Tsunami
Relief Update
Minister's Musings
Spruce Up Our Church at Work Day on April 23
Covenant Class Takes Shape
PF Place
Breakfast with the Girls
Church Children Keeping Active
FCC Hosts Stem Cell Ethics Meeting
Popular Vocalist Added to 4 O'clock Venue
The final results are in and our congregation raised more than $16,000 for
Tsunami Relief. The Board of Benevolences would like to thank each member of
the congregation for their prayers and their contributions. A check was forwarded
to the NACCC and was specifically directed to be spent for relief at the Travencore
Council of Churches (TCC) in India and any remaining funds to be given to Church
World Service for Tsunami Relief at other locations. In a recent e-mail the
Rev. Kenaz Solomon said, “I am beyond words to thank the churches and
individuals for the overwhelming support for Tsunami Relief. We thank the lord
for these people who came to our rescue at a time of grave crisis like this….”
The Rev. Kenaz Solomon has outlined the following plan to provide relief to
some of the 37 families who lost everything in the area at the southern tip
of India the TCC serves: “What we have in mind is to buy two acres of
land 500 meters away from the ocean and distribute it to those who completely
lost their houses. We talked about this to some of the villagers including
the village head man and they are very much excited about this plan. This way,
we also feel your contributions are well spent. It is a long term solution.” In
addition to the TCC plan another international organization is willing to build
houses for them.
“ We are forming an association with all affected and are coordinating
efforts for rehabilitation. We plan to start work on our church also (a Travencore
beach damaged in the Tsunami). The fishing village to our west (Manakudy) is
still worse. Hundreds lost their lives and houses, boats, and fishing nets
were washed away. We want to help the villages as much as possible. We are
maintaining a separate account for relief.”
In the coming months the Board of Benevolences will forward additional information
on Tsunami Relief development as it becomes available.
— Ed Probst for the Board of Benevolences
“Christ is Risen!”
“He is Risen, Indeed!”
By the time you read this Easter greeting and its response you will have heard
it and said it multiple times! This is a joyous time of year. A time of year
that reminds us of the hope and the life that is deep within each one of us
and in the world around us.
I read something from Alexander Carmichael that I hope will inspire you as
much as it did me.
The people say that the sun dances on this day in joy for a risen Saviour.
Old Barbara Macphie at Dreimsdale saw this once, but only once, during her
long life. And the good woman, of high natural intelligence, described in poetic
language and with religious fervor what she saw or believed she saw from the
summit of Benmore:
“ The glorious gold-bright sun was after rising on the crests of the
great hills, and it was changing colour – green, purple, red, blood-red,
white, intense-white, and gold-white, like the glory of the God of the elements
to the children of
men. It was dancing up and down in exultation at the joyous resurrection of
the beloved Saviour of victory. To be thus privileged, a person must ascend
to the top of the highest hill before sunrise, and believe that the God who
makes the small blade of grass to grow is the same God who makes the large,
massive sun to move.”
I hope and pray that you saw the sun dance for joy at Easter. Even more, I
hope that you will look around you and see the world around you in a new way.
Resurrection isn’t just something for the end of life. Rather, it touches
us in our here and now and calls us to appreciate what God has made – including
ourselves and those around us. Easter calls us to see the holy in the most
ordinary things. Every blade of grass, every flower, every hard-boiled egg, “peep,” and
chocolate bunny all remind us that life is shot-through, charged, with God’s
presence and God’s glory.
Now, having set the stage, I want us to give some serious thought to how we
plan ministry here at First Congregational Church. We have done our visioning,
made our plan, and are already at work to make our vision real. However, we
still need to give consideration to whether or not we fall into the pattern
of always doing what we have done just because we’ve done it. Over the
years we’ve put together some very good programs, but they languish because
times have changed and interests have shifted. Perhaps it is time for us to
look at our various programs and activities and decide whether we want to continue
to do them?
To that end, I’d like to suggest that we think about doing “zero-based
programming.” This has been done by several of our sister churches with
great success. It assumes that we are only going to do what we as church members
agree to support. If the essence of our Congregational Way involves being intentional,
then this could be an appropriate course of action for us. Watch for more information
that will be coming to you through our multiple and various means of communication
in the weeks ahead. And, give thought to the things that we do at First Church
that matter to you and that you think matter to our community. We can only
do what we do and become what we are to become as God’s people if all
of us – ALL OF US – are involved. God works through us and God’s
presence is revealed in each of us as surely as it is revealed in the dancing
sun.
Enjoy the wonder of the Easter Season and may the blessing and the presence
of the Risen One be real to you! As ever,
Yours in the Lord’s service,
Rev. Steven A. Peay, Ph.D.
