1911 4th Avenue North Sauk Rapids, MN 56379 (320) 255-1135 FAX (320) 255-8891 www.lwlcmn.org church@lwlcmn.org Facebook - livingwaters.lutheranchurch Twitter - lwlcmn Read about the trip to the National Youth Gathering by LWLC young people and chaperones on page 7.
Page 2 Sundays in September Sunday, September 9 Rally Sunday 10:30 am outdoor Worship Kindergartner Blessing Vbs Kids Sing Installation of Intern Sarah 11:30 am Free Kids Carnival 11:30 am Free Lunch Sunday, September 16 8:30 am Worship service 4 yr olds receive children s bible 9:30 AM Hospitality 9:30 am Blood Pressure Checks 9:40 am Pond/Splash/3rd Gr Breakfast Club 9:45 am Table talk 10:30 am Worship Service 4 yr olds receive children s bible Sunday, September 23 8:30 am worship service with a baptism 9:30 am Hospitality 9:40 am Pond/Splash/3rd Grade Breakfast Club 9:45 AM Table Talk 10:30 am Worship Service 12:00 pm Strengths retreat for 7 & 8th graders & parent(s) Sunday, September 30 God s Work our hands 9:30 am Breakfast 10:00 10:30 am Worship 10:30 am Servant Projects for all ages 7:11 pm H 2 O for Senior High Youth September Service Team 1 Team Leader: Terry Sylvester If your service team is scheduled for an upcoming month, please check the online calendar http://www.lwlcmn.org/signups1.html) and sign up online! Table Talk SEPTEMBER 2018 Join the conversation each Sunday morning between services for good discussion and information about a variety of topics. Come whenever you want! The conversation is informal, and no one is pressured to talk. Grab a cup of coffee (or juice), pull up a chair and join us for Table Talk, Sundays, 9:45-10:15am. Table Talk meets at the back of the sanctuary by the little kitchen. TABLE TALK Sunday, September 16 October 7 During the months of September and part of October, Table Talk will be using a study entitled, My Neighbor Is Muslim, published by Lutheran Social Services. This resource was created primarily to help those who are not Muslim to develop a basic understanding of the Muslim faith, learn how we can be culturally sensitive and get to know our new neighbors in Minnesota who are Muslim. Over the course of this study, we will talk about the 5 pillars of the Muslim faith, how Muslims view Jesus and the Christian faith, Muslim views on finances, violence and the Islamic state as well as how best live and work together. Please join us for any or all of our discussions. Grab a cup of coffee during coffee hour and join us around the big round table in the back of the sanctuary at 9:45am Bring your questions and curiosity!
SEPTEMBER 2018 Page 3 Pond, Splash, and 3rd grade Breakfast Club (Children s Ministry) News THANK YOU Thank you to Kirsten Stiegel, our "carnival angel," for coordinating yet another kids carnival for Rally Sunday! And thank you to all of the older youth for running the games this year! RALLY SUNDAY CARNIVAL KIDS! Come to the carnival this Sunday, 9/9 for fun, games, and prizes beginning at 11:30 am! Children s Church There will be a short worship service in the sanctuary that is designed especially for kids and parents on the 2nd Sunday of each month from 9:40 to 10:20 am, during what is normally Pond and Splash time. All are welcome! Sunday Morning Children's Ministry (Pond & Splash) for kids age 2 years through 3rd grade starts this coming Sunday, September 16th from 9:40 to 10:20 am. Registration and schedules are at the Ministry Corner, tiki hut, and on the church website at www.lwlcmn.org under "teach". This year, we are adding "Servant Days" into our children's education ministry, so that kids and parents can do servant projects together one Sunday/ month during regular education time. We will also have a "Children s Church" service on the 2nd Sunday of each month, during regular Splash time, which will be in place of Pond and Splash that morning. Friends are always welcome! Needed: Nursery Coordinator! If you would be willing to coordinate NEEDED: (via email) volunteers to help in NURSERY the nursery on Sunday mornings during the 10:30 am service, your COORDINATOR help is greatly needed! You would not need to be IN the nursery on Sundays, only coordinating the volunteers. Past coordinators have emailed the pool of volunteers once every 3 or so months to fill in the Sundays. Contact Denise at denisemariehanson@gmail.com or talk to her in person if you'd be willing to offer yourself in this way. Thank you!
