HAPPY FALL, Y'ALL!
This is by far my favorite season. It’s the perfect Goldilocks time of year. It’s not too hot. It’s not too cold. The crisp mornings and nights come with still warm afternoon sunshine and provide a great time for comfortable sweatshirts and sweaters. Soon we won’t be able leave the house without a heavy parka, so enjoy this time. For me fall is also about the apple crisps, chili, colorful leaves, and the mixture of football with postseason baseball. Lastly, I love fall because it has a couple of my favorite holidays including Halloween. I look forward to witnessing amazing costumes every year.
As is typical for our American society, this holiday is rich in traditions that we have borrowed from other cultures. Recently, I’ve been learning about the Celtic practices around this day. I have learned that our traditions around Halloween costumes come from an ancient Celtic practice. They believed that October 31 was the day the spirits crossed over into another realm. Thus, the Celts observed October 31 as a day to honor the dead they loved and defend themselves from spirits that should be feared. Because of this they started the practice that we continue today by disguising themselves with scary face paint and costumes in order to scare the dreadful spirits.
I don’t know how many of us are living in fear of scary spirits today. But I’m pretty sure that we all could name quite a few things that cause us to feel afraid. And we all have experience in trying to hide from these fears, in disguising ourselves to ward off the dreadful things in our lives. It turns out that human beings have been doing this for centuries and have been doing it across cultural divides. But don’t worry. Even though fear and trying to hide from our fears is so foundational to who we are as human beings, God has a lot to say to us in our fear. Our creator knows that our fears are real. Rather than hide from them, rather than disguise ourselves, rather than pretend to be someone we aren’t; God desires us to do something more simple: to trust in God.
Take a look at just a few places in our scripture in which God promises to meet us in our fear. Whatever it is you are afraid of, you should know that you aren’t alone. Our community of faith is here to support you. God has been there and continues to promise to meet you in real life and be with you as you face all of life’s realities.
-Pastor Justin
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TRAIL OF TREATS
MONDAY, OCTOBER 31 | 4-5:30 PM | VINJE CHURCH PARKING LOT
Get your kiddos in their costumes and join us for our third annual Trail of Treats! We’ll have a trail of treats and fun set up in our parking lot for our Vinje kids to walk through!
If you’d like to contribute towards the purchase of candy and supplies for our Trail of Treats, you can donate on our website at the “Give” link, just note “Trail of Treats” in the “Special Gifts” section. Or send a check with “Trail of Treats” in the memo!
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LUTEFISK & MEATBALL SUPPER
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8 | 4-7 PM
We are excited to announce that the Lutefisk and Meatball Supper will take place on Tuesday, November 8th! Please save the date and plan to join us for the return of this special Vinje tradition.
This meal would not be possible without the help of many, many volunteers. We are so grateful for all past volunteers and would like to invite anyone that hasn’t helped with this fun event to please consider lending a hand for an hour or two this year! Watch the bulletins and your weekly emails for more details.
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By Director of Music, Karen Wojahn
Our music groups have begun! The youth in Nova Voices and Shalom Singers are practicing on Wednesdays at 5:25, the Vinje Choir practices on Sundays at 8:30 AM, and the JuBELLation Handbell Choir practices on Mondays at 6:00 PM. Soon the Vinje Choir will be practicing music for the Thanksgiving Eve joint choir with St. Mary’s. JuBELLation is working on songs for All Saints Sunday and Thanksgiving Eve. Thanks to Nova/Shalom and Worth Saving for leading worship services recently. If you want to get involved in Vinje’s music program, send me an email at [email protected]!
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OCTOBER QUILTING DATES
Vinje Quilters will meet on October 13th and 27th at 9am. All are welcome! Come join us! Also, cotton fabric donations are needed! If you have any that you'd like to donate, please drop them off at the church office. Thanks!
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An excerpt from Lord If by Herbert Brokering
Lord, if You can turn Your earth into pastures, into wool and silk, Your earth to roses and daffodils, Your earth to gold and bright bronze, Your earth to yellow tops of grain, then renew in us a high regard for earth and farms, for sections of soil, for fallow land, for swamps and lowland, and for topsoil.
Lord, if You can put together light and night, atmosphere and land, and bring peace from all the parts, then You can put together for us what seems so separate, span that which is so distant, and make us marvel at what is so close.
