In July of 2023, the FLC Council asked a group of members to work on edits to our Congregational Constitution so that we can revise our fiscal calendar and make other minor changes to keep our Constitution in compliance with the most recent ELCA model Constitution. These five members; Elisa Reid, Brian Gohlke, David Moore, Steve Shulta, and Tim Drinkwater have thoroughly reviewed the current document and all ELCA model changes since the last edit in 2016 and have made a concise set of recommendations at the December 2023 Council meeting. These changes will be presented for Congregational approval at the annual meeting on January 28 and the FLC Council is making these documents available digitally via the links below. There will also be a physical copy of these documents available in the Gathering Space for viewing. People should contact the church office if they want a printed copy of their own. Members of the edit workgroup are available to discuss any questions, comments, or concerns you may have ahead of the annual meeting.
Centering Prayer – Mondays
Mons from 8-8:30pm via Zoom
Centering prayer, also known as the prayer of silence, helps you quiet your mind from the constant thoughts and impulses, and frees your true self to experience more of God’s love in the very core of your being. You will gain inspiration, rich insight, and practical knowledge of a contemplative prayer practice that can open you up to deep experiences of inner healing and peace. Everyone is welcome to take part.
Login Link: https://tinyurl.com/2p89n5sc
Meeting ID: 816 1696 9038
Passcode: 224107
The BG’s – Tuesdays
Tues from 8-11am in Fellowship Hall Lounge
The BG’s are a group of 6-10 (mostly retired) guys that gather every Tuesday at 8am for coffee, socializing, and to handle the many outdoor and indoor miscellaneous maintenance needs around First Lutheran. If you are interested in joining this group stop by Tuesday as we are always looking for new people to join our team!
Knitters – Tuesdays
Join us Tuesdays at 9am in the Gathering Space for smiles, laughs, and lots of knitting!
Mission Sew – 1st & 3rd Wednesdays
Help Mission Sew with cutting, sewing, tying, and pining quilts for Lutheran World Relief. These quilts are distributed to struggling neighbors across the globe. For more info contact Margaret Drinkwater, by contacting the church at 608.752.7434.
Bible Study – Wednesdays
Wednesday at 10am in Rm 302
Please join us for Bible study as we explore the major and minor prophets of the Old Testament. We meet every Wednesday morning from 10-11am in Room 302.
Second Harvest Food Pantry – Apr 18
Third Thurs of the Month from 3:30-5:30pm
Distribution is outdoors. Please call Mary Gallup at 608.755.1399 so she knows if she has enough help. Set-up begins at 2:30pm.
Documentary – Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America – Apr 18
Who are we? Answering that question, Martin Luther taught that we are, at the same time, saints and sinners. Because we’re fully embraced by God’s love, who comes to us in Christ to heal us, we can dare to face our brokenness.
Remembering this truth can help us admit that in America racism is part of who we are.
The film documentary Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America challenges us to see that anti-Black racism has been part of who we are as Americans from the beginning of slavery to the present day. It’s not the whole story, but it’s surely a part.
The Diversity Action Team of Rock County will host a two-part screening of this film, followed by discussion, in the Craig High School Small Auditorium at 401 S Randall Avenue. The second part on Thurs, April 18, 6-8pm. Find the film online at www.thewhoweareproject.org/the-film.
Growing Our Spiritual Life as Adults – Apr 21, 28, May 5, 12, 19
Each Sunday morning you have a chance to gather for an hour of adult learning, immediately following the 8am worship service. Pick-up some refreshments and meet in the Chapel.
Apr 21: Modern-Day Pilgrimage – the Camino Frances
Have you ever felt drawn to an experience way outside of your comfort zone…and then decided to pursue it anyway? What images does the word ‘pilgrimage’ bring to mind? A pilgrimage is more than arriving at a holy site…it is a journey that prepares you to find God in everyone and everything. On Sunday, April 21 at 9:15am, meet three Pilgrims to hear how a 500-mile hike across northern Spain in six weeks brought a fresh perspective on how to live life more intentionally and experience God’s presence more deeply than ever.
Apr 28: Living Well with Dementia
Our final Living Well With Dementia conversation will begin at 9:15am in the chapel on April 28. Please bring any timely concerns or general questions with you for our last 23-24 meeting. Looking forward to learning and growing together!
May 5, 12, 19: Christian Ethics – The Good Life
On May 5, 12, and 19, join us for an introductory class on Christian Ethics. We will review and study the process of making choices in trying to live a good life, and how our identity as Christians affects those choices. The concept of ethics focuses on how we make thoughtful, reflective, and self-conscious decisions. It includes the study of making and following rules, setting goals, and virtues, the qualities we cultivate in ourselves, including, and especially, the qualities that we cultivate as members of the Body of Christ.
