Grand Meadow Lutheran Newsletter MARCH 2018 WORSHIP CALENDAR SUNDAY March 4 9 am Worship w/holy Communion 1:30 pm GMHCC Worship WEDNESDAY March 7 6 pm Lenten Soup Supper 7 pm Lenten Worship SUNDAY March 11 9 am Worship WEDNESDAY March 14 6 pm Lenten Soup Supper 7 pm Lenten Worship SUNDAY March 18 9 am Worship WEDNESDAY March21 6 pm Lenten Soup Supper 7 pm Lenten Worship SUNDAY March 25 9 am Worship with Holy Communion Sunday School to sing THURSDAY March 29 7 pm Maundy Thursday at Bear Creek Lutheran FRIDAY March 30 7 pm Good Friday Worship 115 1st ST. NE Grand Meadow, MN 55936 507-754-5203 officegml@arvig.net GrandMeadowLutheranChurch.org
Message...from Pastor Marie The following words are part of the Invitation to Lent, found in the Ash Wednesday worship service. As disciples of Jesus, we are called to a discipline that contends against evil and resists whatever leads us away from love of God and neighbor. I invite you, therefore, to the discipline of Lent self-examination and repentance, prayer and fasting, sacrificial giving and works of love strengthened by the gifts of word and sacrament. In the past, many churches encouraged congregation members to give up something they enjoyed (a kind of fasting) during the season of Lent. Some congregations and individuals still practice this kind of fasting. More recently churches have chosen to encourage congregation members to focus on sacrificial giving and works of love instead of fasting during the Lenten season. With the council s support, I am inviting the Grand Meadow Lutheran congregation to participate in a specific act of sacrificial giving and love. In late November, shortly after I arrived at Grand Meadow Lutheran to be your Intentional Interim Pastor, I introduced you to two friends from Haiti and shared a bit about the ongoing ministry I am a part of in Haiti. I told you then I would invite you to be part of my ministry. Now is that time, I am inviting you to collect backpacks, crayons, pencils and pens for Haiti. I am especially inviting you to go through your drawers, cupboards and bins to find pens, pencils and crayons that are unused and add them to the items you purchase. Collecting the excess supplies we have helps us to remember how blessed we are and how God calls us to share our blessings with others. We will collect these items through the season of Lent, bless them and send them off during the season of Easter. As we travel through the season of Lent I will provide you with descriptions and stories that illustrate how these school supplies will change lives in Haiti. Shalom Pastor Marie GML WELCA The Grand Meadow Lutheran Women of the ELCA did not meet in February but will meet on WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, at 1:30 p.m. at the MEADOWS ASSISTED LIVING for Bible Study with the meeting to follow. There will be discussion on the future of the GML Women of the ELCA organization. The topic of discussion will be whether to dissolve the WELCA organization and continue with existing projects or to continue the organization as it is. ALL WOMEN OF GRAND MEADOW LUTHERAN ARE MEMBERS OF THE GRAND MEADOW LUTHERAN WOMEN OF THE ELCA ORGANIZATION. If you are not able to attend this meeting, please give this issue your prayerful consideration and share your thoughts and opinions with any of the following officers Kathy Berge, Deb Jacobson, Pat Lester, Bev Edland, or Dorothy Jacobson. 2
The Trials of Jesus Worship Patterns for Lent 2018 The trials of Jesus will be the theme for Ash Wednesday, Sunday and Holy week worship. A series of witnesses will come forward to give testimony about their experiences with the accused Jesus Christ. Through their accounts we will come to know the truth; Jesus came to take our place in the defendant s chair. February 14 ASH Wednesday The Voice of Satan Jesus faces the tempter in the wilderness March 18 5th Sunday in Lent The Voice of Herod One king of the Jews testifies against another February 18 1st Sunday in Lent The Voice of Judas Jesus betrayer defends his actions March 25 Palm Sunday The Voices in the Temple Jesus authority is tested and recognized February 25 2nd Sunday in Lent The Voice of Annas A chief priest discusses Jesus arrest March 29 Maundy Thursday (Worship with Bear Creek) March 4 3rd Sunday in Lent The Voice of Caiaphas The high priest faces off with the Son of God March 11 4th Sunday in Lent The Voice of Peter Jesus bold disciple speaks of his weak faith March 30 Good Friday The Voice of Innocence A voice of truth speaks to Jesus innocence April 1 Easter Sunday The Voice of the Tomb A testimony about death, love, and life Soup & Worship We will gather for a community meal of soup in the fellowship hall. A meal prayer will be offered at 6:00 pm and dinner will be served until 6:45 pm. Worship will begin at 7:00 pm. We will enter into the Lenten discipline of penance, repentance and almsgiving as we use the hymn Beneath the Cross of Jesus to guide our worship. February 21 1st Week of Lent Beneath the cross of Jesus I long to take my stand As he faced death, Jesus tried to prepare his disciples for what was to come. March 14 4th Week in Lent From my contrite heart, with tears From the depths of our hearts we cry to God, confessing our sins. February 28 2nd Week of Lent The shadow of a mighty rock within a weary land God alone is our rock and our salvation. March 21 5th Week in Lent I take, O Cross, your shadow for my abiding place Jesus calls us to take up our cross and follow him into the world. March 7 3rd Week of Lent A home within a wilderness, a rest upon the way Wherever our earthly homes lay, our true dwelling place remains with God. 3
