January 25, 1998
#Congregational Home Invitation
This was a year for congregational depth and facility renewal with more going on and more people participating in a variety of activities.
The development of an internet web site has provided exhaustive access to information and communication and allowed us to be a ready congregational resource to members and interested visitors from six countries. Eleven members served our mission in Honduras and installed a dental facility, medical laboratory and constructed a building. The significant television coverage of the project presented our church in a very positive way.
A new Wednesday morning outreach for men focusing on faith, integrity and fellowship has involved more than 75 men and continues to be a strong new addition to the church. Two new gatherings for women have also been introduced and well received. More than 150 women and children from various congregations meet each Tuesday throughout our facilities to participate in Bible Study Fellowship. Since this is also the morning for the Retired Men's Club, we have almost as many here on Tuesday as Sunday.
The goal of developing a Director of Student Ministries position was realized with the hiring of Chris Rygh. Chris has provided creative visionary leadership in our ministry to children and families.The addition of Michelle Jackson as parish nurse has increased our ability to care for the health and welfare needs of the congregation while strengthening our relationship with Congregational Home.
The Social Hall has been completely renovated including the addition of theatrical lighting and a video projection system. This space which has the characteristics of a grand ballroom is truly a multi-functional space allowing us to incorporate today's technology with our historical message that people matter to God. The sound system in the sanctuary was also replaced. All the renovation projects have been fully paid and there is no debt. The combined increase in pledges from the last three stewardship campaigns is more than 29% with our highest for the coming year at 12.7%.
This has been a rewarding year and I am thankful to be your senior minister. The future will be an exciting adventure as we continue to believe in the God who believes in us!
In Him,
Congregational Governance (continued from last issue)
Governance - Boards
While the governance of the First Congregational Church rests with the Church Council - and ultimately with the congregation - much of the functioning of the church is governed by the seven Boards specified in the church's by-laws. Members of these boards are elected at the Annual Meeting of the congregation, usually for 3-year terms.
Board of Deacons
The largest of the boards, with 18 members, is the Board of Deacons. The by-laws charge the Deacons with "...responsibility for church membership, and matters relating to the service of worship and the spiritual interests of the church..." The Deacons are perhaps most visible in serving the elements at Communion services.
They also arrange for greeters, ushers, acolytes, and the floral pieces at the front of the nave on Sundays. Deacons assist in baptisms, and in video-taping services. They decorate the church for Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter. New membership and maintaining the membership rolls are also part of their duties.
Board of Christian Education
The Board of Christian Education's responsibility is to "formulate and administer the educational programs of the church." Under this seemingly simple charge, the C.E. Board selects a Sunday School curriculum, recruits and trains Sunday School teachers, sponsors the Covenant Class and Confirmation programs, sponsors several adult education programs, runs the Vacation Bible School in summer, and operates the nursery during services. The C.E. Board is also in charge of the Christmas Workshop and the Christmas Pageant, the Children's Library and the Pilgrim Fellowship.
Board of Congregational Care
The Board of Congregational Care is responsible "for administering the Congregational caring ministry programs of the church, through program development and coordination." It is through this Board that we truly reach out to those of our membership in need of our love and care. The Board has specific ministries for Prayer, Bereavement, Shut-ins, Sick and Recovering members, and Nursing and Retirement Homes.
The latter program includes scheduled visits to three nursing/retirement homes with a Communion Service and time for "chats." The Prayer Ministry has organized a group that meets regularly to respond to prayer requests from members of the congregation.
The Congregational Care Board sponsored the initiation of the Parish Nurse program in our church, and participates in the Mayfair Interfaith program. It also takes the responsibility for the St. Vincent's Meal Program (preparation and serving an evening meal for homeless and needy persons) once a month.
Board of Trustees
The Board of Trustees is to "exercise all statutory powers and duties with respect to church property and secular business matters ... and to manage and safeguard the funds of the church..." The maintenance and repair of our building, equipment and grounds is no small task and much of this Board's time is taken with bids and contracts and decisions on how to best maintain and preserve the church structure.
Requests for use of the church facilities by outside groups must be approved or disapproved by the Board of Trustees.
There are other Boards and Committees which will be described in subsequent issues. Truly, His work is done by many hands! *
by Karl Stieghorst
Because of many classes and activities going on now at the church, it has been decided to postpone New Member Classes until the Spring. The dates for "Congregationalism: An Introduction to a Faith and People" will be Sunday, April 26, May 3, 10, 17; members received on May 24. If you are seeking membership with our church, please mark these dates on your calendar. Until then, please consider First Congregational Church of Wauwatosa your church home. *
Lent is not far away, Ash Wednesday comes on February 25. This special season is the springtime of the soul: we regenerate and re-awake what is dormant within us in preparation for Easter, as nature does with itself for summer. This year we'll have some wonderful opportunities to develop our spiritual lives, as individuals and as a congregation.
