PASTOR S PAGE by Pastor Jerry Wahl

Transcription

1 CALVARY LUTHERAN CHURCH 6817 ANTRIM ROAD EDINA, MN PHONE: OFFICE CLOSED ON MONDAYS Tuesday-Friday: 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Welcome! Worship! Witness! APRIL 2018 PASTOR S PAGE by Pastor Jerry Wahl April is that in-between month of the year. The last gasps of winter blow through. Snow melts. Cold rain, muddy roads and grey skies greet these weeks of transition. No longer white and not yet green. April requires some patience. We will need to wait many days for the earth to warm, the sun to shine, the bulbs to break through, the windows to be opened and the neighborhood gatherings to begin. calvaryedina@calvaryedina.org BLOG: washeisstdas.blogspot.com PASTOR: Jerry Wahl gwahl711@gmail.com cell: WEBSITE: I think it is fair to say that April for us at Calvary is an in-between time. We have much to be thankful for as we look back on our journey together. We have worked faithfully together to discern God s calling for our congregation. We have looked carefully at God s blessings and gifts. We have spoken honestly with one another in town hall meetings. We have grown together in relationship to God and one another. We have centered our community in worship and shared bread and wine. With boldness we have moved forward, made decisions and trusted God. A new pastor will soon be called and an exciting partnership with Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church begins. Preparing and making ready will mark this April. With anticipation we await the Spirit s new season to begin. Karen and I want to thank you for inviting us to join you on this faith-filled journey of discovering God s call in ministry at Calvary. We are humbled by your dedication and commitment to be God s people in this place. Your generosity, care for one another and service to others is a sign of Christ s presence in your midst. You have each been a great blessing to us. I want to thank your gifted staff -Sue, Daryl, Cynthia, Robin and Rebekah. What a privilege to work with such a great team. Calvary is blessed with many capable and skilled leaders. My thanks to the Church Council, Transition Team and Call Committee. Calvary is in good hands. A special thank you to President Becky Rourke for her wise and faithful leadership and countless hours of work on our behalf. Thank you all for the opportunity to share in this exciting new chapter in ministry at Calvary. May God continue to bless and guide you in the days ahead. Pastor Jerry and Karen CHILDREN, YOUTH & FAMILY MINISTRY: Rebekah Moir rmoir@calvaryedina.org DIRECTOR OF MUSIC: Daryl Erickson derickson@calvaryedina.org ORGANIST: Cynthia Betz crbetz1@gmail.com ADMINISTRATOR & EDITOR: Susan Burman sburman@calvaryedina.org BOOKKEEPER: Kristin Hueg krislie@hotmail.com CUSTODIAN: Robin Radosevich In This Issue Pastor s Page 1 Children, Youth & Family 2 Church Council 2 Love to Tell The Story 3 April Birthdays 3 Worship & Activities 4 Being the Church 5 Red Cross Blood Drive 5 Meet & Greet SOTH 6 Calendar 7 Spring Clean-up Day 8 Updates & Notices 8 Vacation Bible School 8

