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

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” – John 15:12

I had lunch with another pastor today and she said the words I have heard so very many times before from other pastor colleagues – “Jesus was political. Not like partisan political but he was political.”

That statement may be true in some theologian’s minds – maybe even yours - and that’s ok.

But to me, the statement “Jesus was political” is charged with divisiveness.

It seemingly draws a line in the sand – it challenges the one who hears it to “pick a side” – especially in today’s world.

But I don’t believe that was ever Jesus’ mission.

Jesus did shake things up. Jesus did create a revolution.

But Jesus came to spread a message of radical love for all people. Not to divide us, but rather to bring us together.

In the ancient world run by primarily by the Roman Empire, Jesus was surely a rebel and perhaps even an agitator.

Because he came with a message that was absolutely courageous, absolutely radical.

A message that was absolutely counter-cultural.

A message that in the end cost him his life.

That message: Love one another.

One of the most remarkable things about our Gethsemane community is that we are a family with many opinions, political insights, and social justice causes. I believe that we navigate the waters of this messy time in history amazingly well because we take this message of Jesus to heart: Love one another.

We listen to one another, and we HEAR one another because we care about one another.

We don’t always agree and that keeps it all interesting, but we love one another.

Try this with me: Take your right arm and extend it as far to the right as you can. Now take your left hand and extend it as far to the left as you can. This is us.

Now notice what your arms form - your arms outstretched like this form a cross.

Now pull your arms together in front of you in a circle. This is where we meet – every time we gather. Every time we serve the community. Every time we worship. We meet in a circle, a circle with no beginning and no end. No right and no wrong. No binary of “black and white” – because at our best we live in the gray spaces.

We meet in a circle that speaks love.

You are an amazing community, Gethsemane.

Continue your great work in the Spirit of loving one another. People are noticing you. Your message of love is contagious. I believe this is our secret power in The Holy spirit – Love one another.

In Love and Light!

Pastor Perrie

Lunch Bunch will meet Tuesday May 7th at 11:30am at

Meyers Restaurant 4260 South 76th Street Greenfield WI.

If interested in joining please 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

2024 Scholarship Awards:

Gethsemane will again be offering scholarship awards for the 2024-2025 school year for members of Gethsemane Lutheran Church. Application packets (application, instructions and Program Policy & Guidelines) are available in the church office Monday – Thursday 9:00 AM-1:30 PM. All applications must be returned to the church office no later than May 15, 2024, for consideration by the Scholarship Committee. Scholarships will be presented at the worship service on June 2, 2024. If you are planning to attend college in the Fall, Gethsemane would like to help. For further information, contact Mary Felkner.

On May 9th Faith Connections will be holding a spring luncheon at That’s Amore at noon. All ladies are welcome. Sign-up sheet will be in Narthex. Please sign up by May 1st. For questions contact Connie or Gladys.

Paulina Garcia Morones - 5/05

Linda Johnson - 5/05

Betty Schwenke - 5/12

Lisa Cohen - 5/17

Debra Johnson - 5/18

Taylor Schalk - 5/18 

Justin Hofstetter - 5/18

  Mark Westen - 5/20

Neal Buntrock - 5/22

Judy Krieger - 5/24

Gunner Gonzalez - 5/25

Andy Rogers - 5/26

Camp Scholarship Program

Any and all school-age youth are invited to apply for a camp scholarship to attend a Christian summer camp experience. Students do not need to be a member of our church.  Gethsemane will cover up to 75% of the cost of the camp. We believe strongly in our core values and principles we have worked hard to live out in our church and to instill in our youth. We will provide a scholarship to camps that align with our core values.

Lutherdale in Elkhorn-1 Week Resident Camps

www.lutherdale.org 

Crossways Camping Ministries has 3 locations in WI offering 1 Week Resident Camps

www.crosswayscamps.org

Camp Vertical - 1 Week Day Camps at Elmbrook Church 

7 years old to entering 6th grade in the fall

www.campvertical.org

Participating students are required to perform service hours. Scholarship Applications and information sheets are available in the office. 

If you have any questions, see Leigh Anne Spears.

Outdoor Dinner Church Summer Series!

Join us for an evening of food, fellowship music and bible study in the same format as our Lenten Dinner Church… OUTDOORS in the famous Gethsemane parking lot! (If the weather is bad, we always have fellowship hall!)

We will dive into questions about the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible) surrounding topics like: Who was Boaz? Did Noah really build an Ark? Who was Rahab and why does she get such a bad rap?

Summer series dates: Wednesdays May 15, June 12, July 10, and Aug 14

Start time: 6 pm

Bring a summer salad, dessert, or a loaf of your favorite bread to share.

Look for a sign up in the Narthex

Let’s get to know Gladys Oerichbauer

How long have you been a member of Gethsemane Lutheran Church? I’ve been a member for 38 years.

What is your current occupation or volunteer position? Retired office manager and a volunteer at church; Busy Bees, Faith Connections, and am honored to be a council member for many years. Also, volunteer wherever helping hands are needed.

What do you love most about your industry? Enjoyed my 26 years working at the office doing all the accounting, working with the employees and customers. I love doing social and outreach work with Faith Connections and still learning the art of quilting with Busy Bees.

Who inspires you in your life? My mom was a kind and caring person to everyone, she always had us learning how to bake and do crafts. Growing up on a dairy farm there was plenty enough work to done She taught us the saying “Many hands make light work”

What is one piece of advice you can give someone? To always remember to treat others how you want to be treated.

What are your gifts or hobbies? I love to garden and do yard work. Socializing and doing activities with people.

