PALANCA PRESS News of Unidos en Cristo Minnesota Vol. 25, No. 2 July 2008 Support Unidos en Cristo #229 and #230 Church 7132 Portland Ave. S., Richfield, MN 55423 612-866-4055 www.hope-pc.org Men s UEC #229 July 24-27, 2008 What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8 Rector: Bob Fallat 952-938-3903 Kitchen: Phil Touhey 952-470-7868 4th Day: Steve Staloch 952-881-8639 Palanca: Chuck Heubach 952-931-9006 Directions / Schedules Directions: Church-Richfield From Hwy. 494, take Portland Ave. S. going north. From Hwy. 62, take Portland Ave. S. going south. The church is located on the west side of Portland Ave. S. at 71st Str. As always, watch for the 4th Day signs. Serenades Agape Dinner: Open to 4th Day and Kitchen Team members and their guests only. Sunday Morning: Open to Sponsors only. Sunday Dinner: Open to the 4th Day Community. 4:30 p.m. - Sponsors, please arrive at 4:00 p.m. Clausura Sunday afternoon at 4:30 p.m. Bring your song book! Weekend Prayer Vigil Prayer is critical. Please sign up to pray during these weekends at www.unidosencristo.com (click the Palanca button on the left side of the home page). Prayer tips are provided. Church Liaison Meetings Before every Women s Clausura on Sunday afternoons beginning at 3:00 p.m., Church Liaisons share ideas for making the local UEC community stronger and more active. If you are interested in exploring the idea of being a Church Liaison, this is a good place to begin. Everyone is welcome. Women s UEC #230 July 31 - August 3, 2008 The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. Psalm 103:8 Rectora: Judy Odegaard 763-559-8916 Kitchen: Beth Henrich 952-922-4918 4th Day: Kathy Walker 612-483-6151 Palanca: Kathleen Winters 763-476-1169 All About Palanca How many items should I provide? We anticipate SIX tables at both weekends. When sending Palanca for distribution in the Rollo Room, please send 56 items for each weekend. Food Palanca Requests Men s Weekend: 24 bottles white catawba juice, 180 chicken breasts, 124 8 oz. boneless pork loins, 12 lbs. chicken breast pieces, 20 lbs. ground beef, 13 lbs. flank steak, 30 lbs. potatoes, home grown green beans, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, assorted fruits and vegetables, assorted cans of soda pop. Contact Phil Touhey at 952-470-7868 or by email at phillip2e@aol.com. Women s Weekend: Baby red potatoes, salad greens for multiple meals, bread sticks, breakfast sausages. Contact Nancy Sundeen at 612-798-1681 or by email at grancy55@ netzero.net to confirm or for additional ideas. Paper Palanca Letters arrive for each UEC weekend from around the country and the world! Cash donations can also be given to each weekend. Send Palanca to: Men of UEC #229 or Women of UEC #230 Gordy Nagel, 514 Del Rio Dr., Chanhassen, MN 55317 e-mail: nagel@unidosencristo.com Helping Hands Palanca: Offer to help cook, serve, or wash dishes for the Kitchen Team. Help 4th Day Team on Thursday afternoons with set up, on Saturday before or after the Agape dinner or on Sunday with tear down and cleaning. Volunteer to host the 4th Day Center anytime throughout the weekend. Page 1
UEC #229 - Men s Team Roster Bob Fallat Minnetonka UMC Todd Bakke Mark Colman Shepherd of the Valley Peter Nasseff Holy Family Catholic Bruce Bjork Leseur UMC Gary Downing Rochester Covenant Dan Everson Phil McWilliams Rector/a Assistant Rector/a Spiritual Directors Music Directors UEC #230 - Women s Team Roster Judy Odegaard Pam Johnson Carol Peterson UMC Church of Peace Teresa Van Batavia Hopkins UMC Mary Marcoux Colleen Bocchi Woodridge Church Shirley Stann Normandale Hylands UMC Bill Allbright Joel Hanson Dave Kell Jeremy Schweim Brad Ziegler St. Croix Valley UMC Servant of the Shepherd Shepherd of the Valley Faith Covenant Rollistas Kay Rindels Jana Larson Emily Ardolf Deb Schaffran Bridget Meyer Excelsior Covenant Fairmont Evang. Covenant Normandale Hylands UMC Fairmont Evang. Covenant Nathaniel Jones Bob Lee Duane Malmstrom Steve Martin Pete Moy Rosemount UMC St. Croix Valley UMC Minnetonka UMC Grace UMC St. Croix Valley UMC Table Leaders Carmella Anderson Kris Bloom Linda Halvorson Betty Ouellette Natalie Sorensen