150th Anniversary Kick-Off Celebration September 19th

Join us for Our Savior’s 150th Anniversary kick-off celebration on September 19th! Pastor Libby Howe will be our guest pastor for morning worship, Byron Blackmore will perform an Organ Recital at 4:00 pm. A reception will follow the recital in the Fellowship Hall. All are welcome!

Pastor Libby Howe serves as the Director for Evangelical Mission and the Assistant to the Bishop in the La Crosse Area synod of the ELCA. Prior to synod work she served as the pastor of De Soto and Freeman Lutheran Churches in De Soto and Ferryville, Wisconsin from 2002-2009. She attended seminary at Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Ohio, her home state. During seminary her field work took her to North Carolina for chaplaincy and Long Island, New York for internship and a residency in transformational ministry that focused on stewardship, evangelism, and youth ministry. These experiences serve her well in her work for the synod as she helps new ministries develop and old ministries stay lively. She loves working with people who are energetic and passionate for Jesus and is delighted to be a member of Our Savior’s Lutheran which she describes as “one of the synod’s most grace-filled, welcoming and generous
congregations.”

Byron L. Blackmore, a Flint, Michigan native, is organist at Crown of Life Lutheran Church, Sun City West, Arizona. In 1997 he moved to Sun City West after 32 years as Organist-Director of Music at Our Savior’s, where his annual organ recitals became a La Crosse tradition. From 1965-1990, he taught applied organ at the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse. He was Organist-Director of Music at Grace United Methodist Church, Decatur, Illinois, from 1960-1965. Mr. Blackmore received his Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from Michigan State University. His graduate work in organ performance continued at Syracuse University, where he studied with Arthur Poister, and at the University of Illinois as a student of Jerald Hamilton. Byron and Mary Lou Blackmore have three children, Rachel, Joel and Neil.

OSLC Serving Lefse at Oktoberfest Heritage Night

On Wednesday September 29th, Our Savior’s will be serving Norwegian Lefse Wraps (meatballs, mashed potatoes and gravy wrapped up in a lefse) and pieces of lefse with butter and/or sugar at the annual Oktoberfest USA Heritage Night held at the La Crosse Center. The cost will be $4.00 and $1.00 respectively.

This year, Oktoberfest will NOT be requiring a button to get into this event. Please come and help support your church! The proceeds will go to the Come For Supper program to help fund on-going food purchases and supplies.

Adult Education Begins September 19th

Bring your cup of coffee up to the Choir Room at 10:30 am beginning on Sunday morning September 19th. That day our special guest is Rev. Libby Howe, one of our members and Assistant to our Bishop. Pr. Howe has specific responsibilities with evangelism, stewardship and the development of new ministries, and she does it with joy and enthusiasm. Come that day to ask questions and learn more about how we share our faith together in the ELCA.

Most of this year, we will be doing month-long discussions on distinct topics. We begin on September 26th on into October hearing about the seven Bible passages which seem to condemn homosexuality, and how we have learn to understand, interpret them, and live with them as a Reconciling in Christ community. Or, put another way, we will talk about “What does the Bible say about being gay?”

Please join us!

Steve Marking Hired as New Choir Director/Music Coordinator

We are pleased to announce that Steve Marking has accepted our position of Vocal Music Coordinator and has started to plan for the fall. We welcome him on board!

Steve is a Holmen resident, a Viterbo grad who sang here at OSLC as a student with Byron Blackmore, and went on to do graduate work at Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore. He was a founding member of the Lyric Opera Company of New York, and has lived in upstate New York for some years, where he has over 10 years experience directing church choirs. Steve has now returned to Brice Prairie.

He is a professional singer who does concerts in styles ranging from Sinatra to opera. He hopes to help us develop a praise service over time, and enlarge our choir participation. Steve is known as an excellent and patient teacher, helping people exceed their goals with new vocal techniques. He is also teaching vocal students at Studio di Canto in Onalaska with his friend Dean Stude Witz and has recently taken a leadership role with the Coulee Region Gospel Choir.

Adult Inquiry and New Member Classes Begin September 26th, 2010

We received new members at the end of July, and now are eager to bring into our fellowship others who have expressed a desire to learn about our Lutheran faith and our congregation. Classes are for all who joined in July, anyone seeking membership or adult confirmation, anyone wishing to be baptized, anyone coming from another faith or denomination, and anyone who is returning to worship after being gone from church for some years. You can also come if you just want to ask questions, whether a life-long Lutheran or brand new to our faith.

We meet at 4:00 pm for five Sundays beginning on September 26th. If that is not a workable time or if you need to miss some sessions, Pastor Jolivette can do some Saturday morning alternatives. We have spouses and partners and children of members who could surely be invited to join with us. We have neighbors and work acquaintances who may have talked about faith and asked you questions whom you can invite. Come along with your neighbor, partner or spouse.

Our next new member Sunday is All Saints’ Sunday, November 7th. Help us welcome a new group of saints!

September Book Club Selection: The Year of Living Biblically

What would it require for a person to live all the commandments of the Bible for an entire year? That is the question that animates The Year of Living Biblically: One Man’s Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible, a hilarious, quixotic, thought-provoking memoir from A.J. Jacobs.

Our discussion will take place on September 30th at 6:30 p.m. Everyone is welcomed to take part. We are a very fluid group and love to see new faces. Many of us cannot read every book every month, but when you do read a book we’ve selected, we’d love for you join us for discussion and dessert. Books may be ordered through Sandra Hansen for $11.00.

Register for Sunday School and Confirmation on September 12th

Please join us Sunday, September 12th for Rally Sunday! This will be a time to register for Sunday School and Confirmation, meet the Sunday School teachers and participate in a fun activity. Registration will be held in the Fellowship Hall after worship. We do not have a registration fee for Sunday School, but we do have a “Gathering Supplies Tree” for needed items. Come take a look Rally Sunday at the “leaves” and see where you might be able to help out.

If you have a question or concern, please feel free to contact the Family and Youth Team. See you Rally Sunday and welcome back to Sunday School!

Men’s Group Meeting on September 11th

The Men’s group will meet in the fellowship hall on Saturday, September 11 at 8:30 for fellowship and coffee. We will also be discussing a couple items for October. We will once again be helping load the Lutheran World Relief Boxcar on Saturday, October 16 and provide wait staff for the Women’s Clothes Closet fashion show on Saturday, October 30. Please contact Mikel Hampel with any questions.

Choir Begins September 12th

Our first choir rehearsal will be Sunday, September 12th. The 12th is also Rally Sunday, our springboard to all the activities that take place here at OSLC during the school year. Practice is 8:00 am on Sundays which the choir sings. Steve Marking, our new choir director, will have a schedule ready when we return and practices will be according to that schedule. We meet in the choir room, practice and sing for the service at 9:00 am that same day.

We welcome all who wish to praise the Lord in song, whether a long time member or joining for the first time.

WELCA Meeting on September 16th

WELCA will meet on Thursday, September 16th at 1:30 pm. Dan Lintin will be sharing stories from his trip to Peru. Please try to attend – it will be very interesting!

Servers are Doris Modahl, Ardis Bolstad, Janice Beeler, Marie Beissel, Ruth West, and Myra Smaby. Contributors are Delilah Wehrs and Lois Nelson. See you there!

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