November 2015 Highlands Lutheran Church www.highlandslutheran.org Who We Are What We Believe Highlands Lutheran Church is an open, welcoming and affirming Body of Christ intentionally following the life & teachings of Jesus, committing to hospitality and social justice. Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies. John Milton Inside this issue: 1 Fall Ministry Events 2 Worship Ministers Schedule November & December Birthdays and Anniversaries 3 From The Pastor 4 HLC Council Minutes 5 Happening at Highlands Fall Ministry Events November 11/8 Consecration Sunday and Celebration Luncheon 11/1-12/13, 8:45am Adult Forum: Luke & Friends. A Bible study on the Gospel of Luke, Pr Dena 11/13-14 Jesus Seminar on the Road: Early Christianity beyond the Canon 11/22, 10am Thanksgiving Service and Feast with HCC 11/22, 11:15 Tennyson Center Children in Fellowship Hall 11/29, 10am Family Worship Service December 12/6, 11am Advent Kick-off & Pastor Liliana Welcome Back Potluck: food, cookies, games, and crafts. 12/20 Christmas Pageant 12/24 Christmas Eve Services 6 HLC Stories Robin Lockwood Kids, Seen and Heard Around Highlands 7 From Our Faith Community 8 November Calendar Highlands Lutheran Church Council 2015 Vivian Anderson Wendy Haselgren Nicole Jobin, Interim President Maren Markus, Interim Vice-President Lorraine Rumpeltes Rev. Liliana Stahlberg Mary Williams
Page 2 3995 Irving St., Denver, CO 80211 303-477-2031; office@highlandslutheran.org www.highlandslutheran.org We re on Facebook Click here to check us out! WORSHIP MINISTERS IN NOVEMBER Worship at HLC: Sunday at 10:00 am Visitor Hospitality for November: Bev Howe November 1 Usher Team 1: Vivian Anderson, Paul Criley, Rick Wittkopp, Joe Milius Reader: Tyler Starkweather Assisting Minister: Pam McClune Chancel Ministry: Tara McConell Birthday Coffee Hour Hosts: Dennis & Nancy Lintvedt November 8 Usher Team 2: Lorraine & Paul Rumpeltes, Jerry Haselgren, Martin Brotherton Reader: Ken Wiig Assisting Minister: Elizabeth Smith Chancel Ministry: Judy Sims Consecration Celebration Lunch: HLC Council November 15 Usher Team 3: Vivian Anderson, Joe Milius, Paul Criley, Rick Wittkopp Reader: Nicole Jobin Assisting Minister: Robin Lockwood Chancel Ministry: Sue Wittkopp Coffee Hour Hosts: John and Susan Pelikan November 22 Usher Team 4: Lorraine & Paul Rumpeltes, Jerry Haselgren, Martin Brotherton Reader: Andy Lubansky Assisting Minister: Pam McClune Chancel Ministry: Marsha Reynolds Coffee Hour Hosts: Paul and Lorraine Rumpeltes November 29 Usher Team 1: Vivian Anderson, Paul Criley, Rick Wittkopp, Joe Milius Reader: Carrie Olgeirson Assisting Minister: Sue Wittkopp Chancel Ministry: Mary Williams Thanksgiving Feast! CLIP AND PUT ON YOUR FRIDGE! HLC STAFF Rev. Liliana Stahlberg, pastor (on sabbatical) Rev. Dena Williams, supply pastor Anna Millies, communication and administrative assistant Peggy Lundberg, interim music director Birthdays and Anniversaries NOVEMBER 1 Dennis Lintvedt 3 Sydney Jane Sittko (2013) 5 Forrest Walters DECEMBER 1 David Patrick 11 Sharon Dorcas 17 Robert Reynolds 18 Martin Brotherton 19 Julie Froehlig 21 Liz Smith
Page 3 FROM THE PASTOR Dear People of God at Highlands Lutheran, All Saints Sunday, Consecration Sunday, and the First Sunday of Advent all in November! Meaningful worship, remembering the Saints, answering God s call to us as givers, and beginning to prepare to welcome the Christ Child! This is my final month with all of you and I m looking forward to sharing the Gospel, bread and wine with this community of faith four more times. Your welcome, kindness, affirmation, and love are a gift to me, to one another, and to God. I hope to be invited again soon! I will not celebrate Easter with you in person, but I want to lift up the resurrection of our Lord with this community. I would not want to be a pastor if I did not have the good news of God s promise of eternal life to share. Jesus will come to take us each by the hand and lead us from our earthly journey to live forever in the presence of God. This is the good news we are called to share with the world the good news of God s grace, God s never ending, no-matter-what-love for all people and all creation. God s best to the people of this community! Love, Pastor Dena Williams Love, Pastor Dena CONSECRATION SUNDAY IS COMING! Dear Highlands Family, In sacred text, I find nothing about meeting