Newsletter — February 28, 2023

Join us Sunday mornings for worship at 10:00 am, with the option of in-person or on-line 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

If you are joining us online for Dinner and Devotions on Wednesdays through Lent, we are moving to Microsoft Teams (to replace zoom). The Microsoft Teams link is https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ad8926948367347d292e6d71a224b7c73%40thread.tacv2/1677530310875?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%2263c4efda-8a5c-4911-a9da-dbca9c29dbb5%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%2218b06a29-b636-41c8-8770-dade69ed2a6c%22%7d.

Copy the link in your browser for the curriculum and activity pages for Wednesday, March 1st worship:
https://spiritoflife-my.sharepoint.com/:b:/g/personal/spirit_spiritoflifeav_org/Efp7-KjXexlDqPaTY77iC84Bi8A7a47I1yzU0vGAL7QzRA?e=NZcR8f

Plan ahead:

Print out the pages attached.
Collect scissors for each person or plan to share.
Have crayons available at the table.

Easter fundraiser: Easter is early this year! Our online flower fundraiser began February 6, 2023 and will run through 10pm 3/2/23. To make a purchase: Go to: https://www.gertensfundraising.com/ Enter Store ID: 149. The “Seller Name” box can be used to note if the flower is for the church. Reminder: NO Lilies for the church as we have someone with a major allergy. Thank you!

Children’s Sunday School meets from 9:30-10:15, upstairs in the Sunday School room. Kids can Zoom in for Sunday School if they can’t attend in person. We could use a helper for each week. If you’re available, please reach out to Karen Johnson.

Meet in the Middle meeting Wednesdays at 4:30 and including snacks, group guitar lessons for older kids /playing for younger kids, singing, Holy Moly video and lesson, and conclude with dinner for kids, youth and adults 6:00- 6:30 dinner. Monetary donations for dinner appreciated. If you’re unable to join in person, jump on zoom with this new link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85002502767.

Confirmation Class will be for 7th and 8th graders, on the 2nd Sunday of the month after church. Next class is March 12th. Parents, please mark your calendars: Confirmation retreat at SOLPC will be Saturday, April 15th, and Recognition Sunday will be May 21st.

Adult Sunday School Class: The God in America adult class will not meet this Sunday, March 5th, but will resume next week following worship. The videos will be shown in class and are also available for free online at PBS. See Steve Braden with questions.

From Community Service: March is MN FoodShare month, and we will be participating again this year, as usual! All of our food collection and cash donations will go directly to the Rosemount Family Resource Center. MN FoodShare is the state’s largest grassroots food and fund drive, and happens during a time of year when food pantries struggle to keep their shelves stocked. There are two ways for you to support this effort:

FIRST: You can bring in non-perishable food items every Sunday in March. There will be empty grocery bags strategically placed on chairs throughout the sanctuary and you can put your donations in those bags. Those empty bags will represent the 1 in 6 of our neighbors who experience food insecurity. On the round table at the back of the sanctuary you can pick up a list of the most needed items at the 360 Communities food shelves; generally, shelf-stable proteins, baking needs, canned or dried fruits and vegetables, and personal care items. The first Sunday in March is also a time to bring in your contributions to stock the Little Free Pantry (still only cold tolerant items – no cans or glass jars). Those items can be put in the cabinet by the front door, or directly in the Little Free Panty. All MN FoodShare food donations should be placed in the empty grocery bags on seats in the sanctuary. The food shelves of 360 Communities also accept donations for pets’ needs.

SECOND: you can make a financial contribution. Food shelves have the ability to stretch your dollar contributions to access more food than we can individually by going to the grocery store. This year, we have a MN FoodShare Ambassador to help remind us of this option. In keeping with the abundant snow we have had this year, our Ambassador is a rendition of a snow-figure, but it’s missing some of its features. That’s where your donations come in. The arms, hat and scarf that you see adorning our ambassador already represent $300 of early donations from the Community Service committee; an additional $50 was donated this past Sunday, so our Ambassador will also be sporting mittens on the first Sunday in March! With your additional donations in increments of $25 and $50 dollars, we can add facial features and buttons — when our snow ambassador is fully decorated, we will have raised $700! You can make checks out to Spirit of Life, with MN FoodShare in the memo line, or donate online, with a note that it’s for MN FoodShare. Thanks in advance for your generous participation in this important ministry. Contact Denise Lewis if you have questions.

Have you been considering becoming a member of the church? We will be offering a class in the coming weeks so let us know and we will include you! Send a quick email to the office at [email protected] or see Pastor Rob after worship and let him know!

The community service team would like to designate the first Sunday of every month as Little Free Pantry Sunday. As we remember the sacred Last Supper, let us also think of our neighbors in need of food support. This month, we continue to request items that are cold weather safe so please, NO CANS OR GLASS CONTAINERS. These items have been especially popular and have been taken quickly: pasta products, spaghetti sauce (plastic), white rice, jelly (plastic bottles only) peanut butter (plastic jars only), any items in boxes or pouches. Thanks so much for helping us feed our neighbors!

COFFEE and CONVERSATION Plan to join Pastor Rob and others for Coffee and Conversation on Mondays, at 9:20 am. Come as you are. This is a gathering online and in person. It is open for you to pop in and out any time so feel free to drop in and say hello. *Note, same time and same login, recurring meeting each week. Join Zoom Meeting at https://zoom.us/j/286584190. One tap mobile +13126266799, 286584190# +19292056099, 286584190#.

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.

2023 Per Capita is $37.50