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Outreach of the United Methodist Churches of Wells and Kiester, Minnesota

MAY 2020

Growing in love of God and neighbor, Reaching new people, and Healing a broken world.

2020

Rejoice in hope,

be patient in suffering,

persevere in prayer.

Romans 12:12 (NRSV)

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Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

On a cold morning in early February, I sat down and made plans that at the time I thought would take us through the summer and fall to Advent. Today is a cool morning in April and I had to take those plans and erase them due to what has been going on with the pandemic, and the changes we have had to make in our lives because of it. It is surreal in a way, seeing the empty church building, and the empty bulletin board by the front door which is usually packed with all the happenings going on here. Often when I want to hang something up it can be hard to even

find space. Now I have my pick of places to hang something, but even if I did, it would only be seen by maybe three people. Standing there and looking at the bulletin board, it

(Continued on next page)

In-Person Worship Suspended Through May 30 By: Chr ista Meland, Director of Communications, Minnesota Annual Conference

April 29, 2020When are we going to be able to worship together again? That’s a question weighing heavily on the minds of both clergy and church members—and unfortu-nately, there’s no simple answer. Given the current state and federal health agency recom-mendations, the number of cases of COVID-19, and the severity of the illness for a portion of the population, it’s clear we’re not going to be able to simply resume the types of gatherings we had in February.

The question we need to shift our attention to asking isn’t about when to re-open our churches and resume gathering but how to do it. In order to keep people healthy and safe, recovering from the pandemic is going to need to be a marathon, not a sprint. In other words, returning to church will need to happen in phases. The Minnesota Department of Health has said that restrictions will be lifted gradually, so initially, after Governor Tim Walz’s “Stay at Home” executive order is lifted, it’s likely to be small groups of 10 or fewer that will be able to safely gather. Over time, that number will likely increase in the reverse of how it decreased—so 10 perhaps becomes 50, then 100, then 250, as the situa-tion in Minnesota improves.

“As I have said before, I believe those of us in the faith community should be the first responders when it comes to the spiritual, physical, and mental health of all of God’s people,” said Bishop Bruce R. Ough. “Therefore, I am asking every Minnesota congrega-tion to continue to suspend in-person worship through May 30 and to spend that time carefully and prayerfully developing a plan for how to return to in-person worship in a gradual manner while continuing to str ictly adhere to federal and state r ecommen-dations. As we continue to navigate this challenging season, let us remember that God is with us.”

Hello, Friends & Family! Miss you!!!

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really hit home for me, how all of my plans and carefully laid out schedule for sermon series and other things are now all TBD (to be determined) until we can get back to some sort of normal. This is something that I think many of you are feeling as well. We all are grappling with the implications of our “normal” lives being disrupted as many of the places we routinely go during the week are shut down. Many of the activities of this time of year are being postponed, if not outright cancelled. These are things that in my lifetime have never happened before. In my 37 years, school was never cancelled for anything other than for inclement weather, and only one other time for a national crisis and that was 9/11. Like after the events of 9/11, the world as we know it has changed, and like then, it may take a while to get back to normal or something close to it. I also know that this crisis has affected us all in different ways and to differing degrees. I think it is important to acknowledge that while this crisis has had a much greater impact on some of us more so than others, every-one has had their lives in some way disrupted or perhaps even changed forever. My prayers go out for you and please know that we at Open Doors are thinking of you and will be there for you as best we can.

This is where, in my normal newsletter articles, I would try to tell you about how things are going to be good or even great, but today I want to just say that we need to give each other the space to feel as we need to. A while ago, I talked about how God is big enough to take our sadness and anger. Whatever you are feeling right now it’s ok, and God is with us, and if that means you need to cry out or even yell a bit, then do that. In the Psalms, King David often expresses anger at God when he was feeling lost and abandoned, but he also always finds his way to a place of trust and faith in God’s love. Faith is not something that is always easy, but it does leave us room for times of anguish and anger. Faith is trust and belief, but that does not mean we will always be happy about our circum-stances in life. Even Jesus cried out about his feelings of being forsaken when he was on the cross. We are all in God’s great arms and there we can find the space for feeling forsaken if need be. The space is there, but we need also to be able, despite the anger and sadness, to move forward as did King David in trusting in God’s love for us. This may take time and maybe you are not ready yet, but that’s ok because God will be waiting with you and comforting you as you lament and cry out.

When I started to write this yesterday it was cool and gloomy, but now the clouds have passed and it is a sunny day, and this new day feels almost like summer. This is a reminder for me, and I hope for you too, that all things pass and that in God’s will there is a time for all things. Like the cool and gloom of yesterday, in days to come this crisis will pass and we will enjoy warmth and sunshine once again. That is just the way of things and I imagine that is how the Israelites felt as they wandered the desert, but in God’s good time they found home. Let’s all hold on together, because each day we are closer to putting this behind us.

