Announcements for Sun, Sept 6
INSIDE: Changes in Worship Times • OWLs Fly to Winona Boat Cruise
Sing!
Do you like music? Do you enjoy singing, even if it’s in the shower? Do you appreciate the power of music in worship? Then put all of these things together and join the First Lutheran Choir! Practice is most Wednesdays, at 7:15pm. Everyone 14 and older are welcome… there is no audition and no formal training required, just a desire to enhance worship through the beauty of music! For more info contact Corissa at corissa@firstlu.org.
Join us for Worship!
Sunday Worship, September 6:
8am: live stream at 1stlu.org/live, and in-person. Nursery available.
10am: live stream at 1stlu.org/live, and in-person. Nursery available.
Coffee with Pastor Karyn
Coffee with Pastor Karyn is open to all and meets at 7am each Wednesday in the narthex. See you there! Questions? Contact karyn@firstlu.org.
Changes in Worship Times
With summer drawing to a close, worship times will be changing once again, and will be as follows…
Wednesday, Sept. 9
6:15pm, Wednesday evening worship resumes
Sunday, Sept. 13 (First Fest Sunday)
Sunday worship changes back to 8am & 10:30am
Garden Harvest!
Extra help is needed in the garden to harvest and deliver food to the Hunger Task Force. 54 pounds of vegetables was delivered last week! Learn more at 1stlu.org/garden.
OWLs
The OWLs (our Older Wiser Lutherans at First, for anyone 55+) start September with an outing to Winona on Friday, Sept. 11. We will begin with dinner at Cafe Sapori di Sicilia, followed by a venture to the waterfront for a cruise on the Winona Tour Boat. The boat is enclosed with seating for everyone, plus a front deck for fresh air and great photography. They’ll leave the church at 3:30pm. If you would like to attend, please contact volunteer coordinator Brian Narveson: owls@firstlu.org / 630-816-5917. Cost of the boat tour is $23 and dinner is on your own.
For the September potluck Mary and Brian would like to invite you to their home. It is a time for great food and fellowship in a home atmosphere. After the meal there will be lawn games or just time to enjoy the fellowship. This fun opportunity will take place at noon on Wednesday, Sept. 16, at 2431 Krause Road in Onalaska. Please call Brian at 630-816-5917 if you need directions.
Flooding in Nepal
On August 26, powerful floodwaters carrying glacial ice and mud swept down the Himalayas through a mountain valley. Hundreds of people have died, and hundreds more remain missing as families are waiting for news of loved ones. Homes have been destroyed, roads and bridges are gone, and entire communities are struggling to access basic necessities. Lutheran Disaster Response has long-standing relationships with trusted partners throughout Nepal. With your help, Lutheran Disaster Response will support emergency relief and long-term recovery through these established partners who know their communities best. GIVE NOW
Mini Donut 5K in Honor of Branden Brownrigg
Every year the 5k portion of the local Mini Donut races honors a local person who was lost to suicide, and the money raised is used to educate the community in the hope of awareness and prevention. The Brownrigg family would love to have members of our church support them at this event on Sept. 12, honoring their son Branden Brownrigg. Registration for the event is still open and typically sells out by August. More info and reg can be found at 1stlu.org/minidonut.
Young Youth Spooky Science!
On Saturday, Sept. 12, 10–11:30am in Fellowship Hall, our Young Youth (grades K–5) will gather for some fun spooky season science experiments and snacks! RSVP at 1stlu.org/next. Questions? Connect with Young Youth Events Director, Katie Pierre, katie@firstlu.org.
18th Annual First Fest!
On Sunday, Sept. 13, we invite you to join us for worship at 8am or 10:30am, and after the second service relax, catch up with friends, introduce yourself to visitors or members you’ve yet to meet, listen to great music, have lunch and have some fun! FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, so INVITE YOUR FRIENDS!
