June 2015

Ready set . JESUS! + This summer we are going to plant ourselves in Jesus. What does that mean exactly? Well, were still figuring it all out ourselves, but we know it will start with a gardening project for all ages! Following worship on June 7th, bring your green thumbs to plant a few seeds to take home. This activity will take place in the Fellowship Hall and it is for everyone. I repeat everyone! Watch your seeds sprout and grow this summer. Accompanying our growing seeds at home, we also want to grow in our faith. How do we plant ourselves in Jesus? Relying, trusting, following Jesus with each root, branch, and vine of our bodies? Join us in worship this summer; well chat about it! Watch for planting language, growing art displays, and take home activities. + Did you know that Jesus goes with you on your summer adventures? Summer is a time for adventures, both close to home and far away. Ball games, camping trips, and picnics. Water sports, time at the cabin, and lots of ice cream cones. Jesus is with you! We know that Jesus goes with us this summer, but sometimes its helpful to visualize it as a reminder. Enter Flat Jesus! Based on the childrens book Flat Stanley, Flat Jesus is ready to go with you this summer! Flat Jesus is a photocopy of Jesus on cardstock. Your task is to color Flat Jesus, cut him out, take him along on adventures, and then snap photos of what youre up to! Take Flat Jesus photos wherever summer may take you and report back to the church so we can see the adventures you have with Jesus. Post photos to the churchs facebook page or email them to me to share. Photos will also be shared on a Flat Jesus board in the narthex for you to check out when you come to worship on Sundays. Lets see all the places we go this summer with (Flat) Jesus by our side! Pick up your Flat Jesus in the narthex! We really hope youll join us in these fun Jesus-centered activities. My hope is that these experiences will remind us in new and different ways of Jesus constant presence in our lives and love for us as children of God. And if summer takes you away from Red Oak Grove, know that Jesus goes with you. Go in peace; Christ is with you. Thanks be to God. Pastor Lindsay

May 5, 2015 Red Oak Grove Council Meeting

The meeting was called to order by Shad Rudlong. Opening devotions were led by Pastor Lindsay on the Gospel of John. We all shared a personal joy in our life. Pastors Report included: Confirmation is completed for the year. We celebrated Holy Humor Sunday with many good reports. The Synod Assembly is next week, Ardell Swenson, Laura Tjomsland and Pastor Lindsay will represent our congregation. The last day of Sunday School will be May 10th and there will be a choir singing for the service. Open House Card Shower for Elly and Oliver Magnuson will be on May 17th. Packing of meals for the hungry will be on May 20th. The Youth going to Detroit will be holding a car wash on May 31st. Thirteen visits completed, 2 hospital, 4 with communion and 1 Prairie Manor. Secretarys Report accepted as presented. Treasurers Report accepted as presented with these highlights. Opening balance of $17,846.87 with income the balance was $26,278.07. After expenses, the remaining balance is $14,561.49. Improvement Fund is $5,369.37 and the Youth Fund is $2,632.24. There was no WELCA report. The Strawberry Festival will be on June 9th. Trustees Report: Toilet in womens restroom was replaced as well as two urinals in the mens restroom. The pressure in the well has been balanced and the fuse box will be replaced. Old Business: The church yard cleanup was not completed due to the lack of help. Make-up date is May 16th. Cemetery Board is in the process of replacing trees on the east side of the cemetery. New Business: Suggested that we develop some type of committee to put together a program for Sunday School, as some possible projects for inter-generational projects for the summer. We are looking for people that would be interested in sharing ideas to move the project forward. This will be done in connection with the Deacons. English classes have been brought up to work with some of our neighbors that are Limited English Proficient. Laura will be working on the plan with the help of Beatriz and Dennis Magnuson. The counter tops in the kitchen have some bad spots. This is not something that would be done at this time, but needs to be in the future plans of the congregation. Camperships for Youth going to camp was discussed. The Council voted to approve up to $500 to be divided between the youth attending camps. Landscaping around the church yard was discussed, to replace some of the bushes and remove some of the old ones. June Eucharist Assistant/Coffee hour organizer is Bob Kittelson. Next meeting will be June 2nd. Meeting was adjourned and closed with the Lords Prayer. Respectfully submitted, Laura Tjomsland, Council Secretary.

