St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, Northfield, MN

March 2009 Parish Visitor & Calendar

By admin | March 6, 2010

Parish Visitor March 2009

March 2009 Calendar

Topics: Calendar, Parish Visitor Magazine | No Comments »

ELCA at work in Haiti

By admin | January 31, 2010

Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,

“If one member suffers, all suffer together with it;
if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it.”
-1 Corinthians 12:26

More than two weeks have passed since the devastating earthquake in Haiti. The outpouring of gifts from members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) to ELCA Disaster Response has enabled a swift response on behalf of this church.
Thank you for your generous financial support which now totals more than $2.5 million. Many gifts are still being counted. Our community-based partners are already providing:

Two water purification systems to bring clean water to 25,000 people.
Emergency food and medical supplies to thousands.
Blankets and tents to shelter 10,000 people who are homeless.

Funding, distributed through three partners, will increase as giving continues.

$300,000 has been sent to The Lutheran World Federation (LWF), a key responder and member of Action by Churches Together (ACT). The funds support LWF efforts to provide shelter to people left homeless by the quake.
$150,000 has been sent to Lutheran World Relief (LWR), Baltimore, for material aid.
$150,000 has been sent to Church World Service (CWS) for construction of temporary water systems and distribution of water purification materials.

In addition, $25,000 has been sent to Lutheran Services of Florida for initial support to refugees and Haitian Americans entering or returning to the United States.
We are pleased that Louis Dorvillier, director for International Development and Disaster Response in the ELCA Global Mission program unit, is part of a delegation to his country of origin with LWF and ACT.
Your generosity makes this life-saving work possible. As we celebrate this outpouring of gifts and prayers, we also know that we have a long road to travel together. There is so much more to be done. This church is committed to walking with our brothers and sisters in Haiti for years to come; your continued support is needed to provide ongoing care.
I encourage you to visit the ELCA Disaster Response (www.elca.org/disaster) Web site for updated information, worship resources, bulletin inserts and details on how to offer financial support. General mission-support dollars and gifts to ELCA Vision for Mission make it possible for 100 percent of your gifts designated for Haiti Earthquake Relief to be used entirely for this response effort.
To give today, go online (www.elca.org/haitiearthquake) or call 800-638-3522.
In God’s grace,

The Rev. Mark S. Hanson
Presiding Bishop
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
P.S. View more photos of your gifts at work (www.elca.org/bishopstatement).

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This site is now hosted at Tigertech.net, blog has been transferred

By admin | January 16, 2010

This site has been transferred and is now hosted by Tigertech.net. Let church know 507-645-8252 if you have any problems due to the transfer.

blog url: http://www.northfieldstp.org/blog

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Mission Possible, January 2010

By admin | January 5, 2010

Mission Possible, January 2010. Graphic Art by Diane Schrader, Dundas, MN

What is God’s mission? What is your mission? The Mission Possible worship series is January 11th – 31, 2010!

You are warmly invited to attend. Worship services are at 8:30 and 10:45 am. Tell your neighbors, bring a friend.

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December 2009 Parish Visitor

By | December 7, 2009

St. Peter’s Lutheran Church
Parish Visitor December 2009
St Peters Lutheran Church
418 E Sumner Street, Northfield, MN 55057
Office Hours: Monday thru Friday, 8:30am-3:30pm
Please note : The office will be closed on Thursday, December 24, and Friday, December 25.

St. Peter’s Mission Statement
Expressing God’s love and grace to build a community where people
Believe in God,
Belong to Christ, and
Become disciples

who serve in day to day living.

Holiday Worship Schedule

Experience the love of God this season through the
many worship opportunities that are being planned!
December 6- 8:30am – Worship with Communion
9:30am – Youth Silent Auction
10:45am – Contemporary Worship
December 13– 8:30am- “Lessons & Carols”
10:45am– Christmas Program for all ages
The Sunday School Children’s Christmas Program will be held at 10:45 with a dinner to follow. This is always a great way to keep our inner child alive, and to see our next generation as they worship!
December 20– 8:30am -Worship with Communion
9:30am – Carol Sing
10:45am – Contemporary Worship
December 24– 4:00pm – Christmas Eve Family Worship
5:30pm – Christmas Eve Family
Contemporary Worship
11:00pm – Christmas Eve Candlelight Worship
with Holy Communion
December 25- 10:00am -Worship with Holy Communion
December 27– 8:30am– Worship
10:45am–Contemporary Worship with Communion

We encourage everyone to take part in and fully experience any and all
of these Christmas worship services at St. Peter’s this season!
Sunday, December 6: Youth Silent Auction
Come and support the youth at the Annual St. Peter’s Youth Silent Auction! There are lot’s of great items to bid on, along with coffee and fellowship.

