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SPRING ISSUE 2019 The

Holy Week & Easter Services Palm Sunday Worship | April 14 at 9:15am

Maundy Thursday | April 18 at 11:00am & 7:00pm (1st Communion at 7pm)

Good Friday | April 19 at 11:00am & 7:00pm

Easter Sunday | April 21 at 8am, 9:30am & 11:00am (Easter Egg Hunt following 9:30 service)

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E lim will be celebrating

our 100th anniversary in a few

years. At these milestones we

might be inclined to remember

earlier times in our

congregation’s history and feel

nostalgic for the way things used

to be. When I look at the

confirmation pictures in the

hallway of our church offices, I

see confirmation classes of a half

-century ago with almost a

hundred students!

I admire the life and vitality

Elim enjoyed a half-century ago.

At the same time, were some

people at Elim during the 1970’s

nostalgic for the church they

remembered a half-century

earlier? Did some Elim folks

reminisce about the small church

who welcomed Scandinavian

immigrants to Minnesota in the

1920’s & 1930’s. Maybe they

remembered with fondness the

small church, in the newly

established town of Robbinsdale

where first and second

generation immigrant

families felt a circle of

welcome while they

assimilated to a new

culture and a new way of

life.

Interestingly, Elim

today may have a lot in

common with the Elim

of a century ago. The

people at Elim in the

1920’s and 1930’s had a

smaller congregation,

like we do today. The

people at Elim in the

1920’s and 1930’s had

confirmation classes of a

half-dozen, like we do

today. The people of

Elim in the 1920’s and

1930’s welcomed immigrants to

Minnesota, like we will do soon.

Elim Lutheran Church will

soon be partnering with the other

congregations in our church

center to form a “Circle of

Welcome” for a refugee family

being served by Lutheran Social

Services of Minnesota. Are you

inspired to be a “Circle of

Welcome” team member and

work directly with our identified

family? Maybe you are

interested in being on the circle

of support who receive regular

updates about our family and

coordinate collections or respond

to other needs.

Are you curious about the

“Circle of Welcome” we will

provide for a refugee family

settling in the Twin cities?

Plan to attend:

“Circle of Welcome”

Information Session

Wednesday, April 10 at 6:00pm

in the Parlor (lower level).

Dan Doerrer, lead pastor 612-695-8453

Pastors Corner

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Elim Foundation Board Shirley Kramer, Chair Ron K. Jones, Vice Chair Dori Schlins, Treasurer Eric Haug, Secretary Rick Arntson Terry Carlson Brian Stiernagle Pastor Dan Doerrer -ex officio Scott Brands, Elim President - ex officio

a message from The Elim Foundation

The Elim Foundation is grateful to report that year-to-date 2019 donations now total $12,754.36. A special thanks to the Dean Turnberg family for substantial gift of more than $10,000.00 in memory of husband and father. ~Dori Hanson Schlins, Foundation Treasurer

In March, Jody and I travelled

to Mesa, Arizona to surprise her

father, Bob on his 80th birthday.

Neither of my In-Laws knew

about our plans. Jody learned

her parents were having friends

over for cake at 7pm the evening

of Bob’s birthday. It was the

perfect opportunity to execute

our plan.

That evening we arrived

around 7:30. We stealthily

entered the side door and stood

inside the entry, out of sight.

Then Jody forcefully shut the

door with a bang. Immediately

the voices from the living room

quieted and we heard Jody’s

mother, Kathy say, “I think

somebody’s here.” That’s when

Jody walked into the living room

with me in tow. Jody said,

“Happy 80th birthday, dad,” and

as she hugged him added, “I

wouldn’t have missed this for the

world!” I have never seen Bob

show much emotion. He’s a stoic

man, a real man’s man. But on

this occasion he was so

thoroughly surprised tears of joy

welled up in his eyes. It was

incredibly touching and

satisfying.

Surprises can be wonderful and

welcome, like an unexpected

visit from a loved one. Often

surprises are unpleasant, like the

flooding of my basement from

the recent rain, or a sudden drop

in the stock market. When a

basement floods you get to work

cleaning up the mess and

consider your options. There are

actions that can be taken to

prevent future water in a

basement. When the stock

market takes a dive, it might be

tempting to take action, but the

wise course of action is to not

panic. Your financial advisor

will likely advise against selling

shares, because the markets

experience corrections

periodically throughout the year.

