Vacation Bible School was a great week this year at Camp Firelight. This year we had around 50 kids (more than last year) and many volunteers including many of our youth volunteers who will be going to NYC for our mission trip. It was so fun to see the world of VBS through the eyes of the children through the crafts, games, science, bible time, and even snack. Some of the highlights from VBS included- wanting VBS to last all summer long, the “dirt cup” snack made out of pudding and Oreos and making new friends. One of our songs from VBS, had a verse that keeps coming to mind: “I’m not alone, you're not alone, and we're not alone.” I keep thinking how powerful God’s love is and that we can do anything with God. I am so thankful for everyone who helped with VBS, including those who brought supplies, who volunteered, and for our wonderful families. For VBS this year for our mission project we did a book drive and collected over 100 books to use in our St. Luke’s Little Free Library. Jesus Loves You S’more Than You Know! Click here to see the fun we had during VBS!
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"Whenever I'm afraid, I put my trust in you." (Psalm 56:3) Campers start their day with fun songs led by Patrick and then Hank 10 and Rock join us to tell us jokes and teach us in their own unique way about the story and theme of the day. Campers are exploring timeless Bible stories showing how Old and New Testament Campers trusted God, faced their fears, and went on to do great things in God's name. Read along with the campers: Bible Stories: God Goes with Jacob (Genesis 28:10-22) Young Jesus Shares Wisdom (Luke 2:41-52) Jesus Calms the Storm (Mark 4:35-41) The Good News Sparks Joy (Acts 8:26-40) The theme and bible stories are reinforced with fun crafts, snacks, games, and science. Our mission project is collecting books for our Little Library. Donations welcome. VBS families are invited to join St. Luke's at FMSC on Saturday, June 29th 12:00 - 1:45. Join Code is LD9M24 Click here to sign-up online. Vacation Bible School is coming right up and it’s one of my favorite parts of the year. When I was growing up my grandparents always signed my brother and I up for VBS and other camps/overnight camps through our church. My grandparents knew how important these events were to us. My grandpa Forrie also made sure that we would have the opportunity to go to church/Sunday school each week. He would drive out of his way to pick us up, bring us to church, and then drop us back off at home afterwards. He knew that doing these things would help build the foundation in our lives. When I started at St. Luke’s in July of 2021, it was the week of VBS- The Rolling River Rampage. It was such a great way to get introduced to everyone and learn a little more how things work. That Wednesday of VBS, was unfortunately the day that my grandpa passed away. Part of me thought maybe it would be a good day to take off and grieve, but I also knew that Grandpa Forrie would want me to go to VBS and to not be sad. That day we learned so many touching songs that spoke to me and I knew I made the right choice. I look back on everything that my grandparents did for us, and I am so thankful. I am so glad I ended up at St. Luke’s as the Director of Children and Family Ministries and I know my grandparents would be so proud of me. Emily Hendricks Thank you to everyone who donated items to the garage sale. Thank you to everyone who volunteered to make the garage sale a success. We raised a little over $2,000! The money will be used to host community outreach events. The first of these events was on Saturday afternoon. Around 40 children enjoyed the Children's Event - bounce houses, popcorn, cotton candy, and more.
What's next for the Annual Outreach Event Team? St. Luke's Holiday Market and Fine Arts Festival. Friday and Saturday November 8th and 9th. Do you have something to sell or know someone who does? Click here for the Vendor Registration and information. Do you have any ideas or want to help? If so, contact: Deb Krieg 612-799-3686 [email protected] or Barb Roberts 952-412-5453 [email protected] We look forward to future events hosted by the Annual Outreach Event Team. I like to rise early in the morning, as dawn is the most fascinating time of the day for me. I know you can watch the sunrise, but did you know you can also LISTEN to a sunrise, in a manner of speaking? The process starts with a lone bird song. After about two minutes, another bird off in the distance will answer the first bird’s call/song. Shortly thereafter, a third bird will join in and so the process goes, until a symphony of bird songs fills the morning sky, along with the risen sun. For about an hour, one can hear an orchestral concert of sorts by many birds, some of whom you won’t hear for the remainder of the day. At dusk, the process reverses itself, until darkness prevails, and all is quiet, including the birds. So, the next time you sit outside and watch a sunrise, don’t limit yourself to just watching, try listening too, because there is so much more going on behind the scenes.
