Son Times Summer 2019 | Vol. 1

SON TIMES ST. ANDREW LUTHERAN CHURCH

SUMMER 2019 | Vol. 1

FAMOUS SIDEKICKs OF THE BIBLE

Famous Sidekicks of the Bible

Leadership

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ne of the things that bounced around in my head when we kicked this theme around was: “Who in my life, have been famous sidekicks?” Now, of course, since I was involved in the process, the word “famous” is just a little tongue and cheek.

At the same time, there is a serious tone in there as well. Allow me to explain.

I have been very blessed to have had so many wonderful people guide, nurture, and support me my entire life. As a pastor’s son, with my dad in the pulpit, my mom on the organ bench, and my older brother in the choir, I was, essentially, a church orphan my entire childhood. Which means, who I sat with on any given Sunday depended upon who was in church that day. Many times, I sat with the same two or three families.

(The Skaars, the Johnsons, and the Krause family). Yet, when they were gone for a weekend, I fondly remember people I hardly knew would wave me over and say, “Come, be a member of our family for an hour.” (At my advanced year of age, I do not remember their name. However, I do remember their kindness).

Futhermore, as I reflect upon all my years of school I can vividly recall my favorite teachers, professors, principals, leaders, and the aides who helped me whenever I fell behind. (Sad, but true. I wasn’t always as bright as I am today). ☺ Around here we always talk about Moses, Abraham, Noah, the original disciples, and how much I really don’t approve of the Green Bay Packers. What about all the other people that God worked through? Through their witness, love for others, and their commitment to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

So, starting in June, we are going to be focusing on the really important people of God that we don’t often talk about.

Nevertheless, they are still very, very important!

God bless, Pastor Lillejord Senior Pastor

Summer Worship Hours Sundays | 9:00 & 10:00 AM

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“Notes” from the Music Office

Music Ministry

A Place to Connect Sometimes we’re the hero and sometimes we’re the sidekick, called to serve in the supporting role. But either way, God uses us and places us in our community of faith so that we can experience the gift of community. Whether you are single, married with kids, widowed, empty-nester, or what-have-you, one of the greatest blessings of belonging to a church is experiencing the richness of relationships and “doing life” together.

Would it be easier to go it alone? Sometimes it absolutely would! But we would also be missing out on what God intends for us as his people. I think that, as Christians, we all recognize how we need God in our lives, but it’s easy to forget how much we also need each other to keep growing in the faith. In the classic song “Message in a Bottle” by The Police, Sting’s lyrics brilliantly illustrate how we can experience loneliness even when we are surrounded by people who have the same fears and insecurities that we have: Walked out this morning/Don’t believe what I saw/A hundred billion bottles washed up on the shore/Seems I’m not alone at being alone/A hundred billion castaways looking for a home.

Lillian Daniel, in her excellent book “Tired of Apologizing for a Church I Don’t Belong To,” writes compellingly about the growing number of SBNR’s (spiritual but not religious) in our country. Daniel writes, “I look to the root of the word ‘religious,’ which is ‘community.’ We can experience God’s goodness through nature, certainly, but we cannot experience community on our own.

What does all of this have to do with worship? Only everything when you consider how Christian community is shaped by our corporate worship and ev-

“God sets the lonely in families, he leads forth the prisoners with singing…”

Psalm 68:6 erything therein. For a society obsessed with self, the value in gathering to worship Someone Greater Than Ourselves is as obvious as it is necessary for us to gain perspective. Confession and Forgiveness is a beautiful thing for those of us who miss the mark (hint: we say it together because we all need it). We need the sacraments to ground us: Holy Baptism reminds us that God has named us and claimed us and Holy Communion has an important “horizontal” aspect connecting us to one another and to those who have gone before us (what the book of Hebrews calls the “great cloud of witnesses”) along with the “vertical” aspect of connecting us to our Savior.

King David, who penned so many of the psalms, nailed it when he wrote that “God sets the lonely in families,” (Psalm 68:6) especially when you consider that he’s talking about all of us and that we’re all a part of God’s family.

See you in church!