Church Center
While the official launch date isn’t until Sept. 13, feel free to take a sneak peak at our new Church Center. In the coming months we’ll be introducing features of Church Center and how to use them. For now, we ask one thing: Check out your profile, and make sure it’s up-to-date (phone, email, address, birthdates, grades… make certain it's all correct). That’s it! And know there is more than one way to access Church Center…
Using our Church Center app (go to 1stlu.org/app on your phone to download)
The basic idea is this: Church Center (be it on desktop or the app) is for all who want to participate in the life of First Lutheran. The website will change to be for guests and visitors who want to learn more about First. To log into Church Center we recommend using your mobile number, but you can also use your email. It will need to match what we had on file in our old database, as that is what we currently have on file for you in our new database. If there is a match, you’ll receive a confirmation code via text or email, depending on which one you picked. If there isn’t a match, please reach out to office@firstlu.org. Also know that on the official launch date, Sunday, Sept. 13, we’ll have full instructions and volunteers to help you get logged in. If you have issues or questions, reach out to office@firstlu.org.
Religion, Society and Civility
Civility isn’t just about being polite—it’s the foundational social norm that undergirds citizenship and makes a healthy society possible. Join us for a joint series co-hosted by the D.B. Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership at Viterbo University and the La Crosse Area Synod of the ELCA as we explore critical questions: How can we restore civility to our lives, and what role does religion play in that restoration? Learn More
Dates: Mondays — Sept. 14, Sept. 28, Oct. 12, & Oct. 26
Time: 6pm–7pm
Location: Nursing Center Collins Auditorium, Viterbo University (La Crosse, WI)
Cost: Free and open to all
Kennedy’s Cancer Project
Kennedy Everson, a member of First and an upcoming senior at West Salem High School, is excited to be working on a project to raise money for cancer and will be donating it to Emplify Health/Gundersen. Her project is going to be crocheting flowers that she will turn into magnets, that she plans to sell at a shop in West Salem, First Fest at church, and various other events throughout the year. She would love help from all of us in the form of 1) donations of specific yarn and 2) donations of money to help buy the yarn. The type of yarn she is using is 100% cotton number 4 medium. Donations of yarn can be dropped off in the laundry basket in the Narthex. Monetary donations can be made at 1stlu.org/give (select “special project” fund). Thank you so much for your consideration with this project!
New Vacuum for Quilters
Our quilters—that meet every Tuesday in the Fireside Room from 9am–noon to create quilts for Lutheran World Relief—are needing a good vacuum cleaner. If you have a GOOD used one to donate, are interested in donating a good new one, or donating the money to purchase one, please connect with the church office at office@firstlu.org. Thank you!
Confirmation Guides
You don’t need to know the Bible backwards & forwards & you don’t need a seminary degree. Just a heart for the youth of our church & an hour each week to spend with our confirmation youth. Parents, grandparents, godparents, or any faith-mature adult is welcome to facilitate conversation and build relationships between our confirmands on Wednesday nights. Contact Pastor Stanton to nominate someone: jason@firstlu.org / 608.783.2236.
Jazz Worship on Wednesday, Sept. 16
Mark your calendars and make sure to join us for a special worship service of jazz liturgy on Wednesday, Sept. 16, at the 6:15pm service, led by Jon Ailabouni.
Sugar Creek’s 60th Anniversary Celebration!
Friday–Sunday, September 18–20. Come celebrate 60 years of “God stories” at your Bible camp! Join in as part of the wider Sugar Creek family, as we dedicate ourselves to “paying it forward” to bless kids, families, churches and communities… Together we can make sure that blessing happens for MANY more years to come. More info.
Sugar Creek Annual Quilt Auction
Saturday, September 19. Your generosity means campers can experience life-changing, Christ-centered Summer Camp programs and retreats. The day includes Silent Auction Baskets, Country Store with purchasable items, and a LIVE Quilt Auction! Pony rides, crafts, yard games and more activities will be featured for the fall festival. Lunch will be available for purchase and will feature BBQ and fresh pies! Online quilt viewing & bidding opens Sept. 7. Enjoy special events commemorating a beautiful past, and dedicating ourselves to a blessed 60 years ahead!
