408 Ninth Street NW

Mandan, ND 58554

FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH

Phone: 701-663-3594

Fax: 701-663-6217

E-mail: jackie@firstlutheranofmandan.org

Building Faith and

Transforming Lives

in Christ.

ADDRESS LABEL

Happy

Easter from

the staff at

First

Lutheran

Church!

www.firstlutheranofmandan.org

We’re on the web!

Council E-mail:

cc@firstlutheranofmandan.org

In September’s newsletter entitled “Full of Change”, I

wrote about transition. The changing seasons, the new HVAC

system, and the laments of what could have been. Since last

June, I have seen a lot of change, and since the September

newsletter I have experienced a lot of personal change. William

started preschool, I had an emergency appendectomy, and then

I found out we were expecting our second child at the end of

August. Not to mention it finally feels like spring! Hallelujah!

One of the toughest transitions is yet to come – Pastor

Lee’s retirement. I have to confess I have a mix of emotions. I

am excited for Pastor Lee as he begins the next chapter of his

story. Pastor Lee has taught me so much about what it means

to be a “pastor” - to listen and care for individuals and the

congregation. I truly believe that listening to him preach has

made me a better preacher. I feel blessed to have worked with

him. Yet, I am grieving the loss of a colleague who has offered

so much to the larger church and this congregation, a colleague

who’s passion, love, and insight will no longer be a part of First

Lutheran.

Despite my grief at what we are losing, I look to the

future with hope. Just read these words from Jeremiah 29:11,

“For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the LORD,

plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with

hope.” We are all a mix of emotions – joy, excitement, sadness,

and grief. Yet, God is at work in Pastor Lee’s life, just as God is

at work in your life and in our congregation; working to bring

about a future of hope.

There will be a ‘farewell potluck’ for Pastor Lee on

Sunday, April 28th at 11:45A.M. in the Fellowship Hall. Please

come and bring a side. Church Council will provide the main

dish. Let us share God’s hope with Pastor Lee, even as we

anticipate the future.

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Chris

April 2019

Administrative Pastor

Rev. Lee Herberg

663-3594

Associate Pastor

Rev. Christina Martin

663-3594

Administrative Assistant &

Coordinator of Lay

Ministries

Jackie Schulz

663-3594

Sunday School Ministry

Coordinator

Kama Hoovestol

663-3594 (o)

Custodians

Ron & Mavis Watson

Financial Administration

Jennifer Scheet

First Lutheran Is A Mission

Partner with Camp of the

Cross Ministries

First Lutheran

Staff

First Lutheran Church

April Newsletter

PAGE 2 FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH April 2019

11th Annual Theology on the Prairie Lecture Series

with Keynote Presenter: Rev. Dr. Rick Carlson

Where: Camp of the Cross Ministries ~ Garrison, ND

When: April 28th-30th

Time: Sunday 5:00 P.M. (includes supper at 6:00 P.M.) to Tuesday Noon (following brunch).

To register please call Camp of the Cross at 701-337-2246 by April 15th!

A Word from the Mission Endowment Committee…

Lent provides an opportunity to strengthen our devotion to God. Perhaps this is the time to make a planned gift to our endowment which will strengthen our congregation’s future and keep ministry faith alive for generations to come. Contact one of the First Lutheran Mission Endowment Committee Members: Kristi Entzi (400-6900), Michelle Radke (400-9687), Heather Heinle (226-4956), Terry Bohn (471-7725), or Dave Anderson (400-5081) or call the church office for more information on how you can contribute (663-3594).

Palm Sunday, April 14th

8:30 A.M. & 10:45 A.M.

Maundy Thursday, April 18th

7:00 P.M. Worship with Holy

Communion

Good Friday, April 19th

7:00 P.M. Tenebrae Service

Note: No Wednesday Evening

Service on April 17th

Easter Sunday, April 21st

7:00 A.M. - Sunrise Service

(led by the youth)

9:00 A.M. - Traditional Easter

Festival Service

11:00 A.M. - Contemporary Easter

Festival Service

Easter Breakfast

8:00-9:00 A.M.

The youth will be serving egg bake, fruit,

coffee & juice for a free will offering.

Please join us!

PAGE 10 FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH APRIL 2019

Mark Your

Calendar…

3rd: 7pm - Confirmation -

Large Group

4th: LAF - Sloppy Joes

10th: 7pm - Confirmation -

Large Group

11th: LAF - Sandwiches

17th: No Confirmation

18th: LAF - Nachos

24th: 7pm - Confirmation

Large Group

25th: LAF - Mac & Cheese

Our youth are available and happy to “egg” the house of your choice. Each plastic egg is filled with one small toy and one piece of peanut free candy! Every order also contains a golden egg with a special surprise in side. Your eggs will be delivered the night before Easter. So on Easter morning the house of your choice will awake with a fun surprise on their lawn.

