First English Lutheran Church | Austin, Texas
God Loves. We Love. Everyone!
Pastor J. Mills is moving into his office at FELC! But, where’s the pastor today? Out in the community meeting folks. He joyfully anticipates being welcomed on Sunday morning, March 26 in worship and hospitality. Be at FELC at 10 AM – onsite or online.
A service in remembrance of Archbishop Oscar Romero of San Salvador will be held at Casa Marianella on Sunday, March 26 at 5:00 PM. The liturgy will be presided over by St. James Episcopal Church. Casa Marianella is located at 821 Gunter Street in Austin.
FELC has long accompanied residents of Casa Marianella who welcomes displaced immigrants and provides shelter and support services.
Archbishop Romero (1917-1980) was assassinated on March 24, 1980 while celebrating mass at the Chapel Hospital de la Divina Providencia in San Salvador. Archbishop Romero is a martyr of the faith, who strove for inclusion, liberation theology, and advocated publicly for the marginalized. Romero spoke out against social injustice and violence amid the escalating conflict between the military government and insurgents that led to the Salvadoran Civilian War.
After the service of remembrance, there will be a meal prepared and served by the residents of Casa Marianella.
For more information, please contact Todd Jermstad at tjermstad@austin.rr.com
Pilgrims from FELC journeyed to Montgomery, Alabama in February to visit “The Legacy Museum: From Enslavement to Mass Incarceration” and “The National Memorial for Peace and Justice” sponsored by The Equal Justice Initiative.
Travelers will be sharing highlights of that pilgrimage in April, including:
–on Sunday, April 16: a three-minute video during Sunday worship describing the message of the legacy museum;
–on Sunday, April 23: highlights of The National Memorial for Peace and Justice will be shared during Sunday worship;
–on Sunday, April 30: an Adult Forum will follow Sunday worship & hospitality at 11:30 AM. All are invited and encouraged to attend to participate in conversation around issues of social and racial justice.
For more information on this pilgrimage sharing, contact Nancy Baden at nkab13@gmail.com.
March 17, 18, 19, 2023 at Camp Lutherhill, 3782 Lutherhill Road, LaGrange, Texas
“What is it we cannot see about racism?” is the central question of The Awakening Retreat, a 10-hour weekend entry-point to a deeper dive into racism awareness. Speakers include the Rev. Ele Clay and the Rev. Austin Nickel. Group activities, narratives, and conversations will provide participants a welcome and safe place to question their certainties as well as their doubts alongside fellow strugglers. Come and place your key within the grand circle: “… everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for everything that becomes visible is light.” Ephesians 5:13–14 (NRSVUE)
The retreat is a fine way to engage the reflections and disciplines of the season of Lent.
More information is at links below. You may also contact Erin McCracken at erin922@gmail.com
The FELC transition ministry began on January 16 and has two parts: the transition itself and then the call process.
The executive committee talked with Bishop Sue Briner about our hopes and needs during the transition. We determined that we need a part-time transition pastor, and we will consider adding additional staffing and volunteer positions to enhance our ministry.
Bishop Sue and her staff contacted several potential transition pastor candidates. Bishop Sue made a recommendation to the council in early February, and the executive team and council had Zoom meetings with that transition pastor. The transition pastor began the week of March 20.
In the time following the arrival of the transition pastor, we will form a transition committee from members and participants of the congregation. This transition committee seeks to clarify our ministry and shape our direction for the future. That process takes purposeful time and care. There will be opportunities to gather as a congregation in large and small group settings to work on this together. This is an important part of our future. From that work, a profile will be created seeking a new, called pastor.
Following the transition committee work, a call committee is formed from members of congregation by vote of the congregation council. That work will be explained in further detail as we move through this year. The call committee will offer a candidate to the congregation. As a congregation, we decide who our next pastor will be in a called congregation meeting.
FELC is a community of faith: spiritually, emotionally, and financially. We have opportunities to grow. We can dig deep in prayer and listening to form the ministry to which God is calling us in these next stages of our life.
We are not alone. The Holy Spirit holds us.
Let us pray. O God, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot know the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through things unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we’re going, but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
On February 20, the council elected congregation officers for 2023:
President Nancy Neuse
Vice President: LaRu Woody
Secretary: Elizabeth Zimmermann
Treasurer: Allen Jensen
Financial Secretary: Gwen Flory
The president, vice president, secretary, and the pastor constitute the congregation executive committee. The treasurer and financial secretary do not need to be members of the congregation council to serve.
The 2023 congregation council is: Nancy Neuse, LaRu Woody, Elizabeth Zimmermann, Jerry Don Aguirre, Nancy Baden, Derek Bridges, Gwen Flory, Todd Jermstad, Andrew Koepp, Mary Lou Larson, Kristin Mondy, and Benjamin Rode.