Hopkins UMC South Metro Vineyard Warrendale Presbyterian Hosanna! Chuck Heubach John Parkes Don Eslinger Loren Wolfe Bill Gilliland Ken Klass Ken Martens Don Miller Tom Montgomery Bill Nelson Mike Peterson David Webb Frank Weiland Wooddale Church First Presbyterian Hudson Normandale Hylands UMC First Presbyterian Shakopee Cedar Valley Church Sanctuary Covenant St. Croix Valley UMC Faith Covenant Rosemount UMC Minnetonka UMC Palanca Rector/a Asst. Palanca Rector/a Palanca Spiritual Dir. Palanca Music Dir. Palanca Team Kathleen Winters Jennifer Lee Debra Lindell Florence Everson Paula Gaboury Karen Gehrke Nicole Herzog DeeAnn Laluzerne Stacy Lundquist Kathy Messerli Sue Tesarek Wayzata Evangelical Free Christ Presbyterian Emmaus Lutheran Glendale UMC Wayzata Evangelical Free Faribault Evangelical Free Faith Covenant Faith Presbyterian Phil Touhey John Holland Tom Bodger Doug Grabham Eric Malmstrom Shel Manthei Mike Meier Nate Olson Bob Pike Denny Rehmann Kur Rischmiller Justin Tucker Mike Zback Wooddale Church Watertown Evangelical Free All Saints Lutheran Minnetonka UMC Arlington Hills UMC People of Hope First Presbyterian Shakopee Harvest Community Watertown Evangelical Free Eden Prairie Presbyterian Watertown Evangelical Free Kitchen Rector/a Asst. Kitchen Rector/a Kitchen Team Beth Henrich Nancy Sundeen Betty Bullion Amy Gutierrez-Paine Lynette Johnson Gladys Landers Lori Peterson Bobbie Sawyer Mary Lou Snyder Dori Woodburn West Lakes AOG Excelsior Covenant Eden Prairie Presbyterian Faith Covenant Steve Staloch Don May Kevin Clark Paul Morlock Chuck Odegaard Shawn Paine Mike Pedersen Marc Rindels John Schlundt Ken Vogel Rich Wirt Hastings UMC Westwood Community Hastings UMC West Lakes AOG St. Luke s Lutheran Excelsior Covenant Excelsior Covenant Rosemount UMC 4th Day Rector/a Asst. 4th Day Rector/a 4th Day Team Kathy Walker Herta Pike Janet Blommer Michelle Damon Maureen Danner Jerianne Gonser Cindi Johnson Mary Moffitt Merilee Puls Marguerite Stanley Lisa Tschetter Southcross Community Hosanna! Eagan Hills Alliance People of Hope People of Hope Rosemount UMC Valley Christian Christ Presbyterian Page 2
Fourth Day Verdell Blokzyl, Eden Prairie Presbyterian Dawn Carney, Hosanna! Rev. David Clark, Faith Covenant Donna Cloutier, East Immanuel Cathy Danielowski, Hosanna! Donna Emerson, Hosanna! Elizabeth & Tim Eiler, Faribault Evangelical Free Becky & Dan Ford, Faribault Evangelical Free Shelly & Scott Heintzeman, Colleen & Al Kitagawa, Faith Covenant Jamie & Dan Henderson, Brooklyn Park Evang. Free Wade Hicks, Litchfield UMC Ann Kinley-Miller & Don Miller, Faith Covenant Erika Knight, Hopkins UMC Chuck Lamberton, Gladys Landers, Sherry & Bob Landrud, Lake Harriet UMC Mary & Paul Lauerman, Excelsior Covenant Cheryl & Scott Lecy, First UMC, Lindstrom Shari & Paul Lindemann, Rosemount UMC Cindy Lutz, Fairmont Evangelical Free Joyce Meichels, Welcome to the 4th Day! Participant List from UEC #227 & #228 Weekender Reviews Tudy Meyman, Faith Covenant Matthew Moeckel, Fairmont Evangelical Covenant Shayna & Kevin Navara, Forest Hills UMC Beth & Gordon Negley, Woodland Presbyterian Barb & Bill Nelson, Angelica Olana, West Lakes AOG Nate Olson, First Presbyterian, Shakopee Anne Petersen, Faith Covenant Pat Rudell, Craig Rylander, Wyoming UMC LeeAnn & Paul Sanborn, Braham Evangelical Covenant Missy & Jeremy Snell, St. Lucas Community Travis Severson, True North Gail Sorensen, Faith Covenant Corbin & Dog Tenpas, Shirley Tormoen, Justin Tucker, Eden Prairie Presbyterian Kathy & Shane Vail, Dee Weiland, Excelsior Covenant Wendy & Scott Wildenberg, True North Sandra Williams, I don t know what I m going to do with this, but I know it s going to be amazing. Three words apply to The Great Commission... Git er Done! I ve been searching for my calling for 15 years. This weekend... I found it. I ve known Christianity. I ve taught Christianity. I m still trying to figure out how I never really experienced it like I did this weekend! I saw a wonderful change in my husband when he came home from UEC. I was so afraid that I wasn t going to get that change, too. Well, I got it! In Loving Memory Fifth Day We joyfully celebrate the