Thursday, January 12, 2023

FEATURED THIS WEEK

A Few Dates to Keep in Mind for January

January 15-21 Downtown Clergy Civil Rights Learning Trip

January 15- February 20 Through My Lens: Images by Michael Anderson

January 20 Scholarship application deadline

January 21 The Event (Youth)

January 22 Soup Potluck

January 29 College Care Package Drive Ends

February 5 Church Conference to approve the Budget

February 19 Koinonia Legacy Funds Vote

Check out the Events Calendar for upcoming events, classes, and opportunities to help keep yourself organized in the coming year.

Current Surveys: Agency in your faith and your Church!

Staff Parish Relations Survey: Input on Senior Pastor appointment

You can fill out the survey by clicking HERE.

Please submit the survey by January 31.

The Worship & Fine Arts Ministry Survey: Input on what you would like to see in worship.

You can fill out the survey by clicking CLICK HERE

What are you looking forward to at HAUMC in 2023?

If you would like to share your thoughts with the COMMS team, you can click the link below. CLICK HERE to answer the question.

Church Conference to Approve the 2023 Operating Budget 

Sunday, February 5, 11:30am

Art Gallery and Zoom

You are invited to a church conference for the purpose of approving the 2023 Operating Budget. This is the budget that keeps the church running, relevant, and serving our mission!

All members are encouraged to attend following the service on February 5th at 11:30 AM in the Art Gallery or online via Zoom.

You can join the Zoom Meeting HERE

Meeting ID: 967 4132 5563

Passcode: 547012

Join by phone 312 626 6799

If you still haven't done so, you can fill out your Estimated Giving Form Here

This has a direct effect on the operating budget!

DOWNTOWN INTERFAITH CIVIL RIGHTS TRIP

I hope you have been following Judy's Trip with the Downtown Minneapolis Interfaith Clergy! You can see all the posts from the trip on Facebook

Upon their return, the interfaith clergy will share their experience and a video at three events – all at 4 pm on Sundays

March 12 at Temple Israel

March 19 at Westminster Presbyterian Church,

March 26 at Fellowship Missionary Baptist in north Minneapolis.

Participants:

Rev. Dr. David Breeden, First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis

Rev. Dr. DeWayne Davis, Plymouth Congregational

Imam Makram El-Amin, Masjid AnNur

Fr. Daniel Griffith, The Basilica of Saint Mary

Rev. Dr. Tim Hart-Andersen, Westminster Presbyterian Church

Fr. Kevin Kenney, St Olaf Catholic Church

Rev. Elijah McDavid, Fellowship Missionary Baptist

Rev. Peter Nycklemoe, Central Lutheran

Rev. Dr. Laurie Pound-Feille, First Christian Church Minneapolis

Rev. Judy Zabel, Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church

Rabbi Marcia Zimmerman, Temple Israel

Itinerary:

January 16: Visit Ebenezer Baptist Church and Morehouse College in Atlanta

January 17: Visit Kelly Ingram Park and Birmingham Civil Rights Institute in Birmingham, Alabama; meet with Mayor Randall Woodfin

January 18: Visit the Interpretative Center and Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama; the Lowndes Interpretive Center in Haynesville, Alabama; and the Legacy Museum and National Memorial for Peace & Justice in Montgomery, Alabama

January 19: Visit the Alabama Appleseed Center for Law and Justice in Montgomery 

January 20: Visit and attend services at Atlanta Masjid and The Temple in Atlanta

Key Justice Save the Dates:

This year there is a huge surplus in MN budget. Help make sure these funds go where they can do the most good!

There are a couple of key dates coming up just around the corner to make your voice heard at the State Capitol. Click to learn more...

• Lobby for the Future: A Climate Day at the Capitol
• January 25 9am - 1pm

• Indigenous Rights & Climate Justice Platform
• February 15 11am - 4pm

• Homeless Day on the Hill
• March 8 8am - 12pm

Soup Potluck

Sunday, January 22 2023

Koinonia Hall

after worship-1pm

Giving folks a chance to gather, eat, and chat. Gather after worship in Koinonia Hall for a soup potluck. Come! Bring your favorite recipe and share warm conversation and food! 

