@ the in ersection by pastor julie wright
TRANSCRIPT
M A Y 2 0 1 7
Easter Like You Mean It
Leading up to Easter, I noticed a very entertaining commercial from Wal-Mart. It featured children of all ages on a very
exciting Easter egg hunt. Kids were clamoring to get the hundreds of Easter eggs that were hidden all over the yard –
in trees and bushes, in flower gardens, and even in the swimming pool! The kids were having a great time – running,
laughing, cheering, and playing. Then across the screen was the following: Easter Like You Mean It.
Easter has always been a noun – as in a thing / an event / a day to be celebrated. But in this commercial, they used
Easter as a verb!
What does it mean to “Easter” when we use this word
as an action verb?
In Luke’s gospel (Luke 24:1-12), immediately after the
resurrection, the disciples and women who discovered
the empty tomb asked these questions:
What now? Now that Jesus has been raised -- which changes everything – what do we do now?
What does Easter look like – in action? Does it look like energetic children scrambling for the best East-
er egg in the yard? Or does it look like something more – something deeper – something real?
In Luke 24:13-35, two of the disciples are on their way to Emmaus. As they walked, they talked about the resurrection.
And as they shared a meal, their eyes were opened and they recognized that the stranger with them was Jesus.
As a congregation of people who walk with Jesus, we might ask ourselves these same questions. How can you “Easter
Like You Mean It”? I invite you to stick this on your refrigerator and write in all the ways you can turn the message of
Easter into something that you can see and do and BE in your life.
You May Have Wondered During Holy Week, I came down with an upper-respiratory infection, which many of you may have noticed because I
spoke and preached in an unusually low tenor voice. During this time, I also refrained from serving communion and
@ The In ersection by Pastor Julie Wright
Easter [ee-ster]
noun
1. an annual Christian festival in commemoration of
the resurrection ofJ esus Christ, observed on the
first Sunday after the first full moon after the
vernal equinox.
Easter [ee-ster]
verb
1. ___________________ 5. ___________________
2. ___________________ 6. ___________________
3. ___________________ 7. ___________________
4. ___________________ 8. ___________________
P A G E 2
Worship and Music Ministry Team
by Louise Lentz, Worship and Music Chair
Our parament color remains white throughout the month of May. White is used during the vigil of Easter and Sundays
of Easter, when white suggests joy in the resurrection. Yes, the celebration of Easter continues throughout the month,
but the joy of His resurrection never ends. The Easter season brings spring flowers which represent new – our new
life in Christ, the new season, brighter, longer days, and sunshine. They uplift our spirit and create hope for the future.
SPECIAL EVENTS COMING:
MAY 21
The Eisenmann Puppeteers will be joining us for the children’s message at the 8:00
and 10:30 a.m. worship services and for the Sunday School hour. You don’t need to
be a child to enjoy the message of loving God and loving others that their puppets
bring in a fun and entertaining way. Invite your friends and mark your calendars for
“Follow in Faith” with the Eisenmann Puppeteers.
JUNE 11
Barb and Joel Forthun, our Sanctuary Choir Director and her husband, will be providing special music for our 9:30 a.m.
service on June 11. Joel is also an accomplished musician with a Master of Music de-
gree in Percussion Performance. They will provide a variety of music on marimba and
piano to enhance our worship that day. The marimba is a percussion instrument with
wood bars (Joel’s has rosewood bars) that are arranged like the keys of a piano and
has resonators suspended underneath. The marimba was developed in Central
America by African slaves and today is the national instrument of Guatemala.
Invite your friends and neighbors to join us.
What is a Sanctuary Arts Team? It is a group of folks who focus on enhancing our worship services by creating visual
arrangements in our Sanctuary. The purpose is to create an environment that helps us
worship visually as well as spiritually. This can include re-arranging the plants, using fabrics,
designing arrangements and decorating for the Church seasons. The team will review each
season and “dress up” the Sanctuary to emphasize the message of the season. We need
creative individuals who enjoy exploring Pinterest for ideas and developing an overall plan.
