Got Bible? Series Begins October 3rd

Got Bible? – Making Sense of Scripture is the seven week Bible overview that Pastor Jolivette will lead. We begin this seven-week series on Sunday October 3rd at 7 pm in the Fellowship Hall. It will be repeated every Wednesday afternoon at 1 pm for those who miss Sunday night or choose to come to a daylight time.

October 3: God’s Powerful Book
October 10: How Can Lutheran Insights Open Up the Bible?
October 17: How Can the Bible be Studied?

After these three presentations about key Lutheran understandings of Scripture, we will have four opportunities to put these concepts into practice.

October 24: Exodus 3:1-15
October 31: Jeremiah 1:4-19
November 7: John 8:31-36
November 14: Romans 7:15-25a

Bring your Bible. Pastor Jolivette will have copies of the new Lutheran Study Bible available for purchase in both paperback and hardbound versions. Bring friends, and help us fill the Fellowship Hall!

New Choices For Thrivent Members

Most of us think of Thrivent Insurance for Lutherans not only as an insurance company, bank and mutual fund broker, but as the source of grants supporting our church and other Lutheran non-profit ventures. Events like our WELCA Rummage sales, our Youth Palm Sunday breakfasts and our Women’s Clothes Closet Fashion Show have received matching funds in recent years from Thrivent. That funding has now come to an end.

Funds are now provided to insurance holders as a give-back of a portion of their premiums. Most Thrivent policy holders should have received a letter with an explanation inviting you to contact Thrivent with your choice for allocation of individual funds. For Our Savior’s to replace the previous grant sources, our Thrivent members will need to contact Thrivent to designate your giving to go to our church. You can do that now.

Go to the Thrivent Website to find a clear explanation of your options, or view the Thrivent Choice Brochure. Of course, you are free not only to choose OSLC, but to give elsewhere to Sugar Creek Bible Camp, a Lutheran College or other Lutheran agencies. Just do it now!

Fall Rummage Sale October 7th-8th

The fall rummage sale is coming up on October 7th and 8th! Items to sell can be brought to church and left on the stage after October 1st.

Please contact Doris Modahl with any questions.

150th Anniversary Kick-Off Celebration September 19th

Join us for Our Savior’s 150th Anniversary kick-off celebration on September 19th! Pastor Libby Howe will be our guest pastor for morning worship, Byron Blackmore will perform an Organ Recital at 4:00 pm. A reception will follow the recital in the Fellowship Hall. All are welcome!

Pastor Libby Howe serves as the Director for Evangelical Mission and the Assistant to the Bishop in the La Crosse Area synod of the ELCA. Prior to synod work she served as the pastor of De Soto and Freeman Lutheran Churches in De Soto and Ferryville, Wisconsin from 2002-2009. She attended seminary at Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Ohio, her home state. During seminary her field work took her to North Carolina for chaplaincy and Long Island, New York for internship and a residency in transformational ministry that focused on stewardship, evangelism, and youth ministry. These experiences serve her well in her work for the synod as she helps new ministries develop and old ministries stay lively. She loves working with people who are energetic and passionate for Jesus and is delighted to be a member of Our Savior’s Lutheran which she describes as “one of the synod’s most grace-filled, welcoming and generous
congregations.”

Byron L. Blackmore, a Flint, Michigan native, is organist at Crown of Life Lutheran Church, Sun City West, Arizona. In 1997 he moved to Sun City West after 32 years as Organist-Director of Music at Our Savior’s, where his annual organ recitals became a La Crosse tradition. From 1965-1990, he taught applied organ at the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse. He was Organist-Director of Music at Grace United Methodist Church, Decatur, Illinois, from 1960-1965. Mr. Blackmore received his Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from Michigan State University. His graduate work in organ performance continued at Syracuse University, where he studied with Arthur Poister, and at the University of Illinois as a student of Jerald Hamilton. Byron and Mary Lou Blackmore have three children, Rachel, Joel and Neil.

OSLC Serving Lefse at Oktoberfest Heritage Night

On Wednesday September 29th, Our Savior’s will be serving Norwegian Lefse Wraps (meatballs, mashed potatoes and gravy wrapped up in a lefse) and pieces of lefse with butter and/or sugar at the annual Oktoberfest USA Heritage Night held at the La Crosse Center. The cost will be $4.00 and $1.00 respectively.

This year, Oktoberfest will NOT be requiring a button to get into this event. Please come and help support your church! The proceeds will go to the Come For Supper program to help fund on-going food purchases and supplies.

Adult Education Begins September 19th

Bring your cup of coffee up to the Choir Room at 10:30 am beginning on Sunday morning September 19th. That day our special guest is Rev. Libby Howe, one of our members and Assistant to our Bishop. Pr. Howe has specific responsibilities with evangelism, stewardship and the development of new ministries, and she does it with joy and enthusiasm. Come that day to ask questions and learn more about how we share our faith together in the ELCA.

Most of this year, we will be doing month-long discussions on distinct topics. We begin on September 26th on into October hearing about the seven Bible passages which seem to condemn homosexuality, and how we have learn to understand, interpret them, and live with them as a Reconciling in Christ community. Or, put another way, we will talk about “What does the Bible say about being gay?”

Please join us!