We are still looking for a few volunteers and for a couple people to sign up to bring some rolls or bread! please sign-up HERE

To help inspire you, here is another apropos little gem from the archives.

"Why should a man never starve in the Desert of Sahara? Because of the sand-which is there."

** food for thought, did church ladies invent dad jokes? Discuss among yourselves...at the Soup Potluck!

You can check out the event on Facebook to see more archival GOLD and feel free to share your own recipes (or bad/ Dad jokes) there as well!

Now on view: Through My Lens

Images by Michael Anderson

In Carlson Hall Through February 20

A lifelong resident of Minneapolis, Michael Anderson has always been inspired by the city’s charm and beauty. He challenges himself to capture Minneapolis landmarks of his surroundings and present them in a way different from what we normally perceive.

Michael lives in the Seward neighborhood of south Minneapolis with his wife, Katelyn, his daughter, Eleanor (5) and his son, Gordon (2), and is the nephew of HAUMC's Phyllis Waggoner.

Hennepin Scholars 2023

Call for Applications

Deadline January 20, 2023

Looking for support to continue your education? Whether a little extra money for college or that one class that is just out of reach, we invite you to apply for a Hennepin Scholars award for the 2023-2024 academic year.

Scholarships are awarded in modest amounts to students pursuing seminary, college or university degree programs, or other post-secondary degree or certificate programs. Applicants may be Hennepin members or employees or others.

Application deadline is January 20, 2023

Award notices by February 6, 2023.

More information and application forms at www.haumc.org/scholars, or contact Jack Fistler or by phone 612.435-1321. 

Filled with Love! College Care packages collection drive

January 4-29

Collection Bins in East Entry

Our HAUMC youth will be putting together Valentine's Day care packages to send to HAUMC students who are away at college. We are collecting the following items to go inside the care packages: Valentine's Cards, candy, snacks (microwave popcorn, ramen, instant mac and cheese, etc).

Collection bins will be located in the East Entry through Sunday, January 29th.

Sermon Series: i see you.

January 1- January 22

God creates, knows, loves, and sees all of us in our full humanity. But as people, we can fall into the habit of assuming everyone is the same or everyone is like us. Or worse yet, we may fear what being, or knowing, the “other” means. While we share a common humanity, these assumptions can be harmful and prevent us from truly seeing other people and listening to their perspectives. By looking at Biblical stories, this series will help us learn how to listen to, respect, affirm, and act for and with others. In doing so, we come to know God even more fully.

This Sunday's Message

i see you.

Diverse People, One Vision

Associate Pastor, Laura Hannah

Scripture: Revelation 7:9-17

Worship at 10am

This Sunday at HAUMC

We are so excited to have Copper Street Brass back in worship with us! Always a blessing.

Our new Executive Director for The Dignity Center, Margaret Mary Kelly will be in worship. And be sure to stay after for the Soup Potluck in Koinonia Hall!

Reflection

Harrison Room

11:30am after worship, Sundays



Reflection is an opportunity to set aside some time for deepening personal faith and to learn about the faith experiences of others.  What started as an experiment initiated by George Rodgers Adams ("Rodge") in June has become a wonderful new way to explore faith at HAUMC!

The confirmation group recently participated in the Reflections class, responding to the question "What benefits do you expect to get from reading the Bible?” I asked Rodge and Keesha what they thought.

This rich inter-generational conversation was a great success! Peter (note in photo) had to keep adding chairs and without prompting many of the confirmation class said they would LIKE to do it again, I repeat, LIKE! Keesha added that the conversation spurred on other conversations that the class took into the second part of their day.

