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St. Paul
Lutheran Church
An Evangelical Lutheran
Church of America
Our mission is to
Share Christ's Love
with Joy!
Pastor Sarah Friesen-Carper
Worship
Sunday, October 25
9:00 am Drive In Outdoor Worship Service
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Beloved of God,
As I hope you can see in my resignation letter, I am very proud of the work you have done in the last 15 months. We had about 8 months together before the Covid 19 pandemic closed much of our "usual". In that time you did an astonishing amount of work toward the health and healing of the congregation. Reading and discussing Congregational Fitness was a good start to creating a shared vocabulary and way of thinking about conflict and health. And I think the ways in which the congregation came together during the six funerals of September and October 2019 did as much if not more to set aside differences and work together for a common goal of hospitality.
I am equally pleased with the completed Loving Behaviors list and the process the congregation undertook to work on it in December 2019 and January 2020. I pray that those promises will carry you through the months and years ahead of you and that you will continue to grow in keeping that covenant with one another.
Similarly, I believe that other steps of regularly praying the Breakthrough Prayer, engaging in a healing service at Thanksgiving 2019, hosting fellowship events, and a very positive annual meeting, all were signs of healthful restoration.
In the 7 months since the pandemic forced us to close the building for regular use, we have not been able to accomplish everything which we might have liked. But still, there are signs of continued growth. Finding creative ways to worship throughout the pandemic, the Covid 19 Response Team's work, new fellowship activities, pivoting to support faith formation and Ministry Team meetings, steady financial support, and continuing to stay connected in myriad ways are all signs of that hard work. I am particularly pleased with the folks who have taken on new leadership in the congregation.
As you know, there is still plenty of God's work to do in the congregation and in your community. I know that the Holy Spirit will continue to guide you as you find your way forward.
I give thanks to have been witness to the work of the Holy Spirit in this place and among you. And now I leave you in the gracious hand of our loving God.
In Christ, Pastor Sarah
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 Meet Our Bridge Pastor! To the People of St. Paul Lutheran Church:
Greetings! My name is Christoph Schmidt, and I was recently called to be your "bridge pastor"
to help bridge the gap between Pastor Sarah and your next long-term pastor. Thank you to
Pastor Sarah for all her work as your interim pastor, and thank you for entrusting me to be your
short-term pastor.
A little about me: I grew up in Bemidji and Fargo, studied music at Concordia in Moorhead, and went to seminary in Philadelphia. After ordination in 2011 I served in campus ministry and at a rural two-point parish in North Dakota. Most recently I've been a stay-at-home-dad to our three children - Peter (3), Rhoda (4), and Magdalene (9). My wife, Taryn, serves as pastor at Chisago Lake Lutheran Church in Center City, where we live. I like woodworking, music, turning wooden bowls, camping, and playing with my kids. And I'm a long-suffering but loyal Vikings fan.
These are strange and challenging times that we all find ourselves in within our church, lives, and society. My hope is that these coming months of transition at St. Paul be a time of comfort and mutual support as we look toward God's promises of new life in 2021. I'm looking forward to being with you, starting November 1st .
Yours in Christ,
Pastor Christoph
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In Case of Severe Weather... check your email, the website, or our facebook page.
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Sunday's Worship Service is streamed live on facebook.
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The readings for Sunday, October 25th are:
First Reading: Jeremiah 31:31-34
Second Reading: Acts 23:12-22
Gospel: Matthew 22:34-46
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DIAL A SERMON
Call 651.371.5421 to hear this week's sermon.
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The October 2020 Church Council Minutes are available here.
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 REMINDER
You are able to ask the council questions at any time through our website. To ask the council a question, click here. |
 Snow Shoveling Volunteers! We are in need of volunteers to shovel on snow days! If you are able to help, please either call Melissa at 651.462.5212 or email. |
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Update From Call Committee
The Call Committee has begun meeting and will start looking at candidates in the coming weeks. At this time, if you know of a pastor that you feel could be a great fit for St. Paul Lutheran, please fill out the form below and return to Neil Gatzow, the Committee Chairperson, or any of the Call Committee members. All nominations will be kept in confidence. You can submit your form to Neil at: neilwyo1855@gmail.com. The deadline for nominations is Saturday, October 31, 2020.
Call Committee Members: Neil Gatzow - Chairperson, Steven Coozennoy, Katie Fetterly, Pam Heaton, Paulette Miller, Karen Rozeske, Brian Young.
Candidate Nomination Form
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 SPLC COVID Response Team
Click here to read the SPLC Covid-19 Preparedness Plan and related documents.
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CONGREGATIONAL CARE AND FELLOWSHIP
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NURSE'S CORNER
We are blessed to have knowledgeable and caring nurses in our congregation! They have some words of advice for us:
The month of October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. Many people may suffer in silence when they experience this kind of loss, or we may not be aware this has happened. There is a movement to use #neverforgotten to any posts this month about those little ones you might have lost, for more information to use this go to www.nationalshare.org. Just one statistic from the CDC, about 1 in 200 pregnancy's result in the loss of the baby. Often the causes are unknown. Some suggestions for healthy pregnancy are to quit smoking, maintain healthy weight, and monitor diabetes and blood pressure closely while pregnant. Maybe take a moment to pray for someone you know has experienced this loss, or even for those you don't know about.
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Remember to pray for these nurses and all those on the front lines fighting the coronavirus.
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Sunday School will meet on
October 25th immediately following the 9:00 am worship service. This might be the last time we meet in person for the fall, so we would love to have all of our Sunday School kids join us for Reformation Sunday, Pastor's last service with us and a fun close to the fall.
Please remember to dress according to the weather and bring blankets to keep warm. We will try to have a short parent meeting at the beginning of the class to discuss what Sunday School will look like for the winter months.
Please watch your email and Facebook for additional announcements regarding the weather. If outdoor service is cancelled for the week. Sunday School will not meet and will attempt to reschedule for November 1st.
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Questions: Contact Council
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As of 10/22/2020
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2020
Budgeted
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2020
Received
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Over / (under) Budgeted $
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Year-to-Date Totals
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$126,392.47
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Sunday, October 25 - Pastor Sarah Last Sunday
9:00 am Outdoor and Live Stream Worship
10:00 am Sunday School - Outdoor
Monday, October 26
6:00 pm Call Committee Meeting
Wednesday, October 28
6:00 pm Confirmation - Fellowship Hall
Sunday, November 1
9:00 am Outdoor and Live Stream Worship
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