From The Pastor's Purple Pen |
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Redeemer,
We are now making our way into the second month of 2022. We survived the many days of frigid cold and it seems as if the Omicron wave is starting to pass. If you recall from last month’s newsletter I talked about 2022 being a year of discernment. Well, I’ve been discerning on what it means for the seasons of the church.
Words that have been on my heart are: seasons, Sabbath, time, rest. While taking two weeks off after Christmas, I became painfully aware of not giving myself regular rest was not healthy for me. When I’m not able to rest or slow down, all of things that give me joy have been cut out in order to grasp a bit of a break. And the realization that my cup was emptied was embarrassing.
I spoke with my spiritual director about this and we concluded that many of our Holy Spirit moments only seem to happen when we are in a time of rest. For example, being woken during sleep or becoming enlightened during a shower. If we are constantly on full speed ahead, when can we discern Christ’s call?
If we think about the seasons of the church, they are designed for moments of intense study, anticipation, fasting and celebration, as well as an in-between time to rest. We begin the church year in a time we call advent. It is set for the first four weeks before Christmas. This time is for preparing and anticipating Christ’s birth. Then there is the time of Christmas, which lasts twelve days and ends on January 6th, which we call Epiphany. Christmas time is a time of celebration and rejoicing that God is among us. Epiphany represents when the wise men finally reach Jesus. After January 6th we call it the time after Epiphany until we reach transfiguration Sunday. This year, Transfiguration will land on February 27th. Transfiguration recognizes the story of when Jesus turns dazzling white while on top of the mountain. The Wednesday after Transfiguration Sunday is Ash Wednesday. That day we remember that from beloved dust we came and to beloved dust we shall return. Following Ash Wednesday we are then in a time of Lent. Lent lasts for forty days (Not including Sundays as Sundays are considered a Sabbath day.) During this time Christians practice prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. The week leading up to Easter is called Holy Week. Included in that week is Maundy Thursday, which we remember Christ’s last supper before he was executed by the Roman government, Good Friday is the events of the day that led to Christ’s execution, Holy Saturday is a day for meditation and reflection, and finally Easter Sunday when we celebrate Christ’s resurrection. The time of Easter extends until Pentecost, which falls on the seventh Sunday after Easter. The time after Pentecost, also known as ordinary time, extends for the rest of the year until Advent begins again.
Since I’ve been at Redeemer, I have been trying to emphasize the importance of these seasonal traditions in the church. Many protestant churches got away from these traditions a long time ago in an attempt to make them different from the Catholic Church. But what I’ve found is that by getting away from the church seasons two things happened. The first, it becomes harder to give intense time and rest time to the practice of Christianity. And because there wasn’t this distinction of when to really commit and when to give permission to rest, people lost routine in what it means to regularly participate in the life of the church. And Second, it became easy to adopt the way of culture, which tells up we have to constantly be going full throttle, giving one hundred and ten percent. I even found myself at times trying to figure out how to compete with all of these mega churches that have several programs happening all of the time. I know that not only am I exhausted, but many of you that are serving the church can become burned out. And that is not good for any of us.
Life balance is a good spiritual practice that we all need to discern about. Please join me in that discernment.
Blessings,
Pastor Julie
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Pastor Julie now has an office cell phone. You can reach her at 262-328-7773.
Thank you!
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To sign up for usher, greeter, or money counter during our Sunday worship services please follow the link below.
You can sign up online or on the sheets in the great hall.
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In recognition of all of the many programs and events that we are able to offer as a church, we want to highlight the generosity of time, talent and generous financial contributions of our members that make it all possible. |
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Thank you to Jon Olson and Kurt Stefan for setting up the movie screens every Sunday for our drive-in movies. Your leadership and dedication to the community event was greatly appreciated by those who attended. An additional thank you to those who assisted throughout the series: Kim Olson, Rick Vollbrecht & Moore Family.
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Thank you to Rev. Howie Beutler-Cruise and Rev. Claire Beutler-Cruise for filling in these past two weeks so our pastor can take some time off. We appreciate the coverage of emergency pastoral care and leading of worship. It is a blessing to have you as supportive clergy in our congregation!
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Thank you to Lisa Lokken, Ann Wied, Kim and Mary Olson, Delores Schumer, Dwayne Dummer, Sue Younk, Meg Grogan and Jim Schowalter for taking down the Christmas decorations and putting them away. Your time is very much appreciated and respected.
