MAY | 2019
The weather is finally warming up, and Spring is in the air! We want to let you know about a couple special worship opportunities happening this month! It’s such a joy to celebrate our youth and share in some fun and fellowship together.

MAY 5—CHILDREN OF GOD WORSHIP & POTLUCK
Join us for a special worship service, written and led by some of our youngest members. Children will sing songs, read scripture, lead us in prayer, and help us all to remember that every person in this world is a child of God. After worship, we invite you to continue the celebration with us as we have a potluck in the fellowship hall. Bring a favorite dish to share and celebrate the gift that the children of our congregation are to us!
MAY 19—GRADUATION RECOGNITION
We are looking forward to honoring our graduating seniors during worship on May 19th. We hope that you can join us to wish them well as they head into the next chapter of their lives. All are invited for a special pizza breakfast following worship to celebrate!
SUMMER WORSHIP SCHEDULE
Wednesday worship services and meals will be on hiatus for the summer beginning on May 15. We invite you to join us for Sunday morning worship at our regular time of 9:30 am followed by fellowship time.
FIVE-WEEK LOOK AT FAITH OF FAMOUS AMERICANS
As Christians our faith has a deep influence on who we are and the lives that we live. Faith inspires us, impacts our everyday life, and encourages us to treat others differently. As people of faith we see the world differently. Easter makes this especially true. We who live our lives after the death and resurrection of Jesus don’t view life or death in the same way.
This year, as we continue our It’s About Time lectionary we are turning our post-Easter attention to real life stories of faith. For the next five weeks we will look at the faith of some famous Americans and how their faith impacted who they were. Sundays in May should give you inspiration and examples of what it means to be a follower of Jesus through the stories of people you may or may not already know. Pick up a study guide next time you're in worship of click here for a PDF version.
CHILDREN OF GOD SUNDAY
WORSHIP & POTLUCK - MAY 5
Come join us on Sunday, May 5, for a special worship service, written and led by some of our youngest members. Children will sing songs, read scripture, lead us in prayer, and help us all to remember that every person in this world is a child of God. After worship, we invite you to continue the celebration with us as we have a potluck in the fellowship hall. Bring a favorite dish to share and celebrate the gift that the children of our congregation are to us!
SUMMER BIBLE CAMP
Summer bible camp registration is open! Registration . Vinje Scholarship Application .
VBS—JUNE 9TH-13TH
We are excited to be partnering with Green Lake Lutheran Ministries for VBS (along with our friends from Bethel and Calvary) June 9th-13th! This year, we’ll be hosting pre-k here at Vinje and grades K-5 will be bussed to Shores of St. Andrew! Please register your child(ren) ASAP via the link on the main page of Vinje’s website . 
LOVING ARMS
UPDATE
Our Pre-K and Toddler classes had a ton of fun hunting for Easter eggs! Candy, sunshine and time outside with our friends...what’s not to love?!
LOVING ARMS GERANIUM SALE
Loving Arms is once again selling beautiful Stacy’s Nursery geraniums which will be ready for pick up on Mother’s Day weekend! Quantities are limited, so call or stop into the church office as soon as you are able to place your order. Thanks!

