October 31, 1999
Stewardship Board Sowing Seeds
Community Baptist Church Ministry Exchange
Every year about this time the members of our Church are called upon to commit some portion of their "time, talents, and possessions" to the ministries of our church for the coming year. It is an annual appeal process that must take place if the ministries of the church are to continue. Each and every year it has been the responsibility of the Board of Christian Stewardship to manage and coordinate this appeal process.
Earlier this year, with an eye toward this year's campaign, the Board took the time to carefully examine its written responsibilities per the church bylaws. One of the stated obligations of the Board therein is to "promote among the Members the systematic and proportionate giving of time, talent, and possessions." It occurred to us that we had done little up to that time to promote the "giving" within our church family. Consequently, we felt the need to do more this year than just show up and expect you to give. Hence, our survey of earlier this summer. It was our sincere desire to know of your feelings regarding the church's management and use of the time, talent, and possessions that you have so generously given in the past. It was our hope to convey the Board's recognized "stewardship responsibility" toward the proper utilization of the gifts you entrust to the church each and every year.
We are delighted to report that more than 25% of the approximately 460 giving units within the church responded to our survey. In general, the survey was well received and the responses were forthright and informative. Constructive comments were made on many areas of the church's current ministries and budget distributions. All of the comments and information received have been categorized and delivered to each of the appropriate committees and boards within the church. The collective input has received great attention and has been very much appreciated.
Most immediately, the church has heard your expressed concern regarding the continuance of strong Christian Education programs at both Adult and Children's levels. Reverends Rust and Rygh are working diligently to create and develop programs that will provide numerous opportunities for faith development over the coming year and on a continuing basis. In the shorter term, new Sunday morning classes as well as a Young Christian Leader Development group at 56 p.m. are being offered for high school students. In addition, Rev. Richardson will be starting a between services Adult Education program on Stewardship. The program will be held October 31 and November 7.
All in all, the Stewardship Board has been greatly encouraged by the comments received through the surveys. We are feeling a little more able to attend to those areas of ministry that are most important to you in the life of our church. We see this interaction between you and us as something that should be ongoing and frequent.
November 14 is Commitment Sunday. We believe your willingness to sow your seeds of time, talents and possessions is rightfully tied to the stewardship our church leadership displays in utilizing those gifts. Thank you for your willingness to share your thoughts with us.
On behalf of the
Board of Christian Stewardship,
by Maurie Daigneau, Secretary
Two years back, First Congregational Church became involved with Community Baptist Church (2249 N. Sherman Blvd.) when our junior high youth group participated in a summer service project in cooperation with the youth group at Community Baptist.
A very active congregation of approximately 800 members, Community Baptist has the largest holistic urban outreach program in the area run by a single church. Established in 1978 under the strong leadership of Pastor Roy Nabors, Community Baptist now offers more than 15 major ministry programs. They include ministries as varied as Community Child Care, Ltd., which has been in business for more than 10 years; Community Broadcast Ministry, which airs two Sunday morning broadcasts; Family House, a full-time residential ministry for seniors; Community Vision Academy, a private school which opened in 1996; Community Village, Ltd., a large community development ministry; and Community Credit Union of Greater Milwaukee, a fully licensed and insured financial institution.
Community Baptist has formed partnerships with a few area churches including North Shore Congregational, Elmbrook and Wauwatosa Presbyterian.
On October 17, Community Baptist Church was invited to come join our congregation for dinner and worship. A large number of our church members had the opportunity to meet our brothers and sisters from Community Baptist and to spark what we hope to be a unique supportive bond between two different churches of two different denominations.
The dinner, a fabulous meal cooked by John Sgarlata, was served by a group of our BASIC youth members. The youth enjoyed this chance to meet other youth and members from Community Baptist. It was a time for both congregations to get acquainted with one another.
Following the dinner, worship was held in the nave. It was a very special service, with both clergy working together. The message was spiritedly delivered by Rev. Nabors and the music was provided by the astounding choir from Community Baptist. We all experienced a "little piece of heaven" that night, said Rev. Nabors.
Sunday night presented a wider perspective as to what being brothers and sisters in Christ means. On Sunday, November 7, there will be another chance to experience this "little piece of heaven." We have been invited to go to Community Baptist Church with our choir to have dinner and worship. Rev. Lonnie Richardson will present the message on this evening.
