Gustavus Adolphus Lutheran Church

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1 S e p t e m b e r 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 Reflection from the National Youth Gathering, p. 3 Confirmation and Sunday School, p. 4-5 Bites for Tanzania Scholarships, p. 6 Join a GA Musical Group, p. 7 Fall at GA! Sunday, September 13: ELCA National Day of Service: God s Work, Our Hands 9 & 11:15 am Worship with Blessing of Students & their Backpacks Sunday, September 20: Welcome Sunday Treehouse opens: Welcome back! Between services Bites for Tanzania Scholarships (See pg. 6) Sunday, September 27: Gateway of Faith Sunday Between services - Ministry Fair (Learn ways to be involved to make a difference!) All-age teams will distribute Stuff-It grocery collection flyers (See pg. 7) Join a GA musical group this fall! Interested in being involved in music at GA? Join one of the many ensemble opportunities here. More information on page 7. Are you ready for Fall worship? WORSHIP HOURS BEGINNING SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 13 9:00 am in the Sanctuary; 11:15 am in Luther Hall Fellowship & education opportunities for all from 10:10am to 11:10 am starting October 4: Tree House Sunday School Fish Market Hangout for Youth Adult Education opportunities Refreshments served and fellowship in the Gathering Area weekly plus Occasional all-church events

2 Page 2 Gustavus Adolphus Lutheran Chur ch From the Interim Senior Pastor: Fallow Ground Dear Friends, We could tell that something was about to happen. The guide and the driver turned their focus toward a distant spot. The engine in the Land Cruiser groaned a bit as the vehicle picked up speed. We all hung on, watching to see what they saw. There in the distance was a herd of elephants lots of them! African elephants are monumental beasts. There s nothing about them that is commonplace or ordinary. To see them on the hoof so to speak, all moving from one place to another, is breathtaking, literally! As we approached this stream of elephants crossing in front of us, a most interesting thing happened. The largest of them, pulled away from the herd, turned toward our vehicle, one beside the other, and formed a wall of massive proportion. Their ears were flared and they trumpeted a simple message---come no closer! Cows and calves hurried behind them, across the road and into the woods. The guides had seen this kind of behavior before; we who had not, watched in a kind of wide-eyed silence that bordered on reverence. Once the last of the herd was safe, the big bulls broke rank, turned majestically, and joined the others. These were not the first elephants we had seen, nor were they the last. But there was something so powerful, so notable and memorable about this particular incident. Perhaps it was the precision and the speed of their movements. The wall was built in seconds! Yet, apart from the sheer dominance and beauty and size of these animals, there was something else at play, at least for me. They were protecting the less powerful. They were caring for one another. They were working together to keep us, we humans, at a safe distance. It was a noble act. In times of change, there are moments when we could take a lesson from the elephants. They protected the weaker members, the more vulnerable among them all be it by sheer power and intimidation--probably not a good model for us in the church. That said, there are things we can all do to protect the vulnerable among us, to encircle those who must find answers to hard questions, those who need to make decisions in the midst of complicated and competing realities. Your council does this kind of work. Your staff members do this kind of work. Your Call Committee is in the midst of this kind of important, demanding, challenging work. The elephants each had their work to do. Some lead; some followed; some shepherded; some guarded but in the end, they all found their way to a good place. Thru your kindness and understanding, thru your patience, thru your courage and confidence and hopefulness, all that our Lord wills for us and for this congregation, all of it can be accomplished as we provide for one another that safe space needed to hear and follow the Holy Spirit. You are doing well! We are moving forward in such good ways! Thank you all for your efforts to love and care for one another. Pastor Lon Larson Interim Senior Pastor

