YELLOWSTONE – ARGYLE/APPLE GROVE
   PARISH NEWSLETTER
Office Phone: 608-543-3088
Web Site: www.YellowstoneArgyleAppleGrove.com

Our Ministry Focus: "Sharing God's grace from a hopeful place​

 

Pastor's Letter

    I have a memory from my freshman year of high school at Madison Memorial. I was out for football (along with 85 other freshman). After school, I made my way to the locker room to put on my pads and other gear, and headed out to the practice field. It was a very hot September afternoon, and after a hard two hour practice, right when we thought we could finally get off the field and into the showers our coach yelled out, “Fifth Quarter!” 
   Fifth quarter meant we weren’t done with practice by a long shot. For the next fifteen minutes, we did wind sprints, burpies, and push-ups; and then, we did it all over again and for a third time. 
   After we had experienced fifth quarter a couple of times, the coach called us in to explain what his torturerous demand was all about. He explained to us that when we thought we had given all we had, and were pushed to continue on, it would give us both the physical and mental strength to keep on playing hard, even when we felt exhausted. 
   One couldn’t argue with his logic, but it didn’t mean that any of us liked it. 
   But you know what? It worked. There were games that the score was close going into the fourth quarter, but that is when we found out we really shined. We were able to keep playing at a very high level when our opponents were running out of steam. 
   Fifth quarter propelled our team to an undefeated season. 
   Lent begins in March and you will notice on the church calendar (as you do each year), that we will be having an “extra” service each Wednesday during Lent. 
   Lent is the forty days that lead up to Jesus’ crucifixion. The church asks everyone to spend “extra” time focusing on Jesus and his holy journey that has saved us. In a sense, it is the church’s “fifth quarter.” And like in football, getting that “extra” spiritual workout will help us draw closer to Christ, understand his love in new ways, and allow us to be equipped to meet the challenges of life that move far beyond a football game. 
   So, I want to encourage all of you to push yourselves a bit and get involved in the extra services that are offered to you during our Lent season. 
                                                   ~ God bless, Dan

 

Lent begins in March. What to look forward to: 
   Our Wednesday evening services entitled “Overheard: Conversations by the Cross” will be highlighted by sermons that look at what some of the conversations might have sounded like at the foot of cross. We will meet figures such as Mark, Barabbas, Caiaphas, Pilate and his wife, Simon of Cyrene, the centurion and others. Let’s listen in on what they were thinking while Jesus hung on the cross. Pastor Dan will need readers to help deliver the Wednesday messages. There is a sign up in the narthex or just give Pastor Dan a call, or send him an email or text. 
   The theme of our Sundays in Lent will be “The Holy Week Revolution.” What Jesus said and did during holy week (Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Sunday) was revolutionary, and he asks us to become revolutionaries as well.

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Lent offering: Our special offering during Lent will go to our “Good Samaritan Fund.” This fund helps people in and around our community. We also assist the Lafayette County’s Salvation Army. Please give generously. Offering envelopes can be found by the offering plates in the narthex, or you can write out a check and put in the memo line: “Good Samaritan Fund.” Thank you.

 

Coming in May – Community Bible study: “Called to the Deeper Life” This study will combine topics from “The Critical Journey” and “The Holy Week Revolution.” We will look at where our spiritual journey leads us and what it calls from us. Time and location will be in next month’s newsletter.

 

Reminder to Confirmation parents: During Lent, confirmation classes will meet from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., as we have worship at 7:00. 

Argyle-Apple Grove at the annual meeting voted to rebuild Apple Grove church. Here is the proposal that was voted on and accepted.
   Proposal
   1. Rebuild the church with a guaranteed agreement that it will come in under budget.
   2. $40,000 of the monies received will be put into a special fund where the treasurer will pay for the insurance and heating costs for the next 10 years.
   3. A building committee will be put together that will work in conjunction with the church council. 
   4. Worship services once the new church is built will be as follows: Apple Grove 1st and 3rd Sundays (and any 5th Sundays, Good Friday). Argyle Lutheran 2nd and 4th Sunday (Wednesday Lent services and Maundy Thursday). Holidays will continue to be rotated as before.
   5. We will honor our pledge of keeping the current make-up of the church council: 6 members of the original Apple Grove Church and 3 members of the original Argyle Church through the 2030 elections.

 

Quilters will meet on March 25th at 9:00 a.m. in the basement of Argyle Lutheran. No experience necessary.  Bring needle, threader and scissors.  Embroidery thread is provided for tying the quilts.

 

To get a receipt of your church giving for 2024 for tax purposes: Argyle-Apple Grove: talk to Diane Martin or email her at rdmartin@centurytel.net. Yellowstone: talk to Peter Herman or email: him at peter@argylefibermill.com

 

SNOW ON SUNDAYS – If we cancel church due to bad weather, Pastor Dan will send out an email (if you aren’t on the church email list, please let Dan know and he’ll get you on it). There will also be a posting on our church website: (www.YellowstoneArgyleAppleGrove.com). 
   If you aren’t using any of that technology and you are in doubt about worship, please call the parsonage at 608-543-3088. If church is cancelled, there will be a message on the phone. If there is church, Dan or Ann will give an update on what the road conditions are like. 
   We will not be calling any radio stations this year.

 

January Treasurers’ and Pastor’s reports:
                Yellowstone                                    Argyle-Apple Grove 
  Beginning balance:   $17,461.15     Beginning Balance: $15,977.75
                      Income:     $5,213.19                         Income:  $4,280.00                        

                     Expenses   $6,662.16                       Expenses: $6,203.72
   Ending Balance        $16,012.18           Ending Balance: $14,054.03

  

*Don’t let the large ending balance fool you. Both churches added $10,000 into the accounts to prevent the account from going under the limit set by the bank which would cause a surcharge.

 

New Members
   Argyle-Apple Grove: Laurie/Greg Pledl, and Toni/Jason Harding

 

Stewardship: We thank everyone for your generous support of the ministries of our congregations. If you are unable make it to church to give your offering, you may mail it to the following address: Yellowstone/Argyle-Apple Grove; Box 217; Argyle, WI 53504.

 

A/APplestone Youth News
       *~*~*~*~*~*
   Quake was AWESOME!! We had a ton of fun while we learned more about God’s love for us from the speaker, Wes Halula, and the band, 100 White Flags.
   March Fun Event: mini-lock-in Friday, March 14th at Yellowstone Lutheran Church from 7:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. We’ll have our favorite games and some new surprises. Bring friends, snacks to share and your own beverages. We will bring everyone home within a 15 mile radius of church.

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