Emphasis One: We Are Church Brothers and sisters in Christ, Have you ever wondered that it means to be the Church? Or, what it means to be Lutheran for that matter? Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton has written a wonderful four-part study that takes a good look at what she calls the “Four Emphases” of our Chris- tian faith. Specifically, “We are Church. We are Lutheran. We are Church Together. And, We are Church for the Sake of the World. ” With fall here, many of us will be settling in and enjoying the cooler weather indoors. This makes it an ideal time to highlight some of her thoughts over the next four months for prayer and reflection. This study came to be because as Bishop Eaton served as a synodical bishop she was concerned that the church was edging toward seeing itself more as a nongovernmental organization or non- profit similar to organizations like the American Cancer Society. She knew that we are much more than that. We are church. We are Christ’s living, breathing body here on earth. Through our baptismal call and commis- sion, we are to go out into the world and share the love of Christ will all people as a witness to his presence in our lives. We do so empowered by the Holy Spirit acti- vated in us at our baptism. This month, I want to share with you some of Bishop Eaton’s writings on “We are Church.” “Emphasis One: We Are Church” “How is the church the assembly of saints? What are signs that the gospel is purely taught? We use the word “church” to describe several related but different things. Sometimes we mean organization or institutions of varying sizes and scope that have a constitution and bylaws, plus property, procedures and payrolls. Sometimes we mean a building or a public activity that takes place in that building—that is, wor We are Church continued on page 3 Augustana Lutheran Church | Grace for the Journey 520 University Avenue Grand Forks, ND 58203-3575 Phone: (701)775-3187 Email: [email protected]Website: www.augustanachurchgf.org Facebook: Augustana Lutheran, Grand Forks NON-PROFT ORG. US POSTAGE PAID Grand Forks, ND Permit #232 A monthly publication of Augustana Lutheran Church | www.augustanachurchgf.org October 2020 Important: Dated Material—Mailed September 30, 2010 Interested in a Book & DVD Study this Fall? by Pr. Roger Brockmeyer Ever used one of these sayings: "Everything happens for a reason," "God helps those who help themselves", “God won't give you more than you can handle", "God said it, I believe it, that settles it", "Love the sinner, hate the sin”." If you have, you might be interested in studying this short, very readable book by Adam Hamilton, Half Truths, God Helps Those Who Help Themselves and Other Things the Bible Doesn't Say” which includes DVD segments to en- hance the study times. They are simple phrases. They sound Christian - like something you might find in the Bible. They capture some element of truth, yet they miss the point in im- portant ways. If you are interested, contact the Church Office to secure a copy for the 5 - 6 ses- sions needed to cover the book. Thursday October 15-November 19 th Time: 6:30 pm Social Distancing in the Sanctuary (please wear a mask) Virtual Option May Also be Available Upon Request A heartfelt “Thank you!” for all of your pray- ers, cards, and other expres- sions of grati- tude marking my 5 th anniversary of call here at Augustana! What a joy it is to walk alongside of you during this time! Together, we are the Body of Christ as we love and care for one another, and reach out to serve our neighbors and beyond. ~ Blessings, Pr. Jo
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Emphasis One: We Are Church
Brothers and sisters in Christ,
Have you ever wondered that it means to be the Church? Or,
what it means to be Lutheran for that matter? Presiding Bishop
Elizabeth Eaton has written a wonderful four-part study that takes
a good look at what she calls the “Four Emphases” of our Chris-
tian faith. Specifically, “We are Church. We are Lutheran. We
are Church Together. And, We are Church for the Sake of the World.” With fall here, many of us
will be settling in and enjoying the cooler weather indoors. This makes it an ideal time to highlight
some of her thoughts over the next four months for prayer and reflection.
This study came to be because as Bishop Eaton served as a synodical bishop she was concerned
that the church was edging toward seeing itself more as a nongovernmental organization or non-
profit similar to organizations like the American Cancer
Society. She knew that we are much more than that.
We are church. We are Christ’s living, breathing body
here on earth. Through our baptismal call and commis-
sion, we are to go out into the world and share the love
of Christ will all people as a witness to his presence in
our lives. We do so empowered by the Holy Spirit acti-
vated in us at our baptism. This month, I want to share
with you some of Bishop Eaton’s writings on “We are
Church.”
“Emphasis One: We Are Church”
“How is the church the assembly of saints? What are
signs that the gospel is purely taught?
