Announcements (10-20-24)
Welcome
We are expecting God to do great things today! Thanks for connecting with us. If you are on campus, stop at the welcome center for a “Welcome Home” book with more details about St. Peter’s. We’d welcome you to call us your church home.
If you are online or if we can serve you in some way or you’d like to receive a weekly email link to view the message, complete the Digital Connect Card.
Sit back, listen, participate, and enjoy yourself as the love story of Jesus covers over you with peace as only He can bring.
Home.
If church is not a building, but the people, then where do God's people spend their time? Home.
So perhaps church is home and home is church. Hmm... just think of the possibilities!
Join us this fall as we discover Home. What changes if Christ dwells in your home? How can your home be a place of contentment and rest where others enjoy spending time? Together we will learn the practices of a Christian home.
Home Photos Needed!
Would you take a picture of the exterior of your home and then an inside shot of your favorite room and send it to Pastor Mark? Maybe you will see your home highlighted for the St. Peter's family during the next weeks - we won't identify the homes but you will know! Text your pics to 612-799-0512 (and please identify yourself) or send them to mshockey@stpetersedina.org We look forward to seeing your favorite place. Be creative, the outside pic doesn't have to be the whole building.
Attention STP KIDS Families:
We have a special assignment for you. Please also send a picture of your home exterior and a picture of your child in their bedroom. This will be part of a project we are working on during STP KIDS time. Send the pics to Ms Jenna: 952-607-8686
Tree Dedication
This morning we have the joy of dedicating 12 trees to the glory of God. They are part of a memorial in honor of Marilyn and John Roegge. The Roegge family and several of our members donated for the planting of trees in the playground where Marilyn interacted with our school children playing during recess and near the church building where John served as congregational president.
Immediately after worship, we will walk down the sidewalk for a litany, prayer, and blessing of these trees. We hope you will join us.
Pastor’s Sunday Morning Bible Class
This morning there will be NO BIBLE STUDY due to the tree dedication and a special opportunity that Pastor Mark has to meet with some Concordia University St. Paul church work students - to build a legacy!
Join us NEXT SUNDAY from 10:45 to 11:30 a.m. in the Discipleship Room, following our coffee time. We’ll provide the Bibles and resources you need for a deeper dive into the week’s Home theme. All are welcome! Always some great discussion. Give it a try!
Blessing of a Dwelling
Last week we talked about creating a Christian home. It was the first message of our new series Home. We talked about inviting Christ into our home. Pastor Mark compiled a Blessing of a Dwelling to help you explore each room of your home and apply Scripture to ensure it truly reflects a Christian household. There is a prayer for each room of your home.
Pick up a copy on the Welcome Center this morning or print a copy below. If you missed “A Christian Home.” be sure to click on the link above to view the message on our YouTube channel.
Red Cross Blood Drive at St. Peter’s October 24
St. Peter’s, in partnership with the Rotary Club of Minnesota Veterans, will be hosting a blood drive in the sanctuary on Thursday October 24. To ensure your spot, please schedule an appointment below.
We will also have an electronics drive, a clothing drive, and an apartment pantry/cleaning supply drive all to support veterans with a fresh start. Bring your items Thursday, Oct 24 from 1pm-7pm or drop them off the Sunday before.
Fall Festival Supply Request
Want to support St. Peter’s ongoing effort to meet families at the intersection of faith and real life? Our annual Fall Festival is an opportunity for children to dress up and families to enjoy a light meal along with crafts, treats, and getting to know each other.
The next two Sundays we will be gathering supplies to make the event memorable. Sign up to bring supplies on the treat table this morning! Please bring the following to the Welcome Center by October 27:
Bags of candy
Veggie Trays (cut up)
Ranch dressing
Sour Cream
Chip assortment boxes (for walking tacos)
Salsa
3lb tube of ground beef
Fall colored plastic table cloths from the dollar store
Calling Little Person People!
We have more STP kids participating. It is time to re-introduce Kids Kare & Kids Kount!!! For the last couple of years, our older elementary kids have been helping the little STP KIDS with activities. It is great to watch. However, with a growing number of elementary aged students, it is time to engage them with their peers. And we are going to need a new crew of volunteers.
Here is the great part: each week’s lesson is prepared for you. The theme, the Bible Story, the craft, the activities. We just need your help to engage our youngest disciples. We will be scheduling leaders once a month to lead the learning. There is nothing like being an adult for young people to talk about life and faith with at this age. If you are a little people person, this is a great spot for you. In fact, it won’t happen without you. We will be “graduating” some of our leaders to the elementary aged program so we will also need a couple more for the little, littles!
If you would like to find out more about helping and being a team member, please let us know. Talk to Jenna Pitkanen 952-607-8686. with any questions.
Remote Control Car Racing in the St. Peter’s Gym
Youth Impact Racing is an exciting evening of racing and friendship around Biblical weekly themes. Our Fall Season runs for 7 weeks. Tuesday nights from 6:45-8:00pm in the gym starting this week. Students 6-16 years of age are invited to participate in this competitive group. There is no cost to participate (donations are welcome) and St. Peter’s has the equipment for you to use. Students rotate between prepping their cars, timed racing, learning about real cars, and care pit stop with Pastor Mark. Parents are welcome to stay and watch and help count laps. Our Biblical theme this season is Power: For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7
Questions??? talk to Pastor Mark who serves as our St. Peter’s host. We need some volunteers for setup and student coordination. Several men and women from St. Peter’s have helped in past seasons.
