Return Service Requested

Non-Profit Organization

U.S. Postage

PAID Permit No. 3

Dike, IA 50624

FROM PASTOR LISA

God loves you...

God loves you! I'm not sure any of us hears

those words quite enough. I want you to

hear that clearly, read these words out loud,

if you need, "God loves me!" Sometimes our

lives get so filled with busyness that we

forget to stop and listen to the still small

voice of God whispering in our ears how

much we are loved and cherished. We live

in a world right now that seems to prefer to

fight, to be divided, to yell and scream. Our

world is so consumed by these things that

sometimes it is easier to avoid people all

together. God's word has something

different to say to you, to me, to a broken

world clamoring for some word of hope.

God's word is always a word of love. God's

word is always a word of acceptance. God's

word is always a word of forgiveness. God's

word is always a word of peace. God's word

is always a word of hope.

That, my dear friends is what Grace is. Oh,

it's sometimes easier for us to find grace for

other people, or maybe not. If not, then let

me bring you back with a loving reminder

that God loves absolutely all of us.

If you need to hear that God really does love you

today, or tomorrow, or even yesterday; then hear

clearly that Jesus died for you. For you. Full stop.

Why? Because God loves you. It really is just that

simple. And yes, it really is that overwhelming!

I do believe that you can see God in all the things

and people around you. But I also believe that

that is not enough to hold us through the hard

times. We need each other for the times when

our faith is weak, when we feel we can't go on.

That is when we can speak the words of God's

love to each other.

The fall is getting busy, no question. School is

starting up and schedules are filling in. We will

soon be heavily into harvest and all the stress that

brings. The program year here at Fredsville is

filling in and the attendance is back up. Now is

the time to worship. Now is the time to offer

praise. Now is the time to gather together. Now

is the time to be reminded that God loves you.

Period. Full Stop. God loves you!

In peace,

Pastor Lisa

Fredsville Lutheran Church Pastor Lisa Dietrich Intern Andy Graves

Church: 319-989-2065 Fax: 319-989-2087

Website: www.fredsvillelutheran.org Facebook: Fredsville Lutheran Church

Email: fredsville@fredsvillelutheran.org

September 2019 Newsletter

Fredsville Lutheran Church

32756 150th

Street

Cedar Falls, IA 50613

Peaceful Tidings

AEBLESKIVER LUNCHEON

Sunday, September 8th

, 2019 11:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Fredsville Lutheran Church 32756 150th Street Rural Cedar Falls

Adults - $8.00

Children age 4 to 10 - $4.00

Children age 3 and under – free

Meal includes all-you-can-eat aebleskivers (Danish pancakes)

Sausage, applesauce, dessert and beverage Aebleskivers are fried in peanut oil

Proceeds go to fund Fredsville youth events & mission trips A bake sale will be held in the Gathering Space

Our Friends &

Family Please remember them in your prayers Mary Mommer-member with Sarcoidois and heart failure Lillian Boswell’s family for her recent passing. Cole Mikkelsen - member with leukemia Maynard Petersen – member at Creek Side Cottages in Grundy Center Agnes Freese-member residing at Martin Health Center Florence Freese- member in hospice care at Arlington Place Madelyn Norton- member recovering from accident Mike Curtis – member hospitalized with aortic aneurysm Mike Juhl – son of Richard & Joann Juhl who is diagnosed with ALS

If you need to be added to the prayer list or desire a visit, please contact the church office at 319-989-2065, Pastor Lisa at 319-243-8136, or Intern Andy at 641-844-4704

September Birthdays Paige Frahm-2 Ashley Dumler-17 Renee Griffith -7 Robin Mommer-19 Vernon Johnson-8 Isabella Dietrich-21 Jeanne Meyer-9 Joann Juhl-21 Joel Stone-9 Sara Koch-21 Mary Gilmore-10 Lillian Boswell-25 Megan Yearous-11 Violet Mounce-25 Darla Andersen-13 Megan Graves-26 Kelly Nicholson-14 Taya Curtis-27 Sue Lehman-15 Brent Knutson-27 Ethan Bergmann-16 Lance Loger-27 Axel Bern-16 Shari Bakker-28 Lindsay Moses-16 Coyle Dall-30 Kim Schmidt-16

