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The Shepherd’s Voice September 2011

Paynesville Lutheran Church www.paynesvillelutheran.org

3-Part Message Series September 11: Blessed to be a blessing!

September 18: It isn’t fair! Isn’t that great? September 25: What do we do with what we’ve been given?

No matter how you frame it, biblical stewardship runs against the grain of our culture. It challenges our assumptions about scarcity, ownership, and consumption, and turns our personal agendas upside down. Most of us are painfully aware that our way isn’t working. Our way leads to anxiety, envy, exhaustion, discontent and debt. We long for a different way of living, and God provides it in stewardship. Please join us for a 3-part series beginning Sunday, September 11th where we’ll lay out the basics, and invite you to step onto a path that leads to peace, freedom, joy and abundance.

New Member

Class See page

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Page 7

See the insert for the journal from the men’s

BWCA trip.

Wednesday Contemporary

Worship Page 5

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Dear friends of Paynesville Lutheran Church,

September first marks my six month 'montheversary' as Interim Pastor here in Paynesville. Yes, I made that word up. I couldn’t use the word anniversary because that would not be accurate. We have had a lot of activity over the last six months. We have now called Pastor Dan to be our Lead Pastor. Soon, the call committee will be preparing to interview candidates for the second position on the pastoral staff. Be sure to keep them in your prayers as they move forward with this important task.

I have been asked and have agreed to add a day to my schedule

and become full time as Interim Pastor beginning in September. This means that I will arrive on Saturday evening and leave for home on Thursday evening. I have been leaving on Wednesday. This way I can be involved with the iQuest activities on Wednesdays and pick up some more duties as we move into a very busy time for the church.

It is a busy time for the community also. School begins soon,

which means football, soccer, music, drama and a lot of other activities for you and your families. Confirmation will begin soon also. There is a new detour on highway 23 which will be messing a lot of us up for a cou-ple months with more time on the roads coming and going.

I am looking forward to experiencing the fall season with you in

church activities as well as community. Thank you for the opportunity to serve with you at this time in your ministry.

Your friend in Christ, Pastor Denny Wright 19

Leadership Structure of the Congregation Congregational Officers President, Mary Janotta; Vice President, Todd Lemke; Secretary, Marlys Sorenson; Treasurer, Don Lindgren Church Council Mike Bennett, Cheryl Colbert, Mary Janotta, Todd Lemke, Don Lindgren, Mar-lys Sorenson, Tony Whelchel, Pastor Dan Dornfeld and Interim Pastor Denny Wright Board of Deacons Fellowship, Patti Cremers; Membership/Adult Ed, Karen Mehr; Social Con-cerns, Dianne Beihoffer; Stewardship, Pam Pfeifer; Worship/Music, Cheryl Col-bert; WELCA, Nan Mayer; Youth and Family, Tony Whelchel Board of Trustees Mike Armstrong, Mike Bennett, Brad Carlson, Sam Eisenbraun, Kent Kortlever, Loren Meierhofer Youth and Family Board Camp/Mission, open; Confirmation, Cherie Nelson; Nursery/Youth Special Events, Jamie Fearing; Sunday School, Audra Lura; VBS/Preschool, Megan Whelchel; Youth/Family, Tony Whelchel Preschool Board Karen Swenson, Judy Lindgren, Raymond Velyan, Lynda George, Susan Baron Personnel Committee Randy Jacklitch, Mary Janotta, Michele Johnson-Amundson, Bobbe Teigen Worship & Music Committee Cheryl Bungum, Cheryl Colbert, Leigh Dornfeld, Jeff Johnson, Janell Moburg, Kelly Salzl, Darrell Voorhees, Steve Whitcomb, staff Pastor Dan Dornfeld Endowment Committee Don Anderson, Patti Cremers, Dave Mutschelknaus, Marv Niedan, Chris Stanley, staff Pastor Dan Dornfeld, Pat Hansen Triune Ministries Communion Ministry, Judy Lindgren; Faith Full Friends, Marlys Sorenson and Arlene Sullivan; Prayer Disciples, Lynda George Wedding Coordinators Vivian Johnson, Pat Solum and Karen Whitcomb Resource Committee Joelle Haines, Dee Johnson, Teri Johnson and Karen Swenson Paynesville Lutheran Women of the ELCA President, Shirley Jensen; Secretary, Sue Greening; Vice President, Kathy Lura; Treasurer, Kay Fore; Program/Mission Growth, Bev Aas, and Vivian Johnson; Funeral Committees, Group 1 (Chairs)-Pat Hansen, Kathy Lura; Group 2 (Chairs)-Lois Nehring and Betty Loomis Kitchen Committee Lois Nehring (Chair), Dixie Anderson, Dee Haines, Pat Hansen, Marilyn Hoiseth, Judy Lindgren, Sharon Nelson and Jean Payne Altar Guild Chairpersons Alice Gronli, Diane Keller and Nan Mayer Sunshine Lady Vivian Johnson Cradle Roll Lois Runge

