F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 3

By Pastor Mike Sindelar

F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 3

By Pastor Mike Sindelar

As the story goes, this ship was

quite remarkable. It had been

upgraded from its original purpose and now carried military

and politically elite passengers. It was known for its

gourmet foods and plush conditions. Everyone who was

anyone wanted to take a trip on this ship. It was beautiful.

The ship had come a long way from its original purpose as a

troop carrier. For some reason, the ship had been

temporarily refitted to handle the travel of government

officials. Instead of carrying troops and equipment to the

front lines of the conflict, it was used for luxury cruising,

music and dancing. Apparently, a boatload of money and

resources went into making this ship something it was

never intended to be. That original commission and

purpose was lost. It was never used to carry troops.

Though I can’t remember the name of the ship, I’m told it is

a true story. If so, it is a sad story of an original design

never being realized.

True, the image of extravagant food, ballroom dancing and

people enjoying a fairytale voyage is something of a dream.

Who doesn’t want to live the extravagant lifestyle from

time to time. Who would refuse an opportunity like that?

Unless that is, you lay the image over a broader view of the

circumstances. Somewhere there is a war going on.

Somewhere there is a dangerous front line that desperately

needs the troops and resources that the ship could provide.

Behind all the extravagance there is a much greater cause

that needs our full attention.

We have much to celebrate here at Valley Free. Our season

of renovation is soon coming to a close, leaving us with a

beautiful building beyond any of our expectations. I hope

you join me in a great sense of excitement and anticipation

A ship in port is safe, but this is not what ships are built for.

- Rear Admiral Grace Hopper

To hide in the safety of a pew when the Holy Spirit is calling you to use

your gifts for the Kingdom, is as ludicrous as a battle ship perpetually

sitting in the harbor. "To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for

the common good" (I Corinthians 12:7). "Having gifts that differ

according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in

proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in

his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who

contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who

does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness" (Romans 12:6-8).

Illustration Exchange

for what God is doing in our midst. Not only is it okay for

us to celebrate this work of renovation, I’m going to say

we need to celebrate it! That’s why we have invited Heart

of the City Worship Band to lead us in worship on

February 24. Time to praise, worship and celebrate!

But let’s remember this…we are celebrating a renovation,

not a refitting. A renovation is simply a much needed

cleaning and restoration. A refitting is a transformation for

a different function. If the ship of our illustration had been

simply renovated, it would never have lost its

commissioning purpose.

Our commission has not changed. We are called to

establish worshippers of Jesus Christ. Our commission is to

go and do whatever it takes to proclaim this message of

new life in Christ. That means our original design and

purpose is to represent Christ in our families, our

neighborhoods, our cities and even out to the nations of

the world. See Matthew 28:18-20, Luke 24:47-48, Acts 1:8.

So now that the house has been renovated, let’s get out of

here! It’s time to turn our focus out, to invite the world in

to the new life that can only be found in Jesus Christ!

Renovation or Refitting?

P A G E 2

me with it) but dad was there to help stabilize it and see that I

finished the task that he believed I could do.

When my dad chose me to go on this adventure, did he say, “I want

to take you on an adventure of a lifetime, but I don’t want to teach

you anything and I can’t take you if you make mistakes, so get back

to me once you’re ready, ok?” This sounds comical, but do we ever

view God as having this attitude? Just as my dad wanted to take me

exactly as I was and open my eyes to a life-changing adventure, so

does God. He has chosen us for a task: to glorify His name

throughout the earth. But life happens, and we’d be lying if we said

we haven’t had those “Get this thing off of me!” moments like

preteen Cory had.

There’s good news: “God doesn’t call the equipped, he equips the

called.” Did He pass on Moses because he wasn’t prepared? Did he

leave Peter treading water when he doubted? There is a clear

pattern in the Bible that when God chooses people for His purpose,

He transforms them despite their fear, doubt, and mistakes, and it

all starts with that step of faith. My intent is not to promote

charging forward without thinking about the consequences of our

actions, but to challenge how we react when we feel like more has

been put on our shoulders than we can handle. We must remind

ourselves that God has called us not be crippled with fear (II Tim.

1:7), that He will lead and teach us through trials (Matthew 11:28-

30), and that He uses these trials to make us more like Him (James

1:2-4). We can’t handle the trials of life on our own, but God desires

us to follow Him through them, stabilizing and strengthening us

when we falter, and continually showing us a greater adventure as

we persevere.