The average increase in value

over several years is far more

important than periodic

downward corrections. At the

end of December 2018 the

market lost all of the gains from

the 11 previous months. That

was truly an unpleasant surprise.

Since January 1st the market has

rebounded and is currently

having the best single month

gain since November 2018.

The Elim Foundation is

managed by a board of

volunteers who don’t panic. The

value that had been temporarily

lost has recovered and the

portfolio is once again growing.

It is an honor to work with a

group of dedicated Elim

members who are patient

stewards of your investments.

You can trust the Foundation

with your donations, and sleep

well knowing your contributions

will benefit Elim’s mission and

ministry for many years to come.

In Christ,

Erik Haug

Foundation Secretary

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What’s Happening at Elim!

A Book Study at Elim Leads to Action Rather than asking people to leave their political and theological beliefs at the church door, author Allen Hilton promotes a Christianity that brings people together with their differences. Hilton writes,

“Through God's transforming work, we can create a house united that will help our nation come back together.”

A book club at Elim took this challenge to heart. After reading the book House United by Allen Hinton, the book club participants developed an event called “Courageous Conversations.” Participants at this event were guided through structured one-on-one conversations designed to promote empathic listening. Our goal was to extend grace and seek understanding rather than

forming arguments for debate. After the one-on-one conversations participants shared new insights about themselves and positive impressions about the people with whom they spoke.

Stu Haen of Elim listens to Danielle Thomas of Spiritual Church of God talk about her values and political opinions.

Circle of Welcome On Transfiguration Sunday, March 3, Pastor Peter Keomanivong of the Laotian Lutheran Church spoke at the Elim services. He shared the story of his traumatic escape from Laos during a regime change. He described how a loving nun in the Philippines cared for his family and introduced him to the Christian tradition. Those in attendance were moved by his story and inspired by his testimonial of faith.

A beautiful coincidence occurred that morning. Margaret Yapp of Lutheran Social Service was scheduled to make a presentation on Refugee Services at the Elim’s adult education forum. During her presentation Ms. Yapp explained that

congregations like ours can provide a “Circle of Welcome” to refugee families. These congregations help families get acclimated to life in Minnesota and provide an opportunity for people of faith to make a difference in the lives of others. Also, during the presentation we heard the story of a mother with three children under the age of eight. This mother escaped violence in the Congo and has been living in a refugee camp for ten years. Her children have been born and raised in the refugee camp.

Following Peter’s talk at worship, and Margaret’s presentation afterward, there was a wellspring of curiosity and compassion toward refugee families seeking a new life. A

group of passionate Elim members are having preliminary conversations and developing a plan to provide a “Circle of Welcome” to this woman and her three children. The other congregations in our building have been invited to partner with Elim in this endeavor. If you are interested in more information or to become involved, please call Pastor Dan Doerrer, 612-695-8453.

Margaret Yapp

of Lutheran

Social Service

Pastor Peter

Keomanivong of

Laotian Lutheran

Church

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MARDI GRAS 2019 On Saturday March 2, 2019 Elim Lutheran Church of Robbinsdale hosted a Mardi Gras Carnival for the local community. This event included family carnival games, food and fun activities for all ages. This year’s proceeds support the Robbinsdale Scouts and Girl Scout organizations. A good portion of the proceeds will also be shared with KidPack Initiative, a local organization that addresses weekend childhood hunger in our Robbinsdale schools.

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Groups & Gatherings

Veterans Luncheon

Monday, May 20 | 11am | Parlor Elim’s veterans are invited to gather in the parlor for

fellowship and companionship. Spouses and guests

always welcome. Lunch follows the event and costs $5

per person. Details of the speaker and subject will be

announced in the Weekly Messenger and a postcard

will be mailed to our Veterans.

Pictured to the right is our time with

Belinda Jensen of Kare 11 weather

at the January gathering.

PASTORAL ACTS

Funerals Date Patricia Grace Frei 1/15/19 Mary Patricia Johnson 2/9/19 Marion Johnson 2/17/19 Theresa Goodall Barrett 2/24/19 Baptisms Date Waelynn Grace Diaz 2/17/19 Oscar Michael Thon 3/10/19 Sophie Joan Cokley 3/24/19 Benjamin Henry Johnson 3/31/19

Garden of Elim | Happening this Spring!