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Visit our website for

current information on PLC activities! paynesvillelutheran.org

AND check us out on Facebook!

facebook.com/paynesvillelutheran

or our youth Facebook page by searching for

Paynesville Lutheran Church Youth Program

Rally Sunday is scheduled for Sunday, September 11th!

The fall worship schedule and Wednesday schedule begins Rally Sunday and will be as follows:

Sundays 8:30 – 9:30 a.m. Worship Service 9:30 a.m. Fellowship time with coffee and cinnamon rolls 10:00-11:00 a.m. Worship Service 10:10-11:00 a.m. iQuest (Children released from worship after Children’s Message) 10:15-11:00 a.m. Adult Forum (led by non-preaching Pastor)

Wednesday night 3:30 – 4:15 p.m. After-school program for students 2nd – 6th Grade Including games, crafts, and homework help 4:15 – 5:00 p.m. iQuest 5:15 – 5:45 p.m. Dinner (open to everyone: $1 for students, $2 for adults) 6:00 – 6:30 p.m. Contemporary “Praise and Worship” Service

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Financial Stewardship the bottom line . . .

Congregational Member Report…

Baptisms - Madeline Jane Stone, daughter of Daniel and Melinda Stone, Sunday, July 31, 2011. Riley James Teigen, son of Shane and Melinda Teigen, Sunday, August 14, 2011. Deaths - none Marriages - none Congratulations to Ron and Crystal Brown on the birth of their daughter, Georgia Hope born on August 4th. Georgia was welcomed home by big brother Ronnie and big sister Lynea and Grandpa and Grandma Colbert! Congratulations.

Pastoral Care Reminder If you or any member you know is hospitalized, homebound, or moved to a nursing home and would like to receive communion and pastoral care, please contact the church office. Hospitals do not contact us - that is the responsibility of a family member or friend. We are not able to visit our members if we are unaware of their circumstances. We want to make sure that all our Paynesville Lutheran members are taken care of.

July 1 - July 31 2011 Building Offering $7,539.22 Amount paid on Mortgage this month $8,000.00 Mortgage payment (7 year payoff) $6,385.00 Extra principal paid $1,615.00

Operating Offering 2011 to date $185,558.12 Operating expenses 2011 to date $175,733.67 Balance 2011 to date $9,824.45 Thrivent Choice deposits to Special Funds

July $ 66.00 Year to Date $ 1,639.00

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Please pray for those in our congregation and in our families who are dealing with illness and pain; may they feel God’s healing presence in their lives. Please pray for those in our congregation who have lost loved ones: The family and friends of Lloyd Peterson (father of LouAnn Peterson). Please pray for the safety of the men and women serving in the military: Jenifer Detert, Adam Ingalsbe,

Scott Ingalsbe, Jackie Osterhaus, Dylan Sheridan, Brandon Soine, and others. Please pray for the safety of those serving our military overseas: Cole Kampsen in Iraq and Chad Wyffels in Qatar. The family of Jane Ringstad has set up a CaringBridge site. You can visit caringbridge.org/visit/janeringstad to follow Jane’s progress and to post your prayers and well wishes to Jane and her family. Jane has been in the St. Cloud Hospital for the past few weeks, and prayers are working. She is making some kind of progress everyday. In addition to prayers, an account has been set up for Jane and family for community members to give cash gifts. The account is at the Central Minnesota Federal Credit Union in Paynesville. To make a donation, please make a check out to Reed Ringstad, Sara Zschernitz or Cash. Do not make it out to Jane as she is not signing her name just yet. Let the teller know that donation is for the Jane Ringstad benefit account. Your name can be added to the gift if you so desire. Please let the teller know this as well. This account has been set up to cover interim expenses, with a possible benefit at a later date. The family wants to thank everyone for all you have done and for your prayers. Any questions please call Denise Beckstrand 243-5093. Prayers are listed in the bulletin each Sunday; we must have permission from the person before we print any names. Requests will be shared for a three-week period and must then be resubmitted. Please contact Lynda George at 243-7206 with prayer requests.

