, here's your TLC Weekly for Nov 17-Nov 23

Gathering in Grace • Growing in Faith • Going Forth to Serve

Twenty-Third Sunday of Pentecost

November 17, 2019

8:30am & 10:00am Worship at TLC

Accommodations throughout the church for those with disabilities.

Wireless hearing assist devices available for worship services.

Closed Captioning available with on-demand playback (not live) of worship services.

Nursery available at both services.

Parent/children's Pray-Ground available in the Sanctuary during worship.

Hospitality & Social Activities from 9-11:30am in the Narthex and Fellowship Hall

Sunday School Information

Early Learning Center Information

Click on the live-stream logo below or visit www.tlcgo.live at

the time of the service to watch it on your media device.

Contact Staff

Contact Church Council

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Sunday's Gospel
Budget Deficit
Bird Lady and California Fires
Council Meeting Minutes
Thanksgiving Eve Worship & more
Pastor Al on Naves and Sanctuaries
Youth Visit Gustavus College
November Book Club Change
Win a Quilt
Get Your Yard Cleared
Parent's Night Out
Go Fund Me for Liberia
Green Meeting
Milestone Ministry
Family Night at TLC
Coffee and Conversation
ELC Photo Club
One-Pot Creamy Beef Stroganoff
VEAP and the Holidays
Is it a cold or the flu?
Catch up with past issues of the TLC Weekly
Electronic Giving
Order Altar Flowers
Sign up for free subscriptions
Look at the Nov/Dec issue of Transcripts

Sunday's Gospel ~ Luke 21:5-19

NRSV

The Destruction of the Temple Foretold

⁵ When some were speaking about the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God, he said, ⁶ “As for these things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down.”

Signs and Persecutions

⁷ They asked him, “Teacher, when will this be, and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?” ⁸ And he said, “Beware that you are not led astray; for many will come in my name and say, ‘I am he!’ and, ‘The time is near!’ Do not go after them."

⁹ “When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for these things must take place first, but the end will not follow immediately.” ¹⁰ Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; ¹¹ there will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and plagues; and there will be dreadful portents and great signs from heaven.

¹² “But before all this occurs, they will arrest you and persecute you; they will hand you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name. ¹³ This will give you an opportunity to testify. ¹⁴ So make up your minds not to prepare your defense in advance; ¹⁵ for I will give you words ^[ ^c ^] and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict. ¹⁶ You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, by relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. ¹⁷ You will be hated by all because of my name. ¹⁸ But not a hair of your head will perish. ¹⁹ By your endurance you will gain your souls.

$65,000

BELOW BUDGET

Financial Update - As of October month end, general operating contributions for 2019 are $65,000 below budget. Please remember to get your pledges up to date. Required Minimum Distributions, RMDs, (for those over 70) can be done at any time, not just in December. Your financial institutions would be thrilled to do RMDs in November as they are very busy in December. Also, a reminder for those of you with Thrivent dollars to designate them to TLC.

Committees - Ministries - Groups - Clubs

Reach over 700 subscribers to the TLC Weekly e-newsletter - submit your news and announcements (photos, too) to: tlcmedia@tlcmn.com

Deadline is Thursday afternoons for our Friday e-mail publication.

Note, this is not the same as announcements for the Sunday bulletin.

Forecasts Show Warmer Days Ahead...Yay!

When the cold came so fast and furious with wind, we weren't ready. Did you find your parkas, stocking caps and warm socks? Took a while, but those flip flops have been put to rest..Made me cold just to see them. The sun is out, the snow almost melted, and we don't have those horrible wild fires that worry Californians. Our Burbank daughter is safe from fire, but seeing those flames right above the HOLLYWOOD sign? Scary.

When fire is close, the smoke and ashes that cover everything have to be cleaned up, so it's an ongoing thing to wipe down plant leaves, get the car washed, and also try not to breathe in too much smoke...It drifts everywhere. Wait for a few months and there will be mud slides..and even worse, earthquakes. After a particularly bad one where the freeway overpasses fell, she would not even go in a parking ramp for months. Their doorway was twisted out of shape and the book shelves fell over. Those same shelves are now bolted to the wall. Love L.A., but it can be too exciting.

Are you ready for some fun? Our talent contest is tonight, and the lineup looks very impressive. I'd go just to watch our famous solo bell ringer do her thing—unbelievable,Mary Anne Lofstrom... but I started to call her “Mrs. Bell” a couple of years ago. I hope we earn lots of money, all the talented stars will do well, and this will become a yearly event.

Thanks to John Thomson for getting our talent show on the road. Even the weather is going to cooperate!

The October 2019 Church Council meeting minutes now approved and available for review. [Click here] to read or download a pdf.

Or, [click here] to view a menu of the past four years of Church Council meeting minutes.

WORSHIP SERVICE

Wednesday, November 27, 7:00pm

This is a special 7:00pm service followed by pie, coffee and caroling with John Rosenow in Fellowship Hall at 8:00pm.

On Naves

and

Sanctuaries

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR US?

