CONGREGATIONAL
COLUMNS
March 29, 1998
Table of Contents
Greek Tour Group
Children's Library Q&A
Amazing Grace
A Word From Lonnie
Professional Women's Group to
Continue
Easter Offering
Health Thermometer
In Brief
Tour Group
Follows Journeys of Paul
On Thursday morning, March 5th, the ten members of our group
left Milwaukee for Greece to tour and study "the journeys of
Paul." After plane transfers in Atlanta and Brussels, we
arrived in Athens early Friday morning, pleased to be greeted
with sunny, warm weather.
The next morning we began our daily regime: wake up call at
6:00 a.m.; a full day of traveling, sightseeing, study and
devotions; and ample Greek meals.
During our stay in Athens, we had a full city tour by bus and
on foot. We climbed up the Acropolis Hill, marveled a the
Parthenon and other impressive ancient ruins, and saw the market
place where Acts states that Paul preached. We held our devotions
that day at Mars Hill where Paul delivered his sermon on
"the unknown god" - resulting in his first conversions
in Athens.
As we traveled to other sites, we drove on a newly built,
modern highway through picturesque countryside where we saw
orchards of flowering almond, olive and fruit trees. There were
herds of goats and sheep along the road and one herd had dozens
of newly born lambs.
While in Thessalonica we reviewed the account of Paul's
teaching in the synagogue where he was eagerly received by many,
but eventually forced to leave with Silas by other
"unbelieving Jews." We visited two beautiful Greek
Orthodox churches while there.
At Philippi we saw the ruins of the ancient city which is in
the process of restoration. It was important as the scene of
Paul's visit on his second journey (43 A.D.) where he and Silas
met and converted Lydin who was the first European to be baptized
as a Christian. This led to its subsequent role as the first
European city to accept Christianity. Rev. Richardson led a
service here as we reflected on our baptism and European
heritage. It was in Philippi where Paul and Silas were brought
before the judge, beaten and jailed. They later converted their
jailer and his household after being freed as a result of a major
earthquake.
Meteora is a unique region where stone pinnacles reach
straight up for approximately 1000 feet. Beginning in the 14th
century, monks from the Greek Orthodox church built at least 24
monasteries on the tops of these peaks. The only way to reach
some of them was to be pulled up in a basket by rope and pulley.
We visited the Varlean Monastery which required a climb of 149
carefully numbered steps.
We drove in snow into the mountains to Delphi where we saw the
ruins of the temple of Apollo with it's famous oracle.
Ancient Corinth had the reputation of being very wealthy and
influential, but also very corrupt. Paul arrived there in 54 A.D.
and stayed for 18 months. Eventually, his teaching once again
caused such an uproar among the Jews that he was taken before the
Roman judge. The hostile Jews drove Paul out and this time he
left for Ephesus.
On our three day cruise tour of the Greek Isles and Turkey, we
saw not only Ephesus, but also Mykonos, Rhodes and Patinos. We
briefly visited Mykonos and Patmos, which had no specific
connection with Paul.
There is only a sketchy reference to Rhodes in Acts concerning
a brief visit by Paul. We did however; tour this impressively
preserved medieval city which had been built by the Crusaders.
They used this island as their main base from 1309 to 1522.
Library at Ephesus
Paul made only a short visit to
Ephesus on his second missionary journey, but on his third trip
he stayed for over two years. He made this the center of his
missionary activities in Asia. The church he established there
was the first to receive a letter from him. At that time, Ephesus
was the most important city in the Roman province of Asia. It is
now one of the best preserved ancient cities in the Mediterranean
area. Relics confirm that it was inhabited as early as 3000 B.C.
We had an extensive tour of these ruins - marveling at their
immense scope and quality.
We returned to Milwaukee via Zurich and Cincinnati in March
17. At the conclusion of our trip we realized how significant it
had been in strengthening our understanding of the background of
our Christian heritage.*
by Carrie Laubenheimer
Join Rev. Richardson and several others from the church
on a Grand Europe Odyssey departing June 28, 2000. The itinerary
includes confirmed seating at the Oberammergau Passion Play.
Contact the church office for information
#Back to Table of
Contents
Children's
Library Questions and Answers
No doubt you've noticed the activity in the first floor
hallways recently: furniture blocking the walkways, paint odor
wafting out of the Christian Education Office, construction paper
and crayons piled along the walls. These are the signs that the
children's library is taking shape. This past week, Columns
editor, Beth Linscott, caught up with Director of Student
Ministries, Chris Rygh, to ask him some questions about this new
endeavor.
