May 2020

Sharon Sharings Monthly Newsletter of Sharon Lutheran Church

1720 South 20th Street, Grand Forks ND | www.sharonlutheran.org | 701-772-3122

Perhaps you could use some

good news. I think we all

could. With the pandemic, flood-

ing, bad news in the news and

what seems like never ending

snow. I want to share some good

news. On Sunday, April 12 we

celebrated Easter. Not in the

usual way that we are used to,

but we still celebrated the good

news that Christ is risen! Even though our cel-

ebrations may have looked different, Easter still

happened years ago and was still celebrated this

year. That is certainly good news. We are still

in the midst of celebrating Easter. The season

of Easter goes on for 50 days. In fact, every

Sunday is a little Easter celebration. If you need

some good news all you need to do is to look

to Jesus Christ.

In Matthew 28 Mary Magdalene and the oth-

er Mary went to the tomb to anoint the body

of Jesus. But his body wasn’t there, and an an-

gel surprised them with the news that Jesus was

alive. Besides the angel and earthquake, imagine

all that they had been going through the last

few days. I am sure their hearts and minds

were weary. They needed some good

news. Jesus appears to them as they are run-

ning from the tomb and says, “Do not be

afraid. I am alive.” God’s mes-

sage of good news is also for us

amidst our weariness. “Do not

be afraid. Christ is risen. He is

risen indeed!” Jesus also tells

the ladies to go and tell oth-

ers. God tells all of us as Chris-

tians, “Do not be afraid. Christ

is risen. He is risen indeed! Go

and tell others.”

As we continue to celebrate Easter, we hear

more Easter stories like in John 20 when Jesus

appears to his disciples behind locked doors

and comforts them by bringing them his

peace. Jesus breathes upon and into them the

Holy Spirit during a rough and scary time. He

fills them with his love, peace and hope and

sends them out to share that good news with

others. God continues to fill us with the Holy

Spirit and the peace of Christ. What good news

stories of Easter can you share? I invite you to

share the good news of Easter with others. So

all can hear some good news and know the

peace of Christ.

God Bless & Happy Easter!

Deacon Jamie Travers

Words of Good News

MARCH MINISTRY SUPPORT

Amount needed in Operating Revenue each month per

approved 2019/2020 budget is $88,792

March Actual YTD Actual

Revenue 2019/2020 2019/2020

Current Ministry Gifts $78,587 $658,423

Loose/Misc. Offering Gifts $1,570 $21,796

Operating Fund Memorial Gifts $ - $- Church School, Confirmation &

VBS Registrations $ - $10,850

Benevolence Gifts $940 $12,830

Other Gifts and Donations $3,496 $25,019

2019/2020 Total $84,593 $728,918

Expenses

Operating Expenses $73,141 $659,407

Mortgage Debt Reduction $9,362 $78,448

Total Expenses $82,503 $737,855

Revenue Exceeding

Expenses $2,090 $(8,937)

March Designated gifts received:

Undesignated Memorials $210

Fellowship Donations $260

Capital Campaign-GIFT $8,093

Thrivent Choice Dollars $2,160

Sharon Cares Donations $80

Wednesday Fellowship Meal $902

Hands Up Ministries $110

Easter Flowers $25

Liturgical Art $585

Madagascar-M&Ms $330

Church School Benevolences-Feed My Starving Children-MobilePack $83

$12,838

If you are planning to attend an ELCA college this fall,

we may have a scholarship opportunity for you! Sharon

Lutheran has a scholarship fund established to encourage

young members of our congregation to attend one of our

26 ELCA Lutheran colleges with the hope of awarding an

annual scholarship of up to $1,000 to every applicant.

Please note that the actual amount of the scholarships will

depend up on the number of eligible applicants and the

balance of the fund.

If you or a student in your family is planning to attend

an ELCA college this fall, please check with the church

office for the scholarship application form or go to the

“Quick Links” section on Sharon’s website to download a

copy of the application. The completed application must

be submitted to the church office by June 1, 2020.

Please help spread the word that we are currently

seeking donations for the scholarship fund; anyone may

donate to the tax deductible, designated fund; however,

we ask that these donations be given above and beyond

your regular commitment to our shared mission. Contri-

butions to the fund must be made by Tuesday, May 19,

2020, with the check made payable to Sharon Lutheran

and a notation of “ELCA College Scholarships” on the

memo line. It is important to note that many of our ELCA

colleges will provide matching funds for each scholarship

awarded, doubling your generosity!

ELCA College Bound? If so, Read This!

