Ten teams of three to five people each have been busy putting meat on the bones of our plans. These teams are coming up with specific ideas for how to address how First serves the community, hospitality, evangelism, learning ministries, property concerns, worship, stewardship and more. Ideas have been flying around all summer without much concern for exactly how they will all get done. Now that we are naming the places we want to go, the next step is for our staff, leaders and all our members to figure out how to get there....

Last week First Lutheran received word from the synod office about the death of our brother in Christ, Ordean L. Grant. Pastor Grant died Tuesday, July 22, at 81 years of age....

Little LEAPs — for children from birth to 3 years old and their parents/ guardians — will meet this month at 9:15 a.m. on Sunday, July 27, at Rowe Park in Onalaska for a “clean up and play” service project. 

The church is looking for volunteer acolytes for July and August. If you’re interested in assisting with worship as an acolyte for a Sunday or Wednesday service, send email to Pastor Karyn, karyn@firstlu.org, or call the church office, 783-2236.

The mother/daughter duo known as Heavenly Harp will perform at 7 pm Tuesday, July 29, at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church on Mormon Coulee Road in La Crosse. Also, Karin Gunderson, author of “Encounters With Heaven,” will share stories of God’s presence. Free; donations accepted; CDs and DVDs available.

A new bicycling group called the “First” Flyers starts Wednesday, June 4. The group is for both men and women and will be led by Pastor Ted Dewald. The group will gather at 10 am every Wednesday at First Lutheran for a 10- to 15-mile bike ride, traveling at 10 to 15 mph. If you have questions, call Pastor Ted at 780-3643.

“What are we waiting for? And what are we going to do about it in the meantime?

Those two questions shape this book. First, it is about the ultimate future hope held out in the Christian gospel: the hope, that is, for salvation, resurrection, eternal life, and the cluster of other things that go with them. Second, it is about the discovery of hope within the present world: about the practical ways in which hope can come alive for communities and individuals who for whatever reason may lack it. And it is about the ways which embracing the first can and should generate and sustain the second.

Many people, in my experience—including many Christians—don’t know what the ultimate Christian hope really is…”

It’s green!! It may have been a tough spring with lots of rain and colder temperatures but it’s green!! God is great, life springs where it otherwise appeared to be dead. So, let’s celebrate with some fun events this summer.

The first event will be going to Noah’s Ark in June!...