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PARISH OFFICE

W4950 State Highway 86

Ogema, WI 54459

715-767-5155

email: office@1stfamily.org

Web site: www.1stfamily.org

Office Hours: 8:30AM—12:30PM

Monday - Thursday

FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH —OGEMA

W4950 State Highway 86

Ogema, WI 54459

Worship Service: 9:00 AM

3rd Sunday: 11:00 AM

Fellowship after worship.

Sunday School: 10:30 AM

3rd Sunday: 9:30 AM

(September to May)

FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH—WESTBORO

N8909 Business Hwy. 13

PO Box 214

Westboro, WI 54490-0214

Worship Service: 10:30 AM

3rd Sunday: 9:00 AM

Fellowship after worship.

Sunday School: 9:30 AM

3rd Sunday: None (September to May)

FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH —PRENTICE

670 Main Street

Prentice, WI 54556

email: firstlutheranprentice@gmail.com

Office Hours: 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm.

Monday-Thursday

715-428-2575

Worship Service: 10:30 AM

CYF Wednesdays 3:30-5:30 pm (Sept-Apr)

ZION LUTHERAN CHURCH—BRANTWOOD

N5090 County Road D

Brantwood, WI 54513

Worship Service: 8:30 AM

Pastor Paul Oppedahl, Bridge Pastor

715-829-5287 (cell)

Email: leadpastor@1stfamily.org

Visitors and new members are always welcome!

June

2019

Northwoods STaR Ministries

Joint Worship Service

Pioneer Park in Ogema

Sunday, June 23

9 am

Please join our four congregations of the Northwoods STaR Min-

istries—First Ogema, First Westboro, First Prentice and Zion Brant-

wood for a joint worship service on Sunday, June 23.

There will be fellowship following the service with donuts, coffee

and juice. Please feel free to bring something like muffins, bars,

fruit, etc., to add to fellowship if you would like.

Don’t forget your lawn chairs. Picnic tables will be set up in the

pavilion, but we hope additional seating will be necessary. This

is a great opportunity for members from our Parish to gather to-

gether. We hope to see you there.

Please invite your friends and family!

This will be the only worship service on Sunday, June 23.

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From Pastor Paul

Friends in Christ,

Northwoods STaR Ministries' tagline is, "United in Christ. Sharing God's Love." I like it. It's short and to the

point. It says who we are – United in Christ – and it says where God calls us to go – Sharing God's Love.

Historically, I have struggled with determining the difference between what a mission statement is and

what a vision statement is. Often times it seemed to me that they were interchangeable. I often won-

dered why organizations had both. When I served Our Saviour's Lutheran, Chippewa Falls, we decided to

forego mission and vision statements in favor of a single statement of purpose. We took the advice of

Rev. David Daubert, from his book, "Living Lutheran: Renewing Your Congregation." He suggested that it

is God's Mission. We simply have a purpose within it.

Recently, in my roles on the boards of Feed My People Food Bank in Eau Claire and the Legacy Commu-

nity Center/Agnes' Table in Chippewa Falls, I've returned to swimming in the waters of mission and vision

statements. In doing so, my understanding of the two has been clarified. A vision statement declares the

ideal that we hope to attain. A mission statement declares what we will do in order to attain it.

Every week, before we are sent out to return to the world from worship, we declare our intentions. In

unison, we say that we are, "United in Christ. Sharing God's Love." Depending on where we attend, we

go on to say one of the following:

Brantwood: We are disciples of Christ, growing in faith, sharing our faith stories, serving others.

Ogema: We are called and gathered to share Christ as we minister to all, bringing an unchanging God

to a changing world.

Westboro:We are feeding bodies, minds, and spirits through Christ.

Prentice: We are Jesus' disciples welcoming every sinner, sharing Jesus' love & teaching, encouraging all

to share Christ-centered lives.

What if we declared that our vision, the vision of Northwoods STaR Ministries Parish, is to be unified in

Christ, sharing God's love? And what if our means for moving toward this shared vision is encompassed in

each of our individual mission statements?

