Here's Your NEWEST Church Newsletter!

First United Weekly Newsletter

January 6, 2022

Our Vision Statement:

We are a welcoming community FIRST UNITED in proclaiming FAITH in Jesus Christ, sharing HOPE for the future, and inspiring LOVE of our neighbors.

Sharing the Love with Agape!

Last evening we hosted a cold and snowy Agape Drive-Thru Dinner for our church family and neighborhood friends. Even with the challenging weather, cars lined up clear around our parking lot pick up the free meals we offered. Our biggest THANKS to all our amazing Agape volunteers for sharing the love on behalf of our church! Our next Agape Drive-Thru Dinner is set for Wednesday, February 2!

Congratulations Pastor Meggan!

Recognizing the second anniversary of you becoming

our co-pastor at First United. Thanks for all you do in service of our church family and friends!

Plans for This Sunday!

Join us for worship Sunday (1/9) at our 9am. We'll remember our own baptisms and what they mean as we celebrate "The Baptism of our Lord" by John the Baptist in the Jordan River. We'll read Acts 8:14-17 and Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 (*click to read). Through baptism, we are claimed as children of God and members of Christ's body - the church. Our sins are washed away, and we seek the will and way of God in our lives. Hope to see you Sunday!

You can join us in person on Sunday at 9am or by live stream on our Facebook page (*find details later in this newsletter). You can also watch recordings on our website or on Facebook whenever it's convenient for you.

Sunday School's Back at 10:30am

*Pre-K to 2nd grade (Room 5)

*3rd to 5th grade (Room 6)

*6th - 12th grade Youth (Middle High Room)

*Adult Class (Koinonia Lounge) - Why is baptism important to Christians? Join Pastor Luke this Sunday at 10:30am in the Koinonia Lounge for a discussion about the significance of baptism. Discover how the act of baptism has been a source of continuous reflection and even controversy over the millennia. Join us!

Game Night at Youth Group

CORE and JAM will meet Sunday evening from 6-7:30pm to play some games this week! Do you have a favorite game you'd like to teach others? Did you get a new game for Christmas that's lots of fun? Come by 5:45 to get it set up so we can maximize our playing time. See you there!

Pastors in the Gathering Area

Pastors Luke and Meggan have a special time scheduled to visit with church friends who drop by on the first Thursday of each month. Their Pastors in the Gathering Area will begin the new year this morning (1/6) at 10am. Hope you can stop in for a visit!

P.W. Mission Sewing Update

Our Presbyterian Women Mission Sewing Circle recently created many items used by the Green Bay Salvation Army Christmas Program. Please consider joining our community mission. No experience? We will teach you! Join the next Mission Sewing gathering this morning (1/6) from 10am until noon in the Koinonia Lounge.

Dead Reformers Society

Pastor Luke and the gang met Tuesday at Zambaldi Brewery to discuss how the influence of a small group of English Protestants (Puritans) of the 16th and 17th centuries continues to resonate today! The group meets on the first Tuesday each month to delve into the fantastic and arcane in a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere. Give it a try next month on February 1st!

New Way to Remember a Special Date

Have you ever wanted to celebrate a birthday or anniversary or remember a special person by donating flowers on a specific Sunday? You've always been able to sign up on the list in the Family Life Center or by contacting the church office. Now we've also gone digital with our sign up sheet! Click HERE (or on the link at the end of this newsletter) to reach our new electronic signup sheet. Thanks for your generosity!

Church Volleyball is Back!

We're forming a team again for this co-ed league, and you must be high school age or older to join. We'll play on Friday evenings beginning January 14 at Calvary Lutheran Church (1301 Ridge Road). Please contact Steve Warner (warner@new.rr.com or 920-405-8808) for more information.

Confirmation Plans

We'll be holding brief meetings about the 2022 Confirmation Class on Sunday, January 16, at 10:15am (prior to Sunday school) and at 5:40pm (prior to Youth Group) in the Youth Media/Game Room. Confirmation is open to all youth Grade 9 and above who have not yet joined the church. Letters will be mailed out early next week to those who are eligible. If you do not receive a letter and are interested, please contact the church office or Pastor Meggan.

Funeral Plans Announced

We are saddened to announce the passing of Allan Russell earlier this week. His wife, Sue, has arranged for his funeral to be held at our church on Sunday, January 16 with visitation at 1pm followed by the service at 2pm. Please keep Allan's family in your thoughts and prayers.

Special Thanks!

We'd like to offer a special "thank you" to the people who kindly volunteered to help out in our church office during the month of December. They are Judy England, Marilyn Heim, Becky Nyberg, Melissa Rusk, and Debbie Spiegel.

Here's How You Can Join Us

for Our Worship Services

> In Person - Enter only on the Webster side. A mask is recommend if you're not vaccinated. Singing is allowed only with a mask on. The right side is open seating, while the left side and balcony provide social distancing for those who want it.

> Live Online - If you're not comfortable in person yet, you can join us by live stream on our church Facebook page available ten minutes before the listed start time.

> Sound-only connection - Call Zoom at (312) 626-6799 within 10 minutes before the service start time. Enter meeting ID: 206 385 039 followed by the # symbol.

> Watch Service Recordings anytime - You can always watch recordings of our recent services on our Facebook page (right after the live stream is completed) or on our website (roughly an hour after the service is completed).