Jump to this week’s announcements!
Grace and peace.
I have been holding you all at First Presbyterian Church of Waunakee in prayer ever since I heard that Pastor Kirk was retiring.
When the Interim Pastor Search Committee offered me the position of shepherding this church through this moment of transition, I was ready. I have seen firsthand how the Spirit has moved in this congregation over the years and am convinced that the Spirit is at work in and through us now.
I know that COVID-19 is continuing to shake our world. I know also that in our country there is a hardening of opinions as to who is right and who is misguided.
I also know that God is not done with us yet- neither you, me, our country or our world. This is one of the reasons that we are the Church. We embody HOPE- hope in the living, active presence of Jesus, the Spirit, God- working to bring healing and wholeness to us, to our country to our world. Where might the Spirit lead us during this fractious time? I don’t know but I am eager to find out. For us, to follow the Spirit forward, we will all need to be versed in courageous conversations and respectful listening.
For those in the church who have never heard of me, here is a bit of what I said in my letter to the Interim Minister Search Committee:
For the past few days, I have been thinking about this quote ascribed to Heraclitus: “No man ever steps in the same river twice,
For it is not the same river and he is not the same man.”
I have known about and preached at FPCW since you were ensconced on Fish Street. I watched how Interim Minister Reverend Shirley Funk challenged that church to “Think Big”, and prepared that congregation for the plans God had for them. Then Kirk came (and FPCW blossomed). In 2002, for eight months, I became the FPCW head of staff , worked with Pastor Norm and led FPCW while Kirk was serving our country. During that time, the church purchased the land on which the CE building now sits. In subsequent years, I helped at FPCW and Pastor Kirk for shorter stints.
However, at this juncture, I am not the same person and you are not the same church….
I bring four major gifts to my work as an Interim/Transitional minister:
• I pray (an active relationship with Jesus is central to my life).
• I am able to listen deeply to both individual and the church body.
• I have learned to wait and watch for the Holy Spirit’s movement.
• I bring a measured approach to meeting, head on, any crisis that arises.
I have a pastor’s heart and an ability to see what next steps might be…..
I look forward to meeting and working with you to discover what the Spirit has in store for us all.
– Pastor Glen (Reichelderfer)
Parking Lot Construction: Paving to begin next week
The rain over the weekend of August 27-28 has made our parking lot too wet to work on early this week. With the dry weather anticipated for the next week or so, the plan is to finish the grading the week of August 29 and pave the week of September 5.
When the paving starts on Wednesday, September 7, it may be difficult to access the church with all of the equipment and material coming to the site. Please call the church in advance to make sure there is a path to allow you to access the building.
Any concerns or questions, give RJ Binau, Buildings and Grounds Elder, a call at 608-334-8052.
Thank you,
RJ Binau, Buildings and Grounds Elder.
30 years ago this week, on August 30, 1992, 185 members of FPC came together to sign “Our Pilgrim Roll” to help celebrate the site dedication for our new building.
Our Pilgrim Roll can be seen hanging on the wall, outside of the Sanctuary, near the sound desk.
Invitation: Become A Sunday School Teacher!
Are you looking for a way to serve God at FPC? Do you enjoy children and seeing them learn and grow? Have you been wanting to expand and strengthen your faith? If you answered “Yes!” to any of these questions we invite you to consider becoming a Sunday School teacher!
As the Children’s Ministry continues its post-pandemic growth, we are looking to add more teaching teams to address different age groups. The team concept means you will never be alone in the classroom, and if you won’t be at church on a particular Sunday you are covered. The curriculum we use at FPC will not only guide you through the crafts and activities, but it also explains the Scripture behind the lesson, so you don’t have to be a Bible scholar to teach. (And you too might learn some awesome Bible stories in the process!)
This invitation is not only for adults, but we encourage middle school and high school students to volunteer as well! There is a need for classroom assistants as well as other opportunities for the youth of FPC to participate in Children’s Ministry.
