July 2015

The times of the most change hold the most potential.

A former coworker mounted this quote on construction paper and hung it on my bulletin board at work
one day. This quote has traveled with me and bounced bulletin boards of mine ever since. Its been
with me through many changes location changes, vocation changes, relationship changes, personal
changes.
The times of the most change hold the most potential.
Can you think of a time in your life when things werent changing? That might be a difficult task. It
seems jobs and relationships and world politics and the way we live our day-to-day lives are always
changing. Shifting. Growing. Maybe struggling or perhaps thriving. But always changing.
I also love the saying - the only constant in life is change. If the only constant in life is change and the
times of the most change hold the most potential, then life certainly is an exciting, potential-filled
adventure. I think most of you would nod your heads in agreement to that!
But we all know change is also hard. The overall statistics might scare us. Churches are closing.
Fewer people are identifying as Christian. At Red Oak Grove, we feel it too. The church is changing.
Its not what it was ten, twenty, fifty years ago. And we can be sad about that. Maybe were angry
too. We can lament, and we can grieve. Those feelings are warranted and even necessary for a
period.
The times of the most change hold the most potential.
But we also hold onto hope. Hope that God will continue to use Gods people to spread the gospel,
even if the number of Lutheran churches is less than it was before. Hope that, though the pews may
not be as full as they used to be, God is a God who brings new life out of death. Hope that in this
change there is great potential.
This is Gods church and we are Gods people. And Gods not through with us yet. May we see
change as an opportunity. May we lean forward into the potential God has in store for each of us and
for the church as a whole.
Pastor Lindsay

June 2, 2015 Red Oak Grove Council Meeting

The meeting was called to order by Shad Rudlong. Those in attendance were Shad Rudlong,
Bob Kittelson, Beatriz Cardenas, Emily Elkins, Mike Hoffman, Ardell Swenson, Dean Peterson,
Bill Maxwell, Anne Rudlong, Pastor Lindsay and Laura Tjomsland. Opening devotions were led by
Pastor Lindsay. We all shared a joy event in our life.
Pastors Report was given by Pastor Lindsay: Flat Jesus has been several places. A group
packed meals for the hungry. Pizza Ranch Tip Night will be June 15th. Day Camp will be June 17th.
A movie night is planned for June 19th. Pastor will be on vacation June 22nd-29th. We will have a
hymn sing and Shad will lead the service when Pastor is gone. There have been 6 baptisms,
1 wedding, 2 Prairie Manor services and 14 other visits including 3 with communion.
Secretarys Report: Accepted as presented.
Treasurers Report: Accepted as presented with these highlights; beginning balance - $18,142.60
with deposits the balance is $29,318.41 and after expenses the balance is $18,545.29. Improvement
Fund is $5,567.29 and the Youth Fund is $3,028.74.
WELCA Report: They will be meeting June 3rd and the Strawberry Festival is June 9th.
Deacons Report: There was none.
Trustees Report: Items discussed were from Old Business, the church yard clean up. There were
some questions about the bushes around the church, ideas for some type of a patio area by the south
church entrance. Katie Zipse was the only one to apply for the custodian job. She was accepted as
the church custodian.
New Business: There will be no Council meeting in July. Money for the Youth Gathering was
discussed with a motion made, seconded and passed to support this event with $225.00. The office
computer is in need of being replaced as the mother board on the current model is broken. This will
be considered in the budget for next year. Parking lot concerns included the cattle truck that has
been parked on the north side of the church and the need to have the entire parking lot seal coated.
Bill will make some contacts and get bids for the project.
Next meeting will be August 4, 2015.
July Eucharist Assistant/coffee hour organizers are Mary Weikum and Ardell Swenson.
Meeting adjourned and we closed with the Lords Prayer.
Respectfully submitted
Laura Tjomsland, Council Secretary.

WELCA Minutes
On June 3, 2015, Wednesday, President Pat Hanson called the monthly WELCA meeting to order at
1:30 p.m. She opened the meeting in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The purpose was
read in unison. Our opening hymn was In the Garden. We sang all verses. Evelyn Johnson led
devotions. She read Jeremiah 29:9. Spoke of Babylon and she read a reading True Gardens.
Secretarys Report from May was read and approved. Correspondence was read from the
Blooming Prairie Boys and Girls Club. A wild flower seed packet was in the envelope.
Treasurers Report: Read and approved. $964.55 in checking.
Committee Reports:
Prairie Manor Ardell Swenson reported next Auxiliary Meeting will be Monday, June 29th at 1:30.
Still need more members.
Quilting Judy Wambeam reported that on May 18th 18 quilts, 4 school kits, 1 health kit and 2 fleece
blankets were boxed for LWR. Four baptism quilts were given to a family. Rachels Hope received
3 bed size, 5 children and 3 regular quilts and 15 quilts went to the Hayward Youth Ranch. Quilts will
be on sale at the Strawberry Festival and 4 seniors will receive quilts on Sunday, June 7th; Emma
Wiekum, Alexa Rudlong, Jessica Ferguson and Emily Wiese. Nancy Wesely may want a quilt for the
Relay for Life in Austin to raffle.
GEV Day is Saturday, June 27th no one from Red Oak Grove is signed up to attend. Marilyn
Helleck had shortcake and angel food cakes to take home and bake for the up-coming Strawberry
Festival. Sunday, June 7th we will be cooking eggs and potatoes and cool ready to go on Monday.
Ardell Swenson suggested we need to use paper products and no more Styrofoam. Our Synod is on
a mission to keep our world cleaner. Council may buy cups or each person can bring their cup and
use and take home. Saves on garbage.
Our program was by Ruth Circle. Ardell Lindquist read Grandmas Apron and its many uses. Verna
Magnuson read Farmers and Seeds and Seed Conversations in the Bag. Lavonne Smith read
Gods Service Mothers to Daughters and Senior Moments.
Worship offering meditation was by Evelyn Johnson. She read Psalm 121 and shared whenever her
family traveled they would recite Psalm 121. Verna closed with a prayer.
Our Next meeting will be Sunday, July 5th at 10:15 a.m. Thank you to Ruth for program and Hannah
for hosting. Thank you to Virginia Davis and Judy Wambeam. Birthday song was sung for Dorothy
Kruger on her 90th birthday.
Closed with the Lords Prayer
Respectfully
Linda L. Christianson, Secretary

Pastoral Acts: Baptisms Oliver Keith Magnuson

THANK YOU to all the wonderful helpers who worked for the Strawberry Festival.
The winner of the quilt raffle was Joyce Peterson.

Emma Christianson, Ayren Ingvalson, and Pastor Lindsay are off to the National
Youth Gathering in Detroit beginning the 13th of July. You can follow their
adventures on the church website www.roglutheran.org - where Pastor Lindsay will
be blogging about all they see and do and learn. (The blog will also post to the
church facebook page.) THANK YOU for your ongoing support in making this lifechanging trip possible for them!
Remember to grab your Flat Jesus from the narthex! Color him in, cut him out and then take him
everywhere you go this summer! Snap a picture and share with the Red Oak Grove church
community via facebook or email.
We had a great time at the June installment of day camp! Thanks to all the campers who came and
all the hands that helped! We learned about how God created the monkey and the macaw uniquely,
just like God creates each of us uniquely. Did you miss this first day of camp? Its okay! Join us for
our July installment on July 10 where the fun in the jungle will continue!