The Messenger. S p r i n g G a r d e n L u t h e r a n C h u r c h

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S p r i n g G a r d e n L u t h e r a n C h u r c h December 2016/January 2017 Advent & Christmas Worship Schedule December 11: 10 am Sunday School Christmas Program December 18: 10 am Lessons &

baby quilt ministry in December, but we will meet again Thurs., January 19 from 7-9 pm at church!

1 S p r i n g G a r d e n L u t h e r a n C h u r c h December 2016/January 2017 Advent & Christmas Worship Schedule December 11: 10 am Sunday School Christmas Program December 18: 10 am Lessons & Carols Service December 24: Christmas Eve Worship 4PM: Christmas Eve Story Service Family Worship with Children s Choirs 10PM: Carols, Candlelight and Communion December 25: 10 am Worship Service No baby quilt ministry in December, but we will meet again Thurs., January 19 from 7-9 pm at church!! You are invited to A Sancta Lucia Christmas December 11, :00 am Worship Service Please make sure to join us and tell your friends and family they are more than welcome. Most of our Spring Garden children are involved in some way.come support them! It ll be a wonderful morning! After worship there will be a chili dinner served by our youth with free will donations going toward their summer servant trip to Boston. Congregational Annual Meeting: Sunday, January 26, 11:00 am

2 Page 2 Pastors Words Cindy Fisher-Broin Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors! Luke 2:14 The angels announcement rings in our ears on Christmas Eve: Glory to God. Peace on earth. I can t wait to hear that announcement again this year, especially the Peace on earth part. Especially this year, we need the peace that the Christ Child brings. We need the baby Jesus who heals divisions, unites people, and turns our violence and anger into peace and kindness. The past months have been divisive. There have been campaigns and elections that played off people s anger and fear of others. People of certain groups have been harassed and threatened. Protests have become violent and destructive. When and how will it end? How will we come together and work together for the good of the country? The future seems uncertain. Jesus was born into a time when the future seemed uncertain also. Israel was under foreign rule. Jews had no say in their own governance. There were protests and rebellions and divisions among the people. And Jesus was born. He came as peace and hope into a divided and angry world. He came and was called Emmanuel: God with us. He came to live with his people and to be with them in their uncertain future. As we celebrate Jesus birth this year, there will still be divisions, there will still be anger, fear and violence. These issues may be covered over for a little while during Christmas but they will undoubtedly return. As Christmas approaches, let us remember, Jesus is born into the midst of our messy world. Jesus comes to be with us in the struggles of every day, in the divisions that threatens to undo us, and the disagreements that erupt between us. Jesus comes with healing and hope, with love and understanding, and with peace that can bring us together despite our differences. Our hope is in Christ, for only Christ can bring the healing that is necessary. These Advent and Christmas seasons, let us not forget the announcement of the angels Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace! Take that peace into your heart and let the true meaning of Christmas that God comes to be among us heal you and give you hope for the future. See you in worship! Pastor Cindy A schedule of Advent and Christmas services can be found on the front page. Pastoral Acts 22 Pastoral, Hospital, Shut-in & Communion Calls 19 Scheduled Meetings Funeral Home Visitations Funeral - Audrey Anderson - Oct. 19 Affirmation of Baptism : Sammy Anderson, Matthew Goplen, Madalynn Lundell, Paige Miest Hosted Guatemalan Bishop s daughter, Karen Sofia, for college visits Prebaptism Visit Baptism: Kennedi Jo Kuhn - Oct Twin Rivers worship services Youth Valley Scare Event Christian Education 7-9 confirmation classes Wrote the 2016 Christmas Program - Nick Worship and Music Worship planning with Allison & Joshua Women s Ministry Morning Bible Study Mom s Group Pastor s Report: October 6 - November 3, 2016 Community / Synod Wide Ministry / Other Cannon Pastors Text Study Conference Pastors Meeting Attend Good Earth Village Launch Project - Continuing Ed event - Nick Participated in my home congregation s 125th Anniversary Celebration in PA - Nick

December 2016/January 2017 Baptized October 30, 2016 Born June 30, 2016 Kennedi Jo Kuhn Daughter of Alex Kuhn & Amanda Jo Mosher Sponsors: Jessica

Erickson, Will & Beth Erickson Thank you Spring Garden for your financial contributions towards the Feed My Starving Children food packing event!