Rescheduled: Middle School Trip to Orchard
On this (rescheduled) Sunday, Sept. 20, after second service, our middle school youth will eat lunch at church and then get on the bus to travel to the Ferguson Apple Orchard! Invite a friend — all are welcome! Activities Include: Wagon rides, Pumpkin Jumping Pad, Giant Spinning Apple, Corn Pit, Barnyard Ball, Cow Train, Straw Bale Playground, 40' Slide, Pedal Tractors, Farm Animals, Corn Maze, Duck Races, Calf Roping, Lawn Games, and more! Questions? Connect with middle school event coordinator, Madi: madalyn@firstlu.org / 612-327-2230.
Blood Drive
Monday, Sept. 21, 12-5pm. Every day ordinary people are saved by some pretty extraordinary people. People who give blood. Your donation could be the most valuable gift you have ever given. Just ask anyone who’s ever received it. Walk-ins welcome; appointments encouraged, schedule yours at 1stlu.org/next. Please bring photo ID.
One Spot Remaining!
Our First Lutheran Preschool has one 3K spot remaining! 8:З0am–11am Tues/Thur, ages 2–5; all kids must be potty trained. Contact melissa@firstlu.org to claim today!
New-Member Social
By choosing to become a member, individuals and families commit to being part of a shared mission. People who would like to become members of First Lutheran are invited to a social at Coulee Golf Bowl on Thursday, Oct. 8, 6pm, where you will get to know more about First and the staff in a relaxed atmosphere. To register your family or ask questions, call our church office at 608.783.2236 or email office@firstlu.org.
Baptismal Preparation
The next baptism preparation session will be Saturday, Oct. 10, at 10am in the narthex for anyone who is considering or has scheduled a baptism. To register or ask questions call the church office at 608.783.2236 by Sunday, Oct. 4. Min. attendance required: 2 families.
Calling all bakers! Cookies for LuMin
Fall is almost here... and with that, the return of students! First has signed up to provide 400 cookies for mid-October! Cookies need to be delivered to our office by Monday, Oct. 12, at 3pm. Sign up at 1stlu.org/next.
Monday Night Community Meals
For many years, Trinity Lutheran Church on the north side of La Crosse has hosted a meal on Monday nights. First Lutheran helps with this important community ministry, by preparing a meal, serving the food, and cleaning up. We need people to plan and prepare the meal to feed 150-200 people, and folks to serve the meal (5-6pm) and help with cleanup. Meal prep can be done at your convenience. Many times people prepare the main course a week ahead, freeze it, and reheat it. Food for the meal can be gotten at no charge from the Hunger Task Force in La Crosse. New for 2026: Cookie bakers! Help bake a batch of 4 dozen cookies! NEXT: Oct. 19. Sign up at 1stlu.org/next.
Attend Your Legacy: Family, Church, and Charity
Wednesday, Oct. 28, 11am
Register at lsswis.org/thrivent26
Location: First Lutheran, Fellowship Hall
Lunch provided
Meet with reps from LSS, Thrivent, and the First Lutheran Foundation Fund to learn about wills, bequests, and estate planning to provide lasting support even after you are gone for the people, places, and organizations that mean the most to you. Contact Jennifer Williamson at LSS with questions: jennifer.williamson@lsswis.org or (414) 391-5058.
Behind the Scenes Changes
As Pastor Stanton mentioned in his message in church on Sunday, May 31, we currently ask members to use several different platforms in order to participate in the ministries at First Lutheran. In an effort to make signing up and registering for events and opportunities easier for everyone, and to bring giving history, signups and more all under one roof, we will be making some big changes to how we manage our membership data and our giving platform this summer. A few of the areas this will affect will be:
Membership: we’ll be migrating our membership roles from our current platform to our new platform sometime in June.
Website: as of right now we have no plans to change our website provider, but the look will change a bit as we integrate it with our new platform.
