Mid summer 2014 tabletalk by Tabletalk

, familyofchristonline.com

2014

55317

952-934-5659

’ Rocking the Boat I want to use my mid-summer cover page to give you some updates on the whole Making Waves effort that has been taking place for just over a year now. Back in June 2013, our church council and a newly-appointed committee called “Making Waves” met for supper with Pastor Jerry Wahl of our Minneapolis Area Synod. We entered into a discussion of some of the challenges facing the modern church. Then the council gave the Making Waves committee an assignment: Get an overview of Family of Christ as a church with a particular set of gifts and abilities, and, at the same time, begin determining some challenges that we can try to meet in the next three to five years. The Making Waves team set up a few conversation listening-posts with church members called “Net Working Sessions.” And they began to gather information and listen to church members describe what kind of church we are, what we do well, and what challenges are before us that we should hope to meet. The Making Waves team next met with the staff, and then with youth in the confirmation program, then with the church council again, always gathering more information on who it is that we are, and what it is we are called to do. Now we can ask, “What is next for the Making Waves team, and when will they have something to share with the wider congregation?” WHAT’S NEXT: Team members are going out to interview community leaders to ask what they think the needs of our community are and how a church like ours could help meet those needs. Further, Making Wave team members will be hosting a couple of informal summertime conversations in their homes, inviting folks from our church to come by and share some of their thoughts and feelings on the vision and ministry of our church. This is being done quite informally and conversationally. Might you wish to attend one of these home sessions? If so, contact me (josh@familyofchristonline.com or 934-5659) and I’ll make sure an invitation is sent to you to attend these July or August sessions. We also are planning to soon send out a simple, brief survey to receive even more feedback from members of our church. BEGINNING TO REPORT WHAT WE’VE LEARNED: Our team wishes to share what we’ve been learning, so we’ve scheduled two August “update sessions:” one at 9:30 AM Sunday morning, August 17, & the other right after worship on Wednesday, Aug. 20, at 7:15 PM. Come learn about our findings, and enjoy a chance to react to the vision for our ministry’s future, even as that vision is still coming into focus. THIS FALL: The Making Waves team will hold a Sunday retreat from 9:30-3:00 on September 21 to begin writing a report that will then be submitted to the church council. We hope it will serve as a guiding, visionary document to help us plan to keep strong those things Family of Christ does well, while challenging ourselves to grow and stretch in some new ways. We will indeed plan to make waves, and even possibly rock the boat. But with God’s help we won’t tip over. Instead we’ll be exhilarated by the journey, and find joy in the task of modern discipleship.

~ Pastor Josh 2

& Table of Contents

Sundays 8:30 & 10:30 am

News & Special Events . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 & 5 Adult Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 How You Can Help . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Church Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Preschool & Children . . . . . . . . . . 8 Confirmation & Beyond . . . . . . . . 9

Wednesdays

Employment Opportunities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Meet the Staff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

6:30 pm Dinner from the grill served at 6:00

Summer Worship at Family of Christ Sundays Our worship services are at 8:30 & 10:30 every Sunday morning through August 31. The earlier service typically leans more toward a classic style of worship, utilizing our hymnbooks, and the later service leans more contemporary in style, often utilizing our Summer Band. Wednesdays (Worship on Wednesdays), our informal summer midweek worship, continues through Aug. 20. Our men’s group, the Spartans, serves supper from the grill at 6, followed by a 40-minute worship starting at 6:30 PM. This summer our theme is “Dining Through the Bible,” and we have heard of all kinds of dinners and banquets throughout Scripture. We’ll continue to enjoy our midweek time together, and will utilize Holden Evening Prayer on a few of these summer Wednesdays, too.

