November Birthday Blessings November 2020

The monthly newsletter of

Paynesville Lutheran Church

· · Point others to Jesus Love generously and gracefully Cultivate disciples

November 2020 November Birthday Blessings

1 Donna Ahrens

2 JoAnn Yarmon, Jeremy Reiter, Lincoln Williams, Bill Amann

4 Andrea Guzy

5 Vance Utsch

6 Brooks Heimerman

7 John Larson, Rowyn Hellermann

8 Kaitlin Haase, Paul Shepherd, Allie Stanger

9 Alexander Naujokas

10 Steve Larson, Garrett Leusink

11 Carol Dreyling, Ashley Eisenbraun, Wyman Nepsund, Kyleigh Tangen, Azalea Utsch

12 Kristi Leusink, Arlene Neuman

13 Bob Gardner, Melissa Stanley, Vic Wyffels, Brett Lieser

14 Bryan Larson, Preston Lieser

15 Morgan Soine

16 Callie Bennett, Melissa Evans

17 Brenda Evans, Deb Heitke,

18 Josh Hellerman, Henry Jensen, Ann Larson, Mary Schmidt, Arlene Sullivan

19 Jamie Fearing

20 Logan Klein, Natalie Utsch

21 Rick Brady, Leland Kuechle

22 Stacy Rindahl, Roni Reiter, Collin Bonnema

23 Andrew Hendrickson

25 Ross Amundson

26 Larry Larsen, Wally Payne, Caroline Stanger, Khloey Kleven

27 Nora Ellefson, Sue Stahl, Gerald Meyer

29

Taylor Reiter, Grayson Nepsund

Worship With Us!

Sunday Morning

9:30 a.m. In - Person Worship (reservations required) also live on Facebook & YouTube

Wednesday Evening

6:00 pm On-line Worship (Facebook & YouTube)

Are You Heading South for the Winter?

If you are planning on going south for the winter please contact the church office as soon as possible. The sooner you are able to contact us the easier it will be to get things forwarded in a timely manner. If you gave us this information last year you still need to let us know so we can verify information.

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Indoor Worship

With the onset of colder weather, it had become obvious that we were not going to be able to worship outdoors much longer. With that fact the Church council and the PLC COVID-19 taskforce put together a plan to offer worship inside the sanctuary. You will find below those guidelines and some pertinent information regarding keeping everyone safe as we join for in-person indoor worship. To review our guidelines visit our website www.paynesvillelutheran.org

Operation Christmas Outreach

We are pleased to announce we will be working with our local Community Center for the 9th year in a row to conduct our Operation Christmas Outreach project! For those of you who are not familiar with Operation Christmas Outreach: This is an outreach project that our entire congregation has embraced. Our mission of the month for November is to raise funds and awareness for those less fortunate; these funds are used to purchase Christmas gifts for teenagers in our community. This is our way of reaching out to our community and being the hands of Christ. What better time of the year to make Him known to others. We ask that you pray for the teens in our area that will receive the gifts this Christmas season, that our church may make an everlasting impact that shows Christ loves them and has allowed us to share that love with them at Christmas and within our community each day. We would encourage you to consider making a donation toward this project, you can do this by simply placing funds in an envelope within the offering and noting it is for “Operation Christmas Outreach” or you could mail your donation to church and ensure you mark it accordingly.

New Members

In a normal year we would have had several opportunities for individuals and families to join the Paynesville Lutheran Congregation in a more formal way. Though we rejoice in that formal process to become a member of this faith community, you do not need to be a member to be a part of this faith

community. You will always be welcomed to worship and invited to join in the many opportunities to be community together. Being a member is a meaningful way to say that you would like to be fully invested in the ministry we share. During this time of physical distancing and in an effort to take great precaution for everyone’s health we will be welcoming new members in a different way.

If you or someone you know would like to discuss what being a part of Paynesville Lutheran Church entails, we invite you to reach out directly to our church office and set up a phone or zoom conversation with one of our pastors. We are at your disposal to answer questions and discuss our shared vision. We look forward to hearing from you!

Virtual Hunger Meal Event

A Hunger Meal is a way to experience the feelings that many people experience regularly - not getting enough to eat at a meal.

You are invited to participate in a virtual hunger meal on Thursday, Nov. 19 beginning at 6:30 pm on Zoom. After you register for the meal, you will be sent your meal plan for the meal. Some families will be in the wealthy category where you will prepare a full meal for your family to eat together at the 6:30 on zoom, other families will be in the poor category where you will have less food to prepare for the 6:30 meal that we will all enjoy together while we talk about world hunger. You must sign up ahead of time to receive the menu that you will prepare and to let us know how many are participating. Each household will have one type of meal to prepare and will all be eating the same food. This event will require $ to participate as you will have to purchase the meal ingredients and prepare them in advance of our 6:30 zoom meeting. The idea will be to sit down to eat together and chat during our 6:30 zoom meeting. There is a minimum of 4 households to sign up in order to hold the event. Please contact Kari at [email protected] if you have any questions. Registration link will be posted on our website.

