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

Dear friends in Christ, 
   John Stapleton once said in a sermon: “We have come here tonight, despite everything else we could be doing, because Jesus Christ is crucial for us.  We can’t ignore him. We have decided we can’t live without him.
   “Some adhere to worship other gods. Some are indifferent, it appears, to how or by whom life was created or to how and by whom it is sustained; uninterested in whether or not it can or should be redeemed, or how it will end. But for us these questions won’t go away; nor can they be answered for us without the faith which is Christ faith.
   “We could be home writing checks to pay bills, or getting our gear together for a trip to the gym tomorrow to work off the weekend calories, or getting a head start on this week’s work to come. For such, Sunday is no holier than any other day, just another day without special activities, with few memories to share, without time for worship. We could be home. But we are here!  
   “We are the bewitched ones. Up against life’s harsh realities, wondering, sorrowful, joyful, we are compelled to be here in this place, at this time, believing and worshiping Jesus Christ.
   “We are here today because we couldn’t get him out of our hearts.”
   November is known as the month of gratitude in our country, because of the Thanksgiving holiday. Gratitude means to be thankful for all that we have been blessed with. 
   My prayer for all of us this Thanksgiving season is that we will be overtaken by the reality of all that Christ has, is doing, and will do for us, and we will respond by saying thank you in the house of the Lord on Sunday.
   Sure there are other things to do on Sunday – but worship is the truest way to show our gratitude. May we be the “bewitched” ones. 
                           ~ God bless, Dan
 

November is a month of special worship services: 
   November 1: All Saints Sunday
   November 22: Christ the King Sunday
   November 29: The First Sunday in Advent
       *Don’t miss any of these important and celebratory services. 

 

A thank you to everyone who helped make the Argyle Lutheran Church’s 150th Anniversary so special. Special thanks to Ruth Espenscheid for writing the brief history of the church and to Diane Martin and Marsha Soper who planned and set up the event. Also, a thank you to all who helped with the clean up day in preparation for the anniversary service. 

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GAP youth education has begun! GAP stands for “God Always Present.” GAP night will help fill in the gap between the child’s everyday life and their faith life. Rather than having the traditional Sunday School, we have moved the classes to Wednesday evening at Argyle Lutheran on the first and third Wednesday of each month (so it coincides with Confirmation) from 5:30-7:00 p.m. Each class will be filled with sound Biblical teaching, lively activities, and a break for juice and treats. The classes will have more of a Vacation Bible School feel to it, which we think will appeal to the kids.
   We also want to emphasize that now the hour spent on Sunday can be used to worship together as a family, and therefore increase youth participation on Sunday mornings. 

 

Fall Bible Study: “Ancient Wisdom for Modern Times”
   In November, we will be looking at the second part of this study, which focuses on Benedict’s twelve steps of humility. So if you missed the first part, jump in now as we start this second part of the study.
   All materials will soon be available in the narthex and at the start of the study. The morning group will meet from 9:30-10:30 a.m. and the evening group from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at Argyle Lutheran on Wednesday the 11th.  

 

The annual Joint council meeting will be held following the late service at Yellowstone on Sunday, November 1st. 
 

Our November Thanksgiving Offering will go to support ELCA World Hunger which remains one of the top charities in the world. This offering goes to support needs within the United States and beyond – wherever the need is at the moment. 
   We will have special offering envelopes available at church by the offering plates in the narthex. If you are mailing your offerings, add a second check to your usual monthly check and specify “World Hunger” in the memo line.

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Quilters will meet at Yellowstone on Tuesday, November 24 at 9:00 a.m. All are welcome. No experience necessary.

 

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.

 

August Treasurers’ and Pastor’s reports:                 
                Yellowstone                                  Argyle-Apple Grove 
  Beginning balance:  $6,699.73     Beginning Balance:  $13,538.25
                 Income:       $5,123.00                     Income:        $8,410.00
                Expenses:    $6,671.71                  Expenses:       $5,762.87
       Ending Balance:   $5,151.02          Ending Balance: $16,185.38 
     
   *Expenses were higher at Yellowstone as there was the expense of our new sound system. 

 

Funeral: 
   Tom Rear (Graveside service) – September 26th
   Anita Penniston – at Erickson’s Funeral Home – Sept. 28th 
       
Affirmation of Baptism
   Ellie Coffey 
   Chelsea Schlafli 

 

The joint Yellowstone/Argyle-Apple Grove WELCA cookie walk is around the corner -- December 5th. Your donation of holiday baked goods is appreciated, as this is the only fund-raiser of the year and a wonderful joint effort between the Argyle/Apple Grove and Yellowstone WELCAs.  
   Please note the new location this year:  the community room at the new Argyle Library/Community Center!
   Items may be dropped off there any time between 3:00 and 6:00 p.m. on December 4th or before 8:00 a.m. on Dec. 5th.  Hours of the sale on Dec. 5th are 8:00 a.m. until sold out.
   Volunteers are needed for both Dec. 4th and 5th. Please contact Kristine O’Connor (608-214-3363) or Linda Gebhardt (608-482-0497) for questions and volunteering.

 

Tentative plans for re-opening Apple Grove: Taking into consideration the limited space in the new church, along with the reality that construction plans don’t always go according to the timetable set, we have formulated a tentative plan for re-opening. Our hope is to have an open house in December where everyone from the church and community can come and view the new church. Then, in January, our first service will be a private service for Argyle-Apple Grove members only, with the first public service later in the month. More information will be coming in the next month. 

 

A/Applestone Youth        
       Mini-Lock-In will be held at Friday, November 6th at Yellowstone Lutheran. The lock in begins at 7:30 p.m. and will go until 11:30. We will drive the youth home when the event ends (15 mile radius). Bring friends, your own pop and junk food, and any games you want to play.
   Quake! We are hoping to go to Quake in February2027, but there are any questions up in the air as Life Promotions is going through significant restructuring. We’re told that there will be Quake in Wisconsin Dells. Once we know more, we’ll finalize our plans. Stay tuned!
 

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