A MONTHLY PUBLICATION OF WORD OF PEACE LUTHERAN CHURCHA MONTHLY PUBLICATION OF WORD OF PEACE LUTHERAN CHURCHA MONTHLY PUBLICATION OF WORD OF PEACE LUTHERAN CHURCHA MONTHLY PUBLICATION OF WORD OF PEACE LUTHERAN CHURCH PEACE NOTESPEACE NOTESPEACE NOTESPEACE NOTES

MAY 2015MAY 2015MAY 2015MAY 2015

THANK YOU, VOLUNTEERS!

At Word of Peace we are truly

blessed to have so many people in

our congrega�on who have an-

swered the call to serve in the vol-

unteer ministries of the church. The

pastors and staff wish to thank all of

you who serve God through Word of

Peace and beyond. Together, we are

a vital force for Christ in our com-

munity!

May 3 & 4 is Volunteer

Apprecia�on Weekend

On Sunday and Monday, May 3 & 4,

we will celebrate volunteerism at all

worship services. All are welcome!

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

—Ephesians 2:10

2

Pastor Rick Skare, Senior Pastor

Pastor Keith Long, Pastor

21705 129th Ave. N.

Rogers, MN 55374

Church Office

763-496-2400

(press 3 to leave an emergency

message for the pastor)

Office Hours

Mon-Thurs 8am-4:30pm

Fri 8am-12:30pm

Our Vision Statement

Our vision is to be a community

where everyone knows Christ’s

Love and shares Christ’s Love with

all people.

Our Mission Statement

Christ works through us as we:

• Welcome all people to grow in

faith, love and devo�on,

• Share Christ through word

and deed,

• Care for others and the world

God made, and

• Work for jus�ce and peace.

NEWSLETTER SUBMISSIONS

Contact Jennie Priebe at

763-496-2401 or

jpriebe@woplc.org.

June newsle�er deadline:

May 15

WordofPeace.org

Sermons

& Readings

May 3 & 4

Grace Choir Presents:

The Old Testament Fast Forward—

The Complete History of the Old Testament in Ten Minutes

Grace Choir leads us through the Old Testament in a musical that hits the

high points of it’s 2,000 year-old history.

May 10 & 11

Pastor Rick Skare, “God’s Choice”

In this day’s gospel we hear that we did not choose Jesus; Jesus chose us.

God in Christ reached out to us, made us his disciples, shaping how we

reach out to others, even those whom we didn’t choose.

Scripture Readings: John 15:9-17; 1 John 5:1-6; Psalm 98; Acts 10:44-48

May 17 & 18

Pastor Rick Skare, “God Is…”

This day’s readings give us a revela�on about God… and about us. While

God is all truth, glory and joy, we are not. Nevertheless, we con�nue in the

grace of God.

Scripture Readings: John 17:6-19; Acts 1:15-17, 21-26; 1 John 5:9-13;

Psalm 1

May 24

Celebra�on of the Holy Spirit Hymn-Sing

A celebra�on of the Spirit through Song and Scripture. No worship on Me-

morial Day, May 25.

May 31 & June 1

Pastor Keith Long, “Strength of the Spirit”

For God so loved the world that he gave us himself in the life-giving Son

and Spirit.

Scripture Readings: John 3:1-17; Romans 8:12-17; Isaiah 6:1-8

3

Pastor Keith Long Pastor of Congregational

Life and Growth

Pentecost (Sunday, May 24) coincides with Memorial Day Weekend this year, which has tradi-

�onally been the first official weekend of the camping season for our family. When I think of

camping, I think of many things: tent set-up 101, hiking, bugs, outdoor fun and of course, camp-

fires. Likewise, when I think of Pentecost I also think of fire:

Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them.

All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the

Spirit gave them ability. —Acts 2:3-4

Perhaps you will find yourself basking in the red-orange glow of the campfire on Pentecost (weekend), preparing a golden

roasted marshmallow or simply adding log aDer log to that perfectly constructed log cabin campfire - and as you do, may you

think of the mighty works of God the Holy Spirit, who fills his people with His very presence, sustaining them with his very

breath, just like all that hot air you need to get that fire to roar to life!

