August 2020

Sharon Sharings Monthly Newsletter of Sharon Lutheran Church

1720 South 20th Street, Grand Forks ND | www.sharonlutheran.org | 701-772-3122

In the 20th chapter of John, in verse 19, Jesus has

risen from the dead, but not all the disciples know or

believe it yet. Not all have seen the risen Lord. “19

When it was evening on that day, the first day of the

week, and the doors of the house where the disciples

had met were locked for fear of the Jews,”. You can

imagine the emotions of the disciples in that room.

They were sad about Jesus’ death, angry about what

had happened to them, perhaps feeling guilty for not

having stopped it or for denying they knew him. Some

were probably confused and lost. The scripture says

that they were afraid of what might happen to them

next. Does any of this story connect with you or what

you see in others these past 4 months? During this

world-wide pandemic and other divisions in our coun-

try and community, life has been turned upside down

and for a while we were locked behind closed doors

with lots of things to lament, to be concerned about.

On July 8 & 13th I held 2 sessions of listening and shar-

ing for members of Sharon Lutheran. We listened to

each other’s laments and to the laments of community

members from the past 4 months. Some of the things

that people were missing and lamenting were: being

together for worship and fellowship, singing together,

participating in communion, freedom and being able to

plan things, conversation, being tired of anxiety & un-

certainty, working & serving together, a sense of nor-

malcy, stability of economy, unanswered questions &

confusion, and life being upended. The Gospel according to John continues in verse

20:19, “Jesus came and stood among them and said,

“Peace be with you.” 20 After he said this, he showed

them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced

when they saw the Lord.” Jesus appeared to the disci-

ples amidst their concerns and isolation and he lis-

tened to their laments. Jesus is listening to our cur-

rent laments and concerns. As the church, we are

listening to each other. Jesus gave his disciples and he

gives to us peace. Jesus breathes into all of his follow-

ers the Holy Spirit and the gift of eternal life. He does

not promise to take away the things we lament about,

but he promises to be with us through it all. Jesus

calms the storm and gives us hope. Then in the 20th chapter of John, Jesus does not

just leave them there in that locked room. “21 Jesus

said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father

has sent me, so I send you.” 22 When he had said this,

he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the

Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are

forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are

retained.” Jesus gave the disciples a new mission, he

sent them out as apostles to share the good news, to

live as people of the resurrection. He does the same

to us today. He wants us to be safe, but at the same

time he does not tell us to sit around and wait for him

to return or to wait for things to get back to

“normal”. I think God is calling us to pivot. As our

centennial theme says, “To be Grounded in Faith and

to be Growing in Faith.” God is calling us to stand

firm with one foot grounded in Christ, in our faith,

values and tradition and then to pivot in a new direc-

tion. This time of pandemic is not like a blizzard that

we can wait for it to be over. It is more like winter in

North Dakota, it goes on for a long time with bliz-

zards, small snow flurries and sometimes breaks in the

weather. Eventually this winter season of pandemic

will end, but until it does, we cannot just sit around

lamenting and waiting. It is good to lament and share

our concerns with God and to listen to one another,

but God is also sending us out in a new mission as res-

urrected people. When spring comes somethings will

be different. Some things will be the same, but other

things will be different when this pandemic is over. So,

in those listening and sharing times we also worked

through what our “Shared Values” are as a congrega-

tion. As individuals and as a congregation we value

many, many things. Each value is important, but we

tried to figure out what we thought the top five

“Shared Values” of our congregation were 4 months

ago, before the pandemic. Those who took part in the

conversation came up with these seven: Community,

A Time to Pivot

A Time to Pivot—continued on page three

Elementary Online and Pick-up Activities

Looking for ways to engage your little ones in learning and growing in faith at home throughout the sum-

mer? Each Wednesday Sharon Sharings email includes weekly children’s bulletins, and other resources that

are age appropriate.