life and resurrection of each friend in Christ who has entered the Fifth Day: Grace Anderson, UEC #80, Hennepin UMC Anna Hooley, UEC weekend unknown, St. Lucas Community Jim Kelly, UEC #93, Buffalo UMC (Bonnie) Tom & Patty Maetzold, UEC, Plymouth Congregational Lowell Turner, UEC #147, UMC of Peace (Helene) Ruth Boehlke, UEC #14, St. Croix Valley UMC (Rev. Ray) As many of you knew him: Mike Farrell, Via de Cristo, Hosanna! If you know of a Cursillista who has entered his or her 5th Day, please e-mail information to the Palanca Press editor (walker@unidosencristo. com) for inclusion in the newsletter. Others in the 4th Day Community may have no other way of knowing that their friends in Christ have entered His presence. If you provide the name and address of family, a sympathy card will also be mailed to the family. Memorials given in memory of Cursillistas will be acknowledged in the Palanca Press, unless otherwise requested. Please send them to the Unidos en Cristo Council Treasurer: Teresa VanBatavia, 404 Union Terrace Lane N., Plymouth, MN 55441. Page 4
Weekend Watch Upcoming UEC Weekends are listed in the table below. Weekend and Team Applications are available from your Church Liaison or online at www.unidosencristo.com on the 4th Day and Weekends pages. Weekend Applications will be accepted at any time for any weekend if the weekend hasn t filled. If you have an Applicant that could attend an upcoming weekend after the application window posted in the table below, the Church Liaison should contact Don Henrich at 952-922-4918 or henrich@unidosencristo.org to determine if space is available. When this issue of the Palanca Press went to print, there were still Applicant openings for the July/August weekends at. Send Weekend Applications to: Don Henrich, UEC Allocations 4113 W. 45th Str. Edina, MN 55424 henrich@unidosencristo.com The Weekend Application fee of $30.00 per Applicant should accompany the Weekend Application. Team Applications will be accepted after the Final TEAM AP DATE in the table below if the team is not yet full. October weekends are beginning to fill and there are still openings. If God is nudging you to serve, now is the time to apply. Weekend Date Host Church #231 Men 10/2-5/08 First Presbyterian Albert Lea, MN #232 Women 10/9-12/08 First Presbyterian Albert Lea, MN Rector(a) Spiritual Directors Team Ap Dates Weekender Ap Dates John Maddio TBA 4/2-7/2/08 7/31-8/28/08 Darcy Netzer TBA 4/9-7/9/08 8/7-9/4/08 #233 Men 2/12-15/09 Excelsior Covenant Excelsior, MN #234 Women 2/19-22/09 Excelsior Covenant Excelsior, MN TBA TBA 8/12-11/12/08 12/4/08-1/8/09 TBA TBA 8/19-11/19/08 12/18/08-1/15/09 UEC Friends Singles Ultreyas (all Cursillo communities): Held at various churches throughout the metro area on the 2nd Saturday of each month at 5:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.mnviadecristo.org/news. Charis: Serve those in prison. Go to: www.charismn.com Teens Encounter Christ (TEC): Sponsor a teenager (grades 10-12) or serve as an Adult Leader on a Cursillo-like weekend. Visit www.unitedtec.org (metro) or www.southerntec.org. (Southern MN) for more information. Via de Cristo (Minnesota): Visit www.mnviadecristo.org. Now ecumenical, this began as Minnesota s Lutheran Cursillo. Tre Dias: An international ecumenical community that is new to MN/WI. Visit www.tresdias.org. Walk to Emmaus: Sponsored by the Upper Room, information on this ecumenical community, which began in the Methodist tradition, can be found at www.mnemmaus.org. Web Watch www.unidosencristo.com NEW WEB SITE LAUNCH DATE: JULY 15, 2008 The new UEC web site will be launched on July 15, 2008. Kenny Frank has done a wonderful job designing the navigation menus and buttons. It has a whole new look and feel. We hope you ll be able to find the information and forms that you need in a more efficient, user-friendly way. On July 15, the new site will include basic UEC information. Over the next 6 months, the site will grow. New sections will include Inspiration and Leadership sections for Council, Clergy, Liaisons, Sponsors and Team. In a new Resources sections, we hope to eventually include video clips from the UEC