Congregational Meeting – Council has called for a special congregational meeting to be held before
worship on Sunday, May 1st. Purpose of the meeting is to vote on the updated church constitution and
present information on septic system repairs needed at parsonage.
CONFIRMATION SUNDAY – May 1st – Congratulations to our confirmands:
Kylie Cumberland; Mikayla Dinse; Joshua Katzung;
Bible Study for Zion and St. Paul’s on the book of Ruth at St. Paul’s after worship on Sunday, May 1st.
SE MN Assembly - Fri. & Sat., May 6th & 7th in Rochester – keep our delegates in prayer.
RESERVE THE DATE Sat., May 21st - Clean-up Day for church cleaning and cemetery clean up –
all are encouraged to come and help - lunch will be furnished.
Watch for sign-up sheets on table in narthex.
Scholarship applications are available in the narthex at St. Paul’s or Zion. High school student, college
student or adult attending higher education can apply for the Harrer, Rietfort, Wicklow Scholarship;
The Drache Fund is for students from either Zion or St. Paul’s who plans to attend a Lutheran College
recognized by the ELCA. Schroeder Scholarship is for St. Paul’s members only. All scholarships
require that the student attend on a full time basis. Applications due by Sunday, June 5th to Diane or a
St. Paul’s Church Council member.
SAVE the Date: “Halleluiah Hoedown” VBS - a new way to think about
how we learn and grow together as a community of faith… young and old….. together).
Sunday, July 24th begins with worship outdoors at 10 AM, games, food, and fun for all ages.
Stay tuned for more information.
Summer worship will begin on June 19th – August 28th
Worship held at both Zion and St. Paul’s
Times of worship will be Zion – 8:15 AM and St. Paul’s – 9:30 AM
Exceptions: Sun., July 3rd joint worship at St. Paul’s – 9:30 AM;
Sun., Aug. 21st Joint worship– 9:30 AM at St. Paul’s;
Sun., Sept. 4th joint worship at Zion – 8:15 AM
Members of the congregation are needed to serve coffee before worship
9:30 – 10:15 AM on Sunday Mornings. There is a sign up sheet
on the table in the narthex for volunteers. A thank you to all who serve!!
Beginning on June 19th when summer worship begins at 9:30 AM the fellowship
committee will serve coffee from 8:30 – 9:15 AM.
Pastor’s Ponderings
Summer is coming
The energy is building…..can you feel it? Early mornings as the sun comes up over the horizon, the buzz begins. The land is being turned and the seeds are going into the ground. Soon we will see the green sprouts popping up bringing color and life to the ground that has been waiting for the warmth of the sun.
It’s an awesome feeling, and yet I find some unsettledness within me as well. There’s so much to do……..lawns to clean up, flower beds and gardens to prepare for the new growth, spring cleaning, and I don’t know about you……but none of my regular duties seem to be willing to sit aside while I enjoy the beautiful spring weather. Can’t we just put a chair out in the lawn and soak up the sun rays and the warmth out there?
And so I ponder, (come ponder with me) about this unsettledness. When we think about this from a spiritual perspective, we have to remember that we are still in the Sundays of Easter (not after Easter, but of Easter). Jesus died on the cross! And yet in our scripture, we hear about Jesus still hanging around with the disciples. He’s gone but he’s not gone. And isn’t that how we feel most of the time? God is with us?…(and yet sometimes it feels like God is nowhere around?) …..Jesus is here in our midst?.....and yet he can’t really be here physically with us…..
So what does this mean for us?
I think unsettledness is good. If we are not stirred to think about things, nothing will ever change. And everything changes all the time, so it’s pretty important that we change with it. Just look outside. Everything changes all the time. As we grow and age, we have to change. And change is not easy in any sense of the word, so we will feel unsettled as we change.
I think as we embrace this new season sprouting around us, we also embrace the unsettledness of change, and we grow into the season of Pentecost, which is when we explore God’s presence among us through the stories of Jesus’ works here on earth.
God is with us…… has been and always will be……even if we don’t see it all that clearly. But God will stir us to live into the commandment we see Jesus offering the disciples this week in scripture. John 13 says “Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.”
And this takes being stirred sometimes…….to pick up the phone and offer words of encouragement when we’re not sure what to say……to help a friend when we don’t think we have time in our own schedules to do that……to stop for a moment and pray for a need……..
