408 Ninth Street NW

Mandan, ND 58554

FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH

Phone: 701-663-3594

Fax: 701-663-6217

E-mail: jackie@firstlutheranofmandan.org

Building Faith and

Transforming Lives

in Christ.

www.firstlutheranofmandan.org

We’re on the web!

Happy

Thanksgiving

from the staff

at First

Lutheran

Church!

1As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God. 2My soul thirsts

for God, for the living God. When shall I come and behold the face of God? 3My tears

have been my food day and night, while people say to me continually, "Where is your

God?" 4These things I remember, as I pour out my soul: how I went with the throng, and

led them in procession to the house of God, with glad shouts and songs of thanksgiving,

a multitude keeping festival.5Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you

disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my help. 1

Psalm 42: 1-5

As I write this Russell and I are not so patiently waiting for the arrival of

our first child. It is an exciting time. In preparation for the birth of our son,

we were able to go back to Indiana in August to be showered by our

families' love and of course get a lot of baby stuff.

Spending that time with our families was a blessing. The shower was

fun. Yet during the baby shower, there was a notable person from my

family missing. My cousin could not come. You see for her, the baby

shower was bittersweet. After years of fertility treatments, she and her

husband found out they were expecting, only to lose the baby a few months

later.

As we approach the holiday season, I can’t help but think about my

cousin. November marks the beginning of a holiday frenzy that doesn’t

seem to end until after Christmas. With all the food, shopping, and festive

commercials, it is easy to get caught up in the frenzy of the season and

forget that the holidays are not always filled with a sense of blessing for our

neighbor.

For some the holidays are more bittersweet, a time when the soul longs

for the living God. It is a time marked by the empty spot at the table, the

dinner made for one, and the lack of presents under the tree.

As we approach and prepare for the frenzy of this holiday season,

remember your neighbor. Perhaps their prayer can be answered in you and

you in them. For when we look at our neighbor in love, we see the face of

God.

Go in peace, God is with you! Pastor Chris

1New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the

Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

November 2015

Administrative Pastor

Rev. Lee Herberg

663-3594

Associate Pastor

Rev. Christina Martin

663-3594

Administrative Assistant &

Coordinator of Lay

Ministries

Jackie Schulz

663-3594 (o)

663-3082 (h)

Custodians

Ron & Mavis Watson

Financial Administration

Jennifer Scheet

First Lutheran Is A Mission

Partner with Camp of the

Cross Ministries

First Lutheran

Staff

First Lutheran Church

November Newsletter

PAGE 2 FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH November 2015

November is Stewardship Month!

As we gather for Thanksgiving this year in homes across community,

we also give thanks to God for our faith home. Sunday, November 15th

and Wednesday, November 18th will be our stewardship ingathering

services as we pledge our commitment to Christ and his church for

2016.

Be sure to set your clocks

back 1 hour before you go

to bed on Saturday,

October 31st.

Thank you to everyone who helped out for our lutefisk

supper. It was greatly appreciated!! This is a

congregational event that takes many people to

accomplish great things.

Special thanks to Lori Meyers & Richard

Gaasland for again faithfully acting as

Coordinators.

PAGE 11 FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH NOVEMBER 2015

We have lefse available to buy. The cost for lefse is $1.50 per sheet. Please stop in the office or call 663-3594. Thank you!

On Sunday, November 15th, we will have “Listening Posts” after both the 8:30 and

10:45A.M. worship services. On Wednesday, November 18th, we will have a “Listening Post”

after the 6:00P.M. worship service. The intent of these “Listening Posts” is to provide a venue

in which individuals who wish to provide additional input regarding the blessing of same-sex

unions the opportunity to do so. Council members will be present at these “Listening Posts” to

gather congregational input. The church council will collate the data from the questionnaires

which were mailed out in mid-October and the “Listening Posts” before making a decision that

may or may not be included in future revisions of our current Wedding Policies. The decision

will be based on the majority opinion gathered from the data collected.

PAGE 10 FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH NOVEMBER 2015

Mark Your

Calendar…

4th: 7pm - Confirmation -

Large Group

5th: LAF ~ Hot Dogs

11th: No Confirmation

12th: LAF ~ Sloppy Joes

18th: 7pm - Confirmation -

Large Group

19th: LAF ~ Sandwiches

25th: No Confirmation

Upcoming Events

Come and join us at Station West!!!

