May 2018 LifeTIMES

LifeTIMES

A monthly ministry of Lord of Life Lutheran Church of Maple Grove, Minnesota

May 2018

GO D SA Id, “My p resence WIL L G GO O WITH YO U.

journey I’ll s ee t he

to t he en d.“

©Morguefile

—Exodus 30:14 (MSG)

—see Pages 8-9 for the story,Welcoming Strangers, about a refugee and his family’s journey to Minnesota, with support from Lord of Life

office@lordoflife.org

/lordoflife

/lordoflifelutheran /lolcyf

/lordoflifeluth

/lordoflifeelca

Lord of Life exists to proclaim the saving grace of Jesus Christ and for its faith community to witness and serve God gratefully in daily life.

PASTOR A L S TAF F Rev. Peter Geisendorfer-Lindgren, Senior Pastor, peter@lordoflife.org Rev. Dr. Joel Wight Hoogheem, Lead Pastor, joel@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

may

worship

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 to prayernetwork@lordoflife.org.

5/6 12/13 19/20 26/27

music

L O R D O F LI FE LU T HE R A N C HUR CH (ELCA)

Pastor Peter Geisendorfer-Lindgren

Pastor Joel Wight Hoogheem

Pastor Peter Geisendorfer-Lindgren

Pastor David McCarty

Saturdays: 5:30 pm - Praise Band and Holy Communion Sundays: 8:30, 9:45, and 11 am - Holy Communion on the first and third Sundays Third Wednesday: May 16 - 1 pm, Arbor Lakes Senior Living, and 2:30 pm, Rose Arbor Assisted Living

Rev. Dr. Karen Geisendorfer-Lindgren, Pastor Emeritus

Third Sunday: May 20 - 10 am, Good Samaritan Ambassador in New Hope

TABLE OF CO N T E N T S Worship & Music / Pastor’s Article.............................................................. Pages 2-3 Pause for Prayer .......................................................................................... Pages 4-5 Easter Promises / Generosity....................................................................... Pages 6-7 Welcoming Strangers...................................................................................Pages 8-9 Lord of Life Ministries............................................................................... Pages 10-14 Karing Kingdom Preschool............................................................................. Page 15 Caught Reading LifeTIMES.............................................................................. Page 16

Worship schedule may be subject to change; visit lordoflife.org/worship for the most current information.

Alzheimer’s Speaker on Monday, May 14, 6:30-8 pm—

Creating Moments of Joy

According to author Jolene Brackley’s vision in the book titled above, families may soon look beyond the challenges of Alzheimer’s disease to focus more energies on creating moments of joy. When people have short-term memory loss, their lives are made up of moments. We are not able to create perfectly wonderful days for people with dementia or Alzheimer’s, but we can create perfectly wonderful moments, moments that put a smile on their faces and a twinkle in their eyes. Five minutes later, they will not remember what we did or said, but the feeling that we left them with will linger.1

Worship & Music

To learn more about Alzheimer’s, dementia, and delirium from a retired neurologist, Merle Teetzen, MD, will speak here on Monday, May 14, from 6:30-8 pm. Dr. Teetzen will educate attendees on Alzheimer’s symptoms, screening tests, medications, as well as possiblilities to decrease the risk of receiving an Alzheimer’s diagnosis.

2 May 2018

If you have missed previous Refresh presentations on anxiety, depression, grief, or suicide, visit lordoflife.org/refresh to view videos. After Dr. Teetzen’s presentation on May 14, the fall Refresh speaker schedule will resume in September. _________________

https://www.amazon.com/Creating-Moments-Along-Alzheimers-Journey/dp/1557537607

1

Stewardship and Generosity

by Pastor Chick Lane

As a pastor at Lord of Life, my area of responsibility is stewardship and generosity. I need to admit that at the beginning of serving at Lord of Life, I lobbied for the title of simply ‘pastor of stewardship.’ Yet four years later, the title has grown on me. Stewardship and generosity are two very good words. I’d like to unpack them a bit for you.

