JUNE | 2023

JOY IN UNEXPECTED GOODNESS One of my favorite things each Spring has been to plant a garden in my backyard. There is something exciting about tilling the soil, and getting your hands dirty, and planting those seeds full of promise of what might show up at harvest. Last summer, I had this very organized plan of keeping my garden nice and neat. I planted my tomatoes in nice, neat rows. And my lettuce would have its own little section, and so would the basil, peppers, and carrots. I knew enough about the squash, cucumbers, and zucchini to have them fenced off from the rest of the garden so they wouldn’t take over everything else. But little did I know I was not in control… As the summer went on the weeds started to pop up, and so did the involuntary vegetable plants. Try as I might to get rid of the weeds, they kept showing up all over the place. It soon became difficult to tell apart the tomato plants I had planted this year from the random seeds that sprouted from last year, and that tomato section became a giant mess of plants going every which way and it became difficult to even get in the garden by the end of the summer. I’m not even going to get started on what the side of the garden looked like that had the squash, “cukes,” and “zuke’s.” It was garden that was not at all what I intended it to be, but it was beautiful, nonetheless. In the end, I enjoyed a lot of good vegetables – and I mean a lot, and here that the beginning of a new summer, I am still enjoying some salsa and squash from last year. Maybe you have noticed that life works much the same way, especially during the summer months. You have all these plans of how it’s going to go. You have things all lined up, nice and neat. And then life takes a sudden turn, and things get messy. And you throw your hands up and go to plan B, and sometimes all the way down to plan Z. What you intended didn’t even come close to happening. But what did happen was beautiful, nonetheless. And you may even consider yourself blessed that things didn’t go according to your plan because you got to enjoy something wonderful, and unexpected, and maybe even a little holy. And maybe that is the difference between us busy-bee planners and what we can control, and our Master Gardener who just might have a different plan for us. This summer, amidst a different rhythm, I hope you experience your life and your faith in new ways. I hope you enjoy whatever summer plans you have, but I hope you can experience the unexpected goodness that will inevitably pop up that you didn’t even intend. And when it does, I hope you can simply enjoy it, and consider yourself blessed. Pastor Dane

The Unexpected A poem about gardens and life by Dane Skilbred Unexpected plant sprouts How does it do that? I work for weeks to make my plants grow I water and tend and watch and wait And yet, here all on its own, this unexpected beauty pops up. I wonder if this is the way it works with our Gardener: Watering, tending, watching, waiting Looking for the seeds that were planted to sprout forth Waiting for them to do what they’re supposed to Sometimes they grow like they’re supposed to Sometimes they don’t Sometimes they bear fruit like they’re supposed to Sometimes they don’t Sometimes they just sit in the ground and wait But sometimes the unexpected happens Sometimes a seed leftover from last year just pops up One the Gardener didn’t even intend for this year “That certainly wasn’t supposed to be there! But isn’t it beautiful?” Sometimes this is where the Gardener’s best work happens In the unexpected ones that pop up And I wonder I wonder what kind of harvest might be in store this year.

VINJE COLUMBARIUM COMING! After years of discussion and work, the Vinje Columbarium will soon become a reality. The Council and Executive Committee have approved the project and established costs and policies. It is hoped that the columbarium will be completed this construction season. A columbarium is an above ground receptacle for cremated remains. The Vinje Columbarium will be placed near the south entrance to the sanctuary on 13th Avenue. A design has been approved and the graphic shows the columbarium size and design of the concrete work surrounding this space. There are 64 niches (the space where urns are placed) in the columbarium which will allow spaces for up to 128 inurnments; each niche can hold up to two urns.  Policies have been established and approved for the administration of the columbarium. Standards established include details such as eligibility for purchase and inurnment, urn size requirements, faceplate inscription details, and maintenance of the area surrounding the columbarium during and following the inurnment service. Policies, regulations and documents can be found on Vinje’s website. The cost per niche has been set at $2000. Urns and faceplate inscription is not included in the purchase price. After these costs, there are no ongoing fees for niche owners.  Marketing and sales of the niches will begin soon. If you are so inclined, contributions above the niche cost will be gladly accepted. Vinje has been blessed with two substantial contributions toward this project as seed for its completion.  Stay tuned for more details of the Vinje Columbarium!

SAVE THESE DATES FOR SUMMER FUN! WED, JUNE 28 @ 6 PM | LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR NIGHT! Join us for a fun & meaningful night as we enjoy a grilled supper together and complete a service project with Lutheran Social Services. SUN, JULY 23 @ 5:05 PM | STINGER’S GAME OUTING Join us for a fun night of baseball! Tickets are $20 each and include a meal voucher for a burger, brat, or hotdog, chips and a soda along and seating in a private suite along the first base line. To purchase your tickets, please call or email the church office. WED, AUGUST 16 @ 6 PM | BEER & HYMNS More details coming soon!