Needed! One more volunteer to complete the Audit Committee of three voting members (as required by the Constitution of St. Luke’s Lutheran Church).
Minnesota statute requires charitable organizations, including churches, with greater than $750,000 annual revenue to file an audited financial statement prepared by an independent CPA. St. Luke’s doesn’t quite meet that revenue threshold … yet, so we are permitted to conduct an internal audit. The primary purpose of an audit is to ensure that year end financial statements are prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. Secondary purposes include spot checks of church financial transactions and payroll reporting and ensuring the practice of using two tellers whenever counting money. Although not required, the Audit Committee may also review the minutes of Council meetings. Internal audits should be an annual process. If we complete an internal audit just once every few years, we likely won't get helpful results or make the best use of our time and effort. It's also helpful to use the same internal audit committee each year, if possible, to reduce or eliminate time spent on organizing the process. The bad news: We have not completed an internal audit since 2019. The good news: We are blessed by the professional expertise of our Minister of Finance, Heather Kambeitz, and by our Council Treasurer, Paul Sundet, and his predecessor, David Johnson. We are also blessed by the commitment of two prior members of the Audit Committee, Mike Kurtz and Mick Thorsland, to participate in the audit of our 2023 finances and Council activities. Again, we are asking for one more volunteer with a general business background. Specific accounting or finance experience is not required. We hope to start the process by the third quarter of the year, July 1st, at the latest. The process involves meeting with Heather and Paul periodically and should not take an unreasonable amount of time to complete. Think days, not weeks. If interested, please contact the church office, and either Paul Sundet (Audit Committee Chair) or I will follow up with you. Thanks and blessings, Mark Bergherr Past-President Twice a year, St. Luke’s makes sandwiches for The Sandwich Project. We do it at our Fall Festival (Wednesday of MEA) and the Wednesday Night Live Spring Celebration. Tomorrow, Wednesday, May 22, 5:30 PM you are invited to help us make 400 Sandwiches for The Simpson Food Pantry. Following our service stay for the festival. There will be food, games, and crafts, something for all ages.
The Sandwich Project of MN was established with a goal to help feed 150 homeless & hungry people in Minneapolis as many times a year as possible, with the ultimate goal of doing it every day of the year. Today, The Sandwich Project is helping to feed about 2500+ people per week through various shelters and food shelves. The Sandwich Project is a grassroots organization built on anonymous donations of time, talent, and treasures. All donations are given and used with the purpose of feeding those less fortunate. The organization we will be delivering sandwiches to is The Simpson Food Pantry. It is a non-profit providing food for those in need. They believe no one should go hungry, so they invite all who need food, come by during open hours. Over 70 years ago, Simpson United Methodist Church, established in 1882, recognized the need to combat hunger in the South Minneapolis area. In the early 70’s a small area under the stairs in the basement of the church was commissioned as the Simpson Food Shelf, and they started serving some 30 guests a month who needed assistance with food insecurity. By the early 2000’s, the 140-year-old Simpson Church building was literally disintegrating from the foundation to the steeple. It was deemed by the Simpson Congregation that it was no longer cost effective to continue to put more money toward trying to maintain the building. It was decided that their financial resources would be dedicated to the greater mission of Simpson Church to serve the needs of the South Minneapolis community into the future. The decision was made to close the church and donate the property to Simpson Housing Services (SHS). Shortly after that they had to evacuate the building because of boiler issues. At this point they had to find new locations for existing missions still at the church. This enabled Simpson Food Pantry to expand into a larger and more efficient and accessible space, including space for other supportive services. Food storage, especially for fruits and vegetables became more viable. It is now all on one level, with handicapped accessible ramps, and a waiting area on cold mornings! The concern over food insecurity and the increasing need to fight hunger in the South Minneapolis community shows no signs of stopping. Over the last two years they have been involved with; the state, city, government agencies, local churches, MN Council of Ministries, pastors, former members, food banks, other pantries, and our community members