Gustavus Adolphus Lutheran Church

Transcription

1 J u l y G A C h u r c h w w w. g a c h u r c h. o r g Gustavus Adolphus Lutheran Church In this month s Newsletter Summer A New Rhythm, p. 2 Children & Youth Summer Events, p ELCA Youth Gathering, p. 5 Habitat for Humanity Build, p. 8 Gear Up for Workshop of Wonders VBS! August 4-8, :00 11:30 am Children ages 3 through Grade 5 $10 per child Explore and experience how the ordinary becomes extraordinary with God!! Adventures include interactive Bible fun and great music, super science, cool crafts, great games, and more. To be a part of the excitement, visit the GA Church website at or contact Sherrie at Mark your calendars and invite friends, kids in your neighborhood, and grandkids to join everyone at Workshop of Wonders VBS!!! COMMUNITY LISTENING PANELS CONTINUE Listening with Holy Ears to our Neighbors Community Listening Panel #2 Wednesday evening, July 16, beginning with a picnic at 6:00 pm Hot dogs & brats meal provided Panel begins at 6:30pm The panel will consist of three or four community persons who are not members of our congregation. The goal is to invite them to tell us from their unique perspective what this church could do for our community. We re inviting people from Saint Paul s East Side, Maplewood, Roseville, and North St. Paul. Our first Community Listening Panel was on June 29. The panel will be moderated by a member of our leadership team. We invite you to join us for this time of holy listening. Questions? Contact one of the leaders of the Listening Team: Bev Challgren [Bdwain.challgren@comcast.net or (651) ], or Rick Howard [(651) or rickorlori@comcast.net].

2 Page 2 Gustavus Adolphus Lutheran Chur ch FROM THE SENIOR PASTOR: Summer A New Rhythm This may be the worst time of year to write about staffing in the church newsletter. It is summer. And lives are busy, often moving at a different pace than the rest of the year. Summer is a different pace at church, but it is a change in rhythm, not need. We continue to hold two services each Sunday, with lots of creativity happening around the content of those services. Rather than weekly Christian education for children and youth, we focus on week-long programing either here or at Camp Onomia. We visit the sick, and those in crisis. A change in rhythm. I m writing this month to make you aware of staff schedules, and to ask for you help to keep giving at a level more like the giving during the school year. For our expenses of this new-rhythm-ed ministry does not slow down. It just changes rhythm. A. Here is the CURRENT SCHEDULE for pastors, program staff and office personnel: Pastor Bonnie Wilcox: Tuesdays Fridays, plus weekends & on call [Full time] Pastor Amanda Simons*: Tuesdays Thursdays, plus weekends & on call [3/4 time] Pastor Susan Schoon: [no office hours; visits homebound members] 20 hours/month NOTE: We bunch most evening events and meetings on Tuesdays and Wednesdays to be efficient with staff time. As Pastor Amanda is in her first call as a pastor, it is important that she works as much as possible with Pastor Bonnie s leadership, and therefore, on Mondays we do not have a pastor in the office. We are, however, on call to respond to emergencies. *Pastor Amanda was called last year for a half time call, when the transition team determined that financially sustaining a fulltime call was not possible given the level of giving by members. The Council, in light of ministry demands in 2014, has pushed her schedule to ¾ time for this year, and will re-assess for Sherrie Nordquist Mondays Thursdays, plus weekends [Full time] Jerry Brakke Tuesdays Wednesdays, plus weekends [1/2 time] Jennifer Schneider Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays 20 hours/week Brit Barkholtz Mondays Thursdays 32 hours/week Judy Hitchcock Wednesday afternoons, Friday mornings 10 hours/week B. WE APPRECIATE your support, understanding, and patience. The days of five-day-per-week office coverage at the church are probably over. And ministry has never been an in the office kind of job. Ministry takes places in many settings, with many kinds of people and groups. And technology has not reduced work, but actually increased our opportunities to connect with more people more quickly in more ways. And we are always looking for ways to be efficient with the tools we have at our disposal. Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together spirit, soul, and body and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he ll do it! 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, The Message (MSG)

