Backpacks and crayons, magic markers and calculators…our yellow “Need-of-the-Month” barrels have already been emptied once. School supplies have been taken to the Family Resource Center for its Back to School Drive for needy children.
The collection continues through August. The list of needed items includes many of the obvious supplies; crayons and ball point pens, rulers and spiral notebooks. But (surprisingly) socks, underwear, and tooth brushes are also in short supply for low income families.
Cash donations (checks to Gethsemane with “Back-to-School” on the memo line) are also appreciated. These gifts are helpful when staff members shop for items in short supply.
Actually, this year’s Gethsemane collection has a dual purpose. Some of the items will also be added to the school bags that Dorcas Circle fills for children overseas. The overseas mission list includes blunt scissors, pencil sharpeners, No. 2 pencils, 24 crayon boxes, construction paper, and rulers.
During 2007-2008, the Resource Center served more than 800 children, and the need for assistance is growing. Having the basic equipment for learning is important to the success of all students. Children from disadvantaged families need to feel ready from school day one.
Items for both the Hopkins area and for overseas can be placed in the barrels through August.
Keep ‘em coming!
A Girl Scout, a teacher, a “career grandma,” a clown, a life-long member of Gethsemane, all of the above roles are played by Paulette Dummer.
Paulette’s parents, Alice and the late Paul “Curt” Janke, joined Gethsemane when they moved to Hopkins from Minneapolis in 1951. Alice worked at Northwest Bank and Curt was a plumber. He brought an artistic flair to his work, creating fountains for Loring Park and other public spaces.
Paulette was the oldest of four. Her siblings included brothers Larry and Eliot and one sister, Nancy. She describes herself in childhood as “a busy kid, who didn’t sit around much.”
At Hopkins High School (before it became Eisenhower) she was involved in Pep Club, Theater, and Variety Shows.
In those high school years Viktor Franck’s book Man’s Search for Meaning, led Paulette to self-examination. She decided that she didn’t need to suffer to “do something big.” As a behind-the-scenes person she would make use of her spiritual gifts of helpfulness and insight. He mantra became “My Hope is in Jesus Christ. I am anchored in the Word.”
When she and her high school friend, Bob Dummer both enrolled at the University they carpooled for a time.
Paulette transferred to Golden Valley Lutheran with thoughts of becoming a parish worker, but in 1975 she and her carpool companion were married at Gethsemane, the church where she had been baptized.
Bob’s background was Catholic, and you might say he experienced a “gradual conversion.” Paulette explains that he “eventually found the liberating power of grace” and joined her church in 1981.
At Gethsemane the two have attended the Alpha program, gone on a Lutheran “Via de Christo” weekend and a Marriage Encounter weekend. They have also teamed on several adult education projects for the church.
The Girl Scouting that began in childhood has continued to have a central interest. In high school she earned the God and Community Award, with 50 hours of community service through Gethsemane. In adult years she has worked as a Scout leader and trainer.
Although Gethsemane’s activities have drawn on her bubbling energy for a whole lifetime, she considers herself “a tiny cog in the life of the parish.” At church she has taught Sunday school, helped with Confirmation, journeyed to Montana with the 9th graders twice, gone with the senior high mission trip to Poland and Lithuania, helped with Mother’s Morning Out, Adult Education, Vacation Bible School, musicals, GCW programs, Bible studies, and calligraphy.
Her current focus is to develop a web-based connection for young people away from home, particularly college students. She doesn’t want them to break the link. Through these Bible studies she hopes they will feel more comfortable coming back.
Obviously, Paulette is deadly serious about “growing in Christ,” as per the mission statement, but she has never taken too seriously the reality of growing up. The girl who adored Dr. Seuss in childhood still finds delight in Harry Potter and other fantasy books.
If she loved playing dress-up as child, she still slips into costumes and masks for the Renaisance Festival or (at church) to become Letty the Clown for Rally Day, the Glamour Witch or Batty the Rainforest Bat.
When her three children were small, Paulette did day care at home, and for 9 years she has done contract work (fact finding) for a medical foods company now owned by Nestles.
Paulette’s community interests have included Toastmasters Club, Mrs. Jaycees, and involvement in the Raspberry Festival.
The Dummers’ three grown children are: Brian, a certified computer support technician; Kevin, an architect living in Pennsylvania; and Michelle Albers, an artist living in Burnsville with husband Ben. That bright-eyed toddler often seen on Paulette’s hip at Gethsemane is grandbaby Ellisandra (Ella) Albers, her pride and joy.
Paulette’s travels have taken her on Girl Scout trips to Canada and Mexico, a recent Triennial Convention of the Women of the ELCA in St. Lake City as well as East Coast trips with Kevin, including a targeted stop at Dummer, New Hampshire!
Her personal heroine? Tiphanie Dirnberger, who “brings wonder, excitement, and inclusiveness to Gethsemane’s children.”
Paulette Dummer is a woman who believes in miracles, in the real presence of God, in shared prayer and in the healing power of the Holy Spirit.
She sees a genuine youthfulness of spirit in century-old Gethsemane. She wants her church to continue to be a welcoming place, a safe place where members can learn and grow and find opportunities to give back.
Gethsemane’s own Pastor Heather Hammond will be worship leader and preacher for the 2008 Women’s Gathering of the Minneapolis Area Synod on Saturday, September 27. The event will take place from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Faith Lutheran Church in Coon Rapids.
Theme of the day is “Come to the Waters. Be Refreshed.”
Keynote speaker will be Kare-11 News Anchor Diana Pierce. Bible study leader is Karen Geisendorfer-Lindgren, Lord of Life Church, Maple Grove.
