PASTOR BETH - OUT OF OFFICE JUNE 2-3rd
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Pastor Beth will be out of the office June 2 and 3 as she goes with her family to attend the funeral and burial of Seth’s Aunt Karen who passed away of Covid-19 in December 2020. If you are in need of pastoral care during this time please contact the church office or Trudy Knipple (vice-chair of Elders) and they will coordinate care with the pastor Beth has connect with to be on call.
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TECHNOLOGY TEAM BEING CREATED
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We are in the process of creating a Technology Committee to be trained and create a schedule of who would help with the technology during our Sunday worship services and possibly with the utilizing of Zoom during meetings throughout the month. If you would be willing to help the congregation in this way please let Pastor Beth know.
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2021 SUMMER CAMPS!We are excited to be hosting our summer camps again this year.
There is a new Family Camp that is being offered at Mt. Morris on June 4th-6th. This is an opportunity to experience Mt. Morris as a family! Prices are based per person. There is also a $50.00 voucher being offered per family unit.
All registration information is on wdcamping.com web site. |
JULY 4th FIREWORKS RETURN!
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The July 4th Fireworks are a go this year, so the Board of Elders have decided to be present. We are changing up things up from what we have done in the past.
The Brat Fry has been changed to a Popcorn Stand instead. We will be serving only popcorn, baked goods and soda or water between 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. We know that our work staff is getting slower and with shorter hours and less food to handle, we hope to be about being present and letting folks know that we are still being the church. We will need baked goods bagged in single servings so that we can handle the food safely. A donations list will be at the church for you to sign up on as well as if you can be a helper at the event. You may also call Trudy Knipple at 715-423-8858 to volunteer. We do not expect this to be a big money maker but we want people to know that we are here and that we care about them. So please join us as we be the church at work. Praise God we can do some of God’s work and look to a future of serving. If you have questions, please contact me and I will try my best to answer. -Trudy Knipple |
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PLUS 50 RETREAT AT MT. MORRIS - AUGUST 12-15thRegistration begins @ 4 p.m. on Thursday followed by dinner at 5:30 p.m. We end with breakfast and worship on Sunday. Cost per person is $200 which includes all meals and 3 nights lodging in Black Oak Lodge.
Reserve your spot now with a $75 deposit by July 1. Our registrar ……………….Myrna Peil - Email: mpeil3590@gmail.com or call 920-333-0447 Our program director ………..Rev. Mary Lou Plummer - Email: mlplummer01@gmail.com or call 715-451-9992 Our musician… …………Jason Pues Registration forms available in the church office. |
BOARD OF ELDERS - UPDATE - MAY 2021
The Elders met on the evening of May 18, 2021 in-person and via Zoom
Our next meeting will be Tuesday, June 15 at 6:30 p.m.
- We received reports from the pastor and various committees.
- We discussed and shared the feedback that we have heard from the congregation.
- We reviewed our Covid-19 guidelines and discussed what do to do in light of changes made by the CDCs guidelines. The decision was made that for the next month we will continue with the guidelines we have in place out of caution and caring for those who have not yet had the opportunity to be vaccinated. We will continue to monitor positivity rates and trends and revisit this again next month.
- We discussed our usual July 4th outreach and decided we would like to offer something, but felt that considering where we are with the pandemic, and the short time to coordinate volunteers, that we would scale things back. This year we will sell popcorn, baked goods and beverages only and offer them from 7-9 p.m. of the night of the fireworks. Trudy has agreed to coordinate this outreach for this year.
- We are still working on letters to let those who have been missing that we miss them. These will be going out over the next month.
- We affirmed that we will continue with our two worship service times in the same manner over the summer – 9 a.m .– In-person & 10:15 a.m. – Online (Zoom and YouTube Live)
- We closed ourselves with prayer.
Our next meeting will be Tuesday, June 15 at 6:30 p.m.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES - UPDATE - MAY 2021
Facility Updates:
New Tractor:
As always, if you have any questions, feel free to call me at 715-423-4455.
Bruce King
Chair – Board of Trustees
- Painting is underway in the stairwells and social room ceiling. No more rain stains on the sanctuary ceiling.