In the hope of Christ, ~ Pastor

(More news from Pastor Chris on next page.)

Pastor’s Letter (Continued from page 2)

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Reopening Church Will Be a Phased-In Process I am sure many of you are wondering when and how we will be reopening for in-

person worship. This is something that I have been planning and I just want to let you know some of what I’ve got so far. We know we will not worship in-person before May 30, as directed by Bishop Ough, but this is a fluid situation that we are playing by ear. We will be listening to what the state and local governments and also the Minnesota Annual Conference tells us are the best practices.

We will be opening in a 3-phase system and our goal is to make sure everyone is safe. In Phase One, we will have in-person service for people who feel comfortable and are

not in the major risk categories. People who are in risk groups and don’t feel comfortable or safe yet will still have the opportunity to worship either online or via our Bevcomm broad-cast, and because this is most of the Kiester congregation, we will likely have to delay in-person worship in Kiester until a safer time. We will be re-assessing this as the month goes on with what the CDC guidelines are for at-risk groups. We will also not have coffee time and will be practicing social distancing and encouraging the use of masks. Things like offering, passing the peace, and communion will be modified to fit what is safe.

Phase Two will keep the social distancing. Things such as coffee time may come back, but with modifications. Extra seating for worship will be set up in the Hospitality (overflow) Room to allow for more distance and ease of exiting the building.

Phase Three will be going fully back to normal, and we will look to have a big celebra-tion with an Easter theme since we couldn’t have as much this year as we normally would.

All of these measures are to help you and stop the spread of the virus. There are no exact dates for the different phases of the plan and we will make changes as needed to keep people safe. Having the stepped phases will make it easier to revert to an earlier phase if necessary, like if this possibly comes back again in the fall.

Virtual Bible Study Beginning Soon The second new item is that I am working on a Zoom-based virtual Bible study that

will look at the book of 1 Peter. This will be a 6-week joint study with my dad, Pastor David Leistra, who lives in Sturgeon Bay, WI. The first week will be an overview/introduction. Then we’ll cover one chapter a week for the next five weeks. I’m looking at Saturdays at 10 or 11 am for about an hour starting May 16. Send me an email or comment on my Facebook postings that you want to join the study and then I’ll give you more details. But this is how it’ll work: you’ll get an e-mail invitation from my dad’s email account about 15 minutes before the start of the study with a link to click on that will bring you right to the meeting. It will be helpful if you download Zoom to your computer before-hand, but it is quick, simple and free. If you have a built-in camera with your computer, that is best, if not, you can still take part, just with the audio, no video. Watch my Monday updates on Facebook Live where I will give more info as it’s worked out.

And finally, please keep watching on Facebook for the Wednesday devotionals and Monday updates, when each week there will be new things I will be showing you as part of “get to know your pastor,” and of course Sunday services.

– Pastor Chris

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Honoring our Graduates

This has been a most unusual school year. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the high school graduates who have missed out on so many of their senior year experiences. Next month, we will honor these students in the OneWay and hopefully recognize them during worship on June 7. The 2020 graduates from Open Doors are Isaac Meyer–USC, Andrew Mersman–Maple River, and Ethan Fickett–USC.

Do you have a child, grandchild, or other relative graduating from high school, college or other educational institution this spring? We would also like to celebrate them and all their efforts by publishing a list in next month’s OneWay. Please give Sarah a call (507-317-4322) by May 20 or e-mail her at opendoorsumc@bevcomm.net and tell her student’s name, relationship to you, school name & city, degree or major if applicable.

Worship Videos Are Now on www.opendoorsumc.org It’s the same quality of video that is seen on Bevcomm cable TV, but the audio is

much better than the Facebook Live recording and there is no cutting out from low internet signal. So, if you’ve been less than happy with the recording on Facebook, listen to the service on our website. You just don’t get the chance to comment in real time and have fun saying good morning to everyone else watching.

We’ve struggled to get the audio perfected on Facebook, and still hope to improve. It’s currently being recorded on an iPhone. We’ve applied for and been accepted for a seed grant of up to $1000 from the Minnesota Conference for assistance in helping us continue to move into the digital world. More on that in the coming weeks. One thing United Methodists have learned during this COVID-19 crisis is that the virtual church is here to stay.

Worship Service on DVD

We are making extra copies of the Sunday service on DVD. They are available in the Kiester church entryway and the Wells church library.

If you’d like to borrow one from the Wells library, call Sarah or Pastor Chris to make arrangements to get one.