Sunday, December 13: “Questions for Jesus; studies in Mark VI”
Presenter:

Sunday, December 20: Christmas Carols, sing along under the direction of Anton Armstrong
Dr. Anton Armstrong is the Harry R. and Thora H. Tosdal Professor of Music at St. Olaf College and Conductor of the critically
acclaimed St. Olaf Choir. He is an award winning teacher and director who holds memberships in several professional societies.
Dr. Armstrong is also widely recognized for his work in the area of youth and children’s choral music. We are please, and honored to have Dr. Anton Armstrong leading us in our annual Carol sing along.

Sunday, December 27: Coffee and Fellowship

Staff
Rev. Craig Ellingboe -extension #17 Senior Pastor
craigellingboe@charter.net

Rev. Paul Graham -extension# 15 Associate Pastor
pastorpaulgraham@charter.net

Dottie Scharber -extension# 24 Business & Human Resource
Administrator
dottiescharber@charter.net

Matt Iverson – extension# 25
Youth Director
mattiverson@charter.net

Laura Gilligan CAT/Confirmation Teacher
lauragilligan@charter.net

Bernadette Johnson -extension#10 Secretary
bernadettejohnson@charter.net

Neale Thompson -extension#13
Spiritual Counselor
nealethompson@charter.net

Dan & Dottie Scharber
Maintenance Coordinators

Donna Paulsen
Organist

Peter Schleif
Senior Choir Director
Cornerstone Director

Todd Thompson
Sunday School Music Coordinator

Marilyn Wing
Jubilee Bells Director

Church Council
Mike Chapman
President

Deb Schad
Vice President

Bert Reese
Treasurer

Jan Nelson & Norma Lundell
Evangelism Board

Faith Bergemann
Worship Board

John Ehresmann
Business Management

Rein Lemke & Ed Vivant
Properties Board

Jo Odell
Congregational Life Board

Jeannie Machacek & Nancy Topp
Extended Ministries

Stewardship Board

Penny Carr
Youth Board

Pastor’s Corner

“Ne te quaesiveris extra” is the Latin for:
“Do not seek for things outside of yourself.” So begins
Emerson’s essay on “Self-Reliance.” It begins with a quote
from the Epilogue to Beaumont and Fletcher’s Honest Man’s
Fortune and these words:
“Man is his own star; and the soul that can
Render an honest and a perfect man,
Commands all light, all influence, all fate;
Nothing to him falls early or too late.
Our acts our angels are, or good or ill,
Our fatal shadows that walk by us still.”

Emerson wrote as a person of his times, but his words can catch the attention of all of us, men and women alike. “To believe your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in your private heart is true for all….that is genius.”

When you read this, we shall be in the season of Advent. A preparatory time, a time for waiting and getting ready. What do you believe in your own heart to be true?

I believe that God speaks to each of us within our souls, guiding us showing us the way. There is an earthly calendar that marks off the days and years, and there is a church
calendar that takes us into God’s time and God’s action. Year by year this calendar is
repeated, and in that calendar, our lives are intertwined with God’s.

If each of us has one’s own star, then how does that star move in the constellation with the
Star that announces Christ’s birth? If a Caesar is born and for ages after we have a
Roman Empire, what happens when Christ is born? Have not millions of minds grown to love and accept this fact, that in Christ we start to see God’s plan for each of us?

So, as we begin a new church year, I want to encourage you. Blessings will be coming your way. God is with you each and every day. But, in order to see this you must look inside and prepare your heart For that is where God will be born, and you will be born anew to a living hope!
See you in church, Pastor Craig

The Turning Point Counseling Center—December 2009

The mission statement of the Turning Point Counseling Center: This Christ-centered
ministry has but one goal-to equip all God’s people to make spiritually mature decisions
for their lives and accept the responsibility for those decisions.

