Worship Opportunities

Please join us for Sunday Worship at 9:15am

in Person and also Live Streaming on YouTube.

Log on to www.Gethsemane-ELCA.org 

> One Click Link on the Home Page. Look for the YouTube button. <

From the Pastor’s Desk

Love…. An intense feeling of deep affection.

So, I give you a new command: Love each other deeply and fully. Remember the ways that I have loved you and demonstrate your love for others in those same ways.  Everyone will know you as My followers if you demonstrate your love to others. – John 13:34-35

The final command that Jesus gave to His disciples before heading to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray and ultimately, to the cross at Calvery was – “Love one another – just like I love you.”

It’s the month of “I love you’s”, the month of chocolate and flowers and candlelight dinners and little heart candies.  

The month of LOVE.  For some people, Valentines Day is a day to celebrate, for others a day to just get through. 

And this year, the day of hearts and flowers shares the day with the one that reminds us of our mortality – Ash Wednesday.

As I thought about this, I wondered if this coincidence of a light and fluffy holiday falling on the day in the church calendar that is one of the heaviest had anything in common. 

I think it does: LOVE.

Ash Wednesday is celebrated as a solemn reminder of our humanness and our mortality.  It marks the beginning of the Lenten Season.  It marks the first day of Lent and reminds us that we are only 6 ½ weeks away from Easter.  It marks the beginning of the season that calls us to slow down, turn ourselves around – to repent.

REPENT… Feel of sincere regret or remorse about one’s wrongdoing. 

After almost 35 years of marriage, I have experienced deep feelings of regret for things I did or didn’t do that may have hurt the one I love.  I have whispered the sincere words “I’m sorry” more times than I can count.  And each time, I was met with love.  Long standing, deep relationships are like that - resilient.

Lent is a season of carving out more time to build our relationship with The Holy One through quiet reflection, immersing ourselves in scripture or just a casual conversation in prayer.  We do this also through our acts of repentance - uncovering the places in life we have covered up for fear that God and the world might see the REAL US! 

The thing is… God knows the REAL US already.  Every bit – the good, the bad and the really ugly parts - And God calls you BELOVED. 

Ash Wednesday and Valentine’s Day have one thing in common for sure – LOVE.

Love that came down from heaven to walk among us, teach us, and heal us.  Love that ultimately died a death reserved for criminals for us…only to rise on Easter morning.  Love that turned the tables in our favor so that we could enjoy the gift of a long standing, deep relationship with God… forever.   Love that reminds us through the ashes on our foreheads that death does not have the final say.

God’s Love is AGAPE love – the self-less, unconditional love for you, beyond our human comprehension. 

A love that is resilient.  A love that asks for nothing but calls to us in our deepest places to whisper our repentance, our joys, our “I’m sorry”.  A love with arms always open wide to say – “get over here- I love you!” 

Happy Valentines Day, beloveds!  Happy Ash Wednesday to you, Child of God!

Pastor Perrie

Terry Kittson                   2/01

Dian Ferch                     2/08

Dale Kaiser                    2/10

Aaron Marek                 2/12 

Christine VanWeelden  2/14

Taylor Peterson-Burke    2/14

Judy Piotrowski              2/19

Deb Stolz                       2/24

Dean Spears                  2/25

Steve Ohrtman              2/27 

Dick Henning                  2/28

If you are interested in volunteering or would like to learn more about volunteering, please see Ashley Jeske.

Our upcoming volunteer dates are Saturday February 17th

And March 16th 2024!

RIC Sunday is February 4th please join us for our

Worship Service at 9:15am

"Gathering Support"

This July, 3 Gethsemane high school students and potentially 2 chaperones will be venturing to New Orleans, LA to attend the ELCA Youth Gathering. This year's theme is "Created to Be". They will learn how and why God created them to be brave, authentic, free, disruptive disciples. The cost will be ~$2,000 per person. This is a very exciting opportunity for them and we as the Congregation get a chance to offer our support. During the month of February, we can help then grow in their faith by selecting a mardi gras necklace and envelope off a tree in the Narthex with a $ amount on it. You simply place a  donation equal to or greater than that amount in it and return it to the donation box. 

We also ask that you prayerfully consider if God is calling you to join in this adventure as a chaperone. 

Feel free to contact Leigh Anne Spears if you have any questions or want more information. 

