110 North Third Street

River Falls, WI 54022

715-425-2052

www.firstchurchrf.org

As Jesus’ courageous

disciples, living God’s

grace, we strive to:

◼ Worship faithfully

◼ Welcome openly

◼ Grow spiritually

◼ Care passionately

◼ Serve generously

August 1, 2020

To be nimble means to be flexible,

able to pivot and change. All of

us have had to change plans,

vacations, social events, often

times more than once. All of us

have had to move offices, places

where we learn and socialize.

To be nimble means to change

quickly. It is not just that we have

to change our plans, but we have

had to change them quickly.

Sometimes it feels like we have to

have plans A through Z and they

all had to take place in the same

week!

To be nimble means to be clever

and resourceful. Many of us have

become so incredibly creative and

innovative as we shift and move

through this evolving crisis. We

have learned how to Zoom and

Google Hangouts, how to make

masks, how to video live stream

important events, not to mention

how to create backdrops and

avatars for our online accounts.

To be nimble means to hold

things lightly. I look back on

all the things I thought were

important, before Covid, and

boy have my priorities changed.

To be nimble means to pay

attention and be alert. When you

are kayaking down the river or

running a marathon, you need to

pay special attention to what your

body is telling you. Now more

than ever we need times of sabbath

and rest, social time with others

even if it has to be physically

distant. We need times of

worship that bind us together and

connect us to the Living God who

is at work in our world today.

Lastly, to be nimble also means

to act responsibly. Being nimble

requires us not just to sit back and

let whatever happens, happens,

but to do everything in our power

to act responsibly and faithfully.

It is clear that right now the three

best things we can do in this regard

are wash our hands often, limit

our time and spacing when out

with others, and to wear a mask or

face covering to protect both

ourselves and our neighbors.

In Matthew 10:10 Jesus sends his

disciples out to heal and preach,

teach and welcome. As he does

he tells them two things. One,

take only what they will need.

Two, go in pairs because

community and camaraderie will

be important. As we approach

an uncertain fall, all this will be

important. We will need to be

nimble, able to pivot and adapt

quickly. We will need to ask

ourselves what are the essential

things I need right now? And we

will need to have a sense of

community, not just ‘we are all in

this together’, but as church

community, ‘we are all in this

together and God will be present,

leading and guiding us.’

In Gratitude,

Pastor Chris

Pastor’s Page Jack be nimble.

Jack be quick.

Jack jump over the candlestick.

Remember that little nursery

rhyme? Quite honestly it never

made much sense to me. But the

part about being ‘nimble’ is

resonating with me lately. If we

have learned anything in the last

few months, it is our need to be

nimble.

time to use the resources. They

are designed to enrich your

worship experience and keep us

together as a worshipping and

learning community while we are

apart from each other.

Pastoral Care Our church staff are here to help

and support you. Please do not

hesitate to contact a pastor or

church staff member through

email or phone. As hospital and

nursing home access is severely

limited, we have a system to reach

out to our shut-ins and vulnerable

seniors with notes and cards. If

you want to be included in this

ministry please email the church

office (office@firstchurchrf.org) &

we will connect you to a shut-in.

Church Finances Please maintain your financial

pledge or consider an extra gift.

Gifts can be mailed or even better,

sign up for e-giving by contacting

the church office. There is also a

secure mail drop in the right-hand

pillar of the front entrance of the

church building which is checked

daily.

In-Person Worship We offer 3 ways to worship: online, on the radio and in person.

Online worship will continue to be offered each Sunday live at

9:30 am on the church YouTube channel, which is archived for

later viewing. That same worship service is played on WEVR

106.3 FM on Sundays from 11:00-11:30 am. Additionally, starting

this Sunday, we will begin offering in person worship on the

church lawn.

Because of the pandemic restrictions, and out of an abundance of

care for each other, we ask the following of those planning to join us in person for worship.

• Please reserve a spot ahead of time. This allows us to limit our numbers and provides the safest

environment. You can register for worship using the link on the website or by calling the church office.

• Please bring your own chair or even a lawn blanket. We will have some folding chairs available, but please

consider bringing your own.

