House of Prayer 
is a gathering of God's people who value:
Welcoming,
Openness, 
Compassionate Community, 
and Relationships

Here is an update of what is happening at
House of Prayer this week!
Worship This Sunday
As he rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks on the road. As he was now approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen, saying, "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven!" Luke 19:36-38

Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday's remembrance of Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem. He was received as the long-awaited king and Messiah, God had promised. We will join in the jubilation as we wave our palm branches in worship. The celebration turned toward rejection for Jesus within days. For us this means Palm Sunday's cheers are fleeting as we begin Jesus' journey to the cross. Join us for worship on Sunday, followed by Maundy Thursday and Good Friday.
State of the Richfield Community Event
CANCELLED FOR TONIGHT
Ordination & Installation Invitation from Pastor Kelly Sandin - This Saturday 
It is a great joy and blessing to be called to House of Prayer as Associate Pastor and I would be honored for your attendance at my ordination and installation on Saturday, April 13, 2019, at 5:00 p.m., at House of Prayer. There will be a "drop in" choir rehearsal on the day of the service at 3:30 p.m., for all who love to sing. All rostered ministers and seminarians are joyfully welcomed to vest and process. We will line up at 4:50 p.m. The color of the day is red. Following the service, there will be an appetizer reception. Hope you can join the celebration!
Palm Sunday This Sunday 
April 14th is Palm Sunday! We wave palms and deliver hope to the hands that harvested them. Our palm supplier adheres to a high standard of environmental stewardship and social responsibility, provides hundreds of jobs to people in one of the lowest economic regions of the U.S., and donates a portion of sales to 4 U.S. non-profit organizations benefiting environmental /humanitarian efforts. All are encouraged to take their palms home with them, and keep them until next year's Lenten season. We will gather for a pancake dinner on Shove Tuesday and burn our palms to use in Ash Wednesday worship.
Holy Week Schedule
Wednesday - April 17, NO Simple Supper/Youth activities
Maundy Thursday - April 18, 7:00 pm Collaboration worship at Oak Grove Lutheran Church (7045 Lyndale Ave S, Richfield)
Good Friday - April 19, 7:00 pm worship
Easter Sunday - April 21, 9:30 am & 11:00 am worship
Collaboration Maundy Thursday Worship
Join us for worship on Maundy Thursday, April 18th at 7pm at Oak Grove Lutheran Church! We will gather as three Lutheran congregations (House of Prayer, Oak Grove, and Woodlake) for a time of worship and celebration. At this moving service, we remember Jesus' last supper and his command for us to love one another as we have been loved. Children from each congregation will receive communion for the first time, so it will also be a time of celebration! All three of our congregations are also supporters of VEAP. If you would like, please bring a canned good to the service and they will be delivered to VEAP. All are welcome!
Turn In Pledge Cards
Each year we ask members of House of Prayer to make a financial commitment that allows our mission and ministry work to continue to thrive and grow. If you haven't already, please place your commitment in the offering plate on Sunday or drop off/mail it to the church office this week. Pledge cards are available at the Information Desk if you need one. Thank you for your generosity and commitment to HOP!
No Simple Crock Pot Meal-April 17th
Simple Suppers will be back on Wednesday, April 24th, at 5:30 pm in Fellowship Hall.
Children & Youth This Week
The Sunday School children will process with palms for Palm Sunday this week and finish their lesson on the Last Supper. Next week there is NO youth group due to Holy Week. Instead, we invite everyone to join us at 7pm Thur. at Oak Grove for a joint Maundy Thursday service (including the celebration of first communion!) and again at HOP on Friday at 7pm for Good Friday.
Children on Easter
The Sunday School children from both services will sing (and ring!) during 9:30 worship. Then at 10:30am on Easter morning, all children including any guests are invited to join us for an Easter egg hunt! We'll meet in the narthex and go outside if we are able. During the 11:00 service, we will have an Easter activity for kids to do while joining us for worship.
Preschool Summer Camp
Exciting news! House of Prayer Preschool will offer three weeks of Summer Camp in June! It will be open to 3-5 year olds and meet Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday from 9-11:30 a.m. For more information, contact Nicole Olson, Preschool Director, [email protected]. Come join the fun!
Christians Clean Up Christian Park
House of Prayer members are joining Southview members (who worship at HOP on Saturdays) to jointly clean up Christian Park on Saturday, April 27th. We'll meet there (70th/Bloomington) at 1pm and eat lunch together before we start picking up litter. This is a great chance to care for the earth, serve the community, and meet our fellow Christians who worship in our building. If you'd like to join us and help out, please contact Paula Hall at 612-413-1214.
Earth Day & Arbor Day
This year to celebrate Earth Day on Monday, April 22, Hennepin County invites you to participate in the Earth Action Challenge.
Sign up for the challenge at https://www.hennepin.us/earth-action-challenge, and each day during the week leading up to Earth Day, you will learn about an action that you can take to protect the environment and be connected to resources to help you take that action. A great activity for families!
* Monday, April 15: Recycle smart - know what goes in your recycling cart
* Tuesday, April 16: Green your spring cleaning
* Wednesday, April 17: Get around in a sustainable way
* Thursday, April 18: Ditch the disposables
* Friday, April 19: Capture rain water
* Saturday, April 20: Clean up in your community
* Sunday, April 21: Get outside (Attend Easter Services at House of Prayer!)
