Daylight Savings Time begins on Sunday, March 8 th.

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1 FIRST LUTHERAN CHURC H 408 Ninth Street NW Mandan, ND Phone: Fax: jackie@firstlutheranofmandan.org First Lutheran Church March Newsletter Building Faith and Transforming Lives in Christ. We re on the web! Daylight Savings Time begins on Sunday, March 8 th. March 2015 First Lutheran Staff Administrative Pastor Rev. Lee Herberg Associate Pastor Rev. Christina Martin Administrative Assistant & Coordinator of Lay Ministries Jackie Schulz (o) (h) Custodians Ron & Mavis Watson Financial Administration Jennifer Scheet First Lutheran Is A Mission Partner with Camp of the Cross Ministries Lent, 2015 As a North Dakota native, I continue to be one who is thankful to live in a place where all the seasons of the year can be experienced. Having said that, this year I am feeling that winter has been celebrated long enough...i am anxious to put away the stuff of winter and hear the sounds of water gushing into the storm drains again. I look forward to the green of new grass and the smell of soft earth. As I speak of the seasons of nature, I lift up for you the church season of Lent which arrived on Wednesday, February 18th with the observance of Ash Wednesday. We are now in a season of 40 days, not including Sundays, leading up to the celebration of Christ s resurrection on Easter Sunday, April 5th. During the season of Lent, our mid-week worship service will move from 6:00PM to 7:00PM in order to accommodate a meal time every Wednesday starting at 5:30PM in the Fellowship Hall. These Lenten meals will be a fund raising activity for the youth of our congregation towards their journey to Detroit, MI in July for the ELCA Youth Gathering with the theme Rise Up Together. This year Pastor Christina and myself will again be participating in a round-robin pulpit exchange with other ELCA pastors in the Bismarck-Mandan area. The theme for our Lenten services this year is Beneath the Cross of Jesus, using imagery from that traditional Lenten hymn. The schedule, pastor and theme are as follows: Wednesday, February 25th, 7:00PM Pastor Ray Anderson from Living Water Lutheran in Mandan will focus on the theme Reflect. Wednesday, March 4th, 7:00PM Pastor Christina Martin will focus on the theme Restore. Wednesday, March 11th, 7:00PM Pastor Jon Splichal Larson from Faith Lutheran in Bismarck will focus on the theme Refuge. Wednesday, March 18th, 7:00PM Diaconal Minister Shera Nesheim from Heart River Lutheran Church in Mandan will focus on the theme Rest. Wednesday, March 25th, 7:00PM Pastor Lee Herberg will focus on the theme Renew. Pastor Christina and myself will be the guest pastors at the same churches listed above for their mid-week Lenten services. I encourage all of you to make this coming Lent a season of reflection, renewal and growth in your faith walk as we journey towards Easter in thankfulness of God s blessings to us, no matter what the season. Until next time, Pastor Lee

2 PAGE 2 FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH March 2015 First Communion Schedule Tuesday, March 3 rd : 7-8 p.m. (Class for students and their parents in the Fellowship Hall) Tuesday, March 10 th : 7-8 p.m. (Class for students and their parents in the Sanctuary) Sunday, March 15 th : 2-4 p.m. (Students and parents will work together making bread and chalices) Thursday, April 2 nd : 7:00 p.m. (Maundy Thursday worship - students will receive their First Communion) Pictures will be taken before worship - we will let you know what time. Wednesday, March 4 th : Wednesday, March 11 th : Wednesday, March 18 th : Wednesday, March 25 th : The youth will be serving supper each week during Lent starting at 5:30 p.m. and the cost is a free will offering. All the proceeds from the Lenten suppers will go towards the ELCA Youth Gathering in Detroit, MI this summer. Come and join us for good food and fellowship as we journey together through Lent. Lenten Supper Menu 5:30 p.m. - 6:45 p.m. Sloppy Joes Homemade Cheese Buttons, Knoephla & Sauerkraut with Sausage Super Nachos Scalloped Potatoes and Ham ELCA resource asks members to reflect on nature and purpose of this church As the season of Lent approaches, a time for reflection and contemplation, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) has introduced a new resource that invites members to reflect on how this church makes a difference in the world. Claimed, Gathered, Sent A Guide for Conversation, is a five-part resource developed by ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth A. Eaton and the ELCA Ecclesiology of a Global Church Task Force. According to the resource introduction the goal is to invite reflection, conversation and discernment about what being the church means today and strengthen the mission and ministry of congregations and the ELCA as a whole by going back to our spiritual roots. The first four sessions focus on the four emphases Eaton has identified for the ELCA: We are church. We are Lutheran. We are church together. We are church for the sake of the world. The fifth session addresses the ELCA s relationship with its global and ecumenical partners, particularly The Lutheran World Federation a global communion of 144 churches representing more than 70 million Christians in 79 countries. The ELCA is the communion's only member church from the United States. I m eager to share with you the resource Claimed, Gathered, Sent A Guide for Conversation. You may remember my earlier invitation for conversation and engagement during a five-week period about the very nature and purpose of our church, said Eaton in an message to ELCA members. Please consider joining in this timely conversation about the life of our church. I believe your engagement will lead to a deeper understanding and a clearer sense of our identity, our mission and our calling to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ and to be agents of God s love in the world. Thank you for your partnership in the gospel. Congregations are asked to send feedback about their experiences using the resource to Faith@elca.org. February 25 th March 4 th March 11 th March 18 th March 25 th Guest Pastors for Lenten Services: Rev. Ray Anderson from Living Water Rev. Christina Martin Rev. Jon Splichal Larson from Faith Lutheran in Bismarck D.M. Shera Nesheim from Heart River Rev. Lee Herberg

