Newsletter
The Voice
The Valley of Peace congregational newsletter, The Voice, contains news of the congregation, upcoming events and other items of interest. Published monthly, it is also posted on this web site on a monthly basis. The current issue of The Voice follows.
Page Index
| About Us | Worship |
| Vacation Bible School | All God's Children Learning Center |
| Donations Appreciated | Thrivent |
| VOP Survey Results | Cemetery Lots |
About Us
 | Our wonderful children’s choir accompanist, Steve Swanson, has resigned
to work in his trained field of library science and as a private instructor
of piano. We will miss him, but at the same time, we wish him the very best
as he moves forward in his vocation. |
| Marilyn Dekko, who broke her wrist in a fall, Tom Untiedt, Bill and Anna
Halvorson (Bill is now at North Ridge until he is able to go back to North
Memorial for rehabilitation). |
| Millie Crawford, who resides at Crystal Care Health Center, was given a
quilt from our Sunday Sunday, delivered by Nancy Rogness. She has written a
thank you to the Sunday School. A copy of Millie’s letter is included on the
back page of this month’s calendar |
| Plans are underway to refresh the office space, in part to have the
pastor’s office fresh for our new pastor. We have been given a gift towards
that effort, we can take a little from the budget, but it leaves some left
to raise. Thank you to those of you who have already sent in donations!! If
you are willing to help fund the carpet and a new desk for the Pastor, your
donations, in any amount, will be appreciated. Mark your memo line, ‘Office
carpet.’ |
| Because Vacation Bible School falls the 3rd week of the month, the same week Chat ‘n Chew normally meets, we’ll skip Chat ‘n Chew‘ this month because all of the space will be filled with the sounds of children! See you next month! |
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Vacation Bible School
Vacation Bible SchoolAges 3 years - grade 5
July 19-23 - 9:00 - 12:00
Also seeking:
Craft leaders and helpers and Lunch sponsors and/or cooks.
For more information, contact Nancy Rogness - nancyrog@aol.com
Forms are available at the Welcome Center!! Invite your neighbors, your cousins, your school friends!
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Donations Appreciated
Here are some of the comments we have received from organizations we have supported this year….you have made a difference!
| Kinship…”On behalf of the children and families served through
Kinship of Greater Minneapolis, thank you very much for your donation of
$622.00 Your gift will help us support our 300 active matches as well as
help us find new adult friends for the 150 children on our waiting
list.” “Thanks so much to all for your nice gift to help kids in need of
mentoring through Kinship. Blessings, Dan Johnson, Exec. Director”
(Note: Dan has resigned as Executive Director of Kinship to pursue other
opportunities, yet undecided.)| “On behalf of the Jewish Community Relations Council of MN and the
Dakotas, thank you for your generous donation of $100.00 to our program,
Understanding the Arab-Israeli Conflict: The Challenge of Peace,
received on 4/20,2010. Your gift will allow the JCRC to continue to
train dedicated volunteers to conduct these educational sessions
designed to increase understanding of the Middle East conflict.
Donations like yours allow us to provide this resource to the community
free of charge. Through education and discussion we can make a positive
difference in our own community. Steve Hunegs, Executive Director | Noble School…”On behalf of the school board of Independent School
District 281, Robbinsdale Area Schools, I wish to express our sincere
thanks for the donation of electric pencil sharpeners and MCA supplies
for each classroom at Noble Elementary School. The students and staff
appreciate this very generous gift.” Aldo Sicoli, Superintendent of
Schools | Feed My Starving Children…”Thank you for your financial gift to Feed My
Starving Children. Your $162.75 contribution will provide 856
life-saving meals to God’s hungry children around the world. With your
help, we are well on our way to producing over 1237 million meals this
year.” Mark Crea, Executive Director | Girl Scout Troop #11670 sent 5 hand crafted cards thanking us for
letting them use a room for their meetings. “We have a lot of fun!”, the
girls wrote. | The Cookie Cart sent an Easter card and decorated cookies to thank us
for our continued support of their program, which besides the cookies,
mentors children.
| |
VOP Survey Results
Your excellent response to the recent congregational survey
is very much appreciated. The Call Committee wants to share the final results
which will be included in the Ministry Site Profile we submit to the synod.
