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FALL REFRESH
As summer comes to a close, and as we say goodbye to hot summer days and look forward to crisp cool fall mornings, we also transition into new rhythms. Many of us are preparing to return to school, work, and familiar routines. For families, this often means adjusting to new schedules – early mornings, homework, sports and activities, and making sure everyone is where they need to be, even on time.
As we start re-organizing our daily lives, it’s also a perfect time to think about renewing our spiritual routines. Whether you’re sending kids off to school, starting a new job, or adjusting to life post-summer, this time of year offers us an opportunity to get back into a rhythm of worship, faith formation, and service to the world around us.
At Vinje, we recognize the importance of regular worship, prayer, and Christian education, not as chores or obligations, but as gifts that ground us in God’s grace. We believe that God is present in the simple, everyday moments of our lives. So as the schedule gets busier, and life gets more complicated, it can be helpful to set aside time each week, even each day, to recognize the God who is with us not just on Sundays or Wednesdays, but all week long. This time of year, we are reminded to prioritize worship and faith formation as a part of our weekly routine, so we can ground ourselves in God’s grace. But then we are invited to also take a few minutes each day to pray or to have family devotions at the dinner table, so we can see the ways God has been with us throughout our day, and the promise that God will be with us tomorrow, too.
Several years ago, it was at this time of year, I shared in a sermon how every night before bed I would sit down with my kids and pray with them and give them a blessing, “You are beloved child of God, and my beloved child, and nothing can take that away.” I asked the congregation, what would it look like for us to ground our kids or our grandkids in the promises of God regularly, to take time to pray at home and to remind them they were in God’s hands? It was a week later that a parent came up to me and said, “Pastor Dane, I don’t know what it was, but my son was listening to your sermon last week.” The implication was that her middle schooler doesn’t usually do that, but I didn’t take offense. She said, “When it got to bedtime, it blew me away because he asked if I could pray with him and bless him. I hadn’t sat and prayed with my kid in years, it just got lost in the shuffle. But here was my twelve-year-old boy asking me to do that with him.”
As you plan out your week, what if you set aside a minute or two each day to pray in the middle of the morning rush? Or what if you blessed your kids as they went off to school, grounding them in God’s grace? What if you shared some high’s and low’s at the dinner table or said a prayer of thanks for all the times God was with you that day?
At Vinje we look forward to being a part of your busy weeks this school year. We look forward to growing in faith with you and your families, as we share God’s love with each other. And we look forward to being that community that reminds you, on the good days and the bad: you are not alone, God is with you, and we are with you, too.
- Pastor Dane
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YOUR HELP IS NEEDED
Vinje is hosting at Family Promise from September 2-8. WE NEED YOUR HELP! Grocery shoppers and meal hosts are needed. Can you pick up a few items and drop them by Family Promise at some point in the week? Or, would you be willing to share the gift of time and spend an hour sharing fellowship with the families over a meal? Your generosity will truly make a difference. Click here to help!
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REGISTER FOR WOMEN’S FALL BIBLE STUDY
MONDAYS OCT 7-DEC 2 | 12:30 PM | ROOM 102
Join us for a bible study based on Images of the Spirit. This study looks at word pictures of the Holy Spirit from Scripture in an effort to expand our understanding of the holy trinity. This Bible study is open to any women in the congregation. It’s an opportunity to practice multi-generational ministry. If you are interested in participating in the Fall Women’s Bible Study, please contact the church office at (320) 235-1441 or by email by September 12th so study guides can be ordered. You are welcome to contribute towards the purchase of study guides ($10 each) if you’d like.
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YOUTH ACTIVITY REGISTRATION
We are excited to get youth activities up and running again! Beginning on September 11th, there will be programming available for infants through high schoolers! Wednesday Live!, Little Wednesday Live!, Nova/Shalom Choir, Confirmation, and Youth Group will kick off on Wednesday, September 11th! Sunday Kid’s time and will begin on Sunday, September 15th. Please click here to register or contact Erica with any questions you might have.
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SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8 | 10:30 AM
Mark your calendars for our annual God’s Work, Our Hands service project day! We’ll gather after worship for some easy and fun projects that will benefit our local food shelf!
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VINJE QUILTERS
QUILT RAFFLE—NOVEMBER 5, 2024
Tickets for a “Grandmother’s Flower Garden” pattern quilt will be available for sale starting October 20th. Proceeds go to Bible Camp Scholarships. Jeanette Buchanan started making the quilt 20 years ago. It was a “travel project” to use of some of her fabric stash. However, whenever, she stopped at a quilt store, she bought more. The ladies at Mamreland Lutheran Church in Pennock hand quilted the quilt and a 93 year old friend, Virginia Ansorge, finished the 230 side pieces. It is a beautiful creation.
