May is the Annual Mountain of Food Fundraiser

Thank you for supporting the Mountain of Food collection.

As of May 18th we have collected $4,417.

This fundraiser supports St. Stephen's and St. Mark's Food Pantries. As pantry usage and food needs continue to increase, support from our community becomes even more important. Each contribution, no matter the amount, helps to provide for those in need. Food costs continue to increase which impacts the average cost of providing for a family as shown in these estimates:

• $230-$350 can feed a family of 4 for a week
• $300-$450 can feed a family of 6 for a week

However, as prices increase, so do the number of clients in need. Our donations will allow the pantries to support more families with their food needs.

Give Families a Lift

is off to a Strong Start!

As of May 18th our total collected has reached $25,357.00

We have another $5,000 pledged. If you have pledged but not yet paid, please try to do so in the next few weeks. Remember, the goal is to purchase the van this summer!

$114 per day is the ideal amount to fund the project, but you are welcome to give more or less. You can also add your name to a date that is already taken. We’re flexible!

Bethel Horizons Annual Bike-a-thon

Judy Armelin (office administrator) and her partner Pam have been riding in the Bethel Horizons Bike-a-thon for the past 8 years.

Help us support one of our camps by making a donation to our bike-a-thon page, or stop by Ryan's table in the Gathering Space to learn more about camp and sponsor him.

Your contributions directly sustain and expand Bethel Horizons’ Adventure & Environmental Education Programs, ensuring transformative outdoor experiences for all!

Here is the link to their sponsorship page. Thank you in advance for supporting our team.

MOSES Lunch and Learn - Juvenile Justice in Dane County - May 20th

11:30am - 1:00pm - Lunch 11:30am

Lake Edge Lutheran Church 4032 Monona Dr.

St Mark's Lutheran Church invites you to

Sing for Justice

Tuesday, May 26 at 6:30 pm

No singing experience necessary.  All are welcome!

Please enter through the door on Spruce. 605 Spruce St. Madison

37th Annual Madison Juneteenth Parade - June 20th

Juneteenth is a celebration of freedom, culture and community. 

Join the Messiah Racial Justice Team as we walk with St Paul AME Church and MOSES in the Madison Juneteenth Parade on Saturday June 20th. 

The procession starts at 11:00 am from the Madison Labor Temple and goes through South Madison to Penn Park where the celebration continues.

Car Pool Option: Meet at Messiah to carpool. Leaving Messiah at 10:15. Otherwise you can secure your own transpiration to the Labor Temple. We will all meet at the Labor Temple at 10:40 for an 11:00 parade start. If you park at the Labor Temple, then after the parade and your time in the park you will have to walk back to the parade start which is only a few blocks. 

Be prepared for the weather, hats, sunscreen, water, umbrella… 

Hope you join us! 

Staffed Summer Nursery Hours: from Memorial Day weekend, which is May 24, through Labor Day weekend, which is September 6, the nursery will only be open at the late service.

You are always welcome to use the Nursery room and watch the service on the screen in the Nursery.

New Action Circles–Protecting Children from Gun Violence: Imagining a New World

Opportunity from Presbyterian Peace Fellowship, the Guns to Gardens group

Wednesdays on Zoom 

Noon ET, 11:00am CT, 10:00am MT, 9:00am PT 

Bring a bag lunch or brunch!

Summer: July 8 - Aug 5

Register HERE.

This five session series on Zoom will guide you and your congregation in finding your action for protecting children from gun violence. Created by educational and pastoral leaders in the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship, this faith-based program covers in one hour a key topic each week:

• Children in the Crossfire: Why is gun violence the top killer of our children?

• Saving Child Lives with Secure Gun Storage

• Seeing Our Children: The mental and spiritual health of children in the crossfire

• Direct Action Options for Real Safety for Children

• Advocacy, Voting and Finding Next Steps for Your Congregation

"At the first session when we learned about the causes of gun violence against children, I was so discouraged. By the final session, I was incredibly hopeful about all the practical things that we can do to protect children from gun violence."

                                                                                                                                                                         --Participant in the Winter Action Circle

Kennedy End of the Year Picnic & 60th Anniversary Celebration June 4

Come celebrate 60 years of learning at Kennedy with families, staff, and community members at our End of the Year Picnic! This free community event will be held on Thursday, June 4 from 5-7pm (rain date June 5) on the playground and blacktop behind the school. Because we are also celebrating Kennedy's 60th birthday, there may also be some activities inside the school. Community members and alumni are welcome to join! We will have a FREE MEAL featuring Boogie's Backyard BBQ and lots of other great food. There will be fun entertainment as well at the picnic, including free face-painting and a bounce house! You can sign up to help out at the event: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090E4EAEA628A1F85-63322595-kennedy. 

WELCA Gathering -  July 16 - 19 - Des Moines, IA

This inspiring event brings together 1,000 to 3,000

Women of the ELCA for four days of:
 
Powerful worship experiences
Inspiring speakers
Engaging workshops and service projects
A 5K run/walk
 
Registration is $525 for the 4-day event (lodging and transportation are not included).

 Messiah is offering  $275 to offset some of the expense, so please don’t let the cost prohibit you from participating.

Please sign up on the Kiosk if you are interested in joining us for this faith-inspiring event!  

Please see the flyer for more information 

and to sign up.

Summer Mini Mission Opportunity for children - July 13 and 14 - 8:00 - noon

We are excited to invite our littlest learners to join us for a summer learning opportunity here at Messiah. Our summer "Mini" Mission is an opportunity for our children to serve others in our community. Children will learn about the importance of serving and the different ways we can serve through stories, discussion, and hands-on experiences. We will work with the YOW group to complete service projects that will help others in our community and we will spend some time playing and eating together. 