Senior Shepherds The Senior Shepherds are a group of “senior” citizens, age 50 and above, who get together monthly to share breakfast and fellowship at various restaurants in the Paynesville area. This month they will be meeting on Tuesday, September 20th at 8:30 a.m. The meeting place has yet to be determined. If you have any questions, please contact Ardis Dosdall at 243-3602.

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All-call For Volunteers

In late June, record flooding devastated the city of Minot, North Dakota, forcing nearly a third of the residents to evacuate and leaving more than 4,000 homes and businesses heavily damaged. Local residents have been hard at work, but the task is too much for local volunteers alone. As Lutherans, we're experts at rolling up our sleeves when there is a need, and our sisters and brothers in Minot need our help now. The goal is to have as many flood-damaged homes gutted as possible before the first major snowfall, which could be less than three months away. This is an all-call for volunteers from around the country. Lutheran Social Services of North Dakota has set-up a volunteer hotline, and anyone interested in helping should call 218-443-4970 to register. You can also visit www.lssnd.org to find volunteer registration forms and other important information about volunteering. Volunteers should be 18 and older (16 and 17 year olds accepted with signed parental consent). All volunteers will need to have an updated tetanus shot and will need to wear long pants and thick-soled boots or shoes. Local congregations will be providing basic housing, if needed, but volunteers will likely need to provide their own food. Training will be done on site, and it is helpful (but not necessary) if volunteers can bring some of the following items: work gloves, goggles, N-95 grade air filter masks, hammers, brooms, buckets, pliers, and crowbars. Anyone with questions or concerns can also call the Lutheran Disaster Response national office at 773-380-2863, or e-mail Associate Director Mike Nevergall at michael.nevergall@elca.org. And thanks in advance for your willingness to serve!

Simply Giving A Simple and Convenient Way to Give

This fall, consider signing up for electronic giving. Paynesville Lutheran Church relies on the financial support of the congregation and electronic giving offers an easy way to give on a convenient, recurring basis. To give electronically, please complete a Simply Giving form and turn it in to the church office, or contact the church office for additional details. Thank you!

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Call Process Update

At the Special Congregational Meeting on Sunday, August 14th, members voted unanimously to extend a Letter of Call to Pastor Dan to serve as Lead Pastor of Paynesville Lutheran Church. Please pray for God's guidance as Pastor Dan and Leigh consider this call. The Call Committee will be continuing with the Call Process. Please remember them in prayer also.

Marriage Rocks! Whether your marriage is rocky or rock solid, you will be glad you attended a Lutheran Marriage Encounter Weekend. Engaging presentations by both lay and clergy leaders give you tools and information while exercises and conversations with your spouse in the privacy of your hotel room deepen your understanding, communication and compassion. The Fall Lutheran Marriage Encounter Weekends in Minnesota are October 14-16 in Duluth and November 18-20 in Brooklyn Center. Please register several weeks in advance. For more information, contact Dick and Judy Dehnel at 952-432-3105, Pete and Phyllis McMahon at 763-561-1575 or visit www.godlovesmarriage.org.

Youth for Christ The Youth for Christ Music Ministry Department would like to invite all 7th-9th grade musicians to be a part of fast forward, Youth for Christ's "junior high" music ministry team. There will be a Fall Retreat kick-off event on Friday, Sept 9 - Saturday, Sept 10 at First Covenant Church in Willmar. Regular rehearsals begin Saturday, September 17th from 1:00 to 3:00 pm at the First Street Warehouse in Willmar. For more information and to register, contact director Rebecca Gardner - becca@yfcminnesota.com or call the YFC office at (320)235-0119. THANKS!