Thank you to all who helped decorate the church for the advent and Christmas celebration. The church looks absolutely beautiful.

We will be undecorating the church on Sunday, January 8th. Please stay after church and lend a hand.

Sometimes you just need a chance to relax and enjoy the holiday season without the stress of hosting, cooking, or being in charge.

3 December 2016/January 2017 Baptized October 30, 2016 Born June 30, 2016 Kennedi Jo Kuhn Daughter of Alex Kuhn & Amanda Jo Mosher Sponsors: Jessica Wilson, Logan Kuhn Page 3 Baptized November 13, 2016 Born September 7, 2016 Nataley Jean Haefs Daughter of Travis & Kethy Haefs Sponsors: Brock Erickson, Will & Beth Erickson Thank you Spring Garden for your financial contributions towards the Feed My Starving Children food packing event! Together we raised $ and are thrilled to be helping feed children all over the world! Thank you to all who helped decorate the church for the advent and Christmas celebration. The church looks absolutely beautiful. A special thank you to Rob for sharing his talents and providing another delicious meal after the decorating. We will be undecorating the church on Sunday, January 8th. Please stay after church and lend a hand. Women s Christmas Party Women sometimes find Christmas to be a stressful and exhausting time of year. Sometimes you just need a chance to relax and enjoy the holiday season without the stress of hosting, cooking, or being in charge. Please come and spend a relaxing evening with other women who are looking for peace in this holiday season. Join women of all ages for a relaxed Christmas Party at Pastor Cindy s house. Arrive anytime between 7-9 pm, and stay as long as you are able. Bring a treat to share. Beverages will be provided. Address: County 1 Blvd. Wanamingo, MN /

Page 4 Merry Christmas and New Year Blessings to you all. I have recently seen a commercial on TV that I thought I would find out more about. It is the Senior LinkAge Line.

Some of the services available are: Medicare, which can be confusing; the service can help answer questions and explore plan options Prescription drug expense assistance for all ages.

4 Page 4 Merry Christmas and New Year Blessings to you all. I have recently seen a commercial on TV that I thought I would find out more about. It is the Senior LinkAge Line. It is a free service offered by the State of Minnesota. This service makes it easier for older adults and their families to find community services or plan for their future. Some of the services available are: Medicare, which can be confusing; the service can help answer questions and explore plan options Prescription drug expense assistance for all ages. Care transitions such as when you look into returning home following a stay in the nursing home or other setting. Housing options. Long term care option counseling Application and forms assistance Health care fraud and abuse Volunteer and employment resources The number for this service is Also please go on line and look at the website for additional information. I thought that the website was very user friendly. Hepatitis C. Recently there has been a commercial for a treatment for this so here is some info in that regard. Hepatitis C is a liver infection caused by a virus. 35 million people in the US have it and 17,000 get it each year. Left untreated it can lead to lifelong liver disease. It is transmitted most commonly by shared needles/equipment used to inject illegal drugs or by accident if a health care worker is stuck with a needle that was used to draw blood from an infected person. It cannot be transmitted by kissing, hugging or eating from shared utensils. Baby boomers are most likely to have the virus. It is not know why this is true. Some were infected before blood screening methods changed in Even if drugs were injected only once, that s all it would take. The Centers for Disease Control suggests being tested especially if you were born between 1945 and Most individuals have no symptoms. But if you do the symptoms would include fever, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, fatigue and loss of appetite. Long term risks include liver damage if untreated, liver cancer, liver failure and cirrhosis or scarring of the liver. Jesus is the reason for this season! Blessings, Yvonne Salmonson, RN, Parish Nurse The only investment I ever made which has paid consistently increasing dividends is the money I have given to the Lord. James L. Kraft ( ) Kraft-Phoenix Cheese Corp. chairman Corner Financial Facts October 31, 2016: Checkbook Balance: ($1,659.85) Outstanding Loans: Memorial Committee: $5,940 **** Thanks for your continued support, we have made some progress, but we still have a ways to go to get out of the red. **** **** Remember to designate your Thrivent Choice Dollars. **** **** If you forgot to drop your offering in the plate on Sunday, just simply go to our website click on the online giving tab and make your contribution that way. You will need to register and create a password, but once you have done that you can direct how much and how often you would like to give. ****

