Emphasis One: We Are Church

Brothers and sisters in Christ,

Have you ever wondered that it means to be the Church? Or,

what it means to be Lutheran for that matter? Presiding Bishop

Elizabeth Eaton has written a wonderful four-part study that takes

a good look at what she calls the “Four Emphases” of our Chris-

tian faith. Specifically, “We are Church. We are Lutheran. We

are Church Together. And, We are Church for the Sake of the World.” With fall here, many of us

will be settling in and enjoying the cooler weather indoors. This makes it an ideal time to highlight

some of her thoughts over the next four months for prayer and reflection.

This study came to be because as Bishop Eaton served as a synodical bishop she was concerned

that the church was edging toward seeing itself more as a nongovernmental organization or non-

profit similar to organizations like the American Cancer

Society. She knew that we are much more than that.

We are church. We are Christ’s living, breathing body

here on earth. Through our baptismal call and commis-

sion, we are to go out into the world and share the love

of Christ will all people as a witness to his presence in

our lives. We do so empowered by the Holy Spirit acti-

vated in us at our baptism. This month, I want to share

with you some of Bishop Eaton’s writings on “We are

Church.”

“Emphasis One: We Are Church”

“How is the church the assembly of saints? What are

signs that the gospel is purely taught?

We use the word “church” to describe several related

but different things. Sometimes we mean organization

or institutions of varying sizes and scope that have a

constitution and bylaws, plus property, procedures and

payrolls. Sometimes we mean a building or a public

activity that takes place in that building—that is, wor

We are Church continued on page 3

A u g u s t a n a L u t h e r a n C h u r c h | G r a c e f o r t h e J o u r n e y

520 University Avenue

Grand Forks, ND 58203-3575

Phone: (701)775-3187

Email: augustanachurch@msn.com

Website: www.augustanachurchgf.org

Facebook: Augustana Lutheran, Grand Forks

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A monthly publication of Augustana Lutheran Church | www.augustanachurchgf.org

October 2020

Important: Dated Material—Mailed September 30, 2010

Interested in a Book & DVD Study this Fall?

by Pr. Roger Brockmeyer

Ever used one of these sayings: "Everything happens for a reason," "God

helps those who help themselves", “God won't give you more than you can

handle", "God said it, I believe it, that settles it", "Love the sinner, hate the

sin”." If you have, you might be interested in studying this short, very readable

book by Adam Hamilton, Half Truths, God Helps Those Who Help Themselves

and Other Things the Bible Doesn't Say” which includes DVD segments to en-

hance the study

times.

They are simple phrases. They sound

Christian - like something you might find

in the Bible. They capture some element

of truth, yet they miss the point in im-

portant ways.

If you are interested, contact the Church

Office to secure a copy for the 5 - 6 ses-

sions needed to cover the book.

Thursday October 15-November 19th

Time: 6:30 pm

Social Distancing in the Sanctuary

(please wear a mask)

Virtual Option May Also be Available

Upon Request

A heartfelt “Thank you!” for all of your pray-ers, cards, and other expres-sions of grati-

tude marking my 5th anniversary of call here at Augustana! What a joy it is to walk alongside of you during this time! Together, we are the Body of Christ as we love and care for one another, and reach out to serve our neighbors and beyond.

~ Blessings, Pr. Jo

October,

November, &

December

Christ in Our

Home

The October, November,

and December Christ in

Our Home is available in

the Church Office. If you

would like a copy, stop

by the office and pick

one up, or call the Church Office and ask that one

be sent to you.

Augustana supports and sponsors several community outreach opportunities and request your

help. There are marked baskets and collection boxes in our Narthex. Items in the boxes are

collected periodically. Thank you for your continued donations to these ministries.

St. Joseph’s Social Care, Northlands Rescue Mission, and Salvation Army Food Pantry:

Collections of food, health and beauty items (including laundry supplies and baby supplies).

Place your items into the shopping cart in the Narthex and they will be delivered.

The Dakota Science Center: Recycle your ink cartridges - Proceeds fund science education

for youth.

