Hutchinson, MN
Photo by Micah Taylor, Creative Commons
The next round of Digging Deeper opportunities begin Sunday, February 24, and run through March 24. We’ve got new options, we’ve got repeated options, and we’ve even got one option that is being continued.
Come learn about Joseph… or C.S. Lewis’s writings… or Holy Communion… or how to play hand bells… or how to raise your kids faithfully. Learn more here.
Mark your calendars for October 28, Reformation Sunday! Faith and Christ the King are inviting all area Lutherans to a special Reformation Festival featuring Dr. Steven Paulson, a great Lutheran teacher. The schedule for the day, with all the details can be found here.
This celebration of the Reformation, however, will actually begin two weeks before. On the two Sundays prior, October 14 and 21, one offering during Digging Deeper at 9:15 a.m. will be The Reformation Rummage Sale.
The 500th anniversary of the start of the Reformation will occur in 2017. As that milestone draws near, this is an important time to evaluate this great heritage that Lutherans, in particular, should know, cherish and pass on to the future generations.
Like a rummage sale, however, Christianity today offers a mix of valued treasures and cheap imitations. And, as anyone who has ever shopped a rummage sale knows, the whole point is to pick out the treasures and avoid buying the imitations.
Come to the Faith Center on October 14 and 21 to learn more about the treasures of the Reformation—and its cheap imitations—and deepen your celebration of our great Reformation heritage on October 28.
This all started when my friend Laura from college sent out an e-mail, asking for school supplies for a school that she was going to be starting in Nigeria. I had been praying about ways that I could give, and two things on her list were Post-It notes and Scotch Tape. Since I work at 3M, I can get those really cheap. My husband Stephen and I met up with Laura on April 4th, 2012 to give her the supplies.
Laura’s church (Grace Evangelical Free Church in Fridley, Minnesota) started a mission in Fiditi, Nigeria, 12 or 13 years ago. It has been a place for training and encouraging the pastors there, as well as other leaders in the church. They also have a farm, growing many tropical fruits. The current public schools have 60 kids in one class – 5 kids sharing one desk. As you can imagine, that is not an ideal learning setting for any child. Some children are able to learn and grow, but the majority of them just make it through the system. There are some good private schools, but they are so expensive that only the very rich can afford it. The education system in Nigeria is also based on route memorization, instead of encouraging creative thought and thinking outside the box. It had been a dream of Laura’s church to start a school, and this fall that dream will become a reality with the Bethel American International School (BAIS). The dream at BAIS is to start a school where children are taught to think and come up with solutions and ideas. It will start out for the “middle class,” with the plans to start a scholarship fund so the poorer children are also able to attend. They are starting the school this fall with 7th graders and their intention is to add a grade each year.
While talking with Laura, she mentioned a need for dorm parents for the school. Most of the high schools in Nigeria are boarding schools, so this would be as well. It crossed my mind that it would be fun to go.
I first became interested in missions as a Senior in high school. At that point I was set on a path to want to become a Hollywood movie star. One Sunday we had a missionary come to our church. That day I felt God tugging on my heart for two things: First, I needed to look into a career that was helping people. I could still use my acting, but I needed to help people in a more hands on way. Second, someday I was going to be doing overseas mission work. Stephen first started thinking about missions in high school as well. There was a missionary from Africa who came to his church. Since then he has dreamed of the possibility of going to Africa and doing missions. He has always had a heart and a desire to help people.
When we talked about getting married, part of what we talked about was serving God together – in full time ministry. I worked as the children’s ministry director for three years at Faith Lutheran and also organized family fellowship and mission opportunities, as well as a family mission trip. Stephen served on the sound and IT team, running sound for worship services (indoor and outdoor) and other special events.
The Bennett Family
When we were in the car heading home from our meeting with Laura, Stephen asked, “Do you want to go?” We talked about it some, and dismissed it, not sure if Laura would want dorm parents with kids. I had to work that night, and I couldn’t get the school off my mind. Stephen asked me questions about it when I arrived home for work, so I e-mailed Laura and asked if dorm parents with kids would work. She said that would be great! The kids (7th graders) coming to the school and being away from home for the first time would probably be missing younger brothers and sisters at home, so it could help for them to have other kids around. Also, we would have the ability to home school our own kids, while the school kids were at BAIS. The job of dorm parents would work for our family. We decided to go.
Temporary dorms at the school, which will be transformed into a hospital.
As the dormitory parents for the school, we will be responsible for the children when they are not in school, planning activities, helping with homework, morning and bed times, doing devotions, and encouraging and uplifting the children. We will also be supervising the dorm staff in making sure cleaning, cooking, and laundry tasks are completed. Stephen is looking forward to using his handyman skills as well, since much of the mission village is still under construction. The school is asking for a year commitment to start, but we are hoping that God leads us there long term. A salary will provide all of our basic day to day needs over there. We will need to raise some support for medical insurance, airfare, training, and some monthly bills we have here (life insurance, student loans, etc.).
Pastor Paul Knudson from Faith Lutheran traveled to Ethiopia in April to attend a conference at the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus – a church with 5.8 million baptized members, 21 synods, and 7,470 congregations. Ethiopia is a nation of 91 million people – 18.6% of which are Protestant Christians.