Stewardship is an understanding of life. Our society tells me that what I have accumulated in this life is mine. Mine is a key word in our world’s understanding of stuff. What I have is mine. I have earned it through my own hard work. I deserve it. I get to decide what I want to do with it. Mine, mine, mine.

Against this understanding of life, stewardship says, “No!” Stewardship says God is the creator and owner of all that is. God the owner entrusts some of what God has created and owns into the care of each one of us. The stuff I ‘have’ isn’t mine at all. It sure isn’t mine to own and use as I wish. It is God’s—every last bit of it. My role with the stuff God has placed in my care is first of all to thank God for it (rather than patting myself on the back for it), and to ask myself how God would want me to use it, care for it, and share it with those in need.

The contrast couldn’t be more distinct. Stewardship is an understanding of life.

Generosity is an attitude, a deep-seated, life-guiding attitude. I suppose one could say generosity is the attitude that flows from a stewardship understanding of life.

Generosity looks for opportunities to put time and talents to work for others. Generosity seeks to volunteer on a regular basis. Generosity looks for the smallest opportunity to help a neighbor or a stranger. Generosity realizes giving is better than keeping. Generosity finds more joy in helping someone else have enough than in adding one more thing to my over-stuffed life. Generous people live life with an open hand. Ungenerous people live life with a clenched fist, and a clenched heart.

As the days get longer and the schedule perhaps slows down a bit—try to find a few minutes to think about these two words. How is your stewardship? At the very heart of your life, do you believe what you have is yours or God’s?

Do you believe you have earned and deserve every bit of it, or do you find a giftedness in life with God as the great giver? Think about generosity. Do you find greater joy in keeping or in giving? The answers you give to these questions probably go a long way to determining the joy with which you journey through life.

joy

“... determining the

with which you

journey through life.”

Pastor’s Article May 2018

3

Prayer take a pause for

baptisms

At Lord of Life, we baptize individuals at any age. The next baptism class will be Sunday, May 20, at 12:15 pm. No registration required; to schedule a baptism, call the church office (763.420.5015).

March 24 March 4 Wells Darvin Okerlund Connor Christopher Orrock Riley Madison Orrock March 10 Crosby Wayne Peterson March 25 Molly Joan Brock March 11 Adam Joseph Jensen Faye Alice Nordling Amelia Celeste Steffl Molly Katherine Moren March 31 Stella Mae Danielski

bereavements

Pause for Prayer

Prayers of sympathy for those grieving the loss of a loved one; may they be comforted in the promise of the resurrection.

4 May 2018

Vani Alle and family at the death of her friend Cheryl Bechel and family at the death of her mother Jane Brunelle and family at the death of her brother-in-law Amy Cheney and family at the death of her grandfather Kayte & Morgan Cowden and family at the death of their father Dana Craig and family at the death of her uncle Dennis & Melissa Erickson and family at the death of their son-in-law Mike & Lori Fletcher and family at the death of their son Carol Gohman and family at the death of her husband Larysa Karkoc and family at the death of her mother Bradley Linnell and family at the death of his father Phil Leith and family at the death of his cousin Leslie Ross and family at the death of his father

I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all ...

—Philippians 1:3-4a (NAS)

Chris Vevea and family at the death of her father Bob Wilke and family at the death of his mother Craig Zweber and family at the death of his father

weddings March 10 Carla Grafstrom & Robert Durkee

pause for prayer

Everyone is on a journey called life. You are encouraged to ‘take a pause for prayer’ lifting up those named on these pages. As believers, we stand on faith that all our prayers are heard.

