I was interviewed by WXOW TV recently. The reporter understood me when I said small groups were going to begin meeting in the church, but the anchor stated incorrectly that in person worship in our sanctuary was starting in April.

A couple clarifications about my newsletter article also: When I stated that we would likely be live-streaming services forever, I did not mean ONLY live streams, but rather in the future our in-person services will likely also be live-streamed.

I also mentioned a new normal. Using technology more will be a new normal in many congregations. There are other ways, some positive, some not so positive, that church life after the pandemic will be a little different, but I cannot imagine a future without regular in-person worship and many meetings in our lovely sanctuary and building.

The church Re-Opening Team met again on Tuesday, March 16 and here is a brief update:

Small groups are beginning to meet again in the church building and so far that is going well. Please contact Jennifer or Niki in the church office if you have a small group that is interested in holding in-person meetings. Meetings must be cleared by staff first to ensure we have time to sanitize and clear the air flow between groups.

Local COVID-19 disease activity remains low and the COVID vaccine campaign is accelerating. This is very good news and allows us to begin thinking about plans for a potential return to some form of in-person worship services sometime later this spring.

Before we take the next step towards offering some form of in-person worship services we want to allow more time for our worship leaders and adults with high-risk health conditions to be vaccinated. While there is no date certain for resuming in-person worship services, we hope to bring more news on this topic after our next meeting in April if things continue to go well in the community.

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we continue to try and journey together safely through the COVID pandemic.

Please feel free to contact any member of the reopening team with questions or concerns: David Bleidorn, Mary Mueller, Brenda Rooney, Mark Flaten, Karl Green, Jennifer Jones, Pastor Bickford, Pastor Goche.

During the season of Lent, we will take a break from the video devotionals that are released on Tuesdays and Thursdays on our YouTube channel.

Instead, please join us for call-in devotions! Irene, Kristen, and Jennifer will lead us through "A Story to Tell: Devotions for Lent 2021" by David L. Miller, Harvard Stephens Jr., Lydia Posselt, and Rebekkah Lohrmann. To access the recording, call 608.784.8876, ext. 203 to hear the devotion. We will also be accompanying this with our own reflections on Facebook and Instagram.

"A Story to Tell" focuses on texts from the Gospel of Mark that show Jesus' journey from baptism to the cross. The gospel writer has a story to tell, moving quickly from one scene to the next. The urgent tone of the story grabs us and pulls us in, but all the action comes to a halt when those who see the empty tomb tell no one about this. Is this the end of the story?

If you'd rather read it on your own, it is also available as an ebook (Kindle, Google Play, Nook, Apple Books). All our copies have been picked up.

Holy Week Kits are ready for pick-up and are available inside the door of the parking lot entrance. All kits are labeled with names and instructions are included.

You can pick up your kit and palms during these hours:

If you requested to have delivery of your kit, they will be delivered by Friday, March 26.

These services can all be found on our YouTube channel.

Neighbor for Neighbor is a food pantry that serves as a distribution hub for southwestern Wisconsin, bringing fresh produce, dairy products, and surplus commodities to local pantries in five counties, including La Crosse.

You can help NFN support communities in need. Send your donation to Jennifer at the church office: 1509 King Street, La Crosse, WI 54601. Please make sure your check is clearly marked for Neighbor for Neighbor and made payable to English Lutheran Church.

After worship during Lent you are invited to connect with other ELC members on Zoom through our Lenten Fellowship Hour! We want to give members a chance to say hello, debrief the service, and catch up with one another. Pastor Glen will facilitate Sundays and Kristen Arends will facilitate Wednesdays. Join us each Sunday morning at 10:30am and/or Wednesdays at 7:45pm using this link. We can't wait to "see" you!

If you have any questions, or have trouble getting in the meetings, please email Kristen or Pastor Glen!

It’s time for some spring cleaning! We will not be having a rummage sale this year at ELC but have another great option for getting rid of stuff!

As you may know, ELC is partnering with Habitat for Humanity La Crosse Area and Thrivent to complete construction of a Faith Build home for the Olson family – a local family in need of safe, affordable housing. To help raise funds for the home’s construction, our congregation is hosting a “Fill the Truck” event on Saturday, April 24 from 10:00am-12:00pm in the ELC parking lot. Drop off donations during that timeframe (we cannot accept donations ahead of time). The ReStore accepts items in good condition including appliances, cabinetry, furniture, doors, flooring, hardware, HVAC, lighting and electrical, lumber, masonry, plumbing, and windows. Sales of donated items will be tracked to support fundraising for construction of the Faith Build home. Please follow this link for the donation guidelines for the ReStore.

The Transition Team is meeting regularly trying to sort through the somewhat confusing sections of the Ministry Site Profile, our church's document sent out to pastoral candidates. We have met six times so far.

In a month or so, we will send out a survey to the congregation, and in the meantime decide the best ways for other congregational input. It is challenging to narrow down what are the essential and helpful qualifications for your next pastor, because Pastor Mark was talented in so many areas.

Transition Team: Pastor Glen Bickford, Julie Kriewald, Greg Pritchett, Jennifer Carr, Kathy Hageseth, Dennis Naumann

A large portion went to the Warming Center and the rest went towards supplies that are given directly to our neighbors who are homeless.