My dear friends at Messiah:



In only a couple of weeks, beginning September 1st, I will be taking a sabbatical for two months. With Pastor Dan deeply invested in this community and with his wonderful gifts for ministry, I am comfortable taking this time away to rest and reflect. Thank you Pastor Dan and the whole staff.

I will begin my time away with a one week personal retreat at St. Norbert Abbey in De Pere. Each day I will join the Norbertine Friars for Lauds (morning prayer) Vespers (evening prayer). I will also dine with them for breakfast and dinner. The rest of the day I will walk the grounds, read, reflect and join in a short course on the psalms Praying with King David.

From September 14-21 Melissa and I will fly out to Albany and drive to Lake George for a pastoral respite program at Silver Bay YMCA Trinity House, in the Adirondack Mountains. We hope to hike, connect with other pastors and spouses, and take in the beauty of Lake George.

We plan on spending the third week in October at the Bishop’s Residence in Duluth where my friend Dan is the diocesan bishop. Melissa and I will also drive up to Grand Marais and spend our time doing Lake Superior, “up north” things. We are hoping as well to get to New York City for a few days and a couple of shows. The time in Madison will be spent with our three children, and hopefully many evenings under the gazebo in our back yard, my favorite place to be.

Thank you for supporting me in this time away and I look forward to sharing stories with you when I return - and even more - the years ahead as we continue to walk on this journey of faith.

Save the Date

The Craft & Bake Sale will be held on

Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025

from 9:00am - 3:00pm

_______________________________

Lunch items will be available

for sale by

Messiah's  YOW Group

from 11:00am - 1:00pm

Cash and carry gift baskets were a big hit last year! 

Please consider donating a basket with at least a $30 value.

Some popular themes: coffee; date night; movie night; garden; s’mores; kitchen tools; happy hour; store gift cards.

Sign up sheet will be posted September 13th. 

Completed baskets will be due in church

no later than October 26. 



Thank you all for your support of the Craft and Bake Sale!

Summer Office Hours

The office will be closed

on Monday for

June, July and August.

Judy will be working remotely and will be answering emails and phone messages until 2:00 pm.

If you call and no one answers, please leave a message and Judy will retrieve it and pass it along. You can also use the voicemail system and leave a message for staff that are listed.

New Coordinators for Prayer Shawl Ministry

At our meeting on July 28, the Messiah Prayer Shawl Ministry welcomed two of it’s members as the new coordinators. 

Welcome Maren Anderson and Paula Stadtmueller to your new role.

Thank you to Kathy Digman for all her years of service to this very important ministry. She will still be a member of the ministry team, sharing her knowledge of knitting and crocheting and being the keeper of the history.

Kathy shared that over the past 20 years this ministry has grown tremendously. The group began by providing prayer shawls for baptisms, and to the sick and dying. More recently they have added providing them to confirmands, and high school seniors. They now are donating shawls to Agrace Hospice, Breast Cancer Recovery, Triangle Community Ministry and most recently to the Badger Childhood Cancer Network.

The Women's Retreat with Heather Rainwater will be held on October 11, 2025 from 8:30 - Noon.   

8:30 breakfast retreat 9-12

An overview of wisdom literature touching on Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Job.

We will briefly explore each book separately and then analyze how the books work together to give a full picture of God’s wisdom. This study will help to explore why different parts of the Bible seem to contradict each other. It also opens discussions of the question “why do bad things happen to good people?”

Participants will engage in question asking as a method of interacting with scripture. We will also learn through videos, slides and interactive group activities.

Takeaways: 

• Gain comfort with asking questions of scripture
• Discover what the Bible means by “wisdom”
• Explore scripture through Bible Project materials
• Practice holding different perspectives of truth presented by conflicting scripture passages

There is no cost for this retreat, however, you are welcome to make a donation to offset our expenses.

Spirit Weekend  - Previously called Rally Day!