-a continuing series-

By Pastor Al Dungan

A sanctuary, by definition, is a safe place. And there is a place for that in the architecture of the church. It is the area of the chancel inside the altar rail and which also contains the altar. In many places of worship, a safe place is delegated for those who are seeking “sanctuary” for a whole variety of reasons. Sometimes those reasons are for personal safety from persecution. In some of our current situations, sanctuary is provided by churches (and by the ELCA as a denominational sanctuary) for those seeking safety from governmental persecution.

A nave, from which our word navy comes, on the other hand is not, I repeat NOT a sanctuary, that is, not a safe place. In fact, if we look at the historical perception of the church as a ship, which it often was in earlier times, then it was anything but a safe place because, often, the church then was severely persecuted by the Roman government and, in many places in our world, still is today. A ship is only safe when it’s tied up in port. And when it’s tied up, then it’s not doing what it was created to do/be, which is to sail on the ocean, which is definitely NOT a safe place, even for modern day ships.

A good example of a nave is the Viking long ship which was an open boat with a mast, a sail, and sets of many oars. When the weather was good, the mast was stepped up, the sail was raised and the ship ploughed through the ocean waves. However, when the weather turned bad, down came the sail and the mast, and each member on the ship sat on the trunks in which their belongings were contained and rowed for dear life. As you can imagine, the arms of those sailors were well developed and made it possible for the long ship to progress even through the most violent of storms.

Calling the nave the sanctuary makes it into something it was never meant to be. In fact, it would not be out of place to have written over the doors where we enter to worship, “You have just entered the most dangerous room in the world”.

My questions to you are these: Are you looking for a safe place to escape the world when you come to worship? Or, are you entering a place that will challenge the very best you have to give as you seek to bring the gospel to a world tossed by the storms of life.

Are you seeking safety or a place to launch out into the cold, scary, dangerous deep?

Sanctuary or Nave?

Gustavus Adolphus

Confirmation Retreat

TLC's incredible confirmation youth and peer ministers had a wonderful time at the annual confirmation retreat in St. Peter, Minnesota. This past November 2 & 3 found them at Gustavus Adolphus College, a four-year, residential institution founded in 1862 by Swedish Americans and affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

Many, many thanks are due to our chaperones: Nikki Swanson, Pastor Janice from Liberia, Erin Pommeranz and Evan Collins, and special guest musician, Solveig Orngard. We had a deep and enriching time together with highlights including Pastor Janice sharing some of her story; deep diving on the Elijah story, "capture the flag" after dark, and a spiritual practices smorgasbord. Relationships deepened, trust grew, risks were taken, community was formed.

You could be a greeter or an usher! TLC needs you. Family-friendly,

flexible schedule.

Contact Michell Reber, Church Administrator, for more information.

Location Change

for

November

The 3 ^rd Tuesday book club will meet again on November 19 at the Burton’s house. Pastor Arthur will lead us in discussion on chapters 3 – 5 of Daring Greatly by Brene’ Brown. We will finish the book on December 17.

We wiill meet from 6:30 – 8:30pm at Dave and Renee Burton’s at home at 10100 Goodrich Road in Bloomington.

Feel free to join us as you are able - for the entire series, just one session or whatever works for your schedule. We will reset again with a new book in January.

To learn more about the author --she has a couple TED talks, including one on vulnerability, the topic of Daring Greatly-- click on this link to watch her talk. https://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_on_vulnerability#t-499760

Please let me know if you can attend. If you have any questions, feel free to call me at 612-710-2446.

Renee Burton

Last Chance

to Win this Quilt

DRAWING WILL BE HELD THIS MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18!

This is a 82” x 104” Kaleidoscope Pinwheel Stack and Whack quilt, with each pinwheel having its own unique pattern. It was pieced by Irene Bjerke and machine-quilted by Eileen Olson. It has been designed with a placket if chosen to use as a wall hanging.

Tickets are $2.50 each or five for $10.00 and will be on-sale in the Narthex for the last time this Sunday.

CONTRIBUTE TO THE FUNDRAISER AND GET A GREAT DEAL!

Watch this space for fundraiser opportunities for the December Liberian Trip. Fundraisers include a Mission Bazaar, Fall Yard Clean-Up, Parent’s Night Out, Final Liberian Dinner, Lemonade Stand and a Talent Show.

Yard Work/Fall Clean Up: Offered for a donation to the Liberia Trip Fund. Remaining available date: November 23, weather permitting. Contact Greg Barringer at mn.runner.juan@gmail.com to help with the work, or to have your yard cleaned.

Parent’s Night Out: Drop your kid(s) off at TLC from 6:00 thru 9:00pm November 22 or December 6. Make a donation to the trip fund and enjoy some R&R from parenting! Contact Gretchen Schroeder at ga.schroeder@yahoo.com to help out with child care, or to make arrangements for your night out! (Suggested donation amount $10 per hour per child)

December Toys for Liberia

We've collected surgical gloves and other needed items for our mission team to present to the Center for Changing Lives - Liberia (CCLL) in December. Now, since the children -many orphaned- are what this is all about, let's send donations of toys to help them celebrate. Just imagine their happy, smiling faces.

