June Who We Are What We Believe

Transcription

1 June 2015 Highlands Lutheran Church Who We Are What We Believe Highlands Lutheran Church is an open, welcoming and affirming Body of Christ intentionally following the life & teachings of Jesus, committing to hospitality and social justice. Dearly beloved, We are continuing our series of personal stories. This month, we hear from Wanda and Martin Brotherton. Enjoy! Pastor Liliana Inside this issue: 1 HLC Stories Wanda and Martin Brotherton 2 Worship Ministers Schedule June and July Birthdays 3 Pastor s Journeys 4 BRT Meeting Minutes HLC Council Minutes 5 Seen And Heard Around the Church 6 Happening at Highlands 7 More Happening at Highlands 8 RMS Assembly Lorraine and Paul s Notes 9 Thoughts for Reflection 10 A Day at St. Francis Wanda: I grew up in a family of 7 children, me being the youngest, the spoiled one as I often heard. I lived on a farm in northern Indiana until I went away to college. I taught elementary school in Jefferson County for 28 years, retiring at the age of 50. This has given me plenty of years to explore many volunteer opportunities, which I enjoy. I grew up firmly embedded in the Mennonite faith. Believing in pacifism, service, believer s baptism, and living a Christ-like life here on earth, were some of our tenets. When I met Martin, we were both involved in our individual churches and did not want to give them up, so we continued to attend both of them. This has given both of us rich experiences and friendships. Martin: I was born in 1942 in Battle Creek, Michigan, 7 minutes after my sister. We were a family of 6, my father being in the Army for 20 years, and moving very often. Best places we lived were Germany and Hawaii. I became an elementary school teacher and taught in Jefferson County schools for 30 years, which I enjoyed, and have many great memories of students and fellow teachers. After some bumps in my marriages, I finally met Wanda, and life became heaven on earth. We have been going to Highlands Lutheran and 1st Mennonite of Denver together since We have been involved in different and rewarding services at both churches, which still continues. Wanda and Martin: We joined our families in Martin came with 2 daughters, Emelie and Sarah, and one son, Will. Wanda brought one daughter, Susan. We had the devastating event of Will being killed in a bungee jumping accident at the age of 19. This changed our lives forever. Our girls have gone on to become married and have children, blessing us with 5 of the greatest grandchildren. We see it as our challenge to be loving and compassionate role models to them and be very present in their lives. We have a good life together enjoying many activities together and separate Martin has his motorcycles and Wanda her reading and quilting. We do a good bit of travelling, bicycling, attending sporting events, and playing pickleball together. Martin and Wanda Brotherton

2 Page Irving St., Denver, CO ; office@highlandslutheran.org We re on Facebook Click here to check us out! NEW WORSHIP TIME STARTING IN JUNE 10AM! WORSHIP MINISTERS IN JUNE Worship at HLC: Sunday at 10:00 am Visitor Hospitality for May: Wanda Brotherton HLC STAFF Rev. Liliana Stahlberg, pastor Anna Millies, communication and administrative assistant Jimmy Howe, music director Margie Gonzalez, custodian June 7 Usher Team 4: Lorraine & Paul Rumpeltes, Jerry Haselgren, Martin Brotherton Reader: Nicole Jobin Assisting Minister: Mary Williams Chancel Ministry: Marilyn Criley Children s Sermon: Nancy Lintvedt Birthday Coffee Hour Host: Mary Williams and Erin Power June 14 Usher Team 1: Paul Criley, Vivian Anderson, Rick Wittkopp, Joe Milius Reader: Nancy Lintvedt Assisting Minister: Elizabeth Smith