40 eggs are just $20, 80 eggs are just $40. Larger orders are available-please contact Pastor Chris.

All profits go to our First Lutheran Youth going on the mission trip. Please turn in your orders no later than April 14!

We would love to have you join us!

Sunday, April 21st

8:00-9:00 A.M.

The youth will be serving egg

bake, fruit, coffee & juice for a

free will offering.

What: Bake Sale for Camp

Scholarships

When: Sunday, April 14th

Come and get your Easter

goodies and help our youth go

to Bible camp this summer!

PAGE 4 FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH APRIL 2019

Sunday ~

8:30 am ~ Traditional

10:45 am ~ Contemporary

9:30 am ~ Coffee

9:30 am ~ Church School

Wednesday ~

6:00 pm ~ Transitional

6:00 pm ~ Church School

7:00 pm ~ Confirmation

Worship Schedule

Special Thanks

Thank you to all the greeters, ushers, communion servers,

readers, communion set-up, coffee hour workers, and to all

who have supplied goodies for the last month. Your help is

greatly appreciated!

Baptisms:

March 3 Kase Anthony Seeman

March 24 Christian Xavier Jordan

March 24 Presley Ella Ramsdell

Weddings:

March 12 David Haberstroh & Laura Gerhart

Funerals:

March 12 Michael Groce

March 26 Scott Heinert

Memorial Fund

Pastoral Acts

In memory of Lloyd Keidel given by Cathy Sommer.

Deadline for

articles for the May

Newsletter will be

April 17th.

April ~ Mission of the Month Weekend Meals for Mandan Kids

Items needed are Chap Stick, Peanut Butter, Jelly, Fruit

Cups, Canned Fruit, Granola Bars, Cereal, Pudding

Cups, Applesauce, Chef Boyardee', Mac & Cheese, Soups,

Hamburger Helper, Spaghetti Noodles, Spaghetti Sauce,

Pop Tarts, Instant Mashed Potatoes, Rice A Roni, Pasta

Roni, Pork and Beans, Baked Beans, Pancake Mix-no

eggs required such as Krusteaz Brand, Syrup, Canned

Tuna, Chicken, Ham.

NO GLASS JARS PLEASE!

You may put your items in the boxes in the Narthex.

Thank you!

PAGE 9 FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH APRIL 2019

PAGE 8 FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH APRIL 2019 APRIL 2019 FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH PAGE 5

First Lutheran of Mandan – Church Council Minutes

February 21, 2019

Members Present: Pastor Lee Herberg, Pastor Christina Martin, Kevin Fishbeck, Wayne Friesz,

Mike Hatzenbuhler, Carol Nitschke, Ron Webb, Tony Michlitsch, Jeff Bradford

Devotions presented by Pastor Christina Martin

Approval of Agenda

Moved: Kevin Fishbeck, Second: Jeff Bradford Motion: Passed

Approval of Minutes from December 20, 2018, January 08, 2019, January 18, 2019 meetings

Moved: Kevin Fishbeck, Second: Mike Hatzenbuhler Motion: Passed

Financial Report

• January Income: $37,900 • January Expenses: $40,871 • Cash on Hand: $159,008.77

Unfinished Business

• Ceiling fans in sanctuary update:

No Update

• Education / Youth Support Staff Position

Youth Team, President, Accountant to meet with Kama on February 25 to discuss

job requirements, pay and responsibilities

• Sanctuary Choir Director

There has been a qualified applicant and discussions have started.

• Nominating Committee for Council to name new positions

Carol Nitschke joined, but there are still two vacant positions on council

New Business

• Election of Officers

Nominations

President: Kevin Fishbeck nominated by Wayne Friesz, Seconded by Jeff Bradford

No other nominations Motion Passed

Vice President: Wayne Friesz nominated by Tony Michlitsch, Seconded by Mike

Hatzenbuhler

No other nominations Motion Passed

Secretary: Jeff Bradford nominated by Kevin Fishbeck, Seconded by Carol

Nitschke No other nominations Motion Passed

• Cathy Long and Kathy Brandvold have been putting in a lot of extra time while we search

for a music director.