Tim Graf Worship & Music Coordinator

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Sidekicks of the Hospitality & Volunteer Ministry

Hospitality

How Did Deb Flach and Gina Altmann Become debandgina?

One day in February 2018, we found ourselves in a conference room with Pastor Lillejord and Pastor Gail. We were being asked if we would be interested in working in hospitality/volunteer ministry as part-time coworkers.

We have been members of St. Andrew for a very long time, however, we did not know each other at all. Knowing we were going to try to fill Deb Bigley’s shoes from her many years of service, and seeing the scope of the position, to say the least—we were a little bit intimidated.

But after going over the duties for which we would be responsible, and told we could think about it and get back to 3

them (as soon as possible), Gina in her very positive way, says “Let’s get after it Deb” and Deb in her cautious way, said “Ok, we can do this (I think).”

We certainly have had a very large learning curve, but we ARE doing it and we have the most supportive and awesome volunteers. It is such a joy welcoming our weekly greeters, communion assistants, altar guild, and coffee and roll volunteers.

You might call us Yin and Yang or Mutt and Jeff, but our different approaches make sharing the hospitality position work! We both know that this was certainly a God thing bringing us

together. Hopefully we are successful in making St. Andrew a welcoming place to come each and every week.

Thank you volunteers! We love you!

Deb Flach Volunteer Coordinator

Gina Altmann Volunteer Coordinator

Celebrating 50 Years of Ordination

W

hen I first started work at St. Andrew, Pastor Roger Schindel took me out to lunch. In a booth at Ruby Tuesday’s (RIP), we talked about the church, our lives, and the way that God is calling something new out of St. Andrew and the church more broadly. That was the first of what has been many coffee dates and chats in the hallway. From that first conversation, I’ve been impressed by Roger’s insight, wisdom, and vision for the church that has changed so much since he was first called into ministry 50 years ago, this June.

On June 29th Roger will celebrate the 50th anniversary of his ordination.

As I’m coming up on just five, I thought it fitting to schedule another coffee chat to hear some of Roger’s stories and to wonder about how the Holy Spirit is still moving the church.

Roger graduated seminary in 1969, but he said his feeling of call into ministry really came to a head when he was looking for a job as a construction worker during the summers off from seminary.

In order to fit in a little better with the union laborers, Roger thought he would keep his studies quiet so he could meet some friends and enjoy his work. But

Pastor’s Interview

those plans were foiled the first day of work on the job site when the foreman said he couldn’t ever remember names and gave him the nickname “Rev.” Roger said some people were wary of his nickname and others poked fun here or there, but he was astounded by the immediate connection that people were willing to make with him. People who never found their way into a pew at church would ask questions, share heartaches, and receive prayer and support from Roger.

Pastor Roger’s first call was in mission development, starting a church from nothing in one of the fastest growing cities in the US: St. Charles, Missouri. He received a two-day seminary and was sent on his way. Roger said, “I got really good at one thing—knocking on doors. For every hundred visits, we might find one family that would be interested.” He said that the work was satisfying, grueling, and that the fear of failure motivated him as much as anything. Roger grew the church over six years into a congregation of 350 members with a building of its own.

His second call was to a church in turmoil which had undergone a split and never fully recovered. Roger remembered, “They had five pastors over

fifteen years. They had no money; the building was a mess; and the grounds were unkept. But I have experience building from nothing, how hard can it be to build from something?” So Roger drew from his experience as a mission developer and invited the congregation to reach out to their neighbors, knocking on doors and talking about the life of the congregation.

Eventually, the congregation grew, the building was revitalized, but Pastor Roger was not done yet. With more and more young families coming to Sunday School, he imagined a contemporary worship service that included children and families in worship. The council thought they didn’t need it because everyone in the church was satisfied. But Roger pushed back, “This is for the people who aren’t here yet.” The council obliged and the service grew the congregation younger and more vital. Roger reflected, “The older I got, the younger the congregation got!”

Roger stayed in Elk Grove, Illinois until his retirement, 29 years later, when he moved to the Twin Cities to become our visitation pastor at St. Andrew. Before we finished the rich conversation, I asked Roger what advice he would give to the church of tomorrow. Quickly he responded, “Don’t be afraid of change.”

