Gathering in Grace • Growing in Faith • Going Forth to Serve
Sunday, January 12, 2020
Worship at 8:30 & 10:00am
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


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.
Keep your home kitchen untouched this Sunday morning. Instead, bring your appetite to TLC's Fellowship Hall for delicious, homemade pancakes from 9:00am to 11:30am.. Grab a plate of flapjacks, pour on the syrup, and leave a free-will offering for our Mission of the Month: Feed My Starving Children. It's all good and for a very worthy cause!
January 2020 Mission of the Month:
Feed My Starving Children (FMSC) was founded in 1987, and is a Christian non-profit that provides nutritionally complete meals, specifically formulated for malnourished children in over 70 countries throughout the world. TLC has supported FMSC efforts over the last several years through benevolence giving and volunteering. Visit their website here.
 
Want to get involved? Come pack with us!  Watch for sign-up dates in the TLC bulletin insert, Life@TLC and the website, www.tlcmn.com. FMSC offers volunteers a one-of-a-kind experience. You’ll hand-pack rice, soy, dried vegetables and a nutritionally complete blend of vitamins and minerals into bags which are then sealed, boxed, placed on pallets and shipped to our incredible partners, working hard to reach the neediest children around the world.  We pack at the Eagan site (990 Lone Oak Rd #136, Eagan, MN 55121). Watch for the next dates. Meet in TLC’s West Parking lot a half-hour prior to start time if you want to carpool.  Contact Bob Riley for more info patriley50@aol.com. Sign up on the Life@TLC yellow insert.
Sunday, January 26, 2020 - 11:00am - TLC Sanctuary
The Annual meeting is scheduled for Sunday, January 26 at 11:00am in the TLC Sanctuary following the 10:00am worship service. All voting members are expected to attend this important annual gathering to help celebrate ministry, help discern the future, and adopt a 2020 budget. Please plan to attend.

The meeting will be live-streamed, but one can only vote by attending in-person.

At the annual meeting will be a proposal that would reduce pastor Ed’s time to 50% (along with 50% of salary and benefits) so that he can further develop the Addiction & Faith Ministry. This scenario was outlined in the Pastoral Leadership Team Proposal under development for the last 1½ years and presented at last year’s annual meeting. After a successful Addiction & Faith Conference last fall, the Pastors, Pastoral Leadership Team and the Church Council are recommending a decision to move to year-three of the proposal. This means the congregation would enter into a time of discernment to consider a call for another full time co-pastor to serve TLC while Pastor Ed continues to serve half time and develop this new ministry.
Much of this is explained in both co-pastor reports in the 2019 Annual Report and also in The Pastoral Leadership Team Report inside the annual report.

Each Sunday prior to the Annual Meeting on January 26, 2020, copies of the 2019 Annual Report along with members of the church council, Pastoral Leadership Team members, and the church treasurer will be in the west side of Fellowship Hall between services to answer questions about this plan as well as questions about the budget as we prepare for our annual meeting. Please come and discuss. If unable to attend any of these meetings, we want to hear from you. Email your questions and comments to Office@tlcmn.com
Long Time Member & Accountant,
Sue Brickley, Retires
(again)
Sue (circled) surrounded by many of her dear friends during a farewell gathering at Phetsamone Ekholm's home.
“We’re losing a member of our family,” said Pastor Ed last Sunday at both the 8:30 and 10:00am services as he announced, struggling to contain his emotions, the "retirement" of long-time TLC member, Sue Brickley, who will also be moving with her husband to North Carolina to be closer with family.

Sue has handled TLC finances/accounting for TLC and has served this church faithfully for "thousands of years." said Pastor Ed during the morning tribute. She also baked birthday cakes to celebrate staff birthdays.

With laying on of hands at the 8:30 Sunday service, the congregation joined Pastor Ed in praying God’s blessing over Sue Brickley. “Bless her on her way and bless her life and all that she does," he prayed. "Watch over her always. In Jesus precious name, we pray. Amen."

Thank you, Sue!
The congregation gathered together with Sue and Pastor Ed, expressing thanks to God for Sue's gifts and talents and blessing her as she begins a new chapter in her life.
Let Your Light Shine
Everyone has a light? Maybe we don't think about it, but Pastor Grace's sermon
last Sunday (Jan 5) revealed possibilities for each of us to show others that we care. Yes, it was Epiphany Sunday... also the 12 th Day of Christmas, and we needed the awakening that epiphany means.
Have you ever felt “left out” in a strange church? What if someone came and took “our” pew... would we move over and give them room? There was laughter after Pastor Grace finished her sermon as Pastor Ed moved over to let her sit next to the aisle in the front row. I felt like applauding that sermon as it brought back a memory from years ago when we had joined TLC and then went back to visit friends in Fergus Falls and attend church with them one Sunday.
Pastor Grace spoke about her first time in the front pew at TLC where she found out she was sitting in Pastor Ed's "spot."
We had belonged to a different synod up in Frazee, Minnesota, and I never felt quite comfortable with their attitudes about communion. We were to announce on the Saturday before if we intended to take communion the following Sunday. We got used to the phone call to the pastor each Saturday evening, but I always wondered what would happen if we forgot to call ahead like that.