Sundays in Lent will offer time for worship and, at 10:00 a.m. in the chapel, a Study of the Gospel of Mark. The study will be facilitated by Rev. Dr. Steven Peay, who will guide us through the sixteen chapters of this Gospel, thought by many to be the earliest one. Sunday afternoons will hold something special for those seeking to grow as parents. Active Parenting, an interactive group study, will be offered at 4:00 p.m. Following the session there will be a time of fellowship and food child care will be provided. Watch your Sunday bulletin and The Congregationalist for more information.
Wednesdays will continue to be our special Lenten day beginning with food for the body at a fellowship dinner at 6:00 p.m. (and this year the meals will not be meagre) and food for the mind/soul following at 7:00 p.m. At 8:00 p.m. there will be a time of devotion and a sharing in the Lord's Supper in the chapel.
The classes this year follow the theme of 'Developing Spiritual Life.' Phil Landis will take us to The Bible as Spiritual Resource Center, Michelle Jackson, Parish Nurse, will help us understand Care of Body, Care of Soul, and Rev. Dr. Steven Peay will give us an Introduction to Spiritual Life. These classes will meet on March 4, 11, 18, 25, and April 1. The Professional Women's Study Group will also continue to meet during Lent on these Wednesday evenings. There are some wonderful choices to be made and we hope you'll choose to be with us for dinner, class, devotion one, two or all three!
Our first 'congregational' retreat is a very special offering for Lent this year. Professor Frank Thompson will lead us in a 'mini-retreat' focusing on Prayer beginning Friday evening, March 27, continuing during the day on Saturday, March 28, and concluding with the worship services on Sunday, March 29. Watch for details, but mark your calendars now and plan to be a part of this wonderful time for spiritual renewal.
Our Lenten development will help us bud to full flower in the glory of Easter day! *
What, No Lenten Devotionals?
For the past few years, members of the congregation have been contributing their devotional offerings to a Lenten Devotional Booklet which we have sent to everyone on our mailing list. There was a reading for each of the days during Lent. It was interesting and inspirational to have these varied thoughts shared by our fellow members. The members of the staff also contributed and often were required to do additional last minute contributions to complete the booklet.
Producing a booklet such as this depends on a time schedule in order to get it printed and mailed to reach everyone by Ash Wednesday. This year, due to lack of submitted material at the time of our deadline, there will be no Lenten Devotional.
Our staff is very busy with education classes, the mission trip, hospital/shut-in visits, new programs and all the other activities that are making this church a vital, active part of our community. They simply don't have the time required to shoulder the responsibility of this project at the last minute.
We will keep the devotionals that were turned in and perhaps next year some new authors will come forward and contribute to the booklet.
You will be receiving information regarding the various special Lenten activities here at the church and with that we will enclose suggested scripture readings for the days of Lent. There will be some copies of the Mayflower Devotions for Lent, published by the NACCC, available for sale. *
Don't miss the famed pancake breakfast scheduled for February 15, 1998. Breakfast of pancakes, sausage and juice will be served from 8:00 a.m. 11:00 a.m. in the Social Hall. The cost is $4.00 for Adults and $2.00 for Children (ages 312). You pay at the door and no reservations are needed.
Like other institutions of higher learning, our own little "College of Spiritual Knowledge" also suffers from course changes. We hope these won't inconvenience you.
Wednesday Evenings
Introduction to Christianity continues, Christianity: Essence, History and Future is deferred to Fall. We welcome folks to join us as we continue to explore Alistair McGrath's excellent introductory text on the Christian faith. Even without a book you can get 'caught up' in the discussion! This group meets at 7:00 p.m. in the Resource Center on the following dates: January 28, February 11, April 8, May 13 and May 27.
Professional Women's Study Group is something new and designed to meet the need of working women looking to balance all the parts of their lives. The group will use C.W. Metcalf's delightful book "Lighten Up!: Survival Skills for People Under Pressure" to begin and then move on from there. Julie Peay will facilitate this group meeting in the Parlor at 7:00 p.m. on the following dates: January 14, 28; February 11; March 4, 11, 18, 25; April 1, 8; and May 13, 27.
Sunday Mornings
New Testament Overview will meet in the chapel at 10:00 a.m. on February 1 and 8.