On the evening of Sunday, April 28, twenty-two leaders from our four faith communities identified our

fears and frustrations, and our hopes and dreams for our NSM Parish. Two core desires were embedded

in everything we brought to the table. 1) We desire unity, and 2) we desire growth. I think our desire for

unity and growth are embedded in our vision to be unified in Christ, sharing God's love. I also think this

would get God's stamp of approval. It all falls within the realm of God's call for us to love God and neigh-

bor.

The hard work that we must now do is to identify some goals and strategic issues that impact our mission

and vision, to determine actionable targets within these issues, to come up with objectives to address

these targets, and plan the activities, stake-holders and timelines for accomplishing them.

This is, of course, just the beginning. We then must implement it, and on a regular basis at our Parish

Council meetings, congregational board meetings and various committee and group meetings evalu-

ate, on an ongoing basis, how we are progressing.

I like to call this ministry. Let me know if you would like to join me.

Warm Regards,

Pastor Paul

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Northwoods STaR Ministries News...

Honoring the graduates of

Northwoods STaR Ministries:

The 2019 Graduates of Northwoods STaR Ministries were

honored on May 19th during the Sunday morning services.

Pictured on the left are graduates from First Lutheran Pren-

tice: Breydon Johnson, Keagan Esterholm, Jordan Hora,

Kiah Kalander, Josie Bacholl, Megan Raab. Zach Schmidt

and Chelby Hartmann were not able to attend.

Pictured on the right is a graduate from First Lutheran

Westboro: Samantha Rodman.

Retirement Celebration for Pastor Bob

A retirement party was held for Pastor Bob on Sunday,

May 26. Even with the busy holiday weekend, many

members of NSM and the community came to wish Pas-

tor Bob and Jo the best as they begin a new chapter in

their lives.

We wish you joy and happiness— we will miss you!

Thanks to all of you who made my retirement celebra-

tion at First Ogema on May 26 so memorable. More im-

portantly, thanks to all of you from Northwoods STaR

Ministries and its congregations and communities for

making the last fourteen years of ministry together so

joyful. --- Pastor Bob Giese 5/27/19

2019 Gen & Ernie Luedke Memorial Scholarships

These scholarships come as a gift of thanks for the love of the Lord

shared with so many through the lives of Irene “Gen” and Ernie

Luedke. The scholarships are awarded to worthy high school sen-

iors, college students and those returning back to school, which

are in need of financial assistance and desire sincerely to further

their education. Students may be enrolled in a college or voca-

tional school.

Three scholarships were awarded this year to the following recipi-

ents: Samantha Rodman, Josie Bacholl and Jayden Gustafson.

Congratulations to these outstanding students!

Two of the scholarships were awarded to graduating seniors

of Northwoods StaR Ministries. Pastor Bob presented the

scholarships to Sam and Josie at Rib Lake and Prentice High

Schools during their Awards Nights.

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Upcoming Events, Opportunities and Information...

NOTICE OF SPECIAL CONGREGATIONAL MEETING

FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH-WESTBORO

N8909 Business Highway 13

Westboro, WI

June 9, 2019

(Immediately following worship service)

A Special Congregational Meeting will be held June 9, 2019 at 11:30 am.

Purpose of the meeting: Church Roof Project

Lori Tlusty, Council President

Members of Zion Lutheran Brantwood gave plants

away on May 29 to area residents who wanted them.

First Prentice Office Hours and Email Address Changes The secretary office hours at First in Prentice have changed:

Office hours will be Monday—Thursday 1:00pm to 4:00 pm.

Also First Lutheran Prentice has a new email address -

firstlutheranprentice@gmail.com

Please be sure to note these changes if you need to contact Bev in the office at First Prentice.

