April 2020 Volume 23, Issue 4

From our Intern Pastor - Devlyn Brooks

Dear Faith Lutheran family …

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and Christ our Lord.

Please brace yourself as there is a lot to cover right now. … Thank you for your patience!

As I write this, we find ourselves five days into this grand experiment of prac-ticing ministry and being in a faith com-munity without being able to gather to-gether.

To say that it feels strange is an under-statement, but I am heartened that we are all in this together. In a surreal way, it’s comforting that we are all experiencing the same “strangeness.” It binds us to-gether in a shared way.

But, at the same time, I write this in hope because over the last four days I’ve seen our faith family rally together, exhibiting a wonderful, joyous spirit that overcomes these physical boundaries that separate us.

Well, since the last time we “talked” there has been a lot that has happened. … So, let’s cover those things first, and then we will move onto the near future.

On Wednesday night our church council met to discuss plans moving forward. The meeting was held only to conduct the urgent business of planning our near fu-ture as a church. We will address all other

business at the planned April council meeting.

At the council meeting, I pitched a plan to continue Sunday school, First Communion classes, Lenten services and Sunday services through digital means. And the council unanimously approved the plan.

Thankfully, we started down this road last August when we knew we needed video to supply recorded sermons to Pastor Jill for my internship. And so we are much further along than had we not done so.

So … just how is this going to work? … Well, let me explain!

LENTEN SERVICE:

You may have seen by now that on Wednesday, after council, Pastor Jill Steichen from our neighboring Comstock-Hoff Lutheran Parish joined me in a joint “Digital Lenten Service” that we broadcast live from our Faith Lutheran Sanctuary. Going into the event, I couldn’t have told you how it was going to go down. … But I can unequivocally say that the Spirit was indeed present, and she inter-jected an amazing holiness on the broadcast that is hard to describe in words.

Since we had that service, more than 350 people have viewed it. So obviously, we have a lot of people hungry for “church,” for con-

Faith Lutheran Church PO Box 175

Wolverton, MN 56594

(218) 995-2556

faith@wtc-mail.net

www.faithwolverton.org

Devlyn Brooks, Intern Pastor

(701) 412-8733

devlynbrooks@gmail.com

It is the mission of Faith

Lutheran Church:

To gather prayerfully as the Body of Christ; To grow in faith, love, and service; To go into the world joyfully as disciples.

Sunday Worship 10:00 a.m.

Holy Communion on the first and

third Sunday of the month.

Follow Faith Luther-an Wolverton on

Facebook

April Food Pantry Item

Canned Meat

Faith Lutheran's Response to

COVID-19

All Sunday school classes, first

communion classes, council

meetings, and worship services will

be done digitally. No in- person

public events at the church until

further notice. For how long? No one

knows. See Pastor Devlyn’s letter for

more information.

Fitness, men’s group, women’s group,

Cantata, recognition of new members

and game night are either postponed

or canceled.

Worship services can be viewed on

Facebook and on YouTube.

Faith Lutheran’s You-Tube site is

https://www.youtube.com/channel/

UC46_SOKdbefTk0p8-z4EH8g

Faith Care and Share

Page 2 Faith News

Birthdays

1 Gary Israelson

2 Stacy Slinger

3 Rose Nino-turner

3 Karl Thomson

4 Dustin Askegaard

4 Heidi Sell

4 Tia Schroeder

6 Alexa Nelson

9 Brady Johnson

10 Judy Ness

14 Wallace Affield

16 Scott Smith

18 Margaret Turner

24 Gayle Matz

24 Katie Olthoff

26 Michael Olthoff

26 Carl Nord

26 Tim Nicklay

27 Heidi Mansager

Anniversary

5 Jeffrey & Diane Nord

8 David & Lynn Israelson

9 Matt & Rachel Ness

28 Chris and Toni Jacob

30 Wayne & Barbara Wise

Funeral—Elaine John-

son passed away on March

13. Her memorial service is

pending due to COVID-19.

See Wright Funeral Home in

Moorhead website for up-

dates.

nection and for the Word!