A Gnarly Way to Worship Just because Pastor Josh likes to mix things up in the summer a little, we are presenting an 80s service on Sunday, August 3! All our music choices will be led by Summer Band at both the 8:30 and 10:30 services, and nearly all of the music will have originated in the 1980s. You don’t need to dig deep in your closet or raid Goodwill stores to dress in ‘80s style, though if you do, you’ll certainly brighten our day! Come, step back in time, and enjoy some of the fun early contemporary Christian music songs. Like totally! See our complete online calendar at http://tinyurl.com/kjy643f

& Net Working Sessions Come to either of our August update sessions: Sunday morning, August 17, at 9:30 (between services), or Wednesday evening, August 20, at 7:15 (right after midweek worship). We’re holding these sessions simply to share what our Making Waves team has learned so far about who we are called to be as the Family of Christ congregation and what we feel called to do. Also, watch for a survey coming your way at the end of summer. This is yet another opportunity for congregation members to provide valuable feedback for our team as they prepare to write their report on how our church can embrace its ministry in the near future. (For more info about Making Waves, see Pastor Josh’s letter on page 2.)

Thank You Our fundraiser called “Extreme Makeover: Sanctuary Edition” brought in $12,882, and we offer our thanks for such amazing generosity! Church council & two subcommittees will continue to work on prioritizing our needs & deciding how we can best spend these gifts, including buying new sanctuary chairs & deep-cleaning our carpets. Pastors, staff, and council members extend our thanks to the congregation for all these gifts, plus we thank the donor for our parking lot makeover. We further thank all the donors who gave nearly $800 in donations for Spanish-language books for El Salvador, as well as for toothbrushes and toothpaste, caps, and t-shirts. This summer, our church family has shown a tremendous spirit of generosity and giving.

Summer Adult Education Pastors’ Summer Class: “Our Neighbors’ Faith 2” Sundays • 9:30-10:20 AM • through August 10 Our series continues through early August, with presentation and discussions on cults, Zoroastrianism, Shinto, and Baha’i. We respectfully learn about these different religious beliefs while providing an interesting way to contrast our own Lutheran theological insights into God’s big wide world. Come ready to learn and to share some of your thoughts and questions. Our three pastors rotate their leadership of this class.

SUMMER CHURCH OFFICE HOURS: The office is usually open Monday-Thursday, 9:00-4:00. On Fridays, Saturdays, & Sunday’s, it’s best to call the office before coming over (952-934-5659), to make sure someone is here to let you in.

Coming This Fall In September, our own Dick Braun will lead the popular course “Financial Peace University,” using materials from author and radio host Dave Ramsey. The course costs $100 and meets for 9 consecutive Monday nights, 7:00-8:30 PM, starting September 22. Though it is a big commitment, many graduates of FPU have found this course to be a highly valuable lesson in personal, faith-informed financial management. Watch for more information and a way to register for the course by early September.

El Salvador Keep up with our El Salvador mission trip team by following the pictures & blogs they post: https://sites.google.com/site/focelsalvador2014/

Thank You We’re grateful to the Sacred Seasons committee for keeping our church home beautiful inside & out. The committee‘s latest project was refinishing the picnic tables & benches on our front patio. After worship some Sunday, enjoy your donut & coffee outside at one of these lovely tables. Thank you, Sacred Seasons!

Stewardship Corner Though midsummer can often be a very challenging time for congregations, Family of Christ has been blessed with strong and faithful giving. This is true for giving during worship and for our special appeals and fundraising. Thank you all for your wonderful stewardship and for the sharing of your gifts. May God continue to bless our ministry, that we in turn may work to be a blessing to the world around us. As each of us shares joyfully in financial care of this church, we will continue to make a huge difference. General Fund Balance Income as of 1/01/14____ thru 6/30/14

$15,040

$393,461

Expenses thru 6/30/14

($400,630)

General Fund Balance as of 6/30/14___

$7,871

See our complete online calendar at http://tinyurl.com/kjy643f

Bountiful Basket Needs:

Playing Fare Fare For All Express, a cooperative food purchasing program, has come to Chaska. The program is open to everyone who wants to stretch their food dollars. Because Fare For All is a bulk buying program, the more people who participate, the better. The site is cash and carry (cash, EBT, credit card, & debit card accepted -- no checks). Fare For All provides packages of fresh fruits and vegetables ($10), as well as quality frozen meat items ($11 or $25). Fare For All will be in Chaska one Thursday per month, 4:00-6:00 PM, at Crown of Glory (1141 Cardinal Street). Remaining 2014 dates are: July 31, Aug. 28, Sept. 25, Oct. 23, Nov. 20, Dec. 18. If you have any questions, contact Erin Kassebaum: erink74@gmail.com ; 612-910-0607.

