Volume 20, Issue 9 October 2017 Faith Lutheran Church PO Box 175 Wolverton, MN 56594 (218) 995-2556 faith@wtc-mail.net www.faithwolverton.org Rev. Clay Ellingson, Pastor 1303 24th Avenue S. Moorhead, MN 56560 (218) 233-3941 It is the mission of Faith Lutheran Church: To gather prayerfully as the Body of Christ; To grow in faith, love, and service; To go into the world joyfully as disciples. Sunday School, Confirmation, & Adult Forum 9:00 a.m. Sunday Worship 10:00 a.m. Holy Communion on the first and third Sunday of the month. Coffee Fellowship 11:00 a.m. October Food Pantry Item: Soup SPECIAL SERVICE October 29 Recognition of Confirmation of Ava Aigner and Logan Kappes 500th Anniversary of the Reformation 125 Years since Wolverton Norwegian Lutheran Church was established 50th Anniversary of Faith Lutheran Church Reformation Sunday October 29 As custom at Faith Lutheran Church, we will be celebrating confirmation on Reformation Sunday which falls on October 29th this year. We have two students being confirmed: Ava Aigner daughter of Mike and Sara Aigner Logan Kappes son of John and Jessie Kappes We will also recognize the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation. Faith Lutheran Church will also be celebrating two anniversaries; 125 years since the Wolverton Norwegian organized and 50 years since Faith Lutheran Church formed. In 1892, the Wolverton Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church was formed. It built its first church on land donated by Charles Nord north east of Wolverton in 1895. That site is home to the Faith Lutheran Cemetery. In 1931 the current church structure was built in Wolverton and has since been added on to in 1971 and 2011. In December of 1966, the Wolverton Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church and the Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Salem Church (est. 1902) ended their charters and formed a new church Faith Lutheran Church. Although FLC is a young 50 years old, our history dates back 125 years. We owe a great thank you to those who started each of the congregations and to those who brought the two churches together to form one community in Christ. On Sunday, October 29 we will be celebrating confirmation, anniversaries and observing the 500th anniversary of the Reformation with a special service, a potluck, and cake. The October Newsletter is sponsored in memory of Steve Blilie by Wally and Bev Nord.
Message from our President Hello Everybody, During my first meeting as Council President I talked to the members about the importance of leadership. I encouraged all of them to attend leadership training events that are periodically sponsored by the NW Minnesota Synod and other organizations. There were three primary points that I was trying to make: Each of us needs to recognize that we are called to be leaders and responsibility goes beyond meeting once a month to go over the budget and committee reports; Each of us needs to consider what our vision is for Faith Lutheran Church relative to our calling as a leader; and Each of us then needs to determine how we faithfully play out that role as a leader. That sounds like some pretty great stuff right? Sure it does, and it is, but I missed the part about communications. If your leadership is not communicated clearly, it will not be effective and can, in fact, be ineffective and even hurtful. I put myself forward as Exhibit A. On one occasion that comes to mind, and with nothing but the best of intentions I failed to communicate effectively with people who I love and respect very much. It caused confusion and hurt feelings. We were able to get together to discuss our situation and thankfully, the Holy Spirit pulled up a chair and joined us - and that made all of the difference in the world. We were able to communicate and reach understanding and reconciliation. I will strive to be a good leader at Faith Lutheran Church and I will double my efforts to honestly and effectively communicate with everyone. God s Blessings to you all, and make sure you add an extra chair around your table; you never know who might show up. RC Stein We have just begun to kick off our LYO year. We will be busy throughout the year planning for the ELCA National Youth Gathering that will be held this summer in Houston. We are excited for the potential of youth from Richland Lutheran Church to join us for the Gathering. After Hurricane Harvey, plans were uncertain but we do know that the Gathering will still take place on the scheduled dates and it will take place in Houston. There should be plenty of opportunities for our Service Learning Day! Please continue to pray for the residents of Houston, the Gathering Leaders and Faith LYO. Our next meeting will be held October 15 after worship where we will serve donuts and coffee during fellowship. HAY is on the WAY Seven loads of hay left September 19 for Belfield, ND thanks to the donations of Comstock Lutheran Church, Faith Lutheran Church, and CW-Valley Co-Op with matching funds from CoBank. Thank you to all who contributed their labors to helping the farmers & ranchers and their livestock suffering in this time of drought.