- Carpeting has been ordered for the second floor hall by the bathrooms and elevator.
- Once we paint the entrance and exit doors, and do some floor tile work, the north wing project should be complete.
- Please remember, we cannot use the balance of the project money from the PEC for general budget items - only for facility improvements and building repairs.
New Tractor:
- We now have a brand new John Deere tractor/mower with bagger and snow attachment. Our previous Toro tractor was 22 years old. I am happy to report that no money was taken from the budget or church funds to pay for the new tractor. The entire John Deere purchase was funded by very generous donors who stepped up when asked to help. Thank you all for your kindness!!
As always, if you have any questions, feel free to call me at 715-423-4455.
Bruce King
Chair – Board of Trustees
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2021 WESTERN DISTRICT SYNOD REPORTHello, I am Michael Barnes, one of your synod delegates. Today is Saturday, the 24th of April. We have just concluded synod, you know, the one that was supposed to happen in 2020. Remember? Yes, with our recent shared history, it does seem like a lifetime ago!
This synod was a streamlined, or striped down version of a normal synod. It was held online via ZOOM and the LUMI platform which enabled voting and discussion protocols for the delegates. For those familiar with how synods normally go, there were no committees developing legislation, and the only resolution, one from the Western District Justice Team, was, if my memory serves, deferred for action by the Western District Board rather than the synod. The business of this synod, due to the constraints of the meeting method was kept only to what had to be done for the continued operation of the Western District for the next intersessional period, and just so you understand, this period actually began last year. Yes, like church of recent past, the fellowship of being together in person was missed. But this was a meeting of the unity, and in person or not, it was as is said in Psalm 133 “Behold, how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” We were only together in cyberspace, but indeed we were together. There were video reports heard from various entities of the western district. Some expanded my understanding of the scope and size of their mission, such as the Marquardt Village. Others caused excitement and I found my spirit reinvigorated by them. These were not only from expected sources like the Tricklebee Café, Moravian Mt Morris, or the Board of World Missions, but from other sources like the new ministry for those differently enabled by Greg and Amy Behrend called, “You Belong”, the mission of the Western District Justice Committee working to advance racial, social and economic justice, the food ministry of Green Bay West, or housing ministry of Waconia. It is all about the leading of the Spirit, which was discussed by our keynote speaker, Rev. Heather Vacek, (soon to be the Dean of the Moravian Theological Seminary). She introduced us to our theme verse from Acts 1: 8, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” The spirit was very much present. It was seen in the ministries and missions presented, and was present in the small group breakouts where Eric Renner from the Dakota’s told me to keep giving Pastor Beth a hard time, and from stories like those from Fred, who is part of a long time Promise Keepers group that found ways to keep meeting despite a pandemic, or Lori, who, losing a child to SID’s years ago, spoke about how the selfless help from her pastor got her through, strengthening her faith and dedication to God. Yes, the work of the Western District was done; elections were held, budgets approved, and reports submitted. But the real work was the work of the Spirit, in me, and I believe in my fellow attendees, calling us to church in new and different ways for a world that has changed and really, always is changing. Calling us, as God has through the ages, to meet the needs of his people where they are. In Christ, Michael Barnes |
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THE GROUND OF THE UNITYAt the District Synod, Rev. Heather Vacek, spoke about the Ground of the Unity in her talks. This document is based on earlier statements about the practices and beliefs of the Moravian Church. Below is a portion from this document.
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PRAYER OF SERVANTHOODO God, our help in ages past, our hope for years to come. We give you thanks for your constant presence. Through seasons of stability and change, you are with us, calling us out of ourselves into the world to serve others. Grant that we may be united in love for each other and for those we haven’t yet met. Grant us wisdom, patience, and perseverance as we work through the details and challenges of the ministry you have placed before us. Continue, O Lord, to bless the work of our hands. Bless the work of our hands.
Amen. |
RECYCLE YOUR INK CARTRIDGES
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Did you know that we collect used ink and toner cartridges and then turn them in for credit. We receive $2.00 for each cartridge that we bring in. You can place your used cartridges in the blue plastic container in the hallway by the offices.
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