May 2023

Happenings

Church Picture Directory

Photo Session Dates & Times

May 2-5 - 2pm - 8:30pm

May 9-12 - 2pm-8:30pm

May 6 - 10am-4pm

May 13 - 10am-4pm

Online Scheduling Available! Go to www.ucdir.com, Church Code: mn339 Church Password: photos.

Participating families will receive a free 8X10 portrait and a church directory

Questions?? Please contact Shirley Strand (507) 373-5951

Council Talking Points

• April 30th at 9am and May 3rd at 7pm will be our Council Meet and Greets so congregation members may come and meet our prospective new council members. This is a way for you to put a face with the name!

• May 7th at 9:15am is our Congregational Elections meeting. We will vote in our new council members and ministry team members.

• Did you know that the month of March our heating bill alone was $12,559.53!?

Attention all Teams and groups who plan to do fundraising!

Special Events Revenue Fundraising Policy

Fundraising is an important part of our organization. If you have a fundraising event of any kind a “Special Event Revenue Form” must be submitted to the Church Administrator or one of the Treasurers for approval before advertising where the proceeds from the event will go. Once approved you will be notified. The Church administrator will keep a document tracking all fundraising events and where the proceeds are designated.

Starting May 1st this policy will go into effect! Please make sure that when you have an fundraising event coming up and want to designate the proceeds to a specific cause, that you fill out the form and submit it to the office for approval. Forms can be picked up in the office.

A few words from Pastor Roger

Greetings Siblings in Christ!

Over the past few months I have been learning and studying guitar. I have really enjoyed it, and it has even taught me a little about myself in the process. My skill level is very basic. Sometimes it can feel like I am not making any progress. I have a lot to learn, and I practice every chance I get.

That got me thinking about something. If someone walked up and asked me if I knew how to play a guitar, I would say yes. If someone walked up to Paul McCartney and asked him the same question, he would also answer yes. However, the difference between me and Paul McCartney is enormous. I can play a handful of chords and fumble through a song; whereas, he is a famous master musician and songwriter that has over six decades of experience. The difference between his yes and my yes is miles apart.

That huge difference does not change how much I enjoy playing the guitar. If all I was worried about was how I compared to Paul McCartney, I would spend my entire life disappointed.

Today, I want to say that the same thing applies when it comes to faith. Our faith and our neighbor’s faith are not meant to be compared against each other. Comparison is the thief of joy. Rather, each of us has been called through the Holy Spirit to serve the body of Christ in different and equally meaningful way. In the 12th chapter of 1 Corinthians, Paul tells us this: “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body… and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.”

We have set out on this journey of faith together. We will each have a different path from one another, but we are all walking alongside the same savior, Jesus Christ. Our faith may be personal, but it is never private. We never run out of things to learn about God.

If you were asked today if you are a Christian, I hope you say yes. Whether you have been raised in the church and have attended Bible study for the past 60 years or if today you are thinking about Jesus for the first time, there is a place for you here at First Lutheran Church. God’s grace is for you.

Blessings, Pastor Roger

Fears

Council Corner with Larry Larson

Tell us a little bit about who makes up your family. I am married to Ginny. We have a son Garrett, a daughter Nicole who is married to Mike, and two granddaugthers Nina and Clara

What do you love about First Lutheran Church? No matter how my day went, when I go to FLC I feel welcome, like going to a second home. It makes me happy to see my church friends and spend time visiting with them.

What is one thing you are excited for First Lutheran Church’s future?

I am excited to experience all the new things going on here. But I’m really looking forward to this years bike blessing. What a fun day to spend with friends.

Staff Spotlight with Pat Schrader

Job Title

Financial/Membership Specialist

Brief overview of your position? Answer phones, greet visitors, pay bills, manage membership information

Fun fact not many people know? I once went to Texas on a vacation, ended up getting a job and living there

What’s the last book you read? I don’t know. I’m not much of a reader

What is your favorite hobby?

