Salem Lutheran Church P O B O X 1 2 8 H I T T E R D A L, M N 5 6 5 5 2 2 1 8-962- 3 2 1 3 D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 8 A Message from Pastor Tom Human beings are creatures of habit. Everything we do on a regular basis gets turned into a ritual or routine or tradition. Most of us have a specific morning ritual which we follow religiously in order to get out the door on time for work or school. Most of our holidays are steeped in family tradition which we would never think of breaking. Christmas is especially prone to be governed by rather rigid rules about what we will eat, when we will go to church and when we will open the presents. We are creatures of habit because we like life that way. We like the predictability of it. We find comfort and peace in falling into these well established patterns of life which give us a feeling of order and security. I am not against any of the above, I like our family traditions as much as the next guy. But there is a problem with being creatures of habit and that is that every day and every Christmas is like every other day or Christmas. So much so that we have trouble distinguishing one from another. One day flows into another with such even regularity that we wake up one day and realize that years have passed into decades and life is rapidly drawing to an end. It wouldn t hurt for us to remember that the first Christmas was not at all part of some routine. It was totally disruptive in the lives of Mary and Joseph, the shepherds, the wisemen and even of Herod the King. Jesus birth upset the applecart for life on earth for all those who understood its meaning. Shouldn t it do the same in our lives today? If we really thought about what it means for Jesus to be born I us today, would we be able to relegate the celebration of such an event to ritual or tradition? Wouldn t the truth of God being with us disrupt business as usual just as it did that first Christmas? Shouldn t we be forced to rethink the way we live, whenever Jesus breaks through the rituals and traditions to touch our hearts with the presence of God s love? To be sure the Holy Spirit often uses our rituals and traditions to help us see the truth that in Christ God is with us, but this can only happen when we are willing to rethink what our rituals and traditions really mean. Have a thoughtful and Happy Christmas. Pastor Tom 1
Regular Council Meeting Carolyn Juell, Council Secretary Salem Lutheran Church Council Minutes, Wednesday, November 28, 2018 at 8 p.m. Council members present: Jeff Bettels, Susan Dunham, Warren Dunham, Charlie Johnson, Carolyn Juell, Roger Mattson, Pastor Tom Olson, Gary Peterson, Mitch Syverson. Pastor Tom opened the meeting with devotions. He read and talked about Ephesians Chap 4 in which Paul describes the church and it needs to work together. Wayne Nelson, Mission Interpreter for NW Synod, talked about the synod. He thanked Salem for their support. He said prayers as well as financial support are important. The secretary s report was read. Motion to accept as read was passed. Treasurer s report was read. Charlie made a motion to accept the report as read. The motion was seconded by Roger. Motion carried. Motion to pay the bills was made by Jeff. It was seconded by Mitch. Motion carried. Motion made by Charlie to accept Lydia Amundson as new member. Seconded by Gary. Motion carried. Ladies Aide executive board has decided they will not be contributing to Salem general fund as their income has fallen this year. Council discussed if the constitution should be changed. Pastor Tom said that it seems that except for nomenclature the current constitution and the one proposed by synod are similar. One area of concern that was discussed was that a vote to leave synod could be effective in 90 days in the current constitution. In the new proposed constitution from the synod, it would take 6 months. Following Roberts rules of order, it would take 1 year for this type of change to be effective. Council meeting for December was changed to December 30 following church service. The meeting was closed with the Lord s Prayer. Attendance and Stewardship Date Attendance Offering 10/28 83 $ 2,335.25 11/4 76 $ 1,721.00 11/11 66 $ 1,693.00 11/18 86 $ 2,070.00 11/25 94 $ 1,843.00 BUDGET INFORMATION Budget for 2018 is $118,168.00. Offering needed to meet the budget monthly is $9,847.33. Total income for November was: $10,143.98 Total disbursements for November was: - $ 7,883.74 $ 2,260.24 REACH 140 items $ 350.00 Interest $ 3.73 Thrivent $ 128.00 TOTAL $10,143.98 Average 81 $ 2,028.80 Thrivent Choice Dollars Thank you to the Thrivent members who have chosen Salem Lutheran as a recipient of Thrivent Choice Dollars. Salem received $128 in November. Thrivent Choice Dollars + Interest = $131.73 2