These leaders were installed into leadership on Sunday, February 26. We are grateful for each of them, will pray for them regularly, and we ask God to bless them in their witness to the gospel.
Our new Lent paraments and vestments were dedicated to the glory of God on February 26, the first Sunday in Lent.
They were designed and hand-crafted by Jeff Wunrow Designs, St. Louis, MO. Jeff Wunrow Designs also created our recent paraments for Advent, Christmas, Pentecost, and Ordinary Time.
The funding for this addition was from the Margaret Berg Memorial Endowment Fund, generous gifts given to FELC for liturgical beauty.
The chasuble in this photo (a liturgical vestment used during a eucharistic liturgy) is worn by the Rev. Robert Karli, one of our supply pastors during our transition ministry. Bob was also the fourth pastor of FELC.
Send your blessing on these paraments and vestments, which we set apart; may they adorn this house, show us the beauty of holiness and humility, and so proclaim the glory of your majesty and love.
The congregation council gathered at its monthly meeting on February 20. Here are some highlights:
The council elected congregation officers for 2023:
President Nancy Neuse
Vice President: LaRu Woody
Secretary: Elizabeth Zimmermann
Treasurer: Allen Jensen
Financial Secretary: Gwen Flory
The president, vice president, secretary, and the pastor constitute the congregation executive committee. The treasurer and financial secretary do not need to be members of the congregation council to serve. The 2023 congregation council is: Nancy Neuse, LaRu Woody, Elizabeth Zimmermann, Jerry Don Aguirre, Nancy Baden, Derek Bridges, Gwen Flory, Todd Jermstad, Andrew Koepp, Mary Lou Larson, Kristin Mondy, and Benjamin Rode. The 2023 council will be welcomed and installed on Sunday, February 26.
The council appointed two ministry team leaders: Shannon Aguirre for the Worship Team Ministry and Betsy Appleton for the Learning Ministry Team Lead. The council is grateful for these servants. These leaders will begin the work of forming the ministry teams and setting goals. Other ministry team leaders are currently being identified and will be offered to the council for approval.
The council approved the Benevolence Task Force: Nancy Baden, Claudia Barlow, Lois Holck, and Merrily Porter. The task force will identify organizations or agencies for the congregation to support in 2023. The task force will submit its work to the council for discussion and approval.
The council approved Charlie Boas and Nancy Baden as FELC representatives to our Scouting Ministry and authorized them to transact business on the scouting bank accounts.
The council approved the scope of work and compensation package for the transitional pastor for FELC. The transitional pastor is expected to be announced next week and begin ministry on March 20.
The council received a report from the treasurer ending January 31. We had a loss in January due to adding $10k per month to a reserved fund for transition ministry (approved at the annual meeting) and also distributing the final compensation to the former pastor in the same month.
The council received reports about the ministry transition, the operations of our congregation, the upcoming Micah 6 Amplify Austin fundraiser, the Move-In Ministry needs for housing insecure neighbors through Austin City Lutherans, and the upcoming Caring Ministry trainings and information meeting. The council is grateful to many who are serving in leadership during our ministry transition, including our supply pastors Brad Fuerst, Bob Karli, and Tim Lincoln.
The next council meeting is scheduled for Monday, March 20 at 7:00 PM.
People with trucks and/or strong backs are being recruited to help move donated furniture into storage and then into new apartments for recently housing insecure folks. A team from St. Martin’s Lutheran has been doing this for several years, operating out of the basement of their church. A “ACL Summit” of this “Move-In” Ministry Team and related organizations will be held at St. Martins Lutheran Church, 606 W. 15th Street on Sunday Feb 26, 2:30-3.45 PM. For more information, contact Derek Bridges at bridges@ieee.org
Here’s a link to a story from Austin City Lutherans : https://breadforall-atx.org/acl-move-in-ministry/
Monday, March 6, 2023 from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM
Oblate Renewal Center, 5700 Blanco Road, San Antonio, TX
BioSpiritual Focusing is a way of opening the whole of ourselves—mind, body, and spirit—to a deeper connectedness with God, others, and self. Join together with Spiritual Director Deborah Sheehan, MA (highly recommended by former FELC member Gretchen Olson-Kopp) to learn more about how gently being with what is present within your embodied self can open the door to a deeper story—and to a greater sense of wholeness. This practice is simple yet profound. It can be helpful for anyone—young child to senior. It requires no more than showing up and a willingness to engage contemplatively with what is within. And the potential for transformation and growth unfolds in the process.
The retreat is a fine way to engage the reflections and disciplines of the season of Lent.
More information is at links below. You may also contact Barbara Schutz at bschutz@sbcglobal.net