Congregationalism:An Introduction to a Faith and People will not meet in January or February, but another session will be offered beginning April 26 and continuing through the first three Sundays in May.
The Board of Christian Stewardship wishes to thank everyone for their response to the recent financial campaign. Every year the board members call the people who had not responded to the campaign by early December. This year there were very few calls to make. Response was prompt and generous.
The canvass resulted in 495 pledges received for a total value of $598,299 by the end of December. This is a 12.7% increase for these same pledges in 1997. Some interesting facts from the canvass: 51 people who had no pledges in 1997 now have pledged for 1998; 10 people doubled, or more, their pledges; and 163 people increased their pledges.
It was a very successful canvass and reflects the enthusiasm of the congregation to support the programs, education, and values that being a part of the church means to them. We thank you all for your support and look forward to a successful, productive year. *
Congregational Home Invites You...
Members of First Congregational Church are cordially invited to join family and friends at an Open House and tour of our new addition on Sunday afternoon, February 8, from 12:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Parking will be available in our East Parking Lot (use the new Family Entrance at 13900 West Burleigh Road) and the new West Parking Lot (use the new Main Entrance at 3150 North Lilly Road).
Also on this special day of February 8, church members are invited to attend the Dedication at 4:30 p.m. of the Home's new addition and Chapel/Auditorium. This service will be approximately 30 minutes.
Completion of the new addition, which contains approximately the same square footage of floor space as the original Home, is a strong testimony to the success of this endeavor of caring for the elderly, initiated by First Congregational Church 24 years ago.
Dale Engstrom, President of the Board of Directors
&
Charlie Nelson, Executive Vice President
February is Donate a Book month. Popular selections will be on display in the atrium during the month of February. "We have done all the hard work by selecting a number of key books that we know should be on our shelves," says Chris Rygh. "Our hope is that individuals will purchase these titles and donate them back to the church as a memorial." Book plates will be inscribed and pasted into each donated book indicating the name of the giver as well as the one being memorialized. *
Having trouble managing the terrible twos? Are you struggling to understand what motivates your eight year old? Active Parenting is here to help!
Active Parenting Today is a program written to encourage parents who have children ages 2 to 12. Our church will be sponsoring this six-week workshop during the six weeks of Lent. Beginning March 1 and continuing each Sunday through April 5, parents are invited to join us for two hours of interactive study on the issues parents face as they attempt to raise children who are healthy, motivated, cooperative, and self reliant.
The program will be held here at the church each Sunday afternoon between 3:00 and 5:00 with a family supper to follow. Child care will be provided. Plan now to attend this special workshop. Could you possibly make a better investment with your time? *
1997 FCC Site Surfers Make a Splash!
During the last quarter of 1997, Rev. Lonnie Richardson ran a profile of the usage of our website. The results provided us with some very useful, as well as very interesting facts. It gives us a good idea about the effectiveness of the site and will be helpful in determining future content, as this is an ever-changing and growing endeavor.
At the time of the study, our website was averaging 115 'Hits' per day. While, as you would expect, Wisconsin has been the state with the most active users, activity from users in California and Virginia is nearly as high. Other states from which our site has received users include New Jersey, Ohio, Georgia, Texas, Pennsylvania, Missouri, and Illinois. But that's not all. All of our users don't originate in the U.S. People from the United Kingdom, Canada, United Arab Emirates, Singapore, and Australia have also dropped in for a visit!
The report also shows us that while users are looking into everything from church activities to sermons to minutes from Board meetings, the areas they stay at the longest are Our Congregational Heritage and Beliefs. The average amount of time a user spends at our site is just over 31 minutes.
Our first year on the Net has been very successful. As more areas and information are added, the usefulness will only be enhanced. Many thanks again to the task force that has worked so hard developing and updating our site to spread our word, literally, across the world!
'Cabin Fever Night' is Free February Family Fun
On Saturday evening, February 28 the church will sponsor another free family event. "Cabin Fever Night," says Karen Schmidt, "is an opportunity for children and their parents and grandparents to enjoy some time together without having to travel far or spend a lot of money." Children are encouraged to bring their favorite board games. Snacks will be provided as well as child care for infants and toddlers. *
Dear Family and Friends,
As we begin our Lenten journey, we can use this time to reflect upon and prepare our hearts... physically, emotionally and spiritually. In addition, February is recognized as American Heart Month.
Physically
The Bible reminds us, "...A heart at peace gives life to the body..." (Prov. 14:30). The following suggestions are adapted from the American Heart Association's pamphlet, "Heart Health Education."