2 APRIL 2018 NEWSLETTER page 2 CHILDREN, YOUTH & FAMILY MINISTRY by Rebekah Moir SUNDAY SCHOOL All God s children are invited to be a part of our intergenerational education each week. We ve been having a great year putting together the puzzle (literally) of God s salvation narrative, from the beginning of all things at Creation, through the journey of God s people, Israel, to the fulfillment of all things in Jesus Christ, who is at the center of the puzzle. Following Easter we will continue the journey with the birth of the church at Pentecost and the amazing stories of Jesus followers carrying the Gospel into the world. Our last day of Sunday School will explore Revelation and the promise-filled words of God, See, I am making all things new! Won t you come & join us some Sunday morning for breakfast & Bible study? If nothing else, take a look at the puzzle on the wall in the Fellowship Hall to see how our journey as God s children has progressed! MISSION PROJECT May 6 th For our next Sunday School mission project, we re going to work on building bridges, and then crossing them! That s part of the mission of Tapestry, a bi-lingual, multicultural church in Richfield. Their pastor, Melissa Melnick, will be preaching at Calvary on Sunday, May 6 th. That evening at 5:00 p.m., we will head over to Tapestry to worship with them and then share a meal afterward. The mission funds we ve raised to date will be given to support Tapestry s ministry in Richfield. More details and a sign-up sheet to follow! Want to learn more about Tapestry? Check out CONFIRMATION & YOUTH Our next class is on Wednesday, April 11 th at 6:30 p.m. Our next Discipleship Event is Saturday, April 21 st at 3:30 p.m. We are doing a combined service project and lock-in with folks from St. Alban s! Details to follow. Our last Discipleship Event will be on Sunday, May 13 th when our wonderful confirmation kids will plan an entire worship service and lead us in worship! We hope you will join us for this very special worship service. In other news, Rebekah is now working with Pr. Joanna and Brian from SOTH to write new confirmation curriculum for the year. We will not necessarily be combining our groups, but we will be following the same basic structure and build in opportunities for combined gatherings and fun! VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL See page 8. CHURCH COUNCIL: March HIGHLIGHTS by Becky Rorke, President of Calvary Church Council The Joint Council Meeting held with SOTH (Mar. 20) started with a potluck dinner as an opportunity to get to know one another. After dinner, we had a co-council discussion of our congregational goals as mutually supportive families of faith, and concluded with discussion of each congregation's organizational culture. It was a wonderful meeting and both councils looked forward to another time in the future when we can meet together. Motion made and approved to provide $2500 for support of MPLS Synod. Calvary's previously budgeted monthly support was suspended in July 2017 due to our financial situation. Upon discussion the council felt it was important to provide this support to the MPLS Synod. Pastor Jerry met with Marty Fergus and Greg Coon to review our financial practices such as check counting & financial reporting. Calvary's processes were compared to the ELCA guidelines. The result of the review is that Calvary's practices did align with the ELCA guidelines, for a church of our size. Bonnie Rust met with Pastor Jerry to develop a list of all the members who are "homebound". A Pastoral Care visiting plan was developed and will be shared with the Pastoral Care Group at SOTH. The Call Committee will meet with Pastor John Hulden of the MPLS Synod on April 4 th, to receive the list of Call Candidates. Pastor Jerry Wahl's last Sunday is April 15 th. The Fellowship Team will plan a potluck following the Worship Service. Pastor Scott Searl of SOTH will also be at this service. Pastor Scott Searl will preach on April 22 nd with Coffee & Welcome & Open House at 9:45a.m. Sunday School Schedule 9:00 a.m. Breakfast treats 9:15 a.m. Opening 9:25 a.m. Group Bible Reading 9:50 a.m. Music 10:00 a.m. Arts for Kids Dismissal for Adults 10:20 a.m. Dismissal

3 APRIL 2018 NEWSLETTER page 3 Sanctuary Stained Glass LOVE TO TELL THE STORY. Our Story! The story of Calvary Lutheran Church has many chapters! Our faith story began with services in the Cahill School and grew into a Church at 70 th Street and Cahill Road. Our story grew! Soon, over 200 confirmed members and over 350 baptized members kept Sunday s busy with three worship hours and two Sunday School hours. By 1956, a building fund began with plans to serve a congregation of 350. Earlier, land was purchased at 70th Street and Normandale Road as the site for the new church. Not sure of the exact location but it could be near to the current location of Christ Presbyterian Church. The journey for a new building continued in 1957 when Sovik-Mathre was selected to design and build the new church. However, the site for the new church was questioned as the Highway Department moved forward to use more land for highway access and a new bridge across Highway 100. On May 25, 1958, the congregation voted to purchase property at Antrim Road and 69th Street in Edina. Our Current location! August 9, 1959: Groundbreaking Ceremony. Undated picture of Calvary Lutheran Church s original building. is the roof over the Sanctuary. This is the current Fellowship Hall with the 1970 renovation. February 1, 1960: Cornerstone laid. May 8, 1960: First Worship Service in new church. Our Story Continues. We each have our story.. We each have our journey. Looking for your favorite poem, Bible verse, music, song or picture. Do you have a memory or a mentor that made a difference to your faith and life? This space is yours! Please share your story. See Susan Burman in the Church Office or send it to sburman@calvaryedina.org. APRIL Birthdays! 4/1 Greg Mesna 4/14 Jane Mesna 4/5 Nathan Coon 4/21 Traci Strittmater 4/6 Mary Dick 4/28 Lorraine Kennedy 4/7 Peggy Mesna 4/29 Jim Arnold 4/12 Mary Arnold 4/14 Ruth Lund