December 2016/January 2017 Page 5 The Guatemala Medical Mission Group would like to invite everyone for a Guatemalan breakfast after worship on Sunday, January 15.

We thank you all for your thoughts, prayers and donations to make our medical mission a success. We are blessed to be able to share the love of God with our friends in Guatemala.

5 December 2016/January 2017 Page 5 The Guatemala Medical Mission Group would like to invite everyone for a Guatemalan breakfast after worship on Sunday, January 15. We will be sharing stories and picture about our last trip. We will also have a silent auction to raise funds for our next trip. We thank you all for your thoughts, prayers and donations to make our medical mission a success. We are blessed to be able to share the love of God with our friends in Guatemala. Mission Endowment Fund Committee MONEY Read All About It! 3 ways to earn extra money 50 smartest things to do with your money 10 simple things you can do to earn extra money 52 ways to make extra money If you have it, you won t need us. If you don t, look no further. We ve got MONEY! Our committee is in charge of distributing money. In fact, we are required to do so (it s in our by-laws). Do you know of a group or individual that needs or could use money? Requests for funding should fit into one of four different categories: 1. For capital improvements, debt reduction, or building program of the Spring Garden Lutheran Church. 2. For scholarships or grants to members of the congregation of Spring Garden Lutheran Church for the purpose of attending college, seminary nursing or medical school; for church-related camping or leadership conferences; or other training which enable members of the congregation to grow in Christian faith and service to God s people. 3. For outreach into the community, including, but not limited to grants to ELCA colleges, seminaries, social service agencies, institutions and agencies to which the congregation relates, and to special programs designed for people in our parish area who are in spiritual and/or economic need. 4. For missions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America at home or overseas, including, but not limited to grants to the ELCA for new mission development, professional leadership, educational ministries, global missions and evangelism, TV evangelism, and capital financing. We meet quarterly so get your requests in by Apr 1, July 1, Oct 1, and Dec 1. Just fill out our form (available in the office, on the SGLC website or we can it if you d like). We look forward to seeing your request. Your Mission Endowment Fund Committee: Dennis Sjoquist, Rachel Benson, June Christensen, Pauline Nerison and Sandy Hanson

Page 6 Important Dates for December January. Please watch youth board, email, and facebook for details.. DEC.