church budgets! I do find the word consecrate : to make or declare sacred. God calls us to consecrate a portion of our income, to declare a portion of our income sacred. This year your congregation is focused on what God calls us to give, not on what is needed to meet the budget. On Sunday, November 8, we will gather for worship and to share as an offering our commitment, our promise, for giving in 2016. Each person or family s decision is theirs it is between the giver and God. The church council invites us to share lunch together following worship. Please RSVP so they can prepare. We will celebrate the promises we make to consecrate, to declare sacred, to make holy a portion of all that God gives to us. We return to God a gift in thanksgiving for God s never ending love for us. Prayerfully consider this question: How much is God calling me to give? God s best to you and those you love, Pastor Dena Williams
HLC COUNCIL MEETING NOTES Page 4 Council Minutes 5 October 2015 In attendance: Lorraine Rumpeltes, Nicole Jobin, Wendy Haselgren, Maren Markus, Pastor Williams, Mary Williams, Vivian Anderson The meeting was opened with devotion from Mary Williams. Minutes from the August and September meetings were approved. Pastor Williams Report Pastor Williams submitted her hours for the week prior which added up to 20 hours. Pastor Williams is in the office on Wednesday mornings from 9:30 to 12:00 and is available as needed. Pastor Williams presented the plan for the weeks leading up to Consecration Sunday on November 8. There will be three announcers who will present short informative and inspirational talks during the services in October and November. October 18 th Joe Milius October 25 th Ken Wiig November 1 st Tyler Starkweather Four letters will be sent either by email or written to the congregation during the next weeks. The estimate of giving cards will be distributed on November 1 st. On November 8 th, the cards will be collected and Lorraine will head up the group that will tabulate the giving so that a report can be given immediately. The council will set up and serve the luncheon to the congregation following the service on the 8 th. Financial Report Lorraine suggested that payroll be done on QuickBooks rather than having two systems running. QuickBooks would cost $273 annually, plus a $2 fee per employee to achieve this. It was suggested that this be a budget item for discussion at the November council budget meeting. It was moved, seconded and approved that Pastor Williams income be recorded as housing allowance. Additional items. There was a critique and review of the Blessing of the Animals Sunday. All council members who were present at the service were impressed with all that happened, with Pastor Sondra s organization and leadership of the service. A thank you note will go out to her for her work. The Mom s Group raised $399 for youth ministry at the Kid s Extravaganza on Saturday, October 3 rd. Maren Markus suggested that next year s sale be in the spring, perhaps prior to Easter. The group is also interested in doing a harvest festival. Maren will be taking over the position of Fellowship coordinator and will create a team with which to work. A letter of thanks will be sent to Nancy Lintvedt for her faithfulness in this work. Action Items Pam McClune and Ellen Lorts have worked with Lorraine and been trained in QuickBooks. They will be the support for Lorraine as we continue to move to this new system. Nicole has been working on correcting the information at the synod concerning our endowment fund amount. It was decided that it will be corrected as of 2014 and there will not be an attempt to clarify the situation prior to that year. Mary and Nicole will work on updating membership numbers for the synod. Maren presented a rough draft of the committees with members and council liaison. Some changes, deletions and additions were made and she will submit a final draft next month. The Kid s Corner suggestions were presented and decided on. The items will be purchased with the memorial funds given by Anne Haselgren. The cost will be approximately $165.00. The boiler repair will cost approximately $3,000 because a new pump is required not just a repair of the ball bearing box. Fred Pedroza is working as quickly as possible to find and install a new pump. Mr. Pedroza stated that it would not be financially advantageous to replace the boiler as it is at 85% efficiency and any replacement would only add about 5 15% increase. This was received as good news. The church will be able to pay ½ of the cost upfront with the balance paid over the next 3 months. The meeting closed with prayer. Respectfully submitted, Mary Williams, Council Secretary
