uccbrainerd.org August 2015 No matter who you are, or where you are on life s journey, you are welcome here.

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1 Friendship News First Congregational United PPJa Church of Christ, Brainerd An Open and Affirming Church The church office hours are 8am-12pm, Monday Friday. The Pastor is also available at other times by appointment. Office phone , Pastor s residence , firstcong@brainerd.net. uccbrainerd.org August No matter who you are, or where you are on life s journey, you are welcome here. ANNOUNCEMENTS... 2 Minnesota FoodShare Harvest Campaign... 2 Lakes Area Music Festival... 2 Walk to End Alzheimer s... 2 New Pathways... 3 Soup Kitchen... 3 Honor the Earth... 4 UCC Job Openings... 4 Worship August 9 th & 16 th... 4 Habitat for Humanity... 5 Walk for Hope... 6 Lakeside Center Retreats... 7 We Are All Criminals Presentation at CLC... 8 PASTOR S PEN... 9 Moderator s Musings Food Shelf Offering July Christian Ministry Department August Birthdays Church Council Minutes Church Financials CHURCH CALENDAR AUGUST

2 2 ANNOUNCEMENTS Minnesota FoodShare Harvest Campaign For many food shelves and those who use their services regularly, finding fresh produce can be a challenge. To make these healthy options more readily available, Minnesota FoodShare has launched the Harvest Campaign, focused on bringing fresh, locally grown produce into Minnesota food shelves. Please join us during August and September to collect fresh produce and get it to those who need it most the hungry. To sign up or learn more, visit gmcc.org/minnesotafoodshare/harvestcampaign or contact Courtney Zaato at or czaato@gmcc.org. Lakes Area Music Festival IDYLLIC SETTINGS Wednesday, August 5 7 pm. Doors open at 6 pm. Pre-concert lecture with pianist Gregory DeTurck at 6:30 pm. Afterglow immediately following concert at Prairie Bay, Baxter. Conductor Courtney Lewis of the New York Philharmonic leads this chamber music set featuring Aaron Copland s beloved Suite from Appalachian Spring. LA BOHÈME Puccini's classic tale of love and loss featuring an international cast of opera talent. Saturday, August 8-7 pm. Doors open at 6 pm. Pre-concert lecture with MPR's Steve Staruch, conductor Andrew Altenbach and director JJ Hudson at 6:30 pm. Sunday, August 9-2 pm. Doors open at 1 pm. Pre-concert lecture with MPR's Steve Staruch, conductor Andrew Altenbach and director JJ Hudson at 1:30 pm. MUSICAL TRANSLATIONS Wednesday, August 12 7 pm. Doors open at 6 pm. Pre-concert lecture with conductor Andrew Altenbach at 6:30 pm. Afterglow immediately following concert at Prairie Bay, Baxter. Featuring Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante for Violin, Viola and Orchestra in E-flat major by Festival favorites Chloe Fedor and Samantha Rodriguez. All concerts are made free of charge, and take place at Tornstrom Auditorium in Brainerd. For more information on the musicians, social and educational offering or parking, check out lakesareamusic.org. Walk to End Alzheimer s First Congregational Church UCC is the name of our team this year. The date is September 26 at the Arboretum. You will be hearing more about the Walk nearly every Sunday between now and September 26. So get out your tie dyed shirt from last year, go to and search for the Brainerd Walk. You can register as a member of our team and have an opportunity to raise money and prizes if you would like. This is a great opportunity to support a cause that has an impact on many families in our church. It also gives the people in our community an opportunity to learn what we do to help others. If you have questions, contact Karen Ford.

