Announcements for August 17, 2008

As you arrive for worship  We invite you to listen to the music and prepare to worship. Our musicians spend many hours of practice to provide you with a prelude to the worship that is tied to the message for the day. Please, take advantage of this opportunity to prepare your heart, soul, and mind for worship.

ELCB Web Site News  Make sure you check out the church web site. The weekly announcements, monthly Messenger, and recent confirmation service photos are posted. You can log on at http://elcbateman.tripod.com. If anyone has any ideas on other things to include on the site please talk to Jack Rokser or Ian Turner.

Pure Water Days Community Worship last Sunday:  Offerings were $908.57.  The following churches were represented:  Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church, English Lutheran Church of Bateman, Zion United Methodist Church, North Presbyterian Church and Central Lutheran Church. The money is given for these ten area food pantries, for their shared maintenance accounts: Bloomer’s St. Francis, Cornell, Lake Holcombe, Cadott, Jim Falls, Chippewa Area Food Pantry, Stanley, Chippewa Falls Salvation Army, and Starting Points (Agnes Table).

CROP WALK is Sunday, September 28 Start thinking about walking—1, 3 or 6 miles—and start talking to potential sponsors.
      25% of funds raised to to our local food pantry or you can designate your contribution to go to any charitable organization. See the red brochure on the bulletin board for other facts and information. There will be a table set up after services so that you can sign up and get your envelope for sponsor contributions.

Opportunities to serve on Sunday mornings
Today a clipboard will be passed around with opportunities to serve as ushers, greeters, readers, assisting ministers, and coffee servers. In case you missed it, please see Linda Stockinger to choose a date that works for you.

School Kits  We will be collecting items for school kits again this year, to be sent to Lutheran World Relief.  Each school kit contains the following items:

1 – 8.5 x 10 pad or notebook of ruled paper containing 150 to 200 sheets of paper

1 – Blunt scissors with imbedded steel blades

1 – Small Pencil Sharpener

1 – 12” 30 centimeter ruler, or with centimeters on one side and inches on the other

1 – Box of 8, 16, or 24 crayons

1 – 2 ½ “ long eraser

6 – Unsharpened pencils with erasers

12- Sheets of construction paper in assorted colors

Assemble in a 12 x 14” cloth bag with cloth handles.

Boxes will be provided in the fellowship hall for you to place the items you have purchased.  We will announce a future date when we will assemble the kits.  We are in need of someone handy with a sewing machine to make the cloth bags – we can provide a pattern if you would like one (contact Julie Mitchell or Karen Rokser).

What are your favorite LBW hymns?  If you have a favorite hymn from the green LBW hymnal we would like to know about it. We’ll be honoring the LBW by singing many of those hymns on September 21 and 28. Write your favorite on a slip of paper or use the green slips provided and drop in the slotted box in the fellowship area. We will take suggestions until Sept. 14.

Health Kits     This is the 20th anniversary of the formation of the ELCA and the Women of the ELCA. As a means of celebrating, our WELCA is suggesting each woman in our congregation look for and bring 20 items from the list. The items are as follows:

·         One hand towel, dark color recommended

·         One washcloth, dark color recommended

·         One bath-size bar (4-5 oz.) of soap, any brand, in its original wrapping

·         One adult-size toothbrush in its original packaging

·         One comb, wide tooth preferred, remove packaging

·         One metal nail file or nail clippers with file attached, remove packaging (do not substitute cardboard emery boards for the file)

·         Six Band-Aids® (or similar brand), preferably 1/2" to 3/4"; secure together with a rubber band

Calling all women  Please join us on September 10, 2008, for a luncheon at Central Lutheran Church, 28 E. Columbia St., Chippewa Falls. The program will be to hear about the two mission groups that traveled to Utah Navajoland to do a work week and a VBS week. RSVP to the church office, 723-9336, by Friday, September 5 to Central Lutheran.

Supporting our worship and fellowship

Today, Sunday,    August 17, 2008

        Altar Guild:     Carol Peterson and Ruth Olson

     Asst Minister:     Linda Stockinger

            Greeters:     Sandy and Wayne Jenson

                    Ushers:     Donovan and Ruth Olson

  Coffee Servers:     Grace K. and Audrey K.

Next Sunday,        August 24, 2008

        Altar Guild:     Carol Peterson and Ruth Olson

              Reader:     Donna Harings

            Greeters:     Sam and Mary LaRue

                    Ushers:     Bob and Ida Unke

Worship Attendance

August 10 — 64 here at ELCB plus
30 at Irvine Park Pure Water Days worship

Week of August 10, 2008

August 10      9:00 am      Worship, Holy Communion
Baptism of Braxtan Foiles

August 19      7:30 pm      Council

August 20      5:30 pm      Sunday School Family Fun Picnic at Barone’s

August 24      9:00 am      Worship

Church Council Approves Pastor DJ’s Family Leave

During July, Pastor DJ met with the Pastor/Staff Relations team and the church council to request the possibility of a family leave to begin with the birth of their baby in August.

To help provide guidance for their recommendation, the Pastor/Staff Relations team referred to how NW Synod of Wisconsin views family leave. It states: “Prior to birth or adoption, congregations are expected to provide for a negotiated child-rearing leave at current pay and benefits”.

After viewing the Pastor/Staff Relations team’s recommendation, the council presented options to Pastor DJ for family leave. Pastor DJ opted to take three (3) weeks paid leave. The first week will be uninterrupted and will begin Monday, August 18th through Monday, August 25th.  For the following two weeks, Pastor DJ will be available for emergencies only (i.e. funerals, serious illness, previously scheduled weddings). He will be on family leave through Monday, September 8th.

To assure that we have continual coverage, the Pastor/Staff Team also recommended that we hire a fill-in pastor during the leave. This pastor will work one day a week for administration duties and also officiate at the Sunday services.

This is an exciting event for Pastor DJ and Amanda. We need to give them as much support as possible by respecting their time and privacy. During this leave, all communication should be directed to the temporary pastor or our secretary, Linda Stockinger.

The Pastor/Staff Team

Pastor ELCB                                     Pastor DJ Rasner

Organist                                                 Emily Johnson

                                                              Nancy Nerdrum

                                                                Linda Downey

Choir Director                                        Nancy Knitter

Secretary                                            Linda Stockinger

Secretary Office Hours:
       Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 9:00am—1:00pm

Pastor DJ Office Hours:
       Tuesday                                     3:00 pm—5:00 pm

       Wednesday                                9:00 am—4:00 pm

       Other days by appointment

Church Office Phone:                                    723-4231

Pastor DJ’s Cell Phone:                                 563-3051

Church E-Mail:                    pastorelcb@clearwire.net
                                          secretaryelcb@clearwire.net

Web Page:                       http://elcbateman.tripod.com

Evangelical Church in Malawi:   elcmwi@malawinet

                                    PO Box 650, Lilongwe, Malawi

Nkhota Kota Companion Parish, Malawi Africa Pastor J Ngulinga

Communication Officer for our Companionship:
                         Mphatso Thole—mcthole@yahoocouk