to find a new location that could continue to serve their families and provide nutritious and culturally appropriate food. They currently have partnered with Source MN, who has been providing to the same Whittier Community for the last 20 years. They are now an independent 501C3 nonprofit food shelf, Simpson Food Pantry, Inc. With combined efforts, out of one location, which is handicapped accessible with a loading dock, they are serving over 2500 families monthly. Other ministries include serving new immigrants, women’s drop-in services, shuttle rides from the food shelf, weekly community meals, cooking classes, weekly homeless meals, and outreach services. We have always been able to give healthy calories with staples of protein, beans, rice, milk, potatoes, and fresh produce, along with eggs when we can. Simpson has provided a change over from 70-90% nonperishable (canned foods, boxed dinners) to 90% fresh and healthy food. This has in turn increased our costs, just as you see in your grocery bills. When you look at the St. Luke’s Service Opportunities in the Community found on our website, 16 organizations are listed. What is missing in the count is the number of other organizations we serve that are connected to those 16 identified. St. Luke’s is living out its mission… busy making Christ known to the world. Thank you to this community for the good work you do in the name of Jesus. https://www.stlukesbloomington.org/service-opportunities-in-the-community.html This coming Sunday, May 19th, we celebrate Pentecost and the abilities the Holy Spirit has given us – to spread the Good News in such a way that is meaningful, felt and understood. On this same Sunday, as we have traditionally done at St. Luke’s for many years, we also celebrate music – for the way it enhances worship, how it helps us pray and praise the Lord – and for those who share their gifts of music through their voices and instruments.
“ . . . be filled with the Spirit as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts” Ephesians 5:18-19 The Bible is filled with verses related to music and its power and role in Christian faith and daily life. In many Biblical accounts, in both the Old and New Testaments, music is portrayed as a powerful way to praise God and to reflect the joy and peace we feel towards Him. “Music paints pictures and often tells stories, all of it magic, and all of it true, and all of the pictures and all of the stories and all of the magic the music is you.” John Denver Just like the Holy Spirit as it descended upon the Apostles, music has the way of touching us in such a way that it often leaves us amazed and astonished. Someone once said that “music sounds the way emotions feel”. That may be the very “magic” that John Denver is speaking about – how music can paint pictures and tell stories so that we can better comprehend and understand. In other words, the magic of the Holy Spirit and music combine to make our relationship with God deeply personal, profoundly felt, and authentically aware. So, on Sunday, let the Holy Spirit wash over you as you attend worship and may it stay with you in the days to come. Let the music touch and inspire you and make you feel closer to God. And, may you extend your thanks for the musicians who communicate the music, the words, and the emotions that you experience: Bells of Praise Jubilee St. Luke’s Choir Instrumentalists Festival Choir Lori Murray Over the next three Sundays we will be celebrating three distinct Holy Days:
Ascension – 40 Days after Easter. May 12. Pentecost – 50 Days after Easter. May 19. Holy Trinity – The Sunday after Pentecost. May 26. These each in their own way celebrate the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. These are not events of the past, but present-day realities pointing the way to life, freedom, and hope for salvation of all creation. These days affirm that Jesus is Lord of all. The Holy Spirit has been poured out to all humankind. The true faith is found in relationship, for the nature of God is best understood in terms of a community of love – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Ascension – “After Jesus’ suffering, he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the Kingdom of God...[Jesus told his disciples], you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up (ascended) and a cloud took him out of their sight.” (Acts 1:3, 8) Question is will we live up (ascend) to Jesus’ calling? Now almost 2,000 years later, we are to be witnesses to Jesus in our home (Jerusalem), community (Judea), with those who are separated from us (Samaria), and all people (to the ends of the earth). Thankfully, we do not do this on our own, but as the church with the power of the Holy Spirit. Pentecost – “Suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where [the followers of Jesus] were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit gave them authority…Amazed and astonished, they asked, ‘Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear each of us