the vinebranch a monthly publication of Abiding Savior Lutheran Church July 2019

in this issue

Worship & SignUpGenius 2

Special Events 3

Sharing God’s Gifts 4

Youth News 4

Be the Light—VBS 2019 5

Mission Outreach 6

July Calendar 7

Our Trip to Tanzania is Near!

It’s hard to believe that the group traveling to Tanzania

will be leaving at the end of this month. Our travelers in-

clude Sheryl R., Cloe R., Ron H., Matt H., Kylie H., Maren H.,

Jaclyn H., Julene H., Gary E. and myself. On the evening of

Sun., July 28th we will be boarding our flight to Tanzania.

We will arrive in Dar es Salaam at 10:00pm on Monday, July

29th. Pastor Nordphrey, Pastor Kaanasia and our bus driver will be there at

the airport to greet us. We will be staying in Dar es Salaam for two nights.

The first day of our trip will be spent with Pastor Kaanasia and her parish

sharing a meal and fellowship and seeing the city and the Indian Ocean.

We will leave Dar es Salaam early on Wed., July 31st to travel by our coastal

bus for several hours to Iringa driving past towns and villages and the Mik-

umi National Park where we’ll see zebras, giraffes and elephants along the

way.

We will spend two days in Iringa becoming familiar with this quaint little

town. The first day we will be visiting Mtera Secondary School, meeting

with faculty and students and having lunch together. Then we will go to

Ilambulole Bible College, a school that trains evangelists to work with no-

madic tribes like the Maasai. The second day in Iringa we will be meeting

with the Bishop and staff of the Iringa Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran

Church in Tanzania and visiting the Huruma Orphanage and the University

which was started by the ELCA’s Bega Kwa Bega program.

Early Saturday morning, Aug. 3rd, we will travel by safari vehicles to Ma-

kungu, our companion congregation, in the mountains. We will be wel-

comed with singing, dancing, and palm branches and spend a full day vis-

iting the preaching points and people in Makungu. On Sunday we will wor-

ship together, spend the day enjoying fellowship and meals together. We

will spend part of Monday in Makungu and then travel back to Iringa.

On Tues., Aug. 6th we will visit the Ilula Hospital and Nursing School

which was started and run by the Lutheran Church. We are hoping to

bring suitcases of medical supplies from Global Health Ministries to share.

We will also meet with people from Neema Craft which is a workshop for

people with physical challenges.

On Wed., Aug. 7th we will leave for a safari in Ruhaha National Park

where we will stay for two nights at Mwagusi Safari Camp for an amazing

time of a lifetime seeing animals in their natural habitat. We will return to

Iringa on Fri., Aug. 9th to pack and to get ready to return home. The

group will be taking a small plane to Dar es Salaam and be ready to board

a flight to Amsterdam at 11:29pm. We will return home at noon on Sun.,

Aug. 11th.

I will be staying a bit longer in Tanza-

nia, along with Gary Engen from the

group, to travel to Njombe to be with Pas-

tor Nordphrey’s family (as I am his

‘adopted mother’). On Sun., Aug. 11th I

will be preaching in his congregation for

over 1500 people and will be baptizing up

to 40 people! The service starts at

6:30am. We will be returning home

Thurs., Aug. 15th. (see “Tanzania” - pg. 2)

Living in God’s love,

Abiding Savior

Lutheran Church

is a welcoming

and caring family

that nurtures

spiritual growth,

shares our Christian

faith, and serves

all creation.

Join us Sundays

at 10:00am

Happy July! As we did in

June, in July we’ll continue

our summer worship

schedule and will be wor-

shipping together at

10:00am on Sunday morn-

ings. Join us for a mixture

of traditional and contem-

porary worship services,

including an outdoor ser-

vice on July 14th when we

can enjoy the beautiful

summer weather!

page 2 / stewardship corner / worship volunteers / thank you

Notes of Thanks

Malmborg’s donates to Garden of Grace

Malmborg’s in Blaine donated our vegetable plants

again this year! They did not ring them up but it was

over $100 worth, which is HUGE for us. We are so

blessed that they are partnering with us to raise pro-

duce for the food shelf.

-Garden of Grace Gardeners

Thanks for sponsoring youth

A special thanks to all who helped support our chil-

dren who attended Camp WAPO this summer through

the camping scholarship fund! Thanks for helping to

enrich their faith through this wonderful outdoor

ministry! Thanks also to all who helped support our

youth service trip to Chicago! Your food and snack

donations and gifts of financial support are so appre-

ciated!

