Lord of life lutheran
august 2019
C O M P A S S
Y O U
you belong here.....................2-3 Bible 101....................................4-5 a work of love (AWOL) ................6-7 community life ......................8-9 meet elyzabeth ........................ 10 who we are/calendar ������������ 11
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B E L O N G
ou belong here. Three little words. Simple words that say so much. Words that have
no strings attached. You belong here—words that encompass but are not limited to Lord of Life’s Children, Youth, and Family summer/fall theme. Words that are
about the cover: Adventure Week 2019 is now in the books! For 4th and 5th graders, four days were dedicated to service, fellowship, and fun. Cover photos (clockwise from upper left) include a chalk art afternoon, visiting llamas at the MN Zoo, photo op at the zoo’s family farm section, and bouncing fun in the backyard. View a two-minute slideshow of their service and other activities by visiting lordoflife.org/adventureweek.
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applicable not simply to the children and youth who come to the programs— but words that apply to every parent, family member, nanny, volunteer, or summer staff person who encounters Lord of Life—either by setting foot in the building or by engaging with Lord of Life away from this place.
H E R E What about the word “belong?” What makes belonging so important? According to the Search Institute, a sense of belonging is one of three core developmental processes in spiritual development.1 If we are to be a place of spiritual development, a place of encouraging all to move along a discipleship path, then we need to create a space where others feel, know, and experience belonging. As Brené Brown puts it, “True belonging doesn’t require you to change who you are; it requires you to be who you are.” Perhaps that is what it means to belong to Jesus Christ—to be exactly who God created us to be.
Take a look at the word “here.” What do we mean by here? First, we mean here at Lord of Life. All of the programs, the building, the people—this is here, this is the literal part of our theme. We welcome all to Lord of Life. Yet, Lord of Life is more than just a place, it is a representation of so much more. Romans 1:6 says, “And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.” Here also means here with Jesus Christ. Here (wherever you are), knowing that you are loved by God. Within these walls and everywhere you go. And so, to you who are reading this, I say, “You belong here.” — Kirstin Delp (kirstind@lordoflife.org) Children, Youth & Family Executive Director
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https://www.search-institute.org/our-research/youth-development-research/spiritual-development/
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Y O U R
F A M I L
W us know
hy should we read the Bible? Well, the Bible is God’s story. It is the story of God’s people. The Bible is your story, too! The Bible helps
• who God is, • what God’s plan is for us, • how we can have a relationship with God
Explore the Bible in age-appropriate ways: Young children can find pictures of animals, children, colors, or water. Identify the story. Even children who cannot read will enjoy “reading” the story aloud. Early readers have fun practicing their new skills by reading Bible stories to their caring adults. Minutes spent reading their Bibles probably count toward minutes needed for school reading goals. Church school students spend time in the Bible each week. Can you find the story at home? Confirmation students have biblically-based lessons. Family questions/Bible references will be in weekly emails. Adults can find the week’s worship Scripture lessons in the weekend bulletins and online. Many great Bible reading plans are online—youth staff recommends BibleGateway.com. Find one that works for you.
Bible 101 4
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T H E
B I B L E
Bible basics for you and your family: • The Bible has two parts: Old Testament and New Testament. Testament means agreement. • The Old Testament is in the front of the Bible. It begins with Genesis and ends with Malachi. You will find history, law, poetry, and prophecy in the Old Testament. • The New Testament is where you will find Jesus! It begins with the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) and continues with the growth of the Christian Church through Revelation. The word “Gospel” actually means the “Good News” which is Jesus Christ. • Use the Table of Contents to find your way around the Bible. The Bible actually contains 66 books in all! The more you use the Bible, the easier it will be to find things. • Finding a Bible verse may seem confusing at first, but keep practicing. You will get it! The formula looks like this: <Book name> <Chapter> <Verse> Here is how that looks: John 3:16. John is the book. The chapter is 3; it is the big number you see in the Bible pages. The verse is 16; those are the little numbers. Look up John 3:16 in your Bible; you will probably recognize it. • Practice looking up these verses: Psalm 119:105, Jeremiah 29:11, and Philippians 4:6-7. When studying the Bible— no matter how old you are— you can always ask the question, “What does God want me to learn from this story/passage?” Rest assured; God does have a message for you in this magnificent story. —Lynn Leisen (lynnl@lordoflife.org) Faith in the Home/Milestones Ministry Director
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DAY 1 - SATURDAY, JUNE 15: Travel, eat, travel, switch seats, travel, arrived in Arkansas. Gathered for our first night of devotions just after 10pm and Elizabeth did some AWOL orientation about how things usually work with schedule, food, chores, and general “this is how we do things here” pointers. We read Micah 6:1-8 as well, from which one of the best takeaways for our trip was that God wants us to just “chill and serve others.” Perfect.
