WHAT DOES THANKSGIVING MEAN TO YOU?
I grew up very much looking forward to Thanksgiving Day because that was the day I got to get together with my family and maybe some close family friends, and I’d get to stuff my face with some of my favorite foods: mashed potatoes, turkey, cranberry sauce, apple pie, and yes, even lefsa. To top it off, we’d get to play lots of board games and video games, and just chill out and be fat and bloated and merry. And all of this was extra special because it only happened one day a year (maybe two if you count Christmas) and Thanksgiving was a day that was set aside just for my family and a few close friends to just be together.
As an adult, somewhere along the line, Thanksgiving changed for me. I still celebrate with my family, and I still follow some of the same traditions and those are still meaningful. But Thanksgiving has become more than just one day and more than just about me and my family. Thanksgiving, at least at this time of year, becomes a way of life. Recognizing that it’s even the month of Thanksgiving makes me pause and think about how much has been given to me. I think about how grateful I am for all of God’s many gifts: family, friends, food, clothes, a roof over my head, good health, and so much more. I’m forced to take a moment and consider how much I have, and to know that everything I have is a gift from God.
But it doesn’t stop there and it can’t stop there. Because as a Lutheran I know that because I have been given so much something is asked of me. I have “been blessed to be a blessing.” God didn’t just give me all that I have to hoard it for myself or even just for my close loved ones, but God has entrusted me with precious gifts that I might give them away for others and for the sake of God’s world. This is why, I think, most of us tend to be so generous this time of year… because we know there is a lot to be grateful for. And if you consider how generous God has been with you how can you not be generous with what you have and at least give a portion of it away for others?
So what does Thanksgiving mean to you? What are you thankful for? And knowing how much God has given you, what will you give to others as your way of giving thanks for all that God has done for you?
Pastor Dane
|
|
CONFIRMATION
On Sunday, October 27th, nineteen 10th graders affirmed their baptisms. We are grateful for all the gifts that they already share with us as Vinje members and look forward to all the great things to come in their lives.
|
|
ROW THREE (L TO R): RIDGLEY HULSTEIN, MAX GATEWOOD, JAIDA REIMAN, HUNTER SKINDELIEN, LANDON EILERS, ETHAN HURLEY, LUKE TROCHLIL, SAM ETTERMAN. ROW TWO (L TO R): PASTOR JUSTIN, TATON HANSEN, SADIE GILLESPIE, ALLISON ROHLOFF, SHELBY WOGAN, MASON MADSEN, PASTOR DANE. ROW ONE (L TO R): MEGHAN WEISS, COLTON PARKER, ETHAN HOOVER, COLIN BOS, LUCAS LUNDY, RACHAEL SCHUENKE
|
|
|
2020 MISSION TRIPS!
Over the last three years Vinje youth have walked alongside members of many different communities and learned a lot about faith and service during our summer mission trips. We are excited to announce that we will again be exploring our faith, building relationships, and serving others in the summer of 2020. Our middle school youth will travel to Milwaukee, Wisconsin from June 13-19. The high school youth will serve in Memphis, Tennessee from June 27-July 3. Talk to Pastor Justin for more details or to sign up!
|
|
HIGH SCHOOL YOUTH PROGRAM
In September, Vinje started a brand new senior high youth program. Pastor Justin met with high school youth throughout the summer to discuss what this group would look like. Jaida Reiman was part of those initial efforts and remembers, “We wanted to get the high school youth more involved in the church. We hoped to continue meaningful relationships that we’ve formed in the past and work together on service projects.” Now each Wednesday after worship youth will gather to do just that. In fact some youth have come earlier in the afternoon to work on homework and hang out together before worship.
Thanks to the generous estate gift from Dorothy Brown, the council was able to offer funding to this ministry to ensure that high school youth could have a designated space. The funds set aside for high school youth will also provide opportunities for service projects and fellowship events for years to come. The youth room offers a few things that are pretty standard: comfortable chairs, tables to work on homework, snacks, and drinks. But we’ve also been able to include two skeeball machines and video games at the suggestion of the youth. “It’s a good way to keep us coming back to church. It gives us a place to be social and not just sit at home, ” said Mason Madsen. Youth are welcome to bring friends with them and check out this new opportunity if they have not yet already done so.
We are excited to have our high schoolers in Vinje on Wednesdays and look forward to the impact this program will have both within and outside of our congregation.
|
|
DO YOU SEE WHAT I SEE?
Sometimes our pastors ask in sermons “Where do you see God?” or “How do you witness God’s work in the world?” While we believe that God’s presence is with us and God’s work is ongoing it is not always easy to see all the ways that God shows up in our daily lives. This year for Advent we wait for the coming of Christ by exploring where God is and how God works among us.
Our theme borrows the classic Christmas lyrics and asks, Do You See What I See? As we gather in worship to hear scripture that reveals how God has shown up in the past and anticipates how God will show up in the future we will hear stories from Vinje members about how God shows up in the present. Pastor Karoline Lewis from Luther Seminary reminds us that Advent “assures us that God has secured a future for us that breaks into our present, and really, truly changes our here and now.” This Advent we will ponder together how we have been changed by God’s activity in our lives.