If you have not yet watched the video, you can find it on the Faith Lutheran Church’s Facebook page. … As I said yesterday, if you’re having trouble finding that, ask your children or grand-children!

I want to express my gratitude to Pastor Jill for joining me, to Mike Nelson and Veronica Nelson for providing the music for the service, and to Austin Erickson for being our producer and film crew all in one! … We couldn’t have pulled off last night’s service without any of them!

So in much the same way, we will continue our Lenten services. Pastor Jill and I have committed to doing the rest of our Lenten services in this same join manner, and you’ll be able to find them on Facebook and YouTube.

We’re still working out the quirks, but we know this: We will do them jointly. There will be mu-sic. There will be scripture. And there will be a central message each week.

But beyond that we will have to continue to see where the Spirit takes us because we don’t know ultimately what each of these services will look like.

I have to tell you though, I thoroughly enjoyed doing ministry alongside Pastor Jill on Wednes-day night. I think it was a beautiful holy moment!

Look for more information about each of these services each week.

This first experiment will guide us to how we do our other ministries for the foreseeable future. Here’s a quick rundown of how we will do it.

FIRST COMMUNION CLASS:

We still have three First Communion classes to host before our three students will be ready for their milestone of First Communion.

We will be hosting those classes via a video conferencing platform called Zoom.

Each Wednesday at our designated class time, the three students and I will all log in. And we will participate in real time with each other, and we will cover the material I had previously planned to cover.

All of the First Communion families have been contacted and are on board! I am excited to re-turn to teaching these classes, as they are an absolute treat!

The only hitch here, of course, is when will we celebrate these students’ First Communion. And, unfortunately, I do not have that answer. That awaits to be seen, but we will make a big deal out of it when we can!

SUNDAY SCHOOL:

We also are planning to host Sunday school classes in much the same way.

We will use the Zoom video conferencing tool, and host classes at 9 a.m. every Sunday on which they would have normally been held.

Our two teachers who were slated to teach the remaining Sundays through the end of the year have graciously signed on to continue to do so.

And there are parents of each of the students who were teachers this year so they can download the students’ lesson at home, and join in for the teaching session on Sundays.

I will continue to be as much a part of the Sunday school lesson as possible, and frankly, now that we won’t have in-person services at the church for the time being, I maybe will even be able to participate more in Sunday school.

All of the Sunday school parents have been contacted, and we’ll resume this Sunday with a les-son on “David and Goliath,” which I think is very appropriate for the time in which we are liv-ing.

We’ll share more news about our Sunday school sessions as we go along!

SUNDAY SERVICES:

These will take place digitally on Facebook Live and (hopefully) YouTube Live, just as our Len-ten services will.

Mike and Veronica have agreed to continue to provide us music during our digital services on

Sundays. And Austin has agreed to help out as much as he is able.

But it is certain that our services will take on a different flavor than what we are used to. However, each of the team members is committed to making the best of our current situation. And last night's service showed that we can still create community in a digital place!

So what should you expect?

First, Lisa will send out the weekly Bulletin via email to everyone who is on our newsletter email list.

Second, services will still begin at 10 a.m. every Sunday, but we will trim services to 30 minutes.

Third, we still will work through the Confession and Forgiveness, the Prayer of the Day, the readings, the Gospel, a short message and there will be time for music. And you will be able to follow along in your Bulletin that is emailed each week.

Fourth, these services will be as interactive as possible. And I celebrate that! … So in the days leading up to the service, feel free to message me any important announcements, prayer requests or even celebrations which you’d like me to share with the congregation during the digital service. And please, especially share those celebrations, as we need some positive news in our lives right now!

Lastly, I will just state the obvious: There is no playbook for what we are doing right now. So, we will experiment, figure out what works and what doesn’t, and we’ll get better at it as we progress. And we will trust in the Spirit to help us on this amazing new jour-ney!

As we progress, please provide us your feedback and suggestions as to what would make our digital services make you feel drawn closer together to your faith family. Our services are about all of us!

STEWARDSHIP:

I also need to address a difficult but necessary topic: stewardship.

I can imagine that you understand that without gathering together, collecting an offering on Sundays is not an option right now.

