Olive Branch August 2017 Peace United Church of Christ 1503 2nd Ave NE Rochester, MN 55906 ~~~~~~ www.peacechurchucc.org http://www.facebook.com/peaceuccrochester An Open and Affirming (ONA) Congregation Vision: A safe and inclusive church living God’s radical message Communion the first Sunday of the month 8:30 a.m. Traditional Worship 11 a.m. Contemporary Worship NOTE August 6 - ONE service at 10:30 am August 27 - ONE service at 8:30 am OUTDOOR Camping Service at 11 a.m. Hidden Valley Campground, Pine Island Nursery care available during the 11 a.m. worship service Peace United Church of Christ 1503 2nd Ave NE, Rochester, MN 55906 507-282-6117 ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ Inside this issue: August Events 2/3 Faith Formation Info 4/5 August Sundays 6/7 September Events 8/9 ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ EPONDERINGS OF PASTOR BETH . . . Fall approaches, and with it, a return to our regular schedules of ministry with, children, youth, adults, families. It is a wonderful time to reassess where you are engaging in ministry with us here at Peace and so,this month, we want to be intentional about that. Assessment.  Do you have gifts and abilities you would like to highlight? Do you feel called to certain areas of care, or have passion for the environment, legislative action, or art? Maybe you have never thought about the various ministries of Peace because you haven’t had a chance to learn about them. This is the time to assess that.  Talk with your fellow members and see what areas of ministry they engage in.  Does that interest you as well?  If there is a gift or passion you want to share with us that you can’t quite place, contact me and let’s sit down and talk about how you might be called to share that gift.  Many hands make light work, the saying goes.  And here at Peace, lots of engaging and important ministries are in need of more hands, from hosting small groups to assisting in children’s ministry, providing food and fellowship, to worship leadership. This is a church that embraces all, builds community, grows faith and transforms lives.  It is with the love and passion of people like you that all of that happens. As you go through life this month, pause here and there and see what new things are calling you today.  The spirit moves all around us but it takes a conscious thought to discern its path in your life.  What will Peace Church be tomorrow with your gifts and passions? Peace, Rev. Beth Rogers Beth Rogers, Associate Pastor ypastor@peacechurchucc.org http://www.facebook.com/rev.rog Paul Bauch, Senior Pastor On Sabbatical http://www.facebook.com/paul.bauch Check the on-line version of the Olive Branch to see pictures of our June and July events! ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ Page 2 AUGUST EVENTS CUE Offering Month of August Chicago, United, Eden Seminary Fund Theologicial education is at the very foundation of vital churches. Our faith is a living tradition that calls for continual discovery and rediscovery and demands that we equip leaders to interpret the tradition of our own time and place. Never has this call been more important than in these days of change and complexity. Chicago, United and Eden Seminaries are dedicated to the work of strengthening churches by educating leaders who will serve congregations and communities around the world with compassion and justice. Help us support these seminaries during the month of August. There will be a bucket as you enter the Sanctuary where your donations can be placed. Movie & Discussion Friday, August 11 6:30pm ~ Fellowship Hall Join us to watch the movie Under the Same Moon.  This movie illuminates the plight of undocumented immigrants.  Rosario played by Kate del Castillo is undocumented and living and working in the United States to provide a better life for her son Carlitos who remains in Mexico. Longing for his mother, Carlitos stows away on a van that is headed for the border.  An already treacherous journey becomes even more so when Carlitos is separated from his smugglers.  This movie puts a human face on the dilemma of undocumented immigrants from Mexico living and working in the United States and the loved ones back home they’re supporting.  There will be discussion after the movie. Sanctuary/Immigration Discussion Sunday, August 13 9:45am ~ Fellowship Hall At our May 7, 2017 special congregational meeting, we voted and approved ... "our intent to move forward to becoming a sanctuary or sanctuary-supporting church..."  