While we can control what we add to the fire as fuel, we cannot determine with any precision how it will burn or become fully

consumed. This is true for our interac�on with the Spirit as well: we are not in control and oDen can only remain open and

available to the Spirit’s leading and power to transform our circumstances. Like logs strewn upon a campfire, we oDen end up

in places we never an�cipated under condi�ons that are rarely the same. The Spirit as Fire is transforma�onal, inspiring and an

unpredictable life force which is cap�va�ng as it is libera�ng and awesome as it is terrifying. But even the ashes leD behind are

not without the possibility of new life ushering forth.

May the Spirit of the Pentecost fire burn hot within you as you follow the Risen Christ this summer and beyond!

Grace Choir’s Spring Musical, The Old Testament Fast Forward by Tom S. Long and

Allen Pote, will be presented during worship on Sunday, May 3 and Monday, May 4.

Join us for this wonderful story that starts with Crea�on and moves through human

sin and God’s great plan of redemp�on, that included nearly 2,000 years preparing

the Hebrew people for a coming savior.

It begins with the comic no�on that this epic history can be recounted in ten minutes.

In fact, the musical presents many of our founda�onal faith stories in a light-hearted

way. The great themes of that history, God’s unending love for us despite our fallen

natures, and God’s covenant with a chosen people, are ul�mately fulfilled in the Mes-

siah!

Grace Choir is a group of 3rd through 6th graders who love to sing and act.

For more informa�on, contact Michael Sahlen at 763-496-2412 or

msahlen@woplc.org.

4

HappeningsHappeningsHappeningsHappenings

40th Anniversary Photo Directory

Do you ever see people in church and wonder what their

names are? Are you new to Word of Peace and wish you had

something to help you put names with faces? Well, help is on

the way! We are developing a 40th Anniversary pictorial direc-

tory for Word of Peace and we want you to be a part of it!

There is no cost to you or to the church to have your photo-

graph taken, and you will receive a complimentary 8x10 por-

trait and a directory for par�cipa�ng. You will be able to view

your images electronically immediately aDer you are photo-

graphed, and at that �me you will have the opportunity to

purchase addi�onal portraits to share with family and friends.

If you have not already, be sure to reserve your FREE portrait

session online at wordofpeace.org/directory or on Sundays at

the volunteer desk in the Gathering Area.

Bring Food for CROSS to your Portrait Session

Lifetouch is partnering with Word of Peace to have a food

drive in conjunc�on with the portrait siKngs. Bring in a non-

perishable food item for CROSS Food Shelf and as a thank-you,

you will receive a cer�ficate for $5.00 off any addi�onal por-

traits from Lifetouch. In addi�on, if you sign up online you will

receive a cer�ficate for $10.00 off any addi�onal portraits.

Word of Peace DREAM Team:

Determining Resources for

Engagement And Mission

6 years ago we planned a future expansion of

the church building. Trends, technology, church

growth rate and more have changed during that

�me. Therefore, a commiMee (The DREAM

Team) has been formed to work with the Strate-

gic Planning Team to research and recommend

the congrega�on’s future building needs. We

are looking for 5-7 volunteers to join this team,

and we expect this work to involve visi�ng other

churches, recognizing current and predic�ng fu-

ture trends, and imagining the future of Word of

Peace. The �me commitment is 6-9 months and

no prior experience is required. If interested,

please contact the Strategic Planning Team at

strategicplanning@wordofpeace.org.

On Thursday, May 7, all are welcome to

aMend and par�cipate in a Na�onal Day of

Prayer at Rogers Elementary at 7pm. No expe-

rience necessary! All Rogers area congrega-

�ons are partnering in this ecumenical prayer

event and will be collec�ng dona�ons for

CROSS Food Shelf. Come out if you can and

join us for an hour of prayer for our communi-

ty’s families, leaders, businesses and more.