Thank you—-

My recovery has gone very well and I want to

thank everyone for their prayers and messag-

es of hope, healing and love. God has been

working to heal my spine and I am blessed

everyday with the support and help of my

husband, family and friends. I could not have

endured without that assistance and com-

fort. Thanks to Pastor Bob for his visits and

prayers. God bless you all. —-Pat Zomchek

COMING IN July, First Lutheran Church in Prentice is

pleased to announce the introduction of an elec-

tronic option for making regular offerings. Contribu-

tions can now be debited automatically from your

checking or savings account. Our new electronic

giving program offers convenience for you and provides much-needed donation consistency for our

congregation. If you are currently giving on a weekly basis, you will no longer need to write out 52

checks a year or prepare 52 envelopes. And, when travel, illness or other circumstances prevent you

from attending services, this program will allow your weekly offerings to continue on an uninterrupted

basis. An authorization form and a “Frequently Asked Questions” flyer are available from the Prentice

church office.

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Women of the ELCA News

Upcoming Meeting—PRENTICE

Sunday, June 9 at 9 am

Upcoming Meeting—OGEMA

Wednesday, June 19 at 12:30 pm

Potluck and Kitchen Shower

Noisy Offerings For

JUNE

You can make a joyful noise at worship

services this month to help support the

chosen ministries at your church:

Prentice: Vacation Bible School

Zion: Family of Sherry Sarkkinen (for medical expenses)

Westboro: Building projects and repairs

Please help support these ministries by dropping

your change in the Noisy Offering containers at

church. We can all help one coin at a time!

Bread From the Heart

Bread from the Heart will provide a home cooked

meal, as well as a prayer of healing and hope to

people in need in our community. Please call

one of the following coordinators, they will make

the necessary arrangements.

Amy Esterholm 715-428-2200

Shawnda Hora 715-428-2026

Rebekah Koch 715-922-0374

Dallas Severson 715-564-3328

Upcoming Events, Opportunities and Information...

OGEMA W/ELCA KITCHEN SHOWER

The following is a list of items needed to keep our kitchen well stocked:

Thank you for all of your help!

Kool-Aid Quart freezer bags

Paper towel Gallon freezer bags

Small plates—6” Gallon storage bags

Napkins Dish soap

Kleenix 13 gallon white kitchen trash bags

Foil & Plastic Wrap 39 gallon black trash bags

Waxed paper Cash for Sam’s Club purchases

throughout the year

Please note: There will not be

potluck at First Ogema during the

months of June, July and August.

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Sunday School, Confirmation and Youth...

FIRST WESTBORO:

On Wednesday, May 8 the Sunday School

kids had a pizza party from Mann Made

and planted flowers for Mother’s Day.

Calling All Kids-If you have completed 4K through 5th You are invited to

“First Lutheran Prentice Vacation Bible School” at Lion’s Park, Prentice WI

July 8th – July 12th 9:00 - 1:00 Morning snack and lunch will be provided.

Please register your child/children (and order tee shirts) as soon as possible.

Tee shirts are available for purchase for $10.00 $5.00 (First Lutheran will pay the other $5.00)

Family and friends are invited to join us for the VBS program on Thursday July 12th at 6:00 pm at Lion’s Park

to see and hear what the children have been up to all week.

Call 715-428-2575 to register or for more information.

There are two great opportunities to attend Vacation Bible

School this summer at Northwoods STaR Ministries. Both First

Prentice and First Ogema will be hosting a Vacation Bible

School program and we encourage all kids from our churches

and communities to attend. Information regarding both VBS

programs are listed below and on the following page. Please

promote these great children’s ministries and invite others to

come. We look forward to seeing you there!

First Lutheran Prentice

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Sunday School, Confirmation and Youth...

Vacation Bible School

July 29—August 2, 2019

Sponsorship Form

First Lutheran Church Ogema

July 29 - August 2, 2019

5:00 - 8:30 p.m. (Supper @ 5)

Join us for a Stampede of Fun at OGEMA VBS 2019!