HAPPENING AT HIGHLANDS Page 5 EDUCATION Adult Forum In November, Pastor Dena will build on the knowledge acquired in October in a study of the Gospel of Luke. Pastor Stahlberg will be back to finish this study in December. Lesson 2, November 8: The Way of Peace Lesson 3, November 15: What, Then, Should We Do? Lesson 4, November 22: Our Plan God s Possibility Nursery School Classes We now have nursery school classes for 3 to 5 year olds Sundays at 9:45. The class begins a little before worship starts and participants come back down before communion. The little ones will have songs and a variety of lessons, along with art. Spanish Classes! Erick Santiago, who is from Puerto Rico, started teaching a Spanish class here at Highlands on Monday, November 2nd. Erick has always wanted to be in a class that is not boring, one that uses games while at the same time practicing the language. That's what he s going to try to do for this class: learn Spanish and at the same time have fun!!!! A donation of $5.00 for class materials would be appreciated. The class will meet every Monday evening at 5:00pm. Contact Erick at ericksantiago05@gmail.com or (410)-340-9923 for more information about the class. November Book Club November s discussion will be on Friday the 20th at 6:30 pm. Bring your talking points, and food, of course, to Ken Wiig s house. This month s selection is Mutant Message Down Under, by Marlo Morgan. Don't let the title throw you off :) This is an account of transformation that is fascinating to read; it s a good follow-up to Hand to Mouth. Closet Clean-up Project! It s time to clean up and organize what used to be the IHN closet in the Fellowship Hall! The date is Friday, November 20th from 4-5:30pm. If you would be interested in helping, please see, call or email Mary Williams at mwilliams@iliff.edu Bienvenidos Food Bank Spread the word about our donation box by carrying your Bienvenidos Food Bank donation bag! Please continue to place nonperishable items in the baskets in the narthex you are making a difference. Our donations will go to some of the 800 individuals who use the Food Bank each week. In November, we are helping Bienvenidos provide Thanksgiving Baskets. Therefore, we are collecting canned pumpkin (15 oz. cans) and Stove Top Turkey stuffing. Please drop off your donations no later than Sunday, November 15, so they can be blessed and distributed on November 19 th. Elderberries Thanksgiving Feast Tuesday, November 10 at 12:30 Time to gather all Elderberries together To give thanks for all of our blessings Especially for the great gift of friendship! Please sign up in the narthex and bring your favorite dish. Hosts- Nicole Jobin & Ellen Lorts MOMS' GROUP UPDATE The Mom s Group raised $399 for youth ministry at the Kid s Extravaganza on Saturday, October 3 rd! On November 14th, the Moms Group will meet for a "moms only" lunch. Come join us for a rare meal without the kids at Highland Tap and Burger, 11:30. RSVP to Sara or Maren. Coffeecake Fundraiser Place your order by November 15 to help raise funds for gift certificates for families at The Gathering Place. Use the order forms on the table in the narthex, or email marenmarkus@gmail.com The HLC Prayer Chain is in motion! To be added to the email list or phone calls, please contact Maren Markus at 916-402-8766 or marenmarkus@gmail.com. There are also prayer request forms on the table in the Narthex. This month we pray for: Sara and Joe, Pr. Liliana and Pr. Wolfgang, Deidre, Kevin, Millie and Ryan, Gale, Tyler, Erick, Justin, Robert, Marsha, Kyzer, Ashley & Daniel Deal, Donna & Mike, Michael, Carrie, Chris, Jaeger, Bev, Jay, Matthew, Sandy, Jim, Andy, Sidonia, James, Andrei, Laiken, Ashley, Nico and family, Drew, Melissa, Lucas, Annette, Trisha and Emma, Kathy, Katie and Becky, Sara, Mia, Betty, Eric, Marianne, Amy, Merwin, Hilde, Chris, Trae, Betty, Carl, Grace, Cathy, Linda & Dave, Pam, Victoria, Tina, Jeff & Jane, Tess, Gloria, Brandon, Loren & Patty, Mary, and all family members and friends serving in the military or in harm s way.