3 J uly 2014 C. YOU make a difference! The time you give as a member of the community in so many ways is TRULY what makes ministry happen in this place! From weekly grocery donation deliveries to teaching confirmation to ushering to lawn mowing to dusting the altars and driving home-bound members to scheduled appointments, (plus a hundred more ways) -- WE ARE ALL MINISTERS! THANK YOU! D. YOUR GIFTS of money are the sole support for our mission and ministry. Period. Without your offerings to this church in worship or through electronic giving, nothing happens. And that includes the work of the greater church in the world together. And we don t keep your offerings all to ourselves. A portion of every gift is shared with the church beyond us to make new missions possible, to create support for worship and Christian education, to work for justice on behalf of the least and the lowliest. E. PLEASE GIVE during the summer. Summer slump is a term I don t like, but it happens in the church. Attendance on Sundays in the summer is Page 3 lower, and consequently, so are offerings. But the expense of the mission continues. If you are in church less, we would appreciate it if you would mail in or give regular gifts through our online links. [Mail a check to the church, or make a special gift online (gachurch.org, click on the upper right hand online donation, or better yet, set up a regular electronic gift from your bank account to the church.)] And remember, giving has always been a part of the act of worship. And it feels good! F. We covet (desire, appreciate, request) your PRAYERS. The staff of this church are capable, compassionate, strong people who also have busy, complicated lives. Your prayers for the work we do together, and for the lives we live apart from our roles at church are important to us. Thank you. Thank you for listening to the rhythm of summer in the church, for taking the time to read this, and to consider the needs of this ministry. We will continue to give you all we can in service to our Savior. Pastor Bonnie Wilcox Senior Pastor In June, our property committee had our lot swept, repaired and re-striped. They also moved a handicapped parking spot in the south lot for safety reasons, and set up new and welcoming signs for visitors and families with young children in both lots. The Hospitality Task Force (with members of the Property, Worship & Music and Fine Arts Committees) are working on signage at all building entrances. The City of Saint Paul will perform construction of new curb and gutter and entrances to our south lot from Idaho Avenue in July and August This is part of the Residential Street Vitality Program (RSVP). Please be aware that there will be weeks this summer when you will not be able to access our parking lot from Idaho Avenue. We also anticipate that we will offer our lot to our neighbors for parking as they lose access to curbside parking in the area. It is our hope that this construction will be completed before the State Fair. We anticipate that the Ramsey County signal project at Larpenteur Avenue and Parkway will have been completed by the time you receive this letter, as it was reported to be completed by June 27.

4 Page 4 Gustavus Adolphus Lutheran Chur ch CHILDREN, YOUTH AND FAMILY MINISTRY Gear Up for Workshop of Wonders VBS! August 4-8, :00 11:30 am Children ages 3 through Grade 5 $10 per child Explore and experience how the ordinary becomes extraordinary with God!! Adventures include interactive Bible fun and great music, super science, cool crafts, great games, and more. To be a part of all the excitement, visit the GA Church website at or contact Sherrie at Mark your calendars, invite friends, kids in your neighborhood, grandkids to join everyone at Workshop of Wonders VBS!!! COME PLAY IN OUR CHURCH NURSERY! Loving care by our experienced caregiver Cindy Crayne - is offered for infants through 4 year olds on Sunday mornings from 9:00 am through 11:30 am during the summer months. More VBS Prep Parties for Junior and Senior High youth! Get together with your friends and help set up and decorate for VBS. Meet at GA on Wednesdays, July 16, 23, & 30 from 10 am 3 pm. WANTED! Adventure-minded Jr.