However, there are still financial needs to operate a church. You get this: You have your own monthly bills, just as the church does.

And you are the only source of income for the church. Without your financial gifts, the church does not operate.

I’m prayerfully asking you to continue to give to Faith Lutheran so that we can continue our ministry to our entire faith family.

There are lots of ways you can continue to give.

The most effective way for everyone is to set up an electronic funds transfer (EFT). Some of our givers already do this, and it is quite effective. It ensures that the gift will be there for the church every month, and it’s less work for you. Included with the newsletter is a form to get set up. Just fill out and mail it back with a voided check to FLC. Let Lisa know if you need a form mailed to you.

If you are looking to make a one-time gift or prefer the flexibility of adjusting your contribution each week, one can mail in a contri-bution or drop them by the church (although the doors may be locked). Another great option is to use your online banking free Bill Pay feature that most checking accounts offer. Simply use FLC address of PO Box 175 Wolverton, MN 56594, phone number of 218-995-2556, your name as the “payee account number” and “name on bill”.

If you need any assistance on how to set up EFT payments or Bill Pay payments, please contact Lisa Miller. She will gladly walk you through the process.

This is never an easy conversation, but I do prayerfully ask you to continue to give what you can so that Faith Lutheran stays vibrant and we can deliver the ministry needed by our congregation and community at this time.

LOVE ONE ANOTHER:

I know this note is long, and it’s taken a lot of your time, but I want to finish on this note.

These are difficult and challenging times for us all. There are situations that will make us all feel anxious. There will be a temptation to allow our fears to motivate us, rather than letting love drive us.

I implore you to side with love. … Love your family in this time, and be gracious to one another as we all get more and more crazy being cooped up.

However, just as importantly, I implore you to love your neighbor. … And the simple answer to the follow-up question is that: Eve-ryone is our neighbor.

One of the most effective ways to relieve anxiety is to do for others. There are still ways to volunteer and make a difference in some-one else’s life. … Do that. ... Do it as a family. ... Do it often. ... And do it with Jesus’s love.

My faith family: We are the church; not the building in which we gather. .. We can just as effectively be in communion with each other now as we always have been. But it will take work and sacrifice and love.

And so in these unprecedented times, I ask of you: Choose love. … Always choose love.

Blessings to you and your loved ones! . We’ll talk again soon!

Page 3 Faith News

Best Wishes to our

confirmands Ava

Heitman, Tiana

Schroeder, and Carter

Erickson who were

confirmed on March 15.

Faith Lutheran ’s First Digital

Service with Comstock/Hoff Parish

March 18, 2020

Volume 23, Issue 4 Page 5

Jane Buchholz—Sheyenne Crossing Long Term Care West Fargo, ND

Doris Dibley—at home in Wolverton

Barney Edwards—Eventide, Moorhead, MN

Judy Getz—at home in Wolverton

Louie Gruenberg—River Pointe Moorhead, MN

Rose Hanson—Bethany Grace Pointe Fargo

Linda Lucke—at home

Arlene Nelson—Eventide Senior Living Moorhead, MN

Keith Nelson—at home in Wolverton, MN

Prayer Requests

During this time of social distancing, please keep

these people in your prayers. Drop them a note or give them a call.

Hello Everybody,

Good Idea # 3, Faith Lutheran Church – A Place for Bells

Campanology is the art of bell ringing. A campanologist is one who studies campanology. A bell ringer is a per-

son who rings bells. Ringing church bells can be understood as God’s voice calling people to prayer and wor-

ship. That is one of the two functions of our bell at Faith Lutheran Church. The bell is rung approximately nine

times at the beginning of each Sunday service. The other function is dismissing us from worship at the end of

service when the bell is rung three times.

You have likely noticed the difference in the bell sound from the beginning to the end of service:

Call to Worship: There is a rope attached to the top of the bell. When the rope is pulled it causes the bell to

swing from side to side and the bell hits the clapper as it swings. It produces a lively sound and a somewhat

random cadence when the bell is rung in this manner.

End of Service: There is a hammer mounted next to the bell and when that rope is pulled, the hammer hits the

stationary bell and produces a subdued, very controlled, and less vibrant sound.