3 PAGE 10 FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH MARCH 2015 Senior Service and Meal March 31 st, 2015 Service at 11:00 A.M. Dinner at 12:00 P.M. Ham dinner with trimmings. RSVP to the church office at ASAP!!! Come join us for Food, Fellowship, and Fun. Mark Your Calendar Upcoming Events What: Bake Sale for camp scholarships When: Sunday, March 29 th Come and get your Easter goodies and help our youth go to Bible camp this summer! Palm Sunday, March 29 th 8:30 A.M. & 10:45 A.M. Maundy Thursday, April 2 nd 7:00 P.M. Worship with Holy Communion Good Friday, April 3 rd 7:00 P.M. Tenebrae Service Easter Sunday, April 5 th 7:00 A.M. - Sunrise Service (led by the youth) 9:00 A.M. - Traditional Easter Festival Service 11:00 A.M. - Contemporary Easter Festival Service Easter Breakfast 3rd: 7pm - First Communion Class 4th: 7pm - Lenten Worship 5th: LAF-Sloppy Joes 10th: 7pm - First Communion Class 11th: 7pm - Lenten Worship 12th: LAF - Sandwiches 15th: 2pm - First Communion Class 18th: 7pm - Lenten Worship 19th: LAF - Nachos 25th: 7pm - Lenten Worship 26th: LAF - Hot Dogs The sunrise service on Easter (7:00 A.M.) has traditionally been a service completely led by youth. I am looking for a group that would like to participate by playing, reading, leading, etc. This would count as three worship helps!! Please let Pastor Chris know by March 1 st if you are interested in helping!! her at: christina@firstlutheranofmandan.org Butter Braids Fundraiser Youth who are going to the National Youth Gathering in Detroit will be selling Butter Braids. The price is 1 for $11.00 or 2 for $ If you are interested in buying some and are not approached by a youth please call the church office at and we will be happy to help you out! We will have many flavors available! All 6th 12th graders you are invited to attend W.I.N.G.S.!!! What is W.I.N.G.S? Is the coming together of four local Lutheran churches and our youth for a night of fun and fellowship along the lines of a traditional youth group. This month W.I.N.G.S will be meeting on March 8 th from 6:00 to 8:30 P.M. For our activity we will be going bowling!! Please eat before you come and bring some money. If you would like to come please contact Pastor Chris. Rev Christina Martin Note: No Wednesday Evening Service on April 1 st 8:00-8:45 A.M. The youth will be serving egg bake, fruit, coffee & juice for a free will offering. Cell: christina@firstluthearnofmandan.org

4 MARCH 2015 FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH PAGE 4 PAGE 9 FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH MARCH 2015 Pastoral Acts Baptisms: February 21 February 22 Ryder Dustin Peterson Emry Lynn Maddock Weddings: Funerals: February 13 February 14 February 17 February 18 Frank Bondeson Gladys Dau James Svihla Lee Orgaard Memorial Fund In memory of Rick Steffenson given by Faye Rodgers. In memory of Dorothy Zwarych given by Lacey Maier, Gary & Claudia Tomanek, Bette Caya, Gordon & Dolores Berge, Terry & Peggy Harzinski, Richard Johnsen, Renee Becker, Rod & Victoria Gilmore, Leellen Thomason, Darryl & Eunice Anderson, Dorothy Zwarych family, Mark & Catherine Erickson, H.R. Steenstrup, Kathleen Risch, Norma Lundstrom, Leon & Jeanne House, Gary & Shirley Olmsted, Margo & Gary Dietz, Eugene & Michelle Radke, Kathleen Weisbeck, Jon & Fran Joersz, Bonita Mayer, Dennis & Paula Duffield, Dave & Eileen Sande, Russ & Jan Grabinger, Cal & Karen Fischer, Wetzstein Bros Angus Ranch, Missouri Valley Petroleum. Deadline for articles for the April Newsletter will be March 20 th. March~ Mission of the Month Community Action Items needed are Peanut Butter, Jelly, Fruit Cups, Granola Bars, Cereal, Pudding Cups, Applesauce Cups, & Canned Dinners with a pop top lid (Chef Boyardee's). You may put your items in the boxes in the Narthex. Thank you! Special Thanks Thank you to all the greeters, ushers, communion servers, readers, communion set-up, coffee hour workers, and to all who have supplied goodies for the last month. Your help is greatly appreciated! Worship Schedule Sunday ~ 8:30 am ~ Traditional 10:45 am ~ Contemporary 9:30 am ~ Coffee 9:30 am ~ Church School Wednesday ~ Lenten Schedule 5:30 pm ~ Lenten Suppers 6:00 pm ~ Church School 7:00 pm ~ Lenten Services

