Care

UMW Holiday Cookie Orders

Don't forget to order your prepacked Christmas cookies by Dec. 6th. The order form insert and payments may be dropped off at the church office or contact Barbara Ritchie (1-715-205-4622). The cookies may be picked up the evening of Dee. 10. Proceeds benefitting women, youth and children. UMW is looking for cookie bakers and if you are willing to share your baking skills, contact Barbara Ritchie for additional information. 

---

Confirmation Statements of Faith

 

Pastor Rebecca Voss with the 2021 Confirmands Logan Rohland, Jayden Voss, Peter Johnson, Gideon Adams, Michael Marzu, Oliver Hornby

 

I believe in God the Father. I believe in Jesus and the Holy Spirit. I believe that the Son will keep shining with hope and that the grass will grow again after a winter and finally I believe that good will overcome evil.
Gideon Adams

I believe in God who can be described as a Trinity: the Father, the creator of all, the Lord, our shepherd and protector, the Spirit, the movement and breath of all, I believe in the relationship of the mentor and student, the mentor providing material for the student to learn, the student doing their best to learn, and pass the knowledge that was learned, I believe in the maintenance and protection of relationships of my neighbors, family, and friends, for the protection of relationships allows healthy relationships to flourish and new ones to form,
I believe in the way of life, where things grow and blossom, where things burn and die, and where there are almost always equal reactions and consequences, I believe in the afterlife, where there is a place for us when we die.
Oliver Hornby

I believe God, the creator of heaven and earth, is the creator of every being on earth. I believe that Jesus died on the cross to forgive our sins. I believe he will deliver all from evil. I believe that God is love. I believe God loves everyone no matter their past. I believe that God shows his love by helping those in need. I believe his kingdom is forever eternal.
Peter Johnson

I believe in God and the Holy Spirit. I believe in Jesus Christ, a teacher and counselor to me. Going to camp at Pine Lake really helped ignite my faith in God. The nature and small group really helped me learn more about God. I feel called to use my gift of music to serve the church and to serve others.
Michael Marzu

The Trinity consists of Christ, the Creator, and the Holy Spirit. Christ, or Jesus, is a messenger sent by God to help us follow the word of God. The Creator is God, the one who gave us the gift of life. And lastly, the Holy Spirit, is God's voice in our mind. It is what God is doing today, guiding those who can hear him. God wants us to spread love throughout the world, by doing random acts of kindness for others, such as giving things and services, without expecting anything in return. If we do this, we can truly be happy.
Logan Rohland

I believe that God created this world and has made each of us with love. I believe in following Jesus by reading the Bible and living the way that he teaches. I believe that God came to earth as Jesus, who gave us the Holy Spirit to help us lead a good life. God gave us the Church to help us grow in our faith and help others understand God.
Jayden Voss

 

---

Looking for Christmas presents AND away to support FUMC?

Consider giving gift cards. You can purchase them through the FUMC SCRIP program and a percentage of the purchase price is paid back to the church. The card(s) cost you face value, the gift recipient can use them to buy whatever they really want from almost any major retail store, restaurant, or online seller, ...And FUMC benefits. Everyone wins!

We have now set up an electronic account with the SCRIP provider, so delivery time is much quicker. You'll get your cards in the next week! We would like to place an order after church Sunday, December 12th, you will be able to pick up your cards on Sunday, December 19th, just in time for Christmas! Please consider supporting FUMC in this painless way. Remember: the more cards you buy, the more we earn!

Thanks you, Mark Johnson

---

Awning and Concrete Repair Project
 

The Trustees would like to make the entrances to the church from the parking lot safer, the signage clearer, and the north side of the building more visually welcoming. After reviewing our options, we would like to repair the concrete, widen the slope to the entrance by the Sanctuary and install large powder-coated aluminum awnings that completely cover the accessible entries to the two main entrances from parking lot. Both awnings would have a fascia with 8" lettering to lead guests to the right door. the

This project will cost about $20,000 in donations to protect better our most-used entrances and welcome people to our church. Please write "awnings" in a check memo with any support you can give or see Bruce Brandenburg or Pastor Rebecca with questions. Thank you!

 

 

---

First UMC Journey to the Holy Land – January 18-27, 2022

I am excited to invite our congregation and community to join me on a journey to Jordan, Israel, and Pales- tine with the Society for Biblical Studies (SBS). I first traveled to the Holy Land with SBS almost 5 years ago, and I’m eager to share this transformational experience with more people.

SBS is led by Rev. Dr. Peter Miano, who is an Elder in the New England Conference and served many years as the UM missionary in Bethlehem. His extensive familiarity and connections with leaders in the Holy Land, fluency in Hebrew and Arabic, and commitment to providing sustainable and peace-building travel, experiences, and relationships is superior to any other Holy Land programs or tours available.

The other big advantage of joining this journey is the small size. Our group will likely be a total of 15-20 people (from Wausau and other parts of the US). All the other tourist-focused groups with fleets of huge buses busy taking people to gift shops missed so many sights and stories that we got to experience. For in- stance, on my last trip, Peter had connections to get our group inside the Dome of the Rock, complete with a local expert guiding us, which no other tours could do.

A misconception many people have about traveling to the Holy Land is that it is dangerous. Unfortunately, the news doesn’t report the whole story or big picture, and that results in a lot of inaccurate perceptions. The fact is there is far less violence and crime and overall risk in Jordan, Israel, and Palestine than there is in the US, including Wisconsin. Who would have guessed it is safer going to this part of the Middle East than it is vacationing in Florida?

The other safety question is health/COVID related. As long as you are fully vaccinated and follow recom- mended health safety practices, data shows that it is safe to travel internationally. If there is a “force majeur” that prevents general travel to the area, SBS will refund the cost of the trip as the vendors refund them. Travel insurance is also available.

The cost of the journey, including travel from the US, hotels, sights, and most food is $3,198 for 10 days, or $4,587 if you’d like to add a 4-day extension. My husband and I are only going for the main 10-day journey but encourage you to add the 4-day extension if your time and finances allow it. Please call, email, or visit me if you are interested in going, and I will answer questions (or get answers from Peter) and help you with the paperwork. This is an incredible life- and faith-transforming journey, and I hope to experience it with you!

NEW PRODUCTS-- Mission-Driven—in the UMW cabinet!

Coffees--Just in for Spring!

Prefer Tea?

Chocolate treats for your Easter basket!

 

 

---

If you want to learn more about staying safe on-line here are a few links to some good information....   https://www.aarp.org/home-family/personal-technology/info-2019/privacy-for-seniors.html https://www.senioradvisor.com/blog/2015/01/internet-safety-tips-for-seniors/ https://resources.infosecinstitute.com/7-security-awareness-tips-for-senior-citizens/    A few more tips on keeping your computer safe.   Always update your operating system (Windows 10 or Apple OSX) and keep it updated by installing the Security Updates that Microsoft or Apple sends you. Both Microsoft and Apple have gotten very good at protecting your PC or Mac if you keep them updated. That means when you get a software update notifications from them you should install them, especially those that are titled Security Updates.   Consider installing some Anti-Virus software if you have not already. If you have Charter/Spectrum as your internet provider they offer  FREE Security Suite Anti-virus software to their customers. Other options are McAfee or Norton Lifelock, both involve monthly fees.   If your PC seems to be running slower than it used to you may have been infected with Malware or Adware. There's some excellent free software that can be used to scan your hard drive a find it and quarantine/remove it. Here's the link: www.malwarebytes.com