First United Methodist Church - Wausau Wisconsin
Wednesday, July 15, 2020
Live and Share God's Love

Care

How We've Been Gathering for the Last Two Months...

 
First Church’s Wednesday Evening Youth & Youth Leaders
 
 
Image goes here.

Memory Café... Special Delivery!

Our masked parking lot gang includes clockwise: Maggie, Nancy T (heading to the chiropractor tomorrow), Little Billy, Patti, Mary Ann & Carmen... I mean Carole :)

 
 
 
 

Thoughts from Martie

Some of you have mentioned that you are reading the New Testament book of Matthew, which I suggested reading in the last Messenger. I hope you are discovering things that you had not noticed before. Justin Loew, meteorologist for channel 9, was here for Memory Café several months ago and mentioned a weather saying that he said was in the Bible. I thought at the time that he must be mistaken, but then I was reading Matthew 16: 2-3, and there it was:

Jesus answered them, “When it is evening, you say,‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.’

I’m sure that I have read the above passage more than once before, but did not remember it.. That is one of the exciting aspects of reading the Bible, you always find new insights.

If you finish the book of Matthew and are looking for another book of the Bible to read, may I suggest the Old Testament book of Genesis. Genesis is longer than Matthew, so it may take you longer to read it but it will be worth it. Genesis starts with creation and Adam and Eve, tells the story of God’s covenant with Abraham, and ends with the Hebrews down in Egypt. There are a lot of interesting events in this book. Try reading it, you might like it!

Window art work created by Joan in room 101 facing Third Street.

 

Due to the restrictions set forth by the CDC regarding the COVID-19 virus, I have made the decision to cancel our Savvy Seniors group for now. I hope that you all remain healthy during this trying time and will join us when we are able to regroup.

Thank you , Vicki Nowaczyk

If you would like to order SCRIP and know what you want, please contact Martie at the office, finance@fumcwausau.org.

Personal Financial Stewardship

God calls us to practice stewardship in all things. This includes how we use our time, our energy and our financial resources, not just at church but in all of our earning, spending and saving. With that in mind, we offer these suggestions for personal financial steward- ship. Here is your final installment:

Only eat out once a week. For some people, eating out once a week is a major splurge. But for others, eating out that little is a major sacrifice. No matter where you fall, try to limit your restaurant eating to once a week and see what a huge change it makes in your budget!

from daveramsey.com/blog/save-100-to-1000-minimal-effort?

 

Please Consider Helping

 
Since this coronavirus emergency began, First  Church has been sending weekly connections messages via email and USPS mail to say that  “We’re here for you” and to remind us that church is we are and what we do rather than a building.

Being good stewards of our resources, we had not  budgeted postage costs for communications during  a pandemic. If you are able to contribute toward  these costs, please consider doing so.
 

 

How can you “Live & Share God’s Love ... with peace, joy & hope” today, in your workplace (if you’re still able to work) and at home? This is God’s call for us not just in the easy times but in the “interesting” ones as well.

On many communion Sundays, you receive an insert that says, “This month I commit to:” I call on you and all the faithful people of First Church this month to commit to calling/texting/emailing family and friends. And, I call on you to open your church directory and call people—the ones you know and the ones you don’t.

Pastor Jayneann

 
 
 
The Sunshine Gals loved taking their warmth to the residents at The Gardens and Mount View Care Center the past years. We have spread our sunshine with music, sharing readings and our thoughts, adding laughter and smiles, conversing with memories, and showing our care through our handshakes. We have become good friends with the common cause of spreading love.

If you would like to join us and take part in this ministry of our church, we would truly welcome you!!! Please call me if you have questions at 715.359.7756.

Arlene Trull
 

Downtown Memory Cafe 2020 Events


January 16:  “Penny for your Thoughts” Join us as we kick off 2020 with a fun Penny Ante Game—a great way to get to know one another!

February 20:  “Beautiful Wisconsin” TV 9 Meteorologist, Justin Lowe, joins us to share pictures of our beautiful state—and answer all of our burning weather-related questions! 

March 19: “Cutie Pie” Spring on in with your baby picture or picture of your “spring chicken” selves. We will guess who each other is! And, of course, eat pie!  

April 16: “Wisconsin Supper Clubs” Enjoy piano, string bass and percussion by local music artist Ray Kraemer, mocktails, relish trays. We will host a surprise local supper club owner!

May 21: “Downtown Memory Café turns 6!” A Café of music and activities for our local police crew for National Police Week. And cake!

June 18:  “Attracting our Fine Feathered Friends”  Fly on in for a presentation from Wild Birds Unlimited—something to tweet about!

July 16:  “Down on the Farm!”  Play farm bingo for laughs. Make whipped cream at our tables and serve it over strawberry shortcake. A yummy, fun time!

August 20:  “Picnic at Marathon Park”  Bring your lawn chairs and a mystery/unusual item to share. We will have a guessing good time!