In September, of 2008, I had the privilege of going back, for the first time, to the seminary
I attended Trinity Theological Seminary- , to celebrate my 40th anniversary of ordination.
The pilgrimage itself was very satisfying; meeting once again, the men I graduated with was a
great joy! The seminary worship gatherings were challenging and inspiring. On the last day, I
had the privilege of attending, at the Seminary, a special convocation. The guest speaker was
Mr. Jim Wallis, the president of Sojourners, a magazine that comments on the societal condition
from a Christian point of view. Let me share some of his thoughts so that they may challenge
you as much as they have challenged me. This is my gift to you this Holy and Blessed Christmas.
As Christians, we need to examine the values, assumptions, habits and practices that have been so easily embraced by a casino economy. By this, I mean an economy that has become rooted in the toxic soil of unbridled materialism. How has this affected our culture? One word that might summarize it is: GREED! So often our attention is directed toward short term profits rather then societal health. Would any one argue away the reality the we live in a culture that values and measures human worth by personal income and wealth instead of character, integrity and generosity! As a farm boy, I learned long ago that unhealthy roots and bad soil will only produce stunted growth and bad fruit. Let’s take a look at the disparities that have crept into our culture. Biblical archeologists, through their scientific digs, have discovered some truths about ancient Israel. Where there was a shared prosperity, there are no great houses or small shacks, but a relative equality of resources. BUT in the period that
represents the 8th century B.C., great social chasms have appeared: Mansions and shacks. This is when we hear the prophetic judgment of God thundered out through Amos, Jeremiah and Micah! Thirty years ago, in our nation, the average CEO’s salary, in relation to the average workers salary was 30-1, but today it is 615-1! Obviously decisions are being made that benefit a handful of people but not the nation, as a whole. I don’t believe that it is hard to predict that we are going to see the judgment and justice of God! The good news is that historically, when 80% of this countries people felt that the nation was moving in the wrong direction, movements from the grass roots began to change the
direction of the movement. A recent example to remember is that President Lyndon Johnson was not a civil rights leader until Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks made him one. The issues that our
nation faces today are too big for anything but FAITH. In Hebrews 11:1, we read, “Now faith is the
substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Put another way, The
impossible just takes a little longer! When all God’s people can stand shoulder to
shoulder, in love, it is amazing what great things can be accomplished!

May the gift of the Savior be yours this Holy Christmas tide.
For an appointment, please feel free to call; 507-645-8252 x13.

Neale Thompson
Spiritual Pastoral Counselor

St. Peter’s Lutheran Church Council Meeting – November 10, 2009

Present: Bergemann, Carr, B. Chapman, M. Chapman, Pastor Ellingboe, Pastor Graham, Iverson, Lemke, Lundell, Machacek, Odell, Reese, Schad, Scharber, Pastor Thompson, Topp

Absent: Ehresmann, Nelson, Vivant

Pastor Ellingboe led devotions.
Secretary’s Report – Printed in the Parish Visitor:
There were no additions or corrections to the Minutes of the previous meeting held 10-13-09.
Motion made and seconded to approve the Minutes as written. Motion carried.
Treasurer’s Report – Bert Reese:
$12,500 has been borrowed from Dedicated Funds year-to-date. Must pay back by year-end.
$45,000 operating line of credit has been advanced in full. Must pay this off by year-end.
Year-to-date income is down $4,588 from 2008.
Year-to-date expenses are up $10,562 from 2008.
Need $42,000 income each month to meet budget – $84,000 to cover November and December expenses plus $62,000 to pay back funds borrowed on operating line, real estate mortgage and from Dedicated Funds. Otherwise, funds will need to be advanced on the real estate mortgage line of credit.
Synod benevolence has not been paid for October. Have been behind with synod benevolence the last three months.
Motion made and seconded to approve the Treasurer’s report. Motion carried.

Pastor Graham has just returned from Guatemala and gave a short report on the mission trip. A full report will be given at a Friendship Forum in January. Pastor Graham said it takes some time to take in all that was experienced there. He brought greetings from Amanda and Horacio Castillo. He reviewed the work that was done while they were there to include work projects, vacation bible school, a ladies health retreat, home visits, and an ordination service. There is a focus on leadership development. He learned how our sister church in El Tuerto is funded and it was meaningful to meet our brothers and
sisters in Christ. Pastor Graham reported this trip was the last of a three year commitment and it is his hope that mission trips to Guatemala can be
continued. He stated it might be possible to organize a youth mission trip to the country. Amanda and Horatio will be here the Sunday after Christmas.

Old Business:
The Executive Board presented a report of actions and discussions that have taken place in regard to concerns that were brought to the Council at last month’s meeting. The report outlined further action steps in regard to filling the Children’s Ministry position, the supervision of the position, Education Board input, Personnel Committee organization, employee reviews and exit interviews. Mona Weselmann and Patty Picha were present and addressed the Council. Mona expressed concern that not enough research had been conducted regarding best practices for supervising the Children’s Ministry
position. Members of the Executive Board stated the process was not complete and more discussion and information gathering would be accomplished. Discussion followed. The Personnel Committee will meet and action plans will be put into place as quickly as possible. Pastor Ellingboe reported he has been meeting with the Education Board.