Faith WOMEN NEWS A few of the A Bag of My Own donations taken at Women s Convention NEXT MEETING: Faith Women will meet on Sunday, October 8 after worship. Book Club will meet on October 4 at 9am. We will discuss Katrina & Martin Luther by Michelle DeRusha. Anyone is welcome! Conference 5 Gathering is Saturday, October 7 at Concordia College (Barry Auditorium, Offutt School of Business) at 9am. The program is on Martin Luther. See Maryann to sign up by October 1. Church Auction is Wednesday, November 8 at 7pm. Time to get your items ready! 25% of proceeds of auction will be given to Linda Lucke and 25% to Jeff Rasmussen who are both struggling with medical needs. Raffle tickets will be on sale Sunday s in October. Group 1 plan & serve lunch Group 2 clean up dining and kitchen after auction Set up will be done by volunteers Doves of Peace will be singing at our WELCA Thank offering service on November 5. They sang at our MDO tea in May and we are excited to share their singing talent with the congregation! Quilting Dates: Faith Women will be quilting on October 15-18, November 12-15, January 14-17, February 11-14, and March 11-14. Come when you are able! Faith Women Minutes September 10, 2017 President Maryann Olthoff called the meeting to order. Renata Smeby presented the need for a few Sunday school teachers for 4 Sundays and passed around a signup sheet. Sue Ellingson presented an overview of the Tenth Triennial Convention of the Women of the ELCA which she attended at Minneapolis, MN in July. She spoke about the speakers, the all inclusiveness and worship services. Diane Nord read the secretary s report. A motion was made by Lois Picotte to accept the report. It was seconded and carried. Cindy Nord presented the treasurer s report with a balance of $5,052.06 and $2,695.45 in a Certificate of Deposit. Amber Nord moved to accept the report. It was seconded and carried. Old Business: The annual NWMN SWO convention is being held on September 14-15, 2017 at Fair Hills Resort, Detroit Lakes, MN. Maryann is our delegate and Diane Nord is also attending. The physical offering is A Bag of Their Own. Suitcases and duffle bags will be filled with toilet articles and clothing to be given to children going into emergency foster care. Our annual auction will be held November 8, 2017 at 7:00 p.m. Co-chairs are Debi Byars and Diane Nord. New Business: Conference 5 Gathering is Saturday, October 7, 2017 at Concordia College and the program is on Martin Luther. The book club is reading a book on Katherina Luther for the October 4, 9:00 a.m. book club meeting. Anyone interested can attend, even if you haven t read the book. November 5 is the date of our WELCA Sunday. Doves of Peace will be the main part of the service and anyone interested in helping during the service was asked to sign up. Discussion was held on renewing the Gather subscription for the church. It was tabled. A motion was made by LaDawn Turner to give 25% of our 2017 Auction funds to Jeff and Sue Rasmussen and 25% to Jim and Linda Lucke with the remaining 50% to the Faith Women general budget. It was seconded and carried. Diane Nord will apply for funds in the amount of $1,000 from the Bertha Otteson Endowment Fund to be used for our mission quilting. Lois Picotte made a motion of use $100 to buy 5 shares from Ruby s Pantry for members in need. It was seconded and carried. LaDawn Turner talked about helping with visitations to our members in the absence of a pastor. She suggested we call her when we visit or plan on visiting someone so we know we are getting all covered. There being no further business, President Olthoff adjourned the meeting. Diane Nord, Secretary
