Join us for the 8th Sunday after PentecostJuly 26 @ 10am Sanctuary Live

As Solomon prays for wisdom, we seek to more deeply know the treasures of faith. In today’s gospel Jesus off ers everyday images that reveal to us the reign of God: a tree that becomes a sheltering home, yeast that penetrates and expands, a treasured pearl, a net that gains a great catch. Even as we seek the riches of God’s reign, the great surprise is that God’s grace fi nds us fi rst!

Welcome to the new newsletter format! This weekly eNews is sent out in place of our paper copy. Due to the quarantine, we

have suspended the paper copy and have started using this new email newsletter format.

Look for updated information every Wednesday!

The 2019-2020 Annual Report is now available on the website:2019-20 Annual Report.pdf

No Zoom Coff ee Half-Hour July 26

We will not have our usual Zoom Coff ee Half-Hour on Sunday, July 26 when we have our annual meeting.

Annual Meeting on July 26

MLC will hold its annual meeting on Sunday, July 26, at 11 a.m. We will be meeting in person, outside, in the area between the Rainbow Center and the offi ce building near the south parking lot (corner of Broadhead and Marsh). In case of inclement weather, we will meet in the Family Life Center.

Out of concern for everyone’s health and well-being during the Covid-19 pandemic, we will maintain a physical distance of at least 6 feet. All are strongly encouraged to wear masks.

Some chairs will be set up on the grass, but you are encouraged to bring your own lawn/camp chairs or blankets.

The annual meeting is a time to give thanks for the Holy Spirit forming, empowering, and inspiring our faith community. Our annual ministry budget for 2020-21 will be considered for approval, and new council members will be elected.

The Nominating Committee and Church Council have put forward these names for 3-year terms on council: Katherine Miller, Scott Potts, Carol Quinlan, and John Zweig. Their pictures and introductions will be in this e-newsletter in the upcoming weeks.

If you are able to attend, please RSVP with our Administrative Assistant Carrie Kruzan by phoning the church offi ce (608-838-3184) or sending her an email (ckruzan@mcfarlandlutheran.org).

May God continue to surround and guide us as we share God’s Word, show God’s love, and serve God’s world!

Sanctuary Live

The pastors and music ministers have begun Sanctuary Live on Sundays at 10 a.m. This will be a live-streamed Service of the Word (no communion) on our MLC Facebook Page. We will continue to post a recording of this worship on the MLC website on Sunday afternoons.

Sanctuary Live will continue indefi nitely and allow us to worship together on-line, as we explore steps toward worshipping together again in-person.

A bulletin for Sanctuary Live will be available on the MLC Facebook Page and website. The bulletin is posted in the “Videos” section, next to the worship video for Sunday.

The Worship and Music Committee is considering options for in-person worship that may take place outside in August, depending on public health conditions in this pandemic. The health, safety and well-being of our members and guests is paramount. We are the body of Christ, and though we are distanced physically, we remain connected through the Holy Spirit to live, grow and serve in Christ’s love.

In these times of pandemic reality, the norm of daily living has drastically changed. Our worship experiences have also changed. For many, the option of attending worship via Facebook Live or our MLC website is not feasible, due to limited or unavailable internet access.

However, McFarland Lutheran worship can be heard through a free service: Phone Live Streaming. As the worship service is recorded on Sunday morning, it will be sent to a Live Streaming service. Participants will receive a phone call, and upon answering the call, will be able to hear the complete worship service through their phone. The phone call will occur at 6:00 pm for a recorded worship service.

We are hoping that this will be a way for everyone to participate in worship with Pastor Tim and Pastor Kelli, special music from Chris Maleug and others, and to be more connected with McFarland Lutheran during the pandemic.

If you are interested, please call the church, 838-3184, or

Limited Offi ce Hours and CLM Programs

The MLC Offi ce has begun limited offic e hours, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. For the health of staff and others, we are strongly encouraging those who visit during offi ce hours to wear face masks and sanitize hands as they enter and leave the building. The staff offi ce hallway will remain locked, and if you need assistance, please go to the window of our Administrative Assistant offi ce.

Our Child Life Ministry has re-started daycare programs with limited enrollment. There will be new safety procedures in place for families as children are dropped-off . For more information about summer programming at CLM, please contact Administrator Sara Phelan (kidsofclm@mcfarlandlutheran.org or 608-838-4425).

Other MLC ministries and meetings will continue to take place via Zoom or other online platforms. Staff will continue to work in-offi ce or remotely as scheduled. Please contact them via email if you need anything.

If you have any questions about the re-opening of the church building, please contact Council President

Todd Bolstad (tdajbolstad@charter.net) or Pastor Tim (tdean@mcfarlandlutheran.org).

Huldah Ellestad: 838-3139, and give the phone number you would like to use for listening to the worship service. If you know someone else (a member of MLC or not) who might be interested in listening to the MLC worship service by phone, please urge them to give this a try.

We hope that phone-live-streaming of our worship services will be a blessing during these unusual times.