Why do we need a children's library? Don't we already
have a library?
Yes, we have a nice library, but right now it is stocked
primarily with reference materials: study aids, devotional books,
commentaries, and a few practical living pieces. To give us a
more complete learning center, we need a collection of high
quality materials for families: particularly, we need books for
children. I have parents tell me they just don't have time on a
weekly basis to get to the city library to check out books.
However, these same parents know they will be in church every
Sunday morning. So it seems to me that we are in a unique
position to help parents connect with the high quality materials
they cannot access at the city library on a weekly basis. If our
church offers a children's collection, our children end up
reading more. This is a fantastic way for our church to nurture
healthy families!
Will it contain only Christian books?
No, the library will house all sorts of children's books.
Certainly some will be overtly Christian. For example, we have a
terrific set of biographies which chronicle the lives of key
historical figures who championed Christianity. We also have a
number of faith building books for young readers. But those
browsing the shelves will also see most of the classic titles in
our collection. For example, one will find Curious George,
Charlotte's Web, Make Way for Ducklings, and Johnny
Tremain as well as the Richard Scarry books and the Shel
Silverstein poems.
In our collection, we will have board books, picture books,
and chapter books. Within the next year we hope to have books on
tape and books on compact disc as well. However we can encourage
families to read, we want to do it. Our goal is fairly simple: we
want to offer high quality literature that parents can give to
their children.
Will the library contain only books for children?
No. We are collecting many of the best selling family titles
as well. For example, we will have the What to Expect
series for new parents, and the Parenting with Love and Logic
series for more advanced parents. We will also have books to help
with family health, finances, priorities and spirituality.
Where will this collection be located and what needs to
happen before we open?
Initially the collection will be housed in what has been known
as the Christian Education office. Because we have shelves in
this room and because it is located on the first floor, it made
sense to put the library in this space. Of course if this idea
takes off and we end up with more materials, we may have to look
for a larger space in the future.
You know there's a lot of work that goes into this kind of
ministry. Before we can open we need to have the books covered in
plastic, the cataloging system in place and the furniture set up.
Fortunately, almost all of this work is being done by skilled
volunteers. Our goal is to open on Sunday, April 26.
How will it operate?
The first phase of the library will be a monitored space open
on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings. During open hours,
volunteers will help children find and check out their books. We
will use a traditional card system for at least six months until
everyone is familiar with the materials and the circulation
system. The second phase which I hope we can have in place
next year will involve barcoded, computerized cataloging and
self-service checkouts.
In terms of the practical, day to day policies, very likely
children will be able to check out books for two weeks. When
someone checks out a book, he or she will use a church library
card, and we will expect the books to be returned on time.
These are some of the many
books which have been donated to the Children's Library.
What are the benefits of having a family learning center
in our church?
Introducing children to the person of Jesus is the most
important thing a Christian parent can do. The second most
important thing a Christian parent can do is create a healthy and
nurturing home. By enlarging our vision of what a church library
should be, we can better help families fashion homes which are
healthy, nurturing, and God honoring. We can also be a catalyst
for literacy. In a time when video stimulation seems to be taking
over the world, we can be a reminder that nothing can substitute
for one's ability to read. A third potential benefit are the
opportunities for the intergenerational connection. Imagine the
number of readers we have in our congregation. What if some of
our adults were willing to read children's books onto tapes for
kids who are traveling in the car? What if having a children's
library were the catalyst for a Wednesday night story time in
which some of our adults would read to small groups of children?
There are many potential benefits to this new ministry. *
#Back to Table of
Contents
Amazing Grace
When Grace Forester talks about her life, it is filled with
fond and loving memories of her family, friends and the church
which has played such a large role. At 89, she said her
recollection might not be perfect, but when she spins tales of
what was, it is with all of the eloquence and detail of someone
who has experienced and retained a great deal.
"I've been a member of the First Congregational Church
all my life...I went to Sunday School there as a little child, I
was married there in 1933 by Reverend Lee and today I still
attend," she explains.