I am blessed, and this congregation is blessed, to have such a trusted, courageous, and visionary leader in our midst.

Join us to thank Pastor Roger Schindel and to celebrate 50 years of ministry for the sake of the gospel. We will honor Pastor Roger in worship on June 30th with cake following each service.

Matthew Ian Fleming Pastor of Teaching & Young Adults

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Famous Sidekicks of the Bible

Support Groups

Support Groups Overcome Social Barriers, Support the Community In order to build notoriety, any organization or business has to be known for something in particular. For instance, if I sold cars, I would prefer that those cars be known for good safety and reliability. This way, they would be easier to sell.

When it comes to what restaurants we enjoy, Michele and I will spend our money and time at restaurants that known for good food and a warm atmosphere.

What is St. Andrew known for? St. Andrew has dynamic Sunday worship. We have Spirit in the Pines. We have Early Learning childcare and preschool.

I propose to you that an emerging special feature of ministry at St. Andrew consists of the various support groups we host to engage members of our community in hope and healing.

St. Andrew U provides an umbrella structure for distinct, faith-based, support groups for a variety of issues of health and wellness: mourning death, mental illness, and divorce. These might be difficult topics about which to talk. However, support groups pull people with a shared experience together. They quickly identify with each in their shared struggles. The support group develops into a place where honest emotions can be displayed and thoughtful guidance can be passed along.

In fact, well led support groups can be so rewarding that participants continue in them for months and even years.

“When I lost my parents, I would have loved to have [a support group]. I want to provide resources to others that

I wish I would have had back then,” Cheryl Harjes says. In addition to being an active leader in the SW Grief Coalition (www.swgreifcoalition.org), Cheryl has lead St. Andrew grief groups for many years, including this summer’s GriefShare on Monday evenings. “People think grief groups are sad, awful and depressing. We do have tears, but we also have belly laughs. People are safe to have any emotion.”

The NAMI support group aims to help families dealing with the ongoing realities of mental illness. At a NAMI support group a few weeks ago, 15 people met at their regular Tuesday night session. This high total signifies the need for such a group in the community. It is led by member Carol Webster.

“Our family has faced the challenges of dealing with a loved one with mental illness,” says Carol. “I have learned through studying II Corinthians that Paul said when you have been comforted go out and comfort others. So reaching out to other families who are challenged by mental illness has been my mission.”

Barriers keep people from participating.

“Societal stigma regarding mental illness is prevalent in our culture,” says Carol.

“The feelings of shame and embarrassment can cause a reluctance in sharing family mental illness issues.”

Tammy Sperr leads the Suicide Bereavement Support Group that meets twice a month, a leadership role she grew into following the tragic suicide death

of her son, Brendan. “Support Groups help the bereaved to do the hard work of mourning, to work through the sense of isolation that many experience,” Tammy says. “They provide emotional, physical and spiritual support in a safe, non-judgmental place. A big barrier to attending a support group is the fear of crying, of being vulnerable in front of others, and having others criticize you for how you feel, and what you are thinking, and even how you are grieving. Working together to move forward in our grief, as we never ‘get over’ our grief, but we reconcile it into our lives, and we can be happy and lead full lives again. That makes all the difference!”

So, what is St. Andrew known for?

Answer: support groups. The growing presence of support groups makes the case that St. Andrew is a caring and compassionate place for people dealing with difficult circumstances in life. It is a powerful witness to be called into circumstances where comfort and compassion is needed. May God continue to lead us toward blessings our community with care and support.

Pastor Peter Johnson Pastor of Small Groups and Service

St. Andrew Support Groups • DivorceCare lead by Carrie Gustafson (Summer Wednesdays beginning June 5th) • GriefShare lead by Cheryl Harjes (Summer Mondays beginning June 3rd) • Suicide Bereavement Support Group lead by Tammy Sperr (Summer Tuesdays/Thursdays continuing June 7th) • NAMI Support Group (National Alliance on Mental Illness) lead by Carol Webster (Summer Tuesdays continuing June 14th) 5

Famous Sidekicks of the Bible

Early Learning

“For those who love God, all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

Romans 8:28

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od wants us to work together. Teamwork and encouragement go hand in hand. Such a simple concept. When we work together we accomplish so much more as a team. Each person on our Early Learning team has something unique and special to offer. It takes all of us working together that keeps our programs running smoothly.