Wedding Anniversaries Paul & Lora Koch – 1

Jim & Helene Wertz-1 Merlyn & Catherine Petersen-4 Matt & Stefanie Swinton-13 John & Susie Latusek-20 Dan & Maureen Crotty-24 Jason & Cara Lott – 29 Matt & Charlotte Opoien-30

Upcoming Events

As one of the founding churches of NewAldaya, Fredsville has the privilege and responsibility for providing volunteers to help push residents to church for the

month of September. Volunteers need to be at

NewAldaya at 10:00 a.m. Their church service begins at 10:30 a.m. Afterwards, the volunteers push the residents to their dining room. Sign up on the clipboard. Questions? Contact Sue Green at 266-6165 or at suegreenbikes@gmail.com

Women’s Circle is meeting on Tuesday, September 3rd at 9:00 a.m. Carol Andersen is the hostess. The group will be doing Lesson #5 – The Lord’s Prayer.

Set-Up for Aebleskiver by the high school and confirmation students will take place on Wednesday, September 4th at 6:00 p.m.

Fancy Fingers will meet at the church at 9:00 am on Friday, September 6th to travel to Merry’s Stitchins Quilt Shop in Jesup for a fun day of fabric and quilt kit shopping.

A Worship Service will be held on Saturday, September 7th at 7:00 p.m. in the Meeting Room in lieu of Sunday’s worship. Refreshments will be served at the parsonage afterwards.

The Aebleskiver Dinner is planned for Sunday, September 8th from 11:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Sign-up sheets on the “yes” table to provide food items and to volunteer working the dinner.

Fancy Fingers are meeting again on Monday, September 9th from 9 am-4 pm. A potluck is planned.

The Reid Nuss & McKenzie Digman wedding will

take place at 3:00 pm on Saturday, September 14th.

The Church Work Day will occur on Sunday, September 15th following worship. Dress in casual work clothes. Sign-up sheets are available for the various chores. A luncheon will follow the end of the work day.

Shari Bakker from ISU Extension will give a presentation on September 19th from 7:00-8:15 pm. to share local resources available to all Grundy County residents.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held on September 21st at 11:00 a.m. for Lillian Boswell. A visitation will take place at the church at 10:00 am. and a luncheon will follow the service.

September 2019, LSI Bulletin/Newsletter

Article and Story

Direct Support Professionals Week Do you know someone who is a caregiver to a loved one? It is a role that is both demanding and meaningful. During September’s National Direct Support Professionals Week, we celebrate all the ways in which professional caregivers help children and adults achieve their goals and build meaningful lives.

One way LSI empowers Iowans is through our Services for People with Disabilities. From 24-hour support to occasional respite care, the LSI team lifts up Iowans with disabilities as they find the confidence and independence they need to thrive in their communities.

We thank you for your faithful support of LSI – you create so many new life-changing possibilities for children, adults, and families! If you would like to learn more about how you can support crucial programming like LSI’s Services for People with Disabilities, please contact Deb Whitford, LSI director of philanthropy and

church relations, at Deborah.Whitford@LSIowa.org or 563-676-2065.

Our Mission: Lutheran Services in Iowa responds to the love of Jesus Christ through compassionate service. LSI is an affiliated social ministry partner of the Iowa congregations of the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) and a member of LSA (Lutheran Services in America). We proudly serve people of all ages, abilities, religions, sexes, gender identities, national origins, ethnicities, races, and sexual orientations. Learn more at LSIowa.org and Facebook.com/LSI.Iowa. Building Bright Futures For 13-year-old Eric, the weekends he spends with his respite caregivers, Carolyn and David, have been life-changing.

Through LSI’s Services for People with Disabilities, Carolyn and David provide temporary care for Iowa children, allowing their families and caregivers to take a well-deserved break. As respite care providers, they are helping kids like Eric become more active in their community and find hobbies they enjoy.

During every visit, Eric loves going to the movies, flying kites in the local park, discovering the newest video game, and playing with the family dogs. He’s enjoyed learning how to play pool – especially when he wins a match against David. His mom, Erika, says it’s amazing to see her child bloom.

Carolyn and David have created a space where Eric can relax, receive one-on-one care away from his siblings, and just be a kid.

