July 2014 - Saint Paul Area Synod

SAINT
PAU L
AREA
SYNOD
FaithLink
ConnecƟng Leaders of the Saint Paul Area Synod (ELCA)
Volume 19

Number 4  July 2014
Prince of Peace, Burnsville
New reduced-cost dental clinic starts
serving people in the south metro
By Christine Fifield, Communications Specialist
M
any more smiling, pain-free
mouths are walking around south
of the river. This is due in part
to a brand new initiative of the Mission
Outpost ministry out of Prince of Peace
Lutheran Church in Burnsville, Minnesota:
a dental clinic. Currently, Mission Outpost
supports thousands of people in the area
by providing for basic food, clothing, and
other needs.
The new dental clinic shares space with
Mission Outpost and seeks to serve low
income residents of the south metro suburbs
including Burnsville, Eagan, Rosemount,
Farmington, Lakeville, Apple Valley, and
Savage, from children to senior citizens.
Based on needs in the area, the clinic
currently provides emergency care,
extractions, pain management, and
restorative dental services as well as basic
preventative care and education. In the
three months since the clinic opened in
April, it has now served more than 50
uninsured people experiencing mouth pain.
Why a dental clinic?
The idea for a dental clinic arose from
feedback from Prince of Peace’s neighbor
across the street: Fairview Ridges
Hospital. “There is a large under-served
population out there and this is a way that
we can increase the access to care in our
community,” says Jeff Wichmann, longtime
member of Prince of Peace and member
of the dental clinic planning committee.
According to a recent article by Prince of
Peace, the hospital determined that dental
care is one of top six health needs in the
community. The article continued to report
that, “over 60 percent of Mission Outpost
guests report experiencing mouth pain, yet
have no access to dental care. Most have
not seen a dentist for years.” The effects of
dental-related pain are numerous. Those
with acute mouth pain often experience
trouble eating and talking which in turn
impacts their ability to work and support
their families.
More often than not, people who come to
the hospital due to acute mouth pain get
turned away as the hospital is not equipped
to treat the issue beyond basic pain
management. Once these people get turned
away, there are few places for them to turn.
Without health insurance, there is little to
no access to affordable dental care.
Free and reduced cost dental clinics do exist
in the twin cities. Unfortunately, none of these
are located south of the river. The only free
or low-cost dental care available to people in
the seven-city south metro area comes around
intermittently via a mobile clinic.
A clear community need was apparent and
Prince of Peace took the leap and decided
to respond.
Con nued on page 6
W H A T ’ S
Inside
of Peace, Burnsville
1 Prince
launches dental clinic
2 From the Bishop
2014 Synod Assembly
3 highlights
4 Calendar
5 Connections
Love or Fear: which motivates us
6 more?
News about calls; Cloud of
7 Witnesses highlights
Redeemer, WBL takes
8 Prayers;
worship to the barn
FaithLink is published six Ɵmes a year by the Saint
Paul Area Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church
in America, Peter Rogness, Bishop.
Saint Paul Area Synod
105 West University Avenue
St. Paul, MN 55103-2094
Website: www.spas-elca.org
Phone: 651.224.4313
ChrisƟne Fifield, Editor
Email: chrisƟne.fifield@spas-elca.org
The new dental clinic out of the Mission Outpost ministry at Prince of Peace, Burnville opened for its first pa ents April 2014. Le : Dental Clinic Coordinator, Trudy Koepsell, gives a tour of the clinic at an open house
on April 8, 2014. Right: Volunteer hygienist, Noni Heidemann, shows a digital x-ray to a pa ent during a pain triage appointment. Photos courtesy of Trudy Koepsell.
From the Bishop
By P
B
Patricia
i i LLullll
On being new
L
ong before the synod assembly in
mid-May, many of you began praying
for the new bishop and the transition
process that would follow the election. I
didn’t know then that you would be praying
for me but I know now how vital your
prayers and kind words are in creating an
environment of encouragement and support
as I step into this new call.
Although my term as bishop officially
began on July 1, I spent a good deal of
time at the synod office in June. The synod
staff, the members of the synod council,
and the conference deans have done much
to welcome me and to ease this time of
transition. They assure me that we are in
this work together. When asked how the
transition process is going, I have noted
that there is much to learn and added how
grateful I am that “at least I don’t have to
leave home.”
I’ve lived in Saint Paul for thirteen years
and in this vocational move my address is
staying the same. Or so I thought until the
day I took the wrong exit off I-94. I realized
then that I might as well admit to myself—
and to all of you—that even finding the way
home includes new learning.
You’ve experienced that, too, amid
transitions in your own life. Leaving home
for college or military service, transferring
to a new job across the country, or
relocating in retirement, one day everything
seems familiar and the next day everything
is brand-new. I believe that God uses those
times of fresh beginnings to help us see
ourselves differently in relation to the world
around us.
