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Church Council

Members

CHURCH SECRETARY

NEWSLETTER EDITOR

Jamie DeSmet

President: Harlan Emberson

VP: Steve Meade

Secretary: Amy Dammen

Church Treasurer: Joan Moen

Steve Anderson, Anne Emberson, Larry Hendrickson, Melissa Flannery, Chester

Johnson, Ed Gerner, Kristy Zwicker

Email: council@adamslutheranchurch.com

Financial Secretary: Brenda Emberson

Email: office@adamslutheranchurch.com

Cell:

608.574.3302

Address:

W9233 Emberson Lane

Blanchardville, WI 53516

www.adamslutheranchurch.com

ADAMS LUTHERAN CHURCH

P.O. Box 166

Argyle, WI 53504

Phone: 608.482.5650

E-mail: office@adamslutheranchurch.com

2018

Volume 23

Issue 2

Pastor

Jen Kuhnert

Email:

pastor@adamslutheranchurch.com

Cell:

262-370-4166

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From the Pastor’s Desk

You are Dust…

I’ve had a coffee can filled with ashes sitting in my garage since last year! No, they aren’t people ashes! I took the palm branches home after Palm Sunday service last year, sat outside a few weeks later and ignited them. I then proceeded to cough for the next week because it turns out, you have to get pretty close to get those buggers to light them! And you have to keep “fluffing” them to get them all to turn to ash! The can sits right by our garage door, and every day, I see the can of ashes and somewhat feel the burden, or guilt that is associated with them still sitting in my garage. Even though they are ashes of a plant, they have grown significant because of the significant act of love they remind us of. These branches that reminded us of the triumphant entry of Jesus-turn to the basic realization of what we are without God’s love and grace.

"You are but dust, and to dust you shall return.” Dust is pretty insignificant. There’s plenty of it (just come to my house!) It doesn’t add any value to life. That’s exactly what we are. We are insignificant dust, and without God’s love, we are nothing but dust. These ashes that we wear on Ash Wednesday though, remind us that with God, we are made significant! With God’s love, we are given gifts to be shared, power to love and grace to be accepted. Ash Wednesday service will be at 6:30 on February 14th. A cool scheduling coincidence to celebrate the powerful love of God on a day when we celebrate love among ourselves anyway!

Peace

Pastor Jen

Church Telephone Number

The church has a new phone number. 608-482-5650 Messages will only be checked on Sunday-so if you require a quicker response, call Pastor Jen on her cell phone 262-370-4166.

Home Visits

Pastor Jen tries to visit our home-bound members at least every other month. If you or someone you know has not been visited, please let Pastor Jen know.

Adams Cemetery Association will be meeting Feb. 11 during coffee hour.

Thank you to the women of the ELCA for the box of cookies for Christmas. Ed has been enjoying the treats with his morning coffee—so nice of you all to think of us. Thank goodness for our church family and Pastor Jen—we really appreciate all the con-cerns and prayers.

Ed and Bonnie Gerner

Thank you to the Women of the ELCA for the tin of Christmas goodies and to everyone else who gave me gifts back in December. They were all much appreciated.

Kristy Zwicker

BIRTHDAYS

13 - Michelle Wirtz, Dorothy Dammen 19 - Mandi Leoonard 21 - Melissa Leonard Flannery 25 - Brenda Emberson

ANNIVERSARIES

23 - Jason & Jody Moen 26 - Taylor & Jolene Hilliard

Do you have a birthday or anniversary you’d like added to the newsletter? Let the church office know. 608.543.3242 or argylead-amschurch@gmail.com

CELEBRATING IN FEBRUARY

Deadline Dates

Newsletter deadline is the 20th of every month.

Bulletin: please have any bulletin announce-ments to Jamie by 8am Wednesday morning

Prayer Calendar

FEBRUARY 2018

We have created this prayer calendar and ask that in your daily prayers, you pray for the person/s listed on each day.

1 Joanne Bruehlman

2 Carol Lancaster

Connie Williams

3 Janet Williams-Reimer

Sylvan Dammen

4 Penny Monahan

5 Jaden Goninen

Kay Krahenbuhl

6 Anne Emberson

7 Scott Fischer

Victor Gilbertson

8 Valerie Steiner

Kathryn Hanson

9 Barbara Erickson

Trevor Thompson

10

Steve Ball

11

Doug Hodgson

12

Zach Fischer

13

Grant Graham

14 Joyce Moen

Robert Heitz

15 Ann Bohlman

Doral Erickson

16 Carl Campeau

17 Kim Bahe

Otis Paulson

18 Phyliss Watkins

19 Gordon Larson

Erik Tollakson

20 Tina Paulson

Doris Erickson

21 Gloria Thompson

22 Gabe Greenwood

23

Duane Steiner

24 Lois Gifford

25 David Everson

Marsha Soper

26 Nancy Dammen

Marilyn Moen

27 Jerry Hassenfeldt

28 Elliot Larson

Skott Kampfer

Have You Heard of Café?