Grace remembers when the church services were held in the
tabernacle down the street as a new church facility was being
constructed, the one we all know today. As a child of 12, she
recalls playing basketball in the old church gymnasium that was
later renovated and is now used as the Social Hall. She fondly
recalls church dinners in the basement, all the little children
investigating every nook and crannie of the room, laughing with
delight. One of Grace's earliest memories is of attending Sunday
School, which as she recalls involved "lots of little kids
listening to Bible stories and singing Jesus Loves Me." She
laughs as she remembers those classes. "Today I think it is
very different. There are so many activities for the children
such a wonderful education."
A multigenerational FCC family, Grace's ties with the church
go back as far as she can remember. Her grandfather, Edwin R.
Godfrey, a pillar of the church in his day and a one-time Mayor
of Wauwatosa, was a lifetime FCC member. Near the turn of the
century, he donated an entire set of new seats for the
auditorium. As Grace remembers it, he disliked the pews that were
then in use in the room. "I guess he didn't like those pews,
so he had these individual movie theater style seats put
in," she explains. "They were there for a while, but
then someone finally got rid of them. I'm not sure anyone else
liked those seats except my grandfather!"
Very active in the church, Grace credits her own father, James
Godfrey, with keeping the family active. He encouraged her and
her sister, Ruth Godfrey Davidson, and two brothers, James and
John Godfrey, to go to church each Sunday.
Grace's sister Ruth and her husband, William Davidson, were
also active members. After Ruth passed away, Mr. Davidson donated
some of the church bells which now provide such melodic chimes.
"I just love the bells," says Grace. "I think they
add so much to the church. And it's such a pretty church. That
steeple is wonderful! Just beautiful!"
Grace's own family kept the FCC tradition alive. It wasn't
always easy to get everyone involved, however, as she recalls.
After completing his Covenant classes, her son, Jim, decided he
did not want to join the church. At that time, Grace's husband,
Richard Forester, a Methodist by upbringing, was not yet a member
of FCC. However, shortly thereafter he decided he wanted to join.
"Before we knew it, Jim said he thought he'd join too! It
was quite nice because both of them were then able to join the
church together."
Grace's husband then became very involved in the church,
serving as Moderator at one point, and spearheading a number of
fund raising events. One of Grace's best memories, she explained,
was the diplomatic way her husband handled the merger of the
Congregational and UCC churches. "He was of the opinion that
everyone should speak up and express their thoughts and feelings.
I think he really helped give everyone a chance to do that. That
helped, I think, to have it work out to the satisfaction of most
of the members."
Grace was also an active member of her Circle group. She
remembers back when the suggestion was made to "mix-up"
the Circles on a regular basis so that the members would mingle
more. She also remembers her group's adamant pleas to stay
together -- they had formed such a close bond that they just
couldn't bear the thought of breaking up the group. "Mixing
the groups up was probably the more democratic thing to do, but
we were just so sure we wanted to stay together."
Grace's own children also have a special bond with the church.
Not only was Grace's wedding ceremony performed at First
Congregational, all three of her daughters, Mary, Martha and
Nancy, were married in the very same spot.
Of her four children, Nancy Hayes and her husband Steve are
still quite active. Their four children, Steve, Andy, Julianna
and Dan, all took part in youth group activities over the years
and the entire family attended Family Camp for 21 years.
"One of the most special memories for all of us over the
years has to be our time spent at Family Camp, which was held at
Lake Lucerne in Central Wisconsin. Some of our best memories were
made there," says Nancy. "Julianna was born in May of
1978 and then baptized in July of that same year at Lake Lucerne
while all the little children looked on. It was such a wonderful
experience," said Nancy.
All-in-all, Grace's entire extended family has quite a special
link to FCC. There are also many other family members who are
quite active in the Church.
"I love that feeling you get when you come in...like the
church is just jumping with activity! I have such a close feeling
to the church. It just feels like coming home."
#Back to Table of
Contents
A
Word From Lonnie
A Place to Soar
The story is told of a Kansas farmer who found a baby eagle in
one of his fields. The poor young eagle was not in good condition
and the farmer took it back to his home to nurse it back to
health. Over the next few weeks, the eagle was doing well and the
farmer put it in with the young chicks in his chicken pen.
Although the eagle did well during the first weeks, it began
to grow listless and seemed to be losing its strength. The farmer
feared the young eagle was going to die after all, until one day
the farmer had an inspiration.
He packed the eagle in his pickup truck and headed west for
the Colorado mountains. When he arrived at the eastern edge of
the Rockies, the farmer took the young bird deep into the
foothills. Finally, he held the eagle in his arms and pointed its
head to the mountain tops where the wind was blowing and an
occasional eagle cried out as it traced the currents of the
mountain winds.