3 3 New Pathways Mission Statement: New Pathways, Inc. exists to ensure that the homeless populations, specifically families with children, have resources, skills, and assistance necessary to thrive. Park United Methodist, First Congregational, The Episcopal Church, and Society of Friends partner to provide a week of shelter for homeless families in our area. Our next week is September Please pray for this ministry, for the families and for the volunteers needed to make this possible. To learn more about this program and to volunteer, please contact one of the following: PUMS Host Coordinator: Scott Gutierrez UCC Host Coordinator: Open Orientation Host, Sunday: Open Supplies: Jan Morton, Set-up & Take Down: Deb Griffith Dinners: Sharon Carlson Evening Activities: Lance James Evening Host, Overnight Sue Hadland & Breakfast: Kathi Hefti Transportation: Open Scott in the interim Laundry: Naomi Circle Barb B Recorder: Carol Coventry Publicity: Open There will also be a calendar in the UCC narthex showing available dates for volunteer opportunities. Thank you for your prayerful support for this ministry. Soup Kitchen Serving opportunity! We are looking for a group to serve every other 2 nd Thursday (6 times a year) beginning January, Please let us know if your group is interested. June Statistics: Meals 1,690, Days of service 30, Average Meals served per day 56. Manager's Report: Thanks as always for your continuing support of Sharing Bread Soup Kitchen. Because of your generosity and commitment, the Soup Kitchen continues to be a place where hungry people are welcomed and fed. The demolition of the old church building and expansion of the parking lot is progressing. We'll still need lots of help this summer getting all of the work done and we will need to raise some funds in order to get everything paid for! Please pray for us that the Lord will provide everything needed for this project. The good news is that our friends at Crossing Arts Alliance are planning another "Empty Bowls" campaign and have decided to bless our ministry with the proceeds. I will keep you in the loop when I know more. This is a significant opportunity and we are thankful for this partnership. As always, please leave a note or give me a shout out at pastorbob@sharingbread.com with any concerns or questions that may arise while serving at the Soup Kitchen. Keep up the good work! Sincerely, Pastor Bob Evans

4 4 Honor the Earth There will be a Wild rice fundraiser dinner, cooked by the Sioux Chef from St. Paul, for Honor the Earth at Lutheran Church of the Cross on August 27 at 6 p.m. Cost is $40 per plate. The money will go to support legal work and other actions against the proposed Sandpiper pipeline. Contact Pat Scott with questions. UCC Job Openings We have 2 positions open at our church, Community UCC in St. Paul Park that we are looking to fill with qualified individuals: Administrative Assistant and Music Director, both part-time. If interested, send resume and cover letter to Pastor Oby Ballinger at pastoroby@gmail.com. Contact Pastor Oby at with questions about the position. (Flyers with more information are posted on the bulletin board outside the church office, by the north doors.) Worship August 9 th & 16 th Lilja Behr has been a member of First Congregational UCC, Brainerd, since She and her husband, Jeff, have been married for 45 years. They have two married children and four lively grandchildren. In 1994, Lilja graduated from United Theological Seminary in New Brighton with a Master of Divinity degree. She continued her education with two years of Clinical Pastoral Education at North Memorial Hospital and the Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society. Lilja has served as a chaplain at Bethany and Woodland Good Samaritan Villages, as a regional chaplain for the Good Samaritan Society, a hospice chaplain, and as visitation pastor at Lord of Life Lutheran Church in Baxter. Currently she is serving as a part time chaplain at Essentia Health, St. Joseph s Medical Center in Brainerd. Lilja will be preaching on two Sundays in August. She will examine some of the Old Testament texts that describe the impact of the reign s of King David and his son, Solomon. Lilja wants all listeners to be aware of the fact that she will approach these texts from a particular bias: the scholarship of Dr. Walter Brueggemann. She offers to us this side story. Upon graduation from seminary, Lilja told Jeff, Now I want to go on and study under Walter Brueggemann. After handling all the household and parental duties for the family for six long years, Jeff looked at Lil with patient forbearance and said, I can t manage that, and you can t go to Georgia! So, Lilja just started reading Brueggemann on her own. His writing, preaching and prayers have inspired her for years. Dr. Walter Brueggemann is the author of over 58 books, hundreds of articles, and several commentaries on books of the Bible. The son of a minister of the German Evangelical Synod of North America, he was ordained in the United Church of Christ. He was professor of Old Testament ( ) and Dean ( ) at Eden Theological Seminary. Beginning in 1986, he served as William Marcellus McPheeters Professor of Old Testament at Columbia Theological Seminary, in Decatur, Georgia, from which he retired in the early 2000s. Brueggemann continues lecture and preach throughout the country.

