Hennepin Happenings
News & Events @ Hennepin Avenue UMC
Friday, February 19, 2021
FEATURED THIS WEEK
What do YOU think?
Congregational Survey: Worship and the Road to Reopening

All Hennepin members and constituents are invited to participate in a 10-15 minute survey about your experiences of worship since the pandemic began, and your thoughts about our return to in-person worship in the future.

The survey results are anonymous.
The survey will be open through the month of February.

Ready to get started? Find the survey here!

Thank you in advance for your participation and thoughtful feedback!
New Lenten Sermon Series
Close Encounters with God
Ash Wednesday through Good Friday

When have you had a close encounter of the God kind? God comes to us--right to us!--so that we might have a close relationship. In this series, we'll explore God's covenants with people of faith, and celebrate the ways that we experience God's closeness through prayer, nature, community, acts of justice, holy wisdom and more.
Guest Preachers this February

Hennepin welcomes District Superintendent, Rev. Dan Johnson, and Interim Bishop, David Bard, to preach on our Lenten theme: Close Encounters with God.
Rev. Dan Johnson,
District Superintendent

On Sunday, February 21, Rev. Johnson will share a sermon called: When a Rainbow Becomes Our North Star.
Bishop David Bard,
Interim Bishop of the Minnesota Conference

Sunday, February 28, Bishop Bard will share a sermon called, Laughable.
New!
Close Encounters:
Linked through Lent
Daily Virtual Small Groups
Starting Sunday, February 21

Every day during Lent, you are invited to participate in lay-led conversation and encounter to encourage, inspire, and connect us with each other and with God. Linked thru Lent groups meet for 45 minutes for connection, conversation, inspiration, encouragement (and maybe a good laugh).

No registration needed. Simply drop in for a close encounter of the Hennepin kind!

Group times are:
Monday, 6:30 - 7:15 PM
Tuesday, 7:00 - 7:45 PM
Wednesday, 11:00 - 11:45 AM
Thursday, 5:00 - 5:45 PM
Friday, 12:30pm - 1:15 PM
Saturday, 8:00 - 8:45 AM
Sunday, 9:00-9:45 AM

All groups can be accessed by video using this link. You can also join by phone by calling 929-205-6099.

Meeting ID: 892 1247 2212
Passcode: 252039
MINISTRY NEWS
Hennepin's Phased Reopening Plans
We're moving back to the "Orange Phase"

As hospitalizations due to COVID and the number of new daily COVID cases in MN stays steady, we are reopening our church building for certain limited purposes.

Here is what to expect during the Orange Phase:
  • in-person on-site baptisms, weddings and funerals are permitted for groups of no more than 10 people;
  • worship services continue to be held online only;
  • a receptionist will be on site Monday through Friday, 9am to 4pm, and the building will be fully closed on weekends;
  • most staff continue to work remotely;
  • staff in the office wear masks, measure their temperature before working in the office, and are directed to disinfect their personal workspace before leaving;
  • members, vendors and other guests adhere to the same requirements as staff.

Thank you for your prayers and patience as we navigate the best way in which to reopen safely. If you have any questions regarding HAUMC’s reopening plan, please contact Joe Polach, Director of Facilities, by phone at 612.435.1335 or by email at joep@haumc.org.
Free Take-Home COVID Tests
Monday, Wednesday or Friday 7:30a-2:30p
at the Dignity Center, 425 Groveland Ave. in Minneapolis

We are offering free saliva tests that you can take at home. You can pick up your test any Monday, Wednesday or Friday 7:30-2:30 at the Dignity Center, 425 Groveland Ave.

Please email TheDignityCenter@gmail.com or call 612-435-1315 to schedule a pick up.

A few notes about the test:

You should not eat, drink or use tobacco products for 30 minutes before taking the test.

You will need access to the internet (via phone or computer when using the test) for a zoom meeting with someone with Vault labs who will observe/walk you through the testing process.

You will also need to register with Vault Labs (online) to take the test. Each person taking the test will need to register AND provide a separate email for results notification.

You will receive their results via email within 48-72 hours after the test.

You will need to take the test (in the provided, pre-paid envelope) to a United Parcel Service (UPS) the same day you take the test. You cannot take the envelope to the post office (USPS) or FedEx.
Passionate Worship
Worship This Week
Close Encounters with God:
When a Rainbow Becomes Our North Star
with Guest Preacher
Rev. Dan Johnson

Sacred Journey at 8:30am

Traditional Worship at 10am
Scripture: Genesis 9:8-17
Risk-Taking Mission and Service
Standards for Shelter, The Path to Legislation
Webinar on Shelter Residents Bill of Rights
Monday, February 22, 6:30-7:30pm

Four years ago, Align MPLS facilitated the development of Street Voices of Change – a supportive and self-empowering advocacy community for persons experiencing homelessness. Within 2 years they responded to the distressing tales of woe being told by their members about unjust experiences in the city’s shelter system, and they developed the Shelter Resident’s Bill of Rights. The Bill purports that people in shelters should have a safe, respectful, and dignified experience while staying at shelter.

