GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS LUTHERAN CHURCH. February Our Lenten Journey MY LIFE, LORD. February 4 EPIPHANY V. February 11 TRANSFIGURATION OF OUR LORD

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1 F e b r u a r y g a c h u r c h. o r g GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS LUTHERAN CHURCH Our Lenten Journey February 2018 February 4 EPIPHANY V February 14 ASH WEDNESDAY SUNDAY MORNINGS AT GA: 9:00 am Traditional Worship 10:10 am All Ages Education Hour 11:15 am New Life Worship John 4:1-42 The Woman at the Well One thirsty Jewish rabbi on a long journey. One Samaritan woman by a water source. A perfect moment for the God of new life to dissolve age-old divisions. February 11 TRANSFIGURATION OF OUR LORD John 9:1-41 The Man Born Blind This man Jesus has some nerve: claiming authority to heal a blind man, and on the Sabbath, no less! The Pharisees won t see past their own legalistic view and behold the true miracle. Who, now is the one truly blind? How often do we remain blind to truth because we are unwilling to consider that we might be wrong? February 18 LENT I John 11:1-44 Jesus Raises Lazarus One of Jesus closest friends is dying, but he lets two days pass before taking any action. Is he too busy, or too famous to bother? Or is something greater at work? February 25 LENT II John 13:1-17 Worship at 10:30 am & 7:00 pm John 10:1-18 The Good Shepherd Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return. We hear these words on this day as a reminder of our own mortality and our baptismal identity in Christ in which we claim death and resurrection. This night we also hear the story of The Good Shepherd who tenderly cares for his flock a much needed reminder of God s love. Wednesday Lenten Worship Worship at 10:30 am and 6:00 pm Community Meals at 11:00 am & 5:00 pm All-Ages Education at 6:30 pm Jesus Washes Feet He s been their teacher, their leader and Lord for years, and now they share one final evening together. How will he bid them farewell? If you were expecting one last miracle or show of power, think again. February 21 Open My Eyes, Lord Seeing through the eyes of Christ February 28 Open My Hands, Lord Using our hands in God s service MY LIFE, LORD

2 Page 2 Gustavus Adolphus Lutheran Chur ch Thoughts from Pastor John Grace and peace be to you from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, What are you looking for? They said to him, Rabbi (which translated means Teacher), where are you staying? He said to them, Come and see. They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. (John 1.38) Come and See! During our first worship together of the new year, I talked about the power of invitations during my sermon. I invited those of you who were able to be in worship to think about the best invitation you had ever received. I also invited you to think about other questions like: Who was it that made the invitation? Where were you invited to? How was the event? This question circled back to the reading for that Sunday from John s gospel, the first chapter. As we continue to follow the Narrative Lectionary, our readings will be coming from John s gospel now through Easter. In the first chapter of John, we find Jesus making the powerful invitation to some of the first disciples. The invitation is short and simple. But also powerful and life changing. He said to them, Come and See. We know as disciples of Christ this simply isn t an invitation limited to the few disciples that Jesus encountered in the early days of ministry. Nor is it limited to those others that Jesus meet while he was living. This is an invitation that goes well beyond that-to you and to me. We are invited to Come and See, again and again. When we come and see, we are reminded of the life changing gift that Jesus is for each of us. We get to come and see, be reminded of all that Jesus did for the people 2,000 years ago and for us now. At the end of my sermon on January 7th I put forth a challenge to those who were with us in worship and I challenge you with them as well. The first is this: will you invite AT LEAST one person to worship this year to Come and See all that God has done for them? By making this invitation, you are providing the opportunity for your friend or family member to come and see, come and witness all that God s love includes and the transformative power it has. So, who will it be? Will you be an overachiever and invite more? Five people, 10, maybe even 20?!? The second challenge-can we as a community strive to be a place that is working hard at hospitality-all the time-knowing others around us are inviting new people to come and see? Hospitality is one of the most important things we as a church can commit to. It is so simple, but we often look past it. To be hospitable is to introduce yourself to someone you don t know or don t recognize, share your name with them and ask them theirs. That s it. Really. Newsletter Submission Deadlines GA Newsletter submission deadline is the 3rd Monday of the month for the upcoming month newsletter: 2nd Monday in February for the March newsletter is February 12. If you are responsible for a monthly article, please put these dates in your personal calendar. Send your article to info@gachurch.org. WEEKLY BIBLE STUDY Learn more about the Bible readings for the coming Sunday