Bring your toy (and food) donations during November and early December. Use the VEAP boxes (in 3 locations), and we'll make sure the food goes to VEAP and the toys to Liberia.

Cultural norms are strong in Liberia, and for children who have been orphaned by the AIDS and Ebola epidemics, they can face stigma and be shunned from their community, leaving them with no place to live and no one who cares for them.

Every child deserves a chance at a decent future. [Click here] to visit the Go Fund Me page.

-TAKING FAITH HOME-

Week of November 17, 2019

Use this friendly tool to enrich your family times with conversation, rituals, prayer, blessings, and service ideas. [Click Here] for this week's edition.

5:30-6:00pm: Community meals served in Fellowship Hall. $5.00 suggested donation. This is a great community gathering for you and your family. Please invite a friend or neighbor to dine with us, or just enjoy a cup of coffee with others.

Oasis Wednesday Evening Worship Service from 6:30 to 7:00pm. It's a 30-minute service with communion.

7:00pm, Inspiring education and fellowship options for all ages
Child care and activities are available for infants to 3rd grade.
Volunteer adult leaders ensure a great time with new programs for kids, 4th-6th grade.
Confirmation and Peer Ministers 7th-12th grade meet for small and large group activities – friends are always welcome!
A Bible study for all ages is found with Coffee and Conversation, meeting in the Narthex.
Parent support and planning groups meet in the East Fellowship Hall.
At 8:00pm, High School students 10th grade and up meet in the Youth Room

Community Meal served from 5:30 to 6:00pm. Suggested donation of $5.00 per person.

Wednesday, Nov 20 Meal:

Spaghetti pie, salad, garlic toast.

Wednesday, Nov 27. No community meal due to Thanksgiving Week. There is a special 7:00pm worship service. Pie, coffee and caroling follows at 8:00pm in Fellowship Hall.

Coffee and Conversation invites you to a steaming cup of coffee with good friends and conversation. The session this coming Wednesday, November 20, will encourage a discussion on "Thanks for our Giftedness."

Click Here to discover more about TLC's Early Learning Center.

"Umbrella Tree"

ELC Photographer: Lyla T.

Lyla T. is 7-years-old and in her first year with the ELC Photo Club. Lyla shot this photo while visiting the Japanese Garden at Normandale Community College on France Ave & 98th Street. She described it as, "When you come into the Japanese Garden you see these trees that look like umbrellas. You can go lie under them and you feel like you are in an umbrella. It's cool."

One-Pot Creamy

Beef Stroganoff

What you'll need:

1 1/2 lbs ground beef (at least 80% lean)
1 pkg (8 oz) sliced button mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tsp salt
1 carton (32 oz) Progresso beef flavored broth
1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
1 pkg (12 oz) uncooked medium egg noodles (about 7 cups)
1 container (8 oz) sour cream

Directions:

In 5-quart Dutch oven, cook beef, mushrooms, onion and salt over medium-high heat 9 to 11 minutes, stirring frequently, until beef is brown and vegetables are tender. Do not drain.

Stir in broth, milk and noodles. (Noodles will not be completely covered at first.) Heat to boiling over high heat.

Reduce heat; simmer uncovered 7 to 8 minutes, stirring frequently; just until noodles are tender and most of liquid is absorbed.

Remove from heat; do not drain. Stir in sour cream. Warm and serve!

Blessings!

COLD & FLU SEASON: WHAT YOU CAN DO TO STAY HEALTHY

Know the facts. Influenza is thought to spread mainly person-to-person through coughing or sneezing of infected people.
Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze or into your sleeve if you do not have a tissue available.
Wash your hands thoroughly and often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Germs spread that way.
Stay home if you get sick. CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.
Get vaccinated. Vaccination is the best protection we have against flu.

Provided by Erin Pommeranz, TLC Community Health Minister

Source: Centers for Disease Control ( http://www.cdc.gov )

Back Issues of the TLC Weekly

including this issue (Today!)

[CLICK HERE] to visit the TLC web page where you can choose to read from the past 12 months of weekly E-newsletters from Transfiguration Lutheran Church. This is also a great way to share TLC Weekly with those that don't receive it in email. Tell them to visit tlcmn.com/tlcweekly

ELECTRONIC GIVING HELPS SUPPORT TLC

It’s important to know that we can depend on financial support from TLC members. Electronic giving is fast, secure, and reduces administrative costs, allowing more of every dollar to support the important work we are called to do. You can give anytime, anywhere to specific funds with our GivePlus Mobile app (free from the app store). You can also schedule and manage recurring donations by visiting our website and clicking on TLC ONLINE GIVING icon at the bottom of any page, or [Click Here] to start the process, or contact the church office.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROSITY!

ALTAR FLOWERS

ONLINE ORDERING

There are still spots available

through December.

See the chart online or stop in

at the church office to order.

The TLC website has a new and easier online form to order Chancel/Altar Flowers for any Sunday in 2019.

[Click Here] to access the form now, or visit www.tlcmn.com later and look for the "Purchase Altar Flowers" button at the bottom of any page.

Free Subscriptions, sign up to be a volunteer, request care ministry and more!

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