June 2020 Sharon Sharings Monthly Newsletter of Sharon Lutheran Church 1720 South 20th Street, Grand Forks ND | www.sharonlutheran.org | 701-772-3122 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die... a time to weep, and a time to laugh... a time to mourn, and a time to dance - Ecclesiastes 3: 1-4 For Everything there is a Season These verses have served as a mantra of sorts for me in this strange season of our lives. Living in the Midwest provides some insight into the hope and wisdom these words hold for us to- day. Each summer we embrace the long warm days and endure the mosquitos and sun burns. Each fall we embrace the beautiful changing leaves and endure our busy routines. Each win- ter we embrace the cozy nights in and endure the dangerous blizzards. Each spring we em- brace creation’s colorful growth and endure its floods. We are able to embrace the beauty and endure the difficulty of each season because we know that seasons are temporary. We are also able to embrace the beauty and endure the difficulty because we have the right tools. In summer we bring out the SPF and in winter we unpack our shovels and warmest coats. As we continue in both the season of summer and in this season impacted by Covid, there will be beauty to embrace and difficulty to endure. We do not know how long this sea- son will last. We do not know if this season is something that we will experience once or something that will cycle through, returning like the weather. What we do know is that all winters make their way to spring. As Easter people we trust in the hope that even in death God promises us resurrection and new life. Know that there are also tools to help us endure this season; we could think of them like our winter coats, but for our mental and spiritual health. If you are in need of practical tools like food to endure this season, please reach out. If you are looking for mental health tools to endure this season, one resource is Lutheran Social Services. Visit their website (lss.org) for contact information and articles about coping during this time. If you are look- ing for ways to connect with our Sharon Lu- theran Church family, contact the church office or a pastor. In this strange time, may you embrace the beauty of summer. May you seek out the tools to endure this time impacted by Covid - 19. May you trust in the wisdom of Ecclesiastes that, “for everything there is a season.” Pastor Dominique Buchholz
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June 2020
Sharon Sharings Monthly Newsletter of Sharon Lutheran Church
1720 South 20th Street, Grand Forks ND | www.sharonlutheran.org | 701-772-3122
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
a time to be born, and a time to die...
a time to weep, and a time to laugh...
a time to mourn, and a time to dance - Ecclesiastes 3: 1-4
For Everything there is a Season
These verses have served as a mantra of sorts
for me in this strange season of our lives. Living
in the Midwest provides some insight into the
hope and wisdom these words hold for us to-
day. Each summer we embrace the long warm
days and endure the mosquitos and sun burns.
Each fall we embrace the beautiful changing
leaves and endure our busy routines. Each win-
ter we embrace the cozy nights in and endure
the dangerous blizzards. Each spring we em-
brace creation’s colorful growth and endure its
floods.
We are able to embrace the beauty and
endure the difficulty of each season because we know that seasons are temporary. We are also
able to embrace the beauty and endure the
difficulty because we have the right tools. In
summer we bring out the SPF and in winter we
unpack our shovels and warmest coats.
As we continue in both the season of
summer and in this season impacted by Covid,
there will be beauty to embrace and difficulty
to endure. We do not know how long this sea-
son will last. We do not know if this season is
something that we will experience once or
something that will cycle through, returning
like the weather. What we do know is that all
winters make their way to spring. As Easter
people we trust in the hope that even in death
God promises us resurrection and new life.
