By God’s grace we share the gift of love with all creation through worship, education, fellowship and stewardship. Volume 34 Issue 5 June & July 2015 From the Pastor’s Desk My son, Marvin, is obsessed with water right now. He loves going into the bathroom, climbing his stool, and turning on the sink. He’ll ask for ice for his water bottle and then carefully place a couple cubes in his cup. When I put laundry in the washer, he wants to help and suddenly doing laundry takes a bit longer! Bath time is the best time of day for him as he splashes and plays. There was even a time when he was a bit younger that my son played in the toilet water before I ran shrieking into the bathroom and washed him thoroughly! I’ve been thinking a lot about our water usage lately as Marvin has become so fascinated with all the ways in which we use water. This has made me realize at our house we are using much more than we need. It’s also reinforcing what we’re hearing in California recently about shortages of water, and what we’ve been hearing for years about water shortages in many parts of the world. ELCA World Hunger has a wonderful image comparing water usage around the world which I’ll replicate here: It’s not only water usage, though, that’s causing problems. The selling of plastic water bottles is banned on city property in San Francisco. According to one report, Americans use 50 billion plastic water bottles each year and only 23% of those are recycled. San Francisco is doing what many national and local parks have already done. Our containers holding water are problematic. So how do we balance the fact that we definitely need water to survive, to do our daily tasks, and to enjoy life while also making sure we’re not using more than we actually need or that our water containers aren’t doing more harm than good? “A Dime A Time” is the name of our latest financial initiative at Peace. Our Economic Task Force has done a great job of introducing this theme and giving us something tangible to track our water usage. Enclosed in this newsletter you will find a chart for keeping track of your water usage each day. One goal of this initiative is to raise money so we keep thriving and growing as a church. Another goal is to see how we can lower our consumption so we are not wasting such a valuable resource. Throughout the summer we will run “A Dime A Time” and our goal is to raise $5000 for our ongoing capital campaign. In worship each weekend this summer, we will also use Biblical texts dealing with water. God uses water throughout scripture to cleanse, to heal, to give life, and as a symbol to fulfill promises. Come to worship as we bring these stories of water to life in preaching, teaching, and song! Come and hear again the baptismal promise that through water and the Holy Spirit God gives us new birth, cleanses us from sin, and raises us to eternal life! And join this initiative to not only raise money for the future of our congregation, but for the vitality of our world. Pastor Erica Becker Summer in the Son! Peace Lutheran Preschool It takes a village to raise a child. Thank you for being part of our village. The ultimate goal of growing our Preschool ministry is to make a positive impact in the lives of those we serve. To know that I am part of a team that makes a positive difference will forever be one of my life’s biggest treasures. Please know your support makes a difference and I want to tell you how…. The “three year old” memory is as vivid as if it happened yesterday. Imagine that it is the first day of a new school year. The preschool classrooms are staged with lots of inviting activities, great books and look, well, like it would be fun to explore. The teachers and I are excited to welcome a crew of smiley and perhaps somewhat anxious little people who are walking into the building wearing backpacks that are bigger than they are. The excitement is through the roof. Not sharing in the joy is a little boy who is being carried into the classroom in his mother’s arms. He is kicking, screaming and crying hysterically. Mom lovingly places him into the arms of his teacher and as she rushes out of the classroom while she quickly explains that he’s