News and Announcements
In Memoriam
•Florence Barber died on Tuesday evening, February 7. A memorial service was held at Eernisse Funeral Home on Sunday afternoon, February 12.•Charles Wilson died on Saturday afternoon, February 11. A memorial service was held at the church on Friday afternoon, February 17.
Special Thanks
•To the following people for serving at St. Ben's on behalf of the church: Katherine Allen, Marti DeMario, Kathy and Lauren Faulds, Dave and Jeanne Mantsch, Linda and Taylor Pride and Jane Woelfl.•To Gary Bria for patching and painting holes and cracks in the drywall all throughout the church.
•To Kathy Kohl for serving as our Church School Director for the past year and a half. Kathy accepted a full-time position at Wal-Mart this past December.
•To the Fellowship Team for hosting a Chili Dinner Dinner on February 1. Special thanks to Dawn Schaefer and Geno and Nancy Fidler for coordinating the dinner.
•To Joe and Dawn Rychtik who celebrated the birth of their second child, Claire Olivia, on Wednesday morning, February 15.
•To Emma Bretl who has offered to assume the role of Church School Director for the rest of the school year. Emma grew up in our church and is in the process of completing her Education Degree at the University of Wisconsin at Green Bay. She is currently doing her student teaching at T.J. Middle School and Lincoln Elementary School here in Port Washington.
•To Nick and Melissa Suddendorf who celebrated the birth of their second child, Cody Jane Suddendorf, on Sunday morning January 29.
•To Evan Mathew Furlott, son of Michelle and Mathew, and grandson of Mark and Janet Maechtle, who was baptized into the Christian faith on Sunday, January 22.
From the Archives
MARDI GRAS PANCAKE DINNER ON FEBRUARY 21
The Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the church season of Lent, is commonly known as Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday. In the life of the church it has often been called Shrove Tuesday and in Great Britain it is called Pancake Tuesday. Traditionally, people have eaten pancakes on Mardi Gras because eggs and fat were forbidden during the Lenten fast. We are planning to celebrate our first Mardi Gras Pancake Dinner next Tuesday evening, February 21, from 5:30 to 7:00 in Fellowship Hall. The Fellowship Team will be preparing and serving the meal so all you need to do is to come and enjoy!
LOOKING AHEAD
The church season of Lent begins next week, followed by the celebration of Easter. As you plan your calendar for the next couple of months, please don’t forget these important dates:
Ash Wednesday – February 22
Palm Sunday – April 1
Maundy Thursday – April 5
(Service at 7:00 p.m.)
Good Friday – April 6
(Service at 7:00 p.m.)
Easter Sunday – April 8
(Services at 6:00, 8:00
and 10:00 a.m.)
ASH WEDNESDAY SERVICE
The church season of Lent officially begins on Ash Wednesday, February 22. We have once again planned a special service to be held at 7:00 in the evening. The service will include a meditation and the imposition of ashes. Please come join us.
WINTER FARMERS MARKET
The Winter Farmers Market will be held next Saturday, February 25, and the last Saturday morning of each month through May, from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., in our Fellowship Hall. The market offers an opportunity for local farmers and artisans to sell produce, meats, cheese, etc. For more information, please contact Pat Wilborn at 284-1970 or portfish.org.
CHURCH SCHOOL TEACHERS NEEDED
There is a need for Church School teachers for both the K4 – 1st grade class and the 5th - 7th grade class. You can expect to be scheduled one Sunday morning per month (the class meets during the 10:00 service) and the curriculum is provided for you. If interested, please contact the Church Office to leave a message for Emma Bretl, our Church School Director.
WINTER CONGREGATIONAL MEETING REPORT
Our annual Winter Congregational Meeting was held on Sunday, January 29, immediately following the 10:00 service. Owen Madson, our Financial Administrator shared the end-of-the year financial report for 2011 and Missy Vierling, our Treasurer, reviewed the proposed 2012 church budget.
The good news is that we ended 2011 with a small surplus and we have exceeded our pledge goal for 2012. As a result, the congregation voted unanimously to approve the 2012 church budget as presented.
DONATION TO THE FOOD PANTRY
Many of you know that our church hosts the Winter Farmers Market. In lieu of receiving rent a portion of the vendor fees go directly to the Port Washington Food Pantry. We are pleased to report that in December the Market wrote a check to the Pantry for $850.
SNOW CANCELLATION POLICY
With a few more weeks of winter left, we want to remind you of the snow cancellation policy for our Sunday services. If it should be necessary to cancel one or both of our Sunday services, we will put a message on the church answering machine by 7:00 on Sunday morning. Please call the church office, 284-2022, if you have any doubts about the weather.