INSIDE: Celebrating Bridget’s Ministries • Preschool Springfest & Silent Auction

Join us for Worship!

Sunday, Apr. 28:

• 8am: live stream at 1stlu.org/live, and in-person. Nursery available.

• 10:30am: live stream at 1stlu.org/live, and in-person. Nursery available.

Wednesday, May 1:

• 6:15pm: Live stream at 1stlu.org/live, and in-person. Nursery available.

Celebrating the Ministries of Bridget Crave

From Pastor Stanton:

As Bridget Crave retires from being the Community Impact Director, I am most thankful for the time, wisdom and service offered by Bridget as she carved a path at First Lutheran to provide leadership to our Community Impact ministries. Ten years ago, we completed a Strategic Plan that named—as a high priority—the desire to create a position that would help our church look outside our own walls more often and more creatively. Bridget has helped lead our Teen Clothes Closet during her time on staff and was instrumental in moving it to its current location at Trinity Lutheran where it serves hundreds of families a year. She has made sure First is among the leading congregations at the Hunger Walk in La Crosse, Monday Meals at Trinity and Juneteenth celebrations. She contributed toward our Waking Up White reading and put together/ kept together countless Lent & Advent small groups throughout the years. She led our synod’s commitment to staff the Warming Shelter downtown and did so much more than all this.

Amidst all that she and her husband, Glen, have navigated these past couple of years, we all hope healing and wholeness come to stay for a good long time in their lives. They deeply deserve it. Bridget and Glen represent the absolute BEST of who First Lutheran is and what our family of faith is about. Please make every effort to thank Bridget for her time on staff whenever you see her.

54321 Incarnation Witnesses — Yellow

As we make our way toward Pentecost, you are invited to practice the 54321 exercise and then take a picture or two of something you have seen, touched, heard, smelled or tasted of the color for that week. This week, do the exercise and take one or two pictures of something YELLOW that you notice around you. Email the photo(s) to karyn@firstlu.org. We will gather these photos and create a collage that will remind us throughout the summer to celebrate the embodied resurrection with our whole selves. Learn more about the 54321 exercise at 1stlu.org/next.

Newsletter Assembly

It’s a relaxing way to volunteer! Monday, Apr. 29, at 10am, to assemble the May newsletter. See you there! 

Monday Night Community Meals

For many years, Trinity Lutheran Church on the northside of La Crosse has hosted a meal on Monday nights. First Lutheran has agreed to help with this important community ministry, by preparing a meal, serving the food and cleaning up. We need people to plan and prepare the meal to feed about 150 people, and folks to serve the meal (5-6pm) and help with cleanup. Meal prep can be done at your convenience. Many times people prepare the main course a week ahead, freeze it and reheat it. Food for the meal can be gotten at no charge from the Hunger Task Force in La Crosse. NEXT DATE: Apr. 29. You can sign up at 1stlu.org/monmeals.

Sugar Creek Events

• April 30 – Peer Ministry, Plan-it

• May 4 – Volunteer Work Weekend

• June 9 – First day of Summer Camp

To register for the above events, contact the camp at 608.734.3113 / camp@sgrcreek.org.

Bible Readers Deep Dive: Psalms

Join Pastor Stanton for an online study of the Psalms! Life consists of 1) seasons of well-being, 2) seasons of hurt and 3) moments of surprise when we are overwhelmed with the new gifts of God. The Psalms—more than any other part of the Bible—are able to accompany us through all the seasons and moments! Each weekday Pastor Stanton posts a 5-10 minute deep dive into the Psalms. Find it at: FirstLutheranOnalaska.org, facebook.com/1stlu and youtube.com/1stlu.

Courageous Men’s Group

The Courageous Men’s Group are men of all ages who meet weekly on Wednesdays at 6am in the Fireside Room for a time of fellowship and study. Contact Jim Knutson or the church office for more info: jim@firstlu.org.

Graduation Recognition

First Lutheran will bless graduates in worship on Wednesday, May 1, and Sunday, May 5. Join us on those days for a special blessing to celebrate this milestone. Graduates will receive more details about this service in the coming days.

Sunshine Team

The Sunshine Team meets on the first Thursday of every month. NEXT: May 2, 9:30am. Various jobs: cleaning, sweeping, mopping, vacuuming, washing windows and cleaning carpets. Help make First look nice! Refreshments are supplied to replenish your reserves! Dues are free! Questions? Contact Dan at dan@firstlu.org.

Sugar Creek Volunteer Weekend

Sugar Creek has a wide variety of projects for any skill set and level of ability. Come with your family or by yourself and enjoy the blessing of serving others by making Sugar Creek Bible Camp ready for summer camp season! Help play a part in building, cleaning, arranging and preparing the camp's buildings, trails and equipment for a safe and busy season ahead. Choose from a range of outdoor and indoor projects: Paint, garden, stain, clean cabins, do trail work, wood chip, build fences, split and stack firewood, move sheds, lay shingles, and more. Many hands make light work! Enjoy Sugar Creek hospitality and hearty meals all day Saturday, May 4—or you can stay over Friday night and be ready to go bright and early Saturday morning. Friday night lodging and Saturday meals are FREE for volunteers at this event! RSVP: office@sgrcreek.org or call 608.734.3113.