Chancel Ministry: Sue Wittkopp Coffee Hour Host: Sara and Joe Milius June 21 Usher Team 2: Lorraine & Paul Rumpeltes, Jerry Haselgren, Martin Brotherton Reader: Carrie Ogierson Assisting Minister: Wendy Haselgren Chancel Ministry: Sara Milius Coffee Hour Host: Sydney Greenish June 28 Usher Team 3: Anne Cannady, Joe Milius, Paul Criley, Rick Wittkopp Reader: Elizabeth Smith Assisting Minister: Robin Lockwood Chancel Ministry: Pam McClune Coffee Hour Host: Pam McClune CLIP AND PUT ON YOUR FRIDGE! Birthdays and Anniversaries JUNE 1 Paul Criley 5 Justin Schust 7 Pennie Burris 12 Vernal Elliott 15 Sueanne Wittkopp 16 John (Pete) Harris Stacey Honeyman Roy & Sharon Setzer (1979) Jill & Jake DeHamer (2007) 17 Andy & Denise Lubansky 23 Anna Millies 30 Joe Milius JULY 9 Martin & Wanda Brotherton (1988) 9 John & Susan Pelikan (2011) 12 John Gustafson 13 Violet Holtzinger 19 Sara Milius 23 Loren Hanson

3 Page 3 PASTOR S JOURNEYS This June, my youngest daughter Maria Sidonia Andronescu is getting married to James Bernardi. The wedding is going to be in a Catholic church in Florence, Italy. James' father is Italian and he has organized almost everything. His mother is British and she is in charge of the wedding party. I will have a part in the wedding as well. I am going to read the 1 Corinthians 13 passage about LOVE! And I will read it in Italian! So, I am practicing... We are leaving Denver on June 8th. The whole family will visit with Wolfgang's mom, Hilde, and his sister and nephews, in his home town Herford, in NW Germany. Hilde is 86 and fading. But she is hanging in there and is getting ready for the visit of 9 people! After 4 days in Germany, I am taking a flight to Bucharest, Romania, to visit with my mom and some of my friends. I'm not letting everyone know I'm coming because I'm going to be there just for 5 days and do not have time to visit with all of them. My mom suffers from Alzheimer and dementia and is in a nursing home. It is a beautiful place with only 22 residents and she receives very good care. I understand she is quite funny and makes the staff laugh a lot! From Romania I'm flying back to Germany and then Wolfgang and I are going for a few days to Rome to visit the catacombs as well as other early Christian places. I want to see Columna Traiani, a stone column carved with war scenes from when the Romans, led by emperor Trajan, conquered the territory that is now Romania. They won the war in CE and stayed there for about 300 years. Consequently Romanians speak a Latin language very similar to Italian. From Rome we will take the train to Florence and meet James' parents and be with the family and friends before, during and after the wedding. The wedding party is going to be in a remodeled ancient villa, in Fiesole, a suburb of Florence. We are flying back to our US home on July 1st and we will be in Denver on July 2nd! I will miss you all! Please, keep us in your prayers for safe travels! And I will also keep you all in my heart and prayers so that I will find you all safe and sound. Pastor Liliana THE MOSAIC THAT SHOWS US THE FACE OF GOD A mosaic consists of thousands of little stones. Some are blue, some are green, some are yellow, some are gold. When we bring our faces close to the mosaic, we can admire the beauty of each stone. But as we step back from it, we can see that all these little stones reveal to us a beautiful picture, telling a story none of these stones can tell by itself. That is what our life in community is about. Each of us is like a little stone, but together we reveal the face of God to the world. Nobody can say: "I make God visible." But others who see us together can say: "They make God visible." Community is where humility and glory touch.