4 APRIL 2018 NEWSLETTER page 4 OUR WORSHIP & ACTIVITIES WORSHIP ON SUNDAYS at 10:30 a.m. Holy Communion is on the first and third Sundays of the month. On the 3rd Sunday of the month, we explore hymns from peoples & places around the world. Together, we live into the universal love of God in Christ Jesus. All are welcome into our faith family! Our Sunday Worship Service is broadcast through Southwest Community Television. Check it out on Comcast Cable TV Channel #15. See calendar on page 8. CLC CHECK OUT OR REVISIT OUR CHURCH WEBSITE: COFFEE HOUR following Sunday Worship Thank you to the Building & Grounds Team! They hosted our Coffee Hour throughout March. The Worship & Music Team are our hosts for April during our weekly time together. THANKS! Join us for coffee, conversation & community. POTLUCK & FAREWELL & GODSPEED: Pastor Jerry Wahl s last Sunday is April 15 th. Give thanks & join us for a Potluck following Worship. Look for more information. WELCOME & OPEN HOUSE: Sunday, April 22nd, 9:45 a.m. Join us in the Library to welcome Pastor Scott Searl. MEN s BREAKFAST & FELLOWSHIP Join us on Saturday, April 14 th (8:30 a.m.) for the Men s Breakfast! Looking for Hosts so check out the poster in the Narthex! Look at life on the funny side up! WOMEN ogether WOMEN s BIBLE STUDY & COFFEE FELLOWSHIP The Women s Bible Study meets on the first Wednesday of each month at 10:00 a.m. in the Library. The next Bible Study is Wednesday, April 4 th at 10:00 a.m. The discussion is the Bible Study from the Gather Magazine (Women of ELCA). The Women s Coffee Fellowship will meet on April 18 th! Come & join our conversation! CALVARY BOOK CLUB Join us on Tuesday, April 17 th as we discuss Canoeing the Mountains: Christian Leadership in Uncharted Territory (2015) by Tod Bolsinger. Lewis and Clark and the Corps of Discovery is used as a metaphor for adjusting to a changing landscape. These explorers found themselves in the Rocky Mountains rather than waterways leading to the ocean. They had to adapt. Today s world brings a changing landscape so we invite you to Canoe the Mountains with us! See you in the Library at 5:30 p.m. Our May selection is Shadow Divers, a novel by Robert Kurson (2004). The true story of two Americans who discover a sunken World War II German U-Boat. Step into their seven-year quest to identify the mysterious wreck found in 1991 off the coast of New Jersey. Their discovery challenged historical records about the location of German U-Boats along the coast of America during WW II. Join us at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 15 th.

