January Newsletter                                                                                    2011 FLCW Leadership Team 

Opportunities for Women

Service opportunities:

Prayer Shawl Ministry group – . Most women work independently on prayer shawls or scarves.  When the group meets we attach a prayer and a cross to the completed shawls and determine who will deliver the completed shawls.  Yarn (enough for a shawl) is available for people to knit or crochet a shawl. Completed Prayer Shawls are available to be given to someone who is hurting in any way. If you have someone in mind please call the church with a request.

Altar Guild – This is a group of women that take care of the things in the worship center. Some of these duties are changing the paraments, taking care of the candles, filling the baptismal font, taking care of the pall and the acolyte robes, and setting up communion. The Altar Guild meets 4 times and year on the first Thursday in February, May, August & November.

Second Monday Women – meet at 9:00 am on the second Monday of the month, thus the name.  The women clean and stock the kitchen areas around the church.  They are known to rid the refrigerator of out of date food, clean the stainless steel and wipe off and straighten the cupboards.  The pantry gets put in order and we wash any dirty towels.  We have plenty of pleasant conversation as we work and we would welcome more women to help us when they can.

Funeral Team – Have you signed up to serve on a funeral team?  You can help by baking cakes or by helping to serve the day of the funeral.  This is a great way to show that we are a caring congregation.  Men are also welcome on these teams. 

“COVERED IN THE SPIRIT”

2012 Nebraska Synodical Women’s Winter Retreat

Saturday, January 14, 2012 at St. Paul’s in Grand Island.

9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Theme verse for the day is Romans 8:26 CEV – “In certain ways we are weak, but the Spirit is here to help us. For example, when we do not know what to pray for, the Spirit prays for us in ways that cannot be put into words” Rev. Todd Burpo and his wife, Sonja from Imperial, NE, will tell the amazing story of their son, Colton’s trip to heaven and back.  The New York Times bestselling book Heaven Is For Real was written by them.  The Burpo family has a passion for ministry and evangelism.Joan Naber, from Waco, NE - Ms. Wheelchair Nebraska 2010, will share her story of hope as she relates experiences as a woman who uses a wheelchair for her daily mobility.  She serves as an advocate and educator on behalf of the disabled community. 

If you are interested in going to this event please call Beth Meyer. Cost for this event is $18 and the registration forms are available in the Ministry Tower (now across from the Ministry Center). We will see how many want to go and come up with a plan.

MIDLAND CONFERENCE SPRING GATHERING

First Lutheran Church – Fremont – March 31, 2012

We are the hostesses for this NSWO event.

Theme – “Christ Makes Life Exciting”

Scripture – Clap your hands for joy, all peoples! Praise God with loud Songs!  Psalm 47:1TEV

First Lutheran Women will be the hostesses for this event and we will need many volunteers to help.  You will need to register for this event and that cost is $15.  This includes your lunch which will be catered. The FLYs will also be helping in many capacities that day so the women can enjoy the day.  We are hosting women from churches in Lincoln to Oakland and from Valley to Schulyer.  It will be an exciting day of singing, fellowship, learning and maybe some entertainment.  There will be Bible study by one of the assistants to the Nebraska Synod Bishop.  The planning committee is busy working at making this a fun day.  Please consider being a part of it. Registration forms will be available after the first of the year.

The offering for the day will be divided as follows: ½ Churchwide Women of the ELCA, ¼ Nebraska Synodical Women of the ELCA, and ¼ to Mission Field Nebraska.

Count Your Blessings for Your Thankoffering Box

Suggested ways to count your blessings:

• A penny for every mile you drive to work, because you have a job.
• A nickel for every pair of shoes you own.
• A dollar for every child/grandchild that you have.
• A dime for every inch around your waist.
• A dime for every phone call from a friend.
• A quarter just because you are alive.
• A quarter in honor of your best friend or friends.
• Add your own reasons and add to the box.

Do this for the month of January and we will let you know in February when we will be collecting the full boxes.

Thankoffering Boxes are available at the Ministry Center