Three years after the first, we took another trip. As I had grown in

strength, knowledge, and skill over that time, I portaged not only

our canoe, but a pack as well. For the past two summers I’ve even

taken my dad’s passion and passed it down, taking Jr. and Sr.

Highers on canoe trips. As I help those students hoist their canoes

up on their shoulders I think, “What if I had given up on that

portage? I would’ve missed out on such rich and fulfilling

experiences!” So portage on my fellow Adventurers-in-Christ! “For

this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight

of glory beyond all comparison!” (2 Cor. 4:17)

“Get this thing off of me!” was the first thought that went

through my head. My dad had just released the front end of the

canoe and the full weight of the aluminum beast rested on my

shoulders. I was in sixth grade and it was my first trip into the

BWCA (Boundary Waters Canoe Area) up in Ely, MN. The

Travelers—myself, my dad, and a family friend—had experienced

quite the adventure up to that point. There were many firsts on

that trip: my first Northern Pike, my first dehydrated meal, my first

experience with a latrine, and much to the dismay of any first-

timer in the BWCA, my first time “portaging.”

You ask any canoeist who’s basked in the glory of the Border Lakes

and he’ll tell you it’s not the canoeing that’s the real challenge—

it’s the portaging. At the end of every pristine lake, there’s a small

path that extends to the next lake called a “portage.” You get out

of your canoe, hoist your pack onto your back, grab the paddles,

and lastly you work with your partner to flip the canoe over, which

has yoke pads that rest on your shoulders. You then carry

everything to the next beautiful lake and repeat the process. It can

be grueling.

My dad had been patiently carrying the canoe the entire trip, but

for our very last portage he surprised me—“Cory, you get to carry

the canoe this time.” “Yeeeah riiight, Dad,” I said (dripping with

my finest preteen sarcasm.) “Yep, I know you can do it. I’ll help

you.” He then proceeded to help me flip the canoe onto my

shoulders and slowly he let go. As the full 70 pounds began to rock

up and down on my awkward young shoulders, I remember

wanting to shed the weight of this new responsibility immediately.

This was not comfortable! This was different! Can’t I just continue

carrying the packs? I know how to do that! But from behind me I

heard my dad, “You got this, Cory. I’ll be with you the whole time.”

It wasn’t pretty, but I finished that portage! There were times

where I felt like the canoe was going to fall off my shoulders (and

By Cory Jackson, Youth Director

P A G E 3

Valley is sending a mission team, comprised of Jim Bentson,

Mel Swanson, Peter Larson, Jon Ranzau, and Kjell Plath to

Children’s Haven International (CHI) in Mexico

from February 16-23. Children’s Haven provides home and refuge to 50+ needy

children from broken, abusive, or impoverished families. The children range in

age from 1 to 18. Our team will be joining a team from Illinois to complete

construction projects that include an addition to the school, remodeling an

apartment over the gym and some painting. Here are specific things you can pray for

the team:

travel mercies as they drive the 1,500 miles south to Reynosa, Mexico

easy transition and cohesiveness when working with the team from Illinois

opportunities to love on and minister to the children and staff at CHI

God’s provision for their families while they are gone

There are a number of short-term ministry trips being planned for this year. We have a

variety of needs, roles and opportunities for ministry in other cultures. Maybe this is the year for you to step out in

faith and participate in a missions ministry!

Bangladesh – November 5-21*

Our missionaries in the area are looking for a team to support their annual team conference. They are asking for 4-5 people to provide a

daily time of worship (musicians/vocalists) and a team to help with a daily children’s program for about 20 kids. Contact Arlene Borner

(952-448-5018) for more information.

Romania – July 7-17*

Pastor Mike is putting together a team to support our sister church in Pitesti, Romania. Along with participating in the ministry of the

church, including the church planting ministry of Razboieni neighborhood, the team will also be helping with much needed renovations of

the church building. This will include painting and other necessary maintenance (sound familiar?!). Contact Pastor Mike for more

information.

Bulgaria – July 7-14*

This opportunity supports the Campus Crusade organization of Bulgaria as they minister to college students. The team will be part of a large

conference located on the shores of the Black Sea. The focus is to help the students with conversational English and to build relationships

throughout the conference week. This ministry is in collaboration with the Minnesota Coalition for Eastern Europe. Valley Free is a new

partner in this coalition along with several other metro churches. Contact Pastor Mike for more information.

