E-Voice
Weekly News & Updates: Friday, March 17, 2023
Note: anything that is underlined is a link you can click on!
ELC’s Re-Opening Team guides decisions for our congregation based on guidance from local and national health experts, and upon Jesus’ instruction to love our neighbors. Click to check our current COVID level.

Should you wear a mask?
  • High risk: required for those over the age of 2
  • Medium risk: not required, but encouraged
  • Low risk: not necessary

Communion Servers should mask,
no matter the risk level. Thank you!
"Water Stories" is the theme of our 2023 Lenten Midweek services. Please join us on Wednesdays at noon and 6:15pm. A light meal of soup and bread will be served after the noon service, and before the evening service. The noon service will be livestreamed, so you can join in live worship or watch at a later time on our YouTube channel.

  • March 1: Separation of the Waters
  • March 8: Parting of the Sea
  • March 15: Baptism of Jesus
  • March 22: Calming of the Storm
  • March 29: Living Water
As we continue the theme of water during this Lenten season, did you know that the ELCA has a World Water Day? Raising awareness of the impact of climate change on the water supply is the goal this year of World Water Day, observed March 22.

The United Nations’ secretary general writes: “Climate Change exacerbates the lack of availability of water. Today, some 2.2 billion people lack safe drinking water, and 4.2 billion people live without access to adequate sanitation. Unless we act with urgency, the impacts of climate change are projected to exacerbate these figures.” Click here to read more.
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English Lutheran is hiring! Join our fun, dynamic team and work with some of the best Lutherans around. The Director of Faith Formation shall nurture meaningful, Christ-centered lives in our children, young people and their families, with a focus on Middle and High School youth and young adults. This person will assist in developing a culture in our congregation that supports growth in faith, discipleship, and fellowship. Click here to learn about open positions!
Ring, ring, the phones are back! We are still updating a few things on employee extensions, but our voicemail system is back up and running! You may now leave a message on our main voicemail if you call after hours, or we are unavailable.
Throughout the 40 days of Lent, we focus on water. Check out the display in the narthex to learn more about the importance of water, pick up a Lenten devotional, and donate to the "Wishing for Water" campaign to raise enough to fund three wells through ELCA World Hunger. Currently, we have collected $1,258. You may donate at the display, mail a donation to the church, or give online toward this project. We also invite you to make a wish - a prayer - for the world and share it on our Wish Board.
WATER CHALLENGE #4:
Did you know that almost a quarter of the water we use involves flushing the toilet? Older, inefficient toilets use as much as 6 gallons per flush and are a major source of wasted water. If you do not have a water-saving, low-flush or dual-flush version, look into how you can put a brick or a jar of pebbles into your tank to cut down the amount of water it uses. Or – another possibility – don’t flush as often! Talk it over with your family. Determine when it is okay to skip the flush in order to cut down on the number of flushes each day!
Keeping our tradition, a light soup lunch is provided after the noon service. All soups are covered, but we still have a few spots left to provide bread and cookies. Please sign up at the Welcome Center.

And we're so excited to announce that Wednesday Night Meals are BACK!!! We warmly welcome Alisha Merwin to our staff as our new Kitchen Coordinator. During Lent, a light supper will be provided for all from 5:00-6:00pm. A suggested donation of $5/person, $20/family is appreciated.
A First Communion class for children in fifth grade and younger and their parent(s) will be offered on Sunday, March 19, from 12–3:00pm. Please register your child by Monday, March 13, by email to Pastor Becky, with your child's name/grade, and the parent(s) name of who will be attending the class with them.

We will celebrate students’ First Communion at the Maundy Thursday service on April 6, 2023, at 7:00 pm.

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English Lutheran is providing #CookiesOnCampus for Pastor Ben at LuMin! Click here to sign up! Every Wednesday, he hands out 500 home-baked goodies from our synod's congregations at the at the UW-L bell tower. ELC is responsible for the week of April 12. So far, we have three out of 14 of needed households to sign up. A reminder will be sent to you about a week before. Questions? Contact Jennifer at the church office! Thank you for your support of campus ministry. Details:
  • Each household brings about 3-dozen cookies.
  • Do not individually wrap cookies, and bring in containers you don't expect to get back.
  • Drop off at English by 12pm on Tuesday, April 11.
  • Please label any cookies that contain nuts.
Senior Fun & Fellowship is back!! The Senior Fun & Fellowship group (55 years and older) will meet on Monday, March 27 at 12pm for lunch at Tom Sawyer's on Clinton Street. Come join us!

To make reservations, call Mary Sween at 608-781-3666. New folks are always welcome!
Are you a Thrivent member? If you have insurance or invest through Thrivent you are eligible to apply for two $250 grants each year. These grants can be used to help ELC ministry projects, such as purchasing school supplies, helping fund the Trinity Lutheran Monday Meals, buying cord for LWR school kit backpacks, helping Hope Restores purchase basic hygiene supplies, and much more! The application is easy and done online. If you are a Thrivent member and are willing to use one of your grants for an ELC ministry, contact the church office, or a member of the Ministry Council.
Support of Monday Ministries at Trinity Lutheran continues to gain momentum. Thank you to everyone from ELC that is already serving. If you are interested in helping, at either the food pantry, the Monday Meals, or the various clothes closets at Trinity, or if you have questions, please contact Ann Kvale or the office. A sign-up sheet is available in the Welcome Center.

A big THANK YOU goes out to the Wednesday Evening Bible Study and Marcy Circle that is handling our first meal on April 3rd. We are also happy to announce that Alisha Merwin will begin coordinating the four Monday Meals for ELC. If you are involved in a small group at ELC, consider taking on a meal as a service project!