5 APRIL 2018 NEWSLETTER page 5 BEING THE CHURCH..Our hearts and hands in the World & Community LENTEN MINISTRIES! THANK YOU THANK YOU for your generous donations to our designated ministries through the 40 days of Lent. We highlighted a ministry each week and our Easter Sunday supports our sister congregation: St. Catherine s Lutheran Church in St. Petersburg, Russia. Thank you for our packed pews, overflowing with much needed food items and money donations given to VEAP. Your support is a blessing! Our Saviour s Housing: See the updated list of needed items on the bulletin board. The list is updated monthly and you can drop items off in the Church Office. Everything you bring will be delivered for you. Thank you! Keep these ministries in your prayers! OFFERING OF LETTERS Join us as Calvary Lutheran participates in the Offering of Letters campaign! The focus is the 2019 budget and spending bills. Our letters will urge members of Congress to support robust funding for programs like WIC (nutrition for women, infants and children), SNAP (formerly known as food stamps), tax credits for low-income workers, and international development assistance. These programs help millions of people escape hunger. Join us to write letters to your Congressperson. Guidelines and materials for writing your letters will be provided during coffee hour on Sundays, April 8 th and 15 th. Completed letters will be collected at coffee hour Sundays, April 15 th and 22 nd. For more information, contact Carol Dubay, Dottie Fergus or Marty Fergus. Thank you! EASTER BLESSINGS & THANK YOU! For flowers, plants & more during Lent, Holy Week & Easter. For ushers, readers, greeters, and all the little things... For gifts of music, leadership and heart-filled & life-lived faith! For preparing, serving & cleaning up the Easter Breakfast! Thanks be to God! GIVE BLOOD! SAVE A LIFE! THURSDAY, APRIL 19, :00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. FELLOWSHIP HALL Stop in the Office & See Sue if you have questions or would like to register to donate! All presenting donors will receive a $10 gift card to Bobby & Steve s Auto World! EVERY TWO SECONDS Someone in USA needs blood!

6 APRIL 2018 NEWSLETTER page 6 Meet & Greet.Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church (SOTH) Calvary Lutheran Church is partnering with our "neighborhood" congregation: Shephard of the Hills (SOTH). You will be seeing some new faces. Pastor Scott Searl, Senior Pastor since 2009 Pastor Scott is a Green Bay Packers fan who also believes that The Masters is one of the high holy weeks of the year. In addition to playing golf, skiing out west, riding his bike, and running, he also likes to ride on his pontoon boat with his niece and nephew. Every January first for the past 15 years he has jumped into Lake Minnetonka just for fun. Joanna Mitchell, Associate Pastor Hi Calvary! I m Pastor Joanna Mitchell. I ve been in ministry for 13 years and have served at Shepherd of the Hills for the past 5 years. I am married to Jeff and have two daughters, Helena (age 14) and Lily (age 11). We also have a dog, Clara. I enjoy reading, listening to podcasts, swimming and hiking. I lead the learn and the serve teams over at Shepherd. I am looking forward to meeting all of you and am excited about our partnership. I will be on Sabbatical starting Memorial Day and will return on August 5 th, Brian Henning, Children s Ministry Coordinator Brian is currently in his final year at Luther Seminary and serves in a Diaconal role at SOTH. Brian was born and raised in Pennsylvania and graduated from the University of Oklahoma. Brian enjoys music, storm chasing, photography, and, recently, snowboarding. Kaye Wothe, Parish Nurse Kaye Wothe, RN, BSN, MA is the Faith Community Nurse. She has a MA in Congregation and Community Care from Luther Seminary. Besides visiting the sick, she leads groups in Caregiving Support, Parents of Young Adult Children, volunteer visitation and prayer groups, grief follow up and provides a variety of educational offerings. She is on the board for Mental Health Connect. Shawn Wacholz, Administrative Assistant Shawn joined the staff at Shepherd of the Hills in 1999 as administrative assistant. Shawn grew up in Alexandria, Minnesota, and graduated from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota, with a degree in business education. She and her husband, Wade, live in Eden Prairie and have three adult daughters, Maren, Anna, and Abby. They joined Shepherd in 1985 and have been happy to call it their church home ever since.