September 27-28, 2025 -- date clarification

The weekend of September 27-28 is Spirit Weekend. Where might the Holy Spirit be calling you to serve?

Wear your favorite team spirit, enjoy tailgate snacks and check out the different ministries to find your niche.

Ministry leaders will be available before and after the Saturday service and before, after and between the Sunday services to answer questions and sign you up.

Senior Choir resumes with our first rehearsal

on Thursday, September 18th.



We meet at 7:30pm in the Community Room. 

We provide music at the 8:15am worship service two to three Sundays per month, from October through May.

If you are interested in joining, have musical gifts you would like to share, or would like to hear about other music opportunities, contact Clyde Nyhus, Coordinator of Worship and Music, at (608) 516-4926 

RIC Book Study

Transforming by Austen Hartke

Please join us for our 2nd RIC book study on  Transforming   by Austen Hartke. 

9:25 - 10:25 am

September 14, 21, 28, October 5

If you signed up for this book study on the Kiosk, your book is available for pick-up in the church office.

We will ask participants to pay $10, part of the cost of the book if possible.

We will meet between the services 9:25-10:25 AM on Sunday September 14, September 21, September 28 and October 5. 

Our facilitator will be Pam Shellberg, who holds a PhD in New Testament studies and who was our guest presenter at our book study in the spring. 

If you signed up for the book study on the Kiosk, your book is available to be picked up.

They are in the church office.

We will ask participants to pay $10, part of the cost of the book if possible.



Contact Person - Pr. Dan O'Brien - pastordan@messiahchurch.com

Is your information up to date?

Families with children who will be 3 years old by September 1st should have received information about their being eligible for Sunday School.

Families of  children who are entering 2nd-5th grade should have received information about communion instruction.

Families of children who are entering 3rd grade should have received information about receiving a Bible.

If you did not receive this information, please contact the office to update your records.

Register Now for 2025-2026

Youth on Wednesday Nights (YOW)

YOW is the religious education and faith formation program for youth in grades 5-9 and encompasses both Pre-Confirmation and Confirmation.

Pre-Confirmation is a two-year program for students in 5^th and 6^th grades.
Confirmation is a three-year program for students in 7^th-9^th grades.

Building relationships and connecting with the youth is key to encouraging faith formation and exploration. We have had much success with a hybrid model of zoom lessons (Zoom invite info will be provided) along with in-person activity nights and community field trips. The times for online lessons are:

·    Preconfirmation 6-6:45 p.m.
·    Confirmation 7-7:45 p.m.

Preconfirmation lessons focus on Old and New Testament bible stories and important people of faith. Confirmation lessons focus on the Small Catechism and this year will center on The Apostles Creed, Lutheran history, Communion, and Baptism.

ALL YOUTH ARE WELCOME.

For more information, please contact Teresa at youth@messiahchurch.com

Nursery Summer Hours - Memorial Day - Labor Day Weekends - 10:15 - 11:35am

Every Sunday unless specified.  If nursery is cancelled for any reason there will be a sign on the church door.

If the nursery is not open, you may still use the space during services. The service can be streamed on the screen in the nursery room.  Please wash any toys that become soiled-there are wipes in the cabinet. Thank you!

At our August Ladies Lunch Bunch

we collected $80.00 

for the "Dignity at School" Collection

Ladies Lunch Bunch

Wednesday, September 10th

orders taken at 11:30

at Olive Garden

4320 East Towne Blvd, Madison 53704

If you have any questions or cancellations please contact Claire Gensch at (920) 319-6731

You may have noticed a monthly event called “Women’s Ministry Chat Group” in the bulletin. This is an informal opportunity which organically emerged after the Loving Jesus Book Study this spring; we were having such good conversations that we wanted to keep the connection going.

We are definitely open to other women of Messiah and their friends joining us. Contact Elizabeth for more information. Our current plan is to meet monthly on the 3rd Thursday.