Anything crafty or decorating related

The first concert you ever attended? REO Speedwagon

The next place on your travel bucket list? The Magnolia Market/Silos in Waco, Texas

Workers:

Audrey Christensen

Losi Cole

Delores Hagen

Sandy Hareid

Judy Kropp

Women’s Ministry (FLCW)

Caring and Sharing May 2023

Chair: Bonnie Schneider

507-373-3767

Bonnie Trampel 507-373-1665

Susan Larson

Darlene Levisen

Coral Ringeon

Marilyn Sasser

May Meeting

Tuesday, May 9 7pm

Bethany Hall

We are looking for new members. Please come to the meeting or call Debbie Pilgrim - 377-1544.

Cakes: Trudy Adams

Jody Bakken

Beth Barclay

Barbara Collins

Carol Farris

Cindy Gilbert

Alicia Helland

Janice Lestrud

Nancy Martin

Nancy Meyer

Tuesday, May 16 11:30am

Bethany Hall

Lasagna, Garlic Toast, Salad, Brownie & Ice Cream

Daily Scripture Verses from the Sharing the Faith Team

Theme for May

New Birth and Life in Christ Jesus, Risen Lord and Savior

We have examined ourselves through the 40 days of Lent, experienced the grief of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, and rejoiced in Easter and the great joy and thanksgiving the resurrection of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. Alleluia! As we move into the month of May and a season of new growth and beauty of living things, we are reminded that through grace we have been saved. Alleluia! Love one another and give thanks for the many blessings in our world.

1 Psalm 135:6

2 Isaiah 46:10

3 Psalm 29:10-11

4 1 Chronicles 29:12-13

5 Ephesians 1:11

6 Joshua 1:9

7 Isaiah 41:10

8 Psalm 48:14

9 1 John 3:1

10 Psalm 118:6-7

11 1 John 4:13

13

FLC Prayer Ministry

21 Hebrews 13:8

22 1 John 5:14

23 Lamentations 3:22-23

24 Psalm 91:4-5

25 Philippians 4:19

26 Psalm 36:5-7

27 1 John 4:7

28 Galatians 2:20

29 Isaiah 43:19

30 Hebrews 13:8

31 Exodus 14:14

Want prayer for yourself or others?

Call Jo, 763-257-9018 or Julia, 373-9594. Prayers are kept confidential.

Prayer List

Ourprayersarerequestedforhealingandwholenessfor: Dave Mullenbach, Mary Powell, Julie, and Pam.

Ourcontinuedprayersarerequestedforhealingandwholenessfor:

Jaya Fever, Joyce Fredin, Les Harmon, Bob Herman, Nancy Jenson, Laurie Lenz, Larry Nelson, Pauline Kohnke Nelson, Wanda Soland, Pam Stern, Mollie Tolic, Jenny, John, Sheila, and their spouses, families, and caregivers.

Testimonials from our Food Ministry recipients:

"I am on a limited income and my wife passed away so it’s nice to get a home cooked meal! Thank you!"

"These meals are wonderful. It gives us a day with the family to have a wonderful meal and a day at the park to enjoy each other and reflect on everything God has provided us!"

Do you see what I see?

By Pastor Joy Knoppel

Artwork. It’s everywhere. Train stations, museums, churches, and even your own living space. Artwork is something that calls to us as people; we are attracted to things that portray a message that resonates with us. Artwork has the power to tell a story from a million different angles through the use of color, material and vision; art comes in all different shapes and sizes. It is something that humans create from their own experiences in life, and (in my opinion) it is one of the most fascinating things of which we are capable. On the other hand, artwork also has the power to exclude. For example, inaccurate portrayals of a race in artwork has caused division or misinformation.

Now, I’m sure that a lot of you recognize the photo in Figure A famously known as the Head of Christ by W. Wallman. According to Wallman, he had a vision one night of what Jesus looked like and was inspired to paint it. By the 1990s this painting had been copied more than 500 million times 1 and is recognized worldwide. If you would like to see a copy of this painting we have one in our FLC library at the moment.