never been away from her or away from home because he has a sibling with a significant disability. For the first month, teachers close the classroom doors to prevent him from racing out of the classroom. At the start, he had no language, rarely made eye contact and would bang his head on the floor in frustration. We hired an extra teacher just to keep him safe. We collaborated with Waunakee Schools to bring in early childhood specialists. We asked to keep him in preschool an extra year to give him more time to interact with peers. One of his teachers spent her summer vacation bringing him to preschool so she could work with him one on one. TODAY, he’s the child who brightens my day as I watch him play with his peers; and the special education teacher does not see that he has any need for her. This is our goal. This child will leave Peace Preschool in a few weeks, ready academically, socially and emotionally for Kindergarten and it is with no small amount of pride that we tell you so. Your participation and support as the congregation of Peace Lutheran Church ensured that we could make these important developmental gains happen and have set this young man off with the ability to use the education that the public school will now provide for him. Thank you for supporting and embracing our outreach ministry; clearly you make a difference! ‘A Dime A Time’ To help Peace Lutheran operate at its highest financial potential and to continue growing our programs and church, we introduce our next initiative: ‘Dime A Time’ Let’s have fun and make a splash together. Our task: We all need & use water on a daily basis … what if you kept track? The idea: Every time you use water throughout the summer … contribute a dime to your bucket or to your water bottle or put a checkmark on your card (below). Children: Each Sunday during the children’s sermon we’ll ask all the children to pour their dimes from the week into our fish tank. Adults: We’ll also take your dimes or donations in the fish tank or your checks along with your Dime A Time cards. The goal: By the start of the next school year, the goal is to raise $5,000 … one dime at a time. Have fun! Give back! Grow Peace! Dime A Time - Peace Lutheran Church Summer Generosity Project NAME: _______________________________________________________ Each square = dime (1 time water use) AMOUNT: __________________ Full card = $50 Within These Walls Family Fun Night! (HS Mission Trip Fundraiser) Wednesday, June 17th Activities for the whole family will be provided by high school and college summer staff! Plus, you’ll get to enjoy the delicious chili and pies that people from Peace have made. We’re having a pie baking contest and chili cook-off in June! If you like to bake and cook, or just have a competitive side, then think about donating a pie or a pot of chili! We’ll serve the pies and chili at our Family Fun Night on June 17. Sign up to bake or cook with a group or on your own. Deadline for signing up is Sunday, May 31st. Bowling Fundraiser - Thank you! Thank you to everyone who helped make our bowling fundraiser for the high school mission trip a success! We had over 40 people bowl on Sunday, May 17th with their families and raised over $500. We appreciate your support and hope to see you again next year on the lanes! Wine, Women, and the Word! We currently have 4 groups of Wine, Women, and the Word who meet on a monthly basis. Each group meets at a different house (or here at Peace!) each month to talk about a book, enjoy catching up, and pray with one another. If this sounds like something you’re interested in, we’d love to hook you up with an existing group or even start a new group! Contact Pastor Erica for more information. Summer Music Any musicians (young and not-so-young) who would like to share their talent with special music during the months of June, July and August are asked to contact Sherry Johnson, our music coordinator. We’d love to have you enrich our summer worship as our groups take a much-deserved break. Please call or email Sherry if interested and willing! sjohnson@plcemail.org or 849-7322 x15 or 849-5736 Confirmation 2015 Confirmands: Back row (left to right): Scott Rauls, Sean