Page 4 SEPTEMBER 2018 4th 9th grade Wednesday Night Education Orientation to our Wednesday Night Ministries (for 4-9th graders) is this Wed, Sept 12 at 6 pm! This is a required meeting for kids and parents! Registration forms and schedules for all Wednesday Night Ministries are in the Ministry Corner and at www.lwlcmn.org under the "teach" tab. Please turn in your registration forms ASAP, or bring to orientation. Teachers and home huddle hosts are still needed! Please prayerfully consider serving in this way! 7th Graders (and 8th graders - optional will have a "Strengths Finders" workshop for students and parents on Sunday, Sept 23 (or October 14) from noon to 5 pm, with pizza included. If you haven't registered yet, please do so ASAP! Katie Christensen, a Gallup Certified Strengths Coach, will lead this workshop/retreat. 7-8th graders Packaging Food for Kids Fighting Hunger. 7-8th graders will meet at the Kids Fighting Hunger warehouse on Wed, Sept 19th at 6:15 pm and will be done by 7:30 pm. Parents should bring their students directly to the warehouse on Industrial Boulevard just off of Hwy 10 and Goldenspike Road. Denise will email directions a few days before this event. 4-6th Graders Servant Night at Pederson Farm Wed, Sept 19! 4-6th graders will meet at the church at 6 pm (pizza for $1/slice starting at 5:30 pm), and head to Elizabeth Pederson's farm just north of town to help get the farm ready for the winter. We will be back again by 7:15 pm. Students should wear close-toed shoes, and dress for the weather! Bring a rake if you have one! We will take a bus there and back! Parents are welcome to stay and help! 9th Graders will have a regular Trek night on Wed, Sept 19 from 6-7 pm, with pizza for $1/slice starting at 5:30 pm.
ALL THINGS HIGH SCHOOL OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE YOUTH OF LIVING WATERS AND THEIR FRIENDS! Living Waters offers opportunities for high school youth to strengthen friendships, grow in their faith and have a little fun along the way. As we enter into fall, here are a couple of such opportunities coming your way! H20 is the Senior High Youth Group for Living Waters. Meeting monthly, typically on Sunday nights, H20 offers everything from service projects to city-wide treasure hunts. FRIENDS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME...the more the merrier! Check out H20 at the fall kick-off on September 30th! SUNDAY, SEPTMBER 30 @ 7:11PM It all begins with opening a can of bean dip! A new season of amazing fun has begun! Don t miss a night of unusual feats and strange prizes. Get an extra prize for every friend you bring! NEW WINE is a drama and music troupe of high school students. Yearly, NEW WINE puts together a full-length contemporary Christian musical, performing it as a Dinner-Theater in the Spring and touring it cross country in early Summer. NEW WINE is open to ALL high school students...any school, any church background. YOU DON T HAVE TO HAVE ANY BACKGROUND IN THEATER OR MUSIC TO BE APART OF THE TROUPE! In fact, we intentionally seek out those students who have little to no experience on stage. This year, NEW WINE will be offering a 4-night Dinner-Theater at Living Waters in the Spring, followed by a tour to San Francisco and stops along the way. Be sure to check out the NEW WINE INFORMATION MEETING, for youth and parents on October 28th. NEW WINE INFORMATION MEETING OCTOBER 28 at 6PM Come find out what is in store for NEW WINE this season. We will reveal the musical choice and details about the tour to San Francisco. Bring your friends. Bring a parent.