4 HLC MEETINGS MINUTES Page 4 BRT MEETING Community Assessment Pastor began the meeting by pointing out that information about Community Assessment Consultant was in the information circulated for the Extraordinary Congregational Meeting. She summarized quickly what Lisle will be hired to do in this job. There will be a contract with her responsibilities published in the July NL. Liesl arrives on Sunday, May 31 st and attend service. 2. Architectural Plans Prioritizing what needs to be done the most. Chad made the suggestion that we treat these as individual projects and get each one of them priced out (estimates etc.) before we put them in some kind of order. Nicole also suggested that we go ahead and start getting an idea of costs, but wait to prioritize until after the Community Assessment is done so that we can take it into account. Floors - resurfacing over the asbestos tiles (identify new materials and scope of work) Windows - replacing old metal frames and single panes with energy efficient windows, double glazed, yet still keeping the character of the building, etc., replacing broken windows in the Sanctuary Kitchen - floors, new countertops, etc. (identify scope of work) Bathrooms - remodel of basement restrooms especially Lighting - replacement of old fixtures (Ken to follow up with Justin from Xcel) Heating - boiler replacement, high efficiency boiler and water heaters Remove stage in the fellowship hall (before flooring is put in there - and replace with what?) 3. Other ideas Adopt a room project idea. You have the list and priorities, and then ask people to start stepping up to help raise the capital. We need to connect BRT with HLC mission focus. Sustainability (in the sense of taking care of our building and property) is a part of mission. Pam linked this to good stewardship. 4. Decisions taken at the end of meeting. Ken will talk with Justin to follow through with Xcel We will wait for the community assessment to make final plan about mission and priorities in getting the bigger projects done, but we can make a start with the smaller projects. The overall remodeling plan can be made after Lisle is done. Mission oriented projects are an important way to view this - connect to community assessment Identify people to get prices, estimates, an idea on what kind of permits we will need etc. on some of the projects. Start building a budget for each project. Use a thermometer for fundraising (how much money gets us to each project) HLC COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES The Pastor s report: Pastor Stahlberg has contacted Sondra Tilsley, pastor of Highland Christian Church and has planned the service for June 7 th. She has also contacted Liesl concerning the contract for community assessment to take place during the months of June, July and August. Pastor Stahlberg will be leaving on June 8 th to attend the wedding of her daughter. She will return at the end of the month. Property report: Ken Wiig, contacted the two companies that offered to do the skylight and roof. He recommended Denver Roofing Solutions. They offer a three year labor warranty. The floors in the Fellowship Hall, the hallways, lounge and library, landings will be stripped, cleaned and re-waxed. Ellen Lorts and Nicole Jobin are donating the floor cleaning. Sherryl Weston, a counselor who needs space in the neighborhood in which to meet clients, came at the request of Ken Wiig to talk about her practice and her needs. She works with women s issues and parenting issues. She will have a talk with Katie Ford regarding the second floor counseling space. Ellen Lorts is researching area door suppliers to replace the back doors which will be used by Highland Christian Church as their main entry doors. Justin Schust has donated his time and materials to paint the new sanctuary space for HCC. Clean up day is scheduled for June 6 th. Margie Gonzalez is no longer the custodian at HLC. We will count on congregational help until we find a new custodian. Jake and Jill DeHamer have offered to clean the church for this week. The flat roof around the skylight has been changed! The skylight will be changed next week. The one the company ordered was standard and ours is one inch larger. There was an Excel Energy evaluation of our lighting in the church. They are giving us a 60% rebate if we change our fixtures with energy efficient ones. Ken Wiig will be in contact with them. The next council meeting will be on June 1 st, 6:15 at the church. BRT MINUTES, 4. Decisions, cont. Short term HCC (fix window panes, get new doors for north side, curtains) The need to develop consistent rental policies is accepted. Very intentionally save money from building rental. We can transfer income to the second account set up for HLC at the bank rather than leaving it in the general fund. (Pam will talk with St. Andrews, Pastor might contact Pastor Brad at HUMC for ideas on how they deal with their community space rentals) Sustainability - solar? Think about this in the long term. Talk about how the remodeling fits in with the idea of stewardship

5 SEEN AND HEARD AROUND THE CHURCH Page 5 HLC Moms' Group and Elderberries ladies met for the Spring Brunch at Pennie Burris' home on May 16th. A good time was had by all. The babies were adorable and the toddlers are now playing together. We are so happy they will get to grow together as friends! Community is where humility and glory touch. The Worship and music Team has met to plan the music Sunday as well as the Special service for June 7th! Jake and Jill cleaned the church two weeks ago. Their beautiful daughter Alice helped a lot! Thanks! HEAR YE, HEAR YE Mary Williams is graduating with her Master of Divinity on June 3rd! What an accomplishment! The HCC has brought their stuff in and their first office day will be June 1st! Make sure you welcome them when you meet them. We celebrated Hunter Walters first BIRTHDAY! Happy birthday big boy! May God bless you! Sara, Joe, and Isaiah Milius have bought their new home and are moved in! Congratulations! God bless your new home!