“Spending time with Carolyn and David is something I know my son loves and looks forward to. As a mom, that’s huge for me,” Erika says. “Respite is one of the best decisions I’ve made for Eric. I thank heaven for Carolyn and David and for LSI.”

3 Heath Brothers September 4 at 7:00 p.m.

Love Offering Concert BBQ prior for Youth Groups $5.00/person

(RSVP required - 319-268-0787)

The 3 Heath Brothers are teenagers, Nicholas, Clayton and Christian Heath. When these young guys get up to sing, people are consistently shocked by their tight harmony, powerful vocals, and acapella arrangements. They were recently voted Best Breakthrough Artist of 2018. You won’t want to miss their tight harmony, passion for God, and young energy. They love God and their goal is to promote Christ and demonstrate that you are never too young to give all you have to God. This concert is not just for the youth. People of all ages will enjoy these young men.

Pastor Report: 1. Number of property issues: Hudson Hardware was

called regarding the air conditioners at the Villa,

Sanctuary, and Fellowship Hall. Dishwasher issues

at parsonage, washing machine at Villa.

2. Funeral Planning Workshop – 18 attended.

3. Sexuality Study – 17 attending

4. Confirmation begins Sept 11.

Intern Report: 1. Moved to Villa at end of July.

2. Wild Goose Festival in North Carolina.

3. Discussion over Megan’s Call options.

Closing Prayer: Our Father Next Meeting: Tuesday Aug 27 at 6:30pm

Respectfully Submitted: Shannon Mikkelsen,

Secretary

Thank You

Thank you so much for giving me money to go to camp. I had so much fun. My favorite part was chapel. Because you get to sing songs about God. Sincerely, Violet Mounce.

Thank you for your generous donation of backpacks, school supplies, ear buds and Wal-Mart gift cards to LSI’s Bremwood Campus. You support is making a difference for our residences. And a special thank you to the Vacation Bible School students who also collected school supply items. Jason Lee, Vice President of Philanthropy and Church Relations.

The 2019-2020 academic school year has begun. Thanks to you, the students at Bremwood have started their year with new ear buds, backpacks, and school supplies. The students and faculty at Bremwood were so very appreciative for all the supplies. They have had a positive impact on the students. A special “thank you” to the VBS boys and girls and the congregation for bringing school supplies to church and for your monetary donations used to purchase the items on Bremwood’s wish list. Your generosity is much appreciated in supporting this special mission! Thank you! Social Ministry Committee

Family Recipe Sharon Hemmen

I have been making this zucchini recipe for

years. The kids should like this! Because of

zucchini’s versatility, I have used it in many

different recipes.

Zucchini Pizza Bites

2 large zucchini ½ cup pizza sauce or tomato sauce 1 teaspoon oregano 2 cups mozzarella cheese ¼ cup parmesan cheese Pizza toppings as desired 1. Preheat oven to 4500. Line a baking pan with foil and set aside. 2. Slice zucchini l/4 inch thick and arrange on prepared baking sheet 3. Top zucchini slices with pizza sauce, oregano, cheese and your favorite pizza toppings 4. Bake 5 minutes or until zucchini is tender. Broil 5 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and melted.

Events…..continue

Senior Choir Announcement Fredsville’s Senior Choir is being revamped and renewed!!! Fifteen-twenty minute rehearsals will be held after a brief time for fellowship following worship on Sunday mornings! We will start on Sunday, Sept. 29. Initially our focus will be learning new hymns/songs from our red book. Also, we’ll begin preparation for December special music!!! When we sing during worship will depend on our progress and confidence. Jean Loger will continue to be our leader. Experienced and inexperienced singers of all ages are welcome!!! Please join us!

Adult Bell Choir Adult bell choir rehearsals will be on Wednesday nights, 6:30-7:30 p.m. beginning Sept. 4th. Youth bell choir plans are also in the works. Please e-mail meridith@fredsvillelutheran.org if you or your child(ren) would like to play and didn't participate last year. Beginners are welcome!

Sunday School Sunday School will begin for children from 3 years old through 5th grade on September 15th following the

church service. If you have not already filled out a Sunday School Registration Form, please contact kimadelmund@gmail.com. Teachers this year are: Brenda Cooper, Megan Yearous, Stef Swinton, Allie Nuss, Cara Lott, Abby Brekke, Shari Bakker, Arianna Hankins, Kim Adelmund, Tiffany Asche, Ryan and Beth Petersen, and Kelley Knutson. Thank you to all of our Sunday School Teachers!

