The Common Thread - Clover Sitesstorage.cloversites.com/highplainsministry/documents/newsletter_7.pdf · State Fair is over. And it won’t be long before the crops begin turning

Adams Mountain Lutheran PO Box 79 Adams, ND 58210 Bethlehem Lutheran PO Box 126 Doyon, ND 58327

Concordia Lutheran PO Box 37 Edmore, ND 58330

Lawton Lutheran PO Box 26 Lawton ND 58345

Nekoma Lutheran 302 Dakota St. Nekoma, ND 58355

Our Redeemer’s Lutheran PO Box 107 Fairdale, ND 58229 United Lutheran Church PO Box 168 Brocket, ND 58321 Staff: Rev. Don Reynolds Office: 701-644-2486 Cell: 701-305-0131 Home: 701-644-2492 Email:[email protected]

Rev. Jodi Myrvik Office: 701-644-2486 Home: 701-644-2257 Cell: 701-265-2409

Office Assistant Stephanie Matejcek Home: 701-655-3682 Cell: 701-304-0126 Email:

[email protected]

The nights are getting longer. School supplies are on sale again. The

State Fair is over. And it won’t be long before the crops begin turning colors. All of

this can only mean one thing, the summer is quickly coming to a close, whether

we are ready for it or not!

Looking back on my fourteenth summer with you, what a fantastic

summer it has been. We had 50 sweet souls join Pastor Jodi and I for our Hymn Sing/Picnic in the

Lawton Park. Thank you to everyone who helped to prepare and serve!

It was lots of fun, and it got me thinking: Thinking about church, this parish, and the mission that

God has for us in our little corner of North Dakota.

When I got home that afternoon, I reread the Great Commission that Jesus gave the new little,

fledgling and struggling church all those years ago on the dusty hills of Galilee. Not so unlike our

little, sometimes challenged Parish here on the high plains of North Dakota:

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the

Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And

remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” ~Matthew 28:19-20

In just those two verses Jesus says a lot, and luckily there is not enough room in this newsletter to

talk about all of it in this article. But there are three main things that Jesus tells us our purpose as

Christians and as the Body of Christ (the church) is to be.

“Go…and make disciples”

The Gospel, the Good News of Jesus Christ, is intended for everyone. Jesus wants us to not rest

until everyone has been told that He went to the cross to forgive their sins all so that they may have

life in his name.

“Teaching them”

But don’t forget about these new disciples that you have made. Now teach them. Help them grow in

their relationship with God, strengthening their faith; so that they will put their trust in God alone

rather than in the temporal things of this world.

“Obey everything I commanded you”

And what did Jesus command his disciples to do? “Love the Lord your God, and love your neighbor

as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37, 39)

Worship God, and serve your neighbor. That is what Jesus commanded his disciples to do. May we

think about that as we head into the fall and the new school year! Be inspired by your faith and ask

God to surprise you today!

In Christ,

Pastor Don

The Common Thread

High Plains Ministry August 2017

A lady went to her Pastor and said “Pastor, I won't be

going to your church anymore.” The Pastor responded

“But why?” The lady said “Ah! I saw a woman gossiping

about another member; a man that is a hypocrite; the

worship team living wrong; people looking at their phone

during service; among so many other things wrong in

your church.”

The Pastor replied “OK. But before you go, do

me a favor: take a full glass of water and walk around the church three times without

spilling a drop on the ground. Afterwards, leave the church if you desire.” The lady

thought: too easy! She walked three times around the church as the Pastor had

asked. When she finished, she told the Pastor she was ready to leave.

The Pastor said, “Before you leave I want to ask you one more question. When

you were walking around the church, did you see anyone gossiping?” The lady replied

“No.” “Did you see any hypocrites?" The lady said "No." "Anyone looking at their

phone?” “No.” “You know why?” “No.”

“You were focused on the glass, to make sure you didn't stumble and spill any

water. It's the same with our life. When we keep our eyes on Jesus, we don't have

time to see the mistakes of others. We will reach out a helping hand to them and

concentrate on our own walk with the Lord."