informational DVD. Your feedback and suggestions are always welcome. Contact Kathy Walker at 612-483-6151 or at walker@unidosencristo.com UEC would like to extend our thanks to Mike Swecker, MN Via de Cristo. Mike recently resigned from the position of Coordinator with Via de Cristo, which he held for several years. Mike touched not only VDC but other Cursillo organizations in MN and beyond with his spirit of unity, his wisdom and his compassion. He met with the UEC Council within the last year and began an effort by which we are learning from one another how we might improve both movements. It has been our pleasure to dialogue with Mike and learn from his experience. Mike, we wish you well in your pastoral endeavors and ask God s blessings on your life. Page 5
Sponsor Tips New Brochure: Why Married Couples Attend Together It is often difficult to sponsor a married couple when one of them does not want to attend. This new brochure will help you, as a Sponsor, to better understand why UEC has chosen to continue to require married couples to attend together. This new brochure can also be used as a tool to be given to a couple. It may persuade the partner who does want to attend to wait patiently until the other is ready. It may also help the partner who does not want to attend to compromise and attend on behalf of the partner who does desire to attend Unidos en Cristo. Either way, we believe the couple will be happy in the end. Either way, God s timing can be honored. These brochures will be available at the July/August Clausuras and will be available for download from the web site. God s Timing is Perfect! UEC for Emotional Healing? On the weekend application, at the line on which the Clergy signs the applications, it states: My signature acknowledges that the applicant will be supported and is emotionally and spiritually able to attend a UEC weekend. On the back of the application, under What is UEC?, it states: UEC is not sensitivity training, nor a treatment for personal problems or emotional difficulties. These statements have been intentionally placed for many reasons. As a sponsor, it is important that you are sending someone to UEC who is emotionally stable. It is easy to hope that UEC can help someone who is struggling emotionally. We want to believe that if only they could experience God s love and grace in the cursillo way, they will be fine, perhaps even healed. While we can t really predict what will occur on a UEC weekend, it often happens that UEC brings emotional issues to the surface in ones s life. For someone who is emotionally stable, this is often positive. They are capable of giving these issues to God and discovering better ways to cope. However, for those who are not emotionally stable, having these issues come to the surface can be very scary and debilitating. This may lead them to seek out guidance from team members who may not be qualified to handle such issues. Sometimes, the weekender may end up going home, not completing the UEC weekend. This can have a negative impact on the team and on other weekenders. On behalf of those you wish to sponsor and on behalf of the team and clergy that watch over them, please be careful when sending us weekenders who may be emotional unstable. If you are unsure of someone s emotional stability, please discuss the situation with your UEC pastor or contact a Council Clergy member and they can help you determine whether it is good time to sponsor or to wait. Page 3
Council Quarters Convenor s Corner New UEC Churches Expectations Over the years, I have pondered the question, What is satisfaction? How is success measured? All areas of life are brought into question when considered in these terms. I have come to realize that I usually measure results against my expectations, but I wonder how appropriate this is. Consider UEC weekend attendance. In the 1980 s and 1990 s, weekends were full, and many churches had waiting lists of people to attend. If this is the expectation based on past experience, then does this mean we are not successful and dissatisfied with UEC due to declining participation? Ultimately, it is up to God whether or not He chooses to