Historically speaking, Jesus did not look like Wallman’s painting. He was a Jewish man who would have had Jewish features. He also would have had darker skin, shorter hair, and a beard.2 Long story short, Byzantine art 3 would have depicted Jesus with darker skin, but shortly after the Council of Nicaea, artwork of Jesus began to depict him as lighter skinned because he was being painted by European artists.4 In a majority of American churches European artwork dominates the stained glass windows, walls, and structure. Again, people paint what they know and experience and that includes the images of Jesus we have today.

Iconography matters. It matters because what we see influences how we understand our lives and how we understand ourselves. For example, before studying abroad in China for a year I had never seen a rack of magazines with people on them who looked like me. I’ll never forget walking around the subway station in China and realizing that I could see myself reflected in the magazine images, and that moment changed the way I understood my identity. Returning to the States was challenging because I was back in a space where the people represented in the media around me were white- bodied. Iconography matters because it has the power to make a person feel either welcomed or unwelcomed in a space.

At FLC one of the things I have heard repeatedly is that we want to improve on welcoming those around us, and I believe that one of the ways that we can do that is through artwork. This is something that we have talked about as a Congregation Council and we have been graciously gifted with funds to begin finding new artwork for our building (Figure B). We have put together a team of people who are working extremely hard at creating a faith community that is open, warm, and inviting both for those who are here now and those who are to come. More importantly, we are excited about the new ways that FLC is trying to reach out to the wider community.

As you go about your week, I hope that you will be curious about the images that are around you both in and outside of church. What messages are they sending? Who do you think they were designed for and how did they make you feel? As always, my door is open, and I would love to hear your thoughts and experiences of the things that are around you.

Blessings of Peace, Pastor Joy

1

Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 2014.

2 Joan Taylor, “What did Jesus really look like?” BBCNews, April 2, 2023, https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-35120965

3 Art produced in the Middle Ages c.843-1204.

4 Not to mention that in art history the color white was equated with “good” and black with “bad.”

A. “Head of Christ” by W. Sallman B. “My Savior” by P. Payne

Blum, Edward J., and Paul Harvey. The Color of Christ the Son of God and the Saga of Race in America.

A note from the Parish Health & Wellness Team

May is mental health awareness month. Mental illness is difficult to diagnose but is very common and it comes in varying degrees of severity. The National Institute of Health states “one in five U.S. adults live with mental illness (57.8 million in 2021)”, and unfortunately the incidence of mental illness is increasing.

There are not any simple tests that can clearly diagnose mental illness. Instead we need to rely on signs and symptoms. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) suggests the following are common signs of mental illness in adults and adolescents.

• Excessive worrying or fear

• Feeling excessively sad or low

• Confused thinking or problems concentrating and learning

• Extreme mood changes, including uncontrollable “highs” or feelings of euphoria

• Prolonged or strong feelings of irritability or anger

• Avoiding friends and social activities

• Difficulties understanding or relating to other people

• Changes in sleeping habits or feeling tired and low energy

• Changes in eating habits such as increased hunger or lack of appetite

• Difficulty perceiving reality (delusions or hallucinations, in which a person experiences and senses things that don't exist in objective reality)

• Inability to perceive changes in one’s own feelings, behavior or personality (”lack of insight”)

• Overuse of substances like alcohol or drugs

• Multiple physical ailments without obvious causes (such as headaches, stomach aches, vague and ongoing “aches and pains”)

• Thinking about suicide

• Inability to carry out daily activities or handle daily problems and stress

• An intense fear of weight gain or concern with appearance

Young children may also experience mental health concerns. Their symptoms may be slightly different. NAMI suggests the signs in young children may include:

• Changes in school performance

• Excessive worry or anxiety, for instance fighting to avoid bed or school

• Hyperactive behavior

• Frequent nightmares

• Frequent disobedience or aggression

• Frequent temper tantrums

Everyone has an occasional “down” day or experiences days of worry or mood changes, but when these signs become consistent in yourself or your loved one, then it may be appropriate to seek professional care. There is help available! NAMI is also an excellent resource. We are fortunate to have a NAMI resource within Freeborn county.