& Sr. High Youth & Adults of all ages Artists and decorators are needed to create background, settings, props & posters before VBS begins. Small group leaders (Jr. & Sr. High youth), Snack Station leaders, Games Site leaders, Crafts Site leaders, and Preschool co-leaders are needed. Consider helping one day or all week. Stop by the Welcome Desk to sign-up or online at or contact Sherrie Nordquist at Ready to start Sunday School? If you have a child who has or will turn three years old by September 1 of this year or if your child has not attended Sunday School at Gustavus in the past, please pick up a Sunday School registration form at the Welcome Desk or contact Sherrie Nordquist at the church office for more information. Family Weekends, GrandparentKIDS Camp, Military Families Camp and 1-2 night camps for Beginners (grades K-2) & Pioneers (grades 1-3) are great opportunities to experience summer camp at our partner in ministry, Camp Onomia this summer. Find out more at REGISTER FOR CAMP ONOMIA THIS SUMMER! GA kids of all ages can go to Camp Onomia the week of July 6-11! Pick up a Camp brochure at the Welcome Desk or register online at or call the camp office at Explorers completed Gr 3-6 The best week of your summer! Cool Bible studies, afternoons filled with fun activities, evening large group adventures & sunset campfires! For more information about Sunday School and Confirmation programs, contact Sherrie Nordquist by calling the Church office (direct line) or sherrie@gachurch.org

5 J uly 2014 Fish Camp completed Gr 4-7 Here is your chance to drown a few worms, catch a few fish, and warm up in the sun. And time for swimming, new games, and an evening campfire with friends! Night Owls completed Gr 6-8 Put on your night goggles for this one! Campers stay up later and sleep later into the morning. God s cool creation is a whole different adventure during the nighttime hours. Adventure Camp completed Gr 6-9 Off- site excursions, servant projects and extreme fun is highlighted by an overnight river trip and campout. Quality time with friends and group building on the challenge course it doesn t get much better than this! CIT (Counselor In Training) for High School youth will take place the week of June The GA Youth Ministry team will pick up half the cost of a week of camp for GA kids attending! Camp fee is $370. Your half is just $ ELCA Youth Gathering Page 5 The ELCA Youth Gathering for high school-age youth takes place every three years and is about faith formation, worship, study, fellowship, service and play. It is an opportunity for youth to engage with peers from across the United States and the world who share a common commitment and faith in Christ. The next Gathering will be held July 15-19, 2015, in Detroit, Michigan. The Gathering is a five-day event that begins on a Wednesday evening and ends with a service of communion the following Sunday morning. The opening night sets the stage for the days ahead in which young people may have an encounter with Jesus that energizes their faith and helps them discover their call to serve in the world locally and globally. Between Wednesday and Sunday, young people rotate through a variety of service learning experiences in the surrounding community. They explore and strengthen their faith by studying God s word, serving their neighbor, sharing bread and wine in worship, participating in lively faith discussions and broadening their experience of God s world and diverse communities through travel. When the question Why work so hard to gather so many young people in one place? pops up, the response is quite simple. We were meant to be together, and we are a church that believes God is calling us into the world together. So every now and then, we gather young people and adults together to share their unique stories and to experience the larger story that makes up the ELCA; we gather to be inspired, encouraged, strengthened, connected and sent out to do God s work in the world together! Youth who will be in grades 8th-12th in the fall of 2014 are eligible to participate in the Gathering. Pastor Bonnie, Sherrie and my hope is that our youth will participate in this Gathering. We invite our youth and parents to attend an informational meeting on Wednesday, August 20 at 6:30 pm to learn more about the Gathering and how to participate in this grand adventure of being church together with 40,000 Lutheran youth. To RSVP to this meeting and to ask any questions, please contact me at a.simons@gachurch.org. I hope that you will consider being a part of this grand adventure. From personal experience as a youth and as an adult leader, I can t say enough about the transforming experience of attending the ELCA Youth Gathering. Thank you and Happy Summer! Pastor Amanda