Wedding Coordinator

Pat Solum has joined Viv Johnson and Karen Whitcomb as a wedding coordinator at PLC. We look forward to working with Pat as a part of our wedding ministry! 5

Prayers of Healing and Anointing

‘Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord.

The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven. Therefore confess your

sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.’

James 5:14-16

Do you, or someone in your life, need to feel God’s healing touch? Prayers for Healing and Anointing will be included in the September 18th worship services. If you would like to take part in this portion of the service, please line up on either side of the Altar rail after you commune and you will be invited to come forward one at a time to the back of the Altar rail for prayers and anointing. Your specific prayer will be lifted up individually. God wants us to ask for His help, His healing. Please come forward to feel God’s healing presence!

Worship Schedule:

Sundays, 8:30 and 10:00 a.m.

September 4 Traditional Worship Service September 11 Blended Worship Service September 18 Traditional Worship Service with Prayers of Healing and Anointing September 25 Blended Worship Service

Communion is celebrated every Sunday.

Fellowship: Each Sunday between services at 9:30 a.m.

Wednesday Service 6:00 p.m.

Beginning Wednesday September 14th, we will offer an exciting new worship service at PLC from 6:00 to 6:30 p.m. This service will be a full contemporary worship service led by a worship band. Everyone is wel-come to join us for this great opportunity to worship on Wednesdays!

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I would like to give a special thank you to the PLC Men's group who went on our Boundary Waters experience. We were truly in God's Country. What an amazing event we had. Unfortunately, we capsized our canoe and Pastor Dan and I were in the water over 2 hours. All of you were our special saviors sent from God, and an answer to our prayers. Ben, Adam, Alan, Chris, and Todd...seeing you coming for us in canoes is something Dan and I will cherish for the rest of our lives. I did not know any of you before this event. Now, all of you are my special friends and brothers in Jesus Christ. I loved our talks with Alan, Chris, Carl and Todd. Dan, Adam, Ben and I had a shared experience in camping, canoeing, and being together. I cannot forget George or Christopher. You helped make us all a team, a team of fathers and sons, and friends. George and Christopher you are both "Grand Champions" to me! A special thanks to Pastor Dan, my son. I know you never could imagine how this event could have unfolded. I am glad to have been a part of it and for your special encouragement when I could barely go on. I hope to see all of you, again. May God continue to bless You, Dean Dornfeld Dear Shirley Jensen, Diane Keller, Margaret Niedan and Nan Mayer; We purchased your quilt at the Green Lake Lutheran Ministries Quilt Auction held recently, and just wanted to say thank you. We love it! It is hanging in the Montessori School in Plymouth. Sincerely, Rose Minor I would like to say thank you to Sharon Nelson, Kay Fore and Arlene Sullivan for their donations of board games for the iQuest program. The students will have lots of fun playing these games over the course of the year. Audra

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Fall Bazaar Lefse Making

Uff da—it’s lefse time! We will be making lefse at church on Tuesday, September 13th at 9:00 a.m. The more people—the better! Make your batter at home, and we will roll, fry and package the lefse at church. Call Viv Johnson with any questions at 243-4680.

Veggies . . .

Please check out the “garden” table in the Fellowship Hall on Sunday mornings for produce shared by PLC gardeners! Items include veggies, fruits and flowers. Bags are available, or bring your own reusable container. Your free-will contribution will go to the Paynesville Area Community Service Center in the fall. Gardeners - items can be dropped off at PLC on Sunday mornings. Thank you for sharing!

Did you know . . . . . . that 263 jars of pickled beets were prepared last Wednesday at PLC to be sold at our fall bazaar?

A special thank you to our gardeners (who rented a garden plot for PLC at the community garden): Don and Dixie Anderson, Karen Berg and Bert Stanley, Margaret Niedan, and Pat Vagle;

our harvesters: Don and Dixie Anderson, Karen Berg and Bert Stanley, Lynne and Peter Jacobson, and Pat Vagle;

and our chefs: Gladys Torbenson, Rosella Williams, Alice Gronli, Pat Vagle, Margaret Niedan, Dixie Anderson, Kathy Lura, Vi Bengtson, Karen Berg, Mary Janotta, Marlys Sorenson, Diane Dutcher, Sharon Nelson, Don Anderson, and Lois Nehring.

Thank you all for your hard work!

