First United Methodist Church - Wausau Wisconsin
Tuesday, September 19, 2017
Live and Share God's Love
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CareMilestones Deaths: We grieve this month with the loss of these members of our church or of our families.
Joyous (Joy) Roethe, long-time member of our congregation, passed away July 29 in Thousand Oaks, California. We pray for her daughters and their families as they grieve.
Elizabeth Bellas, long time member of our congregation, passed away on August 22. We pray or her children and their families as they grieve.
David Swenson, long time member of our congregation, passed away on August 27. We pray for Mary Ann Dykes, his daughter's families and friends as they grieve.
 Weddings: We celebrate this month with two couples who recently joined matrimony.
Taylor Mariani and Sean Serazen were married here on July 15. Taylor is a member of our congregation.
Matthew Seiser and Samantha Boykins were married here on August 13. This also happened to be the wedding anniversary of Matt's grandparents Bill & Grace Seiser.
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 The Sunshine Gals will be taking sunshine again to two nursing facilities on the first Wednesdays of the month. If you'd like to join us with singing and sharing, please call Arlene Trull at 715.359.7756. She will give you more information. They will be starting again on September 6th, and having breakfast together.
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Join the Conference on Facebook
Are you connected with the Wisconsin Conference United Methodist Church on Facebook? ‘Like’ the Conference page to keep up with UMC news during the week, get updates, and be the first to know about new resources available for you and your church. Go to facebook.com/wisconsinumc and ‘Like’ the Conference Facebook page!
The Ministry of Yoga
Remember that Monday nights at First Church are yoga nights. “Chair Yoga,” for those with limited mobility, begins at 4:30pm, and the class for everyone else begins at 6:00pm. There will be no classes on the New Year’s Day Holiday, January 2, however. Classes will resume January 9.
UMW Reading List
The Reading Program List is available at: umwonline.net in the Reading Program group. Click on Reading Lists in the blue box.
Prayer Shawls
One of the tangible ways that we care for those who are facing the stress and distress of life changes is through our prayer shawl ministry. Each shawl is handmade and has been prayed over by our team. And each shawl is a physical, and very soft, reminder that God is with us.
Do you know someone who would appreciate a shawl? It doesn’t have to be a major crisis or illness. If so, let us know. Tell one of the Prayer Shawl team (Marion Attoe, Mary Ann Dykes, Yvonne Firary, Nancy Flath, Alice Schacht, Jessie Stange, Maggie Werhane, and Jean Zuelke) or Pastor Jerry. We will see that a shawl is provided for the person you love.
Do you know someone who would appreciate a shawl? It doesn’t have to be a major crisis or illness. If so, let us know. Tell one of the Prayer Shawl team (Marion Attoe, Mary Ann Dykes, Yvonne Firary, Nancy Flath, Alice Schacht, Jessie Stange, Maggie Werhane, and Jean Zuelke) or Pastor Jerry. We will see that a shawl is provided for the person you love.
Hospice Volunteer
As our society, state, and community age, people are beginning to pay closer attention to issues surrounding quality of life - and dignity of death. Hospice care can be a part of this.
Interim Health Care, which has already provided flu shots for our church is beginning a new hospice program in Wausau and is looking for volunteers who might want to work in this important area of care. They have opportunities in both direct care (e.g. visits or transportation) and indirect help (e.g. office and scheduling).
If this ministry appeals to you, contact:
Jennifer Juntunen
Human Resources Director
Interim HealthCare
2402 Grand Ave.
Wausau, WI 54403
715-842-7707
Interim Health Care, which has already provided flu shots for our church is beginning a new hospice program in Wausau and is looking for volunteers who might want to work in this important area of care. They have opportunities in both direct care (e.g. visits or transportation) and indirect help (e.g. office and scheduling).
If this ministry appeals to you, contact:
Jennifer Juntunen
Human Resources Director
Interim HealthCare
2402 Grand Ave.
Wausau, WI 54403
715-842-7707
Assist with Funeral Meals
The United Methodist Women have, as a mission, provided funeral lunches. It is an honor to do this for the families. We are updating our volunteer list. We are inviting anyone to help set tables, prepare and serve lunch, and do the dishes. Any help is welcome. If you are interested, please contact Nancy Flath at 715-446-3252, Barb Ritchie at 715-843-7700, or let someone in the office know that you would like to be added to the updated list.
Want to Walk? 40th Wausau Area CROP Walk is scheduled for October 1st. Last October the walkers/runners from First UMC helped raise over $2500 to help support two local food pantries as well as world hunger relief efforts through Church World Service/CROP.
Want to walk? See Margaret Getzin 715-842-9254
Welcome & Communications
This ministry team is all about attitudes...
The attitudes of visitors to our church.
The attitude of our people toward visitors.
The visible tasks of our committee are the Web Site and the Coffee Hour.
Everything else is a matter of good ideas.
Invite someone. Help with Coffee Hour.
Too Much Change! (??)
You may have noticed that we haven't been greeting each other regularly during the 10:00 worship service lately. There are two reasons for this. One is that I'm focused on what's in the Order of Worship, and I tend to forget what's not in it. The other reason is more about hospitality (yes, just like name tags).
While we may like to greet friends we haven't seen all week, to newcomer this time can be a gauntlet of fire. Thom Rainer, President and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources, writes that his research shows this to be one of the biggest turnoffs for church visitors.
So while we love our church community, we want to be truly welcoming to all who may join us. And we can find other times to connect with each other, like during coffee fellowship.
Thank you for understanding.
Family Camp
Blessing of the Backpacks
Septembner 10th during 10:00 a.m. worship
As we start a new year of school, or return to work after the more relaxed feeling that summer brings, it’s good to remind ourselves that God is the source of all that is. Even when we’re at work or school, we can trust that God cares about what’s going on.
