love lette start april 11.PUB

St. John’s Lutheran Church, Grinnell, IA
LOVE LETTER
APRIL 2011
St. John’s Lutheran Church
ELCA
1224 East Street
Grinnell, IA 50112
(641) 236-4946
stjohngr@iowatelecom.net
www.stjohngrinnell.org
The Rev. Kathryn Roys, pastor
pastorkathy@iowatelecom.net
Muriel Johannessen,
Associate in Ministry
muriel@iowatelecom.net
WORSHIP
Saturday at 5:30 p.m.
Sunday at 9:30 a.m.
SUNDAY SCHOOL
10:45 a.m. Sunday
HOLY COMMUNION
Eat. Drink. Remember
who I am.
Eat. Drink. Remember
who I am
so that you can remember
who you are.
Eat. Drink. Remember.
who I am
so that you can remember
who you are
and tell the others.
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
8 a.m. to noon. At other times, leave
a message at the office, 236-4946
Eat. Drink. Remember
who I am
so that you can remember
who you are
and tell the others.
COUNCIL OF MINISTERS
Bob Larson, president
Russ Behrens, vice president
Vicki Dillon, secretary
Rose Osland, treasurer
Fred Dillon, Properties
Duane Dufoe, Stewardship
Pat Gustafson, Education
Lisa Henderson, Worship
Marilyn Deppe, Fellowship
Kathy Johnson, Service
Fred England and
Sue McDonough, Evangelism
Chad Nath, Youth
Eat. Drink. Remember
who I am
so that you can remember
who you are
and tell the others.
so that all
God’s people
can live
in communion….
holy communion.
ADULT FORUM
11 a.m. Sunday
OFFICE HOURS
Ann Weems, Kneeling in Jerusalem
LOVE LETTER
Musings from Muriel
PAGE 2
Keep on asking
I
t was not very
foggy when I left
Newton on a recent
day, but as I got farther into the countryside, the fog deepened.
never will, leave us to flounder through life
without him.
If you find yourself facing problems or issues
that seem insur,,,even when
mountable, trust in
God’s love and guidthe fog
ance.
A young woman I
know in Newton is
slowly going blind,
and when asked how
she handles that, replied with a quote
that helps her:
“Don’t tell God how
As I thought about driving in fog, I mused that big your storm is; tell
we so often go through life in a bit of a fog. At your storm how big
your God is.”
times, as we face decisions, we may have a
I think that’s a good
clear view of which is the right choice, but at
other times, it may feel as if we are trying to see message for all of us.
The fog is never too
through a dense cloud.
This can be the case when we are seeking God’s dense for God to see
through and to guide
will for our lives. Some days God’s will is
crystal clear, but at other times, it may seem as us, for we are beloved
children of the Lord.
mysterious as fog-shrouded trees in the disAs I neared the river,
Muriel Johannessen
Associate in Ministry it got very dense, to
the point that it was
hard to see oncoming vehicles or anything else
that might leap into my path. Slowing down, I
was grateful for those who had turned their
lights on, and also grateful that I wasn’t in a
heavy traffic zone.
tance. Even at those times, as we continue to
ask for guidance, the fog may suddenly lift and
the road ahead emerges, beautifully visible.
But even when the fog deepens, God invites us
to persist in asking, and to trust that although
we can’t see clearly ahead right then, God is
still leading us on the best path.
It may seem hardest to do that when we are in
the deep, foggy bottomlands of life, but remember, Christ is the Light of Life, and has not, and
deepens, God
invites us to
persist in
asking, and to
trust that
although we
can’t see
clearly ahead
right then, God
is still leading
us on the best
path.
Rely on that; rely on God.
Muriel
LOVE LETTER
PAGE 3
THANK YOU
Baptized
Looking back
Breyen Innis, son of Jana Peebles
and Mathew Innis, was baptized
February 27. Sponsors are Patti
and Doug Selk.