6 Page 6 Gustavus Adolphus Lutheran Chur ch GLOBAL MISSIONS: SOME THINGS CHANGE AND SOME ARE NEW It s summer and isn t it welcomed as we see the flowers blooming, the birds singing, vacation adventures taking shape and hopefully enjoying a picnic or two! Farmers Market will take place again this summer and fall. We will offer a table in the Gathering Area on Sundays for whatever your garden (or pots) produce in excess of your use. Flowers, herbs, fruits and vegetable are always welcome. At the Cluster meeting of the Bega Kwa Bega program we had the opportunity to hear from our new director, Peter Harrits, who started in January. The Tanzanian mission partnerships and affiliated programs have rapidly grown over the past twenty years a wonderful gift to those involved here and to our Tanzanian friends but there also needed to be more defined structure. Under Bishop Rogness s leadership, the BKB director is now a part of the Synod cabinet, giving it a more formal place at the table. The newly elected Bishop Patricia Lull, will certainly benefit from this structure and how the partnerships have so profoundly affected the St. Paul Area Synod in its mission outreach. We welcome her and look forward to sharing with her the many rich experiences so many have shared of their visits with their partnership parishes. I also learned at the Cluster meeting that Kiponzelo community was the recipient of seven shallow wells drilled through the Water to Thrive program. They worked with St. Paul Partners in assessing areas of greatest need for clean and safe water. If you are interested in reading more of their work, check the website: watertothrive.org. Instead of doing one well at a time in various locations, they deliberately look for areas where they can put in at least seven wells and impact the most persons. Kiponzelo had a very highly contaminated waterborne disease water supply. September 14 a date to mark on your calendar and start planning what you want to share at the newly named Fun Food for Finances (formerly Bites for ). With a whole lot of fun and lots of good food choices, the committee decided to make it a more playful way to raise funds for the Tanzanian micro-finance program (SACCOS). They were the recipients of last year s Bites for Business event. Through the initial fundraisers to provide the startup program in 2013, $10,600 was given through donations and matches. That money funded 41 loans with $260 per average loan, leaving 13 applications not funded and we know there will be many more applicants this year. The committee decided that providing additional funding through this year s event, we continue to help them help themselves in a most effective way. May you have a wonderful summer enjoy traditional activities try something new and most importantly view it all as a gift from God for our enjoyment! Jean Schwartz Global Mission Chair MONTHLY MISSION EMPHASIS July- Aug- Sept- Library Loaves and Fishes Lutheran Health Care Bangladesh Use the blue giving envelope that comes from the church. If you give electronically, designate a one-time or ongoing gift for Missions.

7 J uly 2014 Page 7 COMMUNITY CARING Community Garden Update We have been in talks within our own congregation and with the St. Paul Council of Churches and the Hmong- American Partnership to begin a community garden together on our church property. The dream and goal of a joint community garden is to increase our community outreach and enhance our relationships with our neighbors while providing support and ministry opportunity to recent immigrants who economically provide for their families through the growth and sale of produce. Our congregation has been ready and set to go since spring when we first began to dream and plan about a community garden for our congregation and our neighborhood. Our partners, the St. Paul Council of Churches and Hmong-American Partnership, through the Farm-Faith Project, have been going through a time of transition in their executive leadership which has affected the beginning of our collaborative ministry together. Both of our partners have affirmed their eagerness and desire to continue our relationship and the community garden at GA. Due to the optimal planting season having passed and the leadership transitions, we have decided together to continue to meet and plan for a spring opening of our community garden next year in table available in the Gathering Area for you to place your donated excesses and for the rest of us it means we need to stop by and take some home. There will be a Donations Basket available if you care to add a bit of money that will in turn be used for our Tanzanian partnership programs. It s easy for us to remember the name Kiponzelo but we are also sponsoring the