We had a blast at during our Knights of North Castle Vacation Bible School this past week. The kids did lots of knight training. Our quest each day was to find a different piece to armor up with God.
The Sword of the Spirit The Shield of Faith The Helmet of Salvation The Breastplate of Justice The Belt of truth and Shoes of peace to go spread the Good News wherever we go. There were two mission projects we worked on including building, sanding, and painting the Little Free Library and getting food donations for VEAP. The library is ready to go and filled with lots of wonderful books, check it out by Door D. We collected 154 pounds of food for VEAP. Now kids have a challenge the congregation - To match or beat what the kids brought for food donations! After a fun week of VBS, we ended it with a lovely celebration, with music, a cook out, and a bouncy house! There is so much more to share. I will let the video tell the rest of the story: click here to watch the VBS Slide Show. Thank you again St. Luke’s for providing The Best Week of the Summer. Hope you’ll join us next year for Vacation Bible School Food Truck Party! Peace, Emily Schoeller
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We sorry to report that the visit from former Pastor Mark Schoenhals has been cancelled due to Covid. We offer our prayers for recovery.
This Sunday Pastor Mark will hopefully join us via Zoom or we will watch a video of his sermon. This will also be available online. We hope that Pastor Schoenhals will be able to come for a visit later in our anniversary year. ** The following is a message from Pastor Mark that was supposed to be the blog for June 21st. I am very excited to return to St. Luke's for a special Sunday, June 26, associated with your centennial anniversary celebration! St. Luke's will always have a special place in my heart. I learned so much in my eleven years serving on staff; those were formative years in so many ways as I was exposed to so many different Senior Pastors in that time. We certainly had a lot of transition; and we were served by many dynamic leaders: Tania Haber, Hub Nelson, and Philip Formo, to name a few who made the strongest impact on me. St. Luke's congregation also saw me through some challenging times in my own life. I remember when Tim Krieg reminded me once: Saint Luke was a physician. We are good at healing. I know I experienced healing and support from many members when I needed it. I know you have done that for many. I will always remember this congregation for its big hearted love. Maybe that describes St. Luke's in a nutshell. I also have many funny memories of situations and conversations that I still remember and relate today to others who need a smile. There is so much I learned at St. Luke's: I learned to canoe the Boundary Waters, and that… · I will never be a snowboarder. · an item can sit in the same spot or hang in your closet for a decade before you realize it. · there is more grace available than you think. · Jesus is faithful and sees us through lots of transitions · children and youth are always a top priority. · serving others in mission is one of the best things you can do. · God's Word is a treasure and a transforming power. · God meets us in the small hours of prayer. · friendships are forever. Thank you St. Luke's! See you in a few short weeks. Pastor Mark Schoenhals In the weeks ahead St. Luke’s will welcome four children to the waters of Baptism. There are three major parts to baptism – Washing of the Water, Blessing of the Holy Spirit, and Welcome into the Family of God. The parents, sponsors, and congregation all make a commitment to help this child grow in faith. We need to remember that those gathered in worship today are speaking on behalf of the whole Church and our promise to that child, is really a promise to all children. We live out our commitment to that child by welcoming all children as Jesus instructed…
“Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.” – Mark 9:37 And calling to him a child, Jesus put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. – Matthew 18:2-6 And they were bringing children to Jesus that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them. – Mark 10:13-16/Luke 18:15-17 Even before baptism I am proud that St. Luke’s welcomes children into worship. At a recent funeral a guest was excited to have her child participate in the Children’s Prayground. She told me it was the first time her daughter enjoyed an entire worship without fussing. The woman took a picture of it and said she was sharing the idea with her church. Children’s Time and Children’s Church are a way to help children learn the topic of the message when appropriate. Emily Schoeller, Director of Children and Family Ministry does a wonderful job. She is quick to add, it’s a wonderful team working with our children and youth. Thank you to all the members who share not only the Gospel, but their very lives. Vacation Bible School is the best week of the summer. It is an intergenerational experience. Again, it would not be possible without the many members who give a day or the week to help lead the children. Wednesday Church Night is for all God’s Children, of all ages. From the Parent and Preschooler class, Children’s Ministry, Confirmation, Peer Ministry, and Adult Study, there is something for everyone. St. Luke’s partners with other organizations from Learning Tree Development Center year round care for infant to preschool (http://www.learningtreedevelopmentcenter.com) along with St. Luke’s own Preschool during the school year (https://www.stlukesbloomington.org/preschool.html) children are welcome during the week. 1st-12th grade students can attend Lake Wapogasset Lutheran Bible Camp. (https://lakewapo.org) for Seeds Camp, Youth Camp, Ox Lake, or the Student Leadership Program. St. Luke’s has 11 going up the week of July 10-15. Then there are the High School Mission Trips. There is a rotation of five unique experiences. You can read more about them on our website (https://www.stlukesbloomington.org/youth-ministry-summer-opportunities.html). This year is the Boundary Waters, caring for God’s Creation. There are still five spaces available. 8th-12th grade students can go on their own. Younger students can go with a guardian. Adults are always welcome. Prayerfully consider your participation June 19-25. These are our faith formation experiences along with Milestone Ministries, plus Basketball, other events, retreats, service opportunities both here at St. Luke’s and in our community. So thank you to St. Luke’s for fulfilling your baptism promises as we support the children and youth of our congregation and their friends. “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.” - Jesus Every time I check the weather forecast for Sunday I get a different result! After the dry summer last year, I will not pray for sun this weekend, but instead be content with whatever we get. If it looks like dry weather, I would like to trim the shrubs, pick up branches and remove leaves from the garden areas.