Sons of Norway: The Sons of Norway collects cancelled stamps for the TUBFRIM pro-gram. Postmaster Ditlef Frantzen in Nesbyen, Norway established TUBFRIM in 1928. The aim was to collect and sell used stamps and use the proceeds to aid the eradication of tuberculosis among Norwegian children. TUBFRIM is owned by the Norwegian Health Association. Today profits are used to help children and youth with disabilities. Cut stamps off envelopes leaving 1/8 to ¼ inch of envelope around the stamp. A collection box for stamps Is located in the Narthex.

Texas Roadhouse Sunday

Bulletin Fundraiser

Now when you dine at Texas Roadhouse on Sunday, take your Sunday Bulletin and 10% of your meal cost will be donat-ed to Augustana by Texas Roadhouse. Just give your bulletin to the person tak-ing your payment.

Support Augustana Lutheran Church While You Shop

at Amazon!

Did you know that you can now support the

Augustana Lutheran Church ministries when

you make an Amazon online purchase? Shop

via https://smile.amazon.com and select

Grace for the Journey (Augustana’s

Recovery ministry) when you check out. A

portion of your purchase price will be donated

back to our ministry.

Thank you for your continued support!

Augustana Elected Leadership

President: Emily Fossen

Vice President:

Secretary: Diane Hillebrand

Treasurer: Dave Jahnke

Council Members:

Taycee Butts

Ruth Christianson

Kelly Eggen

Dianne Haugen

Jim McIntyre

Laura Munski

Reed Olson

Advisor to the Council:

Diana Randall

Nominating Committee:

Marlyce Ballingrud

Joanne Bragg

Jan Flatin

Judy Pitts

Kathy Smart

Lee Smith

Synod Assembly Delegrates:

Roger & Susie Brockmeyer

Dianne Haugen (alternate)

Carol Snortland (alternate)

Red Willow Bible Camp Ambassadors:

Roger Brockmeyer

Dennis Laudal

Grand Forks Homes Representative:

Penny Millspaugh

Join us for

“Campus Ministry Sunday”

October 4th at 10:00 am

(in-person or over Facebook Live)

We are pleased to welcome a member of Christus

Rex Lutheran Campus Center at UND with us dur-

ing Worship to share their story and how God is at

work through this ministry.

Thank you to Ruth Roos for helping get

the September Messenger ready to mail.

Thank you to Ruth Roos and Beverly Strom-

stodt for putting together the school kits to be

sent to Lutheran World Relief.

Thank you to Dave and Judy Jahnke for

the pumpkins used to decorate.

Thank you to Dave Jahnke, Harold Ran-

dall, Lee and Carla Smith, and Wayne Spicer

for putting the soil around the foundation,

seeding & fertilizing.

Thank you to the Larry Berg family for the

lawn care this summer.

Thank you to Harold Randall for continued

upkeep of our landscaping.

Thank you to Laura Munski for caring for

the plants in the Church Library.

Sarah Circle will meet

October 20th at 1:00pm

in the Social Room.

Anna Circle will not meet at this time. We will let you know

when we will resume our monthly meetings.

Sponsor Our Live Stream

Worship Services

Are you interested in helping to sponsor a Sun-

day morning live stream Worship service? At

the July Church Council meeting, it was

decided to continue our live streaming services

even with the church doors provisionally open.

This decision was based on the participation of

the Livestream viewing each Sunday. Estimat-

ed costs to broadcast these services are

$25.00 per week.

If you would like to sponsor a weekly broadcast,

there are sign up sheets on the “post” in the

Narthex next to the Missionary sign up sheets.

You may also indicate if your sponsorship is

Honor of or in Memory of someone. Sponsor-

ship will be announced each week during the

Welcome and Announcement portion of Wor-

ship. Thank you for your prayerful support of

our services.

We Say “Thank You!” to our

Livestream Worship Broadcast

Sponsors

Jane Johnson in Memory of

Keith Johnson and Brad Johnson

Wayne Spicer in Memory of

Sherry Bostrom Spicer

Lowell & Marian Nelson in Honor of

Jozy’s liver donor

Harold and Diana Randall

Cliff & Betty Purpur

Omer Larson

Todd Ekren

Worship at 10:00 am: In person/public

worship continues following CDC guidelines.