3 September 2015 Page 3 Reflection from the National Youth Gathering by Maria Josephson On our first full day in Chicago, we went out to a church in the Cabrini-Green area where we played with kids between the ages of 3 and 9. Many of them were dropped off by a grandparent and they eat, play and learn together at the church every day. This may sound familiar, but this day camp was nothing like VBS here at church. Although not surprising for the area, there was limited diversity and it also appeared there was almost no attention from the people that we were told were in charge unless it was time for a meal or to go home. From what we could see, these kids were pretty much on their own when it came to finding things to do, and many of their toys were worn out or broken. At first, they were a little hesitant to interact with us, and seemed quiet and shy. However, after playing a few intense games of foosball together and taking them out to the park to play basketball and tag, they were all smiles and were ready to include us in their games and demand piggyback rides. I also got to carry the little ones under the monkey bars because they couldn t get up by themselves, and practiced my upside down picture book reading skills during their story time. In many ways, they reminded me of kids I know - excited to talk about their favorite superheroes or tell us secrets about what other little boy or little girl they had a crush on. But in even more ways, they were so different. You could easily tell that they became very independent at a young age - being by themselves and having to find things to do all day and people to talk to. The biggest difference I saw was the way they reacted to conflict. Instead of even telling someone that they were mad at them, they were quick to threaten to use physical violence, and I often didn t know exactly how to handle the situation. But, this doesn t mean they weren t some of the most adorable, funny, and playful kids I ve ever met. At the end of the day, grandparents were starting to show up to pick up the kids and many of the kids didn t want to leave. They asked if we would be back to play with them tomorrow. It was a lot harder than I thought it would be to tell them we wouldn t be back, because in doing so, I realized I had no idea what their daily lives are actually like and we had to accept that tomorrow they probably wouldn t have anybody to play with or talk to, or big kids to look up to. I think a big misconception people in this world often have is that just because people are different from them, they have to fear them. These kids are growing up in a very different way than I am, and their culture may vary in many ways from mine, but that didn t stop them from wanting me to be their friend. Even if they were different from me, I wasn t afraid of them, because they weren t afraid of me. This was an important perspective to bring with me to Detroit. Good security and safe street routes don t stop you from seeing buildings that are abandoned and falling apart and people asking for money and sleeping on the sidewalk. However, this is an important thing to experience. When going to Detroit and sharing my money and time and effort, I felt that it was really important to be able to see why we were there and not just hear about the poverty and violence and desperation that so many people experience. Seeing all of this first-hand is very eye opening, if you allow it to be. There are two ways you can experience the world: with your eyes open and seeing the brokenness that does exist, or by trying to keep them closed and pretending that these things don t exist, which can only go on for so long. After being in a place like Detroit, I don t think it s possible to come home and do things like say that a homeless person should just go get a job, or that someone asking for money doesn t deserve the phone or the drugs or the nice shoes that they have. Poverty, addiction, and violence are all very real problems in our world, but you don t need to go to Detroit to see and realize this. Detroit is not the only place these problems exist, they exist very close to home, and you don t need to donate money to help, although I know from saving money during the trip and donating it that it feels really good. Volunteer work is so important for any cause. The reality is, children born into poverty deserve as much of a chance at life as anyone else does. People who are asking for money on the sidewalk may not always have good intentions with it, but some of them can t just go get a job because they don t have nice clothes for a job interview or a way to transport themselves daily - things we often take for granted. I would encourage everyone to find a cause that you feel strongly about and volunteer or donate to it. One of the most important things I learned from going on this trip is that even if you can t see the positive effects from your actions yet, that doesn t mean they won t exist. I don t get to see the areas of Detroit that groups boarded up or cleaned or painted, I will never see the wells that will be built in Africa with money raised by the Walk for Water campaign, the smiles of children with hair loss who receive wigs made after people who got their haircut and donated hair at Cobo Convention Center, and I will never see the kids that I met in Chicago again. But this doesn t mean the city hasn t improved with our help, or that peoples neighborhoods aren t safer now, or that the people don t remember we were there. I did get to see some effects of our actions, though. Whether it was the gratitude we heard in the voices of local speakers, or the smiles and blessings from people on the sidewalk (even as we didn t give them money and were wary of them), or the excitement and disbelief of locals who saw us crowding the streets at night and leaned out of their business or apartment window to take pictures and videos. It was honestly life changing and eye opening to be a part of something so much bigger than ourselves. I would especially like to thank my sponsors, Nancy Johnson and Carol Sandberg, for making this trip possible, as well as everyone else who not only donated money, but gave us their support through their prayers and time because even if you may not be able to see the effects of it beyond us, you helped us give the people of Detroit hope and peace and love that they need.