in our own native tongue?” (Acts 2:2-4, 7-8) Question is, do we allow the Holy Spirit to speak in and through us to others? What does that look like? In baptism we pray, “Sustain (person’s name) with the gift of the Holy Spirit; ‘the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord,’ (Isaiah 11:2) the spirit of joy in your presence, both now and forever. Amen.” (pg. 231 ELW). If we allowed these gifts of the Holy Spirit embody us, we would be able to hear each other in their native tongue – which I believe is being able to hear another’s story and how it contributes to building the Kingdom of God. That requires being in relationship… Holy Trinity - And the Holy Spirit descended upon Him [Jesus] in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, “You are My [the Father’s] beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.” (Luke 3:22) This is one of several scriptures that identify the relationship of God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It is the greeting at the start of worship, “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.” (2nd Corinthians 13:14) Question is, do we allow the Spirit to lead us to greet everyone we meet in this manner, whether in our homes, community, those who are separate from us, and all people. May these three Sundays lift you up, fill you with the Spirit, and invite you into relationships with others to point the way to life, freedom, and the hope for salvation of all creation. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen. February 7, 2017, was my first day as Pastor here at St. Luke’s; honestly, it doesn’t feel that long. That was affirmed by a congregational member during her spouse’s funeral, who introduced me a summer ago (2022) to one of her friends, “I would like you to meet our new pastor.”
Seven years later, I’m still learning and growing, which is the mark of a healthy pastor. However, the demands of the position limit the depth of my study. Also, the schedule of a pastor can be a burden on a family. These are the two primary focuses for me in the upcoming year as I will take a disjointed sabbatical. It will be served in three phases:
The idea of a sabbatical has biblical origins. The very root of the word is the same as that of “Sabbath.” Throughout the Old Testament God instructs people to work six days and rest on the seventh. In Leviticus, God instructs people to allow the land to rest every seventh year — meaning no farming, no planting, no harvesting. Pastors find sabbaticals to be transformative experiences that strengthen and develop the clergy’s ability to serve the congregation. “We believe both congregations and pastors are strengthened by providing opportunities for pastors to step away briefly from the persistent obligations of daily parish life and to engage in a period of renewal and reflection. Renewal periods are not vacations, but times for intentional exploration and reflection, for regaining the enthusiasm and creativity for ministry, for discovering what will make the pastor’s heart sing.” (Lilly Endowment). A well-planned sabbatical includes:
Arrangements for Ministry during the Sabbatical There are several people I need to thank who will be stepping up in my absence. A Pulpit Supply Team will be commissioned this Sunday: Pastor Steve Olson, Seminary Student Tim Krieg, and members Mollee Erickson and Mark Roberts. Steve is already scheduled to preach and preside at communion on 1st and 3rd Sundays. We have an incredible staff. One of the tasks they agreed to is each will write one of the weekly blogs. I look forward to hearing their thoughts and insights. If there is a staff need, Past-President, Mark Bergherr, Chair of the Personnel Committee, has agreed to offer guidance. He is also the one who will determine if there is a need for me to be contacted if necessary. Pastoral Care will be multi-faceted. Emily Hendricks, Director of Children and Family Ministry has agreed to serve the role of being on call. She has been doing so when I’m on out-of-town. Her role is to direct the point of care. If it is an immediate emergency either Pastor Steve Olson or Seminary Student Tim Krieg will attend to the person. If it is not immediate, but the person would like follow up, Judy Sandeen will attend to the person. If the member is already connected with one of our many Care Team Members, Judy will invite that team member to follow up. In addition, Tim, as a part of his Clinical Pastoral Education, will manage the pastor’s discretionary fund. I am grateful to be a part of St. Luke’s, a welcoming and growing community of faith, busy making Christ known to the world which in this case is doing so by caring for its pastor. Thank you again for this opportunity which I believe will be mutually beneficial. “To engage in a period of renewal and reflection may well be one of the greatest gifts a pastor can give a congregation.” — Bishop Ann Svennungsen, Minneapolis Synod Ongoing prayers and blessings, Rob |
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