In Kiester, there will be several available at the church on the table when you first come in. The Kiester church will be open on Mondays from 10am-2pm, or call Don Nickel to make arrangements. You can return the one you viewed when you pick up the next one.

APRIL 30 –

Connectional Ministries is pleased

to be able to award Open Doors UMC

a “Dare to Reach Grant” of $1000 to

assist your congregation in pivoting to

virtual church.

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Worship Calendar Pastor Chris’s sermons the first three weeks will be following the Common Lection-

ary and will be based on the following scripture passages: May 3 ....... John 10:1-10 May 21 begins a sermon series on The Prodigal God May 10 ..... John 14:1-14 May 21 ..... Luke 15:1-3, 11-32 “Setting the Table” May 17 ..... John 14:15-21 May 28 ..... Luke 15:4-10 “Those Who Listen”

Giving Reminders Several people have signed up for eGiving during this last month. It’s convenient,

saves a stamp, and if you schedule a recurring gift, you’ll never miss a payment. Open Doors truly appreciates your gifts as we all work together to be the church.

We offer convenient electronic giving options that help you make donations from home on a one-time or recurring basis. 1) GivePlus Church is a free mobile app that lets you give anytime, anywhere, right from your smartphone! You can choose whether to donate as a guest or set up an account that allows you to set up recurring donations, store payment information for future gifts and view giving history. 2) Online: You can give online at www.opendoorsumc.org, look for the GIVING button, where you can also choose to give a one-time donation or set up an account for secure, convenient frequent giving. Contact the church office if you need assistance.

Please note: Whether you choose to help by paying the ACH fees or not, there are quite a few less fees associated with withdrawing from bank/savings accounts than paying with credit/debit cards.

3) ACH (or EFT, Electronic Funds Transfer ) requires no computer or smartphone on your part. Simply fill out an application form (download from our website or contact Sarah for a form), turn it into the office, and be assured that your donation will be completed securely and automatically as a direct transfer from your checking/savings account into the church’s bank account.

Non-Electronic Mail: You can mail your donations to Open Doors UMC at 595 1st Ave SW, Wells,

MN 56097. Drop-off: There is a drop-off slot in the northwest door #595 at the Wells church. You can drop your donations in there or any other correspondence you want to leave for Pastor Chris or any of the staff.

Stimulus Check Tithing One of our church friends contacted Open Doors and said she’d received her stimulus

check and would like to tithe (give 10%) to Open Doors. How thoughtful! Thank you!!! If you would like to do the same, some suggestions for where to designate your gift

would be: New microphones, our missionaries (almost $1000 to go yet for our covenant with the Graners); building fund (to fix front steps); new tech equipment for online wor-ship; local missions; or general budget.

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No VBS This June Following recommendations from the Conference, we will not be having VBS this June. We will, however, take another look at it in a month to decide if we’ll try some-thing different later, or have a wing-dinger of a program in 2021.

Part-time Job Opportunity The US Census Bureau is looking for part-time Census Takers this summer. You’d be working in your own town, your own neighborhood. Pay is $16.50/hour. Starting date dependent on stay-in-place order, maybe in June. To apply, go to www.2020census.gov/jobs.

Thank You Aurora Blank expressed her appreciation, similar to many others who have been receiving calls, when she said thank you to the church people who have been calling her. She has greatly enjoyed the talks and appreciates the connection!

Prayer Concerns As spring planting is fully underway,

please remember the farmers and farming community in your prayers;

the families of Darlene Redman, Rocky Wedin, Don Frederick, and others who have recently lost loved ones;

those we know fighting cancer;

the front-line workers in healthcare;

small business owners;

all those who are unemployed;

teachers and students, and parents;

the elderly who are living in isolation;

the people and processes for urgent testing and vaccine development;

animal and dairy farmers who are having to euthanize their animals or dump milk;

essential workers such as grocery store employees, delivery personnel, emergency services, etc;

Our leaders in government,

And so many more people and businesses that are suffering the economic, psycho-logical, or medical effects of the COVID-19 crisis.

If you have concerns you’d like to request prayers for, please contact Pastor Chris. For a multitude of prayers, we can get the Prayer Chains going. Contact Pastor Chris or Sarah Hankerson to initiate a Prayer Chain prayer. The Prayer Chain considers each prayer confidential. If praying is something you could do as a way of helping and would like to be added to the Prayer Chain, contact Sarah.

Rodney “Rocky” Wedin

Born November 6, 1931 Died April 27, 2020

Arrangements are pending. Rodney passed away at Thorn Crest in Albert Lea. Rodney is

the husband of Marlene Wedin, father to Mark (Jennifer) Wedin and grandfather to Hayley, Faith, and Abby Wedin of this congregation.