Join us this summer for ROAR VBS! This epic African adventure engages the whole herd. At ROAR, kids ex-

plore God’s goodness and celebrate a ferocious faith that powers them through this wild life.

They will learn that when “Life is Wild, God is Good”. Let the good times roar!!!

ROAR VBS will conclude with a celebration service on Sunday, August 4.

Registration will begin soon. Watch for updates. All children age 3 through 6th grade

(2018-2019 school year) are welcome to attend.

Sponsorship forms to help cover VBS expenses are included in this newsletter and will be

located at both Westboro and Ogema churches. Your help is greatly appreciated in making

this amazing week happen for so many kids.

Please make your check payable to First Lutheran Church-Ogema & mail this sponsorship sheet along with your

check to: First Lutheran Church, W4950 State Hwy 86, Ogema, WI 54459.

You can choose to sponsor any number of children, or just provide a financial gift. Please mark your choice (X).

I/We would like to sponsor 1 child at $30.

I/We would like to sponsor (list number) children at $30.

I/We would like to donate $ (any amount) toward Vacation Bible School.

Your name(s): OR I/We wish to remain anonymous.

Thank you for sponsoring this important ministry for our children. This year’s VBS theme is ROAR from Group Publishing.

This epic African adventure engages the whole herd. At ROAR, kids explore God’s goodness and celebrate a fero-

cious faith that powers them through this wild life. They will learn that when “Life is Wild, God is Good”. Let the good

times roar!!!

At ROAR VBS, kids will build, explore and discover in this totally unique adventure. They’ll participate in memorable

Bible-learning activities, sing catchy songs, play teamwork-building games, and experience one-of-a-kind Bible ad-

ventures - all to remind them that God is Good.