This has been an extremely successful beginning to a quality relationship through Christ, proving that we are all members of God's family. *
Nastassia Richardson,
contributing writer
If you're new to the church, or just unfamiliar with some of these holiday traditions, following are some brief descriptions of a number of our holiday events. Come and enjoy...
Thanksgiving Day, November 25 - We will have our usual service at 10:30 am. This morning begins with a Pilgrim greeting you as you enter, a drum roll calling you to worship and one of the hymns being "lined out" in Pilgrim fashion. This uniquely Congregational tradition is a service you don't want to miss.
All-Church Dinner, Wednesday, December 1, 6:00 - This holiday feast will feature roast beef and Yorkshire pudding. It will be held in the Social Hall and is only available to the first 200 people to reserve spots. The scheduled program, to be held in the Nave, is a concert by the Master Singers, directed by Lee Henning. Following the concert, dessert will be served back in the Social Hall. The cost is $8.00 for dinner and dessert; $2.00 for dessert alone; and a freewill offering at the concert. Reservations are absolutely required.
Friendly Beast Breakfast, Saturday December 4, 9:00 am - This is our answer to Breakfast with Santa. Bring your little children in their pajamas and with their favorite stuffed animal. We'll have a "real live" Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus, the children will put their animals around the family while they have breakfast and, of course, take them home afterwards. Following breakfast the children will sing a few Christmas songs and you'll be on your way at approximately 10:30. The cost is $3 for adults and $1.50 for children. Please register in the church office no later than December 2 so we'll have enough food for everyone.
Christmas Workshop * Supper * Tree Lighting, Sunday December 5,
3:00 pm - Kids of all ages can make their Christmas presents at our Christmas
Workshop. Use already prepared materials to create a variety of ornaments and decorations
and, of course, the ever popular gingerbread cookies to decorate - and eat! The cost of
making ornaments is just enough to cover the supplies used (most range between
10¢$1.00). It's a great opportunity to spend some time with family and friends and make
some great Christmas presents. With a wide variety of projects available, there is
something for everyone and enough time to complete many of the projects. Following the
workshop there will be a pizza supper, lighting of the outside tree, and caroling. Supper
is $3 for adults and $1.50 for children. Reservations are not necessary. Come for all of
the events, or any portion you want.
The Choir Concert, Sunday, December 12, 4:00 - The concert is free to all to come and enjoy. At 3:00 cookies and coffee/punch are served in the Lounge by Circle 7 hostesses. We will also be packaging Christmas cookies to deliver to shut-in members. Please deliver your cookies for packaging to the church by noon on Sunday December 12. *
While most people are still wrapped up in plans for Halloween parties and Trick or Treat outings, a group in First Congregational Church of Wauwatosa is already working on Christmas plans.
This year the Christmas Concert is scheduled for Sunday, December 12 at 4:00. That is the usual time and relative date in December.
However, this year the combined choirs are adding a new experience to the preparation for the concert. The night before our regular concert, we will be joining the choir from St. Matthew's Lutheran Church as part of a performance by the Concord Chamber Orchestra. The concert, originally scheduled for St. Matthew's, has been moved to St. Josephat's Basilica because of the remodeling of the Wauwatosa church. The new venue is the site of many concerts, and will be an exciting and unusual experience for the combined choirs.
Our Christmas Concert will include a number of works that will be performed at the Concord Chamber Orchestra concert as well as some special pieces exclusive to our concert. The music of John Rutter and Gustav Host will be featured, among others. We will also offer settings of carols, old and new, alike.
As always, the Christmas Concert is meant as a gift to the congregation and a glorious and exciting celebration of the holiday season. Plan to attend and enjoy this beautiful gift. *
Marilyn Auer
Margaret Brown teaches an enormous class of three-year olds. Average attendance regularly exceeds twenty students. In addition to serving as a teacher at FCC, Margaret is also a volunteer coordinator for Easter Seals.
For years Carla Cummings has been very involved with the Wauwatosa New Comers. Now Carla is using her gifts to host the twenty-some kindergarteners who attend her 8:45 class. Unless you're new to the church, you probably recognize Carla's name from one of the many areas of youth ministry in which she has been involved.
Last year Bill Donaldson served on the Sunday evening BASIC staff. This year, he made the transition to the Sunday morning team. Besides teaching seventh graders about the book of Ruth, Bill and his wife, Pam, have been cheering for their son, James, who is debuting with the Milwaukee Repertory Theater this fall.
