FROM PASTOR NANCY - MAY 2018

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The Date GWOH 8 May Calendar Dear members and friends of Sverdrup, insert FROM PASTOR NANCY - MAY 2018 During the month of May I will be using two weeks of continuing education and two weeks of

1 SVERDRUP LUTHERAN CHURCH Inside this issue: MAY 2018 NEWSLETTER 209 Southern Ave. E, PO Box 70 Underwood, MN Office Phone: Pastor s Cell: undlp@prtel.com From Pastor Nancy 1 Acolyte Schedule and 2018 GRADUATES 2 WELCA News 2 Church Council Minutes 3-4 Thank You s 5 Sverdrup Bulletin Board New Members and VBS 6 Upcoming Events 7 Announcements Save The Date GWOH 8 May Calendar Dear members and friends of Sverdrup, insert FROM PASTOR NANCY - MAY 2018 During the month of May I will be using two weeks of continuing education and two weeks of vacation. Therefore, I will be gone most of the month of May. Since it is unusual for me to be gone for four weeks all at one time, I want to inform you of my thoughts and intentions for this decision. I have been in discussion with the council and have their full support. Last Fall I was experiencing a period of what I call spiritual deadness when I was feeling less inspiration than usual. It was more difficult to preach and find my usual passion for my work. I think this happens to most people of faith from time to time. Our spiritual lives have their ups and downs. That is normal, but I seemed to be in an extended period of dryness. My own spiritual bucket was kind of empty. I need to be clear. This has nothing to do with Sverdrup Lutheran. Being a pastor at Sverdrup is a joy and you are a very appreciative and affirming congregation. I see Sverdrup as a healthy congregation, full of life and grace. We re doing good work together. But I could see the need for deliberate action on my part to renew and refresh my own spiritual well from which I draw to be your pastor. I shared the need for this time with the council and they were very supportive. I have plans for independent study and reading and a seminar at Luther Seminary which focuses on leadership. I will also be spending time with friends and family and hopefully, significant time outdoors. I intend to visit the nearby state parks and hike the woods with my dog. I also plan to be quite disciplined about my own daily devotions and take significant time for meditation. Of course all of this is no guarantee of spiritual renewal. The Spirit blows where it wills as Jesus said to Nicodemas. However, I believe I need to do my part to be open to the spiritual renewal that God can give through times of refreshment and deliberate spiritual discipline. During this time Pastor Zinta will be our worship leader and on call for any emergencies. She is the soul of compassion so I am reassured that you will be in good hands. Tereasa has the office in good command so she can manage day to day office matters. By the time you read this my son Luke will have gotten married to his fiancé, Maddie, who will be a wonderful addition to our family. I feel so blessed to have all my children married to such wonderful people. I will also become a grandma for the first time around the end of May and I hear that is a joy beyond measure. So you see, my life is very blessed and I want to continue to be a blessing to my family and all of you. I look forward to seeing all of you in June, renewed and refreshed from my time away. Yours in Christ, Pastor Nancy

Page 2 Sunday Acolyte Schedule 5/6/18 Volunteer Needed 5/13/18 Braden Guy 5/20/18 Volunteer Needed Summer months Ushers will Acolyte 2018 GRADUATES Sydney Hovland Brodey Rocholl Angela Theede

OUR PAST 12-WEEK ATTENDANCE NUMBERS @ SVERDRUP LUTHERAN DATE ATTENDANCE 3/4/18 106 3/11/18 73 3/14/18 47 3/18/18 73 3/21/18 47 3/25/18 162 4/1/18 102 4/5/17 68 4/1/18 135 4/8/18 60 4/15/18 86 4/22/18

I want to extend a warm Welcome to new members Carolyn Anderson and Stacey Edin - we look forward to getting to know you! Please check your church mailbox for the 2018 WELCA Membership booklet.

There are pages listing the dates and times for local events in Sverdrup and the regional conference area and a directory of our WELCA members and their contact numbers.