If you are able to help, please bring hedge trimmers, lopping shears, pruners, gloves, wheelbarrows, rakes, your favorite shovel and Advil. And anything else you would use around your house this time of year. If you have yard waste recycling room at your home, please bring what ever type of bags you use with you and take them back home with you following the event. We can dump the trimmings by the fenced-in area on the northeast corner of the Fellowship Hall. I will load it my pickup, strap it down and haul it away. Once again, I would like to put out an appeal to anyone familiar with pruning arborvitaes. There are several pyramids along the north sanctuary wall in need of TLC. Even standing on the ground and giving instructions would be great. St. Luke’s has a 6’, 8’, and 12’ step ladder available for use. If you have a green thumb and see plants that are overgrown, need to be thinned or would do better somewhere else, feel free to see if there is a better place around the building. If we have enough people, we can move them Sunday or save it for a Yard Care Group day. For added incentive, and thanks to some very wonderful volunteers, there will be some special refreshments available! And on a totally different subject… There is another item that I need help with. During the change of seasons, we have a few areas around the building where the carpet bubbles up. From what a couple different carpet experts have told me, it is caused by moisture coming through the cement. The cure is to have the cement sealed prior to installing new carpet. Unfortunately, several of these areas already have vinyl floor tiles on them, and the carpet was installed over the top. After having the tiles and mastic tested, we have found the tiles (only) have asbestos in them. Currently, all of the tiles are firmly adhered, meaning there is no health risk. But to cure the carpet bubble issue, we need to remove the tiles and mastic to get to the cement to seal it. Where I need help is, is there anyone out there that enjoys navigating and searching for government grants? There is a possibility that there are grants available for non-profits to do the abatement. I enjoy researching some things, but this is not one of them. If you are interested in researching this, please email me at [email protected]. Thank you for help! For the past 6 years, I have happily and proudly coordinated the volunteers for our Loaves & Fishes program at Hope Presbyterian Church. In that time, we have seen no fewer than five L & F company program directors come and go, we have been through a global pandemic and have changed our monthly menu to lasagna after more than a decade of chicken and ham. Oh - and we even sport newly designed baseball-type hats for our volunteers. We've seen our share of changes, but the need for localized meal preparation and distribution is stronger than ever. We've streamlined the process, simplified the menu and now offer a takeout-style drive-through food service that people almost universally prefer to the cafeteria-style service. Our little team, though small and mighty, has even been heralded as one of the best self-driven teams according to the board of directors over at L & F headquarters in St. Paul.
Why am I posting about Loaves & Fishes? The question is two-fold: first, we love our volunteers but we're always looking for fresh faces; and 2) because of changes to my work schedule, I'm stepping down as the L & F coordinator. For those who aren't aware, coordinating and volunteering at Loaves & Fishes is easy and fun -- we've got a great team and it's highly rewarding. We always meet on the 3rd Wednesday of the month. If you'd like information about helping with this important service to the community, please call or email me or contact the church office for more details. [email protected] 612-437-9173 Paul and I joined St. Luke’s in 1979 when we first moved to Bloomington. From day one of joining St. Luke’s we have been actively involved in the church, along with our children, Phil and Jana, and now our son-in-law, Dan and granddaughter, Sadie.