Let’s get to know Travis Kraft

How long have you been a member of Gethsemane Lutheran Church?  Four years – We

belonged to another ELCA church prior to for 15 years and wish we would have found

Gethsemane sooner.

What is your current occupation or volunteer position? Owner of TEK Building & Remodeling for 26 years and owner of Kabinet Kraft custom cabinets for fifteen years.

What do you love most about your industry? Being a custom builder, I love the challenge each project entails. No two projects are the same. At the end of the day what I like best is seeing the smile on my client’s face.

Who inspires you in your life? Doug and Perrie Dralle as they always have a positive attitude and strive to make the world a better place. They are teaching me more about the person I want to be.

What is one piece of advice you can give someone? To never give up. Perseverance pays off.

What are your gifts or hobbies? I enjoy working with my hands. I have always had a love for working with wood. Whether building custom cabinets or making Christmas presents I enjoy seeing the finished product.

If you had to eat one meal for the rest of your life what would it be? Gosh, the fact that my wife Beth is a fabulous cook makes this a tough one. Being born on Thanksgiving Day though I would have to say turkey with mashed potatoes and homemade gravy.

Tell us about your family or loved ones. I have been married to my amazing wife Beth for 18 years. Beth is an accountant and for the last 11 years we have been blessed to have her as a stay at home mom. I have a daughter Megan. Megan is currently living in Minneapolis to attend law school. Her dream is to become an immigration lawyer and to continue traveling the world. I also have two sons Tyler and Tanner. Tyler is a sophomore at Dottke project based high school in West Allis. Tyler enjoys fishing, making fishing jigs and lures, helping with the church AV and working with dad. Tanner is in fifth grade although most would think he is in high school. Tanner enjoys fishing, driving our four-wheeler and reading in church.

What are your hopes and dreams you would like to see in the future? I hope to see all three of my kids get the jobs of their dreams so they can excel and provide for their families. I also dream of slowing down and easing into retirement so I can spend more time with Beth traveling.

Tell us a special story or memory about you! When I was sixteen my best friend and I were working at his brother’s new location for his printing and advertising firm. The night before they were to move said brother decided he wanted the metal roof trusses 21 feet in the air painted in the print shop. Being two sixteen-year old’s, we stupidly thought it would be ok to use 350 cans of spray paint since it was last minute. Well about three quarters of the way through I passed out and fell 21’ to the concrete floor and broke both of my arms. Let’s just say if I wasn’t a mama’s boy already, I was then!

(If you are interested in participating in our member spotlight or nominating someone to be, please see the sign-up in the Narthex or you can always email the office

office@gethsemane-elca.org

Lunch Bunch will meet Tuesday February 6th at 11:30am at Longhorn Steakhouse 5220 South 76th Street, Greendale WI 53129

Sign up in the Narthex. This group is open to all Gethsemane women. Feel free to invite your friends and neighbors. Please contact Joni Tombari 414-412-9410 with any questions

We will be working on getting the church picture directory out as soon as we can! Please be patient with us as the group is getting together to try to accomplish this ASAP! If anyone is needing a copy of the updated version with all our new members please let the office know and we can print you one for the time being!

Thank you all!

Gethsemane will have two services for Ash Wednesday February 14th one at 12pm and another service at 7pm. We hope you join us for worship as we begin the season of Lent.

Wednesday Lenten Services will be February 21st through March 20th

We will be having a Dinner Church every Wednesday starting at 6pm

(Please see sign-up sheet in the Narthex if you would like to help/donate)

We have some volunteer opportunities this year that may be something YOU may want to do!

Gethsemane will be having an Easter Egg Hunt for the community again this year on March 23rd if anyone would like to help with the event we would love to have you! This is a free event and run on donations on volunteers!

Craft Fair will be April 13th we would love some volunteers to help the day of to direct our guests, we may also need some help with food and or raffles that day to support our youth gathering fundraiser in New Orleans in July.

Family Fest was a wonderful event last year and we are wondering if anyone here at Gethsemane would like to use their time and talents to help again for an event this year?

We are always needing help with services especially in AV if this is something you may want to do please reach out we can have someone train you on the equipment and show you how to make everything run smoothly for our Live Streaming friends.

Please contact the office if you are interested in any of the opportunities above or if there is something else you would like to help with the office is always here to help you with any questions!