There are weekly packets with activities related to the Sunday worship lessons. These packets include

such things as cut and glue activities, puzzles, games, coloring pages, and snacks for all ages. We provide

most of the needed items and can offer more if needed. If you and your children are interested in getting

these packets, they are available in front of Door #1 with activities being changed each Wednesday. Each

packet has supplies for two children. If you come for a packet and they are gone, please let the church office

know my phone (701-772-3122) or email education@sharonlutheran.org. We can always provide more.

Blessings to you as you learn and grow in faith at home!

Memorials

JUNE MINISTRY SUPPORT

Amount needed in Operating Revenue each month per approved 2019/2020 budget is $88,792

June Actual YTD Actual

Revenue 2019/2020 2019/2020

Current Ministry Gifts $64,879 $867,469

Loose/Misc. Offering Gifts $135 $22,008 Operating Fund Memorial Gifts $- $- Church School, Confirmation & VBS Registrations $50 $10,900 Benevolence Gifts $767 $14,772

Other Gifts and Donations $1,678 $30,165

2019/2020 Total $67,509 $945,314

Expenses

Operating Expenses $64,495 $860,993

Mortgage Debt Reduction $6,996 $101,753

Total Expenses $71,491 $962,746

Revenue Exceeding Expenses $(3,982) $(17,432)

June Designated gifts received:

Capital Campaign-GIFT $16,914

Thrivent Choice Dollars $32

Fellowship Donations $25

Sharon Cares Donations $75

Undesignated Memorials $205

Hands Up Ministry $200

COVID19 Fund $300

END Synod $300

Faith Formation Donations $35

Youth Memorials $5

Total $18,091

In honor of Steve & Bonnie Hoff’s 50th

Wedding anniversary: Cheri Bakken-Erickson

In honor of their 52nd Wedding Anniver-

sary and in loving memory of Eloise: Gary Rob-

ertson

In memory of Breonna, Cody, George, and

all victims of violence: Cheri Bakken-Erickson

In memory of Cody Holte: Kathleen Ramsay,

Beverly Walsh, Milt & Marian Kinzler, Craig & Julie

Johnson

In memory of Kent Quanbeck: Jeannette

Krogstad

In memory of Marion Hove: Rich & Karen

Axvig

It's that time of year when the Board

of Church in Society collects supplies

for school kits for Lutheran World Re-

lief. The following items are needed to

make our goal of 150 school kits:

Or you may donate money if you

don't feel comfortable shopping. The

items can be left in the carts by the ele-

vators and the money can be left in the

office.

Thank you from the Board of Church

in Society. 146 bags

(14X17)

584 notebooks

620 pencils

744 pens

99 scissors

67 pencil

sharpeners

53 erasers 100 boxes of

crayons

103 rulers

Supplies needed to make

school kits for Lutheran World Relief

A Time to Pivot—continued from front page

Sacramental, Education, Music, Family, Youth & Young

Adults. We then thought about what our top five “Shared

Values” are now in this pandemic and what we think God

is calling us to in the next 6-12 months. They came up

with these top seven “Shared Values”: Community, Sacra-

mental, Serving, Relevance, Education, Music, Innovation. So, what does this mean? I don’t fully know. I know

things are different now and somethings are going to be

different in our congregation when this pandemic is over.

And somethings will be the same as they were before, as

you can see in the “Shared Values” how some values were

the same. I do know that God is and will be with us

through it all. The laments and Shared Values are being

shared with you as a congregation and with all the leaders

of our congregation to think and pray about. “Shared Val-

ues” are not goals or the only things we do or care about.

They are values, ways to reflect and evaluate. As we go

about our congregational life at Sharon and live out what

God is calling us to do the next 6-12 months we can re-

flect, pray and wrestle with what direction God is calling

us as we live as resurrected people, created to worship,

called to teach & committed to serve.

Deacon Jamie Travers

Scam texts and emails You may have received texts and messages that look

like they are from our Pastoral Staff. PLEASE KNOW that no staff member will send out texts or email messages asking members for gift cards, money,

or other kinds of assistance.

If you get an email that is signed by Pastor Lynn, Dea-con Jamie, or any staff member, look at the address it was sent from. All of our email addresses end with @sharonlutheran.org. If it does not come from an

email address with that ending, it is NOT from us.