The Cinnamons left St. Luke’s when they moved from Bloomington to Eden Prairie, but they came back to St. Luke’s because Sadie wanted to. The reason - because people here knew her and would engage in conversation with her. I consider St. Luke’s my second family. You have been with me through the good times and bad. I like to make acronyms -- so here is mine for St. Luke's My Second Family. S – since 1979 when we joined St. Luke's T – trust L - love U – understanding K – kindness E’s – excitement M - music Y - youth S – sincerity E – enjoying C – caring O – opportunities N – neighbors D – devotion F – friendships A – accepted M – ministry I – involvement L – leadership Y – YES! I started volunteering in the church office in 2012, after working in the retirement plan industry for over 30 years. In 2014, I was asked to fill in when there was a transition in office staff and then hired to fill a part-time position. I felt a call to the position at that time. I wasn’t quite ready for retirement yet and I love my church and serving the members and our community. I am responsible for the daily operations of the office including answering phones, working on the bulletins, Proclaim (the video program used for our screen – but still needs to be done for those watching online), working on Tuesday and Thursday E-news, meeting with people who stop by regarding building rental, in need of help, etc. One of my greatest joys was having Warren Carpenter stop by when he was up to it and checking in on things here and bringing vegetables from his garden in the summer. In the past year, I have had fun with a member who stops by the office and calls me, Elaine, so I have been calling him Fred. Also, there have been many of you who just have stopped by the office and said “hi” and always showing interest in me and my family. My greatest reward is getting to know you more. I am announcing today that I will be retiring in May from my office position, but I will still continue to be involved in many activities here St. Luke’s. I look forward to spending more time with my family, at our lake place in Alexandria, gardening and taking some trips. This fall we have an Alaskan cruise planned. St. Luke’s has a bright future and I look forward to continuing to be part of this faith community. I am working with a great team of staff members here at St. Luke’s and if you know of anyone interested in my position, please have them talk to my husband, Paul, who is head of the Personnel Committee in 2022. Thank you! Julie Klein Jesus said, I AM...the Bread of Life...the Light of the World...the Gate...the Good Shepherd...This is our Wednesday Lent Worship Series, looking at all the "I AM's" of Jesus.
We too need to claim our identity. My identity includes admitting, "I am an alcoholic." But more importantly in Jesus, "I am a Child of God!" While growing up, I attended a very special church. However, just stating it was special may not be the most accurate description. After all, in some sense, all churches are special. No, this one was much more than that, as it became my refuge on so many occasions to evade the chaos that was taking place in my home. I remember vividly calling members of the congregation, primarily the parents of my fellow confirmation classmates, and asking them, “Could you please come pick me up and bring me to church?” Funny thing is, now as I look back in hindsight, it’s without a doubt how I was able to get confirmed. The Good Lord sure works in mysterious ways. I also think now as I look back, some of those people may have figured out or simply known about my dad and the drinking that was going on at our house. But I can’t blame everything on him because even by then my little life was already in shambles, and I was drinking and drugging all the time as well. You may wonder how that’s possible for a fourteen-year-old, but back then, as it is now, drugs and alcohol were readily available to any kid with an ounce of creativity. And let me tell you what, when it came to getting booze and drugs, I was about as creative as they get. In the last month of confirmation, I was expelled from high school. And being home alone, I was able to drink every day. It only took a few short months before I was admitted to inpatient treatment for the first time with an already enlarged liver. Unfortunately, this was only the beginning of my battles with addiction and more so with myself and even God. I never stopped believing, I just thought God hated me. I also believed that both my earthly father, as well as my heavenly Father, somehow got their kicks out of tearing me down, making me feel “less than” or implying in so many different ways that I was simply not quite as good as the other kids. You know, like damaged goods. I won’t go into details of the next seventeen years of my life, but let me state, plain and simple, things never got better for me. It wasn’t merely a phase, my addictions didn’t “even-out” and there was absolutely no moderation for me, only the insanity of thinking there was. Not even after my dad cleaned up, trying so many times to encourage me or help me to quit. I was in and out of A.A., N.A. and treatment, had acquired three DWI’s and had even gone to jail a few times. Not to mention the physical and mental abuse and trauma I caused nearly everybody who came near me, because addiction doesn’t care. It doesn’t care about love, it doesn’t care about family, dreams, or God. Speaking of God, my relationship with Him was almost nonexistent. The only time I even talked to God was when I begged Him to magically get me out of the trouble, I had gotten myself into, but blamed Him for. As I sunk deeper, I resorted to stronger drugs. My hands shook, and I could no longer drink without blacking out unless I had cocaine, crank or speed to keep me going so I could drink more. Using