Throughout the summer the Sanctuary Education team has been sharing information on what the Sanctuary movement is about.  On Sunday, August 13, you are invited to attend an immigration discussion between services in our Fellowship Hall.  Sunday, August 27 11am Worship Outdoors with Peace United Church of Christ Everyone is invited to join our other church family members who are camping at Hidden Meadows Campground for our outdoor worship at 11:00am. Details forthcoming. If you still want to reserve a camping spot, contact Debby (282-6117) as soon as possible. Gift of Love and Healing Art Exhibition and Presentation Sunday, August 20 9:45 - 10:45am ~ Fellowship Hall Gift of Love and Healing Art is an exhibit of acrylic paintings by artist Lavonne Lovstad based on the music and lyrics of “Lover of Us All” by composer Dan Schutte. Through a form of intuitive painting, the artist explores the nature and aspects of the Sacred Feminine Personal and collective in nature, the paintings touch the spirit, the souls, and the thoughts of viewers bringing healing through divine love that is pure, balanced, uplifting, gentle, strengthening and unconditional. We’re excited to display Lavonne’s paintings at Peace from Sunday, August 6 through Sunday, August 20. Lavonne will join us on Sunday, August 20, from 9:45 - 10:45am with a presentation on some of her works. Lavonne is educated in art, art education, art therapy, spiritual direction and reiki with over 40 years of varied professional experience. Her passion is exploration of the Divine Mystery through the arts and life itself. ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~ Page 3 Since 1985 Rochester has commemorated these events in an annual Peace Lantern Floating Ceremony. We remember those days and renew the mesage that promoting peace in the world is as important as ever. Come enjoy a summer evening of community starting with music and brief speeches, followed by a time for the whole family to make lanterns to float on Silver Lake at dusk.  WHERE: East picnic shelter at Silver Lake (In case of rain, the event will be held at Peace United Church of Christ in the Fellowship Hall)  WHEN: Thursday, August 10th 6:30 pm: Gather to make lanterns; materials and instructions for making lanterns will be provided 7:15 pm: Ceremony followed by lantern floating at sunset SPEAKERS: Mayor Ardell Brede and Dr Ahmed Nassr MUSIC: DKM and Omni Drummers Grace in the Margins IV Journeys in Healing Thursday, August 17 7:00pm B’nai Israel Synagogue (150 7th Avenue SW, Rochester) This year’s event theme - “Journeys of Healing” - reflects on the distinct and difficult paths of struggle, growth, and healing that our youth have traveled thus far. You’ll hear the personal stories and experiences from our participating youth; keynote address will be given by Karl Rist. There will be a donation booth and light refreshments following the event. This year’s “Grace in the Margins” event will raise funds to help youth in their journeys out of poverty, incarceration, and addiction toward a vibrant and sustainable future for themselves and future generations. “Grace in the Margins” is a valuable opportunity to hear directly from some of our community’s most vulnerable youth, while celebrating their remarkable journeys and the dedicated work of Project Legacy. For more information, visit: projectlegacymn.org Fellowship Family Picnics Wednesdays in August 6pm Through August, we invite everyone to join us each Wednesday at 6pm at a local park.  Bring your own food and fellowship with others while kids play!  Aug 2 – Bear Creek (1237 Marion Rd SE) Aug 9 – Castle Park (900 George Gibbs Dr SW) Aug 16 – Cooke Park (722 7th St NW) Aug 23 – Essex Park (5455 W River Rd NW) Aug 30 – Goose Egg Park (199 8th St NW) ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~ Page 8 COMING IN SEPTEMBER Sunday, September 3 ONE Service @ 10:30am with Communion Sock Hop Saturday, September 9 6:30 - 9pm Fellowship Hall Join us on Saturday as we ‘kick’ off our fall programming with a music-filled sock hop! Dance to familiar tunes and have fun! Rally Day September 10 8:30 & 11am Worship 9:45am Faith Formation Begins! 