No action had been taken at last month’s Council meeting in regard to accepting Laura Gilligan’s resignation from the Children’s Ministry
position. After discussion, a motion was made and seconded to accept Laura Gilligan’s resignation from the Children’s Ministry position with regret. Motion carried.

Dale Snesrud addressed the Council, thanking them for their prayers and support. Dale resigned from his position on the Stewardship Board recently and wanted to explain his decision. Discussion followed.

Pastor Ellingboe reviewed the three Stewardship Cottage Meetings which have been held. There are two more sessions remaining. There will be a
Celebration Sunday on November 29th which will involve one worship service at 9:30 a.m. followed by a catered meal.

The Council is given the responsibility of determining what % of compensation the church will contribute to lay staff each year in the Simple IRA Plan. Historically, 3% of compensation has been contributed. After discussion, a motion was made and seconded to authorize Business Management Board to determine the % for 2010 and include it in the budget. Motion carried.

Staff Reports:
Pastor Ellingboe – Written report submitted.
Clarified his supervisory role as it pertains to lay staff. He has overall responsibility and members are welcome to come to him with questions.
Small group sessions are nearing completion. Groups were very successful and we’ll look to expand the groups in the future.
A special worship series is planned throughout January.
Pastor Thompson – Written report submitted.

Board Reports:
Evangelism – Norma Lundell
Ruth McCarty has joined their Board.
Pew pads have been removed. Thinking about what to use – perhaps a smaller version of the Connection Card.
Works well to get email addresses and contact individuals in that manner.
November 15th will be New Member Sunday. Members will be invited to a reception between services during Friendship Forum hour. Eight families are
planning to join.
Worship – Faith Bergemann
January worship series being planned.
Liturgical dance planned for February.
Discussing ways to improve sign-up for equipping teams – ushers, readers, etc. One idea is to return to Faith and Care Teams. Comments from Council welcomed. One suggestion was to move the sign-up tables away from just outside the sanctuary where people gather after services. Sign-up tables have been moved around to see what location may be more efficient.
Anton Armstrong will conduct a Christmas hymn sing on December 20th during Friendship Forum.
Thanksgiving Eve service being planned.
Celebration Sunday service being planned.
December 13th – lessons and carols at 1st service, children’s Christmas program at 2nd service.
Congregational Life – Jo Odell
Will coordinate the pie fest after Thanksgiving Eve service.
Will be organizing the meal for Celebration Sunday.
Will be planning the meal for after the children’s Christmas program on December 13th.
Youth – Penny Carr, Written report submitted by Matt Iverson
Excited about SPY nights which are well-attended by High School and Middle School youth.
Planning for Silent Auction on December 6th. Items will be collected beginning on November 15th.
Extended Ministries – Nancy Topp and Jeannie Machacek
Made $700 – $800 on Waffle Sunday – not as well-attended as last year.
Residents of Millstream Commons are wrapping shoeboxes.
Two members are interested in joining their Board.
Working with Hope Center and Big Brothers/Big Sisters.
Properties – Rein Lemke
Built shelves in the garage.
Moved items from storage into the garage.
Looking at adding some cabinets in the High School Youth Room
Mary Bleckwehl is putting together a plan for revamping the Middle School Youth Room.
Education – Pastor Ellingboe
JAM program has 32 children attending.
6th grade retreat is November 14th.
Confirmation includes parent’s night one Wednesday each month.
Sunday school is preparing for Christmas program.

Matt asked the Council to consider the possibility of offering medical benefits to lay staff. Other churches offer insurance and the synod guidelines
recommend it. It was brought up several years ago but no action has been taken. Discussion followed. It was agreed the Personnel Committee would
discuss and make a recommendation to Council. It was added by Treasurer, Bert Reese that employees do have a cafeteria plan they can take advantage of that let’s them set aside $2,000 of pre-tax dollars to be used in various ways.
The meeting adjourned with The Lord’s Prayer and ended at 9:10 p.m.

Respectfully Submitted,
Betty Chapman

December Friendship Forum Schedule

Everyone is cordially invited to Friendship Forum in December at 9:30am in the Fellowship Hall.

Facts and Figures for October

2009 2008
October offerings: $36,386 $33,590
Year to date offerings: $353,431 $358,019
Your offerings make our ministries happen.
Your giving makes a difference!
Each week we need to receive almost $10,000 in General Fund offerings at St. Peter’s.
Thanks for all you give!
God’s work, Our hands!

