University Evangelical Lutheran Church
and Campus Ministry

The Lampstand - March 2023
Our Mission

UELC's Mission:
To Embrace and Share the Love of God in Jesus Christ, as the Holy Spirit Empowers us.

UELC's Guiding Principles:
Jesus is our Lord and Saviour; therefore, we are to:
  • Worship God in inspiring, diverse, and creative ways
  • Be a community engaged in spiritual practices that attune us to the Holy Spirit's guidance for our living
  • Welcome all people in their diversity to worship, learn, and serve with us
  • Be a safe place to learn, explore, and debate
  • Be generous stewards of the gifts God has given each of us to bless others and care for the natural world
  • Continue outreach to, and further develop connections with, the academic communities of Alachua County
  • Affirm human rights and work for social justice
Pastor's Corner

It’s March, which means spring in Florida. The perennials I planted last year are several inches tall, and growing amid the weeds I never got rid of last fall. Of course, it seems impossible to totally get rid of skunk weed, no matter how often I pull it, and dig it out.

Our lives are like this, too. The word Lent refers to the lengthening of days and growth in spring. During Lent, we have the opportunity to check out our hearts/ground, see where the sins/weeds are and take action to get rid of the weeds.

It’s a constant project, the eradication of sins/weeds, I know. We just get rid of the envy of our neighbor’s new car, and we find ourselves taking God’s name in vain when we find the coffee table with our bare toes.

My plants will grow among the weeds. I will soon get around to pulling the weeds so they can flourish, and not struggle. Lent reminds us we need to confess our sins/weeds. We’ll never live weed/sin-free lives, but letting go of those sins that trouble us will give us room to grow in faith and trust in God to forgive us, so we can flourish.

In faith and hope,
Pastor Lynn
Lenten Midweek Worship: Making Change

This year’s Lenten Midweek Worship will include the singing of Holden Evening Prayer and reflections on how change affects our lives.

Some changes mark gradual transitions, as when daytime shifts toward twilight or winter turns to spring. Others happen in the blink of an eye, separating time into “before” and “after”. We choose to undergo some changes after carefully considering our options, while others are forced upon us. Making Change seems to be a great topic for congregations in transition.

The Wednesday evening schedule is: Soup supper at 6pm, worship at 7:15, with quiet music in the worship space starting at 7pm. Attendance will determine if we are in the Sanctuary or in the Kaiser Center for worship. 
President's Notes

Dear UELC family,

The council met on February 28th via Zoom to conduct the monthly meeting. Several items of business were discussed including finalizing the plans for our visioning retreat to be held Saturday, March 11th in the Kaiser Center from 10:00 AM-3:00 PM. All are invited and encouraged to attend as we complete this next step in the process of looking to call a permanent pastor.

There are several other opportunities for participation in various activities over the next month, including:
·        A tour, hosted by Gainesville Modern, entitled “ Sacred Spaces: A tour of 7 Mid-Century Places of Worship” will occur on Saturday, March 25th and will include our building. While the tour is run and staffed by Gainesville Modern members, they have asked for the church to provide a volunteer to be on site as well. There is a signup sheet in the Kaiser Center for anyone who is interested in serving in this capacity for as little as an hour or for the entire tour!
·        Our congregation is invited to join Gethsemane for a retreat on Saturday March 18th, entitled “Healthy Congregations”. Please let Pastor Lynn know ASAP if you are interested in attending as we are trying to put together a quorum to make it worthwhile for UELC to attend.

The council discussed and voted favorably on a proposal by the Campus and Young Adult Ministry group to address an unmet need by offering space in the Kaiser Center for the Gainesville Community Counseling Center (https://www.gainesvillecounselingcenter.com). Providing this space, close to campus, will allow more students to avail themselves of the services. UF currently has a backlog of students seeking services and sends referrals to the Gainesville Community Counseling Center.

Finally, the council would like to encourage everyone to “subscribe” to the University Evangelical Lutheran Church YouTube channel. By having more subscribers, we may be able to improve some of the functionality of our worship live stream offerings. You may try this link: https://www.youtube.com/@universityevangelicalluthe6356 and then hit the “subscribe” button on the top right side.