April is the founding month for
St. John’s. On April 4, 1954, the
present sanctuary at 1224 East
St. was dedicated.
The congregation has both German Lutheran and Norwegian
Born
Lutheran roots. German LutherCongratulations to Farrah and
ans began meeting in Grinnell
Brent Deppe on the birth of a
homes for worship, with the first
daughter, Aleah Kay, on March 2.
baptism and communion officially recorded in 1913. They
Help the Quilters
were later joined by Norwegian
Lutherans who had formed the
The LWR Quilters need used
sheets in good condition for use as Ebenezer congregation. A chapel
quilt backs. The sheets can be any was established at 1208 Elm St.
size (both fitted and flat) and any After years of growth that excolor. Check your cupboards,
ceeded the space at the chapel,,
shelves and drawers. Bring the
the present location was chosen.
sheets to the quilting room (Room Groundbreaking took place on
9) on the lower level.
Palm Sunday, 1953.
Musicale on April 10
The sixth “Celebrating HIS Season” Musicale will be held at 4
p.m. Sunday, April 10, at the
Grinnell United Methodist
Church. The event features
the musical talents of local
churches. This year’s performers include a children’s choir, bell choir, adult
choirs and praise teams, piano soloist and puppet troupe. A freewill donation will again benefit
the Christmas Shares program.
MICA food pantry
Items needed for the MICA Food
Pantry in April are peanut butter
and jelly. The collection cart is
located in the elevator entryway.
We give thanks for the vision and
the dedication of those early
church leaders..
Retreat for women
Take a midsummer getaway for
learning, reflection and fellowship
at a women’s retreat planned for
St. John’s women. It will be Friday and Saturday, July 22-23, at
Sinsinawa Mound Center in
southwestern Wisconsin, just east
of Dubuque.
Muriel will lead the worship and
study sessions. There will be
plenty of time for walking, prayer
and conversation.
The cost, with meals, is $65.
To register, call the church office.
MANY THANKS to all our members who delivered Meals on
Wheels in February. We had somebad weather to deal with, but our
drivers came through admirably.
Verna Gerrish
THANK YOU for the cards, calls,
thoughts and prayers at the time of
the death of my brother.
Bev Cook
THANK YOU so much to Common Thread for the blanket you
made me! I use it a lot! I have gotten many compliments on it. The
purple and gold fits right into the
colors in my room. Hope everything is going well for you and the
church. I enjoy reading the Love
Letter. Thanks again.
Laura Weigel
I WOULD LIKE to thank everybody for all the prayers and cards
on my 80th birthday. Thanks too for
the pretty carnation that Sue
McDonough brought from Lydia
Circle. And to Pastor Kathy and
Muriel for all their visits and calls.
Wilford Mikel
A VERY SPECIAL thank you to
Muriel for her visits when I was in
the hospital. To my family and
friends. To Norman Erickson who
drove me to the ER for my shots.
And to everyone who sent cards.
Thanks too for the food that was
brought to me after I came home.
A big thanks to everyone
Lorraine Graff
Snapshot of church finances
Comparison of our offerings and
our budget through February.
Offerings to date: $34,730
Expenses to date: $43,798
Budget to date: $39,700
LOVE LETTER
PAGE 4
LENT
2011
Daily
Bible readings
during Lent
April
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
1 Samuel 15:10-21
1 Samuel 15:22-31
1 Corinthians 15
1 Samuel 15:32-34
Acts 9:1-20
Isaiah 60:17-22
Revelation 10:1-11
Revelation 11:15-19
Luke 24:44-53
Psalm 2
Acts 20:7-19
Matthew 22:23-33
I Kings 17:17-24
2 Kings 4:18-27
Philippians 1:1-11
Mark 10:32-34
Psalm 31:9-16
Matthew 26:1-5
Matthew 26:6-13
Matthew 26:14-25
Matthew 26:26-30
Mathew 26:24-56
Matthew 26:57-61
An open door
Pause for Prayer –
the weekly period of
quiet and prayer in
the sanctuary from
11:30 to 12:30 a.m.
