Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

I’ve been doing a lot of packing this summer. The middle of June found me packing for our family vacation in northern Minnesota. Living out of a suitcase for the week.

Then we were home for just a couple of days, long enough to do laundry, and I was packing up my office at church in preparation for the church basement renovations. This was definitely the hardest packing that I had to do. It really felt like I was moving out, getting ready for the move to another call. I have to say, I’m really not prepared for that. Hope you’ll keep me for a while.

I repacked my suitcase and was off with my family to Alaska. Another week and a half of living out of a suitcase, moving to a new place every two days, and an unexpected night in Minneapolis after a delayed flight out of Anchorage caused us to miss our connecting flight to Cedar Rapids.

Three days home and I was packing again for our trip to the ELCA Youth Gathering in Detroit, with an overnight stop in Indiana on the way out, and Chicago on the way home. We had a great time in Detroit! Thanks to Dawn Bodenham and Becky Rauenbuehler for their willingness to share their time and talents as adult leaders for this trip.

Newsletter- August 2015

All of this reminds me that we are just pilgrims on this earth. We make the most of our time here as it is temporary. It is only the beginning of the best that is yet to come.

It also makes me think that our life is surrounded by change. Going through the stages of life. Changes at school and work. Family growing and changing.

There have been changes in our church facilities in the last couple of years. Things like our parsonage being utilized to provide a place for area children to have a safe preschool and childcare facility.

Our Parish Hall has been changed with improved bathrooms and new siding to replace the peeling paint.

And now, the work begins in the church basement. Changes and improvements to position us to meet the needs of our future Sunday School. An updated nursery. More room for fellowship.

We are not alone as we go through these changes, as individuals, families, and church family. We pray for the leading of the Holy Spirit. God the Father is walking alongside of us. And we find our purpose for all that we are doing through our Savior, Jesus Christ. There is something that never changes, amidst all of our changes. The prophet Isaiah once said that “The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand forever.” (Isaiah 40:8)

Love in Christ,

Pastor Mark

Summer Worship Schedule

Sundays in August 9:00 a.m. Adult Sunday School in the Parish Hall10:00 a.m. Worship

August 9 Now the Feast and Celebration

Wednesdays in August 7:00 p.m. Women’s Bible Study at the Parish Hall

Congregation Council and Church Finance Notes

The Council met on Thursday, July 16, 2015. The next regular Council meeting will be Thursday, August 20, 2015 at 7:00 p.m. A copy of the meeting minutes is posted in the church narthex. Council minutes are also available in the church office.

Financial Report 2015 General Fund Activity (through July 27, 2015)Giving $111,023.00Expense $114,542.65Mission Support $8,107.08Net Loss ($11,626.73)

Church Office

During this time of church basement renovations, the church office is relocated to the Parish Hall, at 201 Academy Avenue in Swedesburg. The office phone number will remain the same as calls will be forwarded over to the Parish Hall. An answering machine will take your message when the office is closed. During the time of the remodel, it is suggested we have minimal traffic flow through the church

basement. Please visit the Parish Hall for any church business during this time.

If you are in need of a key for the Parish Hall, just contact Mary to receive a copy of the new key. Since the construction has been completed, all Parish Hall doors conveniently use the same new key.

Packing the church basement.

Nursery

Due to construction activity, the nursery will be discontinued until further notice. Activity bags (the activity bags have been recently re worked) as well as a bin of small toys will be available in the narthex to assist parents in keeping their children engaged during the service. We are blessed to have so many little ones in our congregation and encourage attendance for all of our young people. As Christ himself said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

Coffee Cart

During construction, we will continue to have coffee cart outside weather permitting. We will have coffee

cart for at least one Sunday in the Parish Hall in addition to Rally Sunday.

Coffee Cart hosts, first of all, you do not need to prepare coffee unless you want to. There is drink mix and instant tea mix. If the weather appears to be inclement, it is your call about whether to have it. If coffee cart is cancelled because of weather, please let Mary know if you want to be the coffee cart hosts the next Sunday. (The thought is that if someone has baked or purchased goods and coffee cart is cancelled that they should be able to decide if they want to use them the following Sunday.)