2 Page 2 Sunday Acolyte Schedule 5/6/18 Volunteer Needed 5/13/18 Braden Guy 5/20/18 Volunteer Needed Summer months Ushers will Acolyte 2018 GRADUATES Sydney Hovland Brodey Rocholl Angela Theede Congratulations on your achievements! OUR PAST 12-WEEK ATTENDANCE SVERDRUP LUTHERAN DATE ATTENDANCE 3/4/ /11/ /14/ /18/ /21/ /25/ /1/ /5/ /1/ /8/ /15/ /22/18 59 News for Sverdrup Women Hello, Spring! Just when we thought we couldn t take one more day of winter, you arrived! I want to extend a warm Welcome to new members Carolyn Anderson and Stacey Edin - we look forward to getting to know you! Please check your church mailbox for the 2018 WELCA Membership booklet. It includes information about activities planned during the year for the women in our congregation, special events and projects and the group or individuals who are in charge of them. There are pages listing the dates and times for local events in Sverdrup and the regional conference area and a directory of our WELCA members and their contact numbers. I encourage you to look through it to learn about our mission and action. Please know you are INVITED and ALWAYS WELCOME to participate any time! Saturday, April 14 th about 20 church members and community residents attended a program in the fellowship hall given by Don & Sandy Klaksvik, of Underwood. Don is a recipient of a beautiful Patriot Assistance Dog (P.A.D.) named Mason. They spoke about the non-profit organization and process that connects military veterans with speciallytrained dogs who can help them with PTSD and TBI issues, medication reminders and much more. Don is a U.S. Navy veteran of Vietnam and completed training with his dog Mason, in December Both Don and Sandy explained the program s function and operations in detail and it is truly a wonderful story and life-changing experience and opportunity! We were happy to donate our offering to the P.A.D. organization as it is the only service of its kind available to military veterans at no cost to them. A couple additional things to note from the meeting: the church library has been completely gone through by Melissa O Donnell and Linda Martinson! Thank you! They removed old, outdated, duplicate books so check it out and see what you find. Cec Kinzler reported that 59 Care Kits were assembled for Lutheran World Relief, 8 fleece blankets have been made and donated to the Salvation Army, and 25 quilts are ready for LWR. The quilting ladies have already made quilts for the three graduating High School Seniors in our congregation too! Thanks to all who participated and wow, you ve been busy! Our next event will be the annual Salad Supper on Wednesday, June 13 th at 6:00 p.m. The officers plan and serve the meal, we have a program speaker and a really short business meeting. The food is always delicious! Watch for details on the speaker/ program and advance tickets will be sold. We hope to see you there! Blessings, Karen Thompson, Sverdrup WELCA President WELCA NEWS

3 SVERDRUP LUTHERAN CHURCH COUNCIL MEETING: MARCH 20, :00 PM President Lew Obright called the meeting to order at 7:36 pm. Present: Pastor Nancy Monke, Lew Obright, Sue Jensen, Sharon Heifort, Stacy Hammes, Else Andersen, Bert Kinzler, Virgil Martinson, Alan Sundby, Kasey Lindstrom, Zinta Sundby, Jim Andersen and Alan Thompson. Absent: Steve Schultz, Linda Martinson, Krista Fix, Lissa O Donnell, and Savanna Shebeck. Approval of Agenda: MSP: Else Andersen/Stacy Hammes to approve Agenda as printed. Opening Devotions and Prayer: Else Andersen; The right ingredients of the Church. 2Timothy, 2:15 Pastor s Report: Pastoral Visits: 8 Funerals: LeRoy Peterson Weddings: (Michelle Seidel scheduled for June 2018) Thank You s: To Steve Schultz for fixing the dishwasher at the parsonage. To Thea Rothmann, Braden and Lisa Guy and Camille Nelson, Dee and Barry Johnson, Zinta Sundby, Kevin Johanson, Else Andersen and Steve Schultz for speaking at Lenten services. Next up; Bert Kinzler and John Hartmann. To all who made supper for us on Wednesday evenings. To Stacy Hammes for representing us at the Conference meeting. Furnace Replacement: The furnace fundraising committee has met and formed a plan. There will be a celebration of our 20 th anniversary of moving into the new church. Pastor handed out examples and explained the pledge cards. Upcoming events: March 25 Talent Show teaser during announcements. April 8 Hand out Pledge and Information Cards. April 15 Make pledges during worship, Swedish pancakes, Talent Show celebration. Discussed how to reach those members who aren t in attendance for pledge Sunday. New Members: We will have another New Member Sunday on April 22. New members are Stacy and Colt Edin and Alton, Mitch and Carolyn Anderson. MSP: Pastor Nancy Monke/Sue Jensen to accept those listed above as new members. Safety: Thank you to those who were able to come to the AED training tonight. May: I have found a leadership seminar for two days at Luther Seminary that I will be signing up for called Leadership from Within. I would also like to spend some time working through the safety materials. I will be reading Braving the Wilderness by Brene Brown and Quiet by Susan Cain. Personnel: I have not signed off on my annual review because we have not settled the question of my own sick leave. I would like to meet with the Executive committee about this. Communion Preparation: We have 3 students. There has been one request by a Tingvold parent for their student to attend. They will be meeting on Wednesdays from 4:15-5:15 during April. First Communion on Sunday will be April 29. April 22: I need to be gone that Sunday for an unexpected family commitment. Nicholas Rohde will be our worship leader. Goal Setting Exercise: Pastor asked us to write down in one minute, one hope or dream that you would have for our church in the next 1-3 years. A discussion followed that included some feedback received about the different liturgies we are trying. Secretary s Report: MSP: Kasey Lindstrom/Stacy Hammes to approve the minutes as printed. Financial Secretary s Report: We have had a lot of extra money coming in from Memorials, Furnace, Food Shelf and Cemetery Funds. So far the Furnace Fund has received $2, in 2017 and $2, in Tingvold YTD is $6, Page 3

