Edgewood Herald

February 2012 Newsletter and Calendar

2012-01-31T12:42:00.002-06:00

A Note from Pastor Anne

Lent is the traditional 40-day season that follows Epiphany and precedes Easter. Although by the calendar it seems to be 46 days long, the six Sundays of Lent are not included in the count, because every Sunday is considered to be a “little Easter,” even during Lent! The 40-day period reminds us of the 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness and the 40 years the Israelites wandered in the wilderness. This is important, because it is in the wilderness moments and places in our lives – those times and places when we are not in control – that we meet God. The season of Lent helps us look at our lives differently so that we don’t miss meeting God!

Often during Lent, Christians practice spiritual disciplines. Many people are familiar with the practice of fasting from food. Sometimes, these days, it is more helpful to fast from the “junk habits” we use to fill our lives – the habits that fill our time and keep us from connecting with God and others. Sometimes, other disciplines that free our time for God are more helpful.

This year, I invite you to consider the following list that Katherine Tweed sent out a few weeks ago. Choose a few of these disciplines to live into during Lent, and notice what difference they make to the quality of your day, and the quality of your relationship with God!

1. Pray.

2. Go to bed on time, at the same time every evening.

3. Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed.

4. Say “No” to projects that won't fit into your time schedule, or that will compromise your mental and spiritual health.

5. Delegate tasks to capable others.

6. Simplify and unclutter your life.

7. Less is more. (Although one is often not enough, two are often too many.)

8. Allow extra time to do things and to get to places.

9. Pace yourself. Spread out big changes and difficult projects over time; don't lump the hard things all together.

10. Take one day at a time.

11. Separate worries from concerns. If a situation is a concern, let go of the anxiety. If you can't do anything about a situation, forget it.

12. Live within your budget; don't use credit cards for ordinary purchases.

13. Have backups; an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house key buried in the garden, extra stamps, etc.

14. K.M.S. (Keep Mouth Shut). This single piece of advice can prevent an enormous amount of trouble.

15. Do something for the “Kid in You” everyday.

16. Carry a good book with you to read while waiting in line.

17. Get enough rest.

18. Eat right.

19 Get organized so everything has its place.

20. Listen to a CD, mp3, or program while driving that can help improve your quality of life.

21. Write down thoughts and inspirations.

22. Every day, find time to be alone.

23. Try to nip small problems in the bud.

24. Make friends with good people.

25. Keep a folder of favorite readings/sayings on hand.

26. Remember that the shortest bridge between despair and hope is often a good “Thank you, Jesus!”

27. Laugh.

28. Laugh some more!

29. Take your work seriously, but not yourself at all.

30. Develop a forgiving attitude (most people are doing the best they can).

31. Be kind to unkind people (they probably need it the most).

32. Sit on your ego.

33. Talk less; listen more.

34. Slow down.

35. Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the universe.

36. Every night before bed, think of one thing you're grateful for that you've never been grateful for before.

February Sermon Titles

February 5 Sermon: Renew Your Strength

Isaiah 40:21-31

February 12 Sermon: Do You Want to Be Healed?

2 Kings 5:1-14

February 19 Sermon: Untangle the Knots

Matthew 6:7-15

February 22 Ash Wednesday Service, 7:00 pm

February 26 Sermon: Rules of Travel

Matthew 6:16-34

CPR Course

A Red Cross Citizen CPR course will be coming to EUMC this Spring, hopefully on a Saturday during the month of March. Watch for details!

2012 Women of the Year

The YWCA is asking for nominations for their 2012 Women of the Year awards. Last year there were no nominations for the “Faith Community” category! In addition, another category that is relevant to EUMC is the “Volunteer” category. As the YWCA announcement states, “Please consider nominating an outstanding woman or business to be recognized in one of twelve categories, including Faith Community. Deadline for nominations is Wednesday, March 7. For more information, visit ywcacassclay.org or call (701) 232-2547.”

Thank You.....

Thank you to all for your prayers and your expressions of love and support through this time of my chemotherapy treatments. Your continued prayer support is requested as my family works through the death of my father. Your kind expressions of your caring mean more than you can know.

Cathy Prichard

The Food Pantry Item for February is Bar Soap

This month the Food Pantry is asking for bar soap. They have also received requests for dish soap, so a few bottles of that would also be helpful.

Art & the Word: A Lent Bible Study

We’ll be reflecting on each week’s Gospel passage together using paintings from across the centuries to guide our discussion. People can come to either session. The Wednesday evening session will meet over a light soup and bread supper. The Thursday morning session will follow the regular 10:00 am coffee fellowship time.

11:00 am-12:00 noon Thursdays Feb. 23 – April 5

6:00 pm-7:00 pm Wednesdays February 29 – March 28

We Told You Your Help Would Be Needed!

We told you there would be ways you could help with the homeless shelter nights at First UMC even if you couldn’t work the over night shifts – and now we have the list of needs that would really help them out! Here are some needed items: Ziplock gallon bags, individual adult toothbrushes, travel size toothpaste, shampoo and conditioner, bar of soap, wash cloths and hand towels, summer sausage, snack crackers and cheese sticks. Please start gathering these items together. (Monetary donations to First UMC to purchase some items in bulk would also be greatly appreciated.) Our youth will be collecting these items toward the end of February so we have them before our next scheduled night.

To Reach Pastor Anne...

.....you may now reach her cell phone at 701-446-8179. The parsonage number is 701-235-0440. Please make a note of the cell phone number. It is the best way to reach Pastor Anne during the day.

New Member Class

The membership class will continue on Sundays February 5, 12 & 19. New members will be received on February 19^th. If you have you been thinking about joining Edgewood Church, please feel free to come to the next two sessions. The class meets during the 9:00 am Sunday School hour.

Stick it to Cancer Hockey Game

Go to the Fargo North vs Fargo South hockey games on Tuesday, February 7^th at Scheels Arena. The girls play at 5:15 and the boys at 7:30. This will be an evening filled with hometown hockey rivals battling it out for a good cause. Bid on silent auction items, enjoy intermission entertainment, and snack on homemade kettle korn. All money raised will be donated to Lend a Hand to help local families battling cancer and other life-threatening medical conditions. Funds will be matched by Dakota Medical Foundation. (Our own Jessica Long plays on the Fargo North team.)

Senior High Youth News

Join Sarah Sandvik from MYM (Metro Youth Ministry) for Sunday School this year in the Youth Room!

MYM meetings and events are listed below:

Feb. 3 Godspell produced by United Campus Ministries. Meet at UCM for dinner at 5:30 pm.

Feb. 5 Super Bowl Party at UCM, 5-9 pm. Bring a snack to share.

Feb. 12 Les Miserables at West Fargo High School. Meet at UCM at 1:30 pm. RSVP by Feb. 3^rd to abass@firstumcfargo.com.

Our youth are also part of Wednesday evening study and service projects (at 5:30 pm) in conjunction with the youth of Grace UMC. In February, youth will meet at Edgewood. Dinner is included.

United Campus Ministry News

United Campus Ministry of Fargo-Moorhead is presenting Godspell, a musical based on the Gospel of Matthew, on Friday, February 3^rd and Saturday, February 4^th at 7 pm each evening at Plymouth Congregational Church of Christ, 901 Broadway N., Fargo. There is no admission charge, but a free will offering will be received.

Edgewood UMC Stewardship

Prayers

Everyone involved in caring for the homeless in Fargo-Moorhead this winter.

Emergency Food Pantry

United Campus Ministry and their staff and students.

The hunger crisis and refugee situation in the Horn of Africa.

Our covenant missionaries in Bolivia: Gordon and Ardell Graner.

(If you have personal prayer requests for the prayer chain, please contact Katherine Tweed at 235-2115.)

Presence

January 1 – 48

January 8 – 65

January 15 – 51

January 22 – 51

January 29 – 57

Gifts

January 1 -- $1,314.00

January 8 -- $2,235.00

January 15 -- $1,195.75

January 22 -- $1,240.00

January 29 -- $

Service/Witness

Thanks to:

Katherine Tweed, Kelly Prichard, Char Myhre and Carolyn Haugen for serving as worship leaders.
Darlean Pierce, Susan Martin, Sarah Sandvik, Shirley Schlenvogt, Joel Routledge and Katherine Tweed for serving as greeters.
Leo Mittleider, Rod Rittenbach and David and Rita Schlenvogt for serving as ushers.
Susan Martin and the Middle Sunday School class for serving coffee fellowship time.
Char Myhre for being communion steward.
Chase Walseth and others from United Campus Ministry for the great taco salad bar lunch and to all who stayed and ate to support their mission trip fund-raising efforts.

·Edgewood’s January overnight team for the Homeless Shelter Program at First UMC: Charles Dittman, Clark Mannie, Pat Morrison, Char Myhre, Sarah Sandvik, Chase Walseth, Teri Walseth and Sister Maris Stella.

·All those who helped with the Epiphany Piñata Party Team, the January United Campus Ministry dinner, and the New Life Center luncheon: Michelle, Jeff & Mack Borowicz, Jennette Dittman, Barb Enz, Dorothy Hagen, Carolyn Haugen, Sharon Haugen, Dawn Long, Beva Hansen, Alexis Limesand, Susan Martin, Iris Miller, Char Myhre, Mara Nitzkorski, Dianna Ostern, Vicky Rittenbach, Zach Routledge, Sarah Sandvik, Dave & Rita Schlenvogt and Bev Sprenger.

February Birthdays & Anniversaries

Birthdays

6^th – Clarine Robinson

7^th – Vern Grommesh

10^th – Frances Rebstock

12^th – Flavia Ichedet

14^th – Xavier Lommen

15^th – Loretta Mittleider

16^th – BranDee Hoherz

18^th – Virginia Martin

19^th – Bob Agnew and Craig Murie

20^th – Beth Agnew

22^nd – John Ehlen

24^th – Marvel Baumann

27^th – Angie Klocke

28^th – Mack Borowicz and Joel Routledge

Anniversaries

5^th – Bea & Vern Grommesh

15^th – Dirk & Caroline Hansen

18^th – Angie & Kelly Klocke

February Calendar

Weekly Events

Sunday

Sunday School, 9:00 am

Coffee Fellowship, 10:00 am

Worship Service, 10:30 am

Tuesdays

NA at 8 pm each Tuesday

Wednesdays

Intercessory Prayer Group, 10 am

MYM with Grace UMC, 5:30 pm

Chancel Choir rehearsal, 7:00 pm

Thursdays

Coffee Fellowship at 10 am

Other Events

February 7 – Eve Circle meets at Beva Hansen’s home, 7:30 pm

February 13 – Administrative Council Meeting, 7:00 pm

February 14 – Ruth Circle Meeting, 9:30 am

February 22 – Ash Wednesday worship service, 7:00 pm

February 23 – Art and the Word: A Lent Bible Study, 11:00 am

February 29 – Art and the Word: A Lent Bible Study, 6:00 pm

January 2012 newsletter and calendar

2011-12-30T09:38:00.002-06:00

A Note from Pastor Anne

This New Year . . .

May there be harmony in all your relationships:

May sharp words, envious thoughts,

and hostile feelings be dissolved.

May you give and receive love generously:

May this love echo in your heart

like the church bells on a clear January day.

May the hope of this sacred season settle in your soul:

May that hope be a foundation of courage for you

when times of distress occupy your inner land.

May the wonder and awe that fills the eyes of children

be awakened in you each morning:

May you be led to renewed awareness and appreciation

of whatever you take for granted.

May the bonds of love for one another be strengthened:

May you gather often with family and friends

around tables of festivity and nourishment.

May you open the gift of your life each day

and be watchful and grateful

for the hidden treasure it contains.

May the coming year be one of good health for you:

May you have energy and vitality.

May you care well for your body, mind, and soul

because you are a temple of God’s most holy Spirit.

May you keep your eye on the Star within you,

and trust this Luminescent Presence

to guide and direct you each day and night.

May you go often to the Bethlehem of your heart

and visit the One who offers you peace:

May you bring this peace into our world.

Amen.

(adapted from a prayer by Joyce Rupp)

January Sermon Titles

January 1 Sermon: Christmas 1914

Luke 2:8-20

January 8 Feast of Epiphany --- Sermon: For the Time Being

Matthew 2:1-23

January 15 Rev. Kirsten Frantsvog

Hospice of the Red River Valley

January 22 Sermon: Immediately!

Mark 1:14-20

January 29 Sermon: I Know Who You Are

Mark 1:21-28

Pastor Anne Will Be Away.....

.....January 12^th – 19^th. Rev. Kirsten Frantsvog, chaplain with Hospice of the Red River Valley, will be preaching on January 15^th. Pastor Anne will be away teaching classes on spirituality and leadership for the California-Nevada United Methodist Conference. She will be back in town the afternoon of the 19^th of January and in the office on the 20^th.

To Reach Pastor Anne...

.....you may now reach her cell phone at 701-446-8179. The parsonage number is 701-235-0440. Please make a note of the cell phone number in case of an emergency. The cell phone is the best way to reach Pastor Anne during the day.

Epiphany Celebration Sunday January 8th

After church on Sunday the 8^th of January we will have an Epiphany party to celebrate the coming of the Three Kings. We will also be taking down the Christmas decorations.

New Member Class

Have you been thinking about joining Edgewood United Methodist Church? Pastor Anne will be leading a membership class beginning on January 22^nd during the 9:00 am Sunday School hour. Come and learn about United Methodism and decide if formal membership is right for you.

Year-end Finance Update

As of today’s date we are short about $7,700 of meeting all of our commitments for 2011. Contributions may still be made toward 2011 giving by mailing a check or dropping your donation off at the church. If the office isn’t open you can drop it into the locked mail box on the east end of the church.

Human Relations Day Offering

January 15^th is the day designated to receive the special offering for Human Relations Day. Donations received for this support vital community ministries that teach and advocate for justice, especially among people struggling to survive in the margins of society, and helps provide avenues to restored relationships through ministries like Youth Offender Rehabilitation, Community Developers self-improvement programs and United Methodist Voluntary Services community advocacy programs. Envelopes will be included in your bulletin that day for you to use in giving to support these programs.

January is Peanut Butter month for the Food Pantry

The January item for the food pantry is peanut butter. The price of peanut butter is expected to go up and they would like to stock up before it does.

Senior High Youth News

Join Sarah Sandvik from MYM (Metro Youth Ministry) for Sunday School this year in the Youth Room!

Sunday MYM meetings and events are listed below:

Jan. 1 No meeting

Jan. 6 Painting the youth room

Jan. 8 3-5 pm MYM at UCM

Jan. 15 No meeting

Jan. 22 3-5 pm MYM at UCM

Jan. 29 3-5 pm MYM service project

Our youth are also part of Wednesday evening service projects (at 5:30 pm) in conjunction with the youth of Grace UMC. In January youth will meet at Grace on the 11^th, 18^th and 25^th. Dinner is included.

United Campus Ministry News

The student choir from United Campus Ministry will join us for worship on January 29^th and following worship they will be putting on another taco salad bar luncheon for us. Plan on staying and helping them raise money for their mission trip to Costa Rica.

Edgewood UMC Stewardship

Prayers

Emergency Food Pantry

United Campus Ministry and their staff and students.

Victims of flooding on the Souris and Missouri Rivers.

The hunger crisis and refugee situation in the Horn of Africa.

Our covenant missionaries in Bolivia: Gordon and Ardell Graner.

(If you have personal prayer requests for the prayer chain, please contact Katherine Tweed at 235-2115.)

Presence

December 4 – 65

December 11 – 93

December 18 – 57

Christmas Eve – 115

December 25 – 48

Gifts

December 4 -- $3,086.00

December 11 -- $2,604.00

December 18 -- $5,075.00

Christmas Eve -- $3,120.02

December 25 -- $1,207.00

Service/Witness

Thanks to:

Kurt Riffey, Karen Nitzkorski, Beva Hansen, Monte Routledge, Mara Nitzkorski and Kelly Prichard for serving as worship leaders.
Shirley Schlenvogt, Joel Routledge, Barb Oien and Dianna Ostern for serving as greeters.
Leo Mittleider, Rod Rittenbach, David and Rita Schlenvogt, and Eskild Ostern for serving as ushers.
The Elementary Sunday School class, Karen Nitzkorski and Pat Morrison for serving coffee fellowship time.
Linda Routledge for being communion steward and Doug Routledge, Dawn Rittenbach and Char Myhre for being servers.
Lynn Becker, Dianna Ostern and Barb Enz for keeping track of all the tags and gifts for the giving tree and to Monte Routledge and Dave Schlenvogt for delivering all the gifts to McKinley School.
All those who took tags off the giving tree and helped provide Christmas gifts for some needy families.
Teri Walseth, Beva Hansen, Sarah Sandvik, Char Myhre, Clark Mannie, Charles Dittman, Chase Walseth, Pat Morrison and Katherine Tweed for volunteering to help out with the emergency shelter project for the homeless being hosted by First UMC.
Carolyn Haugen, Beva Hansen, Dianna Ostern, Rita Schlenvogt, Karen Nielsen and Bev Sprenger and Karen Nitzkorski for providing hospitality after Ed Nies’ funeral.
The people from Cheyenne Crossings who donated food for the Emergency Food Pantry through our church.
Chase Walseth and others from United Campus Ministry for the great taco salad bar lunch and to all who stayed and ate to support their mission trip fund-raising efforts. (Chase and company will return on January 29^th!)
Iris Miller, Darlean Pierce, Dorothy Hagen, Jennette Dittman, Barb Enz, Barb Trieglaff, Karen Murie, Evie Lommen, Marella Haugen, Florence Rau, Leo Mittleider, Sharon Haugen, Dianna Ostern, Rita Schlenvogt, Bev Sprenger, Barb Oien, Char Myhre, Dee Otto, Lynn Becker, Karen Nielsen, Beva Hansen, Carolyn Haugen and anyone else who baked for the annual UMW bake sale that benefited United Methodist missions.

January Birthdays & Anniversaries

Birthdays

9^th – Jennette Dittman

10^th – Naomi Alderson and Beva Hansen

19^th – Rudy Tuorila

25^th – Susan Martin

29^th – Barb Trieglaff

Anniversaries

22^nd – Kurt & Beth Bohlmann

January Calendar

Weekly Events

Sunday

Sunday School, 9:00 am

Coffee Fellowship, 10:00 am

Worship Service, 10:30 am

Tuesdays

NA at 8 pm each Tuesday

Wednesdays

Intercessory Prayer Group, 10 am

MYM with Grace UMC, 5:30 pm

Chancel Choir rehearsal, 7:00 pm

Thursdays

Coffee Fellowship at 10 am

Other Events

January 6 – Youth room painting

January 8 – Epiphany party and Christmas undecorating

January 8 – Metro Youth Ministry

January 9 – Administrative Council Meeting

January 10 – Ruth and Eve Circle Meetings

January 20 – Edgewood hosts New Life Center Luncheon

January 22 & 29 – Pastor Anne leads new member class

January 27^th & 28^th – Winter Connection for youth at Wesley Acres

January 29 – United Campus Ministry serves taco salad lunch bar after worship

December 2011 Newsletter and Calendar

2011-11-30T09:31:00.002-06:00

Tradition of the Christmas crèche

by Pastor Anne Dilenschneider

The tradition of the Christmas crèche began in the year 1223 C.E. in Italy. At that time, Francis of Assisi, now known as St. Francis, was visiting the town of Grecio, a small mountain village tucked into the forest overlooking a beautiful valley where the people had cultivated vineyards for generations. Francis had come to the village to help lead the Christmas celebration. But, when he arrived, Francis realized that the village church would be far too small to hold the crowd that was expected for Midnight Mass.

As he considered where he could create a place for worship that would be solemn, beautiful, and joyous, Francis realized that the celebration would have to be held outside. Then he had an idea. He had just returned from the Holy Land, where he had visited the traditional site of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem. He decided to recreate that experience for the villagers. So he searched the area until he found a cave-like niche in the mountainside near the town square. There, he set up an altar. He found a manger, and brought it to the site. And then he brought hay, and an ox and a donkey. He found villagers to play the parts of Mary, Jesus, Joseph, the shepherds and the magi.

The people were called to worship. As they came running, Bonaventure tells us, “the forest resounded with their voices, and that venerable night was made glorious by many and brilliant lights and sonorous psalms of praise.” Francis shared the Gospel and then he preached a Christmas sermon.

The crèche was so popular that, within 100 years, churches throughout Italy were expected to have nativities for Christmas!

The tradition quickly spread throughout Europe. Eventually, statues replaced the human participants. Over the years the robes and stable and landscape became more and more ornate. Polish nativities even included the Gothic spires, Renaissance facades, and Baroque domes of Krakow. Kings and Queens in many countries collected these Christmas scenes.

