Lynnhurst Newsletter

for OCTOBER 2008

October 5 - World Communion Sunday

From the Minister . . .

Grace and peace to you! As I am writing this letter, I am noticing that it has been a full year since you voted to call me as your Senior Minister. How time flies! I continue to be honored and humbled by the opportunity to serve you in this capacity.

In the month of October, we have a whole host of activities happening at the church. In worship, we will be having World Communion Sunday on October 5th. On this day, we unite with churches of all stripes around the world in taking communion together. In honor of this occasion, we will be including fabrics from around the world on the communion table. On Sunday, October 19th, we will be having a hymn sing in which we will be singing some favorite hymns - as requested by you! Be sure to fill out those green sheets in your bulletins and hand them to an usher. October 5th is your last opportunity to fill them out during worship.

Over the past year, several of you have come to me expressing a desire to find greater depth in your spiritual lives. In order to help with this effort, I am going to be leading a weekly prayer group on Wednesday nights starting at 7 p.m. at the church. We will be focusing on quiet reflection, reading the Psalms, and being held by one another in a community of prayer. It's a 30-minute session, so you'll have time to pick up your kids after choir rehearsal (or to get yourself to adult choir practice). This is a "test run" in the month of October, and if it goes well, then we'll continue it in the coming months. Please join us for this mid-week time of renewal and meditation.

On a personal note, I'd like to let you know that I will be celebrating a special moment at the end of the month. Sunday, October 26th, will be the five-year anniversary of my ordination, which happened at Mt. Hollywood Congregational UCC in Los Angeles. It seems like only yesterday that the clergy and laity of the Central Association of the Southern California / Nevada Conference were laying hands on me on that special day. I am deeply glad to be able to share this special occasion with you.

And so, as the leaves changes colors and begin to fall, I am filled with a sense of the passing of time and the onward march of history. As the days shorten and a chill returns to the air, may God continue to bless and guide us as a community, both now and in the years to come.

In Christ's peace,
Rev. David Lindsey

BLESSING OF THE ANIMALS

Come to our Blessing of the Animals on Saturday, October 4th, at 2:00 p.m. All pets and favorite stuffed animals are welcome. Donations will be accepted for Meals on Wheels Pet Food Project.

NEIGHBORS IN NEED OFFERING ON OCTOBER 5

Lord Jesus Christ: teach us to be sparing that there may be enough for all; extend us beyond our narrow concepts that we may be startled by our capacity to give; and keep us dedicated to our discipline of love that we may know the painful joy of sharing our riches; for in your Way lies all our fulfillment and we need look no further. Amen - by Julie Greenan

On October 5, Lynnhurst will collect a special mission offering for Neighbors in Need. Neighbors in Need supports ministries of justice and compassion throughout the United States and Puerto Rico, including ministry carried out by the Council for American Indian Ministries (CAIM) and by the national offices of Justice and Witness Ministries. Please give generously.

WEDNESDAY EVENING PRAYER GROUP

Several of you have mentioned that you want to deepen your spiritual lives more fully, and now we have an opportunity just for you! Starting October 1st, REV. DAVID LINDSEY will begin leading a small prayer group with silent meditation, scriptural reflection focused on the Psalms, and a time of sharing with one another. The sessions will only be half an hour, so it's an easy way to get more spiritually connected! The purpose of this group is not to dig deeper into the intellectual study of scripture, but rather to find those places where the Spirit moves our hearts. We will gather on Wednesday evenings at 7:00 p.m. in the Fireside room.

LYNNHURST YOUTH ACTIVITIES

The Lynnhurst Youth are Declaring a War on War. This fall, we will be studying Non-Violent Activism and Peace Loving Radicals. We will also be conducting a Liturgy of Peace during Sunday School. REV. DAVID LINDSEY and NATHAN ROBERTS begin Confirmation Classes on October 5th. These classes will continue the 1st and 3rd Sundays of the month from 5 - 6 p.m. Sunday, October 12th the Jr and Sr. High Students will head out to the Applewood Orchard in Lakeville from 11:30 - 2:00 p.m. for a hayride and apple pickin'. What more could a kid possibly want in life? Nathan will lead a discussion on Adam and Eve. Don't forget the Lock-In and First Avenue concert on October 25th for 8th grade and up.

TIME AGAIN FOR THE TRUST FLU SHOT CLINIC

TRUST, in partnership with MVNA will once again be sponsoring flu shot clinics at a number of the TRUST Churches. Lynnhurst UCC will be hosting our clinic on Sunday, October 19 from 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Remember to wear short sleeves! For information on other locations and dates, please check the TRUST bulletin board or MVNA's website.