You are also encouraged to subscribe to Lord of Life’s email prayer network: prayernetwork@lordoflife.org. May God bless all according to their needs. Amen.

welcome to new members Pause for Prayer

John & Roberta Anderson Mike Chismar Don & Anya Jaeger with Ada, Greta, and Luke Donna Mallory Nick & Emily Ryan Jessa Stahmann Jeanne Straus

May 2018 5

Easter Promises:

new life, new insight, new adventures

by Pastor Joel Wight Hoogheem When something or someone comes into contact with Jesus, it is never the same. The water at Cana that became wine. The five loaves and two fish that fed five thousand. The life of the Samaritan woman at the well. Nothing was the same afterwards. And, in the resurrection of Jesus, it just so happens that death is never the same after Jesus’ encounter with it. The gripping fear and power of death prove futile in the face of God’s love, compassion, and grace. The world is no longer the same.

Just look at what happened to Mary Magdalene in John 20. In the midst of living in a patriarchal society, it is this woman who is the very first person to share the good news of the resurrection of Jesus Christ! The fulfillment of the gospel is first proclaimed by a woman! This example shows us that Easter brings forth new life, new insights, and new adventures.

God promises life in the face of death, hope in the face of despair, forgiveness in the face of sin, and purpose in the face of meaninglessness.

Easter Promises

Much like no one expected water to become wine, a few loaves of bread and fish to feed thousands, or a woman to be the first evangelist, God will keep showing up in surprising ways. God will lead you on new adventures and give you new insights—that’s yet another Easter promise. I encourage you to keep paying attention to what God’s up to in your life. After Jesus’ resurrection, nothing is ever the same! And God keeps renewing and leading us to be people who love and bless the world with the life-changing good news of Jesus Christ!

6 May 2018

Good and Faithful Servants

Lord of Life’s Finance Department runs a tight ship following strict accounting guidelines for nonprofits, audits, division of duties, general oversight, and more. With a small staff of three, they are grateful recipients of services performed by a team of dedicated money counters.

Once worship is completed, behind-the-scenes duties begin. Every week—rain or shine, snow or sleet— throughout the year, the steadfast and diligent counters get to work. After enjoying fellowship, the group ensures the offering is sorted and assigned to the correct church funds.

While double-checking their work with a special lavendercolored ink, the deposit is ready to go. Finance Specialist Peggy Goshaw explains, “We couldn’t do our work without these great volunteers—it is so much appreciated!”

Lord of Life members Joan Holmes and Joey Lindblad have been an integral part of this team. With Joan for over 20 years and Joey for over 25, they have served as part of the ‘bean counters’ team. Now they are literally closing the books on this part of their volunteering.

“We’ve enjoyed helping out yet our calendars are getting too full as retirees,” they shared, “Imagine that—we want to free up more time!” On behalf of the Lord of Life congregation and staff, a special thank you to Joan and Joey for all their years as good and faithful servants.

Thank you as well to the entire team: Sue Brady, Clint Eckstrom, Mark Erickson, Bonnie & Harold Fellerman, John Hanson, Linda Jenneke, Jeff Mason, and Sandy Stokes.

If your strength is accuracy with numbers and if you have time to serve, please contact Finance Executive Director Heidi Hustoft (heidih@lordoflife.org) for more information.

Through the years, Lord of Life’s offering plates have received coinage from around the world. Although not suitable for deposit, they may have been inadvertently placed in the offering returning after travel—particularly by missionaries returning from Jamaica and the Dominican Republic. Some coins are no longer valid in their own country, such as the lira (Italy) and guilder (Netherlands) replaced by the euro. Other coins received have been from Australia, Cayman Islands, China, England, France, India, Mexico, Nicaragua, Poland, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates.

Budget Year-to-date — March 2018 Actual

Total member contributions

Budget Difference

$880,604 $879,050 $1,554

All other

$93,330 $85,400 $7,930

Total receipts

$973,934 $964,450 $9,484

Lord of Life Weekly Giving — March 2018

$120,000 $100,000 $80,000 $60,000 $40,000 $20,000 $0 3/4 3/11 3/18 3/25

Actual Budget

$102,357 $80,825

$60,644 $80,825

$64,219 $80,825

$88,070 = $315,289 $80,825 = $323,300

Generosity

May 2018 7

“The disciples asked ... and when did we see you a stranger and welcome you ... Jesus said, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ ” Matthew 25:38, 40 (ESV)

Welcoming Strangers

by Desta Ketema

A couple years ago, I was running on a treadmill watching TV. I saw Iraqi kids and elderly women being rescued by a helicopter fleeing ISIS fighters. It completely terrified me. The horror in their eyes as they were being shoved in the helicopter kept me up at night for months— even today writing this I can picture the little girls’ faces. Right then, I decided I had to do something to help. After speaking with my husband, we asked Pastor Peter if Lord of Life was working with any type of refugee program and if Jay, my husband, and I could be part of it.