As team players, we aspire to be more like God. Every day there is evidence of our staff working together, whether it is us directors working together, our staff working with our families, our teachers working together, or our students working with each other.

We recently celebrated “The Week of The Young Child” which is an annual celebration hosted by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. This week spotlights early learning, young children, their teachers, families, and communities. Children learn so much as they enjoy music, explore food and cooking, build together, create art and celebrate their families. Our students were treated to special music with some of St Andrew’s music staff and our early learning cook, Mrs. Debbie made smoothies with the kids. Later in the week each classroom was paired with another class to work on a special project together. It was especially fun to see our preschoolers working with the infants and toddlers. The week ended with a day celebrating our families.

Our Early Learning Program is celebrating 30 years of ministry at St Andrew and on May 21, we had our Graduation Ceremony. This year we are sending 67 graduates off to Kindergarten! We have been blessed to have been able to watch these children grow and we are so excited to let them “Go Out There and Be Amazing”.

Kathi Wieman Preschool Director

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Famous Sidekicks of the Bible

Sidekicks in Children’s Ministry According to Wikipedia, the term, sidekick, originated in pickpocket slang of the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. The “kick” was the front side pocket of a pair of pants—the pocket safest from theft.

By analogy, a “sidekick” was a person’s closest friend. Who are your sidekicks?

Your trusted friends? People you depend on for all kinds of things?

As we move into summer, I’d like to give a shout out to our Children’s Ministry sidekicks—the 300+ volunteers we trust most—can’t live without—depend on each week—to make ministry happen. We are so grateful!

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49 Middle School students are Youth Leaders for Sunday School.

63 High School students and 21 adults are Faith Guides for Sunday School.

8 people serve on the Children’s Ministry Leadership Team and shape this ministry.

28 people (9 families) share the role of getting all the classrooms ready for kids and leaders. They arrive at 8:00 AM on Sunday morning!

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5 parents take turns cleaning up Sunday school rooms to make sure they are ready for Monday morning childcare and preschool kiddos.

5 parents take turns coming in midweek to get all the supplies ready for Sunday morning.

4 parents and 1 middle school student are our Inclusion Ministry team.

Dozens of people shop for supplies when we need it.

FUSE parents provide snacks for 50 to 60 kiddos each Wednesday.

Bible and Boogie and Bible Blasters parents provide dinner support every Wednesday night.

50 high school students lead retreats, lock-outs, and lock-ins each year.

25 middle school students support parents and kids at family events.

2 middle school students filled 1,600 Easter eggs with candy and treats.

8 ladies who quilt made 6 quilts out of squares of hand-drawn art created

by Sunday School kids.

Children’s Ministry Save the Dates

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Sunday, June 2: Training for VBS Leaders In Training

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Sundays, June 9–Aug 18 (except July 7): Superhero Summer Sunday School

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Tuesday, June 18: Vacation Bible School and Mystery Bus Leader Training

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June 24–27: Vacation Bible School and Mystery Bus

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Tuesdays, July 9–30: Wee Ones Stories and Songs

Children’s Ministry

This Summer - Random Acts of Kindness!

This summer, kids are invited to do random acts of kindness wherever they go and to document their adventures with photographs. Our hope is that we will get many pictures of kids loving their neighbors by doing random acts of kindness.

If you would like a Kindness Card full of ideas for your family, stop by the Children’s Ministry office. Send all your pictures to Arlene Flancher via e-mail (aflancher@standrewlu.org). Have fun being kind this summer!

Arlene Flancher Children’s Ministry Director

Wisdom gleaned from Kids in Children’s Ministry

It is an honor and privilege to do ministry with kids. Here is a snapshot of some of the things I’ve learned from them.

