WELCA
The Milnor WELCA is open to all the women of our church. The organization prayerfully meets and provides a variety of services to the church, some of them including flowers for the outside pots, keeping the kitchen equipped, the Cradle Roll, helping pay registration to Bible Camp, annual Christmas tea, annual bazaar and quilt raffle, etc. The current president of WELCA is Dorothy Pribula.
HISTORY OF WELCA
On January 1, 1886, a group of ladies met with C.G. Seltveit to organize the Ladies Aid. In the early days the Aid met once a month in various home. Due to the great distance between homes an entire family might come to the Aid meeting, which meant usually spending the entire day together. A fine of five cents was assessed each member not attending these meetings. The Aid continued to meet in homes until 1921, at which time the church basement was completed and meetings were held there.
The Ladies Aid was known as the Woman's Missionary Federation (WMF) for many years. After the merger in 1960 when our church became known as the American Lutheran Church, the name of the women's group was changed to Milnor Lutheran ALCW. In 1988 it was exciting for our church to begin the year as members of the new Evangelical Lutheran Church in American with a new name for the woman's organization. We became known as the Women of the ELCA (WELCA).
For many years our church had four circles and work groups. The work groups were changed in 1993 when the shepherding program was introduced. All members are included in a shepherding group. These groups are responsible for helping with the Sunday service twice a year, along with serving funerals, weddings, anniversaries, and other special events.
Today our WELCA continues to carry on some of the projects that were started in the past. The Sunshine Committee still sends cards to cheer those who are sick, shut-in, or who have suffered a loss. Each spring we collect a "Love Offering" which is used to pay half the expenses for our young people who attend Red Willow Bible Camp. We continue to purchase Bibles for our third graders each year. Annual projects include serving the September birthday party at Four Season's in Forman; hosting Christmas Tea in December, which is open to all area women, and holding our fall bazaar and auction. The first WELCA bazaar and auction was held in 1998. It has become our biggest fundraiser and annual event. Monies raised are used to pay yearly budget items such as Day of Doing, Altar Guild, and others.