150th Historical Committee

The 150th Historical Committee would like assistance with writing up the history of our congregation. They are asking for volunteers to help write the history. Please contact Mary in the church office if you can contribute.

The Historical Committee meets every three weeks, on Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. The next meeting will be August 12 at the Parish Hall.

Burlington Bees Outing

On Sunday, August 30, at 2:00 p.m., the congregation is invited to go to a Burlington Bees baseball game against the Quad Cities. It will be a great time of fun and fellowship! Afterward the Luther League will go out for supper and a planning session for the year. Watch for more information. 

Evangelism Committee

We will have small groups during Lent that will discuss the book Unbinding Your Soul, after the soup supper and worship. This will start February 17th and go for 6 weeks. We may look at offering a session during the day other than Wednesday.

The annual hayride has been set for October 18th at 4:30 pm. at the Parish Hall.

We will have coffee cart outside unless it is raining. We do need another 1 ½ or 2 gallon thermos to mix tea in. Chairs have been set out each Sunday, may need to set out a few more.

Chamber Alliance: Pastor will contact them about getting our brochures to them to place in welcome

baskets. Will also let them know about our special events such as the Rally Sunday and the Hayride.

The Iowa Wesleyan Student Involvement and Community Fair will be held on August 25th from 11am-1pm. We had a presence at this event last year and feel it would be good to do again. We will promote our hayride as well as the 150th celebration coming next summer.

Zoe Wagner, one of our youth, won the title of Washington County Fair Queen. We are very proud of her.

Next meeting will be August 18 at 5:30 pm.

Social Ministry

There is a continuing need for size 3 diapers for SELC's food pantry. You are also encouraged to bring in coupons that you are not using, to have these available.

The Social Ministry committee's next meeting will be Thursday, September 17, at 5:30 p.m.

RALLY SUNDAY

Rally Sunday, Outdoor Worship will be held September 13 at 10:00 a.m. at the Parish Hall. There will be a potluck dinner following the service. Hot dogs and drinks will be furnished. This may be a Thrivent** supported event. We will collect a free will offering. The offering, in addition to the amount contributed by Thrivent, will go to our college students. Please bring a dish to share. Chairs will be set up but as in the past, you are welcome to bring your favorite lawn chair.

**Families of college students, contact the church office before noon on September 11 to let us know if the student in your family would like to benefit from the fundraising efforts, with the money to be used to help pay for college books or other educational supplies. Call Mary at 319-254-2216 or email office@swedesburglutheran.org.

God's Work, Our Hands SundayOn Sunday, September 13, we will have our Rally Sunday and annual outdoor worship service at the Parish Hall. The past two years our Sunday School has participated in the ELCA's God's Work Our Hands day on Rally Sunday. This year we have decided to try to involve the whole congregation. We are looking for a service project to do in one of our communities. Please let Mary know at the church office if you have any ideas. Painting, yard work, other things?

Vacation Bible School

June 8th-11th the Parish Hall came alive with an excited group of kids and adults learning how to conquer life’s challenges with God’s mighty power! We started our evenings with a yummy, kid-friendly meal then opened our program with music and dancing. MUCH appreciated this year was our new LCD projection screen! Each night we traveled from games to crafts to Bible Story to learn our Bible point for that night. Thursday evening we celebrated with an ice cream social. The dining room was packed with kids and families. It was wonderful! Many thanks to all of the special people that give their time to make VBS a reality and to our congregation for your generous support. It really is a fantastic way to reach out with God’s love to our children, our neighbors, and our community.

Women’s Study

Come and join us Wednesday nights, 7 p.m. in the Parish Hall “Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World.” Peggy Grothe is our leader; we spend lots of time laughing while sharing our struggles in following Jesus. It is so much better to walk in faith together! You may drop in even if you miss a week or two.

