:00AM Sunday worship: Iola Kamrath and Louie Weber, Eileen Williams, Marcia & Steve Thurwachter, Toddy Loether, Bob & Lorene Cushing, Rev. & Mrs. Robert Rieke, Sr., Shirley & Merton Moely, Mildred Steckelberg, and Liz Bongard.
We need sponsors for March 21, May 30, Sept. 19, and Oct. 17. Cost is $55.
|
Anniversaries |
|
| 4 | Louise and Wilbert Reuter, 53 years |
|
Birthdays |
|
| 5 | John Trueb |
| 6 | John Winiger |
| 7 | Iver Schara |
| 8 | Sally Beerkircher |
| 9 | Evelyn Kaiser |
| 12 | Franz Wyttenbach |
| 18 | Lois Price |
| 18 | Calvin Sorg |
| 20 | Lloyd Oler |
| 23 | Irene Waffenschmidt |
| 25 | Chuck Henning |
| 28 | Lucy Coenen |
| 30 | Margaret Withington |
Greetings to all those celebrating birthdays and anniversaries in
March
(We acknowledge birthdays 70 and over; anniversaries: the first, then all that end in 5 or 0, and all 50 and over.)
|
March |
|
| 8:00 | 10:30 |
| Tammy Young | Rick Chamberlin |
| Betsy | Margaret & Tom McFarlane |
| Jackie Sliter | Kay Roherty |
| Derek | |
|
April |
|
| 8:00 | 10:30 |
| Liz Bongard | Nadene & Todd Litscher |
| Peggy Ganser | Kelli & Tim Straight |
| Phil Bongard | |
| Dave Bongard | |
Sign up to greet! We like to have two people or couples at each service. (signup sheet is on table in narthex)
| 3 | Cooperative Lenten Service, Concordia – 7:30PM |
| 7 | New Member Sunday/Church Camp Sunday |
| 10 | Cooperative Lenten Service, here – 7:30PM |
| 13 | Retreat, here from 9AM-3PM |
| 17 | Cooperative Lenten Service, First Pres – 7:30PM |
| 18 | Consistory – 7:00PM |
| 20 | Women’s Guild Lenten Brunch – 11:00AM |
| 21 | One Great Hour of Sharing offering |
| 24 | Cooperative Lenten Service, here – 7:30PM |
| 25 | Building & Maintenance Committee – 6:30PM |
| 31 | Cooperative Lenten Service, Concordia – 7:30PM |
by Margaret McFarlane
Our annual roller-skating party will be Sunday, March 21 from 4:15-6:45. We have invited Concordia and First Presbyterian members to join us. We’ll meet at Jan & Deans. The cost is $3.25 per skater ($4.25 for
roller blades).
There were 20 in attendance at our February Fun and Float. It was a fun afternoon of swimming and fellowship.
During Lent, the Sunday School is collecting donations for the Mexican Children’s Refuge. Pastor Herb and Bev Feierabend from our church are the coordinators of this home building project.
Donations can be sent to Sunday School or put in the offering plate. Donations should be turned in by April 25.
March is church camp month! Students in grades K-6 will hear about camp. The camp pot will be out in the narthex for donations which will be used to sponsor campers.
Thanks for the great choir participation on February 15. The Sunday School choir will sing again on March 21. Grades 5&6 will have a special part before the choir.
A new candle lighter schedule will be made for April and May. If your child would like to participate, please let me know
(643-6327).
On Palm Sunday (April 4) all students are welcome to join in a palm procession at the 10:30 service.
Our annual Easter party will be on Saturday, April 10 at 1:00pm.
Care Driver rides are available to:
--worship services and church programs
--appointments and errands in the community
Call Kelli Straight, 643-3719 or the church office 643-8387 to arrange for a ride.
From Susie Van Slyke
I would like to thank everyone in our church family who prayed for my son while he was so ill. Mike is much better now and improving every day. God is so faithful. He heard us and is healing Mike.
From the family of Eunice Becker
We would like the congregation to know of our deep appreciation for the sympathy that you showed for our wife and mother during our recent bereavement. Your expressed concerns, memorials, prayers, service at the luncheon, and the services of Pastors Bob and Denise—these are the things we will member when we are lonely.
