From the Pastor

We are in the Easter Season - a period of 50 days in which we reflect on the stories of Jesus' resurrection appearance as well as the reality of the Risen Christ in our world today. For the next three weeks I've chosen to reflect on the concept of God's Grace, which most fully comes to Christians through Jesus and through the Risen Christ alive today. 

As with any theological concept, there are many understandings of grace based on one's church background -- and I do not claim to be a scholar or an expert (I found one website which listed 18 types of grace in the Bible!). But I do want to share with you 3 of these -- from the United Methodist understanding of grace -- because I find them most inspiring and expansive. I learned about the UMC understanding of grace when working in a campus ministry program that was supported by both the United Methodist Church and the UCC. The founder of the UM Church, John Wesley, taught that there are three types of grace. Each Sunday for the next three weeks we will focus on one of these. This first week (May 11) we will look at Prevenient Grace (don't let the big name scare you). Here is a brief description if you like to learn a little to prepare for Sunday (I invite you to go to the website and listen to the short video if you want to learn more):

This Sunday is also Mother's Day! We wish all our mothers, grandmothers, aunts, teachers, child caretakers . . . a Happy Mother's Day, knowing that it takes a village to raise a child. We also hold in our hearts all who are grieving the loss or estrangement of a mother, a child, or the pain of wanting a child and not having one. Mother's Day can be a difficult day for some and we honor that. We will have a special Mother's Day prayer in Worship on Sunday.

Many thanks to Petra Streiff for leading Worship on Sunday in my absence. I heard it was a beautiful service! And I look forward to seeing all the inside and outside work you all did to "spiff up the church" -- many thanks to those who helped out and/or donated cleaning supplies and/or refreshments!

Blessings,

Pastor Karla

Is anyone in your family graduating this spring?

Please let our pastor know if you have 8th grade, high school, college, (undergrad or graduate level), or tech school graduates so we can schedule a Sunday to honor and celebrate their accomplishments.

Do you have a guest room for a UCC Pastor, wife and child on Oct. 3-5?

Pastor Forrest Genthner serves as minister of the UCC Church in East Millinocket, Maine. He, his wife and 2 year old daughter will be traveling to Madison, WI on October 3rd and 4th as they follow the University of Maine Women's Hockey team (they will be playing at the University of Wisconsin).

They are curious if there is a church member interested in providing them with a spare bedroom so they can connect with fellow UCC brothers and sisters while in Wisconsin. They would also love it if a family took them in and showed them the sites in this area of Wisconsin.

Due to their dietary restrictions (vegan), they would provide their own meals and will bring a pack 'n play for their daughter to sleep in, so just a guest room for he and his wife would be needed. They will most likely be driving so would also appreciate a parking spot. So if anyone from Zwingli wants to talk with Pastor Genthner about the possibility of hosting him and his family, contact Pastor Karla for details.

Looking for an opportunity to express your opinion on US public policy?

As a member of the United Church of Christ, Zwingli is supported with resources by our national offices. Among these resources is an Office of Public Policy and Advocacy in Washington DC. This Office gives information to understand the issues and legislation -- and the ability to easily express our opinion to our political leaders. Go to this website to access these opportunities to express yourself (if you do not have a computer, check out your local library). 

We will update this announcement with new opportunities (as they are added - bolded) so you can know the current issues you can respond to. You can also get alerts in your inbox by signing up here. Currently, there are opportunities to express your opinion on: For Mother's Day: Tell Congress NO CUTS for Federal Support to Mothers and Children, Tell Congress It's Time for Moral Courage, This Earth Day, Support Environmental Justice for all! As You File Your Taxes, Say Yes to Peace, Tell Congress to pass a Moral Budget, Support for Humanitarian Aid and Peace-making is non-negotiable; Protect Govt Funding; Protect DEI; Protect Medicare and Food Stamps; Protect Trans, Nonbinary and Intersex Civil Rights; Protect Everyday Consumers; Have a Heart for God's Planet; Foreign Aid; Federal Funding Freeze; Supporting Survivors of Human Trafficking; Immigration Policies; Trans Protection; Voting Rights; Affordable Internet; Indian Boarding Schools; and Military Aid to Israel. We know that some of you want to put your faith beliefs in action and hope those of you who wish to advocate find this resource useful.

Zwingli United Church of Christ

www.paoliucc.com

https://www.facebook.com/zwingliuccpaoli/

zwingliuccpaoli@gmail.com

PO Box 530, Belleville, WI 53508

"A small church with a big

and open heart!"

Pastor

Rev. Karla Schmidt

pastor.zwingliuccpaoli@gmail.com

608-572-4557

Kathie Wagner, Administrative Assistant

zwingliuccpaoli@gmail.com

Phone: 608-845-5641