June 7th, 2017

What’s Inside?

• Consistory Notes
• Choir
• Farmers Market
• Women’s Guild
• Pastor’s Note
• Revive:  Mid-week worship

Consistory Notes

Updating for those of you who haven’t heard a special congregational meeting was held too finalize the wording for section 5 of the cemetery by-laws. With cremation being another form of burials, two persons (for example wife & husband) will be allowed in one lot if they so chose. This is allowed if the cremation method is followed but not with the traditional coffin method.

Another option was passed at this meeting and that was the approval of a 48-drawer Columbarium cabinet for final resting place using the cremation method. This Columbarium will be located near the flagpole of our cemetery and installed hopefully sometime yet this year. The charge for this resting place is still in the planning stages and more information will be passed on in the future. Yes, you are still entitled to a free lot if you are a member and can chose that but than you need the cost of head stone added to the free lot. With the Columbarium this cost will be a lot cheaper if you so chose using the Columbarium cabinet method.

On better subjects to talk about and let’s start with the installation of the new paving of our parking lot. What a difference that has made in the appearance of that area compared to the broken down look of before. The driveway for the parsonage was also done and made that area look so much better as well.

In above changes we are utilizing our parking lot fund and the Kroells endowment fund to pay for these updates. The Columbarium will be also paid for by the Kroells cemetery endowment fund. If you would like to contribute to these updates please feel free to help support these updates.

We have switched insurance plans, which has saved us about $2000 annually and giving us more coverage. So it does pay to check around every 3 or 4 years to see how insurance company’s compare.

Due to raining and cool weather this spring we have postponed the annually cleanup Sunday. Truthfully things look pretty good around here so we’ll see if things need some sprucing up this fall some time.

Next subject is our budget and with summer upon us we always fall a little short with our offerings due to attendance falling off. Yes, please enjoy the summer and have fun but if you find it in your heart mail in your offering is an option we would appreciate. This will help balance the checkbook and make the job easier in making our monthly expenses.

Thank you from the Consistory.

Woody Prehn

Choir Notes

St. John’s Choir members are taking a break over the summer months and will be starting up again in the fall. Even though we are a small group, they do a great job and there music make our services a little special when they sing. Our members have said they enjoy hearing the choir perform and share many compliments after our performance on those Sundays. Great job St. John’s Choir See you in September.

Penny Rolf

Bongards Market

Lettuce, rhubarb, peas, strawberries, radishes. What do these have in common? You’ll find these and more at the Bongards Farmers Market starting June 7. Come join us every Wednesday this summer and enjoy the best of Minnesota’s farm fresh produce from local growers.

Favorable weather in April and the first part of May enabled early planting of many crops so we have some returning growers and producers already signed up to sell with high expectations for a successful season.

Looking for something to do with your children this summer? Bring your youngsters ages 4 to 12, and encourage your friends, neighbors and relatives, to bring their children, to the Bongards Farmers Market where they can sign up for the Power of Produce Club and receive a FREE $2 token each Wednesday to buy their choice of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Extra time on your hands? The Market can use your help in setting up, taking down, answering vendor and consumer questions, and generally making sure the Market runs smoothly.

Thank you to all the members who have worked in previous years and thank you in advance to those member volunteers who will be giving their time and efforts this summer.

Vicki Moteelall

Women’s Guild

Our quilt is up and being sewed by the seamstress of the Women’s guild. It should be ready in June sometime for the Farmers Market to be displayed. Tickets will be ready to be disturbed at the Women’s guild meeting this week. Everyone is invited to help sell these tickets and the cost is $2.00 for one ticket and 3 tickets for $5.00. Jan Olson put together this beautiful quilt and whoever wins is going to be very happy with this pretty quilt. Thank you Jan!

Just a reminder to keep September 17^th open as this will be our annual Pork chop dinner event. Like always the more help we get the more fun it’s for everyone and than it’s really not work at all but just fun sharing time together.

Kathleen Schneewind 

A Note from the Pastor

SABBATH IS CALLING – Can you hear it?

If I asked you, what is SABBATH? How would you answer? Would you say that is it just some Jewish holiday, celebrated on Friday nights with a dinner? It is more than just that. Sabbath is a time of rest that has been built into our lives ever since the first moments of creation – when God “rested” on the 7^th day after he proclaimed that creation was good. We too, are called to have moments of rest, to let our ground have “fallow time” to rest, regenerate, and renew.

As we approach summer, SABBATH seems to be a buzz word that infusing everything that we are doing at St. John’s UCC. Whether it is starting a mid-week worship, where we “unplug” on Wednesday evenings to renew ourselves in the middle of busy weeks, or reading “Sabbath” by Wayne Muller for the book club, or learning how to walk a labyrinth to slow down and meditate…. All of these things are ways that we can honor God and take much needed Sabbath time during the summer months.

I encourage you to live into a call to find SABBATH time – time to reflect, renew, and recharge – by unplugging from the busyness and turning your attention to God’s proclamation that creation is good. Whether it is fishing on the lake, driving into a sunset on a summer’s night, or watching the butterflies land on the flowers in your garden – no matter what Sabbath is for you, my prayer for your this summer is that you will find some Sabbath time of rest. And as you do, consider these words about SABBATH from theologian Barbara Brown Taylor:

“At least one day in every seven, pull off the road and park the car in the garage. Close the door to the toolshed and turn off the computer. Stay home, not because you are sick but because you are well. Talk someone you love into being well with you. Take a nap, a walk, and hour for lunch. Test the premise that you are worth more than you can produce – that even if you spent one whole day of being good for nothing you would still be precious in God’s sight. And when you get anxious because you are convinced that this is not so – remember that your own conviction is not required. This is a commandment. Your worth has already been established, even when you are not working. The purpose of the commandment is to woo you to the same truth.”

Blessings and peace,

Pastor Cathy 

REVIVE: with mid-week worship

Starting June 7^th and going through the summer months, we will have a mid-week worship service. This worship is designed for busy families who want to have their weekends free to go to the cabin/lake/baseball game/garden (or just to sleep in for a change).

The music for the service will be upbeat and kid-friendly and will be a combination of gospel standards, praise & worship music, and current country charts.  The scripture and message will be the same as Sunday morning service.

The service will be at 6:30 pm on Wednesday, starting right as the Farmer’s Market is closing down. So you can come, grab dinner from the food trucks at the market, and stay for the lively music and worship. It will be an easy way to “unplug” for an hour during your mid-week busyness and recoup/recharge/renew. REVIVE with great music and God’s message…We hope to see you there.