Then we need individuals who can carry out the plan. If this is something that you are
interested in, please contact Louise Lentz or any one on the Worship and Music Ministry
Team.
offering individual absolution. Face it, none of us wants communion after it’s been coughed and sneezed at! I will do this as
needed in the future to prevent the spread of infection. Thank you to Pastor Roger Hardy for helping during this time.
I’m pleased to report that after a week of vacation after Easter, I’m back to work and feeling great. Just in time for
spring! Thanks to all who expressed concern and prayed for me!
@ The Intersection examines the joys and challenges of following in the way of Jesus at all the intersections of our lives. God
meets us in all our roles and relationships, challenges, hopes and failures. God meets us “in life, in death, in life beyond death”1
and everywhere in between.
P A G E 3
MAY WORSHIP
DATE THEME LESSONS WORSHIP SERVICES
May 7
Easter 4
New Member’s Welcomed
The Good
Shepherd
Acts 2:42-47
Psalm 23
John 10:1-10
8:00 and 10:30 am Worship
with Holy Communion
May 14
Easter 5
Mother’s Day
In the Name
of the Lord
Acts 7:55-60
Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16
John 14:1-14
8:00 and 10:30 am Worship
with Holy Communion
May 21
Easter 6
If You
Love Me Acts 17:22-31
Psalm 66:8-20
John 14:15-21
8:00 and 10:30 am Worship
with Holy Communion
May 28
Easter 7
Is this
the time?
Acts 1:6-14
Psalm 68:1-10, 32-35
John 17:1-11
8:00 and 10:30 am Worship
with Holy Communion
The purpose of the Worship & Music Ministry Team is to provide worship experiences that are
meaningful, relevant, Spirit-filled, and grounded in God’s Word. We want your feedback to let us
know how we are doing. We would appreciate your thoughts on the Now the Feast and Celebration
liturgy, by Marty Haugen, as well as the other liturgies that we use each Sunday. All suggestions or
comments on our worship experiences are welcome. Connect with one of the team members or
attend a meeting. The members are: Louise Lentz, chair; Trish Ebensteiner, Barb Forthun, Anna
Hahnfeldt, Pastor Chris Kinney, Laurel Oseth, Brad Pipal, Nancy Pollock, Angy Thelemann, and Susan
Young. We meet on the first Thursday of each month and look forward to hearing your ideas. (The
May meeting has been moved to Thursday, May 18th at 7pm.)
A NOTE FROM THEA NOTE FROM THE
By Barbara Forthun, Sanctuary Choir Director
Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music. Psalm 93:4
As the program year comes to a close in a few weeks, so does the season for the Sanctuary Choir. I feel very blessed
to have been welcomed into the AGLC community and serve in the vibrant music ministry here. Before we begin
our hiatus for the summer months, I want to recognize those who have been so dedicated to the Sanctuary Choir.
Those most important are the singers: Todd Erickson, Katie Klopfleisch, Hailee W., Caleigh T., Cyndi Berg, Nate Lin-
scheid, Mary Garfield, Julie Linscheid, Trudy Johnson, Evan J., Emily Forthun, Joel Forthun, Laura Ingalsbe, Adam
Ingalsbe, Jeanne Zimmer, Pete Steinke, Adam Johnson, Sam Forthun, Sarah Forthun. I came on board mid-season and
not only was the choir welcoming and encouraging, but also they have been trusting, letting me lead them, musically,
From the Christian Education Ministry Team
P A G E 4
even if they weren't sure of my vision.
Thank you to our fantastic accompanist, Brad Pipal, who makes it work for us, no matter what I put in front of him. A
special thanks to Brad who gave me extra guidance about things like, where the light switches are when we are closing
up for the night, as well workings within the music ministry, and for letting me play a little bit in worship. The staff here
is equally fantastic: Angy Thelemann had me up and running before I knew where the choir folders were, and has pro-
vided me with guidance when I've needed it, made copies, and....., and Trudy Johnson has kept me up to speed with
systems. We have been fortunate to have the instrumental talents of Lynn Waska, Hailee W. and Joel Forthun add to
our special music-thank you.
