Sharon Lutheran Church: December 2007 Newsletter

The flyer was nicely done and on the front in bold letters was the question, “What would you do if you only had one month to live?”

Maybe it was the time of day or the day of the week, perhaps it was the visits I’d made or the calls received I don’t know why but the flyer found a place on my desk and the question found a place in my mind.

I would speak more words of love and enjoy more time with those I love.

I would celebrate the joy of serving as your pastor and set aside the tough times.

I would laugh more, cry a bit and enjoy good food in good company.

I would knit and stitch with delight.

I would think about who has made a difference in my life and I would tell them.

I would sing.

I would worship with wonder and pray in trust.

I would give thanks and rejoice for all my blessings and seek ways to share those.

I would… and still I am thinking.

The question is an invitation to think about how you want to live. Too often we get caught up in the frenzy or the routine of our days. It is easy to lose sight of what is really important. Small matters become consuming, while the bigger issues of life and love go forgotten.

In this time of Advent, in this month of December as we busy ourselves with things both large and small, as our time is consumed with gifts and concerts and celebrations and relatives and friends and gatherings and parties and lists and preparations and travel and cleaning and…

If you knew you only had one month to live, what would you do to make what’s left of your life really matter?

Our newest addition to Sharon’s worship schedule is our Saturday evening worship. This worship begins at 5:00 pm when worshipers are invited to enjoy a cup of tea or cocoa as they enter the Fellowship Hall. This new day and time may appeal to those who work on Sundays, or those who are looking for a spiritually uplifting beginning for their Saturday evening activities (athletic events, the movies, etc,)

Bibles and ‘With One Voice’ hymnals are provided, along with handouts containing the scripture references for the week and additional songs for worship.

The tone is prayerful, contemplative, informal and relaxed. Much of the music for the Saturday worship comes from the Taiz? tradition, a monastic, ecumenical faith community begun in France in 1940.

Taizé is a unique style of worship music that reflects the meditative nature of the Taizé community. Taizé music emphasizes simple phrases, usually lines from Psalms or other pieces of Scripture, repeated and sometimes also sung in canon. The repetition is intended to aid meditation and prayer.

Probably the most unique thing about our Saturday worship is that the sermon time is really more of a conversation than a traditional sermon. While the pastor will certainly strive to illuminate the good news as revealed to us in the biblical texts for the week, worshippers are also encouraged to share their own thoughts, feelings and experiences as they connect the texts with their daily lives.

If you have not yet found a ‘worship home’ perhaps this is the worship experience you have been looking for. If so, we hope you will join us.

During this blessed season, as family and friends gather together to celebrate the coming of our Savior, we invite you all to come and worship with us at Sharon Lutheran.

Dec. 24 Christmas Eve Worship with Holy Communion at all services

1:00pm Contemporary

2:30pm Contemporary

4:00pm Traditional

5:30pm Traditional

11:00pm Traditional

Dec. 25 Christmas Day Worship with Holy Communion

This year we are adopting area families in need. In the beginning of December you may stop by the tree in the Narthex and follow the directions you find there.

Family names have been provided to us through Red River Community Action. Thank you in advance for your generosity to those in need.

*Choose an ornament

*Purchase gift as stated on ornament

*Wrap gift

*Attach ornament

*Return gift to church

A Christmas Musical For Childern. By SHINE! Sharon's 3rd-5th grade music ministry. Sunday, December 9, 2007 at 9:00 & 10:30 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall.

"He Made a Way in a Manger" Higher Ground Christmas Concert on Wednesday, December 19, 2007 at 6:15 p.m. at Sharon Lutheran Church.

The three of us were part of a tight-knit family of forty teen campers during the summer of 2006 at Camp Metigoshe Seek Week. Although technically we were all together for only a week, when something happened to one of our Metigoshe Seek Weekers, it greatly affected us all. Jenna Tolstad from Westhope, North Dakota, was in a fatal car accident last March with another camper and Jenna didn’t make it. At the age of sixteen, she had a number one goal in life, to “be a bigger difference” to those around her. Many who were touched by her life have made that their aspiration.

All three of us were confirmed within the past year, and growing up with the blessings of the Sharon community, we wanted to make a bigger difference within our church by becoming members of the Lay Ministry Board. Although the three of us have only been on the board for three months, we have begun to see what it is like to have the responsibility of making decisions for the church and to have a voice at a young age. The conversation at our meetings varies from issues such as the budget to questions about what type of bread to use for communion. Being involved with the Board has created a sense of ownership and purpose for us. Even though the first meeting was slightly intimidating, the Board of Lay Ministry has helped us feel empowered and hopeful that we can make a difference. We encourage other youth and adults to get involved and to use their gifts to make the church an even better place! Whether it’s being a board member, usher, other volunteer, or by simply giving, everyone can be a bigger difference!

Our quarterly congregational meeting was held on November 18th at 11:45 a.m. At this meeting, our budget for 2008 was submitted by the Finance Committee along with Parish Planning Council and was approved by the congregation. You will find a summary of that budget in this newsletter.