How to Reduce your Risk of Heart Disease:
* Quit smoking permanently
* Control your blood pressure & have it checked regularly
* Exercise at least 3 times a week for 20 minutes or more at your target heart rate
* Eat a balanced diet reduced in fat, cholesterol, and salt
* Contact the American Heart Association, your Parish Nurse, or doctor for information on smoking cessation, controlling blood pressure, heart healthy eating, exercise, and stress management.
Emotionally
Peter encourages us with these words, "...Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart" (I Peter 1:22). Love, acceptance and affirmation in our relationships helps us to celebrate our oneness as children of the heavenly Father. Learning about all of our emotions assists us in experiencing harmony and wholeness in our lives.
Spiritually
We can pray these words with the psalmist, "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me' (Psalm 51: 1012). We share the good news that it is the Lord who creates purity and wholeness in hearts. At the same time, we understand our need to nourish our spirits; they were not created to thrive on neglect! We can care for our spiritual health by setting aside a regular time in our schedules for worship, Bible studies, individual and family devotions, prayer and meditation, and celebration of the Lord's Supper.
I pray that your Lenten experience brings your heart healing peace. Please contact me if I can assist you in caring for your physical, emotional, or spiritual heart. *
We have been encouraging all of you to visit Michelle Jackson our Parish Nurse. During the month of November, National Diabetes Awareness Month, Michelle was offering to test blood sugar levels for $1.00, the cost of the materials required.
One Tuesday morning Steve Peay and I decided we would be likely candidates to have our blood sugar tested, not that either of us suspected we had any problem. Steve wants me to point out that his test results were indeed, just fine. On the other hand, Michelle asked me to come back the next Tuesday for a "fasting" test. When the results of that test were also quite high, she recommended that I contact my doctor for further testing.
In the meantime Michelle brought me several articles on diabetes and I realized that I had some other symptoms that I was really just ignoring or attributing to other things. I do have a family history of diabetes. Now I have seen my doctor, had more tests, and indeed I do have diabetes. It's being treated with medication and diet and ought to be under control soon. I'm doing my own blood tests every day now and am finding out how much what I eat does affect this problem.
My greatest difficulty, aside from the fact that I'm told I can't
just pull my sweet tooth, is that my eyes are changing rather
rapidly. Actually, at this point, I don't need as strong a
correction as I've had in the past.
The real issue is that by going to Michelle for a brief, simple test, this disease was discovered before I had a serious problem. Please feel free to contact Michelle here at the church on Tuesdays from 9:00 1:00 if you have any questions for her.
Rani Gusho
Volunteers Needed
Each Monday morning at 10:00 a.m., some residents gather in Fireside Lounge at Congregational Home to visit while they knit or crochet. A volunteer who likes knitting and this kind of comfortable fun would complete the picture. Please call Sally Wells, 781-0550.
Blood Drive February 23
We will be having another blood drive here at the church Monday, February 23, from 3:30 to 7:30. Register between services in February or call Lynn Kuss, 453-7458. Volunteers are needed both as donors and assistants.
The Editor Thanks:
Karl Stieghorst for an article and the office staff for their assistance.
Circle Meetings
Circle 7: Tuesday, February 10, at 12:00, luncheon at Pat Gibson's; program by Karl Ebenhoch: "Growing Up in Nazi Germany."
Circle 8: Tuesday, February 3, at 11:30, will meet at Congregational Home to have luncheon with the Health Care residents.
Circle 12: Wednesday, February 4, at 11:00 in Friendship Lounge. Program given by George E. Wells, "English Spring Gardens from Daffodils to Rhododendrons." Call Gertrude Netter, 258-3740, by Feb. 2 for luncheon reservations.
Family Movie Night
Saturday January 31 is Family Night at the movies...all the fun of a drive-in inside! Bring a blanket to spread out in the Social Hall and enjoy this evening of free entertainment with your entire family.
Congregational
Columnswww.FirstChurchTosa.org
Editor, Beth Linscott
Communications Committee
Karl Stieghorst - Chairperson,
René Klumb, Joyce Orr,
Jeannie Sherman,
Win Williams
*
Rev. Lonnie Richardson, Senior Minister
Rev. Dr. Steven A. Peay, Associate Minister/Teacher
Chris Rygh, Director of Student Ministries
Rani Gusho, Financial Administrator
Roy Brouwer, Building Superintendent
Lee Jacobi, Director of Music
Betty Dethmers, Organist
Betsy Isenberg, Secretary
Nancy Gross, Secretary
Charles Nelson, Administrator, Congregational Home, Inc.
Rev. Norman S. Ream, Minister Emeritus
Vol. 7, Issue 1