Walter J. Olsen Scholarship applications are due in
the church office on Monday, December 12.
Members of Faith UCC, former St. Mark UCC and their children are
eligible to apply. Contact the church
office at office@faithmilwaukee.org for
details.
Our joy at Christmas is a response to God's promise of new
life through the birth of Jesus. It is a joy we are called to share widely,
through our witness and gifts, both to loved ones and to distant neighbors.
The Christmas Fund Offering (formerly Veterans of the
Cross), one of four Special Mission Offerings of the United Church of Christ,
is an important way to share our joy at God's renewing and life-giving grace.
The offering, administered by the Pension Boards on behalf of the UCC, is an
expression of joy and gratitude for those who serve the church. Gifts to the
Christmas Fund help provide pension and health premium supplementation to
low-income retirees, emergency assistance to the families of clergy and lay
employees, and Christmas gift checks to hundreds of annuitants. Your gifts are needed more than ever to help
the growing number of retirees whose low-income annuities make it difficult to
meet increasing living costs. This is your opportunity to participate in God's
promise of renewal by enabling this ministry of compassion and care. Please consider giving generously on
December 18; an
envelope is enclosed in this issue of Tidings. Our goal is $750—we can do it! Your
Mission Board
Christmas gifts are needed for 31 people in the Goodwill
Adult Care program at Faith Church.
Gift tags are available through Dec. 4.
Please consider taking one and purchasing the gift listed on the
tag. If you are unable to shop but want
to purchase a gift, you can donate $25 and we will purchase a gift for you to
wrap. Gifts are due back by Sunday,
Dec. 11. The client Christmas party is
Thursday, Dec. 22 at 12:30 p.m.; everyone is invited to come and share their
joy when Santa hands out the gifts.
Thanks to all who can take part! Your Mission Board
Pick & Save ‘We Care’ Program
If you shop at Pick & Save, you can register to support
Faith Church as your charity (#223750); we get up to 1% of your grocery
bill. If you are newly registering, or making a change to your chosen
charities, you can only register for 1 charity. Linda Myers (414-535-8526) has forms; fill
one out and take it to the Pick & Save service counter to be activated.
It’s an easy way to support our Sunday School program; we have received $176 so
far this year and $1,450 since 2000!
December Loaves & Fishes Offering
Loaves & Fishes Sunday is Christmas Day. It may be difficult to remember to bring
your items on that day so please fill the bucket throughout the month of
December. Our focus is spaghetti
ingredients, so move out of the baking aisle and into the noodle and canned
goods area to support our local food pantries.
Women
of Faith
Bible Study Dec. 10
We have started a new series, Fruit of the Spirit. All women are welcome to
attend, even if it’s your first time!
We gather at 9:30 a.m. in the church library on the 2nd
Saturday of each month.
MIX IN ’06
There’s still time to join the group from Faith Church going to this fun and exciting event in Indianapolis June 21-25, 2006. Scholarships are available and we’ll have fundraisers to help with costs. See www.dreamonsisters.com www.dreamonsisters.com for details, or Ruth Hansen.
CROP Walk
Total
Last month we provided an interim CROP Walk total. The
final total of CROP walk collections at Faith UCC for 2005 was $971--great work
walkers! Many thanks to all of you who supported our walkers! And a
big thanks to all of you who brought bags of groceries! The total tonnage
of donated food was down this year, probably due to contributions for Katrina
and Rita, so every bit of food donated will be greatly appreciated!
Thanks again to all of you for your faithful participation! Jeanne Mantsch & Whitney Averitt
Fall’s
Finale
After many months of wonderful weather and a long fall
without frost or freeze, winter has arrived.
Thank you to the confirmation class members for planting, and George and
Carol Clark for diligently watering and maintaining the flowerbeds and
planters. They looked great-thanks!
Retreat, Reflect, Renew
Pilgrim Center was the site of our Association-sponsored
retreat November 12-13 for youths of confirmation age from churches throughout
the southeast Wisconsin area. Our
confirmation class, with Megan Gersonde and Rev. Dummer, learned more of the
history of the UCC, played football during breaks, ate a spaghetti dinner and
waffle breakfast, met school friends from other churches, saw former Faith
members and worshiped together with new friends. They’re even interested in watching “Amistad”, the movie about
slave trafficking and abolitionists, due to a discussion on the Congregational
Church’s influence on the formation of the UCC. I was a great weekend at a favorite UCC camp.