Page 6 HLC STORIES Dearly beloved, We are continuing our series of personal stories. This month, we hear from Robin Lockwood. Enjoy! I was born and raised in Lexington, North Carolina, to a Lutheran mother and a Catholic father. My sister and I were brought up in First Evangelical Lutheran Church of Lexington, the same church where my mother grew up, and my grandmother had been organist. Church was part of my childhood. Sunday school, hand bell choir, and youth group were just some of the few activities that were part of my regular routine. When I went to UNC-Chapel Hill, I immediately joined Lutheran Campus Ministry, and they were my church family for the four years I was there. LCM opened so many doors for me, and allowed me to be a part of Katrina relief in Mississippi, experience a Lutheran pilgrimage to Germany, and lead a mission trip to Honduras. During my college years, I was also a camp counselor at Lutherock, an outdoor adventure camp outside of Boone, North Carolina. There I made lasting friendships, and my time in the outdoors solidified my decision to become an environmental scientist. When I moved to Denver, I knew I needed to find a Lutheran church that would be my faith community and family out here. I tried out a couple churches that didn t stick, and when I moved to the house just up the street from the church (the castle on the corner), I figured I might as well try the Lutheran church on the block (Highlands). Little did I know that when I walked in the door of Highlands Lutheran Church, I was walking into the house of my Denver family. My church family has seen me go from grad school, to unemployment, to a rewarding career as an environmental consultant. The vespers ladies have been with me through failed relationships, and now rejoice with me in my engagement. Thank you for your love, and I cannot wait to experience more of life s journeys with my church family at Highlands! KIDS, SEEN AND HEARD AT HIGHLANDS Pr. Dena and her horse puppet, Harvey, share last week s children s sermon. The Moms Group took some of our little ones to the Tennyson Trick or Treat event. Here are some of them.all dressed up for Hallowe en! Have you checked out the Children's Corner? Thanks to a generous donation from the Ann Haselgren Memorial Fund, children have a fantastic space to quietly play during worship while parents and caregivers can still participate in worship. Come see and stay to play!
FROM OUR FAITH COMMUNITY Page 7 Contemplative Outreach presents FORGIVENESS PRAYER Presenters: Rose Meyler and Julie Saad Saturday, November 14 9:00 am-1:00 pm Registration: 8:30 am Is there someone in your life whom you find difficult to forgive? The Prayer of Forgiveness is a powerful practice that can help you forgive at the deepest level of your being. During this class, you will receive instruction on this practice, developed by Contemplative Outreach founding member Mary Mrozowski. You will also have an opportunity for Centering Prayer as well as practice of the Prayer of Forgiveness. The Forgiveness Prayer CLP booklet and CD are included in the class. Cost: $45 RSVP by Thur., Nov. 12 The Urban Servant Corps volunteers are looking forward to celebrating Thanksgiving together as a community and need your help. Can we help them celebrate together (the first Thanksgiving for our international volunteers!) by putting together a Thanksgiving box for 15 people including: Turkey, potatoes, pumpkin pie fixings, green bean casserole ingredients, and sweet potatoes or squash? Contact Erin Power for more information and to help: epower@iliff.edu. My Neighborhood from Sheikh Jarrah, an East Jerusalem neighborhood This is a short film chronicling the human impact of Israeli settlements and nonviolent efforts to prevent the displacement of Palestinian families telling the story of Mohammad El Kurd, a teenager whose family is forced to give up part of their home and live under the same roof as Israeli settlers and the unexpected support his family finds from Israeli allies. The film helps us understand how settlements affect the daily lives of ordinary Palestinians. Saturday, November 14, 4:00-6:00 pm