3 Febr uary 2018 Page 3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and Our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. I was elated in the fall of 2017 with the implementation of one of my long-time ministry hopes and ideas: the formation of a women s book group for women of our congregation in the middle-ish age range of life. Our congregation has a history of providing opportunities for the creation and nourishment of relationships among cohorts of similar ages and current life commitments. I have long wondered how we could recapture that historical spirit of opportunity for relationship-building and faith formation for our current membership, and so, with an idea for a women s group of conversation centered around author and sociologist Brene Brown s books sprung forth an invitation for the formation of a small group on Wednesday evenings. Brene Brown s work has been instrumental in my own identity and faith formation as a woman and as a Christian. Her themes of vulnerability and the authentic self have opened up areas of past hurts for healing, affirmed my theological understanding of being made in the God and a profound sense of belovedness, and strengthened me for commitment to being my best self, wholly and authentically. My hope for this small group of women would be a safe place of listening to each other s stories, growing in selfunderstanding and relationship with God and each other, and time to contemplate one s own faith and vocational call to follow Christ. As I return from maternity leave I look forward to hearing stories from this small group and I pray that there were moments of epiphanies. Brene Brown s words and concepts have been in my mind since this fall as I have reflected upon my ministry at GA this past year, my time of growing into motherhood with my daughter Violet, and the overwhelmingly generous, joyful and gracious support of this congregation for my family and me as one of our dreams came true with the birth of Violet. David and I thank you for your prayers for the health of Violet and myself during a complicated pregnancy and at the time of birth. We thank you for the encouragement we received to not give up on our dream of parenthood. We thank you for the way in which you accompanied us through the grief of miscarriage. We thank you for your joy in the gift of our child. We thank you for your overwhelmingly generous gifts at the baby shower which Thoughts from Pastor Amanda will aid us in caring for and raising our daughter. And we thank you for the precious gift of time and bonding during maternity leave so that I could care for Violet while she was a newborn. In her book The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You re Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are, Brene Brown says, Until we can receive with an open heart, we re never really giving with an open heart. When we attach judgment to receiving help, we knowingly or unknowingly attach judgment to giving help. I have always struggled to receive gifts of present, presence, time, and grace with serenity and joyfulness, including the gift of God s grace and belovedness. In 2017 you taught me the most beautiful lesson of all - how to be a joyful giver and recipient - and in doing so, brought me closer to God. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. You have been the face of God to me. My pastoral hope is that our congregation can be the face of God to one another and our surrounding community. I hope that we can continue to offer opportunities for relationship building, faith formation, and affirmation of belovedness in 2018 for all who are a part of our community of Gustavus Adolphus. I commit to accompanying you, as I am able, in grief and joy and to living in the gift of God s abundant grace with you. 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 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 as a Payee at 1669 Arcade St. N, 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,

4 Page 4 Gustavus Adolphus Lutheran Chur ch CHILDREN, YOUTH, AND FAMILY MINISTRY MORE FROLIC GATHERINGS! COME PLAY IN OUR CHURCH NURSERY! Loving care by a professional educator and experienced caregiver is offered for infants through 4 years old each Sunday morning from 9:00 am through 12:30 pm in our church nursery in Room 121. You and your child are invited to join Stephanie Surine in exploring a Bible story and activity stations to enjoy together with your child. We will also share more about Frolic Online newsletters and take time for conversation with other parents. We hope you will join us! Please contact us for more information. If you are unable to join us this time but would like to sign up for Frolic Online newsletters and to hear about future Frolic parties, please call or sherrie@gachurch.org WHO? Parents and young children (three and under) WHEN? Sundays, February 11 and 25, 10:30am WHERE? GA Church Library (watch bulletins for possible room change) Volunteers are welcome! Prepare and lead a faith-based workshop such as drama, art, Bible skills & games, Cooking, Science, Drama, Video. 2 - week commitment. Use your expertise and a little of your time with our Sunday School children. Contact Sherrie Nordquist at the church office for details. 651/ or sherrie@gachurch.org SPARK Faith Formation Activities For children in preschool Grade 5 10:10 11:10 am each Sunday Pre-K Classroom in North Hallway adjacent to our Nursery Grades K-5 in our Kids Cavern downstairs