Confirmation News Ninth Grade Confirmation Students will have their last confirmation class on Wednesday, October 2nd at 6:30 p.m. before they get confirmed! This class will include parents. At this class, students will go through the Affirmation of Baptism Service. Each student will pick out their confirmation verse! Students will learn about what it means to be an adult in the church. This class is extremely important! Students will be confirmed on Sunday October 27th during worship! Please mark these dates on your calendars NOW.

This year confirmation classes will meet rom 6:30-8:00 p.m. September 11, 25 October 9, 23 November 6, 20 December 11

January 8, 15 February 5, 12, 26 March 4, 11, 18, 25 April 1, 8, 15, 22

Students will be expected to attend three of the midweek services & Ash Wednesday, February 26th, Maundy Thursday which will be on Wednesday, April 8th & Good Friday on April 10th. Students-- BRING YOUR BIBLES WITH YOU TO EVERY CLASS THIS YEAR!

The following is this year's student/mentor assignments:

Shelby Ohrt -- Jennifer Verhulst Mariah Asche- Audrey Stefan Bryson Grider - Carol Andersen Anna Adelmund- Angie Wibben Izzy Norton - LuAnn Jones Drew Petersen - Tiffany Asche Emma Opoien - Helene Wertz Devon Lotts - Eric Andersen Josey Syhlman - Kim Adelmund Kennedy Syhlman - Lisa Dumler Mallory Petersen - Brenda Cooper Madelyn Norton - Amy Camarata

A very special thank you to all who answered the call to help mentor these wonderful kids in their faith! You make a real difference in their lives!

High School Mission Trip

OK! Woot! I am sooooo excited! We have dates for our next High School Mission Trip! We are scheduled for July 2nd-7th 2020! The kids unanimously chose Las Vegas! I have plenty of adult chaperones who are very excited to travel with your kids! NOW-- I need to know if your child/ren will be going - so the easy answer is YES PASTOR, I CAN'T WAIT!!!!! Students who are eligible to go are current 8th graders through seniors. Seriously, I will need you and your student to fill out a form and submit $100 non refundable deposit by OCTOBER 15th. Because we are flying - once you commit to this trip in October, you will be responsible for the cost of your plane ticket if you back out. I work extremely hard at making these trips really affordable and we certainly have a great time. This year, expect more service work, expect more interactive Bible Study, and expect to have an amazing time!!!! Just a reminder- Aebleskiver Dinner is a fund raiser for this trip and all youth activities! Plan on helping with Aebleskiver set up next Wednesday night at 6:00 p.m.! Woot! Seriously excited!

Pastor Lisa

Scholarship Applications

Applications are now available for scholarship money for Fredsville students pursuing post-high school education. Please request an application available at the church office and submit no later than November 15th, if you haven’t already received an application by email. Guidelines for eligibility include:

1. Parent/guardian or student must be an active member of the congregation. This means that student or parent/guardian has received communion at Fredsville and have made a contribution within the past two years. 2. Student can qualify four times within five years of high school graduation or GED. (Up to four-year grace period for students entering the military following high school) 3. Funds are for undergraduate studies only, but can include trade or technical training. 4. If the student has any special financial circumstances (i.e. – work study limitations, NCAA scholarship guidelines, etc.) that the committee needs to be aware of, please include that and any necessary forms with your application.

Scholarships will be distributed for the second semester of the 2019 / 2020 school year.

Grant Applications

Applications are available for grant money for Fredsville congregation members for interests you may want to apply for. Please request an application available at the church office and submit no later than November 15th.

Aebleskiver

Æbleskiver (Danish pronunciation: pl ski ], [singular: æbleskive]) are Danish snacks that are spherical in shape. The name literally means apple slices in Danish, although apples are not usually an ingredient in present-day versions. Somewhat similar in texture to European pancakes crossed with a popover or Yorkshire pudding, æbleskiver are solid like a pancake but light and

fluffy like a popover. The English language spelling is usually aebleskiver or ebleskiver.

Æbleskiver are cooked on the stove top by baking in a special pan with several hemispherical indentations. The pan exists in versions for gas and electrical stoves (the latter with a plain bottom). Pans are usually made of cast iron, allowing good heat retention. Traditional models in hammered copper plate exist but are today used primarily for decoration.