G.A.P. God s Awesome People met in February. We talked about God s love and how God shows love and how we can show love. We also talked about sharing God s love. We had some fun with minute to win it games. Since we are in Lent, please join us for Lenten worship on Wednesday nights. We will not have a G.A.P. meeting in March. Our April meeting will be the food pack event with Bear Creek. G.A.P. will be serving coffee after church on March 11th. We will be taking donations for the food pack event. The Youth Group will be serving the Easter breakfast on April 1. Please watch the bulletin for more details. Joanne Dimick, Youth Group Coordinator SUNDAY SCHOOL UPDATES March 25, Palm Sunday Kids choir sings. Parents will receive a reminder email. Announcements WIDOWED, DIVORCED OR PERMANENTLY SEPARATED. Do you know someone who is suffering from the loss of a love relationship due to death, divorce or separation? Someone who seems "stuck" in the cycle of grief? Beginning Experience of Rochester is an International Ministry offering a program called "Coping with Life Alone" to help participants move through the experience of grief and loss into a future with hope renewed. These weekly classes are presented by those who have suffered life changing losses themselves and are willing to share their experience. Coping with Life Alone" is a ten session class meets weekly beginning on Monday, January 29, 2018 from 6:30 pm until 8:30 pm at Bethel Lutheran Church, 810 3rd Ave SE, Rochester, MN 55904. The sessions focus on such topics as the grief process, changes in family and other relationships, trust, and coping with life as a single person. Contact Beginning Experience Rochester by calling 507261-8248 or emailing beminnesota@gmail.com or visit www. beminnesota.org April 1: No Sunday School January Council Minutes Treasurer s Report: The treasurer s report from December 12 through 12/31/2018 was reviewed. Nancy brought the balance of the Missions Fund $937.84 to the attention of the council. $2000.00 was budgeted in this account and sent to the SE MN Synod in 2017. Nancy asked if we wanted to send in additional dollars to the Synod or roll it over to the 2018 Mission budget. The council decided to roll the balance over. Call process. This group will be asked to make a 3-4 month commitment. Pastor Marie would like this task force to begin meeting shortly after the annual church meeting, 1/28/2018. Weather Cancellation Policy: Margene will follow-up with Sharon, the church secretary, for church cancellation requirements and get back to the council. Old Business: None New Business: Pastor s Report: Confirmation: Classes will resume 1/21/2018 and be held after church on Sundays. Pastor Marie explained there are no rules for when Confirmation is held (Spring or Fall). The church council agreed to move Confirmation to Spring. Pastor Marie will get input from the student s parents, regarding the seasonal move. Transition Task Force: This task force will be made up of 5 7 GMLC parishioners who will work on a church profile for the Ceiling Fan Maintenance: Paul Persons reported one of the ceiling fans in the back of the church consistently stays on high speed. Margene will call Seabright and make an appointment with them for follow-up. Proposed 2018 Budget: The 2018 proposed budget was reviewed by the council. $1000.00 was added to the Good Samaritan fund under the Missions Account. Dillon made a motion to approve the 2018 proposed budget, seconded by Margene. 4
March Volunteers DATE ACOLYTES USHERS LECTOR GREETERS WORSHIP TECHS CONFIRM. P. HELPER MAR 4 Nils Lee Paul & Pam Persons Joanne Dimick Family Eric & Sara Lee Joanne Dimick MAR 11 Cameron Nesbitt Eric & Sara Lee Family Ila Johnson Pat Lester Rollie Buschmann Paul & Pam Persons Leslie Hendrickson MAR 18 Cayden Reed Jennifer Skifter Einar & Margene Myhre Kendyl Queensland Dick & Darlene Steinhorst Angela Ludemann Blake Ludemann Renee Skifter MAR 25 Caleb George Hunter Dimick Jim & Brenda Blomgren Gerald Denisen Mitch & Nashia Baldus Family Eric & Sara Lee Jodi Munson Mar 29 Max Jaszewski McKenna Hendrickson Mackenzie George Mar 30 Nils Lee Head Usher: Jim Clemons Altar Guild: Ila Johnson / Mary Monty Communion Assistant: Mark Jacobson Southeastern Minnesota Synod / Lutheran Men in Mission Sixteenth Annual Breakfast with the Bishop Saturday, April 21, 2018 9-11 am at Calbela s in Owatonna $10/person Send reservations and check by Friday, April 13 to: Russell Tesch, 906 4th Ave SE, Waseca, MN 56093 Questions: Call 507-835-3843 or email: marietesch@mchsi.com Al Batt of rural Hartland, MN is a writer, speaker, storyteller and humorist. Al writes four weekly award-winning humor and nature columns for many newspapers and does shows about nature on a number of radio stations. He writes a number of popular cartoon strips that are syndicated nationally. He is author of the book A Life Gone to the Birds. He is a columnist for Bird Watcher s Digest and Watching Backyard Birds. He hosted TV shows for many years. He speaks at various festivals, conferences and conventions all over the United States and Canada. He has received the Ed Franey Conservation Media Award from the Izaak Walton League and was given the Thomas Sadler Roberts Award by the Minnesota Ornithologists Union for outstanding contributions to birding. Al speaks to anyone who will listen. His mother thinks he is special. The Lord works in mysterious ways. We are each proof of that is the title for Al s presentation. He is guaranteed to charm us and get us laughing. Al and his wife, Gail, are members at Cross of Glory Lutheran Church in Hartland, Minnesota. They have one son and five grandchildren, who Al is training to be birders and nature lovers. 5