ABOUT THE LUTHERANS Women and the Reformation I am prepared to lose everything, even life or limb. May God stand by me. So wrote Argula von Grumbach (1492 1563/68?) from Bavaria, who found Martin Luther s message of Christian freedom and equality empowering. This noble woman challenged an entire Catholic university in Ingolstadt in defense of Lutheran faith and a student persecuted for Lutheran heresy. This best-selling lay author with her letter -treatises eventually disappeared under pressure from male authorities. Luther considered her a valiant hero of faith. The Protestant principles scripture alone, grace alone, and priesthood of all believers inspired women just like men to reengage Christian faith and find renewed spiritual Argula von Grumbach meaning in their daily vocations. With the newly written catechisms and hymns, women were equipped to teach the revived faith to their households, where they exercised significant leadership in matters of religious practice. Women lost the monastic option as convents were closed in Protestant areas, but they benefited significantly from the education provided even for peasant girls. Whereas the Reformation theology proclaimed equality in Christian love and freedom from human-made bonds, women were forbidden to preach or teach in public. Motherhood was presented to women as the holiest of callings, on a par with that of apostles and bishops. So women used creativity in embracing their domestic calling and the authority it brought along. Katharine Schütz Zell (1498 1562), a widely published lay author who had no children of her own, identified herself with a calling of a church mother. In this role she exercised pastoral authority by the side of her pastor-husband in Strasbourg, even daring to preach at funerals. Her scintillating writings in defense of marriage may have caused an uproar, yet her pastoral texts and a hymnbook demonstrate her desire to promote ecumenical unity and to empower Christians to sing the gospel with new voices. Like von Grumbach, she also corresponded with Luther. Another associate of Luther was Duchess Elisabeth von Braunschweig (1485 1555), who used her authority as the mother of the people in her land to implement Lutheran faith through legislation. Like her own mother earlier, Elisabeth had suffered exile from her Catholic husband and children once she confessed her faith in public by receiving the sacrament in a Lutheran rite. Her advice to her son, whom she groomed as a Lutheran ruler, was that he should obey God, the emperor and his mother. Of all the Reformation mothers, the most famous is Luther s beloved Katharina von Bora (1499 1552). She won the heart and admiration of Luther, who had orchestrated the escape of Katharina and eleven other nuns from their convent. As his equal partner in calamity, Katharina mothered their six children and managed the intricate finances and other affairs of their bustling household. Luther admitted that next to the Holy Spirit, he obeyed his wife- lord, Katharina. These and other mothers of faith took significant risks and endured criticism if not even persecution for their choices. Their involvement was crucial for the new faith to take root. Kirsi Stjerna Katharina von Bora October Birthdays 1 Ethan Tucker 2 MaryAnn Olthoff 2 Ivy Rorup 5 Krista Hanneman 7 Cass Edwards 15 LeRoy Turner 17 Tom Poppel 17 Tammy Annett 21 Wayne Krump 22 Quinn Affield 22 Christie Erickson 25 Alisha Nord 28 Haylee Fay 31 Curt Carlson October Anniversaries 3 Stephanie & Brad Beyer 14 Dennis & Kris Bohner 25 Andrew & Stacey Rohan 26 Matthew & Melanie Johnson 27 Kerry & George King 28 Lowell & Deanna Picotte Choir Meeting After worship on October 1 Topic: When should we have rehearsals? Fitness at Faith To start in November!!! Copyright 2016 Augsburg Fortress. Permission is granted for congregations to reproduce these pages provided copies are for local use only and this copyright notice appears.