stronger drugs was nothing new to me though, as I had discovered most of them before turning seventeen. Addiction, alcoholism, trauma, fear, resentment, and a destructively low self-esteem eventually took over, and I could no longer function without chemicals. I existed in that Godless place between Earth and Hell, and it wasn’t only ruining my life, but was also pulling my loved ones down with me. After years of unsuccessfully trying to quit, I had given up hope and decided this was my fate. However, my God, whom I had forgotten about, had not forgotten about me. Many people in recovery experience what is called “a moment of clarity”. And if you’re unfamiliar with the term, it’s when, for a brief moment, you see your life. You see your past, present and future. You understand what everybody has been saying. You understand the pleading, the heartache, and the destruction the drugs and booze have caused and for some reason it impacts you now more than it ever did. I’ve heard many people talk about this phenomenon; however, I think it’s much, much more. I believe that a moment of clarity is actually a divine intervention from God. I believe this because after so many years of failed attempts, I truly believe God talked to me. Now before you have me hauled off, know it wasn’t with a burning bush or a thundering voice, it was subtle and maybe lasted twenty seconds tops. But in that short time, God grabbed ahold of my heart and showed me all the things one might see in their moment of clarity. He also gave me strength, hope and faith. He showed me that even though I had caused so much damage with my drinking and drugging and thought there was no hope for someone like me, that I was indeed forgiven by the grace, power, and mercy of Jesus Christ. I started weeping uncontrollably and as soon as I realized what God was saying and that He was talking directly to me, He was gone. Again, this all took about twenty seconds. And maybe some will say it was indeed in my own head, but I refuse to believe it. Because when all else failed me, God did not. He picked me up and saved my life, and the proof is that twenty-eight years later, I still haven’t taken a drink, and I haven’t taken a hit. Here’s the kicker though, I believe God talked directly to me again twenty-five years later. And not because I’m something special, but because it takes dang near an act of God to infiltrate my thick head sometimes. Some years ago, God placed it upon my heart to start a recovery ministry based on the love of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Many times, God had me share my story of faith and recovery, but as a professional musician, He also had me use music as well. I spoke and played at churches, recovery gatherings and even at a few luncheons, but selfishly I continued to ghost God’s calling on my life. However, and as we all know, if God wants something, God is going to get it. He never gave up on me, just like He hadn’t given up on me before. So, through some extreme personal struggles, continuing to lose friends and family members to this diabolical disease and even seeing His grace and compassion first-hand through one mighty miracle after another, I still couldn’t figure it out. Yup, God pretty much had to womp me upside the head to infiltrate this thick cranium of mine once again. But once He did … Whoa! The flood gates burst open, and it dawned on me why I was still alive: to share my faith, recovery, and music (His name, not mine). I am alive to serve Him while helping others by sharing our experiences, testimonies, hope and inspiring music through the love of Jesus! Wow! So fast forward to today and I’ll tell you some of the blessings God has bestowed upon us. In three short years, Faith, Recovery & Music has visited churches, teen/youth centers and treatment facilities with its unique and uplifting recovery worship services. Focused on Christ’s love for us, we use shared experiences, Bible verses and music to lift and inspire those in recovery from drugs and alcohol and those who would like to be. When Covid-19 struck, God had even bigger plans by having us create an ever-growing online presence. Currently Faith, Recovery & Music has a YouTube Channel, a private Facebook group, a website and a weekly podcast listened to in eight different countries! God also helped us become an official 501c3 nonprofit ministry. But as they say, “You ain’t seen nothing yet!” Because God was far from finished! A year or so ago, when so many recovery meetings were still closed due to Covid, we were able to start a bimonthly meeting of Faith, Recovery & Music in New Prague that was in complete accordance with Minnesota’s Stay Safe Guidelines. It only took a few short months before we started offering this meeting every week. The problem, however, was that we had many people coming from north of the river, and it was a struggle for them to travel to New Prague. God put it on my heart to find another location, maybe something closer to the metro area. So, I prayed about it and put out a feeler on Facebook that said, “Looking for a church maybe in the Bloomington area to host a weekly Christian-based recovery service.” And guess what? In a few short minutes I saw someone had tagged this Rob Norris-Weber guy and literally two minutes later I received a message from him. He stated he liked the idea and thought the church he pastored may be a good fit. I was super excited and looked up Rob to find out where his church was and nearly fell off my chair when I saw it was St. Luke’s, my church refuge as a kid. God Is So Good! Timothy Price “A lawyer, asked Jesus a question to test him. 36‘Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?’ 37Jesus said to him, ‘ “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” 38This is the greatest and first commandment. 39And a second is like it: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 40On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.’ Matthew 22:35-40
