April 2007

General

From Pastor Deanna

Grace and peace to you,

It has been a long winter. Oh, I know that it was pretty mild and the amount of snow was not too great. However, I am, longing for the warmth and light of the sun. I am wishing for the freshness of leaves on the trees. I am waiting for new life. And I rejoice at the certainty of the changing season.

In some manner, it has been a long winter at Sharon. We have been experiencing the chill of financial crisis. At the annual meeting a budget was approved with the caveat that revenue received meet or exceed expenses by the end of the first quarter. It was apparent by early March that if current trends continued that would not happen. In mid March, a decision was made by the Parish Planning Council to have a “Second Offering” at each of the worship services through month’s end. We asked each household to consider giving 10% over and above their regular offering or $10. Of course any gift greater or less was appreciated. Following the first two weeks, the amount received was just over $12,000. The warmth of your response was gratifying.

The goal of the “Second Offering” was $30,000. I believe that goal will be reached. But this will not ‘solve’ the problem. The greater and ongoing challenge for our congregation is to grow into a new level of giving. Our financial situation has developed over many years. Following the flood hundreds of thousands of dollars were received by Sharon and used to support our ministry. That was good and necessary, however it allowed us live believing our financial support was sufficient to sustain and develop ministries when in reality the cost of doing ministry (with minimal change) was increasing at a faster rate than the money given. Now, we must sustain an increased level of financial support in order to continue our ministry without further reductions; reductions that would occur in staffing cuts that would result in significant program and ministry changes.

As a next step in our journey out of this season of financial chill, we are asking everyone to increase their regular giving by the amount of the second offering if possible. It would also be beneficial to have greater participation in Simply Giving in order to ease some of the ‘summer slump’.

Sharon has been blessed now and in the past with a staff and leadership who have been creative and resourceful in ministry, accomplishing much good with limited resources. Sharon is also blessed to have you as a part of this community of faith. Working together we can make a difference in the future of Sharon Lutheran.

Created

Called

Committed

Prayer Team Update

We currently have two prayer teams meeting regularly to lift up our lay leaders and our staff in prayer. We give thanks for the team members who are giving their time and energy to this valuable and powerful ministry. We are off to a good start but there is certainly room to grow. If you feel called to serve in this ministry in some way, please contact by phone (772-3122).

Showers of Blessings!

As part of our ongoing growth in financial faithfulness we are looking to new life this spring with the coming of April showers. This is an opportunity for all people of Sharon Lutheran to share their blessings through financial gifts as we work together to pay off the operating loan and establish a reserve fund that will be available in summer as offering are less consistent. Our goal is $260,000.

We are blessed to be a blessing and God will work through our gifts to bring blessing on our work as God’s people at Sharon Lutheran.

God said, “I will send down the showers in their season; they shall be showers of blessing!” Ezekiel 34:26

God has richly blessed us. Look for the raindrops and join the efforts to participate in Showers of Blessing.

God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:8

Grace Matters

Remember to tune into “Grace Matters” each Sunday morning at 7:00 a.m. on KCNN Radio (1590 AM). Sharon Lutheran’s support of the broadcast is sponsored for the month of March by Alice Senechal, in memory of her mother, Dora Senechal, whose birthday was March 3. Go to www.gracematters.org for previews of upcoming programs or to listen to past programs. Additional months for sponsorship are still available on the poster near the church office.

Giving Opportunity

From Board of Church in Society. Food Cupboard. A reminder to all that the first Sunday and Wednesday of each month you are invited to bring a canned or packaged food item for our local food cupboard. Look for the shopping cart in the back of the church to contribute your food item.

The Valentine Tree

Thank you to all who donated a valentine. The Transportation program & “Filling the Gap” program, each received $75. When the transportation fund reaches $300 it is eligible for matching funds from Thrivent. The Health Ministry Team greatly appreciates your donations.