5

HappeningsHappeningsHappeningsHappenings

Word of Peace Sends 7 Delegates

to the Minneapolis Area Synod Assembly

The Minneapolis Area Synod Assembly convenes this year on May 15 & 16 at Lord

of Life Lutheran Church in Ramsey. Each year at the assembly, representa�ves from

churches throughout the Synod gather for worship, business, keynote speeches and

reports from the na�onal church. The theme for this year’s Assembly is "The WORD

became flesh...and MOVED into the neighborhood." They will explore what it

means to be the church in the places we are planted, in what ways this region is

changing, how these changes will affect our congrega�ons, and who we are called

to be with our neighbors.

The Minneapolis Area Synod consists of 155 missions, ministries and congrega�ons of the ELCA. The synod (a word

which means “mee�ng together”) includes urban, suburban and rural communi�es in the greater metropolitan Min-

neapolis area. The Minneapolis Area Synod is the largest of the ELCA’s synods and home to some of the largest Lu-

theran congrega�ons in the world.

The seven vo�ng members from Word of Peace aMending this year’s assembly are: Fred Gregg, Melissa Gregg, Wen-

dy Neu, Brad Petry, David Wokson, Pastor Rick, and Pastor Keith.

Come and celebrate this year’s graduates at all worship services

on Sunday, May 17 and Monday, May 18. Join us as we pray,

bless and send these students into the next life adventure. Grad-

uates from preschool to grad school are welcome!

Rogers High School Baccalaureate Ceremony

Wednesday, June 3, 7:00pm at Word of Peace

The Baccalaureate Ceremony is a Chris�an, interdenomina�onal

ceremony for the Rogers High School gradua�ng class. The cere-

mony will include music, readings, prayers and guest speakers.

Rogers High School Graduates, please join your fellow students

in this opportunity to celebrate your gradua�on and our awe-

some God! All seniors, along with their family members and

friends, are welcome and encouraged to aMend. Graduates

should wear their caps and gowns and arrive at the church by

6:45pm. Please RSVP by May 15 to Kris�ne Niznik at 763-428-

1836 or s-niznik@msn.com.

Congratulaons Congratulaons Congratulaons Congratulaons

Graduates!Graduates!Graduates!Graduates!

Have You LeB Something

at Church?

Please check the wooden Lost & Found

benches in the north entrance to the

building and the entrance to the Sanctu-

ary on the south side of the building.

Check with the church office for lost valu-

ables such as electronics or jewelry. The

contents from the Lost and Found bins

will be donated on June 1.

WATCH WORSHIP ONLINE!

If you ever miss a worship service or

simply want to see it again, now you can.

Go to wordofpeace.org/watch to view

current and archives of worship services.

The current weekend’s wor-

ship service will be available

to view online every Tues-

day morning.

6

Thank You for your

Generous Lenten Giving!

PROJECT:

DEMSA HEALTH CENTER

Our goal as a congrega�on was to raise $5,000 during

Lent to donate to the Demsa Clinic in Nigeria. Thanks

to your generous dona�ons, WE DID IT! $5,363 was

raised, which will help remodel current space and add

addi�onal space to the clinic and will also help with

malaria preven�on and clean drinking water, bene-

fiKng hundreds of people. A hearUelt THANK YOU

from the Global Missions team for your support of

this project!

During the month of March we

partnered with CROSS to raise

cash and non-perishable food

dona�ons for the MN Food-

Share Campaign. The goal was

to donate 700 lbs. of food and

$5,000 in cash, and you gave 1,438 lbs. of food and

$9,435 in cash! We will find out where Word of Peace

placed in the State later this summer. Thank you from

the Social Ministry Team for being the hands and feet

of Jesus!

CPR CERTIFICATION CLASS

Tuesday, May 12 from 6:00-8:30pm at Word of Peace

Led by Cer�fied CPR Instructor, Judi Volkers

Cost: $35.00* per par�cipant

(must be age 10 or older)

Child care will be provided upon request.