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Thank you, Caryn Easterling for returning as the volunteer to make the bank deposit run for our office staff. We appreciate your time and commitment. Thank you Rick Vollbrecht, Mary Olson and Niki Moore for getting the money counters started again. We appreciate your time and talent.
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Thank you, Megan Everts for working on collecting the information for Redeemer’s insurance coverage. We appreciate your time and talent towards this project.
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Sussex Food Pantry
Baby wipes
Shampoo, conditioner, body wash
Bar soap
Deodorant
Canned chicken
Can carrots or peas
Any canned beans
Diced tomatoes
Hamburger Helper
Pasta and Rice Sides
Jell-o and pudding
Pancake mix and syrup
Pewaukee Food Pantry
Regular coffee 11.5 oz
Cookies
Canned peaches in lite syrup
Kleenex
Red jelly - raspberry, strawberry
Knorr Sides packets
Tomato sauce 8 oz cans
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The Congregational and Community Engagements Ministry Meeting has been postponed until February 20th.
The Annual Meeting has been postponed until February 27th.
Getting our new structure and ministry team off the ground is very important to the leadership at Redeemer. We have decided to postpone the Congregational and Community Engagement Ministry Team meeting to February 20th because we feel that getting this ministry off the ground is best done in person for those who feel more comfortable with in person engagement. And right now not everyone feels comfortable meeting in person. We are hopeful that the COVID wave will calm a bit by February 20th, as we hope to engage as many Redeemer participants as possible. We need everyone to work together to move forward. Thank you for your understanding.
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Please check your email for your 2021 giving statement. If you did not receive it, would like a printed copy or have any questions, please contact the church office at 262-246-6710 or office@redeemerucc.org.
Many thanks for your generosity.
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St James Parish in Menomonee Falls will become a certified COVID Test Site. They will be open for testing from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM Monday thru Friday. Testing will be drive thru, administered under the overhang at the main North entrance. No one is to get out of their car. No appointment will be necessary. Traffic patterns (Entrance and Exit) for testing will be will clearly marked. They are doing this to help relieve local health care facilities and hospitals who need to be focused on those who are in most need of their care.
Note that, when there is a funeral, there will be no testing on those day(s).
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Hamilton High School Caring Closet
in Need of Healthy Snacks
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Happy New Year from the Caring Closet committee!
Caring Closet is a free of charge food program at HHS, with 4 locations, accessible to students who may have missed a meal or need a little mind-boosting nutrition over the course of the day.
As you find yourself cleaning out cabinets or encountering bargains as you are grocery shopping, we would like to remind you that we are in great need of donations to maintain our supply of snacks for hungry kids.
The following items are students' favorites:
- Mini bags of pretzels
- Mini bags of crackers
- Rice Krispie bars
- Fruit snacks
- Granola/breakfast bars
Donations can be dropped off at the front office at any time (addressed to Misti Swanson/Caring Closet). Thank you in advance for your help!
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Tuesday, February 1
First Day of Black History Month
6:30pm Personnel Team Meeting
Wednesday, February 2
10:00am Staff Meeting
11:00am Threshold Choir
6:15pm Dinner Church on Zoom
Friday, February 4
10:00am Moms Club of Menomonee Falls/Sussex -Music Club
12:00pm Pastor Julie's Fireside Chat - and on Zoom
Sunday, February 6
9:30am Intergenerational Activity
9:45am "Passing of the Peace"
10:00am Worship Indoor / on Zoom
Sunday, February 6
9:30am Intergenerational Activity
9:45am "Passing of the Peace"
10:00am Worship Indoor / on Zoom
Monday, February 7
Pastor's Sabbath
Wednesday, February 9
10:00am Staff Meeting
6:15pm Dinner Church on Zoom
Thursday, February 10
9:30am Moms Club of Menomonee Falls/Sussex
7:00pm Council Meeting
Friday, February 11
12:00pm Pastor Julie's Fireside Chat - and on Zoom
Sunday, February 13
9:30am Intergenerational Activity
9:45am "Passing of the Peace"
