Join us for a Drive-Thru Trunk or Treat on Saturday, October 31 from 10am-12p! *Mask required.* This event is for families with Sunday School age kids up through our high school seniors. (It will not be open to the community as in the past for safety and planning purposes.) Last names A-G should try to come between 10-11 and H-Z from 11-12 as to not overcrowd. (Of course if families come at a time outside their window we will not turn you away!) Come for the fun and spend a few moments meeting Kristen Arends, our new Director of Youth & Family Ministry! Students that can't attend will have their treats delivered.

Please click here for the COVID map for driving through! King Street construction is finished, but using the map helps us direct traffic and be safe for these events. Enter the parking lot at 16th Street, stop at the stations, and exit through to 15th Street.

Please remember that if you are in the church building, a face covering is required per Governor Evers' Emergency Order. ELC strives to model to minister to our community and our neighbors by keeping everyone as safe as can be during COVID-19. Please wear your mask at all times when in common areas or in the church office.

Sunday, November 3rd is All Saints Sunday. Each year, we hold a memorial service remembering members of our church family who were called to eternal life. During this All Saints service, we remember our saints with a special prayer and a candle is lit in their memory.

This year, we invite you to send in to the office names of your loved ones that have died in the last year. Candles will be lit in their memory.

Each fall, we usually share a "getting to know you" card of our confirmation students. Our members are asked to pick up a card on Sundays and make a prayer and personal connection with that student.

Since we can't do that this year during COVID-19, we're asking those who want to "Adopt A Confirmation Student" to sign up online! Once you sign up, our staff will pair up a student with you and send you more information.

Questions? Contact Niki at 784.8876 x204.

Join Thrivent Member Networks–South WI and East WI/Upper MI Regions and First English Lutheran Church in Appleton, WI for an exclusive live event "Painting the Word" welcoming nationally recognized painter, Paul Oman!

Experience a drawn to the word artistic experience where Paul Oman (artist and pastor) will paint a larger-than-life sized mural of the biblical story "On the Road to Emmaus" before your eyes with First English Lutheran Church! This story will unfold artistically, musically, narratively and scripturally during the event. All are welcome, we encourage you to invite friends and family to this miraculous experience. Click here to register and watch!

An online Cancer Support Group is available to anyone in our congregation who is living with a cancer diagnosis. We meet via Zoom the second and fourth Thursdays of the month at 3:30pm. The group is facilitated by Irene TenEyck, our Director of Caring Ministries. Please contact Irene directly at 784-9335, ext. 304 if you are interested in finding our more about the group.

October is Pastor Appreciation Month! Feel free to reach out to Pastors Becky or Glen with an email, note, text, or call of gratitude. We are so thankful and blessed to have had strong leaders at our church ... not only currently, but over the years.

Seekers meets each Thursday at 9:30 via Zoom. Contact Kathy to receive a link if you'd like to join this special group! You may click here for a full schedule through the 2020 Holidays.

Pastor Glen Bickford will join us on October 29 to discuss "“Pagan Influence on Christian Holidays."

The La Crosse Warming Center will be open beginning November 1st through April 30th. The Warming Center provides a place for individuals who are living in homelessness to have a warm place to sleep overnight, shower, do laundry, and get a meal. As was done last year, the first two Fridays of each month are "Lutheran Night." A number of local ELCA churches are working together to staff those two Friday nights, and provide food for dinner. Orientation and training is provided. Click here for more information. You may also talk with Irene. Please consider helping to fill this need.

You may notice some purple ribbons around La Crosse and around ELC. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, which is usually signified by the color purple. If you, or someone you know, is struggling with issues of domestic violence, help is available. Locally, you can contact New Horizons at 608-791-2610 or the National Hotline at 1-800-799- SAFE (7233) or visit thehotline.org.

Everyone deserves healthy relationships.

We've received more news regarding scams that are going out to church members.

ELC will NEVER solicit any sort of financial information via personal/staff email or text. No gift cards, money transfers, etc. will ever be asked of our members. If you receive an email, please mark it as 'spam' in your email system and do not reply. For text messages, simply ignore them.

And remember to change your passwords frequently! :)