JOIN US TODAY! All ages are invited. We’re an

intergenerational group of new and

seasoned gardeners who take care of

the raised bed vegetable gardens. No

experience is required. All of the produce

is donated to NEAR providing fresh,

healthy food to our neighbors.

Responsibilities

• Help with Plant Pick-Up and/or

Planting

• Attend monthly meetings

• Sign-up for one week per month

during June-Sept. to water, weed

and harvest.

Next meeting is Tuesday, April 23 at 7pm

in the Reception Room.

More info: Ann Tranvik 612-616-0593

or ann.tranvik@gmail.com

to our

Cinnamon Roll Fundraiser following the Palm Sunday worship service on Sunday, April 14, in the Parlor on the lower level of the church. This annual event raises money for our youth ministry. Cost is $5 for a roll, coffee & juice.

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Dance Party!

Saturday, April 27 | 6-8pm | Gym BOYS & GIRLS… bring your friends to a fun night of music, lights, a fog machine, karaoke, photo booth and refreshments! Cost is $5 per child. RSVP by April 24 to Kelly Sanches at (612) 203-4260 or email jksanches2000@yahoo.com.

Youth & Family Ministry

Highlights from the Kids Pizza & Movie Party

In February Elim hosted an event called “Let’s Talk” which was attended by over one hundred parents and their adolescent children. Households from eight of our neighboring ELCA churches participated. This interactive workshop was designed to give parents the tools to have honest conversations with their adolescents about sexuality. Linda Madsen, Sexuality Educator & Parent Educator from Teen Annex in Robbinsdale, facilitated. In the workshop, parents were given advice on passing along their family’s values while creating a safe place for their adolescents to discuss questions and concerns about sexuality.

Let’s Talk...

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Elim will be hosting homeless families at Elim Church Center May 5 through May 12. Families Moving Forward is a program of the Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative. We invite members of Elim Lutheran Church, Genesis Covenant, and Spiritual Church of God to join in volunteering and welcoming our guests. Here’s how you can volunteer: We will be recruiting

volunteers at church on Sundays in April.

You may sign up online by going to our website www.elim-robbinsdale.org/service-mission

You can call the church office at 763-537-8481 and leave your name and phone number.

Ways you can volunteer include: Sunday, May 5 after church (noon to 2:00pm) We need around 10

volunteers to set up the family sleeping rooms in the Sunday School rooms

The families arrive at church around 4:00pm. We need volunteers to welcome the families and show them their rooms, and volunteers to serve dinner.

Monday through Saturday (May 6 – 11) Each day we need around 6

people to greet guests, serve supper, and help with children’s activities.

We need 2 people to serve as overnight hosts, sleeping at church in case there is an emergency and waking the families in the morning.

Saturday, May 11 We need 2-3 people to serve a

warm breakfast from 7:00 to 9:00am.

Sunday, May 12 (7 to 9am) We need around 10 people to

disassemble the sleeping rooms before church.

We had a great experience hosting 4 homeless families in December 2018 and look forward to hosting families in May. Thank you!

Families Moving Forward | An Opportunity to Serve

Service & Mission

Check Out the Beacon Facebook Page! We want to thank everyone who has liked the Families Moving Forward Facebook Page over the years. All news about Families Moving Forward can be found on the Beacon Facebook Page. By liking the Beacon page, you will not only get the latest news on Families Moving Forward, you will also be informed on other affordable housing issues. So, if you haven’t already done so, like the Beacon Facebook Page today. www.facebook.com/beaconinterfaith

Beacon Academy FMF Volunteer Host Training Next training will be on Tuesday, April 23

at First Universalist Church

3400 Dupont Ave S, Minneapolis

Contact Karen Dahlen if you can attend this

training; 763-360-7041

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ONLINE

GIVING

using your

smartphone's

QR decoder

GIVING

Treasurer’s Report:

Actual Budget % of Budget ATTENDANCE

January Offering $30,299 $36,121 84% 617

February Offering $31,077 $36,121 86% 463

YTD Total $61,377 $72,242 85% 1,080

Ways to give to Elim Lutheran Church

GivePlus Text: Text 763-703-6621 with the

amount you want to donate,

to make one-time or

recurring contributions.