If you’d like to send a card to the family, mail to: Mark & Jennifer Wedin, 62457 200th St,

Alden, MN 56009

Darlene LaVonne Redman Born March 10, 1926 – Died April 27, 2020

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, a private family service will be held May 1 with burial in Rosehill Cemetery and a Celebration of

Darlene’s Life will be on a future date. Darlene passed away at Water’s Edge Senior Living in

Mankato. If you’d like to send a card to the family, mail to: Jan Redman, 12195 510th

Ave, Wells, MN 56097

Donald W. Frederick Born October 22, 1933 – Died May 6, 2020

Arrangements are pending. Don passed away in Mesa, AZ. Cards may be sent to: Paul & Lori Frederick, 9414 E Nora St., Mesa, AZ 85207.

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MAY 2020 CALENDAR

There will be no

in-person worship or other activities

through May 30, 2020.

But, DO put on your calendar, the following:

Sundays 9:30 am On-line Worship Facebook Live*

Mondays around noon Pastor’s update Facebook Live

Mondays 11am, 6pm TV Worship Bevcomm Cable, ch7

Tuesdays 8pm TV Worship Bevcomm Cable, ch7

Wednesdays 2:30 pm On-line devotional Facebook Live

Weekly, time tbd Youth Group Zoom video

Monday, May 11, 6:30 pm Ministry Council Zoom Video

Thursday, May 21, 6:30 pm Ad Council Zoom Video

Potentially: Sunday, June 7 In-person Worship Open Doors—Wells**

* Once you are logged into Facebook, search for the page for “Open Doors Umc.” At 9:30, the service will begin streaming live. By Sunday afternoon, the service recorded from “the booth” will be uploaded to www.opendoorsumc.org. The booth recording is from a different angle than Facebook Live. It will have better audio, no skipping, but lower visual quality.

** This date is not for sure, as you know everything remains fluid. Face masks will be used. All those in the coronavirus high-risk category (65 and over or with underlying health conditions) may be more comfortable staying at home and continu-ing to use the online worship opportunity. Also, if anyone is not feeling well, we ask you to stay home. Since the congregation in Kiester is mostly in the higher risk category, in-person worship will likely begin in Kiester at a later date. We will contin-ue to monitor the situation and keep you informed. You’re invited to come to Wells if you like.

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The Wells and Kiester units of United Methodist Women will NOT be meeting in May. Keep in touch with each other by phone, though. Make sure each other is doing ok and stay connected! Be a blessing to others.

From Wendy . . . I have been reading a daily chapter of Mercy & Melons by Lisa Nichols Hickman. Mercy & Melons is a collection of lyrical meditations that encourage the reader to pray the alphabet. Each chapter focuses on a letter of the alphabet and an accom-panying spiritual practice. By naming an everyday object and a theological theme, readers are given elegant takeaways to spark the imagination as well as engage the practice of prayer. In the Hebrew acrostic tradition, praying the alphabet served as a pathway to mem-orization as well as a prompt for thoroughness. Even more so, praying the alphabet puts all of the letters into God’s presence for God to arrange the letter of a person’s unspoken prayers.

From the District & Conference: Because of the COVID-19 Pandemic, Mission U and the jurisdictional meeting have been cancelled or postponed. The June 16 District Day Apart in Blue Earth has also been cancelled.

Church Library is a Treasure of Blessings Check our church library at the Wells Campus and get inspiring true stories about

other Christians who have walked the talk….their journey through hardship and challenges. They kept the faith and inspire all of us as we walk with our Lord.

There are many fiction books (shelves between the windows) that will carry you away to another time. And there are study books and DVDs if you wish to continue or carry on a Bible study in your own time.

This month’s United Methodist Women’s book is a collection of short stories. . . .

Wells Campus Collection (Books may be borrowed from either Campus’s libraries.)

Easter Stories: Classic Tales for the Holy Season, by .S. Lewis, Leo Tolstoy, Selma Lagerlof, Oscar Wilde and others

Every one who believes Easter is about more than bunnies and eggs will be grateful for this new collection of short stories that shed light on its deeper meaning. Selected for their spiritual value and literary quality, these classic tales capture the spirit of Easter in a way that will captivate readers of all ages. Parents and grandparents will find that children love to hear these stories read aloud, year after year. (UMW 2015 Reading Program - Spiritual Growth)

Our church library is a treasure of many blessings. Take a peek. To schedule an appointment to visit the church library in Wells during the coronavirus closure, contact Sarah Hankerson (507-317-4322; opendoorsumc@bevcomm.net) or Pastor Chris (920-765-3665; cleistra@dbq.edu). We can accommodate one person at a time in the library.