Neighbors In Need Offering Update
On Sunday, October 2, we gave to this special mission
offering, which is dedicated to the support of UCC’s justice advocacy programs
and is distributed to a wide array of congregations and nonprofit organizations
who work to support justice and help neighbors in their communities. Our goal was $600 and we received $561 –
thanks to all of you who gave. Your Mission Board
Change of Address
Dorothy Haas
Luther Manor Health Care Center
4545 N. 92nd St. #2933,
Milwaukee WI 53225
Marge
Jungbauer
5837 N. 69th St.,
Milwaukee WI 53218
Gladys Peterson
New Perspective
7909 N. 47th St., Brown
Deer WI 53223
Don and Carol Vogel (temporary)
3871 Churchill Drive, Lake Havasu City AZ 86406
We offer our Christian love and sympathy to the family of Karen
Klumb (daughter of David and Shirley), who died peacefully on November 10
at the age of 42. The funeral was
November 14 at Faith Church. We hold
the Klumb family in our prayers in their time of grief.
Letters
Thank you very much for all the cards and prayers. It has been very comforting knowing everyone
is thinking of me while they still try to figure out what I have.
Joan Dietlmeier
We would like to thank those members of Faith Church who
gave us so much support during Karen’s recent illness and after her death. We cannot express how much it meant to
us. Your prayers, cards and calls
helped all of us through this trying time.
Special thanks to Ruth Hansen, Sue Giese, John Abuya and Lory Van
Eerden, along with the reception guild and others who gave their assistance
with the celebration of Karen’s life.
Shirley
and David Klumb,
Lynn (Klumb) and Peter Deveaux
Thank you for your church’s gift to 2005 Hurricane
Relief. Your love and compassion will
make a difference in the lives of people.
Many blessings for your generous gift.
David
Moyer, Wisconsin Conference Minister
News from Audrey Gilg in Japan
This is the final installment of a letter received from Audrey. After years serving in Mission in Japan,
Audrey has retired, but remains in Japan, returning occasionally to the U.S.
for visits. Photos from Minoo Church
are on display in the church foyer.
Today was “end-of-the-summer
cleaning day” after church. Almost
everyone, including the children, stayed to help and then enjoyed tea and
snacks afterwards. I think one thing I
really like about this church is that most of the members are in no hurry to go
home after the service. We have a
coffee/tea hour, with sweet rolls or, on some days, curry rice, or rice balls,
and just sit and chat for an hour or so.
Another thing I like is the truly cooperative spirit. When something needs to be done, everyone
pitches in according to their ability.
I feel blessed to have found this
church in which to spend my “golden” years in Japan. You’d be surprised how often I tell my friends there about my
experiences in Grace/St. Mark Church.
Unfortunately my connection with Faith Church is rather short and
sporadic, but I do tell about things like CROP Walk, Souper Bowl, and other
service projects which are written up in the newsletter. People admire the outreaching attitude of
Faith Church very much.
Best regards to those who remember me! And heartfelt thanks to those who remember
and pray for my dear sister Bernice.
Shalom! Audrey Gilg
(Bernice
passed away shortly after Audrey’s letter was received)
October 2004
Balance
Jan. 1, 2005 $ 0.00
Receipts $188,701.34
Disbursements $176,619.39
Balance October 31, 2005 $ 12,081.95
A reminder that, with the closing of the church books for the
year 2005, all contributions to be included on the year-end contribution
statement must be in the church office before noon on Tuesday, December 27,
2005; the church office will be closed December 27-31. We encourage our pledging unit members to
make every effort to bring their pledges up to date by year’s end.
As another point of information, the
annual boxed sets of contribution envelopes for 2006 will be available to be
picked up later this month, located on a table below the nametag board. Most envelope numbers will change, so please
do not use the new envelopes until 2006.
The envelope format has also changed; the Designated Gift line has been
replaced with a line for your name.