4 Page 4 Gustavus Adolphus Lutheran Chur ch CHILDREN, YOUTH AND FAMILY MINISTRY Confirmation sessions are just around the corner! We will begin with a Parent-Youth Orientation - Essentials for Confirmation Wednesday, September 16th 6:00-7:00 pm It is essential that every student in 6 th, 7 th, 8 th & 9 th grades and their parent(s) come to this meeting to receive information about scheduling, curriculum, expectations, and more. If you have a son or daughter in 6 th, 7 th, 8t h, or 9 th grade and have not received information about confirmation in the mail, please call Sherrie at the church office ( ). Confirmation Fun Night Wednesday, September 23! Watch for details. Students will participate in our Stuff-It Service Project between services Sunday, September 27 & Wednesday, September 30! This service project is for all confirmation students, and parents are encouraged to participate in this event as drivers etc Classes will begin on Wednesday, October 7th. Dinner available 5-6 PM 5:00pm Meal (cost for youth included in yearly confirmation fee) 6:00 pm 6:50pm Learning & activities for all ages! 6:40-7:20 pm Worship for all in Luther Hall! For more information about our Confirmation program, contact Sherrie Nordquist at the Church office or sherrie@gachurch.org. Family Faith Nights Are Back! STUFF IT Family Service Night September 30! 5:00pm Pizza Meal (donation: $5 per person, $15 max per family) 5:30 pm Organize teams to pick up groceries in neighborhoods around GA! 7:15pm - Closing Worship! Family Faith Nights for all ages! October 7, 14, 21, 28 5:00pm Meal (donation: $5 per person, $15 max per family) 6:00 pm Learning & activities for all ages! Confirmation for youth (Grades ) Bible Study and Faith Conversation for parents & adults Kids in grades K-5 KINGS: Kids IN God s Service! (Gym/Tree House) Children under 5 years Childcare (Nursery) 6:50 pm 7:15pm Worship for all in Luther Hall! Parents Night Out Saturday, October 24, 6:00 to 9:30 p.m. Bring your child to a fun-filled night while you have some time to yourself, go to a movie, out to dinner, or just read a book without interruption. Your child will get to hang out with Children s Ministry adult leaders and youth. We ll play games, watch a movie, play in the gym or just sit and chat. Preregistration is required. $10 per child, $5 for each additional child. Sign up at the Welcome desk or e- mail sherrie@gachurch.org or lojehoward@comcast.net. Save the date: A Spooktacular Organ Concert! Wednesday, October 28 6:30 7:30 pm Dr. Jerry Brakke will play some fun and haunting selections on the organ - and a few spooky surprises. Hear our amazing musician play classical, movie and TV show theme songs. And we ll sing silly songs! Come in costume (optional) to have some Halloween fun. Healthy Halloween treats for the kids of all ages!

5 September 2015 Page 5 CHILDREN, YOUTH AND FAMILY MINISTRY Sunday, September 13: God s Work, Our Hands 9:00 am & 11:15 am Worship with BACKPACK BLESSING! Children, youth and students of all ages as well as Teachers and anyone working in education are urged to bring their school backpacks as we bless the students who carry them during worship on September 13. THANK YOU, GOD, FOR FRESH STARTS AS WE BEGIN A NEW SCHOOL YEAR! All Ages - Between services am Gathering Area [No Sunday School] Families may also register for Sunday School and pick up handbooks, calendars and offering envelopes. Adults and older youth interested in assisting or leading in a Workshop or as a Small Group Shepherd, may pick up information packets or talk with a member of our planning team. SPARK Faith Formation Activities at The Tree House For children in preschool through Grade 5 10:10 11:10 AM each Sunday starting October 4 in the Tree House Rooms Use stairway near the gym To register for Sunday School at the Tree House pick up a registration form at the Welcome Center at church or download a.pdf file on the church website. The Tree House is for children who have turned 3 years old by 09/01/15 through 5 th grade. Sunday, September 20 (No Sunday School Classes at the Tree House) Between services for all ages in the Gathering Area BITES FOR TANZANIA SCHOLARSHIPS Volunteer at the Tree House! How about leading a Workshop this year? Choose from Art, Drama, Music, Games, Science, or Cooking. Volunteers need only make a 2 week commitment. Use your expertise and a little of your time to help us share the Good News of Jesus love with our Sunday School kids. Sign up at the Welcome Desk or contact Sherrie Nordquist. SPARK SUNDAY SCHOOL is back! Designed to get kids ages 3 grade 5 opening the Bible and exploring God s Word in each and every lesson. Children will study Bible stories through many different types of learning such as Art, Drama, Storytelling, Games and more. Students will hear and experience the same Bible story in all of the workshops for three weeks rotating to a different workshop each week. Educators have long realized that it is necessary to repeat information in order to retain it. When children hear the same story through several different lessons, they remember it better. They are also able to go deeper into the material and have a better chance of personally reflecting on the importance of the lessons. We Love Hearing Our GA Kids Sing! Our Tree House Children s Choir rehearses as part of Sunday School on Sunday mornings from 10:10am-10:30am. Children s Choir under the direction of Camille Farinella is open to any child in grades K-5! The choir performs at the start of the New Life Service. SPARK Bible Time for Preschoolers 10:10am-11:10am Located in the sunny Pre-K classroom at the Tree House! Parents are encouraged to sign-up for Sundays to assist and provide & serve a snack. Sign-up is located on the bulletin board just outside the classroom entrance. Our preschool department uses a sign-in/sign-out system. Sunday, September 27 (Open House at the Tree House!) Between services for all ages Tree House Open House & Ministry Fair (Learn ways to be involved at GA to make a difference!) Families and youth teams will distribute Stuff It grocery collection flyers COME PLAY IN OUR CHURCH NURSERY! Loving care by experienced caregiver is offered for infants through 4 year olds on Sunday mornings from 9:00 am through 12:30 pm each Sunday morning in our church nursery. Our regular nursery caregiver is Cindy Crayne. For more information about Sunday School and Confirmation programs, contact Sherrie Nordquist by calling the Church office (direct line) or sherrie@gachurch.org

