The November Love, Laughter, Libations will be held on the first Saturday instead of the second to correspond with Stewardship Weekend. See you on the 7th! 

Stewardship Weekend - November 7 - 8, 2026

2027 Stewardship - “G-I-F-T Growing in Faith Together”

All members of Messiah should be receiving a letter in the mail from Pastor Jeff, and a commitment form for 2027.

We ask that you give this commitment some thoughtful prayer and return the completed form on or before the weekend of November 7^th & 8^th.

The church council will use these commitments to prepare the budget for 2027 and to

continue the mission of Messiah Lutheran Church. This year’s commitment form

contains only one line to pledge; the General Fund, for the day-to-day operations of the church. Examples are salaries, mission support, utilities, Christian education, fellowship and evangelism.

The form also contains a section for how you would like to make your contributions; weekly, monthly, none or electronically, please choose one.

If you do not receive a stewardship mailing by Friday, October 30^th, contact the office at 608-222-3833 or ourchurch@messiahchurch.com.

Last day for accepting Books for the Book Nook is November 1

Messiah Fall Craft Fair & Bake Sale

Saturday, November 7 - 9:00 am - 3:00 pm

All proceeds will benefit Briarpatch, Friends of State Street Family, and Madison Street Medicine

Sale Preview October 31 and November 1 - Before and After Services

Take a Chance on a Quilt! Handmade Quilt by Gretchann Dalgaard.

Bake Sale: THANK YOU for your donation sign up!

Click under the Craft & Bake Sale Logo for information for baked goods drop off and packaging. Contact Louise Fosdick fosdickmad@gmail.com for questions.

Book Nook: ALL BOOKS must be in collection bin by November 1.

Donations-Favorite reads for children, teens, adults. Gift giving ready.

Questions contact Nancy Beszhak or Grace Kryllo

VOLUNTEERS:We have had a great response to our VOLUNTEER ASK. Thank You!!!

All volunteers will receive an email by October 30 with “on the job” information. Contact Dawn Olson (olson_dawn54@sbcglobal.net) for questions or stop by the Sale to check the schedule.

We hope everyone will take the opportunity to enjoy the Messiah Craft Fair & Bake Sale!

Take a Chance on a Quilt! $10/Chance on a handmade Quilt by Gretchann Dalgaard. On Sale before and after services Oct31/Nov 1 weekend.

Craft Fair & Bake Sale - Gift Baskets

Drop offs for the basket contents that need to be wrapped and tagged starts Saturday when Messiah opens up for the 5 p.m. service and continues during office hours until October 30.

Please remember to include your name and the Basket Contents form completely filled out so we can properly tag your basket.

For all the other baskets which have been completed, drop off will start at the 5 p.m. service on October 31 and continue during office hours until November 5. The completed baskets also must include the Basket Contents form. We are anticipating a great sale and want to thank everyone who is making donations to our sale!



Please keep checking the Weekly News for additional photos of baskets AND some of the items which will be for sale in the Gift Shop.

Karen Verhagen is the contact person for questions: verhagen@charter.net  or  608-335-6304.

Through the diligent work of our Cookbook committee, this 643-page gem is ready!

As the holidays approach, find inspiration for your gatherings in this collection of favorite recipes from our members:

· Appetizers & Beverages

· Soups & Salads

· Vegetables & Side Dishes

· Main Dishes

· Breads & Rolls

· Desserts

· Cookies & Candies

· This & That



Also included are pages about our faith community, what we believe, the history of Messiah, our community outreach and services, and a collection of prayers written by our members – truly a keepsake cookbook!

This hard cover, high-quality ring binder book also makes a great gift for Christmas. Cookbooks are $20 and will be available at the November 7 Craft and Bake Sale. Beginning on Sunday, November 8, you may purchase these before and after worship services.

Special thanks to our Committee: Shirley Klinkner, Chair, Jessica Arnold, Susan Ashley, Elizabeth Crummy, Gretchann Dalgaard, Annette Durkin, Annya Fahey, Gloria Hehenberger, Sue Lux, Pastor Dan O’Brien and Annette Salm.

St. Stephen's Food Pantry Item for October - Hot Cocoa, Coffee and Tea

If  you like to support the food pantry, they are trying something a little different with a monthly focus item that they are requesting along with the other items that you give so generously to support the pantry.