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“Sometimes when you have cancer you get better by going to heaven. And sometimes you just get better.”

Sometimes you gotta cut your hair and attach it to your art project to make it more lifelike...

Wooly Caterpillars named George need a nice home made from craft supplies you find only at church...

“I really wish I didn’t have cancer.”

On Adam’s role in succumbing to the snake’s tempting offer: “It really wasn’t Adam’s fault because Eve gave him the apple. Boys aren’t as complex as girls so Adam didn’t stand a chance.”

“When babies are in their mom’s tummy and they fart that is how the butt crack is made.”

“How did Jesus die, anyway? Was it the nails?”

“Giraffes don’t fit in cars.”

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“Caterpillars eat donuts.”

“Why are there hurricanes if God promised never to flood the earth again?”

“My Barbie dream house reminds me of this (Good Samaritan) story! It has a camera to catch the bad guys.”

Arlene says: Jesus said, “You are the light of the world!”

4-year-old response, “Oh! I have Christmas lights!!”

Prayer requests from kids 2nd grade and younger: -- My mom died of cancer. My dog died. My grandma died.

-- My grandma died of cancer 7 days before I was born.

-- My grandma died of cancer.

-- My great uncle has cancer and can’t move.

-- My babysitter’s husband has cancer.

-- My grandpa died of cancer before I could meet him.

-- My baby brother died before he was born.

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Famous Sidekicks of the Bible

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nly in the last few years have I been exposed to the Wonderful World of Superheroes. My husband, Joe, is an avid fan of the Star Wars and Avengers movie series. I was hesitant at first to add distant alien planets to my repertoire of Saturday night popcorn & movies (I am more of a romantic comedy fan). I knew, however, that the best relationships make compromises, especially when those compromises affirm the other person. So I started to watch these superhero movies. Poe Dameron and BB-8… Black Panther and Okoye… Capitan America and Bucky Barnes… I watched them all. I witnessed all of the glory and heartbreak that comes with a classic superhero and sidekick plot: a dynamic duo works together, supports one another, and celebrates one another in the toughest of times. And through their joint struggle against evil villains and moral dilemmas, goodness inevitably rises from the ash.

One thing that strikes me most about the hero-sidekick relationships in these movies is the importance of BOTH roles in overcoming obstacles. Superheroes take the lead and bring peace in the midst of darkness. They provide guidance and moral direction. They are well-known leaders in their communities and are respected by all. Sidekicks, on the other hand, provide a quiet strength, clever reasoning, and an extra hand when the going gets tough. Sidekicks understand what is most important —community, loyalty, and faith. In all truth, the superhero cannot reach his or her full potential without the support of the sidekick, and vice versa. Both are necessary in order for goodness to prevail.

What I think is so miraculous is that St. Andrew has its own secret team of faithful superheroes and sidekicks. Each week in our Confirmation program, almost 200 middle school students enter St. Andrew’s doors to learn about their faith, discuss the both difficult and marvelous parts of life, and build a support network with friends. But this doesn’t just “happen.”

We have are adult leaders who make it all possible. These leaders are our most fearless prayer warriors and most humble servants.

They teach and advise and lead our youth in whatever ways they need. Through their endless time and support, our adult leaders

Summer Save The Dates: •

June 24-27: Leaders-In-Training for VBS

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July 7-13: Middle School Mission Trip

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July 23: 3rd Annual Ice Cream Bike Tour

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August 1: Confirmation Registration Opens

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August 15: Welch Mill River Tubing

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Middle School Ministry give guidance when it counts most. And they so often do this ministry quietly without accolade or praise. Of one thing I am certain: we cannot prevail without their loyalty, perseverance, and wisdom. Small group leaders are the undeniable heartbeat of youth ministry at an age when affirming, real relationships mean everything. They take both roles of hero and sidekick for these middleschool students.

As we enter into the summer months, I want to take a few moments to celebrate those in our community who dedicated their time and love to the Confirmation program this year. We couldn’t do what we do here at St. Andrew without your support. YOU make faith formation possible in our church. YOU are our superheroes and sidekicks.

Thank you for your service this year!