I think our services could be enhanced with some changes to our bell ringing practices. In addition to the cur-

rent times we ring the bell, we could:

Ring the bell one or one-half hour before service and again when service begins. This would announce to

the community that we are worshipping and that all are welcome;

Ring the bell at weddings when the bride and groom leave the sanctuary;

Ring the bell slowly at the beginning of funerals;

Ring the bell for any of the church holidays;

Ring the bell on Memorial Day; and the really big idea

Locate the bell from Salem Church and explore the possibility of mounting it in the bell tower above the

existing bell. The bells would likely have to be tuned to a common scale in order to have complemen-

tary sounds and of course it would require two bell ringers and maybe a little training. It would be a

joyous sound!

Faithfully,

RC Stein

Page 6 Faith News

Thank you to those listed below who ordered Easter flowers in honor or memory of a loved one.

Randy & Jann Emerson, LuAnn Weik (L) In memory of Curt & Winnie Emerson, Jeff Weik, Effie Weik

The Dennis & Jane Getz Family (3L, 1M) In memory of Monte Getz, Burnell Schulz, Don Schulz, Oswald and Marilyn Getz and in honor of Lyla Schulz

Judy Getz & Boys (3M) In memory of Robert Getz , Ann and Leonard Getz, Russell and Clarina Hegge

Louie Gruenberg (M) In memory of Betty Gruenberg

The Rose Hanson Family (1T, 1H) In memory of Gerald J Hanson

Adrie Israelson (2L) In memory of Curtis and Sandra McEvers, Quentin and Marion Israelson

Jackie Kragerud (L) In memory of Orlyn Kragerud

Tim Nicklay and LaDawn Turner (2M) In memory of Steve Nicklay and Fred Nicklay

Sheri & Tory Nissen (2M) In memory of Glen Buchholz and in honor of Jane Buchholz

Jay & Cindy Nord (2H) In memory of Alda & Duaine Raeder, in honor of Bev and Wal-lace Nord

Lyle & Lois Picotte (2L, 1H) In honor of Jesus’ love

M= Mum T = Triple Lily L = Lily H = Hydrangea

You may take your flowers home with you after our Easter morning worship service.

Faith Women Minutes—March 8, 2020

The meeting was called to order by President Maryann

Olthoff and she shared devotions with us.

We stated our mission and purpose.

No secretary report was given.

Treasurer Debi Byars reported new alter flowers were

purchased for spring, our balance is $9,175.00 and CD

balance is about $2,700.00. A motion was made and se-

conded to accept. Motion carried. Offering was taken.

Debi also served coffee and treats for us.

New business: No Little Black Dress event this year to attend to support MS. A motion was made and second-

ed to donate our $150.00 budgeted money to Nan’s Fan. Motion carried.

Easter Cantata will be performed at Faith Lutheran Church on April 5th. We will plan to serve pie. (Cancelled)

Dr. Rachael Ness is scheduled to speak for our Mother Daughter Tea on Saturday May 9th about selfcare.

A motion was made and seconded to take physical and monetary donations for YWCA. Motion carried.

The women will be working on quilts for our High School Seniors and mission quilts again next week. A mo-

tion was made and seconded to have Maryann and Diane purchase a new sewing machine for quilting. Mo-

tion carried.

Pastor Kirsten Frantsvog joined us and we enjoyed conversation with her about other possible interesting

topics for our meetings.

Our meeting was adjourned and we closed with the Lord’s Prayer.

LaDawn Turner

Vice President

Faith Women Schedule

Book Club for April has been cancelled—We

will discuss Tim Tebow’s book Shaken on

Wednesday, May 6 at 9am.

Mother Daughter Other—Saturday, May 9

speaker Dr. Rachel Ness (Larry and Judy Ness’s

daughter-in-law) will be speaking on selfcare. A

physical and monetary donation for YWCA will be

taken. More details in May newsletter.