Page 6 SEPTEMBER 2018 Introducing The Intern Hello! My name is Sarah Larson, and I m excited to be your new intern at Living Waters! For the next two years, I will be with you on a part-time basis as I complete my MDiv studies at Luther Seminary. I was asked to share a little about myself, so here goes I am very blessed to be the mama of two awesome kiddos who amaze and inspire me every day. My son, Caden, is starting 6 th grade this year and loves basketball, swimming, and Pokémon. My daughter, Mari, is now a third grader and loves crafts, swimming, and animals. We live in Sartell with our pet tortoise of four years, Harvey Ole. A little about my background I was born and raised in Little Falls, home of the famous Arts & Crafts Fair. My bachelor s degree is in Sport Science/Athletic Training (a little out there, I know!), but I have been slowly working on my MDiv at Luther Seminary for quite some time longer than I should probably admit! (Thankfully, God is very, very patient!) Ultimately, I feel like my call to ministry is leading to working with kids, particularly in the area of grief ministry. Too many kids today face a lot of challenges and a lot of pain, and it s so important for them to feel valued and be heard. Currently, I work full time with an amazing team of people at St. Cloud Hospital and until this month have provided the piano accompaniment for worship services each Sunday at our home church in Little Falls. (I have to admit, I am much more comfortable behind a piano than speaking in front of a large group of people. God truly asks us to step out of our comfort zones!) I love spending time with family, playing basketball and doing crafts with my kiddos, listening to music, playing piano, watching Hallmark Christmas movies, and running 5ks with my sister. We ve run the 5k at Living Waters in the past, so you may see us again this year! A note of credit to my parents, sister, kids, and church family who have been a huge source of support through this adventure so far. I wouldn t be at this point in my seminary journey without all of their prayers, love, and encouragement. Okay, that s me in a nutshell Thank you so much for the opportunity to serve as your intern. Now, I look forward to getting to know and serving beside all of you!! Will you let me be your servant, let me be as Christ to you? Pray that I may have the grace to let you be my servant, too. (Will You Let Me Be Your Servant, ELW #659, v. 1)
SEPTEMBER 2018 Page 7 June 24 July 2, 15 youth and 3 adults traveled to Houston, Texas for the ELCA National Youth Gathering. Yes Houston in June! Along the way we visited the Spam Museum, the Gateway Arch, Magic Springs Theme & Water Park, and stayed in Hannibal, MO, Hot Springs AK, and Joplin MO. The Gathering was Wednesday Sunday. We joined around 30,000 other youth & adults learning about how together with God we can Change Everything. The three days of the gathering included service learning (where we packed & sorted donated medical supplies), interactive learning, and synod day. Each night ended with a Mass Gathering (kind of like a concert) with music and inspirational speakers. The last evening of the Gathering they revealed the next gathering will be in Minneapolis! Throughout the year we sold cinnamon rolls to help make this trip a little more affordable for the youth. We appreciate all of the help and support from the congregation! Youth involved were: Hailey Arnold, Abby Bollmeyer, Hailee Cullen, Aiden Hammond, Declan Kiewel, Ben Kiewel, Kirsten Koskinen, Ethan Moriak, Taylor Sidla, Allison Stiegel, Riley Weinand, Morgan Weinand, Mikayla Zaske, Kiah Zaske, and Sam Zimmerman. The other two adult chaperones were Lance & Laurie Bollmeyer. I encourage you to ask any of the youth about their experience! -Jen Kiewel The ELCA NYG trip for us was motivational, uplifting, and inspiring. It helped us all connect more with God throughout the different activities in the week. We got to hear many kinds of people sharing their stories of how God impacted their lives and what they have done to reach out and help others. During the gathering we got to go out into the community and participate in different service projects. Our group got the opportunity to sort medical supplies for a company who ships it all around the world to places that need it. We enjoyed helping and feeling like we are making an impact on someone s life. On Synod Day multiple churches within our Synod came together to worship. We engaged in a variety of activities to meet new people and share our love of God together. - Hailee Cullen, Taylor Sidla, and Hailey Arnold