Olm, Hans Fuerst, Kyle Ihrke, Mark Flinchum, Ian Jacobson Front row (left to right): Sarah McGowan, Hope Scott, Ben Cleary, Nolan Thole, Michael Treadwell, Nick Rogers, Cody Nechvatal, Megan Sankey, Molly Rappe, Geneva Crownover Not pictured: Robert (Bo) Borchardt Connect with Peace As communication technology continues to advance, we would like to enhance our ability to communicate important information with you. Please make sure we have your latest contact information. We need: 1. Updated email address for home / work. 2. Updated cell phone numbers for all family members (texts) 3. Ask you to “like” Peace Lutheran Church on Facebook. 4. Remind you that we will do our best to have the latest available information on our website at www.peaceinwaunakee.org. Please email the church office at peace@plcemail.org or call the church office at 608/849-7322 with your latest contact information! Thank you!! In the Jungle, the mighty Jungle …. PLC ‘Animal’ Variety Show & Silent Auction It was Sunday, May 3 3:00pm In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the LION was wide awake at the Peace Variety Show. If you came to this year’s Variety Show and Silent Auction, THANK YOU! We hope that the lions, tigers, bears and many more animals brought you laughter and smiles! Oh, my! Thank you to the 60+ ‘animals’ who participated IN the show, behind the scenes and in the jungle, who made desserts (yum), who donated items for the Silent Auction (PLC members and local businesses), who volunteered to help with the Auction, to the Salzwedels for the tasty Concession Stand popcorn, candy and bottled waters, to Pastor Karen (photographer), Joe Juergens (videographer), Dave Sullivan (sound techie), Madison Ceder and Natalie Kazynski (CD operators), Pastor Doug, Sarah Sampe Locken and Sam Salzwedel (Stage Crew Dudes and Dudette), Sherry Johnson (accompanist-extraordinaire), and to ALL those who helped clean up after the show and auction. It was a rip-ROARRRRING success! We raised over $5,300 that will benefit the Capital Campaign projects of Peace Lutheran Church! Hold your horses! Yes, 2015 Variety Show DVDs are now available!! They are near the ‘jungle show photo gallery’ outside the church office. Just make a nice donation (placing it in the ‘animal donations box’) and take a DVD home today. What does the fox say? It says … thanks! It was a ‘cool cat’’ kind of day!! And I’m not ‘lion’…. Jan Rutkowski, Variety Show Organizer & Carrie Miller, Silent Auction Organizer Fellowship Can You Feel the Love Tonight at the Overture?! The PLC Fellowship Team is working on ordering tickets for some AMAZING events at the Overture Center in Madison for the fall of 2015 and spring of 2016 …. We’re hoping to reserve an abundance of fabulous seats for the following shows … “Newsies”, “Whose Live Anyway”, “Wicked”, Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast”, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “The Sound of Music”, “Motown the Musical”, and Disney’s “The Lion King”! More details will be upcoming ‘Weekend Announcements’ blue inserts at church and in the August B&P newsletter. Hakuna Matata! A Word of Financial Stewardship Cynthia Rykal, Business Manager at Peace FINANCIAL TIDBITS …… MORSELS ….. AND WE ARE AWESOME TOGETHER!! TIDBITS – SECURE SHREDDING EVENT! All are welcome to drop off old files, bank statements, cancelled checks, etc. at US Bank this Saturday, May 30 th between 8:00 a.m. and noon. They are also accepting food for the Waunakee Food Pantry. MORSELS - 1ST QUARTER UPDATE MEMBERSHIP GIVING TRACKER PLEDGE TYPE ANNUAL QUARTERLY MONTHLY WEEKLY UNPLEDGED LOOSE OFFERING TOTAL GIVING REC’D 2015 BUDGET PLEDGE AMOUNT $33,635 $50,000 $128,700 $93,756 $465,000 GIVING RECEIVED $13,142 $27,480 $31,967 $21,580 $35,727 $665 $130,561 $130,561 % 39% 55% 25% 23% 28% EXPENSES UPDATE Total expenses for the 1st quarter are at 25% of total budgeted. MORTGAGE UPDATE The loan was paid off in April and celebrated the first weekend in May. Elimination of our mortgage will save $7,600+ in our 2015 budget. PRAISE THE LORD! 2015 CAPITAL CAMPAIGN - WALKING HUMBLY Our first campaign, Walking Humbly, was an overwhelming success! Money raised during