Know that there are also tools to help
us endure this season; we could think of them
like our winter coats, but for our mental and
spiritual health. If you are in need of practical
tools like food to endure this season, please
reach out. If you are looking for mental health
tools to endure this season, one resource is
Lutheran Social Services. Visit their website
(lss.org) for contact information and articles
about coping during this time. If you are look-ing for ways to connect with our Sharon Lu-
Memorials In loving memory of Dick Walsh: Phil & Shelly
Amundson, Vicki & Rod Jensen, Mary & Jim Thorsen, Jill
Dahlen, Ken & Kathy Johnson, Avis Semrau, Delores
Hippe, Rogette Shannon, Wayne & Joanne Fleischfresser,
Olga & Gary Holland, Debbie Kleven, Fred & MaryLou
Wittmann, Lyle & Yvonne Nelson, Dave & Ardis Braaten,
Jerry & Shirley Anderson
In loving memory of Rev. John Mehl, father of
Carolyn Tunseth: Bob & Sue Kerr, Ken & Kathy John-
son, Scott & Holly Bommersbach, Gary & Lona Spicer,
Rich & Karen Axvig, Bruce & Cheryl Nyhlen, Linda & Dick
Butler, Mary & Dean Schumacher
In loving memory of Loretta Quanbeck: Jeanette
Krogstad
In loving memory of Norman Sieg: Jeanette
Krogstad
20s & 30s Ministry
Sharon’s young adult ministry is done in partnership
with ELCA congregations in the Grand Forks area.
All 20s/30s folks are welcome to join the 20s/30s ELCA-GF Face-book group to keep up to date on virtual small groups and other minis-try opportunities this summer. Regularly pro-grammed gatherings are on break during the summer and will resume
in September.
Summer Family Service Project Plans for the last days of our church school year includ-
ed a service project for the new Sharon Lutheran
Church Children’s Library. Obviously, we didn’t get the
chance to complete this. We are inviting all families and
individuals to participate in the service project through-
out the summer. The project is to create a group mural
using individual 5” wood squares painted with something
that represents God’s creation: animals, people, plants,
sun, moon, stars, etc. We will be setting up two class-
rooms to accommodate one family (or adult individual)
at a time, disinfected before and after a painting session.
Directions and supplies will be provided. So...right now,
think about and plan your painting (all members of the
family may paint), watch for more information online,
and be ready to reserve your time spot on Sign Up Ge-
nius. Be a part of our Sharon community in an artistic
way!
Photo at right is an example of what the squares could look like.
Greetings and Encouragement to You All!
I just want to say thank you to all the students, fami-lies, volunteers, staff, and congregation of Sharon Lutheran for the support they have shown me in my first year of High School programming. Our youth have a wonderful heart for service, gifts for ministry, and openness to trying new ways of connecting with God. Blessings to you as you head into the summer break, and know that even though you won’t be in the building for a while, we are always here for you. I’ll be sure to continue checking in through-out the next few months, and I look forward to the day
we can gather again. ~Steve
What a year it has been! Thank you to everyone who is connected to Faith Formation Ministries at Sharon Lu-theran Church—students and their friends and families, our tremendous volunteers, and the staff here at Sharon. I am honored and blessed to be a part of so many wonder-ful ministries here at Sharon, and I appreciate the oppor-tunity to walk alongside all of you as we grow in faith to-gether. I miss all of you, and I can’t wait until we can be together again! You are all in my prayers, and please know that we are here for your if you need anything. Blessings
and peace, Dave
June 2020 News Faith Formation Ministries
COVID-19 Update: The following information and announcements are subject to change as we navigate
best practices in regards to the COVID-19 virus. Please follow Sharon’s Facebook page, website, and
weekly emails for updates. God’s peace to you in the midst of the unknowns.
Separate Together Ministry Highlights
Sharon Lutheran Church hosted its very first Middle School Virtual Lock-In on Friday, May 8th. Students and lead-ers gathered via Zoom for a scavenger hunt, trivia contest, and some much needed fellowship time. We also wrote a story together using items found in our homes and ended our evening by watching a movie together. It was so great to con-nect with these students after so many weeks apart, and we are definitely thankful for the technology with allows us to be
connected in these new ways!
