Welcome everybody to Midday magazine for this Thursday February 13th, 2025.
Have your host James J. Mailov here at 430. We're welcome. Our friend Olga. She is the bilingual 4-H
associate educator with UW Extension. Looking forward to that right now. Our great friend Reverend
Beth Habhaggerin with us for grace. Greater Rapids area church for ecumenism. Beth it is always
good to see you and have you. It's always good to be here. Thank you for having us. We should let
the audience know of course that Beth and I have amazing chemistry and have worked together quite
a bit. But we got to put our serious hats on this. We do. We have to be because we are not only
that but we are talking about something fun too. Yes. I do want to let the audience know real quickly.
Just remind them of what grace is Beth and how the impact it's making in our community.
Grace the greater appetite area. If my mouth would work this morning that would be great.
I'm struggling all morning. I hear you. It's the cold. The greater Rapids area churches for ecumenism
is a group of pastors that gather together representing each of their congregations to do things
for the community including joint worship services. This last Sunday we did a pulpit exchange where
four of us went to a different church and all of those congregations are in what's called full
communion where we recognize each other's ordination and denomination and conserve in each other's
churches. We also do a Thanksgiving service, a blue Christmas service but we also want to support
our community in other ways. One of those is we created an event called walkoff debt where we try
to raise funds to pay off food service debt for students. Specifically we try to start with our
seniors so that they can walk at graduation and receive their transcripts and then if there is
more than what needs to be to pay those off we are paying it down to be able to give these students
a fresh start to be able to move into a new chapter of their life. Yeah it's impacting our
futures and the futures of our community and our kids in our community. It's a great organization
and as a side note I joke about you know you're an eye relationship and everything but
this meant a lot to me when you first started to tell us about this kind of even before it really
got to where we are now with it are certainly coming from my family going up in a Christian
and Jewish household. I had a first you know roast seat to how much are these
faiths are connected and how much crossover there is and parallel there is and also growing up
and seeing so much you know unconnection and between these worlds and not understanding it.
I think this is not only what we need in this day and age is more of this of what grace is doing
but I think it's what we've always should have been doing and it just feels it just speaks to me
it makes my heart sing when we talk with you guys and we talk about this organization. Thank you
yeah the group that is together and it's open to any church in our community and we ask
that you if it's possible the pastor attend if not designate somebody to come work with us on this
but we go back to Biblically where Jesus said to feed the hungry clothing naked visit those
other sick and alien and we recognize that though we may have different ways of worshiping
God it is the same God that we worship so we're trying to pull ourselves together to live out the
witness that we believe we should have one of the questions that I was asked by member of my
congregation about this specific outreach that we do with walkoff debt is why would we need that
why couldn't families pay off their own debt and I think it ties into what the United Way does
with the Alice report there are families out there that are trying to get all of their bills paid
but there may not be enough money for everything and schools are still required to feed the students
if they come through the line whether they can pay it at that moment or not so some students don't
even realize that parents haven't applied for because of the stigma attached free or reduced
and there's no stigma to that that's just an opportunity to find a resource that you could
then shift those funds to something else to pay for but students don't get they don't know that
until they get to high school how much student that they have and we've helped students that
have had over five to six hundred dollars worth of food service debt be able to walk and hold
their head up high for graduation and then to be able to move on to that next chapter with that
clean slate I share a lot with the audience because it's a way to connect with the audience
and a way to get a build the trust between each other but I've also been honest with the audience
that I share some stuff and there's some things I don't share you know here and there and for a
lot of different reasons but one thing I don't believe I've ever shared on the airs I did graduate
in 96 but I was not able to walk with my classmates I had I had fines and I had some things that I
was not able to take care of so I was not able to literally walk on the stage with my classmates had
grace been around I might have been able to absolutely yeah and and that's it may not seem like
a big deal to some but if you've been in my shoes if you've been in those kind of shoes before
you know what it was like while you know all your classmates that you've been spent years and years
with that they're all doing something that you were supposed to you wanted to do and in some in
some ways completely out of your own hands you're not able to be a part of one of the better