Since our July newsletter, the High Plains

Envelope fund has received memorial gifts in memory of

Melvin Jensen and Delores Zahradka. The fund also

received a generous gift of money after the Men’s Prayer

Group helped to clean out a house in Adams. Thanks

for your continued support.

We are hoping that our parish will be able to take

another meal to the Mission in August. A date has not

yet been set. People from our parish have continued to

take and send gently-used clothing. Much appreciated.

Again, we say, please remember that our High Plains Envelope fund is

available to anyone in the parish who would like to take a meal to the Mission. We

welcome new teams who would like to join this ministry. Just talk to one of our pastors

or me to get started.

Irene Levang, High Plains Northlands Rescue Mission Contact

1 Erma Matejcek (United)

1 Orine Drevecky (Mountain)

2 Ann Berg (Concordia)

2 Dorothy Johnson(Concordia)

3 Katie Hoime (Concordia)

5 Bruce Berg (Concordia)

6 Kristy Tronson (Bethlehem)

8 Pat Berggren (Nekoma)

8 Kayla Santiago (Lawton)

9 Lane Bina (Lawton)

9 Kenneth Olson (United)

10 Vernon Kelly (Lawton)

10 Eileen Moen (Nekoma)

10 Don Reynolds (Lawton)

12 Skip Lorenz (Lawton)

13 Arline Larson (Mountain)

14 Steve Tronson (Bethlehem)

14 Joanne Thompson (United)

14 David Tiistola (United)

15 Kevin Severtson (Bethlehem)

16 Roger Perkuhn (Bethlehem)

21 Paul Myrvik (Concordia)

24 Kent Matejcek (United)

30 Bryce Hoime (Concordia)

30 Marcy Ketelsen(Concordia)

30 Ryan Lorenz (Lawton)

31 Beatrice Grove (Mountain)

August Anniversaries

7 Kenneth & Luella Olson

(United)

15 Daryn & Kim Zinke

(Bethlehem)

16 Irvin & Gladys Hammer

(Our Redeemer’s)

Mary Sundeen would like to thank all of those who helped

to make her 100th

birthday party such a

special day. Over 200

family members and

friends gathered from

near and far to celebrate

this wonderful woman who has influenced so many.

I would like to thank everyone

for all the words of

encouragement, prayers,

cards, telephone calls, and

visits while I was taking a

series of immunology

treatments.

Also, thanks to Pastor

Don and Pastor Jodi for your visits and the prayer shawl

made by Debbie Anderson. The treatments are done so

hoping to get back to feeling good again!

God bless all of you!

Bryce & Kristy Hoime

Ladies Day Trip to Oscar Zero and Cooperstown

This great group of 23 ladies enjoyed the day touring the

Ronald Regan Minuteman Missile – Oscar Zero site just

north of Cooperstown. We had and amazing tour guide that

knew her stuff inside and out. We continued on our way

with a noon meal at Wooden Gardens Coffee and Gift

Shop located right in Cooperstown. We had a little free time

to stroll through the neighboring shops before boarding the

bus for our next stop. We made one last stop at the Lakota

City Library to have a tour of the new addition and get a

little background and history lesson on the existing and

new addition. We enjoyed coffee and dessert after the tour.

I believe that everyone was able to make it home without

running into any storms that afternoon/evening. Looking

forward to plans for next year’s Day Trip!

Well, ladies, this was such a great time and I am

so looking forward to next year already! So, I would like to

put a bug in your ear….come closer….can you hear me? I

think it would be fun to take a bus again next year and

maybe our destination could be up to Frost Fire Theatre for

dinner and the afternoon matinee at 2 p.m. So….was that

a big bug or just a little one?

Just something to think about. Tickets for a group

larger than ten would be roughly $40. I know it’s a little

more than what we have spent on outings in the past but

would so be worth it

Stephanie

Pictures submitted by Irene Leevang and

Joan Zahradka

This High Plains

Parish hosted a 90’s

Celebration. Pastor

Jodi led the

celebration for people

of the area that are 90

years of age or older

on July 18th at 2 p.m.

in the fellowship room

at Concordia.

Tables were

draped in linen tablecloths and fresh flowers from the

garden of Larry and Mary Legacie adorned the center of

each table.