Parish Planning Council

The Parish Planning Council and staff have spent many hours in discussion developing a contingency plan should our expenses exceed our income for the first quarter. The initial part of the plan is to sell our bus. It is simply a luxury we cannot afford to maintain and utilize at this time. Further plans include reduction in part-time staff, reduction in part-time worship staff, and eliminating auto expense for staff, which would cut about $5,000 per month from our expenses. Will this adversely affect and compromise our ministry? Absolutely! If additional cuts are needed, further reductions in worship staff expense and 10% reduction in salary for remaining staff would be added to the mix. It is important to understand that the staff is doing all they can, we need to provide the financial support for our ministry!

Despite the development of this contingency plan and the difficult conversation surrounding it, there are many reasons to be optimistic about our ministry at Sharon. The money received from contributions continues to be higher than last year’s offerings, so we are closing the gap. We have a growing children’s and youth ministry, six worship services, and a creative and talented staff that sustains our programs in the midst of financial adversity. These are things that we should continue to lift up in prayer, praise and thanksgiving as they are valuable assets for our ministry to grow, and a vital piece in the future of Sharon Lutheran.

I give thanks to all those who continue to give of their time, talent and financial resources in support of our ministry. God is good...all the time! Happy Easter!

Committed to Serve, Allen Dahlen, Executive Director

Laughter is the Best Medicine

April is recognized as humor month. The Health Ministry Team and Sharon’s Parish Nurses want to add a bit of humor to your life. It is a well known fact that humor and laughter make a significant contribution to both your physical and mental health. Here’s a bit of humor to get you started:

Actual Announcements from church bulletins:

Thursday night – potluck supper. Prayer and medication to follow.

For those of you who have children and don’t know it, we have a nursery downstairs. Next Sunday, a special collection will be taken to defray the cost of the new carpet.

After a church service on Sunday morning, a young boy suddenly announced to his mother, "Mom, I've decided to become a minister when I grow up."

"That's okay with us, but what made you decide that?"

"Well," said the little boy, "I'll have to go to church on Sunday anyway, and I figure it will be more fun to stand up and talk than to sit down and listen."

Learning to adopt a lighter attitude and see the funny side of everyday situations gives you the resilience you need to cope on the tough days. Share a laugh with someone you love because laughter is the best medicine!

Board Highlights

Evangelism: Teresa Dahlstrom, Director

Parish Planning Council: Allen Dahlen, Executive Director

Ministry with Women: Jan Nelson, Director

Public Relations: Kristen Shea, Director

Fall 2007 Worship and Church School Schedule

Fellowship time, with donuts and coffee, will continue on Sunday mornings in the South Hall.

Included in the new Fall worship schedule will be a Saturday evening worship service, at 5:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. The format of that service is still under discussion, as is the format of the 10:30 a.m. service in the sanctuary. Watch for more details as plans are developed.

One of the primary reasons for implementing this schedule is to encourage families to worship together. There will be a stronger emphasis on children attending worship with their families, and the worship services will be structured in a way that encourages children to attend the first part of a Sunday worship service before attending church school.

Concurrent worship services in both spaces should also foster connections between those who worship in different spaces, allowing fellowship time over donuts and coffee. It should also simplify scheduling for adult education and church school. With the adjustments in church school times, families have more options to plan for both worship and church school.

As with most changes, the boards and staff recognized that these adjustments will present some challenges. Concurrent worship services will make it more difficult to have one pastor preach at all of the Sunday services; however, the need for that arises infrequently, and staff feel that the order of services can be adjusted when there is only one pastor available to preach on a Sunday morning. Traffic flow in the parking lots will be impacted, because more people will be arriving at the same time. However, the boards and staff involved in this decision feel that traffic flow challenges can be addressed creatively and effectively.

We are excited about what God has in store for the future at Sharon and we look forward to the new possibilities for ministry that will accompany this new worship and education schedule. If you have questions, contact any of the pastors, Vicki Ronkowski (Board of Christian Education Director), or Alice Senechal (Board of Lay Ministry Director).

Walk the Way of the Cross

A new journey begins every hour...

Jesus called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” Mark 8:34

Dear Sharon,

Once again, on Good Friday, April 6th here at Sharon, we will be offering the unique worship experience, “Walk the Way of the Cross” for the observance of Good Friday.

