CHURCH TIME CHANGE                                                            

     FEBRUARY 5

9:00  Scheie  10:30 Garness

 

Upcoming Events

Sunday, Feb.5 Game  Day Brunch, St. Olaf 10:00-12:30 Sunday, Feb. 12, 2:00 Root River Conference MFL

Wed. Feb. 15 Meatball Supper

Immanuel, Caledonia

 

 

GARNESS WELCA NEWS

Tues. Feb. 7 9:30 am WELCA Do-Day at Glorianne Knox; Glorianne & Judy serve; Bible study “Slightly Bad Girls” #4 “The Willful Bride”

Wednesday, Feb. 29  7:00 pm Lenten Service at Garness Rebecca Circle serves

 

SCHEIE WELCA NEWS

Readers/Communion: Naomi

Wed. Feb. 8 7:00 Rebecca Circle at Church, potluck

Thurs. Feb. 9 9:00 am Naomi

Circle, The Meadows, Judy Narum,  hostess

Sunday, Feb. 12 Pork Loin Dinner

Thurs. Feb. 16  9:00 am

WELCA Do-Day

Wed. Feb. 22 7:00 pm Ash

Wednesday Worship at Scheie,

Rebecca Circle serves

 

 

Dear Friends in Christ!               February 2012

   The average person hears nearly 700,000 words in a week.  We’re flooded with words, from family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, the media…the list goes on.  Too often the words are news of disasters, fears, words that tear down instead of words that build up.  All too often we want to turn off our hearing aids, turn down the TV, to get the words to quiet down. 

   After a week of words, we want peace and quiet—yet we come to worship where there are more words.  We come and hear Jesus’ words speak to our battered ears, minds and lives. For God’s Word is Jesus the Word made Flesh, the Word of life, new life, hope and promise.  Jesus the Word through his life death and resurrection makes it possible for us to be God’s own beloved sons and daughters.  Jesus’ Words, God’s Words bring life, new life and transformation into our battered lives.  We need to hear these words at worship and in our lives.

   Jesus’ words are not magic words; they are based on the love and promise of God and the Kingdom of God, Jesus is bringing in.  Jesus speaks with authority and his commands, heal, drive out demons, forgive, multiply loaves, and fishes, still the storms.  Above all Jesus’ the Word’s death and resurrection have defeated the powers of sin, death, and evil and opened up being part of God’s family to each one of us.   Even though there is still plenty of evil around intent on pulling us away from God and all that God intends us to be, we are not alone in the struggle.  Jesus’ words and actions have broken that power and that frees us to live the lives of love God intended us to live.

   Sometimes the voice of Jesus, is a voice that confronts us with our sin or warns us we’re heading down the wrong path.  God’s word is intended to restore free us from bondage to sin and restore us to the family.  For our wrongdoings, our sin, our failures to live as God intends us, drives us straight to the foot of the cross, to Jesus’ forgiveness, love, grace.  It’s under the cross that we experience Jesus’ love flowing down, guiding us to a new life in Jesus.  Transforming love.  Powerful words.

    So the next time the voice of evil, the voice of negation whispers in your ear  “You’re a failure, no one can possibly love a person like you” Jesus words allow us to carry one…Your sins are forgiven… “The mountains and hills may crumble, but my love for you will never end. (Isaiah 54:10).   This is just one example of the affirming words of Jesus reminding us “We belong to Jesus”.

     These are the words we need to hear, positive words that change us and build us up.   Our calling as part of God’s family is to be the words of hope and promise, the words and actions that build up our neighbors. For we are the ones who can bring the power of God’s transforming love into our world.

    Feb. 22 is Ash Wednesday when we begin our Lenten journey with Jesus to the cross—the reminder of God’s great love for us.  I’ve enclosed a devotional booklet with the newsletters being sent out. There will be copies in the churches or let me know if you’d like one.  Our Lenten Theme is “The Trials of Jesus” where we will be reminded of the voices around Jesus witnessing to their experiences of him.  It will be another opportunity to hear words that give life, eternal life, and eternal love.   Blessings Pastor Mary

GARNESS TRINITY ANNUAL MEETING

      At Garness’ annual meeting on Sunday, January 15^th, the following individuals were elected to offices:  Secretary Deanna Welscher, Financial Secretary, Dag Roppe, Treasurer, Donna Redwing, Trustee, Sue Roppe, Deacon, Bonnie Anderson, Parsonage Committee, Beth Gjere, Cemetery Board, Kevin Vatland.  Thanks to Mark Gjere, Audrey Anderson and Judy Tollefsrud who are completing terms. 

   President Mark Gjere thanked everyone for their cooperation and all they do for the church and community.   Thanks to Scott at Viking Electric for his donation on the yard light work. Thanks to Mark for the new yard light, and moving the cemetery dirt.  Pastor Mary thanked everyone for 15 years of ministry and support.

     The proposed budget and the reports were adopted.  Please note that we do appreciate and will need your ongoing financial support to make the budget. 

    New business:  Motion passed to change the worship times to 9:00 am and 10:30 pm all year.  This will now be referred to Scheie’s Annual Meeting for their action because both need to approve this change.  The early/late rotation still is in place.   Amendments to the constitution were proposed to change the number of deacons and trustees from 3 to 2 and from three year terms to 2 year terms.  Action will formally be taken at next year’s annual meeting.

  Pastor Mary has copies of the report if you need one.