Louise Lentz, who is an outstanding chair of the Worship and Music Ministry Team, has been very encouraging and
helpful and Pastor Julie, thank you for your encouragement and guidance. Thank you to the AGLC worshipers for your
kind and encouraging words and your love of music. Finally, I extend a hearty thank you to Susan Young for making it
so easy to for me step on the podium. It is because of Susan's dedicated work with the choir over the years that gave
me such a strong foundation to build upon as I have taken over leadership of the Sanctuary Choir.
As I conclude, let me remind you that "All God's creatures got a place in
the choir!" and you are welcome to join us when we resume in September.
If you don't like your voice, give it back to God in jubilant song!
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED Submitted by Dre Noble and Amanda Vesta,
VBS Co-Coordinators
Youth...Parents... Grandparents... Neighbors... Friends!
Come assist and help the children strengthen their faith. Volunteer
workers are needed to help run this year’s exciting VBS summer pro-
gram, “Glow in the Dark”. Come join the fun for a few hours or a
few days!
HELP IS STILL NEEDED IN THESE AREAS:
Afternoon Rotation Help Afternoon Supervision
Questions? Contact Dre Noble at [email protected] or Amanda
Vesta at [email protected]
REGISTER NOW! Registration and volunteer sign-up forms are available at www.aglcigh.org.
April 16 - May 30: $70 per child Register by June 3rd to
May 31 - June 19: $80 per child guarantee your child gets
the correct shirt size.
P A G E 5
From the Youth and Family Ministry Team
by Tim Marburger, Children and Youth Minister
SUMMER SERVANTS (June 26 – 29) Registration deadline for involvement in Sumer Servants is May 16. That will include
payment to hold your spot. If you’ve not done this before (I haven’t), it is like being on
a mission trip, serve others and sleep in your own bed nightly! SWEET!!
We will serve at several different non-profits volunteering our time to clean, cook, weed,
etc. We’ll gather each day at 9 am and be done at 4 pm for pick-up. Four area congrega-
tions will work together on the 2017 Summer Servants (June 26 – 29). We will do three
days of service and on the fourth we will play.
Cost: Monday—Wednesday $35 or Monday—Thursday $50
GERTENS Spring Garden orders will be delivered/sorted on Friday, May 12.
AGLC member plants will be ready for pick up on Sunday,
May 14.
Do you have any of these items to donate to
our VBS 2017 service projects?
The donations will be used to make "Blessing Bags" (homeless kits) and Police Care Packages.
The white sheets will be used to make bandages for Tanzania.
Toothbrushes Combs Chapstick
Travel size tooth paste Adult socks Candy
Gum packs Travel size hand sanitizer
Lifesaver Mints Car air freshener White Sheets
Travel size kleenex packs Granola/Protein Bars
Instant coffee packs or small canisters
We can always use monetary donations.
Donations can be placed on the VBS table located in the narthex. If
you have any questions please contact Amanda Vesta
([email protected]). Thank you!
There are plans for a women's retreat this fall. The tentative dates are Friday
evening to Saturday afternoon, October 13 - 14. We want to form a steering
committee to work on planning the retreat. Bring your ideas for a keynote
speaker, topics, and activities. Contact Barb Malamen if interested in being
part of the planning. All thoughts are welcome.
P A G E 6
JOINT YOUTH MINISTRY I would like to report that I’ve been meeting with other youth ministers from our area about joining ranks to “do”
youth ministry. We are all finding that our respective youth are busy with school, jobs, athletics and arts and a long list
of other obligations. As we’ve been meeting, we share a concern for providing quality ministry when only two or
three youth show up. This can be very demoralizing and frustrating for each of us. Collectively we can gather larger
groups while supporting each other as well.
I’ve been meeting with Bethesda, Luther Memorial, St. Luke’s, Good Shepherd, and All Saint’s over the past months.
