FINDING THE NEWNESS IN EACH NEW DAY
As we begin a new year it never really dawned on me that we are starting a new decade. I’m usually fairly nostalgic about things like this, but this time I haven’t given it much thought. I’m grateful that there hasn’t been any end of the world chatter like there is from time to time over the turning of a calendar page. Remember how no computer would be able to deal with the year 2000? Or how the Mayan’s had foreseen the end of the world in 2012? I’m still not over that one as it led to the creation of one of the worst movies I’ve ever seen (2012) and one of the biggest fights I’ve ever had with my spouse who thought it was a right fine movie (she is still wrong). Of course there have been many other claims about the end of time. These predictions capitalize on our tendency to fear the unknown and our inability to know what lies ahead. But we need not fear. Every year the calendar ends; when that happens it doesn’t mean the end of the world is coming, it means that January 1 is coming.
In the book of Revelation God claims, “I am the Alpha and Omega, who is and who was and who is to come”. God is the beginning and the end. God is past, present, and future. God is everywhere throughout time and it is the same God who came to us out of love at Christmas. The God who loves us so much that he came to dwell among us will be there at the end of time. Thus, we need not fear, for God is always with us.
Indeed we can celebrate the newness that is 2020. In this new year there is much to be hopeful and optimistic about. In our life together at Vinje we enter this new year with a new parking lot and a renovated kitchen that comes with many new opportunities. To celebrate this and the ability to cook (not just boil water or heat food in roasters) that we again have in our kitchen we are looking forward to burgers after the annual meeting on February 2. This is just one of many new opportunities we have in the coming year.
As we open a new month, year, and decade I hope you are able to find the newness that God brings with each new day. What excites you? What is God calling you to? What does God have in store for us at Vinje? These are exciting questions and I’m thankful that we can focus on newness with hopeful optimism and not dread the unknown future because we need not fear.
Pastor Justin
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THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROSITY
It is often said that the Christmas season brings out the best in people. It certainly brought out the generosity of Vinje members and it was certainly a busy season of ministry for many in our congregation. Here are a few things that we were up to recently…
On Thanksgiving Eve, in addition to the non perishable items that were shared, we collected donations to Willmar Area Food Shelf totaling $1,577.
Our Noisy Advent Offerings were another excellent example of ongoing generosity.
Week One of Advent (Lutheran Disaster Response): $284.76
Week Two of Advent (Family Promise): $547.99
Week Three of Advent (ELCA World Hunger): $676.65
Week Four of Advent (UCAP): TBD
Lastly we have continued our practice of sharing gifts with others in our community. When this newsletter went to print, the Light of Christmas fund had purchased many Christmas gifts. There were 41 families who received food baskets which include a complete Christmas meal. Four movie night baskets for area group homes, 44 gifts for adults, and 79 gifts for children. These gifts and baskets included essential items such as toilet paper, soaps and tissue in addition to clothing, pajamas, boots, toys and more. Your donations made all of this generosity possible. Thank you much for your giving spirit over the Christmas season and throughout the year!
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STEWARDSHIP UPDATE
Thank you for a successful fall financial stewardship campaign! Though we didn’t quite make our goals of 200 family pledges and 120 electronic givers, we are very encouraged by a strong response to our challenge and the pastors are also excited that we fell just shy of pie-ing them in the face (sounds like a win-win for everyone!)
The other good news we want to share is that because of our positive response in pledged giving, we should be able to have a healthy budget for 2020 that will allow us to continue to do some important ministry. But here’s where you come in...we’re counting on you to fulfill those pledges! Please know that we are grateful for the ways you support our ministry, and we want you to know how thankful we are for you and our work together!
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SPONSOR THE BULLETIN, BROADCAST AND BUS
Thank
An Opportunity for you to express your gratitude for God’s gifts, to honor a loved one, to celebrate a special occasion or to help with the mission of our church by sponsoring a Sunday Morning Broadcast, Bulletin or Worship Bus. If you wish to reserve a date for a sponsorship, please
click here
, print the form and check the date as well as the item(s) that you’d like to sponsor for that date and return to the church office.
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SAVE THE DATE: VINJE ANNUAL MEETING
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2ND | AFTER WORSHIP
Join us for our annual meeting to approve the 2020 budget.
