Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Monthly Newsletter
August, 2012
www.auroratrinitylutheran.org
Thank You
We would like to thank the ladies who made us meals for the first week home. It was very helpful. Thank you all for the prayers and the good thoughts. Billy is doing good. Starting to walk with a walker. Getting stronger every day. Larson Family
Aurora Nursery
Do you have a little one and find yourself paying more attention to them instead of the church service? When you get home do you ever think, What did the minister say today? Bonnie Johnson is willing to staff a nursery for babies through 4 years old every second Sunday of the month. This way you can enjoy the service and your little one is happy too. Bonnie will be available in the preschool/kindergarten room in the basement of the church.
Welcome Corner
Welcome to Elizabeth Ruth Rosecke, daughter of Jeremy & Melissa Rosecke. She became a member of Aurora through the Sacrament of Baptism on Sunday, th July 29 . If you or anyone you know are interested in becoming a member of the Aurora or Trinity Lutheran Church congregation, please contact Pastor Jon at auroratrinitypastor@gmail.com/(507) 676-5696 for new member information.
The Carpenter
An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer-contractor of his plans to leave the house building business and live a more leisurely life with his wife enjoying his extended family. He would miss the paycheck, but he needed to retire. They could get by. The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes, but in time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end his career. When the carpenter finished his work and the builder came to inspect the house, the contractor handed the front-door key to the carpenter. "This is your house," he said, "my gift to you." What a shock! What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently. Now he had to live in the home he had built none too well. So it is with us. We build our lives in a distracted way, reacting rather than acting, willing to put up less than the best. At important points we do not give the job our best effort. Then with a shock we look at the situation we have created and find that we are now living in the house we have built. If we had realized, we would have done it differently. Think of yourself as the carpenter. Think about your house. Each day you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall. Build wisely. It is the only life you will ever build. Even if you live it for only one day more, that day deserves to be lived graciously and with dignity. The plaque on the wall says, "Life is a do-it-yourself project." Who could say it more clearly? Your life today is the result of your attitudes and choices in the past. Your life tomorrow will be the result of your attitudes and the choices you make today. Make today count. -Author Unknown
August 2012 Dear Friends in Christ, We live in a world that often feels divided. Where things seem black and white. Where often only two options are given. It is either this way or that. You are either Republican or Democrat. Pro-life or Pro-choice. You either support the war or are against it. Christian or non-Christian. Conservative Christian or liberal Christian. There are too many to count. During our cottage meetings last fall, the topic of homosexuality was clearly a place of division and tension for some. It is clearly a place of division and tension within our country. If we are being honest, these topics divide us. They divide our communities and they divide our congregations. Much too often, they divide us silently. We do not talk about them because the conversation feels too hard and too emotional. But the longer we wait, the harder it gets. The silence gets louder; the tension gets thicker. As Christians, our faith seeks to call us together in relationship and community, rather than divide us. Christian community is about coming together in the midst of our differences to love and serve one another and the world that God loves so much. So, can we find a way to be together that is less polarizing and divisive? How does our faith help us in conversations like these? Can the church be a place that builds bridges rather than walls? Rather than things being black or white, is there a gray area on which to stand? Adam Hamilton thinks so. In his book Seeing Gray in a World of Black and White, Adam Hamilton looks at a number of polarizing issues we face today, from the Bible to war to abortion. He does not intend to solve these issues, but instead hopes to find common ground, or the gray areas, that can lead us to dialogue and mutual respect. I invite all of you to join me this fall as we use this book to begin to discover how to have difficult conversations with the people in our lives. Sessions will be offered on Thursdays at two different times 10:30am-12:00pm (at Karen Beadells house) and 6:30pm-8pm (at Aurora). Seeing Gray in a World of Black and White Book Study Thursday, Sept. 6th What does it mean to see gray? Thursday, September 13th The Battle over the Bible Thursday, September 20th Is Your Jesus Too Small? Thursday, October 4th Homosexuality at the Center Please sign up at church or by contacting me. As always, it is a joy to be here with you, Pastor Jon
Aurora Lutheran Church Council Meeting July 17, 2012 The regular monthly meeting of the Aurora Church Council met on July 17, 2012, at 6:30 PM. Those present were Pastor Jon Davis, Jeanne Pichner, Cheryl Thompson, Mark Prestegard, Jodi Keck, Roger Carroll, Brett Paape, Michelle Williams, Ryan Schrom, Curtis Jensen, Sara Pichner. Pastor Jon lead devotions: Are we living out our church mission statement? Picnic: togetherness, bonding of both churches Raven: her project to help people Monday night discussion on communion Vacation Bible school The Secretarys report corrected: our mission statement is Feeding Body, Mind, & Spirit with the Love of Jesus. The Treasures report was approved as read and subject to audit: General Fund: $1,825.02; Building Fund: $4,004.60; Memorial Fund: $13,072.20; Parsonage Fund: $1,462.75; Cemetery Fund: $8,593.44. Pastor Jons Notes: Communion meeting was held and discussed having communion twice a month. The council also discussed the matter. A motion was made and seconded to go ahead and have communion on the first and third Sunday of the month. A motion was made and seconded that we will no longer be using the communion cards. If a deacon is not available to serve communion anyone can help. We will start this new procedure in Sept with the thought that we will evaluate it at the annual meeting to see how it is going. Church picnic was a success and a lot of fun. Thanks to all who helped to organize it. Confirmation is being looked at. Some thoughts are to have it every other Monday night for 1-1/2 hour. Also to have mentoring for all 3 grades. More discussions will be coming up. Church Logo, Pastor Jon had some designs to look at as we would like to make a banner with our mission statement on and have it at the fair stand. 1. Curtis Jensen is working on the duties of the ushers with Brian Jensen. They will be typed up and posted. 2. Jodi Keck will take the aprons in and get the printing done for the church stand. 3. No church the Sunday of fair or that following Monday night, August 19 & 20. 4. Please sign up to work at the church stand at the fair. It is a lot of fun and fellowship. Respectfully Submitted, Cheryl Thompson, Council Secretary.