Of course our call to serve our neighbor wouldn’t be well served if we didn’t take this opportunity to be part of God’s activity in the world. Each Wednesday and Sunday our children will gather coins (cash and check are welcome as well) for a noisy offering. Start saving up your spare change now as all of these funds will be used to further God’s activity in our world around us. We plan to split these offerings between needs that God is addressing in our Willmar community and also throughout the world. See the schedule of offerings below and plan to join us in worship and in asking, “Do you see what I see?”
December 1: Lutheran Disaster Response
December 4 & 8: Family Promise
December 11 & 15: ELCA World Hunger
December 18 & 22: United Community Action Partnership
|
|
VINJE COUNCIL MEETING RECAP
September and October Council Highlights...
Renewable Energy Certificate Porgram
Joint Thanksgiving Service with Saint Mary’s
Stewardship Focus for 2019
The 2020 Budget Process
Organ Fund Request from Worship Committee
New Website
Building Project Updates
Staff Recognition/Celebration Fund
Noisy Offerings in Advent
Want to know more? Contact a member of council.
|
|
LOVING ARMS UPDATE
DID YOU SEE US IN THE TRIBUNE?
We were so excited to have the inter-generation program between Loving Arms and Carris Heath highlighted in an October 26th West Central Tribune article! We’ve always known how special this program is, but it was pretty nice to share it with the community! If you missed it, go check it out!
|
|
WHS PRESENTS NEWSIES!
NOV 7-9 @ 7 PM, NOV 10 @ 1 PM
WILLMAR SR. HIGH
Willmar High School presents the Broadway hit musical, Newsies! You won’t want to miss this dynamic and fun show! Vinje’s own Ceci Buzzeo, Lucas Lundy, Matthew Weiss, Meghan Weiss, Will Trochlil, Colin Bos and Hannah Olson are a part of the cast and crew! Purchase tickets at Jefferson Learning Center or at
this link
!
|
|
We Sharing produce with the congregation will be on Sunday, November 3rd. Any one with apples or other produce, please place them that morning in the west hall way. The squash and potatoes from Vinje’s raised beds will be available for everyone that Sunday.
|
|
CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE!
We've been working on a website redesign over the past several months and we're happy to say that our new site is now up and running!
Take a minute and check it out
! The website is a great place to find videos of past services, check the calendar of events, give online, and so much more!
|
|
THANK YOU FOR PARAMENTS!
We want to thank everyone who donated funds for the purchase of new paraments for Vinje’s altar. Full funding has been received and all the paraments, made by Jeanette Paulson of Adorn This House, are completed. Roger Kingstrom has built a special cabinet for storage of the paraments.
-
Cheryl Schmidt, Jackie Cunningham & Worship Committee
|
|
10 WARNING SIGNS OF ALZHEIMER’S
NOVEMBER 4 @ 6:30 PM, NOVEMBER 21 @ 2 PM WILLMAR PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Early detection matters. This session discusses common warning signs, tips for approaching someone about memory concerns and the benefits of early diagnosis. Contact Jody Loseth at 320.444.8027 with questions.
|
|
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27 | VINJE
6 PM
JOINT THANKSGIVING EVE WORSHIP SERVICE WITH CHURCH OF ST MARY
7 PM
PIE SOCIAL
Join us for Thanksgiving worship at Vinje followed by our traditional pie social!
A processional food offering will take place during the worship service.
You are invited to bring non-perishable food offerings to benefit local hunger agencies.
Also, If you’d like bring a pie for the pie social, please drop it in the kitchen before worship.
|
|
WORKSHOP: LEADING WORSHIP
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 16 | OLIVIA, MN
A synod-sponsored workshop for “Leading Worship: A Skills Workshop” will be held on Saturday, November 16 in Olivia.
Worship leaders, assisting ministers and church musicians are encouraged to attend. For more info, contact Karen Wojahn.
|
|
NATIVITY ART FESTIVAL
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 15 | 3-6 PM | ROOM 102
Vinje’s annual Lessons & Carols service in December honors Christ’s birth with the talents of the musicians in our congregation. This year, let’s also celebrate the Nativity through visual art objects and the gifts of creative artists in the congregation. If you have a nativity set, a wood carving, a painting, a textile piece, an Advent calendar or an item that celebrates the Christmas season, whether purchased or handmade, please plan to share it on Sunday, December 15. Items should be brought to Room 102 on December 15 before 11:00 AM. A committee will set up the displays and host an open house for the congregation to view the items on December 15 for the hour before and the hour after the Lessons & Carols service. Items may be picked up between 6:15 and 6:45 PM that day or on Monday, December 16 during regular office hours. Questions? Contact Karen Wojahn, Director of Music.
Note: We will also need holiday tablecloths for the Nativity Art Festival. If you have any that we could borrow for that day, please bring them to Room 102 in the morning on December 15.
|
|
QUILTERS MEET THIS MONTH
The Vinje Quilters will meet on November 7th and November 14th at 9:00 am.
|
|
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).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