NAMI (n.d.)

https://www.nami.org/Get-Involved/Awareness-Events/Mental-Health-Awareness-Month National Institute of Health (n.d.)

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/mental-illness#:~:text=Mental%20illnesses%20are%20common% 20in,mild%20to%20moderate%20to%20severe.

The Perfect Gift Shop

The Perfect Gift Shop has a variety of baby and children's items along with new T-shirts and home decor.

Hours are Sundays 9:00am to 11:30am and Wednesdays 5:15pm to 7:15pm.

Office

Monday Thursday 9:00AM-3:00PM FRIDAY & SATURDAY CLOSED

Sunday Building Hours—7AM-12 noon

[Other times by special arrangement]

s

These hours allow the office staff to be in the office and have time to work on special projects and events with fewer distractions. If you need to come in outside of normal office hours, please call for an appointment.

Building

Monday - Thursday 8:00AM-5:00PM

Tues. & Wed. 5:00-8:00PM

If there are meetings scheduled

Pastoral Records: Baptisms, Weddings, Deaths, Funerals, Memorial Services

Baptisms

Daxton Dirkes - April 16

Memorials, Honors, & Special Gifts

PEACE & POWER

In Memory of:

Janae Clausen given by Doug & Dorothy Blom, Allen & Bonnie

Anderson,

Maxine Hamer given by Omar Hamer & family

Brad Hammer given by Tom & Karen Hovde, Mick & Becky

Hanson,

Arlene Hobbiebrunken given by Gordy & LouJean Nelson

Julie Jerdee given by Dennis & Janice Brandt

Don Stillwell given by Eugene & Wanda Soland

In Honor of:

My two Faribault MN Angels given by Gen Montei

Gifts Given By:

Ila Breck, Arlis Cerny, Lavonne Emmons, Gilbert Gilbertson, Gladys Jensen, Kevin & Martha Kenne, Lonnie & Laurie Lenz, Dorinda Leutink, May Schultz, Doris Schultz, Karen Thomas, Bess

Weidner, West Freeborn Lutheran Church

CARE MINISTRY

In Memory of:

Ken Joachim given by Karen Joachim

Bev Thompson given by Marilee Gustitus

Gifts Given by:

Lilah Aas, Larry & Edith Langsev, Gerald & Carol Frydenlund

FLIGGE SCHOLARSHIP

In Memory of:

Morrey Haanstad given by John & Barb Cliff, Judy Folven

FOOD MINISTRY

In Memory of:

Norlan Stalheim given by Paddy Hoium

FUSION

Gifts Given By: Michael & Katie Davis

ROOF

Gifts Given By: Larry & Janice Lestrud

KIM OLSON GODDARD SCHOLARSHIP

In Memory of: Dick Nielsen given by Judy Folven

Regular Worship Schedule

Sundays

8:00am & 10:30am - In-person Worship and live streamed on our Facebook page

10:00am - Peace & Power broadcast on KAAL-TV ABC6

10:30am - Live broadcast on KATE Radio 1450 AM

Wednesdays

6:30pm - In-person Worship and live streamed on our Facebook page

Stay

Anytime: Access the video of our worship services at www.flcal.org

THE MISSION OF FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH IS TO GATHER, EQUIP, AND EMPOWER PEOPLE TO JOYFULLY DO CHRIST’S WORK.

First Lutheran Church 301 W Clark St. Albert Lea, MN 56007

Periodicals Postage Paid at Albert Lea, MN 56007

Sunday Worship Broadcasts

10:00am - Peace & Power on ABC 6

10:30am - Live broadcast on KATE Radio 1450

[Address label here]

Have you moved? Phone number changed? Please email Kara (kara@flcal.org) your updated info.