It’s OK to be stirred and to be unsettled with the changes of life in our journey of faith, as long as we know that God is with us in our unsettledness.
Blessings this month as we continue to journey into the light of Jesus Christ.
Pastor Patti Meyer
Official Acts
Funerals: Donald Lewer - born June 28, 1924 ; Died March 26, 2016;
Funeral March 30, 2016 at St. Paul’s
Baptisms: April 17: SP: Hadleigh Christine Grunwald, born Dec. 14, 2015
Parents: Brittany Harding and Tyler Grunwald
Sponsors: Amber Grunwald; Cody Grunwald; Sharese Haddy & Sage Winter
Z: Layton Lovirn Pogones, born Sept. 10, 2014
Parents: Jenna Hansen and Jonathan Pogones
Sponsors: Paul and Amy Haberman; Kim Rafdal and Craig Hansen
New Members welcomed on Sunday, April 24th:
St. Paul’s welcomes Mike & Michelle Wolfe and daughters Grace & Ava.
Zion welcomes Mike & Heidi Hartle and Courtney Hartle
The following missions were voted to support for the coming year. Offering will be taken on Sunday,
May 1st for Lutheran Campus Ministry: Campus Ministry, Crossroads, Mankato, is a place for students to worship, pray, grow, learn and have fellowship and activities while they are away from home.
January: Salvation Army - Offering $ 904; February: Medical Missionary Team, – Offering $1,526
March: Food Shelves Offering $3416; plus $48 from Coins for Christ donations; April: SE MN Synod $1,098;
May: Campus Ministry; June: Habitat for Humanity; July: Lutheran Social Services
August: Lutheran Volunteer Corp.; September: Transitional Housing
October: Crisis Resource Center; November: Missionary;
December: Hospitality House, Owatonna & Mosquito nets for an African village
April Council Meeting, Sunday, April 3
* new microphones were received – speaker by choir is out and will be looked at.
* Updated constitution will be presented to and voted on by congregation following worship on May 1st.
* May 21st will be church and cemetery clean up day – lunch will be provided.
* Summer worship - June 19th – August 28th – Worship held at both Zion and St. Paul’s for the summer –
Times of worship will be Zion – 8:15 AM and St. Paul’s – 9:30 AM
Exceptions: Sun., July 3rd joint worship at St. Paul’s – 9:30 AM;
Sun., Aug. 21st Joint worship– 9:30 AM at St. Paul’s; Sun., Sept. 4th joint worship at Zion – 8:15 AM
* Christmas Day worship, Sunday, Dec. 25th, will be joint worship at Zion, 8:30 AM
* Senior Class recognition at worship on Sunday, June 5th.
Church attendance – General Offering Mission Offering
March 25 – Good Friday - 79
March 27 – Easter – 214 $ 1,323
April 3 - 114 $ 2,874 $ 1,098
April 10 - 58 $ 1,537
April 17 - 103 $ 1,613
April 24 81 $ 1,659
Important Upcoming dates:
May 1 - Confirmation Sunday
Confirmands: Kylie Cumberland; Mikayla Dinse; Joshua Katzung
- St. Paul’s Congregation meeting before worship to approve Constitution
and present parsonage septic system needs.
May 3 – Women of Mission meeting, 6:30 PM;
Bible Study – Carol Raetz; Serving – Doris Gerdts
May 6 - 7 – SE MN Synod Assembly in Rochester
May 8 - Mother’s Day - Baptism at St. Paul’s
May 9 - St. Paul’s Church Council Meeting, 6 PM
May 14 - Zion Worship and Sunday School picnic, 5 – 7 PM
May 21 – Church and Cemetery clean-up, lunch provided, 9 AM.
May 23 - Zion WELCA meeting, 7 PM
Bible Quiz
Which books of the Bible include an account of Jesus. ascension?
A. Luke and Acts B. Matthew and Luke
C. Mark and John D. All four gospels
Answer to Bible Quiz: A (See Luke 24:51 and Acts 1:9.)