*Dates are approximate

P A G E 4

8:45 am—All-Church Breakfast | 9:00 am—Kids’ Sunday School | 10:00 am—Worship Service

P A G E 5

Dear Valley E-Free Church, We at Rock Haven are so blessed to have brothers and sisters who come alongside of us. We just want to express our deepest thanks for your encouragement and support of our ministry in Granite Falls. Your gift of 300 chairs is an answer to prayer. Your generosity is a

blessing that means more than words can express.

Rock Haven Church

P A G E 6

Greg Ohnsorg

Describe your family:

Married to Dana; 3 children: Brian, Mark, and Monica

Where do you live? Chanhassen

How long have you been attending Valley?

18 years. We started right before Monica was born.

How were you called into leading the remodel project?

I was involved with the previous remodel team that worked on

this 6 or 7 years earlier and I wanted to see if any previous plans

could help the new group. That wasn’t the case, a lot of fresh and

new ideas were coming out and it was obvious that this was a

determined group that had great ideas. I was along for the ride

and to support Jayme and John Ranzau, the outnumbered guys.

What blessings have you received from this ministry?

When it came to the overseeing of the onsite work, that was a gift

from Jayme and Greg

Swanson. They asked and I

had just a little idea of what I

was getting myself into. With

Greg leaving town for a

temporary construction job, I

thought I could give Greg a

hand. He makes it look so

easy, I figured that it was a

simple thing. Boy Swanson,

how do you make it look so

easy?

I spent so much time at the church, I started calling it my health

club. “I’m going to the club” I would tell Dana. I’ve lost 7–8 lbs and

my arms and legs are a lot stronger. Probably all of you volunteers

have seen the same results for yourselves. I discovered anew that

I have some fear of heights, and was blessed to discover several

of you who do not! Thank you to you high flyers we were able to

get a lot of high work done. Thanks, Kjell, Dan K., Jon R., Vic M.,

Mel S., Bob Borner, and Greg Swanson.

Share Something Unique about Yourself:

I had a drywall business for 8 years, and those skills came in handy

on this job. Working with all of you volunteers and finding Jobs for

you all to do was a big blessing. It reminded me of working with

my Dad and overseeing a group to get a truck body built. Everyone

was willing and now that this project is almost over, we are all

better painters, carpet ripper outers, furniture movers, sissors lift

operators, piano movers, wood stainers, shop vac operators,

wallpaper removers, ladder operators, scaffolding installers,

garbage haulers, bucket cleaners, TV hangers, vent cleaners, vent

painters and better friends for it! We sure had an opportunity to

visit with each other and get to know each other better.

Thanks for all the volunteer help. We have provided a lot of hours

to the project. I actually stopped counting when we were getting

close to a 1000 hours. It has been a lot of work and sacrifice.

I have heard that many, in order to help, had to make

arrangements for childcare, and even postpone some home

projects. Many even helped an extra hour because we needed to

finish a task. I hope all of you made stronger friendships through

this project. Its looking great around here.

Greg Swanson

I have been married to my best

friend, Cathy, for over 27 years.

We have two children, Kari, age

23 and Paul 21 . All three

are wonderful gifts from God that

I don’t deserve. We have lived in

Chaska since 1986 and started

attending Valley Free in 1988.

I started in commercial

construction for Rauenhorst

Construction( the

name was later

changed to OPUS).

The company owner’s values have been Faith,

Family and then Work, in that order. I have been

with the company 34 years. It’s been a great

experience.

I entered a carpentry apprenticeship program in

1980 and asked God to bless these hands, and in

return I would use them in His service when

P A G E 7

to our ministry. God prompted

Candace and I to try to help do

something about this concern. The

next thing I know I am knee deep with

the design team choosing materials for

the remodel, and leading the Light on

the Hill campaign to raise $200,000. To

God be the glory it has been a

wonderful experience helping to

refresh our facilities and watch the

fellowship of believers interact at

Valley.

What blessings have you received from this ministry?

I have developed deeper relationships with many people in our

church and watched God work through the lives of the volunteers to

make the remodeling project a reality. If we learn nothing from this

project it should be that nothing is too big for our God! He is

faithful.