May this be our Lenten Spiritual Discipline – to Love God, by loving our neighbors, both near and far. NEAR - VEAP March is Minnesota Food Month. St. Luke’s has partnered with VEAP our neighborhood Food Shelf and Community Support Organization. The Missions Team thought it would identify particular items for our members to purchase throughout the month. Here are the suggested donations for Last week and this week. In addition there is a great need for grocery bags. Please add a few each week. March 6 – Baking Essentials = Flour, sugar, cooking oil, etc. March 13 – Paper Products and Laundry Detergent = Toilet paper, paper towels, etc. St. Luke’s March 1 blog has more details. Here is the link for VEAP: https://veap.org/march-drive/ Far - Ukraine From the ELCA – On Feb. 24, Russian forces invaded Ukraine, launching land, sea and air attacks. Russia has launched air strikes across the country, including on the capital of Kyiv and other major cities. Airports are now shut, and few railway lines are operational. Millions of civilians fleeing the violence are heading toward Ukraine’s western districts and such neighboring countries as Poland, Moldova, Slovakia, Romania and Hungary. Over 300 civilians have been killed in the conflict so far, and damage to civilian infrastructure has left hundreds of thousands of people without water or electricity. Ukrainian men of military age (18-60) are forbidden to leave the country, so most of those fleeing the violence are women and children. There are major humanitarian concerns for both internally displaced people and refugees. Many of these Ukrainians fleeing their homes need shelter and such basic necessities as food, water and toiletries. Care for people also includes pastoral and psychological support to address the trauma they’ve endured. St. Luke’s Mission Team and Members have identified a number of organizations If you would like to make a donation send or drop off funds to St. Luke’s or go online stlukesbloomington.org at the bottom of every webpage is a link to give – put your gift amount in the Missions tab. Know that St. Luke’s will be making an additional gift. You can direct your gift or give a gift to be distributed by the Missions Team. There are links to each organization and a link below for even more. That is our job as the church and individual believers, let living waters flow. Amen. Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service - stands in solidarity with our Ukrainian neighbors and is dedicated to supporting Ukrainian refugees and immigrants however possible. Follow the link to learn more below about how you can support Ukrainians in the United States and abroad. https://www.lirs.org/ukraine-crisis Lutheran Disaster Response - is accompanying our companions in Ukraine, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia, as well as such ecumenical partners as Lutheran World Federation and Church World Service, in their humanitarian responses to the crisis. These partners provide refugees with immediate support and supplies such as food, blankets, water and hygiene kits. https://community.elca.org/eastern-europe-crisis-response?_ga=2.260284932.800904318.1646771427-473201747.1551876671 Feed My Starving Children - Meals have reached the hungry in eastern Ukraine. Our new distribution partner Mission Eurasia has received and distributed over 272,000 FMSC meals to refugees and families. https://www.fmsc.org/ You are invited to attend a food packing event at the Chanhassen site. DATE: Monday, March 14, 2022 TIME: 7:00 PM to 8:45 PM If you have any questions or would like to sign up, please contact Craig Brandt at [email protected] or click here to sign up online. On February 23, 1923, the charter was signed and a fifth congregation began to serve the area. St. Luke’s English Evangelical Lutheran Church of Oxboro became the first Lutheran church in a community that today has fifteen Lutheran congregations.
Through the years many things have changed except for one thing Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever. This is the promise – we celebrate the past, live our mission in the present, with an enduring hope for the future. As Congregational President Susan Sartell was asked during her introduction to the congregation on Sunday, what are your goals, hopes and dreams for the coming year? Below are Susan's comments: What choices do I really have here? We have a 100th celebration of the founding of this church coming up. The count down begins this April. This will take a lot of our time, attention, our energy and our volunteers, etc. But as I thought more about it, the fact that we are looking backward and remembering all the good things that went on here, it gives us a great opportunity to launch ourselves into the future. We need to look at all that has gone on here -- all the programs and ministries and think about what is working well for us today; What needs to be improved? What can we enrich? How do we address the needs of our congregation and our community in the future? I think this is a big job for the council to do, and I know that they are up for it! We ask everyone here for your input, your support and most of all for your prayers. We need all of you to help us stay on the road that was set out for us by the first St. Luke's Lutheran congregation in Bloomington. Be sure to talk to council members about your ideas and thoughts. If you are interested in being a part of the Anniversary Team, please contact Barb Roberts at [email protected] or Deb Krieg at [email protected]. A monthly calendar of celebration events will be shared in the near future. Hope you will join in on the Celebration! |
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