Such seasons are always times of
vulnerability and recognition of our daily
need for God’s grace. Being new can
be awkward and intimidating, but the
opportunity to see all things in a fresh way
can also be a joyous experience.
I’ve entered new calls before. I remember
learning my way around Alpena, Michigan
as a young, first-call pastor and a similar
time of discovery when I accepted a second
call to a parish in Athens, Ohio. In each
there were new names to learn, maps to
master, programs to embrace or adapt, and
the beautiful challenge of working with
faithful people to discern how God was
present in that place.
I remember as well the joys and frustrations
of being brand-new all over again when I
began calls as an administrator that took
me to the ELCA Churchwide Office, to
Luther Seminary and Augsburg College,
and most recently to the Saint Paul Area
Council of Churches where I just completed
service as the Executive Director.
My prayer is that this will be a time of
fresh learning for all of us in the synod;
a season of transition in which we all
pay attention to the world around us and
the opportunities God is giving us to see
ourselves and our neighbors in fresh ways.
Please continue to pray for patience and
openness—for me, for you, and for the
work we do together for Christ’s sake.
Yours in God’s service,
The Rev. Patricia Lull
Welcome Anna!
A
nna Grunner started working at the synod
office Wednesday, July 2 as the bishop’s interim
Executive Assistant.
Grunner has lived many places but is proud to call
Minnesota home. Most recently, she has come back
to Saint Paul from New York City where she has
been working toward a Ph.D. in Hebrew Bible at the
Jewish Theological Seminary. A graduate of Gustavus
Adolphus College (2004) and Luther Seminary (2008)
Anna Grunner, Interim Execu ve Assistant
and an alum of Lutheran Volunteer Corps, she has also
done internships with the Minnesota Council of Churches and American Public Media’s
Speaking of Faith (now OnBeing). Her interests beyond her work and studies include
cooking, knitting, reading novels, and her wonderful, hilarious dog, Effi.
Grunner’s role as Executive Assistant will be to offer various kinds of administrative
support to Bishop Lull during her transition into the office this summer.
You may contact her at anna.grunner@spas-elca.org.
2 FaithLink
Introducing...
Bishop Patricia Lull
The Rev. Patricia Lull, was elected May
17, to a six-year term as bishop of the
Saint Paul Area Synod of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America (ELCA),
succeeding the Rev. Peter Rogness, who
retired on June 30. She was elected on
the fifth and final ballot at the synod
assembly, May 16-17, at Prince of Peace
Lutheran, Burnsville, Minn.
Lull has served as executive director of
the Saint Paul Area Council of Churches
since 2011. Prior to that, she served on
the campus ministry staff at Augsburg
College, as dean of students at Luther
Seminary for 10 years, and as director
for campus ministry for the ELCA. She
has also served congregations in Athens,
Ohio, and Alpena, Mich.
Ordained in 1979, Lull is a graduate of
Yale Divinity School, New Haven, Conn.
She completed her undergraduate work at
The College of Wooster, Wooster, Ohio.
You’re invited to the
installa on!
Lull assumed office on July 1 and will be
installed at Roseville Lutheran Church,
Roseville, Minn., on Sunday, Aug. 24, at
3:00 p.m. A reception will immediately
follow the service.
If you plan to attend the installation,
please RSVP by Monday, Aug. 11 at
www.spas-elca.org/Lull-Installtion or by
calling 651.224.4313.
Rostered leaders (as well as ecumenical
and interfaith leaders) are invited to vest
and process. The color of the day is red.
If you intend to process, please arrive by
2:00 p.m.
Saint Paul Area Synod
Highlights
T
he 2014 Saint Paul Area Synod
Assembly gathered at Prince of Peace
Lutheran Church in Burnsville on
May 16-17, 2014. This year the Saint Paul
Area Synod assembly concluded a three-year
focus on Lutheran identity, exploring how we
proclaim the gospel promise under the theme
of “Living Lutheran: Wing Our Words.”
Patricia Lull elected bishop of
the Saint Paul Area Synod
The Rev. Patricia Lull, was elected May
17, to a six-year term as bishop of the
Saint Paul Area Synod of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America (ELCA),
succeeding the Rev. Peter Rogness, who
retired on June 30. She was elected on the
fifth and final ballot at the synod assembly,
May 16-17, at Prince of Peace Lutheran,
Burnsville, Minn.