Share something unique about yourself:

I enjoy bird hunting, fishing,

cycling, photography and

spending time with my

family. God has shown

himself in many ways

through the details of life’s

joys and challenges. What

excites me most is being

engaged in life and

challenging myself to do

things that aren’t always

comfortable. Our family

enjoys cross-cultural

experiences that have taken

us to the inner cities in

Ukraine, the jungles of Jamaica, our sister church in Romania and

other unusual locations not always on the travel brochures and

vacation destinations. God is present in all we see, we just have to

take the time to recognize His work. These are the treasures that

makes life exciting!

Working with all of you volunteers

and finding jobs for you all to do

was a big blessing, - Greg Ohnsorg

possible. I have

had many

opportunities,

such as the first

addition to the

church in the 90’s,

in Romania to

work on our sister

church, along with

countless other

projects. I have

received many blessings watching projects unfold and being used

by so many.

I was asked to help plan and execute the reconstruction of the

ladies restroom several years ago, this was not in God’s timing and

the project did not happen. God’s plan came into fruition this past

year. The timing between two out-of-town projects for Opus

allowed us to do both the men’s and women’s restroom remodels,

and put in the new structures in the sanctuary. The Lord’s

involvement was evident as the planning, material procurement,

schedules, and volunteers skill sets were fantastic.

The excitement and involvement of so many has been a blessing as

well. I’m thankful for Jayme Wisely’s dedication to the planning,

gathering of a design team, and the support of so many

volunteers, for Greg Ohnsorg’s willingness to take this project into

its final stages, and for Cathy and my family for allowing me to do

what I love. I have been blessed richly.

Jayme Wisely

Describe your family:

Candace (Wife of 27 years), Natalie (22), Nathaniel (19), Katie (19)

Where do you live? Chanhassen

How long have you been attending Valley? Since 1998

How were you called into leading this project?

I am passionate about our church, its ministry and the desire to

have people in our community experience the Gospel. It had

become apparent over the past several years that our church

building was a roadblock to attracting and retaining new families

The excitement and involvement

of so many has been a blessing .

—Greg Swanson

...nothing is too big for our God! He is faithful..

—Jayme Wisely

P A G E 8

• • • • •

Parenting Tip

January 19, 2013

Overcoming Selfishness With Honor

Some parents are frustrated because their children are so self-focused that they can't seem to grasp the con-

cept of honoring others. How can you help children think about other people instead of always thinking about

themselves?

One helpful way is to teach kids to recognize emotions in others and then know how to respond accordingly.

One dad wanted to work on honor with his seven-year-old daughter, Diane, who was self-centered, always

talking and thinking about herself. He used a journal and, in the evening, asked Diane to identify examples of

a friend or family member who was sad, mad, or glad that day. Then he asked the question, "How might you

respond to that person in a helpful way?"

They continued this exercise every evening for two weeks. After a while it helped Diane get outside of herself,

look at the needs and feelings of others, and then talk about ways to respond with honor. When her brother is

mad, it might be best to leave him alone or to just ask a helpful question. With her friend who is sad, she could

offer to help and then listen empathetically. When Mom is glad, Diane could enter into that gladness by listen-

ing to the story and enjoying the situation too.

The Bible says in Philippians 2:3, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility, consider

others better than yourselves." That's good advice for all of us. Seeing and responding to emotions in others is

a great way to start.

This parenting tip comes from the book Say Goodbye to Whining, Complaining, and Bad Attitudes, In You and

Your Kids by Dr Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller, RN, BSN.

If you'd like to receive tips yourself, you can sign up at www.biblicalparenting.org.

P A G E 9

ATTENTION VALLEY MEN! Join us Monday, February 4, at 7:00pm as we begin a new series on the book of Revelation, by Dr Chuck Missler. The Book of Revelation consists of 404 verses that contain over 800 allusions to the Old Tes-

tament. These are detailed, along with Chuck's analysis of the design and structure of this fascinating book. Learn about the past, present and future of the Church and our ultimate destiny.

Join us in the Fellowship Hall

Saturdays 9-11 a.m.

is an epic five-week, 10-hour television miniseries premiering

March 3, 2013

on the History Channel

The Bible comes to us from Emmy Award winning husband and wife team, Mark Burnett and Roma Downey. For two hours each

Sunday night millions of viewers will see the Bible come to life in a way never before seen. The final episode of the series will air on Easter Sunday and will feature the death and

resurrection of Jesus.