Regardless of your age, please consider and pray about joining us in the Children’s Ministry program. If you are interested or have any questions, please contact FPC’s Director of Children’s Ministry Patricia Coley (PColey@myfpc.org) or Children’s Ministry Elder Peter Bergmann (pdbworkday1@gmail.com).
Save the Date – Fall Grounds Clean-up
FPC is asking volunteers to save the date of Saturday, October 8, from 9am-Noon, to help with a fall clean-up of the grounds at FPC. A rain date will be the following Saturday, October 15. If you have any questions, please call RJ Binau, Building and Grounds Elder, at 608-334-8032.
Musical Guest: Brooksy Beilke-Skoug
Brooksy retired from Madison East High School after being a Choral Music Director for 35 years.
She is currently a voice coach & piano accompanist for Waunakee Community Schools and teaches voice/piano in her home studio.
Upcoming Special Music in Worship
- September 4 – Brooksy Beilke-Skoug, Guest Pianist
- September 11 – Ying Wang, pianist
- September 18 – Blue Skies Sax Ensemble
WEEKLY ANNOUNCEMENTS | September 4, 2022
Connect with the Connector!
In an effort to streamline the process for submitting requests for event announcements in the Connector or spoken during the worship service, Communications has developed this easy-to-use online form to share all of your important information.
Click the link below to check out the form and if you have any feedback or questions, please send an email to communications@myfpc.org.
The Connector comes out at 4pm every Friday. The deadline for submissions is Noon, the Wednesday prior.
Thanks!
Fall Worship Schedule
Our fall schedule begins on Sunday, September 11th
- Sunday School will be from 9:00am until 9:50am.
- We will continue to have one worship service, which will be starting at 10:00am.
Our Friendship Pads are back
Our Friendship Pads are back in the pews! We invite you to sign the Friendship Pad and write a note to the office if you wish. Pass it along and pass it back. Pause to greet someone following the service.
Children’s Ministry Registration is now live
Please go online to register your child if they are going to be participating in any Children’s Ministry activities this year!
Children’s Ministry is looking for teachers
Children’s Ministry is looking for teachers as well as any high school or middle school students that would be interested in assisting in 4K – 4th grade classes.
Update Contact Info
We would like to update our church database with your new contact info, for example, mailing address, cell phone number, email address. Please let Alka at the church office know by calling her or sending her an email with this information to avanharen@myfpc.org. Thank you.
The Light Team Meeting: Mondays Sept. 12-Oct. 3
The Light Team is comprised of women who want a chance to meet for fellowship and Bible study. We pray for each other and those in our church family and community. When possible, we extend ourselves in projects to help others. There is no homework and we include humor and laughter! We will be meeting in the Gathering Place @ 1 – 2:30pm on the following Mondays. All are welcome to attend any or all of our sessions. From Sept. 12-Oct. 3 The Light Team will be reading “Follow” by Andy Stanley.
Stephen Ministry at FPC: Providing God’s Care to Hurting People
What is this ministry about?
Extensively trained and supervised Stephen Minister Caregivers provide high-quality, one-on-one confidential Christian care to anyone in need. They provide weekly visits and ongoing support as long as the care receiver needs. Should the care receiver have needs that are beyond the scope of a Stephen Minister Caregiver, they are referred to professional caregivers.
What kind of care is offered from a Stephen Minister?
- CRISIS CARE – For people experiencing change(s) that significantly challenge their ability to cope.
- FOLLOW-UP CARE – After the crisis event.
- CHRONIC CARE – For a person whose situation is unlikely to change.
- PREVENTIVE CARE – Providing care before a crisis occurs.
- SUPPORTIVE CARE – Care for the caregiver.
How can I find out more about this ministry?
Call the church office at 608-949-9445, or reach out to a pastor or deacon. Stephen Minister Caregivers don’t replace the care of pastors and deacons. They carry it a step further.
Want to receive an email notification when the weekly Connector is updated? Sign up here!