All ages are invited to bring whatever you carry for your school or work supplies – whether backpack, book bag, briefcase, or something else – to church with you to receive a blessing on September 10. God’s blessing gives us a fresh start and new energy as we approach the fall season. All are welcome to come up for a blessing
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I would like to invite you to read the blog that I’ve been writing and posting online for the past few years. “Fierce Joy & Hope” is mostly about everyday happenings that I try to look at from a faith perspective. I put a link on the church’s Facebook page (facebook.com/ WausauFUMC) when I post a new entry. Or you can go directly to the blog by typing
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Besides coming to church to worship, in what ways do you serve God with other people? |
Why Wear Nametags?
Put yourself in the place of a first time visitor in our greeting time, with names being handed to you by everyone. Wouldn’t it be nice if everyone were wearing their name tags?
Now imagine you’re a new pastor to this church next July ...
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Click here to download the 2017 Downtown Memory Café Schedule |
Remember Our 1st Sunday Birthday Table
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On the first Sunday of every month, we set up in the Parlor a small table with a copy of the newsletter birthday list, and some birthday cards and envelopes. Take a moment during Coffee Hour to write a greeting. Those who are homebound are indicated (as in the newsletter) with an asterisk, which indicates someone who might especially appreciate being remembered by her or his church family. |
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Fair Trade Coffee. Our United Methodist Women maintain a cabinet of Fair Trade Coffee for sale. This is coffee that is grown by small farmers using sustainable methods. Will buying this coffee save the world? No. Can it make a difference? Yes. Look for the UMCOR sticker on your purchase. This sticker indicates that a percentage of this sale will go to the United Methodist Committee on Relief, so each purchase comes with a giving bonus. |
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Aluminum Cans. One of the more obvious ways that we can show stewardship of creation is simply not to throw as much into landfills. Where something can be recycled and reused in a different form, it should be. We should all be doing this at home and work, but recycling aluminum cans through the church is especially useful. Our Missions Team has taken on the task of redeeming those cans, and all the cash raised in this way is dedicated to mission projects.
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Cans for Missions
The Guatemala Mission Trip is paid for! But keep bringing your aluminum cans to the church!
All proceeds will support our church’s outreach projects.
Visitation Team Report
As most of you know, we have been working to establish some new systems to help our members to be more intentional about caring for each other. Here is what we’ve done:
- Established the core of a Visitation Team, people who have taken on this role as a regular commitment.
- Established an updated Visitation List, with a weekly record of who has been visited most recently, which is available to any member who wishes to make a visit. Both lists are in a marked mail box by the office door.
- Begun a monthly birthday table, available the first Sunday of every month in the Parlor, with a list of members and friends who have birthdays that month. All members are encouraged to stop at the table and send a card - especially to those who may not be able to make it to church regularly themselves.
It’s a start. And we are just starting. If you’re interested in joining the Visitation Team or have other ideas, let either Arlene Trull or Pastor Jerry know in the Office: (715) 842-2201.
Giving by Not Throwing Stuff Away
Sometimes giving to others requires sacrifice. There’s nothing wrong with that: giving sacrificially for others’ sake is what Jesus taught us to do, after all. But sometimes it is incredibly easy to make a difference, and the only thing keeping us from doing so is absent-mindedness. Here are some examples:
Milk Moola - Do you buy milk at Kwik Trip? If so, save the caps of the jugs. Those can be redeemed for money by the Harbor House Ministry in Superior.
Labels for Education / Box Tops for Education - These little labels, found on General Mills boxed foods and Campbell’s Soup cans, can be redeemed by Northcott Neighborhood House in Milwaukee.
Pop Tops from Aluminum Cans - Those little tabs, when given to the Ronald McDonald House, become cash. And, so long as you’re pulling the tabs off the cans, bring the cans in, too.
Aluminum Cans - We all know that these can be redeemed for cash, but most of us don’t bother because the few cans that we have won’t be worth the gas to drive down to the redemption center. But if we all brought our cans in to the church, they would add up. This year, the proceeds of those cans will be used to fund the mission trip to Guatemala.
Bring your cans to the recycling bin in the kitchen. Receptacles for all the other items are in baskets prominently displayed in the Parlor. See? Ridiculously easy. All you need to do is remember.
A Resource for Cancer Patients:
Cleaning for a Reason
One of the stresses of cancer is the weariness that comes from the treatments. It’s just hard to keep up with everything when you’re tired.
Nationwide foundation “Cleaning for a Reason,” has a new affiliate in Wausau. This group provides up to four free house cleanings for cancer patients. If you know someone who qualifies and could use this service, contact:
mariearnold@execcleaning.com
715-506-0970
Nationwide foundation “Cleaning for a Reason,” has a new affiliate in Wausau. This group provides up to four free house cleanings for cancer patients. If you know someone who qualifies and could use this service, contact:
mariearnold@execcleaning.com
715-506-0970
Yoga
Every Monday at 6:00pm
One of the best-kept secrets in our church is the yoga class that meets every Monday. Led by our own Maggie Schoenfeld, suitable for people of all ages and body types, yoga is a powerful way to nurture both body and soul. A suggested donation per session is $8, part of which supports our congregation’s Health Ministries Fund.
Senior Parking Spots
Now that the snow and cold weather have arrived (in force!), we ask you to think twice when you parking at church Sunday mornings. We have many senior members who find it difficult and even unsafe to walk very far in this weather. A few years ago, the Trustees designated the row of parking spots closest to the building as “Senior Parking”, and marked this with signs. Out of concern for those who have a more difficult time, please park as far from the church building as you can, to allow others to park closer. Remember, we can park on the street, and in the Y lots across the street
