March 2019 Newsletter. Listen to Sermons & Donate On-Line. Fredsville Lutheran Church

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1 Fredsville Lueran Church Street Cedar Falls, IA Return Service Requested Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 3 Dike, IA March 2019 Newsletter Fredsville Lueran Church Pastor Lisa Dietrich Intern Andy Graves Church: Fax: Website: Facebook: Fredsville Lueran Church fredsville@fredsvillelueran.org From Pastor Lisa WEATHER REMINDER Please check wi KWWL for cancellations is winter. If school is cancelled due to e weaer, en assume at church activities will also be cancelled. Cancellations are also posted on Facebook! Bulletin Announcements Weekly announcements, which are printed in our Sunday bulletin, are due each Thursday before noon. If you would like to add someing to e announcements, please call e office at (319) or us at Fredsville@fredsvillelueran.org. Listen to Sermons & Donate On-Line Go to If you know anying about me, you know I don t like winter. I don t like much of anying about it. I don t like e cold. I don t like e wind (it messes up my hair). I don t like e danger and risk of falling for so many people. I worry about my husband, and all sorts of people, who have to work out in e dangerous cold and weaer. I don t like e seasonal depression at affects so many people, including myself. This year seems especially difficult since we are just now getting rough e first year of grief of losing my mom, Scott s grandfaer, one of my best friends, one of our adopted kids, and people I cared about deeply from our own family here at Fredsville. I realize as I sit at my computer wi tears dropping on my keyboard, trying to put ese words to print, at I m nowhere near over my grief. Grief is a stinging emotion at always seems to hit us when we least expect it. And now I feel I must apologize for taking you down a gloomy pa. Here you ve picked up your newsletter to read someing to give you hope and courage, to remind you of God s love, and instead you are swallowed up in your pastor s story of her own struggles and grief. Good grief! Well, I won t make light of how I feel, nor should you when you are traveling e dark road of grief. Go down at pa, when you need to. It s ok. But as you travel down e road of grief, may you also know at you are not walking alone. We all have each oer and we all have e love of God who walks wi us. Some don t like e season of Lent. Some would raer have e Easter celebration every single day. Who wouldn t like at? Breakfast casseroles, Easter bunnies, Easter egg hunts, Alleluias sung at e top of our lungs as e organ swells! Easter dresses and Easter hats! Easter hugs and Shouts of He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! This year, maybe especially since it has been so hard for us to get togeer and is winter has been especially difficult for so many, I really, really, truly invite you to come to worship EVERY Sunday. I challenge and invite you to come to EVERY mid-week meal and service! Come as a family! Come as you are! We need each oer! We need to be surrounded by e love at we have for each oer. We need to support each oer. We need to remind each oer at e winter will come to an end, e grief will give way, and in is community, no matter who you are, no matter what you are going rough, no matter how you were created, God loves you and so do I! None of us walks is pa alone! Spring and Easter are coming! In peace, Pastor Lisa

2 Q&A Our Friends & Family Please remember em in your prayers Judy- Pat Pruisner s friend who is battling cancer Lillian Boswell member at NewAldaya Alma Hea member wi dementia Amy Jensen member wi cancer Cole Mikkelsen - member wi leukemia Maynard Petersen member at Creek Side Cottages in Grundy Center Darryl Sherwood member wi Parkinson s Elaine Graham Linda Nielsen s moer has cancer Jeane Knapp- member recovering from hip surgery Matt Reinicke recovering from shoulder surgery Rev. Steve Ullsteadt- recovering from surgery Agnes Freese-member recovering at Cedar Falls Care Center for broken leg If you need to be added to e prayer list or desire a visit, please contact e church office at , Pastor Lisa at , or Intern Andy at March Birdays Heidi Mounce-1 Kati Camarata-2 Miles Mounce-2 Kyle Andersen-3 Walter Brekke-3 Carol Watson-3 Paisley Hines-4 Kelsey Soska-4 Paul Koch-6 Bob Stewart-7 Loren Bakker-9 Michael Camarata-9 Sarah Nank-10 Cara Lott-11 Helene Wertz-11 Art Lupkes-12 Dwayne Schiller-15 Elizabe Bergmann-16 Kaleb Dufel-16 Jenny Stewart-17 Maranda Crotty 19 