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Tuesday, March 3rd, 2015
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Dear Church ~
I remember the period during seminary when I made the startling discovery that, had I met Jesus in person, I might not like him. There are times in the gospel stories where Jesus goes up against the temple authorities, who seemed to be doing what they were supposed to do, and he is downright mean or rude. The gospel reading for this week (John 2:13-22) is one of those passages.
Everyone is in Jerusalem for one of the largest religious festivals of the year, Passover. But in order to worship in the traditional (or at least what had become traditional) way, one had to change to a special currency and purchase animals for sacrifice. Only then could they make their way into the actual temple and take part in the ceremony. Imagine for a moment that, when you walked through our doors on a Sunday morning, you were required to change your currency over to a special Our Savior's coin, purchase a bulletin, and put your order in for what kind of bread or wine you could afford for communion. It may seem outrageous to us, but during Jesus' lifetime, that was the expectation. Worship cost money in order to take part; Jesus' actions pointed out that this cost kept people away from worship rather than inviting them in.
In our modern setting, we have to listen to this text carefully as we become clear about what we give to God as our offering (stewardship), and the realities of what it costs to run a church. Does our building invite people in, or does it put a burden on people so that they aren't able to worship? Is the purpose of our offering to keep the church running, or does it open up the possibility of greater ministry? As we work with contingency budgets and fiscal responsibility, the question typically comes up - can we charge for some of our programs? This is a faithful question that deserves nothing less than a faithful answer. Come, pray, and talk about this as we explore the text and Jesus' response.
See you in Church!
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Worship & Music this Week
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Wednesday, March 4th - Lenten Service & The Story
"Knocking on the Door" by: Pastor Dawn Alitz
Text: Luke 11:1-10; Revelation 3:20
11:30 am Lenten Worship
12:15 pm Lenten Soup Lunch
5:00 pm-6:40pm Lenten Soup Supper
5:30 pm The Story-Worship
7:00 pm Lenten Worship
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Sunday, March 8th- 3 Lent
"Gentle Jesus - Not So Much..." by: Pastor Dawn Alitz
Text: Psalm 19; Exodus 20:1-17; John 2:13-22
8:00 am Traditional Worship in the Sanctuary
9:30 am Blended Worship in the CLC
9:30 am Faith Formation Classes
Special Music (8:00 & 9:30):
Proclaim!
Childcare available at all services
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Announcements |
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Interested in Becoming a Member at Our Savior's Lutheran Church?
We will be receiving new members into our community of faith here at Our Savior's Lutheran during worship on Sunday, April 12. If you are interested in joining that day, you are invited to attend one of two New Member Orientations at 11:00 am on Sundays, March 15 or 22. These meetings will be about an hour long and will be an opportunity to find out more about the mission and ministries of Our Savior's. They will also provide opportunities to meet and speak with our pastors and ask any questions you may have about Our Savior's and what it means to be a member here. We will meet in the Community Life Center. If you require childcare, please RSVP to
[email protected] with the age of your child and the date of the new member orientation you plan on attending.
Membership Summary
Orientations: March 15 & 22 (attend just 1 session)
Location: Community Life Center (CLC)
Time: 11:00 - noon
New Member Sunday: April 12 (attend either service)
Valley Outreach Update:
- Matching Funds -- Our Savior's Lutheran Church is partnering with Valley Outreach to fill thousands of plates for hungry St. Croix Valley residents! For every single dollar that we contribute to Valley Outreach, they are able to purchase $8-$10 of food for those in need. It even gets better. Valley Outreach is eligible for partial matching if our contributions in March. These partial matching funds are distributed from the fine folks who run the MN FoodShare March Campaign across our state.This is an amazing opportunity for all of us to do something really positive for our community.
- Food donations are now being collected in several areas of the church. Please bring in any non-perishable food donations, however, Valley Outreach is especially in need of food in the '5 Most Wanted' group. These are canned fruits and vegetables, brown and white rice, oils and dressings, peanut butter, and canned meat or fish.
