June 2020

Sharon Sharings Monthly Newsletter of Sharon Lutheran Church

1720 South 20th Street, Grand Forks ND | www.sharonlutheran.org | 701-772-3122

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

a time to be born, and a time to die...

a time to weep, and a time to laugh...

a time to mourn, and a time to dance - Ecclesiastes 3: 1-4

For Everything there is a Season

These verses have served as a mantra of sorts

for me in this strange season of our lives. Living

in the Midwest provides some insight into the

hope and wisdom these words hold for us to-

day. Each summer we embrace the long warm

days and endure the mosquitos and sun burns.

Each fall we embrace the beautiful changing

leaves and endure our busy routines. Each win-

ter we embrace the cozy nights in and endure

the dangerous blizzards. Each spring we em-

brace creation’s colorful growth and endure its

floods.

We are able to embrace the beauty and

endure the difficulty of each season because we know that seasons are temporary. We are also

able to embrace the beauty and endure the

difficulty because we have the right tools. In

summer we bring out the SPF and in winter we

unpack our shovels and warmest coats.

As we continue in both the season of

summer and in this season impacted by Covid,

there will be beauty to embrace and difficulty

to endure. We do not know how long this sea-

son will last. We do not know if this season is

something that we will experience once or

something that will cycle through, returning

like the weather. What we do know is that all

winters make their way to spring. As Easter

people we trust in the hope that even in death

God promises us resurrection and new life.

Know that there are also tools to help

us endure this season; we could think of them

like our winter coats, but for our mental and

spiritual health. If you are in need of practical

tools like food to endure this season, please

reach out. If you are looking for mental health

tools to endure this season, one resource is

Lutheran Social Services. Visit their website

(lss.org) for contact information and articles

about coping during this time. If you are look-ing for ways to connect with our Sharon Lu-

theran Church family, contact the church office

or a pastor.

In this strange time, may you embrace

the beauty of summer. May you seek out the

tools to endure this time impacted by Covid -

19. May you trust in the wisdom of Ecclesiastes

that, “for everything there is a season.”

Pastor Dominique Buchholz

Please let us know!

If you, a family member, or a friend from Sharon Lutheran is in the hospital, please call the

office and let us know so a Pastor or Deacon can give them a phone call. (In-person visits

are on hold indefinitely due to COVID-19 concerns) The hospital does not notify the

church of members admitted, so your assistance is greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

APRIL MINISTRY SUPPORT

Amount needed in Operating Revenue each month per

approved 2019/2020 budget is $88,792

April Actual YTD Actual

Revenue 2019/2020 2019/2020

Current Ministry Gifts $77,846 $736,268

Loose/Misc. Offering Gifts $30 $21,826 Operating Fund Memorial Gifts $- $-

Church School, Confirmation &

VBS Registrations $- $10,850 Benevolence Gifts $635 $13,465

Other Gifts and Donations $1,494 $26,513

2019/2020 Total $80,005 $808,922

Expenses

Operating Expenses $66,251 $725,657

Mortgage Debt Reduction $9,464 $87,912

Total Expenses $75,715 $813,569

Revenue Exceeding Expenses $4,290 $(4,467)

April Designated gifts received:

Undesignated Memorials $90

Capital Campaign-GIFT $13,489

Thrivent Choice Dollars $1,077

Sharon Cares Donations $70

Faith Formation Donation $25

END Synod $300

Easter Flowers $50

Madagascar-M&Ms $ 24

Total $15,125

Memorials In loving memory of Dick Walsh: Phil & Shelly

Amundson, Vicki & Rod Jensen, Mary & Jim Thorsen, Jill

Dahlen, Ken & Kathy Johnson, Avis Semrau, Delores

Hippe, Rogette Shannon, Wayne & Joanne Fleischfresser,

Olga & Gary Holland, Debbie Kleven, Fred & MaryLou

Wittmann, Lyle & Yvonne Nelson, Dave & Ardis Braaten,

Jerry & Shirley Anderson

In loving memory of Rev. John Mehl, father of

Carolyn Tunseth: Bob & Sue Kerr, Ken & Kathy John-

son, Scott & Holly Bommersbach, Gary & Lona Spicer,

Rich & Karen Axvig, Bruce & Cheryl Nyhlen, Linda & Dick

Butler, Mary & Dean Schumacher

In loving memory of Loretta Quanbeck: Jeanette

Krogstad

In loving memory of Norman Sieg: Jeanette

Krogstad

20s & 30s Ministry

Sharon’s young adult ministry is done in partnership

with ELCA congregations in the Grand Forks area.

