ST. STEPHEN – ELCA

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NEWSLETTER APRIL, 2019

ST. STEPHEN LUTHERAN CHURCH –

ELCAPastor Gail Sowell

424 N 3rd Avenue, PO Box 95, Edgar, WI 54426Telephone: 715-352-2491 (St. Stephen Office)

715-352-2492 (Pastor Gail Home/Cell/Emergency) Church Web Site: www.ststephenedgar.com

Joint Mission Statement:Saints united to be the body of Christ in the world,

freed by grace to live faithfully,witness boldly, and serve joyfully

PARISH STAFFPastor Pastor Gail Sowell

Home/Cell/EmergencySt. Stephen Office

715-352-2492715-352-2491

Secretary Sherry Gaykensarshe2@frontier.com

715-355-9039

Outside Custodian Steve Doran 715-393-5080Inside Custodian Rachel Doran 715-393-5076

Organist Charlotte Otto 715-443-2007Handbell Director Marla Berg 715-302-4768Altar Guild Millie Borchardt

Marge CopelandDeb Pilgrim

715-352-2451715-352-2977715-352-2621

Media Team

Sherry Gayken, Michael Maurer, Dale Pilgrim, Mark Schreier, Vern Spaulding, Kristin Zietlow, Rod Zietlow (Volunteers Needed)

2019 COUNCIL OFFICERSPresident Vicki Maurer 715-574-0527 MMaurer222@charter.net

Vice-President Keith PaulSecretary Sherry Gayken 715-355-9039 sarshe2@frontier.comTreasurer Rod Zietlow 715-370-7681 rzietlow@diversifiedinc.net

Financial Secretary Julie Haanstad 715-581-0308 juliehaanstad@gmail.comDeacons Mark Schreier

Dale PilgrimClarence Werner

715-352-2392715-352-2968715-432-0997

schreiermk@frontier.com

Trustees Roy GuralskiWarren BraunelOpen Position

Youth Liaison Volunteer Needed

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Parish Staff/Council Officers/Contact Info..............................1Pastor’s Ponderings for April...................................................2Bishop Laurie Skow-Anderson’s Easter Message....................3April Birthdays/Thank You’s/Prayer Chain.............................4Lent/Holy Week/Easter Worship Schedules............................4Council/Quarterly Meetings.....................................................4Sympathy/Evening Bible Study/ What’s the Buzz...................5Summer Sunday/Mid-Week Schedules/Community Worship. 5Confirmation/Sunday School Recognition...............................5Church Mice/Fellowship/New Member Sunday......................5Women’s Activities/Synod Assembly/Senior Day...................6Newsletter/Woodchucks/College Recognition.........................6Thrivent/Garage Sales/Easter Egg Hunt/One Fest/..................7Vote/Centering Prayer Retreat/Tornado Drill..........................7April Calendar..........................................................................8

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PASTOR GAIL’S PONDERINGS FOR APRIL, 2019

The gospel text for the last Sunday of March is the story known as the Prodigal Son. (Prodigal means extravagant, uncontrolled.) Over the last 50 years theologians (those who talk about God) have also called it the parable of the forgiving father, or the parable of the ungrateful son. This is probably one of the best-known stories in scripture. If I asked you to tell me the story you might relate it this way:

A younger son asked for his part of his father’s estate and ran off to a foreign country, where he squandered his money in loose living. When his money ran out, he ended up feeding pigs (unclean, unclean!); he was starving while they ate well. So he decided to go home and apologize to his father, and ask to be taken on as a hired hand.

His father saw him coming and ran to meet him; he gave him a ring and sandals and a robe and killed the fatted calf for a banquet—and he never listened to his son’s apologies.

The older brother was out in the field, working (as his younger brother should have been!). He heard the ruckus and asked a servant what was going on. When he learned his brother was being welcomed back royally, he went into a real snit. His father approached him to ask his participation, and he refused—did his father really expect him, who had worked hard all these years and never got any reward—did his father expect him to celebrate this wastrel’s return?

