JANUARY 2020

Evangelical Lutheran Church

“Centered in Christ + Sent to Serve

Pastor’s report Council Minutes 2020 Committee Reports

2 2 2

Gifts & Memorials Jan/Feb Special Offering Christ in Our Home Witness Committee

3 333

Confirmation/Sunday School Sewing Circle Altar Guild

4 44

Message from Council President Witness Committee

5 5

January Calendars 6

Epiphany/Life Line Screening 7

2020 Church Council

Congregational President Peter Bushman Vice President Jon Warmke

Secretary Barb Olson-Louis

Treasurer Ed Johnson Jr.

Council Peter Bushman

Joan Brown Jon Warmke

Barb Olson-Louis Lorri Johnson Carol Olson

Pastoral Staff Rev. Steve Rutter Office Manager Elizabeth Pope

Custodian Paul Anderson

Handbell Choir Director Barb Olson-Louis

All members of ELC are encouraged to attend the annual meeting of the con-gregation on January 26th at 10:15 a.m. On the agenda this year will be elec-tion of council members and approval of the annual budget.

Four Sessions: 2, 9, 16, and 23 February

Time: 10:15-11:00

Location: Gathering Space

Focus of the Study: Growing Our Personal Faith Practices

Study Leader: Paul Rykken

As Christians, we are challenged to walk in two worlds and called to be am-

bassadors for Christ within our communities. Our spiritual journey starts at

baptism and continues throughout our lives. As people of the Reformation,

we know that Luther put much of his focus on helping ordinary people be-

come more grounded in their faith. In this 4-session study, we will explore a

process for developing and enhancing daily spiritual disciplines that foster a

deeper and richer faith experience. We will focus on the lectionary (weekly

readings of the church year), relevant commentaries, and prayer. The atmos-

phere will be non-threatening – no prior knowledge is necessary! All are wel-

come! Contact Paul Rykken at pstrykken@gmail.com or 715-299-0311 with

any questions.

EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH JANUARY 2020 2

The following are highlights from the December 10, 2019, ELC Council Meeting

2020 Annual Reports from Committees

2019 is wrapping up and just around the cor-

ner is ELC's annual report deadline. The 2020

Annual Meeting will be held Sunday, January

26th at 10:25 a.m. The annual report must be

available to the congregation by January

12th. Therefore, your help in getting the office

your annual report as soon as possible is greatly appreciat-

ed. Electronically is the preferred way, but we will take oth-

er forms, too. Thank you in advance!

"Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart." (Luke 2:19) Dear fellow redeemed, I am writing this as we are fast approaching Christmas. And I realize that you will probably not be reading this until the new year. But a question to "ponder": How long do you think Mary "treasured and pondered" all these things: for just the "10 Days of Christmas" (which of course was NOT a thing back then :), or until Jesus became an adult? Or until He died and rose again? Or for all her life? I am thinking it was for all her life. Which means that we can also "treasure and ponder", all through life: the words of the angels and the shepherds and the wisemen, and of the Lord Jesus Himself! So bring on the Christmas carols for the new year! Why wait until Halloween to hear that Christmas carol that we don't like anymore?! Why not keep up those Christ-mas lights all year? And you really can send Christmas cards in January, maybe even February. Your family and friends will still appreciate hearing from you. My point: the message of Christmas isn't for just a few days or weeks each year. The birth of Jesus means that God knows us, experienced life like ours, and gave His life for our salva-tion! I'm quite sure Mary and Joseph, the shepherds, the wise-men, maybe even the innkeeper, all "treasured and pondered" and told the Christmas story over and over again. So can you and I! Have a Happy New Year, with faith and life in the Christ Child, now in glory, forever, Your brother in Christ, Pastor Steve

The 2020 Budget was discussed, as well as forming a Transition Team to prepare the congregation for the call process. The council also participated in a discussion with Robyn Strain, with regard to getting help with con-gregational conflict management.