A WORK OF LOVE (AWOL): One of three summer mission trips high schoolers have been on (or will be on in August) serving in Bentonville, Arkansas; Two Harbors, Minnesota; as well as Kalispell, Montana. Here are excerpts from the Arkansas blog. To read the details of their mission trips, visit lordoflife.org/awol. These blog excerpts were written by High School Ministry Director Elizabeth Pedersen (elizabethp@lordoflifeorg).
DAY 2 - SUNDAY, JUNE 16: Worship, hike, eat, puzzles and games, sleep. Devos were led by Kenzie who talked about how God helps us through the hard stuff in life. In small group time we talked about the verses she chose from 1 Corinthians 10:12-13 and reflected that as it relates to AWOL, God is working to guide us all on a path to be who we were created to be. DAY 3 - MONDAY, JUNE 17: Work, work, yikes a snake, work, showers, rest. Devos tonight were led by Ava and Allie who chose verses on how it’s better to give than to receive. They also did a group activity where we went around the circle and shared someone who inspires us and why. It was beautiful to hear the things everyone said about their mom, brother, dad, grandpa and others. All of you back home are the reason your kids are here today. :) DAY 4 - TUESDAY, JUNE 18: Work, sort, clean, water park, sleep. Devos were led by Thomas, Cole, and Joel who talked about how through AWOL we are called to not only go through the motion of serving others, but to also make it a part of who we are and how we live our lives.
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L O V E
(AWOL)
DAY 5 - WEDNESDAY, JUNE 19: Work/build, sort/clean, lunch, work/build, lake swim. We did devotions at the lake and watched a thunderstorm brew in the distance—fireflies started to come out. It was so peaceful. Devos tonight were led by Tia and Jaylyn who talked about how God gives us the strength to do the work we are doing. Great conversations tonight as well! Tonight we also went on a phone hiatus to allow ourselves to focus on the here and now. All the kids turned in their phone before we went to the lake and will take them back in the morning. It has not been easy for them, I know, but it is good. And they are going to be just fine. :) DAY 6 - THURSDAY, JUNE 20: Dig, dig, sweat, lay rebar, give, then give some more. Devos tonight were led by Peyton and Toby. We talked about how our group has changed over the course of the trip and how God has worked in us and through us to bring light into the world. It really has been a good week and I believe we are all coming away from it with new friends, lessons learned, and a sense of who God is calling us to be. Just what we hope for. DAY 7 - FRIDAY, JUNE 21: Pack, drive, alternator adventure, BBQ, and a Twins win! Our last night of devotions reflected on what we are taking away from this trip and what we hope for ourselves moving forward from this trip. Parents, you’ll have to ask your kids what they said for that. We also talked about how we are called to share God’s love with others and how we did that this week. From the reflections I heard, AWOL has been meaningful and transformative for the whole group—what a blessing. 7
C O M M U N I baptisms
At Lord of Life, we baptize individuals at any age. No registration is required for the baptism class. To learn the date for the baptism class or to schedule a baptism, call the church office (763.420.5015). June 2 June 9 June 15 June 22 June 23 June 29
Alec Anderson Ivy Anderson Lucas Anderson Weston Peter Gorham Alivia Rose Theisen Max Joseph Eastman Jordyn Grace Engen Mila Grace Geatz Vincent Allen Juliot Aidan Henry Kleen Bria Elle Parks Josephine Mary Johnson Emerson Ann Lee Myron Jack Moerke Luke David Means Jacob Clayton Villanueva Elin James Lenton
June 30 Kolton Douglas Hoekstra