On that day we will open our doors to the whole community from 11:30 am to 8:00 pm. The day will begin with lunch served in the Fellowship Hall from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm.

Following lunch worshipers will be invited to journey into the world with Jesus. Every hour, on the hour, from 1:00 pm until 7:00 pm a new walk will begin in the Sanctuary and end in the Fellowship Hall. During each hour several rooms on the main floor will be open for meditation and prayer and participation in specific activities designed to bring each of us to a fuller understanding of what it means in today’s world to walk the way of the cross with Jesus.

We pray this will be an experience in which our hearts and minds might be opened up to personal and communal reflection on suffering and hope in our world and our commitment to “go out into the world.”

We hope that you will find this experience meaningful and a fitting close to your Lenten journey as together we anticipate the celebration of resurrection, hope and new life on Easter morning.

Auction/Rummage Sale

Baptism Celebrations

The Sacrament of Baptism marks a significant moment in the life of an individual as well as the family and the congregation as God joins us to Christ and declares us to be children of God. Sharon Lutheran Church highlights this sacrament in some very specific ways. One is by offering a “Welcome to Baptism” orientation on the first Sunday of each month at 2:30 PM. This one-hour class, led by a pastor, offers information on the theology and practical aspects of baptism for the family anticipating a baptism.

The second method of highlighting the sacrament is by focusing on baptism the second Sunday and the following Wednesday of each month. Baptisms may be scheduled at any of the services that day, and adequate time and emphasis will be devoted to the sacrament. Occasionally, because of family circumstances, a baptism may be scheduled at another church service during the month, but the encouragement is to plan ahead, in consultation with the pastors and church office, to schedule the baptism celebration on the second Sunday (or following Wednesday) of the month. If you have questions, please feel free to contact the pastors or church office.

"Jesus Seminar on the Road" Coming to Grand Forks in April

The Jesus Seminar is coming to Grand Forks this April to shed some light on the role of women in the early church and the birth of Christianity. The event will take place on the campus of UND Friday and Saturday April 13 -14. Sound interesting? To learn more call (877) 523-3545 toll free or visit www.westarinstitute.org. Registration for this event is $50 (by March 23rd) and $60 (after March 23rd). Check out the posters in the Narthex for further details.

Sharon Lutheran Consitution Review

For the last year and a half, we have been working on a redraft of our Sharon Lutheran Church Constitution. There are several reasons why we have been working on this, and a number of goals we’ve been trying to reach:

The Churchwide Assembly of the ELCA has for several years maintained a “Model Constitution” format for congregations, which corresponds to the Constitutional Provisions of the ELCA. This revision is intended to bring our constitution into conformity with that model. Churches amending their constitutions are required to conform to the Churchwide documents.

We want to incorporate previous amendments to our current constitution into the body of the document.

Along with the update, we have been reviewing our procedures to make sure they are serving the congregation well and that constitution and practice are consistent.

We always attempt to improve the readability and organization of our constitution, simplifying wherever possible.

Beginning with our recent annual meeting, we are in a 90-day process to review the proposed constitution before it would be voted on at our May congregational meeting. Both our proposed constitution and a side-by-side comparison of our proposed and current constitutions are posted on our website (www.sharonlutheran.org) for your review. While the format of the new constitution is somewhat different, you will find that its overall intent has not changed. A few changes you may notice are: Some formal procedures are more “spelled out”, as required by the ELCA model constitution. Some administrative details, such as board job descriptions, have been moved from the church constitution to our church policy manual. Some voting majorities have changed slightly, again to conform to churchwide standards.

If you have comments or questions, please call the Church office at 772-3122 or Dave Molmen.

Bright Lights

A choir specifically designed for Kindergartners, 1st and 2nd graders. Bright Lights members learn basic music fundamentals and begin the art of creating a beautiful singing tone. Their choir experience will be in an atmosphere where they are recognized as a loved child of God and an important part of our church family. Bright Lights rehearses on Wednesdays from 4:45 - 5:15 p.m. and sings approximately one Sunday and/or Wednesday per month.