The batter for æbleskiver usually includes wheat flour, which is mixed with buttermilk, milk or cream, eggs, sugar and a pinch of salt. Some recipes also include fat (usually butter), cardamom and lemon zest to improve taste, and a leavening agent, most often baking powder, but sometimes yeast, to aerate the batter. Batter is poured into the oiled indentations and as the æbleskiver begin to cook, they are turned with a knitting needle, skewer or fork to give the cakes their characteristic spherical shape. They were traditionally cooked with bits of apple (æble) or applesauce inside but these ingredients are very rarely included in modern Danish forms of the dish. Æbleskiver are not sweet themselves but are traditionally served dipped in raspberry, strawberry, black currant or blackberry jam and sprinkled with powdered sugar. Æbleskiver can be bought fried and frozen at supermarkets, only needing heating in an oven. In Denmark æbleskiver are traditionally eaten during the Christmas season and are often served with gløgg, Scandinavian mulled wine. They are often sold at Christmas markets, charity markets, local sports gatherings and similar venues. They are also served at children's birthday parties, due to their popularity and easy preparation. Voluntary associations gain profit from preparing them from the pre-fried, frozen stage and selling them, usually three at a time, with the usual condiments. In North America there are several annual events that celebrate æbleskiver and Danish culture, with churches and museums holding "Æbleskiver Suppers" and similar events.

Church Council Minutes July 29, 2019

Attendance: Pastor Lisa, Intern Andy Graves, Linda Nielsen, Cara Lott, Matt Opoien, Lance Loger, Roy Stefan, Shannon Mikkelsen, Kim Adelmund, and Nathan Bakker; Absent: Heidi Mounce & Pat Pruisner Call to Order: Nathan Bakker Devotions: Pastor Lisa Treasurer’s Report: Linda Nielsen As of June 30, 2019:

General Fund: $33,290.46

Building Fund: $14,079.62

Memorial Fund: $20,255.13

Secretary’s Report: Shannon Mikkelsen Minutes from 6/23/19. 1st. Matt O., 2nd Kim A.

Motion Carried

New Business Discussed: 1. Pastor was approached by Brynn Harberts,

UNI student, about participating in a UNI Dance

Marathon Fundraiser. A special donation may be

taken later this fall.

2. Bid was received for hearing devices from

DB Acoustics. Proposal is to use Memorial Fund

Money to purchase these. This would include 6

devices and installation charges. Total cost is $2510

+ tax. 1st Roy S. 2nd Cara Lott. Motion carried.

3. Pastor and Intern Andy have been

organizing several different ministries to offer at

Fredsville. These are STAR congregations (Small

Town and Rural community centers). These events

will meet 7-8:15pm on the following dates (with the

exception of Sept 8): Mark your Calendars!

a. Sept 8: Aebleskiver Dinner 11am-

1:30pm. Danish Pancake Meal. There is a

charge for this event

b. Sept 19: ISU Extension Office. Shari

Bakker will share local resources available

to all residents of Grundy County.

c. Oct 17: Operation Threshold. Learn

more about programs concerning

weatherization, energy assistance, Food

Pantries, Clothing Closet, etc.

d. Nov 21: World’s Window. Presenters

will explain Fair Trade and you can get a

jump on your seasonal shopping.

e. Feb 20: Sip and Paint with Bob Ross and

Pastor Lisa Dietrich. Beginner painting class. $20

fee paid when registering. Contact church office

to register.

f. March 19: Retrieving Freedom. Learn about and

meet trained service dogs for veterans and those

with disabilities.

g. April 16: Spring Fever! Carol Chapman will

discuss gardening tips, provide information on

spring planting, and designing beds.

4. Member Survey – Review Participation section.

Old Business Discussed: 1. Offering envelopes. Reorder is set for 2020.

2. Budget Proposal Meeting

a. Committee Budget proposals due by Sept

15 to Linda. (Council Reps and Chair

Persons)

b. Nov 17/24 Proposed Budget to

Congregation.

c. Dec 8 Congregation Meeting for Budget

Approval Only.

d. Annual Meeting will still be in February

2020, however Annual Report will then

have Approved Budget included in the

Minutes (as opposed to a proposal only).