As Rodge, the founder of the group says,

"Most people probably would benefit from setting aside some time each week to explore and deepen their spiritual inner life, but the distractions of modern living make that difficult to achieve. Also, most people would probably benefit from hearing testimonials of the various faith journeys of other people. So we launched Reflection to provide 45 minutes every Sunday morning when we could gather to do just that."

The group operates with 4 guiding assumptions, which were mutually agreed upon through consensus.

1) Each person has a unique inner life based on their personal experiences and beliefs.

2) We get greater benefits from this inner life if it is nurtured and deepened.

3) We benefit from hearing about the inner lives of others.

4) We cannot know (or claim) that one inner life is superior to another.

You can email Rodge Adams HERE if you have questions.

It is a standing gathering so feel free to drop by on a Sunday as your schedule allows!

Daily Prayer Fellowship: Coffee Time

8–8:30am Monday–Friday Mornings

Zoom



Morning Coffee is a chance to check in, engage in a lively discussion about a short scripture passage or topic, and then pray our way into the day. All are welcome!

Join Zoom Meeting by Video Here or

Join by phone

‪Dial: 312-626-6799

Meeting ID: 842 8341 6140

Passcode: 975868

Daily Prayer Fellowship: Closings

8–8:30pm Mon, Tues, & Thurs Evenings

Zoom



Are you looking for a warm way to end your day? Drop into Closings and share a conversation with friends. This open, lay-led group is a place for conversation, connection, and community.

Join Zoom Meeting by Video Here

or

Join by phone

‪Dial: 312-626-6799

Meeting ID: 892 5043 5902

Passcode: 113680

Thursday Morning Bible Study

Thursdays, 11am-12pm on Zoom

Thursday morning Bible Study will resume on Jan. 5 with the study of the book Women of the Bible New Testament from the Rose Visual Bible Studies.

This six-session study shows us that social traditions do not constrict God! We will learn how they were faithful to the Lord despite difficult circumstances. Chapters include: Women on Jesus's Family Tree, Mary of Nazareth, Anna, The Woman at the Well, Mary and Martha, and Builders of the Church: The Women of Romans 16. All sessions will be held via Zoom.

CLICK HERE to join the Zoom meeting.

Meeting ID: 864 1531 0144

Passcode: 437485

Dial manually

+1 929 205 6099 US

Senior Pastor Judy Zabel is retiring, June 2023.

It is with mixed feelings we share the news that on January 8, Pastor Judy Zabel announced that she will retire in June 2023.

The Staff Parish Relations Committee has already begun working with our Twin Cities District Superintendent, Cynthia Williams, and our new bishop, Lanette Plambeck, to discern who will be our next lead pastor. Judy's spirit, optimism, and infectious energy are amazing gifts to the church and we have been so blessed to have her lead us through the troubling and changing times these past few years. I don't know that there could have been anyone better suited to meet those challenges for the church.

Thanks in no small part to her leadership, we are now set up for a renaissance. A rediscovery of what it means to be Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church, now, and in the future.

She has cleared a path for us. Now it is up to us to step forward in our faith and create the future we envision for ourselves and our community.

It takes wisdom to follow where one's soul calls, even if the way is not yet known. It is exciting to think about what is next for Judy and her family.

With gratitude and heartfelt thanks to her for her service.

Click the link HERE to read her official letter.

Staff Parish Relations Committee Survey

The Bishop of the Minnesota Annual Conference will appoint a new lead pastor for Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church and that person will join our congregation in late June.

To inform the decision of the Bishop, HAUMC's Staff Parish Relations Committee prepares a profile of our congregation, including information about the congregation, our community, and what needs our congregation will have for a new pastor.

To best understand our needs, the Staff Parish Relations Committee has prepared a survey for the congregation to fill out.

This information from the survey will be summarized and sent to the bishop and her cabinet to help discern the best person to lead our congregation in the coming years.

This is your chance to weigh in on the appointment process.

You can fill out the survey by clicking HERE.

Please submit the survey by January 31.

