st. matthew lutheran church march 2021
TRANSCRIPT
St. Matthew Lutheran Church March 2021
Greetings Friends, This month we are focusing on re-booting our “Going”, as in “go and make disciples of all nations, baptiz-ing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spir-it,
and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I
am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20). We use other words like “witness” or “evangelism,” but I try to stay away from those words because they tend to shut down the party and kill the conversa-tion. I like that word, “Go.” And as I think about the “Goers” who have influenced my relationship with Je-sus, I realize that not a single one of them was a stranger. Of course I have had the countless neighborhood canvassers come by and knock on my door over the years, but they never really had any effect on my faith. Another thing I realize about those “Goers” who most influenced my relation-ship with Jesus and did the most in terms of me being a disciple of Jesus—I don’t think any of them were being all that intentional about influencing my life or witnessing or sharing their faith. They were just living out their faith. And that had influence. That was witnessing! And that was fruitful! I recall a story from when Bill Clinton was President of the United States, and Mother Teresa was awarded a Congressional Medal for her years of humani-tarian work in developing countries. But rather than simply accepting the honor quietly, the aged nun took advantage of the opportunity to give a public speech in which she criticized the Clinton administration over its policy on abortion. Shortly afterwards a reporter asked President Clinton what he thought about the criticisms levelled at him by Mother Teresa. After a thoughtful pause Bill Clinton replied, ‘How can anyone argue with a life so well-lived?’ People of St. Mathew, live a beautiful life and let the gospel speak vol-umes through you.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Bill Hugo
PAGE 2 From the Pastor
Holy Week Schedule 2021
April 1 6:00 PM Maundy Thursday (live and online)
April 2 7:00 PM Good Friday (live and online)
April 3 7:00 PM Easter Vigil (live and online)
April 4 7:00 AM Easter Sunrise at Hillside Cemetery (live only)
April 4 8:00 AM and 10:45 (both live with 10:45 online)
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The Lenten season is off to a good start! We look forward to seeing you in worship (or online) each Wednesday at 6 pm as we reboot/look differently at traditions that have been added to the celebration of Easter in the last 2000 years. Coming up in March are:
Rebooting Easter Finery (dresses, suits….new Easter clothes…how has Jesus dressed you?) Rebooting the Easter Lily (looking at what is temporary vs. what is eternal) Rebooting Easter Egg Hunts (Jesus coming to seek and save the lost) Rebooting Hot Cross Buns (the one “loaf” that is the Church)
Our faithful musicians are hard at work preparing for week-end worship and for the “bigger” singing opportunities of Good Friday and Easter. When you have a moment, please say “thank you” to these volunteer choir members and music team members for the way they communicate God’s Word to us through their music! In partic-ular, I want to recognize Aubree Allen for her solo with the Chil-
dren’s Choir on Feb. 7th, “Come, Holy Spirit”, as
well as Will Hugo for his trumpet prelude and hymn leadership on both the baritone and trumpet on “Jesus, Take Us to the Mountain” on Feb. 14
th.
PLAY AN INSTRUMENT? I am once again recruiting for the St. Matthew Easter Band, the group that helps to lead hymns for the 8:00 a.m. Easter service on April 4. The music is workable for late-middle schoolers and beyond. There is one rehearsal: Saturday, April 3, 10:00 a.m. in the balcony at church. Please let me know of your interest soon so that prop-er parts can be prepared.
TWO BIG PROJECTS have been completed by volun-teers in the last several weeks. Joan Groenke cleaned and refurbished our Christmas choir processional votives after over a dec-ade of use. Thank you, Joan! Sue Betzold and Sheila Beers organized, la-beled, photographed, and catalogued our large supply of worship center banners and cross drapes. Thank you, Sue and Sheila!
PLEASE REMEMBER that Daylight Savings Time begins again on Sunday, March 14. Make sure to “spring” those clocks ahead one hour before going to bed on the 13
th!
To God be the glory!