That’s the gist of the story. The younger son had made his bed, let him lie in it. If he couldn’t live on what he had received from the estate, then he didn’t deserve anything now!

What do you think was the point Jesus was trying to make? Theologian Mark Allan Powell surveyed seminary students in three countries, asking one question and receiving three different answers. The question was, “Why does the younger son end up without food, feeding the pigs?”

“He sinfully squandered his inheritance” (American) “He did not value his family or community” (Russian) “No one gave him anything to eat” (Tanzanian)

Who’s right? Do you think the father loved both his sons equally? Do you begrudge the welcome the younger son received from his father? Who represents God in the story? Do you know any “prodigal sons/daughters”? How are they treated by their parents? Can you think of one single word that summarizes this parable? I invite you to re-read the parable in Luke 15:11-32. – Oh, and how does this tie in with Easter?

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2019 Easter MessageMay I have your attention please!

MAY I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION for an important announcement!MAY I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION FOR AN IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT, NOW, PLEASE!!!!!

What do we have to do to get the world’s attention? We’ve got good news, great news, the best news, but we can’t seem to get the attention of those who need to hear it the most.

For a few years in my former parish I sent out postcards and Facebook posts hoping to catch the attention of those who weren’t members of my church and invite them to EASTER WORSHIP.

I used cute designs from OUTREACH.COM. My favorite was a photo of a fuzzy blue stuffed toy bunny with the caption: Is the true meaning of Easter a little fuzzy? On the other side of the card was an invitation to worship at Trinity, the church I served. This year they have a photo of an adorable baby wearing floppy fuzzy bunny ears and the caption reads: Have you heard the real story of Easter? They also have a post card with the photo of a green field filled with colorful Easter eggs ready for the Easter Egg hunt. The caption reads: Hunting for more this EASTER? These clever cutesy cards are designed to get the attention of the world and invite non-members to come to their worship services. It is not a terrible idea to send a postcard in the mail or post on social media inviting people to visit your church, but it is it working? Does sending a card capture the world’s attention?What does it take to get the attention of the world? What does it take to get the attention of the family that lives in the yellow house across the street from your church building?

Some seems to be so distracted, busy, engaged in daily living, or just getting by. Others seem anesthetized by mind numbing virtual reality activities on their computer, phone or TV screens. A few find time to worship at the gym, yoga class, running, or biking. Sometimes I just want to yell, HEY! LISTEN UP, I’ve got good news. But I know they won’t be able to hear me over the din of daily life.

So what do we do? We know that guilting, shaming, and judging doesn’t work. Should we just…Give up. Shut up. Close up? Nope. I’m too much of an optimist for that. I think there is one thing we as a church can do that might get the world’s attention. We can sneak up and love them up.

I don’t mean sneak up like stalking, that’s illegal. What I mean is act like you love your neighbor in little ways so that eventually without you really knowing it, you DO love your neighbor and you can be in a relationship in such a way that you can invite them to know and love Jesus, the real Jesus, the Jesus of Easter.

Maybe the first step is caring enough about the folks that don’t know the story about Jesus life death and resurrection to send them a silly post card. Maybe a baby step is caring enough about the children who won’t hear the Easter story in Sunday school and inviting them to come to your church for an Easter egg hunt and before it begins tell them about Jesus in some simple way. Maybe you could care enough to get to know the name of the church neighbor in the yellow house and who knows where it will go from there. Care enough to get to know your neighbor, the Muslim family from Somalia that lives next to the grocery store. Care enough to get to know your immigrant neighbor, the Latino family that lives across the street from the school.

Maybe the only way to get someone’s attention is to love them. That’s how God got my attention. God sneaks up on us, loves unconditionally, loves the world so much that he gave his only Son, and on the third day he rose from the dead, so that we might have life. That’s the real meaning of Easter. That’s the good news the world is dying to hear. They just don’t know it yet. Maybe YOU can love someone enough to tell them about it.

