Sharon Lutheran Church: March 2008 Newsletter

“Fulfilling the Dream” - I hope these words have become familiar in the past month. They speak to the excitement at Sharon Lutheran Church building on our past as we look to our future. In this capital appeal we would like to complete the dream of the last addition and install an elevator, making our facility fully accessible to people of all ages. We would like to complete the dream of renovating our sanctuary to better serve our needs in worship, creating new possibilities in audio and visual ministry. Sharon Lutheran Church wants to address our financial ministry in a positive way, establishing reserve funds for operating and capital expenses. Finally, or truly first of all, in “Fulfilling the Dream” Sharon Lutheran Church (that’s you) decided to commit 10% of every dollar pledged in Fulfilling the Dream to mission and outreach beyond our congregation. Maybe we will be able to bless someone else’s dreams as we work at fulfilling our own.

Jeremiah 29:11 holds words of promise. God’s plans for Sharon Lutheran Church are for good and our future is one of hope and I want every person to claim the power of the Holy Spirit at work in this community of faith right now as we are engaged in this capital appeal.

I look forward to seeing you at worship on Sunday, March 16 as we make our commitment to “Fulfilling the Dream”. It promises to be an amazing experience of God’s blessing.

Shalom, Pastor Deanna

This is an exciting time in the life of Sharon Lutheran Church. The congregation is in the middle of the “Fulfilling the Dream” program. “Fulfilling the Dream” is an exciting opportunity for members of Sharon Lutheran to come together to improve your church home and your congregation’s ministry. These changes will result in dramatic opportunities for ministry with Sharon members and with the Grand Forks community.

Faced with this opportunity, members of Sharon Lutheran Church are asking, “How can I give as much as possible?” This article provides some possible answers to this important question.

One important way to give to “Fulfilling the Dream” is out of regular income. Most people give to the ongoing ministry of the congregation out of regular income. That is, a portion of household income is given to the congregation on a weekly or monthly basis. Over the next three years, many members of Sharon Lutheran will make generous weekly or monthly gifts to “Fulfilling the Dream” out of their regular income in addition to their ongoing support of the congregation’s ministry.

Some people will make a gift from their savings, recognizing that this is an opportunity that must not be missed.

Many people will give stock or other securities that have appreciated in value.

Still others will give all or part of the cash value of an insurance policy.

Combining these gifts with giving from regular income can produce a level of generosity that might not otherwise be possible.

There can be considerable tax advantages to giving in these ways, especially to giving stock and other appreciated securities and the cash value of insurance policies. You should always consult your tax advisor or financial planner about such gifts.

“Fulfilling the Dream” presents members of Sharon Lutheran Church with an incredible opportunity. This opportunity calls for each member to take steps to be as generous as possible so that the exciting ministry of Sharon Lutheran can be expanded and enhanced.

On Friday, March 21st, 2008 we will once again invite our community to join with us in observing Good Friday by participating in the unique worship experience, ‘Walk the Way of the Cross.’

On that day we will open our doors 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. In addition to the essentials of good, Lutheran worship such as scripture reading, prayer, and hymn singing, worshipers will have the opportunity to visit several rooms on the main floor of the church which 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.

The first worship experience will begin at 1:00 pm in the Sanctuary and conclude in the Fellowship Hall at 2:00 pm. This worship pattern will be repeated every hour, on the hour, concluding with the last worship experience, which will begin at 7:00 pm in the sanctuary and conclude in the Fellowship Hall at 8:00 pm. The schedule is designed to offer the greatest opportunity for participation by members of Sharon as well as our sisters and brothers throughout the Greater Grand Forks Region.

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 worship 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,

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. We recently received our first check for $273.89!

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!

Many have been asking if there are some needs of furniture to replace at the storage garages. When determining if the item is useful for donation, my motto is, "If I wouldn't personally use it, I don't want to give it to a refugee family":

• Gently used, not too old computers with printers etc.