Sept. 17: “Travel Talk” Join us for a travel talk, complete with ethnic food and music! To be announced.

October 15: “Laugh Basket!”  Too fun to miss! We will collect a basketful of fun items to don and show each other. A café complete with jokes, one-liners and tongue-twisters!

November 19: “Book Club!” Share a favorite book, cookbook, family album or novel. Open mic to those who wish to recite a poem or favorite quote! Don’t miss this chapter!

December 17: “Holiday in Song!” Back by huge demand, join Blowin’- in-the-Winds recorder group for a holiday sing-a-long and more!
 

Moving Forward - Notes from Staff Parish Relations

Your SPRC has been meeting frequently through Zoom during the past couple of months. With Pastor Jayneann’s guidance (and soon, Pastor Rebecca’s), it is our group’s responsibility to help guide us through the pandemic time and look ahead to how and when we will reopen to in-person worship services and church activities. It has been good to know and see through this time, though, that worshiping and being present with God does not need to be in a church building. Online services, Zoom connections and meetings, a walk or bike ride, the Personal Needs Closet, Memory Cafe activities, etc. are just some of the ways to connect and be present with God and in God’s world.

As we have gathered information from state and local government agencies, read through Conference guidelines and materials, listened to other pastors and churches, etc. ...
 the feeling remains strong that we are not ready to reopen our doors to services within the church building. Our church’s average attendee’s age is definitely on the higher end, more susceptible to the virus and its symptoms. So, we are planning to continue our online presence indefinitely, with one major exception.

More information will be coming through letters in the next couple of weeks, but we want to honor Pastor Jayneann’s desire to have her last service be both online and in-person for those who want to come. Plans are moving forward to have her final service on Sunday, June 14, 9:00 am, in the church’s courtyard. There will be many adjustments made to ensure the safety of the people who attend. Social distancing measures will be in place, masks will be required for everyone, attendees will bring their own chairs and their own communion supplies, and you will need to register your desire to attend, as soon as possible, with Joan in the church office, as space in the courtyard is limited. Parking will be available at the YMCA across the street, and behind the church in our parking lot. Access to the building, to the water fountains, and to the bathrooms will not be allowed that morning, so make plans accordingly. If you feel you want/need hand sanitizer during this service, please make sure you bring some along.

We definitely recognize that many people will not be comfortable attending this in-person worship ser- vice, so an online service will be available for that Sunday as well. We all want to recognize Pastor Jayneann’s leadership and guidance for our church during the past three years, and we hope that whether you at- tend in person or watch online on June 14, you will join with SPRC to help her celebrate the end of her time with our church.

Following this final service, the last two Sundays in June will still be online. There will be a link to Pas- tor Rebecca’s service on June 21 with her current church, and more information will follow for June 28 and for July 5. Pastor Rebecca’s first official Sunday with us will be on July 12. We anticipate that these upcoming services will remain online, but we will keep all of you updated as best we can as we move forward through the summer.

Once again, Pastor Jayneann’s final service with us will be Sunday, June 14. If you would like to attend this service in person, in the courtyard, please contact Joan in the church office (715.842.2201) and let her know how many will be coming. If you have any questions about this service or anything else regarding our church, please feel free to contact Bonnie Goertz (715.359.9871), Stan Schacht, Dottie Nietert, Gary Getzin, or Tim Harvey, your SPRC members.
 
 

Congratulations to our College Graduates

Joshua Dvorak-Bachelor of Science, with double majors in Molecular Biology & Anthropology, UW Madison

Josie Rybarczyk-Bachelor of Science from the Honors program in Marketing & Human Resources, UW Milwaukee

Gregory Chang-Bachelor of Science with double majors in Physics & Statistics, UCLA

sabbath?

Pandemic

What if you thought of it

as the Jews consider the Sabbathщ۬
the most sacred of times?

Cease from travel.

Cease from buying and selling.

Give up, just for now,

on trying to make the world

different than it is.

Sing. Pray. Touch only those

to whom you commit your life.

Center down.

And when your body has become still,
reach out with your heart.

Know that we are connected

in ways that are terrifying and beautiful.
(You could hardly deny it now.)

Know that our lives

are in one another’s hands.

(Surely, that has come clear.)

Do not reach out your hands.

Reach out your heart.

Reach out your words.

Reach out all the tendrils

of compassion that move, invisibly,
where we cannot touch.

Promise this world your love--

for better or for worse,

in sickness and in health,

so long as we all shall live.

Lynn Ungar 3/11/20, lynnungar.com
 
 

Jubilate Handbells at 2510

First Church's Facebook Page

Please take a look at our church Facebook page! We currently have a meal train up for the Hornbys with opportunities to help with a meal. Some of our other activities are listed there as well.

If you have something you would like to put on the FB page, let Jen Johnson know. She will make all attempts to post it. Her number is 715-470-2527

 

Fun Visiting
 
 
Pine Lake United Methodist Camp