Completed form and payment is due by May 5. Sign up outside

of the Youth Ministries Office.

This is a fundraiser to benefit the Word of Peace youth and

adult chaperones who are aMending the Na�onal Youth Gath-

ering in Detroit this summer.

Save Lives.

Learn CPR.

GENERAL NEEDS:

Juice, Hand Soap

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:

CROSS will be taking part in some

local parades and at farmers markets

this summer. Volunteers will be

needed for both!

UPCOMING EVENTS:

May 20—Derby Day annual golf open

at Pheasant Acres

May 18-22—Lynde Greenhouse &

Nursery fundraiser

For more informa0on or to volunteer,

call CROSS at

763-425-1050

or visit

www.CrossServices.org

7

More than Enough– The Power of Generosity

The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and

the one who sows boun6fully will also reap boun6fully. Each of you must

give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compul-

sion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to provide you with

every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of every-

thing, you may share abundantly in every good work. As it is wri�en, “He

sca�ers abroad, he gives to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.”

—2 Corinthians 9:6-9

In fact, as stated in Ephesians 3:20, “Now to him who by the power at

work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can

ask or imagine.”

In life and from the Bible, we learn and also know the power of giving

with joy in our hearts. Throughout my life, I have seen the power of

praise and giving. During Easter and other key events, some of the best

joys are received from giving to others. Giving is also similar to praying in

many ways. Per MaMhew 7:7, Ask, and it will be given you.

Therefore, do not worry and joyful giving results in spiritual growth and

this giD will please God and also be returned to you in abundance.

Blessings to you,

Mark Walstrom and the Stewardship Team

Contribu�ng to the

Endowment Fund

Endowment Fund contribu�ons gen-

erally come from inheritances, es-

tates, savings, stocks, life insurance

policies, and investments. Because

Endowment Funds use only the inter-

est from the invested dona�on,

many donors like to think in terms of

providing a legacy that con�nues to

fund ministry projects for years into

the future.

If you’re thinking of dona�ng to an

Endowment Fund as part of your fi-

nancial and/or legacy goals, it is rec-

ommended that you check with your

financial advisor about tax considera-

�ons, and contact the church office

or visit wordofpeace.org/endowment

to learn more.

Spring is finally here and summer is just around the bend. We understand that

some�mes we can’t make it to church during these busy months. We encourage

you to worship with your family wherever you are this summer. And sign up for

Direct Giving to ensure your offerings make it to church, even when you can’t.

Sign up for Direct Giving at wordofpeace.org/give or contact the church office.

8

For more informa6on contact Marcus Eads at 763-496-2410 or meads@woplc.org

wordofpeace.org/middle-school | wordofpeace.org/high-school

Youth MinistryYouth MinistryYouth MinistryYouth Ministry

Upcoming Youth Events : MS = Middle School | HS = High School

MS: MSM.AM – May 3 and 12 at 9:45am in the Youth Room.

Come for food, devo�ons and games. Friends are always wel-

come!

MS: The LoB at the RAC (Rogers Ac�vity Center)—END OF

YEAR PARTY is May 27 from 4-6pm, with concessions, games,

inflatable sumo wrestling and more. Don’t miss out!

MS/HS: Summer Stretch, June 17-August 12—It’s all about

having fun while doing important work! Youth in completed

grades 5-8 register as par�cipants; youth in completed grades

9-12 serve as high school leaders. Join us for 6 Wednesdays of

service and fun in the community. Registra�on forms are avail-

able outside of the Youth Ministry Office and should be re-

turned by Wednesday, May 13.

MS/HS: Plant Sale Youth Fundraiser—Youth who have sold

plants must pick their plants up and take them out for delivery

on Friday, May 8 from 4-8pm.

MS/HS: Summer Camps—It’s not too late to register for Sum-

mer Camp! Register online at campwapo.org.

