Worship Opportunities:
You are always welcome here! God promises to meet you where you are, whatever your circumstances and with whatever questions you have. You can also share your gifts here. You have experiences, knowledge, and talents to share. Here you can grow in your faith and help others to grow in their faith.
Out of concern for the most vulnerable among us, we have moved the majority of our meetings, events, and worship services online.
There is a place for you here at First English Lutheran Church.
401 W. Main Street Whitewater, WI 53190
Church Office: 262-473-5076
Click here for Give+ online giving
WORSHIP TIMES AT FIRST ENGLISH
Worship Online, or Channel 990
Parking Lot Services: 10:30am - November 15 , CANCELLED December 6th with Rev. Gerald Wendt, December 13th with Pr. Bruce Engebretson. Christmas Eve at 3:00 and 5:00pm with Rev. Gerald Wendt
Click here to view virtual worship service on YouTube
Sign up for our Parking Lot Services
Thrift Shoppe Open!
By Appointment Only
The Thrift Shoppe
123 Church Street
Whitewater WI 53109
Phone: 262-473-3138
Call for your private Thrift Shoppe experience.
We have openings starting Wednesday October28,2020 and beyond.
Start calling Oct 21,2020 at 1pm-4pm for am appointment. Call dates are Wednesday, Friday 1pm-4pm
262-473-3138
We look forward to seeing you!
Church Office Closed!
Out of an abundance of caution,
the church office will be closed through November 27th.
Please call 262-473-5076 to request an appointment for any office needs.
The Free Monday night Campus & Community Meal is up and going!
Serving time: 5:00-6:00 p.m. We invite those interested in helping prepare and/or hand out the To-Go spaghetti meals contact Patty Harmon through the FELC office at 262.473.5076.
In Response to COIVD -19
SHARED VALUES:
- We are all called by God to responsibly love of our neighbors and protecting the most vulnerable.
- That all voices are equally valued and included. All are welcome at FELC.
- The plan prioritizes the reduction of risk of infection of members, staff and guests.
All members of the Church and Visitors are expected to:
- Acknowledge that the virus is an uncertain thing and that our participation of any kind of FELC activities is voluntary and at our own risk/choice.
- Wear a face covering, maintaining 6ft physical distance from one another and use hand sanitizer while on church property/buildings.
- Always “Sign in” when they visit Church property.
- Schedule the use of church property with the Office Manager at least 3 days in advance before entering the space.
- Graciously remind one another of safety expectations and to comply without malice or disrespect.
- Seek to support social interaction as each individual determines what is best for them and their situation. We will inquire and be sensitive to the needs of others.
- To share with Pastor Steve or Office Manager Tammy Hedrick, knowing that their identity will be protected as much as possible, if they have a positive test result for COVID-19 or exposure.
- If members have had a COVID test and are waiting for results, they will stay off church property and not participate at in-person activities.
Message From Pastor Steve
"Responding to God's Grace"
(Matthew 25:14-30)
The landowner in Jesus' parable of the talents says to the first two servants, "Well done, good and faithful servant." We have often heard those words at funerals. And we hope to hear the Lord say those words to us after we die. But it does make me wonder, is this phrase really the best one to focus on when we think about the Christian life? After all, are we not saved by God's grace alone? Yes, we do teach that, and that is the heart of the Gospel. But I suspect that many people still think they have to be good. And they have a fear that they are not good enough for God. They worry that God intends to reward the good people for their good deeds, and that will leave them out in the cold.
The Gospel truth is the Good News that in Christ we are all saved by grace. When we trust in Christ, then what God will say to us in the end is not in question. God will look at us and see Christ. God's judgment of us will not be determined by what grade we get on the report card of life. We are saved by grace, for the sake of Christ. We are saved not by any of our actions, but by the self-giving action of God in Christ.
So what about the Christian life? Where does that come in? Perhaps the parable of the talents can provide an answer. Think about a river. The river is already flowing---you did not create the river or cause it to flow. But now you jump into the river with your innertube. Even if you get out of the river at some point, the river will keep flowing and will reach its destination. But you want to jump in, happily float on the current, and steer away from rocks or tree limbs. The Christian life is something like that. We are saved by God's grace, but we are also invited to jump into the always flowing river of grace. The river, and all that we have an opportunity to do while floating in it, are finally the work of our good and gracious God. Nothing we do would be possible without God. What a joy and blessing it is to be in the river of grace at all!
But if you are like the third servant, then you think there is no joy at all: you think the master is a harsh man who is to be feared, not loved, so even grace can't get in. But if you can see the joy of the grace that starts this all to begin with, it makes all the difference in how you respond. Though the third servant fails to see it, the giving of the talents is itself a huge act of grace. A "talent" in Jesus' day was a monetary unit worth more than $10,000. All three servants receive huge gifts. Everything good that happens subsequently is a direct result of grace. What you do in the middle of the river of grace is important. Every follower of Jesus who experiences something of God's grace and joy wants to participate in the happiness of the master.
We show that we understand this joy when we throw ourselves into wholehearted Christian living. We seek to love others responsibly, to care for the most vulnerable, to feed the hungry, to reach out to the lonely, to forgive one another, to give generously to the work of God, to behave in ways that protect the health and well-being of our neighbors. The motivation for doing good is not fear or guilt but the joy and grace with which God's gifts were given in the first place. It's a matter of participating in God's great work of restoring, reconciling, and promoting justice and love in the world, for all people.
In Christ's gracious love,
Pastor Steve