Reformation Hymn Festival October 25-26
The event will be held at St. James Lutheran Church in West St. Paul. If you were moved by our theme of music and singing in the home, this might be just for you! It will feature a choir, organists, and other musicians. Singers from neighboring churches are invited to participate!
There will be hymn festival of great reformation hymns on Friday at 7:00pm. On Saturday, October 26, presentations will be offered from 9:00 - 3:00 PM on various aspects of the Lutheran Chorale. Topics will address the beginnings of the Lutheran chorale tradition, its development, and ongoing relevance.
Support LCMS Disaster Response
Sometimes, being far away from disasters makes us a bit disinterested. But remember that we are able to be the hands and feet of Jesus in times such as this. The great news is there are many volunteers who have been trained to respond to disasters and have been onsite helping.
LCC President/CEO Rev. Chris Singer and LCC Disaster Response Director Kathy O’Day are monitoring communication with LCMS Disaster Response and Florida-Georgia District Disaster Response Coordinator Jay Wendland. LCC is engaged in ongoing conversations with multiple LCMS districts and local congregations.
“We know that so many lives have been upended and torn apart. They are entering this week without loved ones, homes, power, and basic needs. They need our prayers right now.” Singer said. “As the waters recede and power is restored, LCC stands ready to offer emergency assistance, tangible support, and most importantly, the comfort and hope found only in Jesus Christ.”
You may participate financially by giving through your offering marking the “other” line DISASTER RELIEF. Or you may give directly through the button below. All funds donated will go directly to disaster relief.
Invest in the Church!
Imagine investing in a way that benefits The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS), earns a competitive interest rate and gives you the access you need to your funds. That’s what the All Access Account—an investment from Lutheran Church Extension Fund (LCEF) for church members, church workers, and congregations is about.
St. Peter’s invests in savings at LCEF. They also hold our building mortgage. It is great to support and provide cost of funds interest levels to new projects and church plants during a time of church closings across the country. Interested in participating. Funds are easily available via an online banking app like any other bank.
Extra Bible to Share?
For 63 years, Gospel materials have been gathered locally for churches around the world through ICLD (International Christian Literature Distibutors). We have a wooden box under the coat rack near the Welcome Center in the Commons. They now have a new name: Global Gospel Books. Same mission, same effort. Just an effort to reach new people to share.
Bibles are needed - please glean your shelves, look in thrift stores for Bibles -ask around. Any version or condition. The requests are higher than the supply. Beyond Bibles and New Testaments, the most popular items are Bible dictionaries, handbooks, commentary books, concordances, prayer, theology, children’s materials and anything about Jesus! When you walk past your bookshelf at home, stand a few minutes looking at what you might share. Bring them to the box. We will get them to the shipping location. Thanks for sharing.
The Lutheran Hour: a National Broadcast with a Local Impact
The Lutheran Hour airs in the Minneapolis area on WCCO 830 AM every Sunday morning at 6:05 a.m. The Lutheran Hour serves on your behalf, working in conjunction with local churches to proclaim the Gospel in its purity. You can also listen to the broadcast at www.lhm.org. On the website you will find numerous tools to grow in your faith. Bible studies, videos, witnessing helps, and other resources for you.
St. Peter’s has been invited to sponsor a week of the Lutheran Hour. It costs $1785 to sponsor a week. Every gift helps. And yes, there are so many people around the country - and around the globe - who “stumble” across the broadcast every week. That is why Dr. Michael Zeigler, speaker of the Lutheran Hour, continues to produce fresh and relevant content in 2024. Here are a few stories: Chuck listened in bed on his radio and came back to church after 35 years. Renee heard the Lutheran Hour when she was a child and her mother was suffering from postpartum depression. Her father found a local Lutheran congregation for his family. James works on T38 jets and listens in his earbuds, remembering that he listed to the broadcast when he would visit his grandparents. Cathy had car trouble and was forced to pull off the road. A young man named Brian stopped to help her but said he is not religious. Cathy mentioned that she listens to the Lutheran Hour every week. Weeks later, Brian reached out to Cathy - he had started listening and it had impacted his life. Make a gift to LHM online or mark your gift in the offering “Missions” and we will combine it with gifts of other worshipers.
Pray for Jerusalem
Pray for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the security cabinet, and all Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) leaders.
Pray for the mental health of all Israelis who have faced varying degrees of trauma—especially those who witnessed unspeakable atrocities.
Pray for the families of hostages who are suffering from anxiety, trauma, and sleepless nights as they await the outcome.
Pray for the Jewish people to continue to renew their faith and hope, recalling that for centuries God has redeemed and preserved them.
Pray for Christians to strongly oppose all forms of anti-Semitism
Psalm 122:6-8 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May those who love you be secure. May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels.” For the sake of my family and friends, I will say, “Peace be within you.”
Your Generosity Matters
Every wonder what happens after you place an envelope in the basket or push send on electronic giving? Great things! Every gift is important. Your generosity matters. Yes, your gift helps pay the electric bill and purchases coffee for Sunday mornings, but you also provide Bibles for those who are just learning about Jesus, and water for baptism, and salaries for those who lead worship each week. You enable us to reach those in our community, you provide carpet squares for the hallway, you support the sharing of the Gospel through the church around the world! And that is just the beginning…
There are many ways to give financially. We call it an offering because we are offering ourselves for God’s bigger purposes. What an adventure. We’d like to help you along the way. Check out the options on the website by clicking the button below. And if we can provide assistance or answer questions, but sure to let us know at info@stpetersedina.org.
Together we meet families at the intersection of faith and real life.
Upcoming Member Birthdays
Oct 22 - Grace Anderson
Oct 23 - Rosemary Stroebel
Oct 31 - Kevin Clarity