Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus

April 2015
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! I don’t tire of proclaiming this good news year after year, first from
the pews and now from the pulpit. After all, this is the basis of our faith. Had Jesus been crucified
and that was the end of the story, we would say he taught us good things about God and we’d likely
reference his sayings for inspiration and comfort.
That he was risen from the dead changes everything. The incarnation let us know that God
understood what we experienced, was tempted as we were, felt sorrow and hunger and human
desires and needs as we do. The resurrection let us know that God was more powerful than even
death and nothing could separate us from this same God who loved us enough to come to us as one
of us. That Jesus Christ is risen means that absolutely nothing will keep us from the love of God. Paul
said it best in the eighth chapter of Romans:
“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor
things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able
to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! If God will do this - conquer death - to bring us closer to God’s self,
what else can God do? It’s tempting to limit what God can to do fit into the framework shaped by
what we can do. Just because Jesus was human, though, does not take away his divinity, shared with
God. God knows our limits but we cannot place those same limits on God. God’s grandeur looks
different in each of our lives yet the goodness of God’s greatness remains the same.
This is the good news we’ve been called to share, nay, charged with sharing. What is the good news
you have experienced? As we go out into the world as Easter people, don’t contain the joy that
comes with the good news - Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Abundant life is exuberant life and
exuberant life is full of joy which must be shared. This makes us God’s glad and faithful people, no?
Thanks be to God for the good news in each of our lives!
Nicole
First Presbyterian Church of Waukesha
810 North East Avenue, Waukesha, Wisconsin 53186
(262) 542-4243 [email protected]
www.firstpreswaukesha.org
April 1
11:30 AM Wednesday Bible Study [Oak Room]
5:30 PM Session [office]
April 26 - Fourth Sunday of Easter
10:15 AM Middle School Sunday School [H.S.
Room]
11:15 AM High School Sunday School [H.S. Room]
1:00 PM Youth Group*
April 2 - Maundy Thursday
7:00 PM Maundy Thursday service
April 29
11:30 AM Wednesday Bible Study [Oak Room]
6:00 PM Collaborative Art* [Oak Room]
April 3 - Good Friday
3:00 PM St. Luke’s Neighborhood Walk*
*see article
April 5 - Easter Sunday
Communion Sunday
9:00 AM Breakfast
10:00 AM Easter Sunday service
Easter Egg Hunt* following worship
April 8
11:30 AM Wednesday Bible Study [Oak Room]
6:30 PM Deacons’ meeting [Oak Room]
April 12 - Second Sunday of Easter
10:15 AM Middle School Sunday School [H.S.
Room]
11:00 AM Sundae Sunday* [dining room]
11:15 AM High School Sunday School [H.S. Room]
April 13
10:00 AM Rebekah Circle* [Oak Room]
April 15
11:30 AM Wednesday Bible Study [Oak Room]
6:00 PM Mariners’ Club* [dining room]
Staff vacation:
April 20 - April 22: Nicole off
For several years St. Luke’s Lutheran Church has
hosted a Good Friday Neighborhood Walk in cooperation with several downtown churches and
SOPHIA. The intention has been to carry the cross
into the community and pray in those places of
hurt and despair and rejoice in those places of
healing and wholeness. This year’s walk will begin
at St. Luke's (300 Carroll Street) at 3:00 PM on
Good Friday, April 3. The theme for this year's
walk of prayer and social justice awareness is A
PLACE CALLED HOME. If you wish to participate,
meet at St. Luke's by 2:45 PM. Wear your walking
shoes!
April 16
8:00 AM Men’s Breakfast [Dady-Oh’s]
April 19 - Third Sunday of Easter
10:15 AM Children’s Sunday School [Oak Room]
10:15 AM Middle School Sunday School [H.S.
Room]
11:30 AM Mission Trip Meeting* [Oak Room]
April 20
12:00 PM May newsletter submissions due
April 22
11:30 AM NO Wednesday Bible Study
Join us before worship in the dining room for
fellowship and good food at 9:00 AM on Easter
Sunday, April 5. The church will provide juice,
milk, coffee, and fruit. All are encouraged to bring
breakfast pastries or casseroles to share.
Future fellowship events:
May 3: An afternoon of appetizers
Mark your calendars!
“May the grace of Christ Our Savior
And the Father’s boundless love
With the Holy Spirit’s favor
Rest upon us from Above.”
- John Newton
- from, Expressions of Faith, a book beautifully
illustrated and available in the Oak Room cabinet
library.