Meet our new members:

Troy & Brandie Anderson ~
Kaelyn, Kiel, & Karter Sletten & Jayden Anderson

Troy is a Transportation Driver, and Brandie is an Administrative Assistant at JBT Food Tech, as well as an online student.
Together, they have 6 children. Their hobbies are sports, card games, and their children’s activities. Kaelyn is in 8th grade, Kiel in 7th, Karter in 6th, and Jaden is in 3rd grade. They like the closeness to home and welcoming members at St. Peter’s. They love the contemporary service! As a family, they want to continue to grow in their faith.

John & Ginny Callahan ~
Cory, Lyndsey & Shelby

John works in the heating and cooling division at Better Air Inc. in
Dundas. Ginny does accounting for VTI Security in Burnsville. They have three children. Cory is a college sophomore at St. Cloud State. Lyndsey is a high school senior and works part-time as a service clerk at Walgreens. Shelby is a freshman in the high school. John enjoys softball, bowling and home improvement projects. Ginny enjoys doing volunteer work. Both are very involved in their children’s activities. John has served as a Peace Force member, and Ginny has been a leader for youth confirmation. A smaller church of faith, and an invitation from their friends at St. Peter’s brought them here. Lyndsey and Shelby want to find a youth group to be a part of.
Jeremy & April Kramer ~ Isabelle

Jeremy works as a computer programmer, and April is a dental hygienist. They have an infant daughter, Isabelle, who was recently baptized at
St. Peter’s. Their hobbies and interests include, softball, basketball, fishing, hunting and gardening. April has served as a Sunday School teacher in her old church. She says that St. Peter’s “feels like a church in my home town of Waseca”

Tabetha Popp

Tabetha is a Membership Specialist for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota in Eagan. Her hobbies include flower gardening, reading, watching movies, and playing with her dogs. What attracted her to St. Peter’s was the
friendliness. She feel it is a welcoming church. She has visited many times and always enjoys the worship service.
Lindsey Strand & Jerame Novak

Lindsey & Jerame come to us from Fargo, North Dakota. They will be
married next spring here at St. Peter’s. Lindsey is a plant research associate at Syngenta Seeds Inc. Jerame is a laboratory technician at Vision Wolrd in Faribault and an instructor at Brown College. Both enjoy camping, movies and music. Lindsey’s other interests include cooking, running, and crocheting. Jerame likes to bike, and enjoys video games. Friendly conversation, good sermons, and fellowship brought them to St. Peter’s. They want to find a good spiritual and community service outlet, as well as an opportunity to be involved in helping and sharing with others.

Mark & Suzette Taylor

Mark is the Chief of Police in Northfield, and Suzette does leadership
Development. They have lived in Northfield for about 2 years. Suzette’s interests include music and choir. She served as a Sunday School teacher, Children’s Sermon Coordinator and a choir member at Bethlehem United Methodist Church in Hutchinson, Minnesota. Mark enjoys sports. He was a Lay Leader at their previous church and a member if the Board of Trustees. They are parents of three adult children. Both enjoy
motorcycling. The “small town feel” and traditional service brought them to St. Peter’s. They feel
St. Peter’s is a lot like the Methodist Church they came from. They hope to find a church family here.

Women of St. Peter’s

Circle Meetings this Month
All St. Peter’s Women are encouraged to visit a December circle for Bible study, fellowship and fin! (Note the dates and places of each circle on this page)

New Spirit : Monday, December 14
10:00am—Peg Ahlstrom’s home
Bible Study: Jan Gutzmann
Hannah Circle:
Monday, December 7
9:00am– Set-up for Advent Event
Tuesday, December 15
10:00am– Mavis Bell’s Home
Contact: Nancy Solberg
Esther Circle: Wednesday, December 2 9:30am—
Rachel Circle: Tuesday, December 15
7:00pm– Fireside Lounge
Eve Circle: Monday, December 14 6:00pm– Ruth McCarty’s Home
Potluck

Women’s Fellowship:
Friday, December 4, 9:00am– The Tavern
Friday, December 18, 9:00am– Fireside Lounge
Bookstudy– Chapter 5

Lutheran Woman Today

The December theme from the “Lutheran Woman Today” magazine is simply “The Gift of Change”.
Editor, Kate Elliott, wrote, “A couple of years ago, singer John Mayer had a hit song called ‘Waiting on the World to Change’” She adds,”… the way we wait makes all the
difference… one thing we do is to gather
together to study God’s word…becomes the yeast the leavens our churches…pass along the precious gift (of Christmas) of the life– saving love of God that comes to the world through God’s only begotten Son, Jesus!”
In the essay on page 13, “To Remember to Hope”, Julie Assgeson quotes from Romans 15:13 “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in
believing, so that you may abound in hope.”

