eSpire
April 8, 2018
FEATURED EVENTS
A Night of Love & Laughter: Comedy Fundraiser with Heather Land
April 21, doors open at 5:30pm, show starts at 7pm in the Sanctuary
This fundraising event will help support Dignity Center & will have you laughing all night at the same time!
 
Heather Land has a knack for finding the funny in the frustrating. Leaving no stone (or people) unturned, she hilariously unravels everyday events that cause us to laugh not only at each other, but more often than not, at ourselves. From ex-husbands to failed diets, she delivers consistent comedy in a self-deprecating style has made her adored by millions of people of all ages. 

TICKETS
General Admission $29
VIP TICKETS
VIP Meet & Greet Experience $59
Only 100 VIP tickets available
Includes Meet & Greet with Heather Land 5:30pm-6:30pm and photo opportunity.
To purchase your tickets here.
Steps of Faith - Second Mile Miracle Information Sessions
Sunday, April 8 at 11:15am - Donor Information and Project Information

Learn more about Phase II of our capital improvement project, with an emphasis on the urgently-needed masonry and stone repairs. Bryant Holmstrom, Director of Facilities, and Nancy Guy, our Building Committee Chair, will present information and answer your questions about this restoration work. 

As you plan your commitment for the Second Mile Miracle Campaign, what are your giving options in the context of new federal tax law? How will the changes impact your tax-wise giving? Attend this session to explore:
  • Deductions still available for gifts
  • Minnesota tax benefit for non-itemizers
  • Outright gifts (one-time and pledges)
  • Giving non-cash assets (stock, IRAs, life insurance, property)
  • “Bunching” charitable gifts
Robert Chandler, estate planning attorney with Chandler & Brown Ltd. will attend as a resource on gift planning strategies. For questions regarding gift options, contact Jack Fistler, Director of Legacy Giving, at (612) 435-1321 or jack@haumc.org.

Please share your questions and hear answers on April 8.
Then join us
at the Church Conference...
April 29, 11:15am in the Sanctuary
This Church Conference is to share the results of the Second Mile Miracle Campaign and to approve Phase II work and the financing plan to fund it. All members of HAUMC are urged to attend.

Congregation Assessment Tool (CAT) Survey Opens April 8

Now open! The Congregational Assessment Tool (CAT) Survey is live! 

Please share your opinions about our church. Your responses will help us see who we are now so we can become the church we want to be next. 

Through April 29, find the survey online here . The survey takes about 15 minutes to complete. 

This Sunday, and each Sunday in April, members of the Young Adult Ministries team will be on-hand in Carlson Hall to take questions and give out "thank you" Kit Kat bars!

If you have questions or would assistance taking the survey, please contact Pastor Nate at nate@haumc.org .
MINISTRY NEWS
Parenting for LYFE Group

Parents supporting parents as we grow together as faithful families! We gather with children in the Social Hall to enjoy brunch together. Then children will have play and activity time, while parents connect with each other through discussion on a monthly topic.

Sunday, April 8: Naming and Taming Big Emotions
Sunday, May 20: Healthy Marriage, Healthy Family
Pub Theology: Spring Schedule
This drop-in group of Hennepin members and friends age 21+ gathers monthly to discuss faith, life, stress, family, and so on with a tasty beverage. 
 MAY 9
Lakes & Legends Brewing
JUNE 13
Lakes & Legends Brewing
Life Adventures: Soderberg's Floral
Friday, April 13 at Noon in the Social Hall

What are the most popular flowers these days? How can we make sure our plants stay healthy? Come join us as a professional florist from Soderberg’s Floral shares floral trends and tips on caring for our plants and flowers.
Cost is $15, and prepaid reservations are due Monday, April 9.
Loving-Kindness Practice
April 15 and 22, 11:15am
We live in times that seek to divide us and to sometimes harden our hearts to the ‘other’. Loving-Kindness practice teaches us how to have a loving heart, with gentle kindness toward ourselves and others. It also teaches compassion, joy, and equanimity practices, which are daughters of loving kindness. This class develops self-acceptance and is also great for working with problem relationships and for developing a caring and compassionate heart. This class has two meetings.
 