We use the word “church” to describe several related
but different things. Sometimes we mean organization
or institutions of varying sizes and scope that have a
constitution and bylaws, plus property, procedures and
payrolls. Sometimes we mean a building or a public
activity that takes place in that building—that is, wor
We are Church continued on page 3
A u g u s t a n a L u t h e r a n C h u r c h | G r a c e f o r t h e J o u r n e y
A monthly publication of Augustana Lutheran Church | www.augustanachurchgf.org
October 2020
Important: Dated Material—Mailed September 30, 2010
Interested in a Book & DVD Study this Fall?
by Pr. Roger Brockmeyer
Ever used one of these sayings: "Everything happens for a reason," "God
helps those who help themselves", “God won't give you more than you can
handle", "God said it, I believe it, that settles it", "Love the sinner, hate the
sin”." If you have, you might be interested in studying this short, very readable
book by Adam Hamilton, Half Truths, God Helps Those Who Help Themselves
and Other Things the Bible Doesn't Say” which includes DVD segments to en-
hance the study
times.
They are simple phrases. They sound
Christian - like something you might find
in the Bible. They capture some element
of truth, yet they miss the point in im-
portant ways.
If you are interested, contact the Church
Office to secure a copy for the 5 - 6 ses-
sions needed to cover the book.
Thursday October 15-November 19th
Time: 6:30 pm
Social Distancing in the Sanctuary
(please wear a mask)
Virtual Option May Also be Available
Upon Request
A heartfelt “Thank you!” for all of your pray-ers, cards, and other expres-sions of grati-
tude marking my 5th anniversary of call here at Augustana! What a joy it is to walk alongside of you during this time! Together, we are the Body of Christ as we love and care for one another, and reach out to serve our neighbors and beyond.
~ Blessings, Pr. Jo
October,
November, &
December
Christ in Our
Home
The October, November,
and December Christ in
Our Home is available in
the Church Office. If you
would like a copy, stop
by the office and pick
one up, or call the Church Office and ask that one
be sent to you.
Augustana supports and sponsors several community outreach opportunities and request your
help. There are marked baskets and collection boxes in our Narthex. Items in the boxes are
collected periodically. Thank you for your continued donations to these ministries.
St. Joseph’s Social Care, Northlands Rescue Mission, and Salvation Army Food Pantry:
Collections of food, health and beauty items (including laundry supplies and baby supplies).
Place your items into the shopping cart in the Narthex and they will be delivered.
The Dakota Science Center: Recycle your ink cartridges - Proceeds fund science education
for youth.
Sons of Norway: The Sons of Norway collects cancelled stamps for the TUBFRIM pro-gram. Postmaster Ditlef Frantzen in Nesbyen, Norway established TUBFRIM in 1928. The aim was to collect and sell used stamps and use the proceeds to aid the eradication of tuberculosis among Norwegian children. TUBFRIM is owned by the Norwegian Health Association. Today profits are used to help children and youth with disabilities. Cut stamps off envelopes leaving 1/8 to ¼ inch of envelope around the stamp. A collection box for stamps Is located in the Narthex.
Texas Roadhouse Sunday
Bulletin Fundraiser
Now when you dine at Texas Roadhouse on Sunday, take your Sunday Bulletin and 10% of your meal cost will be donat-ed to Augustana by Texas Roadhouse. Just give your bulletin to the person tak-ing your payment.
Support Augustana Lutheran Church While You Shop
at Amazon!
Did you know that you can now support the
Augustana Lutheran Church ministries when
you make an Amazon online purchase? Shop
via https://smile.amazon.com and select
Grace for the Journey (Augustana’s
Recovery ministry) when you check out. A
portion of your purchase price will be donated
back to our ministry.
Thank you for your continued support!
Augustana Elected Leadership
President: Emily Fossen
Vice President:
Secretary: Diane Hillebrand
Treasurer: Dave Jahnke
Council Members:
Taycee Butts
Ruth Christianson
Kelly Eggen
Dianne Haugen
Jim McIntyre
Laura Munski
Reed Olson
Advisor to the Council:
Diana Randall
Nominating Committee:
Marlyce Ballingrud
Joanne Bragg
Jan Flatin
Judy Pitts
Kathy Smart
Lee Smith
Synod Assembly Delegrates:
Roger & Susie Brockmeyer
Dianne Haugen (alternate)
Carol Snortland (alternate)
Red Willow Bible Camp Ambassadors:
Roger Brockmeyer
Dennis Laudal
Grand Forks Homes Representative:
Penny Millspaugh
Join us for
“Campus Ministry Sunday”
October 4th at 10:00 am
(in-person or over Facebook Live)
We are pleased to welcome a member of Christus
Rex Lutheran Campus Center at UND with us dur-
ing Worship to share their story and how God is at
work through this ministry.