Honoring Brayden Wayne Retzlaff Son of Alisha Freitag and Dylan Retzlaff When: Sunday, October 15 after worship Brayden was born August 26 Faith Share and Care DEATH The funeral for Myrtle Mertie Nord was September 15 at Faith Lutheran. Mertie was 95 years old. DEATH Walter Evenson, 91, passed away August 7. Walter grew up in Wolverton and is believed to be the first person to become a pastor from our church. He was living in Missouri at the time of his death. Cheryl Affield at home Kent Jane Buchholz Sheyenne Crossing Long Term Care West Fargo Barney Edwards Eventide Moorhead Louie Gruenberg River Pointe Moorhead Marion Israelson Eventide Senior Living Moorhead Rose Hanson Bethany Grace Pointe Fargo Elaine Johnson River Pointe Moorhead Linda Lucke at home Wolverton Arlene Nelson Eventide Senior Living Moorhead Don Nelson at home Wolverton Keith Nelson at home Wolverton Have you visited any of these members? Please let LaDawn Turner know by calling or texting her at 701-361-7244. She will be tracking visits so that no one gets missed during this time without a pastor. Please keep these people who are under medical care in your prayers. Let the church office or LaDawn Turner know if you would like your name or that of a loved one added to this list. THANK YOU If you have been avoiding fellowship hour because it is too noisy to have a conversation...you can come back! Thank you to Wally Nord for spearheading the project to install acoustic ceiling tiles and wall panels. It has many wondering why didn t we do this along time ago. It is believed if we hadn t waited the product would not have been nearly as effective. Also thank you to Wayne Dike Krump for seeing to the change in lighting to LED lamps in the fellowship hall and kitchen. Thank you also to those who helped move tables and chairs. Community News Richland Lutheran Church Annual Luncheon & Bake Sale Sunday, October 1 from 11:00 to 1:30pm. Bake sale items include homemade Scandinavian goodies and lots more! Soup, sandwich, pie and ice cream luncheon served at Richland Lutheran Church by Richland WELCA. Walcott Lutheran Annual Lutefisk Dinner will be Sunday, October 15 from 11am to 3pm. Lutefisk, lefse, and meatballs will be served and the ladies will have a bazaar starting at 10am. Eventide Benefit Auction and Wine Tasting will be Friday, October 20 at 6pm at the Avalon Event Center in Fargo. This evening of fine wine, a silent auction, and entertainment by C. Willi Myles benefits the residents of Eventide. Visit eventide.org for tickets.
Congregational Meeting on November 12 A Congregational Meeting will be held after worship on November 12. The purpose of this meeting is to vote on replacing the organ. Potentially three votes will take place regarding the organ. The first is whether the organ is to be replaced. The second will be on which of the two options presented to the congregation in the two informational meetings will replace it. The two options are Pipe/digital organ installed by Nelson Organ Digital Organ by Rodgers Organs Copies of the written proposal are available in the church office. The third vote will be on payment of the organ. In addition, the congregation will vote to amend the church constitution to add Chapter 12. Chapter 12 details the responsibilities of the council. The amendment is available in the church office and on the bulletin board. Financial Update: Thank you for your support of our mission at Faith Lutheran Church. As we enter the last two months of our fiscal year (Nov. 30), please respond generously to our general fund. Budget $ 125,690 Contributions Dec. 2016 September $ 65,935 Needed in the next 9 Sundays: $ 59,755 Notice of Annual Meeting Faith Lutheran Church will hold their annual meting on December 10, 2017 following worship. Secretaries and Treasurers of committees and associations please prepare your brief summary of the past year and financial reports. All financial reports need to be turned into an auditor (Paul Israelson and Jessie Kappes) by