VBS/DAYCAMP OPPORTUNITY FOR K-5TH GRADERS SHORES OF ST ANDREW | JULY 17-20 Vinje is once again partnering with Bethel and Calvary to offer a week of programming for students Pre-K-5th grade at Vinje and Shores of St. Andrew's. At day camp, kids will participate with their friends in age-appropriate Bible study, worship, activities, crafts, and games. Students will experience and enjoy all sorts of fun like a traditional vacation bible school, while also getting an introduction to the magic of summer camp! Transportation is provided each day from Vinje. Click here for registration and more info!

VINJE QUILTERS ON SUMMER BREAK Vinje Quilters will meet in the fall!

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SUMMER SCHOOL AGE PROGRAMS HAVE BEGUN! Summer fun with our school age friends is about to begin! We enjoy spending time with this older age group (many of whom we’ve cared for since they were infants! We’ve got lots of fun activities planned! And...we are always on the lookout for “new to us” toys and games for these kids! So, if you happen to have any cars/trucks (matchbox or others), Barbies & accessories, doll clothes, dinosaurs, magna-tiles, k’nex or Lego sets or kids cards games (like Uno, old maid, etc.), balls/outdoor toys that you’re no longer using, we’d be thrilled if you’d consider donating them to our school agers! Donations can be dropped off in the church office. Thanks!

Summer Challenge: make one change this next month. YOU CAN DO THIS! 400 million tons of plastic waste is created globally each year. Challenge Avoid single-use items packaged in plastic; buy larger and repackage in reusable containers. Also watch for info on Vinje’s collection of plastics to be repurposed into a bench! 2.5 million plastic bottles are thrown away in the United States each HOUR. Challenge Use reusable containers and fill from your own tap, bring your own travel mug to Sunday morning coffee. An estimated 7 million tons of aluminum still are not being recycled. Challenge NEVER put aluminum cans in the trash, look for a recycling container or bring it home to your own recycling bin. *Facts are from an article in Delicious Living magazine.

EXPLORING VINJE'S HISTORY Pastor Andrés is digging into Vinje’s unique history. This month he asked Jan Kimmel about the Vinje Quilters. When the “Ladies Aid” was first organized in 1878, one of their methods for making money was to sew quilts. They would cut up used dresses, skirts, shirts, etc. to make the quilts and use old blankets for the filler. They sold chances and would raffle off the quilts. (It seems there was always someone who imagined that the lucky winner used some form of strategy in order to win, so the raffle was discontinued early on.) Later, some of the “Women’s Missionary Federation” quilts were sent to missions. Early quilters included Mildred Forsberg, Gladys Boxrud, Nevina Olson, Easter Lesteberg, Melva Jacobson, Ruth Guptiee, Ella Larson, Marie Carlson, and Marion Dean. I’m not sure the actual date “Vinje Quilters” started. When I retired in 2005, my daughter bought some material, a cutter and mat and told me I should learn how to quilt so I wouldn’t be bored. I joined Quilters when Evie Swanson was the leader followed by Betty Underthun. Members included Hazel Sordahl, Florence Dufty, Marvella Isaacson, Marie Welker, Audrey Thiele, Audrey Loehr, Shirley Sundlee, Alice Olsen, Gladys Schennum, Joan Nelson, Carol Meyer, Lois Dittes, Nora Ander, and Myra Brenden. Several of these women continued sewing into their 90’s. Today, thanks to an annual Thrivent grant, Thrivent Choice Dollars and donations of material and money, we continue to make quilts and have donated them locally to Home to Home Connection, Salvation Army, Hope Pregnancy, Heartland Community Action, Boy’s and Girl’s Group Homes, Family Promise, Kandiyohi County Services, the VA, Kidney Dialysis, Grace Place, Safe Avenues, Scandia House, Habitat for Humanity and also to Lutheran World Relief. In the fall we raffle a quilt with the proceeds going to Bible Camp Scholarships. The group meets Sept-Dec and March-May. We tie, pin, and sew at church although many women prefer to sew at home. Anyone is welcome to join. We even had a man, Bill Wogan, who enjoyed helping us hand quilt.

MAY COUNCIL MEETING HIGHLIGHTS: The lighting project is nearing completion! Need to install dimmer system and it will be complete! The columbarium project is moving forward and we'll soon be making steps to begin construction. There is excitement about new outreach efforts through Circle of Welcome and Family Promise. Letters have gone out asking for gifts toward a new sound board and to support the Circle of Welcome program. Worship for the summer will continue with 2 traditional services and 2 modern services, and musicians have been lined up to play for every Sunday in the summer. Looking into options for cleaning services. Creation Care has asked for a liaison to their group and Nicole Mages agreed to be that person. Council is excited to try gathering people for three summer activities, with a focus on having fun and fellowship together: June 28, July 23, and August 16.

Make a one-time contribution or set up reoccurring giving here. Need help? Call the church office!

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.