Kaji Tamang is from Bhutan, a land-locked country in the Himalaya. It has never been colonized. Kaji’s wife, Sabitra, is from Nepal, also a land-locked country located in the Himalaya.

The Tamang Family (left to right): Sa On November 2, 2017, the family was extended family, Desta Ketema and Jay Griep, Maddy

I learned about Lutheran Social Service (LSS) Refugee Services in St. Paul. LSS offers hope and a helping hand to refugees as they begin anew here in Minnesota. After years of fleeing persecution and waiting in refugee camps, LSS Refugee Services helps individuals and families be successful in rebuilding their lives.

Lord of Life Ministries

LSS assigns specific trainers, housing, and community connections for refugees. Jay and I, along with Maddy Buck and Matthew Lindgren, stepped in as sponsors to walk beside a refugee family as they began new lives in the United States.

8 May 2018

Last November, Jay and I met Kaji Tamang and his wife, Sabitra. They have two boys.

The eldest son, Kismat, is 22 years old; he was already in Minnesota living with relatives. The younger son, Sushant, is 18 years old and came here with his parents. He is now attending Central High School in St. Paul.

G o d s a i d,

“My p resence

w i l l g o w i t h yo u.

I’ ll se e the

abitra, Kismat, Kaji, and Sushant met at the Minneapolis airport by Buck and Matthew Lindgren, and Sandy Munson.

journey t o t h e e n d.”

—Exodus 30:14 (MSG)

Because of interethnic conflict, the Tamangs became refugees. They were placed in a Nepalese refugee camp for some seven years before they were able to come to the US. The transition has been okay for the family, yet the weather has not been too friendly. We hope to do more things with them as as the weather warms up. Kaji is attending school to pursue a teaching degree; Sabitra is working at a local grocery store.

They use public transportation and live in the Frogtown area of St. Paul.

As shared by Desta, “Matthew and Maddy have taken a big part in supporting the family. They have diligently been taking turns visiting the family with Jay and I.” Stay tuned for a followup article in an upcoming LifeTIMES issue with Matthew and Maddy’s reflections.

If the Holy Spirit is calling you to serve others as Jesus directs in the gospel of Matthew, you are encouraged to learn more at lordoflife.org/lss or contact Lord of Life’s LSS Ambassadors Sandy & Bob Munson (rsmunson@embarqmail.com).

Lord of Life Ministries

As Christians, we travel through our journey in life with God’s teachings as a guide. We believe we are all part of one family regardless of religion, race, creed, and gender. Welcoming strangers, loving our neighbors as ourselves, and working for the good of all people is from the teachings of God. Sponsoring the Tamang family is simply one of the many things Lord of Life does in welcoming strangers and making it a special place for us as well.

Jay Griep and Desta Ketema are married with two daughters: Sella (12) and Gracie (11). They have been attending Lord of Life since 2010.

Matthew Lindgren and Maddy Buck have also been supporting the Tamang family. Matthew and Maddy are the son and daughter-in-law of Pastor Karen and Pastor Peter GeisendorferLindgren.

May 2018 9

atwestend.com

Annual Men’s Retreat may 18-20

Love to golf? Bike or hike? Maybe you simply need time to relax.

The choice is yours at the annual men’s retreat at The Village at Shores of St. Andrew. For more details and to register, visit lordoflife.org/mensretreat.

Also during the retreat will be an introduction to the fall study: Nine Attributes of a Man by Vince Miller of Resolute.