• Kitchen table and chairs

• Queen bed frames and mattresses—Twin bed frames and mattresses

• Bedroom night stands

• Living room tables

• Lamps, both floor lamps and table lamps with light bulbs

• TV's that are VCR and/or DVD capable

• 2008 wall calendars

• Pots and pans & Cooking utensils

• Mixing bowls

• Mattress covers, plastic ones for the twin beds

• Wall clocks and men's/women's watches

• New toothbrushes and toothpaste

• Alarm clocks

• Shaving kits for men

• Waste baskets, kitchen and bedroom/bathroom sizes

If you have items to donate, please contact Dawne Barwin, Lutheran Social Services at 772-8552.

Spring flowers help beautify the church for Easter Sunday. If you would like to make a monetary donation in loving memory or in honor of a loved one, please bring it to the church office before March 15th. If you wish to donate your favorite flowers, please bring your donation to the church office before 3:00pm Thursday, Mar. 20. Thank you.

Sharon Lutheran Church established a priority to achieve a balanced budget in 2007—one in which total revenues exceeded total expenses and capital outlays. With some special efforts and generosity, the goal was achieved. In fact, 2007 ended with a small cash reserve of approximately $32,000.

Based on this success, a similar balanced budget goal was established for 2008. For 2008, however, the expense budget was increased slightly to allow for prudent raises for staff after two years of no raises and to fund other reasonable priorities within the Church. This budgeted expense logically prompts an associated increase in required revenues. The budget was approved by Parish Planning and the Congregation and will be monitored closely throughout the year.

January has historically been a tough month for offerings at Sharon Lutheran, and 2008 was no exception. January 2008 revenues were slightly lower than January 2007 revenues and were approximately $12,000 less than January 2008 expenses. Although not completely unexpected, the Finance Committee does have some concerns regarding the January financial performance. With everyone’s continued commitment and generosity, however, the Finance Committee remains positive towards the 2008 financial health of the Church.

God gave each of us special gifts to use to further Christ's work. Whether for teaching, preparing and serving food or providing comfort, use them to glorify God and serve others. Please prayerfully consider saying “yes” when invited to volunteer. God gives you a gift, it’s up to you to nurture, strengthen and use it wisely.

Sharon Lutheran Church Rummage Sale & Auction will be held on May 16 and 17th. Augtion @ 1:00 pm on Saturday, May 17th.

“Grace Matters” is a weekly radio program of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Pastor Peter Marty hosts this program which airs on Sunday mornings at 7:00 a.m. on the local radio station KCNN, 1590 AM. The program is sponsored by six local ELCA congregations along with Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. Sharon Lutheran is one of those sponsoring congregations. The funding for that sponsorship ($50/month for Sharon) will be paid by memorials given in honor of or in memory of someone. A poster near the church office lists the months of the year with blanks for members to indicate they would like to provide the sponsorship for that month. The $50 may be given to Sharon and specified as “Grace Matters”. Each month that memorial will be included in the Sharon newsletter. The sponsorship for the month of February is given by Keith and Ginger Trzynka.

Planning a March Game Night, May Bike Ride, June All Church Picnic

Candidates: Andrea DeGroot-Nesdahl, Naomi C. Garber, Harold (Chris) C. Hallanger, Philip L. Larson, William (Bill) E. Rindy, Jeffery L. Sandgren, Bruce Vold and Stephen Wold.

These bishop candidates will be available for open forums at the following dates and locations:

Sunday, March 9th 4:30 – 6:30p.m. All are welcom. A special invitation is sent out to our 5th Graders and their families. We will have a great night of music, Bible learning, and share in a wonderful meal to-
gether. There is no need to register or pay for this event. Due to the generosity of the community of Sharon Lutheran Church this event is FREE to all participants.

** 5th Graders should have received a direct mailing of information for this event. If you have not received a postcard from Rachael and have a 5th.

Quilting has resumed after the Christmas break and we welcome anyone who would like to join us. The time is spent assembling and tying the quilts, so no experience is needed. Come on any of the following dates and enjoy the satisfaction of making quilts for those who are in need to stay warm. Dates: Feb. 14 & 23 from 9am to noon; Mar. 13 & 29 from 9am to noon; April 10 & 26 from 9am to noon; May 8 from 9am to noon.

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 are 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.

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.