6 Page 6 HAPPENING AT HIGHLANDS SUMMER BOOK CLUB Our new book club will start right after worship on Sunday, June 14th in the library. We will begin with Sara Miles book, Take This Bread. Ms. Miles writes like a storyteller (which she was as a journalist); her journey from atheism to her service to Jesus is amazing! Let's read this together and get to know Sara and all the wonderful characters in her book! Let us know if you are coming by signing up on the sheet in the Narthex. For more information, talk with Mary Williams. You are invited to the Church Clean-Up Day at HLC Saturday, June 6th, 10:00-12:00 (Lunch at noon for our volunteers to follow) You may have noticed a bit of spring cleaning going on at Highlands Lutheran in the last couple of months. Maren Markus obtained the donation of two lovely couches for our Fellowship Hall, the storage closet in the basement under the stairs has been cleaned up and paint has been taken away to be recycled, Justin Schust has painted HCC s new worship space, and most of the floors in the church have been cleaned and waxed. We are looking good around HLC! Now we need your help to make our grounds beautiful. We need volunteers to do the following: 1. Get up on the roof and clean the gutters (and pick up debris this creates 2. Get the swamp cooler ready for the warmer weather we know is right around the corner 3. Clean the leaves and debris out of the window well pits in front and back of the church 4. Clean up the pine needles in the back of the church 5. Weed in the back or on the south side of the church and cut down sumac suckers 1. Clean out debris in the vinca by the sanctuary windows 2. Help organize and clean up the shed 3. Check the hoses If the weather is not cooperating or you would rather work indoors: 1. Wipe down wood on pew backs 2. Dust book shelves in library 3. Remove old tape from library walls (and clean up debris) 4. Clean window sills in any of the following: Sanctuary, Nursery, Sunday School room, Kitchen, and Fellowship Hall 5. Wipe down stairwell handrails with disinfectant wipes 6. Vacuum nursery and inspect toys (wash if needed) ELDERBERRIES Paul & Lorraine Rumpeltes will host a a Mexican Fiesta on June 9th at 12:30. Please bring a dessert to share. There will be a sign-up sheet in the Narthex Elderberry hosts NO ELDERBERRIES IN JULY August - Nancy Lintvedt September October - Nicole Jobin & Ellen Lorts November - Jerry & Wendy Haselgren HLC Moms Group Update from Sara: Summer is finally upon us (although the weather seems to think otherwise). I know people are in and out of town in the summer, but for those who are around we will continue to get together once a month. For the summer, let's plan to meet on the second Saturday of the month at 10:00. The dates will be June 13, July 11, and August 8. For June, we will meet at the park by Sloan's Lake where we have met before (near Tennyson and 26th). See you there! A sign up sheet will be available in the Narthex on May 31st. Please sign up to let us know you are coming. Those wishing to work outside please bring your gloves and any tools you think will be useful. Inside clean-up materials will be provided. See you there! Lunch will be provided at noon for our volunteers

7 Page 7 MORE HAPPENING AT HIGHLANDS THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! Paul and Lorraine: I would like to "Thank Everyone" for the donations, cards, letters with expressions of sympathy to my Family. We feel she is in a better place now with her Savior. We are sure she is enjoying the reunion with all of her Family that has gone before her. To the Mom s Group: Thanks to all of the moms for the nice spring brunch. Thanks to everyone who came and helped with the food. A special thank you to Pennie for hosting as well. For church improvements: thanks to Ellen and Nicole, who hired Russ to strip and wax all the church flooring! It looks so clean and it even smells better! Thanks to Justin Schust, who painted and prepared the large room in the basement to become the Church space for Highland Christian Church-Disciples of Christ. It looks 100 % better! Thanks to Mary Williams, Sue Wittkopp and Nancy Lintvedt who worked on cleaning up and removing Sunday school and VBS supplies from the L-shaped office upstairs for the secretary of HCC. JUNE 7 th - CELEBRATION SERVICE AT 10AM! Make sure to come to a special worship service when we welcome the new church moving in with us: Highland Christian Church- Disciples of Christ. (HCC-DOC). The service will be followed by a community spaghetti dinner when we can commune around the table with our new friends and mission neighbors. This will be a great way to welcome them and get to know them more personally. You don t need to bring anything just your smiling faces and your hands outstretched in friendship. Please sign-up in the Narthex so that we know how many to expect. See you there! The HLC Prayer Chain is in motion! To be added to the list or phone calls, please contact Maren Markus ( or marenmarkus@gmail.com). There are also prayer request forms on the table in the Narthex. HOLDING IN PRAYER THIS MONTH: Wendy, Bev, Carol, Jay, JR, Jackie, Ryan, Charlotte, Vivian, Tony, Paul, Lorraine, Carrie, Matthew, Sandy, Jim, Andy, Sidonia, James, Audrei, Laiken, Ashley, Nico and