Margaret Johnson 19 Gary Karr-19 Nancy Stage-19 Kody Kruger 22 Karyn Nielsen-22 Tom Soska-23 Kaj Riggle-Foust-26 Trevor Dumler-27 Cole Fleshner-27 LuAnn Jones 27 Thomas Verhulst-28 Jim Jorgensen-30 Jason Lott-31 Wedding Anniversaries Mike & Tiffany Asche 10 Jerry & LuAnn Jones 19 March 2019, LSI Newsletter Article and Story March is National Professional Social Work Mon, a time to recognize social workers and ank em for all ey do. At Lueran Services in Iowa (LSI), we re grateful for e many social workers who have dedicated eir lives to serving our community! Maybe you ve never had a social worker involved in your life. Yet, wheer you realize it or not, you ve had e benefit of eir behind-e-scenes work in your community. Social workers help people help emselves in overcoming life s most difficult circumstances or managing challenges of everyday living: poverty, abuse, mental illness, depression, addiction, disability, and many oer situations. Iowa wouldn t be e same wiout e patience, guidance, and empowerment at social workers provide. Happy National Professional Social Work Mon! Our Mission: Lueran Services in Iowa responds to e love of Jesus Christ rough compassionate service. LSI is an affiliated social ministry partner of e Iowa congregations of e ELCA (Evangelical Lueran Church in America) and a member of LSA (Lueran Services in America). We proudly serve people of all ages, abilities, religions, sexes, gender identities, national origins, enicities, races, and sexual orientations. Learn more at and Finding a Support System Aubreigh knew someing needed to change. She was struggling wi substance use and alcohol. She couldn t find a way to take care of her mental heal. She was unable to provide a safe home for her son, who needed to move in wi his dad. When she finally took a step in e right direction and found a home, all her belongings were stolen. Through LSI s Family Safety, Risk, and Permanency Services, Aubreigh connected wi her worker, Kelsy. Togeer, e duo is working on budgeting Aubreigh s money, finding a good job, and building a safe home environment for her son. I was in a bad situation, and I m really ankful for LSI, she says. Wiout em, who knows where I d be. Aubreigh now meets wi Kelsy once a week and feels like she is finally on e right pa after plenty of hard work. She is working wi her son and his faer to build a healy coparenting relationship, and she knows Kelsy will always be in her corner, ready to cheer her on. Kelsy has been an awesome resource. She helps if we have issues co-parenting, and we do a lot better now as a family, Aubreigh says. If I have any problems, Kelsy is ere. By Sue Green Sunday School Kim Adelmund, who is e Chair of e You Committee at Fredsville, graciously took e time to answer my questions. Q: How many children currently attend Sunday School at Fredsville? A: 97! o 17 Children under e age of 3. o 19 Children in e Beginners Class for children in preschool. o 14 Children in e Primary Class for children in Kindergarten rough 2nd grade. o 17 Children in e Intermediate Class for children in 3rd rough 5 grade. o 30 Children in 6 grade and up. Q: How many people teach Sunday School? A: We have 11 regular teachers and 6 people who are on e list to sub when needed. The teachers have an assigned age group of children (Beginners, Primary or Intermediate) at ey work wi each time ey teach Sunday School. The teachers have a rotating schedule so at each of em teaches about one time per mon. Q: Where does e Sunday School Curriculum come from? A: Our curriculum is a part of e narrative lectionary out of Luer Seminary (one of eight ELCA seminaries) and matches wi e text at is shared during e church service. The curriculum is kept in e Sunday School Supply room where teachers are able to go each week to get eir lessons. The curriculum provides an 'a la carte' style at allows teachers to pick and choose activities related to e lesson for e day. Activities may include: reading e text togeer, reenacting e text rough skits, playing games, or working on a craft. Each week e activities change. We are also fortunate to have Smart Televisions in each of e Sunday School classrooms. Wi ese televisions, we can access e internet to watch video clips or sing songs at relate to e lessons. YouTube is a great tool and gives access to many songs and videos. This year, we opted to include a different curriculum for our preschool children an for our older children. The preschool curriculum consists of children's books related to Bible stories. Teachers read e book wi