September 8 at 8 am will be the kickoff for Faith, Fellowship, and Football—as well as special guest speaker Vince Miller. Save the date for breakfast on September 8!

Older Wiser Lutherans may events

Thursday, May 3: “Reformation Music History” with David Frank. Music of the Reformation enriches our worship today. Come hear about the times and cultural background of our hymns. You will be blessed. A freewill donation lunch will be served beginning at noon in Fellowship Hall.

Wednesday, May 16: Worship at Arbor Lakes at 1 pm and/or Rose Arbor Assisted Living at 2:30 pm.

Thursday, May 17: The OWLs board a coach bus and travel to Superior, Wisconsin, to tour the Bong Veterans Historical Center.

We will stop at Tobies in Hinckley for brunch on the way up. Leave church at 9 am, return at 5:45 pm.

Cost is $50; brunch is on your own.

Lord of Life Ministries

save the date

Via de Cristo

by Merle and Michelle Waldron Via de Cristo, or way of Christ, is being held at Lord of Life. The men’s weekend will be May 31-June 3 and the women’s weekend June 7-10.

What is Via de Cristo? It’s a structured three-day weekend designed to strengthen and renew the faith of Christians. It also brings them to a new awareness of living in God’s grace.

What’s a weekend like? The weekend begins on Thursday evening and ends on Sunday evening. You spend the entire time living in community at the church. You will study, worship, and commune together daily. There is music and singing, food and fellowship, a time for laughter, and a time for prayer.

What should I do if I’m interested in attending? Visit the narthex table on May 5 or 6 or contact Merle and Michelle Waldron (763.420.5388, mmwaldron@comcast.net) to ask questions and receive an application.

Thursday, June 7: Food, Faith, and Fellowship Annual Picnic with guest, inspirational singer Roy Hope. Roy returns to sing the old favorites and new songs to bless the heart! Event begins at noon in Fellowship Hall; freewill donation lunch.

Please note there will be many Lord of Life Via de Cristo members involved during these weekends—and you won’t find a more comfortable location to attend.

Wednesday, June 27 (note date change): Visit Target Field to tour the stadium, then listen to a talk on the history of the Minnesota Twins.

Leave church at 9 am and return at 3 pm. Cost is $22 plus lunch on your own at a restaurant near the stadium.

For more details about the Via de Cristo ministry, visit lordoflife.org/viadecristo.

Questions? Contact Karen Nelson (763.420.5015 x138 or karenn@ lordoflife.org), read the bulletin board, or visit lordoflife.org/owls.

10 May 2018

©mitriraheb

Palestinian Author, Palestinian Art

On Wednesday, May 16, Lord of Life welcomes Lutheran pastor and theologian, social entrepreneur, author and advocate for peace— Palestinian Christian Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb. He will speak at a forum open to the community. Diaspora and Identity: The Case of Palestine and other books will be available for purchase as well as signing by the author. Held in the sanctuary, there will be time for questions and answers with Pastor Mitri along with a brief presentation by Beth Nelson Chase, executive director of Bright Stars of Bethlehem.

Lord of Life is also honored to showcase Palestinian artists’ paintings that same evening. The focus is to educate and raise awareness on the plight of Palestinians in the Holy Land. Three of the paintings, which will be displayed, are shown below. On May 17-19, you are invited to attend Windows into Palestine at Westminster Presbyterian Church in downtown Minneapolis.

This three-day festival will feature film, visual arts, musical performances, Middle East cuisine, and more.

For details including volunteer opportunities with Windows into Palestine, visit windowsintopalestine.org. For details on the Holy Land ministry at Lord of Life, visit lordoflife.org/theholyland.