Treasurer s Report: We have a current checking balance of $46,812.49. The Furnace Fund we have Page 4 received $4,642.88 so far. I paid our Food Shelf commitment of $1,600.

Committee Reports: Executive: No report. Property & Management: Installed new filters in furnaces. Pastor asked if they could mount AED unit somewhere in the church.

4 Treasurer s Report: We have a current checking balance of $46, The Furnace Fund we have Page 4 received $4, so far. I paid our Food Shelf commitment of $1, A QuickBooks renewal of $ was paid. All bills are paid up and current. MSP: Stacy Hammes/Zinta Sundby to approve the Financial Secretary s and Treasurer s report. Committee Reports: Executive: No report. Property & Management: Installed new filters in furnaces. Pastor asked if they could mount AED unit somewhere in the church. Worship and Stewardship: We have not met, but we need communion servers. Discussed posting communion instructions and passed around a sign-up sheet. Education: Last day of Sunday school is April 29. We are meeting with Sunday school teachers on April 22. First Communion Sunday is April 29. Life & Fellowship: Directory photos are done and Tereasa will be providing a roster to the directory company. We have only 5 people signed up for the softball team and the deadline is the end of March. There was a discussion about the OTCLYO and the lack of participation in events. Old Business: Pledge Sunday, Talent Show: See Pastor s report. Library Shelving: There were some concerns brought to the council about a motion passed at the February regarding installing additional shelving in the library. As there really isn t room for additional shelving, to consider rearranging the existing space and removing some books to make more room. Zinta will coordinate with the Library committee. MSP: Else Andersen/Alan Thompson to reconsider installing additional shelving in the library. MSP: Virgil Martinson/Kasey Lindstrom to extend the meeting another 5 minutes. New Business: Sound System: Steve Schultz has some ideas about improving our sound system, but was unable to attend the meeting, so that will be tabled until our next meeting. MSP: Stacy Hammes /Else Andersen to adjourn. The meeting ended at 8:34 and we closed with the Lord s Prayer. The next meeting is Tuesday, April 17, Alan Thompson, Secretary **************************************************************************************** PRAYER CHAIN If you have prayer request, we will add them to our Prayer Chain. Please sverdrupprayers@gmail.com or call Laurie Bauck at Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. DID YOU KNOW YOU CAN TUNE IN? SING FOR JOY KBRF 1250 am Radio 7:00 am For excellent ELCA music, scripture and weekly lessons. MORNING WATCH KBRF 1250 am Radio 8:45 a.m. Join Pastor Nancy the first Wednesday of each month. Sverdrup Lutheran Church Mission Statement The mission of Sverdrup Lutheran Church is to be a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) in which believers minister to the Spiritual, emotional, and physical needs of the congregation, community, and world. Sunday Worship: 9:00 am followed by Fellowship 10:00 am Office Hours: 8:00 am - 12:00 noon Tuesday - Friday

5 Page 5 From Jacye Ross: I just received your care package today and I absolutely love it. Thank you so much, I really appreciate it. I saw the cookies from Delores! Thank you! Receiving this package definitely made my day.