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A Cry of the Heart By Bishop Rueben P. Job.

O God, the pain is more than I can bear. The Lord is my shepherd.

My cry echoes through a great cavern of emptiness within. I shall not want.

The anguish and violence of the world overwhelms me. He leads me beside still waters.

I am broken, bruised, fragile and weak. He restores my soul.

The future is confusing, frightening, and unclear. He leads me in paths of right-eousness for his name’s sake.

There are enemies all around and within and tension mounts. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for thou art with me.

Incompleteness and weakness continue to plague my life. Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.

All seems lost and I hunger for hope and help. Thou prepares a table before me in the presence of my enemies.

Can anyone heal this brokenness and emptiness? Thou anointest my head with oil, my cup overflows.

Now I remember, I am not alone. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.

I am companioned by the living God. And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

The Lord’s Prayer–Coronavirus Version

By Darren Scruggs

Our Father who art in Heaven hallowed be thy Name Your kingdom come right in the middle of this pandemic and our panic into our living rooms and our Zoom meetings Your will be done in emergency rooms and grocery store aisles in farmers’ fields and governmental decisions Yes, Father, here as it is in heaven Give us this day our daily bread Help us to trust in Your sacred providing and to be sure our neighbors have all that they need Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who are short on patience and long on complaining Lead us not into the temptation to look only to our own interests and deliver us from the evil ways of the wicked ones For Yours is the Kingdom of Care Yours is the Power of Grace Yours is the Glory of Hope Forever and ever Amen

Kids, tune into Cokesbury Kids on Sunday mornings for virtual Sunday School using some of the same Deep Blue material you were using in Sunday School at Open Doors. Go to https://www.bigmarker.com/communities/cokesburykids/conferences It goes live at 9:30 each Sunday morning.

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A Word from our Missionaries Ardell & Gordon Graner report that they are well. They just got news last week that

their 40-day quarantine is going to continue until May 17th. The last time Ardell wrote was Easter and they were 4 weeks into their quarantine. The once crowded streets were empty and the garbage was piling up, but on the other hand, black soot from all the auto exhaust was not entering their apartment anymore. On Easter, the tradition was for everyone to travel to the village of their birth and to the beaches. Some years, the city blocks off streets and hauls in loads of sand and the people set up small plastic swimming pools. On this Easter, it was much like here, no one gathering at the churches, no Sunrise Services, no one travelling at all, everyone worried about everyone else.

Ardell writes this on May 3 from their apartment in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic:

Can we have hope? We as Chr istians know that God is love and compassion and grace and mystery.

I think we are being given a second chance. I believe that God is giving us another opportuni-

ty to live our lives in awareness and compassion, even as our present world is filled with silence, suffering, and death.

Gordy and I have had second chances in our lives. We have been in crisis, confused and hurt. God has opened new doors for us. We have walked through these doors in faith and hope knowing that God still loves us and so many great things have happened.

We are called to Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all

your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind;

and your neighbor as yourself.” And He said to him,

“You have answered correctly; do this and you will live.” Luke 10:27 & 28 (NAS)

We get another chance.

We are to make choices every day. Let us be on our knees to make the most life-giving

choices for all the people of the world, especially those we tend to overlook. The most vulnerable among us include our elderly who are so often neglected and

forgotten. How can we love them in this time of crisis? We are challenged to choose life for the earth; the air, the water, the land, the plants,

the animals and all people. We are all neighbors. We were created to live together and share God’s abundance.

God longs to move in our midst, to respond to the cries of God’s creation.

We are the hands and feet of God. May we respond together.

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MAY NEWS

Hi everyone, I sure do miss you all. Hope you are all healthy and finding great ways to love on others. Some ways to love on others from afar are: telephone calls, sending cards, making pictures and sending to people, sending flowers, painting rocks and leaving on steps (thanks for the great surprise) and praying for each other.

I have really discovered during this time I am a real people person, and I miss the hugs, the talks, laughs, fun, praying together, worshiping together, baking for others and just being amongst you all! I want to share these verses that have helped me see how much God loves us. “When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus forever and ever! Amen.” (Ephesians 3:14-21 NLT)

Did you read how much God love us? When I am feeling sad about all that is going on, I take time to sit and listen to Jesus, and feel the love He has for me. I hope through all of this distancing, you have taken the time to stop, feel and see the love God has for you, too! I pray for everyone to know the love of God fully in your heart and soul, to feel His love, comfort and peace. I pray for everyone’s health, and safety. Prayers for the farmers to get their crops planted and for a successful growing season. Praise and glory to our God who sent his one and only son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life!! In Jesus name, Amen.