Thank you, 2018–19 Confirmation Leaders!

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Karen Bachman Thull Lily Ballintine Sarah Cashman Sarah Christensen Sarah Dummer Levi Fourre Jane Geiwitz Matt Gribben Tatum Gunderson TJ Helgren Olivia Henstein Juli Hermanson Mike Hermanson Kathryn Hernke

Reilly Orner Middle School Ministry Director

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Izzy Lahl David Lillejord Rachel Lillejord Tim Lundeen Wendy Markman Amaya Nordos Cara Olsen Dan Page Sandy Perkins Heidi Quirk Kate Reding Chuck Rodman Jamie Samuelson Amy Strezo

Famous Sidekicks of the Bible

High School Ministry

W

e are finally at summer, hopefully now we are at some warm weather and can leave the movie theaters and inside activities behind us. We now get to look forward to the sun, lakes, and being outside! Thinking back at the last 5 months I can’t help but think all that has happened, horrible road conditions, three cold days in a row, and a record snow month. Then I think of something a little nicer and mind goes to what has been the talk amongst the high school students, Avengers. This was a really fun topic to discuss with all that could, should, and did happen. It also made me think about a trip my uncle went on about a year ago.

He was able to tour the Marvel Studio as his friend was on the team that made the Avengers trailer. I thought about all of the people that were involved in making this movie such a hit and building so much excitement for what is to come.

We are all the hero in our own stories, but what about all of our sidekicks?

We look at the people that are in our life everyday helping us to grow in so many different ways. Like my uncle’s friend the people who make it possible for us to succeed, build excitement and give us energy in our daily lives. Think about who are our sidekicks in our faith life, the ones growing with us and helping to make each of us the best person that we can be. How do our sidekicks affect our faith and how can we be better sidekick’s for others in their faith story?

We have a lot of opportunities for your faith to grow either as a hero or a sidekick, both being very important roles as you make a difference in the lives of those around you. We will have our Summer WNYG starting on June 12th and being every Wednesday from 7-8:30 until August 21st, except for July 3rd. This will be a very fun campfire style worship as we hear from college students about their faith journey and different topics.

We will also have our trips to Spirit in the Pines from June 23rd to June 28th for 8th and 9th grade students. Then we will have our High School Weekend following that from June 28th to June 30th.

We also have our High School Golf Outing where we will be playing best ball with Pastor Lillejord and Pastor Peter! This will be a fun match with Pastor Lillejord’s team playing against Pastor Peter’s team to see which Pastor’s team can claim victory. Then the biggest event that we have going on in the first half of summer is our Mission Trip! We will be going to Logan, WV form July 6th to July 13th. This will be a great experience for our high school students to go out and make a difference in other communities. We look forward to serving God and others and we live out our faith in daily life.

So as you go about your daily life remember to be sidekicks for others and remember the sidekicks in your life. Reach out and make a difference for those in need and help them become the hero’s that God has made them to be. We look forward to seeing you at all of these great opportunities to grow in your faith and to build new friendships and strengthen the existing ones.

TJ Helgren High School Ministry Director

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Famous Sidekicks of the Bible

Visitation Ministry/Prime Timers

It takes a team!

So, what’s a team?

A team is a group of people whose skills complement one another and are needed to complete a task, a project, or a job. A team operates with a high degree of interdependence, shares responsibility and is accountable for each other’s performance and who work for a common goal.

Why did Jesus build and train a team of followers? Considering that he was God, he could have done anything he wanted done on his own. So, why did Jesus make the effort to call 12 people to follow him, to take up his cause and his cross? I think Jesus gathered a small, dedicated team around him because he knew that his influence would be significantly greater if he had teammates who believed and trusted God as much as he did.

I think Jesus knew that the credibility of his mission increased immensely if he already had a committed group of people following him. He knew from the start that in a few short years he’d be leaving the mission entirely to his team.