Carol Blase, music coordinator 763-788-9427 [email protected]
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At the end of January, students created t-shirts based on Matthew 5 where Jesus said, you ARE the salt of the earth; you ARE the light of the world. Are you keeping your salt salty? Are you keeping your light visible? Here are some results of the project modeled by Parker K., Patti and Ben K., Trinity M, and Sean and Aubree A. (but
missing Tweet C., Adahlia E., and Robert E. who were unavailable for pics):
In February, children participated in breakout classes. COVID-19 made this a bit of a challenge, but I would like to congratulate and recognize the third grade students who completed the 4-week ‘Intro to the Bible’ class and received new, hardcover Faith Alive ESV Bibles: Patricia Kretschman, Cecelia Kikeh and Trinity Martin.
May you grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord.
Other February breakout sessions held were: First Grade – ‘Intro to the Lord’s Prayer,’ and Fourth Grade – ‘Intro to Confirmation.’ We will return to our regular schedule of les-sons in March. NOTE: Lessons for Little Lambs to lead at home, as well as lessons for the Good News Crew and Sojourners who stay at home because of COVID-19, will be emailed to families. If you would like to be on the Children’s Ministries email list in order to receive these lessons, please contact Brenda via church office or email.
Children’s Ministries Contact: [email protected] or 763-788-9427, Tues-Thurs. Details about Children’s Ministries classes/activities can be found on the St. Matthew website,
which also contains links to the St. Matthew worship services.
The Wednesday ‘Hand in Hand’ class and Confirmation Classes are taking a break during Lent so families can participate in the 6:00 PM Len-ten worship services. The plan for this class is to resume after Easter.
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Thank you to those who served as teachers, shepherds, assistants and supervisors in Children’s Ministries (Sundays and Wednesdays) in February: Sarai Kretsch-man (Break Out teacher, Hand in Hand assistant), Mike
Alm (Sojourner Teacher), Karrie Kikeh (Homeschool Break Out Teacher), Kristina Martin (Homeschool Break Out Teacher), Patti Seitz (Homeschool Break Out Teacher) Melina Bial-ke, (Homeschool Break Out Teacher), Casey Kretschman (Sojourner Shepherd), Julie Kyseth (Break Out Teacher), Caitlin Kyseth (Break Out Substitute Teacher), Scott Kyseth (Gym Supervisor), Teresa Anderson (Hand in Hand Teacher, Break Out Teacher), Vanessa Eames (Hand in Hand assistant).
The Good Friday Family Event (Apr. 2) will be virtual this year, where you will discover ‘What Happened?’ in the life of Jesus in the Biblical Israelite towns of Bethany, Jerusalem and Emmaus. You will be able to view the premiere on St. Matthew Facebook and YouTube pages at 1:00 P.M. on Good Friday. In addition to viewing the event, you can participate interactively at home when you RE-SERVE and PICK UP a Passport Packet. Can you view the event without the packet? Of course you can, but it’s not as much fun. Here’s what to do:
1. On or Before Wednesday, March 24, email Brenda or call the church office to reserve
a (free) Passport Packet in your name. 2. State the number of children and adults who will be using the packet. 3. Pick up the packet from St. Matthew on/between Sunday, March 28 – Thursday, April
1 (Curbside pick-up possible if you pick-up during office hours. If needed, earlier pick-up may be arranged with advance notice.)
4. Open your Passport Packet immediately prior to viewing the virtual event, and use the items as instructed during your virtual tour.
Good Friday Family Event VOLUNTEERS Do you want to help make this virtual interactive event happen? Here are several opportuni-ties for volunteers:
Fabric painting – strips of cloth (already cut/torn) need to be neatly painted (fabric paint provided) with the words ‘Jesus Loves Me’
Passport Packet Packing – as reservations come in, Passport Packets will need to be prepped for families to pick up and take home prior to Good Friday.
Set set-up (Saturday, March 20, 6:30 pm) – Help gather what is needed and set up canopies and curtains and miscellaneous lighting/props to get the set (in the gym) ready for recording
Set take-down (Sunday, March 21, time tbd)-help take down and put away all set items after the recording session so the gym is ready for day care use on Monday.
Yep – still doing it. Are you saving your quarters? Sunday School Mission Project: ‘Feed My Starving Children’ Children are encouraged to earn or find quarters and bring them to St. Matthew, loose or in mini-M&M tubes, to support FMSC. Mini-M&M tubes can be purchased at Sunday school - $2, or at most grocery/convenience stores. Periodically the tubes will be taken to FMSC. One 1.08 oz. tube of quarters holds $14 and feeds a meal to 63 children!