12pm Fellowship Lunch Returns! Opportunity Fair Sunday, September 17 9:45 - 10:45am Fellowship Hall Come and learn about all the fun ways you can get involved in the ministries here at Peace UCC! Peace Lantern Ceremony - August 10 Remembering the 72nd anniversary of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, with music, crafts, and reflection ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~ Page 9 Ongoing Peace Groups Tuesday Morning Men of Peace Group @ 7am - Peace Room (All men are invited to join us for fellowship and discussion which generally focuses on the upcoming worship scriptures.) Tuesday Morning Women’s Group @ 10am - Peace Room (All women are invited to join us for fellowship and discussion.) Resuming in September Tuesday Beverage & Bible @ 5pm - Glynner’s Pub (Tuesdays, from 5-6pm at Glynner’s Pub [1643 Broadway Ave N] & we’ll gather for fellowship and discussion.) Thursday Morning Women’s Group @ 7am - Peace Room (Reading and discussing “The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself by Michael A. Singer.”) Twice Monthly Race Forward - The Dwelling (Everyone is welcome to attend this group as we explore our blind spots and open up the uncomfortable discussion of race and privilege.) Resuming in the Fall. Miriam Ministry @ 9:30am - Kick Off Gathering @ Baker’s Square North (ALL WOMEN are welcome to join us on Wednesday, August 23 @ Bakers Square North. This event will kick off our monthly gatherings - the 4th Wednesday of each month in the Peace Room. Please call Delores Koelsch 282-6373) by Monday, August 21 to confirm your attendance.) Quilter’s Group - Thursday @ 10am-3pm & 1st Saturday of Month 10am-11:30am in Room 104 (For additional information contact Mary Karlstad) Family Play Dates - Join us monthly for family play dates for kids of all ages! For more information contact the Welcome Desk. Next scheduled playdate: August 19th 9:30 to 11:30am. Fellowship Lunches - Weekly, after the 2nd Service, Teams provide and prepare Fellowship luncheons for anyone wishing to stay for lunch. For more information on being a part of assisting on a Team, visit the Welcome Desk. YOUTH RELATED DATES: August 19th: Faith Formation Room Preparation Day 12-3pm September 9th Faith Formation Teacher Training 1-3pm in Fellowship Hall September 10th Welcome Back Sunday: Faith Formation Starts Youth Mission Trip Sermon September 17th Confirmation Family Meeting: following Fellowship Lunch October 8th Confirmation Starts: following Fellowship lunch October 8th K-1st grade Our Whole Lives (OWL) Parent Meeting (during Faith Formation) October 22nd K-1st OWL Starts ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ AUGUST SUNDAY SEVICES SUNDAY SERVICE COUNCIL IN CHARGE MUSIC FELLOWSHIP LUNCH 6 with Communion ONE SERVICE 10:30am Mark Wieland Joy ONEVOICE n/a 13 8:30am Marie Neher Special Music 11:00am Marie Neher Peace ONEVOICE n/a 20 8:30am Marie Neher Special Music 11:00am Marie Neher Joy ONEVOICE n/a 27 ONE Service at Peace 8:30am Marie Neher Special Music n/a Campground Service 11:00am Financial Update Hey church family – look closely at the numbers below – they are concerning! Please continue to honor the pledges made for the year. As predicted, summer months have had a significant drop in pledges. Unfortunately the expenses of our church do not disappear in the summer. Be sure to check your individual giving and stay on top of what you pledged. A good way to do this is by using eGive. This is also the preferred method of payment for the office, information here, or contact the office for assistance. Anything extra is certainly welcomed to help cover our deficit. Thanks, Lynn Alcock, Financial Liaison May June YTD Pledges Budgeted $35,417 $35,417 $212,500 Actual Pledges rec'd $30,791 $25,130 $190,603 Difference -$4,626 -$10,287 - $21,897 Birthdays 1  Jody Morbeck  2 Cheryl Dirksmeyer  3  Deb Arneson, Gary Karau , Kenyatta Kruetzfeldt 4 Kira Edmonds  6 Micaela Buda  7   Jacob Trachsel, Greta Oetliker  8 Anne Lilleskov, Gavin Hollar  9  Mandie Theuer, Lacey Strauss  Kari Siewert, Lacey Strauss 10  Emily Balloy, Melinda Basballe   France NelHoff , Seb NelHoff 11 John Franklin, Zach Nevala  12   Sid Euler  13 Ryan Fritz 14  Aaron Wells,  Paul Bauch  15  Fred Schnell, Randy Markee    Phyllis Holloway  18  Erland Karlstad, Grant Kesselring  19  Anne Scherer, Terry Miller  Michele Hanenberger  20  Jill Savage, Glenn Eichhorn 21  Joanne Roeber, Lilly Poterucha    Nadine Christie  22  Anika Hall, Rosalie Poterucha    Laura Potts, Nick Peterson  23  Laurie Klein  24  Brenda Rogerman, Alan Streiff  25  Buck Lenz  26  Gloria Liebenow, Michelle Jerabek  Randy Stevens, Shelia Boss, DeAnn Hines, Reed Peterson  27  Emily Schmitt  28  Marcella Swan, Susan Graves-Johnson, Jeff Poterucha  29 Kendra Laughlin 30  Maxine Pfeifer, Nicole Ramaker Dianne Barker, Brody Lenz  31 Christian Markee ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ Last Page REMINDER!! JOIN US FOR ONE SERVICE August 6th @ 10:30am August 27th @ 8:30am September 3rd @ 10:30am Join in for Fellowship Time Just so you know… The deadline for the bulletin is Wed at 9 a.m. every week. The deadline for PowerPoint announcements are Thursdays at Noon. Please submit all articles for the next issue of the Olive Branch by the 15th of the month to the Church Office or email to office@peacechurchucc.org. It’s Back . . . WORKSHOP ROTATION!! This fall we will be returning our Faith Formation to Rotation-based curriculum around the theme of Compassion, and we want your help in making it come alive!  