Pastor Paul’s Health

As many of you know, over the past several months I have been on medical disability to heal from a concussion that I sustained last fall. I never would have guessed that the process would have taken this long. Over the past several months as I continued to heal and gain strength, I have been able to return to work at PLC. Since last spring I have been able to preach and preside at worship but little else. With the help of some amazing medical care I began increasing my hours several weeks ago and I so happy to say that I am now back full time! I do still have difficult days and I continue with some of my therapies, but I feel much better now.

I however, do not take my illness lightly. I am keenly aware of how patient you all have been in my absence and I am eternally grateful to everyone for the prayers, words of encouragement and the endless support. Thank you for showing me and my family so much compassion during this past year. Thank you also, to the staff of PLC, to Pastor Adam, Tammy, Kari and Colleen for stepping up and carrying more of the load than you signed on for. Not one of them complained ever, but I know how much they all stepped up to give me the time I needed to heal. Thank you also to the PLC Church council for your support in the process and for being patient with me as I had to step away from my responsibilities and for welcoming me back!

So many “thank yous” to share. I have been truly blessed by your care and compassion.

Thank You!

Pastor Paul

This fall certainly hasn’t been what any of us expected or desired, but in all areas at PLC we continue to explore unique ways to be church together despite the restrictions. We’ve had to shift our normal approach to Wednesday evening ministry and, challenges notwithstanding, we’ve discovered some rich and exciting ways to learn and grow together. Several members of our congregation have been taking advantage of what we’ve named the PLC Academy – a set of learning tracks developed around overall themes with intergenerational material and activities to do at one’s own pace. Throughout our learning together, we’ve gathered on Wednesday evening for Zoom conversations with others participating in the same track to share what we’ve done and what we’ve learned.

Session #1 included six different tracks – Racial Justice, Exploration, Creation, Lutheranism 101, Reading the Bible, and Arts & Music. Some of the highlights from our three weeks together were the rural church trips Pastor Paul led for participants, the beautiful submissions we received from Confirmation students exploring God’s creation, some creative (and hilarious) videos re-telling Bible stories, and the transformational discoveries and conversations around race and justice.

Beginning this week, we’re embarking on Session #2 of the PLC Academy with three tracks from the first session (Lutheranism 101, Exploration, Racial Justice) and three new tracks (Food, Prayer Practices, Worship). You can still sign up to participate in this learning community with us! You can register and find everything you need to know on our website under the PLC Academy menu.

A HUGE ‘Thank You’ to those who have boldly joined us in this new venture and we’re grateful to each and every one of you who will join us along the way!

New Life to the Old Shed!

The church utility shed has been well used over the years and in need of some TLC. Last year the Council approved the moving of the shed to make it easier for snow removal and to access electricity from the garage. The Endowment Committee also approved a generous gift to repair the siding and replace the doors. Thank you to Steve Whitcomb and Don Mayer for spearheading this project and submitting a request to the endowment. Thank you to Nate Rindahl, Steve Whitcomb, Don Mayer, and Rick Hoyme for doing all the labor to replacing the siding and doors. Also, thank you to everyone who helped move the shed last year to its new home closer to the garage!

Upcoming Event Candle Time - Prayer Stations

Wednesdays (November 4, 11, and 18) from 7:00-9:00 PM in the Fellowship Hall, 30-minute time slots for a maximum of ten people at a time. *You must pre-register to limit the number of people in the space at one time. You will need to wear a mask and practice appropriate physical distance at all times while in the building. You may enter the building from the outside doors leading into the Fellowship Hall.

Just Press Play!

Were you unable to be with us last Sunday? Want to remember something you heard in worship? Just can’t get enough? Head to the Paynesville Lutheran Church YouTube page for past sermons, worship services, and other video content for you to enjoy! Another great way for you to stay connected to what’s happening at PLC! Just search ‘Paynesville Lutheran Church’ to see what’s playing!

Be Part of our Memory Tree

Have you ever noticed the different trees that we have around our church building? We always have the "Hat and Mitten" tree where you can bring in new or gently used hats and mittens to share with the Community Service Center. We also have the tree with all the ornaments and paper tags on them. That tree is our Memory Tree. The ornaments on that tree are given in memory of someone who has passed away and the ornaments usually have a special meaning for the family of that person. You can see who each ornament is remembering by looking at the tag connected to each one. As we all know, the holidays can be a difficult time as we remember those who we have lost in the years past. If you would like to share an ornament in memory of someone that you love, please feel free to bring an ornament into the church office and we will get you set up with the tag to attach to the ornament. After Christmas the ornaments will be stored away until next year to be used again. As you notice the unique ornaments on the tree, please take a minute to pray for the families whose loved ones are memorialized on the tree.