Thank you to Ruth Roos for helping get
the September Messenger ready to mail.
Thank you to Ruth Roos and Beverly Strom-
stodt for putting together the school kits to be
sent to Lutheran World Relief.
Thank you to Dave and Judy Jahnke for
the pumpkins used to decorate.
Thank you to Dave Jahnke, Harold Ran-
dall, Lee and Carla Smith, and Wayne Spicer
for putting the soil around the foundation,
seeding & fertilizing.
Thank you to the Larry Berg family for the
lawn care this summer.
Thank you to Harold Randall for continued
upkeep of our landscaping.
Thank you to Laura Munski for caring for
the plants in the Church Library.
Sarah Circle will meet
October 20th at 1:00pm
in the Social Room.
Anna Circle will not meet at this time. We will let you know
when we will resume our monthly meetings.
Sponsor Our Live Stream
Worship Services
Are you interested in helping to sponsor a Sun-
day morning live stream Worship service? At
the July Church Council meeting, it was
decided to continue our live streaming services
even with the church doors provisionally open.
This decision was based on the participation of
the Livestream viewing each Sunday. Estimat-
ed costs to broadcast these services are
$25.00 per week.
If you would like to sponsor a weekly broadcast,
there are sign up sheets on the “post” in the
Narthex next to the Missionary sign up sheets.
You may also indicate if your sponsorship is
Honor of or in Memory of someone. Sponsor-
ship will be announced each week during the
Welcome and Announcement portion of Wor-
ship. Thank you for your prayerful support of
our services.
We Say “Thank You!” to our
Livestream Worship Broadcast
Sponsors
Jane Johnson in Memory of
Keith Johnson and Brad Johnson
Wayne Spicer in Memory of
Sherry Bostrom Spicer
Lowell & Marian Nelson in Honor of
Jozy’s liver donor
Harold and Diana Randall
Cliff & Betty Purpur
Omer Larson
Todd Ekren
Worship at 10:00 am: In person/public
worship continues following CDC guidelines.
These include:
Social Distancing
Wearing Masks (available at all
entrances)
Sanitizing Hands
Check our website or call the Church Office
for a complete list. As of this writing, it has
gone well. Our Council will continue to mon-
itor CDC guidelines and make adjustments
moving forward.
October Altar Guild
Phyllis Tweton - Jan Flatin
Marlyce Ballingrud - Ruby Curbello
Please be assured, the Altar Guild prepares the
Communion elements during this time following
CDC guidelines. They wash their hands, and
wear masks and gloves for your safety.
Both Audio and Video
Live Stream Continue
Just a reminder that during this time of social
distancing we now have 2 different ways to
join in on Sunday morning Worship at
10:00 am. Either listen to our Worship ser-
vice, or watch the service through live stream-
ing via our Facebook:
“Augustana Church, Grand Forks”
or our website:
augustanachurchgf.org.
A PDF version of our weekly bulletin is also
linked to our website.
Especially during this time,
we thank you for remembering
Augustana Lutheran Church
with your continued financial support.
Your prayerful financial tithes, gifts and of-
ferings help to support our day-to-day and
ongoing ministries. Your gifts may be
dropped off at or mailed to the Church Of-
fice. You may also give online through our
website: www.augustanachurchgf.org
Online Giving
Creative Circles Update—Tentative January Start
Creative Circles have been on hold since April due to COVID-19. We were
not able to have our “reopening” session on Wednesday, September 16th
with Prairie Harvest, but we are looking at meeting in January, but no deci-
sion has been made yet. We will let you know when this session will be held.