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In other Creation Care news…
- Coming soon, a gift for you…
- Reusable grocery tote bags! Watch for the giveaway after an October worship service.
- Love chasing the beautiful, changing trees?
- Sign up for fall colors update at mndnr.gov/FallColors
- Hats off to Rick Loseth for watering the raised vegetable beds and the butterfly garden throughout the summer!
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EXPLORING VINJE'S HISTORY
This month pastor Andrés wanted to devote this section of the newsletter to our relationship with Bethesda, that is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year.
Over the course of 125 years, Bethesda has blossomed into the one of the largest non-profit rural services providers in the country and the sixth largest skilled nursing facility in our state.
Bethesda includes the skilled nursing facility Bethesda Grand and Club Suites, the home health agency Bethesda at Home, the adult day wellness services Bethesda Day Break, the assisted and independent living communities Sunrise Village, Centennial Square, Park View Village (Olivia), Bethesda North Pointe (New London), and the community health and wellness in Willmar and New London through Club Bethesda and outpatient therapy centers.
Bethesda is governed by a volunteer 12-member board of directors that represent 23 churches in Willmar, New London, Spicer, Atwater, Roseland, and Prinsburg. Vinje is one of the churches, and currently we are represented on the board by Dr. Joan Blonigan Christianson.
Michelle Haefner, the chief executive officer at Bethesda, says, “Our relationships with our neighboring congregations has been the key to what has made our mission possible for generations. In 1897 it was congregations in Lamberton that banded together to make a home for children in need. And thanks to the congregational relationships that those church bodies had, our mission was brought to the Willmar area 8 years later. For generations, our mission has been locally led with a Christ-first heart and has transformed the way we all care for one another as we are called to do. The way care services are delivered will continue changing, and it is the hearts sitting next to you on Sunday that will lead to the changes. Together we are called to build up the body of Christ, and our close connection to the member churches make it possible for Bethesda to do that each day.”
The following is the wording of the covenant relationship Vinje has with Bethesda as one of its member churches:
As a partner with you, Bethesda complements your congregational ministry with older adults. In turn, Bethesda is blessed by your congregation’s influence of good will and donations by residents, staff, volunteers, and members. This mutually beneficial relationship provides a wealth of opportunities for both Bethesda and Vinje Lutheran Church. As people created by God, redeemed from our self-serving human nature, empowered by the Holy Spirit to serve beyond ourselves, we share a common vision of the Christian church. We are called and sent to bear witness to the power of God’s healing, saving presence among us in his world. Through our covenant relationship, sustained and strengthened by our love of God and our care for older adults, we pledge our prayers, support, and to grow as Christ’s Body. Our intention is to “build up the Body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith … to the measure of the full stature of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:13).
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COUNCIL MEETING HIGHLIGHTS
At their meeting on September 26th, the Vinje Council…
- Received an update from Tim Ostby about progress of the columbarium project.
- Brad Schmidt shared conversations he’s been engaged in regarding the legal structure and relationship between Vinje and Loving Arms with regard to non-profit status.
- Staff shared an update about our Wednesday Live! program and a new Wednesday pre-k ministry.
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THANK YOU THRIVENT MEMBERS
Some Vinje Thrivent members have dedicated their Choice Dollars to Vinje. Our committee developed an application process to make sure the funds are used appropriately. (The committee includes Thrivent Advocates Dianne Peterson, Pastor Mary Hovland, Jody Loseth, and Dee Rosenbrook.) One stipulation is that the dollars be used for purposes not covered in the church budget. Recently, we have allotted funds for gardening equipment and for school supplies for the “Stuff the Bus” campaign. Vinje members are encouraged to apply for funds through the church office.
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NURSERY CARE NOW AVAILABLE!
Just a reminder that staffed nursery care is now available during all worship services in Loving Arm’s Pre-K Room located in the east hallway.
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Make a one-time contribution or set up reoccurring giving here. Need help? Call the church office!
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VINJE ON THE GO!
RADIO Listen on Sundays at 9:30 am on KWLM, 1340 AM.
INTERNET Watch anytime! (go to YouTube and search Vinje Willmar).
TV Watch local access channel, 180 Sundays at 2:30 pm and 8:30 pm and Tuesdays at 8 am and 5 pm.
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