5 Febr uary 2018 Page 5 CHILDREN, YOUTH, AND FAMILY MINISTRY SUNDAY MORNINGS IN THE KIDS CAVERN (GRADES K 5) Follow the stairs near the Chapel to our new children s ministry space. 10:10 Kids Choir 10:35 Rotation Workshops Valentines for GA Seniors - February 4 & 11 Serving Others in Worship - February 18 Serving Others in Tanzania - February 25 SPARK Bible Time for Preschoolers 10:10am-11:10am Our Pre-K learners are warmly welcomed by experienced, caring teachers. They will enjoy making new friends at church, doing art projects, hearing Bible stories, singing and making music. These and many other activities are designed to help them explore Bible stories and feel a welcomed part of our church family. Our Preschool Department uses a sign-in/sign-out system. We Love Hearing Our GA Kids Sing! Children s Choir rehearses as part of Sunday School. Children s Choir under the direction of Camille Farinella is open to any child in grades K-5! The choir next performs on February 25 at New Life Worship! K-5 KIDS! We want you to be a part of the GA Spring Musical! Performance Date: Sunday, April 29 11:15am New Life Service Rehearsals: 6:30-7:30pm on Wednesdays during Lent (Feb. 21, 28, Mar. 7, 14, 21) and on Sunday mornings, 10:00-10:35am. Musical Director Mrs. Camille Farinella Contact Sherrie Nordquist at the church office for more information. COMMUNION INSTRUCTION FOR CHILDREN AND PARENTS Saturday, March 24, 9:30am Noon Learn about the meaning of the Sacrament of Holy Communion Bake Communion bread Receive A Place For You book to personalize and keep Who should participate? Children who have been baptized and parents who would like to grow in their understanding of Holy Communion. Children participating in this workshop with their parents may receive their First Communion on Maundy Thursday, March 29 at the 7:00 pm service. Sign up at the Welcome Center or contact Sherrie Nordquist at the church office for more information. THE BIBLE BUCKS STORE will be open February 4 & 18! Bring your SPARK Bible to Sunday School every week to collect Bible Bucks! For more information about Sunday School and Confirmation programs, contact Sherrie Nordquist by calling the Church office (direct line) or sherrie@gachurch.org

6 Page 6 Wednesday Faith Nights February 7, 21, and 28 Young or old, or somewhere in between, there is something for you and your faith on Wednesday nights: 5:00 pm TASTY MEAL (suggested donation, $5/ person, $15 max per family) 6:00 pm WORSHIP for all! 6:30 pm FAITH FORMATION for everyone PLEASE NOTE: NO WEDNESDAY NURSERY Confirmation students in grades 6, 7, & 8 will not meet for Wednesday classes during Lent [Feb. 14 Mar. 21] Students will meet with their FAITH MENTORS from 6:30-7:30 pm and attend worship with them at 6:00 pm on Wednesdays during Lent. Confirmation students in grade 9 are preparing for their Confirmation Day May 20. They will be participating in Project Meetings on Wednesdays during Lent (Feb. 14 Mar. 21). Students will also create and design a personal stole to wear on their confirmation day. Confirmation Mentoring Relationships Please see details on Page 10. Gustavus Adolphus Lutheran Chur ch CHANCEL CHOIR Weekly rehearsals Wednesdays 7:30 pm 8:30 pm in the sanctuary choir loft and Sundays at 8:20 am. New members are always welcome. K.I.N.G.S. for Grades K-5 Kids In God s Service Kids in grades K-5 are invited for gym games, Bible fun and hanging out with friends and cool leaders Sarah and Teresa. Hope to see you in Kids Cavern for KINGS! ADULT BOOK STUDY - Henri Nouwen s Our Greatest Gift, written toward the end of his life, is a reflection on what it means to die or to care for those who are dying. He redefines death not as a loss, but as a journey of grace and a gift to those we leave behind the ultimate symbol of our solidarity with our brothers and sisters and the point at which we begin to see the ultimate fruitfulness of our lives. What is your attitude toward death? Is death a taboo subject to be avoided at all costs or something you are preparing for and living open to, or are you somewhere in between these views? Can you conceive of viewing death the way Henri Nouwen suggests, as the fulfillment of our lives, for which we wait as for a friend to welcome us home? Join us as we reflect on this and other questions, through 2/7. Confirmation Service Hour Opportunities! Souper Bowl of Caring project for World Hunger on February 4! Help collect donations for the Sheridan Story after worship services Acolytes are needed for 9:00 Worship Services Sign up at the Youth Board on the Kiosk near the Welcome Desk Worship Greeters. Sign up at the Welcome Desk Help lead activities at the Good Friday Children s Service on March 30