3. Watermelon Days- Team has been set up.

Fredsville will not be in the parade. Worship planned for

Sunday 8/11 at 10:30am.

Upcoming Reminders: 1. Watermelon Days Aug 9, 10, 11 – Kid’s games and

Outdoor Worship

2. Back to School Bash Aug 25 after service (with

Backpack Blessing)

3. Aebleskiver Sept 8

Committee Reports: Cemetery

Farm

Endowment

Property: Doug Dall locked in FS for LP Contract

1700 gallon down payment.

Mutual Ministry

Worship Team: Meeting for Aug will need to be

rescheduled.

Service Team

Proclamation Team: VBS – over 80 kids

participating!

Ministry Support Team

Continued….

Committee Budget Reports Proposed budgets are due by September

15th. Please turn into treasurer’s mailbox or

give to Linda Nielsen, treasurer.

Hearing Assistance System

ELCA Ministry Spotlights Each month we will be highlighting a ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. During each Spotlight Sunday we will have a presentation about the ministry during our regular worship as well as an opportunity to learn more following worship during fellowship time. Below you will find the monthly schedule of Ministry Spotlights for your planning purposes. You won’t want to miss the opportunity to learn about the work our church is doing and how you can be more involved! Monthly Schedule September 15 God’s Work, Our Hands October 13 Lutheran Disaster Response November 10 Bremwood Academy/Lutheran

Services of Iowa (LSI) January 13 Lutheran Immigration and

Refugee Services (LIRS) February 9 Young Adults in Global Mission

(YAGM) March 8 Lutheran Volunteer Corps. (LVC) April 19 World Hunger

If you have any questions about any of these ministries before hand, feel free to reach out to the church office and we will address your questions to the best of our ability. Please plan on attending these presentations so that you can learn about all of the work that our church is participating in on the local, national and global levels. There is so many ways to connect with the world through the love of Jesus Christ, and these are a few of those ways that the ELCA chooses to go about connecting people with that love. We can be a part of that too!

God’s Work, Our Hands September 15, 2019

The first ministry to be highlighted is God’s Work, Our Hands. Here is a bit of information about what this ministry is all about from ELCA.org:

“God’s work, Our hands” Sunday is an opportunity to celebrate who we are as the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America – one church, freed in Christ to serve and love our neighbor.

Service activities offer an opportunity for us to explore one of our most basic convictions as Lutherans: that all of life in Jesus Christ – every act of service, in every daily calling, in every corner of life – flows freely from a living, daring confidence in God’s grace.

You work every day to make your community a better place. Let us continue doing this work together in 2019!

As we prepare for our church-wide work day, we thought it appropriate to highlight the work that is being done in communities all over the United States and beyond. When we work together to make a better world we can accomplish so much more. To learn more about this ELCA Ministry come to worship on the 15th of September, and be prepared to stay after to do a little bit of God’s work with your hands as we prepare our church for the programming year.

Reasons to Read Your Bible

It Makes You Much Wiser.

It Helps Us Overcome Sin and

Temptations.

Reading Your Bible Gives You Peace.

The Bible Gives You Direction.

It Builds Your Relationship with God.

You are Reading a Bestseller

Learn a Little Bit of History

You can Understand Jesus a Little More

It can Change your Life

It Brings Back Faith, rather than Religion

Preaching. Teaching. Leading. Reading. Writing.

Listening. Praying. Worshiping.

These are some of the more basic things that I have been able to participate in here at Fredsville, which is really just the tip of the iceberg. In my time here I have been allowed to journey with many of you through a lot of different happenings and it has been a great pleasure and honor to see so much growth and change in the community.

I realize that this sounds like a “Dear John” letter of sorts, but it isn’t. I just wanted to start this letter off by letting you know that I am greatly honored to serve you as a congregation and community. Even though there will come a time when we part ways, as there is with every stage in life, that time is not quite yet. We still have time to continue the awesome work that we’ve been doing and challenge ourselves to do some more awesome work together.

I feel as if this is one of the hardest parts of doing ministry together—creatively challenging ourselves to keep doing work, especially when it seems we have done all we can. In times like this I read verses like John 14:12 as a personal challenge:

Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.