split parish with a bit more challenging name Igangidungu u. Try rolling that off your tongue, and if you need some assistance, Joe Norquist will be glad to help you out! Enjoy planting, enjoy the harvest and enjoy summer! Altar Guild The altar guild is looking for new members to fill vacancies for four months during the year. What does the altar guild do? A member is assigned to serve for one month and usually comes to church an hour or so a week to change altar paraments. dust the altar areas in the sanctuary, chapel and Luther Hall, and check and report if the acolyte robes need washing. The months currently open are February, March, June and July. If you've never volunteered before someone can show you where things are kept and give you some pointers. If you can, its best to come to change paraments on Friday morning when the work crew is at church and can help. If interested, please call Nancy Johnson at I look forward to next spring and a time for us to build and plant together with our neighbors. If you would like to assist in planning for our community garden, please contact me at a.simons@gachurch.org. Thank you for all of your support of this new ministry and community outreach. Pastor Amanda Farmer s Market For many of us there is a bit of farmer in all of us, whether it is caring for plants, growing flowers in a small bed, or planting a large garden that requires lots of time and patience. Also for some of us, there seems to be an abundance of some things; more than we can use ourselves but certainly could be enjoyed by others. We will have a 551 Club The July - August 551 Club booklets have arrived and are located in the pocket at the Senior Ministry kiosk in the Gathering Area. There are many interesting activities including the following: Monday, July 14 A tour of the Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam with lunch afterwards at Kramarczuk's. Monday, July 21 Lake Minnetonka Cruise and lunch with a pick up site at GA Church at 9:45am. $35. Sunday, August 10 "Broadway Songbook: The First 100 Years of Broadway" at the Ordway Center. Tuesday, August 26 Light Rail to Target Field Tour and lunch at Chistos in The St. Paul Union Depot. There are many other tours, trips, classes and activities available so pick up a booklet and have fun!

8 Page 8 Gustavus Adolphus Lutheran Chur ch COMMUNITY CARING OPEN LEADERSHIP POSITION: Treasurer The Church Council is looking for a member with background and experience in accounting to serve a 3- year term as treasurer. The responsibilities include oversight of monthly financial statements in conjunction with the business administrator and chair of the Financial Resources Committee; attending monthly meetings of the Financial Resources Committee (usually the 3 rd Tuesday of the month) and Church Council meetings (the 4 th Tuesday of the month), as well as membership on the Executive Committee of the Church Council. A sense of the mission spirit of the church, financial aptitude, a generous heart, and interest in working with people on stewardship, property and financial matters of the church are needed. Contact one of the pastors or congregation president Christopher Stordalen or vice president Debra Hogen with questions. STATE FAIR PARKING It is THAT time of year again! Clear your schedules to save some time to welcome people to our parking lot during the State Fair for the free Park & Ride, August 21 September 1. The church earns $4,000-5,000 each year through your labor. Think about helping for a 4- hour shift with friends, couples, families. More information to come in the August newsletter. TWIN CITIES HABITAT FOR HUMANITY July 14- July 18 on a house at 63 Hatch Ave St. Paul Volunteering with Thrivent Builds Homes lets you put your faith into action. Help one family s dream of owning a home come true by framing a wall, shingling a roof or painting a room. No experience needed; for ages 16 & older. If you think it is time for a lifechanging experience, talk with Rick Howard at (rickorlori@comcast.net) or Bruce Pelava at (oldtinbender@comcast.net). We ll be working together with people from Redeemer Lutheran Church, White Bear Lake WEEKLY BIBLE STUDY Thursdays, 10:00 am Learn more about the Bible readings for the coming Sunday, led by Pastor Bonnie Wilcox or Pastor Amanda Simons 125 Years and Forward 125 th Anniversary Note cards & Prints: Paul Oman s Walking in the Light Mural Available now are 4x6 note cards with envelopes, 8x10 color prints and 11x16 color prints of the mural created for our 125 th Anniversary. Watch for the display in the