Last Sunday We Said Thank You and Farewell to Rev. Kevin Schill, Interim Director of The Dignity Center

A Letter from Kevin:

I am very grateful for the opportunity to have served as the Interim Director of The Dignity Center these past months. It has been a wonderful experience and a joy to work with such caring and capable volunteers, and to serve as a part of the very gracious and gifted ministry team at Hennepin Avenue UMC.

The Dignity Center is a vital ministry, touching and truly making a difference in the lives of some of our community's most vulnerable members. I am thankful that respect and hospitality are at the very heart of everything that happens at The Dignity Center. The range of needs, especially for stable and affordable housing, is tremendous. Our volunteers give, not only of their time, but of their love, faith, knowledge, and patience, to walk with and guide those who come through some of the most difficult times of their lives. 

The Dignity Center is your ministry, and I am truly thankful to HAUMC for your commitment to and support of this most important work. Know that by this, you are making a difference. I would encourage all of you to consider how you can be a part of this ministry, by giving of your time, perhaps as a volunteer, providing food for sack lunches (ask about specific needs), or through your financial giving.

Finally, please welcome and support Margaret Kelly, your new Director of The Dignity Center. Margaret brings a truly gracious and compassionate spirit and a wealth of knowledge and experience. I know that she will be a blessing, both through her leadership of The Dignity Center and as a part of the ministry team of HAUMC.

God's blessings,

Kevin Schill

NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR THE DIGNITY CENTER

Rev. Margaret Mary Kelly will begin on January 17, 2023.

We are happy to announce that the Reverend Margaret Mary Kelly has been hired to be our new Executive Director of The Dignity Center. She will begin work on January 17, 2023. Margaret Mary is a licensed clinical social worker (LICSW) in MN and an ordained minister from the ELCA. She says,

"My particular passion is supporting people of faith at both ends of the economic spectrum as they find solidarity with one another. I have experience partnering with diverse faith groups as they learn to be in solidarity with those who have been left out of the dream of safe homes, good food, and stable relationships. My deepest joy is building community with a diverse coalition of people."



Our search team members: Sandy Christie, Barb Ludack, Ann Carlson, Kevin Schill, and Judy Zabel believe that Rev. Kelly's strong relational skills, experience in data analysis and social science research methods, budgeting and fundraising for a non-profit organization, excellent skill in public speaking, and experience in developing new systems for a non-profit organization make her an excellent choice for this position.

Welcome Margaret Mary in worship on January 22nd! And stay to chat with some warm soup!

THE WORSHIP AND FINE ARTS MINISTRY LEADERSHIP TEAM SURVEY

138 and counting! 

Now is the chance to make your voice known, what would you like to see in worship?

The Worship & Fine Arts Ministry Leadership Team (WFAMLT) sends a big "Thank You" to the 138 friends who filled out the Worship Survey in November 2022.

Encouraged by the results and the insights, the team has decided to redouble their efforts to hear from as many people from HAUMC as possible!

SO, if you haven't filled out a survey, please do so now! (It should only take around 5-7 minutes)

CLICK HERE

What have we heard thus far?

• Children & Youth - The place and ministry roles for children and youth in worship was strongly affirmed. (We love our young people!)
• Hybrid Worship - While online worship is affirmed as "a legitimate form of worship" it was clear how can cultivate a stronger sense of community between the two modes and supporting the formation of an online community through our streaming. ** This makes it particularly vital to hear from the online worship community!
• Concerts & Performances - Those who have already responded through the survey have indicated that concerts and performances at HAUMC are an important part of their life. Right now we're hearing a desire for a wider diversity in programming, and there is comfort with some of the concerts being ticketed.
• Elements of Worship - The printed worship guide is a strong value for those we've heard from, as is the use of video projection. (This is NOT to say everyone likes both!)
• Musical Diversity in Worship - 61% said the 'mix' was just about right; 31% said they're ready for even more diversity in worship.