Shine!

A musical experience for third, fourth and fifth graders. This group focuses on expanding their knowledge of music fundamentals, begin part-singing and explore the use of "hands-on" instrumental accompaniments. Shine! members utilize their musical gifts in a variety of ways throughout the year! Shine! rehearses on Wednesdays from 5:15 - 5:45 p.m. and sings approximately one Sunday and/or Wednesday a per month.

By Grace

By Grace is for middle school kids and serves as a unique opportunity for youth to create and build relationships with their peers and their church through the arts. By Grace provides experience for musical and spiritual growth, as well as a regular opportunity for service. By Grace determines when rehearsals occur and perform approximately every six weeks. Check bulletin board for rehearsal date and time.

Questions? Contact Roxanne Bartosh at 772-3122.

Money Ministry

Your past support of Sharon Lutheran is appreciated and has enabled us to grow in mission through worship, education and service. However, serious financial challenges will compromise the ministry and programs of our church. Ministry in every area is at risk because of the need to further reduce expenses to meet anticipated income. Because all program costs have already been adjusted, reductions in personnel expenses, including eliminating positions, is being considered. Ministry at Sharon Lutheran cannot continue at current levels without increased financial resources. Please prayerfully consider your financial commitment to Sharon Lutheran.

Our financial situation is critical. Below you will find the actual figures for revenue and expense for the year to date through February 2007. The amounts for last year are noted as well.

The expense figures include our mortgage amount of $13,465.00 per month.

Current financial information is posted on the bulletin board outside the church office. If you have any questions, please contact Joan in the church office.

Welcome to Baptism

To prepare for the celebration of Baptism. These important helps are offered on the first Sunday of each month from 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. for those anticipating a baptism (scheduled or not yet scheduled).

“Welcome to Baptism” is intended for:

• Those expecting the birth of a child.
• Those who have recently given birth,
• Older children not yet baptized.
• Adults not yet baptized.
• Family members of those to be baptized.
• Sponsors for those being baptized.

“Welcome to Baptism” is designed to answer common questions about baptism including:

• What is baptism?
• What happens at the service of baptism?
• What is my role as a parent, sponsor, family member of the baptized?

"Welcome to Baptism” will be led by Sharon Lutheran pastors. If a baptism in your family has already happened, those involved are also welcome to participate.

Pastoral Acts

Memorial Gifts

Beulah Kjera, Kathy Johnson’s mother, by Lu Boyer, Jodi & Scott Boettner, Dick & Bev Walsh, Harold & Linda Stadstad, Dean & Mary Schumacher, Mona & Don Brundin, Keith & Mary Hill, Jim & Sherryl Weisenberger, Shirley Christian, Dale & Jeannie Sollom; Peggy Nesdahl by Norm & Ruby Sieg; Frieda Fontaine by Hazel & Don Gunderson; Betty & Robert Deziel by Vicky Deziel, Larry & Brenda Hanson and family

Beulah Kjera, by Marshall & Carol Guntzburger; Robert Mattson, by Ron Mattson & family, Robert Johnson, Lillian Elsinga; Mary Heutzenroeder, by Paul & Glenda Lindseth

Mary Heutzenroeder, by Karen & Rich Axvig

Cynthia Lunn, by Lucy Swartz. Terry Zabel, Larraine Holmquist, Lyle & Susan Hall, Wayne & Inez Knain, Susan & Curt Bostad, Theresa Gust, Mark & Sandy Rios, Meritcare Medical Group, Rod & Marie Greene, Janet Spaeth

Robert Mattson, by Bernell Bachmeier, Curt Stofferahn; Beulah Kjera, by Jerry & Shirley Anderson; Mary Heutzenroeder, by Jerry & Shirley Anderson, Gary & Debbie Lloyd

Beulah Kjera, by Scott & Sherry Opdahl

Beulah Kjera, by Ulric & Ginger Johnson

Ernestine Paulson, by Alice & Marlene Senechal