Pastor Paul will share his reflections about the sharp contrast between wealth and poverty in Ethiopia and his observations of the fierce and vibrant devotion to Christ at Mekane Yesus. Come and hear about Pastor Paul’s travels to Ethiopia at a special Adult Forum this Sunday at 9:15 a.m. in the Greenhouse Space. Here’s a preview of his pictures (there are many more to share!).
We would like to thank The Honorable G. Barry Anderson for presenting and explaining this complicated and popular media topic of Separation of Church and State at Faith Lutheran’s Community Forum on April 23.
Missed the presentation? This Sunday is a second chance to see Judge Anderson. He’ll be at Faith Lutheran Sunday, May 6 at9:15 a.m. in the Adult Forum to explain Separation of Church and State from a Lutheran perspective.
The Honorable G. Barry Anderson
The Honorable G. Barry Anderson, Associate Justice on the Minnesota Supreme Court, will speak at the Community Forum in the Faith Lutheran Sanctuary on Monday, April 23 at 7 p.m. Anderson will dissect Separation of Church and State from a legal perspective.
The Honorable G. Barry Anderson
Anderson was a partner in the Minneapolis and Hutchinson law firm of Arnold, Anderson & Dove, PLLP and served the City of Hutchinson as City Attorney from 1987 to 1998. He was a member of the Minnesota Court of Appeals from August 1998 until his appointment to the Supreme Court in 2004. Anderson’ background includes service as chairman of the Board of Directors of Hutchinson Community Video Network, two terms as President of Hutchinson Rotary Club and a wide variety of other community activities. He is a former member of Faith Lutheran Church and we are thrilled to welcome him to April’s Community Forum.
All community members are invited to attend, as are students from the area schools. Invite your family, friends and coworkers… Feel free to print a poster to advertise the event at your place of business.
Anderson will also look at the topic from a Lutheran viewpoint at the Adult Forum at Faith Lutheran, May 6 at 9:15 a.m.
The Community Forum series is organized and promoted by the Discipleship Team at Faith Lutheran. They are always looking for thought-provoking and insightful individuals to lead speaking engagements. If you know of someone who should present at a Community Forum, contact Julie in the church office at julieg@faithlc.com or 320-234-8403.
The well known author, Pastor Frederick Buechner, once called the Lord’s Prayer a “dangerous prayer” to pray. How can a prayer we so easily say Sunday after Sunday be all that? Radical? Dangerous? Countercultural? A prayer against ourselves? Adult Forums during Lent will wrestle with this dangerous prayer. 
Sundays during Lent, 9:15 a.m. in the Faith Center:
March 4: “Have I Reached the Party to Whom I Am Speaking?”
March 11: “Losers, Keepers”
March 18: “We Tremble Not with Fear”
March 25: “Forgiven Sinners, Forgive Sinners”
April 1: “I am weak, but You Are Strong”
We will celebrate the results so far of the Legacy of Faith… Moving Forward capital campaign on Sun. Feb. 26. Here’s what you can expect at Celebration Sunday:
Thank you to all who have returned a Legacy of Faith… Moving Forward pledge card. If you have not yet responded, please do so as soon as possible. Several new pledges were received last week, so it is not too late to make a commitment. Join us for this special Celebration Sunday!
The Christian landscape has shifted dramatically in recent years and is still unsettled. This new context requires new understandings of mission and how a church like Faith is called to serve others for Jesus’ sake.
Learn more about how Faith is supporting Christ’s mission in the world and how your offerings are used to further that mission Sundays during Adult Forum, February 5-26 at 9:15 a.m. in the Faith Center.
“Are Seminaries and Church Districts Really Mission Work?” –Pastor Randy Freund, Pastor Mark Richardson, and Marsha Schmit
“Can a Publishing House Be a Mission Outpost?” –Pastor Steve King, SOLA Publishing, Maple Lake, Minnesota
“Giving or Receiving? Mission with Missional Churches” –Pastor Paul Knudson
“Mission Fields in Our Back Yards” –Pastor David Christensen, Living Word Lutheran Church, Marshall, Minnesota
Join us in January for a new Adult Forum (Sundays at 9:15 a.m.) series that pursues A.W.E. (Apologetics, Worship and Equipping). We will explore how to recognize the challenges and opportunities our culture poses for effective Christian witness, and we will discuss how to respond faithfully, boldly, honestly and urgently to these challenges.
Apologetics (Jan. 8 ) – How can we make a case for the importance of both knowing and holding up core Christian convictions and values in the face for today’s realities, including religious pluralism, the impact of technology, the current political climate, the economy and the frenzied pace?
Worship (Jan. 15) – We gather for worship in order to praise and glorify the God who gives us life and faith. We recognize that in worship through the living Word of God, Jesus is carrying out his electing work. How do we communicate that worshipping together is the most important thing we do as a community of faith?
Equipping (Jan. 22) – The Great Commission is a command from Jesus that is uniquely given to the church. No other organization will tell the story of Jesus if the church does not, and the same story of Jesus must always be told in new ways. How do we encourage and equip each other in our callings?
Let us stand together in A.W.E! (Jan. 29)