Category: News

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FELC Council Highlights: March 2024

At the Church Council meeting on Monday, March 18, reports were received from the ministries of our congregation.

The Child Development Center is growing with students and staff, including two former, long-time CDC staff members returning to our ministry. We are grateful for the steadfastness of our CDC Board of Directors and our Director, Dr. Paullette Clemons.

We are grateful for the significant effort of the Learning Ministry Team, Worship Ministry Team, and Property Committee, among others.

The Transition Team reported that six small group meetings were held in February, with each meeting had 6 to 10 attendees in addition to two Transition Team members. Discussions included reactions to “The Leader We Seek” survey that went out in late December, desired leadership qualities of our next pastor, important focus areas for our next pastor’s first year, and the ways in which the congregation can help support the new pastor in their first year. The Transition Team continues to carefully complete the Ministry Site Profile in anticipation of presenting it to the Council for conversation.

The Council received a report from Treasurer Allen Jesen, which indicated a few minor changes to the 2023 report that allow us to proceed this year with greater clarity. 

The Congregation received a $20,000 gift from the Estate of H. D. Butler. H. D. and Evelyn Butler were active in our congregation many years ago. The Council moved, discussed, and voted to place $10,000 in the emergency borrowing fund, and $10,000 in the general operating fund. We are grateful for all who give in many ways, including those who provide legacy financial gifts that empower our current and future ministry and community engagement.

The Council appointed a Benevolence Task Force for 2024: Claudia Barlow, Merrily Porter, Teresa Ringness, and Ben Rode. The congregation will be asked to engage with the task force soon.

The Council passed a resolution of recognition and appreciation to Vic Winter, P.E., for his work. Licensed professional engineer Vic Winter, of Winter Engineering, coordinated and conferred with the Property and Door Restoration Committees, reviewed the original (1935) structural plans, visited the site, performed engineering calculations and designs, and provided signed and sealed structural plans suitable for permitting and constructing, and declined remuneration for his professional services and provided them gratis. The next set of restored narthex doors should arrive soon.

The Council received the resignation of our Church Office Administrator, Randi Ladolcetta. We are grateful for her work with us, and we wish her well in her health and future endeavors. Randi has graciously agreed to assist with the transition during her final month. The Administration Committee of the Council and the Cantor are perusing the next steps toward another Office Administrator.   

Everyone is encouraged to attend and invite others to worship services during Holy Week and on Easter Sunday.

The Council will hold a day retreat on Saturday, April 20.

The Council meets next on Monday, April 15 at 7 pm.

Respectfully submitted,

Nancy Baden

CouncilSecretary@felcaustin.org

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Transition Team Update March 20, 2024

Greetings from the Transition Team! We met this week and talked through our draft answers to the final few questions in our Ministry Site Profile (MSP). Once each section is drafted, the Transition Team will begin reviewing the entire MSP document as a whole. This process will take place over multiple Transition Team meetings as we carefully ensure our entire Ministry Site Profile is reflective of our community and of the congregational feedback we have received. Once we are ready, the next step in this process will be to present the Ministry Site Profile to the Council for review and discussion. This will ideally happen within the next month or so. Once accepted by the Council, the MSP will be shared with the congregation and then sent on to the Synod where it will be used to match our ministry site with pastor candidates who may be a good fit for FELC. We are grateful for your continued prayers, patience, and support. 

With gratitude, 

FELC Transition Team 

FELCTransitionMinistry@felcaustin.org

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Grounds Workday

Saturday, March 23, 8:30-11:30am

Looking for volunteers to help beautify our church grounds for Easter! We will be weeding, trimming, planting, and enjoying time together in the great outdoors. Bring your gloves, favorite yard tools, hats, water and sunscreen. Contact Gwen Flory or Terry Porter for more information.

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Property News – Exterior Lighting Update

We continue to make improvements to our building and grounds.

Last week a team from Klock’s Electric arrived to restore power to the north-most patio lamp in front of the sanctuary.  That wiring was severed when the sprinklers were installed.  We also replaced a non-working socket in one of the lamps further north in front of the office entrance.  All 4 of the lamps along Whitis Ave. are now working again! 

ALL of the exterior fixtures are fitted with LED lamps and are photocell-operated which means the lights automatically turn on at dusk and turn off at dawn – thus being energy efficient while keeping things dependably well-lit at night.

Thanks to Randy B., Terry P. and Paul B. [the guy with ALL the tools] for helping to dismount these fixtures so that the electricians could do their work.

Paul B. power washed the lamps and the railings a while back, knocking off loose paint and grime in order to get them prepped for a shiny new coat of black paint – happening soon!