5 PAGE 8 FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH MARCH 2015 MARCH 2015 FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH PAGE 5 ELCA presiding bishop visits companion church in the Holy Land CHICAGO (ELCA) In her first visit to the Middle East as presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), the Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton led a delegation Jan to meet with leaders and members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land a companion church of the ELCA. The delegation also met with political and religious leaders, including a meeting with the Council of Religious Institutions of the Holy Land. The ELCA and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL) are member churches of The Lutheran World Federation, a global communion of 144 churches representing more than 70 million Christians in 79 countries. The ELCA is the communion's only member church from the United States. During their visit, the delegation met with students of the Evangelical Lutheran School in Beit Sahour and Dar Al-Kalima Lutheran School in Bethlehem. The school and educational programs of the ELCJHL employ nearly 200 educators, administrators, social workers and others, and nearly all faculty and staff are Palestinians from Bethlehem, Ramallah, Jerusalem and elsewhere. The delegation visited Dar al-kalima University College of Arts and Culture in Bethlehem, and they toured the Environmental Education Center in Beit Jala, a ministry of the ELCJHL, to learn more about the denomination's special ecological projects. "The impact of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Jordan and the Holy Land upon the lives of all people in the region is out of proportion to its size. This relatively small church does enormous work in education, humanitarian aid, environmental study, advocacy, ecumenical and inter- religious relations and peacemaking all while dealing with the difficult and ever present reality of the Israeli occupation," said Eaton. "This land has a unique beauty: green and gentle in Galilee, severe and barren in the mountains and hills around Jerusalem and the West Bank. It wasn't what I expected the first time I saw it. It made me aware of all of the preconceptions I bring with me to this place. That is a dangerous thing to do," she said. This trip marks Eaton's th ird v isit to the M iddle East, fir st as ELCA presiding bishop. The delegation visited the Aida Refugee Camp in Bethlehem and also toured Augusta Victoria Hospital, a ministry of The Lutheran World Federation (LWF). The hospital offers the only cancer facility for residents of the West Bank and Gaza, and it employs more than 300 people. The hospital was founded in Dr. Tawfiq Nasser, the hospital's chief executive officer, and the Rev. Mark Brown, LWF regional representative in Jerusalem, accompanied Eaton on the hospital tour. "Augusta Victoria Hospital is a vital ministry" said Eaton. "It is something that The Lutheran World Federation and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America are committed to supporting, have been, are now and always will be." "We were very honored by the visit of Bishop Eaton and her delegation," said the Rev. Munib Younan, bi shop o f the E LC J HL an d pre si dent o f The L u theran Wo r ld Fe deration. "We arranged a program where she could meet all concerned parties, all ecumenical parties, representatives from all of the Abrahamic faiths, and the work of Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land and The Lutheran World Federation in Jerusalem. Through her visit, this accompaniment relationship that started in 1988 was strengthened even more. It has helped us to see that we both in the ELCJHL and ELCA have been called together for a common mission for the love of God in the Middle East and the United States," said Younan. The ELCA delegation met with representatives of the Council of Religious Institutions of the Holy Land established in 2005 to ensure the ongoing engagement of the leadership and representation of the official religious institutions of the Jewish, Christian and Muslim faith communities in the Holy Land. In addition to the council, the delegation met with Patriarch Theophilos III, the Patriarch of the Orthodox Church of Jerusalem; Patriarch Fouad Twal, archbishop of the Roman Catholic Church and Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem; and Archbishop Nourhan Manougian, Patriarch of the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem. Eaton and others from her delegation met with Palestinian Authority officials, the mayor of Bethlehem, the Israeli Ministry of the Interior, Israeli deputy foreign minister officials, the U.S. Consul General and others. Eaton addressed a gathering of ELCJHL pastors and the denomination's Church Council. The relationship between the ELCJHL and ELCA "is deeply important to us," she said, adding that she sees hope for the land through the ministries of ELCJHL. "When I think of people, Christian brothers and sisters, who are in situations that seem hopeless and they have hope, they give me hope. This church is a source of hope for me when I think there can be no hope," she said.

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