Law enforcement thanks

On behalf of the Suburban Ramsey County Law En-

forcement, Mounds View Police Chief Nate Harder

extends his deepest thanks to Abiding Savior for our

exceptionally warm and welcoming hospitality in

hosting the Law Enforcement Memorial Service on

May 16. Special thanks for all the preparations, re-

freshments, support and encouragement provided.

On behalf of the whole group traveling, I want to

thank you for your prayers as we travel. Thank you

for all of the support you, as a congregation, have

given to make this trip possible. We look forward to

sharing more about this journey with you. “Mungu

akubariki – God bless you; Bwana asufiwe – Praise

the Lord!”

Pastor Lisa

Mission

Living in God’s love, Abiding Savior Lutheran Church is a welcoming and caring family

that nurtures spiritual growth, shares our Christian faith, and serves all creation.

Generosity: God’s Gift to Others (Through

You!)

What is stewardship? There are many different an-

swers to this question. I like to think of stewardship

as what we do with what God has entrusted to us in

this life. That includes not only the money God has

entrusted to us, but the possessions, the talents, and

the time we have been given. How are we going to

use all that God has entrusted to us?

To answer that question, we can either choose to

keep everything, or most everything, for ourselves

and our family and friends, or we can choose to

share with our neighbors in need. When we do share

what God has entrusted to us, we call that sharing

generosity. We are called to be generous with our

money, our resources, our time, and our talents. We

are called to share with others who do not have

enough. Called to use our gifts in praise and worship

of God or in service to our neighbor. Called to open

our homes or our church building to those who do

not have shelter or who need a place to gather. We

call this hospitality and yes, hospitality is also gener-

osity!

When we know and acknowledge the many blessings

we receive from God, we cannot help but want to be

a blessing to others in God’s name. As we share, God

can and does use us to

carry out God’s mission

in the world. This mis-

sion is accomplished

through love, sacrifice,

generosity, hospitality,

and openness to others

near and far away.

Stewardship Corner By Pastor Ryan Brodin

Check your email inbox! The Worship Committee

(through Sandra LaCroix) is now sending out elec-

tronic sign ups for worship greeters, readers, and

Communion servers through a service called SignUp-

Genius.

Each month, they will send an email for the upcom-

ing month’s volunteer schedule. The email will in-

clude an invitation for you to help greet, read or

serve communion on Sundays in the upcoming

month. Simply click on the link and sign up for the

volunteer spot you are interested in. Once you sign

up, a reminder email will be sent to you three days

before your chosen date.

Please use this opportunity to volunteer to serve your

church! We look forward to worshiping and serving

together!

Tanzania~continued from pg. 1

special July events / page 3

Abiding Savior Lutheran Church Newsletter | July 2019 | abidingsavior.org

July Book Club Summer is a perfect time to open

up a book and read! The Abiding

Savior book club (youth, adults, all

are welcome!) will be meeting at

the Northtown Baker’s Square on

Wednesday, July 17th at 5:00pm.

Please join us!

RESTART

by Gordon Korman

Chase wakes up in a hospital room not remember-

ing anything about his accident. He has to learn

everything about his past life. As he learns about

what kind of a kid he was before falling off the roof

and hitting his head, he wonders if that is the same

kid he is today. Is it possible he can make a clean

start and fix up the mess that was his life? Can he

change how he interacts with his classmates, or will

they always think of him how he was before his ac-

cident? Read this book and find out how Chase

deals with the difficult situation he is faced with.

The family of Gloria Johnson invites the Abiding Sav-

ior family to her 90th birthday celebration on Satur-

day, July13th from 1:00-4:00pm here at church.

Mark your calendars and come help her celebrate!

Please RSVP by email, text or message her daughter

Lynn: olson.lynnr@gmail.com OR (612) 816-0229. No

gifts please ~ your presence is your present!

Bless the Years 4-Plus Band

Sunday, July 28th 10:00am

Please join us on Sunday, July 28th at 10:00am as

we celebrate you and everyone else who makes up

our Abiding Savior family! We want to recognize and

honor the wisdom God has given you in your journey

through life. This would be a great Sunday to invite

your family and friends to hear music by the well

known musical group 4-Plus with Jack Canfield sing-

ing old familiar hymns.

Walk a Mile For Our Neighbors - Sunday, July 28th

Grab a friend, your dog, your neighbor or your grandkids and take a walk in the park Sunday, July 28th from

10:00am to 2:00pm at Silver View Park in Mounds View (County I and Silver Lake Road) to help support

the Community Support Center! You do not need to raise money or get pledges. Just show up and each lap

you walk moves available donated funds to the earned column. Even strollers and dogs get credit for laps

walked!