These include:

Social Distancing

Wearing Masks (available at all

entrances)

Sanitizing Hands

Check our website or call the Church Office

for a complete list. As of this writing, it has

gone well. Our Council will continue to mon-

itor CDC guidelines and make adjustments

moving forward.

October Altar Guild

Phyllis Tweton - Jan Flatin

Marlyce Ballingrud - Ruby Curbello

Please be assured, the Altar Guild prepares the

Communion elements during this time following

CDC guidelines. They wash their hands, and

wear masks and gloves for your safety.

Both Audio and Video

Live Stream Continue

Just a reminder that during this time of social

distancing we now have 2 different ways to

join in on Sunday morning Worship at

10:00 am. Either listen to our Worship ser-

vice, or watch the service through live stream-

ing via our Facebook:

“Augustana Church, Grand Forks”

or our website:

augustanachurchgf.org.

A PDF version of our weekly bulletin is also

linked to our website.

Especially during this time,

we thank you for remembering

Augustana Lutheran Church

with your continued financial support.

Your prayerful financial tithes, gifts and of-

ferings help to support our day-to-day and

ongoing ministries. Your gifts may be

dropped off at or mailed to the Church Of-

fice. You may also give online through our

website: www.augustanachurchgf.org

Online Giving

Creative Circles Update—Tentative January Start

Creative Circles have been on hold since April due to COVID-19. We were

not able to have our “reopening” session on Wednesday, September 16th

with Prairie Harvest, but we are looking at meeting in January, but no deci-

sion has been made yet. We will let you know when this session will be held.

Thank you for your continued patience and prayers. ~ Pr. Jo & Lori

Quilting Will Meet October 14th &15th

Augustana’s Quilters met Monday and Tuesday,

September 14th

and 15th. It was nice to have this

group “in house” again. They will be meeting Octo-

ber 12th

and 13th

Come and join the quilters for

some creative fun and fellowship. Bring your own

~ What’s Happening at Augustana ~

Thursday, October 1st

6:00 pm Hospitality Team Sunday, October 4

th 8:45 am Choir Practice

10:00 am Livestream and In-person Worship 11:15 am Confirmation Orientation Meeting ` 3:00 pm Way of Life Monday, October 5

th 6:00 pm TOPS

Sunday, Octobe11

th 10:00 am Livestream and In-person Worship

11:15 am Property Team 3:00 pm Way of Life Monday, October 12

th 9:00 am Quilting

6:00 pm TOPS Tuesday, October 13

th 9:00 am Quilting

5:15 pm Near North Neighborhood Meeting 6:15 pm Executive Council 6:30 pm Church Council Thursday, October 15

th 6:30 pm Half Truths Book Study in Sanctuary

Sunday, October 18

th 8:45am Choir Practice

10:00 am Livestream and In-person Worship ` 3:00 pm Way of Life Monday, October 19

th 6:00 pm TOPS

Tuesday, October 20

th 1:00 pm Sarah Circle in the Social Room

Thursday, October 22 Articles due for the Messenger 6:30 pm Half Truths Book Study in Sanctuary Sunday, October 25

th 8:45 am Choir Practice

10:00 am Livestream and In-person Worship ` 3:00 pm Way of Life Monday, October 26

th 6:00 pm TOPS

Thursday, October 29

th 6:30 pm Half Truths Book Study in Sanctuary

Sunday, November 1

st Daylight Savings Time Ends—Turn Clocks Back 1 Hour

Fall Into Giving—LWR Baby Care Kits As a physical offering, Augustana is collecting items to make Baby Care Kits for Lutheran World Relief. Our aim is to assem-ble 24 Care Kits to send. Many items have already been gath-ered thanks to donations, flannel from the Quilters, and Thrivent Action funds. To meet our goal, your help is appreciated!