Here we have Jesus talking to his disciples about the various divine attributes of his life: being the way to the father, promising the Holy Spirit, and training us his followers to be true disciples in the world. Jesus expects them to keep doing the work he has been doing, but also even greater things. This is where the challenge comes in. We can sit down and account for all the things that we have done as a community, which is fine, but where is the “even greater things than these?” If we stop and rest on our laurels, we are not striving for even greater things for our church, for our community, for our world.

The questions become what do we want to do? What are we going to do? How do we go about doing those things? It’s really up to you to decide what you want to do and do it. There is no shortage of work that can be done to continue to better our community and world, it’s just a matter of taking a step (or leap) of faith and trusting that we will be okay in the end—which is the promise of the Resurrection.

Thus, we should continue reading, writing, praying and worshipping. We should still be listening and sharing, preaching and teaching, but what else? What more can we do together? Please reach out to Pastor Lisa, the church council members, the various committees, or even me if you have ideas, questions, comments, concerns or anything else. We are on this journey with you and are excited about all the possibilities for ministry that are hidden right below the surface (or maybe a little deeper). Let us do faith together and see how much greater our work can be!

Baptism Sunday, September 29th

Kaylee Nielsen

Born- January 1, 2019 Weight- 7 lbs. 10 oz Parents -Karl & Brandi Nielsen Grandparents- Steve & Linda Nielsen Trent & Angie Miller Becky & Dan Forey

The Intern’s Corner: A Monthly Reflection By Intern Andy Graves

Fredsville is now equipped with a hearing assistance system. Receivers are located near the sound system equipment in the back of the sanctuary.

Q & A

By Sue Green

“The Endowment Fund” Darla Andersen, Chair of the Endowment Committee,

graciously took the time to answer my questions.

Q: Who is on the Endowment Committee? A: Darla Andersen (2nd term), Loren Bakker (2nd term),

Jane Christensen (2nd term), Scott Dietrich (2nd term),

Dick Juhl (2nd term), Trish Weichers (1st term), Angie Wibben (1st term). Each term is for 3 years. The council president and Pastor are also members of the committee.

Q: How often does the Endowment Committee meet?

A: Four to five times a year. The meetings are in late November / early December to do year end and

scholarship allocations and then again in February and

March to do the new year allocations. General allocations are sent out in April/May, Camp scholarships June / July and year end grants and scholarships in December.

Q: Where does the Endowment money come from? A: The majority of the money in the Endowment Fund

comes from the farm rent payment. The farm was gifted to the church by the estate of Joe Arends. There is also interest (6,000 – 7,000 dollars annually) that is accrued

on the investments in the Endowment Accounts.

Q: Are there any rules as to how the money from the

Endowment Fund is donated out? A: Income from the FUND shall be distributed annually

and such other times as deemed necessary and/or feasible to accomplish the following purposes:

a. No portion of the income generated by the FUND shall be used for the annual operating budget of the congregation;

b. 0-40% for capital improvements, debt reduction, or building program of Fredsville Evangelical Lutheran Church. The FUND shall pay for no more than 50%of any individual capital improvements project in order to encourage continued congregational giving and ownership.

Starting with the 2014 distribution of Endowment Funds, 70% of the total annual distribution of Endowment Funds will go to funding of capital improvement projects, debt reduction, or building programs each year until 70% of the total project cost (including interest payments) of Phase 3 is funded. Capital improvement projects other than Phase 3 may also be funded at the 70% level of total project

cost (at the Council’s discretion). The original bylaws will resume once the 70% level of the total project funding for Phase 3 has been reached.

c. 10-40% for scholarships or grants to members of Fredsville Evangelical Lutheran Church for the purpose of attending college, seminary, nursing or medical school; for church-related camping or leadership conferences; or such other training which enables members of this congregation to grow in Christian faith and service to God’s people.

d. 10-40% for outreach into the community and synod, including, but not limited to, grants to ELCA colleges, seminaries, social service agencies, institutions and agencies to which this congregation relates, and to special programs designed for those persons in our parish area who are in spiritual and/or economic need.

e.10-40% for missions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America in this continent and worldwide, including, but not limited to, grants to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America for new congregational development in North America, professional leadership, educational ministries, global mission, ecumenism, evangelism, social ministries, and capital financing.

f. The total of these distributions will be 100% of available income. Those moneys whose original intent no longer exists will be redistributed according to paragraph C2, lines a through d, within a 45 day period of notice.

g. The 10% minimum disbursements of C2b, C2c, and C2d will be eliminated until 70% funding is obtained for the Phase 3 building project. At that time the amount will revert to the previously defined 10-40%.