SEPTEMBER 2018 Page 8 BACK FROM SABBATICAL If the purpose of a sabbatical is for rest, study, reflection and renewal, I would say my summer sabbatical was a good one! While it felt unusual being away from the day to day at Living Waters this summer, I used the opportunity to do some things I normally wouldn t have been able to do, such as worshipping in other churches, doing some creative writing (other than sermons and newsletter articles!) catching up on some reading and making a trip out to Holden Village, (pictured left.) Holden Village is a Lutheran retreat center, high in the Cascade Mountains in the state of Washington. It is an old copper mining camp that, 50 years ago, was transformed into a retreat center. It is one of the most remote communities in the United States, accessible only by a 3 hour boat ride out of Chelan, Washington, followed by an hour bus trip, winding its way up and into the mountains. Kris and I were able to spend a few days at Holden in August, hearing speakers, worshipping with the community there and hiking a few trails. How cool to hear the Holden Evening Prayer Service in the setting for which it was created! It is well worth anyone s effort to get to Holden; we are hoping to organize a Living Waters group to travel out to Holden for a stay next summer. Stay tuned! One of my sabbatical goals was to create a new worship service for Living Waters, including music and readings. To date, the music has been created and is currently in the process of being notated. Once it is fully written, I hope to pull together some instrumentalists and singers to learn the service before introducing it to the congregation. Please let me know if that is something that interests you! I was excited to have the opportunity (time) to flex my creativity a bit this summer, and I look forward to putting it to use here and elsewhere. Stay tuned! I HUGELY appreciate the opportunity to have had a sabbatical leave. Thank you! I come back refreshed and inspired, and I hope to share some of my insights and learnings in the weeks to come. A BIG thank you to pastors Wayne Anderson and Bobbi Bell for filling in on Sunday mornings. Also a BIG thank you to our parish nurse, Carolyn Neubauer and Patti Goke for their caregiving, hospital calls and visits with Living Waters members in need. Thank you to the many who pitched in here and there, where ever there was need these last few months. There s nothing like worshipping in a few other churches to make a person appreciate what a great faith community we have here at Living Waters. Thank you for the ongoing support and prayers that continue to refresh me. Pastor Todd Are you a lutefisk lover? Are you a meatball Lover? are invited to a meeting of the FISH HEADS on Thursday, September 13 at 4:30 pm.
Page 9 SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 30TH IS SEPT EM BER 20 18 CHURCH WITHOUT WALLS SUNDAY! Join us for ONE service on September 30th at 10am. We ll worship together for 30 minutes and then take our worship OUTSIDE the walls of Living Waters with a variety of service projects. It s a day to put our faith into action. Sign up for the service project that most interests you and your family and join us in making a difference in our community! 9:30am Breakfast 10:00am Worship 10:30am Service Projects Sign up in the church office (call 255 1135) OR by completing a card available At the 9/9, 9/16 and 9/23 worship services. service projects Kids Fighting Hunger Assemble meal kits for a hungry world. Bandage rolling Bandages for Tanzania Road clean-up Cleaning a section of Co. Rd. 4 Place of Hope Lunch Preparing and serving lunch at a local homeless shelter
SEPTEMBER 2018 Page 10 VBS Thank you! A big thank you to the many volunteers who helped make VBS happen this summer! And a special thank you to Alicia Mages for being the coordinator! The theme this summer was "Shipwrecked: Jesus Rescues Us." About 50 kids participated, along with many parent helpers. Kids made "socks of love" for people experiencing homelessness. The socks were filled with toiletries and other items. Thank you to all who participated; a great time was had by all! The 2018 LWLC Church Council Steve Anderson: Finance Haley Entner: Inreach Stephanie Foster: Music & Worship Curt Gullickson: Outreach Denise Hanson: Pastor Bill Markfort: Youth Alicia Mages: Education Todd Mattson: Lead Pastor Bryn Muehlbauer: Congregational Life Nick Tapio: Treasurer Mark Weis: President Mikayla Zaske: Youth Kurt Zimmerman: Property Emily Zempel: Inreach You are never too young to join one of our teams. Meet the youngest member of the Music and Worship Team, Joanie Wocken, with mom and dad, Rachel and Rick. LWLC The Women s Group will meet on Tuesday, September 18 at 5:30 pm. All women are invited to spend time with other women in conversation, bible study, and a service project. Invite a friend.