Thank you for your continued patience and prayers. ~ Pr. Jo & Lori
Quilting Will Meet October 14th &15th
Augustana’s Quilters met Monday and Tuesday,
September 14th
and 15th. It was nice to have this
group “in house” again. They will be meeting Octo-
ber 12th
and 13th
Come and join the quilters for
some creative fun and fellowship. Bring your own
~ What’s Happening at Augustana ~
Thursday, October 1st
6:00 pm Hospitality Team Sunday, October 4
th 8:45 am Choir Practice
10:00 am Livestream and In-person Worship 11:15 am Confirmation Orientation Meeting ` 3:00 pm Way of Life Monday, October 5
th 6:00 pm TOPS
Sunday, Octobe11
th 10:00 am Livestream and In-person Worship
11:15 am Property Team 3:00 pm Way of Life Monday, October 12
th 9:00 am Quilting
6:00 pm TOPS Tuesday, October 13
th 9:00 am Quilting
5:15 pm Near North Neighborhood Meeting 6:15 pm Executive Council 6:30 pm Church Council Thursday, October 15
th 6:30 pm Half Truths Book Study in Sanctuary
Sunday, October 18
th 8:45am Choir Practice
10:00 am Livestream and In-person Worship ` 3:00 pm Way of Life Monday, October 19
th 6:00 pm TOPS
Tuesday, October 20
th 1:00 pm Sarah Circle in the Social Room
Thursday, October 22 Articles due for the Messenger 6:30 pm Half Truths Book Study in Sanctuary Sunday, October 25
th 8:45 am Choir Practice
10:00 am Livestream and In-person Worship ` 3:00 pm Way of Life Monday, October 26
th 6:00 pm TOPS
Thursday, October 29
th 6:30 pm Half Truths Book Study in Sanctuary
Sunday, November 1
st Daylight Savings Time Ends—Turn Clocks Back 1 Hour
Fall Into Giving—LWR Baby Care Kits As a physical offering, Augustana is collecting items to make Baby Care Kits for Lutheran World Relief. Our aim is to assem-ble 24 Care Kits to send. Many items have already been gath-ered thanks to donations, flannel from the Quilters, and Thrivent Action funds. To meet our goal, your help is appreciated!
We are still in need of the following items to complete our kits: Lightweight cotton t-shirts (no onsies) Baby gowns or sleepers without
feet Jacket, sweater, or sweatshirt with
a hood (or include a hat) Baby socks Bath size bars of gentle soap (8-9
oz.) any brand, in original wrap-ping
Hand towels—darker colors pre-ferred
We thank Thrivent Action funds for assisting with purchasing these items. Donations can be dropped off in the Church Office. We also welcome your financial gifts. Dona-tions can be placed in the offering plate, dropped off or mailed to the Church Office. Please put “LWR kits” in the memo line. Completed kits will be shipped to Lutheran World Relief October 12-16
th.
God’s Work. Our Hands 2020 Challenge Recap ~ by Pr. Jo Gast
God’s Work. Our Hands
Sunday met with some won-
derful service project by Au-
gustana folks. Together, we
put together 2nd
Anniversary
gift baskets for the LaGrave
on First residents, tie-dyed facial masks that were giv-
en to LaGrave, our Sparklers, and others. We served
as good neighbors and helped with
outings. And, we did fall clean up
chores at the Boy Scouts of America building.
We are Church continued from page 1
ship—and maybe we mean both when we ask,
‘Are you going to church on Sunday?’ All
these uses are related to what is closer to the
heart of what the word ‘church’ means—namely—
people.
But which people and what kind of people are
they? Sometimes we talk as if it were our reli-
gious commonalities—shared convictions, a com-
mon tradition or history, similar spiritual experienc-
es—that make a church what it is. We talk as if
church were the people we choose—the people
who are like us, who share our benefits and pas-
sions, our commitments. . . and maybe our musi-
cal and artistic tastes in worship.
Is that it? Is that church? The New Testament
writers used a word for church—ekklesia—whose
root meaning was ‘called out.’ Yes, ‘church’
names a people who have been called out or cho-
sen, but the one doing the choosing makes all the
difference. According to the New Testament, the
church is the people God has chosen for God’s
own purposes.
Human choices about church can be foolish, fick-
le, self-serving, even exclusionary and divisive.
Too often the groups we choose are something
far less than the people God has chosen for life
together in Jesus Christ. We still make all kinds of
choices, but what makes us church is God’s gra-
cious, reconciling, liberating choosing.
Much is given to us in God’s choosing us. Per-
haps most important of all is a reconciled relation-
ship with God in Jesus Christ that is the founda-
tion for everything else that we are in all of life.