Office@gethsemane-elca.org

Kathy Adelmeyers 2nd Annual Souper Bowl Sunday will be Sunday February 11th following worship. If you wish to contribute the faith connections committee will be taking cash donations or soup donations for that day!

Please See Gladys O. with any questions!

We hope to see you there!

"Lent is coming very quickly this year and with it comes "Fat Tuesday". As a treat, and in the Polish Lenten tradition, we will be providing Paczki (that's pronounced Punchkie) on the Sunday before Fat Tuesday, February 11th. Please sign up on the table in the narthex.  No charge, and they will be available to either take home or enjoy with coffee after the service."

Office Talk with Autumn

Office Updates!

Happy February Gethsemane! I hope this month you surround yourself with the people who make your heart smile! This year I have decided to make a heart and write down something special about my boys every day from the 1st to the 14th and put it on their bedroom door to remind them how special they are!

My wish for you is that you are able to hear how special and important you are in this world because it is absolutely true!  We are all so blessed to be a part of this church and community and we have every one of you to thank for that! So make sure to take that extra minute and tell someone something kind this month because February is all about the love!

Keep checking the Here at Gethsemane email every Monday for updates and schedule changes for the week!

As always please contact me if you have any questions or concerns! office@gethsmeane-elca.org

In 2024 our leadership has decided to go to one time a week cleaning. If you are using the church for any reason, please clean up after yourself and your team. If you see a garbage that is full please take it out and put in the garbage cans. We appreciate all of you!

CRAFTS AND FELLOWSHIP

Join us March 9th from 11am – 2pm for a craft day!

Bring your own project and a dish to pass around if you would like!

Enjoy some fun and fellowship with your fellow craft friends

Please keep our Gethsemane Family & Loved ones in your prayers!

… Dian Ferch … Paul Johnson … Aaron Kittson … Judy Piotrowski

… Pat Lambrecht … Anne Frost  … Tracy … Warren Windau … Mikey

… Melissa … Community of St. Camillus … Aimee … Jessica

 … Rick VanWeelden … Rich Robinson … Chelsea

… Dan Boyd … Zachary … Community of Mr. Bob’s Under the Bridge

… Women of the Freedom House

If you need prayer requests added or removed or

would like it sent to the Prayer Chain Group,

please contact the office at 262-782-8370 or

send an email to the church office.

February 2024 Calendar

February 3rd - Saturday

College Care pack meeting 10am

February 4th – Sunday

RIC Sunday

February 5th – Monday

Community Chapel 10:30am at St. Cam’s

February 6th - Tuesday

Lunch Bunch 11:30 at Longhorn Steakhouse

February 7th - Wednesday

Bible Study 10am-1130am – Confirmation 6-7:30pm – Champions on Grace meeting 6:00pm – Centering Prayer 6:30-7:45pm

February 8th – Thursday

Faith Connections meeting 1pm – Mission Team meeting 6:30pm

February 9th - Friday

55+ Club 1-4pm

February 10th - Saturday

Together in Mission – Property meeting 8:30am

February 11th – Sunday

Kathy Adelmeyers 2nd Annual Souper Bowl Sunday – Early Childhood Sunday School with Cathy Wolber

February 12th – Monday

Worship & Music meeting 6:30pm

February 13th - Tuesday

Busy Bee’s 9:30-12pm

February 14th - Wednesday

Bible Study 10-11:30am – Ash Wednesday services 12pm and 7pm

February 17th - Saturday

Mr. Bobs meet at park at 7:45am

February 18th - Sunday

Carolyn Weber Baptism – Early childhood Sunday school with Cathy Wolber – Camp Scholarship parent meeting during Sunday school.

February 19th- Monday

Community Chapel 10:30am

February 20th - Tuesday

Council meeting 6:30pm

February 21st - Wednesday

Bible Study 10am-11:30am – Lenten Dinner Church 6pm

- Confirmation 6-7:30pm

February 23rd - Friday

55+ Club 1-4pm

February 24th – Saturday

Men’s Breakfast 8am at Pallas

February 27th - Tuesday

Busy Bee’s 9:30-12pm

February 28th - Wednesday

Bible Study 10am-11:30am – Lenten Dinner Church 6pm

Our Mission Statement

To Spread God's Life Changing Message,

We will

Keep God's Word

Reflect God's Love

Preserve God's World

Share God's Bounty

Do God's Work

Office@gethsemane-elca.org

Pastor@gethsemane-elca.org

Musician@gethsemane-elca.org