In England, there was a related tradition. Mince pies were baked in the shape of a manger. Then, a small figurine of the Christ Child was placed in the mince pie manger until the pie was eaten at Christmas dinner. When the Puritans decided to ban Christmas celebrations in the 1600s, they passed a law to specifically outlaw these mince pie mangers, calling them “idolaterie in crust”!

In France, during the French Revolution, when the churches were outlawed and closed because the religious hierarchy was closely linked to the monarchy, large nativity scenes were also forbidden. In order to tell the Christmas story, the tradition of tiny, bean-sized, clay nativity characters, called “santon fèves” (little bean saints), developed in Provence. Each year, one of these little figures was baked into the Epiphany “kings’ cake.” The finder was able to keep the figurine for his/her nativity scene, and became “king” or “queen” for the day.

Over the years, the santon-makers replaced the traditional nativity figures with people from their own villages: the scissors grinder, the fishwife, the chestnut seller, the milkmaid, the blind man. The traditional set of French “santons” now includes 55 different characters! The placement of the figures varies, except for Mary, Jesus, Joseph, and one other: the “village idiot” (now called “the simple one”). The “simple one” is always placed closest to Jesus, reminding us of the care we are called to provide for those among us who are bringing us closest to the Christ-child all year long.

Christmas Worship Schedule

Sunday, December 4 – Sunday Worship and Communion, 10:30 a.m.

Sunday, December 11 – Children’s Christmas Program during worship, 10:30 a.m.

Sunday, December 18 – Sunday Worship Celebration, 10:30 a.m.

Saturday, December 24 – Candlelight Christmas Eve Celebration, 5:30 p.m.

Sunday, December 25 – Christmas Worship Celebration, 10:30 a.m.

Sunday, December 25 – Christmas Potluck and Gathering, Noon

Sunday, January 1 – New Year’s Worship Celebration, 10:30 a.m.

Sunday, January 8 – Epiphany Piñata Party, 10:30 a.m.

Advent and Christmas Season Sermon Titles

December 4: John the Baptist: Follow Christ through the Land of Unlikeness, Luke 1:5-25; 57-66

December 11: Children’s Play: “On the Road to Bethlehem” (adapted)

Sermon: Joseph: Seek Christ in the Kingdom of Anxiety, Matthew 1:18-25

December 18: Mary: Love Christ in the World, Luke 1:26-56

December 25: Christmas Day: Good King Wenceslas, Luke 2:22-40

January 1: Christmas Truce of 1914, Luke 2:8-20

January 8: Feast of Epiphany: For the Time Being, Matthew 2:1-23

Christmas Day Potluck and Gathering Noon-3:00 p.m.

If you need a place for Christmas cheer and fellowship, you are invited to stay after church Christmas Day for a light lunch, games, and a movie. Soup will be provided. Please bring festive finger foods to share.

Order Your Poinsettias Today!

We are again offering the opportunity for you to purchase and give a poinsettia for use in decorating our church for Christmas. Plants are $8, and should be paid for when ordered. They may be designated in honor of or in memory of someone and may be taken home after the Christmas Day service. The deadline for orders is Sunday, December 4th!

Giving Back Opportunity

1. Giving Tree. The giving tree in support of families in our neighborhood is now up. This year we have children from seven different families, so we have some shopping to do! Stop by the tree, take a tag or two and help give a child a smile on Christmas morning. (Be sure to write down what tags you took on the sheet on the table next to the tree.) Gifts need to be returned by December18^th at the very latest.

Please put whatever you buy for each child into one gift bag and attach the tag to the handle. Please also include gift receipts in case something needs to be exchanged.

We are also collecting mittens, gloves and stocking caps which will be given to a couple of the elementary schools. Children are not allowed to play outside if they don’t have those to wear.

Christmas Bake Sale

Our UMW is asking for support from everyone to provide some goodies for the Christmas bake sale to be held on Saturday, December 10^th, 8:30 am to 12:30 pm. Bring your items to the church on Friday and come back Saturday to do your Christmas baking! (This year’s sale also includes vendors and crafts. Come check out Simply Dovely Creations, Tupperware, Celebrating Home and more!)

Blanket Work Day

Come to church on Friday, December 2, at 1:00 pm and help make and provide blankets for those in need. It’s easy, fun, and a good time of fellowship.

Year-end Finance Update

As of today’s date we estimate we need to raise $22,800 to end the year with all bills paid. This amount is similar to previous years and is certainly within our reach. Please pray about and consider carefully what God wants you to do in support of the ministry this church provides to you and to our community through our congregation.

Consider this: When you go out to eat, a tip of 15-20% is expected. God only expects 10%.

New Life Center Gifts

A basket has been placed in the narthex to receive gifts for residents of the New Life Center. Here are the items they are requesting this year: thermal underwear (M & L), t-shirts (M & L), socks (work & dress), gloves (work & dress) and stocking caps. The deadline for bringing gifts to the church is December 4^th.

Church Women United Meet December 2^nd

Fargo Church Women United’s Christmas Coffee will be held Friday, December 2^nd, 9:30 am, at Bethany Retirement Living, 201 University Dr. S. Those in attendance are asked to bring unwrapped gifts: personal items for the YWCA Shelter and/or winter items for Churches United for the Homeless. All women of the church are invited to attend.

December is Bean month for the Food Pantry

The December item for the food pantry is canned beans. All kinds of beans – green, yellow, black, garbanzo, baked, etc. (They have a large supply of refried beans, so please don’t bring those!)

Senior High Youth News

Join Sarah Sandvik from MYM (Metro Youth Ministry) for Sunday School this year in the Youth Room!

Sunday MYM meetings and events are listed below:

Dec. 4 3-5 pm MYM at UCM

Dec. 11 3-5 pm MYM at UCM

Dec. 18 Christmas caroling – location to be announced.

Dec. 25 No meeting

Our youth are also part of Wednesday evening service projects (at 5:30 pm) in conjunction with the youth of Grace UMC. In December youth will meet at Edgewood on the 7^th and 14th. Dinner is included.

What’s Happening at United Campus Ministry

We are rapidly heading toward the end of the semester as December approaches. The students only have two more weeks of classes and then a week of finals before their winter break. Prayers are needed for the students as they wrap up their classes with lots of tests, papers, and projects.

Because the students leave for their vacations more than a week before Christmas, we always decorate the center and put up our Christmas tree in the middle of November. That is one of my favorite times of the year at the center, because our worship space is transformed with colorful lights and a big tree with ornaments made by our students over the years.

Our last worship of the semester is on Sunday, December 11, and it is our Candlelight and Carols service. We sing carols and let students light candles for people they love and situations that are affecting them. We will have our usual fellowship time preceding the service with a meal. During this time we will also give students a chance to make an ornament to add to the tree to preserve their time at UCM.

We at UCM thank you for everything you do for us and we hope that you have a wonderful Christmas season!

Amelia Shoptaugh, UCM Associate Campus Minister

Edgewood UMC Stewardship

Prayers

Emergency Food Pantry

United Campus Ministry and their staff and students.

Victims of flooding on the Souris and Missouri Rivers.

The hunger crisis and refugee situation in the Horn of Africa.

Our covenant missionaries in Bolivia: Gordon and Ardell Graner.

(If you have personal prayer requests for the prayer chain, please contact Katherine Tweed at 235-2115.)

Presence
November 6 – 56

November 13 – 68

November 20 – 70

November 27 – 74

Gifts

November 6 -- $1,679.00

November 13 -- $1,618.00

November 20 -- $3,814.00

November 27 -- $1,384.25

Service/Witness

Thanks to:

Beva Hansen, Carolyn Haugen, Karen Nitzkorski and Kelly Prichard for serving as worship leaders.
Sarah Sandvik, Joel Routledge, Darlean Pierce, Shirley Schlenvogt, JoAnn Pollert and Dianna Ostern for serving as greeters.
Leo Mittleider, Rod Rittenbach, David and Rita Schlenvogt, Christine Okurut and Charles Dittman for serving as ushers.
Beva Hansen, Char Myhre, the Senior High Sunday School class and the Adult Sunday School class for serving coffee fellowship time.
Linda Routledge for being communion steward and Monte and Linda Routledge for being servers.
Karen and Gary Nielsen, John and Barb Enz, Carolyn Haugen, Sharon Haugen, Beva Hansen, Bev Sprenger, Lynn Becker, Charles Dittman, and Dave and Rita Schlenvogt for working at the Emergency Food Pantry.
Sharon Haugen and Dianna Ostern for making soup and special thanks to Sharon for leading the Christmas cookie baking and decorating for our decorating day.
Monte and Linda Routledge for assembling the giving tree.
Lynn Becker, Dianna Ostern and Barb Enz for preparing the tags, putting them on the tree and keeping track of their distribution.
Cathy and Kelly Prichard for their Advent preparation.
All those who stayed to help decorate last Sunday: Jennette Dittman, Charles Dittman, Carolyn Haugen, Sharon Haugen, Jay, Dawn, Samuel and Maggie Hoherz and Andrew Anderson, Karen Murie, Char Myhre, Karen and Mara Nitzkorski, Dianna and Oscar Ostern, JoAnn Pollert, Lynsey Rittenbach, Rod and Vicky Rittenbach, Samantha Routledge, Alexa Routledge, Monte and Linda Routledge, Melissa and Taylor Tedford and Pastor Anne.
Savanah and Teri Walseth for providing supper for the Wednesday youth gathering.

December Birthdays & Anniversaries

Birthdays

1^st – Karen Hertz

2^nd – Dallas Hansen

3^rd – Cathy Prichard

6^th – Coleman Kinzer

8^th – Anne Dilenschneider

10^th – Jeff Borowicz, Caroline Hansen & Ed Nies

13^th – Julie Howes

14^th – Clarice Hughes

19^th – David Kahl & Troy Walseth

20^th – Matt Long & Kyle Murie

22^nd – Karen Murie

26^th – Monte Routledge

27^th – Lynsey Rittenbach

31^st – Gary Nielsen

Anniversaries

16^th – Doug & Katherine Tweed

December Calendar

Weekly Events

Sunday

Sunday School, 9:00 am

Coffee Fellowship, 10:00 am

Worship Service, 10:30 am

Metro Youth Ministry, 3:00 pm

Tuesdays

NA at 8 pm each Tuesday

Wednesdays

Intercessory Prayer Group, 10 am

MYM with Grace UMC, 5:30 pm

Chancel Choir rehearsal, 7:00 pm

Thursdays

Coffee Fellowship at 10 am

Other Events

December 1 and 8 – Beth Moore Bible Study, 6:00 pm.

December 2 – Church Women United Christmas Coffee, 9:30 am at Bethany Retirement Living

December 2 – Blanket Work Day, 1:00 pm

December 6 – UMW Christmas Luncheon at the church, noon

December 10 – UMW Bake Sale, 8:30 am – 12:30 pm

December 11 – Sunday School Christmas Program during the 10:30 worship service

December 24 – Christmas Eve Candlelight Service, 5:30 pm

November 2011 Newsletter and Calendar

2011-10-31T11:47:00.002-05:00

Thanksgiving: A Day of Healing

by Pastor Anne Dilenschneider

For centuries, Native American peoples have celebrated the earth’s bounty with annual thanksgiving ceremonies and feasts. In the 16^th century, explorers from Europe also found much to celebrate on this continent. According to some reports, the first thanksgiving celebration that included Europeans in North America occurred in present-day New Mexico. On July 7, 1540, Coronado's expeditionary group celebrated a thanksgiving feast at Hawikuh, near present Zuni Pueblo. Coronado and his band were starving and defeated. They had been searching for the Cities of Gold, and the gold they ultimately found was not what they expected. According to one account, “We found something we prized more than gold or silver; namely, plentiful maize and beans, fowls larger than those . . . in New Spain, and salt better than any I have ever seen.” The starving men ate that feast of thanksgiving with the strangers who had become their hosts.

Other early thanksgiving feasts celebrated by the newcomers include one celebrated on May 27, 1578 in Newfoundland, others in 1607 in Maine and Virginia, and the Pilgrims’ famous days of feasting and game-playing on December 13, 1621 and June 30, 1623.

Sadly, sometimes the European settlers’ days of thanksgiving were celebrations of the massacres of Native Americans. One such Thanksgiving Feast Day was proclaimed by the governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1637 to commemorate the “Green Corn massacre” in which 700 Native American men, women and children were killed by the colonists. At the time of the massacre, the Native Americans were participating in the Thanksgiving Dance that was part of their annual Green Corn Ceremony.

George Washington was the first of several presidents to proclaim national days of thanksgiving during their administrations. On October 3, 1789, after a Congressional Joint Committee approved the motion, Washington issued a proclamation announcing the celebration of Thanksgiving on Thursday, November 26, 1789. It said, in part:

Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be -- That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks -- for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation -- for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his Providence which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war -- for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed -- for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted -- for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.

Thanksgiving Day became an annual observance in 1863 when Abraham Lincoln was president. 1863 was a particularly difficult year for Lincoln. In July, 172,000 Americans fought in the Battle of Gettysburg. 8,000 men died, 27,000 were wounded, and 11,000 were reported as captured or missing. By August, 250,000 Americans were on the lists of casualties of the Civil War. Lincoln was clearly shaken by the human cost. As he explained to a friend, “When I left Springfield [to become President] I asked the people to pray for me. I was not a Christian. When I buried my son, the severest trial of my life, I was not a Christian. But when I went to Gettysburg and saw the graves of thousands of our soldiers, I then and there consecrated myself to Christ.” On November 19, 1863 Lincoln would deliver the "Gettysburg Address" at the dedication of the new Gettysburg cemetery.

At that time, Sarah Josepha Hale was the editor of Godey's Lady's Book, the leading women's periodical of the time with150,000 subscribers. For 36 years she had lobbied presidents, asking that they set aside an annual day of national thanksgiving. During the dark days of the war she made her recommendation: "It should not be a day of fasting," for that would only remind people "of the terrible condition of the country and the deeds of men. Rather, it should be a day of feasting to exalt God" because "there is a deep moral influence in these periodical seasons of rejoicing [like the Fourth of July and Thanksgiving], in which whole communities participate. They bring out . . . the best sympathies in our natures."

Sarah Josepha Hale’s words clearly hit a chord with Lincoln. In the middle of the devastating days of the War Between the States, and 74 years to the day after George Washington’s proclamation of a single day of thanksgiving, on October 3, 1863 Abraham Lincoln set apart the last Thursday of November each year "as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise." In his Proclamation of Thanksgiving he wrote:

The year that is drawing towards its close has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God. . . .

It has seemed to me fit and proper that [the gracious gifts of the Most High God] should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility and Union.

In 2011 we still face challenges as individuals, as a community, and as a country. May this Thanksgiving Day bring out the best in our natures. And may our gathering together around tables and giving thanks be steps towards God’s gracious healing.

November Sermon Titles

November 6 -- Stay Awake! (Matthew 25:1-13)

November 13 -- Act in Faith! (Matthew 25:14-30)

November 20 -- Who Do You See? (Matthew 25:31-46)

November 27 -- Turn Back! (Luke 17:11-19)

Confirmation Sunday

Four of our youth completed their confirmation studies and were confirmed and received into membership during the worship service on October 30^th. We invite you to congratulate and welcome the following into membership: Mack Borowicz, Emily Howes, Mara Nitzkorski and Zachary Routledge.

Fall Dinner Results

Thank you to all who worked so hard to make our fall dinner a success! Proceeds were down a little bit from last year, but we will accomplish our main goal of raising enough money to pay our covenant agreement with the Graners and have a few dollars left.

Daylight Saving Time Ends

Daylight Saving Time ends Sunday, November 6^th. Be sure to turn your clocks back one hour before going to bed on the 5^th!

Annual Church Conference Meeting

Our Annual Church Conference meeting will be Sunday, November 20, at 5:30 pm. This is an important meeting in the life of the church. All are welcome and all members hold vote. The meeting will be led by our District Superintendent Marilyn Spurrell.

Food Pantry Week November 7-10

Thank you to all who signed up to work at the Emergency Food Pantry on November 7, 8, 9, and 10. All the days are covered! (If for some reason you can’t make it on the day you volunteered, be sure to let the church office know.)

Community Opportunities

1. New Horizons Manor is holding their Fall Bazaar on Saturday, November 5^th from 10:00 to 4:00. They have crafts, baked goods, rolls and coffee, Avon, Tupperware and barbeque.

2. The UMW of First United Methodist present their Annual Fall Festival with “Ham It Up for Missions” on Sunday, November 6^th from 10:30-1:00 pm. The ham dinner is a free-will offering.

3. The Handi-Wheels Transportation Spaghetti Supper and Silent Auction will be Saturday, November 19^th, 4:00-8:00 pm at Olivet Lutheran Church, 1330 S. University Drive. Adult tickets are $8 and children under 12 are $5.

4. Flame of Faith UMC is hosting a display of nativities from countries across the globe on Saturday, November 19^th, 1-4:30 pm. Admission is $5.

New Life Center Gifts

What’s Happening at United Campus Ministry

We are more than halfway through the fall semester and things are just now starting to quiet down. We had an amazing first month of classes, with lots of activities to welcome students to campus and to introduce them to UCM. Our semiannual pig roast in September was a big success as always and our weekly worship attendance is up from last year. I want to say thank you to all the churches that have been providing meals on Sunday nights, the students love your food and it gives them a fun time to gather and get to know each other.

This past month we also held our third annual silent auction and gala at Calvary UMC. We had about 100 people attend and 25 students helped by decorating, serving and singing in the choir. Thank you to all those that attended and to those that donated items to the auction. We raised over $3,000 at the auction alone!

We also welcomed two new associate campus ministers this fall. Mandy Bass, who will be working at First UMC with 10^th-12^th grade youth, and will be heading up our MY (Metro Youth) Ministry, and Wil Wilson, who was placed with us as part of the UMC’s US-2 program, will be heading up community service and weekend activities. We are blessed to have them as part of our team and we look forward to all the ministry we’ll do together.

Amelia Shoptaugh, UCM Associate Campus Minister

Church Women United Meet November 4^th

The 2011 World Community Day program of Church Women United will be at 9:30 am on Friday, November 4^th, at Messiah Lutheran Church, 2010 Elm Street North. All women of the church are invited to attend.

November is Juice month for the Food Pantry

Another item the food pantry is always in need of is our November focus: large plastic bottles of juice (no grapefruit juice please).

United Methodist Student Day

Prepare students to unite faith with knowledge........

The last of the six special 2011 United Methodist offering Sundays comes on November 27 with United Methodist Student Day.

· This special offering supports scholarships and loans to students attending United Methodist and other accredited colleges and universities.

· Members of our congregation have benefited from this program.

· Half of our offering taken that day will also support our local campus ministry.

· Please give generously.

Senior High Youth News

Join Sarah Sandvik from MYM (Metro Youth Ministry) for Sunday School this year in the Youth Room!

Sunday MYM meetings and events are listed below:

Nov. 5-6 Lock-in for junior and senior high youth

Nov. 6 3-5 pm MYM at UCM

Nov. 13 3-5 pm MYM at UCM

Nov. 20 3-5 pm MYM at UCM

Nov. 27 No meeting (Thanksgiving weekend)

Our youth are also invited to be a part of Wednesday evening service projects (at 5:30 pm) in conjunction with the youth of Grace UMC. In November youth will meet at Edgewood. Dinner is included.

Edgewood UMC Stewardship

Prayers

Our Confirmation students who are now new members of Edgewood UMC.

Emergency Food Pantry and our volunteers working there in November.

United Campus Ministry and their staff and students.

Victims of flooding on the Souris and Missouri Rivers.

The hunger crisis and refugee situation in the Horn of Africa.

Our covenant missionaries in Bolivia: Gordon and Ardell Graner.

(If you have personal prayer requests for the prayer chain, please contact Katherine Tweed at 235-2115.)

