Pastor’s Message by Interim Pastor Bob Friese

I’ve got two things on my mind today. The second is at the end of this article. It’s a tidbit from the History Channel’s website that gives a brief history of Labor Day, which is celebrated this year on Monday, September 3. It’s interesting stuff…take a peek!

 And now the first thing on my mind: our fall schedule here at Peace Lutheran. Please note some of the changes we’ve made.

 • We are starting a new program called WOW!, which stands for Worship on Wednesdays (or Welcome on Wednesdays!).

  Our schedule, starting on Wednesday, September 19, looks like this:

                        • 5 – 5:45 p.m.   A light meal will be served in the church basement.

                       • 6 – 6:30 p.m.    Worship on Wednesday   

                                                 (Holy Communion on the 1^st Wednesday of each month)

                       • 6:40 – 7:30 p.m.    Confirmation Classes and Adult Choir

(This time will also be used for guest speakers and forums, service  projects, and other intergenerational events!)

 • Students and mentors will still meet the first Wednesday of each month of the school year for a meal and one-on-one time, but we’ve added the 5^th grade class to this monthly event. Students in Grades 5 and 6, and their mentors, will meet for the first time on Wednesday, October 3. ALSO NOTE…we are considering having 5^th and 6^th graders attend a second time each month for service projects. We’ll keep you posted!

 • WOW! will also be the time we reach out to UW-Stout Students. They will be invited to the meal, worship, and any other events we have on Wednesday nights. Please greet college students when you see them here. I’ve heard they don’t bite. Welcome them to our church and church family.

• WOW! is for people of all ages, by the way. Singles, families, students…all are welcome. Also, if you have any ideas for speakers, Bible studies, or service events on Wednesdays, please talk to Pastor Bob or Patty Brown.

• WOW! could also mean “Watch on Wednesday”. When you’re in the building – on Wednesdays or any time – watch out for ways to keep our church home neat and clean. Throw away trash, put tables and chairs back in place, and put away all equipment, books, or items you use. We are ALL responsible for this place!

Þ Please pray for WOW! and all our ministries here at Peace Lutheran Church. First and foremost, we are called to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with all who enter this building. May our hospitality, our willingness to listen and care, and our Christ-like love make this church a place where we follow Jesus in word and deed.

LABOR DAY from The History Channel at www.history.com

Labor Day is observed on the first Monday in September, and pays tributes to both the contributions and achievements of everyday working families.

 The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City. Following the deaths of 13 workers during the Pullman Strike in June of 1894, President Grover Cleveland put reconciliation with the labor movement as a top political priority and Labor Day became a federal holiday. and grew to become a federal holiday in 1894. 

During the major economic depression of the early 1890s, the Pullman Palace Car Company cut wages in its factories. Discontented workers joined the American Railway Union (ARU), led by Eugene V. Debs, which supported their strike by launching a boycott of all Pullman cars on all railroads. ARU members across the nation refused to switch Pullman cars onto trains. When these switchmen were disciplined, the entire ARU struck the railroads on June 26, 1894. Within four days, 125,000 workers on twenty-nine railroads had quit work rather than handle Pullman cars.

The strike was broken up by United States Marshals and some 2,000 United States Army troops, sent in by President Grover Cleveland on the premise that the strike interfered with the delivery of U.S. Mail. During the strike, 13 workers were killed and 57 were wounded.