Well, we found out that when we got to Fergus Falls, the four of us would go to
a different church (probably the ELCA) so we could all take communion together. Our friends knew we would have been turned away at their regular church. It was such a nice gesture on their part, since she is the daughter of a pastor and knows exactly how it would have been.

Such a small thing, but since we now offer communion at all our TLC services, the feeling of being accepted just as we are happens every week, and more than once. If we have a favorite pew, just moving over so someone else can sit beside you is a nice feeling. It happened to us just last Sunday.
Can we think of other ways to be welcoming, accepting and a “light for others?” We can always do better, especially asking someone's name if we don't know them, and telling them to “Come back next Sunday.” It can make visitors feel “at home” to know someone cares that they came to our worship and wants to see them again.

So...Epiphany Sunday has passed, but the season goes on for a while and gives us all a chance to be mindful of our small lights that could shine even brighter.

-Bloomington Bird Lady

Do you ever need an extra prayer for yourself, a loved one, or a dear friend? TLC has a prayer team that prays often for members, their families and friends of the congregation. Send your prayer requests to merickson@tlcmn.com or on the TLC website here , or write your request on the yellow Life@TLC insert included in the bulletin each Sunday. These prayer needs are sent on to the Prayer Team and kept confidential – just between you, the pray-ers, and God. If you would like to be a member of the prayer team, please sign up on the yellow Life@TLC bulletin insert.
"Crashing through the Trees"
ELC Photographer: Justin

During a recent outdoor sledding adventure, Justin was the first one to go down the hill (he was the oldest), showing others that you don't need a slide to slide down the hill. Explaining that if you position your body just right and hold your boots up high, it's a lot of fun and down you go. He said that he took the photograph during the downhill "glide" and it looked like he would crash through the trees at the bottom -- thus the title of the photo, "Crashing through the Trees."  All the other kids followed his lead and went up and down the hill (many while taking pictures) for about 15 minutes before we had to go.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN
FOR US?
-a continuing series-
By Pastor Al Dungan
12 Days
and a
Party
For most people in today’s society, Christmas is a day. And on that day, presents are opened, families gather (although not always because some families are either scattered or splintered) and food is shared. Sometimes there’s a lot of food. And sometimes there’s not much. But the focus is on the day. And once the day is over, that’s the end of Christmas for another year.

For Christians, however, Christmas is a season . And this season lasts for 12 days which begins with Christmas Day (Dec. 25 th ) and ends with the Festival of The Epiphany (Jan. 6) which is the day that Christians celebrate the arrival of the Magi (the Wise Men) and the revelation (epiphany) of Jesus as the light of the world. Epiphany is the season when we proclaim the giving of God’s gift to all the world , not just to the Jews. And that is a reason to celebrate not only at Christmas time but also throughout the 12 days of Christmas culminating with Epiphany. It really is PARTY TIME for us—a time to rejoice and make merry because of this precious gift. Why limit it to just one day when we can live it up for 12? So…party on! :-)

It isn’t widely known that the English carol "The 12 Days of Christmas" is not just a rollicking song that we often sing at this time of year. It’s also a “code song” that was used by the outlawed Roman Catholic community in England during the reign of Elizabeth the First to teach a form of the catechism to their children. If you are interested in learning more about the meaning of this “code song” I’ll refer you to The Connection: The original meaning of the 12 Days of Christmas. It’s a fascinating little story and I guarantee you that you’ll never sing about partridges in pear trees, three French hens and all the rest without thinking about what this song really means.

The Epiphany season is the transition time prior to Lent and can last for as many as 9 weeks depending on when Ash Wednesday occurs. It’s during this time that the Gospel lessons for each Sunday in Epiphany focus on the early ministry of Jesus which includes his baptism by John and, in one of the three year cycle of lessons, the Sermon on the Mount which is a powerful challenge to who we are to be as members of the Church.

Next time: Lent and how we are to live during this season of the Church Year

January 15, 2020 - 7:00pm - TLC Conference Room
Coffee and Conversation invites you to a steaming cup of coffee with good friends and conversation. All are welcome. Please come and join us in a discussion on Matthew 5:1-16
Please note: Oasis services are not live-streamed.
Oasis Wednesday


  • Community Meal 5:30-6:00pm. PIZZA!
$5.00 suggested donation.

  • 6:30-7:00pm Worship Service with Communion.

  • Confirmation at 7:00pm
Monday - January 13
11:00am to 1:00pm

Brown Bag Lunch

Please join Renee and Marilyn as we kick off the new year with the Bible Study, "We Are Called!" The study is on hearing God’s voice. Several Biblical stories will be examined as to how people of the Bible heard God’s call.
SEEKING NEW BOARD MEMBERS

The TLC Foundation is looking for people who would be interested in joining the board. 
 