Family Camp at Luther Crest (All families welcome)

June 19-21

Seeds Camp at Wapo (Completed grades 2-3)

July 31-August 2

Youth Camp at Wapo or Luther Dell (Completed grades 4-5)

August 2-7

Youth Camp at Luther Dell (Completed grades 6-8)

August 2-7

Sr. High Roots Camp at Luther Dell (Completed grades 9-12)

August 2-7

For ques�ons about Summer Camp or Summer Stretch, please

contact Marcus Eads at meads@woplc.org or 763-496-2410.

HS: Sunday Morning Bible Study—Sunday, April 12 and 26

from 11-Noon in the Youth Room with Marcus. You like

snacks? There will be snacks!

HS: Wednesday Night Youth Connect, 6:45-7:15pm in the

Youth Room—food, games, prayer, and some �me to connect

with friends and other high schoolers. All are welcome!

Church School & Con�rmation MinistryChurch School & Con�rmation MinistryChurch School & Con�rmation MinistryChurch School & Con�rmation Ministry

Important Dates

April 29 5th Grade Confirma�on Open House—Come to the 5:30

or 6:30pm large group �me and then stay for Q&A �me.

May 3 & 4: Educa�on Volunteer Apprecia�on—Thank your chil-

dren’s teachers and confirma�on guides!

May 3 & 4: Last day of church school

May 13: 6-8pm Confirma�on Picnic—Meet at the church, dinner

will be served!

May 17 at 12:15pm OR May 20 at 6:00pm (choose one): Manda-

tory Mee�ng for all CURRENT 8th grade Confirma�on parents.

Please do NOT bring your children with you.

June 1 at 6:15pm: Rehearsal and Mee�ng for all 5th graders lead-

ing worship for VBS.

Thank you!

We are so thankful for the 230 educa�on volunteers who

teach, lead, coordinate, manage, bounce, and support the

educa�on ministry! Educa�on Volunteers, please pick-up a

beau�ful poMed plant from Broman’s Greenhouse at Word

of Peace on May 3, 4, or 6 at church. We hope as your plants

grow you will be reminded of the seeds of faith that you

have planted and that the Holy Spirit will do great things

with in the days and years ahead.

“Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one an-

other with whatever gi< each of you have received.” 1 Peter 4:10

Vaca�on Bible School ● June 22-26 | 9am-Noon ● Volunteers Needed!

For children ages 4 years (as of June 25) through completed 5th grade

Registra�on forms are available outside of the Children’s Ministry Office or at wordofpeace.org/

vbs. There are more than 200 volunteer opportuni�es available so come and spend a week with

us! Volunteers are needed to lead ac�vity rooms and small groups. Please contact Lisa Buck at

lbuck@woplc.org or Megan Moen at mmoen@woplc.org to volunteer.

9

Thursday Senior Shop Rogers Bus—

Thursdays at 10am, $1.00 per rider. Assis-

tance provided with your groceries. Contact

Judy at 763-428-7657.

Jammers Potluck & Music—Sunday, May

3rd from 1-5pm (eat at 4pm) at the Rogers

Community Room (21201 Memorial Drive).

Bring a dish to share. Contact Dave at 763-

428-4217.

Rogers Senior Dining—Tuesday through

Thursday every week at 12:00 noon at the

Rogers Community Room. Call by 9am one

day prior to meal date for reserva�ons, 763-

428-0976. Cost: 55+ $4.00. Under 55 $5.00.

NEW! Weekly Exercise FLEX Program: Mon-

days from 11am-Noon at the Rogers Com-

munity Room. Free for SilverSneakers mem-

bers: Non-members pay only $1.00 per

class. First class is free. Exercises are geared

towards 55+ but everyone is welcome. No

on-the-floor work. Chairs used as props

with op�on of adjustable wrist/ankle

weights. Call Instructor Lori Schoenborn at

612-636-0207 or Liz at 763-428-0939 with

ques�ons.