Guests were seated and freshly brewed coffee

was served in fine china cups while introductions were

made and visiting occurred. A meal consisting of chicken

salad on a lettuce leaf, warm croissants and an Angel Food

Trifle was prepared by Irene Levang and Sally Diseth was

served by Becky Diseth and LouAnn Thorvilson.

Pastor Jodi presented our guests with Daily

Devotional booklet and a little wooden cross.

The honored guests ranged in age from 90 (the

youngest) to 101! Ten of the twenty-six invited were able

to attend.

Those honored and their guests that attended are:

Alyce Haugen and Laurie Haugen, Fern Arneson and Keith

Arneson, Ada Drevecky and Pam Fuhrnan, Jean Boesl

and Susanne Blair, Eloyce Holmes, Beatrice Grove and

Pat Hove, Junnis Dostert and Michelle Dostert, Walter

Gronhovd and Marion Hove, Joe Rosinski and Gene

Rosinski, Amelia Kjelaas and Doyal Diseth.

To all the well wishes and prayers from the great

people within the High Plains Parish.

We appreciated your kindness very much!

Mary Ann and Alfred Lindell

Concordia News

Where oh where has the year 2017 gone? Can any of you

believe that it is almost August? And the summer weather

is finally upon us. Isn't it fun to sweat! I'm just thankful that

I don't have to work outside in this glorious heat. I just sit

in the comfort of my air-conditioned house in my La-Z-Boy

relaxing and looking at beauty outside.

Back when I was a kid, August also meant that

soon we would be hearing the sounds of school bells.

That's right kids; school begins real soon. In my day, that

meant reading writing and arithmetic.

Betty Tollefson, resident of the Edmore Rest

Home, recently returned from a visit as a patient in

Langdon Hospital. She returned home and is very happy

to be amongst her friends and family. We greeted her at

the home with root beer floats, which she really enjoyed.

Back in 2015 when yours truly was going through

radiation and chemo treatments for colon cancer, I

received several get well and thinking of you cards from

ladies of Concordia. Junette Dahlen oversees cards and

sees to it that people receive notice from our church. She

is currently at Mercy Hospital in Devils Lake. Let's all keep

Junette in our prayers and if you have a moment, pick up

a pen and a sheet of paper and send her a note. I know

she would love to hear from each and every one of you

who read the common thread. I don't know if many of you

know this, but I was supposed to be the ringbearer at her

wedding to Mr. George (Bud) Dahlen; but that's another

story.

You can find almost everything at Walmart. The

other day I was shopping for weed be gone, I found a solar

angel and a beautiful red solar flower to put out on the

graves of my mom and dad. Sally and I were out there to

put them on the graves, when we returned to the house

she noticed some twigs in front of my rock garden. I told

her I was going to add them to my twig bucket that I have

in the garden. I told her I think they're very unique and

euphoric so I got to thinking: do any of you readers have

anything in your life that is unique or euphoric in your life?

Would you like to share it with the readers of the "common

thread"? Just let me know. I will be very happy to share any

of your unique or euphoric stories.

I've been noticing many yards around town, from

new siding on Bruce and Tammy Berg's house to the

unbelievable flowers and flower beds in Carrol Helle and

Carmen Nygaard's yards and also Tae Sun Nygaard has

several flower beds. All these places are very unique and

euphoric.

Starting the first Sunday in September we will no

longer have morning coffee before church services here at

Concordia. What am I going to do without my occasional

“Opal Sunday”? So many ladies have contributed to

bringing delicious goodies for all of us to enjoy, I have even

brought in the double stuffed Oreo cookies which were a

hit with the Johnson kids!

Joan Viger continues to deliver the Grand Forks

Herald daily around the city at Edmore. You can almost set

your clock by the time she will drive by. Tell me readers, is

this in anyway unique or euphoric?

Early in the month of July, David and Irene Levang

took a vacation trip to Medora where they met up with her

daughter Nicole and her husband Lynn. While there the

foursome hiked several trails throughout the area and of

course they took in the famous Medora musical. Irene told

me that she was looking forward to the next trip so they

could do more trails.

