Newsletter — July 26, 2022

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.

We are using the same book that Pastor Rob is studying, looking for our own insights as a faith community. Please note that the schedule has changed:

“Sabbath: Finding Rest, Renewal, and Delight in our Busy Lives”, by Wayne Muller.

Here is the updated schedule for study (following worship or the picnic, with the adult Sunday School zoom link):

July 31: Section 5, WISDOM (following the picnic, probably 12:00 noon)
August 14: Section 6, CONSECRATION (following worship)

The sections are short and include exercises to help us practice Sabbath. Read through the section before we meet, try out the exercises. Journal, or take note of, any topics of interest to you, any exercises you particularly liked (or didn’t like) or bring a Bible verse you would like to share that reflects the topics in the section. You are welcome to attend all sessions, or only some of them.

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 Mondays, from 9:00 am to 10:00 am. at the Panera, Apple Valley (in person only – no zoom). During Pastor Rob’s sabbatical this summer, Bob Shepard is leading the weekly coffee and conversation time with the above hours. Come as you are. It is open for you to pop in and out any time so feel free to drop in and say hello.

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. Dates will be July 31st, and 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.

The South of the River CROP Hunger Walk will be marking it’s 10th annual walk this year on October 2, at St. James Lutheran Church in Burnsville, where it all started! We are celebrating this milestone with a commemorative shirt, and you can buy one! All profits from shirt sales will go into the fundraising for the walk, with 25% of our walk funds staying local to support Second Harvest heartland. The remaining 75% goes to support the work of Church World Service to end hunger and poverty in the US and all over the world. This year, particular focus is on the war in Ukraine, and the way it is impacting Ukrainians, as well as people in countries that depend on Ukraine’s exports of grain. We know that global hunger will increase as a result of Russia’s aggression, and we can help to mitigate that damage with our CROP Walk. Please consider supporting our efforts by purchasing a shirt! The colors reflect the colors of the Ukrainian flag, and the image of wheat in the artwork honors Ukraine’s role in feeding the world. Order forms are at the back of the sanctuary; fill one out, accompanied by a check for the total cost of your order made out to “Spirit of Life” with CROP t-shirt on the memo line, and return it directly to Denise Lewis, or drop it off in the office. Shirt orders are due by August 14 at the very latest. Questions can be directed to Denise Lewis, [email protected].

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.

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!

If you are looking for ways to help the people of Ukraine, here are a couple of effective organizations that are working to bring relief:
– Church World Service, which sponsors CROP Walks, also works in the areas of disaster relief and refugee resettlement and is actively responding in the Ukraine crisis. You can read about their efforts and donate here https://cwsglobal.org/appeals/ukraine-crisis-response-fund/

– Presbyterian Disaster Assistance is also actively involved, and you can read about their response here https://pda.pcusa.org/situation/ukraine/
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