Altar Flowers

If you have garden flowers available to decorate the altar, please feel free to sign up to provide flowers. Several Sundays in August are still available, as well as some other future dates. You may call Mary in the office at 254-2216 to see which dates are still available.

Weekly Worship Audio Available

Did you know that you may listen to our weekly worship service on the church website: www.swedesburglutheran.org? Click on “Online Directory and Media”, and then select “Launch Media Player”. Click on the weekly service you wish to listen to.

You may also enjoy listening to our service on Sunday morning at 11:30 a.m. on the radio at 105.5 KILJ FM.

Each monthly newsletter is available on our website: www.swedesburglutheran.org. Click on calendar, and then click any month to read it.

Federal Privacy Laws

Because of Federal Privacy Laws (HIPPA), if you or a member of your family are hospitalized and would like to Pastor to visit, you must contact the church. You can reach the church office at (319) 254-2216, or Pastor Mark at (319) 631-8564.

Pastor Matthew Martens Retires

Grace Lutheran Church, Ft. Dodge, invites you to a retirement celebration in honor of Pastor Matthew Martens on Sunday, August 30, 2015. Worship at 9:30 a.m. followed by a program at 11:00 and a meal, 211 South 9th Street, Ft. Dodge. As a retirement gift, Grace Lutheran Church will be giving a donation in honor of Pastor Matthew Martens to drill a well in Tanzanian with a plaque that will be placed on the well with his name. (Please keep this a secret!) The Swedesburg Lutheran Church approved a $100 donation for this gift and it will be sent soon. If you would like to send a check, or further information you may contact Tammy Mickelson at Grace Lutheran Church, 211 South 9th

Street, Ft. Dodge, IA 50501.

Parish Hall restroom remodel is completed.

Peggy Grothe and Leah Woline help pack everything in the church library.

LWR School Kits

School days will soon be here so we need your help filling school bags for Lutheran World Relief. Through LWR we can reach out to those in need. To the children who receive school kits, these supplies mean the difference between getting an education or not. Our local WELCA purchases the school bags for these supplies. All items should be new and in good condition. A box will be set up in the narthex (entryway) for these supplies. Please give new items only. Please do not donate items with any religious symbols, messages or your congregation’s name.

Please do not donate any items decorated with a U.S. flag, patriotic or military symbols, or references to the

armed forces, including camouflage. All items should be new and in good condition. Items that are needed include:

Four 70-sheet notebooks of wide- or college-ruled paper approximately 8” X 10½”; no loose-leaf paper

One 30-centimeter ruler, or a ruler with centimeters on one side and inches on the other

One pencil sharpener

One 2½” eraser

One blunt scissors (safety scissors with embedded steel blades work well)

Five unsharpened #2 pencils with erasers; secure together with a rubber band

Five black or blue ballpoint pens (no gel ink); secure together with a rubber band

One box of 16 or 24 crayons

Women of the ELCA (WELCA)

The next Bible study will take place at 2 p.m. on Wednesday August 22. Pastor Mark Youngquist will be the study leader.

THANK YOU’S

Thank you: Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others…cannot keep it from themselves!

Signed by all the clients fromHope Haven Area Development Center Corporation

Mt. Pleasant

Dear SELC Congregation,

I would like to personally thank everyone who donated to Relay for Life on my behalf. Because of our generous congregation, I was able to raise $290.35 from your cans and donations in just under a month. In total, I raised $887.50, and my team raised a total of $4,687.32. Thank you so much for not only helping me reach my goal, but for helping The American Cancer Society further their studies in finding a cure. Your compassion and generosity is greatly appreciated.

Laura Hult

Thank you for the craft supplies.Signed by each child at Our House Child Care

2015 ELCA Youth Gathering in Detroit

Throughout the week we had a lot of great experiences in Detroit. Just the opportunity itself to just go there and have a great time with thirty thousand of your closest friends was amazing. The thing about the trip I enjoyed the most was just the energy of all the people there, even though all of us were sleep deprived everyone was ready for a great time, and was energized to learn and be closer to God.