A few days after the Levang's returned from

vacation to Medora, Sally Diseth and her mother Shirley,

from Nekoma, made the over 6 hour drive to the western

part North Dakota. Of course, they took in the musical and

they took part in the pitchfork fondue which they said was

wonderful. Sally and Shirley didn't do any hiking but they

did do a lot of walking and going from shop to shop in the

area. Sally shows off this big blue tin flower which she has

placed right in the middle of her petunia patch in the front

of her house. Readers I can honestly tell you this blue tin

flower is certainly unique and definitely euphoric.

For some strange reason, I decided to have fun

with two rather unusual words; namely unique and

euphoric. The word unique is an adjective and is defined

as having no like or equal, being only one of its kind.

Euphoric is an adjective and is a feeling or state of well-

being. Our God and Savior is very unique. And God has

made all of us very euphoric human beings. Let us all

continue to talk to our unique God and he will continue to

bless us.

Until next time Doyal

Lawton News

Usher- Doug Legacie

WELCA serving and cleaning chair: Barbara Bina and

Marlyce Lorenz

Did you notice! A big thank you to Skip Lorenz for

completely re-constructing the outside church sign. It looks

new again with a new plexiglass door and light plus a coat

of paint. We know you spent many hours on the sign.

Thanks also to Skip and Darrell for finishing the roofing

over the entryway. Thanks to Marlyce for keeping the sign

updated with the Bible verses. Our church entry and step

have a fresh look after we had the carpet professionally

cleaned. Let's each do our part by wiping our feet on the

scatter rug as we enter.

Despite the lack of rainfall this summer Larry

Legacie has adorned our church with his beautiful floral

arrangements. Nathan has been doing a good job of

keeping the churchyard well groomed. Volunteers, Kathy

and Francis have been very busy pulling volunteer weeds

in the flower beds in the church yard. Your work is

appreciated and noticed.

The wheels on the bus go round and round as 23

women of the Parish boarded a bus for the day for a field

trip to Cooperstown. Thanks to Lakota School for supplying

the bus and Stephanie Matejcek, our driver, for driving and

supplying us with a tasty lunch at our last stop at Lakota

library. We all enjoyed the day. The tour was very

informative of the Ronald Reagan Minuteman Missile Sites

near Cooperstown. Oscar Zero site was the largest in the

last control site built. The Oscar Zero site was completed

in 1965 with Minuteman three missiles installed shortly

after completion. The Oscar Zero site consists of an above

ground launch center support building that house eight

persons. We learned how the personnel all lived in their

daily lives at the site. These people consisted of faculty

managers, security officers coming to maintenance teams

and chess. We took an elevator to the underground launch

control equipment building and launch control center. We

saw the concrete every blast door and witness they

equipment that could have been used by the missile Crew

to launch nuclear missiles. There was a two-person crew

that was responsible for monitoring, launching and

retargeting 10 nuclear missiles. We ended our tour by

viewing the newly remodeled Lakota Library.

Sunday morning church services are made more

joyful when we have full church pews. It's great to meet

and greet former members, family members and friends

and other summer visitors from far and near who worship

with us. We always welcome new faces as well as familiar

faces and hope you all will come back again when you are

in our area.

Just a reminder, now is a good time to shop for

some supplies to fill out a Lutheran world relief backpacks

which will be collected in October. The following is a list of

supplies that are needed for each backpack.

4–70 sheet notebooks, blunt scissors, 1-metric/inch ruler,

five unsharpened pencils and secure them with rubber

bands, one pencil sharpener, five ballpoint pens (no gel

pens) and secure these with a rubber band also, 1–21/4

inch long eraser and one box of 16–24 color crayons.

Pastor Jodi will order our nylon backpacks for a nominal

fee in place of Joan sewing them.

Upcoming events:

~ Red Willow Bible Camp Quilt auction, August 27, 2017

~Eastern ND WELCA Synodical Convention at Faith

Lutheran Church in Valley City, September 16, 2017

~Lawton Fall Dinner October 8, 2017

A vacation is having nothing to do and all day to do it in!