July: 1 lb. Bags of Rice August: 18 oz. jars of peanut butter (A list of needed items is always posted on their website: bountifulbasketfoodshelf.org)

Feed My Starving Children Help end starvation by packing meals at FMSC. Family of Christ has committed to 3 upcoming packing sessions: Thurs., July 24, 8:00 - 9:30 PM; Wed., Aug. 20, 9:30-11:30 AM; and Thurs., Aug. 28, 8:00-9:30 PM. Bring your family & friends to pack meals & help feed the starving children of the world. No need to sign up, just show up at 18732 Lake Dr E, Chan. Questions? Ron & Elaine Larson — lars710@mediacombb.net

Donations Needed Our Christians in Action (CIA) committee invites your donations for Sojourner Shelter for battered women and children. See the CIA bulletin board by the kitchen for information about Sojourner and a list of their most-needed items, including a needs list that you may take with you. Place donations in the laundry basket in the narthex through Aug. 10. If you have questions about how we support this important ministry, contact CIA member Chris Allen: allenfamgermany@yahoo.com As they say in Slovakia: Ahoj! (Hello!) Did you know that FoC has a connection with a Slovakian church? We support a missionary in Slovakia. This is just one of a wide variety of ministries overseen by our Christians in Action (CIA) committee. CIA helps our congregation support, assist, learn about, and pray for ministries such as Feed My Starving Children, Our Saviour’s Shelter, Tree House, Simpson Shelter, and more. The CIA committee, led by Erin Kassebaum and Jim Seifert, brings many different ministries to our church’s attention, & our newest one is supporting Pr Miriam Schmidt in Bratislava. You may learn more about Miriam, her husband, Jeremy, & their young children, Ursula & Esme, on the CIA bulletin board next to the kitchen window. Miriam is one of our ELCA’s “Young Adults in Global Mission” pastors, and we are pleased to support her as a congregation with a $1000 stipend. Please learn more by reading Miriam’s blog at http://domavbratislava.wordpress.com

See our complete online calendar at http://tinyurl.com/kjy643f

Activities for Young Adults Houlihan’s Night for Young Adults Our summer interns, Katie Anderson and Erik Olson, host outings for college-aged young adults (including 2014 graduates) at Houlihan’s in Chanhassen every other Wednesday at 9:00 PM. Upcoming dates: July 23 and August 6 Something New is Brewing... Are you 20 – 30 something? Looking for a way to connect with other young adults? Join us Wed., July 23, Kona Grill in Eden Prairie at 6 PM. Enjoy sushi or fresh American cuisine & fun conversation. Invite a friend! Questions? Pr Jeanne: jeanne@familyofchristonline.com