P A G E 1 0

SA 2 9:00 AM WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY

SU 3

9:00 AM 9:00 AM 10:00 AM 5:00 PM

SUNDAY SCHOOL/ADULT STUDIES WORSHIP SERVICE WORSHIP SERVICE SUPERBOWL PARTY

M 4 7:00 PM MEN’S BIBLE STUDY

W 6 10:00 AM VALLEY PLAY DATES

TH 7 7:00 PM 7:00 PM

WORSHIP TEAM REHEARSAL LOVE INC INFO NIGHT

SA 9 7:30 AM 9:00 AM

MEN’S MONTHLY BREAKFAST WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY

SU 10

9:00 AM 9:00 AM 10:00 AM 6:00 PM

SUNDAY SCHOOL/ADULT STUDIES WORSHIP SERVICE WORSHIP SERVICE CRUX

M 11 12:30 PM 7:00 PM

WHITE CROSS MEN’S BIBLE STUDY

W 13 10:00 AM VALLEY PLAY DATES

TH 14 7:00 PM WORSHIP TEAM REHEARSAL

SA 16 9:00 AM WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY

SU 17

9:00 AM 9:00 AM 10:00 AM 11:30 AM 6:00 PM

SUNDAY SCHOOL/ADULT STUDIES WORSHIP SERVICE WORSHIP SERVICE ANNUAL MEETING & ALL-CHURCH POTLUCK CRUX

M 18 7:00 PM MEN’S BIBLE STUDY

W 20 10:00 AM VALLEY PLAY DATES

TH 21 7:00 PM WORSHIP TEAM REHEARSAL

SA 23 9:00 AM WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY

SU 24

8:45 AM 9:00 AM 10:00 AM 3:00 PM 6:00 PM

MISSONS CONFERENCE KICK-OFF! ALL-CHURCH BREAKFAST KIDS’ SUNDAY SCHOOL WORSHIP SERVICE—CELEBRATION SUNDAY BABY SHOWER FOR BELINDA RICE CRUX

M 25 12:30 PM 7:00 PM

WHITE CROSS MEN’S BIBLE STUDY

W 27 10:00 AM VALLEY PLAY DATES

TH 28 7:00 PM WORSHIP TEAM REHEARSAL

See bulletins for weekly updates/changes to this calendar

P A G E 1 1

2013 was ushered in with tool belts, paint rollers, fresh carpet

and absolutely no books on our library’s shelves! With the books

tucked away for safekeeping it didn’t make much sense to highlight

any library items for the January Newsletter. I had planned to

emphasize the library’s devotionals to correlate with the New Year

and its resolutions. My hope was to encourage you, if you hadn’t

already, to add “personal daily devotions” to their list of goals.

For many, New Year’s resolutions have a habit of disappearing

within the first couple weeks of the year. Realizing what’s

happened yet again, we sign away the rest of the year to old habits

so we can make a “fresh” start the next time around. The empty

shelves had me thinking of postponing the topic for the “fresh”

2014 year.

But God’s timing is always better than our own and the fact that I’m

discussing resolutions in February is a sign of that. Take this as a

reminder that the best time to start doing daily devotions is not

when a man-made calendar says you have a clean slate and can

start new. We can praise God that we don’t need to wait for a new

year to begin The best time to start developing a deeper

relationship with our Lord and Savior is NOW!

Consider getting started with one of these devotionals:

The One Year Bible Companion

15 Minutes Alone With God by Emily Barnes

Memorize and Meditate by Lavonne Masters

Miracles: A 52-Week Devotional by Karen Kingsbury

Quiet Whispers from God’s Heart for Men by Steve Farrar

Night Light: A Devotional for Couples by

Dr. James and Shirley Dobson

Little Visits for Families by Jahsmann and Simon

Don’t wait for next year. God can do more than you ever imagined

in just eleven months.

By Kayla Downer

952-448-6144

Fax: 952-448-5119

office@valleyfree.org

150 Engler Blvd

Chaska, MN 55318

80 Cans of Soup

Commitment for february

March 1-3, 2013

Overhaul is a weekend

for men to hang out in

a camp setting. a great

time to enjoy manly

activities, eat great

food, worship together

and so much more. FOR

MORE INFO & TO REGISTER

CONTACT CORY JACKSON

(CORYJ@VALLEYFREE.ORG

OR 763-807-2633). $99 &

REGISTRATION ARE DUE

BY FEBRUARY 17!