November 15. The Audited Reports and Secretaries Reports are then due to the church office by November 25. FAITH LUTHERAN CHURCH COUNCIL Meeting Minutes September 6, 2017 NOT APPROVED Members Present: Mike Aigner, LaDawn Turner, Mark Miller, Debi Byars, Chad Erickson, Ross Aigner and Robert Stein Members Absent: Scott Smith and Dave Matz Opening Prayer: RC Stein Devotions Ross Aigner Devotions for October 4 th Debi Byars September Devotions: Ross Aigner Communion Assistant for September 17 - Ross Aigner Communion Assistant for October 1 - RC Stein Offering Counter: All of Council Food Pantry Item for October: soup Secretary s Report: Approved with no change: Treasurer s Report: Approved with no changes Committee Reports: Education - Chad Erickson - Rally Sunday September 17th Finance - Scott Smith Property and Maintenance- Dave Matz- Music and Worship Debi Byars - meeting September 12 th at 9:30 Youth- Mike Aigner officers elected President Ben Krump VP Kaden Schroeder Sec. Ava Aigner Faith Women and Decorating- LaDawn Turner WELCA Officers meeting Sept 6 th. Nov. 5 th the Doves of Peace will be part of our Thank Offering Service. Faith Women will help with Visiting our members who are in care facilities. LaDawn will make a sign-up sheet. Church Auction is Nov. 8 th. Stewardship and mutual ministry: Ross Aigner A work in progress. Endowment - Mark Miller: -- have not met Old Business: Organ Replacement: next info meeting is Sept. 24 th. Congregational meeting is November 12 th Constitutional Amendment - Motion made and seconded that Chapter 12 (regarding Congregation Council) be added to the Constitution of Faith Lutheran. Motion passed. This amendment will be brought to a congregational vote for approval at the November 12 congregational meeting. Hay Delivery Update 7 loads of hay will be delivered to Bowman County South West ND Synod Church Directory - tabled to the March meeting New Business: Acknowledge Letter of Resignation from Pastor Clay Ellingson Motion made and seconded that we Acknowledge Pastor Clay Ellingson s Letter of Resignation 0n August 2 nd, 2017. Passed Interim Minister Search on going Continuation of Pastoral Duties - Visitations council and LaDawn are working on this Chad Erickson asked if the Fire Department could use the kitchen to prepare food for the Fall Festival. Approved Adjourn - The Lord s Prayer Submitted by Debi Byars
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 9:00 am SS, Confirmation, Adult Forum 10:00 am Worship with communion Pr. Helen Beth Kuhens 11:00 am Fellowship 8 9:00 am SS, Confirmation, Adult Fourm 10:00 am Worship Devlyn Brooks 11:00 am Fellowship and Faith Women meeting 15 9:00 am SS, Confirmation, Adult Fourm 10:00 am Worship with communion Pr. Arlen Hermodson 11:00 Fellowship LYO serves and meets 22 9:00 am Adult Forum 10:00 am Worship Renata Smeby 11:00 am Fellowship 29 9:00 am SS, Confirmation, Adult Forum 10:00 am Reformation and Confirmation with communion - Pr. Michael Buller 11:00 am POTLUCK 2 3 4 9:00 am Book Club 7:00 pm Church Council 9 10 11 12 9:30 am Music and Worship Meeting 16 17 7:30 pm Endowment Committee Meeting 5 6 7 13 14 18 19 20 21 23 24 25 26 27 28 30 31 October 2017 Faith Lutheran Church PO Box 175 Wolverton, MN 56594 October Ushers Duane Nelson Paul Skoblik Cole Skoblik Travis Smeby Altar Committee LaDawn Turner Natalie Nelson
FAITH LUTHERAN CHURCH PO BOX 175 302 1ST STREET WOLVERTON, MN 56594-0175 Return Service Requested NONPROFIT ORG. U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 001 Wolverton, MN 56594 Faith Lutheran Church PO Box 175 Wolverton, MN 56594 Important Dates in October and Preaching Schedule October 1 Pr. Helen Beth Kuhens Choir Meeting after worship to discuss rehearsal time October 8 Devlyn Brooks October 15 Pr. Arlen Hermodson Baby Shower for Brayden Retzlaff October 22 Lay Service Renata Smeby NO Sunday School or Confirmation October 29 Pr. Michael Buller Confirmation, Reformation, 125th and 50th Anniversaries observed, and a POTLUCK