• Please wear a mask and sanitize your hands upon arriving on the church lawn. Yes, we know it is outside

and usually we don’t think about wearing masks outside, but out of an abundance of caution, please

consider wearing a mask as our way of loving our neighbors as ourselves. (Perhaps we can have a contest

for the most creative mask?) Masks and hand sanitizing stations will be available.

• Please carefully observe social distancing guidelines. We will have areas designated for each family group

which will ensure plenty of space for us to safely gather. Especially when coming and going, please

remember to keep your distance from one another.

Will there be sun? We hope so! Bring a hat and sunglasses. Will it be hot? Worship is at 9:30 am and will

last about 30 minutes so we will beat the heat by worshipping early. Will it rain? We hope not. If it does rain,

outdoor worship is cancelled and no in person worship will be offered, only online and radio. We will make the

call by 8:00 am and update the church Facebook page with details. Will bathrooms be open? Yes. We have

propped open doors so you can safely use the church bathrooms. Will the nursery be open? No. The nursery

will be closed for the summer. Will there be coffee fellowship? Again, unfortunately no, we are intentionally

starting small and safe. Will I be able to see people? YES! We hope to see about 60 of you out on the church

lawn which is the number we estimate we can safely and faithfully begin our in person worship services with.

This Sunday’s worship includes a baptism. A great way to re-start.

I hope to see you all, either in person (registered!), online or via the radio for worship this Sunday.

In Gratitude, Pastor Chris

Online Family Resources Each week family resources

that correspond to the sermon

text are posted on the church

website. The resources include

a discussion page as well as a

coloring page. Please take the

August 1, 2020 2

August 1, 2020 3

Summer Adult Bible Study Join us for Bible Study on the church lawn! We will meet

on July 28, 10:00–11:30 am. Please read John’s First Epistle

(the book right after 2 Peter) and bring a lawn chair.

All are welcome. On August 11 we will discuss John’s

Second and Third Epistles. If it rains, Bible Study is

cancelled.

Week of

July 26, 2020 Year to Date

General Fund Income* $ 4,170 $ 294,211

General Fund Operational Needs $ 9,582 $ 287,460

A full accounting of all income and expenses is available in the

church office.

*Includes annual and monthly gifts.

Upcoming Events Sunday, August 2—Communion and Cedar Valley

Brass Quintet

Sunday, August 23—Confirmation of 9th Graders

(part one)

Sunday, August 30—Confirmation of 9th Graders

(part two)

Masks We are in need of smaller, child-sized masks that can

both be given away and will be used in worship and

for our scaled back VBS program in August. There

is a specific pattern we are using so please talk to

Stacy (stacy@firstchurchrf.org) if you can help or the

office if you would like to pick up a child-size mask.

We will meet on the church lawn Thursday, August 27, at 10:30 am (back up rain/weather

date: Thursday, September 3, 10:30 am). We’ll discuss Willa Cather’s classic immigrant story,

My Antonia. Books are available in the church office, including some large print copies.

Please join us for connection and conversation.

(Please bring a lawn chair; if that’s difficult, contact Suzanne Hagen (715-425-1471) and she’ll provide one.)

Church Staff You can contact them via their email and cell numbers

which are below.

Chris Myers—chris@firstchurchrf.org - 715-441-2497

Missy Luedtke—missy@firstchurchrf.org - 715-222-5427

Stacy Myers—stacy@firstchurchrf.org - 715-338-6406

Dave Ostendorf—dave@firstchurchrf.org - 715-441-6559

JaNae Westrich—jmwestrich@gmail.com - 715-897-5358

Jaime Mills—degolierjamie@gmail.com - 715-419-0850

Dave Mountain—focusfan2001@yahoo.com - 715-245-6854

Tim Bylander—timthefixitguy@gmail.com - 715-808-2900

Church Yoga Jan Hansen’s church yoga group has moved into the church Fellowship Hall from 9:00—10:00 am on

Tuesdays and Thursdays. You can also access the yoga classes on their own YouTube channel with archived

classes. The link is below and also on the church website.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDKl4WmalDidWZwixjZGSFw?view_as=subscriber

August 1, 2020 4

Vacation Bible School: Summer of 2020 VBS for 2020 will continue, but in a scaled-back format. We look forward to welcoming

groups of students to church. Important details:

• In-person VBS will be for children who have completed kindergarten through grade 5.