Spring Salad Luncheon – Apr 27
The FLC-Women are sponsoring the annual Spring
Salad Luncheon with a delicious buffet of salads and desserts. Tables will be decorated in different themes, so arrive between 11-11:45am to look them over! Choose a seat at 11:45 for the welcome. Serving is at noon. The cost is $10. Come and bring a friend for a nice spring social time. Tickets can be purchased in the church office or after services on April 21. The proceeds from this event are gifted to Janesville nonprofit organizations.
Crop Walk – Apr 28
Just one week left before the Janesville Crop Hunger Walk. This year includes a canned food drive. You can bring canned food items to church next Sunday or bring them to the Crop Hunger Walk at Cargill United Methodist Church at 1pm. A canned food pyramid will be displayed with all the food items.
Two Sundays left to participate in the Crop Hunger Walk. You can participate by:
- Walking on Sunday, April 28 beginning at 1pm at Cargill United Methodist Church in Janesville.
- Make a pledge to someone who is walking. This can be done in the Gathering Space at church after church services the next two Sundays or by going online to Janesville Crop Walk, search for First Lutheran Church, Janesville and donate to a listed team member.
- Make a purchase at the wood working craft sale at church the next two Sundays. 100% of all proceeds from the craft sale will be donated to the Crop Hunger Walk
Thank you for your support. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the Crop Hunger Walk, please contact Mat Haeger at (mhaeger@ymail.com).
Men of Iron – Sat, May 4 & Tues, May 7
Open to men of all ages. On Tuesdays, we study the Bible and the book Twelve Ordinary Men by John MacArthur. On Saturdays, we have a Bible study of men in the Bible. Both days are located in the Fellowship Hall Lounge. If you have questions contact Eric at 608.290.7083 or eengen@flcj.org.
SATURDAYS
9am
May 4
TUESDAYS
6pm
May 7
Craft Day – May 4
Page Turners Book Group – May 7, June 4
The Page Turners meet on the first Tuesday of the month at 6pm in the Gathering Space. Come every month or just the months you want. All are welcome.
May 7: The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
June 4: The Surgeon’s Daughter by Audrey Blake
Contact Sally Schuenke 608.754.0407 with questions.
Graduation Celebration – May 19
2024 Family Holiday Fair – Oct 19
The 2024 Family Holiday Fair will take place on Sat, Oct 19. If you would like to have a booth please fill out this application.
Canoeing the Mountains: A 5-Week Podcast Series
In this new series of the FLC podcast, we introduce Tod Bolsinger’s book, Canoeing the Mountains, in which the Lewis and Clark expedition serves as a point of comparison for the situation of the present-day church. Lewis and Clark had set out to find a water route across the continent to the Pacific Ocean, but along the way they discovered the Rocky Mountains. To go forward from there, they had to shift their strategies and expectations. In a similar way, the church in North America has come to a transition point, where the future will not look anything like the past. Old assumptions no longer apply. New strategies and skills need to be developed.
Five, short podcast episodes – one each week, starting this week – will introduce the major themes of the book. Those who have interest will be invited to participate in a deeper study of the book later this fall, in which we will explore the qualities of leadership that are needed to carry the church forward into a future that cannot yet be seen. Join us on this journey of discovery!
Episode 1: The world in front of you is nothing like the world behind you
We talk about ways that our world has been changing and how those changes impact the church. The Lewis and Clark expedition is introduced as a core metaphor for the church’s experience in this moment of history.
Episode 2: Building trust “on the map”
Before moving “off the map” into uncharted territory, it is important for leaders to build trust by showing effectiveness in core competencies and consistency in relationship with others. The way forward for the church will require experimenting with new strategies which may, at times, fail. If we trust one another well, we can learn together and discover the way forward.
Episode 3: Uncharted territory calls for adaptive leadership
When faced with the Rocky Mountains, Lewis and Clark had to let go of previous assumptions about the geography of North America and relinquish the strategies that had brought them to that point. Going forward required them to recommit to their core values, embrace learning, and discover a new way forward. The church today needs a similar adaptive form of leadership.
Episode 4: Transformation is needed, but expect sabotage
Systems prefer equilibrium and seek to return to the status quo, so intentional change inevitably produces some kind of pushback from the system. Leaders should be prepared for sabotage — this is not a personal attack but the system in discomfort, seeking relief. The healthy response is to stay the course and stay connected to those who are opposed to change or who are experiencing loss.
Episode 5: Change will impact leaders first
As the church of the 21st century goes “off map,” writes Bolsinger, “those on the margins are ahead of those who were dominant figures in the older world.” Effective leaders will listen well and include more voices in the conversation, especially voices of those on the margins, where new wisdom is to be found.