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Take Me Out to the Ball Game! Here’s the perfect summertime event for the whole family! Join us for Family of Christ night at the Chanhassen Red Birds Friday, July 25. Game time is 7:30 PM. Come cheer on our local town ball baseball team, visit with friends, and enjoy concessions. Cost is $4 for adults; $2 for seniors, students and military; and free for kids 12 and under. No need to sign up, just show up at the game. The stadium is located at Chanhassen High School. If you have questions, contact Kris Spangrud ( kris@familyofchristonline.com ; 952-934-5659, ext. 18 ) or Pr Jeanne ( jeanne@familyofchristonline.com ; 952-934-5659m ext. 14). Downtown Lunch Bunch We meet on the second Monday of each month at 11:45 AM for lunch & conversation at a downtown restaurant. In August, we meet on the 11th at a restaurant TBD. Watch Family News & the website for details. Questions? contact Rod Bubke: rod.l.bubke@ampf.com Summer Band Have you sung with the worship team yet this summer? You may join us just once if that is all your schedule allows, or join us on multiple occasions. Two pianists, Mary Renz and Andrea Jeitz, direct these groups, rehearsing on the Wednesday prior at 7:20 PM, with a warm-up on Sunday mornings at 9:40 AM. We love to welcome musicians into these joyful summer worship services. To sign up & to indicate the Sundays on which you can participate, click here: http://tinyurl.com/pqolhpo La La La La La! Time to warm up those voices and join Family of Christ Singers this fall! FoC Singers is the more traditional choir, directed by Ron Larson and Mary Renz. Rehearsals are on Thursday evenings from 7:00-8:00 PM. Our first rehearsal is on Thursday, September 4. The choir sings on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of the month at the 9:15 service. New members are always welcome. Fall is a great time to join! Common Thread Fall Retreat Luther Crest Bible Camp near Alexandria • October 3-5 Please sign up on the kiosk in the narthex. There are twelve rooms reserved for us, so it’s first come, first served. Cost: $115 per person. Make your check out to FoC & write “Common Thread Retreat” on the memo line. More details to come. Questions to Ron and Elaine Larson: lars710@mediacombb.net

& Family of Christ Preschool Important Dates: * Sept 4 — Preschool orientation * Sept 8 — Preschool classes start

Register for Fall Preschool Have you thought about preschool yet for this fall? We are still accepting registrations for classes beginning in September. FoC Preschool offers classes for 2-, 3-, 4-, & 5-year-olds, a Jump Start Kindergarten class, afternoon enrichment classes, and optional Lunch Bunch and Stay & Play for afternoon care. For more info or a tour, contact Susan Schmidt: preschool@familyofchristonline.com ; 952-380-9838.

Children’s Ministry Summer Sunday School ...continues through August 17 at the 10:30 AM service. Kids are having fun watching movies and doing crafts that relate to different Bible stories.

Is Your Child Ready for Sunday School? If you have a two year old who is eligible to attend Sunday school this fall, or if you’re new to FoC & want your child to take part in Sunday School or Christos, please contact Teri Burns ( teri@familyofchristonline.com ) or go to our web site ( http://familyofchristonline.com/children/sunday-schoolchristos.html )for registration forms.

Teachers Needed On Sunday mornings at 9:15 we need one first grade teacher to fill out the team. For Christos on Wednesday night we need three third grade teachers, two fourth grade teachers, and two fifth grade teachers. Contact Teri Burns if you are interested in information about teaching ( teri@familyofchristonline.com ).

 Thursday, August 14 • 6:30-10:00 PM WACKY games, treats, a movie on the big screen—this is a night you don’t want to miss! It’s a fun first get-together for all who will be in Christos this fall (kids entering 3rd through 5th grades). Totally free. Bring lots of friends! Parents: I am looking for volunteers to help out. Contact me at 952-9345659, ext. 21; teri@familyofchristonline.com

See our complete online calendar at http://tinyurl.com/kjy643f

& July Mid-week Activities (for grades 5+) — One remaining Wednesday, July 23 • 5:00-6:00 PM Girls’ small group – Make a new craft & have a Bible study based on the craft theme. Guys’ small group – Enjoy an activity (sports, video games, Nerf activities, or cards) & have a Bible study related to the activity.

Confirmation Confirmation Retreat Save the date! We’re moving the annual confirmation retreat from January to October 25-26 at Luther Crest Bible Camp in Alexandria. Watch for details.