Presence
October 2 – 57

October 9 – 56

October 16 – 62

October 23 – 53

October 30 – 102

Gifts

October 2 -- $1,260.00

October 9 -- $1,804.00

October 16 -- $1,946.00

October 23 -- $1,601.75

October 30 -- $1,862.00

Service/Witness

Thanks to:

Karen Nitzkorski, Beva Hansen, Savanah Walseth, Kelly Prichard and Monte Routledge for serving as worship leaders.
Dianna & Oscar Ostern, Sarah Sandvik, Joel Routledge, Darlean Pierce, Barb Oien and Iris Miller for serving as greeters.
Leo Mittleider, Rod Rittenbach, and Dawn Rittenbach for serving as ushers.
Zach Routledge, Samantha Routledge, and Xavier Lommen for doing acolyte duty.
Beva Hansen, Pat Morrison, Karen Nitzkorski, and Karen Murie for serving coffee fellowship time.
Linda Routledge for being communion steward and Carolyn Haugen and Charles Dittman for being servers.
Sharon Haugen for cleaning the church kitchen.
Those who participated in supporting the UCM Gala (contributing to the 20 baskets from EUMC and/or attending): Lynn Becker, Gayle Dee, Anne Dilenschneider, Charles Dittman, Jennette Dittman, Beatrice Grommesh, Dorothy Hagen, Beva Hansen, Carolyn Haugen, Sharon Haugen, Karen Nitzkorski, Mara Nitzkorski, Dianna Ostern, Dee Otto, Darlean Pierce, Cathy Prichard, Bev Sprenger, Barb Trieglaff, and Teri Walseth.
The Confirmation Mentors: Karen Nitzkorski, Cathy Prichard, Rod Rittenbach, Monte Routledge and Linda Routledge. Also thanks to Sarah Sandvik for assisting with Confirmation Class.
Julie Howes for making flower corsages/boutonnieres for the confirmation students.
Savanah Walseth for serving as a Youth Court Volunteer.
Carolyn Haugen, Sharon Haugen, Pat Morrison and Karen Murie for organizing and publicizing our Fall Dinner. Also, thank you to all who worked the day of the dinner, all who were involved in set up and clean up, and all who provided the desserts.
Kelly Prichard and Troy, Teri and Savanah Walseth for their support of the Shoebox program.
All of you who brought completed shoeboxes or who contributed items toward filling them or came and put them together.

November Birthdays & Anniversaries

Birthdays

2^nd – Kasia Kinzer

5^th – Christine Okurut-Ibore

6^th – James Opio

9^th – Charles Dittman

10^th – Michelle Borowicz and Karen Nielsen

11^th – Doug Routledge

12^th – Chris Jackson and Jason Palm

13^th – Elizabeth Lommen

17^th – Ray Wagner

19^th – Dawn Hoherz

20^th – Doug Tweed

23^rd – Emily Garten, Mike Hoherz and Lyle Sondreal

26^th – Florence Rau

28^th – Stephen Hanson

Anniversaries

23^rd – John & Barb Enz

November Calendar

Weekly Events

Sunday

Sunday School, 9:00 am

Coffee Fellowship, 10:00 am

Worship Service, 10:30 am

Metro Youth Ministry, 3:00 pm

Tuesdays

NA at 8 pm each Tuesday

Wednesdays

Intercessory Prayer Group, 10 am

MYM with Grace UMC, 5:30 pm

Chancel Choir rehearsal, 7:00 pm

Thursdays

Coffee Fellowship at 10 am

Beth Moore Bible Study, 6:00 pm

Other Events

November 4 – Church Women United World Community Day, 9:30 am at Messiah Lutheran Church

November 5 – Junior and Senior High youth lock-in.

November 7, 8, 9, & 10 – Edgewood volunteers at the Emergency Food Pantry, 1:00-4:00 pm each day

November 8 – Ruth and Eve Circles meet

November 14 – Administrative Council Meeting, 7 pm

November 20 – Annual Charge Conference Meeting

November 27 – Edgewood provides meal at United Campus Ministry

October 2011 Newsletter and Calendar

2011-09-28T09:18:00.006-05:00

A Note from Pastor Anne...

Halloween Is All Saints’ Eve.

The word Halloween is the short way of saying Hallow E’en or All Hallows Evening. Halloween is always on October 31^st, the night before All Hallows’ Day or, as we know it now, All Saints’ Day, on November 1^st. The word “hallow” means holy, and we still use it today in the Lord’s Prayer when we pray, “hallowed by thy name.” All Hallows’ Day/All Saints’ Day is a time to remember those special people whose lives have been examples of holy living for us. Christians have celebrated All Saints’ Day every November 1^st since it became a Christian feast day in the 8th century. And, All Saints' Day was actually a favorite day of Methodism’s founder, John Wesley!

Centuries ago, people believed that the souls of family members who had died during the year might linger about to be near the people they loved, and not go on to heaven. The festivities at the end of October were meant to help the dead pass over. In 8^th century England, a tradition developed of going door-to-door on November 2^nd, All Souls’ Day, the day after All Saints’ Day when all the dead were remembered. The “beggars” would ask families for “soul cakes” and, in exchange, these “beggars” promised to pray for the souls of any family members who had died that year. It was believed that one soul would be saved for each soul cake given to these beggars. According to one legend, doughnuts are actually soul cakes with the middle removed. A cook made the doughnuts to remind people of Eternal Life, and represented it by the circle of doughnut.

The traditions of wearing masks and offering sweets on October 31^st can be traced back to Scotland and Ireland. In both countries, people wore costumes and masks to hide from any evil spirits that might be lingering and roaming about on Halloween. In 16^th century Scotland, children would go from house to house in costumes and masks. They carried lanterns made of turnips, and promised to provide entertainment in exchange for a few coins or some food. There are many stories about outwitting the devil with lanterns, so large, carved turnip lanterns were also placed in windows to ward off evil spirits. These traditions came with the Irish and the Scots when they migrated to America.

All Hallows’ Eve, Halloween, is ultimately about the triumph of Eternal Life over anything evil in this world. There is even a wonderful Scottish prayer from an early version of the The Book of Common Prayer that reminds us of the power of God over the things that frighten us: "From ghoulies and ghosties and long-leggedy beasties and things that go bump in the night, good Lord deliver us!"

October Sermon Titles

October 2: Rules for the Road Exodus 20:1-17

October 9: God Changes God’s Mind Exodus 32:1-14

October 16: What Belongs to God? Matthew 22:15-22

October 23: Summing It Up Matthew 22:34-40

October 30: Water in the Desert Psalm 107:1-7, 33-37

Riding Lawn Mower

We are still short of funds to pay for the new riding lawn mower. The cost of the new mower was $1,066.39. To date we have received donations of $745 toward this purchase, leaving us $321.39 short. If you can help erase this deficit, please mark “lawn mower” in the memo line of your check.

United Campus Ministry News

October 16^th, 5-8 pm – Gala and Benefit Auction with Bishop Deb speaking

If you would like to attend, contribute gift certificates, tickets, or theme baskets to the Silent Auction, see Pastor Anne.

Church Women United Meet October 7^th

Church Women United’s Annual Meeting and Luncheon is Friday, October 7, 2011, 11:00 am, at Gethsemane Cathedral Episcopal Church, 3600 25^th St. S., Fargo, ND. Cost for the luncheon is $5. Business items include the election/installation of officers and deciding on gifts to local projects such as the YWCA Shelter, Nokomis, Native American Ministry and Church United for the Homeless. All women of the church are invited to attend.

Thank You!

Thank you to all for the cards and for attending our 50^th anniversary open house. It was a wonderful day and we very much appreciated everything.

Eskild & Dianna Ostern

October is Tuna Fish month for the Food Pantry

There’s never enough of this staple item at the Food Pantry, so this month Edgewood is collecting cans of tuna fish as our contribution to those in need in our community. Pick up a can or two the next time you go shopping and bring it to church on Sunday or during the week!

Senior High Youth News

Join Sarah Sandvik from MYM (Metro Youth Ministry) for Sunday School this year in the Youth Room!

Sunday MYM meetings and events are listed below:

Oct. 2 3-5 pm MYM at UCM

Oct. 9 3-5 pm MYM at UCM

Oct. 16 Service Project – Homeless and Hungry Event. More details to come!

Oct. 23 Movie Day at UCM. Wrap shoeboxes.

Oct. 30 Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF/Canned goods – Meet at UCM

Our youth are also invited to be a part of Wednesday evening service projects (at 5:30 pm) in conjunction with the youth of Grace UMC. In October youth will meet at Grace. Dinner is included.

Edgewood UMC Stewardship

Prayers

Emergency Food Pantry, its volunteers and their fund-raising project.

Dave Andrews’ son-in-law, Jon Redington, who was injured in a motorcycle accident.

United Campus Ministry and their staff and students.

Victims of flooding on the Souris and Missouri Rivers.

The hunger crisis and refugee situation in the Horn of Africa.

Our covenant missionaries in Bolivia: Gordon and Ardell Graner.

Presence
September 4 – 34

September 11 – 57

September 18 – 59

September 25 – 51

Gifts

September 4 -- $1,500.00

September 11 -- $1,929.00

September 18 -- $1,440.00

September 25 -- $1,780.64

Service/Witness

Thanks to:

Jeff and Mack Borowicz, Leo Mittleider, and Eskild Ostern for mowing the lawns this month.
Leo Mittleider and Eskild Ostern for trimming trees and bushes.
Carolyn Haugen, Kurt Riffey, Char Myhre and Kelly Prichard for serving as worship leaders.
Iris Miller, Joel Routledge, JoAnn Pollert, Lynn Becker and Sarah Sandvik for serving as greeters.
Rod Rittenbach, Charles Dittman, Leo Mittleider, and Sarah Sandvik for serving as ushers.
Cathy Prichard for the extra hours spent buffing all the floors.
Owen Prichard and Zach Routledge for doing acolyte duty.
Beva Hansen, Carolyn Haugen and Cathy and Kelly Prichard for serving coffee fellowship time.
All who helped set up before and clean up after our Rally Sunday potluck and all who provided food and helped with the grilling. (Too many names to be listed here without missing someone!)
Charles Dittman for agreeing to be our representative to the Food Pantry.
The team that worked on the Habitat build on September 10^th: Pastor Anne, Charles Dittman, Chase Walseth, Tasha Hitchrick and Karen Nitzkorski.
Jeff & Michelle Borowicz, Doug Routledge, Karen Nitzkorski and Pastor Anne for providing youth food.
Carolyn Haugen and the UMW for buying UCM dinner food, Sharon Haugen for leading the cooking, and the cooks: Doug Routledge, Mara Nitzkorski, Zach Routledge, Flavia Ichedet, Alexis Limesand and Emily Howes.

World Communion Sunday is October 2^nd

We join Christians from around the world in taking Communion on October 2^nd. We will also provide special envelopes to receive gifts for the World Communion Sunday offering. These gifts support scholarships and training programs for racial and ethnic students in the United States and international students. Please give generously.

Happy October Birthdays to:

1^st – Gary McKenzie

3^rd – Patty Hanson

4^th – Matt Schlenvogt

6^th – Cheyenne Lommen

9^th – Diane Kahl & Clark Mannie

11^th – Barbara Enz

13^th – Dylan Nitzkorski

14^th – Linda Routledge

19^th – Aaron Hendrickson

20^th – Andrew Anderson

25^th – Ruth Fossum, Molly Hammer & Doug Long

27^th – Jessica Long

28^th – Ed Simonson

30^th – Alex Ehlen

Happy October Anniversaries to:

15^th – Bennie & Florence Rau

20^th – Leo & Loretta Mittleider

31^st – Gary & Karen Nielsen

October Calendar

Weekly Events

Sunday

Sunday School, 9:00 am

Coffee Fellowship, 10:00 am

Worship Service, 10:30 am

Metro Youth Ministry, 3:00 pm

Tuesdays

NA at 8 pm each Tuesday

Wednesdays

Intercessory Prayer Group, 10 am

MYM with Grace UMC, 5:30 pm

Chancel Choir rehearsal, 7:00 pm

Thursdays

Coffee Fellowship at 10 am

Beth Moore Bible Study, 7:00 pm

Other Events

October 7 – Church Women United Annual Meeting/Luncheon, 11:00 am, Gethsemane Cathedral

October 10 – Administrative Council Meeting, 7 pm

October 11 – Ruth and Eve Circles meet

October 16 – United Campus Ministry Gala

October 30 – Confirmation Sunday

October 30 – Fall Dinner

August 30th Newsletter and September Calendar

2011-08-30T12:33:00.006-05:00

A Note from Pastor Anne...

The Real Legacy of 9/11
If you had one last thing to say,
What would it be?
One more way to stand
Before your liberty.

Would it be, could it be ...
Would it be love?
Would it be, could it be,
Would it be love?
(Edward Dee, used with permission)

On September 11, 2001, Californian Melissa Harrington Called her father from the World Trade Center after her building was hit and said she loved him. Then she left a message for her husband in San Francisco: “I just wanted to let you know I love you.”

Elizabeth Rivas’ husband called from the World Trade Center that morning. Elizabeth wasn’t home so he spoke to their daughter. The little girl told her mother “He say, mommy, he say he love you no matter what happens, he loves you.”

Captain Walter Hynes of the NYFD left a message for his wife while he was on his way to the World Trade Center. He said in his message, “I don’t know if we’ll make it out. I want to tell you that I love you and I love the kids.”

Ceecee Lyles was a flight attendant on the plane that crashed in Shanksville, PA. She left this message for her husband: “Please tell my children that I love them very much. I'm sorry, baby. I wish I could see your face again.”

Californian Tom Burnett called his wife and told her, “I love you, honey.”

Honor Elizabeth Wainio called her stepmother and told her, “I have to go. . . . I love you.”

Lauren Grandcolas left a message, “I just want to tell you how much I love you."

Mark Bigham called his mother and said, "I want you to know that I love you.”

“I love you.”

This is the real legacy
of the 2,752 people from 54 countries
who died on 9/11.

Have you told someone “I love you” today?

September Sermon Titles
September 4: Living in the Light Romans 13:8-14
September 11: Love Is the Real Legacy of 9/11 Genesis 16, 21, 24, 25
September 18: It’s Never Too Late Matthew 20:1-16
September 25: Saying Yes and Saying No Matthew 21:28-32

Fall Schedule Returns!
Our fall schedule begins on Sunday, September 11th!
9:00 am Sunday School for all ages, children through adults
10:00 am Coffee Fellowship
10:30 am Worship Service
We also plan to kick off the fall and welcome Pastor Anne by grilling burgers and hot dogs after worship. Please plan to stay and bring a “side dish” to contribute to the meal.

New Riding Lawn Mower
The church’s riding lawn mower broke down and it would have cost about $700 to repair. Since it was at least ten years old, the Administrative Council approved the purchase of a new Sears Craftsman riding mower which was on sale for $1,000. The new mower has been acquired and now we have to pay for it. If you could contribute toward this project, please mark your check “lawn mower” in the memo line. Thank you for any amount you can give toward paying for the mower.

Choir Rehearsals Begin!
Rehearsals for our Chancel Choir will begin again on Wednesday, August 31st, at 7 pm. If you have ever thought about becoming a part of the choir, this is a great time to come and check it out!

A Note To All Women of Edgewood!!!
The women of the church are invited to the United Methodist Women’s fall kick-off event -- a Potluck Salad Supper on Tuesday, September 13th at 6:00 pm. As we begin the fall activities this is an opportunity for all the women of the church to come together for good food and fellowship.

United Campus Ministry News
September 1st, 4-8 pm – Annual Pig Roast
Thanks to all who are providing casseroles and clean up for this great event!

September 25th – Edgewood cooks Sunday Dinner for students (served 6:30-7:30 pm).
All are welcome to participate – the students will shower you with appreciation!

October 16th, 5-8 pm – Gala and Benefit Auction with Bishop Deb speaking
If you would like to contribute gift certificates, tickets, theme baskets to the Auction, see Pastor Anne.

A Note From Pastor Cody
Greetings from Chicago! I am settled in the city and, having survived the summer heat wave, I am ready for fall! Every day at Urban Village Church is an adventure and I am really enjoying being a part of this amazing and creative staff. Things are really getting busy as we get ready for fall and the launch of a new worship site in October. I want to thank all of you at Edgewood for your prayers and for the wonderful send off you gave me back in June. Thank you so much for the cards and generous gifts. I think of you all often and hold you and the ministry of Edgewood in my prayers.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Cody

(Note: Pastor Cody’s new address is: 6925 N. Ashland, Chicago, IL 60626.)

A 50th Anniversary Celebration
You are invited to Eskild & Dianna Ostern’s 50th wedding anniversary celebration!
Date: Sunday the 11th of September
Time: 2-5 pm
Place: Oak Grove Park, main shelter.
(They will also be celebrating Mark and Connie’s 25th anniversary.)

It’s Macaroni and Cheese Month!
Each month, EUMC will be collecting one food item that the Food Pantry especially needs. This month they have asked us for boxes of macaroni and cheese. So pick up a box or two the next time you shop for groceries and bring them to church any time during the month of September!

Senior High Youth News
Join Sarah Sandvik from MYM (Metro Youth Ministry) for Sunday School this year in the Youth Room!
Sept. 4 Labor Day Weekend, No MYM meeting
Sept. 9-11 The Journey – UM Youth Retreat at Spirit Lake
Sept. 11 3-5 pm MYM at UCM, Campus Scavenger Hunt
Sept. 14 6-7 pm Pizza Get-together for Confirmation Class, Parents, & Mentors
Sept. 18 9 am Senior High Sunday School
3-5 pm MYM at UCM
You may remember Sarah from her time with us last year. She is a student at MSUM and swims on their swim team. She will be with us on Sundays and for any Wednesday Senior and Junior High youth activities we plan for the year. We are thrilled to have her back on the Edgewood team!

Edgewood UMC Stewardship

Prayers
East coast hurricane victims.
Everyone going back to or starting school.
United Campus Ministry and their staff and students.
Victims of flooding on the Souris and Missouri Rivers.
The hunger crisis and refugee situation in the Horn of Africa.
Our covenant missionaries in Bolivia: Gordon and Ardell Graner.

Presence
August 7 – 49
August 14 – 48
August 21 – 32
August 28 – 49
Gifts
August 7 -- $2,590.00
August 14 -- $1,343.96
August 21 -- $1,225.00
August 28 -- $2,608.00

Service/Witness
Thanks to:
• Monte Routledge for persistence and patience and dry tunnels.
• Monte Routledge and Charles Dittman for mowing the lawns this month.
• Jennette Dittman, Karen Nitzkorski, Craig Murie and Beva Hansen for serving as worship leaders.
• Joel Routledge, Beatrice Grommesh and Darlean Pierce for serving as greeters.
• Leo Mittleider, Rod Rittenbach and Charles Dittman for serving as ushers.
• Eskild & Dianna Ostern and Rod & Vicky Rittenbach for their work on the flower beds and trimming bushes around the church building.
• Sarah Sandvik for representing EUMC at the Metro Youth Ministry (MYM) Meeting.

School Kit & Blanket Work Day
A special thank you to all who have donated school supplies. We are only short of spiral notebooks or loose-leaf notebook paper. Please have all your school supplies at the church by Labor Day.

Volunteers are needed Thursday, September 8th at the church to fill bags and pack boxes for shipping. Time is 1:00 pm.

We will also cut out blankets, scarves and caps that day.

Habitat for Humanity Work Team
We are putting together a team to work on a Habitat for Humanity home in West Fargo on Saturday, September 10th. We could still use one more volunteer to complete the team. If you are interested or want more information, please contact Pastor Anne.

Happy September Birthdays to:
2nd – Leo Mittleider
6th – Steven Carr & Dwight Kinzer
7th – Dirk Hansen
9th – Owen Prichard
10th – Lynn Becker
12th – Barb Oien
16th – Andrew Long & Katherine Tweed
21st – Lynn Ehlen
22nd – Dawn Rittenbach
23rd – Tiffany Kvasager
24th – Dawn Long
25th – Samuel Hoherz, Stacie Martin & Jerry Nitzkorski
26th – Alexa Routledge

Happy September Anniversary to:
4th – Karen & Jerry Nitzkorski
21st – Trude & Bob Hendrickson

Could You Help With the Lawn Work?
It takes a lot of time to keep our grounds looking good over the summer months. The Trustees are asking for your help in taking a turn doing the mowing and trimming. Sign up sheets are posted on the office window. Please take a turn at keeping our property trimmed and nice.

September Calendar
Weekly Events

Sunday, September 4
Worship Service, 10:00 am

Sunday, September 11, 18 & 25
Sunday School, 9:00 am
Coffee Fellowship, 10:00 am
Worship Service, 10:30 am

Tuesdays
NA at 8 pm each Tuesday

Wednesdays
Intercessory Prayer Group, 10 am
Chancel Choir rehearsal, 7:00 pm

Thursdays
Coffee Fellowship at 10 am

Other Events
September 8 – Pack school kits, cut blankets, etc., 1:00 pm
September 11 – Rally Sunday with potluck, and Metro Youth Ministry Campus Scavenger Event, 3 pm
September 12 – Administrative Council Meeting, 7 pm
September 13 – UMW Salad Supper, 6 pm
September 14 – Confirmation get together for students, parents and mentors, 6 pm
September 15 – UM Clergy meeting at Edgewood, 11:30 am
September 25 – UMW provides meal for United Campus Ministry
September 26 – Staff Parish Relations Committee Meeting, 7:00 pm

August 2011 Newsletter, Vol. 34, No. 7

2011-07-26T13:10:00.002-05:00

A Note from Pastor Anne

One August day, when I was studying spirituality at Ashland Theological Seminary in Ohio, a classmate gave us bright green wristbands stamped with “FROG” from her summer camp. Of course, we asked her what this meant. She told us that F.R.O.G. was shorthand for Fully Relying On God. We were studying psalms that quarter, so my friend Gerry Dupuis, who is now a Cree pastor in Canada, and I jumped (!) at the chance to write a psalm from a frog’s perspective. So, for these Frog Days of Summer, here is the psalm we wrote:

A Frog's Psalm

The Lord is my lily pad;
I will always have somewhere to land.
He hides me near green riverbanks,
He lets me swim in still waters.
He helps me catch my breath.
He guides me as I take leaps of faith in his direction.
Even though I swim through the pond
full of pike and snakes and raccoons
I will not fear death,
for you are with me;
your place near reeds and tall grass
comforts me.
You provide a feast of good things
in the presence of predators.
You keep me moist;
my pond overflows.
Surely your presence and safety
will be there for me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell
in the pond of the Lord forever.

