Vol. 85 No. 5, 6 & 7 May/June/July 2021

“Together we are discovering, sharing and connecting people to the love and Truth of Jesus Christ!”

First Connections

Worship

Communion: Saturday- 6:00 p.m.

May 1 & June 5 & July 3 (Traditional)

Sunday- 8:25 a.m.

May 2 & June 6 & July 4 (Traditional)

Sunday-10:35 a.m.

May 16 & June 20 & July 18 (Contemporary)

May Birthdays Birthday Wishes to the following people celebrating

80 years of life or more!

18 - Marvin Woodward - 81 25 - JoAnn Mertens - 89 28 - Charles Sears - 93 31 - Donna Hinrichs - 102

7 - Darrel Stromer - 87 7 - Delores Scott - 82 8 - Charles Stowers - 84 14 - Donna Shoemaker - 87 15 - Ruby Walker - 88

June Birthdays

21 - Alice Mock- 103 22 - Evelyn Dravland - 88 23 - Shirley Timmerman - 84 26 - Barbara Sinner - 86 28 - Sandy Woodward - 80 29 - Dorothy Nash - 86

1 - Laurence Sowers - 86 4 - June Koch - 96 6 - Beverly Freeman - 88 11 - Eunice Bienhoff - 87 11 - Harry Martin - 84 11 - Ray Stalsberg - 81

July Birthdays 21 - Shirley Shaw - 82 22 - Gordon Fluckey - 92 23 - Leanna Rutherford - 84 25 - Jack L’Heureux - 88 25 - James Lukas - 82 26 - Paul Grothen - 92 29 - Carolyn Harder - 84 31 - Henry Potts - 82

3 - Carol Rose - 75 5 - Barbara Schnase - 87 10 - Delores Placke - 84 11 - Norma Classen - 83 11 - Ester Hoagland - 95 12 - Francie Koch - 88 12 - Sandra Shutt - 84 15 - Wayne Hueske - 89 16 - Vivian Dyer - 84

Celebration of Members

May Wedding Anniversaries With joy & thanksgiving we celebrate the following

milestone anniversaries:

24 - Darryl and Barbara Parde - 1980 26 - Mark and Peggy Keiser - 1973 26 - Daniel & Linda Psota - 1972 28 - LeRoy and Carolyn Harder - 1954 29 - David and Renee Hoglund - 1976 29 - LeRoy and Connie Samuelson - 1960 30 - Randall and Angela Shipman - 1992 31 - Burnell and Deborah Krull - 1975 31 - Hugh and Katherine Nehls - 1969

1 - Larry and Julie Luce - 1982 2 - Dennis and Brenda Stark - 1970 4 - Wayne and Ila Nelson - 1958 15 - Terry and Susan Klatt - 1965 17 - Trent and Amy Kelly - 1991 19 - Randal and Karla Harms - 1990 20 - Craig and Lesa Kautz - 1978 21 - Jerry and LeAnna Lukas - 1994 23 - Timothy and Barbara Lebsack - 1981

July Wedding Anniversaries

16 - Roger and Carmyn Krabel - 1994 16 - Stephen and Karen Kissinger - 1967 17 - William and Tami Tackwell - 1993 26 - Robert and Marlene Fast - 1953 27 - Duane and Beverly Freeman - 1952 27 - David and Cynthia Montague - 1974 29 - Michael and Kimberly Reed - 1989 31 - Neil and Joyce Grothen - 1964

2 - Chad and Allison Power- 1994 5 - Dale and Jean Janssen - 1970 7 - Frank and Pamela Aulrich - 1979 8 - Richard and Susan Kloke - 1989 9 - Kevin and Nancy Bredenkamp - 1994 11 - Gregory and Judy Buhr - 1986 14 - Steve and Linda Scheierman - 1990 15 - Duane and Ardyce Biede - 1989 15 - James and Mary Havel - 1972

Contact Us! 402.463.1329 info@firststpauls.org

June Wedding Anniversaries

15 - Edwin and Donna Gartner - 1969 15 - James and Helen Karloff - 1957 16 - Anthony and Kimberley Wanek - 1979 20 - Darrel and Marilyn Stromer - 1954 20 - Mark and Jami Keller - 1982 23 - Wesley and Jean Menke - 1995 25 - Troy and Amy Swayze - 1994 26 - Craig and Lisa Rafert - 1993 26 - Jim and Rhonda Rutt - 1964 27 - Steve and Ann Kiolbasa - 1992 27 - Rev. Joel and Kimberly Remmers - 1987 28 - Russell and Joan Bramble - 1948 28 - Tom and Pamela Taylor - 1990 28 - Marvin and Sandra Woodward - 1959 29 - Richard and Shirley Velde - 1974 29 - Randall and Beth Coil - 1996 29 - John and Kim Story - 1996

1 - Paul and Twila Bankson - 1985 1 - Richard and Barbara Fischer - 1991 3 - Kenneth and Janice Franzen - 1972 5 - Daniel and Karen Maunder - 1982 6 - Dennis and Nelda Fleharty - 1971 8 - Bradley and Annette McWhirter - 1984 8 - Steve and Sharon Placke - 1991 8 - David and Jill Rutt - 1990 8 - Sheldon and Bobby Kangas - 1968 10 - Daniel and Teresa Anderson - 1978 10 - David and Paula Cure - 1967 10 - Michael and Debra Nicolarsen - 1972 10 - Donovan and Deanna Schardt - 1966 11 - Tommy and Jenneth Brown - 1983 12 - James and Barbara Kerr - 1971 13 - Keith and Roxine Worlein - 1981 13 - Bernard and Marilyn Schneider - 1984 14 - Bruce and Cheryl Hadley - 1980