use UEC to further His purposes. Just as the weekends are bathed in prayer, so too are the deliberations of the UEC council. Based upon prayer and input from the 4th Day Community, several changes have been implemented to make weekend admission requirements less restrictive. These changes are discussed elsewhere in this issue of the Palanca Press. While it is tempting to evaluate changes based upon expectations, I submit that God will make His will known to us as long as we seek Him. The UEC Council encourages your participation, patience, and prayer support. Thank you for being a part of the UEC family. God s Blessings, Dick Hamblin, UEC Council Convenor UEC Volunteer Opportunities Assist with Manuals Updates Nancy Sundeen is our new Manuals Manager. She will be keeping all team, weekend and council manuals organized, up-to-date and consistent. She would like some assistance. We need people who have access to and are familiar with Microsoft WORD. Please call Kathy Walker at 612-483-6151. (You may have called previously when we were looking for a manager... please call again if you are interested in helping.) New 4th Day Parking / Direction Signs Needed When arriving to a church to deliver Palanca or hear a Rollo or attend a Clausura, you are greeted by the red, apple shaped signs that say 4th Day and point the direction you should go for parking or for entering the building. Our signs are falling apart. They have served us well and are begging retirement. If you would be interested in making new signs or researching other solutions for these signs, please call Kathy Walker at 612-483-6151 or email walker@unidosencristo.com. The new definition of a UEC church allows for a church to be involved in UEC even if their pastor has not attended a UEC weekend. If you are a Cursillista in a church without a UEC pastor, you are a UEC community as long as your pastor gives his/her blessing for UEC involvement in the church. You may approach your pastor on your own, educating them about UEC, inviting them to attend a weekend (which is still highly encouraged), or asking them for their blessing. Or, you may solicit the help of the Council. Darla O Flanagan, Council New Church Coordinator, can provide a New Church packet and suggestions about how to get started. Any of the Council Clergy are willing and available to meet with you and your pastor as well. This opens the door for many new UEC churches and for the gift of UEC to be extended to more people, while preserving unity with our clergy. Inspiration Amazing Love, How Can it Be? from A Year with C.S. Lewis - January 12 When Christianity says that God loves man, it means that God LOVES man, not that He has some disinterested, really indifferent, concern for our welfare, but that, in awful and surprising truth, we are the objects of His love. You asked for a loving God: you have one. The great spirit you so lightly invoked, the lord of terrible aspect is present; not a senile benevolence that drowsily wishes you to be happy in your own way, not the cold philanthropy of a conscientious magistrate, nor the care of a host who feels responsible for the comfort of guests, but the consuming fire Himself, the Love that made the worlds. How this should be, I do not know; it passes reason to explain why any creatures, not to say creatures such as we, should have a value so prodigious in their Creator s eyes. This deep love is certainly a burden of glory that is, except in rare moments of grace, beyond our desiring and understanding. I John 3:1 How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! Kathy Walker Page 6