We are still in need of the following items to complete our kits: Lightweight cotton t-shirts (no onsies) Baby gowns or sleepers without

feet Jacket, sweater, or sweatshirt with

a hood (or include a hat) Baby socks Bath size bars of gentle soap (8-9

oz.) any brand, in original wrap-ping

Hand towels—darker colors pre-ferred

We thank Thrivent Action funds for assisting with purchasing these items. Donations can be dropped off in the Church Office. We also welcome your financial gifts. Dona-tions can be placed in the offering plate, dropped off or mailed to the Church Office. Please put “LWR kits” in the memo line. Completed kits will be shipped to Lutheran World Relief October 12-16

th.

God’s Work. Our Hands 2020 Challenge Recap ~ by Pr. Jo Gast

God’s Work. Our Hands

Sunday met with some won-

derful service project by Au-

gustana folks. Together, we

put together 2nd

Anniversary

gift baskets for the LaGrave

on First residents, tie-dyed facial masks that were giv-

en to LaGrave, our Sparklers, and others. We served

as good neighbors and helped with

outings. And, we did fall clean up

chores at the Boy Scouts of America building.

We are Church continued from page 1

ship—and maybe we mean both when we ask,

‘Are you going to church on Sunday?’ All

these uses are related to what is closer to the

heart of what the word ‘church’ means—namely—

people.

But which people and what kind of people are

they? Sometimes we talk as if it were our reli-

gious commonalities—shared convictions, a com-

mon tradition or history, similar spiritual experienc-

es—that make a church what it is. We talk as if

church were the people we choose—the people

who are like us, who share our benefits and pas-

sions, our commitments. . . and maybe our musi-

cal and artistic tastes in worship.

Is that it? Is that church? The New Testament

writers used a word for church—ekklesia—whose

root meaning was ‘called out.’ Yes, ‘church’

names a people who have been called out or cho-

sen, but the one doing the choosing makes all the

difference. According to the New Testament, the

church is the people God has chosen for God’s

own purposes.

Human choices about church can be foolish, fick-

le, self-serving, even exclusionary and divisive.

Too often the groups we choose are something

far less than the people God has chosen for life

together in Jesus Christ. We still make all kinds of

choices, but what makes us church is God’s gra-

cious, reconciling, liberating choosing.

Much is given to us in God’s choosing us. Per-

haps most important of all is a reconciled relation-

ship with God in Jesus Christ that is the founda-

tion for everything else that we are in all of life.

Who we are and what we do—it comes to us

freely in Jesus Christ.” (Bishop Elizabeth Eaton)

Scripture to Reflect On:

1 Corinthians 11:23-26

1 Corinthians 12:4-27

Ephesians 2:11-22

Go in peace. Serve the Lord, ~ Pr. Jo

Confirmation Orientation

Meeting for

Teens and Parents

There will be an orientation meeting for this

year’s Confirmation on

Sunday, October 4th at 11:15 am.

We will social distance in the Social Room

(please wear a mask).

Topics to be discussed include:

online or in-person sessions,

day and times,

and expectations for the coming year.

Make sure to come, and bring your ideas!

~ Taycee Butts & Pr. Jo

Saturday Night, October 31st

Website: www.augustanachurchgf.org

Facebook: “Augustana Lutheran, Grand Forks”

Email: augustanachurch@msn.com

Phone: 701-775-3187

New Children’s Books for

Cozy Fall Reads

Pickles the Dog: Adopted by Kat Socks - Adopting a

pet from a shelter is not only exciting, but it's truly a feel

good experience as well. Join Kat and her family as they

bring their adopted dog, Pickles, home to their family

farm. Kat and Pickles work together to make the move fun.

When God Made You by Matthew Paul Turner – Full of col-

orful pictures, this book will help children know that they are deeply loved and a

unique creation in our big universe is certain to help them spread their wings and

fly. It will help children to learn about their own special gifts and how they fit into

God’s divine plan as they grow, explore, and begin to create for themselves.

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares

- there are 5 books in this series. Four friends find that a pair

of jeans from the thrift store fit each of them perfectly, even though each of the

friends are of a different shape and size. In this series of books we follow the

friends through their lives, the ups and downs, and many details along the way.