the 1st quarter for elimination of the 2014 deficit and give us better financial stability was $18,305. But this is not final! Money raised and applied to the Walking Humbly Special Fund during the 2nd quarter totaled $35,326. WALKING HUMBLY SPECIAL FUNDS 10% TITHING FOR CAMPAIGN TOTAL APPLIED TO ELIMINATE DEFICIT $35,326 ( 3,000) $32,326 A huge thank you to all who participated It couldn’t have been done without YOU! WHERE DID WE TITHE? Our first tithing gifts were given to Lutheran Campus Ministries and the Dane County Jail Ministry. We will continue to tithe as funds are generated. Through regular gifts received for World Hunger we have also given $920 directly to the ELCA for World Hunger. TOGETHER WE MAKE A BIGGER DIFFERENCE! WE ARE NOT DONE YET! LET’S KEEP THE ENERGY GOING! In Our Prayers Please pray for the following people of Peace … Jim Salverson; Marie Hjella; Jackie Sommers; Dorothy Trager; Carol Startup; Marilyn Raab; Curt Faust; Norma Dibbert; Mike Sommers; Tony Benish; Dayne Brissette; Jaelyn Hicks; Rachel Rykal; Betty Teetzen; LeAnn Xavier; Rich Wandschneider; Ken Kokesh. Please pray for the following people … Norma Jean (Maggie Dorn’s sister); William (Carolyn Hammons’ brother); Tom (Bill and Sandy McCann’s family friend); Marvin (Christi Larson’s grandfather); Robert (Gordon Faust’s brother); Ken (friend of Craig and Jude Larson); Kathy (Monique Hicks’ mother-in-law); Lois (Brian Dresen and Rhonda Treadwell’s grandmother); Erik (assistant to the Bishop); Maxie (Maggie Ziegler’s aunt); Lee (Sue Frueh’s father); Quill (friend of Don and Mary Thompson); Glenn and Marilyn (Sharon Nelson’s parents). Pray for Sandy and Duane Esse with the death of Sandy’s brother Jim; for Steffie and Josh Holmen with the death of Josh’s father Dalton; for Jordann Hoffman with the death of her father John. Watch over those who reside in care facilities . . . Ed Colbert (Waunakee Manor), Shirley Freimuth (Sienna Crest), Dan Teetzen, Irene Richter (The Manor), Julia (Cindy Rykal’s mother, Homestead), Vera (Jeanette Krumheuer’s sister, The Manor). Pray for Kent (Hallie Riedel and Melissa Mansfield’s brother), and all those serving in the armed forces, and those living in war zones and the Middle East. Worship & More 5:00pm 9:00am 10:15-11:15am 10:15-11:15am Worship on Saturday Evening Sunday Morning Worship Sunday School / Education Hour (September - May) Peace Choir Rehearsal (September - May) Church Staff, Council, Church Officers Karen Locken, Lead Pastor Sherry Johnson, Music Coordinator Erica Becker, Pastor Sandra Briesath, Preschool Director Doug Locken, Pastor Jerry Johnson, Peace Choir Director Jan Rutkowski, Office Supervisor & Radical Ringers Director Steffanie Holmen, Property Manager Sherry Johnson - Chapel Chimes Director, Resurrection Director, JuBellations Director Denise Blume, Assistant Treasurer Cindy Rykal, Business Manager Sherry Johnson, Ann Albert & Elaine Mischler: Pianists/Organists Jenny Magee, Joyful Noise Director Molly Petroff, Grace Notes Director Heidi Gaugert, Nursery Coordinator Keri Ceder & Anne Jastromski, Sunday School Coordinators Council members and Church Officers: Patti Tuttrup (President), Nick Morrison (Vice President), Judy Hughes (Secretary), Pam Reynolds (Treasurer), Andy Bigsby, Amy Dresen, Paulette Emberson, Lisa Hansen, Penny Haugen, Sarah Salzwedel, Tom Sankey, Julie Schnell Give ONLINE today! We now offer electronic giving! Please consider automating your regular giving with our electronic giving program. Peace relies on the financial support of the congregation and electronic giving offers a simple and easy way to give on a recurring basis or to give one time gifts. We can accept debit or credit cards, as well as automatic withdrawals from your checking or savings account. Scan the code or visit www.peaceinwaunakee.org and click on "Support" to set up electronic giving today! Peace Lutheran Church 701 S. Century Avenue Waunakee, WI 53597 (608) 849-7322 Email: peace@plcemail.org Fax: (608) 849-7792 www.peaceinwaunakee.org CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED Non-Profit Org. U. S. Postage PAID Permit No. 19 Waunakee, WI
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