Cemetery meeting followed. No new business and things will remain the same.  We might look at a new tractor next year.  Clean-up day will be set later.

 

 

 

 

SCHEIE ANNUAL MEETING

  At Scheie’s Annual meeting on Sunday, January 15^th, the following individuals were elected to offices.  Secretary, Amy Norby, Trustee Wordean Welper, Deacon, Bill Cox, Parsonage Committee, Donald Housker, Education Board, Sue Crouch, Cemetery Board, Leonard Halverson.  Thanks to Paul Vitse, Rodney Thompson, and Debra Marsden who have completed their terms.

    President Paul Vitse thanked everyone for their cooperation and all they do for the church and the community, especially this year with the repair project and the siding project. We’re thankful to the Cox family for the playground equipment in memory of Bill’s brother, John.  Pastor Mary thanked everyone for 15 years of ministry and support.

   The proposed budget and reports were approved.  Please note that we do appreciate and will need your ongoing financial support to make the budget.  We’ve worked to cut expenses and have a new deal on the copier which will mean a new format for the newsletter.  If you’d like to receive it by e-mail, please get Pastor Mary the address.  While we have received over $37,000 for the siding project, we still need your contributions to meet the costs. Interior repairs are coming along.

   New business:  Motion from Garness Trinity to change the worship times to 9:00 and 10:30 all year was brought forward and discussed.  We voted to try the earlier times for one year through next January.  The early time will start on February 5^th. 

   Pastor Mary has copies of the annual report if you need one.

 

 Cemetery meeting followed.  No decision has yet been made on mowing.  Costs increased significantly over 2010 so a CD was cashed in.  Suggestion about volunteers to mow.  Board will look at the options and make the decision.  Clean up day will be set later. 

KOOL KIDS KORNER

Remember that in February we have a new start time 9:00 am.

Feb SS News..our Mission work month  will be in full swing!  From the food Shelf to our Noisey offering to our Ronald McDonald quilts and teddy bears to again our SOLEs for SOULS collection of shoes the month of February ...details will be coming but we need everyone in Sunday School CONGREGATION...clean out your closets and we also may need some help with our bears and things!  Let us know if you will help! There is NO SS the day of the Pork Loin Dinner, Feb. 12.

Picnic time on Feb. 26  Some HOT DOGS. etc maybe ....  PLUS stuffing bears, making hearts, coloring cards for the kids with illnesses, a FUN Good day...ALL CONG. members welcome to come and help!  We are the hands and feet of Jesus...let's get to work!

 

 

 

THANKS, THANKS, THANKS, TO

Everyone who helped get the downstairs ready for church, including Eleanore.

Everyone who helped get the church ready for Randy’s funeral.

Scheie WELCA and everyone who helped serve Randy’s funeral.

Bud Aasum, Larry Benson, Donald Housker, Wally Storhoff, Arlyn Vigeland and Paul Vitse for putting the cabinets up in the Sunday School room.

Everyone who contributed goods for Marie Sandvik. The next trip is February 20^th

 

 

PRAYER CONCERNS

Sick:  Norma Dahl, Tye Eiken, Signe Housker, Carla Johnson, LaVerne Johnson, Mildred Johnson, Pastor Leah McDowell, Mike Marsden, Shirley Rasmussen, David Gjerdrum.

Sympathy:  family and friends of Mike Stahnke, family and friends of Randy Benson,  family of David Norby on death of grandson Liam Olson.

In memory of Todd Johnson’s birthday and honor of LaVerne Johnson’s 95^th birthday.

 

CHIMERS

Ok, where did the time go between Christmas and Lent?  To prepare for one Lenten worship and our usual Palm Sunday grouping....Chimers will meet Sunday Feb. 26 at 10:00 following the service.

FOOD SHELF UPDATE

  Thanks to your generous giving of food 5,002 pounds and cash we distributed 7786.65 pounds of food to 420 visitors/187 households during 2011.  (These numbers include multiple visits during the summer months).  We have 98 individuals registered.   We even had two new families in January so keep spreading the word!

   We now have a freezer and received a donation of 210 pounds of ground beef from Larry Miller and the Cattleman’s Association paid for the processing.

We will be adding other frozen items, too. 

    Remember we’re open the 1^st,2^nd, 4^th and 5^th Thursdays from 5:00-7:00 pm and the 3^rd Saturday from 10:00-noon.  The third Thursday is delivery and often a work day.  If you’d like to volunteer let Pastor  Mary know or just come during the times we’re open. We need you.

 

 

TOM & MARY HOLMAN

    God does indeed answer your prayers.  We have been involved with the Anufo Translation Project for over 30 years, and we have often asked you to pray that God would transform the lives of the Anufo people through His Word.  A week ago we visited Pastor James Azumah in Chereponi, and we were awed at what God is doing there.  A group of young men have been coming together each week for three years for prayer and training in discipleship and evangelism.  They go out to various villages to preach and disciple new believers.  For them, the key to this has been the Anufo New Testament.  We met two of them there at Pastor James' house, and they told us that the Muslims who hear the preaching are reading the Anufo New Testament. They begged us to do the Old Testament, because it's so important for evangelizing Muslims.
    Guess what our main assignment here in Ghana will be -- assisting with the translation of the Anufo Old Testament.  We're so excited! Pray that everything regarding the translation going forward would come together in good time.
    Resting in the One who answers prayer, Mary