The foundation's mission is to: 
  • Facilitate spiritual growth within the congregation (children, youth and families)
  • Assist with capital improvements and supporting programs at TLC
  • Support community outreach
  • Support missions at home and overseas 
 
The board's responsibilities include reviewing grant requests, managing the foundation's investments, communication, and tracking and acknowledging donations. 
 
If you are interested in learning more about this opportunity, please contact Scott Stevens at smstevens794@gmail.com .

Sunday Jan. 19: Transfiguration’s guest preacher at both services (8:30 and 10:00) will be Pastor Danny Givens. A Soul Food lunch by Raye’s Catering and a conversation with Pastor Givens will follow at 11:15am. Pastor Danny will speak on the 18” Pilgrimage: a message addressing the challenges of justice-work with impacted communities from the perspective of a front line faith-based activist. He will address the movement toward collective liberation and the pitfalls that exist for those who jump into the fight for racial justice ill-equipped. Please RSVP here (or at 952-884-2364) if you plan to eat lunch. $10 suggested donation for lunch.

LUNCH PROVIDED BY
Please Click Here for the online RSVP to the free speaking engagement with Pastor Givens in Fellowship Hall and the optional Soul Food Luncheon ($10 suggested donation). The soul food menu is displayed on the RSVP page.
Tuesday, January 21: Bloomington congregations join together in a discussion of ELCA pastor Lenny Duncan’s new book: “Dear Church: A Love Letter from a Black Preacher to the Whitest Denomination in the U.S.” Please order and read in advance through Amazon.com . Atonement Lutheran will host this conversation. 6:30-8:30pm.
 
Danny Givens is a heartfelt activist and orator who received a life changing gift of forgiveness from an off-duty police officer he shot during a botched robbery in 1996. Propelled by forgiveness, Danny began his journey toward reconciliation and resiliency prior to his release from incarceration in 2008. He later went on to receive his B.A. in Christian Ministry from Bethel University in 2011, accompanied by a three-year residency as an Interfaith Minister at Unity Church-Unitarian in St. Paul, Minnesota in 2016.  www.Dannygivens.com
 
Lenny Duncan is the unlikeliest of pastors. Formerly incarcerated and homeless, he is now a black preacher in the whitest denomination in the United States: The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Part manifesto, part confession, and all love letter, Dear Church offers a bold new vision for the future of his denomination and the broader mainline Christian community of faith. Dear Church rejects the narrative of ‘church decline’ and calls everyone—leaders and laity alike—to the front lines of the church’s renewal through racial equality and justice. Duncan gives a blueprint for the way forward and urges us to follow in the revolutionary path of Jesus. www.Lennyduncan.com
January
New Month
New Year
New Decade
~ ~ ~
Back to the Basics
What’s more basic than starting the morning with a good breakfast?
For some families in our community there are other priorities that don’t allow for good and healthy food to start their day. We can help, and it’s so easy. We all grocery shop, and we all can pick up some extra’s and simply bring them to the TLC collection boxes to be taken to our Mission Partner, VEAP. 

Shopping list suggestions:
Hot cereal, cold sugar-free cereal,
pancake or muffin mix, Bisquick,
cocoa, cans or jars of fruit.

Let’s fill the bins in January with food for breakfast!

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 16 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
Also, there are a limited number of TLC Weekly's in hard copy at the TLC Welcome desk next to the Chapel.
Come Join Us!
Thursdays, 8:00am at TLC


Unstuffed
Pepper Casserole
What you'll need:

1 lb. bulk mild or hot sausage
2 medium red, yellow or green bell peppers, cut into 3/4-inch pieces (2 cups)
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with Italian herbs
1 & 1/2 cups cooked white rice (can use brown rice)
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
Directions:

-Preheat oven to 375°F. In 12-inch skillet, cook sausage, bell peppers, onion and garlic over medium-high heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sausage is no longer pink; drain. Return sausage mixture to skillet. Stir in tomatoes, rice and 1 cup of the cheese.

-Pour sausage mixture into ungreased 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish. Cover with foil. 

-Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until cheese is melted. Uncover and sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese; bake uncovered 4 to 6 minutes or until cheese is melted.

-Serve with sour cream and corn on the side.
Blessings!
Coming Soon to your Home or Office USPS Mail Box

Is this a vision test compliments of TLC? Look closely.

The first quarterly issue of Transcripts will be in your mailbox soon. It will also be available online once its mailed.
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!
Picture for illustration purpose only.
ALTAR FLOWERS
ORDER ONLINE
FOR 2020
See the chart online or stop in
at the church office to order.

The TLC website has an online form to order Chancel/Altar Flowers for any Sunday in 2020. 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!
Subscribe a friend to this newsletter, TLC Weekly, or subscribe yourself and others to the TLC publication, Transcripts. Interested in TLC membership? Sunday school? Our renowned TLC music program, volunteering and more are choices on this easy online TLC Request Form. Just [Click Here] or the "Sign Me Up" button on the left.

A Reconciling in Christ Congregation
A Culture of Diversity and Inclusion
~~LINKS~~
Visit TLC's website at www.TLCMN.com
Comments and questions: TLCMedia@tlcmn.com