May Worship Services
May 1 – 10:30 am Worship Service/Communion
Confirmation Sunday
Ushers – Kent & Kristen
Communion server – Kay
Acoyte: Mariah Schroht
May 8 – 10:30 am Worship Service
Baptism of Ellie Rae Frederick
Ushers – Jerry & Linda Kath
Acolyte: Ushers
May 15 - 10:30 am Worship Service/Communion
Ushers – Jon Wilker & Linda Kath
Communion server: Dee Ann
Acolyte: Ushers
May 22 - 10:30 AM Worship Service
Ushers – Roger & Sarah
Acolyte: Ushers
May 29: 10:30 AM Worship Service
Ushers: Kay & Carol
Acolyte: Ushers
June 5 – 10:30 am Worship Service/Communion
Senior students will be recognized
Ushers – Joel & Betty
Communion server – Keith
Acoyte: Ushers
June 12 - 10:30 AM Worship Service
Ushers – Kent & Kristen
Acolyte: Ushers
June 19 – Beginning of Summer worship Schedule
9:30 AM Worship
Ushers: Jerry & Linda
Coffee served BEFORE worship by fellowship Committee
Hope Women of Mission – 11 women of mission enjoyed a catered meal –
Bible Study was led by Jon Wilker.
* 200 quilts have been made to be sent to Lutheran World Relief, we will also send $100 toward shipping.
Quilts will be displayed on May 8th.
* Collection for March Food Shelf was 96 pounds and $100, (not including offering received).
* discussed Minnesota River Conference ELCA Spring Event held on Sat., April 30 at Grace. We will collect
backpack program items to be sent to the event.
Next meeting, Tues., May 3rd at church, 6:30 PM - Bible Study: Carol Raetz; Serving: Doris Gerdts.
all women of the church are welcome to attend meetings
Quilting Dates for May: watch for dates in bulletin
Sunday School: Last day of Sunday School was Sunday, April 24th with a church family day.
Thank you to all who attended and to the Parish Ed for serving. If you have any ideas you would
like to share with parish ed as they plan for the coming year, please contact one of the following, they
would appreciate your input. Parish Ed Board members:
Vonna Dinse, 357-2924; Annette Frank, 455-0591;
Cindy Hokanson, 451-9301 or Sheila Katzung, 455-0355.
Sunday School Mission for this year was School supplies for back to school! The Salvation Army donates
backpacks filled with school supplies for the school year. The Sunday School students offering will go to buy
supplies to fill as many backpacks as we can – some items have been donated by Sunday School families,
members of the congregation can also donate items. The following is a list of things needed in the backpacks:
1” binders; color pencils; folders; dry erasers (small size); notebooks (3 & 5 subject are best); glue sticks;
loose leaf paper; pencils; pens (black, blue & red); highlighter (small); composition notebooks; color crayons.
Thank you for your help in this project to show love to others in need.
Vacation Bible School this year will be a “Halleluiah Hoedown”
- a new way to think about how we learn and grow together as a community of faith… young and old…..
together). Friday, July 24th begins with worship outdoors, games, food, and fun for all ages.
Stay tuned for more information.
Luther League – A huge thank you to Luther League, leaguers and families for making and
serving the Easter Breakfast and also for the Soup lunches over the past months
Thank you – to all who donated items and attended the Easter breakfast. St. Paul’s Luther League
May Birthdays:
5/22: Ron Kruesel
5/25: Dennis Dinse
Please let Diane know if we can include your birthday on the
birthday list, only need month and day, year does not have to be included.
St. Paul’s Prayer Chain - There is a sign-up sheet in the narthex for anyone who would like to be
a member of the Prayer Chain. If someone wishes prayer for themselves or others the request will be
e-mailed, to those on the Prayer Chain. Contact person Jon Wilker will contact members of the Prayer
Chain when request for prayer is received. Prayer requests can be made without names or details.
* If you wish to have prayer for yourself or someone else please contact Jon Wilker, 451-3737 or e-mail
to: . You also can contact Pastor Patti for prayer and/or to request a visit.
Bits and Pieces
Remember, visitors are guests sent by the Lord. Please make them feel welcome by introducing yourself and greeting them warmly. Invite them to come back again and to please sign our guest book.
For a reservation of the church and/or fellowship Hall at St. Paul’s either for persogf4r al use or your
organization outside of regular meetings, please contact Diane Kath-Schoenfeld, call 444-9978;
or e-mail so it can be written on calendar to avoid schedule conflicts.
Cost is $50 to rent the fellowship hall for personal use.