Lull was elected with 226 votes to 215
votes for the Rev. Lamont Koerner, interim
senior pastor, Our Savior’s Lutheran
Church, Stillwater. There were 441 ballots
cast. Seven candidates were nominated on
the first ballot and included, in addition to
Lull, the Rev. Paul Erickson, the Rev. Hans
Jorgensen, the Rev. Lamont Koerner, the
Rev. Susan Miller, the Rev. Kathryn Tiede,
and the Rev. Bonnie Wilcox.
Saint Paul Area Synod
W ing Our Words
Snapshots from the 2014 Synod Assembly
Winging Our Words
In his sermon Friday morning, Bishop
Rogness brought life to this year’s assembly
theme of Wing Our Words through the
beautiful imagery of starling murmurations
(see bottom right image above).
“You and I,
common as starlings,
joined together
the common made holy.
You and I,
and our words,
and God’s wings
soaring over the earth.
We and our words become God’s
murmuration!”
—Bishop Peter Rogness
The entire sermon, along with other video
highlights from the assembly, can be found at
www.spas-elca.org/assembly.
This year’s assembly art installation also
expanded on the theme of winging our
words. For synod assembly worship, artists
Linda Kerker and Brita Taracks employed
the common pleated window shade as a
representation of the starling and its flight.
By connecting several shades together and
shaping them, Kerker and Taracks sought
to represent the movements of the starlings
as they fly in unison.
Worship bulletins—collected from
congregations of the Saint Paul Area
Synod—provided literal words of prayer
and praise to wing at the front of the
assembly hall.
The streamers and the starlings are
dynamic, moving with the slightest current
of air in the sanctuary and symbolizing the
power of the Spirit to wing our words into
a world desperate to hear the promise of a
God who lives and dwells among us.
Thanks abound!
This year’s assembly marked endings as
well as beginnings. As an assembly, we gave
thanks to the years of service from both
Bishop Peter Rogness and Beth Helgen,
who has served as Assistant to the Bishop
for Administration for the past 12 years.
Visit www.spas-elca.org/assembly for video
highlights of the many thanks for and from
these individuals and all they have done for
our synod.
FaithLink
3
Calendar
Look for more events and informaƟon at www.spas-elca.org
Mark your calendars!
Bishop’s Theological Conference
Oct. 26-28, 2014, Heartwood Retreat and Conference Center, Trego, Wis.
Rostered leaders are once again invited to meet at Heartwood Retreat and Conference Center, Trego, Wis. This
annual event provides the opportunity for rostered leaders of the Saint Paul Area Synod to gather together for a
weekend of fellowship, learning, and dialogue with one another and with newly elected bishop, Patricia Lull.
Dr. Anna Madsen, an ordained freelance theologian, will be the keynote speaker. Realizing that there is a need
for a safe place to inquire about matters of religious conviction, Madsen started OMG: Center for Theological
Conversation. More about Madsen and OMG at omgcenter.com.
DDr. Anna
Dr
Anna Madsen,
Mad
adse
dsenn keynote
key
eyno
notte
te speaker
speak
aker
ker
More informa on to come
Additional information about the conference will be posted to www.spas-elca.org/bishopstheologicalconference as it becomes available.
July
SPACC Tournament of the Saints
July 14, North Oaks Golf Club, North
Oaks. Saint Paul Area Council of Churches
(SPACC) is hosting the second annual
“Tournament of the Saints” fundraiser to
benefit health and wellness education and
enrichment programs for American Indian
youth. Register online at www.spacc.org/
golf. For sponsorship opportunities, contact
Connie Johnson at cjohnson@spacc.org.
Augsburg Fortress Summer Music Clinic
July 21-22, Roseville Lutheran, Roseville.
Augsburg Fortress will be hosting their
two-day summer music clinic on topics
including handbells, children’s music,
organ, and more! Find out more and
register at www.augsburgfortress.org.
Region 3 Practice Discipleship Retreat
Aug. 24-26, Luther Crest Bible Camp,
Alexandria. The retreat is geared toward
people who work with First Third ministries
(volunteers, church council, paid staff, etc).
Cost includes lodging and meals. Register
at www.elcaymnet.org/PDretreatregion3 by
Sunday, Aug. 17.
Coming Up...
“God’s Work. Our Hands.” Sunday
Sept. 7. ELCA Congregations across the
United States participate in a churchwide
day of service. Find out more and register
your congregation at www.elca.org/
dayofservice.
August
Fretheim Lecture at Luther Seminary
Sept. 15, 7:00 p.m., Chapel of the
Incarnation, Luther Seminary. Dr. Walter
Brueggemann, Professor Emeritus of
Old Testament at Columbia Theological
Seminary has been rescheduled to present
his lecture titled, “Why the Old Testament
Must not Go Away.” More information at
www.luthersem.edu/lectures/fretheim.
