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FEBRUARY | 2025

LET US LOVE BOLDLY

"This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” - Jesus


The month of February is always filled with pink and red hearts, candy, greeting cards, and adorable Valentine messages. And what would Valentine’s Day be without the iconic Sweethearts candy with their short messages of love? I’ve noticed that as much as Jesus said about love, and he said a lot, none of his words have been printed on rock-hard candy hearts or Hallmark cards.


Obviously, “there is no fear in love” or “love your enemies” and other quotes from Jesus are too long to print on such tiny candy, but they also are too deep for what most of us want to hear on Valentine’s Day. Most of us don’t want to be reminded that real love requires vulnerability. If you’ve ever been hurt by someone you love, you know that uneasy truth. To love is to take a risk. And yet, God’s love shows us that it is the only risk worth taking.


Consider this: every act of love carries with it the potential for grief. We grieve when relationships break. We grieve when people we love move away, grow distant, or die. The depth of our grief is often a reflection of the depth of our love. Grief, painful as it is, is not something we can avoid, unless we avoid love. C.S. Lewis once said, “To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to keep it intact, give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements.” This led Lewis to the bold and startling truth: “The only place outside heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers of love is hell.”


Apart from our own relationships, human history also teaches us what happens when societies prioritize security over love and vulnerability. Time and time again, nations have pursued the illusion of complete safety, and it has always come at the cost of their humanity. Walls are built, borders are closed, neighbors are labeled as threats, and people are dehumanized in the name of self-preservation. Fear takes the place of love. In pursuing security above all else, societies often lose the very values they sought to protect. The call of Christ challenges us to a different way—a way that leaves space for compassion, relationship, and the courage to risk being hurt in order to love.


Jesus loved completely and without concern for himself. He knew it would lead to rejection, betrayal, and the cross. Yet, he chose love anyway. His vulnerability wasn’t weakness—it was the greatest love the world has ever seen. Through his life, death, and resurrection, Jesus reveals that love is stronger than fear, grief, or even death itself. Love doesn’t hide behind walls of self-protection; it steps boldly into the uncertainty of human connection.


The truth is, we cannot love without risk. We cannot love without vulnerability. This is true in our families, friendships, and communities, and it is true in our call to love the world. When we extend hospitality to strangers, when we forgive someone who has wronged us, when we invest in relationships despite the possibility of loss, we reflect the love that Jesus shared with us.


Let us love boldly, not because it is safe, but because it is holy. This week, consider one way you can choose love even if it feels risky. Whether it’s reaching out to someone you’ve been avoiding, offering forgiveness, or extending hospitality to a stranger, or standing up for the oppressed even when it’s unpopular. Let’s find ways to love even when it’s risky.


-Pastor Justin

VBS/DAYCAMP JULY 14-17

Join Vinje, Bethel and Calvary for a joint Day Camp (formerly known as VBS!) Students who have completed Kindergarten-5th grade in spring 2025 are eligible to attend. We'll meet at Vinje each morning and will take the bus together to Shores of St Andrew for a fun day of singing, playing, crafting and learning!

 

*Please find all the details and the registration information on our website and Email Erica with any questions!

FIRST COMMUNION RETREAT

MARCH 15 | 9 AM-4 PM

Vinje is offering First Communion Instruction as a retreat at Green Lake Bible Camp. The instruction is geared toward those in Grades 2-5, but if you feel that your child is ready, we welcome Kindergarteners and up! Please find more information and the registration links on our website. Contact Pastor Dane with questions.

VINJE’S NEWEST SEMINARY STUDENT

Vinje is excited to share the news that Lynn Stier began attending classes at Luther Seminary this fall. As Lynn continues discerning how God is calling her to ministry and leadership in the church, we are delighted to walk alongside her in this journey.


Lynn is taking advantage of Luther Seminary’s online courses and the current tuition-free program. We are especially grateful for the legacy of Dorothy Olson, who generously established an endowment fund many years ago to support theological education and leadership development within our congregation. Her foresight and commitment to the future of the church continue to bless us today, providing resources to assist Lynn with occasional travel and books..


We’re also blessed to provide Lynn with opportunities to grow in her calling by having her lead worship with us. Please join us in praying for Lynn as she explores this exciting new chapter in her faith and service.