Mary Jo Meadow has meditated over 60 years in the Christian, yoga, and Buddhist traditions. She has taught mindfulness in the USA, Canada, Europe, and Australia. She is psychology and religious studies professor emerita at Minnesota State University at Mankato, offers spiritual guidance, and writes and lectures on spirituality. She has seven published books and numerous published professional articles.
Register here .
Spring Weekends for Walk to Emmaus
MEN: April 19 - 22 | WOMEN: April 26 - 29

This is not a walking tour, but rather a remarkable experience with Jesus Christ on the road to Emmaus, Luke 24:13. This is a gift each person can give themselves to be a PILGRIM on your journey with Christ. We need SPONSORS for each Pilgrim. Contact Nancy Sjoquist at 612-741-1872 or pastor Judy Zabel at judy@haumc.org.
Youth Service+Cinema Lock-In: Avengers Infinity War
April 27, 7pm in the Church of Youth Room
The Church of Youth (8th-12th Graders and Parent Chaperones) continues our Service+Cinema Lock-In tradition! We'll go to Feed My Starving Children, return to campus to watch Captain America: Civil War, get some sleep, then wake up early to catch a matinee of Avengers: Infinity War on opening weekend at AMC Southdale. Parents/guardians should pick up their teens at AMC Southdale (400 Southdale Center, Edina, MN 55435) and the movie ends at approximately 12:15pm. Space is limited to 20 tickets.
Register here.

7:00pm Meet on Campus
7:15pm Depart for FMSC Coon Rapids
8:00pm Feed My Starving Children
9:30pm Depart for HAUMC Campus
10:00pm Captain America: Civil War
12:30am Sleep!
7:30am Breakfast and Pack Up
8:15am Depart for AMC Southdale (400 Southdale Center, Edina, MN 55435)
9:15am Avengers: Infinity War
12:15pm Movie Ends, Pick Up from Southdale
Come to Koinonia!
Koinonia needs your help! Yes, YOU! Our handyman has moved on to new adventures, so we need a strong workforce on Saturday, May 5th to put in docks, launch boats, clear fallen limbs and brush, split wood, wash windows, paint and dust. Jobs for volunteers of all abilities and ages. Arrive early for the May 4th “Spring is for the Birds” Retreat. Sign up at www.haumc.org/events.

Please pray for this week’s guests: Green Lotas Yoga Retreat; Wholehearted Living – a Retreat for Women; Association of First Universalist Women’s Retreat
Entry Point: New Members Class
May 6, 11:30am in the Church of Youth Room
Join Pastor Judy for brunch as you explore membership of Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church.
ART & MUSIC AT HENNEPIN
Spring Art Show and Reception
April 8 - May 20 in the Art Gallery
April 8 at 11:15am in the Art Gallery

Our featured artist is Mike Jagielo, who carves domestic and exotic woods into beautiful and functional pieces. Meet the artist at a reception on April 8.

Brahms’ Requiem
April 8, 3pm First Lutheran Church, Columbia Heights
Rather than a prayer for the dead, Brahms’ great requiem is a comfort to the living and will be performed by Chorus Polaris, conducted by Bill Mathis. Tickets are $10 in advance and for seniors or $15 at the door, kids are free. Purchase tickets at choruspolaris.org.

Salon se Lève: Katia Tesarczyk, violin and Shuen Wu, piano
April 15, 2:30 pm in the Art Gallery
Proudly featuring again the amazing violinist Katia Tesarczyk, First Prize winner of the Schubert Club Competition and top prize winner of the National Sphinx Competition and pianist Shuen Wu, another First Prize winner of the Schubert Club Scholarship Competition who continues to rank among the finest pianists of his generation.

Downtown Church Choirs’ Festival:
Evening and Morning, Darkness and Light
April 15, 7pm Westminster Presbyerian Church
1200 S Marquette Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55403 
HAUMC Sanctuary Choir joins six additional downtown church choirs for this annual event.Reception to follow.

Earth Sing Day
April 21, 7pm at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities,
3000 5th St. NW, New Brighton, MN 55112
Songwriters Bret Hesla and Richard Bruxvoort Colligan teach and sing from their collection of songs affirming science, green values and justice. Come for a fun evening of community singing. $15/adult or $25/family suggested.

Helen Chang, violin and Denis Evstuhin, piano
April 22, 2pm in the Art Gallery
Helen Chang, Denis Evstuhin, pianist Oleg Levin and friends offer a recital featuring works of Gershwin, Rachmaninoff, and Ned Rorem.