Church School and
Confirmation registration is open for Fall 2020! Please
contact the office or register online at
sharonlutheran.org
2020-21 Volunteer Opportunities (Church School and Confirmation
Guide Needs)
As our Church School year came to a rather unexpected and abrupt end this year, we did not get a chance to celebrate our year with teachers, help-ers, and students. We invite you to reach out to your child’s teacher(s) to thank them and share some positive experiences from this past year. We are also looking ahead to the 2020-21 school year. We hope that our dedicat-ed volunteers will return; we will also be seeing more individuals to accept the call to teach or assist in a church school classroom. Please prayerfully consider where your best fit might be. We promise that there are no prereq-uisites other than a desire to share and
grow in your faith.
Elementary Online
and Pick-up Activities
Looking for ways to engage your little ones in learning
and growing in faith at home? Each Wednesday Sharon
Sharings email includes weekly children’s bulletins, as well as
a free video church school lesson through Sparkhouse.
There are weekly packets with activities related to the
Sunday worship lessons. These packets include such things
as cut and glue activities, puzzles, games, coloring pages, and
snacks for all ages. We provide most of the needed items
and can offer more if needed. If you and your children are
interested in getting these packets, they are available in
front of Door #1 with activities being changed each
Wednesday. Each packet has supplies for two children. If
you come for a packet and they are gone, please let the
church office know my phone (701-772-3122) or email edu-
We ended our program year together with a virtual lock-in last month. We look forward to seeing you at 4G (possibly
5G?) this fall. Have a great summer!
Middle School Mission Trip Update
Due to COVID-19 and the uncertainty of what travel is go-ing to look like this summer, Sharon Lutheran has made the decision to cancel our upcoming Middle School Mission Trip to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. We appreciate all of the under-standing and support we’ve received from our trip families and students. When one door closes, God opens another, and we have some exciting plans to serve right here in Grand Forks this summer. Stay tuned as we begin planning
and making announcements.
Re:New Online Thank you for a wonderful year of Re:New! We ended the year by handing our treat bags in the parking lot to the High Schoolers and sending them with a blessing for the summer. I’m looking for-ward to seeing you all back when
we can gather again. ~Steve
Uniquely You Online
Uniquely You for High School girls will meet again Tuesday, June 4th at 7 p.m. via Zoom. All girls grades 9-12 are welcome; contact Emilie DeKrey at 701-388-8355 to join. At his meeting, the group will decide if they plan to continue to meet through the
summer months.
Bible Bros Online Thank you to our High School boys for a great year of Bible Bros! We’ll plan to gather again
in September.
10th Grade Stole Making We still plan to make stoles, but are working on a timeline for when gathering restrictions will be lifted. I will be in touch when we decide on a plan for that, but until then, my hope is that students and mentors are checking in with each other and helping each other through an uncer-tain time. While you can’t meet in person, I’d suggest a video chat, texting, or a good old fashioned phone call. Keep supporting each other, and stay tuned for updates. ~Steve
High School Mission Trip Update
Due to COVID-19, and the uncertainty of what travel is going to look like this sum-mer, Sharon Lutheran has made the deci-sion to cancel our upcoming High School Mission Trip to Denver, CO. We appreci-ate all of the understanding, and support we’ve received from our trip families and students. Where one door closes, God opens another, and we have some excit-ing plans to serve right here in Grand Forks this summer. Stay tuned as we begin planning, and making announce-
ments.
Confirmation Instruction
6th-9th grade Confirmation students and their families have received resources to practice faith in the home. We concluded our program year with a small group gath-ering on Wednesday, May 6th. We give thanks for our Confirmation guides, and we look forward to another year of Confirma-tion instruction, whatever that will look like
for us this fall.
HIGH SCHOOL NEWS
1 Timothy 4:12— Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the be-lievers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.
Congratulations, graduates!
Your church family here at Sharon is so proud of you. You’re all going to have a unique story some day about parking lot ceremonies, commence-ment speeches over video chat, and sharing your special day in a much different way that has ever been done.
The Board of Youth, Pastor Dominique, Dave and myself were so happy to deliver gifts to our grad-uates recently. We hope we were able to bring some joy in a time of change and transition.