10:00am Worship Indoor / on Zoom
Monday, February 14
Valentine's Day
Pastor's Sabbath
1:00pm Project Linus
Wednesday, February 16
10:00am Staff Meeting
6:15pm Dinner Church on Zoom
Thursday, February 17
10:00am Prayer Shawl
Friday, February 18
12:00pm Pastor Julie's Fireside Chat - and on Zoom
Sunday, February 20
9:30am Intergenerational Activity
9:45am "Passing of the Peace"
10:00am Worship Indoor / on Zoom
11:30am Congregational and Community Engagements Ministry
Monday, February 21
Presidents' Day
Pastor's Sabbath
Wednesday, February 23
10:00am Staff Meeting
6:15pm Dinner Church on Zoom
Thursday, February 24
6:30pm Pastoral Relations Committee
Friday, February 25
12:00pm Pastor Julie's Fireside Chat - and on Zoom
Sunday, February 27
9:30am Intergenerational Activity
9:45am "Passing of the Peace"
10:00am Worship Indoor / on Zoom
11:30am Annual Meeting
Monday, February 28
Pastor's Sabbath
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If you are a loved one would like a prayer shawl during this difficult time, the prayer shawls are available for pick-up Monday - Friday 9:00 - 2:00 and Sunday mornings. |
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Bill & Janet Lamers
Eric & Catherine Richardson
Nancy & Matthew Simpson
Delores Scharmer & Duane Dummer
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February
Gold Can
Healing Hearts of Southeast Wisconsin
Healing Hearts of Southeast Wisconsin is a community-based organization whose mission is to serve and support grieving children and their families.
In October, 2009, a group of concerned individuals representing six Waukesha Wisconsin churches and two funeral homes began meeting to address the need of a safe place for children and families to grieve.
This insightful group recognized that there are many types of losses and causes of grief and established Healing Hearts of Southeast Wisconsin, Inc. to offer free peer-support programs for children and the significant adults in their lives who are dealing with loss due to death, divorce, trauma, addition, abandonment, incarceration, deportation and other life other life altering events.
This birthed a wonderfully valuable organization that delivers validation, support, joy, and hope to an overlooked gem in our community: our grieving children.
Decembers Gold Can for Our ERA's Senior Network raised $390.00 & $96.75 for the Christmas Fund, Thank you for your generosity and support!
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Zoom Worship
Sunday Moring Worship
on Zoom and Facebook Live! Log into Zoom at 9:45am to enjoy passing of the peace and worship at 10:00am central. Prepare your own communion elements on the first Sunday of the month.
We are proud to offer two ways to worship with us in person as well. We have a 9:00am outdoor service in our sanctuary garden and a 10:00am indoor service. Please visit our website for more information on worship.
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February
Anniversaries ❤
February 08
Firzlaff, Jim & Debbie
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February
Birthdays 🎈
February 01
Evelyn Fero
Al Stangler
Mitchell Trapp
February 02
Sue Borth
February 10
Bryce Butryn
Austin Eklund
Sally Gorman
February 11
Vicki Strieter
February 13
James Morris
February 14
Ryan Kuhlman
February 16
Kim Olson
Leah Richardson
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February 19
Janet Curtis
Travis Hart
Liam Richardson
February 20
Eric Larsen
Donna Wegener
February 23
Nicole Parker
February 24
Alice Schultz
Adam Stratmeyer
February 25
Lamar Leckman
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Pastor’s Report January 2022
Pastor’s Report January 2022
December 6, 2021-January 9, 2022
Council Meeting: 1
Personal Meetings/calls: 8+
Fireside Chats: 1
Sunday Worship Services: 2
Blue Christmas Service: 1
Wednesday Dinner Church Worship Services: 2
Christmas Services: 2
Spiritual Direction: 1
Home/Hospital Visit: 3
Moderators: 1
Community of Practice: 1
Drive-In Movie: 2
The Heart that Grew Three Sizes Class: 3
Cookie Sale: 1
What a wonderful Advent and Christmas season! The Grinch theme of The Heart That Grew Three Sizes was well received by adults, youth and families. We had twelve youth participate in our kids class and anywhere from 8-12 adults in attendance each week for our adult class. I also received feedback from a few that said they really relate to the sermon series. The Christmas Program How the Grinch Found the Christ in Christmas was also a great success and it was so wonderful to see all of the youth leading the way. I really appreciate the feedback and participation because it helps me to plan for future themes and directions.