©Gerry Dupuis & Anne Dilenschneider

Sermon Topics For the F.R.O.G.* Days of Summer
August 7: Be Not Afraid! Matthew 14: 22-33

August 14: Be Persistent! Matthew 15:21-28

August 21: Speak Up! Matthew 16:13-20

August 28: Tear Down the Walls! Matthew 16:21-28

*Fully Relying On God

Edgewood UMC Stewardship

Prayers
Iris Miller’s friend Josie in Minot.
Molly Hammer’s friends, Jason & Brianna.
The people of Norway.
Victims of flooding on the Souris and Missouri Rivers.
The hunger crisis and refugee situation in the Horn of Africa.

Presence
July 3 – 46
July 10 – 59
July 17 – 43
July 24 – 51

Gifts
July 3 -- $1,779.00
July 10 -- $1,758.00
July 17 -- $1,725.64
July 24 -- $1,520.10

Service/Witness
Thanks to:
• Everyone for the wonderful array of paper goods for Pastor Anne.
• Monte Routledge for parsonage preparations and for ensuring the church has stayed dry this summer.
• Chase Walseth for painting the parsonage.
• Vicky & Rod Rittenbach for mowing the yards and for doing some parsonage repairs.
• Leo Mittleider and Eskild Ostern for mowing the yards.
• Kelly Prichard, Carolyn Haugen and Linda Routledge for serving as worship leaders.
• Joel Routledge, JoAnn Pollert and Dee Otto for serving as greeters.
• Leo Mittleider, Rod Rittenbach, Monte Routledge, Linda Routledge, Eskild Ostern and Bob Trieglaff for serving as ushers. (Also, anyone who helped earlier this month who weren’t on the sign-up sheet!)
• Karen Nitzkorski for keeping the youth in the Confirmation Class on track with their camp requirements.
• Karen Murie for ordering children’s Bibles and for planning children’s Sunday School.
• Jennette Dittman for planning the adult Sunday School class.
• Karen Nitzkorski and Cathy Prichard for hosting the baby shower for Brittany Kvasager.
• Cathy Prichard for her quiet and thoughtful attention to our church building.
• Linda Routledge for her welcoming presence in our office.
• Doug Routledge for updating and hosting our church website.
• Lorna Williams for serving as our summer pianist.
• Katherine Tweed for organizing our prayer chain.

School Kit Needs
It is almost back to school time and also time to think of those less fortunate than ourselves. Please be aware of back to school sales, etc., as we again are packing school bags for UMCOR. Needs for this kit are:
1. Blunt-tipped school scissors
2. 3 pads (or loose leaf) of 8 ½ x 11 ruled paper
3. 1 30-centimeter ruler
4. 1 hand held pencil sharpener
5. 6 unsharpened pencils with erasers
6. 1 eraser, 2 ½”
7. 1 box of 24 crayons (only 24).
There is a basket in the narthex for donations toward completing these school kits.

Did You Notice the New Stewardship Section?
We are trying to thank everyone who helps out in any way around our church, but we may not be aware of everything that is done. Please let the office know if you think someone needs to be added to our list.

Watch For:
Information on the new Sunday School year and Rally Sunday activities.
The start dates for fall activities.

Happy August Birthday to:
1st – Shirley Schlenvogt
2nd – Katie Kapel
3rd – Steve Garten, Mae Stiles & Teri Walseth
5th – Melissa Tedford
9th – Dave Schlenvogt
11th – Darlene Simonson
14th – Kathy Nyhof & Kyle Rittenbach
15th – Karen Morrison
16th – Mara Nitzkorski
17th – Trude Hendrickson & Beryle Page
20th – Char Myhre
21st – Brittany Kvasager
23rd – Bob Hendrickson
29th – Chad Martin

Happy August Anniversary to:
1st – Cathy & Kelly Prichard and Oriette & Rudy Tuorila
9th – Diane & David Kahl
15th – Kyle & Lynsey Rittenbach
19th – Barb & Bob Trieglaff
27th – Dawn & Doug Long and Dianna & Oscar Ostern
29th – Beth & Bob Agnew

Could You Help With the Lawn Work?
It takes a lot of time to keep our grounds looking good over the summer months. The Trustees are asking for your help in taking a turn doing the mowing and trimming. Sign up sheets are posted on the office window. Please take a turn at keeping our property trimmed and nice.

August Calendar
Weekly Events

Sundays
Worship Service at 10:00 am

Tuesdays
NA at 8 pm each Tuesday

Wednesdays
Intercessory Prayer Group at 10 am

Thursdays
Coffee Fellowship at 10 am

Other Events
August 8 – Administrative Council Meeting

July 2011 Newsletter, Vol. 34, No. 6

2011-06-30T10:59:00.002-05:00

A Note from Pastor Anne

When I’m asked how I decided to come to Fargo, I use my brother Frank’s phrase: “I followed God’s breadcrumbs.” That’s what he calls the circumstances and coincidences God uses to lead us to unexpected places in our life’s journey. So, when I applied for a clinical psychology residency that was advertised in Fargo six months ago and many people said that was a crazy thing to do, Frank kept telling me, “Follow God’s breadcrumbs.”

So I did. I met person after person who has lived in Fargo and loved it. All of them told me, “You have to go!” I discovered I had connections here I didn’t know I had. Each of these surprises and coincidences was a breadcrumb. I followed these breadcrumbs, one at a time, step by step. I kept paying attention. Whenever I would doubt the wisdom of this move, another of God’s breadcrumbs would happen. The process was amazing and scary, all at the same time. Yet one thing led to another and slowly, but surely, all the “dominoes” fell into place. Now I am here in Fargo, blessed to have the opportunity to serve as the pastor of Edgewood UMC.

My brother’s reminder to “follow God’s breadcrumbs” is a powerful one, because bread and life are connected throughout the Bible. Many of the great life-changing moments in the Bible involve bread:
• The Israelites leaving Egypt with unleavened bread and then being sustained one day at a time by manna in the wilderness.
• The little town of Bethlehem, the town named “House of Bread/House of Life,” becoming the home of King David and then the birthplace of Jesus.
• Jesus teaching his followers to ask for their daily bread when they prayed the Lord’s Prayer.
• Jesus taking bread, breaking it, and sharing it at the Last Supper, and then asking his followers to do the same.
• The early Christians breaking bread and eating together, supporting each other in their vulnerability and daily dependence on God.
For thousands of years, bread has sustained God’s people as they journeyed into surprising places and opportunities.

So how did I come to Fargo? I followed God’s breadcrumbs!

Blessings,
Anne

Happy July Birthday to:
1st – John Enz
4th – Doug Lommen, Karla Offermann and Samantha Routledge
6th – Erin Martin and Kara Tweed
10th – Beatrice Grommesh
21st – Samantha Carr
23rd – Zachary Routledge
28th – Calvin Oien
31st – Jamal Jackson

Happy July Anniversary to:
1st – David & Sarah Kahl

Could You Help With the Lawn Work?
It takes a lot of time to keep our grounds looking good over the summer months. The Trustees are asking for your help in taking a turn doing the mowing and trimming. Sign up sheets for May through October are posted on the office window. Please take a turn at keeping our property trimmed and nice.

July Calendar
Weekly Events

Sundays
Worship Service at 10:00 am

Tuesdays
NA at 8 pm each Tuesday

Wednesdays
Intercessory Prayer Group at 10 am

Thursdays
Coffee Fellowship at 10 am

June 2011 Newsletter, Vol. 34, No. 5

2011-06-02T14:38:00.002-05:00

Transitions
Arriving home from Peru and getting back into the office, I was faced with a “to-do” list of things that made it very real that after six years at Edgewood, I have less than a month before I move. Transitions are always filled with mixed emotions. Excitement of something new—yet fear of the unknown. Anticipation of new relationship—grief in saying good-bye.

The coming weeks will be filled with such a transition for me personally and also for our congregation. However, in all the mixed emotions that may come, God’s word to us as God’s people stands clear: “But now says the Lord: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine… Be still, and know that I am God… Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you… Do not let your hearts be troubled…” (Isaiah 43:1; Psalm 46:10; John 14:27)

I am thankful for having been in ministry with all of you at Edgewood. God has been with us through every blessing and every challenge. And now as we part ways, the future is full of opportunities and unknowns for both of us! Yet, God is faithful and walks with each of us into that future.

When I arrived at Edgewood, I was greeted with gracious hospitality and made to feel at home in this church family. You made my transition into a blessing by reminding me that God was walking along side me as I began a new pastoral assignment! I will always be thankful for that—and hope and pray you will welcome your new pastor with the same warmth and openness.

Thank you for the blessing and privilege it has been to be your pastor.

Grace and Peace, Pastor Cody

Meet the New Pastor
Rev. Dr. Anne Dilenschneider has been appointed by Bishop Kiesey to serve Edgewood Church. Her first Sunday will be July 3. After early retirement from ministry, Pastor Anne completed a Doctor of Ministry in spiritual formation and a Ph.D. in psychology and transformative leadership.

Her appointment to Edgewood will be ¾ time, which will allow her to also practice child and adolescent psychology with another doctor in Fargo. This arrangement will also give Edgewood an opportunity to continue working towards the congregation’s goal of financial health.

Pastor Anne will be moving to Fargo from California, but lived in the Midwest in the past, so she knows all about winter! Please come to worship to welcome her on her first Sunday. If you are out of town for the 4th of July holiday, be sure to come and welcome her another time during the month of July!

Pastor Cody’s Last Sunday
June 26th will be Pastor Cody’s last Sunday at Edgewood. Following worship there will be an informal reception to say thank you and wish him well on his new adventure in Chicago. Simple refreshments will be served.

Financial Update
After our pastoral change was announced early in May, your help was requested to bring our expenses current before the pastoral change happens the end of June. While some headway has been made, we still urgently need your financial help. Please consider an additional gift to help meet these commitments.

Sponsor a Day at Edgewood
Dave & Rita Schlenvogt sponsored May 30th in memory of their parents, Al & Vi Moltzen and Glenn Schlenvogt. (You may sponsor a day at Edgewood by giving $365 over and above your regular giving. You may designate your gift in memory of someone or in honor of someone or an event in your life.)

Shhhh! Please Keep This a Secret!
Dee Otto’s family is planning to surprise Dee with a party to celebrate her 90th birthday! An open house will be held here at the church on June 11th from 1:00-4:00 pm. Plan to stop by and wish her happy birthday, but please don’t send a card or wish her happy birthday ahead of time. We don’t want to tip her off that anything special is happening. Rest assured that Dee’s copy of the newsletter will not include this announcement!

You Are Invited to a 35th Wedding Anniversary Celebration!
Doug and Evelyn Lommen invite the church family to celebrate their thirty fifth wedding anniversary with them on Saturday, June 18th, at Trollwood Park East, Fargo. They will renew their vows at 2 pm with a reception and party to follow.

Office Hours Have Changed For the Summer
The office will be open Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 9 am to noon. Pastor Cody or Linda may be in other times as well, but please call and check first to see if someone is here.

Could You Help With the Lawn Work?
It takes a lot of time to keep our grounds looking good over the summer months. The Trustees are asking for your help in taking a turn doing the mowing and trimming. Sign up sheets for May through October are posted on the office window. Please take a turn at keeping our property trimmed and nice.

Pancake & Sausage Breakfast Report
Thanks to the hard work of so many members of our congregation we were able to clear $3,100 from our Pancake & Sausage Breakfast. This annual fund raiser couldn’t happen without the participation of all of you. Thank you!

A Warning From the Police Department
We received a letter from the Fargo Police Department stating there have been two thefts from purses at a church in South Fargo recently. The suspect took credit cards from purses on Sunday morning while parishioners were at church and accessed the accounts immediately after the thefts. The letter was just to make us aware of these thefts and remind us to take appropriate precautions. Purses should not be left unattended in unsecured areas.

Annual Conference June 8-11
Pastor Cody and Katherine Tweed (our lay member to Annual Conference) will be in Watertown, SD, for our Conference’s annual meeting. Please hold the work of the Annual Conference in your prayers as pastoral assignments are finalized, new pastors are commissioned or ordained, and delegates are elected to General Conference for 2012.

Happy June Birthday to:
3rd – Darlean Pierce
4th – Marella Haugen, Evelyn Lommen & Chase Walseth
6th – Steve Tedford
7th – Savanah Walseth
9th – Lane Bohlmann
10th – Sarah Kahl
11th – Dee Otto
16th – Bennie Rau
17th – Dawn Hoherz
19th – Clane Hertz
27th – Sawyer Carr
28th – Diana Borg
30th – Eskild Ostern & Lu Thomas

Happy June Anniversary to:
3rd – Clark & Chris Mannie
4th – Karen & Pat Morrison and Ed & Darlene Simonson
13th – Kyle & Erica Murie and Brad & Karla Offermann
17th – Ray & Mavis Wagner
18th – Doug & Evelyn Lommen
27th – Troy & Teri Walseth
29th – Monte & Linda Routledge
30th – Mark & Lynn Ehlen

June 2011 Calendar

2011-06-02T14:34:00.001-05:00

Weekly Events

Sundays
Worship Service at 10:00 am

Tuesdays
NA at 8 pm each Tuesday

Wednesdays
Intercessory Prayer Group at 10 am

Thursdays
Coffee Fellowship at 10 am

Other Events
June 8-11 – Dakotas Annual Conference meets in Watertown, SD

May 2011 Newsletter, Vol. 34, No. 4

2011-04-27T11:29:00.002-05:00

A Note From the Pastor -- Friendships

Most everyone knows my passion for missions and the love I have for the people of Peru. Over the past eight years, the work of creating a church and community center in the area of Chincha has not just built brick and mortar—it has built valued friendships.

I was last in Peru two years ago, and have long looked forward to a chance to return. Well, that chance came when I was invited to accompany a team of college students on a trip next month. It is going to be a very special trip for me because the team is being led by one of my former campus ministry students who I took to Peru in 2005 and because one of our current campus ministry students (and Edgewood member), Chase Walseth will also be going!

Chase and I leave May 12th and on this trip we will be working primarily with a new clinic, which was established just a few years ago which partners with the Methodist Church there. Not only will Chase act as the team’s translator, but when I return to the US he will stay for a few more weeks and continue to work with an American medical student at the clinic. I am looking forward to introducing Chase to all my Peruvian friends and for them to become his friends too! I am so excited that I am using vacation days for this trip and plan to show Chase around a little before I head home on May 30th.

While I am away, Pastor Mina Hall at Flame of Faith in West Fargo and Pastor Theta Miller at United Campus Ministry will be available in case of pastoral emergencies.

Chase and I ask for your prayers as we journey to Peru on this mission trip. Our hope is that we represent you well as we seek to be in service to God’s kingdom.

Grace and Peace, Pastor Cody

10th Annual Pancake & Sausage Breakfast – April 30th!
Our 10th annual Pancake & Sausage Breakfast is now just a couple days away. Please remember that advance ticket sales account for the majority of our business and do your best to sell them. Additional tickets are available in the church office.

We want to thank Rod & Vicky Rittenbach for again making the sausage that makes our breakfast so special and unique from all the others.

Spring Clean-Up Day
Our building and grounds are in need of attention after our long winter. Please come to the church Saturday, May 7th, beginning at 8:00 am to help clean inside and outside the building. There will be jobs for everyone! (If it rains and outside work can’t be done, our back-up date is May 14th.)

Brat Stand May 27th and 28th
The UMW was again successful in securing the Brat Stand at Northport Hornbacher’s for a weekend. The dates are May 27th & 28th and volunteers will soon be asked to sign up to help. (This is the Friday and Saturday of Memorial Day weekend.)

Financial Help Is Needed!
We are still trying to recover from the heating and snow removal bills incurred over the winter months. We had hoped to be on track to have met half of our annual obligations by the end of June, but instead find ourselves struggling to catch up. Are you on track with your giving for 2011? If not, please try to catch up. Also, any amount you are led to give over and above your regular giving will be appreciated!

UMW All-Church Dinner
The all-church dinner that was cancelled in April because of flooding concerns has been rescheduled for Tuesday, May 17th, 6 pm, at Faith United Methodist Church.

Senior Recognition Sunday
Do we have any graduates to be recognized this year? If you know of someone graduating from high school, college, business or trade schools, let us know by calling the church office at 235-2163. Graduates will be recognized on May 8th.

Floor Work Scheduled for May 2nd
Another coat of wax will be added to the tile floors on Monday, May 2nd. We ask that you avoid coming to the church on May 2nd and 3rd so the floors can be done and the wax can cure.

Ruth Circle Meeting Time Changed
The Ruth Circle meeting on May 10th has been moved to 2:00 pm. The Circle will meet at Clarice Hughes’ home at 5309B S. University Drive, Fargo.

Change to Summer Schedule
The last day of Sunday School for the spring is May 15th. Beginning May 29th and continuing through Labor Day our worship service will begin at 10:00 am.

Church Women United May Meeting
Church Women United will celebrate May Friendship Day with a meeting at 7 pm on May 6th at First Lutheran Church, 619 Broadway, Fargo. For further details see the poster on the bulletin board or contact Jennette Dittman.

May Birthdays
1st – Kelly Prichard
2nd – John Rebstock & Rod Rittenbach
5th – Madison Lommen, Pat Morrison & Karen Nitzkorski
7th – Justin Oien & Bob Trieglaff
12th – Sara Morrison Henry
20th – Sharon Haugen
27th – Rita Schlenvogt
28th – Kurtis Riffey & Mavis Wagner
31st – Carolyn Haugen & David Kahl, Jr.

May Anniversaries
4th – Steve & Melissa Tedford
11th – Clane & Karen Hertz
13th – John & Frances Rebstock
14th – Dave & Rita Schlenvogt
15th – Chad & Susan Martin
17th – Jay & Dawn Hoherz
25th – Mike & Dawn Hoherz

Camping Season 2011
The 2011 camping brochures are here with camping opportunities for all ages. If you are unable to go to camp but would like to help send a youth or child to camp, please donate to our camping scholarship fund and mark your check “camping fund.” The brochure may be picked up at the church.

May 2011 Calendar

2011-04-27T11:17:00.003-05:00

Weekly Events
Sundays
Sunday School at 9:00 am
Coffee Fellowship at 10:00 am
Worship Service at 10:30 am

Tuesdays
NA at 8 pm each Tuesday

Wednesdays
Intercessory Prayer Group at 10 am
Chancel Choir rehearsal at 7 pm
MY Ministry at 7:30 pm at Fargo Youth Commission, 2500 S. 18th St., Fargo

Thursdays
Coffee Fellowship at 10 am

Other Events
May 5, 12, & 19 – Beth Moore Bible Study, 7 pm
May 6 – Church Women United May Friendship Day
May 7 – Clean-Up Day, 8 am
May 9 – Administrative Council Meeting, 7:30 pm
May 10 – Ruth Circle Meeting, 2 pm
May 17 – UMW All-church dinner at Faith UMC, 6 pm
May 27 & 28 – UMW has the Brat Stand at Northport Hornbacher’s
May 29 – Worship Service at 10 am.

April 2011 Newsletter, Vol. 34, No. 3

2011-03-30T10:36:00.002-05:00

A Note From the Pastor
This week, the river began to rise and our community faces the prospect of a third year of flooding. The good news is, we are getting pretty good at winning flood fights! Our cities are better prepared than ever before. So are our churches – and I hope you are as well. Times of adversity are when people of faith rise to the occasion. Ministry does not stop in crisis; rather it is when ministry just gets started! As we enter the flood of 2011, we don’t know how high the waters will go or what the challenges will be, but remember: God is with us, the waters will not overwhelm us. (Isaiah 43)

Following this newsletter is a “Flood Information” sheet to help you prepare and be in ministry over the coming weeks. Copies will also be available at the church, along with other preparedness material.

