March 2015
“Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.” Romans 12:13
“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.” Hebrews 13:2
Fellow Welcomers,
There’s nothing quite like feeling welcomed, is there?
Two years ago, on our sabbatical in Scandinavia we were welcomed again and again into people’s homes and lives. It was truly enriching and we made fast friends with relatives we had never met before and grew deeper in our already established friendships. Yet, one welcome stands out.
We had made e-mail plans to visit the farm in south-central Sweden which was the home of Emily’s paternal great-great grandmother. It was one of the places that connected Emily to her roots.
It took a while to find this particular farm for it was at the end of a dead end road deep in the Swedish countryside. We were not even sure we had found it, until a man stepped out of the front door and greeted Emily, by name!
After showing us around the farm, they invited us in for “fika” which is Swedish for Coffee an’. The mother of the family had baked two cakes for our visit, cooked up coffee, and prepared a fruit drink for the boys. We sat down around their table and got to know one another. We did not share anything particularly deep or earth-shaking, but we did create the start of a relationship because of their welcoming ways.
Now, what makes this welcome stand out for me is that these people were not family to Emily. They had no obligation to fete the returning
Americans like everyone else we met did. Yet, they made a “big deal” of our visit. They took the time to get to know us in conversation and around food. They truly welcomed us!
As you can see from the scripture that I shared at the beginning, hospitality, the welcoming of another person is truly a foundation of not only Christian community, but the Christian way of life.
Christine Pohl writes about the Christian practice of hospitality in different communities and churches. She writes, “…the practice of hospital-ity involves common meals and conversation between hosts, guests, and strangers around a table. In this context, food, shelter, attention, and respect are shared. Hosts make room for those with no place, sharing themselves and their lives…”
When reading this I immediately saw in my mind’s eye our time of fellowship between worship services. I saw people sitting around tables together, drinking coffee, eating treats, and talking. It is the very picture of what Christine Pohl is writing about, yet it is not complete.
For I also know, too often visitors and especially strangers not known are left to sit on their own at a table. They may be greeted, but are they welcomed? Does anyone go and sit down with a cup of coffee and introduce themselves? Does anyone take the time to find out who they are?
Sometimes, yes, and too often, no.
I know, I know, coffee an’ and refreshment hour is when we catch up with our friends or sometimes even our family, but Jesus calls us to think differently. Maybe you need to plan some more intentional time with those friends and family, if this is the only time you see each other (just a half humorous thought!)
Christine Pohl adds this thought, “(Christian communities) also offer welcome as a way of responding to the gospel, and especially to the witness of Jesus and the Scriptures to the
Pastor Joel’s message continued…
Pastor Joel’s message continued…
centrality of hospitality. Additionally, hosts offer welcome because of its importance to
their own lives; as one commented, ‘without hospitality, our souls would wither.’”
In other words, we welcome others not simply for the sake of making them feel “welcomed” and to begin new relationships, but also because Jesus calls us to welcome others. In welcoming we are building up the community of Christ and feeding our souls!
I invite you to take the time to introduce yourself to someone you do not know, and especially to those sitting by themselves and carry your coffee along so as to take the time to find out who they are!
Welcome others, as you would want to be welcomed.
In Christ’s love and welcome,
Pastor Joel
Winter Worship Schedule
8:45 A.M. Traditional Worship
with Holy Communion
9:45 - 10:30 a.m. Refreshments served
9:45 A.M. Sunday school classes
10:00 A.M. Adult study
10:45 A.M. Nontraditional Worship
with Holy Communion
United in Christ Lutheran
LEADERSHIP
Have a question, concern, comment, or anything else you would like to discuss about United in Christ Lutheran congregation? Just send an email off to any of the Congregation Council members or staff listed below. Or you can call them at the phone number next to their name.
Heath Boe, president, 744-1140
Marge Bartovich, 744-2231
David R. Hamalainen, 741-3821
Cindy Hultman, 744-5651
Ken Lahti, 744-5761
Danielle Larson, 744-4312
Laurie Oates, vice-president, 744-2551
Brianne Pellinen, 290-0100
David Tollefson, secretary, 994-1448
Pastor Emily Rova-Hegener, 744-2694
Pastor Joel Rova-Hegener, 744-2694
Sonja Simonson, office manager, 744-2694
The Congregation Council thanks everyone who submitted comments, ideas, or suggestions in response to our "Mission Table" book discussion questions. The council has reviewed all the submissions and will continue working on this project throughout the coming year. As always, please feel free to contact any of the church council members with your comments, ideas, or suggestions at any time.
Thanks,
Danielle Larson
Congregation Council Member
HAVE YOU PREPARED
WISELY?
Have you chosen a power of attorney? Do you have a will? Do you have a Health Care Directive? Do you have plans for your estate upon death? Do you have questions about making plans for your finances in the coming years?
Thrivent Financial is hosting a women only pie and coffee informational meeting on Thursday, afternoon, March 5, at 3:00 p.m. at the church. It is open to all women, and you do not have to be a Thrivent member. Please RSVP to the church office by Sunday, March 1. (We need to have enough pie!) If you have any questions, please talk to Pastor Joel or Sonja at 744-2694. You are welcome to invite a friend, also, for pie.