Synod’s Anti-Racism Survey

The La Crosse Area Synod Anti-Racism Team would like your feedback regarding issues of race, racism, anti-racism work and how these issues intersect our faith and public life.

Online Survey Link

This survey takes approximately 4-7 minutes to complete. The deadline to complete the survey is Tuesday, May 14. The anti-racism team will share their findings at synod assembly, and their learnings will shape our work moving forward.

Parents’ Night Out

Bring your children for an evening of fun with the middle and high school youth groups’ fundraiser! WHERE: at First Lutheran, NEXT: Friday, May 17, FOR: Birth–12 are welcome (Birth–3 will be in the nursery, ages 4 and up in Fellowship Hall).

• Registration from 4:45pm-5:30pm

• Followed by dinner and activities until 8pm (parents can pick up early if needed)

COST: Monetary donations will assist the middle and high school students with 2024 Sugar Creek Bible Camp, the mission trip and the Youth Gathering. RSVP your child or sign up to volunteer at 1stlu.org/nightout, by Wednesday, May 15.

One Worship, Sunday May 19

There will be only one service on Sunday, May 19, at 9am, followed by a celebration of the Sunday School and Confirmation year.

Faithful Readers

At First it’s our hope that we will be able to grow faithful readers from birth through adulthood. To do this, we will feature several books every month in our Resource Center just outside the church office. The reading focus for spring is Growing Faithful Readers. The highlighted books are…

• You're My Little Bookworm, by Nicola Edwards

• How to Read a Book by Kwame Alexander

• Ban This Book by Alan Gratz

• The Enchanted Hour: The Miraculous Power of Reading Aloud in the Age of Distraction by Meghan Cox Gurdon

The books are available to look at and order at the Resource Center, outside the church office. They can also be ordered at 1stlu.org/faithfulreaders.

Sugar Creek Summer Reg Now Open

Sugar Creek Bible Camp offers 17 unique and powerful summer camp programs, plus retreat ministries for youth in elementary school, middle school and high school – and adults and families! The camp is located on 660 acres in the bluffs and valleys of southwestern Wisconsin. Come learn, relax, encounter Christ and have fun at Sugar Creek Bible Camp! Explore sugarcreekbiblecamp.org for more information about next summer.

Baptismal Preparation

The next baptism preparation session will be Saturday, June 1, at 10am in the narthex for anyone who is considering or has scheduled a baptism. To register or ask questions, call the church office at 608.783.3326 by Sunday, May 26. Min. attendance required: 2 families. 

Water is Life Synod Project

Why is there a well in the narthex? To make a wish for water, raising money for the La Crosse Area Synod Hunger Team safe water project! Safe and abundant water in a community means better health, better crops, better nutrition, and better quality of life. Water is life… water changes everything!

• Globally, 1.8 billion people—1 out of every 4 people—drink from contaminated water sources.

• Unsafe water claims the lives of 840,000 people each year, half are children under five.

• On average, women in Sub-Saharan Africa walk 3.7 miles each day to fetch water. The traditional five-gallon jug they use weighs 40 pounds when full!

Place your donations in the well, or donate online at 1stlu.org/next.

Outdoor Worship and Potluck

First will worship outdoors on Fifth Ave for the second service once a month during the summer, on the following Sundays, weather permitting…

• June 23, 10am

• July 21, 10am

• August 18, 10am

Bring your own lawn chairs, perhaps a hat to shade your eyes, and a side dish to share at the potluck (though everyone is welcome at the potluck even if you don’t bring anything!). If the weather's bad that day, we'll move inside. NOTE: There is no live stream of the 10am outdoor service.

Stephen Ministry

If you know of someone who needs a caregiver, please speak with Pastor Karyn, or call the church office: 608.783.2236.

Puppet Ministry

The ministry provided by our puppeteers has returned to our second service! But the ministry can’t happen without shepherds—adults willing to walk our youth (4-yr-olds through grade 3) down to the choir room and then watch over them during the presentation. Sign up at 1stlu.org/assistsun!

Sunday School

Sunday, Apr. 28

• Sunday School

Sunday, May 5

• Sunday School

More info and online registration: 1stlu.org/sunschool.

Kindergarten Faith Building Block: Lord’s Prayer

Throughout the year, each age group has a special “Faith Building Block” session in which parents or special adults are asked to attend class with their child on Sundays at 9:15am (in Fellowship Hall), sharing in conversation and growing together in faith. Most sessions last for three weeks, and afterward, children will have a presence in worship in celebration of the Faith Building Block they learned about.

• Sunday, Apr. 28: parents/guardians with children

• Sunday, May 5: Faith Building Block lifted up in worship

Confirmation

Sunday:

• 9:15am Gr 6 & 7 Confirmation classes - Fireside Rm

Wednesday:

• 5:30pm Confirmation Dinner

• 6:15pm Worship

• 7:00pm Gr 8 & 9 Small Groups

More info and online registration: 1stlu.org/confirm.