The first item, five primary areas of activity you want our new pastor to focus
on in the first year:
| Youth and Family Ministry | 65% |
| Sermons and Spiritual Growth | 57% |
| Evangelizing and Congregational Growth | 39% |
| Get Acquainted/Build Relationships | 39% |
| Maintain Music/Traditional Liturgy | 24% |
Next, five ways the congregation will support our new pastor during the first year:
| Stewardship: Time and Talent | 100%* |
| Prayer/Attendance/Bible Study | 53% |
| Being Positive Partners/Pastor Support | 43% |
| Patience/Develop Honest Relationships | 33% |
| Openness to Change (Worship/Structure) | 24% |
*Please note this high number is
the result of people listing several items separately (i.e., stewardship,
pledging, volunteering) all of which are part of the same category.
On gifts, skills and personality characteristics helpful in a ministry setting,
the percentages listed combine the ‘Top Priority’ and ‘Very Helpful’ choices.
| Help people develop their spiritual life | 102% |
| Be an effective communicator | 98% |
| Be an effective administrator | 77% |
| Be effective working with children | 68% |
| Able to share leadership/work in team | 68% |
| Bring joy/good humor to relationships | 68% |
Your top three priorities were:
| Pastor with Warmth, Joy and Good Humor | 49% |
| Reach Out to Neighbors/improve Participation | 45% |
| Keep Traditions/Emphasize Youth and Family | 45% |
Many thanks for your interest, support and prayers which are helping us complete this process. Please contact any one of us, if you have questions.
Back to topWorship
| 9:30 am | Worship (Holy Communion the 1st and 3rd Sundays) |
| 10:30 am | Refreshments and fellowship in the Fireside Room |
Back to topAll God's Children Learning Center
Summer is here at All God’s Children! The children love being
outdoors. . . we’ve already had a couple of water days with our wading pools. .
. the garden is planted and growing. . . our children are halfway through their
session of swimming lessons at Sandburg Pool. . . and every bug in the
playground has been discovered!
We have been blessed with fairly steady enrollment, another sign, perhaps of
economic recovery! We have space for one toddler and 3 preschoolers at this
time. Remember that there is a VOP referral bonus if you refer a friend or
neighbor to our wonderful church preschool! Send all the two, three and four
year olds you know to us, and you may receive a $50 gift card!
Some special events are coming up!
| AGCLC Car Wash on Thursday, July 15! Have your car washed by our four and five
year olds! Really! They pour everything they’ve got into the task! We’ll be
grateful for your free-will donation, which will go towards the purchase of new
cribs for our infant room.| Book Fair on Wednesday and Thursday, July 28 and 29! We’ll feature the
wonderful line of Usborne children’s books. Come and do some early Christmas
shopping or just pick up some great books for the young children in your life! | |
Blessings, Barb Mikelson
Back to topThrivent
ATTENTION – THRIVENT MEMBERS!
Thrivent Choice – What does this mean for you?
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans has introduced a new program to replace
GivingPlus. This will no longer be a matching gift program, but will allow
Thrivent members to direct Thrivent Choice Dollars to Lutheran non-profit
organizations. As a member, Thrivent will notify you (and provide instructions)
if you are eligible to designate dollars to the Lutheran organization of your
choice. We encourage you to remember us, All God’s Children Learning Center
and Valley of Peace Church, when making your designations. The amount of
funds a Thrivent member is able to designate toward an eligible organization is
based on ownership of certain Thrivent products and Thrivent Financial volunteer
leadership. Watch for information in your mail!
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Cemetery Lots
Valley of Peace was given several cemetery lots at Crystal Lake Cemetery which you may choose from and purchase for the low, low price of $1,000. The proceeds from the sale of these lots goes into our budget, which now might go to the payment of the assessment on our new street. If you have interest in looking at the lots available, give a call to the church office.