Our projected income and expense figures were determined independently, and our Tier 1 budget shows a small surplus if our income projections are accurate. It is important to remember that these budget numbers are guidelines, and some of our expenses will be determined by our cash flow. Tiers 2 and 3 would be used if our offerings exceed our expectations, and will be reviewed quarterly by the Finance Committee.

As we look at our offerings for 2007, there was a substantial increase in our offerings, and we were able to cover some unexpected expenses (furnace), make an additional payment on our operational loan, as well as staying current on all our expenses. Thanks be to God!

We need to celebrate how far we have come in the past year, but we need to focus on the future of our ministry, and what we can become. This is only limited by our imagination, and our gifts of time, talent and financial resources. We give thanks to God, for He is the source of our wealth, and ask Him to guide us as we commit ourselves to knowing Christ and making Christ known in our church, our community, and our world.

We are near the end of the calendar year. However, the church year begins with the first Sunday in Advent. This year the season of Advent and the new year begin on Sunday, December 2. Advent is a time of preparation and expectation that occurs in the four weeks before Christmas.

The word 'advent' means coming or arrival. It is a season of preparation that looks both to Bethlehem and the final coming of Jesus Christ at the end of time. The color of Advent is blue, symbolizing hope. The color purple was used previously, the royal color of the coming king. The color purple also linked Advent with Lent as a penitential time in the church year.

It is always tempting to focus solely on the "BIG DAY" of Christmas. We have many traditions and ‘stories’ in our families about Christmas. But what about Advent? Do you have a story to tell about preparing for the coming of Jesus? Share your story. Drop it off in the “Story Telling Place” outside the church office or .

With a community of faith the size of Sharon Lutheran it is helpful for you to share your name when greeting one another. It isn’t a bit odd (just a bit awkward) if you say, “Hello (good morning), I am not sure we have met, my name is ___________. Some of you may hesitate with the excuse, “What if that person has been a member for years, that’s embarrassing.” Please remember, we are a large church and it is not possible for all of us to know one another. Sharing our names is simply good hospitality, even with fellow members of this congregation.

If we routinely greeted each other with our names, soon it would become a blessed habit. Plus, this is good practice for greeting visitors and other unfamiliar people in the congregation. In fact, for those of us who sometimes experience a memory lapse (even with those we know), sharing names is an indescribable blessing! Please consider stepping out of your comfort zone and you will help develop the outreach of Sharon Lutheran as well.

The Health Ministry Team is looking for Sharon members that are interested in visiting our shut-ins (members not able to attend church because of health or mobility issues) once a month. If you would be interested in visiting one of these important members, please contact Ginger Johnson.

The Health Ministry Team has some limited funds to assist the needs of Sharon families in providing winter clothing for their children. If you have a financial need for assistance, please contact the church office. Requests for assistance are kept confidential.

The Health Ministry Team provides Care Baskets for members of our congregation that are facing serious illness or injury. If you, or someone you care about could use a basket or a prayer shawl, please call the church office. Without a call, we may not know of the individual's need.

Health Trip-2008: The Sharon Parish Nurses are again sponsoring the Health Trip in coordination with Altru Health System. Health Trip is a 110 day exercise incentive program held each year. It is designed to help promote a healthy mind, body and spirit through regular exercise. Health Trip encourages not only physical fitness and fun, but nutrition, stress management and overall wellness. This year Health Trip will go from January 8 through April 27. Watch for more information in December. Questions? Call Amy Medd or Bernell Bachmeier.

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 Nov. by Sonja and Kevin Nelson, in memory of her mother, Jean Olson, whose birthday was Nov. 19, and in honor of their grandson, George Aaron Olson, who will be two on November 2. Go to www.gracematters.org for previews of upcoming programs or to listen to past programs. The month of December is still available for sponsorship on the poster near the church office.

Church in Society: Karen Axvig, Director

Christian Education: Vicki Ronkowski, Director

Church Properties: Stan Vistad, Director

Youth: Marsha Vistad, Director

Lay Ministry: Alice Senechal, Director

Working on new welcome/communication card formats for both worship spaces.

Considering alternative ways to invite participation in serving communion.

Parish Fellowship: Barry Branvold, Director

Serve coffee & donuts each Sunday morning-please say yes when asked to help.

We welcome ideas for fellowship events in 2008.

A special worship service with Holy Communion will be held on Sunday, December 9th at 3:00 p.m. This will be a quiet celebration of the Christmas season. This is being offered especially for those who, because of grief or some other great heartache, would like a more quiet and reflective worship. It will also be an opportunity to take a step back and away from all the hustle and bustle of the season, and experience the peace of worship and prayer.

There is new and easy way to raise money for Sharon Lutheran just by searching the Internet with GoodSearch.com. Last year, search engines generated close to $6 billion in revenue from advertisers. With GoodSearch part of this advertising revenue will now be directed to Sharon.

We hope that not only will you use GoodSearch as your main search engine from here on out, but will also pass this message on to your friends and family. The more people who use this, the more money will go to support our ministry.