The bird stood and leaped into the air, caught a strong breeze
and soared into the sky. The farmer watched the eagle with a tear
in his eye as the bird cried out what seemed to be a farewell. A
verse from the Bible came to the lonely figure of a Kansas farmer
as he watched the eagle soar: "...those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like
eagles..."
When I first heard this story, I immediately thought of it as
a parable of modern times. I believe we were designed to be much
more than most people imagine. The problem is that we accept the
limits of the chicken coop and don't even know about the
mountains and the winds. We wind up hopping through life instead
of soaring. Our recent trip to Greece included a visit to the
monasteries of Meteora in western Thessaly outside Kalambaka.
Their history goes back to the 14th century when the monks sought
refuge in cliff-side caves. The monks wanted a place to soar. How
about you?
We are committed to nurturing a place to soar for our time.
Spread your wings and get involved as we soar together.
In Him,
#Back to Table of
Contents
Professional
Women's Group to Continue
A number of working professionals made their interest known
for an evening women's study group. By their request and as an
offering in the curriculum of the College of Spiritual Knowledge,
an evening program was offered for professional working women.
The goal of this group is to study the practical applications of
spirituality in day to day living and at the workplace. Meeting
since January, this group of women represents a variety of
professions including: art, education, finance, healthcare and
human resources. The span of ages and experience enhances
discussions by invoking a diversity of viewpoints.
The text used to launch this group was Lighten up: Survival
Skills for People Under Pressure by C.W. Metcalfe and Roma
Felible. During this study, skills were learned to help survive
and thrive in the everyday work world. Learnings included: how to
lighten up; the difference between silly and stupid, how to
escape from the center of the universe; how to take yourself
lightly and your work seriously and how to use humor as an
important tool keeping even the worst work day into perspective.
As one of the Lenten Adult Education Groups, the women are
reading The Road Less Traveled and Beyond subtitled Spiritual
Growth in an Age of Anxiety, by M. Scott Peck. This study
offers more spiritual applications to help balance the demands of
the workplace with the life strived for. Units of study are: Crusade
Against Simplism, Wrestling with the Complexity of Everyday Life;
and The Other Side of Complexity. During Lent, more women
have joined the group. If you are a working professional woman in
search of practical spiritual information and an inviting
discussion group, please join us Wednesday evenings. We will
continue to meet at 7:00pm through April 1. Then beginning May 6,
the Professional Women's Study group will meet the first and
third Wednesday of the month at 7:00pm.
Note: Additional copies of the texts are available in the
office for yourself or as a gift. *
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Easter
Offering
The Board of Benevolences chose the Milwaukee Rescue Mission
and the Tosa Community Food Pantry as the recipients of this
year's Easter offering.
Since 1893, the Milwaukee Rescue Mission and later,
also, Joy House have provided over half of all available
shelter beds to the homeless in Milwaukee, over 215,000 meals to
hungry people in 1997, and shelter to an average of 295 men,
women and children each night of 1997. Milwaukee Rescue Mission
and Joy House provide a safe comfortable Christian environment to
help men and women get back on their feet. Life Skills programs,
Bible studies, and one on one counseling are just a few of the
services offered in addition to the necessities of life; three
meals a day, shelter, clothing and personal care items.
Joy House, a shelter for homeless women and children, is
equipped with 100 beds and provides all the immediate necessities
of life as well as providing direction and guidance to each woman
helping her to access her current situation and create a plan to
resolve her crisis. The Milwaukee Rescue Mission has 250 beds
available for homeless men providing them with similar
necessities and Christian guidance. The children of these
homeless, are not forgotten but rather also given advocates who
work directly with them during this difficult adjustment time.
They are offered the opportunities for tutors, educational
programs as well as physical fitness, crafts, and genuine fun.
As Barb Vandenberg, the Executive Director of Joy House says,
"The need is there!" The city recently approved a plan
for Joy House to increase its capacity to 150 beds for women and
children. Joy House is beginning to formulate plans for a major
renovation to fulfill these needs.
The Tosa Community Food Pantry is located in the church
basement of St. Bernard Catholic Church on Wauwatosa Avenue. It
is the only community food pantry in the area and is supported by
18 local churches and civic service clubs and groups.
The Pantry serves zip codes 53213, 53226, 53222, and 53225.
This area encompasses all of Wauwatosa and Highway 94 North to
Mill Road (Milwaukee area included) from 68th and 124th streets.