bereavements Prayers of sympathy for those grieving the loss of a loved one; may they be comforted in the promise of the resurrection. Gwen Denninger and family at the death of her cousin Laura Dirks and family at the death of her aunt Jen & Gene Eggersgluess and family at the death of their nephew Patti Erickson and family at the death of her husband Kate Janka and family at the death of her nephew Patrick Key and family at the death of his mother Joyce Kloncz and family at the death of her husband Bonnie Larson and family at the death of her sister Renae Larson and family at the death of her niece Jerry Lindberg and family at the death of his father Ruth Rapacz and family at the death of her mother
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Ruby Schmid and family at the death of her uncle Sandy Stokes and family at the death of her aunt Kristin Ueland and family at the death of her father Carolyn Wick and family at the death of her mother
weddings To schedule a wedding, contact Wedding Supervisor Michelle Tomlinson at 763.420.5015 x118. For details to have your wedding at Lord of Life, visit lordoflife.org/weddings. June 8 June 21 June 22 June 24 June 28 June 29
Kendra Boeser & Richard Foster Lindsey Friskop & Lucas Carlson Kayla Timmerman & Kevin Walsh Tonya Kramer & Dana Albers Susan Puent & Dave Puent Jenna Vieau & Ryan Stanley Maria Peterson & Jeffrey Johnson
welcome new members Jan D’Ambrosio Adam & Allison Seed with Avery, Annika, and Ashton Pat Suko Brian & Meghan Villanueva with Jacob
membership Membership at Lord of Life means you make a commitment to be an active participant in congregational life. The expectation of not only new members but all members—is to worship regularly, grow in faith, serve others, and support the church and its programs financially. For more information, contact Katie Gartzke (katieg@lordoflife.org or 763.420.5015) or visit lordoflife.org/membership. You are invited to become a part of the Lord of Life faith community.
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M E E T
E L Y Z A B E T H
M
y first recollection of Lord of Life would probably be attending Vacation Bible School (VBS) as a kid. We decorated water bottles and spent our day playing outside and doing worship in the ‘donut room.’ We would all crowd in there and there would be a ‘stage,’ which was really just carpet separated by lines of duct tape. Through the years I have been involved in a little bit of everything offered at church. I attended VBS all through elementary school as well as participated in the church choir and winter musical. I did Club 56 when that was still around. Through middle school I did Summer Stretch and volunteered as a Ministry of Inclusion Buddy and helping with church school and vacation bible school. I was in C3 confirmation ministry and later became a C3 leader. In high school I started working at the church in childcare and as a ministry assistant, during the summer I helped with Summer Stretch and worked VBS. I don’t think my faith will change when I go off to college because I am attending a Christian college and we will have a chapel on campus. I think this will actually influence my faith and grow as it will be an opportunity to dig deeper during this transition. Some words of wisdom I would give to youth middle school or elementary school age is that church is cool, despite what you might think. Jamming out to VBS songs when you are in middle school is completely okay. I would also say be willing to talk about your faith and talk to your friends about God, and find friends who share your love for Jesus Christ. Thank you to Elyzabeth Karkoc for sharing her faith formation experiences at Lord of Life. Best wishes to her entering the college years at the University of St. Thomas!