VINJE QUILTERS

Vinje Quilters will not meet in February! Hope to see you in March! Thanks to all that continue to donate fabric. Donations are always welcomed contact Jan Kimmel for more information.   

THE VINJE COLUMBARIUM

The Vinje Columbarium, a structure for the reverential storage of funerary urns holding cremated ashes, is located outside the south entrance of the church. Niches for storage of funeral urns are now available for purchase, so please consider this option when considering funeral planning. If you have any questions, please contact the church office or anyone on the columbarium committee: Tim Ostby, Jan Dahl and Cheryl Schmidt.

LOVING ARMS UPDATE We’ve been enjoying getting to know some new friends and doing lots of fun winter activities.

SOLAR LIGHTS FOR UKRAINE

The dollars all of you contributed for the Solar Lights for Ukraine has provided for 50 more lights to Assemble. The Creation Care Committees at Vinje, Calvary and Bethel invite you to come and help assemble the lights on Tuesday, February 11 at 6:30 at Vinje Lutheran. We had a great crew that came together last fall for the first 100 lights– please plan to come and join us in this fun and meaningful project!

If you are looking for help with ways to conserve energy, there is a nonprofit organization called Citizens Utility Board (CUB) of Minnesota. They advocate for affordable, reliable, and clean energy and provide free energy bill consultations to MN households. They highlight ways to reduce energy consumption, share information on programs and rebates, income-based assistance and help plan for efficiency replacements and upgrades. Learn more here.

SAY CHEESE...

NEW PHOTO DIRECTORY COMING SOON!

We’ve heard from many of you that you’d love to have an updated photo directory! So...planning is underway! Photos will be taken in April! Watch bulletins, weekly emails and the March Witness for more details! We look forward to having an updated directory full of your smiling faces!

Here’s what happened at the January 27th meeting:

  • Reviewed end of the year financials for 2024.
  • Approved changes to the Personnel Policy that establishes a standard PTO schedule for all employees.
  • Discussed topics that came up at Coffee with the Council in recent weeks.
  • Set plans for next steps in the strategic planning process and how to get congregational involvement.
  • Instructed staff to seek possible consultants to lead a capital campaign to address building needs.

EXPLORING VINJE'S HISTORY

This month pastor Andrés has reconstructed the story of Dorothy Brown with help from the West Central Tribune and several Vinje members.


Dorothy and Roy Brown moved to Willmar in 1958 and joined Vinje. Dorothy taught Bible School at Vinje for many years and was also an elementary school teacher for 25 years. By all accounts, Dorothy was a beloved Willmar teacher, respected by colleagues and loved by students. She is remembered as a teacher who created a classroom that “was safe, fun and full of encouragement and love.” She was strict, but “incredibly kind to everyone.” She “never raised her voice in the classroom, knew her students' strengths and worked hard to create plans that helped them improve on their weaker spots.”


Dorothy and Roy enjoyed travelling and they had all they needed, but otherwise they lived a simple life. As someone told me, they were not the kind of people that must buy a new couch every certain number of years.


Roy died in 2012 and Dorothy died in 2017. They left behind an impressive estate. Several entities in Willmar received gifts from her estate. The two main beneficiaries were Vinje, who received $609,000 and the Willmar Civic Scholarship Association, who received $800,000. “The Dorothy Brown Scholars Fund” provides help to students from Willmar Public Schools who intend to pursue careers as elementary school teachers. Several Vinje members have received scholarships from that fund.


As for Vinje’s gift, half of the money received was designated by Dorothy for the building fund and was used a few years ago to pay off the mortgage. The other half was assigned to youth and education. Since her death, Vinje’s children and youth have benefited greatly from Dorothy’s generosity as have adult education programs. Today, a balance of $158,293.24 remains to be used on the ministry that Dorothy was passionate about. She would have been delighted to see that almost eight years after her death, her legacy continues to grow through our thriving programs on Wednesdays partially financed with her gift.


PS. If you have stories of Dorothy Brown as a church member, friend mentor or colleague, please share with pastor Andrés.

 

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 Catch worship or our podcasts anytime right here

TV Watch local access channel, 180 Sundays at 2:30 pm and 8:30 pm and Tuesdays at 8 am and 5 pm.