512 McClellan Street Wausau, WI 54403-4882

Phone: 715-845-7858

Website: www.sslcwausau.com

Email address: info@sslcwausau.com

Office Hours: Mondays from 8am—3pm Wednesdays from 8am—3pm Thursdays from 8am—3pm

Deadlines: Bulletin: Wednesday by 8:00 a.m. Newsletter: 3rd Thursday of the month.

Facebook: Join us to watch a livestream service every Sunday at 9am at https://www.facebook.com/wausausslc

Worship Telecast: Our Worship Services are telecast on cable channel 980 on Sundays at 12pm (this is the previous Sundays’ service), Mondays at 3pm, and Tuesdays at 10am and 10:30pm.

The newsletter of St. Stephen Lutheran Church

DATE: OCTOBER 2021 Volume 200 • Issue 200

FROM OUR COUNCIL PRESIDENT 2

Fellow Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

As we look outside our windows and see the leaves begin to glow with color, we know it is a sign of change. Some may welcome the snow and cold that follow the autumn season and some may not. Whether you welcome the snow and cold or not, we all find our own ways of dealing with it. SSLC is also going through change; much more than anticipated when 2021 began. Just as with the changing of the seasons, God will be at our side as we explore all of our options in an effort to define who we really are as a congregation and the path forward in choosing our next Pastor. Some of our members are not in favor of the direction our Synod is leaning. On the other hand there are those who favor and support the Synod’s efforts. Council and the Transition Task Force have had some heartfelt discussions on this subject and have not come up with an answer that will please everyone. I don’t have to tell you that that answer does not exist. We push on, giving everyone who wishes to the chance to air their opinions by soliciting a survey (results have been posted in this publication). To follow up we have called for an informational congregation meeting on Sunday, October 10th immediately following the 9 am service. Joining us from Synod will be:

Rev. Anne Edison-Albright, Bishop of the East Central Synod of Wisconsin

Rev. Asher O’Callaghan, Associate to the Bishop, Director of Transitions and Discernment

Rev. Grant Applehans, Associate to the Bishop, Director for Evangelical Missions

They will be leading our worship service that morning and will be available at our meeting to answer any questions/concerns you have regarding Synod business and our transition. I would encourage all who are able, to attend and be part of shaping our future.

In other church activities, the Good Stewards Committee and the Quilters have been moving forward with projects to help those in need. Jim Seidel continues to keep our landscaping looking great. The Good Stewards Committee along with congregation members spruced up the sanctuary and church grounds as part of God’s Work Our Hands Sunday. The Property Committee followed to completion the installation of the loop sound system in the sanctuary, which should greatly enhance the worship experience especially for those with hearing impairment. And a new copy machine has been installed.

The resignation of our custodian brought with it many additional challenges. Special thanks to Staff and those of you who stepped up and took on additional tasks to insure that day to day operations as well as Sunday worship continued with minimal disruption. Staff, Council, and the Personnel Committee have put temporary measures in place until we fully identify the duties and time required for the custodial position going forward.

Thank you to Phil Giese for his many years of sharing his talent as Head Organist. We wish him well in his retirement. We welcome Carmen Zuelsdorff as our new Head Organist. Thank you to those who were part of moving our music ministry forward.

It has been a roller coaster month and there are a lot of people to thank for stepping up to help out, so THANK YOU! Continued support and prayers have also contributed, so I ask for that to continue as well.

Unlike trees, SSLC is not going dormant unless we allow it to. It may seem that way at times, but with your help and God’s guidance, we will weather the changes that our spiritual family may experience and move forward.

God’s Peace Lloyd

CALENDAR OF EVENTS 3

ANNIVERSARIES & BIRTHDAYS 4

Funerals

“...in the sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life through our

Lord Jesus Christ, we commend to almighty God...”

Raymond Teske ~ September 16, 2021 Shirley Gleason ~ September 17, 2021

Birthday Blessings The following people are celebrating October Birthdays.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

October 1st October 13th October 22nd

Ethan Holster Cameron Pflanzer Kelly Brown Pam Kohnhorst Peggy Tobin October 25th

October 4th October 14th Ronald Kleppen Sandra Stuhr Kim Brandt October 28th October 6th October 16th Nancy Pijan

Lynn Guth Jessica Fischer October 29th Bill Lonsdorf Sr. John Peterson Kaitlyn Koehler

October 7th October 17th October 30th Sharon Schirmer Alan Froehlich Kasey Schneider

Jacquelyn Schremp October 18th October 10th Radonna Griesman

Arnie Lange October 19th Murphy Marco Kay Preller Cliff Prigge Eli Schuett

October 11th Marcia Volkman Kristin Phillips October 20th

Ron Dustan Don Kromrei

Anniversaries The following couples are celebrating their October Wedding Anniversaries.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