PAGE 6 Care Ministries
BeFriender Ministry - A Listening Presence
“When we dare to fully trust in the power of God’s Spirit listening in us, we will see true healing occur.”- Henri Nouwen
In March, we, as a church, will be working on ReBooting Go-ing. This month, in your going, pray and ask God if there is someone in your life you should reach out to who is currently a “stranger.” As Zach said in Red Letter Challenge, “When you go beyond the levels of your comfort, you experience parts of God you would otherwise miss.”
If you, or someone you know, would like to learn more about BeFrienders or could benefit from having a trained BeFriender make visits, please contact Sarai Kretschman ([email protected]) or another member of the BeFriender Leadership Team: Pastor Bill Hugo, Louise Roberts, Kathy Rosenberg, and Cheryl Fristad.
Sarai Kretschman
Pastoral Care Assistant
Cancer Support Group This group is for those who have received a cancer diagnosis to pro-vide hope and encouragement for each other. We meet monthly on the 3rd Wednesday of the month from 1-2:15 pm. As not all of the group has access to technology and would like to meet in person, please let me know if you would like to attend virtually. I can set up a Zoom meeting on my laptop so you can be part of the discussion. Currently, the group is going through the videos and discussions that go along with the book Don’t Give Up by Kyle Idleman. Please contact Sarai Kretschman, Pastoral Care Assistant, at 763-788-9427 or [email protected] if you need to talk between sessions, if you have any questions, or to RSVP.
We are currently in the middle of our winter ses-sion of GriefShare, which started on January 6th and runs from 6:30-8:30 pm on Wednesday nights through March 24, 2021. Please keep the facilitators (Carol Lundholm and Julie Sventek) and participants of this group in your prayers. Each session is self-contained, so they do not need to be attended in order. If you or someone you know would like to start part way through the ses-sion, please call to register. Cost is free; pre-registration is requested to make sure there is adequate space for distancing by calling the church of-fice at 763-788-9427. If you or someone you know would like to receive daily “A Season of Grief” emails that provide encouragement and reminders of the recovery process, you can sign up at https://www.griefshare.org/dailyemails.
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PARISH NURSE MINISTRY: Kathy Rosenberg, RN, Parish Nurse, continues to be available each week for 1:1 Parish Nurse Visits with you and your family, and mainly works each Tuesday from 9am to 5pm. Please call Kathy directly or the church office if you wish to arrange a Parish Nurse phone or outdoor visit from Kathy. Currently while the COVID-19 Pandemic re-strictions are in place these visits are still happening but are being done by
phone or computer or video calls. I am eager to see you in person when that becomes possible! My contact info is 612-296-1812 for text or call; or email at [email protected]
As your Parish Nurse, I’M EAGER TO HEAR FROM YOU AND WOULD LOVE TO CHECK IN TO SEE HOW YOU ARE DOING AND WHAT CREATIVE WAYS YOU ARE STAYING BUSY AND HEATLHY DURING THIS PANDEMIC.
Let us all encourage one another! Stay in touch, keep moving, eat 5 fruits and vegetables a day, get 7-8 hours of sleep, drink plenty of water, wear your mask, keep your physical distance, wash your hands, keep your hands away from your face, and above all keep the faith in our good God who is watching over you –
God bless you!
As a review, Parish Nursing is a specialty practice of nursing meant to help carry out the caring and healing ministry of the church, working in partnership with the Pastor, Church Staff, BeFrienders, and resources in the community. The focus on Parish Nurse Ministry is on health promotion, wellness and preventative care, help-ing people to understand how our faith and our health are intertwined. The role of the Parish Nurse blends our faith and our health by providing:
Personal Health Counseling: Addressing health issues w ith members and makes 1:1 home, hospital, senior living, nursing home, or phone visits as needed.
Referral Source/Advocacy: Uses know ledge of community services and agencies to help peo-ple access resources and referrals.
Health Educator: Through a variety of formats, educates to promote self -care and improve the understanding between lifestyle, personal habits, attitudes, faith, and wellness.
Coordinator of Groups and Volunteers: Recruits and coordinates volunteers to help carry out the Health and Wellness ministries and other caring ministries of the church.