South Conference Meeting
Aug. 14, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., St. James,
Burnsville. Members of the South
Conference will gathering to hear from
Pastor Kate Reuer of Lutheran Campus
Ministry of the U of M. For more, contact
David Wrightsman, South Conference
Dean, at revw2@msn.com.
North Conference Meeting
Sept. 16, 9:00 a.m., Fish Lake, Harris. The
monthly meeting for rostered leaders in the
North Conference will be gathering at 9:00
a.m. on Sept. 16. For more, contact Dale
Stiles, North Conference Dean, at
dstiles@fishlakelutheran.org.
Ninth Triennial Gathering of
Women of the ELCA
July 24-27, Charlotte Convention Center,
Charlotte, N.C. More at www.welcatg.org.
Installation
of Bishop Patricia Lull
Aug. 24, 3:00 p.m., Roseville Lutheran,
Roseville. Installation of the Rev. Patricia
Lull as the next bishop of the Saint Paul
Area Synod. A reception will follow the
service. Register by Monday, Aug. 11 at
www.spas-elca.org/Lull-Installation.
4 FaithLink
Stewardship Farmer’s Market
Sept. 20, Location TBD. Come join leaders
from both the Saint Paul and Minneapolis
Area Synods to share and receive fresh
ideas for your annual stewardship response
campaigns. Additional details to come.
World Communion Sunday
Oct. 5. Congregations are invited to
celebrate our church’s connection and
common mission within Christ’s global
church by sponsoring a Global Church
Sunday. A toolkit of these and other ideas
for congregations will be released this
August. For more information, contact
globalchurch@elca.org.
ELCA Youth Gathering registration opens
Oct. 15. Registration opens Oct. 15, 2014,
with a soft opening on Sept. 15. Adult
Leaders may begin to enter and save data
in the registration database on Sept. 15
in preparation for submission on Oct. 15.
More at www.elca.org/YouthGathering.
Bishop’s
Theological Conference
Oct. 26-28, Heartwood Conference Center
and Retreat, Trego, Wis. This annual event
provides the opportunity for rostered
leaders of the Saint Paul Area Synod to
gather together for a weekend of fellowship,
learning, and dialogue. See inset for details.
Bega
Kwa Bega Fall Festival
Nov. 8, 8:30-11:30 a.m., Augustana, West
St. Paul. Join us for celebration, prayer, and
fellowship as we strengthen our connection
with our brothers and sisters in Tanzania.
For highlights from the 2013 Fall Festival
and more information on the partnership,
visit www.spas-elca.org/tanzania.
Sponsored
by the Saint Paul Area Synod
Share your event!
Have an event with synodwide appeal that you
would like to share on the calendar? Send details to
ChrisƟne Fifield at chrisƟne.fifield@spas-elca.org.
Saint Paul Area Synod
Connections
with the ELCA churchwide and other partners in ministry and mission
Are you ready for “God’s Work.
Our Hands.” Sunday?
“G
od’s work. Our hands.”
Sunday is an opportunity to
celebrate who we are as the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
—one church, freed in Christ to serve and
love our neighbor. On Sunday, Sept. 7,
2014, the nearly 10,000 congregations of
this church gather to serve communities in
ways that share the love of God with all of
God’s people.
“When one congregation or a group of
congregations gather for service in their
local communities, they are the church in
that place, taking care of that part of God’s
vineyard. But this is all work that we do
together. When one congregation works to
feed people who are hungry, that is also the
entire church coming together,” says ELCA
Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton.
“‘God’s work. Our hands.’ Sunday reminds
us that we are church together for the sake
of the world. Our lives have been changed
by our relationship with God through Jesus
Christ, and it’s that encounter with Jesus
that frees us to make a difference. As you
participate Sept. 7, 2014, in the dedicated
day of service, may you witness the love of
God, who knows and loves each one of us.”
Last year, congregations across the synod
participated by cleaning up our highways
and parks, collecting food for those in need,
volunteering at local elementary schools,
and much, much more! For an overview
of Saint Paul Area Synod participation and
projects in 2013, visit www.spas-elca.org/
news/godsworkourhands2013.
Making prepara ons
This day is only a couple months away—the
time to start planning your projects is now!
To help guide your congregation’s planning,
1. Download the toolkit at www.elca.org/
dayofservice.
2. Order your yellow T-shirts (now available from Old Lutheran) to help increase
the visual impact across the ELCA.
3. Register your congregation. See inset
for specific instructions.
Sharing your stories
After Sept. 7, you will be invited to
share stories about your congregation’s
participation. Send your stories and photos
to christine.fifield@spas-elca.org (and to
LivingLutheran@elca.org to share with the
churchwide offices).
2014-2015 Young Adults in Global Mission
Sign up your congrega on
for “God’s Work. Our
Hands.” Sunday!