5 Habitat for Humanity 5

6 Walk for Hope 6

7 Lakeside Center Retreats 7

8 We Are All Criminals Presentation at CLC 8

9 9 PASTOR S PEN What is a Church of Radical Welcome? Instead of a traditional sermon, this last Sunday we co-created 15 minutes of Holy conversation led by your questions in what I called Ask the Pastor. One of the questions that I addressed asked How or where do you see our church in 10 years? I had a lot of thoughts around this topic but ultimately I answered that I see this church living into an expanded sense of inclusivity. I see us taking our Open and Affirming position to the next level. As I pondered this question and my answer to it over the hours that followed, I realized that I should expand upon that answer. I think our church is exceptional at welcoming an affirming people who are a gender or sexual minority (GSM is a new acronym I learned during coffee hour on Sunday.) This includes people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, asexual and more. I do think we have some gaps in our understanding of some of these identities which I hope we will address in the months to come. But even if our understanding is not complete, our welcome is genuine. Unfortunately, like may progressive Christian churches, while we may do a wonderful job in welcoming the oppressed, the poor, the sexual and gender minorities, we are less effective at being truly welcoming of people who may hold different political views. We would never assume that the person sitting next to us in the pew holds the same theological beliefs as we do, and yet we may jump to the conclusion that they would vote for the same candidate or support the same initiatives as we would. So what does it mean to truly extend a radical welcome to ALL people? It means being mindful about the words we use. Anytime we paint an entire group of people with one brush (all Muslims believe or those millennials always or those republicans ) we unfairly lump individuals into a category that may not truly represent them. Being truly welcoming means changing the way we talk about people to see them as individuals, as God s beloved children. Being radically welcoming also means challenging our assumptions about people we consider different from ourselves. It means understanding that our pews are filled with people who hold diverse values and beliefs even though we worship together as one family of faith. One of the most difficult differences to overcome in the progressive church seems to be political parties. This is a phenomena that exists in progressive churches around the country. We (the progressive church) seem to be ok with criticizing all conservatives as a group, even though we would be offended to be lumped together with all Christians. This is not to say that politics must or even can be separated from our faith. My faith calls me to fight for the oppressed and serve the least of these which must often be done in the political sphere if any difference is truly to be made. But it is my hope that in doing so, I am able to find the places where conservative and liberal Christians can come together rather than pass judgement or ridicule those who vote differently than I do. Let us reflect on the words of the Apostle Paul For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. (Romans 12:3-5) May it be so. Pastor Leslie Pastor Leslie will be out of the office for a conference and vacation from August 3 through August 18. David Crum is available for Pastoral Care during that time.

10 10 Moderator s Musings Vibrant (adjective) vi brant [ vaibrǝnt] 1. Energetic. Full of liveliness or energy. 2. Pulsating with energy. 3. Resonant. 4. Bright. 5. Vibrating. Amongst the synonyms offered by Merriam-Webster are animated, flourishing, happening, kinetic, lively, thriving, and alive. Recently, I was asked to describe the church/congregation to which I belong, and within my answer I incorporated the word vibrant. Honestly, it caught me a bit off guard, at least at first. Vibrant that s a term that can conjure up grandiose images of splendor. Bigness. Fanciness. A spectacular and expansive sanctuary with standing-room-only worship services, and the kind of 24/7 hustle and bustle that is either impressive or dizzying, depending on your point of view. It s the Crystal Cathedral! But wait! That s not us. Big? This is the smallest congregation I ve ever belonged to and having been raised in rural Wisconsin, that s saying something! Perhaps vital would have been a better word. We do a lot of things that are not only important [vital] reflections of our own faith, but are also important [vital] to the lives of those around us. Still, vibrant is the word that came out of my mouth. Vibrant. We re vibrant! That s my story and I m stickin to it. Vibrancy. It s not about size. It s not about how full the calendar is. Vibrancy speaks of the character of who we are and what we do. Authentic seems to be another adjective that captures what I m getting at. The life, the energy, the resonance that exudes the faith encounters that occur on a regular basis within our congregation that is vibrant! We might be best described as small, at least in number. There isn t anything small, however, about the character of this congregation. In my brief history as a member here, I m quite convinced there isn t anything that we can t do if we put our minds and hearts to it (along with our arms and hands and backs and legs and ). And we ve got another big project being undertaken in the immediate future. The multiphase Fellowship Hall project will transform our collective experience within that space. And while the Fellowship Hall project will enhance the physical plant in which we function, it is still the people, us, together, that makes this congregation vibrant. Phil Kuehn Moderator Food Shelf Offering July 26 Each month we bring offerings of groceries, necessities and financial donations to help feed hungry neighbors in our community. The Salvation Army Food Shelf serves 400 families each month. On July 26, we received $525 and 58 pounds of food. Our next offering will be Sunday, August 23. Thank you for helping to feed our hungry neighbors!