On Budget, we discussed the current budget and the pos-sibility of taking on several large initiatives; Second Work-er to focus on Youth and Family, Technology Upgrades, and Security additions. The financial support for the larg-er projects, if approved by the congregation, would come from special campaigns.

A Transition Team needs to be formed and staffed by 4 people. Pastor Steve and Peter will also be part of the Team. The Transition Team will work thru March of 2020 with the expectation of approximately 2 hours per week. If you would like to be considered for this team, please contact Pastor Steve or Peter.

The Congregational Assessment Tool (CAT) reflected that we have some issues that are not resolved. Going for-ward with the transition and eventual call process, we need to address the conflicts within the congregation, and learn how to manage future conflicts. We plan to follow the recommendation of the Synod Office and con-tract with a professional in this area to help us under-stand the issues and train us on how to handle things better. Council voted to contract with Robin, and she will meet with us in February, 2020.

Council needs people to lead and serve on various com-mittees. The time requirement varies per group. Com-mittees are as follows: Finance, Parish Ed., Witness, Youth and Family, Building and Grounds, Worship, Stew-ardship, Gifts and Memorials. If you feel called to serve on any of these committees, or have any questions, please speak to Pastor Steve or any current council mem-ber. Your time and talents will be greatly appreciated.

The next council meeting is scheduled for Monday, Janu-ary 6th, at 7:00 p.m. No committees will meet prior to this meeting.

EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH JANUARY 2020 3

Posted November 16, 2019 Through

G/M Undesignated In Honor of Ev & Alice Larkin – From Wency & Larry Black-mon In Memory of Evelyn Lambert – From Audrey Arneson World Hunger Fred & Judith Myskewitz Thanksgiving Reta Weideman, Ruth Christen, Blain Knutson, Steve Rutter, Charles & Karri Swiggum, Dawn Wyss, Richard Faldet, Richard & Jane Ernst, Harlan & Karen Brandt, Lila Lynne, Rolland & Amanda Lee, Steve & Rebecca Markee, Jeri Muth, Fred & Judith Myskewitz, Tom & Judie Harkner Christmas Harlan & Karen Brandt, Barbara Carlson, Ruth Christen, Phyl-lis Gunderson, Blaine Knutson, Karen Knutson, Jon & Julie Warmke, Reta Weideman, Mark & Julie Zillmer, Doris Holder, Nyla Musser Bed Nets Richard & Jane Ernst, Harlan & Karen Brandt, Keith & Jo Brown, Ellen Gearing, Darlene Dugan, Peter & Lisa Bakken, Tom & Judie Harkner, Clint & Jean Helland, Jeri Muth, Gary & Nancy Onstad, Troy & Marianne Torkelson, Mark & Julie Zillmer, Amanda Lee, Gregory & Becky Steine, Ed & Lorri Johnson A Malawi Welcome Shannon Sullivan, Dawn Wyss

January Special Giving Envelopes

Look for the RED bordered “Missionary for a Day” special giving envelope from your January mailing.

2020 monthly sheets to sign up are available in the narthex.

Thank you for your support!

Gently Used Quilts/Blankets

With winter cold weather, a need has been created in our community for warm blankets or quilts. If you have gently used blankets or quilts to share, please drop off at church in the collection box located in the narthex and they will be shared where needed.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY/MARCH 2020 Christ in Our Home -Large or Regular print books

Available in the Narthex/Church Office

Christ in Our Home is a quarterly devotional resource that encourages readers to live out their faith daily. Each reflec-tive reading is accompanied by a daily scripture reference

and prayer for the day that follows the Revised Common Lectionary.

Congregational Members,

The revitalized 10:00 a.m. Sunday Coffee Hour has been well

received. It has been wonderful getting to know new and old

members along with Sunday Schoolers needing a snack before

class. I just wanted to say a big “THANK YOU!!” to each volun-

teer who has provided delicious treats and/or hosted Coffee

Hour. I truly can’t do this without you.