REMINDER

There will be a Church Council meeting on Tuesday, October 21, at 7:00 p.m. at the church. If you are a member of the Church Council, please plan on attending. - Leon Erstad, Moderator

CREW NEEDED OCTOBER 26TH

The choir will be experimenting with their seating arrangement at the front of the sanctuary during the month of November. This is part of the sanctuary renovation planning process for handicap access, lighting, and sound. To facilitate this process, we are seeking 8 or more volunteers to move 3 pews and two risers, as well as approximately 25 chairs. Sunday, October 26th after church is the time that we would like to do this. Please see PAUL OLSON or PEGGY SWALM if you can help. Many hands will make light work!

COME ONE! COME ALL! TO THE NEW FALL FESTIVAL!

The Trustees and the Christian Education board have teamed up to bring you a new and improved event for Autumn, which we hope will prove to delight both young and old, members and friends.

Our traditions of Halloween Party and Fall Festival will be combined to create one evening of Fellowship, Fundraising and Fun! Your favorites from the past will all be there: Haunted House, caller led dance, Cake walk, games for young and old, and, of course, the Silent Auction...plus a few surprises! So be sure to bring your family and your friends to this exciting new/old event the evening of November 1st!

If you are interested in volunteering to help with any portion of the evening, please contact MIKE PICARD, Trustees, or ELINOR STRANDSKOV, CE.

ALL SAINT'S SUNDAY

Sunday, November 2nd, you are invited to participate in a special way in our regular worship service. In honor of All Saints' Day, we will be having a liturgy of loss during worship. This liturgy is designed to honor someone (or something) special that you have lost in this past year. You are invited to bring photos or other small remembrances of the person (pet, job, mobility, etc.) that you lost this past year. Remembrances will be placed on the communion table during the service, and we will be lighting candles in honor of the memories of those we have lost. This liturgy is designed to honor our grief and gather us as a community of love and loss in which we can all lean on another for support.

FALL WORK DAY

Please join us for the Fall Work Day on Saturday, November 8. The activities begin at roughly 9 a.m., but late arrivals are welcome. Projects are available for a wide variety of abilities such as installing the storm windows, cleaning windows, removing air conditioners, semi-annual cleaning of the sanctuary and other areas including dusting, outside clean-up, minor painting projects, etc. Most projects are completed by noon. Coffee and treats will be provided. We had a good turn out for the spring work day and hope to continue this tradition. Contact BOB CHRISTENSEN with questions.

LESSONS AND CAROLS

Our Lessons and Carols service will be on December 7th this year. If you have been thinking about singing with the choir, this is a good time to start. We will begin rehearsing on Wednesday, October 29th, 7:30 - 9:00 p.m. New members are always welcome. We sing most Sundays, September through May, with a short warm-up before the service at 9:30 a.m. Funds for childcare are available through the Music and Arts Board. Choir is a great way to get involved and get to know other Lynnhurst folks. If you have questions, please call Director PEGGY SWALM.

FAMILY CHRISTMAS CONCERT

The LYNNHURST WOMEN'S QUARTET and PAUL OLSON'S MEN'S TRIO are planning a Candlelight Family Christmas Concert with carol singing for December 6, 2008, at 4:00 p.m. in the afternoon in the Sanctuary. The event is free, although donations will be accepted for an Environmental Justice-Clean Water project, the theme of our Mission Board for this year. The Board will, also, provide a reception after the concert. Please put the date aside and join us for a warm and festive beginning to the Christmas Season.

SING HANDEL'S "MESSIAH"

If you would like to sing Handel's "Messiah" with an established group in the community, please join with the St. John's Oratorio Chorus for rehearsals on Sunday evenings this Fall, beginning October 19, 2008 at 6:30pm. The concerts will be performed with their Oratorio Orchestra on Saturday, December 13 at 7pm and again on Sunday, December 14 at 4pm. St. John's Oratorio Chorus has presented "Messiah" for many years and several Lynnhurst members have participated. If you do not have a musical score, copies will be available for purchase or you may be able to borrow one. Practices and concerts will be held at St. John's Lutheran Church, 49th St. And Nicollet Ave. S. in Minneapolis. This is a wonderful experience for those who really enjoy singing. If you would like more information, please call Joyce Larson, Chorus Director, at # 612-306-8379 or speak with PAUL OLSON or MARY KAY WILLERT.

FAITH EXPLORATION

Faith Exploration will meet Saturday, October 11 from 8:00 - 9:30 a.m. at Lynnhurst. We will be discussing the 1944 existentialist play No Exit by Jean-Paul Sartre. The play details the interactions of three people who are confined within a room in hell. We will share a simple potluck breakfast, coffee is provided.