Vinje Quilters will meet this month on Thursdays, September 12th and 26th at 9am. All are welcome! Join us!
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WE’VE GOT IMMEDIATE TODDLER AND PRESCHOOL OPENINGS!
If you or someone you know is looking for care for your children in the Willmar or Spicer area, call 320.235.7271 or e-mail Samantha.
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Coming soon…
We will be participating in the “Recycling On Us” program. Please start saving your used oral care products which includes spent toothbrushes, floss containers, mouthwash containers, floss picks, toothbrush head refills and empty toothpaste tubes. In the coming weeks, look for a labeled box on the Welcome counter to put your products in.
*Please Note: This includes Crest, Oral-B and Fixodent ONLY. The Creation Care Committee appreciates your help in this worthwhile project! Our goal, as always, is to take more plastic waste out of the environment.
Also, if anyone has extra garden produce that you’d like to share, you’re welcome to put it on our “leave a veggie, take a veggie” table. Thank you so much for sharing!
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Here’s what happened at the August 26th meeting:
- Our relationship with Kerkhoven Lutheran begins on September 1. Todd Lynum has signed a contract to preach in at Kerkhoven and St. John's.
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The council has formed a new Mission Statement: Vinje is a community where faith and everyday life come together. Together, we belong, we grow, and we serve. Town Hall meetings will be held in October to involve the congregation in strategic planning.
- Discussion was had about a capital campaign to make property enhancements, including a major roof repair.
- Vinje members partnered with Intuition Brewing to brew and sponsor a beer on behalf of Vinje: "Martin Brewther." The beer will release in early September.
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EXPLORING VINJE'S HISTORY
This month pastor Andrés will share a little bit about LAFF, a senior citizen group we used to have at Vinje. If you were part of the group and have memories or pictures to share, please contact pastor Andrés.
A group of Vinje members who were 55 years old or older started to come together to socialize, interact, celebrate, share a meal, etc., in the late 1970s. At some point, they decided to call the group LAFF, “Life After Fifty Five.”
Carol and Harold Baker were among the first members of the group. So significant was it to Harold Baker to be member of LAFF that it is mentioned in his obituary.
Carol Baker remembers that the group would meet in the evening once a month, except in the summer months. For a long time, a member of the group cooked a meal at Vinje that they then shared, and when that person died, they started ordering a meal from a local restaurant. Later, they decided to just share a dessert, and the members of the group took turns to fix them. Carol remembers that after the meal they had a program. Sometimes a member of the group would talk. Other times, they would play games.
Carol remembers one occasion when they had a lot of fun with a silly and maybe a little gross contest on how far they could spit.
The group took care of all their own planning ideas and events. They would also travel together. And around Valentine’s Day they had a party open to all Vinje members that at times included music and dancing, and the participation of youth serving a festive meal.
When pastor Barbara Johnson joined Vinje in 1998, the group had members who were in their 70s, 80s, and 90s, and they found themselves in need of some assistance from staff. Pastor Barbara Johnson became the staff person that worked with LAFF. The group was still active when pastor Johnson left Vinje in 2009.
I don’t know if it was the members of this group who coined the acronym LAFF. Doing a Google search, I found out that other churches also have and have had LAFF groups. For instance, Refuge Church (former First Baptist Church) used to have one. But I don’t know if our LAFF group had any relationship or activities together with LAFF groups from other churches.
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SUNDAY WORSHIP SERIES
We invite you to join us as we explore a new series called "Half Truths." In this series, we will take a closer look at three simple phrases often repeated by well-meaning people (maybe even by us). These phrases might sound great, but they don't fully capture the God revealed in scripture and who comes to us in Jesus.
Our aim is not to blame or shame anyone who has thought or said these things in the past. Instead, we seek to explore how these phrases, while containing elements of truth, often miss the full story of who God is and how God works. By doing so, we hope to gain a better understanding of God and navigate life's complexities with our faith.
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WEDNESDAY WORSHIP SERIES
Have you ever noticed that Christians often use language, sing songs, and do rituals that might seem confusing to those unfamiliar with the church? These practices can sometimes feel like an exclusive club with its own secret code. But Jesus never intended for his Church to be an insider’s group that outsiders couldn't understand.
Join us for our new sermon series, "Why Christians Do Weird Things," where we'll unpack and explain some of these unique traditions and practices, like baptism, communion, our songs, and even the words we often use. Let's explore together why we do what we do and make our faith more accessible to everyone.
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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 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.
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