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Rally Day - Sunday, September 11th

During both services, 3 year olds and all 2nd through 6th Graders will receive their new Bible. The 4th Graders will also receive their Small Catechism. If students are unable to attend either service they can get their Bible and Catechism during the iQuest meeting times. Registration for iQuest will occur between services; parents can bring in the completed forms or fill them out at church. The students will be able to meet their teachers, see their classrooms, look at the different organizations of the church and also have the opportunity to watch a film on Moses. From 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., we will have the Rally Day adventure; complete with a Survivor Challenge, horse shoe toss, face painting, a bounce house and an obstacle course. Activities are for all ages! A potluck lunch will be served directly following the second service. Potluck items are divided up as follows: A-G - 2 pans of bars; H-J - 2 packages of hotdogs; K-P - 2 packages of potato chips (only potato chips please); R-Z - 2 packages of hotdog buns. It would be helpful if items for the potluck could be delivered to the church by Friday afternoon. Tables will be set up in the Fellowship Hall for groups / committees of PLC to display their information and give you an opportunity to sign up for a group. Please call the church office if your group would like a table set up so we know how many are needed and so we can make a sign-up sheet for you to have on your table.

Communion Assistant Training

If you are interested in participating in worship as a Communion Assistant, please join us in the Sanctuary on Tuesday, September 27th at 6:30 p.m. for a short training session. We are in need of additional volunteers in this area, and all are welcome to serve! 7

16th Annual PLC Golf Scramble

When: Sunday, September 25 Time: 2:00 p.m. Golf 5:00 p.m. supper at PLC Where: Koronis Hills Golf Course Here is all you need to do:

Show up at 1:45 p.m. Teams will be drawn. Cost is $3.00 per person (to go towards awards) Green fees: Non-member of KHGC - $15.00 Non-member of KHGC with cart - $20.00 KHGC members - Cart $9.00 per person There will be challenges such as closest to pin, longest drive,

longest putt, etc. Supper will be served at PLC. Cost is $5.00 per person. Look for a sign-up sheet in the Gathering area at PLC. If you prefer not to golf, but supper sounds good, please sign up

on the sheet in the Gathering area. Deadline to sign up is Wednesday, September 21st so we can

get a head count. Hope to see you there!

September Mission of the Month

The mission of the Month for September is collecting donations for the new pew Bibles. We have received donations for 40 Bibles. Thank you to those of you who have already donated to this very worthwhile effort. We need an additional 180 Bibles at a cost of $13.00 each. Checks can be written to PLC with "Pew Bibles" on the memo line.

PLC members have always been very generous in giving to many different projects, and we thank you for that. Let's see if we can accomplish this task! Thank you.

Church Council Minutes are available in the Gathering Area at church.

If we have made an error or omission in this newsletter, please contact the church office so that we may correct our records. Thank you!

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iQuest September 11—Rally Day During both services, 3 year olds and all 2nd through 6th Graders will receive their new Bible. The 4th Graders will also receive their Small Catechism. If students are unable to attend either service they can get their Bible and Catechism during the iQuest meeting times. Registration for iQuest will occur between services; parents can bring in the completed forms or fill them out at church. The students will be able to meet their teachers, see their classrooms, look at the different organizations of the church and also have the opportunity to watch a film on Moses. From 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., we will have the Rally Day adventure; complete with a Survivor Challenge, horse shoe toss, face painting, a bounce house and an obstacle course. Activities are for all ages! Lunch will be served directly following the second service. September 14—This is the first meeting for iQuest. This is an informal day where the students will play and have fun, but also learn the rules and expectations of the program. Sloppy Jos will be served for dinner. September 23—We will have a lock-in for the 3rd through 6th grade students. We will watch movies and play games and of course eat lots of food! Friends are welcome, so bring one or two. Signup sheet is in the Gathering area.

Exodus 19:4b “You know how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.” In September, we begin studying Moses, God’s chosen leader for his people. The story of Moses is about a Hebrew baby who was raised as a son of Egypt. Moses was a leader, but in one moment his life changed, and he found out that he was a Hebrew man. Moses left Egypt, but at God’s request came back to free the Israelites from bondage. Moses trusted in God to show him the way and to bring the people safely out of Egypt. On the journey, Moses looked for God’s help and guidance in assuring that the people were taken care of and

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If we have made an error or omission, please contact the church office so that we may correct our records. Thank you!