Our youth going on the mission trip will be at Station West on

November the 8th. We will be serving food and working both the

afternoon and evening shifts.

Our youth will receive a percentage of the profits and all the tips. So

please come and support our youth, by eating brunch, lunch, or dinner

at Station West.

Dear Parents & Other Caregivers of 2nd Graders,

2nd graders will be receiving their own Bible on Sunday,

November 15th at the 10:45 A.M. worship or Wednesday,

November 18th at the 6:00 P.M. worship .

Here at First Lutheran we are pleased and excited to

join with you for this Bible Milestone. Please come with your

child to place the Scriptures in his/her hands during the

worship service.

Please contact Pastor Lee at 663-3594 or by email,

lee@firstlutheranofmandan.org, with the child’s name and

which service you will be attending. Please contact Pastor Lee

no later than Sunday, November 2nd.

On November the 22nd the youth will be leading worship,

don’t forget to bring money for an extra collection that day.

The extra collection will go to youth going on the mission trip.

PAGE 4 FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH NOVEMBER 2015

Special Thanks

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

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

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

greatly appreciated!

Baptisms:

October 4 Emily Lyn Freeman

October 17 Kennedy Anne Bohn

October 18 Hudson Michael Hagens

October 25 Ethan Lee Achtenberg

October 25 Callie Grace Olson

Weddings:

October 10 Calvin Anderson & Katie Kupper

October 24 Wayne Seeman & Carrie Weisz

October 30 Casey Breuer & Brooke Lillis

Funerals:

October 8 Lorraine Kastrow

October 12 Jacob Hertz

October 15 David Dombrowsky

Memorial Fund

Pastoral Acts

In memory of Luke Meiers given by Joy Krush,

Valerie CarKuff Lommen & Garaldine Haharty. (for

LAF)

In memory of Duane Sorum given by Duane Sorum

Family, Leon & Jeanne House, Ralph & Naida

Feland.

Deadline for

articles for the

December

Newsletter will be

November 20th.

November~ Mission of the Month

Welcome House

Items needed are Paper Towels, Cleaning Supplies,

Laundry Soap, Fabric Softener, Personal Hygiene

Products, Diapers (of all sizes), Baby Wipes, Gift

Cards (for grocery stores, WalMart, etc.), Gas Cards.

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

Thanks!

Worship Schedule

Sunday ~

8:30 am ~ Traditional

10:45 am ~ Contemporary

9:30 am ~ Coffee

9:30 am ~ Church School

Wednesday ~

6:00 pm ~ Transitional

6:00 pm ~ Church School

7:00 pm ~ Confirmation

The Saints who have departed from our congregation since our last All Saints observance on

November 2, 2014:

PAGE 9 FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH NOVEMBER 2015

Linda Mund

Merrill Serr

Richard A. Steffenson

Dorothy Zwarych

Frank Bondeson

Gladys Dau

Jim Svihla

Gerald Hambrick

Marie Fetzer

David Mellen

Alice Schmidt

Esther Fisher

Todd Dailey

Sandra Renken

Taylor Goven

Glen White

Jason Sharff

Shirley Ulrich

Duane Sorum

Maynard Jenner

Anna Kottsick

Jacob Hertz

David Dombrowsky

PAGE 8 FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH NOVEMBER 2015 NOVEMBER 2015 FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH PAGE 5

First Lutheran Church Council Minutes

Date: September 17, 2015 Time: 7:00 pm

Members Present: Pastor Lee Herberg, Pastor Christina Martin, President Den Na Lee

Fewson, Vice President Jill Miller, Secretary Jessie Hilfer, Tim Faller, John Pake, Jeff Brad-

ford, Brock Schmeling, and Dot Frank

Absent: Rynell Rusch

Devotions: Pastor Lee led devotions.

Den Na Lee called the meeting to order.

Approval of Agenda: Moved by Dot, 2nd by Jeff to approve the agenda. Motion passed.

Secretary’s Report/Review and Approval of the minutes:

Moved by Tim, 2nd by John to approve the minutes of the August 20th council meeting. Motion

passed.

Financial Report/Review:

August expenses exceeded income by about $1,000, however we are still ahead for the year. The

sanctuary windows down payment was made. In terms of financial position, Rev. Lee feels

we’re doing very well at this point in the year.