Text messages are a bit more difficult to track, but again, know that we will NOT send text messages asking you for gift cards or money. If you are unsure if a mes-sage you receive is from us, please call the church office

and ask.

We apologize that this is happening, but want you to be aware that any such messages and requests are not

from us. Thank you!

August 2020 News Faith Formation Ministries

COVID-19 Update: The following information and announcements are subject to change as we navigate

best practices in regards to the COVID-19 virus. Please follow Sharon’s Facebook page, website, and

weekly emails for updates. God’s peace to you in the midst of the unknowns.

Separate Together Ministry Highlights

One of the ways that I’ve been working to keep connected with our High School students during this summer is regular check-ins via text or phone call. I’ve also been making semi-regular stops at homes to drop treats of encouragement in our student’s mailboxes. It’s been difficult for this group to feel connected to church when they aren’t able to meet in their regular space, but I’ve been trying to bring a little bit of that fun and community to them when I can. If you have a stu-dent in grades 9-12 who would like to chat, or would like me to drop some goodies off, please feel free to text or call me at 701-866-2239. You can also email

sdekrey@sharonlutheran.org. ~Steve

Please use the link below to be directed to our survey around re-opening for Faith Formation Minis-tries at Sharon. We would like all surveys completed by Monday,

August 10. Thank you for your val-

uable input!

https://forms.gle/

VZ2NA5JHCNXbAB2y8

Church School and

Confirmation registration is open for Fall 2020! Please con-tact the office or register online

at

sharonlutheran.org

What to expect in the fall: We are

still living in some unknowns due to COVID-19, but what we do know is that families can expect weekly programming and opportunities to learn and grow in faith through Confirmation, Church School, and youth activities. What we do not know yet are the details of what that will look like. Staff, along with the Youth and Education Boards are currently re-ceiving survey responses (see link in box above), are working on how to best serve families given likely safety needs, and will communicate information as soon as we

are able. The Grand Forks Conference of ELCA

congregations has also been meeting and discussing various ways that we could re-imagine education and youth activities for this upcoming program year. We will be rolling out those ideas in the coming

weeks and months!

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Church School and Confirmation Guide needs

Whether we are in-person or distance learning, our confirma-

tion and church school students will need dedicated, faith-filled lead-

ers, who are willing to share a little of their time. As you register

your children for their education programs, please prayerfully con-

sider whether or not you may be willing to serve as a teacher or a

guide. You can indicate your preferences on the registration form.

As we serve around 400 Sharon Lutheran youth, we value our vol-

unteers and their invaluable contributions to our programs! (Please

note that students who are in 6th-9th grade may volunteer to assist

in classrooms; students in 10th-12th grades may teach.) If you are

not registering a student, but would still like to volunteer, you can

do so by emailing education@sharonlutheran.org.

Our volunteer opportunities may have a different look this year.

As we know more about what will be happening this fall, we will

contact those who indicate an interest in being involved to find the

best fit for you in the overall program. This may include, but is not

limited to, teaching in-person, leading online sessions, sharing your

talents of singing, puppetry, crafts, storytelling/reading, organizing,

etc. Our journey of faith together will be a new adventure and op-

portunity for our imaginations to explore how we can best meet the

needs of our students and their families.

Middle School/High School News

Faith Formation Ministries

Middle School Mission Trip Update

Due to COVID-19 and the uncertainty of what travel is go-ing to look like this summer, Sharon Lutheran made the diffi-cult decision to cancel last month’s Middle School Mission Trip to Milwaukee, WI. We appreciate all of the understand-ing and support we’ve received from our trip families and students. Where one door closes, God opens another, and we began our local service learning experience on Friday, July 31. We will share stories of where we served, what we learned, and how we were able to grow at an outdoor wor-ship service on Wednesday, Aug. 5 at 6:15 p.m. in the south

parking lot at Sharon Lutheran Church (weather permitting.)