Communion You may have noticed that communion has looked a little different over the past several months at PLC. We are now using individually wrapped communion elements. We are so thankful for these elements. They make it possible for us to continue sharing in the Lord’s Supper. During this time, we have moved from weekly communion to every other week. If you join us in person, we will have these elements available for you on your seat, but we know that many of you are joining us via the internet or by TV.

Please continue to join us via these forms of community if that is safer for you. We encourage you to take all the safety precautions necessary for you and your family’s safety. That being said we would still like to share in communion with you. Starting this week, we will have the communion cups/wafers available for you to pick up at church. If you are unable to pick up the communion elements please call the church office and we will get you what you need.

If you are picking up elements for you and/or others in your area, the best time to get them would be on Monday and Thursday mornings between 8-noon. When picking up ele-ments you are encouraged to take elements for the month or perhaps 2 months at a time.

Then, when we celebrate communion every other Sunday you can join us from home. Give the Gift of Warmth

Now that winter weather is here we will be collecting new or gently used hats, mittens and scaves for the Community Service Center. You can place your donations in the donation box in fellowship hall. Thank you for your continuing support of those in our community who need our help.

The church office will be open Mondays and Thursdays from 8:00am-12:00pm. We are following safety guidelines and are requiring each person entering the building to wear a mask and practice social distancing. We will only have the church office open at this time. Please do not hesitate to call

the office at anytime and leave a message. We are here to help and guide you the best we can during this unusual time.

For those who are not aware, Teal’s Market has a wonderful “1% Receipt Rebate Program.” It is an easy way for local non-profits to earn money for their organizations. Simply shop at Teal’s Market, bring us

your receipts, and we’ll earn 1% back on all your qualifying purchases. Paynesville Lutheran Church already utilizes this program, so please bring your receipts from Teal’s Market to help us earn more from this great program. This is an ongoing program so you can bring in receipts from any past purchases.

Thank you!

Nothing about 2020 has been easy. That is certainly true about our life together as a congregation. Even with these challenges I would like to commend you and this whole congregation for persevering through this uncertain time, trusting in our God, and for supporting the ministry we share even when none of us were all that certain about what to do next. We have tried a lot of things and many have worked, but some have not. Thank you for your patience with us as we have experimented together!

We spoke a great deal before this pandemic about how a church is really at its core, a group of individuals that love God and do our best to love our neighbor. That work is a part of our life within our beautiful church but a great deal more is our ministry outside the walls.

You have embraced that ministry by reaching out to your neighbor and you have done that ministry by checking in with those that are hurting, you have done that important work by continuing to be an active member of this church even when that means we aren’t able to gather in person in the same ways that we are used to.

Thank you for being an example to other congregations, for being supportive even when you weren’t to sure what we were going to come up with next, for giving us the benefit of the doubt and for walking with us in our own wondering and challenges.

Church isn’t what we want it to be right now, but it is my fervent prayer that we can grow stronger in the midst of these challenges that we can be innovative when we are called to do so and that we can find ritual and comfort in the foundation of our church – Jesus Christ!

Listen, nothing is off the table, no idea is ridiculous. If you have an idea of how we can be church together in a better way, share it. Each day we have a new start, a new opportunity to love our neighbor and to be church together! Thank you for all the ways you make that a part of your life and also make it possible for us to join you!

Confirmation

Many confirmation students and parents have contacted us with questions and concerns. We continue to encourage our students, parents, families and individuals to participate in the PLC Academy. These tracks are informative and extremely engaging. Much of the content of these tracks can be download and printed off and others involve activities that can be done away from the computer screens. There is a component of the Academy that provides an opportunity to connect with one another via Zoom on Wednesday evenings. Join us for worship at 6 pm and the zoom call for the corresponding tracks at 6:30 or 7:15 pm (see Academy Article for more information).

We are well aware of the overwhelming need to be in person with one another. We are in the process of arranging such opportunities for confirmation students. These opportunities will be physically distanced and in small groups. As we develop these opportunities, know that if you are uncomfortable joining in person you may continue to connect via zoom. These opportunities do not take the place of the Academy but rather stand to augment them.

More information will be coming very soon to each confirmation student’s household. If you have any questions please contact Pastor Paul [email protected] or 320-243-3624.

We know that many ages and groups would like to gather in person as well. As we have requirements of our confirmation students it is important to have these opportunities so that we can help guide them to achieve their goal of affirming their baptisms.

If you are in need of pastoral care, we encourage you to call the church office and connect with a pastor. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you are need of spiritual support of any kind. God bless you and your family.

Thanksgiving Eve Ecumenical Service at St Louis Catholic Church Has been

CANCELLED!

We would typically join all the churches in Paynesville on Thanksgiving Eve and share in a worship of thanks to God. With the increase in COVID-19 cases in our area and in an effort to do our part to keep each other safe this event is cancelled for this year. We look forward to continuing this tradition next year!