High School Bagels and Bible Study We continue to meet throughout the summer. Students who are going into 9th grade are invited to join us! We meet at 10:00 in the youth room on Sundays August 10 & 24. Enjoy an Einstein Bros Bagel & a casual discussion about the day’s scripture. Newcomers are always welcome! In September, we switch to our school-year schedule of meeting on the 2nd & 4th Sundays of the month at 10:15 AM. Our September get-togethers are on the 14th & 28th. Leadership Retreat The Leadership Retreat is for students who have completed 9th-12th grades who plan to be Lifeguides or Sunday school teachers, or who want to serve in other areas. Spend a weekend at Luther Crest Bible Camp in Alexandria! Do ropes courses, learn leadership skills, and have fun at the waterfront. There is no cost. Registrations are due August 1. Register online at www.tinyurl.com/ focyouthregistration (or scan the QR code)

2015 High School Mission Trip Next year’s trip is to the ELCA National Youth Gathering in Detroit! Approximate dates for the trip are July 13-20. Check out the Gathering’s website to keep up to date: http://www.elca.org/ YouthGathering Registration opens in October. Youth who will have completed 9th-12th grade in the summer of 2015 are eligible to go.

Post High School Our summer interns, Katie Anderson and Erik Olson, host an outing for college-aged young adults (including 2014 graduates) at Houlihan’s in Chanhassen every other Wednesday at 9:00 PM. Upcoming dates: July 23 and August 6

Connections Coordinator Family of Christ is seeking an outgoing Christian lay leader to serve in a paid, part-time position on our church staff as Connections Coordinator. The basic tasks are to recruit and manage volunteers for our worship services and large-group events, welcome visitors, orient new members, and assist the congregation in building connections for people through small groups, large groups, and one-on-one ministry. Get the complete job description from our website or from our church office, then send in a cover letter, resumĂŠ, and references by July 24.

Director of Music Ministry FoC seeks a person of faith, proficient in piano and vocals, to lead our contemporary music ministry program. This individual will direct and oversee one adult contemporary worship team, plus three children/youth groups. This paid, year-round position includes oversight of our music ministry, plus working alongside pastors and staff, and being the lead pianist for our worship services for all but one Sunday per month. Direct questions to Pastor Josh Nelson: josh@familyofchristonline.com. Get the complete job description from our web site or from Marilyn Syverson in our church office. Send cover letter, resumĂŠ, and references by August 4 to Office Administrator, 2020 Coulter Blvd., Chanhassen, MN 55317, or email them to marilyn@familyofchristonline.com

Primary Nursery Caregiver (Paid Position) Work approximately two Sunday mornings/month (9:00 AM-noon), and at additional special events that fit your schedule. Must be 18 years old and have up-to-date CPR/First Aid training. Questions? Contact Leann Thompson: leann@familyofchristonline.com ; 952-934-5659 x 24.

You have established all the boundaries of the earth; You have made summer and winter. Psalm 74

See our complete online calendar at http://tinyurl.com/kjy643f

Senior Pastor Josh Nelson 952-934-5659, ext. 13 josh@familyofchristonline.com

Pastor Kristie Hennig 952-934-5659, ext. 12 kristie@familyofchristonline.com

Leann Thompson Director of Faith Formation 952-934-5659, ext. 24 leann@familyofchristonline.com

Pastor Jeanne Aamot 952-934-5659, ext. 14 jeanne@familyofchristonline.com

Teri Burns Minister to Children & Families 952-934-5659, ext. 21 teri@familyofchristonline.com

Lindsey Ruhland Minister to Youth & Families 952-934-5659, ext. 30 lindsey@familyofchristonline.com

Kris Spangrud Finance 952-934-5659, ext. 18 kris@familyofchristonline.com

Susan Schmidt Family of Christ Preschool Director 952-380-9838 preschool@familyofchristonline.com

Jolene Satre Communications/Website 952-934-5659, ext. 11 jolene@familyofchristonline.com

Marilyn Syverson Church Administrator 952-934-5659, ext. 10 marilyn@familyofchristonline.com

Greg Provo Custodian 952-934-5659, ext. 26 greg@familyofchristonline.com