6 Page 6 Important Dates for December January. Please watch youth board, , and facebook for details.. DEC. 11TH This year the Youth (especially the trip participants) will be preparing and serving the Chili Feed, please stay and warm up with some good company and Chili/Soup! Those youth that have not been asked to participate in the children s program will be downstairs in the kitchen prepping for lunch during the Sunday school hour! DEC 26TH 27TH Our annual Winter Caroling, Movie, and Lock-in is upon us. Bring your singing voices and approximately $20.00 for supper and the movie following caroling. DRIV- ERS WILL BE NEEDED! DEC 31st Our 2nd grocery bagging date for the season. Please see facebook and the youth board for details. Trip participants, again please make sure you are signed up if you did not help with the November date Jan 8th Super Bowl Sub Sales! After a break and requests we are bringing back our Sub Sales Sales start the 8th and orders are due Jan 29th. I Cantanti Chamber Choirs I Cantanti (The Singers) and Le Donne (The Ladies) Wayne Kivell, Music Director 1003 Maple St. Northfield, MN icantanti-choirs.org NEWS RELEASE A FESTIVAL OF NINE LESSONS AND CAROLS IN DECEMBER The I Cantanti Chamber Choirs of Northfield, directed by Wayne Kivell, will present two performances of a Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols. The first concert will be at the Carleton Chapel in Northfield at 7:30 on Sunday, November 27th. First English Lutheran Church in Cannon Falls will host the second concert on Sunday, December 4th at 7:00 p.m. Both I Cantanti (the mixed choir) and Le Donne (the women s choir) will perform. This year s concert will feature music by J. S. Bach, George Friderick Handel, Pietro Yon, Gustav Schreck, John Tevener and also Minnesota composers Robert Sieving, Stephen Paulus and Northfielder Daniel Kallman. Organ, piano, flute and harp will be used as accompanying instruments. A free-will exit offering will be taken.

December 2016/January 2017 Page 7 Spring Garden Council Meeting Minutes - November 3, 2016 (draft) In Attendance: Eric Lundell, Jenny Jandro, Pastors Nick Fisher-Broin, Sandy Hanson, Glen Lundell,

7 December 2016/January 2017 Page 7 Spring Garden Council Meeting Minutes - November 3, 2016 (draft) In Attendance: Eric Lundell, Jenny Jandro, Pastors Nick Fisher-Broin, Sandy Hanson, Glen Lundell, Rob Lorentz, Kim Sjoquist, Mark Sjoquist, Lisa Miller, Megan Nerison and parish nurse, Yvonne Salmonson Call to Order: The meeting was called to order by President Eric Lundell at 7:05 pm in the church social hall. Committee Reports: On file at the office. Secretary s Report: A motion was moved, seconded and carried to approve last month s minutes. Treasurer s Report: A motion was moved, seconded and carried to approve the Treasurer s report. Parish Nurse Report includes: 10 visits; 6 phone calls, 32 texts; 310 miles, 26 hours. Agenda Items: 1. Review 2017 proposed budget 2. Approve proposed 2017 budget for the November Congregational meeting; a motion was moved and seconded to approve the proposed budget be sent forth to the Congregation for approval. The motion carried. 3. Establish agenda for November 20th Congregational meeting Agenda will include a vote on proposed 2017 budget for next year Delegates for Cannon River Assembly (2) and Good Earth Village Ann l Mtg (1) Mission Endowment update 4. Determine whether Financial Secretary (yes), Treasurer (yes) and Parish Nurse (yes) are willing to continue in their positions for another year. A motion was moved and seconded to accept those above in service. The motion carried. 5. Nominating committee recruiting for delegates to: Cannon River Conference Assembly (2) TBD & TBD Good Earth Village Annual Meeting (2) Kim & TBD SE MN Synod Assembly (Jenny Jandro & spouse?) CCIC Representative (1) 6. Update Pam s Helper list; filled through Feb Suggestions from staff meetings to the Boards; reminder to Boards to include staff that are on their committees in their meetings/ communications. 8. Membership transfers: Peter & Brooke Erickson, Brekken & Cara transferred to St Ansgars; Kevin & Mary Boyum, Molly & Andrew, to transfer to Our Saviors Lutheran in Jackson, MN; and Francis Blastervold-Olson transfer membership to Easter Lutheran in Eagan, MN. A motion was moved and seconded to accept the above transfers with regret. The motion carried. 9. New Member Sunday classes will be the next Sunday with one follow-up. We will need to do an approval of new members before the Nov 20th. Pastors Report given. Board and Committee Reports: Worship and Music: Hired Alison and Joshua as music director/organist/pianist. Evangelism: Show & Tell went well; will be at New Member Sunday and the follow-up date. Christian Education: Pastor Nick wrote the Christmas program for this year. Nov 13 practice begins. The Sunday School Christmas program will be on Dec 11 with Chili supper after. Also, Kim and some of her board will be moving on with their kids to the older youth group and they are looking for new members to be part of their Board. Youth Ministry: 17 kids and 5 adults went to Valleyscare last weekend. Next years Youth Mission Trip to Boston will have 28 spots for kids and 14 SG kids have already signed up. In December we ll do the Chili Supper and we are still planning a yard clean-up this month. Congregational Life: We ll be helping with the Gratitude meal. Nov 27 Church Decorating followed by a light meal. Church Property: Working with the Kitchen remodel. Got a 75 TV for the Sanctuary and looking into programs to operate it. Stewardship: Discussed options for online giving and will stay with Vanco, who also has a mobile app for iphones. They will roll out another type of reverse-giving for this year s program. And they ve worked on and finalized the proposed budget for Missions Board: Feed My Starving Children event is Nov 19. Rice containers were due back. Executive Committee: Met with all Staff members. Memorial and Special Gifts Committee: No report Archives Committee: No report Mission Endowment Fund Committee: We met and we granted a request from Stewardship for $ for this year s stewardship program. Announcements: Next council meeting: Dec 1 All Board meetings: Nov 8 and Dec 13 Agenda for Next Meeting: Pam s Helper for Nov: Glen; Pam s Helper for Dec: Bill Establish date for January annual meeting Closing prayer next month: Bill Make sure date for January Annual Congregational meeting gets in December/January newsletter Make any final changes to the next year s proposed budget Annual reports by boards and President due to church administrative assistant Administrative assistance to order 100 annual report covers Adjournment: A motion was moved, seconded and carried to adjourn. Meeting adjourned at 8:45pm. Sandy Hanson, Secretary