family, Annette, Trisha and Emma, Kathy, Katie and Becky, Sara, Mia, Betty, Drew, Melissa, Lucas, Eric, Marianne, Amy, Merwin, Hilde, Ray & Janet, Chris, Trae, Betty, Carl, Grace, Cathy, Linda & Dave, Pam, Victoria, Tina, Jeff & Jane, Tess, Gloria, Brandon, Loren & Patty, and all family members and friends serving in the military or in harm s way. To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing. Help us with our website! If you are part of a group here at HLC, we need your input for the website! Send any contributions to Pastor Liliana or office@highlandslutheran.org FAIR TRADE COFFEE SOCIAL ACTION! SOCIAL JUSTICE! The farmers who grow this coffee are providing for their families, improving their communities, and caring for our planet. Bags are $10 each and are available in the Narthex. Show your compas- BienVenidos Food Bank Thank you for the pasta and sauce and other nonperishables donated in May. It is great to see the amount of food donated and delivered to Bienvenidos. Keep it up. The need remains great Bienvenidos serves over 800 individuals in our neighborhood each week. Please continue to place nonperishable items in the baskets in the narthex. To help you identify most needed items, we work with Bienvenidos each month to identify items to add to your shopping list. During the month of June, please bring in canned fruit (15-16 oz. cans) and condiments. We bless the food bank donations on the last Sunday of each month and deliver during the following week. VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL JUNE 6, 7, 8 9 9:00 am Noon The theme is God s Workshop of Wonder! Imagine with God! Build with God! Grow with God! Work with God! Walk with God! We need volunteers for each of the three days or for all days! Call Sue Wittkopp at

8 Page 8 ROCKY MOUNTAIN SYNOD ASSEMBLY Paul and Lorraine s Experiences at the Rocky Mountain Synod Assembly May 1 3, 2015 For those of you who have not experienced going to the assembly, we highly encourage you to take advantage of the opportunity, if available. WE ARE CHURCH: BETTER TOGETHER Let us express some of the facts we were privileged to hear about. Do you know that out of 55 different organizations that make up Lutheran Family Services they are larger than the Red Cross, Salvation Army and Catholic Services? Within 24 hours after the earthquake in Nepal, The World Federation of ELCA was on the ground helping wherever they could. Since the year 2000, through donations to the World Malaria Day, there has been a 58% reduction of deaths to children under the age of 5. The Evangelical Lutheran Church, churchwide Assembly will be Aug. 8 th 13 th, For more information in America s observance of the reformation s 500 th anniversary October 2017 go to Bishop Gonia referred to a book Life Together several times during his messages to the assembly. If you are looking for a book to read you might think about this one. Assembly Offerings amounted to $11,814 and will be distributed to Betela Seminary in Madagascar, World Hunger and The First Third of the Life Ministry. Three resolutions were adopted: 1. Addressing Mental Health and Wellness, 2. Making US Aid to State of Israel Contingent on Halt to Settlement Construction 3. Called to Set the Captives Free: A Call to Increased Awareness and Action to Confront the Practice of Human Trafficking A Memorial was adopted to Designate Lay Rostered Voting Members for Churchwide Assemblies. For more information refer to But the best part of the assembly was meeting other Lutherans and socializing when we were not in session. We were also proud of the fact that Highlands Lutheran Church was represented by several people who had key roles in the assembly: Erin Power, who was responsible for making sure everything, ran smoothly. Pam McClune, who was responsible for the online voting procedures to elect members of the 2016 Churchwide Assembly. Rick Wittkopp, who made the cross that presided at the assembly and is also housed in The Rocky Mountain Synod Office. We attended a toolbox dinner on Friday night and chose the going green subject. There were several churches that are already heading this direction and had some ideas for others. Like solar panels with battery backup; name of person to contact. Changing to LED lights, low flush toilets ($75.00 rebates from Denver City and County). It was also suggested to put motion activated lights in all areas of the church. Then nobody has to remember to turn them off, which will save energy. Glass recycling was also mentioned but had to leave before we could get more info. We had the privilege of Ushering for the Friday night worship and collecting the offering. Due to a fall Lorraine was not able to take all of the offering that was collected to the Bishops. Maybe next time she won t be so clumsy. Just remember things happen for a reason but we have not figured that one out yet. Listening to Bishop Elizabeth Eaton address the assembly was quite entertaining. She is a wonderful speaker, never becoming boring, very good sense of humor and keeping everyone s attention. What a privilege to be able to hear her not once but 2 or 3 times. Thank You all for electing us to represent Highlands Lutheran Church in Salt Lake City. This is one trip that will be part of our Life s greatest moments.