* Monday, April 22: Make every day Earth Day
And adding to our theme, Sunday, April 28, is Arbor Day. Come see what we have planned for you! - The Creation Care Team
Many Hands Many Meals Food Pack 
On May 1st, House of Prayer will host its 6th annual packing event with Many Hands Many Meals. The meals we packed last year were sent to Sierra Leone.  This year's meals will be sent to Malawi in Africa. The event will start in the Parish Hall at 5:30 with supper, then move down to the Fellowship Hall at 6:15 to pack from 6:30 to 8:00. Collection of donations and volunteer sign up will begin on April 7. Don't miss this chance to have fun and make a difference to those in need.
Collaboration Churches Fund Clean Water Update
Generous donations from our three churches have already raised $8,990 for ELCA World Hunger's clean water initiatives! This means we've already funded construction of three "spring boxes" - but now we'd like to aim for $10,000 to fund four of them. Special offering envelopes are available at the office. Make checks out to House of Prayer with "ELCA World Hunger" in the memo line. Thanks in advance for your generosity!
Defensive Driving Course
Is it time need to renew your Defensive Driving certificate?  Charlie Robbins will teach a refresher course on Wed, April 24, at 9 am at church for those who have already taken the 8-hour class.  The program is a great opportunity for those over age 55 to learn more about traffic laws and safety tips, and also to receive a 10% insurance discount for each of the next three years.  Cost is $20 for AARP members, $25 for others.  Sign up on Sundays or by calling the church office. Sponsored by the Adult Ministry Team
Meet Our Legislators With ISAIAH Saturday
House of Prayer is partnering with Dar al Farooq Islamic Center to host an In-District Meeting on Saturday, April 13th with our state legislators: Michael Howard and Melissa Halvorson Wiklund. Our two congregations will gather at 10:00am at Dar al Farooq (8201 Park Ave S, Bloomington) to talk about our faith values and how they call us to create a caring economy, increase affordable housing, end Islamophobia, and work for climate justice. All House of Prayer members are invited, even if you live in a different district than church. If you have questions or would like to join us, please contact Kim Houle (612-558-0634).
Community Wellness Expo Saturday
Saturday, April 13th from 9am-noon is the annual Wellness Expo at Richfield High School! This event features a lot of local organizations, youth activities, businesses, and more all working to make sure Richfield stays healthy. There is a huge variety of interactive activities, presentations, resources, a fun run, and more. Many families and neighbors come each year to participate. If you would like to volunteer or just attend, reach out to Ben Whalen for more info ([email protected] or 612-500-9523).
Urban Wildland Race
Each summer, Richfield hosts the Urban Wildland half marathon and 5k race - this year on Saturday, July 27th starting at 7am. It's a fun event that funds the opportunity for students of Richfield schools to get hands-on education through the Wood Lake Nature Center. House of Prayer is helping sponsor the event and already have 7 folks committed to run! There are also many volunteer opportunities to hand out snacks/water, help runners check in, and more. If you'd like to run, volunteer, or just cheer folks on please reach out to Ben Whalen ( [email protected] or 612-500-9523). More information is available at www.urbanwildland.com.
Friends of Wood Lake Dinner
The Friends of Wood Lake (FOWL) are hosting their annual fundraising dinner on Friday, April 26th to support our local nature center! This is their main fundraiser each year and it supports the many fun and educational programs offered through Richfield's 150-acre Wood Lake Nature Center. The event includes a dinner, silent auction, ticket prizes, and guest speaker Jean Larson from the MN Landscape Arboretum. Tickets are $60 each and can be purchased on the Wood Lake Nature Center website or by calling 612-861-9365.
National Lutheran Choir - You're Invited
The National Lutheran Choir (NLC) will be holding a FREE OPEN REHEARSAL at Diamond Lake Lutheran Church, 5760 Portland Ave S., on Tuesday, April 23 beginning at 7:00 PM. Please invite your friends. All are welcome!  Come and listen to the choir as they prepare for their Spring Concert: Light and Dark, which will be performed at 4:00 PM on Sunday, May 5 at Central Lutheran Church in Minneapolis.  All guests are welcome to join the NLC staff and singers for dessert and conversation during the rehearsal break. Treats are kindly provided by members of House of Prayer Lutheran Church, with underwriting from Thrivent Financial, to spread the word about supporting a Chair in the National Lutheran Choir.  For additional information about the Choir, or to purchase tickets for the May 5 concert, go to NLCA.com.
Collaboration Families Moving Forward
Woodlake will be hosting families experiencing homelessness with Families Moving Forward (FMF) from Sunday, April 28 to Sunday, May 5th. Volunteers will be needed to set up rooms, help prepare meals, act as hosts, wash dishes, stay overnight, and clean up after the week is through. If you have family or friends that would enjoy participating in this, feel free to invite them along with you. Our most pressing need for volunteers is for dinner and evening hosts. The dinner hosts help serve and clean-up the evening meal, and evening hosts provide activities with the guests children. Both are a two hour commitment. To volunteer or get more information, please contact lead coordinator Scott Dahlquist at (612) 919-9232 or at [email protected] .
VEAP Donation April
April is canned meat month (chicken, tuna, SPAM, etc). Please bring your donations and place them in the VEAP collection bin in the Narthex. Thanks in advance for your continued generosity and support to VEAP!
Let's Visit!
Would you like a visitor from one of our pastoral staff members? While we often hear of needs within the congregation, sometimes we are unaware of the needs within our family of faith. Pastor Ben or Minister Kelly would be happy to visit any of our members or friends who would like a pastoral visit. These visits could be health related but could be for any reason. Contact the church office via telephone 612-866-8471 or Pastor Ben via email [email protected].
House of Prayer Lutheran Church of Richfield, MN
  ELCA | (61 2) 866-8471
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