Tune in to our weekly Virtual Worship!
Welcome
You are always welcome here! God promises to meet you where you are, whatever your circumstances and with whatever questions you have. You can also share your gifts here. You have experiences, knowledge, and talents to share. Here you can grow in your faith and help others to grow in their faith. There is a place for you here at First English Lutheran Church.
401 W. Main Street ~ Whitewater, WI 53190
262-473-5076
Out of concern for the most vulnerable among us, we have cancelled meetings, events, and worship services in the building until further notice. Please join us for online worship and music and other videos on our Facebook page. Call the church office at (262) 473-5076.
Please check here, on Facebook and the Whitewater Banner for further updates.
Click here to visit us on Facebook
(You do not have to join Facebook to visit our page)
Click here to view virtual worship service on YouTube
Click here for Give+ online giving
Hope in the Midst of Suffering
Dear friends in Christ,
It has been a hard year. The coronavirus pandemic, now surging across much of the country; the terrible killing of George Floyd and other African-Americans; protests for justice for people of color; the impeachment trial of the president; a good economy followed by the shutdown and huge job losses; democracy being threatened in Hong Kong; a plague of locusts in Africa, fires in Australia, and more.
Is there hope in the midst of the suffering? Can we find anything good in the midst of all this? Are there any gifts we can find amid all the bad news? In the Gospel for Sunday, Matthew 13:31-33, 44-45, and in the reading from Romans 8:26-39, God is the great giver. But the gifts are not always apparent: in Matthew, a mustard seed, yeast in the dough, a buried treasure; in Romans, coming in our weakness, in the midst of hardship and distress, and in Christ's dying for us. This tells us of a generous God who gives us many gifts even in unexpected circumstances.
In the context of all the bad news of this year, it can seem unusual to hear about God's gifts. As St. Paul says earlier in Romans 8, the creation is groaning, eagerly longing for liberation from the weight of generations of human indifference and sin. But even in this field of sorrow, the mustard seed of God's Kingdom is growing, and it will eventually shelter the birds and their nests in its branches. Even in the field of our present-day world, the treasure of God's kingdom is waiting to be discovered. The Good News of God's reconciling love in Christ, of the belovedness of God's children of all races, of the freedom to trust God and love one another, is hidden even here in our time and place. Our sin and the sin of people over time has caused great brokenness and pain, but God comes to forgive and to heal.
In Romans 8, Paul writes, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? ... No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Romans 8:35, 37). We are "more than conquerors" because we are inseparably connected to Christ. Nothing can break that attachment. In spite of our sin, God loves us completely. God loved us so much that He gave His own beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to suffer and die to forgive our sin, and God raised Him from the dead to give us new life.
God's Kingdom, the life-giving presence and rule of God in our lives in this world, grows into a large tree where many can find shelter. The Kingdom is like yeast that permeates the dough, transforming all it comes in contact with. The Kingdom of God inspires people to give anything and everything to obtain it, and it gives them incredible joy. God's kingdom opens us up to life in this world---to a life of gratitude, to a life dedicated to showing mercy to others, to a life advocating for justice for all people, to a life of caring for our neighbors responsibly, and protecting those who are vulnerable.
Yes, we have been facing a deadly once-in-a hundred-years pandemic, dealing with a plague of racial injustice, confronting political and economic distress, and enduring weariness and great uncertainty. But God comes bringing gifts to us in the midst of all this--gifts of reconciliation for people of all races, the freedom to trust God and to love our neighbors, forgiveness, healing, and an abiding love that will never let us go.
In Christ's unshakable love,
Pastor Steve
WORSHIP TIMES AT FIRST ENGLISH
First English Lutheran Church
Worship on Facebook
Every Sunday
Posted by 8:00 AM
Click here to visit our Facebook page
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Church Links
View Newsletter
View Calendar
Choir Schedule 2020
Meet our new Youth and Family Ministry Coordinator Karil Bilgen
Putting Things Into Perspective - Karin Campbell
Messages from Pastor Steve:
June 11, 2020
June 4, 2020
May 28, 2020
May 21, 2020
May 14, 2020
May 6, 2020
April 30, 2020
April 22, 2020
April 8, 2020
March 23, 2020
March 14, 2020
Prayers in the Midst of a Coronavirus Pandemic
Video of Church Service
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WINTER SCHEDULE
(Labor Day -- Memorial Day)
8:00 am, 9:15 am, & 10:30 am
Sunday School at 9:15 am
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SUMMER SCHEDULE
(Memorial Day--Labor Day)
Heart Prairie on Whitewater Lake
Saturday Worship 5:00 pm
Sunday Worship 8:00 am
FELC Worship on Main Street
9:30 am
Oil Lamp Service
Last Sunday of June, July, August
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Contact Information
Pastor Steve: pastorsteve@felcww.org
Secretary: secretary@felcww.org
Phone: 262-473-5076
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2020 Sunday School Year
We are so excited to have you all back for a new Sunday School year where we are
learning about “Our Purpose”, as well as God’s love for each one of us! Learning that God has a PURPOSE for each of us is our theme for this year. Every month there will be a special item for the Whitewater Food Pantry to be collected.
Please look at your calendar for these items in parenthesis. ALL of our collection
items this year will be geared towards helping other KIDS! Food pantry items will be kid specified items. We have scheduled a FUN, faith filled calendar of events for this Sunday School year. Please be sure to check the calendar for these dates!
Snacks- due to the severe allergy issues and time constraint we face already to get
our lesson in we will not be having snacks in class this year, we will have children
snacks at the children’s offering table in Moksnes Hall that we welcome the kids to
enjoy. Again, like last year we ask that the parents pick your children up from their classroom after service.
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Click here for Whitewater Walk, October 4, 2020
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** Monday Night Free Campus & Community Meal **
5:00pm-6:00pm at the Congregational United Church of Christ, 133 S. Franklin Street. All are welcome! The Campus and Community Meal is coordinated by the Congregational UCC and First English Lutheran Church with the help of grant money and volunteers.
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Heart Praire Church 175th Anniversary...
Heart Prairie Lutheran Church is the historic church of First English Lutheran Church and still holds oil lamp services during some times of the year.
This year, Heart Prairie Lutheran Church is celebrated its 175th anniversary. A Scandinavian arts and crafts display as well as a sampling of Norwegian food was presented, followed by a historical program with Norwegian music. At 8:30 PM an Oil Lamp service (Høymesse) took place inside the church.
First English Lutheran Church actively supports Lutheran-Episcopal Campus Ministries on the
UW-Whitewater Campus, just blocks from the church.
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WEATHER CANCELLATION POLICY
If the Whitewater School are closed, the church office is also closed.
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