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2020 MISSION TRIPS
We are excited to be heading back to Milwaukee, a city that is full of both fun and service opportunities. Youth in grades 6-8 are welcome to sign up for this June 13-19 trip. Meanwhile the senior high youth will be traveling to Memphis to serve and learn more about the civil rights history of our country. Youth in grades 8-12 can sign up for this June 28-July 3 trip.
The registration cost for either of these trips is $125. Please
fill out the registration form
(this can also be found on the website under middle/high school) and turn a check into the office as soon as possible as the registration deadline is the end of January.
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MIDDLE SCHOOL SKATIN’ PLACE FUN!
FRIDAY, JANUARY 17 | 5:30 PM | MEET AT CALVARY
Parents of middle school youth, please save the date and watch your email for more info on this fun event!
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VINJE COUNCIL MEETING RECAP
December Council Highlights...
Update on Loving Arms having two classrooms at Calvary
The pastors’ 2020 Housing Allowance
Columbarium Update
Budget Request from Worship Committee
2020 Budget
February 2nd Annual Meeting
Want to know more? Contact a member of council.
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LOVING ARMS UPDATE
CHRISTMAS FUN!
On Wednesday December 11th, Loving Arms served the Wednesday meal and our Loving Arms children presented their Christmas Program at worship! They really enjoyed sharing their songs and did a wonderful job! Thank you to all of our Loving Arms families and staff for helping make this fun evening come together! And thanks to Karen Wojahn and Carol Parker for all of the help with the music!
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OFFERING ENVELOPES
Please use them until they are gone, and then let Janet, in the church office know when you need more. Please allow a few days to process your request for more.
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SAVE THE DATE: CHILDREN OF GOD SUNDAY
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2ND | 9:30 AM WORSHIP
We will celebrate “Children of God” Sunday on February 2nd. Join us for a worship service written and led by the children and youth of our congregation. Our youngest members will remind us that we are all children of God as we learn and grow in worship with them.
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VINJE TOWN HALL
SUNDAY, JANUARY 12 | 10:45 AM | FELLOWSHIP HALL
We want to kick off the new year by checking in with you. How are things going for you at Vinje? What questions do you have? We want to hear from you so we are planning a “Vinje Town Hall” on January 12. We will gather in Fellowship Hall after worship – don’t worry we will give you a chance to get a cup of coffee and a treat before we start. Congregation leaders will be there to answer your questions and hear from you. We know that you care deeply about Vinje and we value your ministry and thoughts.
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Remember to recycle your Christmas lights. You can drop them in the bin in the church entry way until the end of January.
Also, recycle your boxes and non-metallic wrapping paper.
Next Creation Care Committee meeting will be Thursday, January 9 at 5:30 pm in gathering area.
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HERE'S WHAT'S HAPPENING...
Not a singer but love music?
We have a place for you in the handbell choir!
Several of our members will be taking breaks at different times this winter, so we need a couple of substitutes who could fill in. What a great way to be part of a fun group at church and work on beautiful music together! Contact Karen for more information.
Vinje Choir
is growing and there’s a place for you! We practice on Sunday mornings at 8:30, and we sing for Sunday worship once a month. We’ll be working on a variety of great anthems this winter. Come join in the fellowship!
Plans are underway for a
Children’s Musical
at Vinje in May. If your students would like to participate, have them come for Grace Notes on Wednesdays, beginning January 8.
VINJE SING OUT “IN THE BLEAK MIDWINTER”
SUNDAY, JANUARY 12 | 2:30 PM | BETHESDA CHAPEL
Are you good at holding a hymnal? Come have fun singing hymns from the old red Hymnal at the Bethesda Chapel. Let’s bring some joy and brighten the day for our friends there “In the Bleak Midwinter.” This is for everyone, not just the choir members! Questions? Contact Karen.
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MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Regular Wednesday night activities (youth activities, meal, worship) will NOT take place on December 25 or January 1.
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QUILTERS MEET THIS MONTH
The Vinje Quilters will not meet in January or February.
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VINJE ON THE GO!
Vinje’s service is broadcast live each Sunday on KWLM, 1340 AM. You can also watch each service
live on YouTube
(go to youtube.com and search Vinje Willmar).
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