1. Visit the RegistraƟon page at
www.elca.org/dayofservice/Register.
2. Insert your CongregaƟonal ID number
3. Insert your ELCA member number:
8-11045617
4. Provide contact informaƟon and
answer a few quesƟons
Peter Harrits
returns to Tanzania
T
he Rev. Peter Harrits, Director of Bega
Kwa Bega, will be working from the
office in Iringa, Tanzania from June 20 until
September 3, 2014.
While there, Harrits will be working on
behalf of the partnership by hosting several
travel delegations from Saint Paul Area
Synod congregations, meeting with church
and school leaders to evaluate scholarship
and educational projects, and leading
worship in multiple congregations across
the Iringa Diocese. “It has been an eventful
two months in Minnesota,” says Harrits.
“I look forward to sharing what has been
happening here with our companions in
Iringa—including bringing greetings from
Bishop Lull!”
While Harrits is in Tanzania, the work
of the partnership continues here in
Minnesota. The Iringa Committee and
its working groups are in the process of
evaluating and enhancing how Bega Kwa
Bega operates. If congregational leaders
have questions, their first move should be to
contact their cluster leaders.
If you wish to contact Peter, please email
peter.harrits@spas-elca.org. In emergency
situations, please call the Iringa Office
direct line: 651.705.5569.
Find out more about Bega Kwa Bega at
www.spas-elca.org/tanzania or Like BKB on
Facebook.
T
hree young adults with roots in our synod have accepted placement in the 2014-2015
Young Adults in Global Mission (YAGM) country placements: Benjamin Johnson to
Southern Africa, Sally Fifield to Argentina/Uruguay, and Lars Meisner to Rwanda.
It costs only $11,000 to provide one young adult missionary with training, airfare, a small
living allowance, health insurance, and simple room and board for a year: each YAGM is
responsible for raising $4,000 in sponsors from those they knew among family, friends,
and congregations; the rest of the people in the ELCA are asked to give gifts to sponsor the
remaining $7,000. If you’d like to help support these future leaders, please visit
www.elca.org/yagm and click the link to the sponsorship page.
Our prayers go with them as they begin their year of global service this August.
More information at www.elca.org/yagm or Like YAGM on Facebook.
Saint Paul Area Synod
Harrits with Pastor Muyenze from Ilula. In 2008, Muyenze
served as Harrits’ supervisor at the hospital where Harrits was
a student chaplain.
FaithLink
5
Con nued from page 1
Prince of Peace Dental Clinic, cont.
So, how does a church start a
dental clinic?
The short answer: Lots of questions and
lots of help. The planning of the clinic
began five years ago with team of staff and
volunteers determined see this happen. By
August of 2012, the planning team had
recruited several dentists and hygienists to
offer advice and expertise on setting up and
running a dental office. “They answered
simple questions about what type of
equipment and materials would be needed
and harder questions like what types of
treatment should be provided,” comments
Eric Elton, Mission Outreach Director at
Prince of Peace.
The daunting thing about starting a
dental clinic (that generally deters most
nonprofits) is the cost—clinics are
expensive. The great thing about starting
one for people in need in your community
is the collaboration it initiates. Soon the
planning team had a host of community
partners ranging from local dental practices
to Dental Health Products, Fairview Ridges,
Wells Fargo, and a number of area dental
professionals. With the right networks
with the right people, generous donations
of brand new equipment came pouring
in, from dental chairs to a digital x-ray
machine.
From pa ent to volunteer
Now that the clinic is open, the people are
coming. One of the clinic’s first patients
came in due a condition giving her cavities
in almost every tooth in her mouth. “She
has a chronic pain disease that prevents her
from working, as well as causes dry mouth
which in turn causes decay,” describes
Dental Clinic Coordinator Trudy Koepsell.
Due to the extent of her tooth decay, no
insurance company was willing to cover the
cost of the procedure. It just so happened
that this woman was also looking for a
new church home. “She was looking on the
web when she saw our website and noticed
that we had a dental clinic. She thought
this must be a God Thing and an answered
prayer,” continues Koepsell.
“When she approached the clinic, she
started telling me what brought her here
and started to cry. In the operatory, she
continued the story, how she was a dental
clinic manager for 15 years, got beautiful
porcelain veneers, and now they were
decaying and in pain,” says Koepsell. “She
has dental insurance, Medicare, and got a
treatment plan from a dentist which showed
that her plan would not cover the fillings
which totaled in the thousands. ...She felt
that God had brought her here. She also
expressed that she would love to volunteer
at our dental clinic front desk, so I gave her
a volunteer application.”
“I felt that God had brought her here” adds
Koepsell.
“We are blessed to be able to meet this need
for our neighbors,” stated Communications
Specialist Beth Beaty in a recent article to
members.