< mAy16 > 6-7 pm: Informal reception in narthex with book signing and Palestinian art exhibit

7-7:45 pm: Open forum in sanctuary 7:45-8 pm: Questions and answers

“Untitled” by Eyad Obeid

“Holy Mary Symbol of Purity” by Layla Hamdieh

“There Was” by Hanadi Azmi

Lord of Life Ministries

Photos Courtesy of Jo Lucas

8-8:30 pm: Additional book signing

May 2018 11

One Mission One World: Jamaica—

Smiling Faces and Open Arms

by Phil Leith We had a wonderful team this year who enjoyed working, worshiping, and simply hanging out with each other.

Everyone did an amazing job at serving where they felt called. The children from Westhaven Children’s Home give far more back to us than we give to them. Enjoy these excerpts from the mission team’s daily blog: Thank you to all at Lord of Life not only for your ongoing support for the children of Jamaica, but also for Lord of Life missionaries. We, as rookies, are seeing a whole new perspective opened up to us— from the kindness and hospitality of Jamaican co-workers, the daily work in a hot Jamaican sun, to the abilities seen in each child as part of the body of Christ. —Kevin, Stacie, Gabe, and Angelene Klitz We began our first work day bright and early. After a long drive up the mountain, we arrived to see smiling faces and open arms. Some of us helped feeding breakfast to the kids, while others kicked off construction projects for the week including rebuilding windows, laying concrete drainage slabs, and painting. —Bruce, Jennifer, and Katie Baldwin But the kids, though! We completely fell in love with them! We fell in love with their spirits, smiles, and willingness to help each other and tend to one another. We fell in love with their infectious joy for singing and dancing even when confined to wheelchairs or almost nonverbal. We fell in love with their need for endless walks around the yard with the same giggles at every turn. We fell in love with their pride while helping with clothespins or assisting with feeding, changing, and clothing their friends.

—Stephanie and Ashley Sauer Pastor Dave gave us an assignment to personalize new Bibles lovingly donated by a church member.

The donor requested they be given to Faith Chapel sharing God’s message of love. We added our favorite Bible verses to the donated Bibles presented to the pastors at Sunday worship. —Ruth McKie, Pam Tappe, Connie Luebke Lord of Life’s team never retreated from the mission and persevered through challenges, serving when and how God called them. We definitely gave it our all and didn’t leave anything on the court. Our reserve tank was empty when we headed home for rest and reflection. We all tried our best to go into the mission week with no expectations and came home without regrets. While there seems to be a never-ending list of needs, we all feel as though we accomplished what God called us here to do.

—Pastor Dave McCarty

Lord of Life Ministries

For more photos and to learn more about One Mission One World: Jamaica, visit lordoflife.org/jamaica.

12 May 2018

summer church school Ministry of Inclusion Volunteers Needed—

Be a Buddy

May 27 - September 2 Sundays: 8:30, 9:45, and 11 am

A great way to make a difference for a child with special needs is to be a buddy!

Every child should be able to attend church activities and learn about God—and with your help, that can happen this summer.

Contact Ministry of Inclusion Director Heidi Segedy (heidis@lordoflife.org) to learn more about this opportunity.

graduate recognition

Please join in with fellow graduates and family on Sunday, May 20, at the 11 am service as we congratulate and bless you on this important milestone. There will be a cake reception in Fellowship Hall after worship.

scholarships available

Sponsored by Military Family Support Ministry (MFSM), several $500 scholarships are available for children of parents who served in the military and whose families are Lord of Life members. Students should be enrolled in college or other post-secondary program. Applications will be reviewed by the MFSM scholarship committee and scholarships will be awarded in July. Applications will be accepted April 1-June 1. For an application, visit lordoflife.org/militaryfamilysupport.

Children age 3 - completed grade 3 Free, no registration required

yard sale donations

As you collect items you no longer need while spring cleaning, consider donating them to St. Olaf Lutheran Church. Youth at our partner congregation in Minneapolis will hold a yard sale Saturday, June 9, to raise funds for their trip to the ELCA Youth Gathering in July. Bring gently used clothing, home goods, furniture, bikes, and other treasures to the Service Center until June 1. Thank you in advance for your generosity.