I appreciate the wonderful team of leaders and servants we have at St. Andrew. What I truly consider special is that our staff cares about each other and are willing to do whatever they can to help each other. Unfortunately, this isn’t the norm in all churches but it’s true for us and it renews my spirit to be a part of a ‘band of saints’ who have the same goal and purpose and don’t care who gets credit for doing something good. We are blessed to have a wonderful team of pastors who care about our church and reflect authentic joy and love. Their goal is to make a difference in the world and in our lives for God. However, our four pastors, like Jesus, know that their effectiveness multiplies with an equally talented and dedicated team of disciples. Think about how those 12 disciples found a way to spread the gospel of Christ under dire circumstances and in spite of great resistance, threats, and persecution.

Consider the wonderful and awesome possibilities for ministry when we have an entire congregation who accept Jesus’ call to mission here at St. Andrew and serve together to accomplish it. It was Jesus’ vision for his church to be one unified team using multiple talents and gifts to serve him by serving others.

Pastor Roger Schindel Visitation Pastor

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Prime Timers Tour of St. Mary’s Basilica June 18, Leave church at 9:15 AM Enjoy a tour of St. Mary’s Basilica built in 1907; church opened 1914; interior decorations completed in 1925. In 1926 it was named the first basilica in the U.S. The building is on the National Register of Historic Places because of it’s outstanding architecture, engineering, & Baroque expression. Sign up in the Prime Timers binder by June 16.

Famous Sidekicks of the Bible

Memorial Prayer Garden

“I go to prepare a place for you” John 14

Did You Know?

St. Andrew Lutheran Church has a Memorial Prayer Garden.What’s a Prayer Garden you may ask—The Memorial Prayer Garden is prepared for interring the remains of church members and loved ones in a place kept sacred for the remembering of those who have died.

The Prayer Garden proclaims our church’s mission to be a caring community of saints who have gone before and those who grieve their death and bear witness to the gift of eternal life.

The Prayer Garden includes: • A Columbarium—a beautifully constructed brick and stone wall of “niches” in which ashes or cremation remains are interred.

• A Memorial Wall—a limestone base with a wall of granite for inscribing names and years of birth and death of loved ones • A Scattering Site—an area designated within the garden where cremation remains may be scattered

The Memorial Prayer Garden is located on the east side of the sanctuary.

Funeral processions may carry ashes from the church to the prayer garden where they are placed or scattered as part of the funeral service or as part of a brief ceremony led by a pastor at a later date.

For more information about the Memorial Prayer Garden please contact: Pastor Peter Johnson pastorpeter@standrewlu.org

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Famous Sidekicks of the Bible

Spirit in the Pines

Camping Ministry—A Dynamic Super Duo! All epic leader/side-kick relationships have as a common denominator a shared vision for the overall mission. They also have diverse skills, abilities, and a division of responsibility. All of which leads to success through the collective strength of the duo beyond what each as individuals could ever accomplish. The timeless Batman & Robin “dynamic duo” demonstrates time after time that they are indomitable when working together as a team, each using their own unique abilities. Their crime fighting success never fails, even in those dire situations where one or the other is incapacitated by the Riddler, Penguin, or other villain. As the drama unfolds, the dynamic duo is somehow restored to full strength! Success is achieved and evil is once again thwarted!

(Insert “Pow!” & “Zowee!” here) Leader/side-kick stories aren’t just the stuff of comic books and movies, but are found in the bible as well. A prominent example of this is the story of the liberation of the Israelites. When God calls Moses to lead the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, Moses protests that he is slow of speech. God responds by providing the silver-tongued Aaron to speak persuasively to Pharaoh. God doesn’t give Moses the whole plan at the initial calling, but he does provide a ministry partner. Working together and using their unique strengths, the pair was successful in liberating the Israelites. The 13

story most certainly is as drama filled as an episode of Batman & Robin!

A message from the story of Moses & Aaron is that when God calls, God also equips. He often equips by providing people with complementary gifts and strengths. Without us seeing the whole plan laid out, God also calls us to trust him with the people he’s provided. We’re not meant to do ministry alone and we’re always better when we’re together!

When the Camping Ministry was in it’s infancy at St. Andrew, Burke Hancer was called to lead the effort. With his experience at Mount Olivet’s owned Cathedral of the Pines Camp, he was uniquely suited to begin St. Andrew’s own Camping Ministry. As the ministry grew, Burke recruited volunteer help with registrations and camper send-offs.