If you had to eat one meal for the rest of your life what would it be? Loaf of fresh warm bread with butter

Tell us about your family or loved ones. I have been married to Bill for almost 54 years. He was a licensed aircraft technician for 43 years. Now that he is retired he still loves to hunt fish and do puzzles. We have 2 daughters, Theresa and Kara. Theresa and her family live in Menasha. Theresa and her husband Dean both work at 4 Imprint. Their son Liam is a senior in high school and will be going to UW Oshkosh this fall. Kara and her daughter Hayden live in Franklin. Kara works for Humana and Market Place Dental as a hygienist. Hayden will be starting her sophomore year at MIAD, (Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design).

What are your hopes and dreams you would like to see in the future? I would like to see my grandchildren have wonderful jobs and be happy when they graduate from college. Of course, their parents to have happy and healthy years too.

I would love to continue to be healthy to be able to travel South in the winter and for the other seasons up North.

Lastly I love to see Gethsemane continue to grow and continue the loving community.

Tell us a special story or memory about you! As a 5 or 6 year old child, my older brother Dan always talked me into trying things! One winter day he said “Hey, put your tongue on the barn door handle to see if it really sticks.” So, as always why not try it! So, I did and it stuck but I pulled it off and left some of my tongue on that door handle! Yikes!!! Another time Dan said, “Take the blanket and hold onto the corners and when you jump off of the garage roof, you will float down to the ground as if you had a parachute. Well, that didnt happen and I hit the ground like a rock.” Everything we probably shouldn’t have done Dan would hold me in his arms and say “Don’t tell Mamma!” But she always found out what we had done.

(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

The Next Volunteer dates for Mr. Bobs are May 18th & June 15th

Please see sign-up sheet in Narthex if you are interested in volunteering your time!

Youth Gathering Update

First, and foremost, the youth and adults going to the ELCA Youth Gathering this summer want to say THANK YOU to the Congregation for your amazing financial support so far. We have been truly blessed by your generosity. Through participant contributions, the Gathering Fundraiser and raffle ticket sales at the Craft Fair, we are at 70% of the funds needed.

Our final fundraiser for the Youth Gathering will be a car wash during the church service on Youth Sunday, June 2nd. Leave your keys with us, go in and enjoy the service, and come out to a clean car to start your week off right! A free will offering will be accepted for washing your car. We invite all high school youth and young adults to join in the fun washing cars with us on June 2nd! For now, we can also use prayers for good weather that day!

Here's the message you've been waiting for --- mark your calendar for Sunday, May 19th at 12:30 for the third annual Gethsemane gathering at Greenfield Park where the Milwaukee County Parks will introduce their latest fully equipped fire engine.  Our gathering will be at the southwest corner of the park, entry from Lincoln Avenue just east of 124th Street.  We look forward to celebrating this time of fellowship with our Gethsemane friends as we've done in previous years.  If you have any questions, please talk to Dominick or Mary.  PS -- pray for good weather.

Altar Bread Baking!

Office Talk with Autumn

Happy May Everyone!

So many wonderful things to look forward to here in May! So many committee meetings allow us to spend a little time together doing some amazing work here at Gethsemane! Community Chapel at St. Cam’s, we do have a sign up available in the Narthex. Kick off with Dinner Church Summer Series! A Baptism on May 12th with treats for Mother’s Day from the Faith Connections Committee. Pentecost/Confirmation Sunday! Plus some wonderful weather!

We have a new drop box in the office you will see a slot in the door you can put anything important and will be checked Monday through Thursday during the week. As always if you have any questions or concerns please give me a call or send an email, I am happy to help in any way!

office@gethsmeane-elca.org

Have a beautiful May!

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 … Peg & Vicki … Brian … Dave Wolber

… 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.

May 2024 Calendar

May 1st - Wednesday

Champions of Grace meeting 6pm

May 2nd – Thursday

Mission Team meeting 6:30pm

May 3rd – Friday

Pastor back from vacation!

May 5th - Sunday

Early Childhood Sunday school with Cathy Wolber

May 6th - Monday

Community Chapel 10:30am at St. Cam’s – Council Visioning Retreat 6-9pm

May 7th – Tuesday

Lunch Bunch 11:30 at Meyers Restaurant 4260 S. 76th Street Greenfield

May 8th – Wednesday

Bible Study 10am-11:30am

May 9th – Thursday

Faith connections meeting at that’s Amore 11:30am

May 10th – Friday

55+ Club 1-4pm

May 11th - Saturday

Property meeting 8:30am – Centering Prayer 10-12pm

May 12th - Sunday

Mateo’s Baptism – Treats for Mother’s Day from Faith Connections

May 13th - Monday

Worship and Music meeting 6:30pm

May 14th - Tuesday

Busy Bee’s 9:30am-12pm

May 15th - Wednesday

Bible Study 10-11:30am - Dinner Church Summer Series

May 17th - Friday

Synod Assembly

May 18th - Saturday

Mr. Bobs meet at park at 7:45am – Synod Assembly - Men’s Breakfast 8am at Pallas

May 19th – Sunday

Pentecost Confirmation Sunday – Beer Garden at Greenfield Park

May 20th - Monday

Community Chapel 10:30am at St Cam’s – Endowment meeting 1:30pm

May 21st - Tuesday

Council Meeting 6:30pm

May 22nd – Wednesday

Bible Study 10-11:30am

May 24th – Friday

55+ Club 1-4pm

May 25th – Saturday

Centering Prayer 10-12pm

May 26th – Sunday

Early Childhood Sunday School with Cathy Wolber

May 27th – Monday

Memorial Day – Out of office

May 28th – Tuesday

Busy Bee’s 9:30am-12pm

May 29th – Wednesday

Bible Study 10-11:30am

Please note all events are as of 5/1/2024, please double check that your event/meeting has not changed or confirm with the Here at Gethsemane email weekly to make sure nothing has been rescheduled within the month.

Thank you! Have a beautiful May!

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