Rebekah Circle
The session met on Wednesday, March 4. We met
with Scott Farley and welcomed him into
membership here (we’ll welcome him as a
community of faith in worship after Easter). We
also discussed getting the steeple straightened
and hope to have that done soon. We gladly
welcomed Marti Boyd’s offer to represent the
church on the board of The Caring Place and we
made plans for the Easter breakfast, to happen at
9:00 AM, before worship.
Immediately after worship kids of all ages can
gather in the Oak Room before heading off for an
(indoor) egg hunt.
April 5 - Easter
Isaiah 25:6-9; John 20:1-18
Rejoice in Salvation
April 12 - Second Sunday of Easter
Acts 4:32-35; John 20:19-31
Doubt and Belief
Carrol Hein, 88, died peacefully at her residence
at the Congregational Home in Brookfield, March
16, 2015. The Heins were long time members of
First Presbyterian Church in Waukesha. Carrol’s
husband, Quentin Walter Hein passed away in
2007. She is survived by her five sons and their
families: Peter C. (Anne) of New York City;
Douglas H. (Cheryl) of Los Angeles; Russell J. of
Waukesha; Kevin R. (Hong) of New York City; and
George B. (Diane) Hein of Cupertino, CA, and five
grandchildren: Peter, Jr., Michael, Melissa,
Ashley, and Preston.
The family will receive friends at the
Congregational Home Chapel, Brookfield (13900
W. Burleigh Rd.) on Saturday, April 4 from 9:30
AM until the time of a service at 10:30 AM,
followed by Committal Service at Wisconsin
Memorial Park, Brookfield (13235 W. Capitol Dr.).
April 19 - Third Sunday of Easter
Acts 3:12-19; 1 John 3:1-7
In Him There Is No Sin
April 26 - Fourth Sunday of Easter
Psalm 23; John 10:11-18
Herding Sheep
May 3 - Fifth Sunday of Easter
1 John 4:7-21; John 15:1-8
There Is No Fear in Love
May 10 - Ascension of the Lord
Acts 1:1-11; Luke 24:44-53
Out of Sight
May 17 - Seventh Sunday of Easter
Psalm 1; John 17:6-19
Trees by Streams
May 24 - Pentecost
Acts 2:1-21; John 15:26-27, 16:4b-15
As the Spirit Gave Them Ability
The winning chili recipe from our March fellowship
event was Mary Ann Sinclair’s. Here’s her awardwinning slow-cooker recipe for chicken chili.
Ingredients:
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken (frozen is fine)
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 10 oz. can mild enchilada sauce
1 medium onion, chopped
1 4 oz. can chopped green chili peppers
1 10 oz. package of frozen corn (or can drained)
1 15 oz. can black beans, drained
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 C. chicken broth & 1 C. water
1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. cumin, 1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 Bay leaf; 2 T. fresh cilantro, chopped
Homemade tortilla strips (see instructions on right)
Optional: 1/2 tsp. chipotle powder & 1 T. lime juice
We are back from Guatemala, and had a wonderful
trip. Peter and I would like to thank all of you for
your support and prayers during our time away.
We worked with a great team of people, mostly
from the Venice Presbyterian Church in Florida. Our
work was in Nebaj, Guatemala, a city north of
Guatemala City, in a very mountainous region
where many of the Mayan Indians still live. There
are many homes where women build fires inside the
house to heat the house and to cook. This creates
noxious fumes which have significantly affected
mortality rates in children. Our work, while we were
there, involved the installation of new cook stoves
(both inside and out), and water filtration units. The
stoves that we installed, include a ventilation
system that takes the fumes outside of the home,
creating a much healthier environment for all
involved. We entered a couple of homes where
wood fires were burning, and we had to ask to have
them extinguished before we could start our work.
It was impossible to breath, so imagine what living
in that environment all day long would be like!
Directions: Place all ingredients in a large Crock-Pot
and stir to combine. Cover, and cook on “low” for 6 8 hours or on “high” for 3 - 4 hours. About 15
minutes before serving, remove the chicken, allow
to cool briefly, then shred and return to soup.
Adding a few raw corn tortillas here will help to
thicken the soup. For a creamier version, add a 1/4
Cup heavy cream at this point also. When serving,
add tortilla strips and desired garnishes. Enjoy!
Directions to make homemade tortilla crisps
Ingredients: 4 corn tortillas & 1-3 T. of olive oil
Stack tortillas and using a knife or pizza cutter, cut
into 1-inch strips. Skillet Method: Heat the olive oil,
add tortillas, flipping them ever 20-30 seconds until
golden. Remove from oil and place on paper towels
to drain. Season with salt. Oven Method: Preheat
oven to 400 degrees. Lay tortillas on greased cookie
sheet and bush with oil and season. Bake for 5
minutes then flip and bake for another 5 minutes
until they are crisp and golden.