Together, we can keep Coffee Hour going. I continue to recruit

others to support and sustain this important mission of welcom-

ing, connecting and growing relationships. If you’re interested in

hosting coffee hour, please feel free to sign up in the Narthex or

send me an email. I am willing to explain and show you the

ropes, and to help your volunteer experience be successful and

rewarding.

If you haven’t attended a coffee hour, consider stopping to ex-

perience the fellowship and

have a great treat and a hot

coffee or juice. You will not

regret it, I promise!

Thanks,

Lorri Johnson

Witness Committee Chair

ejjohn@tds.net

P.S. Just a reminder to the parents of Sunday Schoolers, Coffee

Hour is a wonderful way to get to meet other parents and share

in the life of the congregation.

EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH JANUARY 2020 4

Sewing Circle January Schedule: We begin again on the next 400 plus quilts. Plan to come as often possible. Each Thursday 9:00 am—4:00 pm Coffee and treats at 2:30 Each Monday 5:00 pm– 8:00 pm Will you sew quilt tops at home? Please call me and I’ll deliver de-signed tops to you. Betty Steele 715-284-4430 When a woman begins to sew, her heart rate drops by up to 11 bets per minute, according to a study con-ducted at the New York University Medical Center. They say “Picking up a needle and thread could be one of the best ‘exercises’ you can do for your health”.

Sleep in Heavenly Peace Bed Quilts.

An opportunity: You can be involved in making quilts for the bed project for children in Jackson County. It can be as simple as tying knots. Sewing Circle is planning to meet Monday night and is inviting all who want to share in this local mission outreach to join us. We have received money from Thrivent to make twenty-five quilts and that can be accomplished in four Monday nights with extra hands to do God's work. Grab a quick sandwich after work and plan to join us. Schedule: For January 2020 Monday, 6th, 13th, 20th, and 27th Time: 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm Where: In the Church Fellowship Hall *Note: If BRF school is called for bad weather conditions, we do not meet.

+ Confirmation will resume on January 8th @ 6:00pm. See you there!

Sunday School Sunday School classes will resume Sunday, January 5th. We've had quite a long break. It'll be good to get back and continue our study of Bible stories and of God's abundant love for all of us. The weeks before Christmas we focused on Bible stories from the Old Testa-ment. After Christmas we'll be learning stories from the New Testament. In the past, Sunday School attendance has dropped off after Christmas. We want to encourage our families to make Sunday School attendance a priority. The Sunday School teachers are very dedicated and come to Sunday School prepared to teach all of their students. We are blessed to have such a committed group of teachers and helpers.

We want to thank all of the students for their part in our program, "A Simple Christmas Pageant." Their en-thusiastic voices and songs certainly touched all those in attendance. We also want to thank the adults who shared their voices and songs to this program; Lori Dolesy, Harvey Wood, Bryan and Jens Staff. The story teller, Theresa Bade, and the Bishop of Myra, David Fossum, were excellent in their roles. And thank you to Marianne Torkelson for accompanying the program on piano. The ninth grade confirmation students por-trayal of the nativity characters helped bring this amazing story to life. All in all, it was a wonderful cele-bration of the birth of the Christ child.

EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH JANUARY 2020 5

Every year the Wall Street Journal publishes the following article on its opinion page. This editorial was written in 1949 by the late Vermont Royster and has been published annually since. When Saul of Tarsus set out on his journey to Damascus the whole of the known world lay in bondage. There was one state, and it was Rome. There was one master for it all, and he was Tiberius Caesar. Everywhere there was civil order, for the arm of the Roman law was long. Everywhere there was stability, in govern-ment and in society, for the centurions saw that it was so. But everywhere there was something else, too. There was oppression -- for those who were not the friends of Tiberius Caesar. There was the tax gatherer to take the grain from the fields and the flax from the spindle to feed the legions or to fill the hungry treasury from which divine Caesar gave largess to the people. There was the impressor to find re-cruits for the circuses. There were executioners to quiet those whom the Emperor proscribed. What was a man for but to serve Caesar? There was the persecution of men who dared think differ-ently, who heard strange voices or read strange manu-scripts. There was enslavement of men whose tribes came not from Rome, disdain for those who did not have the fa-miliar visage. And most of all, there was everywhere a con-tempt for human life. What, to the strong, was one man more or less in a crowded world? Then, of a sudden, there was a light in the world, and a man from Galilee saying, Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's and unto God the things that are God's. And the voice from Galilee, which would defy Caesar, offered a new Kingdom in which each man could walk up-right and bow to none but his God. Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. And he sent this gospel of the Kingdom of Man into the uttermost ends of the earth. So the light came into the world and the men who lived in darkness were afraid, and they tried to lower a curtain so that man would still believe salvation lay with the leaders. But it came to pass for a while in divers places that the truth did set man free, although the men of darkness were offended and they tried to put out the light. The voice said, Haste ye. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness come upon you, for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.