S V E R D R U P B U L L E T I N B O A R D Page 6 When mailing letters

that everyone please be sure to include our PO Box number in the

, PO Box 70, Underwood, MN 56586 Please welcome our newest members to

6 S V E R D R U P B U L L E T I N B O A R D Page 6 When mailing letters or packages to Sverdrup Lutheran Church, our Post Office is asking that everyone please be sure to include our PO Box number in the address. Thanks! Sverdrup Lutheran Church, 209 Southern Ave. E., PO Box 70, Underwood, MN Please welcome our newest members to Sverdrup s church family: Mitch & Carolyn Anderson Colt & Stacey & Alton Edin WORD FIND

U P C O M I N G E V E N T S Page 7 Open House Bridal

Saturday, May 26, 1-4 pm Sverdrup Church - Fellowship

www.pamperedchef.com/go/ SeidelLink<http:// www.

com/go/ SeidelLink> SVERDRUP WELCA SALAD SUPPER

7 U P C O M I N G E V E N T S Page 7 Open House Bridal Shower for Michelle Seidel Bride to be of Landon Link Saturday, May 26, 1-4 pm Sverdrup Church - Fellowship Hall The happy couple are registered on Amazon and at SeidelLink< SeidelLink> SVERDRUP WELCA SALAD SUPPER Wednesday June 6:00 p.m. SVERDRUP SEWING CIRCLE: We will be meeting May 15th & 16th from 8:30 to 11:30 at the church.

Page 8 Sverdrup Lutheran Church has welcomed many visitors over the past few months.

Wahpeton, North Dakota Bemidji, Minnesota Bluffton, Minnesota San Antonio, Texas Buford, Georgia Moorhead, Minnesota Sioux

Lauderdale, Florida Conway, Arizona Pelican Rapids, Minnesota Grey Eagle, Minnesota Thief River Falls, Minnesota Askov,

Save the date: September 9, 2018 is God s work - Our hands.

packed Lutheran World Relief (LWR) school kits, removed weeks and picked up trash on our streets and road ditches, removed

thank you and served dinner for our Underwood Fire Dept.

8 Page 8 Sverdrup Lutheran Church has welcomed many visitors over the past few months. Here is a list of the home towns that have been represented: Rochester, Minnesota Fergus Falls, Minnesota Eustis, Florida Wahpeton, North Dakota Bemidji, Minnesota Bluffton, Minnesota San Antonio, Texas Buford, Georgia Moorhead, Minnesota Sioux Falls, South Dakota Vining, Minnesota Ft. Lauderdale, Florida Conway, Arizona Pelican Rapids, Minnesota Grey Eagle, Minnesota Thief River Falls, Minnesota Askov, Minnesota We are always glad to see visiting family and friends attend our services and join in our fellowship time. WELCOME! Save the date: September 9, 2018 is God s work - Our hands. Since 2013, ELCA members nationwide have gathered together for GWOH s Sunday, sharing their gifts and faith through serving their neighbors and communities. At Sverdrup and Tingvold Lutheran Churches we have trimmed trees, painted buildings and light poles, organized supplies and packed Lutheran World Relief (LWR) school kits, removed weeks and picked up trash on our streets and road ditches, removed rust from UHS football scoreboards, raked Bass Lake public access beach, collected produce for Tamarack Manor Residents, made thank you and served dinner for our Underwood Fire Dept. and First Responders, pulled weeds, planted and re-mulched SLC landscaping. Our members that participate feel it s a wonderful experience and provides them a better understanding of our community and a vision for our expanded ministry. It s also good fellowship and a way that Tingvold, Unitarians and Sverdrup Members can work together on service projects and enjoy a fellowship meal together. It s a rich experience of mutual care, service, learning and witnessing for everyone. Else Andersen, GWOH Co-Chair

FROM PASTOR NANCY - APRIL 2018

FROM PASTOR NANCY - APRIL 2018 SVERDRUP LUTHERAN CHURCH APRIL 2018 NEWSLETTER Inside this issue: From Pastor Nancy 1 CONFIRMATION CLASSES 2 WELCA News April 14th Spring Meeting 2 209 Southern Ave. E, PO Box 70 Underwood, MN 56586 Office