Peace Notes Summer 2021 - Word of Peace Lutheran Church

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Adult Faith Formation It’s been quite the year for faith formation, and we have all learned so much. We learned how to hold Bible and book studies online, how to do retreat ministry via Zoom, how to share devotions on our website and social media, and so much more. All of this has reminded me that faith formation is not just about education, study and devotion. It is also about fellowship. It is about spending time together, laughing and having conversation, and growing in relationship with each other and with God. Whether in person or online, we have been through this year together. We have laughed together and cried together, and we have grown, changed, learned and questioned together. That is what we will continue to nurture and support through adult faith formation at Word of Peace. As of this writing, COVID-19 restrictions are beginning to lift and we are making plans for summer faith formation and fellowship opportunities. Keep your eyes and ears open for what is coming! Some possibilities include: • A day trip to the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum or St. John’s University in Collegeville • A trip to a Twins game • Some time to gather around a bonfire at the Word of Peace fire pit We look forward to spending time together and continuing to grow in relationship, remembering that faith formation is also about fellowship. In Christ, Deacon Lydia Svenulski Director of Adult Ministry Summer Book Club with Pastor Kristin Skare Pastor Kristin invites you to read An Altar in our World by Barbara Brown Taylor this summer. We will gather for a book discussion on either Tuesday, July 20 at 6:30 PM at the Word of Peace fire pit or on Thursday, July 22 at 10 AM in the Brekke Room. In the New York Times bestseller An Altar in the World, acclaimed author Barbara Brown Taylor shares how she learned to find God beyond the church walls by embracing the sacred as a natural part of everyday life. In An Altar in the World, Taylor shows us how to discover altars everywhere we go and in nearly everything we do as we learn to live with purpose, pay attention, slow down, and revere the world we live in. Questions? Contact Pastor Kristin at kskare@wordofpeace.org or (763) 496-2404. 6
Matt Tilstra Matt Tilstra is one of our incredible and vital volunteers at Word of Peace. He grew up on a farm in southwestern Minnesota, and he and his wife Elizabeth have lived in Rogers for almost 19 years. They have three children, Will, Isabelle, and Elliot. During his spare time, Matt enjoys playing games and watching movies with his family. He also enjoys tinkering with home automation and says that his “family puts up with me when I try to ‘improve’ something that was working perfectly fine before.” In 2006, the tornado that came through Rogers destroyed their home and upended their lives in so many ways. Volunteers from Word of Peace showed up the morning after the tornado to begin helping with clean up, and Matt shared, “the Church’s presence in our community was there when we needed it most.” As they rebuilt their house, Word of Peace continued to be present in their lives—preschool, church school, Sunday worship—they became members a few years later. A few years ago Matt started volunteering in the sound and media booth during worship services and with our livestreaming video technology just last year. He enjoys being able to use his electrical engineering experience in unexpected ways and said that he “can honestly say that I never expected to be able to serve the church knowing how to calculate attenuation losses in a coaxial cable or how to configure an RS-485 network.” For all of us nonengineers, those things are needed to connect and control the cameras we use for our livestreaming worship services and events. In the last year, Matt shared that we have installed over 1,000 feet of new audio and video cables at Word of Peace. These cables help us with our new equipment and technology. He wants people to know that if anyone is interested in volunteering with sound and media to go ahead and do it. They are always ready to help people learn. As a final note, he shared that “it has been my privilege to volunteer each week for the past year during the pandemic. In a time of great change and uncertainty it grounded me to know that something I did every week was hopefully making a difference for others.” Thank you Matt for sharing your story with us, and we are incredibly lucky to have your passion and skills helping us do ministry at Word of Peace. 7 PUT YOUR FAITH INTO ACTION! For opportunities to serve, visit wordofpeace.org/faith-in-action Each of us has a story of how we put our faith into action. If you have a story that you would like to share, please contact Deacon Lydia Svenulski at lsvenulski@wordofpeace.org. If you are looking for ways to serve, or are discerning how God is calling you to put your faith into action, please contact Deacon Lydia or any of the pastoral staff. 7
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Peace Notes Summer 2021 - Word of Peace Lutheran Church

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