With you in ministry and prayer, Pastor Cody.

Lenten Schedule

Fireside Worship
Wednesdays @ 6 pm – Simple Supper
Followed by worship @6:30 in the Fireside Room
We will share in a simple supper followed by
a time of worship by the warmth of our fireplace.
Come for the meal or worship or both!

Maundy Thursday Worship
April 21st @ 7 pm
Edgewood Sanctuary

Good Friday
April 22nd @ 7 pm
First UMC, downtown
This will be a cooperative worship service with
all F-M United Methodist congregations.

Easter Sunday
April 24th
9:00 am Communion Service
9:30 am Easter Breakfast & children’s activities
10:30 am Worship Service

Easter Lilies
Forms are now available for ordering Easter lilies to decorate the church Easter Sunday. The cost is $8 and you may designate the plants in honor of or in memory of someone. The deadline for ordering is Sunday, April 10th. Please pay for the lilies when placing your order.

Beth Moore Bible Study
A new Beth Moore Bible Study began Thursday, March 24th and will continue for six more weeks, so there is still time for you to become part of the group! Carolyn Haugen is leading the study and can give you any information you need.

One Great Hour of Sharing is April 3rd
April 3rd is the date for this year’s One Great Hour of Sharing offering. Gifts to this offering lay the foundation of all of the United Methodist Committee on Relief’s work by covering “the cost of doing business.” This means that when you donate to specific programs or disaster response throughout the year, 100% can go to those programs because UMCOR’s basic expenses are covered. Please give generously to this special offering.

Sponsor a Day at Edgewood
1. David and Rita Schlenvogt sponsored March 3rd in celebration of David being cancer free for five years.

2. Rudy and Oriette Tuorila sponsored a day in honor of their birthdays.

(You may sponsor a day by donating $365 above your normal giving. Acknowledgement of your gift will be given in the bulletin and newsletter.)

United Campus Ministry Tuesday Student Meal
Edgewood is on the schedule to prepare a meal for about 20 people on Tuesday, April 19th. We usually prepare a main dish and bars for dessert and deliver it to them. Are there any volunteers who would be willing to take a turn at supporting our outreach to college students in this way? If so, please let Beva Hansen or Carolyn Haugen know as soon as possible.

Thank You!
A special thank you to Darwin, Corine, Robyn and Lynn for the almost surprise birthday celebration. Also thanks to all who came and celebrated it with me and for the cards, phone calls and so forth. It was a very memorable day for me. God Bless each of you. -- Iris Miller

Upper Room Devotional Booklets
Would a large print edition of The Upper Room be helpful to you? We are planning on adjusting our standing order since several copies of the devotional are unused each time, but want to know first whether or not we should increase the number of large print editions we receive. Please let the office know soon if you would like a large print edition!

April Birthdays
2 – Warren Schierman
3 – Vicky Rittenbach
10 – Kelly Klocke
17 – Shawn Morrison
18 – Taylor Tedford
19 – Chris Mannie
20 – Elyce Kinzer
30 – Beth Bohlmann

April Anniversaries
6 – Barb & Calvin Oien
11 – Rod & Vicky Rittenbach

10th Annual Pancake & Sausage Breakfast – April 30th!
A book of tickets has been mailed to members of our congregation. Please remember that advance ticket sales account for the majority of our business and do your best to sell them. Additional tickets are available in the church office.

A sign-up sheet for workers will be passed around at church soon. Please reserve this date to help out with this fun fund raiser!

Church Women United Church Tour and Salad Luncheon
Church Women United will hold their Church Tour and Salad Luncheon on Friday, April 1st, 11:00 am, at St. Anthony Catholic Church, 710 10th St. S., Fargo. Everyone is welcome to attend! Childcare will be provided (lunch not provided for children). The cost is $5.00.

Camping Season 2011
The 2011 camping brochures are here with camping opportunities for all ages. If you are unable to go to camp but would like to help send a youth or child to camp, please donate to our camping scholarship fund and mark your check “camping fund.” The brochure may be picked up at the church.

2011 Flood Information

2011-03-30T10:26:00.003-05:00

2011 Flood Information

As our community prepares for another season of spring flooding, our congregation (along with the broader United Methodist connection) is and will be in ministry again this year. This simple sheet is meant to be a quick guide to help you prepare and to inform you of how you can be in service with your brothers and sisters in Christ across the metro area and beyond.

PREPARE
This is an adapted checklist from recommendations given by the American Red Cross…
• Have a three-day supply of water and non-perishable, easy to prepare food.
• A seven-day supply (or more) of necessary medications and/or any other medical items.
• Flashlight, battery powered (or hand crank) radio, extra batteries.
• First-aid kit, sanitation and personal hygiene items.
• Cell phone and charger.
• Copies of personal documents (medical info, prescriptions, insurance policies, deed/lease to home, birth certificates, etc.)
• Family and emergency contact information.
• Extra cash, ID, passport, credit cards, etc.
• Baby supplies (bottles, formula, baby food, diapers, wipes)
• Pet supplies (collar, leash, ID, food, carrier, bowl)
• Tools/supplies for securing your home
• Extra set of car keys and house keys
• Extra clothing, hat and sturdy shoes, rain gear.
• Camera for photos of damage
• Activities: book, deck of cards, children’s games, etc.

IN CASE OF EVACUATION
Everyone should have an evacuation plan and a place you know you can stay for several days.
• If the need arises for you to evacuate the F-M area – please call 1-866-491-8068 (toll free). Someone will take your name, church home, and relevant info and they will inform Edgewood that you are OK and how you can be contacted. This number has been set up by the Dakotas Conference for use by our UM churches in flood prone areas.
• If you do not have an evacuation location (or know someone who has nowhere to go) our United Methodist Camps will be available and ready to shelter/feed evacuees at no charge: Wesley Acres Camp near Valley City, ND and Northern Pines Camp near Pelican Rapids, MN.

REGISTRY FOR VULNERABLE POPULATIONS & CODE RED
• To register yourself or someone you may know who may be at risk during evacuation: Cass County 701-241-1360 or Clay County 218-299-5200.
• CodeRED is an automated system Fargo uses to notify residents of emergencies. To register, go to www.cityoffargo.com/emergencies/joincodered, or call 701-476-4068.

A MESSAGE OF HOPE
Be watching for billboards, TV ads, and radio spots that share a message of hope and God’s love from the UMC to our community during this third year of flooding. There is a corresponding website: www.methodistcare.org which contains a virtual prayer wall, links to area church websites, and information about ways to help out during the flood fight. This site and the ads are possible from a generous grant from UM Communications. (An example of the billboard is at the top of this sheet.)

EMERGENCY FUNDS
The Dakotas Conference has made funds available for help with financial hardships brought on by flooding issues. Please refer anyone in need to a United Methodist pastor in the F-M.

WAYS YOU CAN SERVE
Edgewood Church and our other United Methodist congregations in Fargo, Moorhead, and West Fargo will be working together to provide ministry and services before, during, and after the flood. Here are a few ways you can join in and be of service. Contact the church to sign up.
• SANDWICH MAKING: First UMC is hosting the “approved kitchen” for all sandwich making efforts for our area UM churches. Sign up and be ready to respond when called to serve!
• GENERAL FOOD: Sign up if you are willing to prepare a hot or cold meal and/or baked goods on short notice for relief workers, National Guard, or families in vulnerable neighborhoods.
• CHILD CARE: if the need arises, free childcare will be provided at First UMC downtown. If you would like to be a volunteer care provider, please contact Edgewood or First UMC (all volunteers must have a background check).
• EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAMS: Sign up if you are willing and able to serve as part of a small, dedicated team who would respond to emergencies in homes with back yard dikes or levees.

OTHER VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
• First Link – 476-4000
• Red Cross – 364-1800
• Salvation Army – 232-5565

OTHER INFORMATION: FLOOD RESOURCES AND EMERGENCY PREP INFO
• www.floodsmart.gov
• www.ag.ndsu/flood
• www.redcross.org
• www.cityoffargo.com
• www.redriverresilience.com
• www.myfirstlink.org

PRAYERS DURING A TIME OF ADVERSITY

Grant me, O God, the strength to face each hour of this and every day. In fact, when it seems that I cannot face even this hour, fill me with sufficient strength to face the next five minutes. Amen.

O God, how helpless I feel! I have no control over the forces that cause this adversity. But help me, O God, not to lose perspective. Keep me aware of the strength I do possess, what I am able to do, and the blessings that still are mine. Amen.

Psalm 121
I lift up my eyes to the mountains.
From where will my help come? My help comes from God,
the one who shaped the heaven and earth, who made each crevice, who smoothed each stone.
God will not allow your foot to stumble; the One who watches over you will not drowse you off to sleep.
Behold! The holy one does not slumber and does not sleep,
the one who nurtures Israel through its darkest nights.
God is the one who watches over you,
the shade under your right hand, whenever you move it up or place it down.
By day the sun will not strike you, nor the moon weaken you at night.
The Upholder will protect you from every harm;
the Eternal Shield will keep constant watch over your soul.
God will guard your going out and coming in, from now until the end of time. Amen.

April 2011 Calendar

2011-03-30T10:19:00.002-05:00

Weekly Events

Sundays
Sunday School at 9:00 am
Coffee Fellowship at 10:00 am
Worship Service at 10:30 am

Tuesdays
NA at 8 pm each Tuesday

Wednesdays
Intercessory Prayer Group at 10 am
Chancel Choir rehearsal at 7 pm
MY Ministry at 7:30 pm at Fargo Youth Commission, 2500 S. 18th St., Fargo

Thursdays
Coffee Fellowship at 10 am

Other Events
April 1 – Church Women United Church Tour and Salad Luncheon, 11 am, St. Anthony Catholic Church
April 5 – Ruth Circle Meeting at Dee Otto’s, 9:30 am
April 6 and 13 – Simple Supper, 6 pm and Lenten worship, 6:30 pm
April 7, 14 & 28 – Beth Moore Bible Study, 7 pm
April 11 – Administrative Council Meeting, 7:30 pm
April 12 – UMW All-church dinner at Faith UMC, 6 pm
April 19 – UMW serves meal at United Campus Ministry
April 21 – Holy Thursday worship service, 7 pm
April 22 – Joint United Methodist Good Friday service at First UMC, 7 pm
April 24 – Communion Service, 9 am, Easter breakfast and children’s activities, 9:30 am, Worship Service, 10:30 am
April 28 – New Life Center Prayer Breakfast and Evening Dessert
April 30 – 10th Annual Pancake & Sausage Breakfast

March 2011 Newsletter, Vol. 34, No. 2

2011-02-23T10:27:00.003-06:00

Lenten Schedule

Ash Wednesday Worship
March 9th @ 7 pm
Edgewood Sanctuary

Fireside Worship
Wednesdays @ 6 pm – Simple Supper
Followed by worship @6:30 in the Fireside Room
We will share in a simple supper of soup or one
dish meal – whatever our creative cooks whip up!
It will not be fancy, just a little time of fellowship.
Following the meal we will have a time of worship
by the warmth of our fireplace.
Come for the meal or worship or both!

Maundy Thursday Worship
April 21st @ 7 pm
Edgewood Sanctuary

Good Friday
April 22nd @ 7 pm
First UMC, downtown
This will be a cooperative worship service with
all F-M United Methodist congregations.

Snow Removal Expenses and Utility Bills
We currently owe about $2,000 to the company that provides our snow removal service. Add that to the winter heating bills, and finances are very tight right now. Please keep this in mind as you give your offerings and do what you can to help Edgewood get through this difficult time.

It’s Mardi Gras!
Over the years, before fasting for Lent, people would clean out their cupboards – so the tradition of eating pancakes before Ash Wednesday began. Edgewood will have its own version of this practice with a pancake fellowship time on Sunday, March 6th, following worship. Pancakes with special toppings and breakfast sausages will be served free of charge.

Daylight Saving Time
Daylight Saving Time begins Sunday, March 13th. Set your clocks ahead one hour when you go to bed on Saturday night, March 12th. We don’t want anyone coming late on Sunday!

March is Food Share Month
A shopping cart is always available to receive your donations of food items for the FM Emergency Food Pantry. During March your gifts are worth even more! The Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches runs an incentive program called Minnesota Food Share that provides some funding to our local Pantry based on the amount given to the pantry throughout the month. (Since our FM Emergency Food Pantry also serves Moorhead, they get to participate in the program.) So....please be especially generous in March. Cash donations are also welcome and count toward the total.

Save This Date – April 30th!
April 30th is the date for our 10th annual Pancake & Sausage Breakfast. Please mark your calendars now and reserve that date to help with this fund raiser

Come for Coffee Fellowship Time Sunday!
Iris Miller’s family is providing the treats for coffee fellowship time this Sunday, February 27th, in honor of her 80th birthday. (Her actual birthday is March 1st.) Coffee fellowship time is from 10:00 to 10:30 am. Come and wish Iris happy birthday!

Church Women United World Day of Prayer
Church Women United will hold their World Day of Prayer observance on Friday, March 4th, at Plymouth Congregational Church beginning at 9:30 am. Plymouth Congregational is at 901 Broadway. Everyone is welcome. Childcare is provided.

Camping Season 2011
The 2011 camping brochures are here with camping opportunities for all ages. If you are unable to go to camp but would like to help send a youth or child to camp, please donate to our camping scholarship fund and mark your check “camping fund.” The brochure may be picked up at the church.

March Birthdays
1 – Bea Carlson & Iris Miller
7 – Oriette Tuorila
8 – Dianna Ostern
9 – Mark Ehlen
10 – Dorothy Hagen
11 – Brad Offermann
13 – Marc Kapel & Matt Morrison
16 – Dawn Carr
22 – Kurt Bohlmann & Karen Robinson
24 – Emily Howes & Bev Sprenger
30 – Lydia Fischer

March Anniversaries
10 – Steve & Emily Garten
16 – Steve & Dawn Carr

March 2011 Calendar

2011-02-23T10:20:00.002-06:00

February 2011 Newsletter, Vol. 34, No. 1

2011-01-26T11:00:00.002-06:00

In the Bleak Midwinter

Cold enough for ya? The cloudy grey blustery days have kept most of us inside in recent weeks. Personally, I have had a few moments of “cabin fever” resulting in a plot to get outside!

So one night last week, I went out to Wesley Acres Camp for some snowshoeing with friends. It was calm, clear and -23°. The near full moon lit up the reflective snowy landscape like it was daytime. In the absence of a wind-chill, I was actually so warm that I broke a sweat traversing up the campfire hill! Once we got up to the top of the hill we stopped to look at the stars. While awkwardly gawking, my snowshoe got caught on a tree stump barely poking out of the snow. With little grace involved, I landed on my backside into a snowdrift! Settling down into the snow, I was able to comfortably gaze upward at the sky. It was beautiful.

In the midst of this seemingly bleak midwinter, I was given a gift of a few moments of reflective Sabbath—a holy moment at the top of a holy hill that has been an important place in my faith journey. Indeed, an important place in the lives of many who have sat there around that campfire ring and encountered God. Not all of us can make it to camp in the summer and probably even fewer are going to snowshoe up the side of that hill in the dead of winter! But all of us have an opportunity to commune with God on the hillside of Matthew 5 as Jesus gives the Sermon on the Mount.

Over the next five weeks we will be engaging in a sermon series: “Mountain Living.” I invite you to join one another in worship as we explore together these often familiar but often elusive words of Jesus.

January 30 – Matthew 5:1-12
“In Search of a Blessing”

February 6 – Matthew 5:13-20
“Pass the Salt”

February 13 – Matthew 5:21-37
“Coming to Terms”

February 20 – Matthew 5:38-48
“Second Miles”

February 2 – Matthew 6:24-34
“Don’t Worry, Be Happy?”

I eventually did get cold sitting in that snow bank and was able to awkwardly get up without taking off my snowshoes! As I headed down the hill to get inside and warm up—I left that place refreshed in mind and soul. It is my hope and prayer that our worship over the coming weeks will bring an opportunity for encountering God in new ways on the hillside of Jesus’ sermon. Invite your friends and neighbors to join us. You never know who might just need a moment of Sabbath during this bleak midwinter.

Grace and Peace, Pastor Cody

Snow Removal Expenses
We all know how much snow has fallen in the last month and a half, and we have been dreading receiving our snow removal bill. The bill for the period December 1st through January 14th has arrived and totals $2,311. Between snow removal and increased heating costs it is a very tight time of the year financially. Please keep this in mind as you give your offerings and do what you can to help Edgewood get through this difficult time.

Administrative Council Meeting
The Administrative Council Meeting for February is scheduled for February 21st. Please note that this is different from our regular meeting night.

Baked Potato Lunch Sunday, January 30th
Plan to stay after worship this Sunday to enjoy a time of fellowship over a baked potato lunch. The UMW is sponsoring this lunch and will provide various toppings that should please everyone. A free-will offering will be taken.

Herberger’s Community Day Coupon Books
Members of the UMW will be selling Herberger’s Community Days coupon books for the next few weeks. The books sell for $5 and the UMW gets to keep all the proceeds. The sale day is February 26th.

January Birthdays & Anniversaries
Birthdays
3rd – Dick Jorve
9th – Jennette Dittman
10th – Beva Hansen & Naomi Alderson
19th – Rudy Tuorila
25th – Susan Martin
28th – Jay Hoherz
29th – Barb Trieglaff
31st – David Heck
Anniversaries
22nd – Beth & Kurt Bohlmann

February Birthdays & Anniversaries
Birthdays
6th – Clarine Robinson
7th – Vern Grommesh
10th – Frances Rebstock
14th – Xavier Lommen
15th – Loretta Mittleider
16th – BranDee Hoherz
18th – Virginia Martin
19th – Bob Agnew and Craig Murie
20th – Beth Agnew
22nd – John Ehlen
24th – Marvel Baumann
27th – Angie Klocke
28th – Mack Borowicz and Joel Routledge
Anniversaries
5th – Bea & Vern Grommesh
15th – Dirk & Caroline Hansen
18th – Angie & Kelly Klocke
20th – David & Glenda Heck

Camping Season 2011
The 2011 camping brochures are here with camping opportunities for all ages. If you are unable to go to camp but would like to help send a youth or child to camp, please donate to our camping scholarship fund and mark your check “camping fund.” The brochure may be picked up at the church.

February 2011 Calendar

2011-01-26T10:58:00.001-06:00

December 2010 Newsletter, Vol. 33, No. 12

2010-12-01T10:54:00.002-06:00

Christmas at Edgewood

Christmas Eve Service
Our Christmas Eve Candlelight Service will be at 5:30 pm. Set aside this time to worship the newborn King and invite your family, friends and neighbors to join you.

Sunday School Christmas Program
You are invited to come early for coffee fellowship time on December 19th when the Sunday School children will celebrate Christ’s birth with treats and a happy birthday song. The Sunday School program itself will be during the worship service that morning and is entitled Birthday of the King.

O Come, O Come Emmanuel
The haunting melody of this song always seems to be the soundtrack for this season. The days get shorter while the weather turns cold. Going about the daily routine is just a little harder as we adjust to having the ground covered with slick stuff making driving and walking new adventures. While I love my community and even enjoy winter (!), the annual transition from warm fall days to bitter winter wind and snow always makes me feel a little like I have been put into some sort of exile—punished or sent away to suffer!

Cue the 9th century words to the haunting melody of our soundtrack:
“O come, O come Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel, that mourns in lonely exile here until the Son of God appear. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.”

No matter how we might feel about the recent drop in temperature, we clearly are not living in captivity. But the words of the prophets we hear in scripture during Advent and Christmas (which inspire this ancient hymn of the church) were written to a people who were far from their homeland and were sure that God had forgotten them and abandoned them altogether.

Sometimes we feel abandoned by God. It might be because we feel we are not worthy of God’s love or because we feel our sin is too great. Maybe life has dealt us circumstances which make us wonder if God is punishing us—or even cares in the first place. Perhaps we have not seen evidence of God and therefore question God’s very existence. Maybe we have not become aware of God’s love and grace in our lives. Whatever the reason we feel disconnected from God, this season is one where we are continuously reminded of the story of a people (our ancestors, Israel) who felt abandoned and alone—and longed for rescue.

May these ancient words of the prophets, along with the story of an unwed mother, shepherds, magi, and a babe in a manger offer hope that God has not forgotten us. God has come to us in the flesh—a sign of an overwhelming love that drives out fear and comforts all affliction. May the coming weeks not simply be a time of decorations, shopping, friends and family—may this be a season when the coming of Emmanuel is made real in our lives.

Advent blessings and Christmas joy, Pastor Cody

Way To Go Pastor Cody!
Because Pastor Cody complied with the requirements set out by the Dakotas Conference in their wellness initiative, our church received a health insurance rebate check for $300 from the Conference. Way to go!