He also has some other ideas for getting things spiffed up around our courtyard space – more power washing and painting tasks – stay tuned for opportunities to help.

a view of our campus all lit up at night

Terry wiping down the dusty glass panes after the lamps were put back in place

Inspector Baden chatting with the guys from Klock’s Electric

Electricians investigating the old wire and conduit after the lamps were dismounted – new conduit and wiring were run from the photocell on the south side of the patio

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Learning Ministry Update: March 20, 2024

Learning Ministry Update

We had a well-attended intergenerational Faith Formation session on Sunday, March 17, where we discussed the topic of Prayer. We prayed together and among each other in a variety of ways, including creating a web of prayer, tossing a yarn ball to each participant who added to our community Talk with God.

Adult Faith Formation will not meet on Palm Sunday or Easter Sunday to accommodate participants to have more time to prepare for Holy Week worship. We will reconvene on April 7 with Gwen Flory’s session,  Every day is Earth Day: actionable ways each of us can help protect our planet.

Children’s Faith Formation: Nancy Baden will be leading Faith Formation for children on March 24 at 9am in the Library. Children will be learning about Holy Week. There will be no Children’s Faith Formation Easter Sunday. Join us for an Easter Egg Hunt during Hospitality after Easter Sunday Worship. Bring your baskets!

As always, you can find further events on our Calendar. 

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FELC Care Ministry Team

FELC Care Ministry training will continue on March 17th after hospitality in the church parlor. We will finish discussing End-of-Life Doula material which Pastor J shared with us in December, and we will distribute copies of the book “The Gift of Empathy” by Joel Bretscher and Kenneth Haugk in preparation for subsequent meetings.

The FELC Care Ministry team are trained to provide confidential Christian support, based on the Stephen Ministry philosophy, to individuals on a one-to-one basis.  Individuals who are experiencing a challenging time due to health issues, grief, relationship challenges, job loss, etc. can reach out to Charlotte Gilman at cefgilman@outlook.com or Mari Ward at marirward@gmail.com to be matched with a trained caregiver who will support them during their journey.

The Care Ministry team members listen, care, encourage, and provide emotional and spiritual support.  We are not pastors, therapists, counselors, or coaches.  Everything that is discussed with a caregiver is kept completely confidential, including the relationship itself.

The Care Ministry team can also support FELC members who need care during this time of pastoral transition.  If you are seeking an impartial, caring and supportive listener to help you process your experience during this period, please reach out to one of the team, or to Charlotte/Mari to be matched with a team member.

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2024 Wednesdays of Lent

Midweek Lenten Evening Prayer 

Wednesday, February 21, 28 & March 6, 13, 20

7:00 PM in the Chapel of the Saints (not online)

Lent is a time of fasting, almsgiving, and prayer. This Lent we focus on healing within and through our bodies. For nearly two millennia, Christian experience has tended to devalue bodies. Culture today can view bodies as commodities to be used. Christ became a body—a self—and redeems us in and through our body. When we embrace our whole selves, the healing of Christ becomes more knowable, tangible, and real. Like Simon’s mother-in-law (Mark 1:29-31), Jesus touches our bodies and lifts us up, returning us to diakonia, our true vocation of service in the world. We will pray in community through scripture, silence, song, and conversation. Join us for contemplative evening prayer on Wednesdays at 7 PM, led by Pastor Travis Fitzgold and Bryan Rust.

Do you need a ride to the Wednesday evening Lenten services?  Can you pick someone up on your way to FELC on Wednesday evenings?  Let us know!  

Use the link below to complete a short Google form with your information and a member of the Care Ministry team will do their best to help connect you.  If you have any questions, please contact Claudia Barlow or office@felcaustin.org

https://rb.gy/ekt43h

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Office Administrator Update

Randi Ladolcetta, the FELC Office Administrator, has resigned for health reasons. Her last day will be April 3rd. She has been dealing with health issues and has made the difficult decision to focus on her recovery and well-being at this time.  We fully support her decision and wish her a speedy and full recovery.  Please keep Randi and her family in your prayers over the coming months.

In the meantime, the Administrative Team (LaRu Woody and Claudia Barlow), Bryan Rust, and Randi Ladolcetta are committed to a thorough and thoughtful transition. We will continue to provide updates as we have them. Thank you for your understanding and support.  Please contact LaRu or Claudia with any questions you may have.

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Rejoice Sunday

Rejoicing together

On Sunday, March 10 we observe Laetare Sunday, the fourth Sunday in Lent in the Western Christian liturgical calendar. This Sunday has been a day of celebration within the austere period of Lent, and gets its name from the first few words of the traditional entrance verses in Latin, Laetare meaning Rejoice.  On Laetare Sunday (as similarly with the Third Sunday of Advent’s Gaudete Sunday) the church expresses hope and joy in the midst of our Lenten fasts. Call it pink — or, more fittingly, rose — a traditional color on this day, indicates a glimpse of the joy that awaits us at Easter.  Before we enter into the holy days of Passiontide, our music, prayers, and liturgical texts reflect this ‘mini” Easter.  Rejoice!