October 3rd Robert & Tamara Pusheck

October 5th Edward & Lisa Marcott October 6th

Jeffery & Dianna Busha October 12th

Andy & Allie Ralph October 16th

Joseph & Kristine Mohr October 17th

William & Joanne Lewitzke Roger & Marjorie Zweck October 18th

Lloyd & Wendy Zimmel October 19th

Wallace & Carmelita Lewitzke October 21st

Daniel & Crystal Zernicke October 27th Andrew & Radonna Griesman

CONGREGATION NOTES 5

Call Committee According to our constitution, C13.05: When a pastoral vacancy occurs, a Call Committee of nine (voting members shall be elected by the Congregation Council. Term of office will terminate upon installation of a newly called pastor. The St. Stephen Council is requesting that anyone interested in serving on our Call Committee please contact Lloyd Zimmel at wlzimmel@gmail.com or Pat Erdman at pkerdmeister@gmail.com to let us know you would like to be considered for the Call Committee.

Fleece Blanket Project Stephen’s Angels are starting to collect fleece for tying blankets for the kids awaiting court decisions on what lies ahead for their lives. There are several ways to help if you are interested. You can donate a fleece blanket kit(s) (smaller size) and let one of the Angels tie the blanket for you, you can buy a kit and do the tying yourself, or you can donate money for the Angels to buy kits. We have found that using the kits saves us a lot of time. This is our fourth year doing this project. Knowing that we can give the young children who are going through a tough time a little bit of comfort with a cuddly blanket is very rewarding. Feel free to contact any of the Angels or contact Nancy in the church office and she can relay the message.

Online Worship Update We have created a new Facebook page for St. Stephen. You can now find us at: https://www.facebook.com/wausausslc. You can access the service from Sunday, September 19th as well as join us for our livestream every Sunday at 9 am at this new Facebook site. Please feel free to share this with your Facebook friends! AND. . . if you prefer to view our service online without using a Facebook account our most recent services will be posted and available on our website: https://sslcwausau.com/worship-online/. We anticipate there may be a few “growing pains” as we continue to transition to the new pages. Please let us know if you have any problems with accessing our services and we will do our best to make sure things work smoothly! Please email rlindststephen@gmail.com if you require assistance with access or online viewing.

Silent Auction The Angels will once again host a basket auction to raise money for the Property Fund. The first presentation of the baskets will be November 14th with the highest bidder taking a basket home on November 21st at 10 am (after service). If you are interested in donating a basket for the auction or even money for gift cards, please let Sarah know at either slonsdorf3202@gmail.com or via message at 715-212-2292. Any donated baskets or money will need to be at church no later than Saturday, November 13th (the Angels will be assembling the baskets then). Our goal is to get pictures of the baskets online so bids can come in that way too.

Welcome A warm welcome to our new head organist, Carmen Zuelsdorff, who joined our music staff in September. Carmen comes to us from Trinity Lutheran here in Wausau. As well as being a member of Trinity Lutheran Church and one of their organists, she is a second grade teacher at their school. Carmen, and her husband, Bill, who is the principal at Trinity Lutheran School, have three sons who enjoy sports. Born and raised in Lake City, MN, Carmen has many years of experience in Lutheran liturgy and hymnology having served congregations in Minnesota and Wisconsin. We are blessed to have her share her talents with us at St. Stephen. Welcome, Carmen!

Benevolence Through your support of St. Stephen in the month of August 2021, we were able to contribute to the following ministry:

ELCA National & Synod Support $613

This is the seventh month of our unified budget in which we now give four and one half percent (4.5%) of our current expense receipts and loose plate offerings for benevolence. The above amount is based on the income of $13,617 for August.

St. Stephen Family Checkbook For the month of August 2021 and the year to date, the St. Stephen family checkbook looked like this:

August 1—30, 2021 What we received.....................$19,271. What we spent..........................($14,605.) Our balance................................$ 4,666.

January 1— August 30, 2021 What we received..................$185, 906. What we spent.......................($153,123.) Our balance.............................$ 32,783.

Order of Importance of Memorials and Other Special Offerings Primary Funds: Technology Fund, Current Expense Receipts , and Sustainability Trust Fund.

Secondary Funds: Bell Choir Fund, Brick Maintenance (tuck pointing), Building Improvement Fund, Choral Fund, ELCA Scholarship Fund, Good Neighbor Fund, Library Fund, Organ Fund, Quilters Memorial Fund, Parish House Alarm, and WELCA Clean Water Fund.

Other Funds: Confirmation/National Youth Gathering, Faith Enrichment Fund, Major Church Improvement, Missionary Sponsorship, Rooted in Faith (Crossways C a p i t a l I m p r o v e m e n t ) F u n d , Seidel/Meyer Scholarship, Seminary Scholarship, and World Hunger.