Of course, donations are always welcome - each $5 gets you a chance at many great door prizes. This is a

great opportunity to work with other local churches to raise funds to support the CSC’s work with neighbors

in our area to avoid eviction and prevent future crises. Good exercise, good company, and a good cause—

join in!

We have reserved 125 tickets for Monday evening, August 19th to watch the Min-

nesota Twins play the Chicago White Sox at Target Field. We will have a tailgate gath-

ering with hot dogs and all the fixings at church, a chance to bag up all the peanuts

and candy you desire for the game. The cost is $40 per person for food, ticket and

bus ride ($36 if you don’t need to ride the bus). Please make payment to the church

office at the same time you sign up.

4:30 pm Tailgating at church ~ 5:30 pm Buses leave ~ 7:10 pm First Pitch!!

Reserve your spot on the sign up sheet on the bulletin board by the office!!

Mark Your Calendars! Twins Outing on Mon., Aug. 19th

Sunday, July 14th following worship

page 4 / sharing the gifts God has given us / youth news

Mission

Living in God’s love, Abiding Savior Lutheran Church is a welcoming and caring family

that nurtures spiritual growth, shares our Christian faith, and serves all creation.

2019 Monthly YTD

INCOME

Current gifts and

giving 36,250 190,458

Festival giving 73 16,739

SUBTOTAL 36,323 207,197

Other income 4,196 34,236

TOTAL INCOME 40,519 241,433

EXPENSES

TOTAL EXPENSES 50,603 266,209

NET INCOME OVER

EXPENSES (10,084) (24,776)

Benevolence paid 3,311 19,496

May 2019

Financial Highlights

When you make or revise your Will or Trust or re-

view your life insurance contracts or retirement

funds, please consider Abiding Savior as one of

your beneficiaries using the following language:

I bequeath __ % (or $ ___) of my estate to Abiding

Savior Lutheran Church located at 8211 Red Oak

Drive, Mounds View, MN, designated for the Mis-

sion Endowment Fund of Abiding Savior Lutheran

Church.

Please talk to Pastor Ryan Brodin or Endowment

Chair, Marlene Pecha, if you have questions about

making a gift to the Endowment Fund.

Mission Endowment

Fund

of

Abiding Savior

Lutheran Church

Middle & High School Youth

Summer Youth Group

All High/Middle School youth are

invited to Summer Youth Group!

(Brightview churches are welcome to

join!). We meet every Wednesday

from 6:30pm-8pm and each week

we will do something different —

bike rides, Dairy Queen trips, swimming at Long Lake

beach, and more! July’s outings include:

July 3: Enjoy the 4th of July—No meeting

July 10: Stone Arch Bridge/St. Anthony Falls hike

Meet at church. Text 612.242.7250 to

RSVP & to carpool.

July 17: Pool Party

Meet at the Hawkins Home

(2420 17th St. NW, New Brighton)

July 24: Biking to Coon Rapids Dam

Bring your bike and meet at church.

Bring $3 for ice cream stop. ETA is later

than usual (8:30-9:00).

July 31: Rollerblade/bike to Long Lake Beach

Meet at church and bring your swimsuit!

Help Fill Our Can Trailer

Please donate your cans! Tell your friends

and neighbors about our trailer! All pro-

ceeds benefit our youth!

Congratulations, Scott!

Scott Petty, one of our youth, was

officially awarded his Eagle Rank

this May. Scott has been a wonder-

ful example of leadership for the

scouts and youth at the church.

He’s a kind, hardworking and humble young man. His

Eagle project was the can trailer for the church after

the other was stolen. Congratulations, Scott, from all

of us at Abiding Savior!

Join us Tuesday, July 30th, 2019 from

1:30 pm—6:30pm for our blood drive!

Please call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733

-2767) or visit redcrossblood.org and

enter: Abiding to schedule an appointment. Walk-ins

are also welcome!

Blood Drive – July 30th

why preschool is important / VBS—be the light / page 5

Abiding Savior Preschool News

Building a bright foundation for our children’s futures!

Why is a Preschool experience so important?

Here are four reasons!

Preschool provides social and emotional

development

Young children are naturally curious and observe the

world around them. Preschool provides the opportunity to

learn through play, music, and games to gain knowledge

that your child will need in future years of elementary

school.