The Guatemalan families we met and served were
very warm, friendly people and welcomed us with
open arms. Communication was sometimes a
challenge, but with the help of two translators on
each team we managed to learn a little about each
family. Many of the folks in the area where we
were, still speak a Mayan dialect called Ixil. There
were from 3 to 12 people living in each home.
Sometimes there would be 3 generations living
under one roof. The accommodations are very,
very modest, mostly dirt floors, and very little
furniture. Needless to say they don’t sit around the
TV every night watching reality shows! They have
very little electricity, usually just a light bulb in the
middle of the room, so very dimly lit. Electricity is a
relatively new development and is managed via a
cooperative.
We feel very fortunate to have been able to help
others in some small way. This trip has given us a
large dose of perspective on how blessed we are to
live where we do, to have clean water, enough food
to eat, more than adequate shelter from the
weather, and so much more.
Thanks again for your support.
Barb Klemp
3/29/15
aerobic
Matthew 21:12-17
memorize a verse
4/5/15
aerobic
Luke 24:13-35
memorize a verse
4/12/15
aerobic
John 14:1-7
memorize a verse
4/19/15
aerobic
John 21:15-25
memorize a verse
3/30/15
balance
Psalm 87
meditate
4/6/15
balance
Psalm 97
meditate
4/13/15
balance
Psalm 124
meditate
4/20/15
balance
Psalm 115
meditate
3/31/15
strength
Phil. 3:15-21
Lectio Divina
4/7/15
strength
Acts 2:36-47
Lectio Divina
4/14/15
strength
1 John 2:1-11
Lectio Divina
4/21/15
strength
1 John 4:7-21
Lectio Divina
4/1/15
rest
Psalm 51
journal
4/8/15
rest
Psalm 9
journal
4/15/15
rest
Psalm 118
journal
4/22/15
rest
Psalm 6
journal
4/2/15
flexibility
Jer. 20:7-18
John 17:1-26
look for similarities
& differences in
readings
4/9/15
flexibility
Ezekiel 37:1-14
John 15:12-27
look for similarities
& differences in
readings
4/16/15
flexibility
Daniel 2:31-49
Luke 3:1-14
look for similarities
& differences in
readings
4/23/15
flexibility
Daniel 5:13-30
Luke 5:1-11
look for similarities
& differences in
readings
4/3/15
aerobic
Genesis 22:1-14
memorize a verse
4/10/15
aerobic
Daniel 12:1-4, 13
memorize a verse
4/17/15
aerobic
Daniel 3:1-18
memorize a verse
4/24/15
aerobic
Daniel 6:1-15
memorize a verse
4/4/15
freestyle
Romans 8:1-11
your preferred
exercise
4/11/15
freestyle
Acts 4:13-31
your preferred
exercise
4/18/15
freestyle
1 John 3:11-18
your preferred
exercise
4/25/15
freestyle
Luke 5:27-39
your preferred
exercise
To Members and Guests of FPC:
Thank you to all who purchased Easter flowers
and donated flowers and Mission Gifts. If you
purchased flowers to take home, please find the
flower(s) marked with your name and take them
with you after our Easter worship service.
From the Food Pantry of Waukesha County
March 19, the 4th Greater Milwaukee Foundation
Match Day, was an exciting day. We continue to
be honored by the Greater Milwaukee
Foundation's trust in us as evidenced by selecting
our agency as one of the 20 Match Day
participants. We are inspired by the work that is
done to help our neighbors in need. And we are
honored to be stewards of your generous
support. Thank you for making Match Day a
success!
From Hebron House
Thank you so much for your donation! Your
donation helps us fulfill our mission to provide
Home, Help, and Hope to individuals and families
experiencing homelessness. We’re happy that
your generous donation had an even greater
impact on Match Day through generous matching
gifts from community partners like the Greater
Milwaukee Foundation, Brewers Community
Foundation, The Ceres Foundation, Meijer, United
Way of Greater Milwaukee and Waukesha County
and Faye McBeath Foundation. Hebron House of
Hospitality staff and guests appreciate your
generosity. Thank you for your support!
From Hope Center
On behalf of our guests, staff and volunteers,
Hope Center thanks you for your generosity!
From The Women’s Center
You are providing a life-changing place where
women and their families can take shelter and
break the cycle of violence and abuse within their
homes. On behalf of the clients of The Women's
Center, thank you for your donation and making a
difference in our community.