• Pre-School children can sign up for a VBS Resource Bag to do at home.

• In-person VBS will be in multi-age groupings of 10 children, with a limited number of adults.

• We will hold eight sessions; children will sign up for one session each (not all eight sessions).

• Dates are: August 3–6, 9:30–11:30 AM and 1:00–3:00 PM.

• The theme will be: JOY! God Gives Us Neighbors.

• Activities will include: A lesson with a Bible story and children’s story, snack, outdoor activity (weather

permitting), art activities, and a special edition Marshall Wood Project.

We have received guidance and input regarding our plans from the Pierce County Public Health Office. Health

and safety precautions include:

• Parents asked to carefully monitor children’s health, sending only healthy children when all family members

at home have no symptoms of COVID-19.

• Meeting space is set up for social distancing.

• Robust cleaning protocols in place.

• Children will not share scissors or other craft supplies. They will share hammers and mallets and we will

disinfect them between children.

• Snacks will be factory-packaged foods and juice boxes.

• Everyone will wear masks.

• There will be no singing.

To sign up for an in-person spot or a Pre-School VBS Resource Bag, please use the links below or call the

church office at 425-2052.

VBS for Children Who Have Completed Kindergarten Through Grade 5:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/904054BA9AD29A4FF2-vacation

VBS Resource Bag for Pre-School Children

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/904054BA9AD29A4FF2-vacation1

Confirmation Our church typically confirms its 9

th graders on the first Sunday in May. This year, due to

Covid, we had to delay this. We have now rescheduled Confirmation for Sundays August 23rd

and 30th, dividing the class into two smaller groups so we can safely confirm them outside on

the church lawn. Because we want to give priority to the confirmands and their immediate

families, the numbers of those who can join us for outdoor worship on those days will be very

limited. The next newsletter will have the names of those who will be confirmed on each day.

August 1, 2020 5

White Fragility Discussion Groups You are invited and enthusiastically encouraged to participate in discussion groups focused on White Fragility

by Robin DiAngelo. Please select one session for each section of the book. Register through the link or call

the church office. All groups are limited in size to maintain social distancing and to ensure effective discussion.

Section 1 (Chapters 1– 4): Led by Erik Withers and Melissa Wilson

July 28, 6:00–7:30 PM in-person on church lawn or in Fellowship Hall (socially distant)

July 29, 6:00–7:30 PM in-person on church lawn or in Fellowship Hall (socially distant)

July 30, 6:00–7:30 PM via Zoom

Section 2 (Chapters 5 – 8): Led by Karen Lloyd and Paul Shephard

August 4, 6:00–7:30 PM in-person on church lawn or in Fellowship Hall (socially distant)

August 5, 6:00–7:30 PM in-person on church lawn or in Fellowship Hall (socially distant)

August 6, 6:00–7:30 PM via Zoom

Section 3 (Chapters 9 – 12): Led by Chris Myers and Stacy Myers

August 11, 6:00–7:30 PM in-person on church lawn or in Fellowship Hall (socially distant)

August 12, 6:00–7:30 PM in-person on church lawn or in Fellowship Hall (socially distant)

August 13, 6:00–7:30 PM via Zoom

Link to sign up: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/904054BA9AD29A4FF2-first

Please make an effort to attend one session of each section. These will be challenging but important conversations.

First Congregational is fortunate to have a group of well-qualified leaders to guide the conversations.

Special Gifts We are all familiar with giving to the General Fund which financially powers our ministries here at church.

We are also familiar with giving to the Building Fund which pays the current mortgage for our 2012 church

building addition. But did you know the church also receives special financial gifts for special projects?

A few years ago one of the ‘saints’ of this church named Lucille Kitzerow, left a modest gift to be used to

expand and empower our music ministry. This gift continues to fund things like musical instrument purchases,

choir robes, new music and Music at First Church concerts including our recent Halloween Concert.

Special gifts are also received in honor or memory of someone. Recently the Gustafson family, seeking to

honor Bob Gustafson’s long tradition of advocacy for teens and children, gave a memorial gift to the Youth

Fund. Such a gift enables confirmation trips, mission trips and a host of other activities designed to help our

young people ‘flex’ their faith muscles.