All 20s/30s folks are welcome to join the 20s/30s ELCA-GF Face-book group to keep up to date on virtual small groups and other minis-try opportunities this summer. Regularly pro-grammed gatherings are on break during the summer and will resume

in September.

Summer Family Service Project Plans for the last days of our church school year includ-

ed a service project for the new Sharon Lutheran

Church Children’s Library. Obviously, we didn’t get the

chance to complete this. We are inviting all families and

individuals to participate in the service project through-

out the summer. The project is to create a group mural

using individual 5” wood squares painted with something

that represents God’s creation: animals, people, plants,

sun, moon, stars, etc. We will be setting up two class-

rooms to accommodate one family (or adult individual)

at a time, disinfected before and after a painting session.

Directions and supplies will be provided. So...right now,

think about and plan your painting (all members of the

family may paint), watch for more information online,

and be ready to reserve your time spot on Sign Up Ge-

nius. Be a part of our Sharon community in an artistic

way!

Photo at right is an example of what the squares could look like.

Greetings and Encouragement to You All!

I just want to say thank you to all the students, fami-lies, volunteers, staff, and congregation of Sharon Lutheran for the support they have shown me in my first year of High School programming. Our youth have a wonderful heart for service, gifts for ministry, and openness to trying new ways of connecting with God. Blessings to you as you head into the summer break, and know that even though you won’t be in the building for a while, we are always here for you. I’ll be sure to continue checking in through-out the next few months, and I look forward to the day

we can gather again. ~Steve

What a year it has been! Thank you to everyone who is connected to Faith Formation Ministries at Sharon Lu-theran Church—students and their friends and families, our tremendous volunteers, and the staff here at Sharon. I am honored and blessed to be a part of so many wonder-ful ministries here at Sharon, and I appreciate the oppor-tunity to walk alongside all of you as we grow in faith to-gether. I miss all of you, and I can’t wait until we can be together again! You are all in my prayers, and please know that we are here for your if you need anything. Blessings

and peace, Dave

June 2020 News Faith Formation Ministries

COVID-19 Update: The following information and announcements are subject to change as we navigate

best practices in regards to the COVID-19 virus. Please follow Sharon’s Facebook page, website, and

weekly emails for updates. God’s peace to you in the midst of the unknowns.

Separate Together Ministry Highlights

Sharon Lutheran Church hosted its very first Middle School Virtual Lock-In on Friday, May 8th. Students and lead-ers gathered via Zoom for a scavenger hunt, trivia contest, and some much needed fellowship time. We also wrote a story together using items found in our homes and ended our evening by watching a movie together. It was so great to con-nect with these students after so many weeks apart, and we are definitely thankful for the technology with allows us to be

connected in these new ways!

Church School and

Confirmation registration is open for Fall 2020! Please

contact the office or register online at

sharonlutheran.org

2020-21 Volunteer Opportunities (Church School and Confirmation

Guide Needs)

As our Church School year came to a rather unexpected and abrupt end this year, we did not get a chance to celebrate our year with teachers, help-ers, and students. We invite you to reach out to your child’s teacher(s) to thank them and share some positive experiences from this past year. We are also looking ahead to the 2020-21 school year. We hope that our dedicat-ed volunteers will return; we will also be seeing more individuals to accept the call to teach or assist in a church school classroom. Please prayerfully consider where your best fit might be. We promise that there are no prereq-uisites other than a desire to share and

grow in your faith.

Elementary Online

and Pick-up Activities

Looking for ways to engage your little ones in learning

and growing in faith at home? Each Wednesday Sharon

Sharings email includes weekly children’s bulletins, as well as

a free video church school lesson through Sparkhouse.

There are weekly packets with activities related to the

Sunday worship lessons. These packets include such things

as cut and glue activities, puzzles, games, coloring pages, and

snacks for all ages. We provide most of the needed items

and can offer more if needed. If you and your children are

interested in getting these packets, they are available in

front of Door #1 with activities being changed each

Wednesday. Each packet has supplies for two children. If

you come for a packet and they are gone, please let the

church office know my phone (701-772-3122) or email edu-

cation@sharonlutheran.org. We can always provide more.

Blessings to you as you

learn and grow in faith at

home!

