Newsletter — August 2, 2022

Please note: Pastor Rob is still on sabbatical. And he has not changed his phone number. If you receive a suspicious text from someone claiming to be him, please do not respond. Do not answer the text – block it. Someone is sending scam texts claiming to be Pastor Rob.

Join us Sunday mornings for worship at 10:00 am, with the option of in-person or on-line worship. masks optional for all activities in the church building, including worship. All are welcome!

You may also join us online:

Find worship live on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/spiritoflifeav
Join us live on Zoom by clicking https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83600960782
You can stream the service later either on Facebook or on YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UC-G31isag0NKhIT0cat91qA

The Presbytery Leadership Team is pleased to announce that they have filled the position of Transitional Executive Presbyter and welcome the Rev. Elizabeth “Libby” Shannon to the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area. Libby will be starting virtually on August 22nd and will be in the office no later than October 3rd, 2022. Libby is in the role previously held by Jeff Japinga within the Presbytery. See more details at Please join us in welcoming.docx

Emergency Pastoral Care Coverage while Pastor Rob is on sabbatical:

July 18-Aug 19 Loretta Hunt

Church office furniture: Anyone interested in any of the old office furniture (sitting in the hallway), please contact Mary Brause or Ryan Currens. Free will offering is requested from congregation recipients, after which items will be listed for sale on marketplace.

Our final class in the Sabbath” book study will be August 14 following worship and will focus on section 6: CONSECRATION.

The Worship and Music committee and the book study group are waiting for your responses to the recent congregational letter. Please get your “hearts and hands” mailed in to, or dropped off at the office by August 14 at the very latest (note: it will be helpful if you cut out your hand prints for us).

C & C after C – we’ll be having C & C after C (Coffee and Conversations after Church) again in a few Sundays. Please watch for sign-up sheets to participate in providing cookies coming soon. Please see Ruth Ewule if you have questions.

COFFEE and CONVERSATION will be taking a summer break until Pastor Rob returns.

The session of elders of Spirit of Life is hosting our regular community PICNICS this summer while Rob has sabbatical. We ask those able to bring a side or dessert to share and the session will provide a main course. Final picnic will be August 28th and the time will be approximately 11:15am (immediately after worship) with games in the backyard for kids and food and fellowship for all.

Support the 10th Annual South of the River CROP Hunger Walk by ordering your commemorative t-shirt NOW! Orders, WITH PAYMENT, are due before August 14! Order forms are on the back table in the sanctuary, or contact Denise Lewis directly to order. Make checks payable to “Spirit of Life Presbyterian Church” with CROP t-shirt on the memo line, and return in the Sunday offering plate, or directly to the office.

Check out the FREE table at the back of the sanctuary. We’ve been doing a little cleaning and purging so if you see something on the table that you can use, please feel free to take it home and enjoy!
*Department head please note there are binders specific to your department on the same table.
Watch for something new coming from the Justice Works Committee!

Look for a bookshelf in the back of the sanctuary, filled with books on topics related to immigration and racial justice. These books are available for you to borrow, with a sign-out sheet to list your name, contact information, and the book you are borrowing. The purpose of this book-borrowing opportunity is to open up a chance for discussion about sensitive topics. As one of our committee members has stated, “we don’t have these conversations”. All of these books have been read by one or more of the members of our committee, and their names are listed on a card inside each book; use this card as your bookmark, and if you would like to have a conversation about what you are reading, you are encouraged to reach out to one or more of the people who have already read the book. Contact information is in the church directory. IF you would like to be included in future conversations, add your name to the card to potentially be contacted by a future reader; return the book to the borrowing shelf with the card inside. The books range from “easy” reading, including children’s books, all the way to “very challenging”, either because of graphic descriptions of violence, difficult concepts, or academic writing style. Books include fiction as well as non-fiction and cover a wide range of topics. Take a look at the offerings on the borrowing bookshelf! If you have any questions, either Joanne Boyd or Denise Lewis can answer them.

We will be collecting supplies for Highland Elementary on Sunday August 7, August 14, August 21, and August 28. There will be a box on the table in the entry at church. Supplies needed are: Expo washable, chisel point dry erase markers – purple, blue, green and black, One dozen of each color. (Only Expo brand because other kinds don’t erase fully.) Fifty folders with pockets in different colors, four dozen glue sticks in packages of 10-12, twenty medium size bottles of white school glue, one dozen boxes of crayons with 24 crayons in a box. Anything you can contribute will be appreciated. We did this last year and the coordinator was so happy we will be helping again this year.

If you have a prayer request you wish to share with our Spirit Care Prayer Team, please email our deacon, Chris Sachs. Word it as you wish it to be submitted, and we will post it for our prayer team.

It’s Back! Who remembers the “Change for change” bucket offering? Some are familiar with this, others may have questions. With the help of our children, we will continue collecting change in our metal buckets but going forward we’ll give on a monthly basis. Throughout the month, collect your change and bring it on the third Sunday! This is a great teaching tool to help us show each other and the younger generation how fun it is to give when we hear the change drop in the buckets!

From Community Service: Our LITTLE FREE PANTRY has been of great use to our neighbors and is in need of frequent replenishment! We can now resume contributing canned items as well as other non perishables. Donations may be left in the little pantry or in the cabinet inside the church entry. Many thanks for your wonderful support of our pantry and neighbors!

2022 Per Capita is $36.50