Members of the 18 supporting churches are eligible with a
referral from the church even if they are not residents of this
district. The pantry is open Saturday 9-11am and Monday 1-3pm.
During fiscal year October 1, 1996 to September 30, 1997 the
pantry served 1089 families (3307 individuals) or 90 families a
month.
Recipients register at their initial visit and at each visit
must provide identification in the form of two current bills,
which show current address. Recipients may visit the pantry every
4 weeks.
The Pantry is stocked by means of donated food items and cash
donations which are used to purchase perishable items and to
supplement the food donations. The Pantry is staffed by
volunteers and by a salaried person who works ten hours per
week.This Easter we have the opportunity to share our blessings
with those in need at Joy House, Milwaukee Rescue Mission, and
the Tosa Food Pantry. *
#Back to Table of
Contents
Health
Thermometer -
Environmental Health
Dear Church Family and Friends,
May the new life that spring brings, be a symbol of the
abundant life and wholeness we enjoy in Christ! The month of
April hosts both World Health Day (April 7) and Earth Day (April
22). With that in mind, I would like to consider the role of the
environment in our health.
God has entrusted the environment into our care. The book of
Genesis relates the creation of man and woman, and the work God
gave them, "...fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the
fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living
creature that moves on the ground...The Lord God took the man and
put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it
(Gen. 1:28, 2:15). Since the beginning of time, caring for our
environment has been entrusted to us. If we consider the world
today, it seems we have not been faithful to our calling.
Today, our world needs us to be caretakers. In most developing
countries, only one person in three has access to clean drinking
water. Worldwide, there are approximately 350 million people
living with air quality that is unacceptable. This polluted air
is responsible for respiratory disease in many persons. The
United States produces more garbage than any other nation, over
160 million tons of garbage per year (American Association for
World Health, 1990).
As Christians, how can we take better care of creation?
First, we can ask God for forgiveness for the careless and
harmful way we have treated the environment. In addition, we can
ask Him to give us a burden for environmental stewardship and for
all our brothers and sisters who live in poor and unhealthy
situations. We are comforted with these words,... "If my
people, who are called by my Name, will humble themselves and
pray and seek My Face and turn from their wicked ways, then I
hear from Heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their
Land" (2 Chr. 7:14).
Second, we can share the earth's limited resources with those
less fortunate. We need to develop an understanding that natural
resources belong to the Lord, and not to us.
Third, we can work at cleaning up the pollution on our planet.
Among the specific things we can do include: reducing waste and
recycling garbage to reduce solid waste pollution, using public
transportation or car pooling and planting a tree.
Fourth, we can live a faith, that with God's help, we can
renew and not destroy this planet that we all call home.
May the Lord bless our use of all He has provided for us!
Michelle Jackson, Parish Nurse
#Back to Table of
Contents
In Brief
Did You Know...
We have audio and video tapes of the service available upon
request? You may borrow a tape or bring a blank tape or $3/audio
and $5/video and keep the tape of the service. These are often
used during an illness or vacation. We have printed copies of
most sermons and they can also be found on our website
www.Firstchurchtosa.org. Current issues of the Congregationalist,
Columns and the Sunday Order of Worship are also on the
website.
Playgroups
for newborn through preschool age children and a parent will
be meeting every second and fourth Monday of the month from 9:30
to 10:30. For more details, contact Carla Cummings, 774-4756.
The Editor Thanks:
Carrie Laubenheimer and Julie Peay for articles and the office
staff for their assistance.
Back by Popular Demand
The ladies of Circle 9 will sponsor a Palm Sunday bake sale,
with lemon bread, pecan rolls and cinnamon rolls available for
purchase between services on April 5, 1998.
Last year's sale offered the same specialities and was well
received, raising $700. The funds were used to ship goods to
Honduras in preparation for the January visit by our mission
team. Proceeds from this sale will be contributed to a
yet-to-be-determined need within our Church.
Anyone interested in helping to bake is welcome to join the
crew in the church kitchen on Saturday afternoon, April 4. Anyone
wishing to contribute baked goods to the sale may bring them to
the kitchen at that time.
#Back to Table of
Contents
Congregational Columns
www.FirstChurchTosa.org
Editor, Beth Linscott
Communications Committee
René Klumb - Chairperson,
Julie Peay, Bruce Smith, Dave Swanson, Jennifer
Wakefield,
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 3