Journal of Life and Growth (January 1, 2020 —March 31, 2020)

Transferred to Church Triumphant

January 17, 2021 - Ronald Karnes January 28, 2021 - Sharon Peters February 6, 2021 - Charles Buss

Baptisms

January 10, 2021 - Violet Leone Sommerfeld February 20,2021 - Ava Lynn McWhirter

March 20, 2021 - Atley Kae Faimon

Mission, Outreach, Discipleship and Operations

Exciting, challenging, rewarding and hopeful; these are just a few words that I might use to speak of the reorganization of our leadership.

Mission - an organizing principle to help us focus our efforts, our time, our resources in an intentional manner.

Outreach - the church may be the only organization which is supposed to live for those outside its membership.

Discipleship - the church is a living organism, and like anything that is alive, it is either growing or dying. The fertile soil for growth comes in things like worship, prayer, Bible study, ser-vice, and generosity; not just at church but at home and outside the church.

Operations - some things just have to get done.

We invite you into this journey, so that all may come to know the love of Jesus, so that one day we hear the words “Well Done Thou Good and Faithful Servant”.

And we accomplish all this through….

“UNITED, WE LIVE GOD’S WILL.”

You’ve heard about it in sermons and you will continue to hear about it more in our regular programming. We are inviting you to get involved!

The Door Widens

It is springtime, and that always brings with it a sense of hope for the future. From Easter and Christ’s resurrection from the dead, to daffodils defiantly thrusting their blooms through what can be snowclad ground; from farmers planting and fields being turned over, to graduations and wedding planning; spring brings with it a sense of hopefulness.

Well, that is the way we feel about this coming year. As the number of cases of COVID-19 continue to decline, and as the church continues to be able to open up more and more ministries; we hope, we pray that you would consider how you might participate and volunteer. There are opportunities in the Church Office and possibilities in keeping up the property and church grounds. There is leadership for children and adults on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings, Ichthus, or summer Vacation Bible School. Kitchen help, visiting, calling, small groups of service or education, ushering, worship assisting, communion set up, cleanup, or serving, and lay reading. Be thinking; be praying, the door is widening! I hope that you feel it too!

Pastor Joel Remmers

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Information

God Made Me Preschool

25th Anniversary of “God Made Me” Preschool Our preschool is 25 years old! On May 29th and 30th, our preschool staff will be

recognized at our Sunday services. Becky Conway has served as our preschool director for all of those 25 years! Amy Stutesman has been with the program for 20 years and Betty

Knott for four years. A big thank you to our preschool staff for providing excellent Christian programming!

Registration Time

Reminder: God Made Me Preschool has openings in all classes for the Fall Session starting Tuesday, September 7th, 2021.

If interested, please call the Church Office to sign up!

Fifth Grade First Communion Congratulations to those who received their First Communion on

Maundy Thursday! Thank you to our volunteers who prepared and served the Seder Meal, as well as the cross makers who made First

Communion cups for the Fifth Graders!

Left to Right (Row 1) Atlie Andersen, Hadley Doremus, Maddison Bauer, Ella Tinsman,

Easton Savage, Luke Nollette, Hudson Treffer and Kaura Reiners

(Row 2) Brinleigh Blecha, Addysen Simmons, Colbie Hartman, Alexa Rogers, Emma Leonard,

Bishop Blecha, Jamison Peper, Austin Engel and Luke Nelson

Press Play VBS - Get in the Mix! June 7-11 (9:00am-12:00pm)

VBS Worship - June 13th - 10:35 am Service

Celebration Center Our goal during Vacation Bible School is to connect kids into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ to lead them to a better future. Something remarkable can happen when a child starts learning to see themselves the way God sees them. Our VBS will encourage every child to know that because of Jesus, they can have confidence because (1) they are known, (2) they belong, (3) they are forgiven, (4) they can change, and (5) they can make a difference.

“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.” John 15:12

FSP Kids who are Ages 3 years through 6th Grade are encouraged to attend. Anyone from the community are also invited...Feel free to bring a friend or two! Kids will enjoy crafts, games, snacks, stories, music and a new rotation...mission! How do we show compassion to others; what acts of kindness make a difference?

Registration and Volunteer Information

Get in the mix! Register online at www.firststpauls.org. Click on the “register today!” button. Volunteers can also use the volunteer form to help us make Press Play VBS the best ever! 7th-12th grades - we need you to volunteer! Adults, say yes to the best week of fun! Donations: Medium or Large sized cardboard boxes, old CD’s, and old records. More donations will be needed for snacks...watch your bulletin announcements!

Children’s Sermon Summer Sunday School Summer Sunday School will begin June 7th. PreK-5th grade will be invited to come up for the Children’s Sermon as usual. They will then leave for 15 minutes to the Gathering Area for a short activity. Children below Age 3 will return to their parents. The lesson will match the sermon text for that day. Children will return before the sermon with an activity bag that can be used during the sermon. It is our hope that we can give our children a deeper understanding of the scriptures with this mini Sunday School experience.