GoodSearch donates half its revenue, about a penny per search, to the charities selected by its users. The pennies quickly add up. For example, if 1,000 people searched just twice a day, we would receive an estimated $7,300 per year.

What’s great is that you use GoodSearch just as you would any search engine. Again, it’s powered by Yahoo!, so you get proven, high quality results.

Just go to www.goodsearch.com and enter Sharon Lutheran as the charity you want to support. The more people who use this site, the more money we’ll earn so please spread the word!

This support group is designed to offer hope, healing, and a safe place to explore your feelings and work through the grief of losing a loved one or friend through suicide.

The group meets the 3rd Thursday of each month from 7:00-8:30pm at Sharon Lutheran Church.

S.A.S.S. is sponsored by T.E.A.R.S. (Together we Educate About the Realities of Suicide) And Altru Health Systems.

What happens if you are in the hospital? Pastoral visits to the hospital are routinely made on Tuesdays, Thursdays and on either Saturday or Sunday. We are able to check a ‘Lutheran’ folder provided by the hospital for members of Sharon who are patients. This folder is updated periodically throughout each day by the hospital. This works... mostly. Sometimes people only note that they are Lutheran, with no church and if we do not recognize their name it is likely they are not visited. Sometimes people have changed churches since a prior admission (even years previously) and the information is not updated so they are noted as members of whatever previous congregation (and if we do not notice, they are missed). And sometimes (perhaps more than anything) if people
respond that they do not want their admission information to be shared, they are not reported on this list. And of course, sometimes we may miss someone because of our own oversight, or the individual is out of the room for something or sleeping or we may not be allowed in to see the patient... we try to leave a note then, but sometimes that fails!

To insure a visit if you are hospitalized, you may contact the church office and request a visit, a pastor will respond as soon as possible.

First of all, we would like to thank those people who participated in Prayer Teams in 2007. These men and women met regularly to prayer for the staff and lay leaders of Sharon Lutheran Church and we appreciate their faithful commitment to this ministry. If you were a Prayer Team member in 2007 we hope you will consider signing up for another year.

This is a ministry that will always have room to grow and so I invite you to consider joining a Prayer Team in 2008. Prayer Teams meet monthly to lift up a particular group or ministry in prayer. This past year we had two Prayer Teams: one team prayed for our staff and the other focused on prayers for our lay leaders, parish planning council and board members. As you can imagine there is a need for several teams with all the various ministries taking place here at Sharon.

If you hesitated to join a Prayer Team last year because you felt ill-equipped to take on such an awesome responsibility, then perhaps 2008 is your year. In conjunction with the kickoff of our second year of Prayer Team ministry, we are offering a six-week Prayer/Bible Study entitled Grounded in Prayer (see the Grounded in Prayer article in this newsletter for more details). We hope that everyone interested in joining a Prayer Team this year will take advantage of the opportunity to develop and strengthen their prayer life by participating in this study.

We are working on updating our list of members who are currently deployed. If you have a family member who is deployed, please send the address to .

Addresses can also be dropped off at the Church Office. It is our desire to support these individuals with our prayers and letters from home. We can only do this with your help.

If your family member has returned from their deployment please notify us so that we can remove them from the deployed list. Thank you.

After 16 years of faithful service, Bishop Rick Foss is coming to the end of ministry as Bishop of the Eastern North Dakota Synod. His successor will be elected at our Synod Assembly on April 5, 2008. As part of the Bishop election process, every congregation in the Synod may submit up to three names of ordained ministers of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America to be considered by their conference. If you know of a pastor who you believe could be a good candidate for bishop, you may submit their name to the church office. The recommendations must be received by December 21. If you have any questions please contact one of the pastors.

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.

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 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.

Staff and leaders of Sharon have been working hard to be responsible stewards of all the resources of this congregation. We appreciate the care and concern that has been shown by many as we are moving to become a stronger and healthier community of faith. The challenges are many, but the blessings are greater. Thank you for your continued support as together we grow in faith, love and obedience to the will of God.

Regular, sustained giving – As people of faith, Scripture teaches us to give regularly, proportionately and first to God (first fruits). Participating in Simply Giving provides that opportunity. Your offering can be made to Sharon Lutheran through an electronic transfer of funds. Weekly, once or twice a month you can offer first to God. It is a wonderful way to grow in consistent faithful offering and it is a blessing to the church in its reliability. Forms are available at the church or contact the office.

Capital Campaign – Undertaking a capital campaign was approved at the congregational meeting held August 15. This financial appeal will address reducing long term debt (mortgage), and other important things such as an elevator, an appropriate sound system and furnishings for the sanctuary and other facility needs. The possibility of developing new ministries/outreach and supporting any additional staff would also be a part of planning for this campaign.

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.

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 designed to answer common questions about baptism including:

"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.

11-11-07 DANIEL DALE BERRY; Christy & Stephen Berry

11-11-07 RYLAN JACK & REAGAN JEANNE KUNTZ; Lindsay & Kevin Kuntz

11-11-07 REEZ DALTON ECKERDT; Denise & Robert Eckerdt

11-11-07 MACY JO CHRISTIAN BOUSHEY; Amy & Chris Boushey