e children, and en choose activities at are listed in e books to do wi e children. Q: When does Sunday School run? A: Sunday School is held immediately following church. It begins e Sunday after Labor Day and continues rough e middle of May. We do not have Sunday School e Sunday after Thanksgiving, e Sunday's closest to Christmas and New Year's Day, or on Easter Sunday. The Sunday School children participated in a Christmas program at was held during church. The program included songs and a play. Q: Who helps you organize and plan Sunday school wi you? When do you meet? A: Tiffany Asche and I lead e Sunday school program. We meet as needed roughout e year. More in e late summer/early fall to get ings kicked off, en as needed to plan special events. The Sunday School program is riving here at Fredsville! If you get e chance, take a walk downstairs to check out e classrooms and see what wonderful Christian Education is going on ere. Thank you Kim Adelmund and Tiffany Asche for taking on e leadership role for Fredsville s Sunday School! Thank you Sunday School teachers for giving of your time and talents to teach e children! Thank you parents for making it a priority to bring your children to Sunday School! OPPORTUNITIES The Family Closet will be open only on Saturday, March 2nd and e 16 during April. We need two workers to cover from 9:30-noon. Please sign up at e yes table or call e church office. If you have questions, please contact: Trisha Weichers at / t_weichers@yahoo.com. Also, consider donating gently used cloing to Fredsville s cloing closet. Donations needed on an on-going basis: For Layettes/Baby Care Kits sizes 6 mons- 24 mons: Sleepers (wi no feet) or gowns Socks Hand towels, dark color recommended Soap bars, large (4-5 ounces) Blankets (Baby receiving up to 52 ) Volunteers are needed to help wi serving food and clean-up for e Wednesday Lenten meals. A signup sheet is on e yes table.

3 Intern Corner: A Monly Reflection By: Intern Andy Graves It is hard to believe at it s March already! It would seem like time really flies when e snow doesn t let you get to e office very much, which has been e case is past mon. We were inundated wi snow fall, high winds and bitter cold temperatures, which disallowed us to come togeer as a community around some of our core activities and practices: confirmation classes, choir practices, congregational meals and even worship services. This is, surely, not a reflection on our congregation, because I know ere are ose of you out ere who would have braved e cold, wind and snow to be here on Sundays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and all e oer times at you are a part of our community. That speaks volumes about e level of commitment at you all have for what happens in is place. Wi is in mind, I wanted to reflect a little bit about what it has taken for me to join your community. I have shared a bit of my story wi you over e past year, but since I am officially an intern now I ink it is a good time to start offering up more tidbits about me so at we can find ways to connect and do ministry togeer. Like you all, I like to be active in a worshipping community and really enjoy trying new ings. These new ings have often been experimenting wi ways to worship and commune wi my neighbors. For starters, my journey to Fredsville started, really, when I was still in high school. My friends and I were attending a small Pentecostal church in Marshalltown and realized at ere wasn t really anying for us to do outside of sit in worship on Sunday morning maybe Sunday school, but at was it. We took it upon ourselves to make someing happen, which to us meant putting on concerts for our community. This was e days of MySpace (if you remember at), which I used to find and contact various Christian bands from around e area who were willing to come down and play eir music for whoever would happen to be ere. We made flyers, event pages, listed em on community calendars and needless to say not a lot of people showed up. The lack of community buy-in, support and participation was no deterrent for me ough. I kept going and at e height of my event planning I organized a music festival. We had 20 bands play, everybody got a little bit of gas money, we recorded as much of it as we could, and it all lasted about 13.5 hours. Nobody was doing what we were doing in our community, so we did it. This is where my social ministry mind started, and it has never gone away. There are so many ways to positively impact our neighborhoods, our towns and even