GOOD STEWARDS/LAY SCHOOL NEWS 6

God’s Work Our Hands

A BIG THANK YOU to everyone who helped with God’s Work Our Hands on Sunday Sept 9th!!! Congregation members had fun working together to clean up our beautiful church home.

We cleaned, vacuumed and dusted the sanctuary, elevator, chapel, Nancy’s office and surrounding area, and the hallway in the education building.

Outside, we cleaned up the church parking lot. We even dusted the beautiful statue of Jesus on the altar!

Thank you everyone for your time and efforts.

Help the Kids Winter Clothing Drive

We are collecting winter apparel for the annual Wausau area Help Kids Winter Clothing Drive. If you have any used coats, hats, mittens, snow pants, etc. that you would like to donate,

please put them on the table in the chapel labeled “Coats For Kids”. Thank you very much!!!

The Community Dinner will be held at First Presbyterian Church on Sunday, November 28th.

Planning is currently underway for the St Stephen Community Dinner which will be held on November 28th at First Presbyterian Church.

The meal will be prepared using COVID protocols to help ensure the safety volunteers and guests. Please consider helping with this worthwhile activity. If you have any questions, please contact Kelly Brown.

For 25 years the Lay School of our Synod has existed to meet the need to equip people to share Christ’s mission and to live more deeply into what it means to be a follower of Jesus.

Do you know someone who is ready to dive deeper into scripture, theology, worship, history, and baptismal identity?

Is your church in transition and is there a need for lay leaders to be empowered and equipped in this in-between time?

Are you discerning a deeper call to ministry that you would like to explore in a tangible way?

Courses may be taken a la carte or you can invest in a two-year program. All the details can be found at www.ecswlayschool.org. Local pastors and seminary faculty are present with students who learn and worship in community once each weekend. New this year, Lay School will meet at two sites: St. Andrew, Wausau or at the synod office in Appleton.

MEETING NOTICE/WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY 7

MEETING NOTICE:

There will be an informational congregation meeting on Sunday, October 10, 2021 immediately following

the 9 am service. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the survey results that were solicited as part of our

transition process along with discussing the future direction of SSLC. Joining us in person for the meeting will be

three representatives from the Synod that made themselves available to address any Synod concerns that have

been brought forward. They will also be leading our worship that morning.

Rev. Anne Edison-Albright, Bishop of the East Central Synod of Wisconsin

Rev. Asher O’Callaghan, Associate to the Bishop, Director for Transitions and Discernment

Rev. Grant Applehans, Associate to the Bishop, Director for Evangelical Mission

We encourage all that are able, to attend and take advantage of this opportunity to help shape our future.

Note: Since the Synod representatives travel throughout the Synod congregations on a regular basis, this will be a

MASK REQUIRED meeting and service.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------

We want to hear from you. If you are more comfortable submitting questions anonymously, please write them

down below and drop them in the collection plate any Sunday or mail them to the church in advance of the

October 10th meeting. We look forward to hearing from you.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

BIBLE STUDY:

The Women’s Bible Study Group will meet the 2nd Wednesday of every month at 1pm in the Conference Room. Business meetings and activities have been discontinued for the foreseeable future, so we will no longer refer to ourselves as WELCA. Any women in the congregation who would like to attend our Bible Study are welcome!

PASTORAL LEADERSHIP SURVEY RESPONSES 8

Pastoral Leadership Survey Responses (53 total responses)

What are the FIVE most critical tasks required for ministering at St. Stephen?

#1 Preaching/Worship

#2 Pastoral Care and Visitation

#3 Positive Church Climate

#4 Building a sense of Community

#5 Administration

PASTORAL LEADERSHIP SURVEY RESPONSES 9

Pastoral Leadership Survey Responses (53 total responses)

Which of the following Gifts for Ministry do you consider FIVE most important

for our new Pastor?

#1 Be active in visitation of members and non-members

#2 Be an effective communicator

#3 Be able to share leadership and work in a team

#4 Help people develop their spiritual life

#5 Provide care and nurture

JULY/AUGUST MEMORIALS 10

In loving memory of Ken Hopp

Current Expenses -- $300

Family & Friends

Current Expenses

In memory of loved ones –

Charles & Joyce Fromfeld

In loving memory of Betty Pusheck –

Carl & Helen Grisar

In honor of the 90th Birthday of Arlene Loeffel –

Pudge Kimbal

In loving memory of Doug Smith –

Sarah Lonsdorf

In loving memory of Jerry Preller –

Kay Preller

In loving memory of all of my church family members who passed away this last year –

Mary Beth Tolley

In loving memory of our Daughter, Ali, on her 37th Birthday –

Jeff & Rhonda Will

Good Neighbor Fund

In loving memory of our Son, Doug Smith –

James & Diane Smith

Seidel Meyer Pastoral Ministry Fund

In loving memory of our Mothers, Sue Kratwell and Sadie Borth –

Sandy & Ron Borth and Family

Technology Fund

In loving memory of my Parents, Erwin & Meta Fust –

Gladys Price

COUNCIL MINUTES ~ SEPTEMBER 14, 2021 11

Present: Kathy Robinson, Lloyd Zimmel, Pat Erdman, Sarah Lonsdorf, Chuck Johnson, Jim Von Rueden, Kelly Brown, Verlyn Oelke, Nelda Hettinga, and Shauna Robinson.