Minister
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Contents
The annual spring clean-up day is coming up fast – on Saturday, April
23. It’s that time of the year when the Board of Trustees looks for volunteers
of all ages to spend all or part of the day sprucing up our church…inside
and out.
There are activities for any and all skill levels. There’s plenty of
cleaning to be done on the inside of the building. For example, Sunday school
room furniture and toys in the nursery need scrubbing. All of the woodwork
in the Nave needs a good cleaning and windows need washing. Furniture in the
Parlor, Resource Center, and Friendship Lounge needs cleaning and polishing.
The kitchen also needs to have cupboards and appliances cleaned.
Enjoy outdoor lawn and garden work? Bring along your lawn and garden tools,
carts, and ladders. We want to rake the debris from the flowerbeds and prepare
them for the perennials to come up, as well as for spring planting. First floor
windows on the outside also need to be washed.
Children are welcome. It’s a wonderful way for them to use their energy
and give something back to the church. They can work with their parents, other
adults, or youth depending on their level of independence.
The schedule is:
Donuts and coffee at 8 a.m.
Work starts anytime after that.
Lunch served around noon.
The day is finished around 3 p.m.
We always need help in the afternoon to get things put away so the church is
ready for worship on Sunday morning. Please consider participating for just
a few hours if your schedule permits.
Childcare will be made available if we know in advance that there is a need
for it. Please register for the workday event with the number of children requiring
child care. Please register by email or by signing up in the church office.Put
the date on your calendar and join us for this day of fellowship and fun. Sign
up at tables in the Atrium in April or at the church office so we can plan
for meal quantities. See you on the 23rd!
30 Hour Famine
Five of our youth recently participated in the “30 Hour
Famine,” sponsored
by World Vision. For 30 hours the young ladies gave up food in order to raise
money for the 29,000 children around the world who die of starvation each day.
While fasting, they got together for Bible study, individual reflection, prayer,
an overnight, games, a service project at the Nehemiah House, and movies. A
feast of bread and soup was shared, amidst much laughter, at the close of the
fast. Here are some of the girls’ reflections:
“ For me, the highlight was playing Sock Wars on Friday Night. I also
realized the dark and light places in the world and that everyone has some
dark place!” – Bryn
Callen
“ I think it was a really fun thing to do with other people, but if I
had to do it by myself I could not have done it. We had fun playing games like
sock
war and Bible study which kept our minds off of food. At our service project
we went to the Nehemiah House where I scraped paint off windows and washed
them. The last hour of the fast was really hard but we made it though. I felt
good that we got donations to help people who don't normally get to eat just
because I did the 30 hour fast.” – Lindsay Wittig
“ The hunger aspect of the 30 hours wasn't a big problem until about 4
p.m. on Saturday, but I think that being with the other girls made it a lot
easier.
We realized how often things are taken for granted, and I think we also made
some good friendships. The meal at the end of the fast was definitely the best
bread and soup I've ever eaten, whether it was the taste or just the gratefulness
that my stomach had finally stopped growling.” – Makenzie Blazich
“ When I first decided to do the 30 Hour Famine retreat, I admit I was
doing it because I thought it would be cool to say, ‘yeah I didn’t eat
for 30 hours,’ but once I got there it became so much more. Although
there were many times that I felt if I didn’t eat I would strangle someone,
I was also becoming more aware at how blessed I am to not only have food but
everything else God gave to me. This retreat really made me want to reach out
to others or go on a mission trip for a month and help people less fortunate
than I.” – Kelly Levenhagen
Youth Calendar
Junior PF
April 3 – No Meeting. Welcome Home from Spring Break!
April 9 – Second Saturday! Games and More Games! (7–10 p.m.)
April 10 – Regular Meeting. Bring your favorite song to share!
April 15-16 – Overnight @ FCC Tosa (7 p.m.–9 a.m.)
April 17 – Regular Meeting. Worship Service Preparations
April 24 – Jr. PF Worship Service (8:45 & 11 a.m.)
April 24 – Regular Meeting. How was it? Debriefing the service.
Senior
PF
April 3 - No Meeting. Welcome Home from Spring Break!
April 8-9 – WCA Senior PF Spring Rally @ FCC Tosa!!!
April 9 – Second Saturday! Games and More Games! (7–10 p.m.)
April 10 – No meeting. Get some sleep or do some homework!
April 17 – Regular Meeting.
Bring your favorite song to share!
April 24 – Regular Meeting
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Contents
Breakfast with the Girls spent our March meeting learning so
much (more than I ever thought was there) about plants and flowers mentioned
in the Bible. Norine Terwyn from the Friends of Boerner was our guide and brought
slides of things grown in our own garden at Whitnall Park. I'm sure we will
all remember her guided tour through the herb garden there when next we pay
them a visit!