Motion:

▪ Cathy Long be paid 200% of normal pay as her effort has doubled

▪ Kathy Brandvold be paid 150% of normal to compensate her extra efforts

▪ Back pay to January 1, 2019

▪ This will continue until the spot is filled and their workload returns to normal

Moved: Jeff Bradford, Second: Kevin Fishbeck Motion passed

• Ceiling Leaks throughout the church. Investigations ongoing with roofer and other

technical professionals as to cause and fix.

• We are losing our job postings on JSND Workforce Connection. Will repost when allowed

to again.

Reports

• Pastor Lee: 0 Baptisms, 2 Weddings, 3 Funerals Presided at Communion Services at

Prospera Communities in January Retirement Announcement Made: May 1, 2019

• Pastor Chris: 0 Baptisms, 0 Weddings, 4 Funerals Presided at Communion Services at

Prospera Communities in February February Synod Council in Minot Monthly sessions with

Leadership for Faithful Innovation & in-person training for Leadership for Faithful Innovation

• Stewardship – no report

• Worship – no report

• Parish Education / Youth - Meeting with Kama on Feb 25, First Communion for 5th Grade

on April 18, children singing at Palm Sunday Service

• Evangelism and Outreach - LAF is going very well. Pastor Lee’s help with the program will

be missed.

• Property and Management - Nothing that wasn’t covered in business portion of meeting

Correspondence

Thank you from Girl Scouts for the church allowing use of its space for their meetings;

thank you from Lewis and Clark for the gifts, snacks, supplies and food items; thank you from

Mandan School District for backpacks - Donations helped over 360 students and families;

Golden Age Services - thank you for $157.54 for Home Delivered Meals; thank you for $124.70

for Home Delivered Meals; Missouri Slope Lutheran Care Center - thank you for $210.43 for M-

Club, thank you for $265.18 for M-Club.

Motion to Adjourn

Moved: Tony Michlitsch, Second: Mike Hatzenbuhler, Meeting Adjourned

Next Meeting: March 21, 2019 at 7pm

Meeting closed with the Lord’s Prayer

PAGE 6 FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH APRIL 2019 Greetings from Kumamoto. We are currently getting ready for the cherry blossom season while we are finishing the school year (March 20) and preparing for the new school year (April 1). It is always busy around here!

Home Assignment 2018. Even though it was almost 6 months ago, this is my first

newsletter after home assignment. So—just to recap, we survived another home assignment!! It was a great opportunity to spend time with family and have English immersion for Jun. (Pic top left: Jun in the airport in Seattle. He got to the top of the gangway and screamed, “We are in AMERICA!” even though it felt like 2am!!) We spent the first few weeks in Seattle in the Northwest Washington Synod. Jun went to a Montessori School, “The Children’s School”, and we did some of the touristy things. (Pic middle left: Jun and some new friends. Pic right: Jun, the sleeping Haru and I at the top of

the Space Needle) After that, we moved on to North Dakota and stayed with my parents. We visited lots of churches—and lots of you! It was great to see so many of you and share about the continuing recovery after the 2016 earthquake. (God has been so good and we have even noticed more of the temporary housing being taken down since we arrived back.) Jun and Haru were both able to take in lots of the Minot Public Library activities for children and a YMCA class. We definitely miss those types of activities here in Kumamoto!

Post Maternity Leave I started back full time on all my church activities after returning

home last fall. We are back in the swing of the youth program at Kengun where we have about 4-5 junior high and high school students who come on Sunday mornings. We also do the International Kids program on the 1st and 3rd Sunday’s of each month before the evening worship. Last Sunday, Ascension Sunday, we had a group of 6 kids—mainly toddlers. They have parents from Kenya, Ireland, the US, and Japan. Children’s sermons are quite fun with toddlers. (Pic: all the kids during my Children’s Message) Let me know if you have any suggestions!

School I started back at school on October 1st, the beginning of the 2nd semester. I have taken back all the jobs that I had before Haru was born, plus a few more. This makes things difficult when I have to leave by 5 to pick the boys up from the kindergarten/day care on our campus. (Japanese teachers often stay until 8 or 9pm in order to finish all their work.) I am vice in command for our Religious Committee which takes care of every morning worship service and all Christian activities on the high school and junior high side of campus. Our chaplain, Che-sensei, is waiting for the birth of his first child--so I am on deck every morning to do the message at our worship service!

Please pray for:

Erica, Erin and Jordan who are in J3 orientation and will start teaching in April.

Spencer who is waiting for a visa so that he can also come at teach at Luther in April.

Christ’s Peace & Prayers,

Katie S. Narum Miyamoto