Order Your Poinsettias
We are again offering the opportunity for you to purchase and give a poinsettia for use in decorating our church for Christmas. Plants are $7.50 and should be paid for when ordered. They may be designated in honor of or in memory of someone and may be taken home after the Christmas Eve service. The deadline for orders is Sunday, December 5th!

Church Women United
Fargo Church Women United will be meeting on Friday, December 3, 2010, 9:30 a.m. for their Christmas Coffee. The meeting is at the New Life Center, 1902 3rd Ave. N., Fargo. Please bring unwrapped gifts such as mittens, gloves, caps, underwear or socks for the men at the Center. Invite your friends to come for coffee and goodies!

UMW Bake Sale
Our UMW is asking for support from everyone to provide some goodies for the Christmas bake sale to be held on Saturday, December 11th, 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. Bring your items to the church on Friday and come back Saturday to do your Christmas baking!

Giving Back Opportunity
1. Giving Tree. The giving tree in support of families in our neighborhood is now up. This year we have children from seven different families, so we have some shopping to do! Stop by the tree, take a tag or two and help give a child a smile on Christmas morning. (Be sure to write down what tags you took on the sheet on the table next to the tree.) Gifts need to be returned by December19th at the very latest.

Please put whatever you buy for each child into one gift bag and attach the tag to the handle.

We are also collecting mittens, gloves and stocking caps which will be given to a couple of the elementary schools. Children are not allowed to play outside without them.

Year-end Finance Update
As of today’s date we estimate we need to raise $26,000 to end the year with all bills paid. This amount is similar to previous years and is certainly within our reach. We know building issues are weighing heavily on everybody’s minds right now, but those expenses will be in the future. Right now our focus is on reaching the goal of a tenth year in a row of meeting all of our commitments. It’s important that we do this because, if we cannot support our regular operating expenses, how will we ever solve and support our building concerns? Please pray about and consider carefully what God wants you to do in support of the ministry this church provides to you and to our community through our congregation.

Julie Howes Benefit
The benefit for Julie Howes is this Saturday (December 4th) at the Teamsters Lounge, 21 18th St. S., Fargo, beginning at 1:00 pm. There will be food, a bake sale and a silent auction. The organizers would appreciate the donation of bake sale or silent auction items. There is also an account set up at Town and Country Credit Union under “Julie Howes Benefit” if you wish to contribute toward her recent medical expenses.

Thank You!
• Thank you to all the generous people who contributed to our shoebox project. Forty-seven boxes were completed and will be delivered to the Spirit Lake Reservation.
• Thank you to all those who worked at the Emergency Food Pantry the week of November 8-12! We had enough volunteers to keep up with the work each day. (Remember that the shopping cart is always here to receive your food donations for the pantry.)

December Birthdays & Anniversaries
Birthdays
1st – Karen Hertz
2nd – Dallas Hansen
3rd – Cathy Prichard
6th – Coleman Kinzer
10th – Jeff Borowicz, Caroline Hansen & Ed Nies
13th – Julie Howes
14th – Clarice Hughes
19th – David Kahl & Troy Walseth
20th – Matt Long & Kyle Murie
22nd – Karen Murie
26th – Monte Routledge
27th – Lynsey Myhre
31st – Gary Nielsen

Anniversaries
16th – Doug & Katherine Tweed

December 2010 Calendar

2010-12-01T10:51:00.002-06:00

November 2010 Newsletter, Vol. 33, No. 11

2010-10-26T11:11:00.003-05:00

A Word From Our Bishop: A Christian Conversation
Fall is truly my favorite time of the year. I love the colors. I love the cool, crisp days and the chilly nights. I love the rustle of leaves under my feet and the excitement of football games and homecoming parades. I love seeing the signs of harvest going on all around me.

I love fall...except during election years.

I am proud of the way we democratically shift power every two years. It's a system that has served us well these past 200+ years. But the past several election cycles have made it clear we need to consider carefully how we engage one another in these important conversations.

As dialogue has become more negative and rhetoric more intense, as our culture has become more accepting of name-calling and stereotyping, as all political parties try to convince us that no one from the opposing party could possibly have anything worthwhile to say, it is time for us, as people of faith, to find another way.

In the New Testament book of 2 Timothy we read: “And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kindly to everyone, an apt teacher, patient, correcting opponents with gentleness.” (2:24-25a)

It is my hope that, as Christians, we can offer another way ...
• A way that reminds us of one of the most basic tenets of our faith: treating others as we would want to be treated;
• A way that believes that everyone is a child of God and worthy of respect and dignity;
• A way that reminds us that we are all part of the Body of Christ - with individual and unique gifts that together make Christ's body whole.

In 2008, the participants of The Global Young People's Convocation and Legislative Assembly of the United Methodist Church offered guidelines for Christian conversation that can help guide us in these sometimes “quarrelsome” days. Listen to the voices of our young people.
• Every person is a child of God. Always speak respectfully. One can disagree without being disagreeable.
• As you patiently listen and observe the behavior of others, be open to the possibility that God can change the views of any or all parties in the discussion.
• Listen patiently before formulating responses.
• Strive to understand the experience out of which others have arrived at their views.
• Be careful in how you express personal offense at differing opinions. Otherwise dialogue may be inhibited.
• Accurately reflect the views of others when speaking. This is especially important when you disagree with that position.
• Avoid using inflammatory words, derogatory names, or an excited and angry voice.
• Avoid making generalizations about individuals and groups. Make your point with specific evidence and examples.
• Remember that people are defined, ultimately, by their relationship with God--not by the flaws we discover, or think we discover, in their views and actions.

They go on to say: “We believe Christians can discuss important issues without the acrimonious debate and parliamentary maneuvering that can divide a group into contending factions. We see too many examples of that in secular society. We believe the Holy Spirit leads in all things, especially as we make decisions. We want to avoid making decisions in a fashion that leaves some feeling like winners and others like losers.”

Wise words - both in our political debates and in our daily conversations. As we enter these last few days before elections, let’s commit ourselves to civil discourse that reflects the spirit of Christ and that respects the dignity of our sisters and brothers with whom we disagree. May we live out our faith in all we say and do and are.

With you in the Work of Christ, Bishop Deborah L. Kiesey

Daylight Saving Time Ends
Daylight Saving Time ends Sunday, November 7th. Be sure to turn your clocks back one hour before going to bed on the 6th!

Food Pantry Week November 8-12
Our church is responsible for helping out at the Emergency Food Pantry on November 8, 9, 10, and 12. (They are closed on the 11th for Veterans Day.) We need a minimum of three volunteers to work from 1:00-4:00 pm each afternoon. Please check your calendar and see when you might be able to volunteer your time. The sign-up sheet is at the church. Note: We have been informed that the Food Pantry desperately needs macaroni and cheese, soup (especially chicken noodle) and canned fruit. As always, the shopping cart is in the narthex to receive your food pantry donations.

Annual Church Conference Meeting
Our Annual Church Conference meeting will be Monday, November 29, at 7:00 pm. This is an important meeting in the life of the church. All are welcome and all members hold vote. The meeting will be led by our District Superintendent Marilyn Spurrell.

Church Women United
Church Women United of Fargo will be meeting on Friday, November 5, 2010, 9:30 a.m. at Elim Lutheran Church, 321 9th St. N., Fargo. World Community Day will be observed. The theme of the worship service will be “Building the Beloved Community.” Child care is provided. All women of the church are welcome to attend.

Beth Moore Bible Study
The Beth Moore Bible Study had its first session on October 21st. Carolyn Haugen is leading this study on Thursday nights at 7:00 pm at the church. All are invited to join in. Just come on Thursday night or contact Carolyn with any questions you might have.

New Life Center Gifts
A basket has been placed in the narthex to receive gifts for residents of the New Life Center. Here are the items they are requesting this year: thermal underwear (M & L), t-shirts (M, L & XL), socks (work & dress), gloves (work & dress) and stocking caps. The deadline for bringing gifts to the church is November 14th.

Got No Milk Offering
Thanks to your generosity we were able to deliver a check for $761.07 to McKinley School for the Got No Milk program. This amount will provide milk to 25 students for one semester. We plan to “pass the jug” again in the next couple of months to raise money for milk for the second semester.

Fall Dinner
Thank you to all who helped with the Fall Dinner on Sunday. The exact profit won’t be known until all of the bills are in and paid. The proceeds from the dinner are dedicated to missions and should be enough to pay our annual pledge of support for the Graner’s mission work in Bolivia and have a small amount left to go to the mission portion of our apportionments.

United Methodist Student Day
Prepare students to unite faith with knowledge........
The last of the six special 2010 United Methodist offering Sundays comes on November 28 with United Methodist Student Day.
• This special offering supports scholarships and loans to students attending United Methodist and other accredited colleges and universities.
• Members of our congregation either have or are currently benefiting from this program.
• Half of our offering taken that day will also support our local campus ministry.
• Please give generously.

Shoebox Christmas
You can help provide Christmas gifts for the 3,000 children at Spirit Lake Nation Reservation. For most, the shoebox you lovingly prepare will be the only gift a child receives.

Pack Christmas gifts that will fit into a shoe box for the following age groups: infants and toddlers, ages 2-7; 8-youth. Suggested items:
Infants: baby powder, bibs, bottles, quilts, blankets, infant toys.
Girls ages 2-7: age appropriate educational items, reading books, dolls, stuffed animals, coloring books, crayons, painting books, watercolor paints or markers, games, puzzles, hair accessories, hats, mittens, scarves, gloves.
Boys ages 2-7: age appropriate educational items, cars, trucks (cars and trucks are very popular), coloring/painting books, crayons and watercolor paints or markers, Legos, construction toys, reading books, games, puzzles, hats, mittens, gloves, scarves.
Older boys 8 through youth: electronic handheld game toys, watches, games, puzzles, flashlights, books, hats, gloves, scarves.
Older girls 8 through youth love purses, makeup, nail polishes, hair items, perfume, bath products, games, puzzles, reading books, hats, gloves, scarves.

Wrap the bottom of the box separate from the top, then rubber band or tie the box together. Mark the box (for a girl or boy and age group) with a gift tag.

Clothing donations are also welcome separate from the shoebox.

The shoebox deadline is Sunday, November 14th!

November Birthdays & Anniversaries

Birthdays
2nd – Kasia Kinzer
9th – Charles Dittman
10th – Michelle Borowicz, Karen Nielsen and Pastor Cody Schuler
11th – Doug Routledge
12th – Chris Jackson and Jason Palm
13th – Elizabeth Lommen
17th – Ray Wagner
19th – Dawn Hoherz
20th – Doug Tweed
23rd – Emily Garten, Mike Hoherz and Lyle Sondreal
26th – Florence Rau
28th – Stephen Hanson

Anniversaries
23rd – John & Barb Enz

November 2010 Calendar

2010-10-26T11:06:00.002-05:00

Weekly Events

Sundays
Sunday School at 9:00 am
Coffee Fellowship at 10:00 am
Worship Service at 10:30 am

Tuesdays
NA at 8 pm each Tuesday

Wednesdays
Intercessory Prayer Group at 10 am
Chancel Choir rehearsal at 7 pm
MY Ministry at 7:30 pm at Fargo Youth Commission, 2500 S. 18th St., Fargo

Thursdays
Coffee Fellowship at 10 am
Beth Moore Bible Study, 7:00 pm

Other Events
November 2 – Staff/Parish Relations Committee Meeting, 6:00 pm
November 5 – Church Women United meets at Elim Lutheran Church, 9:30 am
November 8, 9, 10 & 12 – Work at the Emergency Food Pantry, 1:00-4:00 pm
November 8 – Work Day for making blankets, wrapping shoe boxes and other projects
November 9 – Ruth Circle meets at 9:30 am
November 14 – Deadline for Shoeboxes and New Life Center gifts
November 16 – UMW Central Meeting, 7:30 pm
November 22 – Administrative Council Meeting, 7:30 pm
November 29 – Charge Conference Meeting

October 2010 Newsletter, Volume 33, No. 10

2010-09-29T10:38:00.002-05:00

A Note from Your Pastor

Dear Edgewood Church family,

As part of this newsletter you will find a summary report of the recent assessment of our church building. The information and costs associated with the solutions may seem overwhelming. I know as I viewed the report, many questions filled my mind and I confess that a knot developed in my stomach. However, I refuse to be afraid or overwhelmed. Rather, I choose to look at this (or any) challenge as an opportunity. And I am asking all of you to do the same.

• Remain calm. The situation facing our congregation will not overwhelm us. We are going to carefully and prayerfully move forward. We are not going to make any hasty decisions, but rather are going to seek the most faithful course of action. Our church family has faced many challenges together in our 50 years—and like before, we will get through this one together.
• Be informed. Read the summary and if you would like to see the entire report, inquire in the office.
• Trust the leadership of the church. The Board of Trustees and Church Council will be prayerfully discerning the best way for us to be good stewards of our financial resources and our building. They will be in communication with you as a church family over the coming months.
• Ask questions, give feedback. Communicate with Trustee and Council members. Share your thoughts. Encourage them and let them know you are praying for them.
• Most important: PRAY! Hold the leadership and our entire congregation in prayer. Pray we might discern God’s wisdom and direction for our congregation.

Grace and Peace, Pastor Cody

2nd Annual UCM Gala!

I want to invite you, our Fargo Moorhead community, to a special event sponsored by United Campus Ministry. United Campus Ministry (UCM) is an outreach ecumenical Christian ministry to college students in Fargo-Moorhead. Our students and interns at UCM have been working through the summer months to prepare for our “Fall Gala and Ministry Celebration”. Join us for an evening of worship, great food, and celebration of a growing ministry at Grace United Methodist Church in Moorhead, MN (1120 17th ST S.) on Sunday, October 10th.

The evening will begin with a silent auction at 5:00 pm. Donated items are valued from $25 to more than $250 and include gift certificates, specialty themed baskets and even services. Dinner is at 6 pm (featuring donated Olive Garden salad and bread sticks and Speak Easy Chicken Parmesan) and a ministry worship celebration service will follow at 7 pm. Tickets are $25 per person, or invite some of your church friends and sponsor a table of 8 for $150.

We will end the evening with student stories and testimonies of how United Campus Ministry is helping spiritually guide and offer leadership training for the now and future leaders of our community and local churches. If you are not able to participate in our Gala, please consider a donation to the event or becoming a 12:15 club member by making a commitment to pray for the ministry every day at 12:15 and giving $15.00 a month for 12 months to our vital and growing ministry. 12:15 club members will receive monthly letters from students who will share how God is working in their lives. RSVP’s for the Gala are due Oct. 5th, call UCM at 701-235-0672 or email Amelia Shoptaugh at ajshoptaugh@gmail.com. Hope to see you there, Sun. Oct. 10th!

In Service, Partnership and the Peace of Christ, Pastor Theta Wagner Miller – UCM Campus Pastor

Come say “Hi” to Pastor Kevin
Pastor Kevin Ryoo and family are visiting Fargo in October. Come to the church Tuesday, October 12th, between 9:30 and 11:00 am to visit with Kevin and his family. The coffee pot will be on!

World Communion Sunday is October 3rd
This Sunday, October 3rd, we will celebrate Communion with Christians around the world. That day we also take a special offering which supports scholarships for deserving students. Half of the offering goes to ministries beyond the United States and the rest goes to ethnic scholarship and ethnic in-service training programs to equip people to make a difference in their communities – wherever they may be. Please give generously.

Church Women United Annual Meeting & Luncheon
Church Women United will hold their annual meeting and luncheon on Friday, October 8, 11:00 am, at Olivet Lutheran Church, 1330 University Dr. S., Fargo. There will be election and installation of officers and gifts to local projects will be decided on. Everyone is welcome! The cost is $5.

Beth Moore Bible Study
Another Beth Moore Bible Study is being planned to begin yet this fall. Carolyn Haugen will be getting the video series and is looking at holding the study on Thursday nights. See Carolyn with any questions and watch the bulletin for further announcements as far as starting date.

Lawn Mowers Still Needed
The Trustees hired Accelerated Greenworks to mow the lawn last week since nobody had signed up as being available to do it. We may need to mow a couple more times this fall and we also will need to deal with leaves. If you could help with either mowing or leaf removal, please talk to Dave Schlenvogt to coordinate your help. If we don’t get enough volunteer help, we will contact Accelerated Greenworks to do the work and will have to pay to get it done.

Campus Ministry Update
Hello Lovely Readers! My name is Ashley Rosser. I am a new intern for United Campus Ministry (UCM). I grew up in southern California and have been in Fargo for almost a month now! I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to work with this ministry for the next two years!

The weekly programming is off to a great start! Worship was very well attended with about forty students coming the first week! Choir is up and running and the students are very eager to share their musical gifts with each other as well as the community.

UCM downtown (a partner outreach with First Presbyterian Church serving close to 100 students for lunch each week) has been such a unique and great experience. The hosts/volunteers from the church (about 15 people) have been very welcoming and helpful towards the NDSU downtown students who come for lunch every Wednesday. The number of students attending the weekly lunches has been growing every week, with even an entire class coming to eat and spend time together. Doris, a church member and host, captured the nature of the lunches best when she said, “ they all come and chat. And some stay and study. They are so polite! They seem very appreciative too don’t they?” This ministry is a wonderful way to connect people of different generations, allowing them to share their insight and lives.

Students from MSUM have become more active in the ministry this semester. They have been attending a local Moorhead church (Grace UMC) and are enthusiastic about getting involved. They have started a small group that will do community service, study God’s word, and serve as mentors for youth.

UCM is off to a wonderful start this semester due to the support from the students, board members, local churches and community, and most importantly God. Thank you all in advance for your continued support and prayers for the ministry! We want to connect and be in ministry with you and your church community. Please drop us a note at www.fmucm.org, our Pastor Rev. Theta Miller has many ideas and would love to visit with you!

Have a blessed day! – Ashley Rosser, UCM- Intern (UMC US2)

Got No Milk Offering
Over 1,000 children in Fargo go without milk at the mid-morning snack time each day because they cannot afford it. 55 of them are right here in north Fargo at McKinley School. Studies have proven time and again that children who are hungry are hindered in learning and are more likely to exhibit behavioral concerns. For the last two Sundays we have been “passing the jug” to collect funds to combat this serious problem that affects children in our neighborhood. So far we have taken in enough to provide milk to 14 children for one semester. This Sunday, October 3rd will be the last Sunday for “passing the jug”. Let’s see how many more children we can help!

Fall Dinner
Our Fall Dinner is set for Sunday, October 24th. The menu this year is turkey and the trimmings. Save the date to be here to work, to eat, or both.

Happy October Birthdays to:
1st – Gary McKenzie
3rd – Patty Hanson
4th – Matt Schlenvogt
6th – Cheyenne Lommen
9th – Diane Kahl & Clark Mannie
11th – Barbara Enz
13th – Dylan Nitzkorski
14th – Linda Routledge
19th – Aaron Hendrickson
20th – Andrew Anderson
25th – Ruth Fossum, Molly Hammer & Doug Long
27th – Jessica Long
28th – Ed Simonson
30th – Alex Ehlen

Happy October Anniversaries to:
15th – Bennie & Florence Rau
20th – Leo & Loretta Mittleider
31st – Gary & Karen Nielsen

Technical Condition Assessment of the Edgewood UM Church Building

2010-09-29T10:28:00.002-05:00

Update Concerning the Technical Condition Assessment
of the Edgewood UM Church Building

Recently the Trustees and Church Council hired YHR Partners, Ltd. to conduct a “Technical Condition Assessment” of our congregation’s building. This assessment is the first step for the Trustees in addressing a number of concerns that have been on their agenda, mainly the issue of moisture and air quality in the building. These concerns are not recent developments, but have been ongoing problems for many years.

Thorough inspection of the interior and exterior of our church building—as well as parking lot and grounds—resulted in a 20 page report. On September 20, 2010, architect Mark Lundberg presented the findings of the assessment to a joint Trustee/Council meeting, which the congregation had been invited to attend through written bulletin and verbal announcements for two Sundays prior to the meeting. In addition to having nearly all Trustee and Church Council members in attendance, five other congregation members were present.

Highlights of the Technical Condition Assessment and September 20 meeting.

•Overall the structure of the building is in good condition.