traditions we have in school absolutely and it means something it still bothers me to this day I
I remember it like it was yesterday it's something that is a big deal and and is literally one of
the kind of like walking points to becoming a complete adult and being an adult is making that
transition and everything right the art of that the act of that to be able to help kids in that way
along with so many other things is such a great impact right and often there are students that are
working to try to pay their their food service debt because mom and dad are working to pay
something else I mean even in our own household when we first move to rapids because we were living on
just my salary until Seth got a job with you all to just make ends meet we qualified for reduced
launches and and that was a help for us so that we had the money to pay other things that needed to
get paid so there's there should not be the stigma that so many people associate with that need
it is an opportunity like I said to be able to shift funds around so that you can still your
child can still get that meal but it's at a cost that you can afford and I will say real quick too
and this is not a shot or anything like that at anybody in any community but if you are a person
a family that would shun somebody or give somebody a hard time for something like this I question
where your ethics are and where your faith where all those things can be because that's the
opposite of this I was one of those kids that got shamed for these things and thankfully I came
from a family where the food was more important than what you thought of me right so I never was
bothered by these things but my brother and sister sure were and and they we didn't feel this
stuff in Chicago we felt that when we came here to a small town and I'm only bringing that up because
in a big town they don't care as much there's too much going on and those things otherwise they
might care that's not a shot it's just something that we can all of the society do better at
and in part to your point about the Alice report we know from the stats alone look to your left
look to your right there's somebody who is in this category that we're talking about here if not
yourself yeah yeah and we're really hoping that we won't have to do this in the coming years if
Governor Evers plan to create free breakfast and lunch for every student happens it would be
wonderful for us to have to say okay what other need is in the community and how can we help
me that need and we can also help you guys with those needs and and meeting them in some of the
events you guys are doing and you guys have a blast in a real fun time with these events also
and you got one coming up this is a brand new thing for us so this whole all started with trying
to do a walk with a hope of moving up into a 5k and we're still hoping that maybe we can make
this into a 5k eventually but we realize that there are other opportunities and and winter is not
the best time to be outdoors walking of today's any indication so we thought what other fun things
can we do and there are a lot of trivia nights out there that the community loves to participate in
and we thought well let's do a free trivia night so there is no cost for you to bring a team and
participate in trivia night we're going to do one at bees tap house on Sunday February 3rd 23rd
that so it's the end of the month the last Sunday of the month it's going to be in the afternoon
and in the way that we're going to raise our money is if you want to give a free will donation
and and contribute towards this outreach for us that we would gladly accept that we're also
going to have a silent auction so we've got different businesses in the community that we are
soliciting and several have already stepped up and will have baskets that you can bid on and we're
really hoping that that's going to be a draw that people will be able to come and see what they
can get there's a coffee shop in town that we're talking with who is considering donating to that
I think the station is going to be having a basket there as well there's going to be a Norwax basket
there so all sorts of things and if you are a business out there that would like to help us by
donating a basket towards that silent auction please please reach out let us know we'd be
glad to receive that marketing and business 101 you want to be seen by not only as many eyeballs as
you can but by different eyeballs if you can and you get with this grace in multiple avenues
that you're reaching multiple people that you're reaching in different areas and in people that
you may not reach otherwise it may not have an opportunity to reach otherwise along with everybody
loves raffles yes this area it just loves raffles well this isn't a raffle because you have to have
special license or for that yeah yeah it's an auction silent auction that's okay if we just
but I want to make sure that we're staying on the legal side you know we there is a separation
of church and state but the church still has to abide by the state's rules that's on me and leave
it to me of course to find try to try to find a job this one so that's just that's just me in my
background but I the silent auction these kind of things a part of events people just love them
and it's not only stuff where you're going to get some stuff and you know maybe win some stuff
and all that but you are knowing that you're doing some good um giving people you're right about
the trivia night too we we talk about this a lot with our friends in nukusa and in Rome where they