4/26/15
aerobic
Matthew 7:15-29
memorize a verse
4/27/15
balance
Psalm 111
meditate
4/28/15
strength
Colossians 1:15-23
Lectio Divina
4/29/15
rest
Psalm 66
journal
4/30/15
flexibility
Jer. 31:1-14
Luke 6:39-49
look for similarities
& differences in
readings
Join us for Rebekah Circle at 10:00 AM on
Monday, April 13 in the Oak Room. Presenting:
Kathryn Herman.
Sundae Sunday is April 12. Sundae Sunday is a
chance for Pastor Nicole and the kids to enjoy
casual conversation over ice cream. We gather in
the dining room, shortly after worship ends, over
mint chocolate chip and vanilla. All kids are
welcome!
Our April youth group event will be a hike at
Retzer Nature Center on Sunday, April 26, from
1:00 PM - 3:30 PM, as long as the weather is
permitting. Because we need to worry about seat
belts, please let me know by Wednesday, April
22 if you plan on coming along. All youth from
fifth grade and up are invited! Dress accordingly!
On Wednesday, April 15, the Mariners’ Club is
hosting a Night of Poetry in honor and memory of
Lacey Ballmann and her many talents. All ages are
welcome to join the meal and participate.
You are encouraged to bring poetry! The potluck
dinner will begin at 6:00 PM followed by poetry
sharing at 7:00 PM. Your April hosts are: Earl &
Marion Davison and Lawrence & Mary Ann
Sinclair.
Other 2015 Mariners’ Club Wednesday dates:
September 16 and October 21.
NOTE: A Chairperson and committee are needed
for the October meeting - or - if no one
volunteers, we’ll eliminate that meeting. If you
are willing to volunteer, please contact Ella
Holberg at 542-2145.
4/1 John Pugh
4/9 Sara Winkelmann
4/16 Parnell Ryan
4/21 Marion Ryan
4/21 Buzz Boyd
4/21 John Schreiber
4/21 Dawn Noska
4/23 Marion Davison
4/24 Myrt Christensen
4/25 Kristi Margis
4/25 Penny Goodyear
4/26 Ann Stover
4/30 Alex DuMez
Please mark your calendars for July 15, the next
date when we will
help serve a late
lunch to the guests
at The Hope Center.
Help will be needed
setting up, serving,
&
cleaning
up.
Desserts are always
Each year we participate in the One Great Hour
of Sharing offering sponsored by the PC(USA).
Since 1949 Presbyterians have joined with
millions of other Christians through One Great
Hour of Sharing to share God’s love with those in
need. Your generous gifts assist those affected by
natural disasters and human-made traumas,
provide food to the hungry, and assist in helping
to empower the poor and oppressed. Please
consider contributing when the One Great Hour
of Sharing is collected this Easter time.
Help save lives!
We would like to host an American Red Cross
Blood Drive this June or July. In order to schedule
a drive, we need a minimum of 30 people
interested in donating blood. What a wonderful
opportunity to serve God and help out our fellow
human beings!
Please sign-up today if you are interested in
donating blood. If you are at least 17 years old
(16 with parental consent), weigh at least 110
pounds, and are in good health, you may be
eligible to give blood. A sign-up sheet will be
posted in the Oak Room, or you can call (414-7504141) or e-mail ([email protected]) Jim Ziegler.
The exact date will be determined once we have
the minimum donor interest.
Thank you!
Please consider praying for the mission sites, including presbyteries and synods across the nation, associated
with the dates for this month.
Should you want more information on any of the mission sites, you can
go to presbyterianmission.org/yearbook
April
1: Presbytery of Beaver-Butler
11: Presbytery of Northumberland
2: Presbytery of Carlisle
12: Louisville Pres. Theo. Seminary
3: Good Friday
13:Presbytery of Philadelphia
4: Presbytery of Donegal
14:Pittsburgh Presbytery
5: Easter: One Great Hour of Sharing 15:Presbytery of Redstone
6: Presbytery of Huntingdon
16:Presbytery of Shenango
7: Presbytery of Kiskiminetas
17:Upper Ohio Valley Presbytery
8: Presbytery of Lackawanna
18:Washington Presbytery
9: Presbytery of Lake Erie
19:McCormick Theological Seminary
10: Lehigh Presbytery
20:Presbytery of West Virginia
21:Synod of Alaska-Northwest
22:Presbytery of Central Washington
23:Presbytery of the Inland Northwest
24:Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day
25:Presbytery of Northwest Coast
26:Pittsburgh Theological Seminary
27:Presbytery of Northwest Coast, cont’d
28:Presbytery of Olympia
29:Seattle Presbytery
30:Presbytery of Yukon
For youth and adults going on our mission trip to
West Virginia, we’ll have our next pre-mission
trip meeting on Sunday, April 19 from 11:30 AM
to 12:30 PM in the Oak Room. Bring your t-shirts
and we’ll finish them. We’ll also talk more about
our May fundraiser.