•The pressing concern is that of the air quality and possible mold issues.
oThe block and concrete access tunnels that run under the church are part of the heating system for the building. These tunnels often receive several inches of water from rains, thawing snow, and even from underground sources.
oTherefore, mold is most likely in the tunnels (this has not been tested, but odor and complaints from those with allergies strongly suggest that this is the case).
oThe pumps installed a few years ago remove standing water, but due to lack of proper slope and drain tile, they do not remove all the water. This leads to humidity and air quality concerns in the main level of the building.
oYHR recommends all tunnel openings (there are over 60) to be sealed so moisture and contaminated air cannot come to the surface. Pumps would remain in place to remove the bulk of standing water.
oThe heating system would then need to be replaced and a roof-top air handling system is recommended. Distribution units and ductwork would be installed on the roof and vent access placed in the ceiling. This system would add cooling in addition to replacing our existing heat.
oThe cost of abandoning the tunnels and replacing the heating system is estimated at approximately $200,000.

•It is recommended a professional firm conduct tests to discover if there are mold issues beyond the tunnel spaces. Cost of testing and possible mold abatement is unknown.

•While the roof is a few years away from needing replacement, there is chronic leaking that needs to be addressed throughout the building.
oRecent water in the youth room (from unknown source) carries investigative and corrective costs estimated at $5,000-$6,000.

•The windows throughout the building are no longer thermally efficient, the wood frames are deteriorating, and mechanically, the window are in poor conditions. This also is not a new concern.
oReplacement of all windows in the building is estimated at $20,000 to $25,000.

The assessment noted our 49 year old building has many areas where it no longer meets code. Nearly all of these areas are “grandfathered in” and the congregation is not in violation. However, these areas are still of concern.
• The restrooms are not handicap accessible. The simplest way to correct this would be to add a unisex restroom at an estimated cost of $15,000.
• Not all doors, signage, and door handles are compliant for codes concerning persons with disabilities. Upgrading which includes widening some doors could come at an estimated cost of $3,000.
• The balcony hand and guardrails have some safety concerns, which also are not compliant with code. Correction could run as much as $5,000.
• The north and south entrances are non-compliant for fire safety. (This issue was brought to the attention of the Trustees after the last inspection by the fire marshal.) Multiple options are already being explored concerning this issue using the existing doors and simply updating hardware. If doors need to be replaced, the estimated cost could be $12,500-$17,500.
• Absence of fire suppression for a building of this size/occupancy is non-compliant. Should any of these systems be added cost is estimated at $35,000-$40,000.
• Upgrading emergency exit lighting to code would cost $9,000-$10,000.
• Smoke and fire detection is also non-compliant. Installation of proper systems is estimated at $15,000-$17,000.

Copies of the full 20 page report are available in the church office for anyone to review.

The Board of Trustees will continue to review the findings of the assessment and begin discussion of solutions and possible actions. This process will include the Church Council and communication and feedback from the wider congregation.

Questions and comments should be directed toward members of the Trustees or Church Council.

October 2010 Calendar

2010-09-29T10:07:00.002-05:00

September 2010 Newsletter, Volume 33, No. 9

2010-08-24T10:49:00.002-05:00

From the Pastor’s Desk
I have been having a hard time getting motivated for the rapidly approaching fall schedule. It could be that the summer passed too quickly and I am simply longing for a few more weeks of the more relaxed “Memorial Day to Labor Day” schedule. Maybe I feel behind and could use a little extra time to prepare. Perhaps, I am simply trying to will away the coming winter season!

While I am not fully sure why I have had difficulty finding the “get up and go” for the change in season, I have discovered that as I look around me I find myself in a bit of a rut. Many of us pastors are wired for change and new challenges – which may be why we have a system of moving around so much! Well, I am not moving anywhere right now—but I do recognize that I am in need of some new challenges. And so I am looking for them! I am carefully looking and listening for the ways that God might be challenging me! This means discerning what God might have in mind for personal growth and for my ministry with all of you. As you can imagine this is a little exciting and a little daunting. Prayers appreciated!

So this got me thinking the other day. No matter if you are wired for change or if you like things nice and stable, we all can get into a rut. Our personal lives, our health, our faith, our church life…the list could go on and on! So as the seasons of schedule and weather begin to change in the coming weeks and months, I want to challenge all of us to look around ourselves and see where we might be in a rut. What needs an overhaul? What routine needs a change up? Where might we need to be challenged to grow in our faith and discipleship? Where do we need to be challenged in our church life? And in our life as a congregation?

I’ll leave answering those questions to you and your prayers. And may we all pray for one another that we might be open to the Holy Spirit’s leading—and challenging!

– Grace and Peace to you all, Pastor Cody

Back in the Swing Sunday!
September 12, 2010
Sunday School for All ages at 9:00 a.m.
Kid’s class (age 4-grade 4) led by Karen Murie will meet in the nursery room.
Youth class (grades 5-12) led by Karen Nitzkorski will meet in the youth room.
Living In Christ class led by Beth Agnew will meet in the middle classroom in the east hallway.
Timely class led by Jennette Dittman will meet in the fireside room.
The coffee pot will be on for fellowship at 10:00 a.m.
“Back in the Swing” worship will begin at 10:30 a.m.

Prayer Garden Update...
We are still trying to complete the sidewalk in the prayer garden. We have now been given a quote for the work that is significantly less than the quote we received last year, but it is still more than we currently have to spend. If any of you would like to help finish this project by making a special donation, just mark your check for “prayer garden”.

Mission Kit Needs
September is back to school time and also time to think of those less fortunate than ourselves. Please be aware of back to school sales, etc., as we again are packing school bags for UMCOR. Special needs this year are: Blunt-tipped school scissors, 24 count crayons, bar soap, cloth diapers, baby pajamas, baby wash cloths and receiving blankets. We have a supply of fabric for those who would like to sew school bags. We also have yarn for knitters and crocheters who might make baby blankets, scarves or sweaters. If you don’t want to shop, cash donations are always appreciated. There is a bucket in the narthex for donations toward purchasing needed supplies. Deadline for dropping off donations is Sunday, September 19th.

Fall Schedule Returns!
Our fall schedule will begin on Sunday, September 12th!
9:00 am Sunday School
10:00 am Coffee Fellowship
10:30 am Worship Service
Note: Regular Monday-Friday office hours resume September 7th.

Choir Rehearsals Begin!
Rehearsals for our Chancel Choir will begin again on Wednesday, September 1st, at 7 pm. If you have ever thought about becoming a part of the choir, this is a great time to come and check it out!

Calling All Women!!!
All the women of the church are invited to the United Methodist Women’s fall kick-off event -- a Potluck Salad Supper on Tuesday, September 21st at 6:00 pm. As we begin the fall activities this is an opportunity for all the women of the church to come together for good food and fellowship.

Administrative Council Meeting Highlights
1. The Trustees recommended and the Council voted to have an architectural firm (YHR Partners) do a condition assessment of our church building. This assessment will help the Trustees prioritize the urgency and costs associated with addressing a number of issues concerning our aging building. The assessment will also give recommendations for making our building more handicap accessible.
2. The Council voted to allow the amounts remaining in the memorial fund for Beverly Brkic, Mildred Hong and Vi Goodwin to be used toward the sidewalk in the prayer garden.
3. The Trustees designated the east end of the fellowship hall as our historical display area and it will be marked as such.
4. We were reminded that anyone wishing to donate items to the church must contact the Trustees first to see if their donation is needed.
5. Karen Murie will use the one room Sunday school material for the young kids’ class. The older class will incorporate confirmation material on some Sundays.
6. Wade Miller is organizing a Metro Youth Ministry for the youth fellowship age group which will include youth from several churches. It will be either a Wednesday or Sunday night program.
7. The UMW will serve dinner at United Campus Ministry on August 31st and lunch for Habitat for Humanity on September 14th.

Men’s Gospel Quartet Performance
The men’s gospel quartet 4 for 1 will be singing Tuesday, September 14th at 2:00 pm, at Bethel Church, 2702 30th Ave. S. It is being sponsored by their 55 plus group and is open to the public. You may remember Gary Herr from KFNW who is a part of the quartet.

Lawn Mowers Still Needed
The grass is still growing, so volunteers are still needed to mow the church grounds and parsonage lawn. A September sign-up sheet has been added to the office window. Please take a week and help keep our property in good shape!

United Campus Ministry Pig Roast
United Campus Ministry is looking for help with a free pig roast for students to welcome them to campus on Thursday, September 2nd, 5 pm to 7 pm. If you would be able to help with any of the following, please let the office know so we can let UCM know.
_____Provide 1 casserole/side
_____Set up/serve Sept. 2, 4 pm
_____Clean up Sept. 2, 7 pm

Happy September Birthdays to:
2nd – Leo Mittleider
6th – Steven Carr & Dwight Kinzer
7th – Dirk Hansen
9th – Owen Prichard
10th – Lynn Becker
12th – Barb Oien
16th – Andrew Long & Katherine Tweed
21st – Lynn Ehlen
22nd – Dawn Rittenbach
23rd – Tiffany Kvasager
24th – Dawn Long
25th – Samuel Hoherz, Stacie Martin & Jerry Nitzkorski
26th – Alexa Routledge

Happy September Anniversary to:
4th – Karen & Jerry Nitzkorski
21st – Trude & Bob Hendrickson

September 2010 Calendar

2010-08-24T10:42:00.002-05:00

Weekly Events

Sundays
Sept. 5: worship at 10:00 am
September 12, 19 & 26:
Sunday School at 9:00 am
Coffee Fellowship at 10:00 am
Worship Service at 10:30 am

Tuesdays
NA at 8 pm each Tuesday

Wednesdays
Intercessory Prayer Group at 10 am
Chancel Choir rehearsal at 7 pm

Thursdays
Coffee Fellowship at 10 am

Other Events
September 19 – Deadline for mission kit items to be brought to the church
September 20 – Board of Trustees Meeting, 6:30 pm and Administrative Council Meeting, 7:30 pm
September 21 – UMW Salad Supper, 6:00 pm

August 2010 Newsletter, Volume 33, No. 8

2010-07-27T11:18:00.002-05:00

Where Has the Summer Gone?
Can you believe it is August already? Wow, where has the summer gone? I would like to invite everyone to enjoy what is left of summer – and especially the light schedule of church events for this month. Starting after Labor Day we will be back in full swing with a busy new schedule! Allow the coming weeks to be a time of rest and Sabbath and a time of preparing your soul for the fall! – Grace and Peace to you all, Pastor Cody

Prayer Garden Update.....
We are still trying to complete the sidewalk in the prayer garden. We have now been given a quote for the work that is significantly less than what we received last year, but it is still more than we currently have to spend. If any of you would like to help finish this project by making a special donation, just mark your check for “prayer garden”.

Mission Kit Needs
September is back to school time and also time to think of those less fortunate than ourselves. Please be aware of back to school sales, etc., as we again are packing school bags for UMCOR. Special needs this year are: Blunt-tipped school scissors, 24 count crayons, bar soap, cloth diapers, baby pajamas, baby wash cloths and receiving blankets. We have a supply of fabric for those who would like to sew school bags. We also have yarn for knitters and crocheters who might make baby blankets, scarves or sweaters. There is a bucket in the narthex for donations toward purchasing needed supplies if you choose not to shop. Thanks to those who helped on the missions work day.

Financial Update
As you all know, summer is a time when our finances get tight. While so far this summer we have been doing OK, it is important to remember that last winter and spring we depleted some of our Trustee/building funds. As we head into the last 5 months of 2010, please hold our church finances and your personal stewardship in prayer. We would like to make this our 10th year of ending with all our obligations paid!

Happy August Birthday to:
1st – Shirley Schlenvogt
2nd – Katie Kapel
3rd – Steve Garten, Mae Stiles & Teri Walseth
5th – Melissa Tedford
7th – Glenda Heck
9th – Dave Schlenvogt
11th – Darlene Simonson
14th – Kathy Nyhof & Kyle Rittenbach
15th – Karen Morrison
16th – Mara Nitzkorski
17th – Trude Hendrickson & Beryle Page
20th – Char Myhre
21st – Brittany Kvasager
23rd – Bob Hendrickson
29th – Chad Martin

Happy August Anniversary to:
1st – Cathy & Kelly Prichard and Oriette & Rudy Tuorila
9th – Diane & David Kahl
15th – Kyle & Lynsey Rittenbach
19th – Barb & Bob Trieglaff
27th – Dawn & Doug Long and Dianna & Oscar Ostern
29th – Beth & Bob Agnew

August 2010 Calendar

2010-07-27T11:12:00.002-05:00

Weekly Events

Sundays
Worship Service at 10:00 am
Tuesdays
NA at 8 pm each Tuesday
Wednesdays
Intercessory Prayer Group at 10 am
Thursdays
Coffee Fellowship at 10 am

Other Events
August 16 – Board of Trustees Meeting, 6:30 pm
August 16 -- Administrative Council Meeting, 7:30 pm

July Newsletter, Volume 33, No. 7

2010-06-29T13:20:00.002-05:00

New Keyboard Purchased
Our congregation has had a strong tradition of great music for 50 years. Twenty-one years ago this congregation was in need of a new organ and invested in the future by purchasing an affordable instrument which would meet the needs of the congregation at that time. Twenty-one years later, our electric tube-style organ is showing its age. It has a growing number of problems and no one in the area does repair work on an instrument of its style and age. In fact, the company that made the organ is no longer in business and, of the several similar instruments purchased in the Fargo-Moorhead area at that time, ours is the only one still in use. Our organist has done a marvelous job working with the quirks and problems, and the leadership of the church has known for some time we would have to face the difficult issues of replacing our organ.

Last spring we received a Kawai keyboard on loan from Schmitt music for our anniversary celebration. We were informed this was a closeout model and was available for purchase at a greatly reduced price. After a short trial period, the church council voted unanimously to purchase this keyboard.

For the purposes of clear communication, below is a summary of the decision and rationale.

• Technology has changed dramatically over the years and this keyboard is actually more sophisticated than our current organ.
• This electric keyboard has hundreds of sound options beyond piano, including several organ sounds.
• While a keyboard does not have the same range/options of an organ, this keyboard’s sounds are of a higher quality than our existing organ.
• While we are extremely blessed to have such a gifted organist/pianist as our music director currently, skilled organists are increasingly difficult to find. Looking to the future, the church council views this keyboard as a wise investment for the future.
• Schmitt Music not only gave our church a large discount on this instrument, they took one of our unused pianos on trade for a good amount.
• As the council began to consider this keyboard, a memorial gift was offered to defray the costs should the keyboard be purchased. That gift has been made and the keyboard has been paid for in full. (See below)
• The trustees and church council will be making a decision later this year on what should be done with our current organ. To date, the council has learned that it has little to no resale value and may not even be useful for parts.
• Amplification for the new keyboard may be needed and church leaders are seeking professional advice as to if this needs to be done and how much it will cost. The congregation will be made aware of any future costs and giving opportunities that may be attached to potential projects.

This new instrument promises to only enhance and carry on the valued tradition of music ministry at Edgewood Church. If you have any questions or concerns about this recent decision, please speak to one of our church council members or the pastor.

In Loving Memory of Geraldine “Jolly” Watland
The new Kawai keyboard in the sanctuary has been given to Edgewood Church in loving memory of Geraldine “Jolly” Watland by her children, grandchildren, and sister: Karen and Patrick Morrison, Rachel and Art Ivaschuk, Sara and Alec Henry, Dwight Watland, Brittany Watland, Karli Watland, and Ruth Fossum. Geraldine was an active part of our faith community and choir and a lover of music in our congregation. Thank you to the Watland family for this very fitting memorial to “Jolly.”

Pastor Cody Will Be Away.....
.....this weekend (4th of July) attending a family reunion in the Black Hills. Carol Maloney, a lay speaker from Flame of Faith UMC, will be here to lead our worship service.

It’s a Baby Shower!
You are invited to come for a baby shower for Tanya Beseler and baby Claire on Thursday, July 8th, 7 pm, at the church. Tanya and Aaron are somewhat new additions to our church family, so this is a great opportunity to meet Tanya and welcome their family to Edgewood.

Thank You!
Thank you to everyone who was able to come to the baby shower and celebrate Maggie with us. We appreciate the gifts, the fellowship, and the friendship.
Jay & Dawn Hoherz

Congratulations To the Newlyweds!
Sara Morrison (daughter of Karen & Pat Morrison) and Alec Henry were married at Edgewood on June 26th. They will make their home in Sioux City, Iowa, where Alec is working and Sara will be finishing her degree at Morningside College. Our congratulations and best wishes go to the happy couple.

Could You Volunteer for Lawn Mowing?
Volunteers are needed to help out with the upkeep of our grounds this summer. A sign-up sheet is on the office window if you could take a turn or two at mowing and trimming. Talk to Dave Schlenvogt if you have any questions about what needs to be done.

Thank you! We had a great time!
Thanks to all who came to fellowship with Ardel Graner a few weeks ago. About 25 people came for the cookout and heard about the work she and Gordon continue to do in Bolivia. Can you believe they have been there for over 20 years! Ardel thanked our congregation for our faithful support of their ministry and presented us with a thank you gift – a traditional Bolivian cloth with a note of “Gracias” on a square, painted by the youth of the Thiu Rancho Center. It will be on our altar much of the summer – please make sure and take a look at it.

Missions Work Day July 20th
We will get together on July 20th at 1:00 pm to make blankets, cut out school bags, complete mission kits, wrap shoe boxes, etc. As you can see, we can use all kinds of talents. All are welcome to come and help. If you have a good scissor or extra fabric (heavy duty and fleece) please bring it along. We can also use more baby yarn for sweaters.

It’s a fun day, so come and join us. The coffee pot is on. For information call Beth (293-1741) or Carolyn (235-4425).

Happy July Birthday to:
1st – John Enz
4th – Doug Lommen, Karla Offermann and Samantha Routledge
6th – Erin Martin and Kara Tweed
10th – Beatrice Grommesh
21st – Samantha Carr
23rd – Zachary Routledge
28th – Calvin Oien
31st – Jamal Jackson

Happy July Anniversary to:
1st – David & Sarah Kahl

Sponsor a Day at Edgewood
You may sponsor a day by donating $365 over and above your regular giving to Edgewood. Acknowledgement of your gift will be given in the bulletin and newsletter. The day may be in honor of a person or event in your life or in memory of someone.

July 2010 Calendar

2010-06-29T13:09:00.001-05:00

Weekly Events
Sundays
Worship Service at 10:00 am

Tuesdays
NA at 8 pm each Tuesday

Wednesdays
Intercessory Prayer Group at 10 am

Thursdays
Coffee Fellowship at 10 am

Other Events
July 8 – Baby Shower for Tanya Beseler and baby Claire, 7 pm.
July 20 – Missions Work Day, 1 pm.

June Newsletter, Volume 33, No. 6

2010-05-26T09:58:00.002-05:00

What Now? – That’s a Good Question.
Our 50th Anniversary celebration was a great day in the life of this church! There was so much that was a blessing to remember and celebrate and rededicate our church to its mission and ministry! One particular blessing of the day was to have our bishop with us. Bishop Deb’s sermon was entitled, “What Now?” and challenged us to look beyond today to the next 50 years.

I personally was challenged by our bishop’s sermon and I hope you were too. I had been really mulling it over when just the other day I ran across the words of another one of our bishops—one I had had as a professor before he became bishop. In a recent blog post, Bishop Will Willimon wrote about how Jesus and his disciples were always on the move and how “a dead god is a god who locates, settles in, never surprises. A living God is a God on the move.” His thoughts focused on how the church has been struggling, but the lay and clergy leadership are finally focusing and becoming more congruent with the mission and work of Jesus Christ.

Below I share a few of his thoughts with you as we seek to discern what kinds of moves we need to make for our next 50 years.

Move from caregivers to passionate, transformative leaders
Moving from mere maintenance of the congregations that we have been handed from the hard work of previous generations of pastors, we are daring to let God use [pastors] to rebirth, new birth, and to transform our people to more actively participate in Christ’s mission. Any church that cares more about itself and its inner life than it cares for the world is a church in decline. Pastors are ordained for more significant ministry than merely care of the congregation.

Move from contented church of monopoly, to church in competitive, missional environment
We mainline Protestants have lost our monopoly on American religious life. We find ourselves in a mission environment in which our churches must compete with the lures of the world for our people’s faith. It’s a time when the church has the opportunity to recover the oddness and the joy of the peculiarity of ministry in the name of Jesus Christ rather than ministry as service to the infatuations of the world.

Move from nonchalance about results to attentiveness to results
…numbers [are] valid indicators of what God is doing among us. God intends for us to bear fruit and promises to give us what we need to bear fruit.

Move from preservation and sustaining to adaptation and supple flexibility
We have put far too much stress on experience, wisdom, and continuity when we need more stress upon talent, adaptation, flexibility, and innovation.

Move from the pastor as head of an organization to the pastor as spiritual leader and congregational catalyst
Pastors are becoming more than efficient managers. Pastors are preachers, those who tell the story which is the gospel, laying that upon the congregation on a regular basis and then pastors get out of the way, leaving Jesus to deal with his people. Pastors are there not to do ministry, not really even to lead ministry, but rather to “equip the saints for the work of ministry.”