Scott Lykins, cello and Matthew McCreight, piano
April 28, 7:30pm in the Art Gallery
Enjoy an eveining with Scott Lykins, cello, and Matthew McCright, piano, as they play 20th Century masterworks for cello and piano by Piazolla, Barber, and Shostakovich. Tickets may be purchased at here.

Soul Café : "Exuberance"
Sunday, April 29, 7pm in the Art Gallery
Soul Café is a performance of jazz and poetry, built around a theme selected for the evening. It is an exploration of spirituality and art, with the added dimension of improvisation, allowing everyone present to join in the creative process. Soul Café affirms the artistic inspiration that comes from the One Spirit that gives birth to us all. These performances celebrate that Spirit. Requested donation is $10.
Spring Fling! Hennepin Singers Concert
May 5, 6pm in the Art Gallery
Spring concert and buffet dinner. Call by May 1st for reservations at (612) 871-5303.
Hennepin Chime Spring Concert
May 6, 7pm in the Sanctuary
Hennepin Chime under the direction of Bill Mathis, offers a spring concert of delightful music.
The Private Life of a Masterpiece
May 16, 7pm in the Art Gallery
May 20, 11:15am in the Art Gallery
Art, faith and popular culture mash-up in the award winning documentary “The Private Life of a Masterpiece” series produced by BBC. The series reveals the fascinating stories behind artworks, not just how they were created but also how they came to influence others in the modern world. Mark your calendar to explore the inside story of the masterwork The Last Supper by Leonardo Da Vinci. There will be a free screening of the documentary in the Art Gallery followed by a group discussion.

Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church ChoirFest in Morning Worship
May 20, 10am in the Sanctuary
Includes Sanctuary Choir, Journey, and Altar Choir.
OUTREACH OPPORTUNITIES
Old School by Steeple People is Accepting Donations

Every Sunday beginning April 8 at 9am - 11:30am
in the Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church parking lot

Did you hear the news? Old School by Steeple People will soon open in its new location: 1901 Nicollet Avenue South. Beginning on Sunday, April 8, and continuing every Sunday, bring your donations of gently used clothes, household items, and furniture to the Steeple People donation van parking in the Hennepin parking lot. Bring items that would make you feel good or that you would give to a friend as a gift.

Please do not leave donations inside the church building or at any of the building entrances.

If you would like to volunteer at Old School by Steeple People, or want to stay up-to-date on the latest news of the new store, follow Old School by Steeple People on Facebook, or OldSchoolThrifty on Instagram.
Common Hope: A Vision of Opportunity in Guatemala
May 6, 10:15am in the Art Gallery
In February, Hennepin member Jane Mylrea traveled to Guatemala as part of a Vision Team with Common Hope, an organization partnering with children, families and communities to improve lives through education, healthcare, housing and family development. She had the opportunity to learn about Guatemala, its people, its culture, enhancing her understanding of Common Hope's work in Guatemala and the challenges facing this culture. Join Jane to hear about her experience and the important work of Common Hope. There will be a presentation at 10:15am and another at 11:15am.
Pub+Project
Pub+Project is our brand-new ministry for young adults to build community as a community. Come together for a service project, then go out together to socialize. Our first Project will be at Feed My Starving Children. This service project helps feed impoverished children around the world. We will gather together afterwards at the Tavern 4&5. RSVP to Nate Melcher at nate@haumc.org.

APRIL 7
2pm-4pm

Feed My Starving Children
MID-MAY, TBA


Old School
by Steeple People
JUNE 3
4pm-6:30pm

Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church
This classic service project helps feed impoverished children around the world. Come for the first time or the 100th time, let's feed the least of these in the name of Jesus together!
Steeple People is back! This spring we have the chance to see the new space with a tour plus serve this nonprofit staple of the community by sorting donation items. Be one of the "new school" volunteers at Old School!
One of the top entry point ministries of HAUMC, you can be a table host, work in the kitchen, manage the give away tables, and more. This is one of the most powerful ministries we do, sign up!
6:30pm-8pm

