SLC News www.slcmonte.org 320-269-7624 slcelca@msn.com Calendar Highlights: Annual Meeting, Jan. 21 Midwinter Concert, Jan. 21 Ash Wednesday, Feb. 14 Annual Chili Supper, Feb. 15 As I m writing this, the week after Christmas, I m thinking back to just over a week ago when Salem members were out Christmas caroling. We sang at Senior living facilities, and at the bedside of Edna Anderson Salem s oldest member. Edna celebrated her 100th birthday in September, surrounded by many loved ones. A few days later, she was sitting with family and other residents at the Luther Haven Christmas party, and just a few days from then on December 26, I received the phone call that Edna had passed away. A favorite memory of mine about Edna will always be when she told me that she wanted to show me photos of her grandchildren during a visit. At the time, she was 98 years old, and she pulled out an ipad to show me the photos! I also enjoyed her stories of teaching in a one-room schoolhouse; she is probably one of the last who did. Edna was a blessing to so many throughout her life, as a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother; as a schoolteacher; as a Salem member; and a joy to visit with over her many years of retirement. We are truly thankful for the blessing of Edna s long life with us. I believe her funeral will be the first funeral I ve had for someone 100 years old. The photo of Edna at the beginning of the article is from her 100th birthday party; her certificate says Salem s Most Senior Member and Child of God. Equipping Congregations Day Coming up on Saturday, February 10, is the annual SWMN Synod Equipping Congregations Day from 8:30 a.m. 3:30 p.m. at Vinje Lutheran & Bethel Lutheran, Willmar, MN. The speaker this year will be Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton who is THE Presiding Bishop of the ELCA. This is a HUGE deal to have her join us in SWMN. Salem will be registered for the flat fee attendance rate, and anyone is welcome to attend. This special event is geared towards helping congregations better understand the role of their own church in the context of the ELCA. There will be a wide range of workshops available on a variety of topics; you may choose what you d like to attend. If you feel a sense of ownership in Salem, you will enjoy attending this event. Please let me know if you would like to attend. Article continued on page 4...
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday DEC 31 with Guest Worship Lead, Andrew Mendez; Noisy Offering JAN 1 HAPPY NEW YEAR! JAN 2 JAN 3 9:15am MOMA open group meets at Salem JAN 4 6:30am Men's Breakfast JAN 5 JAN 6 7 Traditional Worship Service; Communion 8 9 2pm Salem Communion at Brookside 3:30pm Salem Communion at Luther Haven 6pm Worship & Music Committee Meets 10 11:30am Women's Luncheon 11 L.S.S Senior Care Group at Salem 12 13 14 Traditional Worship Service 15 16 17 9:15am MOMA open group meets at Salem 7pm Salem Committees Meet (as needed) 7:30pm Salem Council 18 19 20 21 Service; Communion; Sings 10:45am Salem s Annual Meeting 2pm Midwinter Concert 22 23 24 25 26 27 8:30- Free Community Meal at Salem 28 Service; Kindergarten Milestone; Noisy Offering 29 30 31 FEB 1 6:30am Men's Breakfast FEB 2 FEB 3
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday JAN 28 Service with Noisy Offering & Milestone: Kind. JAN 29 JAN 30 JAN 31 ELCA Confirmation at Our Saviors 6:30am FEB 1 Men's Breakfast at The River s FEB 2 Friday FEB 3 4 Traditional with Communion 5 6 7 9:15am MOMA open group at Salem ELCA Confirmation at Our Saviors 8 Sr. Care-group at Salem 9 Friday 10 11 Traditional with Milestone: 6 th Grade 12 13 2pm Salem Communion at Brookside 3:30pm Salem Communion at Luther Haven 6pm Worship & Music Committee Meets 14 11:30am Women's Luncheon at Salem Ash Wednesday 15 5pm Salem s Annual Chili Supper 16 Friday 17 18 Service with Communion 19 20 21 9:15am MOMA open group at Salem 5:15pm Lenten Supper Wednesday Lenten 7pm Salem Committees 7:30pm Salem Council 22 23 Friday 24 8:30- Free Community Breakfast at Salem 25 Service with Noisy Offering and Milestone: 11 th Grade; Sunday School Sings 10:45am 1st Communion Class (3 rd Grade) 26 27 28 5:15pm Lenten Supper Wednesday Lenten MAR 1 6:30am Men's Breakfast at The River s MAR 2 Friday MAR 3
Pastor s Article Continued... Anyone who has stood in line at the checkout knows that people have many different ways of paying for things. Some pay cash, others write checks, most pay by credit or debit card, etc. What works best for one person might not work so well for another, but the important thing for any business is that it provides a number of options for payment. The same should apply to churches. Currently, Salem offers both assigned envelopes and pew envelopes for the weekly offering platel collection, and also ACH (automatic checking deposit giving) to keep a regular flow of giving income throughout the year. New for 2018, Salem will begin to offer two additional options for giving online and app based giving through a company called Vanco Electronic Payment Services. For those whom offering envelopes and automatic checking works well can continue giving through those methods, but the addition