Preschool provides a structured education setting

Preschool provides an environment in which your child is

able to learn wait time, raising his or her hand and follow

two and three step directions, while participating in a

group setting with peers. This setting will provide your

child with the education foundation that he or she will

need to succeed in later years.

Preschool improves social and emotional skills

Children are able to make new friends with peers

while learning how to compromise, take turns, and re-

spect others while having fun learning. Kids will also learn

a lot of self-help skills, such as independence, get-

ting themselves dressed for outdoor play, pouring his or

her own beverage, and cleaning up after a task.

Preschool provides exposure to academic skills

Preschoolers will learn letters/number recognition and

pre-reading skills through a variety of activities through-

out the day. This age group learns through building, play-

ing, story time, art work, and exploring the world around

them.

It is not too late to enroll for this fall!

Come join the fun with us at Abiding Savior Preschool and

give your child a wonderful Preschool experience! You

may register online at http://abidingsavior.org/

OutreachPro/register-for-preschool-2019-2020/, contact

us via email at preschool@abidingsavior.org or call 763-

784-5326.

Tracy Nicholls, Program Director

Abiding Savior Preschool

preschool@abidingsavior.org

763-784-5326

Summer is here!

Get set for VBS 2019

August

5th—9th

9:00-noon

“You are the light of the world.”

Matthew 5:14

~ Register now! ~ Volunteer! ~

~ Give your children an experience

to remember ~

Vacation Bible School is a FREE community-

wide program offered to children ages 3 (by

September 1, 2019) and potty-trained, through

those entering 5th grade this fall. The morn-

ings are filled with stories, music, crafts and

activities, games and more, including a snack.

Registration forms are available in the church

office, or by visiting our website.

Anyone entering 6th grade or older this fall is

encouraged to volunteer. We have a place just

for you—come let us help you find it. Interest-

ed volunteers can contact Patty Mesenbring or

Linda Weiner-Herman.

Abiding Savior Lutheran Church Newsletter | July 2019 | abidingsavior.org

Donate Supplies for VBS

A donations board cov-

ered with Post-It notes

will soon be located in

the narthex.

Each Post-It lists an item

needed, the quantity and

suggestions on where to

purchase.

Remove the Post-It notes for the items you

would like to donate.

Bring the item(s) by Sunday, July 29th (the

earlier, the better).

Please note: The total quantities needed are

noted on the board, and this quantity is often

broken down on individual Post-It notes. For

example, if a total of 20 bottles of glue are

needed, there may be four Post-It notes on

the board, each indicating a donation of five

bottles of glue. If you plan to provide 10 bot-

tles, you would remove two Post-It notes.

Monetary donations are also appreciated.

Drop them off in the church office, clearly

indicating that your donation is for VBS.

Questions? Contact Patty!

Mission

Living in God’s love, Abiding Savior Lutheran Church is a welcoming and caring family

that nurtures spiritual growth, shares our Christian faith, and serves all creation.

page 6 / mission outreach opportunities

Here are several opportunities to care for our fellow children of God:

Walk A Mile for Our Neighbors – In Our Neighborhood Park!

See information on pg 3 of the Vinebranch!

Walk Volunteers Needed—Help Make A Difference!

Coordinating the efforts of 500 or so walkers cannot happen without a team of volunteers. If

you would be able to work a two hour shift July 28th

manning the registration, checkout, or door

prize tables along with eager volunteers from other churches, please sign up on the bulletin

board by the office. It’s easy and friendly and you’ll meet some mighty nice folks. Thank you!

Musicians Wanted to Serenade Walkers

The Walk A Mile for Our Neighbors is looking for a few willing musicians to volunteer 15-20 minutes of musi-

cal talent to serenade walkers any time between 10am and 2pm during the July 28th walk at Silver View

park in Mounds View. You will be performing outdoors without access to electricity. Dust off your kazoo,

pan flute, or autoharp and let Lynn Isaacson know if you’re interested.

Coat Drive – October Is Not That Far Away

It’s not too early to start collecting winter wear for the October giveaway. New or gently

used winter jackets with working zippers are most needed, especially in sizes for school

children. Also accepted are new or used boots, snow pants and mittens/gloves. Donated

hats MUST BE NEW, however. These items can be placed in the social concerns trunk any-

time. We’ve already filled it once! Thank you for caring for your neighbors.

Garden of Grace

Our Garden of Grace is again growing fresh produce for Ralph Reeder Food Shelf during their

busy summer (no school lunches) months. Many thanks to Malmborg’s Garden Center for

their generous donation of plants! Your help in the garden is wanted, needed, and welcome

Thursdays at 6:30 pm for about an hour – the more the merrier. See the garden white board

by the office for what’s happening.