Church Council Members & Board Members Spring Garden Lutheran Church President Eric Lundell 651-442-0536 Vice-President Jenny Jandro 507-202-8926 Secretary Sandy Hanson 258-4114

258-4834 Youth Ministry Megan Nerison 507-271-7491 Congregational Life Jody Sjoblom 258-4224 Church Property Glen Lundell 952-846-9672 Stewardship Mark Sjoquist 258-4123 Missions

Kim Sjoquist 258-4834 Pastors Nick & Cindy Fisher-Broin 507-824-3216 P. Nick s Cell: 507-298-0416 P. Cindy s Cell: 507-298-0415 Spring Garden Lutheran Church P.O.

8 Church Council Members & Board Members Spring Garden Lutheran Church President Eric Lundell Vice-President Jenny Jandro Secretary Sandy Hanson Treasurer Rob Lorentz Financial Secretary Pam Davis Worship & Music Lisa Miller Evangelism Bill Erickson Christian Education Kim Sjoquist Youth Ministry Megan Nerison Congregational Life Jody Sjoblom Church Property Glen Lundell Stewardship Mark Sjoquist Missions Board Katie Sjoblom Parish Nurse Yvonne Salmonson Custodian Sue Safe "Building a Rural Family in Christ" Administrative Asst. Kim Sjoquist Pastors Nick & Cindy Fisher-Broin P. Nick s Cell: P. Cindy s Cell: Spring Garden Lutheran Church P.O. Box 237 Cannon Falls, MN Phone: springgardenchurch@frontiernet.net Website: US POSTAGE PAID Permit #69 Nonprofit Standard Mail Cannon Falls, MN Address Service Requested

Pastor s Article. July S p r i n g G a r d e n L u t h e r a n C h u r c h

Pastor s Article. July S p r i n g G a r d e n L u t h e r a n C h u r c h July 2017 S p r i n g G a r d e n L u t h e r a n C h u r c h Pastor s Article ORDINATION I was ordained about 20 years ago and it still remains one of the most important days of my life. It was the day