Café is an on-line magazine for young adult women who want to build their faith.

It incorporates a Lutheran perspective for women of Christian faith or simply for any woman who

is interested in how faith relates to the issues that women face today. Readers and writers

of Café include pastors, seminary and college students, and other young adult women who use Café as a Bible study

resource individually or with their congregation. For example, “Finding Authentic Community” is

a recent article you may find interesting…share this invitation with your congregation.

http://www.boldcafe.org/

ASSISTING IN WORSHIP

DATE READERS USHERS COFFEE HOUR FLOWERS ALTAR DUTY

Sunday, Feb 4* 9:00 a.m. Amy Barnes

Jeff Zwicker

Kyle Zwicker

Miriam Circle

Sunday, Feb 11* 9:00 a.m. Kyle Zwicker Miriam Circle

Sunday, Feb 18* 9:00 a.m. Harlan Emberson Miriam Circle

Sunday, Feb 25* 9:00 a.m. Jody Moen Miriam Circle

ADAMS LUTHERAN CHURCH

Support the Work of Your Synod and Your Church!

The synod offers an on line donation opportunity 24/7/365 through

the synod website. Our mission to care for, connect and equip

the congregations of our synod to be the hearts and hands of

Jesus cannot happen without you! You can donate to Synod

Ministries where needed most, Synod Endowment fund, Refugee Resettlement, Fund for Leaders, ELCA World Hun-

ger, ELCA Disaster Response, LUAD, Latino Ministries, Campus Ministry, and more.

To give online, go to:

https://scsw-elca.org/donations/mobile/

or click on the QR

code using a barcode reader app on your smart phone.

The “Donate” button appears at the top of the synod website. You can also use the QR code shown here. Your fi-

nancial offerings are so very much appreciated!

The National Youth Gathering registration is due 9/1/2017. The gathering dates are June 27-July 1, 2018 in Houston Texas. The event is open to 8th-12th grad-ers as of 9/1/2017 Let's get a group together to attend this life changing event. Contact Melissa at 608-558-5480 or melissak.wirtz@gmail.com with any Youth Group related questions.

Receive exciting stories of our ministry together, timely news updates and invita-

tions to learning and ministry opportunities in the synod. The synod staff’s hope is to

reach everyone in the pews with What Matters and Walking Together: Faith for Our

Journey. Sign up online for synod e-news today! http://bit.ly/SynodNews

Like Us on Facebook and

you’ll share in awesome min-

istry by congregations in your

synod, share great ideas

and be inspired with select-

ed scripture from your synod staff.

South-Central Synod of Wisconsin

Share your news. If you have something you would

like considered for publication in What Matters, send

it to Communications & Event Manager, Deacon

Vicki Hanrahan, at vickih@scsw-elca.org.

Visit our website: www.scsw-elca.org

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ADAMS LUTHERAN CHURCH

“The River of Struggle: Black Life in the Americas”

February 18 (note date change from the

4th to the 18th due to Super Bowl Sunday)

& March 11

“The Secret of Joy: How the Struggle Contin-

ues”

Both events will be at St. Matthew’s New Life Church from

4:00 - 6:00 pm Featured Speaker: Rev. Stephen Marsh

Rev. Stephen Marsh serves as co-pastor of Lake Edge Lutheran Church and is engaged as a community organizer, activist,

writer, and speaker. Originally from the Chicago area, Stephen graduated from Northwestern University with a Bachelor of

Arts in Philosophy and Political Science. He went on to graduate from Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Columbus, Ohio with a

Masters of Divinity. He also attended Makumira Theological College in Arusha, Tanzania. He has served parishes in

Queens, New York; Chicago, Illinois, and Brooklyn, New York. He served as an Assistant to the Bishop and later as the Bish-

op of the Southeast Michigan Synod of the ELCA, located in Detroit. Rev. Marsh was a lead writer for Rooted in the Gos-

pel, an African-American Spiritual Experience and is a published writer for The Lutheran magazine. If won’t take you long

to understand that he has a passion for social justice.