Birthday Blessings to . . .

1 Bob Aleckson, Amelia Malling, Dustin Thompson, Trista Thompson

2 Sean Andreasen 4 Michael Baas, Grace Hartfiel 5 Rachelle Hasbrook 6 Reece Wander 7 Jessalynn Anderson, Dayna Fuchs, Barb Jacobson,

Sharon Nelson, Ellen Wyffels 8 Spence Evans 9 Gaile Leimer, Lyle Thomsen

10 Paul Aas, Kim Hasbrook, Tiffany Tangen 11 Quin Amundson, Lorrie Gottwald, Bobbe Teigen,

Ronald Thompson 12 Ryan Tri 13 Grant Andreasen, Carol Clementson 14 Tom Floura, Mary Kay Hanson, Iylene Kletscher, Doreen Miller 15 Sue Hecht, Jean Louis 16 Ardis Dosdall, Shirley Jensen, Suzanne Thorson,

Tucker Wendroth 18 Bradley Carlson, Fran Hedlund, Pat Nelson 19 Finley Anfinson, Kayla Kugler, Betty Jane Povilaitis, Randy Salzl,

Patty Savelkoul 20 Bill Adams, Jill Paul, Gary Reinke, Reed Ringstad 21 Kelsey Reinke 22 Ann Jacklitch, Jasmine Swenson, Addison Vossen 23 Kjerstin Campbell, Roger Dreyling, Cheryl Nelson 24 Loretta Kennicke, Tessa Kortlever, Tracy Kortlever,

Mary Lou Lindeman, Jackie Osterhaus, Paul Soine, Pat Solum 25 Michael Naujokas, Robert Pirsig 27 Mary Janotta, Carol Shosted, Kathleen Williams 28 Jackie Campbell 29 Gina George, Theodore Hoffman, Teri Johnson 30 Shane Teigen, Kaydence Roeske

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Come Say Thanks To Cheryl Bungum

On Sunday September 18th, we are going to be having a special coffee time in honor of Cheryl Bungum. As many of you know, Cheryl has stepped down from the senior choir directorship. She has given much time and talent to that area of our church worship. Sam and Josh Bungum have grown up and Cheryl and Brett want to be a bit more free to follow some of their activities. We understand, but we are sad about it. Cheryl’s stepping down will leave a bit of a hole, but there will still be music at PLC and hopefully Cheryl and Brett will be a part of that music when time allows. So stop by the Fellowship Hall that Sunday and give Cheryl a greeting and a word of thanks.

Interested in becoming a member of PLC?

If you are looking for a new church home or know someone who is interested in joining PLC, we’d love to have you! We will be receiving New Members at our worship services on Sunday, September 25th. There will be an Orientation Session on Sunday, September 18th from 1:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m. Anyone interested in becoming a member of Paynesville Lutheran Church is asked to contact the church office at 243-3624 so we can prepare for the Orientation class. We thank you for participating in the worship life of Paynesville Lutheran Church, and if you are looking for a new church home, we’d love to have you!

Renovation Committee Update

The Renovation Committee is moving forward with the updating of the Church. Several of the walls have a fresh coat of paint – a special “Thank You” to Dick Realdsen for the great job. Now that the painting is in the process of being completed, items that were removed will be replaced or returned to the walls. The goal was to have a substantial portion of the updating completed by Rally Sunday, the Committee feels this will be accomplished. The Renovation Committee would like to thank the Congregation for their patience - we all miss the clock in the Fellowship Hall, it will be replaced in the very near future. 9

that they could also see God’s power. The people did not believe in God’s power and had many doubts. God would show them his might and yet they still doubted. We are God’s chosen people and God shows us his strength every day; in the miracles of life or in everyday people doing great things. When I think about Moses, I think about a man who was a leader, but was lost. It was not until he found the one true God that he found his way and his strength. God is with us and gives us all many gifts and strengths, and sometimes those strengths come out in adversity. But if we all trust in God and believe that he is always with us and looking after us, we can find out strengths and do great things too.