Bryant Holtkamp

Six youth and three adult leaders attended the 2015 ELCA Youth Gathering in Detroit.

Thank you to those of you in the congregation who were able to make this trip to Detroit possible. Even though we were deprived of sleep for the majority of the trip, it was amazing to see thirty-thousand Lutherans come together and make a difference in a struggling city. In four days we raised over four- hundred thousand dollars for a good cause; bringing clean water to many thirsty people. My highlight of the trip was definitely the music at the end of the day. Seeing bands like Skillet perform live was unbelievable.

Nathan Rauenbuehler

When I first heard that we were going to Detroit, I was hesitant. When we got there I saw a lot of people that had given up hope. But, there were a ton of local

people that were extremely appreciative of all the revenue and service projects that were a part of this experience in the city. My favorite part of the entire trip was our community day where we focused on learning more about each other through games and activities. My least favorite part was the lack of sleep, but it was well worth it. This experience has furthered my relationship with God, added a chapter to my faith story, and changed my view of Detroit and those in extreme poverty. Thank you to everyone who has supported our trip in some way.

Adam Bodenham

As I walked the streets of a city that lost nearly one million people, I saw a spark in people that wanted to see their home brought back to its booming past. Our church group joined with Lutheran churches from all over the nation, combining to over 30,000 people all gathered to help in this effort. As we were there

people would honk, and wave, and shout "Thank you!" and, "We love you!" from cars. On one occasion a woman held the door of a gas station for hundreds of the youth, thanking each and every one as she stood. I learned that united as one, the youth of the church can join to help solve any problem. With all of our help, I believe we made a lasting impression on the city of Detroit that they will not soon forget. Thank you to all who donated and made this experience possible for all of the youth of our church. As Detroit will not forget us, we will never forget them.

Ben Rauenbuehler

The Youth Trip to the ELCA Gathering was something else! I’ve never seen so many energized young Lutherans united together to worship and serve. I learned some surprising things. #1: I’m not 17 years old anymore. #2: I cannot take a nap on my backpack #3: There is something called “Lutheran Swag.” #4: God is moving mountains every day in the most unexpected places. #5: The people of Detroit are friendly and inspiring! #6: I am part of a huge and energetic family of Christian brothers and sisters!

Many thanks to our generous congregation for making this trip possible!

Becky Rauenbuehler

My experience with the trip to Detroit was memorable. We started our trip with a stop in Indiana at some dunes. It was on Lake Michigan. Beautiful!!! Kids had a ball of fun and we took home some sand.

Our Wednesday was some travel and then we arrived at the events. Good speakers and lots of music filled our evenings from about 5:30 to 10:00.

Thursday was our service day. We were able to be in a neighborhood that was trying to take down houses and fix up yards. We cleaned a parking lot and the fence row to clear all weeds. We went to a convenience store for some water for the group and the kids encountered a very different store than they are used to. It had thick glass to separate the workers from the customers and I think this was a surprise to our kids. The local community was very appreciative of what we did and what we were there to do. The ELCA showed an overhead picture of us waiting to go on our service day and made a joke that we looked like a bag of skittles, except we were all orange in color. There were about 100 groups of just under 100 people.

We had a wonderful synod service on Friday. Everyone from southeast Iowa wore the same shirts and when you looked around out in public, you saw others from your own area. Several people we had met at "Love Like Jesus" a couple of years ago in Des Moines, which was a plus and interesting. There were many youth leading the service and a lot of great music at that event.

Saturday we enjoyed some time together in the game zone. We went to the Cobo and there was a large room with a huge variety of fun team activities. We did dodgeball, tetherball, ping pong, large bounce houses, and more. A fun time was had by all. We also had some learning after the activities in the morning. We relaxed a little and then headed for our last evening at Ford

Field. We saw a lot of bands and were exposed to a variety of Christian music.