Mobile App Giving:

Search your app store for

“GivePlus Church” and

download the GivePlus app to make one-time or

recurring contributions.

Online Giving: Visit

www.elim-robbinsdale.org/

giving to set up and manage

your one-time and recurring

gifts.

Why eGiving? eGiving is an easy and secure way to make

contributions. It helps the church by reducing workload

on the staff. And you can set recurring donations, so

even if you can’t attend, you can still make a gift, which

provides the church financial stability.

Electronic Giving (eGiving) is a convenient, consistent way to help our church grow. Consider scheduling a recurring electronic contribution today. It’s easy! You will no longer need to write out checks and prepare envelopes every week. Even when travel, illness or other circumstances (like Minnesota winters) prevent you from attending services, your electronic contributions will continue to be received on an uninterrupted basis. Get started today! Make an appointment with the Business Office Administrator, Jennifer Huehns, or visit our website www.elim-robbinsdale.org/giving to learn more. Let us know you are participating in eGiving by using the Offering Plate Cards found at the church entrance or fill out the “Get Connected” card in the bulletin by checking “I Gave Online” box, then place either one of these items it in the offering plate. Thank you for all you do to support Elim’s mission throughout the year! ~ Jennifer Huehns, Business Administrator

QUARTERLY STATEMENTS will no longer be mailed unless

requested. Please call or email the office if you wish to have a quarterly

statement. A Year-End Statement will be always be mailed before tax

season. If you haven’t registered for your MEMBER PORTAL to view

your giving statement online, please email the business office. Thank

you for helping us go green by going paperless.

CALL 763.537.8481 or EMAIL jhuehns@elim-robbinsdale.org

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Elim Staff Lead Pastor, Dan Doerrer ................................................................................. ddoerrer@elim-robbinsdale.org Associate Pastor, Marcia Rosa ............................................................................. mrosa@elim-robbinsdale.org Business Office Administrator, Jennifer Huehns ......................................... jhuehns@elim-robbinsdale.org Facilities Manager, Richard Nylin ...................................................................... rnylin@elim-robbinsdale.org Organist & Bell Choir Director, Dick Balkus ................................................ rbalkus@elim-robbinsdale.org Choir Director, Mary Ann Gossett ................................................................ mgossett@elim-robbinsdale.org

Church Office Hours 8:30-4:00 Monday–Friday | Church Phone 763-537-8481 | elim-robbinsdale.org

1st Sundays Adult Education Join us on the 1st Sunday of the month to learn, discuss and reflect on topics important to Christians

including bible studies, other religions, our Lutheran heritage, social issues and more. Come when you

can – no registration is needed. All sessions will be held in the Parlor following coffee hour. Notify the

church office if you would like to request childcare.

4/7/19 The Culture of Homelessness

Speaker: Jane Rollwagen King, PsyD, LP,

MN Department of Human Services in Behavioral Health

and Policy Division

Details: This presentation will begin with a definition,

history and causes of homelessness. Then, grounded in the

work of Dr. Ruby Payne on the Culture of Poverty, it will

provide an insight into some common emotional and

behavioral themes among people who find themselves

without a permanent place to lay their heads. It will close

with ideas for how you can get involved in ending

homelessness.

5/5/19 Did Judas Really Betray Jesus?

Speaker: Mark Tranvik,

Professor of Religion, Augsburg University

Details: The story of Judas is more complicated than most

people think. We will take a close look at how the Bible

views Judas as well as how Christians down through

history interpreted his life and death. We will conclude

with a discussion of the question: How far does God's

forgiveness actually extend?