Leaning Tower of Pizza
After a few hours on our feet, take some time to have a seat and meet new people during happy hour and build our excellent community!
Steeple People is an uptown staple and so is Christos Greek restaurant! A variety of vegetarian and meat-eater options plus libations.
A classic gathering spot in our neighborhood, Leaning Tower of Pizza has a wide assortment of pizzas, foods, and tasty beverages.
Compass 180 Open House
May 6, 11am at 301 SE Main St, Minneapolis, MN 55414
Eight years ago a prison outreach program began at Hennepin Church. Over those years it has helped 47 different individuals and their families faced with re-entry from incarceration begin new careers and companies. None of these scholarship recipients have returned to prison. On May 6th Compass 180 will celebrate the life of possibility and renewal. The program itself will enter a new phase. It will become VOCARE 180 (Latin for your calling) a non-profit organization with a core values of vocational justice and the power of work and dreams. The Open House will be from 11:00 to 2:00 at the Pillsbury “A” Mills in downtown Minneapolis. Brunch will be served. All of our recipients would love your attendance. Please RSVP a compass180hennepin@gmail.com. Without the help of the Laymen’s Fund, The Steeple People and the incredible people on the advisory committee none of this would have
happened. THANK YOU.
Emma Norton “Opening Doors” Annual Dinner and Silent Auction
May 7, 4-7:30pm
Mpls Marriott NW, 7025 Northland Drive N, Brooklyn Park

Please join Emma Norton in celebrating and strengthening our lifelong partnership with the United Methodist Church and United Methodist Women. You’ll enjoy a lively evening with delicious food and an opportunity to bid on silent auction items to benefit the people Emma Norton serves. Register at bit.ly/2pw45iV by April 9 for the Early Bird ticket price.
Sweet Celebrations-sign up today!
Celebrating a birthday, anniversary,
or other big news? Sponsor donuts!
 
Now there’s two wonderful ways to celebrate birthdays and anniversaries, honor loved ones and celebrate special occasions. Sign up to provide a beautiful bouquet of Sanctuary Flowers during Traditional Worship and your special occasion will be listed in the bulletin. Sign up to sponsor donuts with Sweet Celebrations and your special occasion will appear in the bulletin and on a poster at the donut table.

Bonus: your $100 Sweet Celebrations sign-up raises funds for youth scholarships for camps, retreats, and mission trips. Sign-up posters are on the kiosk in Carlson Hall.
BIG PICTURE NEWS
Foundation Scholarships for 2018-2019

Applications Available Now and Due April 30
Applications are now available for the Foundation Scholarships. Awards are up to $3,000 for students pursuing seminary, college or university programs. Open to Hennepin members and employees, or others with a connection to Hennepin. Applications available at the reception desk, online, or by contacting Jack Fistler at 612-435-1321 or jack@haumc.org
The Commission on a Way Forward:
A Conversation with Pastor Judy Zabel and Bishop Bruce Ough 
Sunday, April 15 at 5:30 pm
Sunday, April 29 at 5:30 pm
Conversation led by Pastor Judy
Sunday, April 22 at 11:15am
Bishop Ough will preach at 10 a.m. worship, and will lead the conversational forum starting at 11:15 a.m.

The Commission on the Way Forward was proposed by the Council of Bishops and approved by the 2016 General Conference to do a complete examination and possible revision of every paragraph of the Book of Discipline concerning human sexuality and explore options that help to maintain and strengthen the unity of the church. Pastor Judy and Bishop Bruce R. Ough will lead this conversation about where we’ve been, where we are and what the future might hold.
HENNEPIN KIDS FOR LYFE CAMPS

Earth Camp
July 8-11

Campers will discover more about loving God and loving one another while enjoying some of their favorite outdoor activities including swimming, hiking, and our brand-new gaga pit! Participants who have completed 1st grade - 6th grade.

Joyful Uproar 
July 23-27

A week of joy & music for children in 1st-6th grade. Each morning will include handbells, Orff Schulwerk and choir. The students will participate as worship leaders in the Traditional Worship Service on Sunday, July 29 at 10 am.

Vacation Bible Camp
August 6-10

Step back in time with the Apostle Paul and experience what life was like in first-century Rome! We will enjoy games, music, and snacks! Participants ages 3 years-4th grade.
Send us your announcements!
Do you have news you would like to announce in the eSpire digital newsletter?
The deadline for announcements is 12 Noon on Monday for announcements to be included in the following Friday's eSpire. 
Please go to fill out an announcement form at www.haumc.org/communications or drop off at church. All submissions are subject to editing for space and content.
Thanks for sharing your stories!