Prayer Team

Monday, December 7 from 12:00pm-1:30pm in the
Fireside Lounge.
If you have any questions or prayer
concerns, please contact
Jan Gutzmann at 645-9155.
Women’s Advent Gathering
Monday, December 7, 2009 at 6:30pm. All women are invited to attend. The evening will begin with special music and a dessert buffet, followed by a program featuring Chaplain Diane Goulson of the Northfield
Retirement Center. Special guests will be the women of
St. Johns Lutheran Church.

Your St. Peter’s Education Team:
Sara Eby, Kelley Erickson, Laura Gilligan, Jan Gutzmann, Lisa Nystuen, & Ellen Trotman

Youth Page

S.P.Y. NIGHTS!!!

High School – 2nd and 4th Sundays from 7 – 8:30
Middle School – 1st and 3rd Sundays from 6:30 – 8pm
Join us on Sunday Nights for games, service projects, movies, crafty stuff, and lots more.
New Time for
Middle School!!!
HEY MIDDLE SCHOOL!!!!
For the last couple of months many of you have been telling me that you want to fix up the middle school youth room. WELL……NOW IS YOUR CHANCE to help make that happen. We are planning to have a bake sale on Sunday December 13th. The profits from this sale will go towards fixing up the youth room. But, for this to be a success we NEED YOUR HELP!!! This is YOUR bake sale!
So, how do you get involved? Great question!
We have already had one baking day but we will be having another on Saturday
December 12th from 8am – 12pm. We will need a lot of help!
We will also need youth on the morning of Sunday December 13th (the day of the bake sale) to help man the table in the Narthex.
The more people we have there the more fun it will be and the more we’ll get done!
SEE YOU THERE!!!!!
THIS EVENT IS ALSO FOR HIGH SCHOOL YOUTH!!!

HIGH SCHOOL SUMMER MISSION TRIP ‘09
The Location of next summers youth mission trip has been set!!
We will be traveling to the Osage Reservation in the State of Oklahoma. While there we will be taking part in several different work projects and we will also be working with the children of the community, many of which live in severe poverty.
The plans for this trip are still in their beginning stages but as more details are determined I will let you know. As of right now I can tell you that we will be in Oklahoma from July 25th – July 30th, however there could possibly be a day added to the front end of the trip and one or two days added to the tail end of the trip for travel.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SIGN UP FOR THIS TRIP:
Deposits were due in November but if you would still like to sign up contact Matt ASAP!

HEY HIGH SCHOOL!!!!
On Wednesday December 9th we will be having our second night of “THE MIX”
This year things are a little different, instead of an hour long Youth worship service, we will be running the mix more like a regular city wide youth group time. Meaning,
whatever church is hosting for that month gets to decide what the activities will be. It could be games and mixers, it could be a service project, it could be a worship, it could be anything!
The next “MIX” is scheduled for December 9th from 7-8pm at Bethel Lutheran Church.
HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!!!!!!

Important Youth
Announcements
YOUTH SILENT AUCTION
The annual Youth Silent Auction will be held on Sunday December 6th this year. This is a great way for HS youth to earn money that can be put towards our summer trips and other youth events throughout the year. If you would like to get involved please contact Matt at the church office or Penny Carr at 651- 206-4024.

YOUTH BAKE SALE
On Sunday December 13th we will be having a Youth Bake Sale to raise money towards
updating the HS and MS Youth rooms. We will be baking goodies for the sale on Saturday
December 12th from 8am – 12pm. We need help from both HS and MS Youth. Please let Matt Know if you will be able to help.

YOUTH CARD SALE
During the months of November and December Middle School and High School Youth will be selling greeting cards made by Local
Photographer Tim Larson as a fundraiser to help raise money for updates to the Youth Rooms. We will need several youth to help with this fundraiser on Sunday Mornings so if you would like to help please let Matt know!