What goes on in our shelters? What is the standard for treatment of persons in our shelters? Who ensures that persons experiencing homelessness are treated with dignity and respect and that their rights are not violated? How do we ensure the same standard of care across all shelters in MN?

Join us as we explore the situations that caused Street Voices of Change to create the Shelter Residents Bill of Rights and launch a campaign requiring the implementation of enforceable minimum standards of care for shelter residents across MN.

To Register go to: https://bit.ly/2MkYcmV.

For the current Align campaign go to: https://www.alignmpls.org/campaign.
Updates from Common Hope: Guatemala

Hybrid school starts soon in Guatemala.

Josué, age 14, is our new sponsor student. He lives in San Cristobal with his parents and sister, Helen, age 5, and brother Fabian, age10. They live in a small concrete house with steel roof and get water from a neighbor.

Ana, age 6, lives in a small village, San Rafael, with her mother and sisters.

As a sponsor church, HAUMC, helps pay educational, medical, food, and other expenses for the families to keep the kids in school.

Please consider becoming a PenPal to Ana and/or Josue.

SAVE THE DATES! We will have a fundraising Walk for Hope from church on Sunday, June 13, to support our students.

Also, travel permitted, we will send a mission team to Antigua, Guatemala Feb. 27-March 5, 2022.

Muchas Gracias, Hennepin Church!
Coming Soon
MN FoodShare
March Food Drive begins March 1

GROVELAND FOOD SHELF NEEDS DONATIONS MORE THAN EVER

Your HAUMC Risk-taking Mission and Service Team is once again asking you to help our neighbors by donating food and household items for Groveland Food Shelf.

According to The Wilder Foundation, the COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated the racial food insecurity divide in MN. As a congregation committed to becoming anti-racist, we must do all we can to support our hungry neighbors!

We’ll be taking donations throughout the month of March to help stock the Groveland Food Shelf to keep it working for those in need.

If you want to drop off donations, we will have bins available in the East Wing of the church, March 1-26, Monday through Friday between 9am and 4pm.

Need to send your donations in? Just use this convenient link to order from Amazon, and your items will be delivered to HAUMC.

THANK YOU for all you do to support the RTMS food security missions @Hennepin!
(Virtual) Homeless Day on the Hill: Make Justice Your Aim
Thursday, March 11 | 6:30-8:45pm

Please join us on for the Joint Religious Legislative Coalition (JRLC) 2021 Virtual Day on the Hill - Make Justice your Aim.

We'll examine justice for Minnesotans of color and those who are unsheltered in the context of the COVID-19 vaccine. Then we'll prepare to meet legislators to work for justice.

Keynote Speaker: Reverend Paul Slack --Trust, Access and Equity
Rev. Slack brings 30 years of experience as a pastoral and social justice leader and currently serves with Lutheran Social Service MN as a Social Justice Advocate.

Panel: Homeless Outreach, Housing and Health
Blair Harrison, Senior Advisor on Health, Homelessness and Housing, Minnesota Department of Health
Dr. Antony Stately, CEO and Physician, Native American Community Clinics, Minneapolis

Learn about JRLC Legislative Agenda and how to advocate for justice. Prepare for virtual legislative visits to be held March 15, 16 and 17.

To learn more and to register, to jrlc.org. The event is free.
Contributions welcomed.
Intentional Faith Development
HAUMC Youth Instagram Takeover
During the Month of February

In celebration of February being Black History Month, HAUMC Youth are taking over Hennepin's social media.

Through a series of posts spread throughout the month, Hennepin Youth will be sharing stories about the contributions made by African Americans that most inspire them, with the goal of celebrating and raising awareness of the important contributions being made by African Americans in our community and country every day.

Keep your eyes on HAUMC's social media channels to learn and celebrate with HAUMC Youth.
Youth Break
Weekly on Wednesdays in February at 3:30pm on Zoom

School weeks are hard for so many reasons, and it's hard to do life when you are separated from community.

Starting Wednesday February 3, Rick Belbutoski, Hennepin's Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministries, is inviting youth to drop in for a zoom call from 3:30 - 4:30 pm on Wednesday to talk about...whatever you want.

Homework, relationships, parents--whatever a youth might need to talk about is why this call exists. This call will help carry youth through the week with a little extra encouragement and a chance to see their friends' faces.