Evangelical Lutheran Church would like to say a BIG “THANK YOU” to Julie Woodbury, EdD and the team at Chil-dren’s Hospital of Wisconsin/Black River Falls for donating the two tables in the Narthex and the cool arm chairs located in the Youth Room!! We found the per-

fect use for the furniture and love the look. “THANK YOU” to Dawn Wyss, Jane Ernst, Julie Woodbury and Ed Johnson for helping transport the furniture to the church!! You are all awesome! Gods Blessings, Lorri Johnson Witness Committee

Along the road to Damascus the light shone brightly. But afterward Paul of Tarsus, too, was sore afraid. He feared that other Caesars, other prophets, might one day per-suade men that man was nothing save a servant unto them, that men might yield up their birthright from God for pottage and walk no more in freedom. Then might it come to pass that darkness would settle again over the lands and there would be a burning of books and men would think only of what they should eat and what they should wear, and would give heed only to new Cae-sars and to false prophets. Then might it come to pass that men would not look upward to see even a win-ter's star in the East, and once more, there would be no light at all in the dark-ness. And so Paul, the apostle of the Son of Man, spoke to his brethren, the Galatians, the words he would have us re-member afterward in each of the years of his Lord: Stand fast therefore in the liberty where with Christ has made us free and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. This new year let us embrace the light that has come into the world. Let us rejoice in the knowledge that through Grace we have been given an opportunity to serve all. Let us follow the words of Micah 6:8, To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

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2020

Evangelical Lutheran Church

“Centered In Christ + Sent to Serve”

115 North 5th Street

Black River Falls, WI 54615

Pastor Steve Rutter Interim Pastor Elizabeth Pope officemanager@brfelc.org

Return Service Requested

WORSHIP SERVICES Saturday 7:00 pm Sunday 9:00 am

Wednesday 5:15 pm Sunday School 10:10-11:00 am

Non-Profit Org.

Bulk Rate

Black River Falls, WI

Permit No. 105

Come and join us for worship!

This newsletter was mailed on December 27, 2019

http://www.facebook.com/brfelc

The church season of Epiphany begins on January 6. The name comes from the Greek word epiphaneia, meaning “to appear, to show or to manifest.” The ending date of the Epiphany sea-son is determined by Ash Wednesday, which is determined by the date of Easter.

Traditionally, Epiphany Day marks the arrival of the Magi, or wise men, to worship the infant Jesus. The significance of Epiphany for Christians is that it symbolizes the first recogni-tion of Christ by Gentiles, or non-Jews.

The season of Epiphany emphasizes the divine nature of Jesus, the light of the world. Symbols for the season include light, a star and color green, which represents life, growth, hope and eternity.

February 15, 2020 offering safe, painless, non-invasive preventive health screenings that are typically not a part of a routine physi-cal. To be more proactive about your health and to live longer for yourself, your family and your community, please register for these potentially life-saving tests today. For only $139 (regularly $149) you can learn your risk of having stroke or vascular disease. There is no time like the present to take action! Learn more by watching this short video: ttp://www.lifelinescreeningblog.com/introduction/ Three ways to register: • Call toll-free: 866-229-0469 • Online: www.lifelinescreening.com/communitycircle • Text: the word circle to 797979