7 APRIL 2018 NEWSLETTER page 7 April Photo Caption MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY 1 Resurrection of our Lord EASTER BLESSINGS TO YOU 9:00 a.m. Easter Breakfast 10:30 a.m. Worship & Holy Communion 3:00 p.m. Cable 10:00 a.m. Women s Bible Study No Bell No Choir 9:00 a.m. Deadline for Bulletin 9:30 p.m. Cable 8 2 nd Sunday of Easter Bread for the World 9:00 a.m. Sunday School 9:45 a.m. Choir 10:30 a.m. Worship 6:30 p.m. Executive Mtg. 7:00 p.m. Church Council 6:30 p.m. Confirmation 6:30 p.m. Bell 7:15 p.m. Choir 9:00 a.m. Deadline for Bulletin 11:15 a.m. Meals on Wheels 8:30 a.m. Men s Breakfast 11:30 a.m. Coffee Hour 3:00 p.m. Cable 15 3 rd Sunday of Easter :30 p.m. Web Mtg 9:30 p.m. Cable Bread for the World 9:00 a.m. Sunday School 10:30 a.m. Worship & Holy Communion 11:30 a.m. POTLUCK: FAREWELL & GODSPEED! Pastor Jerry! 3:00 p.m. Cable 22 4 th Sunday of Easter 23 12Noon: Deadline for Newsletter 5:30 p.m. Book Club :00 a.m. Women s Coffee Fellowship 6:30 p.m. Bell 7:15 p.m. Choir 9:00 a.m. Deadline for Bulletin BLOOD DRIVE 1:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. 9:30 p.m. Cable Bread for the World 9:00 a.m. Sunday School 9:45 a.m. OPEN HOUSE COFFEE IN LIBRARY WELCOME Pastor Scott 6:30 p.m. Bell 7:15 p.m. Choir 9:00 a.m. Deadline for Bulletin 10:30 a.m. Worship 11:30 a.m. Coffee Hour 3:00 p.m. Cable 9:30 p.m. Cable 29 5 th Sunday of Easter 9:00 a.m. Sunday School 10:30 a.m. Worship 11:30 a.m. Coffee Hour & Crafters 3:00 p.m. Cable 30 Our Lord has written the promise of resurrection, not in books alone, but in every leaf in springtime. Martin Luther

8 APRIL 2018 NEWSLETTER page 8 SPRING CLEAN UP DAY! SATURDAY, MAY 5th! Mark your calendars! Helpers of all ages & abilities are welcome! Together, we will work inside & outside to spring clean. Look for more information in coming days or stop in the office! CALVARY s WEBSITE: Calvary s web team is busy! After many years, we are updating our website. The first step is to evaluate and select a new Content Management System (CMS) that is easier to maintain and works well with all devices: computers laptops, tablets & phones! Our next meeting is on Thursday April 12th at 6:30 p.m. in the Library. If you like to help, please join our meeting and/or contact any member. Thanks! Current members of our team Allan Rust, Bonnie Rust, Bonnie DeMarce-Koll, Greg Coon, Sue Burman & Carol Dubay. LIBRARY HELP NEEDED Calvary s church library needs a facelift! Shelves are over-flowing! Volunteers (2-3) are needed to review, clean, renovate, and restock our library. We need to make room for the free books we received from the Reformation 500 Bookstore event. Volunteer by contacting Bonnie Rust or the Church Office. Thank you! VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL This year s theme: Come and See! God s Great Invitation We ll dig into five great Bible stories about how we are invited into God s presence and how we invite others into God s presence through the gift of the Holy Spirit! Dates: Monday-Friday, June Time: 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Cost: FREE! Ages: GOING INTO Pre-K through 6th grade, MANY opportunities for older youth to serve as leaders and helpers. Register: Registration forms are on the Calvary website. Our Mission: Calvary Lutheran Church welcomes all who desire to grow in the love and compassion of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, worship the triune God, and witness in service to our community and the world.