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PROGRESS MONTHLY NEWSLETTER FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH / WWW.FLCJ.ORG / (608)752 -7434 VOLUME 27 | ISSUE 12 | DECEMBER 2020 INSIDE THIS ISSUE Join Us December 2, 9, 16 & 23 2 ADVENT STUDY The Gifts of 3 PR. MICHAEL MUELLER Christmas Advent 5 DEACON PEG HAEGER Meditation 6 YOUTH Wednesdays from 10am-Noon and 5-8pm The sanctuary will be open during these time for 8 FLC WOMEN contemplative prayer. Please register your household by calling the church 9 COUNCIL MINUTES office 608-752-7434 x10 or use the link on our website at flcj.org. Each reservation is for 25 minutes to visit 4 prayer stations in the gath- 11 FINANCIALS ering space and sanctuary or you may just come and be in the sanctu- ary for prayer. You will have the opportunity to make a donation to CHURCH Warming Our Neighbors at one of the stations. 13 IMFORMATION To maintain a safer environment, a limited number of households will be scheduled at one time, and socially-distanced seating will be provided. 14 CALENDAR Masks are required. Christmas Eve Drive-In worship 3pm & 6pm Worship this year will be a 30 minute drive-in service. We will have communion, and a battery operated votive candle will be handed out with a bulletin as you enter. 7:00pm Worship Broadcast At 7pm tune in to a Christmas Eve Worship broadcast on Facebook and You Tube ADVENT Sue Goike- Happy Retirement Advent Book Study To the members of First Lutheran, After 3 years as business administrator at Join Lori Stottler in an Advent book First Lutheran, it's hard to believe that only study “Hope; An Advent Journey”. Be- a few weeks remain. As I reflect on my time low is an exert from the book with at First Lutheran, I realize how much of an times and zoom information. honor and a privilege it has been to work This year’s Advent season will be like here. I have grown in my financial none before. As the year began, there knowledge, worked with, and met wonder- were high hopes of 2020 being a year ful people along this journey. I would like to when visions and plans would be ful- say a special thank you to Don Jensen, Mary filled, but as the year progressed Wileman, and Margaret Drinkwater for their many of these hopes were dashed as time and expertise. A big thank you to Sally so many found themselves simply Schuenke, Gail Stroner, and Sarina Chap- trying to survive each day. Perhaps, the most disappointing man for volunteering their time on Mon- part of 2020 was watching as people began losing hope days. I would also like to thank the out- and turning to despair as they came to grips with the fact standing staff at First Lutheran. They are all that, as humans, we can’t control or manage everything in very special individuals, and I feel blessed to life. have worked with them. Lastly, I would like to thank the congregation for the support It would be easy to put Advent on the back burner, forget- that I have received during my years at ting that it is a time when we rejoice and give God praise First Lutheran. for the fulfillment of scripture. In the new work, “Hope: An Advent Journey,” author Olu Brown encourages readers to Although this chapter in my life comes to reclaim Advent as something already here, not a season an end, Doug and I will continue to be ac- waiting to arrive. Matthew’s gospel speaks of Jesus as Em- tive members of the church. We hope to do manuel, which means “God with us.” This name does not some traveling when the time is right, speak of the future, but of the present. spending time with our siblings and our four children and their families. We look for- In spite of our present difficulties, we have Emmanuel. Our ward to God's plan in the next chapter of hope is not based on external situations, but eternal prom- our lives. ises. This Advent season can be the best ever if you dare to Sue Goike embrace the hope of Jesus right now, knowing that God’s grace and love are present to carry you through the most challenging times in your life. HERE IS THE ZOOM LINK: Men of Topic: HOPE: An Advent Journey Time: Nov 25, 2020—6:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada) Iron Every week on Wed, until Dec 23, 2020, 5 occurrences Nov 25, 2020 06:00 PM 9:00am Dec 2, 2020 06:00 PM Dec 9, 2020 06:00 PM Dec 16, 2020 06:00 PM Dec 23, 2020 06:00 PM Meeting: Join Zoom Meeting Saturday, December 12 https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89097542329? Fellowship Hall pwd=VWVaZ2FrRFJkaUNaeTM5SnZEZllhUT09 Meeting ID: 890 9754 