Tuesdays – is not
being held during
Lent, but you are
welcome to use the
sanctuary at any
time during the day
for meditation and
reflection
ADULT FORUM
Handel and the Bible
Handel’s “Messiah” is one of the world’s
best-loved compositions.
At the Adult Forums in Lent, Pastor
Kathy and Lisa Henderson are
helping us learn about and appreciate the music in new ways
— especially ways in which it
Handel can teach us about the Bible.
The Adult Forum meets at 11
a.m. Sundays in the Adult Education
Room on the lower level.
HOLY
WEEK
Palm Sunday
April 17, 9:30 a.m.
Our Palm Sunday celebration this year will
include the Rite of Confirmation.
Maundy Thursday
April 21, 7 p.m.
On Maundy Thursday, we gather around the
communion table in remembrance of Jesus’
last supper with his disciples. Our thirdgraders will take their First Communion.
Music will be led by the Celebration Singers.
Good Friday
April 22, 7 p.m.
THE BODY OF CHRIST
For Tenebrae: A Service of Darkness, music
will be led by the Senior Choir as we recall
Jesus’ death on the cross with haunting music and images.
Midweek worship at 7 p.m. on Wednesdays is preceded by a simple supper at 6
p.m. Freewill donations will be accepted.
Easter Sunday
MIDWEEK WORSHIP
During midweek worship this year, we
who are the body of Christ in God’s
world today, are invited to meditate
thoughtfully on the human body with
which Jesus first brought God’s saving
love to the world. The services will focus
on:
As part of our outreach ministry, we are
collecting items for the MICA food pantry. The suggested items for the remaining Wednesdays in Lent are:
April 6
Canned tuna and canned chicken
April 13
Pancake mix and pancake syrup
April 24, 9:30 a.m.
Festival worship will be led by instrumentalists, organ and all St. John’s musicians. An
Easter breakfast will be served from 8 to 9
a.m. by the youth of the congregation.
LOVE LETTER
STEWARDSHIP OF SERVICE
PAGE 5
Carrying out the welcome
SATURDAY, APRIL 2
LSI focuses now on support for refugees
Welcome Team: Brian and Nancy Heineman
Reader: Brian Heineman
Although Lutheran Services in Iowa halted its refugee resettlement program in 2010, it continues to work with refugees who
have settled in Iowa. Instead of helping with new arrivals, however, LSI is focusing on ways to support refugees already here.
SUNDAY, APRIL 3
Acolyte: Barrett Anderson
Greeters: Beck Wilson and Jan Sherlock
Reader: Jarrett Rose
Communion Assistants: Doug and Patti Selk
Fellowship: Vicki and Fred Dillon, Natalie Pavey
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6
Acolyte: Mariah Mikel
SATURDAY, APRIL 9
Welcome Team: Karen Ashby, Pat Gustafson
Reader: Sue McDonough
Communion Assistant: Patti Selk
SUNDAY, APRIL 10
Acolyte: Tiffany Olson
Greeters: Deb and Lance Longman
Reader: Gladys Booth
Fellowship: C. and D. Pearce, D. and L. Wade
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13
Acolyte: Amanda Osland
SATURDAY, APRIL 16
Welcome Team: Doug and Patti Selk
Reader: Ed Hatcher
SUNDAY, APRIL 17
Acolyte: Josh Stepanek
Greeters: Jana Peebles and Gladys Booth
Reader: Larry Wade
Communion Assts: K. Frischmeyer, S. McDonough
Fellowship: Marilyn and Larry Deppe, Jo Olson
MAUNDY THURSDAY, APRIL 21
Acolyte: Sarah Reitz
Reader: Lisa Boyes
Communion Assistants: S. McDonough, D. Beck
GOOD FRIDAY, APRIL 22
EASTER SUNDAY, APRIL 24
Easter breakfast served by our youth from 8-9 am
Acolyte: Barrett Anderson
Greeters: Keith and Rose Osland
Reader: Zach Osland
Communion Assistants: Bob and Pam Ashing
SATURDAY, APRIL 30
Welcome Team: Ed and Bev Hatcher
Reader: Verna Gerrish
USHERS ON SUNDAY
Keith Osland, Fred Dillon (head ushers); Harlan
Honsbruch, Lance Longman, Dick and Carol Pearce
MONEY COUNTERS
Sandy and Bob Falck, Addy Hanson
ALTAR GUILD
April 1–April 12 — Nancy Beck
Month of April—Mitzi Dufoe
April 12-May 10—Vicki Dillon, Sandy Falck
NURSERY: (3) Renee Beach (10) Katelin Dunne
(17) Nicole Behrens (24) Scott Bosse
LSI began its resettlement efforts in 1975, when Iowa’s Governor Robert Ray welcomed refugees of the Vietnam
War into Between 1975 and 2010, LSI and other
agencies helped with the resettlement in Iowa of
more than 30,000 people.