Summer Family Service Project

Plans for the last days of our Church

School year included a service project

for the new Sharon Lutheran Church

Children’s Library. You are invited to

participate in this project this summer as

a family. See the notice elsewhere in the

newsletter and watch for more info

online.

Middle School/High School News

Faith Formation Ministries

MIDDLE SCHOOL NEWS:

We ended our program year together with a virtual lock-in last month. We look forward to seeing you at 4G (possibly

5G?) this fall. Have a great summer!

Middle School Mission Trip Update

Due to COVID-19 and the uncertainty of what travel is go-ing to look like this summer, Sharon Lutheran has made the decision to cancel our upcoming Middle School Mission Trip to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. We appreciate all of the under-standing and support we’ve received from our trip families and students. When one door closes, God opens another, and we have some exciting plans to serve right here in Grand Forks this summer. Stay tuned as we begin planning

and making announcements.

Re:New Online Thank you for a wonderful year of Re:New! We ended the year by handing our treat bags in the parking lot to the High Schoolers and sending them with a blessing for the summer. I’m looking for-ward to seeing you all back when

we can gather again. ~Steve

Uniquely You Online

Uniquely You for High School girls will meet again Tuesday, June 4th at 7 p.m. via Zoom. All girls grades 9-12 are welcome; contact Emilie DeKrey at 701-388-8355 to join. At his meeting, the group will decide if they plan to continue to meet through the

summer months.

Bible Bros Online Thank you to our High School boys for a great year of Bible Bros! We’ll plan to gather again

in September.

10th Grade Stole Making We still plan to make stoles, but are working on a timeline for when gathering restrictions will be lifted. I will be in touch when we decide on a plan for that, but until then, my hope is that students and mentors are checking in with each other and helping each other through an uncer-tain time. While you can’t meet in person, I’d suggest a video chat, texting, or a good old fashioned phone call. Keep supporting each other, and stay tuned for updates. ~Steve

High School Mission Trip Update

Due to COVID-19, and the uncertainty of what travel is going to look like this sum-mer, Sharon Lutheran has made the deci-sion to cancel our upcoming High School Mission Trip to Denver, CO. We appreci-ate all of the understanding, and support we’ve received from our trip families and students. Where one door closes, God opens another, and we have some excit-ing plans to serve right here in Grand Forks this summer. Stay tuned as we begin planning, and making announce-

ments.

Confirmation Instruction

6th-9th grade Confirmation students and their families have received resources to practice faith in the home. We concluded our program year with a small group gath-ering on Wednesday, May 6th. We give thanks for our Confirmation guides, and we look forward to another year of Confirma-tion instruction, whatever that will look like

for us this fall.

HIGH SCHOOL NEWS

1 Timothy 4:12— Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the be-lievers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.

Congratulations, graduates!

Your church family here at Sharon is so proud of you. You’re all going to have a unique story some day about parking lot ceremonies, commence-ment speeches over video chat, and sharing your special day in a much different way that has ever been done.

The Board of Youth, Pastor Dominique, Dave and myself were so happy to deliver gifts to our grad-uates recently. We hope we were able to bring some joy in a time of change and transition.

It was an honor to get to know many of Sharon’s graduates on our Mission Trip last summer and throughout the program year. Know that each of you will always have a home at Sharon Lutheran, and we will continue to pray and cheer you on as you go out to be an example of God’s love and a light to the world.

Board of Church in Society to sponsor food

drive

The Board of Church in Society would like to sponsor a food drive for the food pantry and the Backpack Pro-gram from now until the first of July. Please bring non-perishable food items to the church grocery carts located next to the elevator between 9:00 am—3:00 pm Monday through Friday. Items need-ed for the Backpack Program are ramen noodles, mac and cheese cups, 100% fruit juice pouches, instant oatmeal pack-ets (not containing nuts), individually packed snack items (not containing nuts)

and applesauce/fruit cups.

Scam texts and emails

Recently, members of Sharon Lutheran have received texts and mes-

sages that look like they are from our Pastoral Staff. PLEASE KNOW

that no staff member will send out texts or email messages ask-

ing members for gift cards, money, or other kinds of assistance.

If you get an email that is signed by Pastor Lynn, Pastor Dominique,

Deacon Jamie, or any staff member, look at the address it was sent from.

All of our email addresses end with @sharonlutheran.org. If it

does not come from an email address with that ending, it is NOT from us.

Text messages are a bit more difficult to track, but again, know that

we will NOT send text messages asking you for gift cards or money. If

you are unsure if a message you receive is from us, please call the church

office and ask.