The meeting opened at 5:31 pm with a devotion provided by Kathy.

A motion was made and carried to approve Shauna Robinson as a replacement for Member at Large. Shauna joined the meeting at this point.

A motion was made and passed to accept the August 10, 2021 Council minutes.

Pastor’s Report: No report was provided.

President’s Report: A written report was provided. Lloyd added that he has appreciated the people who have stepped up to fill in the gaps recently as we deal with the change in personnel.

Treasurer’s Report: A written report was provided. We are currently not in debt, but the $40,000 Wanta bequest has lowered our losses for the year at this time. Our expenses are down greatly while we are awaiting a new pastor but our current income is also down greatly.

These two reports were approved by motion and vote.

Education/Youth: No written report was provided. We are still looking for a replacement Elder for this committee. Good Stewards: A written report was provided. Kelly complimented the volunteers from God’s Work Our Hands Sunday and added that they are planning for the Community Dinner on November 28th. Property: No Written report was provided. Jim reported that the Loop System is installed; instructions will be coming for those who will be able to use it for our services via their hearing aids. We also have four headphone sets to use for those who may benefit from additional hearing help, they are on a table in the narthex. The new copier has been installed. There are some volunteers being trained for Altar Guild. Worship: No written report was provided. The committee didn’t meet this month. Trust Fund: A written report was provided outlining the investment results and funds distributed this month.

A motion was made and carried to accept these reports.

Old Business:

Memorial Fund Review – There is no change to the priority order this month. Technology Fund is still number one, Current Expenses number two, and Sustainability Trust Fund number three.

In-person worship will continue, but we are strongly recommending everyone resume wearing masks, even if vaccinated. Please continue to be mindful of your church family. OUR OCTOBER 10TH SERVICE ONLY WILL BE MASKS REQUIRED.

Transition update: We are still working on our Ministry Site Profile. We are planning a meeting with the Bishop’s Office on October 10th with our full congregation.

We have hired Carmen Zuelsdorff as our Head Organist. We approved via email the salary for this position.

We have tabled the discussion on the Good Neighbor Fund.

We are still in need of a Education/Youth Elder, as we have filled our opening for Member at Large.

A plan has been put in place to help any member in need of emergency pastoral care. Call the St. Stephen number, it will direct you to call Pat Erdman, and she will connect with a local pastor who will be able to assist you.

New Business:

A motion was made and carried to approve August bills.

The Council has approved the update of the job description of our church secretary, including changing the name from Church Secretary to Administrative Assistant.

A motion was made and carried to issue bonuses to Bill and Nancy for work above and beyond the scope of their job descriptions.

A motion was made and carried to honor Mark’s request for payment of unused PTO of 189 hours.

ELCA Affiliation – A motion was made to affirm our Council’s commitment to continue with the ELCA and call an ELCA pastor. The motion carried unanimously.

We interviewed a person to clean our church and office area on a part time basis. A motion was made and carried to offer her the position upon completion of the application process and a background check.

Jackie and David Bushar Jr. have asked to be removed from membership. Council approved this and we wish them well.

A motion was made and carried to approve Phil Giese’s retirement. We will be planning a Sunday celebration for him where we can thank him for his many years of service.

We are calling a Congregational Meeting on Sunday, October 10th following our service to allow members to pose questions and concerns to our Synod Leadership. Masks will be required, and questions can be submitted in advance or at the meeting.

We are looking for a few more members who might be interested in being part of the Call Committee.

We are starting the search for next year’s Council Members. We will be needing a Vice President/President Elect, a Council Secretary, two Members at Large, a Property Elder, and a Worship Elder.

Our next regular meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, October 12th at 5:30 pm with Chuck Johnson providing devotions.

Our next Transition Task Force meeting is scheduled for September 28th at 5:30 pm. Any congregation member is welcome to join us.

Meeting was adjourned at 8:00 pm with the Lord’s Prayer.

Respectfully submitted, Pat Erdman, Council Secretary

W h a t ’ s I n s i d e . . .

From Our Council President...........2

Calendar of Events..........................3

Anniversaries & Birthdays..............4

Congregation Notes........................5

Good Stewards and

Lay School News..............................6

Meeting Notice and

Women’s Bible Study......................7

Survey Responses............................8

Survey Responses............................9

July/August Memorials................10

Council Minutes..............................11

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