11 11 Christian Ministry Department August 2 Hosts: Jan Morton & Erik Steen Ushers: Roger Best, Greg Johnson, Ken Nelson & Gary Whiteman Greeters: Karlee Micek & Jan Morton Counters: Jeff Behr & Jerry Kuehn August 9 Hosts: Karen Ford & Tom Nelson Ushers/Greeters: Maria Bertram, Lance James, Wayne Mayer & Itty Newgord Counters: Deb Griffith & Marcia Mans August 16 Hosts: Marcia Mans & Barb Stokke Ushers: Dan Hegstad & Pat Scott Greeters: Austin & Preston Newgord Counters: Coleen Carder & Vi Heiser August 23 Hosts: Sharon Carlson & Karen Ogdahl Ushers/Greeters: Caroline & Rebekah Bender, Jean Gustafson & Tracy Lyons Counters: Nancy Gould & Lowell Johnson August 30 Hosts: Sue Hadland & Lisa Wigand Ushers: Roger Best, Ellie Burkett, Greg Johnson & Gary Whiteman Greeters: To Be Determined any volunteers? Counters: Steve Crum & Judy Whiteman August Birthdays 8/1 Chuck Schmid 8/21 Maria Bertram 8/2 Nicole Grabowski 8/23 Jean Schaeffer 8/10 Jack Olson 8/27 Terry Boman 8/10 Bodie Brooks 8/27 Dana Watson 8/12 Brian Twamley 8/27 Kathy Hegstad 8/13 Joe Stattine 8/28 Arlene Jones 8/15 Addison Ferrie 8/28 Robert Bock 8/16 Emma Widmark 8/30 Samuel Stadem 8/17 Jill Carlson 8/31 Dominique Seely

12 12 Church Council Minutes July Moderator Phil Kuehn Assistant Moderator Dan Hegstad Clerk Karen Ogdahl Treasurer Lisa Wigand Christian Ministry Joey Halvorson Trustees Coleen Carder Christian Education Marina Grabowski Stewardship Marcia Mans Council at Large Ann Turnbull, Nicole Grabowski, Bonnie Crum Present: Marcia Mans, Ann Turnbull, Nicole Grabowski, Marina Grabowski, Phil Kuehn, Dan Hegstad, Rev. Leslie Moughty, Karen Ogdahl, Coleen Carder, Joey Halvorson, Lisa Wigand Moderator Phil Kuehn called the meeting to order. Pastor Leslie read a prayer, and Phil shared a meditation on the scripture Pray Always. CLERK S REPORT Marriage: Dan Hegstad and Marcia Ferris, July 12, Karen thanked the committee recorders for ing their reports so promptly. TREASURER S REPORT See attached report. Lisa shared letters from the representatives of the Paul Grussing and Dorothy Janes estates. Monetary gifts were given to the church in memory of Paul and Dorothy. Paul s gift is designated for the building fund. Dorothy s gift is designated for general operation of the church. The Council expressed gratitude for the generosity of these families. There was a discussion of procedures for dealing with memorial gifts. Karen will contact Bobbie and a representative of the Memorial Committee to ensure that a process is in place. The church is about $6,000 in the red, but giving is ahead of budget by about $10,000. The church has recently had some generous gifts that have inspired generosity among other members. Again, the Council is grateful. Lisa will be stepping down as Treasurer the end of August. The Council expressed their thanks for Lisa s efficient and knowledgeable work over the years. PASTOR S REPORT Officiated at one wedding and the Celley Memorial Garden Dedication, swapped pulpits with Rev. Michael Small in Hackensack and attended several meetings and other community events. Will attend Youth Camp and two continuing education workshops. On vacation August 3 9. Lilja Behr will lead worship on Aug. 9 and 16. STEWARDSHIP REPORT Working on the fall pledge drive. TRUSTEES REPORT Trustees held an informational meeting after church on July 12 regarding the proposed acoustic remodeling in the fellowship hall. A summary of that meeting will be ed to congregation members. The door to the small chapel is being painted, and a new church sign will soon be in place. The building use policy will be finished soon. Trustees have been researching the best ways to have background checks done for those who work with the children. This was recommended by our insurance agent. CHRISTIAN EDUCATION Six young people will be attending camp this summer. CE has planned a calendar of events through December. Many of these events will be intergenerational. September events are Sunday School Opening on Sept. 13, a Tie Dye Party on Sept. 20 and the Alzheimer s Walk on Sept. 26.