- Volunteer Opportunities -- The sign-up sheet to work at Valley Outreach the week of March 30 - April 3 is located on the Welcome Desk.
March Food Drive Update
Last March, OSLC collected 787 pounds of food which roughly equates to 605 meals. Financially, we contributed $6,308.05. Clearly, OSLC has the heart, energy, and resources to feed those in need in our community. We are in the process of planning food collections and providing opportunities for youto give financially. Funding is especially important because groups such as Second Harvest can buy food for Valley Outreach at much lower cost than retail. We also know that those of us who volunteer time at Valley Outreach experience a meaningful and amazing connection to those whom we are helping. Many of us who helped out last year are very much looking forward to helping again. You will soon be given opportunities to give of your time later in March. Please consider accepting this opportunity to help others.
Mission and Outreach Update Every year, OSLC contributes >33% of the Mission and Outreach budget the ELCA Mission work throughout the globe. Click here to get an update on the ELCA's good works that OSLC helps sponsor. The ELCA helps maximize the benefits of your offerings through their programs and global networks"
Don't forget to spring ahead on March 8th!
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Adult Faith Formation & Opportunities for Service
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Grief Recovery Support Group Beginning March 5th at St. Andrew's Lutheran Church. For brochures see Parish Nurse bulletin board or call Becky at 651-439-5704 #24. For more information call Joanne Zehnder at St. Andrew's at 651-730-9073. Your journey from mourning to joy!
Inspirational Yoga New session of Inspirational Yoga begins on Saturdays, March 14 through May, 2. We practice from 9:00 to 10:00 am in the Gathering Area when it's available and move to another room when necessary. All ages, guys and gals, no experience needed all are welcome, bring a friend! The cost is $64.00 and checks should be made out to Lyne Seppala our instructor payable at our 1st class. Bring a yoga mat or large towel to practice on. Questions ? Contact Heidi Puckett at 651-439-9196 or [email protected]. |
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Early Childhood/Children & Family Ministry News
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VBS Update!
Due to some program changes at other churches in our area we anticipate our VBS program to fill up quickly. Please register as soon as possible if you plan to have your children attend VBS this summer. Click here to register now and get a free CD!
Faith Formation Schedule
Dates we will not have Faith Formation or we will have adjusted schedule- Please have your children join you for the church service on non Faith Formation days.
- Wednesdays- March 4, March 11, March 18, March 25
- 5:00-6:40 soup supper
- 5:30- Worship
- 6:10-6:45- Family activity in the Family Room for all families
- 7:00-Lenten Worship
- Sunday, March 29- Palm Sunday-No Faith Formation- all worship- Kids processional with Palms- then sit with parents
- April 1 & 5- No Faith Formation- Holy week
First Communion FaithMarker Class
Who: 1st - 6th graders and a parent/guardian
Date: Monday, March 30, 2015
Time: 6:00 - 8:00 pm
RSVP to the church office by Monday, March 23 at [email protected] or 651-439-5704, ext. 10.
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Youth & Family Ministry News
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Worship Notes
Worship notes need to be fully completed by the end of March so please make sure you have all of yours in by then. If you have any questions please contact Chad or Pastor Dawn.
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Help Wanted
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Yes I can help with Wednesday evening Lenten Suppers! Set-up (no cooking involved): 4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Basically, just preparing the tables for the meal. General Duties: 5:00 -6:45 p.m. Replenishing soup, bread/crackers, dishes and silverware. Clean-up of the tables and kitchen.
Please indicate your availability to
[email protected]:
March 11 Set-up General Duties
March 18 Set-up General Duties
March 25 Set-up General Duties
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Staying in Touch at Our Savior's
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 Use the Calendar link on the homepage to access the church calendar.
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Our Savior's Lutheran Church (ELCA)
1616 W. Olive St.
Stillwater, MN 55082
651-439-5704
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