Dates to Remember
Dec. 5th – Set up for Silent Auction
Dec. 6th – Silent Auction Fundraiser
- MS Youth Forum (No HS)
- MS SPY Night
Dec. 12th – MS & HS Baking Day (8am-12pm)
Dec. 13th – MS & HS Bake Sale
- HS and MS Youth Forum
- HS SPY Night
Dec. 20th – Sharing and Caring Hands
- HS and MS Youth Form
- MS SPY Night
Dec. 23rd – No Confirmation
Dec. 25th – MERRY CHRISTMAS
Dec. 27th – No Youth Forum
Dec. 30th – No Confirmation
Jan. 1st – HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

CAT Classes

CAT classes will not meet in
December.4th grade CAT class will resume in
January on Wednesday, January 6th, and 5th grade Cat class will resume in February on Wednesday, February 3rd.If you have any
questions, please feel free to ask. Wishing you a blessed and happy Winter Break!
Laura

CAT classes will not meet in December.

4th grade CAT class will resume in January on Wednesday, January 6th, and 5th grade Cat class will resume in February on Wednesday, February 3rd.

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.

Wishing you a blessed and happy Winter Break!

Laura

Acolyte Schedule

Sunday
Dec. 6
8:30am
Alana
Lieske

Abby
Quinnell

10:45am
Annika
Johnson

Jenna
Scheffert

Sunday
Dec. 13
8:30am
Paul
Martinson

Nick
Trebelhorn

10:45am
Kaitlyn
Kuyper

Jacob
Stowe

Sunday
Dec. 20
8:30am
Paige
Storlie

Alliah
Welch

10:45am
Angela
Nassif

Christy
Anderson

Thursday
Dec. 24
4:00pm
Shane
Peterson
Christmas Eve

Ethan
Finger

5:30pm
Alexi
Starr

Renn
Gruenhagen

Friday
Dec. 25
10:00am
Paige
Storlie

Christmas Day
Nick
Neset

Sunday
Dec. 27
8:30am
Mitch
Bornhauser

Ben
Papke

10:45am
Reid Behrens

Abby
Quinnell

Confirmation Classes

Confirmation classes will continue to meet in December on the 2nd, 9th and 16th. A reminder; both 7th and 8th grade classes meet at 6:30pm; 7th grade continues to meet in the Middle School Youth Room; 8th in the High School Youth Room.
This month, the Parent Confirmation class will be on Wednesday, December 16th. 7th & 8th graders and parents will meet at 6:30pm; 9th graders and parents at 7:30pm.
Confirmation Classes will NOT meet on the last two Wednesdays in December (Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve). Confirmation classes for 7th, 8th and 9th grade will resume on Wednesday, January 6th, 2010.

Children’s Ministry Upcoming Dates to Note

Sunday, November 29 – Stewardship Sunday
Children are invited to attend worship with their
families. Following a children’s sermon; the kids will be dismissed to the Sunday School rooms where they will be practicing for the Christmas Program, learning about Advent and working on a special project for Advent.
Wednesday, December 2 – JAM meets 3:00-5:00pm
Followed by JAM & Bread Café
Sunday, December 6 –Practice for Christmas Program
during Education Hour
Wednesday, December 9– JAM meets 3:00-5:00pm
Followed by JAM & Bread Café
Saturday, December 12 – 10:00am
Christmas Program rehearsal
Sunday, December 13 – Children practice for Christmas
Program during the Education Hour
10:45am – Sunday School Christmas Program
during worship service; followed by a
traditional meal hosted by Congregational Life.
Wednesday, December 16– JAM meets 3:00-5:00pm
Followed by JAM & Bread Café
Sunday, December 20 – Sunday School kids are invited to come to a special Education Hour with a Christmas movie and popcorn
Wednesday, December 23 –
No Wednesday programming
Sunday, December 27- No Sunday School
Wednesday, December 30–
No Wednesday programming
Sunday, January 3- No Sunday School
Wednesday, January 6- JAM & CAT class resume
Followed by JAM & Bread Café
Sunday, January 10 – Sunday School resumes
“The Plagues” rotation begins

GIGGLE NEWS

We will be starting the new year with our third rotation, “The Plagues”. This will be an interesting rotation as we learn about the plagues that God sent to Egypt in the time of Moses and Pharaoh!

As always, we are looking for people to help as teachers, shepherds and with set up for this rotation. If you would be interested, please contact any member of the Education Team.
JAM in December
JAM will meet after school on Wednesdays on the 2nd, 9th and 16th of December, from 3:00-5:00pm. We will be practicing for the Christmas Program and doing other Advent related activities.

JAM will not meet on December 23rd and 30th because of Winter Break.
Sunday School Christmas Program
It’s hard to believe, but the Christmas Program is just around the corner! The kids have
already begun practicing some of the songs. This year’s Program,
“Peace on Earth, Goodwill to All” will be
presented on Sunday, December 13th at the 10:45 worship service. Children from
preschool age through 5th grade will be
participating in the Christmas Program.