Follow along with this (and all our fun) on F acebook!
LOVING ARMS HAS ADDED A SUMMER PROGRAM FOR SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN!
Beginning on June 3rd, Loving Arms will be offering a fun and age-appropriate care option for kindergarten through third grade children! There will be an off site “main event” activity each afternoon (pool days, parks, field trips, and more). We are excited about this opportunity get to see some of our “graduates” over the summer and also to offer this needed care option to Vinje members. Please contact Chris (235.7271)for more information or to reserve a spot for your child(ren).
The summer mission trips are just around the corner. And let’s start off by saying there are still a couple spots available if you haven’t signed up yet. Talk to Pastor Justin as soon as possible. Our high school youth will be heading to Denver for a week of service in June and middle school will be serving in Saint Louis in July. Since these trips are just around the corner we are having a meeting for all youth going on these trips and their parents on Sunday, May 19 after worship and fellowship. We will discuss the details of the trip at that time. The Denver youth (although this time not their parents) and adult leaders will meet on Wednesday, May 29 at 6:00PM for pizza and a final meeting before we head out at 7:30 AM on June 21. Saint Louis youth (and again, no parents) will have a meeting with pizza on Wednesday, June 26 at 6:00PM and leave for Saint Louis at 9:30 AM on July 13.
IFTAR DINNER
SATURDAY, MAY 11 | 7:30 PM | ISLAMIC SOCIETY OF WILLMAR
The month of Ramadan begins in May, and the Islamic Society of Willmar and the Willmar Interfaith Network are partnering to host an “Iftar dinner” to allow non-Muslims the opportunity to learn more about their Muslim brothers and sisters. On Saturday, May 11, you are invited to gather at 7:30pm to hear our Muslim neighbors share about their faith, and then join them as they “break the Ramadan fast” with an Iftar dinner starting at 8:30pm. We hope you will join us for some late night food and some fun and conversation as we learn more about the faith traditions of our neighbors.
CONGREGATIONAL MEETING
SUNDAY, MAY 5TH | AFTER WORSHIP | SANCTUARY
We will have a BRIEF congregational meeting following worship on May 5th to elect council members and consider bylaw amendments. 
The Congregation will meet after worship on May 5 to elect four members to a three year term and one confirmed youth to a one year term. We will also elect five members to serve one year on the Nominating Committee. The Nominating Committee has nominated the following members to serve on the Congregational Council. Brief biographies of each nominee has been provided to aid your prayerful consideration. Additional nominations may be made from the floor during the meeting.
Steve Leitch   We have lived in Willmar since 2001. I work at Jennie-O Turkey store as the Director of Food Safety in the Research and Development area. My wife Jenifer has been employed as a teacher in various schools within the Willmar Public School district and is currently teaching part time with the Adult Basic Education Program. We have two grown children and have been member of Vinje since 2005 It has been about 10 years since I last served on the church council and I am looking forward to serving the congregation in this capacity once again. 
Torri Muzik   Hi, my name is Torri Muzik. I currently live in Prinsburg, Minnesota and I am a sophomore at Central Minnesota Christian School. I am involved in many activities at school including Volleyball, One Act Play, One Voice A cappella, Worship Team, Student Council, and Drama. I also recently started working at The Oaks as an expo. My parents are Doug and Jessica Muzik and I have a brother named Max who is in 8th grade. In my free time I like to play guitar, hangout with friends, and play sports. I love going on Missions Trips through our church and I am looking forward to going to Denver in June. I am super excited to be a part of this council as I would love to be more involved in our church community.
Tim Ostby   My wife Marie and I joined Vinje in the fall of 1992 after moving to the area earlier that year. Our daughter, Emma, was baptized and confirmed at Vinje and we have been active in many ministries over the years. I am a member of the Vinje Choir and have recently participated in Sunday morning services as an assisting minister and lector. I also served a term as treasurer of the congregation several years ago and am currently a member of the Stewardship Committee. I have been involved with the SWMN Synod of the ELCA on the Personnel Committee and Compensation Guidelines Committee. My other extra-curricular activities involve singing with area groups and being involved in numerous Barn Theatre productions. I have been fortunate to have worked for the Minnesota Judicial Branch in various court administration positions for the past 35 years. I am the Judicial District Administrator for the Seventh and Eighth Judicial Districts with district offices in Willmar and St. Cloud. I look forward to serving on the Council if elected.
Shelly Huseby   I grew up in Battle Lake, Minnesota and moved to the Willmar area after graduating from the University of Minnesota, Morris. I have been a member of Vinje since 1999 and have participated in teaching and sheparding Sunday School, Loving Arms board, Youth Committee, Nominating Committee and Personnel Committee to name a few. My daughter, Hannah, is Active Duty Army and is stationed at Fort Carson in Colorado Springs and my son, Sam, is a Junior at Willmar Senior High. David Bormann and I have recently purchased a cabin on Eagle Lake and we are looking forward to many great summers with our families. I have worked for Goodwill-Easter Seals MN for the past 10 years as a Workforce Development Manager and support my teams in Willmar, Hutchinson and Mankato help people overcome barriers to work. I am currently the Chair of the Human Rights Commission for the City of Willmar. I look forward to serving on the Vinje Council.
Christina Boike   I am originally from Adrian, Minnesota and moved to Willmar in July 2009 after graduating from Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall, Minnesota. I met my husband, Justin, on a blind date and we will have been married for five years in April. We have been blessed with three wonderful boys: Mason, Noah and Wyatt. I will have worked for Christianson PLLP for 10 years in July and am currently a manager in our general services department. I have been fortunate to have served a term on your Council for three years (2015-2018) and am excited to serve for another three year term, if elected. I have been involved in various capacities with serving on the Finance, Worship and Stewardship committees during and after my tenure of being a Council member.
 