9 Page 9 THOUGHTS FOR REFLECTION READ ONE AT A TIME A REFLECT ON IT FOR A LITTLE WHILE...ASK QUESTIONS OF IT... Evolution is a law of life not just of biology. Only the mystery is permanent. All other apparent permanence is illusion. To move from trusting the known to trusting the unknown is the ultimate spiritual liberation. It enables the pilgrim to live lightly and not grimly. There are no degrees of enlightenment only frequencies of the experience. To move from the many to the One is the journey of integration. To view the many from the perspective of the One is to see the One in everything and every body. This is the journey of illumination. To dance lightly is far better than to march heavily. The most important guru to listen to is the one within your own heart. The way of two-ness (duality, either / or) is an unhelpful diversion from the main path. The easiest way to confusion is not to trust your own heart. The all powerful guru is an agency of dependency. True wisdom lies in mutual sharing not in a one way imposition. The marriage of power and spirituality can be destructive if it is not matched with humility. How enriched are those who embrace their spiritual pilgrimage with joy; for they shall find peace even in the midst of suffering, hope even in the midst of disaster and light even within their darkness. We may have to walk our pilgrimage alone but at the center we meet all things. It is far better to flow in the tearful stream of pain and joy than to attempt to build a ladder to Heaven out of self imposed crosses. To pilgrimage without rest is to consign oneself to a world of inner grayness. The journey is joy, the journey is pain, the journey is Christ. Alleluia! Pain and joy are twin sentinels of the journey but are not the journey itself. The first step on the spiritual journey is to be aware of and believe in your own spirituality. Wisdom invites us to discern where we are on our pilgrimage but warns us of the dangers of attempting to judge where others are on theirs. Travel with an open mind helps you realize how much you don t know. The sufferings of the past are as nothing compared with the wonder of the divinity of the present moment which is an eternity of love and peace. Be gentle to your immaturities and they will dissolve. Be harsh on your immaturities and they will calcify. Wholeness lies in the quality of the journey not the pursuit of rewards at the end. At the end of each journey there can be a new beginning for those who refuse to be trapped by the past. The person who has never made a mistake has probably never made anything! To have travelled hopefully is better than to have arrived It is not a question of whether I have been somewhere, nor whether I shall get somewhere, but whether I am somewhere. Pain can be the beginning of liberation. Where you came from is not nearly as important as where you are going to. A major obstacle to pilgrimage is the belief that there is a future that we cannot change and a present that we must endure. When I turn my face from the Sun I become my own shadow and merely retread my past. God s call is an invitation to become an explorer, a person who explores the heights and depths of love.