Wednesdays, September 10th-October 15th

4:00 - 5:30 pm in the Conference Room

Esther is one of the most fascinating books of the Bible because in all of its words, God's name never appears, yet God is ever present, weaving the Divine plan through every part of Esther's narrative. Set at a lavish feast in the Persian Empire and following a beauty contest, you can see how God uses Esther to save an entire nation from annihilation.

Please sign up on the Kiosk

Deadline to sign up is August 25th so we can order the books in time! 

We anticipate asking participants for around $10 a book, but we never want cost to be a barrier to attendance. Please pay what you can.

From Beginning to End

Studies in Revelation

The Men's bible study continues beginning September 10

Wednesday mornings at 7:00 am

For many in the church, Revelation is a confusing book. Martin Luther himself thought the images in Revelation were incomprehensible and found the book's meaning unclear. It is a book that disturbs us and, especially given many popular interpretations, frightens us.

The bizarre, confusing images, however, have inspired poets and artists, musicians and movie-makers. They also offer us glimpses into who Jesus is and who we are called to be in response.

Thursday, September 25 --- UW Arboretum, 1207 Seminole Hwy, Madison, WI 53711

10 AM departure time
This can be a very colorful walk of about 90 minutes through the woods. Use the west entrance to UW Arboretum on Seminole Highway, just north of the Beltline (exit 258A).Meet in the big parking lot in front of the visitor center.

Wednesday, October 22 -- CamRock County Park, 68 County Hwy B, Cambridge, WI 53523

10 AM departure time

This park is about 20 miles from Messiah and has a mix of woods and prairie areas that should take us two hours to hike about two miles. There are benches along the trail.

Meet at the CamRock Park Area 2 parking lot. A shelter and restrooms are available here. Those who wish can stay and picnic if it’s not too chilly.

Directions: Drive to Cambridge on Rt. 12/18. Once in the downtown, turn right onto Spring Street/County Hwy AB. Go about 2 miles and turn when you see the sign for Area 2 on your right. Follow the road to a large parking lot. You will see a playground and the large picnic shelter on the left side of the parking area.

Thank you to everyone who donated

to this collection

whether monetarily or by purchasing items

for the backpacks.

Over $1,300 was donated along with enough notebooks, folders, scissors, pencils, markers, erasers, crayons, glue sticks, dry erase markers, pencil boxes and post-it notes to fill 203 backpacks!

The backpacks and supplies went to Kennedy, Lake View, Schenk, Elvehjem, Henderson and Southside Elementary Schools as well as DAIS and The Road Home.

Five (5) Members of Messiah volunteered their time and talents at Habitat for Humanity of Dane County on August 15th.

Thank you to Mindy, Max and Landon Marty, Val Roman and Craig Swenson for volunteering with Habitat. They built walls and sheds at the warehouse area. 

Contact Person - Nancy Battist - battistnancy@gmail.com

Human Trafficking Speaker November 22 and 23rd during services

Jennifer Ginsburg, Director of Safe Harbor Child Advocacy Center, will speak at all the services on November 22 & 23, 2025. Jennifer will also have a chat session Sunday, November 23 from 9:20am-10:20am in the Community Room. 

The mission of Safe Harbor is to reduce trauma and promote healing for children and adults with intellectual disabilities who are victims of or witnesses to crime. Safe Harbor provides a trauma-informed, safe, child-friendly environment for best practice forensic interviews; immediate and ongoing advocacy for affected children and families; coordination and support of multi-disciplinary investigations and responses.

You may be asking yourself “What is Human Trafficking?”

Human Trafficking is the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of people through force, fraud or deception in order to be exploited. In every region of the world, traffickers exploit vulnerable women, girls, men, and boys of all backgrounds for profit. Even without knowing, we might have come across its victims. Traffickers often use violence, blackmail, emotional manipulation, removal of official documents, fraudulent employment agencies, and fake promises of education and job opportunities to trick and coerce their victims.

       Human trafficking takes place for many exploitative purposes:

Bingo Cards are due on November 1st