The Mission takes place here at Messiah on Monday, July 13 and Tuesday, July 14 from 8:00 AM until 12. Students will have a hot breakfast prepared for them and should bring a sack lunch to eat later in the day.

This opportunity is open to all children currently ages 4 through 4th grade. We hope you can join us!

Messiah Cook Book Returns

Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep." John 21:17

Food is often the heart of hospitality. As we share meals, we bond in fellowship and community. Messiah would like to revive our tradition of offering a cookbook, "Feed My Sheep." Favorite recipes shared among members and friends as we gather at tables together and apart. We are fed and blessed in so many ways at Messiah.

The team for this project is forming. We will begin meeting in June with the goal of completing the cookbook by the Craft Fair, Nov. 7 and having it available for holiday gifting. Your help is needed! There will be many specific tasks to smoothly organize and complete the project. Contact Shirley Klinkner, sjklink1@gmail.com or Pastor Dan, pastordanmessiah@gmail.com to find out more and to volunteer.

Life Is Saying Goodbye, Life Is Saying Hello
A Grief Support Gathering at Messiah

May 21, 28

4:30pm - 5:30 pm

Sunday morning Adult Education

New Adult Education series exploring The Easter Lectionary - now through Pentecost

Join us as we read and discuss the Sunday morning texts, discovering how they relate to the Easter season, each other, and our daily lives as Easter people!

All are welcome to join us as we gather in the Social Hall at 9:20 am between the services. Bring your Bible and cup of coffee!

Please Note the Day Change

You are invited to come and gather for fellowship where we meet for breakfast, worship and prayer to strengthen our faith and build brotherhood.

NO sign up needed.

When:  Every Thursday May 14 - June 4 at 9:00 am (we will most likely change frequency meetings for the summer)
Location:  Denny’s on E. Broadway in Monona, next to Menards.

Contact Person: Ray Robinson  rayerobinson13@gmail.com or 608-695-5591

Wednesday Morning Bible Study - The Gospel of Mark

Now through May 20 -7:00 am - 8:00 am

by Richard Carlson (Author) …

The Gospel of Mark is not just good news about Jesus. It reveals, sometimes in surprising and scandalous ways, how Jesus is God's good news to us. This 8-session study takes big questions based on Mark and challenges participants to explore them thoughtfully together. 

After the completion of this book study we will pause until the second Wednesday of September.

Ladies Lunch Bunch - June 10th

Rodeside Grill

 6317 Rostad Circle Windsor, WI

Please sign up on the Kiosk. There will be space for 25 women this month.

Please be there by 11:15 am     Orders will be taken at 11:30.

 For questions call Claire at 920-319-6731 or Mary at 608-716-4600

The Ladies Lunch Bunch May Gathering collected $165.00 for Mountain of Food - Food Pantry Collection

Community Outreach Team Collections

Please check out the Ongoing Community Outreach Collection webpage to see what Messiah collects to help local organiztions support their clients.



Paper copies of the Collections are available in the Collection Area at Messiah (between the Gathering Space and the Community Room).

Our next weeks for preparing meals for Healing House are:

June 7 - 13

July 19 - 25

Please sign up on the kiosk if you can make a meal.

Jevon Diming with Pierre Outreach Services Safe House (POSSH) has been awarded a state Violence Prevention Grant enabling her to step forward in securing a permanent space for a Wellness Lab for Women and Girls so they can walk in and receive care without barriers. This space will offer curated healing modalities, culturally responsive support, and resources tailored to the personal and family needs of each woman and girl served, where healing can happen daily, not just in moments of crisis; it is to provide a space where women and girls know they belong, where they can rebuild, restore, and reimagine their lives.  POSSH is actively pursuing additional grant opportunities and partnerships to sustain and expand this vision, ensuring services remain accessible to those who have historically lacked support.

Jennifer Ginsburg, Director of Safe Harbor spoke between the services on February 1 about human trafficking awareness at Safe Harbor. They have seen deep impacts because of the work they do in helping victims and their families, along with continued counseling support. We had a great conversation. Learning is always educational and opens up our eyes and hearts.

Victims and their families are referred to Safe Harbor from law enforcement and the courts and each year they help 400 families from over a dozen counties.  As they work with children and teenagers who have been victims of abuse and crimes, they go through lots of snacks and art supplies. We asked Jennifer to compile a list of these needs-stay tuned for an opportunity to help fill those needs.

Thank you to Messiah member Steve Lyons for sharing information about recent legislation related to human trafficking.

On February 4th there was a PUBLIC - SENATE HEARING at the State Capitol from the Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety on bills related to Human Trafficking. The bills listed below are bipartisan–it is so great to have our politicians agreeing to these. Nancy Battist went to these hearings and found it quite an educational experience. 

See the Human Trafficking Awareness Webpage for more details.

The Racial Justice Team hosted an Adult Education session on Sunday February 8 on how to contact state and federal representatives. This was a direct follow-up to the book study When Thoughts and Prayers Aren’t Enough and an opportunity to speak up about gun violence, but these strategies can be used to express your opinion about any issues that are important to you. 

Here is a link to the google slideshow we used. There are many ways to get messages to our representatives and make our voices heard, and one is bound to fit your preferred method of communication because you can call, fax, email, or write a letter or a postcard. One of the easiest methods to use is the 5Calls app/website at 5calls.org. You set your location, select an issue from the sidebar and then the names and contact information of your elected officials pops up along with a suggested script which you can use verbatim or as a starting point. You can work your way through all of them or skip and select who you want to contact. 

Calling your representative is the best way to make your voice heard before they take a public stance because congressional staffers tally phone calls right away.

Other kinds of messages take longer.

• Emails have to be manually read and sorted.
• Faxes have to be digitized and emailed.
• Letters and postcards take time to arrive and get processed.