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LORD OF LIFE LUTHERAN CHURCH (ELCA) 7401 County Road 101, Maple Grove, MN 55311-4313 phone 763.420.5015 fax 763.420.7286 web lordoflife.org Visit lordoflife.org/staff for a full staff listing with photos. Prayer requests may be submitted to prayernetwork@lordoflife.org. Compass is a monthly ministry by Lord of Life Lutheran Church (ELCA) printed by Wallace Carlson Printing using ecofriendly inks. To receive Compass in the mail or electronically—call 763.420.5015 or email office@lordoflife.org. Copyright 2019 Lord of Life Lutheran Church
PASTORAL STAFF
WORSHIP/MUSIC SCHEDULE
Rev. Dr. Joel Wight Hoogheem, Lead Pastor, joel@lordoflife.org Rev. Kaitlyn Forster, kaitlynf@lordoflife.org Rev. Dr. Karen Geisendorfer-Lindgren, Pastor Emeritus, karengl@lordoflife.org Rev. Peter Geisendorfer-Lindgren, Pastor Emeritus, peter@lordoflife.org Rev. Karen Greimel, ksgreimel@lordoflife.org Rev. Charles ‘Chick’ Lane, chickl@lordoflife.org Rev. David McCarty, davem@lordoflife.org Rev. Donna Rohrer, donnar@lordoflife.org
/lordoflifelutheran /lolcyf
office@lordoflife.org
Saturdays at 5:30pm include holy communion and music led by David Frank and the Praise Band. Sundays at 8:30, 9:45, and 11am with holy communion on the first and third with music leaders David Frank at 8:30/9:45am and Brian Schroeder at 11am. Mondays at 7pm in the backyard. If inclement weather, worship will be indoors. Worship leaders vary each week.
/lordoflife
/lordoflifeluth
Photo credits include Lauren Boyer, David Orwall, Lindsey Scheid, Amanda Tyler, and Jan Vokal Photography.
august Calendar of events
To connect with an adult ministry representative, contact Karen Nelson at 763.420.5015 x138 or karenn@lordoflife.org. To connect with a children, youth, and family representative, contact Chelsey Grandstand at 763.420.5015 x128 or chelseyg@lordoflife.org. As event details are subject to change—for the most current dates and details, event locations and registrations—please visit lordoflife.org.
ADULTS 8/5
lordoflife.org/cancersupport 8/5, 19 Hope Lodge Volunteering, lordoflife.org/hopelodge 8/5, 19 Nourishing Our Neighbors, lordoflife.org/nourishingourneighbors 8/6
8/19
Job Transition Group, lordoflife.org/jtg
ONGOING
Pause for Prayer, lordoflife.org/prayerlife
TUESDAYS:
8/28
Source MN Meal, lordoflife.org/source
Celebrate Recovery, lordoflife.org/cr
YOUTH
Grief Share, lordoflife.org/griefshare
8/1-2 Middle School Mission Trip,
Love to Paint, lordoflife.org/social
lordoflife.org/msmt
Sharing and Caring Hands, lordoflife.org/sharingandcaring
8/12
NAMI Support Group, lordoflife.org/nami
8/15
FreedomWorks Meal, lordoflife.org/freedomworks
8/15
OWLs Outing, lordoflife.org/owls
Men’s Bible Study, Daily Dose Maple Grove, lordoflife.org/men
8/1-4 Elementary Vacation Bible School, lordoflife.org/elementaryvbs 8/1, 8 Summer Stretch,
lordoflife.org/divorcesupport 8/10
lordoflife.org/awol
8/20
lordoflife.org/men 8/8, 22 Divorce Support,
8/12-14 High School Mission Trip,
8/20
Prepare for Prayer, lordoflife.org/prayerlife
8/6, 20 Fellowship with the Fellas,
The Food Group Volunteering, lordoflife.org/thefoodgroup
Cancer Support Groups,
8/4
THURSDAYS: LSS Family Services, lordoflife.org/lss
lordoflife.org/summerstretch
FRIDAYS:
Getting Ready for Confirmation,
Men’s Bible Study, Starbucks Maple Grove, lordoflife.org/men
lordoflife.org/readyforc3 8/5, 19 Middle & High School Summer Nights, lordoflife.org/summernights 8/6, 13, 20 Little Hands Ring and Sing, lordoflife.org/childrenschoir
2020 Feb. 1-8, Dominican Republic Mission Trip, Apr. 4-11, Jamaica Mission Trip Mar. 24-Apr. 6, Uganda Mission Trip
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Lord of Life Lutheran Church
Loved by God. Sent to Serve.
7401 County Road 101 Maple Grove, MN 55311-4313
NonProfit Org. U. S. Postage
PAID
Twin Cities, MN Permit No. 4665
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
Name Address City, ST 00000
A special Lord of Life thank you to all of the summer staff and volunteers who have worked hard to make the children and youth summer programs successful. Your work is valued and appreciated!
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