our country if we just take a chance on an idea. My friends and I took a risk and ere is no way to know e impact at we had on ose who showed up. My challenge for us as a community is to do at to step out in fai and usher in God s kingdom for our neighbors. What is looks like is ultimately up to us, but I am more an willing to sit down and dream wi you! We have e tenacity, e skills and e drive to make ings happen, what better time an now to get started? The Intern Support Team: Keeping Intern Andy on e Right Pa It was announced last mon at Andy would be officially beginning his internship here at e beginning of February. Lucky for him we ve had more snow days an anying else, so he has had it easy right off e bat. However, when ings start to pick up again we just wanted to let you know at we have assembled a team to walk wi him roughout his time here at Fredsville. Their role as e Intern Support Team is to evaluate his progress toward becoming a pastor, as well as provide ongoing feedback and challenges so at he continues to grow and strive for e goals he has set for himself. It is our hope at you will join is team in encouraging, praying for and walking along side our newest intern as he journeys wi is over e next 18+ mons. If you have any comments or questions about e work at Intern Andy is doing you can direct em to any of e people listed below, we are all in is togeer and at means we have a shared responsibility for lifting up e future leaders of e church. Intern Support Team Travis Wibben Shannon Mikkelsen Lance Loger Jeff Sandlin Jennifer Verhulst Helene Wertz Additional Contacts Pastor Lisa Dietrich Intern Andy Graves Upcoming Events Lent Special Offerings Personal Care Kits! Ash Wednesday March 6 Each Sunday during e season of Lent we will be collecting items to make up Personal Care Kits for Lueran World Relief. This is a great way to easily get involved and make a huge difference in e world! Let s set a goal of items for a personal kit for e number of kids we have at Fredsville! Soooooo we will collect enough items for 97 care kits! On each Sunday you will be asked to bring an item and en on Palm Sunday we will put e items togeer and make up e kits during e Fellowship Hour. During e collecting of e offering our children will gaer e supplies from e congregation and bring em forward at at time. Here is our calendar and items to bring (yes, you can bring items on any Sunday!): March 10 Ba Towel Dark Colors only please, between 20 x40 and 52 x27 March 17 Nail Clipper March 24 Comb March 31 2 bars of soap April 7 Too brush-(individual) in sealed packaging April 14 Assemble Kits during Fellowship Time Kids will collect items brought during offering! On March 6 at 7:00 pm we will celebrate e beginning of Lent wi Ash Wednesday Worship. This service will celebrate wi Holy Communion and e Imposition of Ashes. On is night we remember and hear e words, remember you are dust and to dust you shall return. This service is incredibly meaningful, plan on attending wi e whole family! Lent Mid-Week Easter is just around e corner, but before we get ere we travel rough e season of Lent a season of fasting, preparation and contemplation. Join us is season as we take a closer look at what it means to be a community of fai. Each week we will gaer for a simple meal, worship togeer and contemplate scripture. Here are e dates and emes for each gaering: March 13 One Body March 20- One Spirit March 27 One Fai April 3 Rise Up! Easter Event! April 10- One Baptism We will gaer at 5:45 for dinner wi worship to follow at 6:30. We invite you all to join us for food, fellowship and worship as we prepare for e coming Easter event. As always, if you have any questions, feel free to contact e church office, Pastor Lisa (pastorlisadietrich@gmail) or Intern Andy (andy.graves270@gmail). Book Fair Stop by Fredsville Book Fair now rough March 11 between 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. There will be a variety of adult and children s books. The children s books will make great Easter basket, birday, or baby shower gifts. All books are sold at a discount up to 40% off. Fredsville will be able to keep a percentage of e money made along wi receiving free books. Contact Intern andy.graves270@gmail.com if you have questions. EASTER SUNRISE SERVICE APRIL 21st Mark your calendars now for Easter Worship at Fredsville on st April 21. We will have a sunrise service at 6:00 am in e Cemetery and a 9:30 am service celebrating e resurrection of our Lord and Savior! A hot breakfast of egg casserole, rolls, juice, and