FLC Council Minutes

Page 7 Faith News

Faith Lutheran Church Council Meeting Minutes

March 4, 2020 Opening Devotions: Wayne (Dike) Krump Members Present: Debi Byars, Ross Aigner, Brad Nelson, Wayne (Dike) Krump, LaDawn Turner, Chad Erickson, Mike Aigner, Keith Kragerud & Kylie Hendrickson April Devotions: Mike Aigner Communion Assistant for March 15 Debi Byars, and for April 5 Mike Aigner Offering Counter: All of Council Food Pantry Item for April: Canned meat Secretary’s Report: Approved Treasurer’s Report: Approved Intern’s report: Ross reported 6 of 12 meeting complete, every-thing is going good, and on track. Committee Reports & Assignments: Education: Next meeting will be March 23rd. Sunday school kids will be going to Three River Gymnastics on March 22. They are planning a community game/movie night on March 28th from 4:00-7:00, potluck meal at 6:00. Endowment: Meeting Scheduled this month. Application was received for the Moxness Benefit. Faith Women: Next meeting will be Sunday March 8th. Book club met on March 4th. Quilting will be March 16-18. Finance: no report Men’s Group: Hot water heater is up and electric is done. Soften-er is waiting on electric. They will be serving a meal on March 22nd. Music & Worship: Services are set through May. Next meeting mid May for summer schedule. Property & Maintenance: Need a roofer to fix bell tower, with rubber roof. Youth: will be serving Lenten meals, and Easter breakfast. Old Business: Project updates, hot water heater finished, next will start alter repairs. Constitution updates in progress. New Business: Discussion was held regarding recording the Sun-day School take over. Education committee is ok with recording

so other members, and family can view. Council agreed, and Sunday School take over will be recorded. Further discussion is needed regarding making wifi available, and a TV in the sanctu-ary. Adjourn Lord’s Prayer Kylie Hendrickson, Secretary

Faith Lutheran Church Council

Special Meeting Minutes March 18, 2020

Prayer: Pastor Jill Steichen Members Present: Debi Byars, Brad Nelson, Chad Erickson, Ross Aigner, Wayne (Dike) Krump, Keith Kragerud, Mike Aign-er & Kylie Hendrickson Other Present: Devlyn Brooks, Pastor Jill Steichen & Lisa Miller Devlyn gave guidelines for this current pandemic. No group meeting over 10 people, no in-person worship services, and no pastoral home visits. Tonight’s lent service will be on Facebook live, and on the YouTube channel later. Devlyn will be doing a shortened ser-vice on Sundays. They will be on Facebook live, and Devlyn will look into also streaming live on YouTube channel. Sunday School and First Communion Class will still gather but via Zoom (video chat). Devlyn will send out a link, so kids can log in from home. Offering are still needed at this time to stay on budget. They can be mailed to the church or if you have online banking, you can send through your on-line bank account. Pastor will send out an email Thursday to all of newsletter mail-ing list with the above COVID-19 response plan and will also include in the April newsletter. The next council meeting will be April 1 at this time the council plans on meeting via Zoom (video chat). Adjourn Lord’s Prayer Kylie Hendrickson, Secretary

Eagle Valley Food Pantry – in partnership with Great Plains Food Bank

Monday, March 30 at 4:00pm at Eagle Valley E Free Church, Christine

Open to everyone. No Cost. No income qualifications. Free fresh produce and non-perishable food items

FAITH LUTHERAN CHURCH PO BOX 175

302 1ST STREET WOLVERTON, MN 56594-0175

Faith Lutheran Church PO Box 175 Wolverton, MN 56594

April Worship Schedule—All Services digital

until further notice (See Pastor’s Letter)

Sunday, March 22– Intern Pastor Devlyn Brooks

Wednesday, March 25—7:15 Lent Service

Sunday, March 29—Intern Pastor Devlyn Brooks

Wednesday, April 1—7:15 Lent Service

Sunday, April 5– PALM SUNDAY—Intern Pastor Devlyn Brooks

Thursday, April 9—Maundy Thursday— 7:30pm

Friday, April 10– Good Friday Service at 7:30pm

Sunday, April 12—EASTER SUNDAY—Intern Pastor Devlyn Brooks—8am

Service

Sunday, April 19—Intern Pastor Devlyn Brooks

Sunday, April 26– Intern Pastor Devlyn Brooks