Worship This Sunday 

We welcome Pastor Grady St. Dennis, who serves as the Director of Church Relations and College Chaplain at Gustavus Adolphus College. Pastor St. Dennis will preach at both services, bring greetings from the college and the Gustavus Adolphus College Association of Congregations, a HOP mission partner.  Sunday's special offering will directly benefit Gustavus Youth Outreach, a group of students that share their faith by leading youth events at area churches including HOP. GYO provides leadership opportunities in Christian ministry for Gustavus students like HOP member, Caity Wright, and alumni like Ben Whalen, who participated in GYO while at Gustavus. See you on Sunday!

On Monday,September 23, an immigration attorney from ARRIVE Ministries in Richfield is joining our Citizenship class at House of Prayer. She will be sharing a presentation and answering questions about the legal process and requirements for Immigrants to obtain their United States Citizenship. We are extending an open invitation to anyone interested in learning more about the Path to Citizenship to join us for this informative and interesting presentation. All are Welsome! For questions, contact Heidi Thomas at [email protected].

Please join us on September 25th at 6:30pm in the Fellowship Hall as we continue to explore our congregational value of welcoming as it applies to the LGBTQ community. House of Prayer members will lead an information session and discussion on gender identity and sexual orientation to help us grow in our knowledge and understanding of our world. All are welcome and encouraged to attend as we continue on this welcoming journey as a congregational community! For questions, contact Brent King at  [email protected].

The menu for Wednesday, Sept 25, is pasta bake, cauliflower salad, garlic bread, apple pie and drinks. Plan on joining us each Wednesday night in Fellowship Hall at 5:30pm for food, fellowship, and fun! Contact DuAnn at [email protected] if you would like to help serve.

Our Sunday School children continue learning about the story of Creation, this time focusing on how God gave us the responsibility to care for our earth. Next Wednesday, the youth group will be going to clean up Christian Park as their monthly service project.

If you like trivia, pizza, and fun, this is for you! We are gathering for HOP Family Trivia Night on Friday, October 11, from 6:00-8:00. Supper will be provided by Broadway Pizza! Trivia rounds will be suitable for all ages. Come as a family or as part of our HOP family. We will form teams to play several rounds of trivia and enjoy delicious pizza. Nursery care will be available. Contact Heidi Thomas at [email protected] with questions.

This fall will be House of Prayer's third year partnering with Sheridan Story at Centennial Elementary in Richfield to provide weekend food for students experiencing food insecurity. We have committed to donating $3,124 for the program throughout the 2019-2020 school year. Through your contributions we can follow through on our commitment to feed hungry kids. Any amount you can give would be greatly appreciated. To donate, you can send in a check to House of Prayer or put a check in the offering plate. Please make the check out to House of Prayer with Sheridan Story in the memo line. You also can donate online at www.hoplc.org. To do so, select the menu "Give," at the top of the page, then select the fund "Sheridan Story." You can give by credit card or use your check's routing and account numbers. To volunteer with packing backpacks on Fridays for Sheridan Story at Centennial Elementary, please contact Pastor Kelly at: 612-866-8471 or [email protected].

On Thursday, October 3rd at 7:00pm in the Fireside Conference Room, we will be discussing Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste NG.  Contact Jeanne Lindstrom at 612-866-4895 with questions.

All are invited on Thursday, October 10, at 10:00am in Fellowship Hall for fellowship, speaker and refreshments. The topic is The Story of Ellis Island- Island of Hope, Island of Tears. Hear about the American immigration experience of over 18 million immigrants who journeyed to America in search of freedom and opportunity. Stories reflect their bravery facing the unknown until the doors opened at Ellis Island. Contact Noel Sagness at 612-266-0833 with questions.

Upcoming education programs are presented by the Alzheimer's Association and take place at the collaborative churches. Please call HOP Office (612-866-8471) to sign up for all classes.  Contact Pastor Kelly ( [email protected] ) with questions.