Relationship Builder between Faith and Health and Healing: In all activit ies, and through 1:1 Parish Nurse Visits, provides a spiritual dimension of care and fosters an understanding that even in the presence of illness it is possible to experience a sense of healing and wholeness.
SENIOR MINISTRY/GOLDEN AGERS - Support for ALL St. Matthew Seniors! (ONSITE Golden Ager
GATHERINGS ARE ON HOLD FOR NOW) But, for All SENIORS 55+ – we are all strongly encouraged to stay
connected and watch the bulletins for opportunities to gather safely on phone or computer in various ways. If
COVID allows, we will TRY to plan something special on the second Tuesday of the 4 months of October, Jan,
May and August if we are able. These typically include time for a devotion, special program or activity, fellow-
ship, and fun, led by Parish Nurse Kathy Rosenberg. Unfortunately, those gatherings are still on hold but
please know I am available to connect with you each week on most any Tuesday. Don’t’ hesitate to let me
know how I can be supportive to you during this challenging time. You can reach me most easily by calling
my cell at 612-296-1812.
END OF LIFE CHOICES: Give your loved ones a gift of “having the conversation” and filling out your Health
Care Directive. It is never too early to plan and communicate your end of life wishes with your loved ones,
knowing there may be a time when you cannot speak for yourself - it is a
wonderful gift to give your family - to have your end of life wishes made
known ahead of a crisis and complete your Health Care Directive.
If you are interested in learning more about this and discussing your
wishes and choices for starting or completing your health care directive,
Parish Nurse Kathy Rosenberg is a trained facilitator and has the re-
sources to help you make your end of life wishes known. I’m happy to
help you understand what is needed as you write out your Health Care
Directive. Please call Kathy’s cell or call the church office to leave her a
voicemail to set up a Tuesday afternoon phone appointment.
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HEALTH AND WELLNESS MINISTRY RESOURCES AND OPPORTUNITIES:
HEALTH AND WELLNESS EVENTS: Contact your Parish Nurse Kathy if you have further questions or resource needs
For online classes available to you on a variety of health topics such as Living Well with Chronic Pain, Living well with Diabetes, Arthritis, Social Connections, Staying Active and Independent, go to www.yourjuniper.org
or call 1-855-215-2174.
HEALTH AND WELLNESS TOPIC: WHAT’S ON YOUR PLATE?
We started in October and running each month through May 2021, I will continue to invite you to join me each month via the Newscene in using the wonderful resource “What’s on your Plate? Smart Food Choices for Healthy Aging” put out by the National Institute on Aging and the US Department of Health and Human Services. Would you like a free copy of this? Call Kathy your Parish Nurse!
If you would like a FREE COLORFUL COPY of this book and guide to healthy eating, let me know and I will get you a copy, I have at least 25 available! I can drop it off at church or your home, so just give me a call at 612-296-1812.
Each month in the Newscene I will be sharing portions of that resource with you to educate, inspire and motivate us all to take a good look at what is on our plate, and how we can take good care of our bodies so we can all take good care of each other!
If there is interest to form a monthly ZOOM or conference call discussion surrounding this Health and Wellness topic, let me know and I am happy to set that up! See the info page in this Newscene to get started!
Welcome to What’s on Your Plate! (info taken from the NIH and US Department of HHS resource above)
There is no better time than now to make lifestyle changes so you can stay active in the coming years. Research shows that it’s not too late to make smarter food choices and add healthy habits, like being physically active, to help reduce your risk of chronic diseases such as heart dis-ease, diabetes, and osteoporosis and the disability that can result from them. Making wise food choices, as you grow older, might be easier than you think. This resource shows you how to make good food choices part of your daily life and adjust those choices as you grow older. In OCTOBER, we learned: The five major guidelines to encourage healthy eating patterns include:
1. Follow a healthy eating pattern across the lifespan – all food and beverages choices matter. 2. Focus on a variety, nutrient density, and amount. 3. Limit calories from added sugars and saturated fats, and reduce sodium intake. 4. Shift to healthier food and beverage choices that you like to make the shift easier. 5. Support healthy eating patterns for all at home, school, church, work and in our community.