Submitted by Joan Zahradka

United News

Altar Chair for August is: Helen Tiistola and Briana Ryba

A big thank you goes out to Thor and Joanne

Thompson and Robbin and Doris McMorran for all the work

they do to maintain our lawn at the church.

Thank you to all that attended the Brocket Day

Church services in the Park.

WELCA will hold a brief meeting after church

services on August 13th.

Anyone wishing to write articles for the newsletter

just send them in on or before the Monday before the last

Sunday of the month.

Bethlehem News

ROOFING REPAIR PROJECT

Our council has accepted a bid of $9,100.00 from

Dean Wallace of New Rockford to fix and shingle our

church roof. AS OF JULY 19, 3 RESPONSES TO THE

DONATION REQUEST LETTER HAVE BEEN RECIEVED

by our financial secretary. Mr. Wallace intends to get

underway soon. The next time you drive by the church,

check out the poor condition of the roof. Send your

donations to Rosella Aronson, or include in the offering

plate at services.

Thank you to all who helped on work night in

June. Over a dozen members brought their supplies and

elbow grease. In addition to the clean-up, East Dakota

Steam Cleaners and Restoration of Lakota recently

stripped and waxed the entire basement floor. It looks

fantastic!

It's hard to believe it's time to mention this, but

wishing all our students, teachers and school staff a great

"back to school!" Also, let's keep our farmers, ag workers,

and their families in our prayers as harvest gears up soon!

Submitted by Kristy Tronson

Nekoma News

Greetings from the Edge of Nowhere Nekoma Lutheran

It is official, Mr. & Mrs. Josh & Mary Moen, what a

beautiful & wonderful wedding & reception.

God’s world is in it’s full intensity here in Northeastern

North Dakota. The lilies are blooming & blooming. The

June berries are at full plump. The raspberries melt in your

mouth. The snakes are basking in the warmth of the early

morning sun. Dragonflies are in mosquito control mode.

The sounds of baseball to bat, a fishing line to lure, the

laughter of family campout all pay tribute to this wonderful

& bountiful earth that God created just for you & I.

Appreciate & enjoy.

I must hurry as to not miss anything—

until next month Patty Anne.

Mountain News

Altar Guild for August:

No other news to report at time of printing.

Our Redeemer’s News

August: Lawn care and cleaning: Maynard & Bonnie Stoa

WELCA Bible study and luncheon “summer

retreat” will be at the home of Joan Zahradka, July 26, at 9

A.M.

Many thanks to the Lawton & Brocket WELCA

Ladies for including “us” in their summer outing. The visit

to the Oscar Zero Launch Control Center at Cooperstown

was very informative and a bit unsettling to understand the

gravity of the situation at that time!! The stop at the Lakota

library was a real treat. The museum is the best kept

secret in the area! If you have a chance, tour the library

and see all the interesting things it holds.

The Maryvale woman’s retreat will be August 19th.

Fall WELCA assembly will be September 16 at Faith

Lutheran, Valley City, on September 16.

Praying for a safe harvest for all the farmers.

Submitted by Gladys Hammer

Sophie Myrvik,

Cassidy Knoke,

Mya Swanson, and

Thea Johnson

attended the Little

Tykes Day Camp

at the Park River

Bible Camp.

Many from the High Plains Ministry attended the Parish

Hymn Sing on June 23 in the Lawton Park. Thank you to

the Lawton community for sharing their park and to the HP

Men’s Prayer Group for preparing and serving the delicious

meal. Thank you to

David and Eileen

Moen for the treat of

orange and root beer

floats. A free-will

offering for the meal

brought in $445.00

which will be sent to

The South Sudanese

Worshipping community in Fargo to support the work of

their Pastor Jacob Mayen, a seminary classmate of Pastor

Jodi's who has accepted a call in a non-paid position

serving as their pastor.

Twenty-three ladies

participated in the day trip

to tour Oscar-Zero, have

lunch at Cooperstown,

and tour the new addition

of the Lakota Library at the

end of June. The group

had a wonderful day! None of this would have been

possible without the work of Joan Zahradka and Stephanie

Matejcek. Our group says thank you for doing all the

planning and bus driving.