In Loving Memory of: Beatrice Hemmingsen: Jeff & Kris-

ti Larson;

Erika Gruenberg: Jason & Erin

Ulmer;

Dick Walsh: Lila & Duane Nelson,

Laurel Skibicki, Dale & Judy Nabben,

Yvonne & Rick Woodbeck, Kay Carlson,

Gary Dub, Vicki & Rod Jenson, Rick &

Laura Block, Scott & Pat Carter, Ann &

Dave Puttbrese, Darin & Cindy Gador,

Carol Quintana, Sue & Bob Moe, Jim &

Judy Schill, Annette Palmgren, John & Ka-

ren Plante, Marjorie Murray, Brian & Sue

Kraft & family, Kathy & Mike Jones, Dave

& Karen Molmen, Joe & Wanda Seyles,

Rosie & Dennis Engen, Tom & Jeanette

Filipi, James & Darlyn Steinke, Don & Toni

Hippe, Linda Bunde, Kristi, Jeff, Rylee, Ma-

cy Skyberg, Linda & Dick Butler, Lorraine

Amundson, Shirley Christian, Dale & Jean-

nie Sollom, Tim Dusterhoft, Ann Farmer,

Ardell & Fern Bunde, Carol Tweten, Mark

& Fern Wood, John & Susan Steinke, Mar-

shal & Carol Guntzburger, Larry & Ger-

aldine Weisser, Charlotte Brodin, Bruce &

Cheryl Nyhlen, Ray & Leslie Durkin, Ron

& Donna Mattson, Ray & Jane Franks,

Scott & Sherry Opdahl, Ray & Lois Shan-

non, Dwayne & Rhonda Heyd, Kristi &

Don Rasmussen, Margaret & Doug Umph-

rey, Dave & Ardis Braaten, Mary Whaley,

Jon Dorner family, Lowell Thompson,

Construction Engineers, Ron & Ardia

Johnson, Penny & Carl Morken, Bernice

Martinson & family, Dale & Susan Spong,

Margaret Fedje, Marie Cole, Gary & Renae

Husby, Ron & Darlyne Ness, Ken & Mavis

Ness, Gary & Dottie Swanson, Gary &

Lona Spicer, Marna & Paul Kobe, Kristi &

Jeff Larson, Carol Geiszler, Lon & Jane

Kratochvil family, Bernard & Kathy Ben-

son, Marvelyn Bohach, Holly & Scott Bom-

mersbach, Alice Senechal, Lyle & Yvonne

Nelson, Dan & Yvonne Welsh, Mary

Askim-Lovseth & Larry Lovseth, Vidette

Knain, Bears Home Solutions, Ben Franklin

Plumbing, Kevin & Jill Dahlen, Jeanette

Krogstad, Kevin & Dawn Hovland, Kevin

& Courtney Ritterman, Jon & Laura Ray-

mond, Roger & Delane Johnson, Naomi &

Jeff Bancroft, Jim & Sherryl Weisenberger,

Bernard Benson, Carl & Penny Morken,

Craig & Renae Knudsvig, Custom HVAC,

Dr. Avery Jones, Dusterhoft Oil, Judy

Smart, KL & MO Ness, Morris & Louise

Davidson, Leon & Avis Fjestad, Karen &

Rich Axvig, Keith Jenson, Elaine Kelly, Lau-

rel & Ardell Nabben, Inez Knain, Gary &

Anna Marie Fischer, Maury & Faith Finney,

Milt & Marion Kinzler, The Tom Dryburgh

Family, Lourain Boettner, Shirley Sussex,

Tom & Charlotte Gregerson, Allan Brun-

dell, Marie Neumann.

Memorials

Online Worship and

COVID-19 Operations

Reminder: all live worship has been cancelled until

after May 10. All other Sharon events and meetings will also

be cancelled until that time. This includes Lenten meals, and all

Faith Formation Programming (including church school and

confirmation) Most staff are working from home, though Missy

and Molly are in the office from 9am-3pm daily.

We are offering online worship on our webpage

(www.sharonlutheran.org) or on YouTube on Sundays at 9am

and Wednesdays at 6:15pm. Please join us!! All services are

available on our website, our Facebook page, and our

YouTube page. To view past worship services, church school

music, or Community Connections videos, visit our YouTube

page.

If you know of someone that is in need of help, i.e. needing

someone to get groceries or pick up medicine for them, etc.,

please call the church office (701-772-3122) and we will find a

way to help.