LENTEN MEALS
LENT is here and everyone is invited as we continue Wednesday evening meals and worship. Each week the meal will start at 5:30 p.m., and worship at 6:30 p.m. Elisa Boe and Nancy Roseen have volunteered and are organizing the meals with your help. Two delicious meals have been served, and more are on the way. There are sign-up sheets on the table in the narthex for ingredients that are needed and help needed.
Can you help with setup, serving, or clean up?
March 4 (will be a potato bar)
March 11 (Senior Choir serving stir fry)
March 18 (Boy Scouts serving pancakes)
March 25 (still in planning stage, hosts needed)
See the table at the back of the church (narthex) for more details. Or talk to Elisa Boe at
744-1140 or Nancy Roseen
at 744-2941. Volunteers are needed each week for various food items and various dining room/kitchen duties.
NATIONAL YOUTH GATHERING
Adults and Youth Meet
Wed. March 18, at 7:15 p.m.
All youth who will be attending the National Youth Gathering in July and a parent(s) will meet on Wednesday, March 18, at 7:15 p.m. This will be a fundraiser planning meeting and preparation for filling out forms for the Synod Journey as well as packing lists, etc. Please be present with your youth! If you have questions, call Pastor Joel at 744-2694.
MARCH HUNGER AND FOOD
SHELF AWARENESS MONTH
During the month of March, Quad Cities Food Shelf is able to get $4 worth of food for every dollar they spend! Please consider giving a donation to the local Food Shelf that is located in Gilbert. It serves the whole Quad Cities area.
SOUPER BOWL OF CARING
Thank you for the generosity shown by members on “Souper Bowl Sunday.
With your donations of $254.88, which went into the soup kettle, we will help fight hunger locally and internationally
MESSAGE FROM
THE HEALTH
MINISTRY
COMMITTEE
Reprinted from WebMD
How’s Your Foundation?
You walk. You run. You wear shoes that don’t fit, but sure look great. Your feet are exhausted at the end of the day, but you figure that’s normal. Our poor feet–we expect them to get us from Point A to Point B, but we rarely consider the beating they take from carrying us around.
Enabling Your Movement
Our feet are complex structures that contain over 100 muscles, tendons and ligaments. One-fourth of your body’s bones, 52 in total, are contained in your two feet! Paying attention to how they’re feeling and taking proper care of them is vital to your health. Serious health complications can develop by ignoring your feet and not giving them the care they deserve.
Preventing Future Problems
Foot health is about much more than the pain they might be feeling. Conditions such as plantar fasciitis and stress fractures can develop if you neglect the structure of your feet. So, what can you do?
- Wear comfortable shoes
- Stand or walk on softer surfaces (e.g. grass or dirt rather than concrete or stone)
- Schedule an appointment to talk to your doctor about your feet
Improvements to your footwear can include wearing orthotics or other arch support. These may better absorb the shock your feet take and stabilize your foot’s structure.
Are Your Feet to Blame?
Similar to the cracks in the wall or windows that don’t open and close easily due to a settling house’s foundation, many of your spinal problems may get their start from a poor found-ation (feet). If you have having problems with your feet, talk to your doctor at your next visit or schedule an appointment soon.
This month we are blessed to help the following members and friends of our congre-gation celebrate special birthdays. Blessings and congratulations in March to:
David TrachMarch 4
Irene FisherMarch 19
Dorothy LuukkonenMarch 26
Ralph NikunenMarch 29
Lillian HarjuMarch 31
St. Patrick's Day triviaYou may know that St. Patrick used shamrocks to teach about the Trinity, but did you know these other facts about him?
• St. Patrick wasn’t Irish. (His parents were Roman citizens living in either Scotland or Wales.)
• He was kidnapped and sold as a slave at age 16. After escaping six years later, he joined a monastery in England.
• March 17 is the date of St. Patrick’s death, not his birth. He died in 461 A.D.
• The color originally associated with St. Patrick is blue, not green.
• The harp, not the shamrock, is the national symbol of Ireland.
W omen of the
E vangelical
L utheran
C hurch in
A merica
Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and great works than these shall he do; because I go to
the Father. John 14:12 NASB
“Expect great things from God. Attempt great things for God.” This was in my daily devotional book; what a neat thought.
Thank you to each person who helped with the Valentine concert dinner. It was a success! A check in the amount of $850 was given to the youth and adults who will be going to the National Youth Gathering in July. It was so great to see the youth working very hard on this dinner. The baskets for the silent auction were grand as well.
Each month a special recipe will be shared in the newsletter. If you wish to submit one, leave it in the WELCA file in the office or email it to me:; We are starting this letter out with a Best Ever Fudge Sauce. A recipe, that was from the late Joanne Raduenz:
According to Pat Moore, “It is to die for!”
Best Ever Fudge Sauce
6 oz. package chocolate chips
½ cup butter (must use butter)
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/3 cups evaporated milk
Melt chocolate and butter. Remove from heat; add sugar and milk, blend and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook and stir for 8 minutes, and add vanilla. Serve warm over ice cream. This sauce can be stored in covered container
in fridge for a very long while.