April 2 will be our last get together for the year, and we are really looking
forward to it. Nancy Ziarek, a landscape architect from Leeds Nursery, will
bring us a program on Gardening in Containers and Pots. So, whether you garden
in a yard, on a porch or patio, this will have something for you! We will all
be desperate for spring (well, I know I will), so come out and join us. Sign
up at the church office and let us know if you can help with the baking. We'll
see you on April 2, at 9 a.m.
— Char Schweitzer
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Contents
As you may have noticed, the children of FCC have kept busy with a variety
of activities over the last several months. First, they met for a special
Children’s Chapel and collected over $169.00 for the tsunami relief
fund. Secondly, members of the Pioneer Club sold cookies and raised over
$250.00 for children who need new shoes in Africa.
Another important event included many students in 4th–6th grades who
participated in the worthwhile life education program that took place in mid-March.
Parents and children were able to open the lines of communication and talk
about the important aspects of growing up.
Finally, we were fortunate to have the Children’s Christian Theatre present
the play, Jailhouse Rock on March 13th in the Social Hall. The Children’s
Christian Theatre is for children in 3rd–8th grades. It is an ecumenical
outreach ministry of Faith Community Congregational Church in Franklin. Elizabeth
Brown who is a fourth grader in our church, participated in this performance.
She did a fantastic job! Drinks and refreshments were served by members of
the Pioneer Club and adult volunteers from our church. A great time was had
by all!
In addition to all these exciting events, we are already beginning to plan
for Vacation Bible School. Mark your calendars for the week of August 1st–5th.
If you are interested in helping, please see Carla or Carrie.
On Wednesday, April 13, our church will host one session of the bioethics conference “Stem
Cell Research: Wrestling with the Future” sponsored by the Colloquium
for Science and Religion at Carthage, of which the church is a member. At 4
p.m. on April 13, we will host a panel discussion on “Religious and Professional
Perspectives on Cloning for Biomedical Research.” At 7:30 p.m. the conference
concludes with a lecture at the Alumni Center of the Medical College of Wisconsin
by Professor Brent Waters of Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary on “Persons,
Neighbors and Embryos: Some Ethical Reflections on Human Cloning and Stem Cell
Research.”
Please Support Lenten Offering
This Lenten season the Board of Benevolences is asking for your support of
two worthy benevolences for the Easter special offering during Lent. Both these
groups work hard to help the less fortunate and it’s our hope that you
will give generously so we can meet our goal
of $12,000.
Tosa Community Food Pantry has been a favorite of our congregation and we have
a long history of supporting their work. Seventy-five percent of our special
offering collection will go to the food pantry. Eighteen Wauwatosa churches
sponsor the pantry with contributions of food, money, and volunteer help. The
pantry gives food to approximately 70–80 families each month.
The Hosea Fund supports a neighborhood outreach program run by Pilgrim Congregational
Church at 51st St. and North Avenue in Milwaukee. Staff and members of the
congregation go door to door in their neighborhood to invite people to bring
their families to church. In some instances, the children are fed a meal during
the church service. The congregation then works to help address the spiritual
and material needs of some of these families in an attempt to bring them some
stability. This type of urban outreach is some of the most difficult mission
work there is.
Our special offerings this year make up 52 percent of the Board of Benevo-lences
budget. We are off to a wonderful start for 2005 with your heartwarming response
to the Tsunami Relief appeal. We would ask that you prayerfully consider continuing
this spirit of giving for the Easter offering. God bless you!
10 a.m. Sundays in the Friendship Lounge
April 3
“On the Road to Actium: Part II”
A completion of the travelogue started in February
Dr. Dan Schowalter
April 10
“Stem Cell Research:
Wrestling with the Future”
Dr. Dan Schowalter
April 17
“Issues in Living and Dying”
Rev. Dudley Riggle
April 24
“The Importance of Seminary Education”
Rev. Wes Falk and Dr. David Heetland,
Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary
Popular Vocalist Added to 4 O’clock Venue
Laura Snyder was added to the list of 4 O’clock concert
artists. She will perform Sunday, April 3, in the Friendship Lounge (at 4 p.m.,
of course). Ms. Snyder is a double bassist with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra,
and she also has a remarkable voice that has gained critical acclaim. She will
present a vocal program of spirituals, hymns and gospel music.
In a review of a past performance, the late James Auer, beloved member of our
church and art critic of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, commented, “It
was Laura Snyder, the orchestra’s double bassist since 1970, who brought
down the house—not as an instrumentalist but as a singer. Her sonorous,
majestic contralto voice brought fire and moral magnificence to two traditional
spirituals… For a moment the Marcus Center was the Lincoln Memorial and
she was Marian Anderson.”
On the very next Sunday, April 10, Above the Town will be featured at the 4
O’clocks. Above the Town, a contemporary bluegrass ensemble, blends a
mixture of traditional bluegrass sounds with Celtic influences, jazz, and swing.