We apologize that this is happening, but want you to be aware that

any such messages and requests are not from us. Thank you!

We need your help!

If you or someone you know is sick, in the hospital or

facing challenges, please let us know. We want to include

you in our prayers, and the Prayers of the People during

worship if you would like to be included in them.

Please know that we are available to you for conversa-

tions, as well. You can call the office and ask to speak to

Pastor Lynn, Pastor Dominique or Deacon Jamie, and we

would be happy to talk with you. Especially during these

days of not gathering together, it is difficult to keep track

of who is sick and in need of any kind. Please help us by

calling the church office and letting us know. We are here

for you!

Congratulations, Steve! Congratulations to Steve DeKrey, our Senior High

Youth Ministry Director! As some of you know, Steve has

decided to begin seminary to become a pastor. He will

begin the Distance Learning Program through Luther

Seminary in St. Paul, MN this fall. Distance Learning in-

volves taking classes online and incorporating what is

learned through working at a congregation. This program

usually takes about five years to complete. What that

means for us is that Steve will be taking some classes

online beginning this fall while he continues to work at

Sharon. We will be part of his education and have a part

in equipping Steve for ordained ministry!

One of the requirements to enter seminary is to be

approved by the Synod Candidacy Committee. Steve was

recently approved by the Eastern North Dakota Candida-

cy Committee. Congratulations, Steve! We look forward

to being a part of your journey to ordination!

“As each has received a gift, use it to

serve one another, as good stewards

of God’s varied grace.” First Peter 4:10

Hand-Up Program The Sharon Cares Board sponsors a Hand-Up

Program. We know that there are some members of

our congregation that sometimes need a little help

with the expenses of daily life. Maybe it is food for the

family this week, a new pair of shoes for the kids or a

tank of gas to get to work. Most likely, we have all

been there sometime during our life. So, when we

can, we would like to offer our fellow friends at Sha-

ron a “Hand-Up”. If you need help or know of a Sha-

ron member that needs help (with their permission)

please let a pastor or Sharon Cares team member

know.

The Sharon Cares team relies solely on congrega-

tional support. We do not have a designated church

budget. We would appreciate your support in either

of two ways – a $20 gift card from a gas station, gro-

cery store or retail store or a family donation. Please

leave your gift cards and/or donations in the church

office. Please designate for the Sharon Cares Hand-Up

Program. Thank you for your help. We make a dif-

ference during a friend’s stressful time. The Pastors

will confidentially work with members of our congre-

gation that need this support.

Non-Profit Organization

U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

Grand Forks, ND 58201

Sharon Lutheran Church

1720 S 20th St

Grand Forks, ND 58201

Pastor Lynn Ronsberg ………………………………………………………..(lronsberg@sharonlutheran.org)

Pastor Dominique Buchholz ……………………………………………...(dbuchholz@sharonlutheran.org)

Deacon Jamie Travers ……………………..…………………………………….(jtravers@sharonlutheran.org)

Administrative Assistant………………………Missy Thompson (mthompson@sharonlutheran.org)

Secretary……………………………………………………………Molly Mohn (mmohn@sharonlutheran.org)

Finance Manager…………………………………………...Stephanie Leighton (sleighton@sharonlutheran.org)

Dir. Elementary, Middle School, Youth Music…………….David Berger (dberger@sharonlutheran.org)

Interim Director of Christian Education………………...Cheryl Nyhlen (education@sharonlutheran.org)

Dir. High School Youth, Young Adults………………………...Steve DeKrey (sdekrey@sharonlutheran.org)

Education & Youth Assistant…………………………………..Heather Peters (hpeters@sharonlutheran.org)

Director of Music Ministries………………………………...Roxanne Gessler (rgessler@sharonlutheran.org)

Ministry & Communications Coordinator………………..Nicki Green (myministry@sharonlutheran.org)

Organist………………………………………………………………………………………………..Sue Kerr & Carolyn Tunseth

Sanctuary Choir Director………………………………………………………………………………………………...Jack Boyer

Custodian………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...Dan Kuzel

Office………………………………………………………………………………………………….…office@sharonlutheran.org

Mailing Address Line 1

Mailing Address Line 2

Mailing Address Line 3

Sunday Morning and

Wednesday Evening Worship

Available online on our website:

Sharon Lutheran Staff

Temporary Church Office Hours

Monday - Friday 9:00am to 3:00pm