Mother's Day Luncheon at the Community

Room, Wednesday, May 6, 12-2pm. A deli-

cious roasted chicken lunch will be served,

followed by dessert. At 1:00 pm, the Sa�n

Dolls, a dance group of senior ladies, will

perform a series of tap dances with fun

songs and costumes. $4.00 ($5 if under

age 55); Please call 428-0976 to order a

noon meal or come for the free entertain-

ment at 1pm.

Rogers Senior Center Open House: Join us

on May 15 from 2-5pm at 12913 Main

Street for an open house and ribbon

cuKng at the new temporary Senior Cen-

ter in Rogers.

Driver Improvement Program through St.

Cloud University: Wednesday, June 10

from 12-4pm (4-hour refresher, $20.00) at

the Rogers Community Room. Save 10%

on your auto insurance for 3 years. Call

888-234-1294 to sign up.

Great Decisions: A Global Conversa�on

Group - approx. 1 hour monthly foreign

policy discussion of important global topics

presented by videos, local expert presen-

ta�ons and group discussions. May 20 at

10am at the Rogers Community Room.

This month’s topic is U.S. trade policy. Call

Liz 763-428-0939.

Annual Pie Social: Monday, June 1 from

2:00-4:00 at the Rogers Community Room.

Please join us for some homemade pie, ice

cream and coffee for only $5.00.

Mary Poppins at the Chanhassen Dinner

Theatre: Wednesday, June 3, 10:15am-

4:30pm. $68.00 includes bus transporta�on,

lunch and show. Call Liz at 763-428-0939

before May 8 to reserve a spot.

The Word of Peace Kids-Care Bus takes

seniors shopping at Ridgedale every other

month. The next trip will be June 9. Cost is

$1.00 for the round trip. The bus starts pick-

ing up at 9:30am and returns to Rogers by

1:30pm. Call Judy to sign up at 763-428-

7657.

SeniorsSeniorsSeniorsSeniors

Family Camp at Luther Crest in Alexandria

June 19-21

Word of Peace families of all ages, you are invited to aMend this fun

and relaxing weekend at Luther Crest Bible Camp in Alexandria!

Take advantage of beau�ful Lake Carlos with swimming and pontoon

rides, arts and craDs, hiking trails, Bible studies, worship, campfires

and more! Head into downtown to visit the an�que shops or tour the

Carlos Creek Winery. Camp begins at 7pm Friday and ends at noon on

Sunday.

LODGING: Adult Retreat Center: $145/family

Cabins: $85/family

MEALS: $30/person (age 13 or older)

$15/person (age 6-12)

Free (age 0-5)

SIGN UP: Registra�on Forms are available outside of

the Youth Ministry office

LEARN MORE: Contact Marcus Eads at meads@woplc.org

or 763-496-2410

Please contact Judy Hanson at 763-428-

7657 for resource, community or general

informa6on for seniors in the Rogers area.

To subscribe to the Rogers Senior News-

le�er, call 763-241-3520. Or, read it online

at Seniors.CityofRogers.org.

Non-Profit Org. US Postage

PAID ROGERS, MN PERMIT NO. 9

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

SundaysSundaysSundaysSundays 8:30 a.m. Traditional8:30 a.m. Traditional8:30 a.m. Traditional8:30 a.m. Traditional 9:45 a.m. Blended9:45 a.m. Blended9:45 a.m. Blended9:45 a.m. Blended 11:00 a.m. Contemporary11:00 a.m. Contemporary11:00 a.m. Contemporary11:00 a.m. Contemporary MondaysMondaysMondaysMondays 6:30 p.m. Contemporary6:30 p.m. Contemporary6:30 p.m. Contemporary6:30 p.m. Contemporary SUMMER WORSHIP BEGINS 5/24SUMMER WORSHIP BEGINS 5/24SUMMER WORSHIP BEGINS 5/24SUMMER WORSHIP BEGINS 5/24 Sundays at 8:30 & 10:00 AMSundays at 8:30 & 10:00 AMSundays at 8:30 & 10:00 AMSundays at 8:30 & 10:00 AM Mondays at 6:30 PMMondays at 6:30 PMMondays at 6:30 PMMondays at 6:30 PM