10 Page 10 It is 6:15 AM. A DAY AT ST. FRANCIS CENTER Already the long line around the block has been whittled down to just 20 or 30 folks. Most are already in and in another line in order to get a cup of the finite amount of coffee. At 6:30 I open the door and window to the intake office. This is where first time guests come to register and be interviewed. By 6:35 three people are filling out forms, in yet another line. Those who are new, or who have not been in the center for a bit all wait to have a conversation with me or another staff member. Welcome to the Saint Francis Day Site, a place where those who are homeless, who have been sheltered overnight or who have slept out come for a place to sit, to talk, to play cards, to read, to shower, to find clothes, to get help. By the end of the day, upwards of 900 people will have passed through the doors, some come and go, many stay to just be for a bit. Some add their names to other lines for help with food stamps, Medicaid, psychological help, housing help and much more. Some are just there to check to see if mail has come for them (St. Francis is the mailing address for so many folks). Some are just there to have a shower. Some come to get better, cleaner clothes because they have a job interview that day. Some come for safety. The intake office is the first stop for those who are new to the Center. We are the staff persons who have the opportunity to be the face and voice of St. Francis; to be the welcome arms and the listening ears. We hear the stories of why and how and for how long. It is intense, joyful, sad, remarkable work. We also are the ones who enter all of this data into a system that monitors the number of people, their race, their income, their lives reduced to numbers and statistics. I have wondered why all this data is kept if the situation, that of homelessness, is not resolved. There isn t much that is creative or pretty about St. Francis. It is plain and crowded. But it does give some solace and some comfort to those who come in. If you have time some time, come and visit. Most of us live in very comfortable circumstances and only see those who beg on the street corners. That is only the tip of the iceberg that is homelessness in Denver. The folks at St. Francis are no different from any of us. They are made of the same muscle, blood, bone as everyone else. They have dreams and goals, they have families and friends, they have pets and debts, just like the rest of us. A mistake, or misjudgment, or loss of job or loss of family and suddenly life changes. The best part of being at St. Francis? When a guest comes to the window and says, Hey, Miss Mary. See you on Wednesday! Mary Williams Thrivent Financial Can you name a Fortune 500 financial services organization that in 2014, raised/donated over $209.8 million and generated 10.7 million volunteer hours? The answer is Thrivent Financial. Thrivent Financial is a membership organization of Christians that helps its members be wise with money and live generously. Thrivent offers financial products and services, such as life insurance, annuities and mutual funds, to its member owners; and, because Thrivent is a not-for-profit fraternal benefit society exempt from income tax, it must also do charitable work. Thrivent interacts with Highlands in several ways: 1) Thrivent Choice Dollars. Eligible Thrivent members are designated Choice Dollars that they can direct to enrolled charities. Highlands receives several hundred dollars each year in Choice Dollars. 2) Thrivent Action Teams. It starts with an idea to make an immediate impact on a cause a Thrivent member cares about. Then, Thrivent provides $250 as seed money to purchase project supplies. Think about bagging beans for the food bank; blessing bags; tools for transitioning families; and baby gifts. These projects and others were Thrivent Action Team projects. 3) Learning to be wise with money. Thrivent provides financial education, blending faith, finances and generosity. Look for educational opportunities at Highlands in the fall. If you have questions about Thrivent or if you have an idea for a Thrivent Action Team, contact Pam McClune, our Thrivent Lead Congregational Advocate. EXTRA-ORDINARY CONGREGATIONAL MEETING On Sunday, May 3rd, HLC had an extraordinary Congregational Meeting. The Congregation received a financial report for the first 4 months of 2015, presented by Jake DeHamer. The congregation adopted unanimously the following proposals: 1. Rental Agreement with Highland Christian Church- Disciples of Christ; they will move in on June 1st, Change of worship time to 10:00 year round, beginning with June 7th. 3. Hiring a consultant, Liesl Begnaud to do a community assessment and come up with proposals for mission projects. Each of us is like a little stone, but together we reveal the face of God to the world.

11 NEW WORSHIP TIME 10:00 June Page 11 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 6:15 Church Council 2 1:00-5:00 pm 6:00 Worship & Music 3 1:00-5:30 pm Mary s graduation from Iliff! NO VESPERS 4 1:00-6:00 pm 5 6 6:30 am HHunters 10:00 Church Clean Up 12 noon Lunch 7 10:00 am Celebration- Worship. The blessing of Two Congregations! :30 Elderberries 10 1:00-5:30 pm 11 1:00-6:00 pm :30 am HHunters 11:00 Spaghetti Feed and Birthday Fellowship Pastor is leaving for vacation 1:00-5:00 pm 6:30 Vespers 10 am Moms Group :00 am Worship 11:30 am Fellowship 12 pm HLC Bookclub Pastor Dena Williams supplies. 1:00-5:00 pm 1:00-5:30 pm 6:30 Vespers 1:00-6:00 pm 6:30 am HHunters 21 10:00 am Worship 11:30 am Fellowship 12 pm HLC Bookclub Pastor Dena Williams :00-5:00 pm 24 1:00-5:30 pm 6:30 Vespers 25 1:00-6:00 pm :30 am HHunters 28 10:00 am Worship 11:30 am Fellowship 12 pm HLC Bookclub :00-5:00 pm Pastor Dena Williams