What is Workshop Rotation? In Workshop Rotation Faith Formation, we teach the same Bible story for 4 to 5 weeks in a row to all our elementary students. Each week, classes rotate into a new and unique workshop (art, games, drama, cooking, etc.). However, teachers stay-put in the workshop of their strength, repeating their lesson each week to a new group, while adapting and improving their lesson during the "rotation."  Why Rotate? By slowing down the rate of story change, the Workshop Rotation Model deepens the student's experience and memory, while allowing the teachers to get creative and not have to prepare entirely new lessons each week. Bible literacy improves when the same story is taught through different workshops over four to five weeks. Each workshop focuses on a different creative learning style or "intelligence," which broadens memory. Teacher preparation time is reduced from every week to every four or five weeks. This also allows the teacher to improve their lesson and consider more creative approaches because they aren't having to come up with something new each week. Teachers are recruited for the workshop of their strength and choice in four- to-five week commitments.  Traditional boring classrooms become transformed into fun, inventive workshops. Students anticipate something new each week and teaching supplies and equipment are organized by workshop instead of being scattered across classrooms and closets. Fewer stories means less curriculum costs. Over time, we will learn to create our own curriculum. Money previously spent on curriculum can be re-directed toward attractive decor and teaching resources. What our curriculum will look like depends on the strengths of our congregation.  Several new leaders have already been approached and we hope to seek out more in the coming weeks.  If you have gifts to share with kids, please speak to Beth to try out leading a rotation. Leaders are wanted to help lead games, come up with dramatic opportunities for the kids to engage the story, connect a science lesson to the story, or a cooking project, teach kids to knit or tie blankets or other options in a service activity, and more.  If you have something to share, we want to talk to you! Please note: Age group specific Shepards follow children throughout Rotations, assisting in “crowd control” and providing continuity for the children. Faith Formation times will follow a pattern each week to allow for all kids to have time in each session, but also have time together as a group to delve into the questions each story brings up, and learn with peer to peer sharing. What are we going to teach? Which rotations we have for each topic will vary depending on what the text lends itself to.  To start, we are planning on the following rotations this year: Science, Cooking, Art, Games, Drama, and Service Activity.  Using rotation will allow us to engage all of our congregation in the mission work we do by completing some service activities during faith formation a few times a year.  Rotation Example: (refer to the on-line graphic version for details) Session Outline: All ages begin together in Music Room Storyteller and Music: 20 minutes Wondering Questions / Introduction to Rotations / Opening Prayer: 2-5 min Break into Groups: Led by Rotation Leaders - 30 minutes Closing Prayer in sessions: Led by Rotation Leader/Shepherds - 5 minutes What stories are we going to tell? Our set of stories for this year will come from Illustrated Children's Ministry with our art project for each session focused around a collaborative coloring session on a large poster we can hang when the session is finished.   Deuteronomy 10:12-22: You Were Immigrants Once (Sept 10-Oct 15) Luke 10:25–37: The One Who Showed Mercy (Oct 22-Nov 19) Advent Special Session TBD (Dec 3-17) Matthew 25:31-46: Lord, When Was It We Saw You? (Jan 7 – Feb 11  Micah 6:6-8: Do Justice, Love Kindness, Walk Humbly Feb 18-Mar 18 Matthew 9:35-38: Jesus’ Compassion April 8 – May 13