• Understanding Alzheimer's And Dementia. Saturday, Sept 28, 10am, Woodlake Lutheran Church. Alzheimer's disease is not a normal part of aging. Join us to learn about the impact of Alzheimer's, the difference between Alzheimer's and dementia, stages and risk factors, current research and treatments available for some symptoms, and Alzheimer's Association resources.  
• Effective Communication Strategies. Saturday, Oct 26, 1pm, House of Prayer. Communication is more than just talking and listening - it's also about sending and receiving messages through attitude, tone of voice, facial expressions and body language. As people with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias progress in their journey and the ability to use words is lost, families need new ways to connect. Join us to explore how communication takes place when someone has Alzheimer's, learn to decode the verbal and behavioral messages delivered by someone with dementia, and identify strategies to help you connect and communicate at each stage of the disease. The Effective Communication Strategies program of the Alzheimer's Association was designed to profile practical information and resources to help dementia caregivers learn to decode verbal and behavioral messages from people with dementia.
• Understanding And Responding to Dementia-Related Behavior. Saturday, Nov 23, 10am, Woodlake Lutheran Church. Behavior is a powerful form of communication and is one of the primary ways for people with dementia to communicate their needs and feelings as the ability to use language is lost. However, some behaviors can present real challenges for caregivers to manage. Join us to learn to decode behavioral messages, identify common behavior triggers, and learn strategies to help intervene with some of the most common behavior challenges of Alzheimer's disease.

The Richfield League of Women Voters is sponsoring a School Board Candidates' Forum on Saturday, October 5, from 9:00 to 10:30 am at the Richfield City Hall, 6700 Portland Ave. S., Richfield. For questions, contact Maureen Scaglia, LWV Richfield, 612-798-0485, [email protected].

Come one, come all to the first SALT event of the programming year on September 21, 2019 5:00pm in Woodlake's Fireside Room. We will have a potluck and games, as well as plan our events for the year. The group gets together about once a month for a social event or service project. Everyone is welcome to join in the fun! Please RSVP to Cheryl at 612-270-0371.

You are cordially invited to House of Prayer Lutheran Church for a concert by the Augsburg Centennial Singers on Sunday, October 20, at 7:00 p.m. A 50-voice men's chorus, the Singers' concert features well-known gospel music, folk songs, familiar hymns, sacred selections and a spitirual or two. The Singers are men of faith and conviction. Through their music listeners are encouraged to establish and deepen a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. We hope to see you at House of Prayer Lutheran Church for an inspiring evening. Contact David Steenson at  [email protected] with questions.

The VEAP Collaboration Team, with a VEAP representative from each church - Oak Grove, House of Prayer, and Woodlake - asks you to bring diapers from now until the end of September. The diapers can be any size and quantity. If you would prefer they be purchased by others, please contribute with a check made out to House of Prayer and designate "VEAP Donate & Do" in the memo line.  We will pick a Saturday in October for volunteers to meet at the VEAP warehouse to repackage the diapers for distribution. During this repackaging, VEAP gives the volunteers a tour of their facilities so we can see the whole operation and how they serve our neighbors in need. Volunteers of all ages are welcome, so plan to bring your whole family. Thank you for your continued support of this awesome organization.

Thursday, September 26, 2018 - November 14, 2019, 4:30-6:00 p.m.
Nativity of Mary Catholic Church
9900 Lyndale Ave. S.
Bloomington, MN
(952) 881-8671
September 26-Overview of Grief, Steve Sims
October 3-How Grief Affects the Family System, Steve Sims
October 10-The Mind-Body Connection, Lorry Lundborg
October 17-Why Do I Feel Like I'm Going Crazy? Judy Young
October 24-The Courage to Ask: Embracing Help on the Path to Healing, Dr. Renee Garpestad
October 31-Where is God in My Grief? On the Path to Healing, Stuart Walker
November 7-What's Left? Bob Bartlett
November 14-A Time to Remember or Service of Remembrance, Joan Apt

The back of our weekly attendance card gives you the opportunity to request prayers for yourself and/or someone else each week. Please check the "Prayer Chain" and/or "Staff Prayer Chain" on the prayer concerns side of the yellow "Welcome," card. If you are attending ReFuel worship please check the box on the green card under "How Can We Pray For You".  If you would like to be in the prayer chain email to pray for others please write your email address on the card and include "Add me to the Prayer Chain Email List." For ongoing prayer requests, please fill out a new card as prayer emails are updated each week.