POLO (Parents of Little Ones) 3:30-4:30pm Sundays—Meeting over Zoom in May

All parents of little ones birth-preschool age are welcome! This group is an opportunity to gather with other parents whose lives are equally messy, joyful, difficult, and full of transition. We start with a story for little ones, and the rest of our time is spent on check-ins and a de-votion. See the POLO Facebook group for Zoom info.

20s & 30s Ministry

Sharon’s young adult ministry is done in partnership with

ELCA congregations in the Grand Forks area.

God Talk on Tap: Over Zoom in May

7:00pm the first Thursday of the month at Half

Brother’s Brewing Company

All 20s/30s are welcome! This is an opportunity to meet people in a similar place in life, engage in real conversations about faith and life, and of course enjoy fellowship with food and beverages of your choice. See the 20s/30s ELCA GF Facebook group

for Zoom information.

Monday Zoom Sanity Check-in

Join us at 1:30pm over Zoom for a devotion and check-in time during physical distancing due to

COVID-10. All 20s/30s welcome!

May 2020 News Faith Formation Ministries

COVID-19 Update: The following information and announcements are subject to change as we navigate

best practices in regards to the COVID-19 virus. Please follow Sharon’s Facebook page, website, and

weekly emails for updates. God’s peace to you in the midst of the unknowns.

VBS 2020 Due to the current situation, the Board of

Education has decided to cancel VBS 2020.

We remain hopeful and look forward to

celebrating when we can safely gather

again.

Separate Together Ministry Highlights

As we navigate what ministry looks like during a pandemic, we’ve moved many of our High School groups online using Zoom meetings. One that has been a particular stand out, is out Uniquely You HS Girls Bible Study, led by Emilie DeKrey and Jasmine Hurley. I was so pleasantly surprised to walk in one evening and see as many as nine participants, a mix of young ladies from both Sharon and Calvary. They have been working though their study book, but mostly just spending time sharing about how they are feeling, and offering each other support during this trying time. With this new normal, it can feel like we are disconnected from our students, it has been a joy to see the way they have embraced this time togeth-

er on Tuesday evenings. ~Steve

On the Friday and Saturday before Palm Sunday, a few mem-bers of our Sharon Staff distributed palm branches and resurrection egg kits to anyone who drove by Door #3. It was fun to see the palms being used throughout Palm Sunday worship and to imagine them being waved in households throughout the Sharon communi-ty. Over 500 palm branches helped us shout, “Hosanna!” Forty-six egg kits (all that we had!) went home with our members. WE know from messages and Facebook that these were well received by

many and hope that they were a blessing for all. ~Cheryl

Church School and

Confirmation registration is open for Fall 2020!

2020-21 Volunteer Opportunities (Church School and Confirmation

Guide Needs)

As our Church School year came to a rather unexpected and abrupt end this year, we did not get a chance to celebrate our year with teachers, helpers, and stu-dents. We invite you to reach out to your child’s teacher(s) to thank them and share some positive experiences from this past year. We are also looking ahead to the 2020-21 school year. We hope that our dedicated volunteers will return; we will also be seeing more individuals to accept the call to teach or assist in a church school classroom. Please prayerfully con-sider where your best fit might be. We promise that there are no prerequisites other than a desire to share and grow in

your faith.

THANK YOU, CHURCH SCHOOL VOLUNTEERS!

Elementary Online Resources

Looking for ways to engage your little ones in learn-

ing and growing in faith at home? Each Wednesday

Sharon Sharings email includes weekly children’s bul-

letins, as well as a free video church school lesson

through Spar-

khouse. Blessings to

you as you learn

and grow in faith at

home!

Middle School/High School News

Faith Formation Ministries

….be there!

Virtua

l

Plans are in the works for a 6th-8th grade Vir-tual Lock-in on Friday, May 8th from 7:00-11:00 p.m.! There will be no cost for this event, but students will need to register to receive the Zoom event code and password. We will have a scavenger hunt and a trivia con-test before watching a movie together. Please contact Dave Berger at 218-779-9872 or dberger@sharonlutheran.org and start plan-

ning now to bring your own snacks!

Confirmation Instruction

6th-9th grade Confirmation students and their families will receive resources to practice faith in the home. We are planning to gather all Confirmation students and their small group guides for a Zoom meeting on Wednesday, May 6th at 7:15 p.m. More information will be sent out directly to fami-

lies.