Last year’s change in LSI’s refugee program was a recognition
that the agency could no longer provide both initial resettlement
help and the long-term support services that refugees need, with
the amount of funding available.
LSI last year received a state contract to specifically help refugees over the age of 60 seek out community resources and decrease isolation, to supply employment readiness programs, and
to create programs that help refugees obtain services and build
community. Those services are now the focus of the LSI refugee
programs.
Lutheran Services in Iowa is supported by St. John’s through its
benevolence dollars.
Add Lakeside to the list
Lutheran Lakeside Camp was inadvertently omitted from a list of
ELCA church camps in Iowa in last month’s Love Letter.
Lakeside is a year-round camp facility on East Okoboji Lake for
individuals, children/youth, families and congregations. Lakeside was established in 1959 when two Lutheran bodies purchased 133 acres of farmland and put up the first buildings.
When the ALC and the LCA merged in 1988 to form the ELCA,
the camp became the property of an association of 128 congregations in the state. For more information, go to the Lakeside website: www.lutheranlakeside.org The other camps: Riverside Lutheran Bible Camp near Story City www.riversidelbc.org; Ingham Okoboji Lutheran Bible Camp near Okoboji
www.okoboji.org; abd Ewalu Lutheran Bible Camp near Strawberry Point www.ewalu.org
Looking ahead
May 3
St. John’s helps with the Community Meal at Davis School
May 7-8
Liturgical dancers from Wartburg College will be part of our
worship services.
PAGE 6
GETTING
ACQUAINTED
Russ Behrens is well known to Grinnellians
as our city manager. He also
holds a leadership role at St.
John’s, serving this year as
vice president of the Church
Council—a job that will
lead to council president
next year.
Russ grew up in Carroll,
Iowa, where he graduated
from Kuemper Catholic
Russ Behrens
High School. He holds a
B.S. in regional and community planning and an M.A. in public administration, both from Iowa State University.
His first job out of college was in Spencer,
where he worked for a regional planning
agency. (It was there that he met his wife,
Nicole, who also worked for the agency.
They were married in 1997.) He next became
city administrator in Humboldt, then came to
the Grinnell post in 2003, succeeding Ted
Clausen, also a member of St. John’s.
Russ and Nicole enjoy their life in Grinnell.
Russ likes the outdoors and outdoor pursuits
such as hunting and fishing, and both of them
enjoy fitness activities and being involved in
the lives of their daughters, Hannah, 7, and
Claire, 4.
Russ appreciates the relatively small size of
St. John’s. (His growing-up church in Carroll
was much larger.) “I know almost everyone
[at St. John’s] and I see many of them during
the week,” he says.
LOVE LETTER
Happy Birthday!
to our baptized members who were born in April.