6 September 2015 Global Mission: Savor the Flavors Page 6 If you have been around the church for the annual Bites for events you are probably already thinking of what wonderful foods you will find this year. A promise you will not be disappointed because GA has some awesome cooks! On September 20 th we will do Bites for Tanzania Student Scholarships. Education is a key to helping people help themselves, and that knowledge gets transferred to their families, parishes and communities because they are more readily employed in higher paying jobs. Truly a worthwhile fundraiser! The committee set a goal to raise $1,200 that will cover the cost of three students attending secondary school for the calendar year GA sponsors ten students, so this event will help us toward reaching the annual cost of $4,500. As stated in earlier articles, the Iringa Diocese has gone to a block grant program where each parish has a committee to choose students to attend secondary schools. Depending upon which school they attend and their tuition costs, sometimes more students can go to school. There will be a signup sheet at the Welcome Desk to indicate your willingness to share a food item or two. Please indicate if you will need an electrical outlet. It is nice to have an idea of what foods will appear that day, but if you are unsure, just sign up and we will enjoy whatever your last minute decision may be. Plan for serving. This also gives you an opportunity to be at your table and visit with those filling their plates. Tickets will be the same as last year: $10 for 25 tickets; $5 for 12 tickets and 50 cents for singles. Additional donations are always welcomed. There will be take-home containers available! others that could use them. All donations go to support mission projects. Tanzania Mission Trip: It was decided that we would wait until 2017 to do a visit to our partner parishes in Tanzania. By then we will have a new pastor and time to pull together a meaningful trip. In the meantime, it gives you time to save your money, talk it up among family and friends, and prayerfully prepare yourself for a wonderful mission opportunity to be with our partner sisters and brothers. If you have questions on any of these items, please contact me. I do look forward to a larger number taking part in the Bites for Tanzania Student Scholarships event. The more that share the more we enjoy, and the more we support a worthwhile cause! Blessings, Jean Schwartz Global Mission Committee MONTHLY MISSION EMPHASIS The Church Council has re-set our Mission Emphases to support ministries beyond our church. Please note that the mission of the month may have changed from last year. September Farnsworth Weekend Food Packs October LSS Homeless Youth Services November Merrick Community Services Use the blue giving envelope that comes from the church. If you give electronically, designate a one-time or ongoing gift for Missions. Newsletter Submission Deadlines GA Newsletter submission deadline is the 1st Monday of the month for the upcoming month newsletter: Farmers Market Table will continue through September, and depending upon the weather and available items, it could go into October. It is a great way to share some of the extras we have with 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.