We are coming to the realization that working together and not re-inventing the wheel helps each of our ministries.
As we’ve continued to meet, we have decided to begin planning monthly projects for 2017-2018. I’m excited to be
working with my peers in ministry with, by and for youth.
We had our first event on April 2 - a fun time of pizza, trivia and prizes. We had 11 youth (may not sound like many,
but it was a great start). The youth were from Amazing Grace and Good Shepherd, with support also from St. Luke’s
and All Saint’s. There was lots of laughing and sharing through our time together.
Pray for this great ministry opportunity!
Remember we’ve started a Children/Youth Advisory Team. This
group of youth/parents and interested adults will help guide our min-
istry. We anticipate meeting no more than once a month for about
one hour. We have met a couple of times now and have begun dis-
cussing various topics like Sunday School attendance, fundraising and
is there a “good” time for youth to meet? We will continue to dis-
cuss many more issues.
If this is of interest to you, please contact me at [email protected], You can also reach out with your input to
the various members who have agreed to help. Presently the members of the group are: Abby G., Hailee W., Mark
Morgan, Pam Rutten, Caleigh T., Joseph W., Lynn Waska, Tim Grundhoffer, and Robyn Noble.
June 19 – 22 VBS
June 26 – 29 SUMMER SERVANTS 9 am – 4 pm Grades 5 – 12
(in combination with several other congregations)
July 14 – 16 CAMP WAPO SEEDS Completed Grades 2-3
July 16 – 21 CAMP WAPO Completed Grades 4-9
P A G E 7
Notes from Stewardship Ministry Team
Missions Updates...
Submitted by Todd Erickson and Joleen Ketterling, Co-chairs
Ecclesiastes 11:1-2 Give generously for your gifts will return to you later. Di-
vide your gifts among many for you do not know what risks might lie ahead.
As a Stewardship Team, we have been exploring the different ways our church has
been giving of our time, talent and financial gifts. One thing is for sure, Amazing
Grace Lutheran Church is a congregation with a caring and generous spirit. In April
we had two meetings on the topic of mission support as we began to create a process
for the evaluation of engagement with and financial support of organizations that are
consistent with AGLC’s mission (an initiative within our Strategic Plan). We felt it was imperative to understand why
this is important and define criteria and a clear process before we make any changes to our current distribution of giv-
ing. We will be presenting this information to the council in May, making any refinements, and then sharing with the
Ministry Team Leads. We will continue to communicate our progress and appreciate your prayers and support as we
concentrate on this important work.
Notes from Evangelism Ministry Team
Neighbor's Inc. Submitted by Lisa Barnhart
Thank you to everyone who contributed to the March Food Drive. With
your help we raised 4,455.93 pounds/dollars of food. Thank you for your
support of those in need in our community! Also a special thank you to Paul
and Judy Rhein, Russ Barnhart and Angy Thelemann for helping to load the
food and deliver it to Neighbors!
Fellowship
OWLS – Older Outstanding,
Wiser, Lutherans Submitted by Lynn Zentner
On the third Thursday of each month, you are invited to join us at 11:00 a.m. for a
“pot-luck” lunch and some fun together. Coffee, tea, and water will be provided. Please
bring a dish to pass. We will gather on May 18 at church in the Upper Room from 11:00
a.m. until 1:30 p.m. Come alone or bring a friend for some fun and relaxation.
P A G E 8
Council Corner
AGLC Financial Summary
through March 2017
Prepared by Jared Hovick, Treasurer
Through three months of 2017, Amazing Grace is slightly over budget with its ministry teams, staff and
building expenses, and is under budget on income.
March’s General Offering (online, envelopes and plate offering) was nearly $5,400 under budget, bringing the
year-to-date General Offering shortage to $16,600. Amazing Grace has collected $6,200 of Designated
Funds (primarily Youth Fundraising) more than budget, bringing the total Income deficit to approximately
$10,400. While it is early in the year, please be mindful of the income shortage as you consider your gifts in
the future.