Church app: the new platform offers a church app, which we will be working on throughout the summer and hope to launch at First Fest this fall.
Giving: the platform we use for giving will be changing, and we’ll be asking members to switch their giving to this new platform later in 2026.
Signing up/registering: we will be ending our use of Signup Genius and will be transferring our sign ups to our new platform later in 2026.
We intend to make our migration over the summer, and to start a staggered rollout of features starting in the fall.
⚠️ June 29 Update: New Sources of Communication
Communication sources: Going forward, expect to receive church communications from the following domains and numbers…
@01stlu.clrsmail.com
@churchcenteronline.com
(608) 544-0853
Emails/texts coming from these new locations may initially get filtered to spam; please add these to our contact info in your phone.
HELP ministry
The Health Equipment Lending Program (HELP) is a ministry offered by Holmen Lutheran Church. People can borrow health-care equipment, ranging from crutches, walkers and wheelchairs to commodes and shower chairs. Also available are items to keep, such as transfer belts, braces and disposable briefs. For more information, contact Mary Nicolai at 608-498-0439 (text or leave a voicemail).
Salvation Army: Serving Hope, One Meal at a Time
The Salvation Army shelter in La Crosse provides 64 residents stability and an opportunity to get their feet back underneath of them and planted on solid ground. One of the ways this is done is by providing 3 meals a day. Each and every day, volunteers are needed at The Salvation Army La Crosse to help serve these warm, nourishing meals to those who need them most. These volunteers share their love and kindness with those they are serving. In addition to this, we welcome members of the community facing food insecurity to get a lunch each day of the week. In June, we served an average of 130 community meals each day. These meals are made possible by the compassion and service of volunteers—offering not only nourishment, but hope. If you are interested in learning more about how volunteers help us serve the community, please go online at centralusa.salvationarmy.org/lacrosse or call Rick at 608-782-6126 ext. 226 for more info.
Subscribe to Living Lutheran
Living Lutheran has brought back its print magazine publication. The storytelling you know and love will appear in mailboxes with four issues each year (spring, summer, winter and fall). Subscribe for the latest news, reflections and stories from the ELCA. Visit livinglutheran.org/subscribe to set up an individual subscription. If you have already subscribed – thank you!
Advocacy and Public Policy
Wondering how you can make your voice heard? Not sure how to call your elected leader or what you should say once you have them on the phone? There are two organizations that align with our values that can help!
The Lutheran Office of Public Policy Wisconsin Action Center has all the tools you need to take action on the state level. Find them at loppw.org/action.
ELCA Advocacy has all the tools you need to take action on the national level. Find them at: elca.org/how-we-serve/elca-in-society.
Queer Lutherans Connections Groups
If you’re interested in connecting with other 2SLGBTQIA+ folks in the ELCA, the Queer Lutherans Project is creating space for that to happen! One way is through Connections, monthly group meetings via Zoom for queer and trans Lutherans. These groups aim to serve as reminders that we aren’t alone and invite us to journey together through life and faith as we strive to make our world(s) more loving, just, and inclusive. You are also welcome to join the Discord server while it’s active. Click the hyperlinks below to register for a group.
Connections groups:
Queer Lutherans: inclusive of all 2SLGBTQIA+ folks
BIPOC Queer Lutherans: for people who are Black, Indigenous, Asian American or Pacific Islander (AAPI), Hispanic/Latinx
Disabled Queer Lutherans: for people who live life with a disability (this includes folks with chronic illnesses)
Trans/GNC Lutherans: for transgender, gender non-conforming, or otherwise gender expansive people
If you have questions, concerns, or suggestions, please feel free to reach out to phoenix.rahel@elca.org to schedule some time together.
Sunday School
Sunday School resumes on Sept. 13.
More info and registration: 1stlu.org/sunschool
Confirmation
Grade 8–10 confirmation orientation will be Sunday, Aug. 16.
More info and registration: 1stlu.org/confirm.