7 Page 7 Community Caring IT S TIME FOR STUFF-IT September 30! The social ministry committee and confirmation youth of GA have been teaming up for over 20 years to do a fall food drive we call Stuff-it. Over the years many thousands of pounds of food have been collected and given to the Merrick Community Center Food shelf. HOW CAN YOU HELP? Confirmation youth and their families are encouraged to Sign-up at the welcome desk to help deliver flyers Sun., September 27 Sign-up to help teams pick up food on Wed., September 30 (5:30-7:30 PM) Bring a grocery bag of food for Stuff-it by Wednesday, September 30 Sign-up at the welcome desk to help deliver food to the food shelf on Thursday morning, October 1st (Adults and families not involved in confirmation are also welcome to help out with this service project.) 2015 Craft Show Save the date for : The annual GA Craft Show and Bake Sale that will be held on Saturday, November 28 th, 2015 from 9:00am 4:00pm in the Gathering Area, Gymnasium and Fish Market. Application forms are available at the Hospitality Desk for any exhibitors who are interested in selling their hand made items. WEEKLY BIBLE STUDY Thursdays, 10:00 am Learn more about the Bible readings for the coming Sunday Join a GA Musical Group! Gustavus Adolphus Lutheran Chur ch Chancel Choir Wednesday, September 9, 7:30-8:30 PM: Weekly rehearsals resume in the sanctuary choir loft. Sunday, September 13: first Sunday of the fall program. Chancel Choir meets each week 8:20 AM in the choir loft. Chancel Choir provides musical leadership for the 9:00 AM Sanctuary service September through May and participates in seasonal concerts and special services especially during festival seasons of the church year. Bell Choir Tuesday, September 29-7:30-8:30 PM: Weekly rehearsals begin in the Chapel. No rehearsal on the third Tuesday of each month (All Committee Night). Bell Choir plays once a month as scheduled for the 9:00 AM Sanctuary Service. New Life Band Sunday, September 13: Luther Hall worship time changes to 11:15 AM. New Life Band rehearses at 10:30 AM Sunday morning in Luther Hall. Band provides musical leadership for the 11:15 AM Worship Service. Children s Choir Children s choir meets as part of the Sunday Morning Tree House program, and sings once a month at the 11:15 AM Service. The choir also participates in seasonal events and services. Fall is a good time to join one of our groups. New members are welcome and encouraged to participate. For more information on adult groups contact Jerry Brakke, Music Director, or a current member of one of the groups. For more specific information on Children s Choir contact their director, Camille Farinella or Sherrie Nordquist - Christian Education Director.

8 September 2015 Page 8 Community Caring TABLE TALK! Faith Conversations for Adults! Sundays, 10:10am Each week between services, all adults at GA (members, friends, visitors) are invited to come into the Fireside Room to spend time exploring how faith and daily life intersect. The format is somewhat informal and interactive, and (we hope) more inviting for adults of all ages and interests. The Table Talk hour will begin on Sunday, October 4, but you can stop at the Table Talk booth at the Ministry Fair between services on September 27 to pick up information about all the opportunities in the months to come. Women s Book Club Fourth Tuesday of each Month 1:00 pm The women s book club took a break for the summer but we are meeting again this month! Our book selection for September 22 will be Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley. The group meets in the church library at 1:00 pm. Copies of the book are available through Carol Sandberg in our church library. Ronald C. Peterson Library Hours 10:00 11:00 Sundays starting September 13 Also during weekly church office hours. Please call in advance to make sure the library is available. Large print selections are also available. Library Committee Meeting and Workday Second Monday of each month at 1 PM The role of the GA Library committee is to grow and maintain the library collection. The committee performs many tasks including: -Promoting the library through preparing book displays and creating new library programs. If you would enjoy working with this group, please contact Sherrie Nordquist at the church office or stop by the library on Sunday morning. Librarians: Carol Sandberg, Marlys Siverson, Heather Nelson Nadia Bolz-Weber at Gloria Dei St. Paul September 15, 7pm; Gloria Dei Lutheran Church (700 Snelling Ave. St. Paul) Lutheran Pastor and New York Times bestselling author Nadia Bolz-Weber will speak on her book release tour for her newest book, Accidental Saints. Advance copies of the book (recommended) can be ordered at for pick-up on the day of the event. Please bring receipt. A book purchase is not required to attend. However $3.50 of each book purchase will be used to support the out-reach mission of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church. Pastor Bolz-Weber will be available to sign books after her talk. Doors open at 5:00. Care Team Ministry The Care Team is available to offer assistance to those in our congregation who need help getting to appointments, grocery shopping, running errands or would like a visit. Call Nancy Johnson at for more information. -Selecting and purchasing materials for the library -Preparing materials to be checked out