If you would like to see what they will be collecting in the months ahead, there are lists on the Kiosk, above the St. Stephen's Food Pantry Collection Bin in the Collection Area, and it will be in the Column Newsletter.

Divine Yoga Fall and Advent Sessions

All Messiah folks and their friends are invited to attend on Tuesdays from 6-7:15 pm in the community room.

Bring your own mat.

Fall Sessions: November 3

Advent Series: December 1,8, 15, 22

Divine Yoga donations go to support snacks and winter gear for the walking school bus at  Ada Deer (Elvehjem) Elementary School.

Community Outreach Team Collections

We will start collecting for Virtual Pies on November 1st

for "Share Your Holidays" (Second Harvest Food Bank)

Virtual Pie forms are available on the Kiosk.

Check your voter registration

You can’t vote if you’re not registered!

Over 21 million voter registration records were removed from voter rolls between the 2022 midterms and the 2024 presidential election. Checking your registration status now gives you enough time to register — or re-register — before your state’s deadline. So if you’re not sure, check! And if you are sure? Check anyway at ​​https://www.vote.org/.

If you enter your information and don’t see a match or are listed as inactive, please register now to make sure you can vote.

Common reasons people aren’t found in the voter file:

• Your name is spelled differently than on file
• Your address has changed since you last registered

If any of this sounds like you, go ahead and re-register with your current information. It’s a quick way to ensure you can vote in the coming election.

Adult Education October & November

November 1 – Break – No Adult Ed.

November 8, 15, 22 – Soteriology (the study of Salvation)

Why did Jesus Die on the Cross? Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 – Pastor Renee

Ladies Lunch Bunch - November 11th - 11:15 am

Daly's Bar & Grill

  1086 Emerald Terrace, Sun Prairie, WI

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

Please be there by 11:15 am - 1:15 pm.    Orders will be taken at 11:30.

 For questions call Claire at 920-319-6731 or Mary at 262-716-4600

The Ladies Lunch Bunch October Gathering collected $80.00 for the Virtual Pie Collection.

About LSS:

For more than a century, Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan (LSS) has stood at the forefront of urgent community needs, responding with courage, compassion, and conviction. On Nov 21-22, guest preachers from LSS will visit Messiah Lutheran Church to share about the impact of LSS. LSS programs and services are designed to flexibly meet people where they are, ensuring that a child in need of a safe home, an individual facing addiction, a family navigating disability services, or a refugee building a new life all receive the specialized support they deserve.

A key focus for LSS in Dane County is affordable housing.  To help address the affordable housing crisis, LSS serves as a property owner, property manager, service coordinator, nonprofit sponsor, development partner, and/or authorized Coordinated Entry partner in providing housing and services for people and families experiencing homelessness or at risk of becoming homeless. Learn how you can help at lsswis.org.

Saturday, November 21, 2026 | 5pm worship | Guest Preacher: Jennifer Williamson, LSS Faith Partnerships

Sunday, November 22, 2026 | 8:15am worship | 9:30 forum | 10:30am worship | Guest Preacher: Héctor Colón, President and CEO, Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan

About Héctor:

Héctor Colón has served as President and CEO of Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan (LSS) since 2017. Under Colón’s visionary and innovative leadership, LSS has adapted new models and business strategies to increase relevancy and operational efficiency. Colón recently was named the Nonprofit Executive of the Year by BizTimes Media and the Hispanic Man of the year by UMOS. Prior to joining LSS, Colón was Executive Director of the Milwaukee County Department of Health and Human Services, where he led initiatives to reform the juvenile justice system, end chronic homelessness, transform mental health care, and end a 30-year waitlist for disability services.

Divine Yoga Advent Sessions

All Messiah folks and their friends are invited to attend on Tuesdays from 6-7:15 pm in the community room.

Bring your own mat.

Advent Series: December 1,8, 15, 22

Divine Yoga donations go to support snacks and winter gear for the walking school bus at  Ada Deer (Elvehjem) Elementary School.

Adopt a School News - Messiah adds Ada Deer Elementary (Elvehjem Elementary)

Divine Yoga’s charity is Elvehjem Elementary, now called Ada Deer Elementary–see note below. Deer is located on the other side of Buckeye Road and like Kennedy, is in Messiah’s neighborhood. Families are starting to experience some financial challenges and our upcoming Adopt a School Partnership looks to help fill some of those gaps.