Volunteers for washing May Caring Place laundry
are needed. Laundry may be picked up midweek
or after noon on Friday. Washing and drying
required only; usually two large loads per week.
There’s no folding; clients fold items as part of
their activities. Please contact Gladys Manke to
volunteer of if you have any questions: 262-5427853 or [email protected]
Your help is so appreciated!
Thanks, Gladys
Just a reminder as we enter Tornado Season that
emergency exit maps are posted in each room.
Should an emergency alert go out while we are in
worship:
 all people in the front half of the church
should exit the sanctuary through the
stairwell at the front of the church and head
down to the Carroll Room of the Caring Place
 all people in the back half of the church
should exit down either of the two sets of
stairs and also head to the Carroll Room of
the Caring Place
 anyone with mobility issues should head to
the narthex where the double doors and Oak
Room dividing doors will be closed off
Please mark your calendars for a special event
that will involve the 4 Wisconsin presbyteries
(John Knox, Northern Waters, Winnebago, and
Milwaukee) on May 3 & 4 at the Kalahari Resort
and Convention Center in Wisconsin Dells. The
keynote speaker will be the Rev. Dr. Ken
McFayden, author of "Strategic Leadership For a
Change - Facing Our Losses, Finding Our Future."
We will have opportunities to meet, worship and
dine with other Presbyterians from around the
state, gather as individual presbyteries for
individual presbytery meetings, and enjoy the
Kalahari Resort. Registration is now open on the
presbytery’s website. You won't want to miss it!
Have something for the May newsletter?
Please send it to [email protected] or
drop it in Jody’s mailbox by Monday, April 20
to have it included. Any items received after
the 20th will be included in the June
newsletter.
We have recently received two large financial gifts
and, as the session has been discussing how to be
faithful stewards of these funds, we have begun
to wonder aloud for what is our church in this
very specific time here - why does it matter to our
members, Waukesha, and the world that we are
still here? Those questions are too big for six
people to answer well on behalf of the whole
congregation.
After Easter and before Pentecost, members of
session will be reaching out to each member of
the church to know your thoughts on this
question:
Why does it matter to you that this church is
here?
We ask that, through the month of March, you
prayerfully consider how you might answer this
question so you might be ready when contacted.
One of the gifts of this calling is the expectation to study more, to look for ways to improve in what I do for
your sake, and my own. The commitment to this expectation is lived out by the two weeks of study leave
required by the presbytery and granted by you all in my contract. Earlier in March I had the very good
fortune of using some of my study leave time to attend a conference in Chicago called NEXT Church. Below is
how the organizers describe NEXT:
“NEXT Church is a network of leaders across the Presbyterian Church (USA) who believe the
church of the future will be more relational, more diverse, more collaborative, more hopeful
and more agile. We provide hopeful space for robust conversations about the theology, culture,
and the practice of ministry, to serve as a catalyst for new mission callings, and to support
strong leadership in a time of adaptive change. We are fostering a conversation about how to
follow Christ in our particular day and age. We are a movement seeking to change the culture
of connection in the PC(USA) so that we continue to share faithfully the good news of the
gospel in ways that bear fruit in a fractured world.”
When I think of Jeremiah 29:11 - a future with hope - NEXT is part of my thoughts. One workshop in
particular inspired me toward ways we can be church together. We visited a church in the Chicago-area
(Grace Commons) which has been making art as an act of worship. During Advent one year, they created the
below image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, significant to many of their members. It’s made in collage form and
each week people of all ages, and all artistic abilities, would add pieces from magazines and coupons to
complete the image.
I’d like to try a take on that in advance of Pentecost, with an image of the dove of Pentecost. If you’d like to
come play with art as worship, please join me (in washable clothes!) in the Oak Room on the following
Wednesdays:
April 29 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
May 13 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
May 20 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Magazines and coupons with red would be a much-welcomed contribution!
photos courtesy Grace Commons flickr album
On behalf of the church, the session purchased a gift through the Presbyterian Giving Catalog to recognize
the 50th anniversary of our daughter church, Southminster. Below is the kind thank you they sent.

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