The Drive-in Movie was overall well worth the effort. We did have to cancel one of the nights because of rain. Overall we had a decent turn-out of both members and community members. Some community members drove a bit of a distance to attend our event. I want to thank everyone who helped put the series on. I really appreciate the dedication and the time spent.
Another community event was the cookie sale and I am glad that we were able to safely hold that event this year. The cookies were delicious! And I am glad that it was something that brought together both members of Redeemer and members of the community. Once again, this is another reason to be grateful to the members who made this a successful event.
Our Christmas services went well this year. By far the Christmas Eve Service was the most attended. The Blue Christmas service was the most beautiful service I have ever put together, but was not well attended. In my disappointment I was reminded by my supervisor from my student pastorate that “Particularly this year, people need to know that the church held open space for all of the grief/doubt/hope/joy/lament even if they don’t directly participate.” And with her words of wisdom, I was able to find some peace. Christmas morning was a service of true joy. One of our youth said to me “I’ve been struggling to find joy lately. Thank you for this service, I really felt it." And with those words of wisdom, it made my Christmas.
I am extremely grateful for the two weeks off after Christmas. I was both physically and emotionally exhausted. I spent time just watching movies, playing scrabble and relaxing. I was able to go get a massage for the first time in over two years. She got the knots out of my shoulders and it was a huge relief. If there is one thing I’ve learned is that self-care is really important and I need to do better at taking care of myself. I am also very thankful for Claire and Howie Beutler-Cruise who made this time away possible.
2022 will be a challenging year for my family as Dustin begins Immunotherapy every three weeks for a year. We know that we can do anything through Christ who strengthens us and yet we know that we will have moments of weakness and exhaustion as all humans do. I ask for your grace in my moments of weakness as I continue to serve Christ and Redeemer.
Respectfully submitted by Pastor Julie Eklund.
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Redeemer UCC
Church Council Meeting
13 January 2022 / 6:30 PM / Zoom
AGENDA
- Community Building – Joys & Concerns
- Opening Prayer
STAFF REPORTS
- Office Administrator Report
ANNUAL MEETING UPDATE
- New Date
- In-person vs Virtual
UNITED MINISTRY TEAM MEETING UPDATE
- New Date
- Facilitator
- In-person vs Virtual
REUNITING/BUILDING USE
VOLUNTEER LISTS UPDATE
OLD BUSINESS
- Google for nonprofits update
- Web Provider update
NEW BUSINESS
- Maintenance Outsourcing discussion
- Recognizing Reuniting Committee members at annual meeting
Review of Decisions & Assignments
Adjournment -The Lord`'s Prayer
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Moderator Minute
By Rick Lokken
To Everything (Turn, Turn, Turn)
There is a season (Turn, Turn, Turn)
And a time for every purpose, under Heaven
I am guessing the lyrics to this Pete Seeger song that was popularized by the Byrd's is familiar to many of us. These lyrics are also biblical. Ecclesiastical 3:1-8. There is a time for everything. A time to be busy, and a time to rest. A time for sabbath. We are currently in the midst of another pandemic wave. Medical professionals are hopeful that this latest wave will be like the grand finale of a fireworks show. Until that happens we have been advised to take sabbath and rest. Let us take the month of January and the early part of February as that time of rest.
To Everything (Turn, Turn, Turn)
There is a season (Turn, Turn, Turn)
Then, when the time is right, there will be a time to build up. When that time comes, we will need all the people of Redeemer to do the work of the church.
There is a season for everything.
Peace
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Moderator
Jim Schowalter
Past Moderator
Kyla Stefan
Vice Moderator
Rick Lokken
Council Member
Rick Eggert
Council Member
Tammy Stratmeyer
Council Member
Megan Everts
Council Member
Lisa Morris
Council Member
Catherine Richardson
Treasurer
Nancy Ludin
Council Secretary
Raechel Schowalter
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Congregational & Community Engagement Ministry Team
All of us!
Safe Care
Don Macomber
In Home Visiting
We need you!
Personnel
We need you!
Pastoral Relations
Kurt Stefan
Worship
We need you!
Generosity and Gratitude
We need you!
Funeral Support
Caryn Easterling
Buildings & Grounds
Kim Olson & Fred Smith
Dartball
Mike Strieter
Prairie & Sanctuary Garden
Rick & Nancy Vollbrecht
Cemetery Board
Bob Rockey
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