Roger Gruebling, known as Mr. Roger, teaches the four-year old class. This fall the class has been touring Wauwatosa looking at different examples of church architecture. Roger is a fan of tours; this summer the Grueblings visited London and Paris.
In addition to serving on the Board of Trustees, Chris Mason also serves in the classroom by shepherding our 11:00 preschool class. This fall, children in Chris' class are learning the Lord's Prayer and about the nature of God.
Nastassia Richardson is a veteran teacher. For three years now Nastassia has been teaching at the 11:00 hour. This year she is nurturing the first/ second grade class. She is a junior at Brookfield Academy.
Chris Rygh, associate minister in charge of the student and youth ministries here at FCC, joins the teaching team at 8:45 and 11:00 by teaching a Basic Bible class to third graders at 8:45 and to older students at 11:00.
Paul Stein is another teaching staff member who has crossed over from Sunday evening programs. Each Sunday morning Paul guides a group of senior high students through some of life's most difficult questions. Paul is also very active in the Wednesday morning men's Bible study.
Laura Taylor wears many hats here at First Church. This past summer Laura co-directed the VBS program. She has been instrumental in developing a program for training high school students to be Sunday School teachers. Besides teaching fourth grade class at 8:45, Laura also serves on our Board of Christian Education
Though she is a lifelong member of First Church, Caroline Wells is a new member of the 8:45 teaching team. Besides teaching first and second graders about Moses, Caroline is settling into a new job. *
Attention all BASIC members and friends: Reserve Sunday, November 14, from 12:306:30 for the Packer Tailgate Party!
Tailgating plus a toch football game is scheduled for 12:303:00 before the big game. Then we'll head in for the 3:15 Packers vs. Cowboys game on the BIG SCREEN.
Food and beverages will be provided and friends are welcome. *
The following building updates have recently been completed. For further details, comments or suggestions, leave a message with the church office to be forwarded to a member of the Board of Trustees.
Nave Storm Window and Eaves Painting
The current round of the Church's exterior renovation is now completed with the recent refinishing and painting of the Nave windows and the North side eaves and gutters. The Board of Trustees hired Painting Services, Inc. to do this work which included the preservation of the delicate brick mold trim on the Nave windows. New storm windows and trim will be put on the balcony stair windows later this year.
Stairway Safety
The dark color of the treads on the steps made it difficult for some people to clearly see the treads. The Board of Trustees added some bright yellow anti-slip tape to the treads of the central staircase and will add tape to the remaining stairways due to the positive feedback.
Parlor Air Conditioner
After problems again this summer, this unit which was more than 20 years old, was replaced by a newer, more efficient unit. The work was completed by Debelak Mechanical Systems, assuring comfortable surroundings for weddings and church meetings.
Cove Lighting
After more than one dozen years, the fluorescent cove lighting in the Nave was updated with new, energy-efficient, warm white tubes. The work was done by Uihlein Electric. *
The Board of Benevolences has chosen two organizations to benefit from this year's Thanksgiving Offering. The offering will be split evenly between Mayfair Interfaith and the Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
Mayfair Interfaith is an outreach program for elderly clients who may be lonely and homebound. It helps the elderly to remain in their homes for as long as possible, with its resources and the help of volunteers.
The Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing provides state-of-the-art services and technology to enhance the lives of people who are deaf or have a hearing loss. They provide services related to hearing tests, sign language, parent education, transition to new equipment and many others. Both of these organizations are providing valuable services to members of our local community and would benefit greatly from our gifts. *
Mark your calendar for our upcoming Benevolences Dinner, being held on Wednesday, November 3rd. The dinner is scheduled to start at 6:00 PM with the program following dinner. The program will be light and quickly paced. We plan to feature speakers from:
* The Congregational Home
* The NACCC Missionary Society
* Mayfair Interfaith
* Our own Honduran Mission
* The Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
We will be exploring how these organizations or missions have helped others, the role the First Congregational Church of Wauwatosa has played in the organization and their plans for the future.
Please call in your reservation to the church office at 258-7375 by October 31. *
Are you living in cause or circumstance? When we live in our circumstances life becomes stuck emotionally and it functions as a matter of habit. We do this for the sake of stability and familiarity to survive. It is comfortable to act out of habit, but to grow and move on, new balances must be sought which are driven by deeper causes.