We've received a wonderful volume of written comments, too numerous to list here, and your WFAMLT is beginning to study these responses t chart our course in the months ahead.

It is NOT TOO LATE to add your voice to this conversation!

Many thanks for your joyful participation!

The Worship & Fine Arts Ministry Leadership Team

Beth Wiggins, Chair

Mark Squire, Director of Worship & Fine Arts

United Women in Faith

Twin Cities District: Winter Gathering and Leadership Sharing

Saturday, January 21, 9:30-noon

Zoom

We must show our faith through our actions, reminding ourselves that each and every human being is divinely designed, a sacred piece of this creation in which we are all tied together." - Rev. Janet Wolf

Catch the excitement when you hear Rev. Janet Wolf's message from the UWF 2022 Assembly- challenging and inspiring us to think about how to put love into action with a discussion will follow.

Leadership Sharing will "dig" into the organization's name change, and challenges to Christian life and faith that we all face. Learn about new resources and ways of organizing as UWF.  

Registration by January 16, preferred online using this link:  https://forms.gle/SrNmCEGBVXSZ7TEFA

or send first/last name, email, phone #, Unit name, and relationship to UWF (Member/ Guest) to: 

Sandy Meyer,

8724 Valley View Place, Chanhassen, MN 55317

No charge for the meeting but donations are always welcome. Half of the offerings collected at the Twin Cities District Winter Gathering on January 21, 2023, will go to ENS-Restoring Waters. The second half of the offering will be used for undesignated mission giving supported by United Women in Faith. 

If you are interested to learn more or join the local branch of this national organization Click Here

Or email: Susanne Mattison at susanne_mattison@yahoo.com and Laura Dirks at uwf@haumc.org.

Monthly Virtual Book Club

Thursday, January, 19, 7pm

Zoom

The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister

From the author of Reese Witherspoon's Book Club pick The Scent Keeper comes a “heartbreakingly delicious” national bestseller about a chef, her students, and the evocative lessons that food teaches about life.

If you enjoy reading, please join the Hennepin Avenue UMC community for an hour-long discussion via Zoom about this book!

The books can be read online through local libraries or inexpensive websites like thriftbooks.com.

CLICK HERE to Join Zoom Meeting:

Meeting ID: 898 0983 7941

Passcode: 496102



To share this event with your friends and family, click here

Email Jane Mylrea if you are interested to get on the mailing list! (janecmylrea@yahoo.com).

Scroll to the bottom of your email and click the link titled "VIEW ENTIRE MESSAGE" to see the whole newsletter

Confirmation and Youth Group Schedule

Attached is the schedule for the year. Click here to open.

Look for more information coming for some special January events for youth and families.

The Event 2023: Rooted

Saturday, January 21, 10am-3pm

The Minnesota Conference of the UMC Youth Ministry is planning for THE EVENT 2023 and our youth is excited to be joining in!

Youth (grades 6-12) and their adult leaders are invited to The Event 2023 on Saturday, January 21 from 10am-3pm! There are 3 sites hosting this event. Our HAUMC group will join the Eagan site.

Mark your calendars and click HERE for more information.

The Confirmation Class will be planning February's Serve Sunday Project!

Contact Patrick Henning to find the myriad of service opportunities we have available to suit any schedule and tailored to particular skills and experiences.

Right now is a good time to sign up to serve in worship or volunteer for child care slots! But as spring approaches we will have more and more fun service projects to work on!

State of the Church 2022 Recap

The State of the Church 2022 was held on November 6th.

The PowerPoint from the meeting can be found here:

Old School by Steeple People

Store hours: Tuesday through Sunday 11:00 am – 5:00 pm

Donations accepted 11:00am – 4:00 pm, and by appointment

There is a particular need for mittens and gloves to help keep the community warm!

• Must be in bags or closed boxes and labeled “clothes”, “books”, or “hard goods”
• If donating clothing: clean and in-season only, please
• Maximum 3 bags/ boxes as we have limited storage
• No electronics, please