Thank you to New Life for hosting these Racial Equity Ministry events and their efforts to record the events for a coming

webpage where the events will be accessible for congregations to utilize. Racial Equity Ministry team members will be

happy to come to a congregation to lead a discussion related to the events recorded.

No registration required…Just come! This event is sponsored by the South-Central Synod of Wisconsin Racial Equity

Ministry Team. This team was created as an outcome of the resolution that was passed at our 2017 Synod Assembly and is

working diligently to help you to lift up matters of Racial Equity in your congregations. Please do put these events on your

calendar and invite others to join you in becoming more educated on issues of racial justice. Together we will do God’s

work of loving our brothers and sisters.

Location: St. Matthew’s New Life Church/7564 Cottage Grove Road/Madison

TRAVEL TO THE LUTHERLANDS!

The Luther sites are spruced up, the 500th anniversary celebrations

are over, and all the tourists have gone home! This may be the

best time to see Wartburg Castle, Wittenberg and other key places

associated with Martin Luther and the Reformation.

Sept 16-27, 2018, West Dane Conference is proposing a tour to the

Lutherlands, starting in Munich, taking in Rothenberg, then con-

cluding with visits to Dresden, Leipzig & Berlin. This trip will only take

place if 25 people sign up by Feb. 5. If you are interested, please

email Jeff Jacobs at:

mailto:pastorjacobs@springdalelutheran.org (or call him) and he

will send you a detailed itinerary, application and further instruc-

tions. Cell: 608-577-4535, or at home, 608-848-1294.

Synod Assembly 2018 – Saturday, May 5 & Sunday, May 6 – Kalahari, Wisconsin Dells

There will be a bishop election at the 2018 Synod Assem-

bly. Information can be found at:

https://scswbishopelection.org. To foster a fair, impartial

process, please do not contact the synod office with an-

ything regarding the election of our next bishop. Please

contact Co-chairs Nancy Raabe or Jason Xiong at scsw-

bishopelection2018@gmail.com or Vice President Robin

Cherwinka at cherwinka@tds.net (608-832-6388).

Communications about the election will be sent from the Bishop Election Task Force directly. If you wish to receive these

mailings, sign up at: https://mailchi.mp/c53d3ca6ef4f/scswbishopelection2018

SYNOD ASSEMBLY REGISTRATION PACKETS WERE MAILED TO CONGREGATIONAL PRESIDENTS AND ALL PAS-

TORS AND DEACONS. ONLINE REGISTRATION OPENS FEB. 1

We strongly encourage Congregational Presidents, Pastors and Deacons, to invite leaders in your congre-

gations to attend synod assembly as a voting member or visitor.

As you prepare for your annual meetings, remember to vote for the voting members that you will send to the Annual Synod

Assembly May 5 & 6 to be held at the Kalahari in Wisconsin Dells. A formula for determining the number of voting members

you may send is included in your packets.

Watch What Matters every week for important updates on Synod Assembly. Here is an update regarding

gender representation for synod roles.

Male, Female, & Other?

Gender Representation for Synod Roles

For this assembly and continuing forward, instead of only listing two genders, synod materials and roles will be striving to be

fully inclusive and enable people of all gender identities and expressions to participate in the life and work of the church.

This follows our 2017 assembly, when the South-Central Synod of voted to become a Reconciling in Christ synod with this af-

firmation of welcome: “Following Jesus, who commanded his followers, ‘Just as I have loved you, you also should love one

another,’ and believing that all persons are created in the image of God, the South-Central Synod of Wisconsin (ELCA)

strives to be fully inclusive for all. This synod welcomes people of every race, background, age, political affiliation, economic

and social status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and mental and physical ability, while striving to enable

all people to participate fully in the life and work of the church and its expressions.”

In working for full inclusion, we are implementing a memorial to the 2016 ELCA Churchwide Assembly that asked for the

church to adapt the “representational principle” that strives for a balance of gender in elected roles of the church. This

strong principle was originally focused on a narrow binary of gender identification (female OR male).

As your congregation is electing voting members for synod assembly this year, and for the nominations we will be consider-

ing at assembly, we are striving to be more fully inclusive, so that the roles are more clearly open to transgender individuals

and persons of other gender non-conforming identities and expressions. In practice, we are simply asking for you to continue

the representational principle in striving for a balance of genders. In many cases as we begin this change, it will continue to

mean an approximate 50/50 split of males and females. But also amid the mix the “other” category more clearly offers the

opportunity for those who don’t identify as female OR male.