It’s Easter. Let’s go love-in Jesus’ name,Bishop Laurie Skow-Anderson

APRILBIRTHDAYS

01 Thorn Shannon04 Karlen Jerry08 Guralski Steve

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12 Reif Amber12 Reiche Jeff14 Strasser Gerald17 King Hallie18 Krause Jonathan19 Paul Ruth20 Reiche Will24 Spaulding Vern25 Gayken Sherry26 Knetter Jacci27 Rajek Bob29 Strasser Sheryl

APRILANNIVERSARIES

None

THANK YOU to Lori Guralski for all her hard work and many hours spent planning, organizing, buying, cooking, serving, etc. on this dinner; AND ALL who helped in any way in

preparation, purchasing/donating of food items, cooking, serving, EATING, clean-up, with donations of both time and food and miscellaneous items.A profit of over $1,300 was received; Council will be voting in April how to disburse.

THANK YOU to the families who sponsored the Lenten soup suppers by contributing soup, sandwiches, beverages, and desserts and by serving.

One-half of the offerings received for Wednesday Lenten evening worships will be donated to the Circle of Joy. The remaining ½ will be voted on by Council at their April meeting.

PRAYER CHAIN – anyone interested in being a “link” on the St. Stephen Prayer Chain, contact Sherry. The list will be updated in the next few weeks.

Lenten services – 6:00 PMSoup Suppers – 5:00 PM

Wednesday, April 3:  St. JohnWednesday, April 10:  St. Stephen

Palm Sunday, April 14: 9:00 AM Worship at St. John

(Palm Sunday Brunch served until 11:30 AM) 10:30 AM Communion Worship at St. Stephen

(with waving of palms)Maundy Thursday, April 18:

6:00 PM Communion Worship at St. StephenGood Friday, April 19:

1:00 PM Worship at St. Stephen 6:00 PM Worship at St. John

Easter Sunday, April 21: 6:00 AM Sunrise Service at St. Stephen 7:00 AM Easter Breakfast at St. Stephen

9:00 AM Communion Worship at St. John10:30 AM Communion Worship at St. Stephen

Sign-up sheet in back of church for Easter breakfast

donations and number attending.

TO ST. STEPHEN COUNCIL MEMBERS: Meeting: Tuesday evening, April 23rd @ 6:30 PM.

ST. STEPHEN QUARTERLY CONGREGATIONAL MEETING: Sunday, April 28th, @ 9:15 AM.

WITH SYMPATHY AND PRAYERS to Vern Spaulding and all family and friends of Marilyn Spaulding. Memorial service

arrangements are pending.

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EVENING BIBLE STUDY resumes the 2nd and 4th

Thursday evenings of each month on Thursday, April 25 th, at 6:00 PM at St. Stephen.

ALL ARE WELCOME !!

A WORLD HUNGER CHALLENGE FOR LENT “WHAT'S THE BUZZ” How EWE and your NEIGHbors can WRANGLE hunger during Lent!Our Northwest Synod of Wisconsin invites us to join other congregations in raising awareness about and helping to heal the devastation of hunger. St. John/St. Stephen are part of the Chequamegon Conference, and our assignment is to support fish farms.

St. Stephen Council has decided to participate and will donate the soup supper donations to this World Hunger Challenge.

SUMMER SUNDAY SCHEDULEBeginning Sunday, May 26th, thru Sunday, September 1st:

8:30 AM – Worship at St. John10:00 AM – Worship at St. Stephen

SUMMER MID-WEEK WORSHIPSBeginning Thursday, May 30th, thru Thursday, August 30th:

6:00 PM – Worship at St. Stephen(except June 13th – Community Worship in the Park – and July 4th)

Future evening Bible Study times to be set.