Gathering Area on Sunday mornings to purchase these items as a memento of this important year in the life of our church and a beautiful work of art! WHEW! The first month of celebrations of our 125th Anniversary as a church are over! Thank you to everyone who participated, planned, organized, cleaned, decorated, prayed, visited, invited and celebrated at any and all of this week s events. THANK YOU! And watch the newsletter and weekly s for upcoming events, including a block party this fall! On our 125 th Anniversary from our Bishop, Rev. Peter Rogness: Though I m not able to be with you tonight I m aware that this is your big evening to celebrate 125 years at GA. It shouldn t go past without noting the immense role the congregation has played in the life of the whole church in this place early on, as a kind of cathedral church for Swedish Lutheranism in St. Paul, as a mother church launching more ministries throughout the area, and continuing that zeal literally around the world. This missionary DNA is firmly rooted, as evidenced by your continuing strong participation across the landscape from the East side of St. Paul to Africa, and a myriad of places in between. Gustavus Adolphus is the kind of church that makes the fabric of the whole body of Christ strong and resilient. The people who gather will have much to be thankful for but even more, the church far beyond Larpenteur and Arcade has much to thank God for the church across the city synod and globe, and across the years, for what has been done in Christ s name by the saints of Gustavus Adolphus. I hope you have a grand celebration! Bishop Peter Rogness

9 J uly 2014 Page 9 Thoughts from Pastor Amanda This month I give thanks for you, for your ministry, gifts and welcome, and I celebrate my one year anniversary as your associate pastor and our shared ministry together. It has been quite a year for our congregation as we ve welcomed new staff and members and said good-bye to others, as we ve celebrated the births and baptisms of children and grieved the deaths of long-time members, as we ve journeyed together with our Synod congregations in the call process of a new bishop, and as we ve began to celebrate our 125 th Anniversary and look forward to our future and envision together who God is calling us to be as Gustavus Adolphus Lutheran Church and which ministries, new and old, God is calling us to now and in our next 125 years. It has been a good year. Some of my highlights from this past year have been our Wednesday nights with our children, youth, parents and bible study regulars. Every week I look forward to sharing a meal together and having conversation with our members, teaching our confirmation youth and learning from them about their questions and insights about faith, and worshipping in new and different contemporary styles in Luther Hall. I enjoyed our Walk to the Light and Walk to the Cross seasonal journeys during Advent, Epiphany and Lent and the practice of meeting daily for prayer around the spiral wreaths and singing our songs while moving our Jesus figures closer to Christmas and Easter. I ve enjoyed getting to know you through conversations in our church hallways, in your homes and out for coffee and lunch in our church neighborhood. It s been a good year and I m so thankful to be your associate pastor and to share in God s work together with you. As I look ahead, I dream big dreams and envision big visions for our ministry together and our 125 Years and Forward as God s people on the Eastside as the Lutheran congregation with the funny Swedish name. I was honored to share a few of these dreams and visions with our congregation at our 125 th Anniversary Dinner. Thank you for letting me share them with you. I invite you to share your dreams and visions for our congregation with me and each other, so that together we may respond to the Spirit s movement and move forward into our future, lifting up the treasure of the good news and doing God s work of love, justice and peace in the world. Rev. Amanda Simons Associate Pastor Gustavus Adolphus Lutheran Church is financed entirely by the generous, direct financial gifts of its members and friends. There are several ways you can bless this mission of Jesus with your gifts: 1. Place your check or cash in the offering plate passed during the service. Envelopes are in the pews. 2. Electronic Funds Transfer from our website, gachurch.org (upper right corner). It gives you options to have your weekly, bimonthly or monthly offerings deducted from your checking or savings account and deposited directly to the GA Church bank account. 3. Bill Pay. Follow the directions for your bank or credit union to create GA Church as a Payee at 1669 N. Arcade St., St. Paul, MN 55106, and choose to make a regular weekly or monthly offering. 4. Stock Transfer to the church. For more information, contact Jennifer Schneider in the church office,