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JUNE WORSHIP LEADERS &VOLUNTEER SCHEDULES

June Birthdays & Anniversaries

1 James Hook

3 Kay Rinehart

Dennis Carlson

Sandy Zimmerman

4 Hayden Floyd

5 Hezekiah Bant

6 John Rief

Dyann Filenius

10 Phyllis Lundeen

Vanessa Peterson

Jordan Hora

12 LeAnn Raab

Larry Zimmerman

13 Jason Berg

14 John Pipkorn

James Strobl

15 Tracy Raab

16 Chris Vanderhoof

Brynlee Bogdan

16 Terry Teeters

17 Karagan Esterholm

21 Dawn Teeters

22 Jeremy Eden

Cody Esterholm

23 Cassidy Strobl

Senja Koch

24 Camden Luedtke

26 Jamie Kalander

27 Carl Peterson

28 Ruger Carlson

29 Candis Nikkila

Jeremy Voda

30 Jacob Brehm

Robert Larson

1 Scott/Carrie Komarek

7 Bernie/Jennifer Kraimer

12 Al/Pat Schnepf

13 Gary/Virginia Nelson

Arland/Nancy Meye

Hank/Pat Zomchek

14 Jim/Mary Ann Peterson

15 Todd/Amy Foster

Jessie/Alicia Eisner

17 Jason/ Melissa Raab

18 Tim/Gale Klimpke

19 Pastor Bob/Jo

20 Don/Darlene Gustafson

22 Gary/Karen Westberg

Bob/Rhonda Cummings

Danny/Sadie Jensen

24 Ben/Dawn Nelson

30 David/Sandra Nehls

6 Helena Hall

7 Brayan Bogdan

9 Chelby Hartmann

11 Jody Hartmann

15 Jordan Hora

18 Annette Larson

21 Ron Larson

23 Ruger Carlson

24 Tonya Kirchmeyer

27 Noah Gruber

First Lutheran—Ogema

Greeters/Ushers

OPEN

Acolytes

June 2 Adam Raab & Ayriel Foster

June 9 Emilie Hallstrand

June 16 Ryan Griebel & Leah Nehls

June 23 N/A-Joint Worship at Pioneer Park

June 30 Adam Raab

Altar Service

Pat Schnepf

Food Service

Pat Schnepf & Marlene Johnson

Lawn Mowing

Dave Henthorn

First Lutheran—Westboro

Greeters/Ushers

OPEN

Acolytes

OPEN

Altar Service

OPEN

Food Service

OPEN

Reader

OPEN

Cleaner

OPEN

Lawn Mowing

OPEN

First Lutheran—Prentice

Shepherding Group

Betty Grunwald, Debra Strobl,

Shawnda Hora & Amy Esterholm

Acolytes

June 2 Ryan Bergman

June 9 Kal Esterholm

June 16 OPEN

June 23 Joint Worship at Pioneer Park

June 30 OPEN

Food Service Chairperson

Debra Strobl

Zion Lutheran—Brantwood Cleaning Duty

Becky Heikkinen & the Ladies of Zion

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Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu F r i Sat

26 )

27

28 29

30

31 1

2 8:30 am Worship (Z)

9 am Worship (O)

10:30 am Worship (P)

10:30 am Worship (W)

3 Noon

Sewing

Circle (O)

6:30 pm

Council Mtg

(P)

4

5 7 am Men’s Prayer

Group @ OPL

10 am Health Group (O)

6 9 am Quilters

Group @ First

Prentice

7

8

9 8:30 am Worship (Z)

9 am Worship (O)

9 am W/ELCA Mtg (P)

10:30 am Worship (P)

10:30 am Worship (W)

11:30 am Special Congre-

gational Meeting and

Council Meeting (W)

10 Noon

Sewing

Circle (O)

11

12 7 am Men’s Prayer

Group @ OPL

10 am Health Group (O)

13

14

15

16 8:30 am Worship (Z)

9 am Worship (W)

9:30 am Council Mtg (O)

10:30 am Worship (P)

11 am Worship (O)

6 pm Parish Council Mtg (O)

17 Noon

Sewing

Circle (O)

18

19 7 am Men’s Prayer

Group @ OPL

10 am Health Group (O)

12:30 pm W/ELCA Mtg

(O) - Potluck & Kitchen

Shower

20 9 am Quilters

Group @ First

Prentice

21

22

23

9 am NSM Joint Worship

Service at Ogema Pioneer

Park

24 Noon

Sewing

Circle (O)

25

26 7 am Men’s Prayer

Group @ OPL

10 am Health Group (O)

27

28

29 2:30 pm

Prentice First

Summer Fest

@ Lion’s Park,

Prentice

30 8:30 am Worship (Z)

9 am Worship (O)

10:30 am Worship (P)

10:30 am Worship (W)

1 2 3 4 5 6

June 2019 Calendar of Events

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Northwoods STaR Ministries

W4950 State Highway 86

Ogema, WI 54459-8340

WORSHIP SCHEDULE FOR JUNE 2019

Sunday, June 2 7th Sunday of Easter

8:30 am Zion Brantwood 10:30 am Prentice Pastor Paul leading worship (Communion)

9:00 am Ogema 10:30 am Westboro Pastor Michael Meier leading worship (Communion)

Sunday, June 9 Day of Pentecost

8:30 am Zion Brantwood 10:30 am Prentice Lay Led worship service (No Communion)

9:00 am Ogema 10:30 am Westboro Lay Led worship service (No Communion)

Sunday, June 16 Father’s Day Holy Trinity Sunday—1st Sunday after Pentecost

8:30 am Zion Brantwood 10:30 am Prentice Worship Leader TBD (Communion)

9:00 am Westboro 11:00 am Ogema Pastor Paul leading worship (Communion)

Sunday, June 23 2nd Sunday after Pentecost

9:00 am Pioneer Park in Ogema

Northwoods STaR Ministries Joint Worship Service Pastor Michael Meier leading worship (Communion)

Sunday, June 30 3rd Sunday after Pentecost

8:30 am Zion Brantwood 10:30 am Prentice Worship Leader TBD (No Communion)

9:00 am Ogema 10:30 am Westboro Pastor Paul leading worship (No Communion)