Lastly, special gifts can be designed for long term use through the Endowment Fund. Gifts given to the

Endowment Fund are used to make sure the church has the long term financial resources to continue to do

ministry in the coming generations. You can remember the church by including it in your will & estate planning.

Thank you for remembering the church with your financial gifts and considering ways you may make the extra

step of giving that will continue to empower the ministry of this church for years to come.

—The Investment Committee

Fall Programming We all want to know what will happen this fall both in school and with our fall church programming. Our

manta here at church is plan, but have a backup plan. Rest assured programming for youth and families will

take place. Confirmation will take place. Church Interns will take place. Resources for families will take place.

As of right now, we don’t know if these will be in person, online or a hybrid. But we will do everything we can

to make sure we can safely and faithfully gather together.

August 1, 2020 6

Tools for School Tools for School is a local ministry supported by area churches which assists families in the

River Falls School district who need help buying school supplies. For many years our church

has been the primary organizer of this ministry and the location where supplies were stored, and

families came to pick them up in mid-August. Now in the age of COVID-19, which prohibits large group

gatherings, families in need will request supplies through the ministry and they will be delivered directly to the

classrooms in the fall.

In years past this ministry was headed up by Bob Gustafson and our congregation has always been the most

active in supplying supplies, money to purchase supplies and workers to sort them. This year we have a small

team who will sort and pack the supplies, but we need our congregation and all the congregations in the

community to step up and provide supplies and money to purchase needed supplies. Last year we helped

over 300 children. With the pandemic and economic hardship facing so many families, we expect this year

to help many more families than usual which means we will need lots of gifts from local churches. Please

consider making a special gift to Tools for School. A box for supplies is in the gathering area at church.

You can also write checks to the church, making sure to note ‘Tools for School.’ 2 Corinthians 9:11 puts it

best: God will always give you enough, with which to be generous. In an age of great uncertainty, let us as a

community be known for our extravagant generosity poured out on the youngest in need in our community.

Gifts need to be received at the church by August 14.

They welcome all school supply donations but often need more: backpacks, 3 subject notebooks, scissors

(pointed teen/adult), 3 ring binders (both 1” and 3”), sharpies (black fine/ultra-fine point), soft pencil cases,

crayons, earbuds.

The link to apply for school supplies is here:

https://www.rfsd.k12.wi.us/cms_files/resources/Tools%20for%20Schools%202020.pdf

Concerning People • For Weston John Fuller born to Kahla and Farnum Fuller on July 19 who is 8 pounds 9 ounces and 20

inches long. Mom, Dad and siblings Mackenzie and Bentley are all doing well!

• For Virginia (Ginny) Sortor, mother of Pastor Chris, who celebrates her 80th birthday on August 11 (cards

can be sent to her at 1794 Bennett Street, River Falls, WI 54022)

• For Glenn and Jan Hansen who celebrate their 36th wedding anniversary on July 25th

• For Caren and Neal Prochnow who celebrate their 58th wedding anniversary on July 21, congratulations!

• For Merle and Jill Paulson who attended the ordination and installation of their grandson Alex Kirchenwitz

at Divine Peace Lutheran Church in Largo, Maryland on July 12, 2020

• Thank you to those who have been so generous in providing church masks that people can take and use—

Jean Smith, Jennie Price, Suzanne Hagen, Lynn Linder, Vicki Hoffman.

Do you have other upcoming news and celebrations to share with the congregation? Graduations? Birthday

and Anniversary celebrations? Please email them to office@firstchurchrf.org

August 1, 2020 7

Peaches It’s time to place your order for the delicious Washington State Peaches! Single layer box $20.00

or two or more single layer boxes for $18.00 each box. Orders must be placed by August 5th for

pick up in mid-August. There are 3 ways to order:

1. Email: office@firstchurchrf.org

2. Use the sign-up link on the church website

3. Call: 715-425-2052 – order Mon-Thurs from 9 am to 3 pm or leave a message with name, phone and

number of boxes.

This is an annual fundraiser for our youth. Thank you for your support!

First Twin Cities Recovery Funds Sent for Impacted Families This week $5,000 was sent to two organizations providing much-need food to families impacted by recent

unrest in the Twin Cities. Provided by your gifts and a $4,000 Endowment Fund Grant, this support was

sent to:

The Sheridan Story For over a decade The Sheridan Story, a nonprofit launched by two churches, has

provided food to children in need in Minneapolis, in partnership with area churches and other organizations.