Praying (with you) for God to show us how to “move” – Pastor Cody

A Trip to Bolivia Without Leaving Fargo?
That’s because Bolivia is coming to you! Our congregation supports missionary Ardel Graner and her work and she is coming here to thank you—and give us an update on what has been happening at the Thiu Rancho Project in Cochabamba, Bolivia. On Wednesday, June 16 at 6:00 p.m. we will grill out at the church and welcome Ardel and spend time in fellowship with her. Everyone is welcome! Bring a friend!

Congratulations!
Savanah Walseth has been appointed by our district superintendent to represent our district on the Dakotas Conference Council on Youth Ministry! The CCYM is a very active and vital ministry in the Dakotas and it is a real honor for Savanah to be able to share her gifts with the conference. It is also a great honor for our congregation to have one of our own be part of this ministry! Let us hold Savanah and her new ministry opportunity with CCYM in prayer!

Thank You!
Thanks to all who helped make our 50th Anniversary celebration a great success! More than 140 people gathered to celebrate. It was a great day!

Our new pictorial directories are here!
The directories are on a table outside the sanctuary doors. Please cross your name off the list next to them when you pick yours up so we can keep track of who still needs their copy.

Congratulations to our Graduates!
Our graduates were honored during the worship service on May 9th. Blessings upon the next steps of life’s journey!
Brittany Kvasager, Fargo North High School
Andrew Long, Fargo North High School
Stacie Martin, Moorhead High School
Dallas Hansen, Yale University
Devin Hanson, North Dakota State University

Graduation Open House
The congregation is invited to celebrate Andrew Long’s graduation from Fargo North High School at his open house on Saturday, May 29th, 2:00-5:00 pm, at the Long home at 121 15th Ave. N., Fargo.

Summer Worship Schedule
This Sunday, May 30th, marks the beginning of our summer worship schedule. Our worship service moves to 10 am and stays at that time through Labor Day Sunday. (There is no Sunday school through the summer months.)

Note: Summer office hours will be 9 am to noon Tuesdays and Thursdays or by appointment. Please call the church office at 235-2163.

Peace with Justice Sunday
Peace with Justice Sunday is one of the six special Sunday offerings taken by the Methodist Church. This offering supports programs that advocate peace and justice at home and around the world. Half of the funds raised in our conference are retained to fund local programs. The other half go toward U.S. and global work such as the Haiti solar oven project. This Sunday, May 30th, is the day designated for this offering.

Missions Work Day July 20th
We will get together on July 20th at 1:00 pm to make blankets, cut out school bags, complete mission kits, wrap shoe boxes, etc. As you can see, we can use all kinds of talents. All are welcome to come and help. If you have a good scissor or extra fabric (heavy duty and fleece) please bring it along. We can also use more baby yarn for sweaters.

It’s a fun day, so come and join us. The coffee pot is on. For information call Beth (293-1741) or Carolyn (235-4425).

Happy June Birthday to:
3rd – Darlean Pierce
4th – Marella Haugen, Evelyn Lommen & Chase Walseth
6th – Steve Tedford
7th – Savanah Walseth
9th – Lane Bohlmann
10th – Sarah Kahl
11th – Dee Otto
16th – Bennie Rau
17th – Dawn Hoherz
19th – Clane Hertz
27th – Sawyer Carr
28th – Diana Borg
30th – Eskild Ostern & Lu Thomas

Happy June Anniversary to:
3rd – Clark & Chris Mannie
4th – Karen & Pat Morrison and Ed & Darlene Simonson
13th – Kyle & Erica Murie and Brad & Karla Offermann
17th – Ray & Mavis Wagner
18th – Doug & Evelyn Lommen
24th – John & Erin Ehlen
27th – Troy & Teri Walseth
29th – Monte & Linda Routledge
30th – Mark & Lynn Ehlen

Sponsor a Day at Edgewood
You may sponsor a day by donating $365 over and above your regular giving to Edgewood. Acknowledgement of your gift will be given in the bulletin and newsletter. The day may be in honor of a person or event in your life or in memory of someone.

June Calendar

2010-05-26T09:53:00.004-05:00

Weekly Events

Sundays
Worship Service at 10:00 am

Tuesdays
NA at 8 pm each Tuesday

Wednesdays
Intercessory Prayer Group at 10 am

Thursdays
Coffee Fellowship at 10 am

Other Events
June 9-12 – Annual Conference Meeting in Bismarck
June 16 – Ardel Graner here for a report on their activities in Bolivia, 6:00 pm

May Newsletter, Volume 33, No. 5

2010-04-27T10:44:00.003-05:00

Spring Clean-Up Day
Please come to the church Saturday, May 1st, at 8:00 am to clean inside and outside the building. We need help getting our church ready for the anniversary celebration. There will be jobs for everyone!

50th Anniversary Celebration Sunday
In less than 3 weeks our congregation will be celebrating its 50th Anniversary! Guests (including former pastors and our bishop) have been invited, food has been ordered, a permanent historical display is coming together, and final work is being done on our history book/pictorial directory. The next steps now involve YOU! In addition to clean-up day, we will be asking for volunteers for other places of service to get ready. Also, please consider a donation to cover the cost of the luncheon. And as always, hold our anniversary celebration in your prayers!

Sunday, May 16, 2010 – Edgewood’s 50th Anniversary Celebration
9:00 a.m. – Open house and coffee fellowship
10:30 a.m. –Worship with Bishop Deborah L. Kiesey preaching
Noon – Luncheon catered by Oven Door Catering
1:00 p.m. – Hymn sing led by Edgewood’s Choir

If you think of someone who has had a connection to this church that should be made aware of our celebration, either stop by the office and pick up an announcement or let us know the name and address.

Financial Help Is Needed!
Over the winter we incurred expenses for unexpected plumbing repairs, roof repairs and furnace repairs. We are also planning to have the tile floors stripped, resealed and waxed at a cost of about $1,000. We haven’t pushed for extra designated giving for these capital improvements and maintenance issues, but now are asking for your help in replacing some of the funds spent on these repairs and raising money to pay for the work on the floor.

Any amount you are led to give over and above your regular giving will be appreciated!

Church Building Closed May 5th & 6th
The tile floors will be redone on Wednesday and Thursday, May 5th & 6th. The building will be closed on these two days to allow the work to be done and the finish to cure. The Wednesday morning prayer group and the Thursday morning coffee group are asked to either cancel or move to another location this one time. (Note: Others who have keys to the building – please do not come into the building on those days. Plan ahead so access isn’t needed during this time.)

Senior Recognition Sunday
The graduating seniors from our congregation will be recognized on Sunday, May 9th. Brittany Kvasager and Andrew Long are currently on our list of high school graduates. Are there others we have missed? We also want to know about anyone finishing up work at colleges, business and trade schools, etc. Call the church office at 235-2163 with any additions to the list.

It’s a Bridal Shower
Our United Methodist Women are hosting a bridal shower for Sara Morrison on Tuesday, May 25th. All are invited to come and help Sara celebrate this joyful time. Sara is registered at Penney’s and Target.

Thank You!
A big thank you to all who helped set up for and all who worked our pancake and sausage breakfast. Thank you also for selling the advance tickets. Special thanks to Rod and Vicky Rittenbach for making and donating the special German sausage for the breakfast. We served 584 happy people.

May Birthdays
1st – Kelly Prichard
2nd – John Rebstock & Rod Rittenbach
5th – Madison Lommen, Pat Morrison & Karen Nitzkorski
7th – Justin Oien & Bob Trieglaff
12th – Sara Morrison
20th – Sharon Haugen
27th – Rita Schlenvogt
28th – Kurtis Riffey & Mavis Wagner
31st – Carolyn Haugen & David Kahl, Jr.

May Anniversaries
4th – Steve & Melissa Tedford
11th – Clane & Karen Hertz
13th – John & Frances Rebstock
14th – Dave & Rita Schlenvogt
15th – Chad & Susan Martin
17th – Jay & Dawn Hoherz
25th – Mike & Dawn Hoherz

Change to Summer Schedule
The last day of Sunday School for the spring is May 16th. Beginning May 30th and continuing through Labor Day our worship service will begin at 10:00 am.

National Day of Prayer
The National Day of Prayer is May 6th. This annual observance is held on the first Thursday of May, inviting people of all faiths to pray for the nation. It was created in 1952 by a joint resolution of the United States Congress, and signed into law by President Harry S. Truman. Founded in May 1983, the National Day of Prayer Task Force (NDPTF) is the Judeo-Christian expression of the National Day of Prayer. Its mission is to communicate with every individual the need for personal repentance and prayer, mobilizing the Christian community to intercede for America and its leadership in the seven centers of power: Government, Military, Media, Business, Education, Church and Family.

Also on May 6th.....
.....Ellie Lofaro will be speaking at Bethel Evangelical Free Church at 9:30 am. A nationally recognized speaker and Bible teacher, Ellie Lofaro had been scheduled to speak at the New Life Center Prayer Breakfast for the past two years. Due to flooding issues these events were cancelled. Ellie has graciously offered to come to Fargo on this alternate date. Advance tickets are $5 and can be purchased at Melbergs, The Rainbow Shop, and Family Christian Store. Seating is general admission and is limited. Coffee and muffins will be served. This event is sponsored by the New Life Center Auxiliary in co-operation with area churches.

Church Women United May Friendship Day
Church Women United’s May Friendship Day, Living the Vision, is Friday, May 7th, 7:00 pm at First Congregational, 1101 17th Avenue South, Fargo. They will also have the collection of the fellowship of the least coin offering.

May Calendar

2010-04-27T10:34:00.002-05:00

The church building will be closed May 5th & 6th.

Weekly Events
Sundays
9:00 am Sunday School
10:00 am Coffee Fellowship
10:30 am Worship Service

Tuesdays
NA at 8 pm each Tuesday

Wednesdays
Intercessory Prayer Group at 10 am
Chancel Choir rehearsal at 7 pm

Thursdays
Coffee Fellowship at 10 am

Group and Committee Meetings
Administrative Council
Monday, May 10, 7:30 pm

Board of Trustees
Sunday, May 2, 9:30 am

United Methodist Women
Ruth Circle, Tuesday, May 11, 9:30 am
Eve Circle, Tuesday, May 11, 7:30 pm

Youth Fellowship
Meeting on Sunday, May 2, 6:00 pm

Other Events
May 1 – Clean-Up Day
May 6 – National Day of Prayer and New Life Center Auxiliary Event
May 7 – Church Women United at First Congregational Church
May 9 – Senior Recognition Sunday
May 16 – 50th Anniversary Celebration
May 25 – Bridal Shower for Sara Morrison

April Newsletter, Volume 33, No. 4

2010-03-30T10:44:00.002-05:00

Countdown to 50!
In nearly 6 weeks our congregation will be celebrating our 50th Anniversary! While preparations have been long underway, over the coming weeks following Easter, our congregation will be taking steps to get ready to host a celebration. Guests (including former pastors and our bishop) have been invited, food has been ordered, a permanent historical display is coming together, and final work is being done on our history book/pictorial directory. The next steps now involve YOU! We will be hosting a cleanup day (or two) to get our building and grounds ready. We will also be asking for volunteers for other places of service to get ready. Please consider volunteering as the opportunities arise. And as always, hold our anniversary celebration in your prayers!

Sunday, May 16, 2010 – Edgewood’s 50th Anniversary Celebration
9:00 a.m. – Open house and coffee fellowship
10:30 a.m. –Worship with Bishop Deborah L. Kiesey preaching
Noon – Luncheon catered by Oven Door Catering
1:00 p.m. – Hymn sing led by Edgewood’s Choir

Holy Week Schedule
Please join your church family for these special services planned in observance of the last supper, the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Holy Thursday Service, April 1, 7 pm, at Faith United Methodist Church, 909 19th Ave. N., Fargo.

Good Friday Service, April 2, 7 pm, at Grace United Methodist Church, 1120 17th St. S., Moorhead.

Easter Sunday Schedule at Edgewood
9:00 am Service of Praise
9:30 am Easter Breakfast and Children’s Activities
10:30 am Worship Service

Pancake & Sausage Breakfast April 24th
Tickets for our 9th Annual Pancake & Sausage Breakfast have been mailed out. Please remember that the majority of our income comes from advance ticket sales, so getting out and selling the tickets is vital to our success! (Additional books of tickets are available in the church office.) Worker sign-up sheets are available now for volunteers to sign up to help.

100th Birthday Open House
You are invited to an Open House to celebrate Lydia Fischer’s 100th birthday. The Open House will be Saturday, April 17th from 2:00-4:00 pm.

April Birthdays
2 – Warren Schierman
3 – Vicky Rittenbach
10 – Andy Jackson & Kelly Klocke
17 – Shawn Morrison
18 – Taylor Tedford
19 – Chris Mannie
20 – Elyce Kinzer
30 – Beth Bohlmann

April Anniversaries
6 – Barb & Calvin Oien
11 – Rod & Vicky Rittenbach

Church Women United Church Tour and Salad Luncheon
Church Women United’s annual church tour and salad luncheon will be at Lutheran Church of the Cross/Holy Cross Catholic Church, 1402 16th St. E., West Fargo, ND, on Friday, April 9th. The time is 11:00 am, and the cost is $5.

See the poster on the bulletin board or contact Jennette Dittman for more information.

April Calendar

2010-03-30T10:31:00.002-05:00

Holy Week Schedule
Holy Thursday Service, April 1, 7:00 pm at Faith UMC
Joint United Methodist Good Friday Service, April 2, 7:00 pm at Grace UMC, Moorhead.

Easter Sunday, April 4
9:00 am Service of Praise
9:30 am Breakfast and Children’s Activities
10:30 am Worship Service

Weekly Events
Sundays
9:00 am Sunday School
10:00 am Coffee Fellowship
10:30 am Worship Service

Tuesdays
NA at 8 pm each Tuesday

Wednesdays
Intercessory Prayer Group at 10 am
Chancel Choir rehearsal at 7 pm

Thursdays
Coffee Fellowship at 10 am

Group and Committee Meetings
Administrative Council
Monday, April 19, 7:30 pm

Board of Trustees
Sunday, April 11, 9:30 am

United Methodist Women
Ruth Circle, Tuesday, April 13, 9:30 am
Eve Circle, Tuesday, April 13, 7:30 pm

Youth Fellowship
Meeting on Sunday, April 11, 6:00 pm
Meeting on Sunday, April 25, 6:00 pm

Other Events
April 9 – Church Women United Church Tour & Salad Luncheon
April 11 – Beth Moore Bible Study
April 17 – 100th Birthday Open House for Lydia Fischer, 2:00-4:00 pm
April 22 – Set up for Pancake Breakfast
April 24 – Pancake & Sausage Breakfast

Volume 33, No. 3

2010-03-02T11:33:00.006-06:00

Wonderful News!
While we are already a few weeks into Lent, our Lenten sermon series is just about to begin! For the next three weeks we will be engaging the text of the first 20 verses of the “Sermon on the Mount” in Matthew chapter 5.

March 7 – Wonderful News!
March 14 – Blessed Are!
March 21 – Salty Light

Holy Week and Easter
Palm/Passion Sunday, March 28 @ 10:30 a.m. – Edgewood
Holy Thursday, April 1 @ 7:00p.m. – Faith Church
Good Friday, April 2 @7:00 p.m. – Grace Church, 1020 17th Street S, Moorhead
Easter Sunday April 4 – Edgewood
9:00 a.m. First Service of Easter
9:30 a.m. Breakfast / 9:45 a.m. Children’s Activities
10:30 a.m. Easter Worship

Your Help Needed!
Our new District Superintendent, Rev. Dr. Marilyn Spurrell has been getting to know the district over the past eight months and has asked for your help! She has asked the Lewis Center at Wesley Theological Seminary to gather information from across the district, including our church! Please take a very short survey by going to:
http://www.surveymk.com/s.aspx?sm=oesF8vaT5pwXVvWq9URNjClTaIl7uWPt6c9uopG8Tq0%3d&

Below are the questions so you can see them ahead of time. If you would rather write/type up your answers you can send it to: Lewis Center for Church Leadership, 4500 Massachusetts Avenue, Washington, DC 20016

QUESTION FOR THREE RIVERS DISTRICT PASTORS AND LAITY
1. What do you see as the top three opportunities facing your congregation (or congregations for pastors serving multiple churches) in the next five years?

2. What do you see as the top three challenges facing your congregation(s) in the next five years?

3. Of the six issues named in question 1 and 2, which two of them, if not addressed, will leave your congregation(s) most vulnerable five years from now?

4. Where do you see the most life and energy in your congregation(s) now?

Are you? _____ a pastor _____ a lay member of a congregation

Lenten Schedule
Our Wednesday Lenten soup and worship with Faith UMC continue. See the calendar for dates, times, and locations.

Save This Date – April 24th!
April 24th is the date for our Pancake & Sausage Breakfast. Please mark your calendars now and reserve that date to help with this annual fund raiser. For those who were at our last Administrative Council Meeting, note that this is a change from the date discussed at that time.

Ongoing Important Work
We are seeing again the work done by UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief) through their work in Haiti. UMCOR is known to be the first in and the last out when disasters happen around the world. Also, UMCOR is known to provide education, relief, and great ministries of compassion in many places in “non-disaster” times. Every time we have an offering to respond to a disaster somewhere, 100% goes to the relief work. None of it is tied up in administrative costs! That’s because the annual One Great Hour of Sharing offering helps to cover the cost of running UMCOR. March 14 is One Great Hour of Sharing 2010. Please give generously.

Daylight Saving Time
Daylight Saving Time begins Sunday, March 14th. Set your clocks ahead one hour when you go to bed on Saturday night, March 13th. We don’t want anyone coming late on Sunday!

March is Food Share Month
A shopping cart is always available to receive your donations of food items for the FM Emergency Food Pantry. During March your gifts are worth even more! Minnesota Food Share makes additional donations to our local Pantry based on the amount given to them throughout the month. So....please be especially generous in March.

Kids’ Photography Club
I believe there is enough interest in a photography club to start one for the kids here at Edgewood. The child should be at least at the beginning to read stage to be able to catch on to the symbols and things on the camera. If your child is interested (even if I have already talked to you), please confirm your child’s interest. Those who are on facebook can just leave an inbox message. My e-mail is stumpyrar@msn.com. Please leave me a note as soon as possible. We will have a short meeting one day after church. I will contact people and let them know when. Thank you.
Vicky Rittenbach

United Campus Ministry News
United Campus Ministry has started a food pantry for students and is looking for donations of non-perishable items. A plastic bin has been placed in our narthex next to the shopping cart. If you wish to donate items to the United Campus Ministry food pantry, place them in the plastic bin. If you want your donated items to go to the FM Emergency Food Pantry, place them in the shopping cart.

United Campus Ministry wants to become a place where students and on campus groups can do service projects all year long, so they are trying to have supplies on hand for them. They will pack backpacks in the spring/summer, shoeboxes in the fall, and make tie blankets in the winter. See the signs on the plastic bin for further information.

Sponsor a Day at Edgewood
David and Glenda Heck are sponsoring March 10th in memory of Glenda’s uncle, Al Heller.

You can sponsor a day in honor of or in memory of someone by donating $365 over and above your regular giving. Your gift will be acknowledged in both the bulletin and newsletter.

March Birthdays
1 – Bea Carlson & Iris Miller
7 – Oriette Tuorila
8 – Dianna Ostern
9 – Mark Ehlen
10 – Dorothy Hagen
11 – Brad Offermann
13 – Marc Kapel & Matt Morrison
16 – Dawn Carr
22 – Kurt Bohlmann & Karen Robinson
24 – Emily Howes & Bev Sprenger
30 – Lydia Fischer

March Anniversaries
10 – Steve & Emily Garten
16 – Steve & Dawn Carr

March Calendar

2010-03-02T09:18:00.003-06:00

Weekly Events
Sundays
9:00 am Sunday School
10:00 am Coffee Fellowship
10:30 am Worship Service
3:00 pm Beth Moore Bible Study

Tuesdays
NA at 8 pm each Tuesday

Wednesdays
Intercessory Prayer Group at 10 am
Chancel Choir rehearsal at 7 pm

Thursdays
Coffee Fellowship at 10 am

Group and Committee Meetings
Administrative Council
March 8, 7:30 pm

Board of Trustees
March 14, following worship

United Methodist Women
Salad Supper & Central Meeting, March 16, 6:00 pm

Youth Fellowship
Meeting on March 7, 6:00 pm
Meeting on March 21, 6:00 pm

Lenten Midweek Services – March 3 & 17 at Edgewood – March 10 & 24 at Faith
5:45 pm Soup and Bread
6:00 pm Video/Worship/Discussion