have a lot of trivia nights going on over there this time of year these are some of the more popular
events and people just love and you know you go down there and you get to get live out your
jeopardy fantasy should everything it's a lot of fun is um oh we do also real quickly I do want to
send a shout out to two doors down brewing yes um they we we talk about them a lot in part because
they host so many of these great events with our nonprofits yeah we are so grateful to them for
opening up their space for us because they're usually not open on a Sunday afternoon and so they
they're opening it up this is uh going to be happening I believe at uh two to four two to four
yeah two to four and uh Beth when it comes to this thing it's also a real step above I think to
uh offer this for free we certainly really really appreciate those good will donations um but
to offer this for free to the community is also something that shows how in tune grace is with
our community to the point of hosting this event well we realize we we're living in a society
that is more and more individualistic and we are people that were created to be in relationship
and so to offer safe spaces where people can just come together and share in fellowship and have
a good time we we love to be able to do that for people when it comes to those good will offerings
Beth um if people you know especially nowadays not everybody's got cash on them or anything like
that uh are there other ways to be able to make those good will donations uh let me know there
are certainly ways that we can have you donate to one of the congregations with that money
earmarked towards this and then that congregation can get those funds to grace and when it comes to
our uh good friends out there our businesses out there that would maybe like to be a part of this
maybe they want to have something for the silent auction or or or something along those lines
can they still be a part of it absolutely absolutely you can reach out to me personally uh it's
w-r-m-c pastor at gmail.com or go ahead and give me a call at 715-213-2362 that's the church phone
and uh we'll do what we can to help connect you the walkoff school debt is coming up Sunday
February 23rd from two to four at two doors down brewing company over at 140 East Grand Avenue
right here in Wisconsin Rapids we're speaking with our great friend Reverend Beth Habhacker right now
from the Mara- Wisconsin Rapids and Arabian Church and of course representing grace uh
the organization today uh Beth uh what else you got for us today? Well lent is just around the
corner and lent is the the 40 days leading into Easter Sunday and each of our congregations
have our own evening midweek lent and services which is a tradition of the Christian church for
many centuries um we we're talking and we realize that a lot of our congregants are getting older
and as they get older they don't like to drive at night as much but they're the ones that really
appreciate these rituals that we've had over the years so this year we decided to get together
as a group and we are going to offer a lunch lentin service and we are doing that uh with the
help of the Wisconsin Rapids Community Theatre they are letting us use the lowest Canton
Studio Theatre. So Wednesdays from March 12th through April 9th from 1215 to 1245 we invite you
to bring your lunch with you and we will have a short service that will allow us to focus on what
means for us and the journey that we believe leads to the cross in the empty tomb. Yeah um
honestly uh one of my uh favorite times of year in a while I don't practice uh I think of my nana
uh during this time of year and how every year she gave up chocolate for lunch and and uh
well you know it was it was one of those things that just seemed okay that was giving up chocolate
no big deal uh a couple of days in we knew what a big deal was yeah we were reminded of it
and everything but it was very important to her to make a true sacrifice a true movement like
something that really meant a lot to her to really enjoyed uh that was not easy for her to
and and I I think it's one of the more beautiful traditions and all of faith and some Christians
instead of giving something up they'll take something difficult on during those weeks to
remember that Christ took on something for us uh what we're doing with this service is we're
looking at the cross in a different way and so the theme of our services uh for this year are
going to be artisans of the crucifixion so each week we'll hear a first person monologue from a
person whose product was used as part of the crucifixion for instance the Tanner
whose leather was used for the whip the basket maker who was used to put the crown of thorns
together the blacksmith that created the nails the carpenter whose wood was used for the cross the
stone mason um so each one each week you will hear what that use of their product meant to them
and how that impacted how they understood what happened to Jesus that day oh that's amazing
wow that's amazing i i i i it's my job to come up with follow up questions and everything and i
got nothing i i i i've never heard of that i've never thought about that let alone hurt anything
like that i think that's a really really cool and interesting perspective to bring to this
this is one that it's a book that was put together several years ago probably 20 30 years ago
that i've used at different places where i've been pastor and it every time we've used it has
really impacted people um in addition to hearing the monologues there'll be a poem that will read
