"Our Heritage: Woven into the tapestry of God's love"
"I want you woven into a tapestry of love, in touch with everything there is to know of God. Then you will
have minds confident and at rest, focused on Christ, God's great mystery."
Colossians 2:2-3 The Message
Fifty years ago, Heritage Presbyterian Church was a dream in the minds of families who wanted to
worship and serve God in Hales Corners.
On November 29, 1959 that dream became a reality as 53 people attended the first Heritage worship
service at St. Thomas Aquinas Episcopal church.
Fifty years later, we will gather on November 29, 2009 to thank God for the faith of our charter members,
and to praise God for God’s presence in our life together over these past 50 years.
Join us at 10 am. on November 29, as we begin our 50th anniversary as God’s people in this place!
After worship, we will gather in fellowship for a cake and ice cream fellowship. We hope you can join us!
Our fiftieth anniversary has many events as a part of it…
• During our recent stewardship program, we have created three anniversary “weavings called “Time”,
“Talent” and Treasure” which we will dedicate at our November 29th worship service. They create a
“snapshot” of Heritage Church as we move into our next 50 years.
• Our worship council is inviting all of our pastors, and students back to preach or help us lead worship,
and each time they come, we will have a special luncheon following worship. We hope to begin this
program in January and try to have someone join us every other month, depending on their schedules.
Watch for dates and details.
• In 2010, at worship we will be celebrating members who joined during different decades. Tentatively,
we will be celebrating on these 2010 dates:
January 17: members who joined in the 2,000’s, March 21: Members who joined in the ‘90s, May 23:
charter members (as a part of our special anniversary weekend, September 19: members who joined
in the 80’s and November 21: members who joined in the ‘70s.
• Heidi Surprenant, our wonderful church musician, has written an anniversary hymn that will be
presented by our choir during the anniversary year.
• Our Member and Nurture council will be planning our luncheons and a major dinner celebration will
be catered at the church on Saturday evening, May 22 at 5 pm. as a part of our anniversary weekend
and Pentecost celebration.
• Our Mission Council is providing an opportunity for our high school youth to attend the PCUSA youth
Triennium on July 20-24 at Purdue University.
• We will be hosting a Presbytery wide choir workshop in August, and have asked to host the September
Presbytery meeting.
• We will have our 50th anniversary Variety show on Saturday night, February 13, and it will feature music
and vignettes from our 5 decades of being together.
• We will have several opportunities for special giving during the anniversary year… watch for the details
of these special projects.
• Our website (www.heritagechurchmuskego.org) features a “history” room which will have pictures and
stories about the church.
• We continue to support the wider community through our work at the “Gathering” ( we want to do 5
lunches there in 2010), providing food for area food pantries, participating in service projects (the recent
CROP walk had 15 walkers and raised $908) and wider church ministries.
These are just some of the plans we have in process for our 50th anniversary.
We will keep you in touch with what is happening next, but for now, we want to invite you to the November
29 worship service. We gather at 10 am. in the sanctuary.
Hope you can join us!
Blessings!
Pastor Bill Zieche
Heritage Groundbreaking
Check out these wonderful photos from the initial groundbreaking ceremony:
(Click thumnail for larger photo.)
From Heritage’s History
Here’s what our “ancestors in the faith” were thinking about 50 years ago.
From 10/18/59 meeting notes
Meeting place requirements:
Space and chairs for 150 adults for worship services. Must be heated.
Piano, if possible
Sunday School facilities for about 200 children. Prefer to have Sunday School at the same time as
worship service.
Located in the Hales Corners area
Prefer to meet Sunday morning
Parking facilities
Storage space for hymnals, lectern, etc.
Charges- minimum
These are preferred minimum requirements. However, we will probably have to settle for something
less than we desire. Temporary quarters will probably have to be used for at least a year and a half.
(Heritage was in a building by December 1961)