WELCA Minutes

The Wednesday, May 9, 2015 meeting was called to order by President Pat Hanson. The meeting was opened in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The purpose was read in unison. Our opening hymn was Abide with Me. We sang verses 1 and 5. Devotions were given by Virginia Davis. She read from Proverbs 51. Virginia shared a poem by Norman Vincent Peale entitled Mother. It was about women regarding the up-coming Mothers Day. The Secretarys Report was read and approved. Lavonne Smith gave the Treasurers Report Checking $889.80 and Savings $3,307.39. Both reports were approved and placed on file. No correspondence. A report was given by Pat Hanson who attended the Zumbro Conference meeting on April 16, 2015 in Hayfield, Minnesota. New Business: Strawberry Festival flyers will be sent out soon to area care centers. Helpers need to sign up for a work area and please take flyers to distribute. We voted to give 4 youth $60 to help with expenses. Two are going to Good Earth Village Justin Ferguson and Jessica Ferguson. Two are going to the Youth Gathering in Detroit, Michigan in July Emma Christianson and Ayren Ingvalson. Possibly one more for GEV. Doris Draayer made the motion of $60. The youth have a fundraising opportunity on June 15th at the Pizza Ranch and also a car wash on May 31st, Polka Sunday. They will also be selling baking pans. Committee Reports: Quilting Judy Wambeam reported final Spring month of quilting was completed on May 4th. 84 total quilts made. On May 16th Lutheran World Relief quilts will be boxed up to ship. Prairie Manor Ardell Swenson handed out the Prairie Star. Still need books for the library. Please recycle large print devotional books back to Prairie Manor. No May meeting. Good Earth Womens Day will be June 27, 2015. Full Day and cost is $30. SE Minnesota Synodical Womens Fall Convention will be held September 19, 2015 at Christ Lutheran in Preston. St. Marks Pastor Lindsay reported there will be an Ice Cream Social on May 18, 2015 from 1-2 p.m. Encouraging volunteers for the future. Our program was by the Rebekah Circle. Dorothy Kruger read Well Worn with Lives Well Lived. Marilyn Helleck shared a reading Mothers Come dance with me Mama. One of the ladies read a poem May start early, May start late, May is all growth and Bird Songs. Prayer concerns for Judy Kollar. She is in Hospice Care. Address if you wish to send a card: 227 4th St. NW Blooming Prairie, MN 55917. Next meeting, Wednesday, June 3rd at 1:30 p.m. Thank you to Naomi and Rebekah for serving today and presenting the program. Next hostess and program Ruth and Hannah. The meeting closed with the Lords Prayer. Linda L. Christianson , Secretary

Pastoral Acts: Baptisms Alexander James Ellsworth Elkins, Maci Elizabeth Basness, Presley Paige Noble, Charley Jayne Noble, Brantley Grace Noble, Calleigh Jayne Noble

+ Our High School graduates Alexa Rudlong, Emma Weikum, Jessica Ferguson and Emily Wiese will be recognized in worship/coffee hour on June 7th. WELCA will be presenting each of them with a quilt. + The WIT Group will not be meeting in June. + Dorcas Circle will not meet in June. Your next meeting will be July 9th at 6:30 p.m. Linda Christianson is the hostess serving a snack and beverage.

+ The 74th Annual Strawberry Festival will be held on June 9th from 4-7 p.m. Baked goods are needed for the bake sale. Please bring your items pre-packaged and priced. The Modified Cathedral Pattern Quilt for the quilt raffle was made by Diana Magnuson. Quilt raffle tickets are available for $1. Please see a member of WELCA to purchase.

+ Did you know were on facebook? Please LIKE our page to see updates, hear stories, and see photos of the activities that are happening at Red Oak Grove. (Search for Red Oak Grove Lutheran Church and you should find the page.) Then, when you see updates from us, please like or comment or share without your interaction, our posts tend to get buried and not show up for many people to see. Thank you! + On the second weekend in May, our annual synod assembly was held. Laura Tjomsland, Ardell Swenson, and Pastor Lindsay were Red Oak Groves voting delegates. The theme of the assembly was For God so Loved the World. Bible study focused on the creation story and our role in caring for what God has created; workshops included topics such as carbon emissions and organic farming; abundant stories were shared of what the church the WHOLE church is doing to be Gods hands and feet in the world. One of the highlights was learning that the ELCAs Malaria Campaign an initiative to raise $15 million by the end of this year to fight the preventable disease is nearly complete! $13 million has been raised; we were encouraged to finish the campaign strong and do what we can to raise the last $2 million for our brothers and sisters in Africa. You might be seeing this cause pop up in our noisy coin collection soon!

News to Note

The National Youth Gathering participants, Emma Christianson, Ayren Ingvalson and Pastor Lindsay, will be working at the Pizza Ranch in Austin on June 15th. They will be bussing tables for your tips! Any money given will go towards the cost of the trip Support them by coming to eat pizza anytime after 4:30! Day Camp returns! Our first day of day camp for the summer will be on Wednesday, June 17th. This years theme is Its A Jungle Out There! Day Camp is for children age 4 and older and friends can come too! Day Camp will be from 9 a.m. 4 p.m. Wear comfy clothes, bring a sack lunch and a refillable water bottle. The cost is $15 per child to help off-set cost of snacks, crafts and other supplies. Scholarships are available if needed; please speak with Pastor Lindsay. Registration forms are on the Youth bulletin board by the offices and are due by Sunday, June 14. Its MOVIE NIGHT ON THE PARSONAGE LAWN time! Begin to gather on the lawn anytime after 7:30 on Friday, June 19th and well begin the movie as soon as it is dark enough. Bring your own chairs and/or blankets, If you want, you can also bring a snack to share and your own soda/water. Invite your friends; everyone is welcome!

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A huge, giant, spectacular THANK YOU to all who gathered in Austin on May 20th to pack meals through Real Hope for the Hungry. In only an hour and a half, we packed 1600 meals!

Not only did we see our Lenten noisy coin money in action, we had a lot of fun too! We hope to organize another packing opportunity soon and hope youll join us!

Children, Youth, and Family News