of online and app based giving will be a welcome convenience for many folks. Anyone accustomed to making purchases on their computer, tablet or smartphone will now be able to give their offering to Salem through these means. It can be done from anywhere you have access to your computer or smartphone, whether at home or even during offering time on Sunday mornings. To provide this service for Salem members, Salem pays $10 per month for access to the service (keep in mind that purchasing offering envelopes for the congregation has a cost as well), and each transaction costs 2.75% +.45-cent transaction fee. The fees seem reasonable when you take into account that we have access to a dedicated online service and an easy to use app designed for giving, as well as automated recording of the transactions and easy to access statements of giving for online and app users. Also, anyone can use this service to supplement their other forms of giving to Salem. I m optimistic that this convenience will pay for itself and help to encourage more regular financial support for our ministry in 2018. We are in the beginning stages of making this available to Salem members, so more information about how to make use of these additional ways of giving will be coming soon. We will be keeping the congregation informed through Sunday announcements as well as website and Facebook posts. On a personal note - I m extremely thankful to say that I ended the year feeling much better than I have in a long time. When I returned from my two-month break to recover from depression last Spring, I still had a long road ahead of me. It actually wasn t until around the first week or two of December that I finally started feeling back to normal again. I have learned a lot in the last year about taking better care of myself. I thank God for the blessing of the folks at Salem who - while perhaps not realizing it - have been very helpful and supportive of me. I m also thankful for a patient and loving spouse and children who have stood beside me along the way. If you or someone you know is going through depression and you need someone who understands - don t hesitate to come talk to me. Depression is invisible, but others who have been through it can help you see it, name it, and find the resources to work through it. May the Lord bless us as we carry forward with our service to Christ in 2018. - Pr. Matt
Announcements & Upcoming Events Happy New Year! Salem wishes you a blessed 2018 January Council Meeting: January 17 at 7:30 p.m. Annual Reports: Please turn in Committee reports for the Annual Meeting Report by January 15th to Salem s E-Mail address: slcelca@msn.com. Salem s Annual Meeting is Scheduled for after worship on January 21, 2018. Equipping Congregations Day: Willmar, MN on February 10, 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Salem is registered to attend this event - it is open invitation to all Salem members. There is a variety of workshops you may choose from so the subject matter is of interest to you. And very exciting is that Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton, the Presiding Bishop of the ELCA, will be speaking! More information about the event, the speakers, and the workshops is available on the SWMN Synod website, as well as other ELCA & Synod news: www.swmnelca.org/category/synod-news/ Midwinter Concert at Salem on January 21 at 2pm: Performers: Salem Men s Quartet; St. Martin s Large Men s Choir; Dr. G s Bowtie Brass and MORE! Save the Date for Salem s Annual Chili Supper: February 15 Milestones: 3rd Graders will be having their 1st Communion during Holy Week, on Maundy Thursday (March 29), worship service at 6:30 p.m. To prepare for their 1st Communion, the 3rd Graders will have a series of classes after worship beginning February 25th. January 28 Milestone: Kindergarten Lord s Prayer February 11 Milestone: 6th Grade Apostles Creed Ash Wednesday & Lent: The season of Lent will be upon us in February. Ash Wednesday is February 14th - Salem will have a worship service at 6:30 p.m. After Ash Wednesday and throughout the season of lent, we will have Wednesday lenten worship services at 6:30 p.m. with lenten suppers beforehand starting about 5:15 p.m. AmazonSmile: If you are an Amazon shopper, please remember to start at the AmazonSmile homepage (www.smile.amazon.com) and shop in support of Salem Lutheran Church of Montevideo. It is really that simple & no extra cost, just shop as you normally would and a portion of your purchase will support Salem. Happy shopping!! Food Drive Results: Thank you to everyone who made the Generosity Multiplier food drive at Salem (sponsored by Thrivent Financial) such a success! We had tree weeks to collect at least 500 items with the encouragement that Thrivent would match our 500 items with a 500-dollar donation to our local food shelf! On November 30, we reported to Thrivent that we BEAT our goal, with a total of 543 items collected (over 600 pounds of food)! Thank you to the group of Salem members who organized and encouraged the food drive and to all those who donated! The Table is a Ministry of Salem! The Table is a free community breakfast held at Salem on the last Saturday of each month, from 8:30-10 a.m. Everyone is welcome! The Table is also looking for volunteers! Please contact Amanda Blom about how to get involved: amandab@montevideoschools.org Lutheran Prayerbooks & Christ in Our Home Booklets are Available at Salem for Free