Salem Lutheran Women & Quilters Circle Meetings for December 12, 2018 9am- Morning Circle: Circle will meet at the church with a Potluck and Bible Study will be done together. Officers will remain the same as this past year. 1pm - Afternoon Circle: The Afternoon Circle will meet at 1:00pm at the Viking Manor in Ulen to celebrate December Birthdays of the residents. Bring a Christmas reading or short story. 7pm - Evening Circle: Circle will meet at the church and have a pot luck lunch, Bible Study done together. Remember your Secret Prayer Pal gift exchange. SLW News: If there are any corrections to be made in the Salem Lutheran Women booklet, let Val know before Christmas. Service is at 9:00 a.m. Sunday School is at 10:00 a.m. Fellowship is at 10:00 a.m. Worship Helpers SUNDAY ACOLYTE READER DECEMBER 2 CARSON FUGLIE & PAYTON HASPEL JULIE ANDERSON COMMUNION ASSISTANT CHARLIE JOHNSON DECEMBER 9 KARSYN PETERSON & BRAYDEN NELSON MARY LOU ANDERSON DECEMBER 16 RAEGAN OBERG & CAROL CROSE ADAM ANDERSON DECEMBER 23 LUKE MATTSON CADE JEPSON DECEMBER 24 ARIANA ARANDA & RILYN BETTELS LARRY CROSE RAYNELLE ANDERSON & CHARLIE JOHNSON DECEMBER 30 CARSON FUGLIE & PAYTON HASPEL PENNY HERZOG 3
Memorials & Gifts SALEM LUTHERAN WOMEN SALEM LUTHERAN CHURCH In memory of Verna Magnusson from Helga Nissen from Greg & Brigid Pender In memory of Francis Olson from Lyle & Barb Hanson SAVINGS FUND SALEM CEMETERY In memory of Verna Magnusson from Jerry & Mona Rae Erickson In memory of Audrey Lunder from Jerry & Mona Rae Erickson QUILTING In memory of Verna Magnusson from David & Penny Herzog Bits & Pieces of Salem Lutheran s Past....... Val Johnson The 85 th annual meeting was held January 15, 2006, following 9:00 church services. Tuck pointing and concrete work was to proceed in the spring. Handicap access project is still being discussed. The lutefisk dinner will be October 15 th. Repairing the windows was brought up at the annual meeting in 2007. The lutefisk dinner will be the third Sunday in October. Upcoming Events & Reminders The Annual Meeting will soon be upon us. The Nominating Committee is looking for volunteers that would be interested in serving on the Church Council or any other committee. We would also like to know if anyone would be interested in being the representatives for the Synod Assembly. If interested in serving the church in these ways please contact: Dave Herzog, Larry Crose, or Gayle Holte. Men s Bible Study: The Men will return to their 7am Breakfast Bible Study after taking a few months off. They will meet the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month, starting December 4 at 7am in Fellowship Hall. Help is needed: Dorothy Day Center in Fargo is in need of sleeping bags and warm blankets now that winter is here. They can be used or new. Bring them to church and they will be delivered. God bless you for your kindness. 4
Salem Lutheran Church December 2018 Season of Advent Birthday & Anniversary Calendar Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 Lori Busby 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Gary Peterson Gordon Arntson Nick Kjos Jerry Erickson 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Rylan Peterson Chance Halvorson Shayna Syverson Josh Kjos Joanne Schroeder Karsyn Peterson LeRoy Peterson Ardee Peterson Dillon Stevens 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 Kylie Anderson *Zach & Emily Nelson Carolyn Juell Lorraine Nelson Rick Mattson Becky Stevens 23 24 25 Christmas 26 27 28 29 *Jake & Megan Schreiner Jodi Johnson *Floyd & Mary Lou Anderson Andy Miller Kyle Jacobson Riley Larson- Adams Roger Mattson Evelyn Halvorson Becky Busby 30 31 Katie Langerud Gracie Schreiner *Curt & Carolyn Lofgren 5
Salem Lutheran Church December 2018 Season of Advent Worship & Events Sunday Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 1st Sunday of Advent 9am Worship with Holy Comm. 10am Sunday School 3 4 7am Men s Breakfast Bible Study 9am Quilting 5 6:30pm Confirmation 6 7 8 9 2nd Sunday of Advent 9am Worship with Sunday School Christmas Program 10 11 9am Quilting 12 Circle Meetings 9am Morning 1pm Afternoon*** 7pm Evening 6:30pm Confirmation 13 14 15 16 3rd Sunday of Advent 9am Worship with Holy Comm. 17 18 7am Men s Breakfast Bible Study 9am Quilting 19 6:30 Confirmation 20 21 22 23 4th Sunday of Advent 9am Worship 24 Candlelight Christmas Eve Service at 5pm with Holy Communion 25 26 27 28 29 30 1st Sunday of Christmas 9am Worship 11am Church Council 31 ***Afternoon Circle meeting at the Viking Manor at 1pm Note change of time! Salem Lutheran Church P.O. Box 128 Hitterdal, MN 56552 218-962-3213 E-mail: salemchurch@feltontel.net Web: www.salemhitterdal.com Pastor Tom Olson Cell#: 320-808-7658 Office Hours: Tue-Thur 10:00am-4:30pm Some of this time may be spent in visitations. 6 Penny Herzog, Secretary Cell #: 701-361-0593 Home: 218-596-8602 or Work: 596-8853 E-mail: pherzog54@gmail.com Office hours: Thurs: 4:30pm-6:30pm