School Supplies

Before you know it, you’ll be seeing ads for school supply deals. If you see some exceptional

bargains, please consider a purchase for families in need. Supplies will be collected at church

and distributed through the Ralph Reeder Food Shelf, Irondale High School, Pinewood Elemen-

tary, and Treehouse.

Irondale High School Clothing to Share

Edgewood students love sporting IHS fashions. If you’ve got old apparel in good shape drop

it off at church and we’ll deliver it to Edgewood in the fall.

SnackPack Needs YOUR Help and Ideas

Our dedicated SnackPack team leaders need to hand the reins over to a few new vol-

unteers, like YOU. They will gladly show you the ropes and be available for questions.

Maybe you have great new ideas about how to best serve our hungry friends at Pin-

ewood Elementary. Could food be ordered online and delivered to church? Could

there be more team members and monthly turns, like ushers? Could we work with Atonement and Cross of

Glory? Could Wednesday night diners pack before they eat? All ideas and volunteers are welcome. As with

most tasks, many hands make little work. Please consider being part of this important ministry and let the

office know if you can help.

Drivers Needed for Butikima Girls

Our friends, the four Butikima girls, would love to keep coming to Abiding Savior – they feel

so welcome here. Their parents are working weekends and the girls need rides from their

home near Lake Phalen and then home again. This could be done in teams, by week or any

way that works for drivers. Let the office know if you can help our friends!

God’s Work. Our Hands.

Su

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Upcoming Events in July

July 1-5 - Meals on Wheels Delivery

July 4 - Independence Day (Office Closed)

July 5 - Office Closed

July 7 - Worship with Communion at 10:00am

July 9 - Committee Meetings

July 10 - MS/HS Youth Group—Stone Arch Bridge

July 11 - Work Crew

- Women’s Bible Study

- Garden of Grace

July 13 - Birthday Celebration for Gloria Johnson (1-4:00pm)

July 14 - Outside Worship at 10:00am (weather permitting)

- Church Picnic Following Worship - Please Join Us!

July 16 - Quilting

- Council Meeting

July 17 - Book Club at Baker’s Square

- MS/HS Youth Group—Pool Party @ Hawkins’ Home

July 18 - Women’s Bible Study

- Sharing and Caring Hands

- Garden of Grace

July 21 - Worship at 10:00am

- Celebration Gathering (11:00am-2:00pm)

July 23 - Gospel Singers Rehearsal

- Benedictine Service

July 24 - MS/HS Youth Group—Biking to Coon Rapids Dam

July 25 - Work Crew

- Women’s Bible Study

- Garden of Grace

July 28 - Bless the Years Sunday with 4-Plus Band

- Walk a Mile For Your Neighbor

July 28 –Aug 11 - Tanzania Trip

July 30 - Blood Drive (1:30—6:30pm)

July 31 - MS/HS Youth Group—Long Lake Beach

Ryan Brodin, Senior Pastor

Lisa Richardson, Associate Pastor

Patty Mesenbring, Director of Children’s Ministry

Brad Mills, Director of Youth Ministry

Gary Peterson, Senior Choir Director

Paul Weller, Bell Choir Director

Janelle Schauer, Organist

Tanna Hoffman, Children’s Choir Director

Janet Wilcox, Parish Nurse

Katie Brouillard, Office Manager

Amy Haugen, Office Assistant

Connie Clausen, Office Assistant

Tracy Nicholls, Preschool Director

Steven Hill, Custodian

Pastors & Staff

Non-Profit Organization

US POSTAGE

PAID

TWIN CITIES MN

PERMIT NO. 4987

Abiding Savior Lutheran Church

8211 Red Oak Drive

Mounds View, MN 55112-5929

Phone: 763.784.5120

Email: office@abidingsavior.org

Website: www.abidingsavior.org

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/abidingsaviorlc/

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

July Vinebranch Newsletter

Volume 19 Number 07 Date 2019

Please consider receiving your

Vinebranch via email!

Reduce waste and help our church

save paper and the cost of mailing!

If you want to go paperless,

call the Church office at 763.784.5120

or email us at office@abidingsavior.org.

Help keep your contact information up-to-date! If you

have a new home phone, cell phone or new email ad-

dress, please call the church office at 763.784.5120

or visit http://abidingsavior.org/OutreachPro/update-

my-contact-information/.