coffee will be served between e services and an Easter Egg Hunt for e children will follow e 9:30 am service. Fancy Fingers Fancy Fingers will meet from 9:00 am 4:00 pm on Monday, March 11. Bring any project you are working on and join in on some of e most fun you can have! We gaer to work on our projects, to eat, and for some amazing fellowship! Sign up on e sign-up sheet at e back of e sanctuary or by calling e church office. We would love to have you join us! Any questions do not hesitate to contact eier e office or Pastor Lisa at pastorlisadietrich@gmail.com Easter Family Fun Event Families wi children are invited to a FREE family fun event on rd April 3 from 5:30-7:30 pm at e Fredsville Lueran Church. It will be an evening filled wi games, music, crafts, activities and gifts devoted to teaching about e Easter story. Walking Tacos will be provided for dinner. Kindly RSVP before March 20 by calling e church office ( ), texting ( ) or ing fredsville@fredsvillelueran.org. Choir Practices Senior Bell Choir will meet on Wednesdays: March 6 6:15 warm up for Ash Wednesday worship March 13 7:15-8:15 pm March 20 7:15-8:15 pm March 27 7:15-8:15 pm Senior Voice Choir will meet on Thursdays: March 7 7:00-8:00 pm March 14 7:00-8:00 pm March 21 7:00-8:00 pm March 28 7:00-8:00 pm

4 prayer/meditation at you can utilize on your journey around e room. We ask at if oer people are here at e same at you respect e space and keep it holy and sacred. Our goal is to provide as many ways to worship, commune and be in e presence of God especially during is season of fasting, reflecting and preparation. Lueran Witness, Global Reach Confirmation Stories of Fai in Action Confirmation students are asked to attend at least two of e Wednesday Lenten Services in March. There will not be any oer special class or event during March. You Handbell Choir March pm March 13 No you bells March 20 5:00-5:45 pm March 27 5:00-5:45 pm WinGS Walking in God s Service March 13 3:30 5:30 pm Meet at e Dike Community Building Students will be bused to Fredsville Theme: Treat oers as you want to be treated Matew 7:12 Students are welcome to bring a Caring Cup coin. This will be our last collection for e year! We ve raised nearly $500 so far is school year. Service: Making college student care packages *Note: Due to snow day make-up, ere are no early outs. The remaining meetings will remain on e same days (March 13, April 10, & May 8), but e time has changed from 1:303:30 to 3:30-5:30 p.m. Rise Up! Easter Event! Woot! Woot! We are so excited to announce a new event open to all families in our community! The Rise Up Easter Event will be held Wednesday April 3rd from 5:307:30 at Fredsville! This event is being put on by e Fredsville Education Committee and Fredsville members. What is so exciting about is event? I'm so glad you asked! This is not an event for children alone! Oh No! This is an event put on by members of Fredsville for Families to attend togeer! Mom and Dad, Grandma and Grandpa, what ever makes up your family-come and participate, play, learn, have fun togeer! A meal will be provided and families will follow a map to several stations where ey will explore what Easter is all about! Rise Up! Invite friends of e community to come check out is exciting Easter Event! Take e poster at is included in your newsletter to work and invite co-workers and eir families to celebrate wi us! Please, please do us e favor of calling e office and let us know at you and your family and friends are coming! This is a huge event and we do not want to run out of supplies! Rise Up Fredsvillians let's make is event extra special! The ELCA is a church of ree expressions: e churchwide organization, synods and congregations. However, Rafael Malpica Padilla, executive director for Global Mission, maintains ere is anoer relationship at binds us togeer e ELCA s connection to e global Lueran church rough its membership in e Lueran World Federation (LWF). If you have any questions, comments or concerns feel free to reach out to e church office or Intern Andy. We will be happy to talk to you, pray wi you and walk wi you is pa of fai. To help support e ELCA s outreach on global social issues, e church maintains an office at e United Nations in New York City, in partnership wi e LWF. Called e Lueran Office for World Community (LOWC), it is e voice of e ELCA and e LWF at e United Nations. Its work is funded rough Mission Support. LOWC s director is Dennis Frado, a member of St. Peter s Lueran Church in Manhattan, who is assisted by