Opening “PARENTS AND STUDENTS” meeting for Crosswalk will be on

Wednesday, September 7th at 7:00 p.m. ALL PARENTS who have youth in grades 7-9 participating in our Crosswalk confirmation program this year are to make EVERY effort to be present for this vitally important meeting! Your role, as parents, is crucial to passing on the faith to your children – and to that end, to the success of our confirmation program.

CROSSWALK begins on Wednesday, September 14th

The youth will have their first meeting of Crosswalk on Wednesday, September 14th. This year Crosswalk will run from 6:00 – 7:15 p.m., with our new contemporary worship service serving as our Large Group Session. This 30-minute Praise and Worship service is open to everyone, and my hope would be that you as parents (and/or families) will attend with your student weekly. After worship, students will break out into announcements and small groups at 6:30 and ending at 7:15 p.m.

We thank the following for their gifts to Paynesville Lutheran Church

In loving memory of: Gift given to: Gift given by:

Joe Gottwald Flower Garden Dee Haines

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PLC Women

Calling all PLC women. We are inviting all the women of PLC to a potluck meal and Bible study on Thursday, September 8. The potluck begins at 6:00 p.m. followed by a short business meeting and Bible study led by Marlys Pearson. Please bring a dish to pass, your Bible and copy of the Gather (formerly Lutheran Women Today). Questions, call Shirley Jensen or Kathy Lura.

Monday Quilters Fall is just around the corner so it is time to crank up the scissors, needles and sewing machines once again. The Monday quilting group will reconvene on Monday, September 12th from 10:00 am to 2:30 pm. Please bring a bag lunch and join the conversations and laughter as we create our quilts. Questions, call Kathy Lura or Rosella Williams.

Lakeland Conference Women of the ELCA Fall Gathering Women of PLC, you are invited to attend the Lakeland Conference Women of the ELCA Fall Gathering at First Lutheran Norway Lake in New London on Thursday, September 15th. Speakers are Roger and Mary Benson on the topic “Gone Fishin'—Caught for Christ”. Devotions and gathering music will be provided by Pastor Kopitzke. Cost is $8 per person. Please sign up in the Gathering area at church by September 8th.

PLC Bazaar Mark your calendars for Saturday, October 15th for the annual PLC bazaar. We will have the cookie corner, bake sale, beet pickles, lefse and homemade jams, jellies, and canned goods. We will also have silent auction theme baskets instead of crafts. If you or a group of people would like to donate a basket, please have it in the church office by October 5th so they can be displayed and bidding can begin on Sunday, October 9th. Sign up sheets for bars and areas to volunteer your time will be in the Gathering area on Rally Sunday, September 11th.

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“Oh, Sing to the Lord, o, sing God a new song. O, Sing to the Lord!”

This line from a hymn invites us to join in

singing praise to our God. A new season begins with Rally Day at Paynesville Lutheran. There are three opportunities for you to raise your voice in song, to be an important part of our Sunday morning worship. First, if you have ever sung in a choir or if you want to have that experience for the first time, you are invited to join our senior choir. The first practice will be held on September 7th. We will begin with a potluck at 6:00 p.m. and practice at 7:00. The choir will be singing for worship on the 1st and 3rd Sundays of the month at both traditional-style services (8:30 and 10:00 a.m.). Practice will be every Wednesday evening at 7 o’clock, although that may be altered during the seasons of Advent and Lent. We look forward to seeing all the familiar faces and new members, too. Second, the adult Worship Team also begins its season in September. If you enjoy and want to be a part of a more contemporary service, please join us on September 14th for the first practice. This group will practice the 2nd and 3rd Wednesdays of the month at 8pm and sing for both services on the 4th Sunday each month. If you love to sing, please come. We especially would love to have some guitar players and a drummer. And lastly, there may be those of you who would like to share your talents with a solo or as part of a small group. Some of you have indicated this on Time and Talent sheets. Anyone who would like to sing or play for worship, please call Cheryl Colbert at 320-243-3631. 1st, 2nd and 3rd Sundays each month are available. (Cheryl will be keeping the schedule, so please call her, not the church office.) While the first two opportunities above are for adults, all ages are welcome as soloists or ensembles. The Youth also will have the opportunity to share their talents through the On The Horizon group and Wednesday night worship. Music is a vibrant part of worship at Paynesville Lutheran--so join us, and SING A NEW SONG. Cheryl Colbert and Jean Louis