Summer Mission trip: After discussing with many people, I’ve decided to cancel the trip to Des Moines with Urban Plunge. Instead, we will have a locally-themed mission trip during the week of June 15-19 or June 22-26. More info will be coming as it gets planned. We will work on the Serve Day projects like the blankets, cancer blessing bags and military boxes, but we will be needing more work projects, so if anyone has anything they’d like our team to work on, such as yard or garden work, windows, painting, etc., let me know.

When we can get together I would like to have one more youth breakfast! I miss seeing you all on Mondays!!

Sandy Youngblom Youth, Children & Family Ministries

photobug0608@yahoo.com 507-525-2401

(Continued on next page)

. . . how wide, how

long, how high, and

how deep his love is.

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Youth and Family News (continued from pg 14)

I am not good at technology, but am glad for Zoom video meetings to connect with the youth!

Anne, Katie and I are making the Serve Day freezer meals and will be delivering to about 25 homes over the next week or two. We’re looking forward to seeing you as we drop off the meals.

Katie and I will be planning for the Women’s Day when we are allowed to gather.

God is good and we need to trust and praise Him through the good, the bad and the unknown!

Blessings to you all, Sandy

UM Camps to Cancel 2020 Summer Camps

May 1, 2020The Dakotas and Minnesota camps’ leadership team has been working closely with local and state health officials, as well as conference and camping industry leadership, to decide how to move forward with camp this summer. After much prayer and consultation, they have made the difficult decision to suspend our conference sponsored summer programs through August 29, 2020 at Northern Pines, Camp Koronis, and Kowakan Adventures.

Make sure to stay connected to camp! Your United Methodist camps will provide opportunities for you to experience some of your favorite traditions and activities virtually. Check out the website camps@campminnesota.org and follow us on social media for the latest information.

The camping staff look forward to seeing you at camp in 2021!

Annual Conference 2020 Rescheduled Due to the current COVID-19 situation, the Dakotas and Minnesota Cabinets and respective Sessions Teams have made the decision to cancel the joint Dakotas-Minnesota Annual Conference, scheduled for June 10-12, 2020 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The plan is for the Minnesota Annual Conference to meet virtually for one day on August 29, with a clergy session the afternoon before. In order to do this, the session will be substantially pared down to focus on what is essential. The theme of the 166th Annual Conference is “Be the Light: Live Hope!” and centers around our gospel imperative to heal a broken world. We are already living out this theme through our COVID-19 Compassion Campaign (see page 16).

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Thanks to the creative efforts of clergy, worship, and outreach teams, church mem-bers are gathering around computer screens, mobile phones and tablets, and radios, and in parking lots. “More than ever before, we now understand that nothing can separate us from God,” says Bishop Ough.

The sharing of ideas, resources, and encouragement across the Minnesota Conference has fueled a spirit of collaboration and possibility in this uncharted territory we are navigating amid COVID-19. But we know ministry goes beyond worship. United Methodists across Minnesota are seeking to be the hands and feet of Christ in their communities. To help us rally that spirit of compassion, we invite you now to help us launch the COVID-19 Compassion Campaign and live into our 2020 Annual Conference theme “Be the Light, Live Hope!” Let us consider how we might spur one another on to share God’s love in new ways.

Here are three key ways you might respond to the vital needs of people in your community:

Making masks Congregation are invited to participate in a confer-

ence-wide “Masks for Minnesota” initiative. Many hospital systems are short on masks and calling for donations. At the same time, as COVID-19 continues to spread, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is now recommending that everyone wear a cloth face mask when out in public. So what would it look like to meet this vital need for people in our churches, our neighbor-hoods, our hospitals, our nursing homes? Mask patterns and ideas for distributing masks can be found on the internet. Keep track of the masks you collectively make and give out. Report your numbers to Sarah at opendoorsumc@bevcomm.net or 507-317-4322/507-553-5453. Final number needs to be reported to the conference by May 22.

MINNESOTA ANNUAL CONFERENCE

Place extra masks you have made in the covered tub near the red Mini Food Pantry on the NW corner of Open Doors UMC-Wells. Masks placed there will be free for Open Doors members or anyone in the community that needs one. Keep track of how

many you make and report to Sarah for the COVID-19 Compassion Campaign at the contact info above.

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Feeding neighbors It is estimated that one in eight children and one in

11 households in Minnesota experience food insecurity, and there has been an increase of food deserts—places where people live without ready access to fresh, healthy, and affordable food. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the need to reach people who are hungry is growing and complex.

How might you meet this real and present need in your community? Be creative and consider one of these ideas:

Continue your church’s existing food ministry in a safe manner; be creative in continuing to serve families while maintaining stay-at-home orders and social distancing guidelines.