6 FaithLink
Daring to say yes
In spite of the daunting nature of the task,
the Mission Outpost dental clinic continues
to thrive as it serves a steady stream of
patients each week. While the clinic has
been open only a few short months, staff
and volunteers hope to, one day, expand
the scope of the clinic’s work to offer
routine dental procedures like cleaning and
additional oral hygiene education.
This clinic is a terrific example of taking a
big leap of faith. “At the start, we had no
idea what we were getting into,” says Eric
Elton Mission Outreach Director and one
of the primary coordinators of the new
clinic. “But we dared to yes anyway; we
dared to say yes to what God was up to.”
If you know of people in your community
that could benefit from the services offered
at the Mission Outpost Dental Clinic,
triage appointments can be scheduled
Thursdays from 9:30–11:30 a.m. followed
by procedures on Tuesdays 5:00–8:30 p.m..
For additional information, please visit
Dr. Jeff Wichmann treated our first pa ent, Patrice, on April 1st, 2014.
popmn.org/gethelp/dental.
Photo courtesy of Trudy Koepsell.
Love or Fear:
Which mo vates us more?
L
ast month, the four finalists in the Great American Think-Off duked it out in
philosophical debate over this question of whether love or fear drives us to take
action. For those of you unfamiliar with this event, the Think-Off is an annual event
hosted at the Regional Cultural Center in New York Mills, Minn. centered on a different
question every year. To qualify for the Think-Off, people from across the country are
invited to submit essays. The essays are then read and selected by a committee. Once
selected, contestants are shuttled up to New York Mills to read their essay and debate it in
front of a live audience. Out of the almost 400 essays submitted, it just so happened that
this year’s final four all hailed from Minnesota.
One finalist was our very own Therese Helker. Helker has served as a pastor in
congregations throughout the Saint Paul Area Synod and is currently a hospice chaplain
through Allina Health.
Helker had found out about the Think-Off through her book club. At first, Helker thought the
Think-Off was simply an essay contest. Having never done anything like this before, she sat
down and wrote an essay—an essay that chose love.
When faced with this question, it’s easy to choose fear first. “Fear is rampant,” said Helker
in a recent interview. Working in hospice care, Helker works closely with dying patients
and their families. When people first find out that they are dying, the initial fear sets in.
Fear that one didn’t do enough or say the right thing or make the right choices. Fear of
death, of pain, of being a burden, most of all, fear of the unknown. And in this way, “fear
inhibits our ability to trust others, God, and ourselves,” Helker continued.
But in spite of all of this fear, something amazing happens. “Fear always runs out of
steam,” said Helker. “At the end of life, it is love and not fear that motivates us to say
thank you for the life we have had the privilege to live, to offer forgiveness when holding
on to past hurts that no longer matter, to hug and say I love you to those we have been
blessed to know,” she writes in her essay. She sees this in many of her hospice patients:
once the fear is gone, people have the courage to forgive, to reconcile, and to make peace
with everything that seemed so unforgiveable and irreconcilable before. When the fear
fetters away, love is still there, motivating and sustaining.
Even though Helker did not end up winning the final debate of last month’s Think-Off, she
still felt she got what she needed out of the event. “My goal was not to win…but to simply
read my story,” says Helker, “I have something important to say about love and fear.”
To read Helker’s essay, as well as the other finalists’, visit www.think-off.org.
Saint Paul Area Synod
Highlights from Cloud of Witnesses: A Hymn Sing and CelebraƟon
Celebra ng 41 years
of ministry
O
n Sunday June 29, 2014, over 400 people gathered at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church
in St. Paul to celebrate the Rev. Peter Rogness and his 41 years of ministry, the last
12 as Bishop of the Saint Paul Area Synod. The day was spent with an open house
followed by boisterous hymn sing interspersed with thoughtful reflections from family,
friends, and colleagues.
Speakers
Guests heard words of appreciation from
a range of speakers including Gail Olson,
former Synod Council Vice President; Dr.
Rolf Jacobson, Associate Professor of Old
Testament at Luther Seminary; The Rev. Jeff
Barrows, Bishop of the Greater Milwaukee
Synod; The Rev. Patricia Lull, Bishop-Elect
of the Saint Paul Area Synod; The Rev. Hans
Jorgensen, Senior Pastor at St. Timothy
Lutheran Church, St. Paul; members of the
Rogness family; and Beth Helgen, Rogness’
Assistant for Administration for the past 12
years who will also be leaving the synod office
at the end of a sabbatical which began July 1.