After the program, everyone is invited to a traditional meal provided by Congregational Life. We hope you can join us for this special celebration of the Advent season!

St. Peter’s October Milestones

It is with pleasure that we introduce one of the newest little members to the congregation of St. Peter’s, Jack Jasper. Jack, is the son of Jason and Tasha Jasper, and was welcomed into the world on November 3.
Congratulations to the Jasper family!

Katelyn Jo Miller , a bouncing 7lb 12 oz baby girl was welcomed into the world on October 31, 2009 by her parents, Mike & Laura Miller. She is already the light of their lives! Congratulations to the Miller
family on this blessed new life!

Get involved!

During the month of December there are several different ways that you can support our Youth Ministry
here at St. Peter’s: Here are just a few!
Youth Silent Auction: On the morning of December 6th we will be hosting our 18th
Annual Youth Silent Auction. Donated items must be turned in before 10am on Dec. 5th. The auction runs from 8am – 12pm. There are always a lot of great items to bid on and it’s a lot of fun as well. Proceeds will be going into Youth accounts which will help them pay for next
summers mission trip to the Osage Reservation in Oklahoma.
Youth Bake Sale: On Sunday December 13th the youth will be having a bake sale. We did this last year and it was a great success. We will once again be selling several different kinds of cookies and breads as well as some Norwegian treats like Lefse, Krumkakke, and rosettes!! If you would like to donate goods to be sold please drop them off that morning (Sunday the 13th). Be sure to come early, our Lefse, Krumkakke, and rosettes sold out in 30 minutes last year!
Proceeds from this sale will go towards updating the Middle School Youth room.
Youth Card Sale: For the next couple of weeks we will be selling greeting cards and beautifully framed prints from Northfield photographer Tim Larsen. The cards all have original photography on the front with a scripture verse on the inside. They really are absolutely
beautiful. We have a large variety of cards and will also take custom orders on framed prints. Proceeds will go towards updating the Middle School Youth Room.

St. Peter’s Ministries

There recently was a project to identify the ministries that people are involved in at St. Peter’s Church and to make a presentation about them. To my surprise there are nearly 70 activities going on at
St. Peter’s that revolve around doing work for God. That also means that there are many people involved doing that work. The main purpose of this article is to say THANK YOU to all of those dedicated people! I will not list those ministries here but the presentation was shown at all of the stewardship cottage
meetings in November. I believe that all of the people involved are experiencing the joy that comes from volunteering and knowing that your efforts benefit others.
I have a secondary purpose as well. I have heard it said many times that good people are willing to help but need to be asked. The asking is best done one on one by someone who encourages you because they see in you a gift that is a fit for a particular ministry. I am not able to do that in this article but I can encourage you to see the list of ministries and to begin thinking and praying about which one might best suit you. We are working on posting the ministries in various places and expanding the
presentation to include more detail about each one.
Mike Chapman, President

Book Club

For the past year our book club has been
highlighting the seasons of the church year on the bulletin board in the narthex.
Between these special days of the church year we would like to highlight some of the great things happening here at St. Peter’s– the Mission Trips, the Service Projects by the Women’s Circles, the Youth, Extended Ministries, our Church Boards, etc. If your group has pictures and information we can enlarge and display, please contact Diane Boyum, Phyllis Finger, or Janet Jaeger.

Fair Trade

Fair Trade Chocolate and coffee will be for sale on
Sunday, December 20
after both services. This is the last
opportunity to buy fair trade
chocolate before Christmas. The next sale will be on Sunday, February 14. Coffee is available any time at the Welcome Center.

The Altar Ministry Team

The Altar Ministry Team will be selling
Poinsettias, starting Sunday, November 29 through Sunday, December 13th. The cost will be $10. This is a great way to remember or honor someone special!

The Friendship Forum Team

The Friendship Forum Team is
immensely pleased that
Dr. Anton Armstrong will direct
St. Peter’s memorable Christmas Carol Sing on Sunday, December 20 in the Fellowship Hall at 9:30am. Attending this Carol Sing will enhance and bless your Advent/Christmas season under the skilled
direction of Dr. Anton Armstrong, and
accompanist, Donna Paulson .

Mission Possible

What is God’s mission?
What is St. Peter’s mission?
What is your mission?
Coming soon!
“Mission Possible”, a worship series at St. Peter’s
God has a mission for you
Sunday, January 11-Sunday January 31.
“Your mission, should you chose to accept it…”

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