Bible Study Opportunities:

The following groups will continue the study of Paul’s letter to the Romans.  You will be welcomed whether you have or have not been to any of the previous sessions on this study.  Come and participate with a group of your choice and they will recap the study and continue with Romans: Chapters 11 & 12.  There are extra Lutheran Woman Today magazines available or ask at the reception desk and a copy of the lesson will be made for you.  These groups meet in the Heritage Room.

• Second Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. – Any women is welcome to meet with the ladies of Lydia for Bible study and fellowship.  They have a light refreshment and coffee prior to their Bible study session.

• Second Thursday at 9:00 a.m. – This is the time Ruth Bible study group also has the coffee pot on and serves some refreshments.  Their Bible study follows.  If you are interested in studying with this group you are welcome to do so at any time.

• Second Thursday at 7:00 p.m. – Faith Bible study/fellowship group meets at this day and hour.  This group of women is very diverse in age and interests.  Any women that would like to participate with this group of women would be welcomed with open arms and hearts.

The Third Tuesday of the month will be an opportunity for a special study at 7:00 p.m.  The study of “Bad Women of the Bible” will continue with the study of Eve.  This study is based on the third chapter of Genesis.  This is a new study group and any woman is welcome to participate in this group study.  This could include women that are already studying with another group and would like an additional study.  Delilah was an interesting study.

Friday Morning Bible Study at 9:30 a.m. – This Bible study group meets every Friday morning and is led by Janice Hansen.  The topic for this study is The Parables.  Any woman is welcome at any time to this group study.

Service opportunities:

Prayer Shawl Ministry group– meets the first Tuesday of the month at 9:30 and 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.

Cover Girls (Quilters) – meet on the third Wednesday of the month at 9:30.  They cut, sew squares together, layout and tie, and finish quilts on this day.  They break for a pot-luck lunch and continue in the afternoon.  Anyone is welcome for any length of time they can stay and help.  Quilt squares are available at the Ministry Center for anyone to take home to sew together a quilt top.

Alter 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.

Second Monday Women – meet at 9:00 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.

Here is what is coming up for the women of First Lutheran and their friends!

 “First Lutheran Women Blessed To Be A Blessing”

Saturday, April 17th at 12:30 p.m.

This is a luncheon with special entertainment by the Scandinavian Dancers of Omaha.

This women’s luncheon carries out the celebration theme of our 125th Anniversary.

Tickets will be sold at a later date.

Nebraska Synodical Women’s Organization’s Events

Midland Conference Spring Gathering, May 1, 2010 at St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church in Lincoln

The theme is - “Share the Light of Christ: Live, Laugh, and Love”

The theme verse is - “…let’s live by the light of the Lord,” Isaiah 2:5b CEV

This is an opportunity to have fellowship with women beyond our church unit, participate in workshops and be a part of the Bishop’s Bible study.  This is a one day event with registration beginning at 8:30 a.m. and concluding at 3:00 p.m.  Lunch is included in the registration fee of $15.  More will be posted on this event at a later date.

Saved to Serve Opportunities

Saved to Serve is an opportunity to put your faith into action.

These opportunities are weekend events that include service, Bible study, fellowship, and building relationships.  There are at least two events each year and it all started in 1998.  The cost for the weekend is $39 and that price has remained the same since the inception of STS.  These events begin at 6 pm on the Friday and continue until 1pm on the Sunday.

2010 opportunities will be at MOSAIC in Grand Island, NE – May 21-23.  MOSAIC is an affiliated social ministry organization of the ELCA.  At this opportunity the women will be refurbishing an existing intensive care facility.  If you cannot attend this event you can donate: soap, shampoo, lotion, laundry detergent, paper products or cash.  Registration deadline is April 23, 2010

The second opportunity is going to be held at Camp Carol Joy Holling Conference and Retreat Center and will take place July 30 – August 1.  This is the Nebraska Synod camp by Ashland, NE, and the women attending this event will “deep clean” four housing areas on the weekend of the 22 annual Quilt Auction.  We will spruce up the camp for auction day and for the beginning of the retreat season and still have time to attend part of the Quilt Auction.  We will stay at the Sjogren Center, have time to tour the camp and enjoy the outdoors.  If you cannot attend this event you can donate: decorative pump bottles of antibacterial soap, dish soap such as Dawn or Palmolive, powdered laundry detergent, Kleenex, white kitchen paper towels and household brooms & dust pans.  Cash donation not otherwise specified will be used to purchase new vacuum cleaners.  Registration deadline is June 30, 2010.

Autumn Renewals

West Date and Location – September 18, 2010, American/Gothenburg

East Date and Location – September 25, 2010, Bethlehem/Wahoo

Theme – “Together, we live love with Tanzania”

Verse – “Therefore be imitators of God…and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us,” Ephesians 5:1-2

Presenters – Bob Kasworm and Pastor Martin Russell

Registration – $18.00 - 8:30 a.m. registration - Meeting 9:00 – 3:00

Offering – ½ to Houses for Health and ½ to Ngarony Youth Center in ELTC Northern Diocese Tanzania

Women of the ELCA Triennial Convention and Gathering

The theme is – “Renew, Respond , Rejoice”

Plan ahead and save your money to attend the Women of the ELCA’s Triennial Convention and Gathering in Spokane, WA, July 12-17, 2011.  Betsy Hansen is the NSWO’s Triennial Gathering Promoter so you will be hearing about this in the near future.