13 13 CHRISTIAN MINISTRY CM has developed a calendar of special services and events through Jan. 27. Upcoming events are Leslie s Installation Service on Aug. 23 at 3 p.m., Neighbors in Need Offering on Sept. 20 and Blessing of the Animals on Sept. 27. AT-LARGE MEMBERS Ann reported on a group who went to Hackensack UCC to share our church s experience with becoming open and affirming. Their presentation was well-received. OLD BUSINESS Todd Froemming checked the office computer and made sure security software was up to date. NEW BUSINESS Karen presented the revised Wedding Handbook. The Council suggested some changes, which will be made and presented at the next Council meeting. The Reception Handbook will be presented at the next meeting as well. Coleen discussed the Trustees plan for creating better acoustics in the fellowship hall. Money has been donated for Phase I (consulting and design services, asbestos abatement, lights and suspension, acoustical tile ceiling, drywall soffits, lighting, diffusers, duct extensions/revisions, adjusting sprinkler lines, wall absorption if needed). Phase II (carpet replacement, carpet base, art display system, sound system) would need additional funding. The Annual Leadership Retreat will be Sept. 19 from 9:00 to 1:00. (location to be announced later) The Council discussed developing a safe church policy. This includes creating a policy for keeping all members, especially children, safe from sexual predators. Pastor Leslie has been doing some research. Council will discuss this at the next meeting. The meeting was adjourned with the Lord s Prayer. The next meeting will be August 19 at 5:30. Respectfully submitted, Karen Ogdahl, Clerk of Council Church Financials First Congregational UCC of Brainerd Financial Results - General Fund Year to Date Results as of 6/30/ Annual Budget Actuals Through 6/30/15 % of Budget Income: From Giving Units $ 143,220 $ 81, % Other Giving $ 11,510 $ 16, % Total Income $ 154,730 $ 97, % Expenses: Council $ 103,318 $ 66, % Christian Ministry $ 10,400 $ 6, % Christian Education $ 1,450 $ % Stewardship $ 300 $ % Trustees $ 60,816 $ 23, % Total Expenses $ 176,284 $ 96, % Net Income (Loss) Year to Date: $ (21,554) $ 1,155

14 14 CHURCH CALENDAR AUGUST 2015 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday :00 Worship 11:00 Fellowship 11:30 Theo-Speak 3 7:00 FHWG 4 5 9:30 Prayer Circle 11:30 Men s Sawmill Inn :30 Book Group :00 Worship 11:00 Fellowship :30 Prayer Circle 11:30 Men s Sawmill Inn 13 5:30 Committee Meetings 14 10:30 Book Group :00 Worship 11:00 Fellowship 11:30 Theo-Speak 23 *Food Shelf Offering* 10:00 Worship 11:00 Fellowship 3:00 Leslie s Installation Newsletter Deadline 30 10:00 Worship 11:00 Fellowship Strengthen the Church Offering :30 Prayer Circle 11:30 Men s Sawmill Inn 5:30 Council Meeting 24 4:00 Garden Party :30 Prayer Circle 11:30 Men s Sawmill Inn :30 Book Group 4:00 Soup Kitchen 27 5:30 PPRC 6:00 Music Committee 28 10:30 Book Group 22 29

15 15 Friendship News is a publication of First Congregational United Church of Christ 415 Juniper Street Brainerd, MN firstcong@brainerd.net uccbrainerd.org Pastor Rev. Leslie Moughty Administrative Assist. Bobbie Borg