2329 Passcode: HOPE2020 Inviting men of all ages to a morning of comradery, learning, and snacks. Satur- Dial by your location day morning, 9-10:30 in the youth room. +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) Meeting ID: 890 9754 2329 Contact Eric for more information Passcode: 56006299 608-290-7083 or [email protected] 2 Progress | First Lutheran Church | December 2020 PASTOR MICHAEL MUELLER So much has been happening among us in recent weeks. Besides the national election and the ongoing pandemic, there are these… Stage Weatherization If you have come to our drive-in worship service recently, you have seen that the stage has been fully weatherized. It now sports a vinyl tent-like enclosure with clear windows on the front and sides, a propane patio heater, and a locked, weatherproof case for the sound system. I want to express our shared gratitude to the FLC Foundation Board for providing the funding, to Terry Ryan for pursuing this particular solution and constructing a stair rail and to Mike Schuler for in- stalling the wiring and mounting the sound equipment. We have a dedicated team of leaders who have been committed to working out solutions. As a result, we are positioned to continue drive-in services for as long as people still want to drive in to worship. We have also been able to partner with Trinity Episcopal Church by sharing our outdoor setup, making it possible for their congregation also to meet outdoors for worship on Sundays at 10:00 AM. Christmas Eve 2020 This will be a Christmas like none other, but we won’t be daunted. The high rates of COVID infec- tion in Rock County prevent us from gathering indoors for our traditional celebrations on Christ- mas Eve, so we are taking Christmas Eve outdoors! Come and sing out loud, hear the Christmas Gospel once again, and join in Communion with Emmanuel, the God who is with us – now, still, in the midst of every challenge. FLC will host 30-minute, drive-in services at 3:00 PM and 6:00 PM. A recorded, video worship ser- vice will also be premiered on Facebook and YouTube at 7:00 PM on Christmas Eve. Area congre- gations have been invited to use our parking lot for drive-in services, each a half-hour in length, at established times during the afternoon and evening. It is gratifying to be able to share the cel- ebration of Christ’s birth among us in this way! A Christmas offering envelope has been included in the newsletter for your convenience. You can bring it to one of the drive-in services or mail it in to the church office. Visioning Update The FLC Vision Team has completed our series of three visioning retreats. Now we are working out the details of the strategies we have envisioned, in preparation for a congregation gathering on Sunday, January 17. That meeting will probably need to be largely online, and we will share more details when that becomes clearer. At that meeting we will walk with you through the whole process and explore strategies to reach, nourish, and empower the community around us with the gospel. Staff changes I am saddened to say farewell to Peg Haeger in her staff role as Deacon at First Lutheran Church (see her letter in this issue), but I am grateful that she will continue to live and serve among us. She has been a great collaborator in my first year on staff and has provided valuable leadership to the congregation, especially through the interim period. We will certainly miss her administra- tive and organizational gifts. At the same time, I am excited to announce that Arwen Twitchett will join our staff this month as the new Business Administrator. Sue Goike will work with her in December to make a smooth transition, and then Sue will finally get to retire again. Sue has given the congregation a great gift of servant leadership, working closely with our treasurer and Council to guide us back to a place of financial stability. Please take the opportunity to share your gratitude with both Sue and Peg! In the midst of many changes, may you be blessed in your Advent watching and waiting! Pr. Michael Mueller Progress | First Lutheran Church | December 2020 3 DEACON PEG HAEGER 4 Progress | First Lutheran Church | December 2020 DEACON PEG HAEGER Refilling Our Spiritual Tanks There were seven of us in a minivan on the road that night. My brother, Tom, had invited my par- ents and our family to Florida for Christmas. Tom lived in West Palm Beach, and he planned a special outing for us to Disney’s Epcot Theme Park to experience their outdoor pavilion Christ- mas concert.