If you have any questions for the council, please do not hesitate to contact me either in person or via email ([email protected])

Warm regards,
Becky Borgert
March Servants

Sunday, March 5
Preacher: Pr. Lynn Fonfara
Assisting Minister: Rachel Jin
Altar Guild: Elaine Manion
Lector: Rick Dienhart
Ushers: Ron Fourman, Andy Noss
Sound Assistant: Melissa Singer
Video Assistant: Wilson Matungwa

Sunday, March 12
Preacher: Pr. Lynn Fonfara
Assisting Minister: Pat Dasler
Altar Guild: Joan Anderson
Lector: Sam Brill
Ushers: John MontMarquette, Phil Noss
Sound Assistant: Melissa Singer
Video Assistant: Wilson Matungwa

Sunday, March 19
Preacher: Pr. Lynn Fonfara
Assisting Minister: Sam Borgert
Altar Guild: Pat Dasler
Lector: Rick Dienhart
Ushers: Ron Gordon, Ron Fourman
Sound Assistant: Amy Schirmer
Video Assistant: Wilson Matungwa

Sunday, March 26
Preacher: Pr. Lynn Fonfara
Assisting Minister: Joel Beaudry
Altar Guild: Elaine Manion
Lector: Sandy Bauldree
Ushers: Jeanne Chamberlin, Roger Springfels
Sound Assistant: Amy Schirmer
Video Assistant: Wilson Matungwa
UELC People






Mikayla Kreider Piano Recital March 19

Mark your calendars for March 19 when Mikayla Kreider, our church pianist since the beginning of the year, will give a Spring Recital here at UELC shortly after church at 12:00. All are welcome and invite your friends! This special offering will help Mikayla prepare for her Master's Recital to occur the following week, and will feature works from J. S. Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Liszt, and Maurice Ravel. She is grateful for this opportunity as I'm sure we will be. The recital will last one hour with a brief intermission.  

A bit about Mikayla:

Mikayla grew up in Akron, Ohio, where she studied piano performance under Philip Thomson at the University of Akron. She is most proud of giving three full recitals during undergrad (the expectation is usually two), and filling in absolutely last minute, but successfully, as a choir accompanist last year.

Currently Mikayla is earning a a master’s degree at UF with Dr. Jasmin Arakawa. Upon arriving at UF, where Mikayla gets around by bus or on foot, she was most surprised that the music building at UF is partially open to the air. While living here, she has visited the Cat Café downtown with no intention of coming home with a cat. Well, guess what? She has two cats, after just two trips, named Winnie and Persephone, whom she loves very much.

Mikayla is applying for a Doctor of Musical Arts in piano performance and pedagogy at the universities of S. Carolina, Houston, Kansas, and at Texas Tech University, and for a PhD in Music Education at FSU. She'll be following her dream of becoming a university professor where she can enjoy a stable career working with students as well as performing.
Visioning Retreat March 11

On Saturday March 11, all members and regular participants are invited to attend a retreat where we will begin to develop a vision for the future of UELC. The retreat will last from 10am - 3pm and include breaks and lunch.

Through Bible study and prayer, and some fun, we will work together to determine God’s mission at UELC now. We will work together to pray, imagine, dream, and envision how God is calling us to be Jesus’ missionaries in this time and place.

Please plan to attend. All voices are important to the present and future of the congregation.
Help Wanted

Help Wanted: Demographics Data Gatherers

Are there one or two or more folks who are willing and able to work on assessing the congregational and Gainesville demographics? The next step in the transition process is a congregational retreat that begins with an awareness of the community. 
 
There are demographic tools available to us as members in the FB Synod and Pastor Lynn can work with whoever is interested in accessing and interpreting the data. 
Also included in this process is a map which shows where members live in relation to the church building. The map could be paper and map pins or electronic with digital pins. (I don't know how to do the digital version, but someone might.)

Please contact Pr Lynn if you are interested in this task.
Socialize with UELC

You can help University Lutheran reach more people in our community by following our social media profiles. The more people engage with our posts by liking them, writing comments, and sharing them, the more people will see what we are posting and sharing!
 