together as part of that well uh will this be something you'll be reading or we have uh other
locals reading with you all of the clergy are going to be taking turns leading a service so each
week will be a different one of us doing that first person monologue um and it may be more of a
reader's theater than it will be having it memorized so it's not going to be like the plays we have
there yeah but it gives you an opportunity to hear something from a different perspective
again this is over the lunch hour we are not providing the meals so we invite you to please you
know if you want to go through a drive through and bring something with you or if you bring a
a sack lunch with you bring what you would like to eat with you and as we share that meal we'll
also share in this time of study you know the the the food is going to rate we appreciate the
certainly the wonderful venue with our friends at uh w r c t and everything but the fellowship it
feels like is what's so key here yes it's it's an opportunity for those that really want
want to be able to remember and honor the that season to also have a chance to be with other people
because a lot of our older generation is very lonely and so any opportunity that we can
provide to be able to get together is a wonderful opportunity and we've really in such a short
amount of time together today Beth we've been able to really give people already two
amazing examples of what grace is about and and how grace is paying attention to its community
and listening to its community we're very fortunate in this area our nonprofits are are talking
with our community not at but we've all known organizations are nonprofits in the past that this
is what they do and this is what they're going to do and that's great and everything but you you
are able to reach and do more good when you listen to your community and pay attention you saw
a need in this community specific to this community and and in being able to walk off student debt
and some of these things so you would approach that when it comes to lent in this and knowing our
situation as a high senior population and the struggles we've had with that were them not only
being able to get out of the house but having fellowship in that so changing the time of time
under tradition and changing the time of something like that and everything that's a that's an
organization that cares that's an organization that is listening that's and I think I like to
think that that's becoming more common nowadays but it's still pretty noteworthy you and I know
what it's like when we were growing up and how some nonprofits and some churches to be fair
would be would handle themselves and teach their own not judging any of that just saying I think
we have a better we have a better world now we have a much more welcoming world and we're able to
do more good and we try to do as much as we can and if you do know of a need that you think our
organization could be able to help with please let us know we would love to be in conversation with
you about what we can do to help meet that need uh Beth did you have anything else one to touch on
for a wrap up I think that's all of the events that we've got going on so we did now on my own
congregation slide I just want to remind everybody that because we have a congregational
function happening this the Saturday there will not be the winter's farmers market going on
on the 15th but it will be coming back on the 22nd and going through May then so we appreciate
the the communities understanding as we celebrate a life of a member of our congregation on Saturday
instead yeah no hope that goes well thank you I really do and and certainly want to remind everybody
out there whether you are a vendor um and you're looking to you know get your your uh be a part of
things over the winter's farmers market already in any of the above go to www.maravian.org to find
out more information and reach out to them and want to also remind everybody that uh best wonderful
services are available for you on their web page be sure to go to youtube type in your search bar
was constant rabbits maravian church subscribe to those I know my father loves them I know that I
enjoy them and get that whenever I get a chance to catch up on them and everything because uh
Beth does a wonderful job with these services and the time and effort you put into them is so
noteworthy and your passion comes across in every single one of them uh but also she says she's a
great emcee good emcee it's also it's also very entertaining it's also very enjoyable uh appreciate
that Beth and just one more time on her mind everybody about the walkoff school dead event coming up
Sunday February 23rd 2 to 4 at two down two doors down brewing company at 140 East Grand Avenue
right here in Wisconsin rabbits all proceeds have benefit the south of county uh school meals program
find out more about that uh Beth how can they do that how can they find out more about that and
reach you if they need to one more time you can find us on facebook at the greater rapids area
churches for a humanism and we got all that information there you can reach out to me personally
we also have an email account central with scots and grace at gmail dot com and uh if you ever
need any of that information again uh we we do know Beth pretty well we we've got a couple of
connections to her we could always get that information to her if you need to just get it to us
everybody thanks so much for the time back thank you for letting me be here we will have more midday
magazine coming up for you right here at 97.5 FM 13.20 AM WF HR we are locally grown radio