The numbers above exclude Other Income (Interest Income, Gain/Loss on Investments) and Other Expenses
(Dedicated In/Out and Activity Accounts).
HUNGER Submitted by Barb Malamen
We know the statistics about hunger in the US, in MN, and even in our own
neighborhoods. We at Amazing Grace give generously both nonperishable
items and dollars to our local food shelf, especially during the March Food
Share drive just completed. We also support the fight against world hunger
with our gifts. Charitable giving is important, but government action is a larger
part of the fight against hunger. We need to be aware of our government's
action on funding local assistance efforts such as SNAP (formerly known as
food stamps), WIC, Medicaid, etc. as well as foreign aid efforts. Write or call
(toll free at 800-826-3688) your senators and representatives. Urge them to
make funding decisions consistent with Christian principles of caring tor those
in need. Visit www.bread.org/act for a sample letter and contact information
for your members of Congress. Bread for the World is a collective Christian voice urging our nation's decision makers
to end hunger at home and abroad.
Year to date Income: $93,069 ($10,393 under budget – 10.0% unfavorable)
Year to date Expense: $108,892 ($3,364 over budget – 3.2% unfavorable)
Year to date Net Income: -$15,823
P A G E 9
FROM THE PRESIDENT By Annie Morgan, AGLC President
The month of May marks one year since the Council was presented with Pastor Chris Becker’s
desire to leave full-time ministry. We initially were presented with a proposal that looked like a
job swap for our full-time and part-time pastors. It seemed doable and even exciting. In early au-
tumn, however, we learned that what we needed to prepare for and address was the official re-
tirement of a longtime beloved lead pastor.
As the transition team (made up of council members) began to meet to address the congrega-
tion’s needs through the retirement of a lead pastor and call of a new lead pastor, it became clear
that the resources offered by the synod during the interim process would be healthy and helpful.
Amazing Grace did not have a typical interim period without a lead pastor. Our calling Pastor Julie
from her part-time associate role to be our lead pastor resulted in our having no vacancy in the
lead pastor position. That is a rare gift. It did not, however, diminish the need for our having
someone to minister to the needs of the congregation and staff in transition.
With the blessing and recommendation of our synod, Pastor Roger Hardy accepted the position
as interim pastor for a 3- to 6-month period beginning in January, and we are preparing for that
period to end.
How will we know when the “interim period” is over?
Pastor Hardy has been sharing his observances and recommendations throughout his time with
us, even while he has continued to meet in one-to-one conversations with members and staff. We
appreciate his leadership and contributions to worship, education, council and lay-ministry team
coordination, and to individuals on staff and in the congregation.
In the month of May, Pastor Hardy will share a report of his interviews and observations, and it
will be up to us as a congregation and council to determine what to do with them. In the coming
year, we will need to make decisions about staffing, ensure continued support for Pastor Julie, and
determine how we will answer our call to evangelize and welcome our new neighbors in the de-
velopments around Amazing Grace.
Pastor Hardy has been an objective listener to many and an embodiment of our transition and
interim process, and his time with us is nearing its end. The work of listening objectively and
gracefully to one another and acknowledging and embracing transition is not ending, however.
Interim means temporary. Since we know that the only constant is God, we will prepare to move
from one interim period to the next fixing our eyes on Jesus as the one constant we can all count
on.
Update from Interim Pastor Roger Hardy
A part of my interim responsibilities has been to be a resource to the congregation during
this time of transition. A part of this responsibility has been to lead the strategic plan pro-
ject of assessing the structures and functioning of the council, the staff, and the ministry
teams. I have done this through interviews with a number of persons. As I complete my
interviews I want to say a word of thanks to all of you who willingly participated in these
interviews. This has been of great value for me for I have heard your faith stories and I
have learned more about Amazing Grace.
I have selected three persons to help me organize the themes that come from these inter-
views and we will be meeting on Monday, April 24. I will share the themes that arise from
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P A G E 1 0
Pastoral Care Please call or text Pastor Julie Wright or call the church office when you are in need of care.