Lord of Life Ministries May 2018 13

Summertime with CYF lordoflife.org/summer

June 2018

Summer Nights (grades 6-12)

Adventure Week (grades 1-5) Summer Stretch (grades 6-8) Preschool Vacation Bible School (VBS) (age 3-K) Summer Stretch (grades 6-8) Summer Nights (grades 6-12)

Preschool VBS (age 3-K) Evening VBS (age 3-grade 5) Summer Stretch (grades 6-8)

July 2018

Youth return from ELCA Youth Gathering Summer Nights (grades 6-12)

Half-pint Camp (grades 1-3) Elementary Camp (grades 3-5) Middle School Camp (grades 6-8) High School Camp (grades 9-12): July 8-11 or July 8-13

Summer Nights (grades 6-12)

Elementary VBS (grades K-5) Summer Stretch (grades 6-8) Elementary VBS (grades K-5) Summer Stretch (grades 6-8)

Elementary VBS (grades K-5) Middle School Mission Trip (grades 6-8)

August 2018 Summer Stretch (grades 6-8) Middle School Mission Trip (grades 6-8) Valleyfair

Lord of Life Ministries

Summer Nights (grades 6-12)

14 May 2018

Summer Nights (grades 6-12)

Youth leave for ELCA Youth Gathering June 23 - July 2 in Houston

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the skies above proclaim the work of God’s hands. Psalm 19:1 (NIV)

Happy May!

by Karing Kingdom Assistant Director Carly Tappe It has been a great school year at Karing Kingdom Preschool! It is hard to think the school year is almost over.

We will finish off the year with the letter Y for Yarn, the letter M for Mom and the letter X for an eXciting end of the year.

One Family

by George Shannon, illustrated by Blanca Gómez A warm and wonderful celebration of the many different configurations of families—and all the ways they love each other!

May is busy with lots of fun and exciting things happening. We will have ‘moms and muffins’ on May 10 and the annual Mother’s Day Tea on May 11. The last week of school will also include a visit from Maple Grove Fire and Rescue. Student recognition night is Thursday, May 17, at 7 pm.

Enrollment packets for the 2018-19 school year will be mailed in May. All enrollment paperwork is due back to Karing Kingdom by Friday, June 22, please.

As shown below, we collected 341 food items donated to Ronald McDonald House and CROSS. For more information about Karing Kingdom Preschool, email kingdom@ lordoflife.org or call 763.420.5015 x127.

Karing Kingdom Preschool May 2018 15

L O R D O F L I F E L U T H E RAN CHU R CH (E LCA ) 7401 County Road 101, Maple Grove, MN 55311-4313 phone 763.420.5015 fax 763.420.7286 web lordoflife.org LifeTIMES is a monthly ministry of Lord of Life Lutheran Church printed by Wallace Carlson Printing using ecofriendly inks.

To receive LifeTIMES in the mail or electronically—call 763.420.5015 or stop in the church office or email office@lordoflife. org with your name & address. We invite you to share faith stories, Lord of Life ministry events, photos, poetry & artwork to bevm@ lordoflife.org. Submissions may be edited. Deadline for the June issue is May 1.

Copyright © 2018 Lord of Life Lutheran Church

TIME SENSITIV E MATERIAL RETURN SERV ICE REQ UESTE D

In Minnesota— sometimes April (snow) showers bring May flowers—Happy May Day and Happy Mother’s Day on May 13

Caught Reading LifeTIMES

caught reading lifetimes

16 May 2018

The Inspired Images 12th annual stamping/scrapbooking retreat was held at Mt. Carmel in Alexandria. Shown are (left to right): Top Row: Sara Travis, Autumn Wiste, Co-leader Lisa Gedker, Debbie Nohr, Lori Schwartz Middle Row: Nancy Bourbonais, Cathie Martenson, Ellen Sanko, Jeri Espeseth, Bobbie Hansvick, Cindy Cadwallader, Dawn Olchefske Front Row: Co-leader Lynn Anderson, Evelyn Sluiter, Diane VanEmmerik, Bonnie Hewitt, Bev Mello