ART EXHIBIT BY SHELLEY N.C. HOLL

The Lynnhurst Music and Arts Board is proud to present artist and writer Shelley N. C. Holl and her exhibit of paintings and collage from her book, "Waterbourne Witness: Elegies for My New Orleans". Former New Orleanian Shelley Holl was a columnist for the Times-Picayune newspaper for five years, and formed an unbreakable bond with the people and places of New Orleans. Profoundly moved by Hurricane Katrina, Shelley created a series of pieces in a variety of media inspired by images of that devastating event. Shelley says, "I believe that artists have a responsibility to bear witness to the global, political and personal... I feel an urgency to share my images in the hope that it will help us not forget". Shelley's artwork and book will be on display and for sale in the Lynnhurst Gallery from September 28 to October 26, 2008.

LYNNHURST USHERS

The Diaconate is looking for members who would like to usher on a more regular schedule instead of being called at the last minute. This would be done by having you sign up for a certain Sunday of the month that you would always like to usher on. For example, if you chose the 3rd Sunday of the month, you would automatically be signed up for that Sunday each month. This would especially be great for spouses of choir members or parents of Sunday school children. Are you leaving on a month long vacation and don't want to worry about your Sunday? No problem! Just let a deacon know and we will find a substitute for you. This also can be done if you are sick or you just can't make it. Please let Lisa in the office know which Sunday you would like or contact a deacon if you have questions. Thank you for your help!

KEEP THINKING THREE

Think Three Sunday continues to be a monthly opportunity to donate to the local food shelf. As a reminder, and for those you who don't know, here is how it works: on the third Sunday of every month we ask people to bring in three food items or a cash donation to help those in need. Of course you're not limited to three food items; it just becomes an easy way of remembering. So Think Three on October 19!

NEED A BABY FIX?

I have a great opportunity for you to spend time with some of the newest children at Lynnhurst. Please come sign-up to volunteer in the cribbery on a Sunday morning. Anyone can volunteer, but children do need to sign-up with an adult. The sign-up sheet is on the bulletin board in the cribbery. You don't have to worry about missing the service because you can listen to it on the radio that is set up in the there. We have already had several new infants and toddlers in the cribbery this year and I am sure they would love to meet you! If you have any questions please contact LINDSAY NICOL at by email. Thank You!

KEEPING IN TOUCH WITH PEW POSTCARDS

Pew postcards are available in the pews. The postcard offers an opportunity for congregation members to keep in touch with one another, especially with someone who has been absent from Church due to illness or other circumstance. Feel free to write a note to a Lynnhurst member or friend and place it in the offering plate or drop it off at the Church office. The postcard will be addressed and stamped and mailed from the office. Please take advantage of this wonderful way to "keep in touch".

TRUST NEWS

Congratulations to the Lynnhurst UCC Team for winning the award for raising the most money at the 5K Run, Roll and Stroll!

Thanks to MARY FAULKNER and JOANNE HOSTERT, Board members from Lynnhurst UCC, for producing 2008's first Board Challenge for Parish Nursing. They organized a bake sale at Lynnhurst (and thanks to the Lynnhurst folks who sacrificed their diets for the cause!)

MAGIC WITH A MESSAGE

As an internationally recognized stage magician and illusionist, Bob Fellows uses the skills he has honed over thirty years as an entertainer to create educational presentations that are experiential and memorable. Friday, October 31 7:00 p.m. at Lutheran Church of Christ the Redeemer, 5440 Penn Ave. S., Minneapolis. Adults $10, Children under 12 $5, Phone: 612-926-5414.

SUSTAINABILITY CLASSES

CoAM Life Enrichment Classes-Two-part lecture on Sustainability at Bethel Lutheran Church, 42nd Street East and 17th Ave S.

*Part 1 - October 27th, 10:45 - 11:45 a.m. Sustainability 101: a Win-Win for Business, Community and the Planet. Learn how we've crossed the sustainability tipping point and how it is transforming everything from Wal-Mart to politics and even religious tradition. Explore some good news about our planet and how we can turn things around.

*Part 2 - November 3rd, 10:45 - 11:45 a.m. Taking the Natural Step to Sustainability: Saving Money, Time and the Earth. Become socially and environmentally responsible, using Sweden's life-changing Natural-Step Framework.

PRAYER LIST

The Diaconate would like to remember those who may be hospitalized, recovering from surgery, have a relative or friend in the military or other circumstance, by creating a prayer list as part of our weekly bulletin. Please contact Lisa in the church office by Thursday to have your information in the following Sunday bulletin.

COAT DRIVE FOR REFUGEES

Can you imagine facing your first Minnesota winter without a coat? In a few short months, many newly-arrived refugees will encounter snow for the first time, unequipped with suitable winter clothing. The answer to this dilemma just might be hiding in your closet! Refugee Services is accepting new and gently used coats, hats, and mittens in preparation for our fall coat giveaway, to be held in mid-October. Donations can be brought to the Minnesota Church Center anytime during business hours. For more information, please contact Kristin at 612-230-3219.