7 Febr uary 2018 SUNDAY MORNING ADULT FAITH FORMATION FEBRUARY 4 Faith at Home FEBRUARY 11 Camp Onomia FEBRUARY 18 Faith & Children FEBRUARY 25 Theology of Adoption TABLE TALK IS HELD IN THE FIRESIDE ROOM ON SUNDAY MORNINGS AT 10:10 AM MEAL IN A BAG GA will again be participating in Minnesota FoodShare during the month of March by collecting food for the Merrick Food Shelf housed here at our church. On Sunday, February 25 everyone leaving church will receive an empty grocery bag. Please fill this bag with enough non-perishable food items to feed a family of four for one meal and bring the filled bag back during the month of March. For example: Breakfast: pancake mix, a bottle of syrup and a bottle of apple juice and/or cereal Lunch: Soup, crackers, canned fruit, and/or peanut butter and jelly, cookies Supper: Tuna, noodles, mushroom soup, Jello and canned fruit, and canned vegetables, cookies Be creative. You can fill the bag with food for more than one meal! You can bring food in every Sunday! Extra bags will be available on the food collection table or fill one from home. Paper products (toilet paper, kleenex) and household products (soap, shampoo) are also welcome. The great Page 7 Our Life Together JANUARY BIBLE TRIVIA QUESTION OF THE MONTH! WHAT KING HAD THE FIRST BIRTHDAY PARTY IN THE BIBLE? STOP BY THE CHURCH LIBRARY TO FIND THE ANSWER. GA Library Committee Meeting & 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: - Selecting and purchasing materials for the library - Preparing materials to be checked out - 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 The Ronald C. Peterson Library is open between services from 10:00 am -11:00 a.m. on Sunday mornings, and during weekday office hours. Large print selections are also available. Thank you for returning materials within two weeks. CURL UP WITH A GOOD BOOK THIS WINTER! Check out some favorites of the Tuesday afternoon Book Club! Find them on the carousel just inside the library door. We meet the fourth Tuesday of each Month at 1:00 pm in the Ronald C. Peterson Library. New readers are always welcome. Our next meeting is on February 26. Our book selection in February is Tana French s Faithful Place Tara French is the bestselling author of In The Woods and The Likeness.

8 Page 8 Gustavus Adolphus Lutheran Chur ch Our Life Together FEBRUARY SPECIAL CONCERN AT GA: IRINGA DIOCESE Coming to GA in February GIVE+ Text Electronic Giving Made Easy! Thank you for your overwhelmingly generous gifts at the baby shower in October and for the gift of time to bond with our daughter during maternity leave this winter. Violet Catherine is a healthy, happy baby and we thank you for your joyfulness in her addition to our family. Pastor Amanda and David Simons Our next Brewing Faith gathering will be on Thursday, February 8 at Brunson s Pub. All members and friends of GA are welcome...its an evening of food and drink, as well as an opportunity to discuss. Our topic for February is Where Do You Encounter God? These evenings are really a lot of fun and we d love to have you join us. The food is great, the beer is cold, and the conversation is excellent. Souper Bowl Sunday! Sunday, February 4 is Super Bowl Sunday, but it is also Souper Bowl of Caring Sunday in churches around the country. On a day when the world focuses on football and fun, young people are raising millions to help people who are hungry and hurting, by inviting worshippers to make a gift. This movement that began in a youth group has grown into a national, youth-led event called the Souper Bowl of Caring. GA youth will be standing at the doors as you leave church on Feb. 4 to collect donations. Proceeds will benefit The Sheridan Story at Farnsworth Elementary. Thank you.