High School Mission Trip Update

Due to COVID-19 and the uncertainty of what travel is going to look like this summer, Sharon Lutheran made the difficult decision to cancel last month’s High School Mission Trip to Denver, CO. We appre-ciate all of the understanding and support we’ve re-ceived from our trip families and students. Where one door closes, God opens another, and we took some time to listen to our neighbors and local agen-cies, and we began our local service learning experi-ence on Friday, July 31. We will share stories of where we served, what we learned, and how we were able to grow at an outdoor worship service on Wednesday, August 5th at 6:15 p.m. in the south parking lot at Sharon Lutheran Church (weather per-

mitting.)

Confirmation The Rite of Confirmation for 11th graders will not take place this fall; the Board of Education is looking at dates in Spring 2021 and will announce that infor-mation at a later time.

4G is now 5G!

Just like our phone technology changes, adapts, and updates, we do the same thing with our ministries and programs. While we are not entirely certain how this weekly program will look in the fall, watch for im-

portant information and announcements!

5G: Gather, Grow, and Go

with God’s Grace

Greetings and Encouragement to You All!

As we enter the last month of summer, and we begin

looking at what the fall brings, my prayer to all of our High School students, their families, our new College Freshmen, and our Young Adults, is that you know you are not alone. Everyone in their own way, is trying to make sense of a time that is usually full of excitement, but has turned to uncertain-ty. We trust that God is walking us through difficult decisions, and giving us the wisdom to make the best choices for all in our lives. Know that your church is here for you, and we are facing some of those same questions and decisions. Whatever this fall is bringing, know that you are loved, that we are to-gether in this, and that help is just a phone call, email or text away. God’s Peace to all of you. ~Steve

My prayer for all of you this summer is that you seize the

joy of the season wherever and whenever possible. Embrace the summer and all its goodness. Start each day with grati-tude, and then go enjoy the sunshine! Find ways to take care of yourself and to spread kindness to those around you. As always, please let us know if there is something that we can help you with or something that you are wondering about. ~God’s peace,

Dave “Sunshine, lollipops, and rainbows, everything that’s won-

derful is what I feel when we’re together.” I’m showing my age, as this is a lyric from a song that was popular over 50 years ago. But the sentiment is ageless. We miss you all and hope that it won’t be too much longer before we can all be back together to grow and learn together in faith. Until then, find God in things around you, enjoy these summer days, and let us know if there are ways that Sharon Lutheran, our church family, can help you while we have to stay physically apart. Despite the distance, we are with you in Spirit always! ~Cheryl

The new Children’s

Library will be opening

very soon!

Watch weekly emails for

updates!

Celebrating the Past:

Moving Towards the Bright Future! The 2020 Summer Stewardship program is

underway! Our goal is to secure $8,000 for meeting our regular expenses during the sum-

mer months. 100 years of history is revealed on a scroll

in the narthex, but you can follow along wher-ever you are as we post progress toward that goal in our weekly emails and other social me-dia posts as well. Every $80 will open the scroll another year. A keyring is available at the

church for each contributor. At the time of this

printing, we have reached over $700. Keep those donations coming so we can continue to open the

scroll! Thank you for your

steadfast support of our

ministry!

The scroll is located in the narthex; for every $80

donated to the summer stewardship program, we

will reveal another year of our 100 year history!

Staff Updates

Christian Education Director

Cheryl Nyhlen has been our

Interim Christian Education Director

for 2 years, but as of July 15 is our

permanent Christian Education Direc-

tor! Cheryl has done a marvelous job

as our interim Christian Education

Director and we are excited to have

her in the permanent position!

Heather Peters has been work-

ing with Cheryl as well as the rest of

the Faith Formation staff doing mostly

clerical work for them. Her role will

now be expanded to include more

direct work with Cheryl and our

Christian Education program.

Cheryl and Heather have been a

blessing to us, and we look forward to

their continued presence on our staff!

Interim Pastor

By the time you read this, we

should have a full time interim pastor

contracted to serve with us at Sharon

Lutheran. The details have not all

been worked out, but it should not be

too much longer before we can wel-

come that pastor to Sharon. When

that time comes, please welcome our

interim pastor in ways that you can

these days – through phone calls,

emails or cards!