One thing that we can concretely support now is buying snacks and winter gear for the walking school bus. There are children who live within the walking zone of Ada Deer but have challenges getting to and from school unsupervised and in the cold weather. So a member of Messiah who works at the school started this walking school bus a couple years ago. Until recently, most of it was funded out of his own pocket.

*The Madison Metropolitan School District Board of Education approved renaming Conrad A. Elvehjem Elementary School after UW School of Social Work alumna Ada Deer who died in 2023. Deer was a Menominee leader, tribal sovereignty advocate, and the first Native American woman to lead the Bureau of Indian Affairs. She was the first Menominee to earn an undergraduate degree at the University of Wisconsin and the first Native American to receive an MSW from the Columbia University School of Social Work. She was a key figure in the restoration of federal recognition to the Menominee Tribe and, while at the BIA, she helped set federal policy for more than 550 federally recognized tribes. Beyond her government service, Ada Deer was a teacher and director of the American Indian Studies Program at UW–Madison and served as the inaugural Elder-in-Residence for Native students.

Staffed Nursery is available from 8:00 - 9:20 am and 10:15 - 11:35 am

November 1, only 10:15-11:35.

You are always welcome to be in the nursery with your children and watch the stream on the TV.

Also consider using the activity bags located near the coat rack in the Gathering Space.

Sunday School Started Sunday, September 27th

Your child can still join!

Please use this LINK to register for Sunday School

Click HERE for the Sunday School Schedule

YOW - (Youth on Wednesday Nights)

We continue October 14 with an Online Lesson

In General:

• In-person time is 6:00 - 8:00 pm.
• Online times are:     Preconfirmation 6-6:45 p.m.
                                     Confirmation 7-7:45 p.m.

Click HERE for the schedule for the year

Click  HERE to Register for 2026-2027-Cost is $40.00.

The YOW retreat is November 14-15 at Bethel Horizons.

Registration QR Code

YOW Confirmation retreat -Saturday November 14-15

at Bethel Horizons in Dodgeville.

The YOW Retreat is the weekend of Saturday, November 14-Sunday, November 15 at Bethel Horizons in Dodgeville. 

Please be at Messiah by 9:00 a.m.

We will return by 11:30 a.m. on Sunday.



This is a really important opportunity for the youth to grow as a community. We have some wonderful activities planned including a high ropes course.

Women’s Conversation Group - will resume after the book study ends.

All are welcome to gather on the 3rd Thursday from 10:30 am to noon for prayerful conversation and fellowship.

Morning Bible Study Wednesdays 7 AM in the downstairs Meeting Room 

The Gospel of Luke invites readers to explore the story of Jesus as God's Chosen One (Messiah)

From the joyous account of Jesus' birth in Bethlehem, the images of his crucifixion at Golgtha, to the "eye-opening" meal at Emmaus, we are invited into a remarkable story. 

Contact person – Ray Robinson rayerobinson13@gmail.com    608-695-5591

Divine Yoga Fall and Advent sessions

All Messiah folks and their friends are invited to attend on Tuesdays from 6-7:15 pm in the community room.

Bring your own mat.

Fall Sessions: October 27 and November 3

Advent Series: December 1,8, 15, 22

Divine Yoga donations go to support snacks and winter gear for the walking school bus at  Ada Deer (Elvehjem) Elementary School.

The next Healing House week is:

December 27 - January 2.

Please sign up on the kiosk if you are interested in preparing a meal. Contact Elizabeth at volunteer@messiahchurch.com for more information.

Justice for a New Day Shareout from October 12th Class

“What happens inside prisons comes home and should be everyone’s concern.”

A panel of 4 formerly incarcerated people shared their experiences about the poor living conditions and the lack of access to the programming they needed while in prison. 

• Can you imagine waking up to inches of snow on your bed or sleeping on a mat on the floor inches from a toilet? 
• Can you imagine being told you have a right to have inhumane living conditions addressed, yet when your group files a carefully researched lawsuit you are all suddenly scattered across several facilities and the complaint is lost?

We learned that 95% of people who are incarcerated eventually come home. As the society who receives them, we should care that they got the services they needed.

• However, the services they qualify for are most often based on addressing the crime they committed, rather than addressing the underlying trauma that led to the crime. 
• Even when their needs are correctly identified, getting access to the prescribed programming is not guaranteed. Prisons are so overcrowded that people are assigned to where there is an open bed (which most often is a 3rd person in a cell designed for 2) and that facility may not have the programming the person needs.