9 Febr uary 2018 Page 9 Our Life Together DON T MISS CAMP ONOMIA SUNDAY SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 11 AT GA! Camp Program Director, Daniel Dittmanson will be the presenter for Table Talk between services and will be available to answer questions about camp following worship services too. The Coffee Hour will be a Fundraiser for our partnership with Camp Onomia with special treats! SPONSOR-A-YOUTH FUNDRAISER Will you sponsor a youth to attend the 2018 ELCA Youth Gathering? A sponsorship of any amount supports our youth. You ll be hearing more about this exciting opportunity soon. LENT BEGINS ON FEBRUARY 14, 2018 Plans are being made for a GA Men's Winter retreat coming up in March. We will be leaving Friday, March 16th and returning on the 19th. We will be fishing on Lake of the Woods spending our nights on the lake, staying in a sleeper. This will be a wonderful opportunity to get away from the business to life, create new friendships with people from our church and maybe, just maybe catch a fish or two. We will be having an informational meeting on Tuesday, February 13th at 7:30 p.m. in the Library. This will be a meeting where you can come to get more information about the trip and ask questions. Please let Pastor John know if you re interested.

10 Page 10 Gustavus Adolphus Lutheran Chur ch FEBRUARY BIRTHDAYS 1 Case Vouk 2 Darryl Deiman Ryan Troska 3 Ronald Carlson James Hansen Cathy Van Ert 4 Donna Bordsen Ray Landkamer Kirsten Vouk 5 Nancy Rude Kha Yang 6 Don Selander Terri Troska 8 Mary Peters Deborah Zenk 9 Bob Barduson Cheryl Resch 10 Faith Wilhelmy 11 Heather Nelson Marion Stone 12 Kathleen Gustafson Elaine Olson Dennis Prohofsky 13 Pat Bello 14 Dawn Lindgren Bonnie Olson 15 Brooks Hitchcock Michael Jones 16 Bobby Fraser 17 Jerry Siverson 18 Lisa Engelstad 19 Marilyn Brakke Richard Johnson Bennett Lowther 20 Wendy Dording Garrett Eide Raul Ramos 22 Sarah Colburn 23 John Harrison John Reimers 24 Alivia Garbe 25 Ray Johnson Andrew Nelson Nannette Taylor 27 Kay Anderson Matthew Dvorak John Taylor 28 Cynthia Blayk GA COUNCIL CORNER Greetings! I am excited to serve as president of our church council this year. I m joined on the council by a wonderful group of people. Inspired by the spirit, all of us have been called to serve our congregation in this way. Again this year, we will continue working together to thoughtfully provide leadership, direction and plans that fulfill the mission of GA. This is a hope-filled time at GA and we have many blessings for which to be thankful. Our building is bustling; many worship in our building, attend meetings, get their daily exercise, and visit to receive help and support. We have created a welcoming environment for all who pass through our doors. Our congregation is answering the call to be a gateway for a relationship with God and with each other. Denise Hassenstab OPENING OUR LIVES TO RECEIVE GOD S GRACE MENTORS NEEDED! Adult members of GA work one to one with students to strengthen their faith and their relationships within the community of faith. Contact Sherrie Nordquist or a pastor to become involved. Confirmation students (grades 6 & 7) are asked to select a mentor! During Lent (Feb. 21, 28, Mar. 7, 14, 21), each studentmentor pair will attend Wednesday Lenten service and meet for guided discussions about faith and life issues. Parents are asked to contact Sherrie Nordquist or their child s small group leader if they need help finding a mentor for their son or daughter.. OPEN MY EYES, LORD OPEN MY HANDS, LORD OPEN MY EARS, LORD OPEN MY HEART, LORD OPEN MY LIFE, LORD As a part of being the wider community of Christ, we welcome our sister East Side ELCA congregations and pastors into worship at GA for Wednesday worship. We journey together and open our lives to the Lord.

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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 Church Staff & Contact Information The Rev. John Hierlinger, johnh@gachurch.org Senior Pastor The Rev. Amanda Simons, a.simons@gachurch.org Associate Pastor Allen Blegan, visitation@gachurch.org Interim Visitation Minister Dr. Jerry Brakke, jerry@gachurch.org Director of Music Sherrie Nordquist, sherrie@gachurch.org Director of Christian Education Maggie Kidnie, maggie@gachurch.org Business Manager Rob Sebo Lubke, rob@gachurch.org Office Administrator/Communication Specialist Judy Hitchcock, judy@gachurch.org Administrative Assistant Kevin Berglund, Jerry Martin, custodians@gachurch.org Custodians 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