The Table Free Community BreakFast Weekly & Treats In Salem s Strombeck Room Friday Mornings At 10 a.m. Last Saturday of Every Month 8:30-10 a.m. Salem Lutheran Church 631 N. 7th St. Montevideo Salem Prayer Chain The Salem Prayer Chain is a volunteer group of Salem members who pray by request for the needs of others. Prayer requests may be for yourself or someone else, and may be for healing or other challenges in life. Requests can remain anonymous if you wish, and privacy of individuals is always respected. Please contact Ruby Flickinger at 269-2220 or 226-8591, or Arlys Tilberg at 269-8440 with any requests you may have. This is different from the Sunday prayers listed in the bulletin. To be included in the Sunday prayers, please call: 269-7624 or e-mail: slcelca@msn.com. Bible Study The Men s Breakfast and Bible Study is an open men s group that meets on the first Thursday of each month at 6:30 a.m. at The Rivers in Montevideo. Together, they eat breakfast, have conversation and then Bible Study. The Bible Study is usually about the Bible text for the upcoming Sunday with conversation about how it applies to current events and daily life. The Women s Luncheon and Bible Study is an open women s group that meets on the second Wednesday of each month at 11:30 a.m. in the Social Hall of Salem. Lunch is provided for a small donation and is followed by Bible Study and discussion. Moms of Montevideo Area This open group for moms of young children meets at Salem on the 1st & 3rd Wednesdays of each month, September - May. Morning Out: LSS Senior Care Respite Group This open group for Senior caregivers meets at Salem on the second Thursday of each month from - Noon. Salem Open Group: Every Tuesday At 6:30 p.m. If you have a scissor, needles and are able to tie a knot, you can join the Salem! They would love to have more people join them! The quilters have invited jr. quilters to join them to learn more about quilting - refer to the sign-up sheet available on Sunday mornings. For those who would like to help the quilters from home: The Salem need volunteers to sew fabric squares together to make quilt tops - they will provide the fabric!
Staying Connected with Salem Salem s Weekday Office Hours Mondays: 4:30 - Tuesdays: - 12pm Wednesdays: - 2:30pm No office hours on Thursdays Fridays: - 2:30pm Salem s Office Administrator (Ally Buseman) is the main contact for questions, announcements, scheduling, etc. You can reach her by e-mail any time (slcelca@msn.com), or call/stop in during her office hours on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Outside of her office hours, you can leave her a message and she will get back to you promptly! Tuesday office hours are fulfilled by an office volunteer, Carol Westburg. Salem s Monthly Worship Schedule 1st Sunday: Traditional service & full Communion 2nd Sunday: Traditional service without Communion 3rd Sunday: *Blended service & Communion 4th Sunday: *Blended service without Communion *A blended service is a more contemporary-style service Salem is on Cable Access Salem s days and times are: Wednesdays at 9 a.m. & 6:30 p.m. Fridays at 9 a.m. Find Salem on the web at: www.slcmonte.org Salem s website is updated frequently with current news, announcements and event information! If you are not yet receiving Salem news e-mails, please send us an e-mail with your name to: slcelca@msn.com to be added to our e-mail list! If you have done this, and are still not seeing the e-mails in your inbox, please check your junk folder. Stay connected on Facebook by following our page: www.facebook.com/slcmonte/ Once on the Salem Lutheran Church, ELCA Facebook page, click Like & Follow in the header to see our posts in your news feed! Salem also has a Facebook group; find Salem s Facebook group by searching slcmonte in the Facebook search bar and click Join. We will see your request and add you to the group! Salem has also made use of an app called remind which helps to keep you informed by sending texts directly to your phone. These texts are not frequent, likely only a few per month depending on what Salem has going on. We currently have two different remind groups - one is for Salem and the other is Salem Announcements. Salem Announcements is used mostly to notify about worship or event changes, whereas Salem helps to remind Salem s families about special events, such as Milestones. To join the remind groups, please do the following: For announcements, text this: @slcmonte to: 81010 (or to the number 320-334-2145). For, text this: @salemsu to: 81010 (or to the number 320-334-2145). Salem News Deadlines: Sunday Bulletin Announcements: Fridays at ; Newsletter Announcements: February 15; Calendar changes and website/facebook posts can be submitted any time (may not post same-day)
Salem Lutheran Church 631 North Seventh Street Montevideo, MN 56265 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 54 Montevideo, MN 56265 SLC Newsletter