Jim, Jim, Bob, Michele, and Chris
From Eileen Williams
I am extremely grateful to Pastor Bob for his visit and prayers while in the hospital. Also, thank you to everyone for their cards and prayers. It is so wonderful to feel good again.
Consistory met on Thursday, February 19. Present were: Pam Alwin, Sue
Barth, Mike Brzezinski, Rick Chamberlin, Linda Lange, Herman Tschudy, Jamie Wittwer and
Pastors Denise and Bob
Pastor Denise reported on the first of our eight retreats and summarized the next retreat scheduled for March 13. She and Teresa Kreutzman are changing the Teen Breakfast Club to Wednesday mornings at the high school. Pastor Denise thanked all those who made the Women’s Sunday a fine experience. She shared information from the Cancer Residency at UW Hospital. Our church cooked and served for the UW Campus Ministry on February 8.
Pastor Bob summarized the Annual Meeting. Last month was our turn at the local food pantry. For this year’s pulpit exchange Pastor Larry Collins came here and Pastor Denise went to Concordia. 41 people came to the “He-Brews She’s-ill.” Our Ecumenical Lenten series, “Fruits of the Spirit” begins on Ash Wednesday, February 25. 49 of our 52 radio broadcasts for 2004 are sponsored. Greg
Petrulis, from Wells Fargo, is our new financial advisor.
We discussed at length the special congregational meeting on February 22: meeting process, organ transporting if needed, loan possibilities, and the possible capital funds drive.
We set Consistory devotions for the coming year. Pastor Denise invited the Consistory to the upcoming Mardi Gras pancake supper Our next new member reception is March 7.
Thanks to everyone who helped with this event: Linda Lange and Doris Steuber for preparing the food. Casey and Nolan Lendved for peeling and chopping the carrots and potatoes. Sherry, Beth and Rudy Steffen for going to Madison, setting up, serving, and cleaning up. Pastor Bob for driving and helping. It was great to worship and share a meal with the students. What little food was left was taken to a homeless shelter for the evening meal.
Pastor Bob and Sharon will be in the state of Washington Friday, March 26 - Thursday, April 1 to visit with their family.
66 members gathered for our Sunday February 1 Annual meeting. A quorum was declared, and Pat Barrett was appointed parliamentarian. The minutes from the previous year’s meeting were approved. Jamie Wittwer and Heidi Liverseed were appointed tellers. Committee reports were reviewed and accepted with several spelling changes. Accountant Bob Kaufman took us through a financial review. We discussed and accepted the 2004 budget including a 2% raise for all church employees. Margaret McFarlane submitted a motion that the “Sunday School” income category be changed to the more reflective term “Christian Education.” The motion was seconded and unanimously approved. Pam Alwin, Herman Tschudy, and Jamie Wittwer were elected to three year Consistory terms. Todd Pieper and Mildred Steckelberg were elected to 2 year Pastor-Parish terms. Pastor Bob and Pastor Denise went through the seven goals and plans for 2004 (as listed in your annual report). Herman Tschudy thanked all who had worked so hard to make ministry a reality here. Members of the congregation in turn thanked church leadership.
Second one day retreat coming up
You are invited to a retreat on Saturday, March 13 from 9 am to 3 pm. The retreat will be here at the church. The theme is Hospitality: Creating Welcome Space for God, for Self, for Others. This retreat will help you take a fresh look at the grace-filled and respectful practice of hospitality as you ask yourself: How can I be more hospitable to God, to myself, to others? It is from the book Practicing Your Path by Rev. Holly Whitcomb. Please register to attend by March 12. Lunch will be provided. Those attending should bring a notebook or journal. We hope that you will consider being a part of this retreat.
Ecumenical - cooperative Lenten Services
The theme for our cooperative midweek Lenten services is “Fruits of the Spirit.”