The first to help was a match made in heaven. Kathy Williams and Sandy Perkins created operational systems and inner workings, ever adjusting as the number of campers increased each year.

Off -loading these tasks allowed Burke to concentrate on building the program at camp, including volunteer counselors and seasonal staff.

The camp staff are side-kicks and ministry partners in delivering the Gospel of God’s love and grace to youth and family campers. Beginning with just 5 staff the first year, the number of seasonal staff has grown to 12, as well as 2 camp

cooks, 2 maintenance folks, and program directors. Seasonal camp staff specialize in an area of expertise: God Squad (worship & Bible study), Fun Squad (activities & games), and Life Squad (lifeguard & Olympics). Often Camp Staff go on to pursue careers in ministry! Notable examples include; Derek Fosse, Jenny Gruendler, Brian Evans, Marie Williams Wignall, Joe Orner, Reilly Quirk Orner. Over 170 volunteer counselors who oversee a cabin of campers provide another level of ministry and care.

God is constantly at work, calling people in and out of this outreach ministry of camping. What holds it all together is the shared vision of St. Andrew that encourages everyone to experience the redemptive love and grace of God as we “Live out our faith in daily life.” You could say that the Camping Ministry team with its side-kicks, are a dynamic SUPER duo that would put even Batman & Robin to shame! As it is written on each counselor and staff shirt, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” Philippians 4:13 (Insert “Wow!” & “Thanks Be To God!” here) Sandy Perkins Camping Ministry Coordinator

Young Adult Kickball Thursdays, June 13–August 23, 6:00 PM We’re going to play some good-old-fashioned kickball this summer. It’s a league, with for real umpires, beverages of your choice, and a whole lot of fun. Whether you’ve played a ton of sports or never picked up a ball, this is for you. Every Thursday night, as much as you can join us. You don’t need to commit to every week, and we’ll be flexible with whomever can show up throughout the summer. Email Pastor Matthew at pastormatthew@standrewlu.org if you want to join us!

Cost: $20 for the season (and you’ll get a shirt!)

Ask a Pastor

Pentecost Sunday

Let’s Go Fly a Kite!

Sunday, June 9, 9:00 & 10:00 AM Join us on Pentecost Sunday for worship, coffee, treats, and kite flying. Bring your kite and join us after morning services for a fun, new experience. And don’t forget to wear red!

Our Superhero Summer Sunday School participants will make kites and play with the parachute!

Have you ever had a question you’d like to ask a pastor but haven’t. We are going to try something new in our newsletters. Each issue we will provide a prompt or a topic, and we welcome you to send in any unanswered questions that you may have on that subject.

We will review the submitted questions and pick a few to have a pastor respond to publically in the next issue.

There is a good chance that others in the congregation may have the same question. The first topic for questions is:

Q

:

Do you have any unanswered questions about the Holy Spirit?

We welcome all questions, big or small. Please submit your questions via email to askapastor@standrewlu.org.

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Famous Sidekicks of the Bible Batman & Robin. Han Solo & Chewbacca. Lucy & Ethel.

Jerry Seinfeld & George Castanza. The best leaders always had a sidekick, to provide comic relief or to point out the obvious.

But sidekicks in the bible reveal a different path for supporting people in our lives, whether we find ourselves in a lead role or a supporting role. Join us this June as we learn about some of the famous sidekicks of the bible. We will learn about some of the greatest characters that you’ve never heard of, all while hearing God’s call for our own lives. Because each of us could have an “&” on our costume. We each take lead and supporting roles.

We are each sinner & saint.

June 16

Samuel—prophet’s assistant & God’s mouthpiece

June 23

Elizabeth—best friend to God’s mom & brilliant poet

June 30

Tabitha—tailor of good news & witness to resurrection

July 7

Miriam—her brother’s keeper & fierce prophet

July 14

Nathan—trusted advisor & bold truth teller

July 21

Ananias—disciple of Christ & reluctant transformer