Unidos en Cristo New Policies (approved by Council on various dates through May, 2008) In the February Palanca Press, we shared with you the Applicant Policies and Appeals Process. At the February Women s Clausura, we asked the 4th Day Community for prayer as we were approaching some policy issues that would involve difficult discussion and comtemplation. In this issue, we d like to thank you for your prayers and share with you the newest policy changes. The New Definition of a UEC Church is: A UEC Church is any Christian church with a Clergy member who has either attended a cursillo-type weekend or has given his/her blessing for UEC involvement in the church and one or more Cursillistas. The Policy Regarding Application Clergy Signature has changed to: Clergy (UEC or non-uec) signature is required for acceptance of a weekend application. Signature of the Liaison will be accepted in situations where Clergy is not available for an extended period of time (transition, sabbatical, etc.) If the Clergy (UEC or non- UEC) chooses to welcome the ministry of UEC in the church, but doesn t wish to be included administratively, the Liaison can be designated to sign all applications. Signature acknowledges that the applicant will be supported and is emotionally and spiritually able to attend a UEC weekend. Over the next year, we will be contacting each UEC church to update contact information. What about the Married Couples Policy? For over a year, we have been surveying and listening to the 4th Day Community regarding whether to continue to require married couples to attend together. Many cursillo movements no longer require couples to attend together. However, when we approached this policy, it became clear to the Council that it was not time to make this decision. Instead, we voted to stay the decision for one year. During the next year, we will be talking with other cursillo organizations to find out how this policy change has affected their ministry. We will also continue asking God for direction. As always, your continued feedback is welcome. At the men s Clausura on July 27, a Council member will review the UEC policies. At the Liaison Gathering on August 3 (3:00 pm before the women s Clausura), several Council members will be available to answer questions regarding all policies. Everyone is welcome. For a complete document showing the UEC Mission & Faith Statements, the Definition of a UEC Church, Allocation Policies and the Appeals Process, including explanation of how the Council arrived at these policies, visit our web site at www.unidosencristo.com or contact a Council member. Again, we want to thank the 4th Day Community for partnering with the Council in prayer and dialogue. UEC Council 2007-2008 Convenor Dick Hamblin 952-949-0779 Co-Convenor/ Communications Kathy Walker 612-483-6151 Secretary Mike Meier 507-775-7036 Treasurer Teresa VanBatavia 763-542-9506 Allocations Don Henrich 952-922-4918 Leader Development Dick Hamblin 952-949-0779 Nancy Adsem 952-474-2663 Leader Training Susan Stevens 952-937-0483 Tod Paulson 320-252-7210 Linda Shirley 952-881-4504 Liaison Coordinator Kory Everson 612-866-7606 New Churches Darla O Flanagan 763-675-3960 Palanca Gordy Nagel 952-934-2033 Site Selection Kathy Nelson 952-937-2016 Supplies Brian Laluzerne (technical supplies) 952-440-3794 Don May (truck supplies) 651-437-6905 Clergy Pamela Jensen (Advocate) 952-937-2024 Richard Townsend-Anderson 763-323-7640 Janice Knight 952-292-2138 To e-mail a Council member, use their last name plus @unidosencristo.com, i.e.: hamblin@unidosencristo.com Page 7
Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID 9709 Colorado Rd. Bloomington, MN 55438-1740 Minneapolis, MN Permit #2712 Return Service Requested Dated Material - Please Do Not Delay Contacts Have a Question? Need Information? www.unidosencristo.com unidosencristo@comcast.net UEC Council members: (last name)@unidosencristo.com Palanca Press Editor, Kathy Walker: walker@unidosencristo.com or 952-891-4660 Address Changes or Winter Addresses: unidosencristo@comcast.net or 952-835-0301 Print Your Own Color Copy! Save Postage! Sign up at our web site to receive the Palanca Press via e-mail. 400+ already have! Next Palanca Press Submission Deadline: August 27, 2008 2008 July 24-27 July 31-Aug. 3 September 23 October 2-5 October 9-12 October 28 November 25 2009 January 27 February 12 February 19 February 24 Calendar Men #229 - Women #230 - Men #231 - First Presbyterian Albert Lea Women #232 - First Presbyterian Albert Lea Men #232 - Excelsior Covenant Excelsior Women #233 - Excelsior Covenant Excelsior God can do anything, you know far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us. Ephesians 3:20-21, The Message Page 8