FEBRUARY 3
FEBRUARY 10
FEBRUARY 17
FEBRUARY 24
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• • • • • • • • • • • • •
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Join the Zoom meeting by video here. The link is the same each week.
Being Anti-Racist: Read, Learn, Act, Impact:
A Reading & Discussion Group for Parents
Weekly on Sundays at 7:30pm on Zoom

Join a group of parents, grandparents, and other adults on Sunday evenings at 7:30 p.m. We discuss great books, learn through conversation, and support each other as we take action steps to be anti-racist within our daily lives. All while trying to have an impact on the kids we love.

February - My Grandmother's Hands, by Resmaa Menakem
March - A Good Time for Truth, edited by Sun Yung Shin

No need to RSVP or to attend each week. To receive the Zoom link and what reading we are on, please email realm@haumc.org to be added to the Realm group.
February's book
March's book
Community Event
Healing Through Poetry
Thursday, February 25, 6–8p online

In this supportive poetry workshop, learn how poetry can be used as a tool for healing through its use of language, symbols, moments, and visions.

Poems by Native American writers and writers of color will be shared to examine our contemporary struggles, wounds and ways of connecting with the wholeness of our self and others.

Writing prompts will be offered as well as time for voluntary sharing of poems.

Led by Sun Yung Shin. Collaborator: More Than a Single Story.
Register online at hclib.org/events
Save the Date!
Breathing With You:
A Sketch/Prayer Retreat with Ann Gerondelis
Good Friday, April 2
9am-12noon

Join artist, architect, and spiritual pilgrim, Ann Gerondelis, Good Friday morning for an intimate, contemplative experience of sketch/prayer. Ann, a Friend of Iona Community, and author of Open Our Hearts, (sketchprayers.com) is the creator of the images used this year in the Close Encounters Lenten series. She will share her journey, inspiration, and creative process in conversation with participants, then guide participants to explore the intuitive movements, moments, and deep places that open us to close encounters with God in the world. No previous art experience needed. Digital artists may be especially intrigued by Ann’s melding of technology and spirituality

COST: Free, but registration is required by March 31. Registration and Zoom meeting info coming soon.
Coming in April
Supporting Stressed Teens: A Conversation with Heather Alden and Rick Belbutoski
Sunday, April 11, 1-2pm on Facebook Live

April is Stress Awareness Month, and as we begin the second year of pandemic it's important to recognize our youth are dealing with a lot of stress.

On April 11 at 1 pm, log on to HAUMC's Facebook Live for a conversation about defining, identifying, and helping teens cope with stress.

Heather Alden and Rick Belbutoski will be in conversation to discuss the topic of teen stress and how parents and guardians are so important to helping teens work through it.

Share the Facebook event with your friends!
Donate today to
Old School by Steeple People
1901 Nicollet Ave S, Minneapolis

Time to clear out the clutter!
It's cold. It's February. It's Minnesota. And we're still in the middle of a pandemic.

It's a perfect time to take your gently used clothing and household items to Old School by Steeple People! We are in particular need of: men's clothing & shoes, women's dresses, media (CDs, DVDs, Blu Rays, Board Games), jewelry, household linens, and everything KITCHEN.

Thank you so much for your continued generosity! Donation day is Wednesday 12-4 pm. If that doesn't work, call the store (612 871-8305) to set up a drop-off appointment on another day.

Thank you so much! We look forward to seeing you and your lovely mask!
Radical Hospitality
DAILY PRAYER CONNECTION
8:00 – 8:30am
Monday through Friday every week

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. The group is always open to anyone who wants to experience a loving community as you start your day.

 or
Join by phone using the dial-in information below:
‪Dial: 312-626-6799
Meeting ID: 842 8341 6140
Closings
8:00 - 8:30pm
Monday through Friday every week

Are you looking for a warm way to end your day?

Why not drop in to Closings and share a conversation with friends?  Closings is an open, lay-led group for connection, conversation, and community.

Each weeknight from 8:00-8:30pm, we end the day with gratitude, grace (and a good joke or two!). We also pray for and with each other and for our world. Drop in for one evening or for all five. It will encourage and inspire you (and even make you laugh!)

No registration needed. 

Join Zoom Meeting by video here beginning at 7:45pm.
Meeting ID: 842 8341 6140
Passcode: 975868
SEND US YOUR ANNOUNCEMENTS
Do you have news to share in Hennepin Happenings?
Please fill out an announcement form at www.haumc.org/events.
The deadline for announcements is 12 Noon on Monday for announcements to be included in the following Friday's newsletter. 
Submissions are subject to editing for space and content.
Thanks for sharing your news!
511 Groveland Avenue, Minneapolis MN, 55403 | 612-871-5303