Photo Highlights
Courtesy of Mark Hollabaugh and Dan
Rogness
ABOUT
Calls
In Interim
Beaver Lake, Maplewood, pastor
Christ the Servant, Vadnais Heights, pastor
Faith, Forest Lake, senior pastor
Faith, Rosemount, pastor
Hmong Central, St. Paul, pastor
Holy Cross, Oakdale, senior pastor
Lakeview, Maplewood, pastor
Roseville, Roseville, senior pastor
Shepherd of the Hills, Shoreview, pastor
St. Mark’s, North St. Paul, senior pastor
St. Philip’s, Hastings, senior pastor
Trinity, Stillwater, associate pastor
Zion, Chisago City, pastor
Zion, St. Paul, pastor
Call Commi ee Ac ve
Amazing Grace, Inver Grove Hts, associate
pastor
Atonement, New Brighton, pastor
Christ, St. Paul, pastor
Farmington, Farmington, associate pastor
First, Harris, pastor
First, Taylor’s Falls, pastor
Galilee, Roseville, pastor
Gloria Dei, St. Paul, associate pastor
Lutheran Church of Peace, Maplewood,
pastor
Our Savior’s, Stillwater, senior pastor
St. Anthony Park, St. Paul, associate pastor
St. James, Burnsville, associate pastor
St. Paul, Stillwater, senior pastor
A gi of gra tude
The highlight of the event was the surprise
gift to the Rogness family: a 37-lb canoe that
was portaged down the center aisle.
The canoe was aptly named “Cloud of
Witnesses” and on the inside a small
plaque reads:
Ordina ons, Consecra on, and
Commissioning
This canoe was given to Peter Rogness
on Sunday, June 29, 2014, with gratitude
for his 41 years of ministry. The paddle
whispers, the canoe glides, and your great
cloud of witnesses surrounds you.
The Rev. Paul Dean, ordained June 7, 2014
as he accept a call to serve as associate
pastor with Prince of Peace, Burnsville
Elizabeth Mangold, Associate in Ministry,
commissioned May 18, 2014 as she accepts
call to serve as chaplain with The Commons
on Marice, Eagan
“Well done, good and faithful servant!”
A note from Peter Rogness
Rogness officially retired on June 30 but
wished to pass on these words of gratitude.
(along with this photo of “Cloud of
Witnesses” on her maiden voyage, seen
below):
NEWS
Top: Beth Helgen shows all of the adverbs she has edited from
Rogness’ wri ng over the years. Bo om: The Rogness family
enjoy comments from family and friends. More photo highlights
can be found on the synod Facebook page, www.facebook.com/
saintpaulareasynod.
“Neither words nor pictures can begin to
express the warmth and gratitude I feel
after last Sunday’s sendoff. The people and
ministries of this synod have been my home
for 12 years.
“And for the surprising and generous gift of
this marvelous canoe, even more thanks! As
you can see, it has taken me and Gerry no
time at all to launch this next chapter in our
lives.
“To all of you who took time to express
thanks by your presence last Sunday, to all
who have sent cards and notes, to all who
have shared comments along the way, you
have no idea how deeply appreciated all of
this has been. The Cloud of Witnesses has
been abundantly present!
“I give God thanks for you all, and for our
ministry together. I trust the Lord of the
church will continue to bless Patricia Lull
and her ministry among you, as I have been
blessed.
“Grace and peace,
Peter Rogness”
Calls Accepted
The Rev. Mark Gruner, pastor, Spring
Lake, North Branch
The Rev. Patricia Lull, Bishop, Saint Paul
Area Synod, St. Paul
The Rev. Ralph Olsen, interim senior
pastor, St. Philip’s, Hastings
The Rev. Michael Peterson, interim pastor,
Beaver Lake, Maplewood
The Rev. Karen Williams, pastor, Grace,
St. Paul
Re rements
The Rev. Charles Brown, effective June 1, 2014
The Rev. Ronald Olson, effective July 1, 2014
The Rev. Peter Rogness, effective July 1, 2014
Serving Interim Contract
The Rev. James Barsch, interim pastor,
Atonement, New Brighton
The Rev. Mark Becker, interim pastor,
Christ, St. Paul
The Rev. Paul Harrington, interim pastor,
Faith, Rosemount
Deaths
The Rev. Elder Bentley, died May 26, 2104
The Rev. Lawrence (Ed) Frederick, died
June 1, 2014
The Rev. Don Fredine, died June 20, 2014
Saint Paul Area Synod
FaithLink
7
Prayers
July
Week of July 6
King of Kings, Woodbury; Lakeview,
Maplewood; Northwest Synod of
Wisconsin and Bishop Richard Hoyme;
The Rev. Elizabeth J. (BJ) Larson,
Fairview Ridges Hospital; The Rev. Lori
B. Lathrop, Augustana Care Center
Week of July 13
Light of the World, Apple Valley; Living
Waters, Lino Lakes; East-Central
Synod of Wisconsin and Bishop Gerald
Mansholt; The Rev. Kristine L. Linner,
St. Croix Hospice; The Rev. David J.