Q: Is the amount of funds donated out through the Endowment Fund the same amount each year? A: No. Each year is different, depending on the

rates. Going back the past 5 years, the total donated is:

2014 -128,134 (with $89,694 going to Capital Improvements and the Building Fund) 2015 – 110,777 (with 76,327 going to Capital Improvements and the Building Fund) 2016 – 91,461 (with 59,733 going to Capital

Improvements and the Building Fund) 2017 – 79,105 (with 51,295 going to Capital Improvements and the Building Fund)

2018 – 79,488 (with $51, 295 going to Capital Improvements and the Building Fund)

Q: If you have any suggestions for Categories C and D, who do you give this information to? A: Fill out a grant request, which is available in

the church office, by November 15th for allocation in the spring of the next year.

We can be very thankful that Joe Arends donated

his farm to Fredsville so that our congregation can use the farm rent income to help others. God has blessed Fredsville so we can be a blessing to others.

Gender justice in the Bible -An interview

with author Katey Zeh By Cara

Strickland Living Lutheran - August 27, 2019 Katey Zeh thought she knew the stories in Scripture—and she did, but mainly those about men. When she started combing through the Bible looking specifically for women, named or unnamed, everything changed. Her new book Women Rise Up: Sacred Stories of Resistance for Today’s Revolution (FAR Press) is partially the result of that exploration. Not only did she discover more about the women in Scripture, she found that those women could deeply inform her faith and life today. Living Lutheran spoke with Zeh about the book, the importance of women’s stories in Scripture and gender inequality in the world today.

Living Lutheran: Could you tell us about your book? Women Rise Up is a timely take on the tenacious women of the Bible. Each chapter focuses on a particular sacred text, and I examine it through the lens of today’s struggle for gender justice. For example, I talk about Hagar from Genesis as a survivor of human trafficking. I also weave in some of my personal journey along the way.

How did you decide which women to include? Since each chapter focuses on a specific issue related to gender justice, I searched for texts that would illuminate a different aspect of gender inequality. But I was also striving for breadth and balance in the book. I wanted to include women of

the Hebrew Bible and women of the New Testament; stories of women we hear about in church and stories that are left out of Sunday morning; women who are named and those who are not. Some of the women, like Hagar and Ruth, I’d been writing about for years, while others, like the widow in 2 Kings, I had never explored prior to writing the book.

By extending grace to these ancient women, I find that we can offer it to ourselves.

One of the threads that runs through Women Rise Up is motherhood. What do you find particularly compelling about that topic in a biblical context? When I was beginning to write the book, I was in my first year of parenting my daughter, so I encountered biblical stories about infertility, pregnancy, reproductive loss and parenting in more personal ways than I would have in the past. I’m amazed at just how much reproductive oppression is captured in our sacred texts—how so many of the women in the Bible both reinforce and resist it. Women like Rachel, Leah and Sarah in Genesis are guilty of using their power unjustly in the form of forced surrogacy while Shiphrah and Puah in Exodus use their power and knowledge as midwives to protect the Hebrew women and children from destruction at the hands of the Egyptian pharaoh.

What do you see as some of the gifts of closely examining women’s stories in Scripture today? Most books tend to portray women in the Bible as either unrepentant sinners or helpless victims. By contributing a more nuanced take on these women’s lives, I give these stories some much-needed breathing room. By extending that grace to these ancient women, I find that we can offer it to ourselves. We all get permission to be fully human.

What surprised you most as you interacted with these stories? I was surprised how often new ideas and insights emerged even after reading the same text hundreds of times. That’s why the sacred texts are amazing. They truly are living!

What are your hopes for your readers? I hope that this book sparks their curiosity about these women and others in the Bible who found ways to survive, resist and thrive—and that this exploration of sacred stories leads to sacred sharing, both in and outside of our faith communities, about our own lives. But I also hope this book moves us all to take action in meaningful, sustainable ways by sharing our resources and voices with the movements and organizations led by those most impacted by systems of injustice. Like the women of this book, they will lead the way for us all to rise up.