20s & 30s

Ministry Sharon’s young adult ministry is done in partnership with ELCA congregations in

the Grand Forks area.

All 20s/30s folks are welcome to join the 20s/30s ELCA-GF Face-book group to keep up to date on virtual small groups and other min-istry opportunities this summer. Regularly programmed gatherings are on break during the summer

and will resume in September. We need your help!

If you or someone you know is sick, in the hospital or facing challenges,

please let us know. We want to include you in our prayers, and the Prayers

of the People during worship if you would like to be included in them.

Please know that we are available to you for conversations, as well.

You can call the office and ask to speak to Pastor Lynn or Deacon Jamie,

and we would be happy to talk with you. Especially during these days of not

gathering together, it is difficult to keep track of who is sick and in need of

any kind. Please help us by calling the church office and letting us know. We

are here for you!

“As each has received

a gift, use it to serve

one another, as good

stewards of God’s var-

ied grace.” First Peter 4:10

Wanted: Artists of all sizes, ages, and

abilities. You are invited to participate in

a special service project for Sharon Lu-

theran Church. We are preparing a wall

design for the Children’s Library which

will be ready soon. Each willing partici-

pant is asked to paint a picture with

acrylic paint on wood. Our theme is

“Creation” so there is a variety of ways

to accomplish this. Your painting can be

as simple as a blue sky or as detailed as

animals and people.

If you feel called to participate as a

family or a single individual, please go to

Sign-Up Genius and schedule a time to

paint. We will have two rooms set up in

the upstairs church school wing of Sha-

ron. Our goal is to have families or indi-

viduals (children must be accompanied

by an adult) share their talents on Mon-

days, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays at your

preferred time. If you cannot work these

days or times into your schedule, please

contact Cheryl Nyhlen at 218-779-0247

to set up an evening appointment or a

different day.

We need lots of wood squares, so

we hope for lots of participants! Thank

you in advance for sharing your time and

talent!

Summer Service Project Continues

Call Committee

We will be forming a Call Committee to begin the

work on calling our next permanent pastor sometime

late fall or early winter. Watch the newsletter and

Wednesday email for more information about when

we will begin the work of forming a Call Committee.

Non-Profit Organization

U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

Grand Forks, ND 58201

Sharon Lutheran Church

1720 S 20th St

Grand Forks, ND 58201

Pastor Lynn Ronsberg ………………………………………………………..(lronsberg@sharonlutheran.org)

Deacon Jamie Travers ……………………..…………………………………….(jtravers@sharonlutheran.org)

Administrative Assistant………………………Missy Thompson (mthompson@sharonlutheran.org)

Secretary……………………………………………………………Molly Mohn (mmohn@sharonlutheran.org)

Finance Manager…………………………………………...Stephanie Leighton (sleighton@sharonlutheran.org)

Dir. Elementary, Middle School, Youth Music…………….David Berger (dberger@sharonlutheran.org)

Director of Christian Education…………………..………...Cheryl Nyhlen (education@sharonlutheran.org)

Dir. High School Youth, Young Adults………………………...Steve DeKrey (sdekrey@sharonlutheran.org)

Education & Youth Assistant…………………………………..Heather Peters (hpeters@sharonlutheran.org)

Director of Music Ministries………………………………...Roxanne Gessler (rgessler@sharonlutheran.org)

Ministry & Communications Coordinator………………..Nicki Green (myministry@sharonlutheran.org)

Organist………………………………………………………………………………………………..Sue Kerr & Carolyn Tunseth

Sanctuary Choir Director………………………………………………………………………………………………...Jack Boyer

Custodian………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...Dan Kuzel

Office………………………………………………………………………………………………….…office@sharonlutheran.org

Mailing Address Line 1

Mailing Address Line 2

Mailing Address Line 3

Sharon Lutheran Staff

Sunday Morning and

Wednesday Evening Worship

Available online on our website: www.sharonlutheran.org

Temporary Church Office Hours

Monday - Friday 9:00am to 3:00pm