Contact us when you or a loved one is:
Sick or injured
In the hospital
Having surgery
In crisis
Having trouble with marriage, family
or other relationships
In need of prayer
Remember that due to HIPAA privacy rules, hospitals do not inform us when you’re in the hospital.
Church office 651-455-0093
Pastor Julie Wright 651-271-1427 (cell)
the interviews plus my own comments with the executive committee on Monday, May 1. I will share this material with
the full council on Monday, May 8. I invite anyone from the congregation to hear my report on Wednesday, May 17 at
6:30 PM. I anticipate my work as your interim to be finished on May 31. My last Sunday will be June 4.
Peace, Interim Pastor Roger Hardy
Official Notice of a Congregational Meeting
Wednesday, May 17 at 6:30 p.m.
Notice is hereby given of a congregational meeting of Amazing Grace Lutheran Church on Wednesday, May 17 at
6:30 p.m. The final report of Interim Pastor Roger Hardy will be presented at that time. Childcare will be available.
Please sign up on the blue sheet so that we can prepare materials and childcare supervision.
EVERY Sunday is Name Tag Sunday
One way we can be a welcoming congregation is to wear name tags
EVERY SUNDAY. Why?
Helps visitors feel welcome
For people with dementia or other forms of memory loss, this takes away
the guess work (and awkwardness) of remembering a name
Name tags and markers are found by the front door. Let this be part of how
we welcome one another to God’s church.
In Other News...
P A G E 1 1
Prayer Concerns can be called in
to Mary Garfield.
Pastoral Care—Focused Outreach
Servant Ministry Coordinator: Pastor Julie Wright
Meal Coordinator: Lynda Bartlette
Ride Coordinator: Norm Beckman
Respite Care Coordinator: Judy Thompson
Funeral Support Coordinator: Barb Malamen
Personal Prayer Coordinator for Worship:
Judy Thompson
Hands and Feet Ministry—
Coordinator: Pastor Julie Wright
First Communion Class—
May 24, 2017 6:30 p.m. For those who weren’t able to attend the First Communion Work-
shop in April, we will offer a condensed class on May 24 from
6:30-7:45 p.m. Children of any age are welcome to attend with at
least one parent. Please RSVP to the church office (651-455-0093)
or Pastor Julie ([email protected]).
P A G E 1 2
NEW MEMBER WORKSHOP:
SATURDAY, MAY 6, FROM 9-11 AM Open for all visitors and friends of the congregation.
Please RSVP to the church office at 651-455-0093 or Pastor Julie Wright at [email protected].
If you have not met our newest members who joined in November, say hello and welcome!
Ask them why they chose to become members of AGLC.
Adam and Laura Ingalsbe Family Bill Bleckwenn
Ruth McCoy Julie Hammons
We continue to welcome these new people into our congregation and pray that together we can join God at work in
the world.
Not Pictured: Cellina Tesha Family
7160 South Robert Trail
Inver Grove Heights, MN 55077
651-455-0093
Address Service Requested
Amazing Grace Lutheran Church
Joining God at Work in the World!
All are welcome!!
Website: www.aglcigh.org
Staff:
Lead Pastor—Pastor Julie Wright
Interim Pastor—Pastor Roger Hardy:
Administrator—Angy Thelemann:
Children and Youth Minister—Tim Marburger:
Finance/Office Assistant—Trudy Johnson
Building Supervisor—Norm Goetzke:
Worship Musician: Brad Pipal
Sanctuary Choir Director: Barbara Forthun
Joyful Noise Choir Director: Angy Thelemann
Sunday School Co-Coordinators—
Kami Burgess: [email protected]
Trish Ebensteiner: [email protected]
Vacation Bible School Co-Coordinators—
Amanda Vesta: [email protected]
Dre Noble: [email protected]
Main Office Hours:
(Typically)
Monday: Working Offsite
Tuesday—Friday: 9:00 a.m.—4:30 p.m.
Deadlines: The newsletter article deadline
is always on the 15th of the month. Bulletin
announcements or additions are due on
Wednesdays.