Christus Victor Lutheran Church

Monkeys, the jungle and birds with bright beaks coming to CV when the summer does peak. VBS is on our minds, and we are looking for a few of a kind. SonQuest Rainforest is on it’s way, we need your help and we need you to pray. There is a lot of planning that needs to be done, and this for sure cannot be done by one. If you want to be part of a fantastic team, please call Stacey Klein, and I promise not to scream. (952-431 9124)

I need your help! For this sabbatical time to benefit the whole congregation, I am asking you to not only pray for me during my time away, but to participate in my learning and growing. I would like to invite you to consider joining one of three different groups of church members to do your own reading and reflecting on the same books I will be reading and reflecting on over the course of my sabbatical this summer.

• One group made up of junior and senior high youth and their parents will read and reflect on Frogs Without Legs Can’t Hear, by David Anderson and Paul Hill. I hope that this will compliment the work that will be going on around the Youth Ministry Management Plan with Corey, the Youth Committee and Tentmakers, and the work that Pastor Laura and the Children and Family Ministries Committee is doing on their GIFT ministry.
• A second group made up of young men and older men will read and reflect on Adams Return: the Five Promises of Male Initiation, by Richard Rohr. I will actually be participating in this Male Initiation, and so will bring fresh, real life experience to the discussion and be eager to hear what others are thinking about Male Spirituality.
• A third group of adults will read and reflect on The Contemplative Pastor: Returning to the Art of Spiritual Direction, by Eugene Peterson. If you are interested in prayer and spiritual direction, this would be
  a great book for you.

In the two months after I return from my sabbatical I will be meeting with these three groups separately to discuss with each other our reflections and ideas that come out of our shared reading. This will give me a chance to share with a wide spectrum of people from the congregation, in an intimate and less formal setting, some of my experiences and discoveries from my sabbatical time. It will also provide some common ground for discussion around ideas and thoughts on how we can improve or change how we pass on the faith from one generation to another and from one person to another through the ministries of our church.

Allow me to set the stage:

On Sunday, May 3rd we had an in-church field trip. It was a beautiful day–sunny, warm. About twenty-five munchkins and a handful of adults gathered in the youth room for a hot dog lunch. Good food and good fellowship.

Next up was the scavenger hunt, kids everywhere–in the hallways, in and out of rooms. Searching for horse related items. After the hunt was completed, it was movie time “Veggie Tales”. It was a very funny and informative movie. A western-themed Veggie Tales, no doubt. We had popcorn everywhere. Then, finally, it was time.

Twenty-five extremely excited kids lined up in the CV courtyard, waiting for what was promised, two ponies, just for them, for a full hour! The kids were patient and calm, but that was just an act. They were bubbling inside waiting.

Suddenly, around the corner came two beautiful little ponies in a full trot being lead by their owners, manes blowing in the wind. An eruption of cheers and screams bellowed out from our little munchkins. You should have seen, it was amazing. The kids spent the next hour taking turns riding on “Oreo” and “Zippidy-Do-Da”. Let me tell you, these two horses were professionals. They were just as gentle and mellow as could be. Our kids behaved like perfect darlings and we all had so much fun. It was a beautiful day. Thank you to all the adults who lent a hand. You helped the field trip run so smoothly.

Also, I would like to take this time to tell you all of how wonderful the Sunday School year went. What a fabulous year we had! When you combine a great group of preschoolers and kindergarteners with an above and beyond the call-of-duty group of adults, only good things happen. As always, I don’t want the year to end, but there’s always VBS! And there’s always Sundays in room 108 (where I can easily be found).

Thank you, teachers for a great year. Thank you, Julie Colin, our wonderful pianist. Thank you especially to our marvelous munchkins and their parents. I wish everyone a safe and fun summer.

Doug

In April and May, faith trekkers are experiencing an hour that transports them to Mlowa, Tanzania and connects them to their Lutheran cousins. The goal of this five-week Faith Trek Rotation is: “In response to Christ’s love, we offer our talents in faithful stewardship to accomplish God’s mission in the world.” In the other four classrooms, faith trekkers are learning to “Use It or Lose It: The Parable of the Talents.” The Tanzanian Partnership Committee felt that this was a great opportunity to introduce all faith trekkers to rich culture of Tanzania through their five senses. Faith trekkers are seeing pictures of the people and places of Tanzania, smelling spices, tasting chappati (flat bread)), hearing music sung in Swahili and touching items that were brought back from Africa.

In addition to learning about the similarities and differences in the lives of children from Apple Valley and Mlowa, faith trekkers are learning that the offering they give each week pays for a child from Mlowa to attend secondary school. There is a Mlowa primary school which educates kids through grade five. There is no secondary school in Mlowa so if you want education beyond grade five you need to attend boarding school. The cost of a year of boarding school for a secondary education (6th grade through 12th grade) costs $300 per year. The average income of a Tanzanian is $350.

To celebrate their connection to their Lutheran cousins, faith trekkers are creating a drawing introducing themselves and we are capturing both the picture and the artist on film. The Tanzanian Partnership Committee will be sending these one-of-a-kind photos to Mlowa so that the kids there can see who their Lutheran cousins are.

In 2002, Christus Victor (CV) began a partnership with a rural Lutheran congregation in the village of Mlowa located in the Iringa diocese in the south central region of Tanzania. The partnership is called Bega kwa Bega (meaning shoulder to shoulder) and we are one of sixty-six congregations of the St. Paul Area Synod which have made this cross cultural connection. Ambassadors from CV have traveled to Mlowa to connect with our Tanzanian cousins four times and the next journey is tentatively planned for the summer of 2010 and currently, the CV Tanzania Committee is researching the possibility of bringing Pastor Lunagelo Mbwilo here to connect with us!

If you have any questions about Tanzania or our connection with Mlowa, please contact Diana Buffie, Barb Damlo, KC Claussen Gubrud or Dawn Youngner. Asante Sana. Thank you.

YOU are AWESOME CV!!  At last count, you have contributed 2298 food items to our local food shelf!  Your enthusiasm in stepping up to the plate to put a dent in hunger has been inspiring, (We imagine there might also be some enthusiasm for watching Pastor Kent lose his fabulous head of hair).  The food shelf continues to experience record demand & both greatly appreciates & relies on the support of members of CV.  Our commitment to the food shelf has made us an important partner for them, & our continued support is vital to their efforts in providing for local families in need.  We have only one week left to meet our goal, we are confident we will succeed!  However, Confirmation & Senior High youth, you have an uphill battle to meet your challenge, so get some friends together & get busy collecting food!

The campers are offering 2 evenings of babysitting so you can enjoy a break!  Babysitting will take place here at CV; Saturday, April 5th, from 4:00 – 8:00 PM & Saturday, April 19th, from 4:00 – 8:00 PM.  Please feed your kids before they come, or pack them a “sack supper”.  Ages invited: Infant on up.  Games, crafts, movies & snacks will be provided.  Please sign up at the “Information Desk”.  There will be a free will offering taken to help offset the cost of camp.