This is true for churches as well as individuals. Dying churches choose to live in their circumstances. They become comfortable with things as they were yet wonder why they are bored and their numbers dwindle. A recent article in The Christian Century titled When Congregations are Stuck reported that an unwillingness to accept change and an unwillingness for the congregation to assume responsibility for their condition are among the reasons most older churches are dying.
A church does not have to settle for this. We are led by a cause greater than ourselves. Our flesh encourages us to live in the comfort zone but God encourages us to live in the courageous zone. Think of the children of Israel in their exodus to the promised land. If Moses had taken a poll in the middle of the Sinai journey to ask what they thought, where they wanted to go or what they wanted to do, they would have stoned him and returned to Egypt and slavery. When asked, we always choose the avenue of least resistance to pain. However, sometimes pain is necessary for healing.
Dr. John Maxwell, an expert on Christian leadership said the following about courage:
1. Courage begins with fighting battles within, not without. If you kicked the person most responsible for your problems, you couldn't sit for a week.
2. Courage will be called for almost immediately in a leader's life.
3. Courage is making things right, not fixing things up. It's not the palatable decision, it should be the right decision.
4. The test of courage comes when we are in the minority and the test of tolerance comes when we are in the majority.
5. Courage by the leader usually translates into commitment by the follower.
6. Life expands in proportion to courage.
It takes courage to venture in the desert and you have it. It takes vision to see the other side and you have it. Let's continue for the cause of Christ and His church by living in the courageous zone.
Courageously yours,
Lonnie
11 a.m. 4 p.m.
Chapel/Auditorium
A mini-mall, featuring unique crafts and boutiques ideal for browsing and shopping for Christmas welcomes all friends of the Home and church.
* Fresh Homemade Bakery for Sale
* Refreshments
* Gift Wrapping
The next gathering of the Men's Ministry Study of "Margins" with Rev. Lonnie Richardson will be Wednesday, November 3rd from 6:30 to 7:45 a.m. We will view the video titled "Finding Time for What Matters Most." If you were unable to see the video or would like to review it again, a copy is available on loan in the office. Please phone your continental breakfast reservation to the church office (258-7375) by November 2.
In Brief/Our Church Family
Volunteers Needed
Please contact the office, 258-7375, if you would be willing to run the video camera during a service on dates of your choice. It's easy and we'll train you.
Circle Meetings
Circle 8: meets Tues., Nov. 2, 11:30 at Congregational Home, 2nd floor north dining room to have lunch with the Health Care Center residents.
Circle 7: meets Tues., Nov. 9, 12:00 for a luncheon at Joan Halvorson's. The program will be given by Kathy Rust, associate minister.
Circle 12: meets Wed., Nov. 3, 11:00. The speaker will be Rev. Lonnie Richardson. Lunch reservations are needed by Nov. 1, call Nancy Harris, 774-4477.
Brunch will be served at 10:00 and 12:00.
Volunteers are welcome to help serve. Contact the church office at 258-7375.
Marriage
October 16, 1999
Jon S. Hanson and Elizabeth A. Kirkpatrick
Baptisms
October 17, 1999
Charles Sheridan Smith, Maxwell Allen Smith and Margaret Jean Smith, children of Thomas and Julie Sheridan Smith
BASIC "Christmas Carol" trip, Dec. 19
40 seats are reserved at the Pabst Theatre for a matinee performance of "The Christmas Carol," at 2:00. $8.00 each, family and friends invited. Call Scott Rondeau ASAP, 258-3874.
Flu Shot Clinic
Michelle Jackson, our parish nurse will be holding a flu shot clinic on November 3.
www.FirstChurchTosa.org
Editor, Beth Linscott
Communications Committee
Jennifer Wakefield - Chairperson,
Mary York, Bruce Smith, John O'Meara, Char Schweitzer
*
Rev. Lonnie Richardson, Senior Minister
Rev. Dr. Charles Goldsmith, Minister of Pastoral Care
Kathryn Rust, Associate Minister
Rev. Chris Rygh, Associate Minister
Rani Gusho, Administrator
Lee Jacobi, Director of Music
Betty Dethmers, Organist
Michelle Jackson, Parish Nurse
Betsy Isenberg, Secretary
Nancy Gross, Secretary
Charles Nelson, Administrator, Congregational Home, Inc.
Rev. Norman S. Ream, Minister Emeritus
*
Vol. 8, Issue 10