SEPTEMBER 2018 Sunday, September 9 Rally Sunday Friday, September 21 Fall Fest Set up 10:30 am OUTDOOR worship (bring a blanket or a chair) with Kindergartner blessing, Saturday, September 22 Installation of Intern Sarah, VBS kids sing 7:00 am Rummage Sale 11:30 am Free Kids Carnival 7:00 am Bake Sale 11:30 am Potluck (main dish provided, if 10:00 am Fall Fest Run possible please bring a side dish or dessert) September Calendar CLOSED MONDAYS Tuesday - Friday 9am - 3pm Please see the online calendar for an up-to-date listing of events at http:// www.lwlcmn.org/ calendar.html BP Checks 3rd Sunday of the Month, 9:30am Monday, September 10 Office closed Tuesday, September 11 10:00 am Staff meeting 5:30 pm Finance team meeting 6:30 pm Personnel team meeting Wednesday, September 12 6:00 pm Required meeting for 4th 9th graders and parents 6:00 pm Classroom of Hope use 7:00 pm Choir practice 7:30 pm NA Thursday, September 13 5:30 pm Care Core 6:00 pm Girl Scouts 7:00 pm AA and Al Anon Friday, September 14 6:00 pm Wedding rehearsal Saturday, September 15 1:00 pm Wedding Sunday, September 16 8:30 am Worship with 4 yr olds receive bibles 9:30 am Blood Pressure checks 9:30 am Hospitality 9:40 am Servant project for kids and parents 9:45 am Table Talk 10:30 am Worship with 4 yr olds receive bibles and one baptism Monday, September 17 Office closed Tuesday, September 18 10:00 am Staff meeting 5:30 pm Women s group meeting Wednesday, September 19 9:00 am 4:00 pm Classroom E & F use 5:30 pm Pizza ($1/slice) 6:00 pm 4th - 6th gr Servant Night at the Pederson Farm 6:00 pm 7th - 8th gr Servant Night at Kids Fighting Hunger 6:00 pm 9th gr Trek 7:00 pm Choir practice 7:30 pm Council meeting 7:30 pm NA Thursday, September 20 Fall Fest Set up 7:00 pm AA and Al Anon Sunday, September 23 8:30 am Worship with a baptism 9:30 am Hospitality 9:40 am Pond/Splash/3rd grade Breakfast Club resumes 9:45 am Table Talk 10:30 am Worship with two baptisms 12:00 pm Strengths retreat for 7th graders and parent(s) Monday, September 24 Office closed Tuesday, September 25 Staff retreat Wednesday, September 26 5:30 pm Pizza ($1/slice) 6:00 pm 4th - 6th grade Trek 6:15 pm 7th - 9th Home Huddles 7:00 pm Choir practice 7:30 pm NA Thursday, September 27 6:00 pm Girl Scouts 7:00 pm AA and Al Anon Sunday, September 30 God s Work Our Hands Sunday. 9:30 am Breakfast 10:00 10:30 am Worship service 10:30 am Servant projects for all ages 7:11 pm Super Sunday Monday, October 1 Office closed Tuesday, October 2 10:00 am Staff meeting Wednesday, October 3 5:30 pm ($1/slice) 6:00 pm 4-6th grade Youth group night 6:00 pm 7th - 9th grade Trek 7:00 pm Choir practice 7:30 pm NA Thursday, October 4 7:00 pm AA and Al Anon THANK YOU! Page 11 Please inform the church office of any events you wish to be put or taken off the calendar. Thanks! We would like to thank you and all the volunteers at Living Waters Church for delivering meals the week of August 13-17. You helped deliver a total of 421 hot meals! This is such an important program for our clients and we could not exist without dedicated volunteers like all of you! We are truly grateful for your support. Jyl Anderson, St Cloud Hospital Home Delivered Meals
1911 4th Avenue North Sauk Rapids, MN 56379 Phone: 320-255-1135 Fax: 320-255-8891 Email: church@lwlcmn.org Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 10 Address Service Requested Time Sensitive Materials You are invited to the new member classes that will take place on Wednesday, October 10 at 7:00 pm and Wednesday, October 24 at 7:00 pm are you interested in joining Living Waters Lutheran church or learning more about who we are? Each class will last about an hour. New Member Sunday will be on November 4 at either service. If you are interested or would like more information, please contact the church office.