.COMMUNITY ECUMENICAL WORSHIP IN OAK STREET PARK – Thursday, June 13th @ 7:00 PM (hosted by St. Stephen).

CONFIRMATION/SUNDAY SCHOOL/CRADLE ROLL PROGRAMS RECOGNITION/AND LAST DAY OF SUNDAY SCHOOL – Sunday, May 12th. Jeff and Jill Reiche (Sunday School Superintendent and Leaders), Colleen Dvorak (Confirmation Leader), and Elaina Riehle, Cradle Roll, AND students will be recognized during the 10:30 AM worship service. Confirmation students and all Sunday School students are asked to be in attendance at 10:30 AM worship (to be excused following the Children’s time to attend the last class of this school year), and stay for refreshments following Sunday

School and worship.

Adventures of the Church Mice

Church Mice are on Spring Break !!

SUNDAY MORNING FELLOWSHIP HOSTS needed (to bake or buy goodies). Coffee and tea are furnished. Sign-up sheet on coffee table in back. Donation jar is also on the table – donations welcomed and encouraged to cover the coffee/tea expenses. The Women’s Bible Study group have volunteered to host one Sunday a month. Won’t you volunteer to host one of the other Sundays? Sign-up sheet in back by the coffee pot.

NEW MEMBER SUNDAY has been rescheduled to Sunday, May 12th. If you or any other individuals you know wish to become a member/members of the St. Stephen family, please speak with Pastor Gail immediately.

QUILTING – quilting sessions are held in the church basement on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of months October thru May – from 1:00 – 4:00 PM. THANK YOU to all individuals who donate and contribute time and materials. MANY more hands are needed! Sewing may also be done at home. April dates are: April 4th and 18th.

JOINT WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY – ST. STEPHEN AND ST. JOHN – is held the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 1:00 PM. For the summer into the fall months, these Bible Studies will alternate between St. Stephen and St. John. The date for April is: Tuesday, April 9th, at St. John. The Bible Study lesson is from the Gather magazine. Every woman that is a member of St. Stephen and St. John is a member of the women’s group. All are WELCOME and encouraged to participate (along with family and friends).

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2019 CHEQUAMEGON CONFERENCE WOMEN’S SPRING RALLY (NORTHWEST SYNOD) – was held at Our Saviour’s of Holway, Medford, on Saturday, March 30th, with MaryAnn Aschbrenner and Sherry Gayken attending. Northwest Synod Women’s Organization President Lori Wells gave a compelling report on a major initiative of the Women of the ELCA regarding sex trafficking. What is being done in Wisconsin and at the national level to stop sex trafficking? What are the signs? What should you do if you suspect something?

Three bills are being considered by the State Legislature. Two postcards were completed by ladies in attendance at the Spring Rally to be sent to representatives in each of our local Senate and Assembly areas in support of these bills. Information from the SWO is available in back about Sex Trafficking. Postcards are available for you to take two (complete two – one for your representative in the Senate and one in the Assembly). These must be completed by May 1st. Turn them in or speak with MaryAnn or Sherry if you have any questions.

NORTHWEST SYNOD ASSEMBLY – Saturday, May 4th, at Trinity Lutheran Church, Eau Claire, WI. Theme: May the Faith Be With You. All voting members AND visitors must be pre-registered. NO walk-ins will be accepted.

Registration will close on Friday April 26th, at 4:00 p.m. Congregations are allowed 2 lay voting members, 1 male and 1 female. Speak with Pastor Gail.

SENIOR DAY continues the third Wednesday of each month at St. Stephen at 1:00 PM – next date Wednesday, April 17th. Senior Day is open to all seniors of St. Stephen and the surrounding Edgar community. CONGRATULATIONS to KINGS KORNER CHAMPION FOR MARCH – MILLIE BORCHARDT

ST. STEPHEN NEWSLETTER – The deadline for the May Newsletter is Thursday, April 25th.