Contact your local food pantry and see if you can donate, volunteer to deliver, or distribute food in a safe manner.

Start an emergency food pantry that delivers. Start a take-out meal effort to support local busi-

nesses and feed the hungry.

Acts of kindness Weeks of isolation and social distancing have

increased the need to connect with the lost and lonely. Acts of kindness and connecting with our neighbors in new ways are needed now more than ever.

Consider: Parades of celebration for birthdays, graduations, and other milestones. Card and phone campaigns; no one goes unconnected when they receive a call or card. Protecting the vulnerable in your church and/or community by running errands,

delivering a meal, or providing another vital service. Develop a creative connection activity like a virtual contest or scavenger hunt. This conference-wide “COVID Compassion Campaign” initiative is a continuation of

our commitment to heal a broken world and a tangible way to share God’s love by keeping people in our mission fields healthy and safe.

We urge you to encourage and challenge each other to participate in this effort to collectively make a difference. The Conference office would like to hear your stories, examples, and images. Please share by emailing opendoorsumc@bevcomm.net, sharing on our Facebook page, or texting 507-317-4322. As we continue to celebrate Christ’s resur-rection and a hope that the grave could not contain, we look forward to lifting up and celebrating how we as Minnesota United Methodists have made a difference in the lives of our neighbors.

COVID-19 Compassion Campaign (continued from page 16)

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Church Leadership Meeting Minutes The minutes of the church leadership meetings are published in the OneWay. They will be

subject to approval at the next month’s meeting. Meeting packets of Open Doors UMC are located on the literature table (W&K) and are available for taking.

Administrative Council Minutes – April 13, 2020, 6:30 pm On Monday, April 13, 2020, the Ad Council and Finance Teams of Open Doors UMC met via

Zoom video conference. Attending were Steve Burns, Don Nickel, Pat Druckenmiller, Pat Coy, Sarah Hankerson, Pastor Chris Leistra, Sherry Asmus, Scott Johnson, and via telephone Neil Roesler.

Chairman Steve Burns opened the meeting, which was basically a check-in for where we were with finances and acceptance of the loan from the Payroll Protection Program (PPP loan). Sherry reported that we should hear whether we were approved and for how much sometime this week. The intent with this loan is to keep all employees on at their regular rate of pay. The forgivable loan is to be used for payroll; no more than 25% may be used for expenses other than payroll. The amount applied for is $20,613.68. Pastor Chris said the Albert Lea UMC just got their loan recently.

We had very good giving the first week of April, thanks to everyone for mailing or dropping off their checks. We’ve also had new participants using online giving.

There being no other new business, Pastor Chris closed with prayer.

Next meeting: May 21, 6:30 pm. Recorded by Sarah Hankerson.

Ministry Council Minutes – April 20, 2020, 6:30 pm Members present: Karen Stenzel, Don Nickel, Pastor Chris, Sandy Youngblom, Jan Johanson,

Sherry Asmus, and Sarah Hankerson. Location: Zoom video. Minutes: M2P Don/Sandy to approve the minutes of 3/9/20 as printed.

Evaluate/Old Business: Online worship / Online devotions – Pastor Chris felt they were going alright except for the sound difficulties on the worship service recording. Different things are tried each week but haven’t hit on the right solution yet. Ultimately, we should purchase a video camera and improve the wi-fi signal in the sanctuary. Also, explore putting it on YouTube with a link on our website. There is a Conference grant available now for up to $1000 on technology that Pastor will apply for. (Continued on next page.)

Nursing Homes and Assisted Living facilities have the strictest regulations for the safety of their residents. Residents have not seen family for at least 8 weeks and are now not even able to visit with other residents, as they are mostly restricted to their small rooms. The isolation is beginning to take a toll. Show an act of kindness and give someone a call. Here is a list of our elder members in care facilities:

Shepherd’s Inn: Jan Carlson 553-3483 Marion Redman 553-3907 Mapleton Community Home: Dorothy & David Garver 507-525-5326 Knutson Place: Barb Halvorsen 507-473-2731 Hidden Creek: Betty Somage 507-379-2516

Parkview Care Center: Ruth Lamphier 553-6236 Betty Olson 553-5454 LaVon Wegner 507-525-3170 Karen Widman 553-3374 Alex Assisted Living: Nancy & Frank Vincent 507-339-9346 Thorne Crest Senior Living Marlene Wedin 1201 Garfield Ave,

Albert Lea, MN 56007

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UPCOMING:

Reaching New People

Woman’s Day & CPR Class: These events will be rescheduled as soon as we are able to gather again.

Kiester Days: Has been cancelled for 2020. Normally the end of June.