9 Page 9 Community Caring Ways to get more involved in living your faith: Wednesday Nights The Best Night of the Week at GA! Every year, these evenings become a bigger deal, with great community and fellowship. Here are some ways you may help make it happen: Food Service (pre * clean up) Prepare a basic nutritious meal once a month; If cooking isn t your thing, maybe you like serving and cleaning up! We feed people each week. Would you be willing to coordinate the group? K.I.N.G.S. Leaders (for children) Another faith opportunity with children using a curriculum called Holy Moly, plus time for crafts and group play in the gym. High School Group Leaders We have confirmed youth who want to continue their faith conversation at a deeper level. Adult Faith Formation Stimulating conversation with other adults, who come from varied faith backgrounds, limited AND extensive Bible knowledge, and a shared curiosity. Parents How about starting a new book club or conversation group on Wednesdays? Worship Would you like to help set up for our unique worship on Wednesdays? (Set up Labyrinth, Prep candles for Prayers around the cross and Campfire worship ) Gustavus Adolphus Lutheran Chur ch 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 Maggie Kidnie in the business office, Update: Tanzania Mission Trip There are many things that came into play as we evaluated doing a mission trip to our partner parishes in February The decision to cancel further planning for the trip were based upon 1) not having a senior pastor in place, 2) lack of leadership in light of Wes Johnson s death, and 3) uncertainty in Ps. Amanda s schedule based upon her duties until we have a new senior pastor in place. The good news is that we will continue to explore a possible trip for the summer of 2016 or a 2017 trip, at the latest. Continue to think about being a part of a mission trip save your money and talk it up among family and friends. It is a rich experience as you share Christ shoulder-to-shoulder (BegaKwaBega) with our African brothers and sisters. If you have questions, interest in going, and ways of supporting our partnership relationship, please talk with Jean Schwartz.

10 Page 10 Gustavus Adolphus Lutheran Chur ch SEPTEMBER BIRTHDAYS 4 Amy Aarsvold Judith DeLoy Doris Russo Karen Stern 5 Sherrie Nordquist 6 Bailey Aguirre Ken Bjork Michael Pedersen, Jr. Brittany Sheehan 7 David Ryan 8 Greta Fraser Davey Ylinen 9 Michael DeLoy Laurel Johnson Suzanne Johnson 10 Joanne Aanes 11 Phyllis Biedermann Carole Hultgren 13 Craig Capeder Mikaella Mealey 14 Sarah Larson Antonio Ramos Abigail Warn 16 Bethany Aarsvold Melissa Bjorkman Samantha Doiron 17 Andrea Estes Jordan Nelson Dan Stelter 18 Dale Berglund Nola Relay 19 Brenna Johnson Nancy Johnson Janice Kroll 20 Brooklyn Abellera Charles Hansen 21 Riley Himmer 22 Erik Bjorkman Jim Hill Neil Jones Don Lund Jerry Miller 23 Leona Beckman Dorean Bewley Les Cromey Samantha Hill 24 Norman Carlson Amy Krueger Erin Lynch Kahli Pfankuch 25 Alyssa Carlson Cadence Carlson Samuel Coffelt 27 Paul Grauer 28 Richard Carle Janet Chapdelaine Glenn Wahman 30 Roger Carle

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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 Lon Larson, Interim Senior Pastor Amanda Simons, Associate Pastor Maggie Novak, Interim Visitation Pastor l.larson@gachurch.org a.simons@gachurch.org visitation@gachurch.org (none) Jerry Brakke, Dir. of Music Sherrie Nordquist, Dir. of Christian Education Maggie Kidnie, Accountant Brit Barkholtz, Administrative Assistant Judy Hitchcock, Administrative Assistant jerry@gachurch.org sherrie@gachurch.org Maggie@gachurch.org brit@gachurch.org judy@gachurch.org Nelson Tracey & Kevin Berglund, (none) Custodians Kendra Nielsen, Diana Williams, ASL Interpreters 125 years...and forward. We are inspired by the Spirit to: GROW in spiritual vitality WORSHIP creatively and faithfully together EMBRACE our wonder BUILD authentic Christian relationships