Unfinished Business: The elevator still has not been checked out; the company rescheduled

because they are short staffed. The blessing of same-sex unions was discussed at the Medora

Pastor Conference retreat. Rev Lee and Chris brought back information gathered from the sem-

inar. Congregations in the ELCA have congregational autonomy; i.e. each congregation makes

their own decision. First Lutheran in Williston and Trinity in Bismarck shared handouts they

used for listening posts. Trinity held their sessions after a Wednesday service and between

Sunday services. Each table had 1 council member who read 4 questions and people wrote

down their answers. Comments were allowed at the end. Also, people could call in with com-

ments if they did not attend. Trinity voted that they would allow the blessing of same sex un-

ions to be held in their church; First in Williston church has not voted yet as their talking

points are very detailed and will be spread over 5 months.

Den Na Lee moved to proceed as Trinity did and schedule listening posts. Motion amended to

include questions in a special mailing to the congregation. Dot 2nd. Motion passed, with Brock

opposed. Listening posts will be November 15th & 18th. Will send mailing mid-October.

Newsletter – Faith Lutheran sends out once per month, about 675. Bulk mail 4 11x17 sheets

folded once and stapled. Their machine folds and staples. Take to bulk mail at the south Bis-

marck post office. $160, addressed at the church. Trinity sends 800 out once per month and

bundles June, July, and August. They do a single 11x 17, not stapled. 250 are emailed. They

use Presort Plus. We hope to start soon. Dot will find out mailing costs. Table the issue for

now.

Windows- 5 panes of the 12 have been adopted and 2 more have verbally said they’d be taking

one. Will be installed in early November.

Flooring – Carpet we have in the Narthex will be discontinued in January

2016. Dot will check on labor pricing as she has a connection at the carpet store.

Railings are rusty and retaining wall is in bad shape, really separating at the top in some

places. May want to find a way to seal the gaps soon.

Discussion on options to cover the cost of these repairs and improvements. We would need a

special meeting for the congregation to approve if we would have to add to our loan through

Thrivent.

NEW BUSINESS:

Luther Seminary has encouraged First Lutheran to financially support Janie Hague who was

an active member of our church. Full sponsorship $8,800 or half $4,400 per year. At the

October meeting planning for 2016 we will make a decision of how much to sponsor as we begin

the 2016 budget rough draft.

REPORTS:

Pastor Lee’s report - 2 baptisms, 2 funerals, 1 wedding. Still mentoring Bill Dodd with

weekly meetings until June 2016. Attended the fall Pastor conference in Medora.

Pastor Chris’s report – 2 baptisms, 1 funeral, 1 wedding. Pastor Chris has done nursing

home and Baptist Home worship services. Mentor group, Pastor Paul Hoffman. Attended the

fall Pastor conference in Medora. Debut on Senate Council. Maternity leave will start around

November 4th , she will be out for 6 weeks. Church school just started.

Special Events – LAF starts 10-1-2015. October 4th new member potluck. October 17th

Lutefisk dinner. October 31 Trunk or Treat.

Stewardship – None

Worship-- None

Parish Education/Youth – Church school there are 100 kids on Wednesday nights with the C

Squad. Sundays have 62 kids. There are 19 new confirmation kids. All teachers are here.

Classes have increased, we have 25 more kids total than last year. May need another teacher.

Also need another small group leader for confirmation. We’ve had good feedback about the new

Collaborate program. Will have first meeting to discuss mission trip soon. November 2nd

graders will receive bibles, Anseth’s have sponsored them again. Christmas program will be

from a Max Lucado book.

Evangelism and Outreach – New member orientation October 4th. Trunk or Treat October

31. LAF starts October 1st.

Property and Management: Need to seal cracks on the upper retaining wall.

CORRESPONDENCE:

MSLCC Thank you for $127.82 to M Club

Golden Ages Thank you for $75.74 for home delivered meals

Roosevelt Elementary Thank you for donation of school supplies.

Motion to Adjourn/Lord’s Prayer: Moved by Jeff, 2nd by Dot to adjourn the council meeting.

Motion passed. The meeting closed with the Lord’s Prayer.

Submitted by: Jessie Hilfer

PAGE 6 FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH NOVEMBER 2015