The 4O’clocks are back after a hiatus of several years. This Sunday afternoon
concert series in the First Church Friendship Lounge showcases a variety of
performers in an informal setting. Each of the performances is about 45 minutes
in length. There is no charge, though we invite your freewill offerings at
the event. Music Director Lee Jacobi is the host, assisted by the Music Committee.
What is a Congregational church? In part, it’s a church
that is in relationship with other Congregational churches. Too often we elevate
autonomy over our relationship with the wider fellowship.
If you would like a taste of our wider fellowship, you are encouraged to attend
the annual meeting of the Wisconsin Congregational Association on April 30
at Arena Congregational Church, 383 Oak St., in Arena, WI. (Arena is about
two hours west of Milwaukee.)
This year’s theme is “All God’s People – Ministry at
Every Age.” This one-day Saturday meeting begins at 8:30 a.m. and the
day proceeds with worship, forums and small groups to discuss ministry in our
churches. The meeting will conclude in the mid-afternoon. More information
is in the latest issue of the Wisconsin Congregationalist (edited by our own
Janie Jacobson) which is in our literature racks, or call the church office
at 414-258-7375.
The Communications Committee is looking for people who enjoy
taking pictures of people experiencing the fellowship of our church. A wide
range of activities takes place at First Congregational Church, and we all
enjoy seeing these events documented in photos. We display pictures on our
bulletin boards and use them in the Columns each month.
Ideally, we will have a team of photographers who could take turns capturing
the highlights of some of the major events that take place each month at the
church.
You don’t need to be a professional, but experience with using a digital
camera is preferred. The camera is kept in the office and can be checked out
for use at specific events. Training is also available for those who are eager
to learn something new. This is an equal opportunity position and youth volunteers
are welcome! If interested, contact Cindy Payette in the church office.
The Friends of Congregational Home cordially invite the
Women of the Church to our annual
Spring Strawberry Luncheon
Wednesday, May 11, 2005
Noon Reception, Twelve-thirty Luncheon
The luncheon is followed by “Weddings of Yesterday”
A Goodwill Vintage fashion show featuring exquisite bridal wear through the
decades.
Reservations accepted starting April 11th • Seventeen Dollars
For further information, please call (262)-781-0550
April 3 Second Sunday of Easter
Old Testament Acts 2:14a, 22–32
Psalmody Psalm 16
New Testament 1 Peter 1:3–9
Gospel John 20:19–31
April 10 Third Sunday of Easter
Old Testament Acts 2:14a, 36–41
Psalmody Psalm 116:1–4, 12–19
New Testament 1 Peter 1:17–23
Gospel Luke 24:13–35
April 17 Fourth Sunday of Easter
Old Testament Acts 2:42–47
Psalmody Psalm 23
New Testament 1 Peter 2:19–25
Gospel John 10:1–10
April 24 Fifth Sunday of Easter
Old Testament Acts 7:55–60
Psalmody Psalm 31:1–5, 15–16
New Testament 1 Peter 2:2–10
Gospel John 14:1–14
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Contents
Get ready to ride! The Captain's Crew is looking for a few hardy souls
to ride the MS 150 with us this August. Ride with us or support us in this
bicycle ride to defeat Multiple Sclerosis. Call Hank Collis or Scott Wittig
to sign up.
The Board of Fellowship is looking for volunteers to help roast the
pig at the All-Church Dinner on June 1. It is an all-day commitment (starting at 9
a.m.) unless we have several volunteers who are willing to work in shifts over
the roaster. Please contact Kate Welch at
414-475-5586 if you’re interested.
Easter Sunday, March 27, there will be Sunday School for 2nd grade and below at 8:45 a.m. and nursery only at 11:00 a.m.
Monday, April 11, noon.
Please email to Beth Linscott at ddinc.wi.rr.com or Sam Schaal at schaals@firstchurchtosa.org.
Hard copy may be brought to the church office and left in the Columns mailbox.
Rev. Steven Peay, Ph.D., Minister
Rev. Samuel Schaal, Associate Minister
Rev. Carrie Kreps Wegenast, Associate Minister
Rev. Charles Goldsmith, Ph.D., Congregational Home Chaplain
Cindy Payette, Administrator
Lee Jacobi, Director of Music
Betty Dethmers, Organist
Anne Callen, Office Manager
Charles Nelson, Pres./CEO, Congregational Home, Inc.
*
Congregational Columns (USPS 010-493) is published monthly by The
First Congregational Church of Wauwatosa, 1511 Church St., Wauwatosa,
WI 53213-2593, 414/258-7375. Periodical Postage Paid at Milwaukee, WI
53203-9998. Postmaster: Send address changes to Congregational Columns,
1511 Church St., Wauwatosa, WI 53213-2593.
Vol. 20, Issue 3