Middle School Mission Trip Update

Due to COVID-19 and the uncertainty of what travel is go-ing to look like this summer, Sharon Lutheran has made the decision to cancel our upcoming Middle School Mission Trip to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. We appreciate all of the under-standing and support we’ve received from our trip families and students. When one door closes, God opens another, and we have some exciting plans to serve right here in Grand Forks this summer. Stay tuned as we begin planning

and making announcements.

Re:New Online Re:New continues to meet over Zoom on Wednesday nights at 7 pm. You’ll find the link for the meetings on the Sharon Lutheran Faith Formation Facebook page 30 minutes prior. I understand that for students, it can be hard to ask them to add one more thing to their schedules right now. They are under no obligation to at-tend these meetings, I would just like them to know that every week Lexie Larson and myself will be holding the meeting time open from 7-8 and they are welcome to come check in as they need. If you are the parent of a High School student, we even encourage you to join in. This is a time to vent frustrations, see friendly faces, and work through what God is trying to tell us in all of this. If you’d like the Zoom link texted directly to you each week, contact me at 701-866-2239 via c a l l o r t e x t , o r m a i l sdekrey@sharonlutheran.org. Thank

you! ~Steve

Uniquely You Online

Uniquely You, High School Girls Bible Study, is meeting every Tues-day at 7 pm via Zoom, hosted by Emilie DeKrey and Jasmine Hurley. If you’d like to join in, contact Emi-lie DeKrey at 701-388-8355 to be added to the text group and get meeting links. This group has been growing in the midst of everything that is going on, and we’d love for you to join them.

Bible Bros Online

Bible Bros, High School Boys Bible Study, continues to meet Mondays at 7 pm via Zoom, If you’d like to join, contact Steve DeKrey at 701-885-2239. we’ve been using it as a weekly check-in, and a way to look for hope in a time when things have sort of been turned upside down. If you haven’t given this a chance yet, we always love to see new faces!

10th Grade Stole Making April and May were to be our months for the 10th grade students and mentors to make their confirmation stoles and work on faith statements. We will plan to do these things, but are working on a time-line for when gathering restrictions will be lifted. I will be in touch when we decide on a plan for that, but until then, my hope is that students and mentors are checking in with each other and helping each other through an uncertain time. While you can’t meet in person, I’d suggest a video chat, texting, or a good old fashioned phone call. Keep supporting each other, and stay tuned for updates. ~Steve

High School Mission Trip Update

Due to COVID-19 and the uncertainty of what travel is going to look like this sum-mer, Sharon Lutheran has made the deci-sion to cancel our upcoming High School Mission Trip to Denver, Colorado. We appreciate all of the understanding and support we’ve received from our trip families and students. When one door closes, God opens another, and we have some exciting plans to serve right here in Grand Forks this summer. Stay tuned as we begin planning and making announce-

ments.

Faith Formation Ministries

Upper Elementary and Middle School Students and Families,

I miss seeing all of you, and I hope that you are all staying safe and healthy! Please know that we think of you often and continue to pray for you. If you have any needs, please contact the church office so that we can help! I want you all to know that we have an amazing God who is right here with us—guiding us, strengthening us, loving us, and forgiving us—and our God is also big enough to handle all of our tough questions, our anger, our fears, and our doubts. Be kind to yourselves and to each other.

Until we meet again,

Dave Berger

High School Students

and Families,

This isn’t how you pictured it, is it? No sports, no trips, gradua-tion may look different. It’s cer-tainly not how I envisioned end-ing my first instruction year here at Sharon. I’ll be honest, some-times the world deals us a bad hand, and then we ask God “Why?” I’ve had students ask me where God is right now, why is God not fixing this? My answer is that God is right here with us, God is keeping our heads above the water, when it feels like we’re drowning. The things we’ve lost are just that...things. We can get caught up in the things we’ve lost, and forget about the things we still have or the things we’ve gained. We’ve been gifted more time with family, we’ve been gift-ed with more time to slow down and take a breath, we’ve been gifted with a new appreciation of the freedom nature offers us right outside our doors, and most importantly, we are being made aware to never take those “things” for granted ever again. My encouragement for all parents and students is that you are not alone in this. God is with us, every day helping us move forward. Sharon Lutheran is still here for you, looking to connect in so many ways. You’re all doing the best you can, and God will never leave your side. I miss each and every one of you, our time to-gether, and God gives me hope that we’ll all be able to see each other in person again soon.

Steve DeKrey

Church School Students and Families,

Wow! Our Church School year sure ended differently than we had

planned, didn’t it? For many of you, you are also finding your lives

changed by having “regular” school at home. So many changes, and it’s

sometimes hard to understand. We know that you’ve heard the “stay-at-

home, wash-your hands, we’re-all-in-this-together” talking points. And

we hope that you and your families and friends are staying safe and well.