10 Page 10 Gustavus Adolphus Lutheran Chur ch JULY BIRTHDAYS 1 Crystal Bauer Dawn Semlak 2 Stephen Bordson Douglas Ryan 3 Paul Berglund Noah Howard Teri St. Martin 4 Judy Hitchcock Debra Hogen Erin Michaelson-Richie Casey Monette Jan Pierson Elsie Reichel 5 Sadie Clauson Joann Ellefson Kaitlyn Gaeu 6 Krista Geiger-Simpson Greta Krueger Cullen Olson 7 Laura Ottinger 8 Verna Rozenberg Isabella Villarreal 9 Douglas johnson Robert Johnson 10 Rev. Roger Schwartz 11 Kyle Anderson Betty Bakkethun 12 Lenore Baumann Anna Gustafson Jill Youngren 14 Galen Fitzel Justin Lee Kristen Lynch Beth West 15 Anita Aguirre 17 Jenny Croucher Randy Gawtry Rev. Arland Hultgren Wes Johnson 19 Dianne Brooke Breanne Foster Charlotte Krispin David (DW) Surine Jacob Troska 20 Gary Johnson 21 Kevin Berglund 22 Amy Lee Lily McCann 23 Nathan Blume Roy Peterson Bryn Relay James Swanson 24 Kelly Bidon Mari Drake Louise Feske 25 Diane Fitzel Thomas Himmer 26 Alice Dahlblom Karen Landkamer Billy Lundgren Jeff Troska Jean Vaughan Carrie Westman 27 Audrey Barrette 28 Cyndi Lattimore 29 Sharon Miller Sophia Nelson 30 Alec Pfalz 31 Jeanne Heitkamp Lori Howard Jacqueline Jones Brittney Luchsinger Tammy Ottinger Mark Wegscheider Church Directory in a New Way? Creating a church directory is big effort, especially to put together a photo directory. I know of several churches that have done this on their own apart from the big companies that have done our directories in the past. What If? We used our own technology and talents to make a directory ourselves? We could set up a little photo studio in Luther Hall and have photographers from the church take portraits on Sunday mornings as people are at church in a more informal way. Or we could have households send in digital copies of a family photo from vacation or other event. There would be no sales pitch to buy portraits, but we could make them available to people on a secure web site. The cost of printing, however, would be borne by all of us, and we would have to charge people for a directory, or have a fundraiser to cover the costs. Would You? offer your talent and time to put this together? We would need photographers, someone to set up a studio area with a couple of different backdrops, people to do the online organization of photos and information (based on the recommendations of other churches), and someone to coordinate the effort. This could be a good project for our anniversary, with portraits taken in September at church, in the hope of directories organized and printed by December. Talk to one of the pastors if you are interested in working with a group of fun people on this project!

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12 Gustavus Adolphus (GA) Lutheran Church 1669 Arcade St St. Paul, MN Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage P A I D Twin Cities MN Permit No. 585 Gustavus Adolphus (GA) is a member of the Saint Paul Area Synod ( of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), Church Staff & Contact Information Bonnie Wilcox, Senior Pastor Amanda Simons, Associate Pastor Susan Schoon, Visitation Pastor Jerry Brakke, Dir. of Music Sherrie Nordquist, Dir. of Christian Education Jennifer Schneider, Business Administrator Brit Barkholtz, Administrative Assistant Judy Hitchcock, Administrative Assistant b.wilcox@gachurch.org a.simons@gachurch.org susanschoon@icloud.net jerry@gachurch.org sherrie@gachurch.org jennifer@gachurch.org brit@gachurch.org judy@gachurch.org Rick Arons, Nelson Tracey & Kevin Berglund, (none) Custodians Kathy Laramy, Wedding Consultant Kendra Nielsen, Diana Williams, ASL Interpreters ironkl@hotmail.com Make a Special Anniversary Gift to the church a dollar for each of our 125 years, or maybe $100 for each year? Whatever the amount, it will be used well to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ! Newsletter Submission Deadlines GA Newsletter submission deadline is the 1st Monday of the month for the upcoming month newsletter: 1st Monday in July for August s Newsletter 1st Monday in August for September s Newsletter 1st Monday in September for October s Newsletter If you are responsible for a monthly article, please put these dates in your personal calendar. Send your article to info@gachurch.org.