Lose, Luther Seminary
Week of July 20
Lord of Life, Lakeville; Luther Memorial,
South St. Paul; Greater Milwaukee
Synod and Bishop Jeffrey Barrow; The
Rev. Patricia Lull, Saint Paul Area
Synod; The Rev. Barbara Lund, Wisdom
Ways Center for Spirituality
Week of July 27
Lutheran Church of Peace, Maplewood;
South-Central Synod of Wisconsin and
Bishop Mary Froiland; La Crosse Area
and Bishop James Arends; The Rev.
Shawn R. Mai, United Hospital
August
Week of August 3
Lutheran Church of the Redeemer,
St. Paul; Southeast Michigan Synod
and Bishop Donald Kreiss; Elizabeth
Mangold, Commons on Marice
Summer ministry spotlight
Taking worship to the farm
S
ummer is often a time when worship can look a little
different.
The July 2013 issue of FaithLink took a look at some of
the ways our congregations in this synod worship during the
summer months. From parks to movie theaters to art galleries,
congregations seek to reach their communities in new and
innovative ways. (You can read the article at www.spas-elca.org/
news/sacred-spaces-unconventional-places.)
Starting this summer, Redeemer Lutheran Church in White Bear
Lake is seeking to draw in new folks from the community by
catering to people’s appetities and agrarian roots by offering their
These free “air condi oners” serve to
first ever summer Worship on the Farm.
keep worship-goers cool and informed
about Redeemer’s latest summer
Hosted each Wednesday at the Bruentrup Heritage Farm off of
County Road D in Maplewood, Worship on the Farm has a more worship service.
laid back, family reunion feel to it. The idea to host summer services on the farm came from
feedback after a Christmas service held there this past December.
“People thought we were crazy for hosting a service in an unheated barn in the middle of
December,” says Pastor Nate Toso. “But it turned out to be an incredible experience to see the
Christmas story played out in an actual barn with a real manger. It brought the story to life in
a completely new way.”
“There was something about worshiping on a farm that attracted people,” said Pastor Pam
Stofferahn in a recent letter to the congregation. “Worshiping in a more laid back, casual way
certainly seemed to be in line with our mission of transforming lives for ‘authentic Christian
living.’ That ‘down on the farm’ feel felt truly authentic.”
After only a month of Wednesday worship in a barn, it seems to be a hit! From the barbeque
dinner beforehand to the folksy hymns to the relaxed atmosphere, there’s a little something
for everybody.
If you’re interested in checking it out, Worship on the Farm is every Wednesday from now
through August. A picnic is provided for guests at 5:30 p.m. with worship following at 6:30
p.m. Check out pictures from past services on Redeemer’s Facebook page, www.facebook.
com/rlcWhiteBear.
Week of August 10
Lutheran Church of the Resurrection,
St. Paul; Memorial, Afton; North/West
Lower Michigan Synod and Bishop
Craig Satterlee; Donald R. Marsh AiM,
Augustana, West St. Paul
Week of August 17
Minnesota Faith Chinese, Roseville;
Mount Calvary, Eagan; IndianaKentucky Synod and William Gafkjen;
The Rev. Richard A. Melheim, Faith
Inkubators
Week of August 24
Newport Lutheran, Newport; North
Emanuel, St. Paul; Northwestern Ohio
Synod and Bishop Marcus Lohrmann;
The Rev. James R. Mericle, Birchwood
Senior Living
Week of August 31
Our Redeemer, St. Paul; Our Savior’s,
Circle Pines; Northeastern Ohio Synod and
Bishop Marcus Miller (Interim); The Rev.
Susan A. Miller, Saint Paul Area Synod
Families and friends bustle about ea ng and cha ng prior to Redeemer’s new Worship on the Farm. This worship service is held every
Wednesday at the Bruentrup Heritage Farm in Maplewood. A picnic will be provided at 5:30 p.m. with worship following at 6:30 p.m.
More at www.facebook.com/rlcwhitebear.
C A L L
Assist
Clergy, rostered leaders, and their families are someƟmes the last ones to reach out for help with their own
problems. But you don’t have to wait unƟl things fall completely apart before you ask for help. Assist, the employee
assistance program of Fairview Health Services, can help. To speak confidenƟally with an Assist counselor about
issues of personal or professional concern, call 612.672.2195. The phone is answered 24 hours a day.
NEXT DEADLINE
August 1
The deadline for the September issue is
Aug. 1. The mailing date is Sept. 1. If you
have questions, contact Christine Fifield
at 651.224.4313 or at
christine.fifield@spas-elca.org.