If we look back at all our church school lessons, one common theme has

been that Jesus loves us and helps us. So...as you go through this differ-

ent time in our lives, whenever you might be scared, or sad, or confused,

or angry, or happy, say to yourself, “Jesus loves me.” And then shout to

the world, “Jesus loves you!” We miss your bright and shiny faces and

look forward to the time that we can celebrate Jesus’ love together.

Cheryl Nyhlen

Parents and Guardians,

Grace and peace to you! Really, may you feel God’s grace for you—and give yourself grace—as you navigate parenting, teaching, working, and more. We thought parents wore a lot of hats before; you are an incredible jack-of-all-trades right now and you are held in God’s loving embrace and in our pray-ers. As you pour into your families, know that we are here for you as well. Reach out to schedule a Zoom pastoral care conversation, let us know if your family is in need of food , and if you are unable to leave the house there are people ready to run errands. We look forward to when we can gather in per-son again with our Sharon family. In the meantime, Christ promises to be with us when we gather in His name and Christ is with us as we gather virtually. Know that the promises you want your children to know are true for you as well: you are enough, you are a beloved child of God, and the peace that sur-passes all understanding is God’s gift for you.

God’s peace,

Pr. Dominique

Greetings and encouragement to you all!

Sharon Lutheran Church has an ELCA Lutheran

College Scholarship Fund that was established to en-

courage young members of our congregation to attend

one of our 26 ELCA colleges. We are seeking dona-

tions for the scholarship fund; anyone may donate to

the tax deductible, designated fund; however, we ask

that these donations be given above and beyond your

regular commitment to our shared mission.

The fund was established with the hope of award-

ing an annual scholarship of up to $1,000 to every eligi-

ble applicant. The actual amount of the scholarships will

depend upon the number of eligible applicants and the

balance of the fund. It is important to note that many

of our ELCA colleges will provide matching funds for

each scholarship awarded, doubling your generosity!

Because of deadlines for applications to college

matching funds, we ask you to contribute to this fund

by Tuesday, May 19, 2020. Checks supporting this

fund should be made out to Sharon Lutheran, with a

notation of “ELCA College Scholarships” on the memo

line. Thank you for considering a gift to this worthwhile

educational need of our congregational members!

If a student in your family is planning to attend an

ELCA college this fall, please check with the church

office for the scholarship application form or go to the

“Quick Links” section on Sharon’s website to down-

load a copy of the application and submit it to the

church office by June 1, 2020.

An Opportunity to Support

Students Attending ELCA Colleges!

Non-Profit Organization

U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

Grand Forks, ND 58201

Sharon Lutheran Church

1720 S 20th St

Grand Forks, ND 58201

Pastor Lynn Ronsberg ………………………………………………………..(lronsberg@sharonlutheran.org)

Pastor Dominique Buchholz ……………………………………………...(dbuchholz@sharonlutheran.org)

Deacon Jamie Travers ……………………..…………………………………….(jtravers@sharonlutheran.org)

Administrative Assistant………………………Missy Thompson (mthompson@sharonlutheran.org)

Secretary……………………………………………………………Molly Mohn (mmohn@sharonlutheran.org)

Finance Manager…………………………………………...Stephanie Leighton (sleighton@sharonlutheran.org)

Dir. Elementary, Middle School, Youth Music…………….David Berger (dberger@sharonlutheran.org)

Interim Director of Christian Education………………...Cheryl Nyhlen (education@sharonlutheran.org)

Dir. High School Youth, Young Adults………………………...Steve DeKrey (sdekrey@sharonlutheran.org)

Education & Youth Assistant…………………………………..Heather Peters (hpeters@sharonlutheran.org)

Director of Music Ministries………………………………...Roxanne Gessler (rgessler@sharonlutheran.org)

Ministry & Communications Coordinator………………..Nicki Green (myministry@sharonlutheran.org)

Organist………………………………………………………………………………………………..Sue Kerr & Carolyn Tunseth

Sanctuary Choir Director………………………………………………………………………………………………...Jack Boyer

Custodian………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...Dan Kuzel

Office………………………………………………………………………………………………….…office@sharonlutheran.org

Mailing Address Line 1

Mailing Address Line 2

Mailing Address Line 3

Sunday Morning and

Wednesday Evening Worship

Available online on our website:

Sharon Lutheran Staff

Temporary Church Office Hours

Monday - Friday 9:00am to 3:00pm