The overall feel of the week was of great kids from all over the nation. 30,000 people trying to leave Ford Field each evening was a scary, exciting activity. The kids were wonderful! They got in line and were able to navigate through it together without losing anyone in the process. Not an easy task. It was described by some of us as a week of Lutheran Bootcamp. We had a long week of little sleep. When looking back, we appreciate our lives and the bounty of beauty here in southeast Iowa.

Dawn Bodenham

On July 14-20, we participated in the ELCA Youth Gathering. We stopped on the way at the Indiana Dunes where we swam in Lake Michigan. We stayed overnight in Chicago on the way home, enjoying Navy Pier and The Museum of Science and Industry.

Our first full day at the Gathering was our Proclaim Justice Day. We joined 10,000 other youth and adult

leaders as we went out into Detroit neighborhoods where we joined local Detroiters in service projects.

Our next day was Proclaim Story. We met with 700 youth and adults from our Synod. We had a study of how our story intersects with God's story. Bishop Burk led us in worship.

Our Proclaim Community Day found us in the interactive center, doing activities that invited us to participate in God's work building bridges, bearing burdens, breaking chains and bringing hope.

Thank you for your prayers and financial support that made this trip possible.  

Pastor Mark

Back to School Month

School is right around the corner! As children and teens adjust to a new classroom routine, the transition can often bring to light behavioral issues that may stem from a mental health diagnosis, such as ADHD, anxiety, depression or oppositional defiant disorder.

Did you know Lutheran Services in Iowa (LSI) partners with schools across the state to provide mental health services right in their schools? This makes it easier to

collaborate with educators and reduce the transportation barrier that sometimes makes it hard for families to attend appointments. We are grateful for opportunities to provide therapy for uninsured and underinsured children who otherwise might not get the help they need.

We thank you for your support of LSI’s mission as we respond together to the love of Jesus Christ through compassionate service! LSI is proud to be an affiliated social ministry organization of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Learn more at www.LSIowa.org and www.facebook.com/LSI.iowa.

Making a “Day and Night” Difference for Ethan

Kim was at her wit’s end. Her son Ethan, who had been bullied, was fighting with other youth at his middle school. Her daughter Dejah was also struggling with her parents’ divorce.“I didn’t know what to do,” Kim said. “I’d tried everything.”Ethan’s school eventually referred Kim to LSI’s Brief Intensive Services. And that’s when everything changed.

“It was day and night with the kids,” she said. “At first they weren’t doing so great, but after a while it was a complete turnaround.”

LSI’s Brief Intensive Services does just what its name describes – an LSI caseworker partners with a family for short time, meeting as often as needed, to help children and teens who are struggling with school, a crisis or behaviors. The unique community program, available in the Muscatine and Davenport areas, is made free to families by local funders and supports those who may not qualify for traditional services. Ethan warmed up quickly to his LSI caseworker Ryan during weekly meetings. He started building skills like learning how to calmly handle frustration and how to make and keep friendships.

“I was nervous about people coming to our home and how Ethan would react,” Kim said. “But I thought if someone came where he’s comfortable, he might open up.”

LSI helped the family learn to communicate again. Today Ethan is getting all A’s and B’s in school. His school suspensions are a thing of the past, and he’s made some new friends. “Things are more stable,” Kim said. “We can talk and cope rather than yelling and screaming. LSI helped us understand each other better.”

Throughout the year we pray for all our church members. Each week we will pray for about five church families. Please pray this month for:August 2: Tom & Sharon MillerBetty MolanderBill & Jean MolanderCassandra Molander & QuinnDianne MolanderAugust 9:Margaret MolanderEmily Moody, Sabrina and JackJosh & Kelly Morgan, ElsieRandy & Chris MorganColleen MullinAugust 16:Dale MullinDaniel & Emma Mullin, DelilahDerek & Tina Mullin, Caden, Charlize & CuylerHelen MullinJason & Tara Mullin, Carly & DylanAugust 23:Marcy Naber, Olivia & LincolnDelores OlsonIan OlsonJeff & Gayle OlsonJennifer Olson, RaeganAugust 23:Norma OlsonSteven OlsonTorey OlsonVirginia OlsonCheryl OrrAugust 30:Seth & Kamrai OrrBrittan OstbyPaul & Julie Ostby, Zachary, Anna, KolbeinMarilyn Parcel