On Facebook, like our page at www.facebook.com/UELCGainesville
 
On Instagram, follow our brand new campus ministry @campusministry_ulc
Offering Direct Deposits

It is Sunday morning and you are on your way to church. Part way there you remember you have not written a check for the offering plate.
 
It is another Sunday morning and you are sitting in the sanctuary you write a check and slowly you attempt to remove your check from your check book as quietly as possible.
 
It is another Sunday at church and you realize that your offering check and envelope remain at home on your dresser.
 
These are some of the ways that the use of direct deposit helps UELC to receive consistent income to pay its bills.
 
If you wish to learn more about the use of direct deposit, contact Jim Yale to get set up. 
LIFT

Due to the Covid pandemic LIFT (Lutherans In Fellowship Together) has not met for its monthly potluck luncheons for the past two years. We plan on restarting the luncheons by the summer of this new year. Of course, that depends on a lessening of the impact that Covid-19 and it many variants have on our lives. Let us all be responsible and stay safe. 

Ron Bauldree
LIFT coordinator 
Young Adult and Campus Ministry
Village of Hope

It’s time to renew sponsorships or begin a new one for the children at Village of Hope school in Haiti.
 
It is still $480 for the year or $40 monthly. We continue to give through UELC. Make your check out to UELC and be sure to note on the memo line that the check is for VOH.
 
It has been difficult with Covid the last few years to keep track of who has sponsored a student. This year sponsorships will be updated on the VOH bulletin board in the Kaiser Center. After you have renewed, or begun a new sponsorship, please let Janet Janke know so she can add your name to the list of sponsors. There are 20 squares ready for a sticker. Can we get to 20 sponsorships in 2023?
 
Unfortunately, with Covid and the dangerous conditions that have been happening in Haiti, it has been difficult to get new pictures or even know for sure which child you may or may not be still sponsoring. Hopefully when we send the check to them in Spring they may be able to give us an undated list of the children we sponsor. Please be patient as we wait for this information.
Family Promise

A huge thank you to our compassionate UELC congregation moved by the spirit to help ensure all children in our community have a home! First, to the Lutheran Gators Bed Race Team of 2023 for giving it their all and garnering our best placing ever -- 2nd place -- in Family Promise's 8th annual Bed Race Fundraising event on Feb. 25. Thank you to many others of you for contributing from your pocket books to compile a larger-than-usual donation for the fundraiser of $1,000. Included in that were your Christmas Christchild Tree offerings. And finally, thank you to those who are contributing from their kitchens this week to help sustain the two families currently staying with us!
Interfaith Vigil
Altrusa International Gainesville Events

Altrusa invites the public to Music Trivia Bingo on Friday March 3rd at 6pm at Plantation Hall at the Haile Village Center. All about the songs we love to hear and sing.

Here are quick FAQs:
 
How do I get a game card?
Each ticket holder will receive one bingo game card per round (we will play 3 rounds)
 
What do the cards look like?
They look similar to regular bingo cards EXCEPT the numbers have been placed with song titles.
 
I'm not good at music, what do I do?
Participants are encouraged to help each other out- share your musical knowledge with others at your table. you might or might not have that particular song on your card.
 
I like a challenge, can I buy extra bingo cards?
Extra cards will be available for purchase.
 
I see that the event is at 6 pm. WIll there be food?
Yes, there will be wine, beer, non-alcoholic beverages as well as light hors d'oeuvres.
 
Wow, that sounds like fun! How can I get tickets?
Paper tickets are available at each regular meeting. TIcket prices are $50 for single ticket(s); $150 for a group of 4 tickets; $350 for a reserved table of 8.
An online ticket system is in the works. But Dee Dugger, President of Altrusa International of Gainesville, is available for more info and tickets: [email protected] or 352(281-8357)
Our Pastor and Staff

Pastor Lynn Fonfara
Pastor, Congregation and Campus Ministry

Amy Schirmer
Music Ministry Coordinator

Mikayla Kreider
Pianist

Evelyn Simmons
Secretary