Each Wednesday evening during the Lenten season, we will gather for 7:30PM worship
at First Presbyterian, Concordia United Methodist, or here at First UCC. Offerings received at each of these services will go into the United Church Work Fund to be used to support our Vacation Bible School, Habitat for Humanity, Hope House, or Church World Service. Each of the services will be followed by a coffee fellowship. We invite you to join us! Our March schedule:
Wednesday, March 3 - Concordia
Theme: “Gentleness” Pastor Bob
Wednesday, March 10 - First UCC
Theme: “Kindness” Pastor Larry
Wednesday, March 17 - First Presbyterian
Theme: “Patience” Pastor Bob
Wednesday, March 24 - First UCC
Theme: “Joy” Pastor Jeff
Wednesday, March 31 - Concordia
Theme: “Love” Pastor Denise
We invite all women of our church and their friends to join us for our Annual Lenten Brunch on Saturday, March 20th at 11AM in the basement of the sanctuary. Our guest speaker will be our own author and pundit Dr. William (Bill) Wenzel. Plan now to be with us! There will be a sign-up sheet out in March.
God uses all gifts for big purposes
Love. Faith. Compassion. Jesus showed us how to live for a purpose larger than ourselves. On March 21, we will dedicate our offerings to One Great Hour of Sharing, for ministries of the UCC that reach out with love, faith, and compassion to people in 90 countries.
This year’s offering theme is “God uses all gifts for big purposes.” Some of the big purposes that can result from your gift are: A child returns to school after years of fleeing war. A mother learns basic hygiene so her children’s health improves. Refugees sleep in a tent, rather than out in the open. Clean water is brought to an entire village. Having started a fish farm, a family has a steady source of protein and a new stream of income.
Please give to OGHS—it’s remarkable what your gift can do.
Interested in joining our church family?
- We church membership has four parts:
Prayer - We give thanks to God. We pray for each other. - Presence - We attend worship services to give thanks, to discover God’s will for our lives and to share our faith with others.
- Gifts - According to our means, we support our church financially.
- Service - We share the gifts God has given us within our church and our community.
If you’re interested in joining our church, or know of someone who might be, contact either Pastor Bob or Pastor Denise. March 7 is our next new member reception.
Look nice and help the organ fund
Beverly and Rick Davidson, owners of Davidson’s Salon, will host a fundraiser for our organ project. Make an appointment with Beverly for March 10 for a haircut, perm, color, etc. and she will donate all proceeds! The Salon phone is 643-7800.
Preparing ourselves to enjoy our GOLDEN YEARS
Preparing our parents to enjoy their GOLDEN YEARS
The Sauk Prairie Ecumenical Council is sponsoring a free Saturday morning workshop at the River Arts Center, Sauk Prairie High School on Saturday, March 20* 9:15- noon. Topics: <italic>Aging Gracefully: Making the Most of Your Later Life Adventure, You're Not Alone - Supportive Services in Sauk County, Dealing with Financial Issues of those Golden Years, and Dealing with Medical and Health Care Issues of the Golden Years<italic>
Joe Lacour, Financial Advisor, Edward Jones Financial Services
Tom Graves, Administrator, Maplewood Nursing Home
Each session will include a time for questions. The coffee and doughnuts will be ready, so come and enjoy this informative workshop.
*Since this program overlaps the Women’s Guild Brunch, please feel free to come to this workshop and leave early.
Our apologies to Doris Steuber—her name was inadvertently left off the choir list in the Annual Report.
Sauk Prairie Kids Companion program is in desperate need of adult companions. Call Linda Lange 643-2374 if interested.
Campers gather in the community of creation to share meals, songs, campfires, star-gazing, worship, water sports, and more. Church camp really is a wonderful way to relax, have fun, learn, and enjoy fellowship.
Brochures for the 2004 season have been mailed to those who participated last year; additional brochures are available in the literature racks and at the church office. There are camps for young children all the way up to senior citizens. Register for the camp you want by sending in the form and fee. There are discounts if you register early!
The camp pot will be up at the back of church to remind everyone that we are collecting money to help our campers. Money may be placed in the pot or offering plates, or sent to the church office. A special offering will be taken on March 21.
If you want financial aid, LET US KNOW THAT YOU ARE REGISTERED. By early June we’ll let you know how much money you will receive. (We divide the camp fund proportionately among all campers.)
If you have any questions about church camp, contact Margaret McFarlane, Pastors Bob or Denise, or the church office.