at the Lutheran Center, 7375 Samuel Drive (near Boulder Turnpike and Pecos). Sponsored by Rocky Mountain Synod Peace Not Walls network contact Jan Miller: millerjan68@gmail.com Hats And Gloves To Warm Those In Need As we prepare ourselves and our homes for winter, let us remember those who have no homes. During the month of November, let us help a bit by bringing warm hats and gloves to church. Look for the donation boxes in the narthex. We will deliver them to St. Francis Center on Monday, December 2. Morning at the Shelter It is still dark when I arrive at the day shelter where I work that serves the community of homeless. There is a line of men and women down the block and around the corner waiting for the doors to open so they can come in and sit. The night shelters make most folks leave by 5AM. Coffee will be available and that is a treasured item! Of course, that means another line. There is conversation, usually low and soft, and the occasional out loud laugh which seems like music on these mornings. Soon it will be getting colder and the line will become longer. It won t be as comfortable to stay outside. On this day there is already yet another line at the intake office, many people anxious to be helped, but gracious when I say that it will be a few minutes while I get the computers up and running. My co-worker will be arriving shortly and we will both need to be ready to go. I listen as the guests who are waiting sort out among themselves who was first, second and so on. So when the door opens, we begin. Each day is different. Today there is a family of four who need to find a shelter that will take them all. The shelter that can accommodate them has a lottery system so there is no guarantee that they will have a place to sleep that is indoors. This family, a woman and her two small children, 3 and 1 ½, and her fiancé, a man who has taken on this ready-made family with love and compassion. These small miracles occur in this community that is a microcosm of the larger world. I wonder how it is that they manage through the day. We can give them respite, but not evening shelter. There is next a man who has only one name. He cannot have more because he fears that he will be identified by the people who follow him. These people live in his head, but they are very real to him. As are quite a few of the guests, he is recently out of prison. The world now is not the same as it was when he went in and he has no family or resources to guide him through this new world. It terrifies him. The center fills up. The tables hum with conversation. There is the sound of snoring from those whose heads rest on the same tables. It is not a place without hope. It is a refuge from the streets, a place of peace. But still, the lines continue. Submitted by Mary Williams In 2014, total daily visits by guests to St. Francis Center were 278,152 with a daily average of 771 different individuals, even though there were as many as 978 visitors on our busiest day. In total, 10, 298 different guests were welcomed to the Center over the course of one year. From the SFC Annual Report
Page 8 WORSHIP TIME 10:00 am November Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 ALL SAINTS DAY 10:00 am Worship 2 3 1:00-5:30 pm 4 9:00am -1:00pm 5 1:00-6:00 pm 6 OFFICE CLOSED 7 6:30 am HHunters 11:15 Birthday Coffee Fellowship 6:15 Church Council 6:00-9:00 Safonia 6:00 Worship and Music 6:30 Choir 8 Consecration Sunday 10:00 am Worship 11:15 Luncheon 9 10 12:30pm ELDERBERRIES Thanksgiving Feast 1:00-5:30 pm 6:00-9:00 Safonia 11 9:00am -1:00pm 6:30 Vespers 12 1:00-6:00 pm 6:30 Choir 13 OFFICE CLOSED 14 6:30 am HHunters 11:30 am Moms Group NO KIDS Lunch! 15 10:00 am Worship 16 17 1:00-5:30 pm 18 9:00am -1:00pm 19 1:00-6:00 pm 20 OFFICE CLOSED 21 6:30 am HHunters 11:15 am Coffee Fellowship 6:00-9:00 Safonia 6:30 Vespers 6:30 Choir 12-4 Cromosoma 22 10:00 am Worship 11:15 am Thanksgiving Feast 23 24 1:00-5:30 pm 6:00-9:00 Safonia 25 9:00am -1:00pm 6:30 Vespers 26 THANKSGIVING 27 OFFICE CLOSED 28 6:30 am HHunters 29 30 10:00 am Family Worship Service Blessing of the Food 11:15 am Coffee Fellowship 11:15 am Tennyson Children