April 3
Mariah Mikel
April 4
Lori Brown
Brent Jaeger
Keith Winburn
Wyatt Winburn
April 5
Nathan Ford
Reid Henderson
April 6
Stan Reitz
April 7
Jolisa Ditzler
Susan Erickson
April 12
Jake Crawford
Kris Stepanek
April 13
Jim Urfer
April 16
Jeff Morrison
Mona Snyder
April 17
Amy Lynn
Bodensteiner
April 18
Ben Irland
April 19
Brian Heineman
April 8
Lois Quindt
April 20
Jacob Lamb
April 10
Alec Henderson
April 21
Diane Beeler
Nick Dufoe
April 11
Eli Dunne
Dennis Wilson
April 23
Shirley Broders
Will
Dahlby Albright
Kyle Jaeger
Brenda Mikel
April 24
Bob Roys
April 25
Rose Osland
April 26
Sue Rojohn
Larry Wade
April 27
Trevor Jensen
April 28
Bill Burk
Paul Kolpin
April 29
Loren Kolpin
Susan Willig
Kara Zenner
April 30
Nancy Locker
Church Council highlights
Summary of the Church Council meeting March 11
.Council members voted to have St. John’s join the Grinnell
Area Chamber of Commerce for one year. News of special
events at the church will be sent to the chamber for use in its
website and weekly email newsletter.
Russ credits his career path and commitment
to service to mentors during his high school
years. “Sometimes I think I have succeeded
in spite of myself. I was very lucky to have
some very positive influences in my life.”
St. John’s will sponsor a Little League baseball team this year.
Is there anything we don’t know about Russ?
“Probably not,” is his first response. “In my
job, I’m kind of out there.”
A committee of Fred England, Sue McDonough, Bob Larson
and Mike Schaeffer will lead the process for developing a Mission Statement for St. John’s.
On second thought, he came up with something: “I’m very close to my family [four
brothers and one sister]. Not many people
probably know that.”
Two delegates (a male and a female) are needed to represent St.
John’s at the Synod Assembly in May in Coralville. Anyone
interested should contact the church office.
Pastor Kathy represented the Synod Council at Lutheran Services in Iowa “Day on the Hill” meeting with state legislators at
the Capitol in Des Moines.
LOVE LETTER
Non-profit Org.
U.S Postage
PAID
Grinnell, Iowa
Permit #134
St. John’s Lutheran Church
1224 East Street
Grinnell, Iowa 50112
(641) 236-4946
APRIL 2011
The LOVE LETTER is published monthly by St. John’s
Lutheran Church. Deadline for each issue is the
15th of the previous month. Contact: Mary Schuchmann,
schuchr@pcpartner.net
Return Service Requested
Support ELCA World Hunger
While ELCA World Hunger is still a part
of our synod benevolence at St.
John’s, a specific
church contribution
One in six people to the program was
go hungry in the
part of several
world every day. budget cuts
1 in 6
That is 925 million
people.
We hope to make
up the difference
through individual contributions and donations collected at church events. At the
midweek Lenten suppers, for example, half
of the proceeds after expenses are designated for ELCA World Hunger. Special
placemats at the suppers call attention to
hunger around the world.
Youth lock-in set for April
The youth lock-in on April 8-9 will include both learning and
fun – and, as always, probably not much sleep! New this year
will be leadership by a group of Wartburg College students.
The evening will start with learning about the Jewish observance of Shabbat through attending the Shabbat for Grinnell
College students and the Jewish community in Grinnell at the
Rosenfield Center led by Rabbi Howie Stein. Parents are invited to attend. (If you plan to go, please call the church office
by Wednesday, April 6, so that arrangements can be made for
the meal.)
The event will continue (minus parents!) in the church basement. Leaders and supervisors will be a team of Wartburg College students called Faith Alive who are trained to work with
kids in church settings. The evening will include worship time, games, music, movies
and snacks. Friends are welcome!!
To register, email Chad Nath at
nath2314@gmail.com