So send me your favorite recipe!
The Spring Gathering will be held on Saturday, April 11, at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Aurora. Anyone interested in attending, call Elaine at 744-9933 and we will carpool from church. Also the In-Kind Offering is designated for Global Health Ministries.
Items from the following list are needed.
White sheets for bandages.
Wash cloths-tThose in bundles are fine.
Bath towels- new or gently used, 20”x52” approximately, light weight.
(You can buy at Walmart for $1.97)
Bars of soap-4 oz. or larger, not too perfumey, Ivory soap is good
Vaseline jar-7.5 oz.
Finger nail clippers
Band aids-3”x3/4”
Pick combs
Gloves, rubber kitchen gloves, size medium.
Diaper pins
Diapers-“new” fabric
Baby shirts that are preemie or newborn size
Receiving blankets
T-shirts, clean, not stained; printing on them is okay.
Flannel fabric or flannel sheets
2 ½ gallon bags- Ziploc or Ziploc like
There is always in need of yarn, baby sport, 3 or 4 ply; or cotton for blankets (crocheted or knit)
Global Health Ministries will sew shirts, receiving blankets out of the flannel which can be all colors and designs.
We are searching for a scholarship candidate to attend the NE MN Synodical Women’s Convention at the University of MN Duluth on June 12 and 13. The scholarship program is a wonderful way for a woman ages 18-45 years old to discover what the Women of the ELCA is all about. These candidates will spend two days learning about the programs and activities of the Women of the ELCA and how they can become
involved in our organization. There are only ten spots available and we have to have the application to them by May 1. Call Stancy at 744-2639 if you want further info. Be a bold woman and give it a try.
Women of the ELCA continued…
Women of the ELCA continued…
The executive board of Women of the ELCA board met recently. A lot of important dates, times, and places were mentioned. So, please mark your calendar.
Some dates to put on your calendar:
Monday, March 23, at 11:30 a.m. the executive board of WELCA meeting at church. Any info. you want discussed contact Stancy at 744-2639.
Saturday, April 11, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. will be the Spring Gathering in Aurora. Call with your reservation to Elaine at 744-9933.
Monday, April 27, at 1:30 p.m. all women of the congregation are invited to a general meeting at the church. Each circle will provide a dessert.
May 1 and 2 a pasty sale will take place. Two people are being sought to co-chair this project. More information will follow, but we can always use volunteers. When called, please say “yes”!
Tuesday, May 12, a ladies banquet will begin at 6:00 p.m. with a catered meal, and Shannon Gunderson will entertain us later. Don’t forget to bring a friend.
June 12 and13 the NEMN Synodical Women’s Convention will be at UMD Kirby Center.
Your Sisters in Christ,
Stancy Walters Co-chair (1)
Elaine Edwardson Co-chair (2)
CARDS AND NAPKINS
FOR SALE
New designs of cards and napkins have been added to the card rack in the social hall at United in Christ Lutheran Church. If you are interested in purchasing either, just slip your money into the envelope which is located at the top of the rack. The price of each item is marked on the back. They are a great buy at $3.50 for napkins and boxes of cards vary from $5.00 to $7.00.
You can leave the envelope with your payment in the office, or slip it under the door into the office, or put the envelope in the offering plate. However you choose, it will get to the right place.
Listed below are the readings that will be used during the next few weeks. A text study on Wednesdays at 11:30 a.m. is open to the public.
Second Sunday of Lent March 1, 2015
The LessonMatthew 20:1-16
Third Sunday of Lent March 8, 2105
The LessonMatthew 22:1-14
Fourth Sunday of Lent March 15, 2015
The LessonMatthew 25:1-13
Fifth Sunday of Lent March 22, 2015
The LessonMatthew 25:31-46
Sunday of the Passion March 29, 2015
The LessonMatthew 21:1-13
Sunday of the Resurrection April 5 , 2015
The LessonMatthew 28:1-10
Thank you to each person and/or family who has honored a loved one recently with a gift in honor of or in memory of them. We praise God for those who are dear to our hearts.
IN MEMORY OF:
John and Patti Filetti from
Rich and Shari Erchul
Boots Cerar from
Pat Jarvela
Wanda Klaboe
Cheri Michaels
Holly Haugen
Tim and Julie Cerar Family
Bernie Sarkela from
Curt and Ann Biondich
LaVaun Heikkinen
Holly Heikkinen
Dana Simonson and Jon Lahti
Gary Waseleski, son of June, from
Fay Svoboda
Cheri Michaels
Verina Nelson, mother of Roger, from
Roger and Cindy Nelson Family
Brian and Elana Pfeifer
Dan and Sonja Simonson
IN HONOR OF:
Deb Hendrickson on the occasion of her
50th birthday from
Curt and Ann Biondich
Ray and Wanda Johnson
Winter Worship Schedule
8:45 A.M. Traditional Worship
with Holy Communion
9:45 - 10:30 a.m. Refreshments served