It was an honor to get to know many of Sharon’s graduates on our Mission Trip last summer and throughout the program year. Know that each of you will always have a home at Sharon Lutheran, and we will continue to pray and cheer you on as you go out to be an example of God’s love and a light to the world.
Board of Church in Society to sponsor food
drive
The Board of Church in Society would like to sponsor a food drive for the food pantry and the Backpack Pro-gram from now until the first of July. Please bring non-perishable food items to the church grocery carts located next to the elevator between 9:00 am—3:00 pm Monday through Friday. Items need-ed for the Backpack Program are ramen noodles, mac and cheese cups, 100% fruit juice pouches, instant oatmeal pack-ets (not containing nuts), individually packed snack items (not containing nuts)
and applesauce/fruit cups.
Scam texts and emails
Recently, members of Sharon Lutheran have received texts and mes-
sages that look like they are from our Pastoral Staff. PLEASE KNOW
that no staff member will send out texts or email messages ask-
ing members for gift cards, money, or other kinds of assistance.
If you get an email that is signed by Pastor Lynn, Pastor Dominique,
Deacon Jamie, or any staff member, look at the address it was sent from.
All of our email addresses end with @sharonlutheran.org. If it
does not come from an email address with that ending, it is NOT from us.
Text messages are a bit more difficult to track, but again, know that
we will NOT send text messages asking you for gift cards or money. If
you are unsure if a message you receive is from us, please call the church
office and ask.
We apologize that this is happening, but want you to be aware that
any such messages and requests are not from us. Thank you!
We need your help!
If you or someone you know is sick, in the hospital or
facing challenges, please let us know. We want to include
you in our prayers, and the Prayers of the People during
worship if you would like to be included in them.
Please know that we are available to you for conversa-
tions, as well. You can call the office and ask to speak to
Pastor Lynn, Pastor Dominique or Deacon Jamie, and we
would be happy to talk with you. Especially during these
days of not gathering together, it is difficult to keep track
of who is sick and in need of any kind. Please help us by
calling the church office and letting us know. We are here
for you!
Congratulations, Steve! Congratulations to Steve DeKrey, our Senior High
Youth Ministry Director! As some of you know, Steve has
decided to begin seminary to become a pastor. He will
begin the Distance Learning Program through Luther
Seminary in St. Paul, MN this fall. Distance Learning in-
volves taking classes online and incorporating what is
learned through working at a congregation. This program
usually takes about five years to complete. What that
means for us is that Steve will be taking some classes
online beginning this fall while he continues to work at
Sharon. We will be part of his education and have a part
in equipping Steve for ordained ministry!
One of the requirements to enter seminary is to be
approved by the Synod Candidacy Committee. Steve was
recently approved by the Eastern North Dakota Candida-
cy Committee. Congratulations, Steve! We look forward
to being a part of your journey to ordination!
“As each has received a gift, use it to
serve one another, as good stewards
of God’s varied grace.” First Peter 4:10
Hand-Up Program The Sharon Cares Board sponsors a Hand-Up
Program. We know that there are some members of
our congregation that sometimes need a little help
with the expenses of daily life. Maybe it is food for the
family this week, a new pair of shoes for the kids or a
tank of gas to get to work. Most likely, we have all
been there sometime during our life. So, when we
can, we would like to offer our fellow friends at Sha-
ron a “Hand-Up”. If you need help or know of a Sha-
ron member that needs help (with their permission)
please let a pastor or Sharon Cares team member
know.
The Sharon Cares team relies solely on congrega-
tional support. We do not have a designated church
budget. We would appreciate your support in either
of two ways – a $20 gift card from a gas station, gro-
cery store or retail store or a family donation. Please
leave your gift cards and/or donations in the church
office. Please designate for the Sharon Cares Hand-Up
Program. Thank you for your help. We make a dif-
ference during a friend’s stressful time. The Pastors
will confidentially work with members of our congre-