Growing in Love with God and Neighbor

Worship – other creative ideas, communion, what are people missing: Pastor is planning on having an online communion/Love Feast on the first Sunday of May. People will use bread & juice or whatever drink that they have at home while he gives instructions. Sherry asked about having more music during the services. DVDs of the worship recording are being borrowed at both Kiester and Wells.

Connecting/Phone Calling: Has been very enjoyable for those doing the calling and being called. Learning new things about people.

Back to Worship: May 17 is the first possible Sunday, but we do not know that for a fact. When we do start meeting again, we will block off some pews and rearrange seating so that we can abide by the social distancing rule. We will continue with online worship, as we know there will still be plenty of people uneasy about meeting in a group, and rightly so. We will start with worship and other activities will be added back slowly. A small group would be able to meet with social distancing. We will not plan to do Worship in the Park in Kiester on May 17.

Small Group: Chris is looking into possibilities for hosting a small group in an online forum of some kind.

Children & Youth: Sandy has had good Zoom meetings with the youth, mostly the younger ones. She’s been sharing a Nick Hall quarantine study with them. For children, she’s sending out videos and stuff from Passion Kids. Sarah discovered Cokesbury Kids, an online Sunday School using Deep Blue material that she has shared with families, as well.

Healing a Broken World

Tiny Little Food Pantry–The pantry has been up since the beginning of April and hasn’t seen much use yet, but the word is still getting out.

Summer Mission Trip: Sandy will find out by May 1 if Urban Plunge will be cancelled or not. If it is, she will plan an in-house, local mission week, possibly work on Serve Day projects.

Serve Day: Cancelled Serve Day, but we still have Thr ivent dollars to use. They were extend-ed 3 months from March to June. Discussed whether we could still do the freezer meal project. Sandy will ask Anne if she is still interested in doing them. As long as gloves & masks are used, food should still be ok to give out. Youth could finish up the blanket and blessing bags during the in-house mission trip or sometime. Sherry had a friend who donated so many handmade cards that they can be taken directly to Ronald McDonald House and sent to military people.

Mission A Month: Put on hold. Other: Annual Conference is very likely to be postponed.

During the break between Zoom meetings, Pastor applied for the technology grant from the MN Conference. He has a 1:00 pm consultation with them on Thursday.

Sherry submitted all the paperwork for the PPP loan and thinks we were approved, but still waiting final word.

Next meeting: Monday, May 11, 2020, 6:30 pm. Will determine if it will be in person or via Zoom as we get closer. [Addendum: It will be a Zoom meeting.]

Adjourned 7:50 pm. Recorded by Sarah Hankerson

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WELLS CAMPUS: (Central Office) 595 1st Ave SW, Wells, MN 56097 Office Phone: 507-553-5453 E-mail: opendoorsumc@bevcomm.net Web Site: opendoorsumc.org

KIESTER CAMPUS: 116 North 3rd St., Kiester, MN 56051 Phone: 507-294-3300 Temporarily through May 10: Sunday Worship 9:30 a.m. on Facebook Live and Bevcomm Cable Ch7 Mon. 11am & 6pm; Tues. 8pm

Ministers ......................................... People of the Congregation Pastor .................................................. Rev. Christopher Leistra Office Manager ............................................... Sarah Hankerson Music Ministries Coordinator ................................ Jan Johanson Youth & Family Ministries Coordinator. ......... Sandy Youngblom Custodians ............... LaMar Johnson/Sabrina Hankerson (Wells);

Priscilla Holst (Kiester)

OPEN DOORS UNITED METHODIST CHURCH NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION Central Office PERMIT #15 595 1ST AVE SW U.S. POSTAGE PAID WELLS MN 56097 WELLS, MINNESOTA 56097-1397

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

STAFF

In this issue:

In-Person Worship Suspended ...................... 2

Pastor’s Message ....................................... 2-3

Re-opening Church / Virtual Bible Study ....... 4

Worship Videos Online & DVD/ Graduates ..... 5

Worship Calendar / Giving Reminders .......... 6

Bits & Pieces................................................. 7

May 2020 Calendar ...................................... 8

May Prayer Calendar .................................... 9

UMW News / Library ................................... 10

The Lord’s Prayer / A Cry of the Heart.......... 11

A Word from our Missionaries ..................... 12

Puzzle ......................................................... 13

Youth & Family News .............................. 14-15

UM Camps Cancel / Annual Conference ......... 15

COVID-19 Compassion Campaign ............ 16-17

Nursing Home/Assisted Living Directory ...... 18

Church Leadership Meeting Minutes ........ 18-19

MAY 2020 OPEN DOORS UNITED METHODIST CHURCH