Adult Enrichment

A homeless encampment

Professor

Mark

Tranvik

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Calendar at a Glance

Church Council Members for 2018

Scott Brands – PRESIDENT 3-year term (2017-2019) Kelly Sanches – VICE-PRESIDENT 3-year term (2018-2020) Ann Tranvik – SECRETARY 3-year term (2018-2020) Shelley Johnson – TREASURER 3-year term (2018-2020)

Harald Eriksen 3-year term (2017-2019) Linda Backstrom 3-year term (2017-2019) Dori Schlins 3-year term (2018-2020) Dennis Joslyn 3-year term (2018-2020)

Riley Unzicker 3-year term (2018-2020) Debbie Carlson 2nd 3-year term (2019-2021) Terry Carlson 3-year term (2019-2021) Nick Peterson 3-year term (2019-2021)

Worship Sundays 9:15am Sanctuary 11am Bluegrass Chapel Communion is served on the

2nd & 4th Sundays

April 2019 1 9am Property Board Mtg 2 9:30am Bible Study 12:30pm Altar Guild Meeting 6pm Worship Board Meeting 3 11am Lent Worship

12pm Soup Lunch 5pm Elim Meal & Fellowship

5:15pm Grief Group 7pm Lent Worship 7 10:30am 1st Sunday Adult Ed 10:30am Women’s Group 8 12:30 Ruth Circle 9 9:30am Bible Study 5:30 Executive Committee 6:30 Finance Board Meeting 10 9am Quilters 9:30am Hope Circle (offsite) 11am Lent Worship 12pm Soup Lunch 5pm Lent Meal & Fellowship 5:15pm Grief Group 7pm Lent Worship 11 7pm Hannah-Martha Circle 12 6:30pm Women’s Movie Night 14 9:15am Palm Sunday Service 10:15 Cinnamon Roll Fundraiser 10:15 Youth Group 10:30 Women’s Group

16 9:30am Bible Study 7pm Church Council 17 No Activities 18 11am Maundy Thursday Service 7pm Maundy Thursday Service 19 11am Good Friday Service 7pm Good Friday Service 21 8am Easter Service 9:30am Easter Service 10:30 Easter Egg Hunt 11am Easter Service 23 9:30am Bible Study 5:30pm Foundation Meeting 24 9am Quilters 5pm Meal & Fellowship 5:15pm Grief Group 27 6pm ElimKidsGO! Dance 28 10:15am Youth Group 10:30 Women’s Group 30 9:30am Bible Study NOTE: The Spring Ring on Sunday, April 28 has been canceled.

May 2019 1 5pm Meal & Fellowship May 5-12 FMF Week 5 10:30am 1st Sundays Adult Ed 10:30am Women’s Group 6 9am Property Board Meeting 7 9:30am Bible Study 11:30am Altar Guild (offsite) 6pm Worship Board Meeting 8 9:30am Hope Circle (offsite) 5pm Meal & Fellowship 9 7pm Hannah-Martha Circle 10 6:30pm Women’s Movie Night

12 Mother’s Day 10:15am Youth Group 10:30am Women’s Group 13 12:30pm Ruth Circle 14 9:30am Bible Study 5:30pm Executive Committee 6:30pm Finance Board Meeting 15 5pm Elim Meal & Fellowship 19 9:15am Music Sunday 10:15am Youth Group 10:30am Women’s Group 20 11am Veterans Luncheon 21 9:30am Bible Study 7pm Church Council 22 9am Quilters 5pm Meal & Fellowship 26 10:15am Youth Group 10:30am Women’s Group 27 Memorial Day (Church Closed) 28 9:30am Bible Study

Wednesdays at Elim (regular schedule begins April 24) 5pm Meal & Fellowship 6:15pm Elim Ringtones 7:15pm Elim Choir

Elim is on Facebook

www.facebook.com/elimlc

THE ELIM MESSENGER (USPS172860) published quarterly by

Elim Lutheran Church of Robbinsdale (ELCA) 3978 West Broadway, Robbinsdale MN 55422

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THE MESSENGER Spring Issue 2019

CHANGE

SERVICE

REQUESTED

Elim Lutheran Church of Robbinsdale

3978 West Broadway

Robbinsdale MN 55422-2286

(763) 537-8481

Non-profit org.

U.S. Postage

Paid

Twin Cities, MN

Permit No. 3253

Contact Us

Elim Lutheran Church

of Robbinsdale

3978 West Broadway Av

Robbinsdale, MN 55422

(763) 537-8481

church@elim-robbinsdale.org

Worship with Us

Traditional Service at 9:15am

Bluegrass Chapel at 11am

Connect with Us

Visit: www.elim-robbinsdale.org

Like us on Facebook:

www.facebook.com/elimlc

Wind, water, snow and ice: Minnesota's winter would not go quietly in the night...

Facility Manager, Richard Nylin