It now serves over 10,000 children across 300 locations and is a keystone for food distribution to families in

need in South Minneapolis, partnering with Holy Trinity Church, The Food Group, and Second Harvest to

distribute food to those in the area hard-hit by the loss of grocery stores during the recent unrest.

The Frogtown Neighborhood Association Feeding Frogtown is a weekly food distribution program held at

St. Paul City School, serving some 400 families weekly from the city’s Frogtown and Rondo neighborhoods.

Its African American, Asian, East African, Latino and other residents were hard-hit by the recent unrest

centered on University Avenue and areas stretching to Lexington Parkway and Minnehaha Avenue. It is

one of the most diverse neighborhoods in Saint Paul; the Frogtown Neighborhood Association is a nonprofit

hub of community life.

The Twin Cities Recovery Fund is still growing and still welcomes our gifts. The second round of Funds

will go to help rebuild minority businesses damaged in the unrest. We invite you to join this important

commitment as part of our growing commitment to address racial justice issues.

Cities Working Group Established Mission Education has established a Cities Working Group to help the congregation actively address and

engage in matters related to the recovery of the Twin Cities, and in addressing the deeper issues of racism both

here and in the Cities. The Working Group will be tasked with this responsibility for at least the coming year.

Its work will include guidance in building and allocating the Twin Cities Recovery Fund, which has been

established to provide support to families, neighborhoods, businesses, youth and organizations deeply

impacted in recent weeks. The Committee invites members of the congregation to consider becoming part

of this important initiative by contacting Bobbie Kuhn or Pastor Dave.

First Congregational United

Church of Christ Office Phone: 715-425-2052

E-mail: office@firstchurchrf.org

Website: www.firstchurchrf.org

STAFF Chris Myers, Pastor

Dave Ostendorf, Minister for Community and Outreach

Stacy Johnson, CE Minister

JaNae Westrich, Youth Pastor

Missy Luedtke, Office Coordinator

Brad Williams, Moderator

Jamie Mills, Music Coordinator and Bell Choir Director

Katelyn Peterson, Choir Director

Marsha Pearson, Organist

Terry Mithun, Organist

Tim Bylander, Building Supervisor

Dave Mountain, Custodian

Pastor’s home phone number:

Chris Myers 715-426-2075

chris@firstchurchrf.org

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FIRST CONGREGATIONAL

UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST 110 N. Third Street

River Falls, Wisconsin 54022

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION

U.S. POSTAGE PAID

PERMIT #53

RIVER FALLS, WI 54022

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• AUGUST 1, 2020

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Masks Available at Church Mounting evidence shows the contribution masks can make to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Thanks to the

generosity of First Congregational sewers, we have masks available at church, including child-size masks. If you

need one, please call the church office.

Ways to Reach Out to Others All of us want to do something to help and be Jesus’ loving disciples in the present moment. Below are some

specific things you can do at home:

Quilts/Prayer Shawls: We continue to collect prayer shawls, quilts and handmade items. If you have some to

donate, please contact Pastor Chris who will distribute them to our seniors and shut-ins.

Shut-ins/Seniors: We have connected our seniors/shut-ins with church families who send them notes, small parcels

and kid’s artwork. If you want to be matched with a shut-in, contact the church office.

Compassion Fund: There are families in our church who have been furloughed, fired, and laid off. We will be

able to offer some modest assistance to these families through our church Compassion Fund. Gifts should be

mailed to the church and marked ‘Compassion Fund.’ Families who need assistance, please contact Pastor Chris.

Twin Cities Recovery Fund: A fund has been established to help rebuild the Twin Cities affected by recent riots.

The goal is to help in two ways, one with immediate help to families and second is to help small businesses rebuild.

Money will be dispersed quickly through trusted, partner agencies established by the church.

Prayer: Prayer connects us with God and our neighbors. Pray for the helpers. Pray for your families. Pray for

people losing their jobs. Pray for students learning online. Pray for families learning new routines. Pray for people

cooped up inside. Each week there is a prayer list of people, situations and thanksgivings that is sent out by email to

help people in their prayer life. You can sign up by contacting the church office. There is also a link to the prayer

list on the church website.