Nominatee Committee Nominees:
Jan Dahl, Jon Huseby, Kim Rosendahl, Terry Tone, Lisa Weiss
CONGREGATIONAL LIFE OPPORTUNITIES
Vinje and Bethel are joining forces to offer few fun opportunities for adults and families over the summer!

JUNE 26—STINGERS GAME SUITE
$10 will cover admission and all you can eat food and drink! Children are welcome. Limited tickets available. Email the church office to sign up.

AUGUST 9—ARBORETUM TRIP
Admission is free, there will be a fee to cover transportation. More information coming soon.
AN UPDATE ON FELLOWSHIP SERVING AT VINJE
Leaders from Vinje’s Funeral Serving, Wednesday Night Meals and Sunday Fellowship teams recently gathered to discuss fellowship serving at Vinje. The group looked at what other churches in the area are doing, documented our three serving practices, participated in a sticky note exercise to share “What’s Working”, “Best Practices” and “Challenges.” Results led to the coordinated effort of a phone campaign to build up our serving teams and provide the church office with additional names to contact for Wednesday Night Meal leads.

A few changes you will see this summer is a Sunday morning self-serve coffee bar with 1-2 individuals assisting with setup and take down. Vinje will be purchasing one similar coffee item each Sunday from local vendors. This will run from June 2 – September 1. Please join us following the service.

Another change is that all special events at Vinje were also discussed. They will be coordinated with separate coordinators/teams vs. using our monthly serving teams that currently handle coffee hours. A special thanks to Val Swanson for coordinating Easter Brunch this year. Other special events include: Thanksgiving Eve Pie Social, Lessons and Carols Fellowship time, special food following our Annual meeting, etc.

We invite you to join us for fellowship at Vinje on Wednesday evenings from 5-6 p.m. or on Sunday’s following the church service.

A special thanks to these leaders that participated in the meetings and assisted with the process: Carol Maursetter, Joni Glaesman, Val Swanson, Jean Geselius, Melissa Hansen, Janet White, Patty Nefstead, Suzanne Napgezek, Bonnie Lange, Sue Soderholm, and Pastor Justin.

There will be a volunteer sign up table on April 28 if you are interested in participating in any of these ministries. Specific needs Vinje has includes adding families to the December Fellowship Serving team, Wednesday Night meal leader and clean-up crew members, Funeral servers as well as adding to our Blessed Bakers email list.

Questions: Contact Jean Geselius (Sunday Fellowship), Carol Maursetter or Joni Glaesman (Funeral Co-coordinators) or Melissa Hansen (Wednesday Night Meals Coordinator).
ELIZABETH CIRCLE
THURSDAY, MAY 2 | 8:00 AM | CAROL PARKER’S
ESTHER CIRCLE
THURSDAY, MAY 2 | 9:30 AM | ROOM 102
NAOMI - SARAH CIRCLE
TUESDAY, MAY 7 | 2:00 PM | room 102
MEN’S BIBLE STUDY
EVERY TUESDAY | 9:00 AM | ROOM 102
 
QUILTERS MEET THIS MONTH
The Vinje Quilters will meet on May 9th and May 23rd 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). 
To view/listen to past services, click here .
RECEIVING TWO NEWSLETTERS AND WOULD PREFER TO ONLY RECEIVE ONE?
In an effort to make sure that we are not missing anyone with our paper and email versions of our newsletters, we've begun sending the e-news version to all of our members. If you receive the paper version and would prefer not to also receive this monthly email, just let us know and we'll be happy to remove you from our email list. OR, if you are currently receiving the paper version of the newsletter and would like to move to only the email version, let us know that as well. Thanks so much!