Christine Mangale, program director, who is from e Kenya Evangelical Lueran Church in Africa. They often attend e U.N. General Assembly when it s in session from September to December and Security Council meetings. Our main objective is to convey e social policy views of e ELCA and e The Lueran World Federation to e U.N., Frado said. On e oer hand, we keep ELCA (congregations) informed about what e U.N. is doing on ose issues. Beyond at, we bring to eir attention emerging global issues. LOWC works, in large part, on issues related to fundamental human rights, justice, respect for international law and better standards of living for all people. It has focused recently on global migration problems. Earlier is year, it sponsored a panel discussion on Perspectives on Migrants: Lived Realities in Different Contexts, which featured ree experts from countries dealing wi migrant issues. As always, may God bless and keep you, may God s face shine on you, and may God keep you in God s grace, and give you peace! About e Artist Scott Erickson is a touring painter, performance speaker, and creative priest who mixes autobiography, myology, and aesetics to create art and moments at speak to our deepest experiences. Stations of e Cross The Stations of e Cross began as a practice at pilgrims would have when ey were retracing Jesus finals steps in Jerusalem up to e hill where he was crucified. Wanting to share at practice and experience wi people who couldn t make e trip to e Holy City, ey created ese stations of meditation at became in itself a tradition. Today, you can find is tradition on e inside of many churches. This journey to e cross is not only a meditation of Jesus accomplishing what he came to do e redemption of humanity rough his own willful sacrifice but it s also a contemplation of Jesus silently participating in some of e worst aspects of being human. We see him being tempted. Betrayed by a friend. Convicted in an unjust system. Pain. Mockery. Public humiliation. Broken family relationships. He was one who was not separate from our own pain. LOWC monitors issues of concern to e ELCA, LWF and eir partners. One of e most gratifying projects, Frado said, has been working wi e U.N. Commission on e Status of Women, which is dedicated to gender equality and e empowerment of women. At Fredsville we want to invite you to journey wi e many pilgrims before us to walk e way of e cross is Lenten season. We have acquired a set of posters at were designed by Portland Artist Scott Erickson and will be displaying em in e Fellowship Hall for e purpose of keeping wi is tradition. The posters will be hung up for e 40 days of lent, so if ere is a time you would want to walk, meditate and pray e Stations of e Cross you are more an welcome to. Formed in 1973, e LOWC is rooted strongly in e ELCA s heart for humanity, working closed in regions where human rights have been violated. In addition to e posters, ere will be a few prayer guides at you can use. These prayer guides will include e image of e station and short Using his passion and commitment to craft, Scott has been a working artist for over a decade, and has had his work appear on CNN, National Geographic, and various magazines and newspaper outlets. Most recently, Scott released Stations in e Street, an open share stations of e cross street art show, at was hung by fai communities worldwide, and utilized for Tyler Perry s Passion Live on Fox Television. As a speaker, Scott brings his training as an educator and his experience as a visual communicator to all of his presentations. His goal is to bring someing for his A.D.D. [attention deficit disorder] broers and sisters out ere making sure every speech is oughtful, entertaining, wondrous, and filled wi visual elements and live creating. You can find Scott speaking at various weekend retreats, conferences, and living rooms roughout e nation. Wrestling wi his own professional burnout and clinical depression, Scott believes in turning your deepest pain into someing at can be restorative. He did just at in writing his first touring one man show We Are Not Troubled Guests in which he navigates e surprising gift of an existential crisis rough storytelling, live painting, and video curation. He is e co-auor of, Prayer: Forty Days of Practice, an adjunct professor at Warner Pacific College in Portland, Oregon, and a professional dishwasher for his food blogging wife. Scott is most loved by his wife Holly and his children Anders and Elsa. Website:

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