Sparklers Continue Online ~ by Pr. Jo Gast and Faith Formation team

A new season of Sparklers has begun with online

learning opportunities. We plan to continue in this

way until parents and Council feel it is safe to once

again gather in person.

This year, we shifted to the Whirl Lectionary resource

from Sparkhouse Publishing. This resource offers

both learning leaflets (that are hand delivered each week) along with videos posted weekly to our

website. Whirl Lectionary follows each Sunday’s scripture readings and themes for Whirl, and help

the children learn about the church season. In addition, we have a

local “check in” video for parents and students to view. All online

resources are password protected for families due to copyright

agreements.

Bible Presentation & Blessing Sunday

On Sunday, September 27th we had the joy of blessing and presenting

age appropriate Bibles to 13 of our Sparklers and Confirmation youth.

Due to most families still worshiping with us online, “house calls” were

made after worship to drop them off bringing many smiles from chil-

dren and parents! Also, just an invitation that if your child is in need of

a Bible, please let the Church Office know and we’ll get you one. Continue to keep these children

and their families in your thoughts and prayers.

Keagan Schmidt Cooper Taylor Jerzee Aaker, Ruby Batzer, Reese Heggen

Olivia Paulette

Alyssa Hager

Backpack & LWR School Blessings

On Sunday, September 20th we offered blessing prayers for our

youth and their backpacks as they begin another school year.

Each child was gifted with a “God’s God Your Back” tag as a re-

minder that everyone at Augustana is praying for them. In addi-

tion, we also prayed for approximately two dozen school kits as-

sembled for Lutheran World Relief.

These kits will soon head off to be

utilized by other children throughout

the world. Thank you all for your do-

nations making this possible!

Isabella Gaule

Corey Dazell Blaine Bulger Katie & Lexi Clinton Kyriee Schmidt

Remember!! email: Jan & Tess each week

at augustanasparklers@yahoo.com

and let them know you finished your lesson.

You’ll receive a special treat in your

next packet!

More Books for the Church Library ~ Check Them Out!

There are many new books that have not yet been entered in the library software that are availa-

ble to check out and enjoy. These books are available on the book cart in the Office. Let Lori in the

Church Office know which ones you are taking and an approximate return date.

The Answer is…Reflections on My Life by Alex Trebek - The book com-

bines illuminating personal anecdotes with Trebek’s thoughts on a range of

topics, including marriage, parenthood, education, success, spirituality, and

philanthropy. Trebek also addresses the questions he gets asked most often

by Jeopardy! fans, such as what prompted him to shave his signature mus-

tache, his insights on legendary players like Ken Jennings and James

Holzhauer, and his opinion of Will Ferrell’s Saturday Night

Live impersonation. The book uses a novel structure inspired by Jeopardy!,

with each chapter title in the form of a question, and features dozens of never

-before-seen photos that candidly capture Trebek over the years. This book

was only recently written and published, Trebek dis-

cusses his cancer diagnosis and plans for the furure. By watching the sea-

son that recently begun, we know that Alex is still the host of Jeopardy.

Living Unafraid by Adam Hamilton - In this book, Hamilton walks readers

through 31 of the Bible's most-loved stories, showing how the people of

Scripture found hope in God in the face of adversity and some of life's most

frightening situations. This book is designed as a daily devotional with 31

chapters. Each day, there is a new lesson--from Creation to the Gospels to

the final words of Revelation--showing how God's love and deliverance can

empower us for the battles we face today.

The Book of God: The Bible as a Novel by Walter Wagerin, Jr. -.The Book

of God reads like a novel, dramatizing the sweep of biblical events, bringing to

life the men and women of the Bible in vivid detail and dialogue. From Abra-

ham wandering in the desert to Jesus teaching the multitudes on a Judean

hillside, the biblical story is presented in chronological order. Priests and

kings, apostles and prophets, common folk and charismatic leaders—

individual stories offer glimpses into an unfolding revelation that reaches

across the centuries to touch us today.