It is that time of

the year that we

take a little bit of

time to say a

prayer for all

those that will

take to the fields

to bring in the harvest. The following is fitting for our rural

ag community.

And on the 8th day, God looked down on his planned

paradise and said, "I need a caretaker"

-- so God made a Farmer.

God said, "I need somebody willing to get up before dawn,

milk cows, work all day in the fields, milk cows again, eat

supper, then go to town and stay past midnight at a

meeting of the school board"

-- so God made a Farmer.

"I need somebody with arms strong enough to rustle a calf

and yet gentle enough to deliver his own grandchild;

somebody to call hogs, tame cantankerous machinery,

come home hungry, have to wait lunch until his wife’s done

feeding visiting ladies, then tell the ladies to be sure and

come back real soon -- and mean it"

-- so God made a Farmer.

God said, "I need somebody willing to sit up all night with

a newborn colt, and watch it die, then dry his eyes and say,

'Maybe next year.' I need somebody who can shape an ax

handle from a persimmon sprout, shoe a horse with a hunk

of car tire, who can make harness out of haywire, feed

sacks and shoe scraps; who, planting time and harvest

season, will finish his forty-hour week by Tuesday noon,

and then pain’n from tractor back,' put in another seventy-

two hours"

-- so God made a Farmer.

God had to have somebody willing to ride the ruts at double

speed to get the hay in ahead of the rain clouds, and yet

stop in mid-field and race to help when he sees the first

smoke from a neighbor’s place

-- so God made a Farmer.

God said, "I need somebody strong enough to clear trees

and heave bails, yet gentle enough to tame lambs and

wean pigs and tend the pink-combed pullets, who will stop

his mower for an hour to splint the broken leg of a meadow

lark."

It had to be somebody who’d plow deep and straight and

not cut corners; somebody to seed, weed, feed, breed and

rake and disc and plow and plant and tie the fleece and

strain the milk and replenish the self-feeder and finish a

hard week’s work with a five-mile drive to church;

somebody who would bale a family together with the soft

strong bonds of sharing, who would laugh, and then sigh,

and then reply, with smiling eyes, when his son says that

he wants to spend his life "doing what dad does"

-- so God made a Farmer.

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1 9:30 am Pastor’s

Text Study

2 1:45 pm

Edmore Rest Home

Service

3

4

5

9th Sunday after Pentecost 6 Holy Communion

8 am Bethlehem/Nekoma 9:30 am United/Our Redeemer’s 11 am Concordia/Mountain

Lawton please worship with your neighbors

7 8 9:30 am Pastor’s

Text Study

9

10 11 8 am Men’s Prayer

Breakfast Concordia

12

10th Sunday after Pentecost 13 8 am Bethlehem/Nekoma 9:30 am United/Lawton 11 am Concordia/Mountain

Our Redeemer’s please worship with neighbors

United WELCA will meet after church services.

14 15 9:30 am Pastor’s

Text Study

16 11 am

Ladies Bible Luncheon at Concordia Lutheran

1:45 pm

Edmore Rest Home

Service

17 18

19

11th Sunday after Pentecost 20 Holy Communion

8 am Nekoma/Mountain 9:30 am Lawton/Our Redeemer’s 11 am United/Concordia

Bethlehem please worship with neighbors

Backpack Blessing

21 Newsletter items due – 9 a.m.

22 9:30 am Pastor’s

Text Study

23

24

25 8 am Men’s Prayer

Breakfast Concordia

26

12th Sunday after Pentecost 27 8 am Bethlehem/Mountain 9:30 am Lawton/Our Redeemer’s 11 am United/Concordia

Nekoma please worship with neighbors

Red Willow Bible Camp Quilt and Fine Art Auction

28 29 9:30 am Pastor’s

Text Study

30

31

HIGH PLAINS MINISTRY

Pastor Don Reynolds and Pastor Jodi Myrvik

Mountain Lutheran, Adams Bethlehem Lutheran, Doyon Concordia Lutheran, Edmore

Lawton Lutheran, Lawton Nekoma Lutheran, Nekoma Our Redeemer’s, Fairdale

United Lutheran, Brocket

Altar guild: Altar is green

for the whole month.