In NOVEMBER, we learned: how to focus on healthy snacking, reading labels, being aware of serving sizes and portion control. In DECEMBER, we looked at IMPORTANT NUTRIENTS TO KNOW: Your body needs nutrients to survive and stay healthy. Picking a variety within every food group throughout the week will help you get many nutrients. We learned more about the five main nutrients of Proteins, Carbohydrates, Fats, Vitamins and Minerals, and Water. Picking an assort-ment within every food group throughout the week will help you get the many necessary nutrients. In JANUARY, we learned to focus on a HEALTHY LIFESTYLE related to taking in calories, burning calories. The goal each day is to burn more calories than you consume if you want to maintain or lose weight. Stay active and enjoy your food! IN FEBRUARY: We learned about FOOD SHOPPING- making the trip easier and food cost.
If you’d like resources on receiving Meals on Wheels or Meals from SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), contact Kathy for more info.
If you’d like to learn how to download the free Target App and be able to order your groceries online and have them picked up curbside, this is also something Kathy can teach you.
Enjoy your shopping, meal planning and eating. Remind yourself that what you put into your body makes all the difference on how healthy your body feels and the energy you have to enjoy each day!
IN MARCH: We will discuss: Making Sure Your Food Is Safe Food can sometimes be safe for many reasons. It might be contaminated by germs - microbes such as bacteria, viruses, or molds. These microbes might have been present before the food was harvested or collected, or they could have been intro-duced during handling or preparation. In either case, the food might look fine but could make you very sick. Food can also be unsafe because it has “gone bad”. Sometimes you may see mold growing on the surface. AVOID GETTING SICK FROM YOUR FOOD: For an older person, a food-related illness can be life threatening. As you age you may have more trouble fighting off microbes. Health problems like diabetes or kidney disease also make your more likely to get sick from eating foods that are unsafe. So be careful about how food is prepared or stored. Remember to rinse all fruits and vegetables under running water, even if you plan to peel them before eating. That’s because it’s easy to transfer bacteria from the peel or rind to the inside of your fruits and veggies when you are cutting or peeling. For free information about food safety, visit www. Fsis.usda.gov and under Topics click “Fact Sheets”, or call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-674-6854, or visit www. Askkaren.gov You can keep track of any recent food recalls at www. Foodsafety.gov/recalls/recent/index.html Information ADAPTED FROM: https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/smart-food-choices-healthy-aging REMINDER:
If you would like a FREE COLORFUL COPY of this book and guide to healthy eating, let Kathy your Parish Nurse know and I will get you a copy, I have at least 20 more available! I can drop it off at church or your home, so just give me a call at 612-296-1812 and let me know you’d like a copy of “What’s on your Plate – Smart Food Choices for Healthy Aging”
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If you have questions or concerns about the COVID vaccine please contact your Primary doctor and know you can call
or leave a message for your Parish Nurse Kathy Rosenberg and she will call you back on Tuesday if not before.
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Stay tuned for details on our Drive-Thru
Easter Breakfast! Egg bake, sweet roll,
and fruit will be served in a to-go box on
Easter morning as a youth fundraiser.
Reservations for to-go boxes will be taken
March 14-28.
Prayer & Praise with Bethel
Youth Crew
Family
Fun Day
Sledding
at Keyes
Park
ST. MATTHEW LUTHERAN CHURCH
4101 WASHINGTON STREET NE COLUMBIA HEIGHTS, MN
55421
763-788-9427 www.stmatthew-ch.org
The most current St. Matthew news and calendar are online at
www.stmatthew-ch.org
Church Staff
Bill Hugo, Pastor
Carol Blase, Music Coordinator
Brenda Hugo, Director of Children’s Ministries
Sarai Kretschman, Pastoral Care Assistant
Kathy Rosenberg, Parish Nurse
Faustina Allen, Director of Teen Ministry
Julie Allen, Office Manager
Julie Sventek, DCLC Director
Discipleship Vision Board
Mike Alm [email protected]
Teresa Anderson [email protected] Brad Cornelius [email protected] Karrie Kikeh [email protected]
Discipleship Vision Board
Larry Betzold [email protected] Lisa Neaderhiser [email protected] Jason Zemke (President) [email protected] Pastor Bill Hugo [email protected]