Audrey Peterson

August Anniversaries

We wish to offer these couples a happy anniversary: 4 Malcolm and Glenda Alvine 4 Brendan and Brandelle Unkrich 7 Glenn and Lynn Graf13 Christopher and Lisa Olson15 Mike and Sherry Honts16 Tim and Linda Proctor18 Mike and Karen Wells19 Bill and Jean Molander25 Doug and Elizabeth Graber25 David and Suzanne Hult29 Dean and Laura Craig31 Roger and Shirley Swanson31 Mike and Ruth Lindeen

August BirthdaysWe wish the following people a very happy birthday on their special day: 1 Warren Olson Margaret Swenson Jacob Tolander 2 Mike Honts Andrew Rauenbuehler 3 Steve Olson Jean Woline 4 Casey Simpson 5 Lisa Kempf 6 Delores Olson Jonathan Sharp 7 TaVence Whitaker 8 Anne Burnham 9 Linda Proctor10 Michelle Kelley Kolbein Ostby11 Kent Alvine Kay Trager Louise Unkrich Rory Wagner

12 Don Riley Dane Beichter13 Kai Brownholland14 Randy Morgan15 Karla Crawford Kerr Wayne Woline16 Emily Kann18 Mark Johnson Carly Mullin Daniel Zoss19 Shirley Krabill Gary Johnson Jared Tolander20 Dave Diers26 Madecyn Anderson Ron Reid28 Aaron Tolander29 Judy Marshall31 Ella Kann

Please help the church office update their records by submitting any birthday or anniversary corrections. Thank you.

CONGREGATION REFLECTIONS

HOLY BAPTISM

Anders Reyn Ribeiro was baptized into the Christian faith on Sunday, July 5. Ander’s parents are Alfonso and Angela Ribeiro. Grandparents are Stan and Valerie Unkrich. Great Grandmother is Louise Unkrich. Sponsors are Brendan Unkrich, Tyson Unkrich, Jaime & Essence Mendez, and David & Rebecca Justice.

PRAY FOR:

The Dean and Laura Craig family as Dean’s uncle recently passed away.The family of Beverly Benander-Romer, who passed away January 30, 2015 in Cadillac, Michigan. She was the wife of Pastor Benander who lead at SELC from 1945-1951.ELCA missionary Rev. Brian Palmer in Liberia, supported by this congregation. Pastor Brian has returned to Liberia.for Bishop Mjema of the Pare Diocese, Rev. Elisa Mrutu and people of Ngaeni Lutheran Parish, our partner congregation in Tanzania. friends and loved ones experiencing health concerns.

THANKS ARE DUE . . .to all who bid, won and removed their silent auction items at the church.to all who assisted in the move of items from the church basement and who then took the items to the Parish Hall for the office area.to Pastor Debner and Eldon Beichter who filled in for Pastor Mark during his vacation and Youth Gathering trip to Detroit. And Pastor Borleske for filling at the baptism.

CONGRATULATIONS . . .to Zoe Wagner, she was crowned the 2015 Washington County Fair Queen!to all who entered at their county fair. We are blessed with many members who were awarded ribbons for their categories.

Swedesburg Evangelical Lutheran Church

1897 140th Street, P. O. Box 88, Swedesburg, Iowa 52652-0088

Telephone 319-254-2216 Web:www.swedesburglutheran.org

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1897 140th StreetP. O. Box 88Swedesburg, IA 52652

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

Churchmen Ice Cream Social & MealTuesday, August 11 6 p.m. at Parish Hall

Worship begins at 10 a.m. Join us!

website: www.swedesburglutheran.orgemail: office@swedesburglutheran.org