FUN AT THE BALL PARK WISCONSIN WOODCHUCKS It’s only days away from the 2019 Wisconsin Woodchucks baseball season. Faith & Family Day presented by Grebe’s and Yach’s Body &

Custom is on Sunday, June 23rd.

St. Stephen’s will attend as a group once again this year on Friday, July 19th at 6:30 PM. Group outing package rate is available for 10 or more. Are you able to join us this year? Let Sherry know!

UW-Oshkosh has announced Briona Lang has qualified for the University’s Dean’s List for the fall semester.

Kaitlyn Heiden has been named to the fall honors list for the 2018-2019

academic year at Concordia University.

St. Stephen Church receives funds through Thrivent Financial’s Thrivent Choice program. St. Stephen Lutheran Church received $1,115 in charitable outreach funding in 2018. All 2018 Choice Dollars® have been made available for members to direct and 2018 Choice Dollars expire on March 31, 2019. Use the free promotional materials available in the Promote Thrivent Choice section on Thrivent.com.

By directing Choice Dollars, eligible Thrivent members can recommend which nonprofit organizations they feel should receive charitable grant funding from Thrivent. If you are an eligible member, please consider St. Stephen when directing Choice Dollars. Call 800-847-4836 or visit Thrivent.com/thriventchoice.

Since 2010, over $414 million has been distributed to thousands of churches, schools, and other nonprofits.

There’s more to Thrivent Choice (and Thrivent too)!Members have access to a unique suite of member benefits designed to put resources in their hands to help strengthen their communities. By partnering with members, these programs can be used to help grow your organization and support your mission.

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Reduce online donation fees: Thrivent, in partnership with InFaith Community Foundation, helps members make personal online donations to enrolled organizations. Thrivent will cover all the online processing fees*, so 100% of the donation goes directly to your mission.Inspire volunteers: Thrivent Action Teams start with a simple question: “Who can I help and how?” Members support a community need and grab friends and family to form a volunteer team and implement ways to address it. Thrivent provides promotional resources and up to $250 in seed money to jump-start a fundraiser, educational event or service project – two per year per member.Swing a hammer and build hope: Together, Thrivent and Habitat for Humanity help build homes for families in need of a safe and decent place to call home. Looking for more? Check out the Thrivent website or give them a call.

EDGAR COMMUNITY GARAGE SALES – Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, May 16, 17, and 18.

LIONS CLUB ANNUAL EASTER EGG HUNT is scheduled for Saturday, April 20th, at Oak Street Park at 9:30 AM. The event will be open to school aged children from Pre-K thru 3rd grade.

VOTE – SPRING ELECTION – Tuesday, April 2nd.

ONE Fest 2019 July 26-28, 2019Northern Wisconsin State Fairgrounds

Chippewa Falls, WI

CENTERING PRAYER RETREAT – Thursday, April 4th, 9:30 AM – 2:00 PM, $25 (includes lunch) – Christine Center, Willard, WI.

AND, Thursday, April 25th, 9:30 AM – 2:00 PM. $25 (includes lunch) – Luther Park, Chetek, WI.

WISCONSIN’S STATEWIDE TORNADO DRILL IS APRIL 11 -- April 8-12 is Wisconsin’s Tornado and Severe Weather Awareness Week in Wisconsin. During that week, Wisconsin Emergency Management, the National Weather Service (NWS) and the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association (WBA) have once again teamed up to sponsor the statewide tornado drills scheduled for Thursday, April 11.

The drill will begin with a mock tornado watch at 1 p.m., followed by a statewide mock tornado warning at 1:45 p.m. Many radio and TV stations across the state will issue the test tornado warnings. In addition, mock alerts will be issued on NOAA Weather Radios and many communities will sound their tornado sirens to test their emergency severe weather plans. Later, a mock tornado warning will be issued at 6:45 p.m. to give families and second-shift workers a chance to practice their emergency plans.

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