Those registering before September 15 will get a discount on the cost, $35.00 rather than the full price of $40.00.
Click here to download a registration form
Women’s Book Group is held on the 3rd Tuesday of the month from 7-8 p.m.
Women, why not add a good read to your fall agenda? The selections for the remainder of the year are all engaging and suspenseful novels. Each is ripe with areas for discussion.
September 16: Midwives by Chris Bohjalian. A seasoned midwife takes desperate measures to save a baby’s life. What follows will challenge the reader’s ways of thinking.
October 21: Eye Contact by Cammie McGovern. This gripping story is about a crime; but it’s, above all, about the complex bond between a mother and her young autistic son.
November 18: Rasputin’s Daughter by Robert Alexander. Set in 1916 Russia, this is the story of the Tsar, the Tsaritsa, an illiterate monk, and his daughter.
It’s fascinating historical fiction.
For several years we have enjoyed the pleasure of sharing a community meal each Wednesday evening. During the summer months we had a variety of volunteers prepare, serve and clean up each week before our mid-week worship service. During the school year, Jeanne Pavelka has planned, cooked, and coordinated the efforts of many confirmation parents to provide this fellowship meal before confirmation, following bell choir rehearsal, and made it available to anyone who wanted to show up. Jeanne is our Kitchen Coordinator, but she has been doing this extra job as her volunteer contribution to Gethsemane! Now Jeanne has darling grandchildren that want and need her time and attention. Thanks, Jeanne, for your willingness and skill at providing these meals for so long!
We have not yet been able to find someone willing to take on this responsibility. It seems we have three choices:
- We may stop having a meal together on Wednesdays.
- We may look outside the church to hire a provider for these meals, and move from a freewill donation to a required, higher fee to cover the cost of the meals and service.
- Someone (or a couple of “someones” together) may step up to fill this volunteer ministry vacancy. Maybe it’s you!
It is a relief to busy families trying to get from school, work, and after-school sports to a regular Wednesday commitment at church. Making one more stop at home to eat makes it all the harder to participate in the worthwhile activities here at church. What’s more – many people enjoy the friendship and conversation around sharing a meal with their faith community. We have young families, older couples, single men and women of all ages gather for this weekly meal that has become something of a tradition.
Please consider how you can help, and what this meal sharing means to you. If you can volunteer, or if you have ideas, please contact either of the pastors, or Eileen Munson or Vianne Engwall, from the church council. Thanks!
Our Need of the Month for September is FOOD for the ICA food shelves. As you can imagine, the number of people needing food assistance has been growing dramatically. Each month ICA provides food to over 400 households. There are 500 children in these families. When you are shopping for your own groceries, please consider picking up several items or even filling a bag and placing it in our collection barrels.
The ICA website (www.icafoodshelf.org) lists a number of highly needed food items. Among these are:
- Hamburger Helper
- Ramen noodles
- Crackers
- Canned fruit
- Dry beans
- Jelly
If you’d prefer making a financial contribution, checks should be made to Gethsemane with “ICA” on the memo line. The Social Ministry Team thanks everyone for your continuing support of our Needs of the Month.
A related quote from Bishop Peter Rogness: “We believe it is the creator’s intent that all people are provided those things that protect human dignity and make for healthy life. We believe that overcoming poverty involves both acts of direct service to alleviate the outcomes of poverty and advocacy to change those structures that result in people living in poverty.”
Now that the school year is upon us, it’s time to put your feet up and relax with a good book. Our library has many Christian novels to entice any reader. Check out some of these new books and favorite authors:
New Books
- A Promise to Remember by Kathryn Cushman
A heartfelt novel about love, loss and redemption.
- The Restorer and The Restorer’s Son by Sharon Hinck
Sharon is the featured speaker at the GCW Fall Salad Supper. The Restorer was a finalist in the 2008 Christy Awards (best Christian fiction).
- The Serpent Garden by Judith Merkle Riley
A blend of biography, history, romance and danger.
- Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers
A retelling of the book of Hosea set in the California gold rush days of 1850.
- Veil of Fire by Marlo Schalesky
A fictional account of the 1894 Hinckley fire and how the town was restored through faith.
- Talk of the Town by Lisa Wingate
A fun read packed with colorful characters and rollicking escapades.
Favorite Authors
- Agatha Christie
- John Hassler
- Jan Karon
- Beverly Lewis
- Janette Oke
- Eugenia Price
- Lori Wick
Now it’s your turn to “soak up” a good book! Enjoy!
During the months of November and December we plan to celebrate those who have served our country by having a display in the Gallery. If you have served our country through the military, Peace Corps, State Department, church mission work, etc. and have items you would like to have on display, such as uniforms, medals, citations, books, maps, letters home, and related items, please contact Jeff Skold at 763-551-9185.
A committee is being formed to select items to exhibit. If you are interested in serving on this committee, please contact Jeff Skold or Paul McKenzie.
Faith is a gift we are given by the grace of God. It is a gift that starts small and needs to be opened, nurtured, and wrestled with so that it can grow and bring us the fullness of life that God promises. How is your faith? Is it strong or in need of some nourishment? The reality is that faith is not an object that once you have it you are good to go and have nothing else to do. Faith is a living thing that needs sustenance to flourish so that it will produce fruit for our lives and for the lives of others.
To make this happen there are certain ELEMENTS that naturally feed a living faith. I invite you to join us Rally Sunday , September 7, for the beginning of a four week sermon series on “Elements of a Living Faith” and learn again how you can grow in your Christian walk with God.
September 7
Living a life of faith and fulfilling the Body of Christ.
September 14
Prayer, Worship and Studying Scripture as ways to nurture our faith.
September 21
Living out our call to Share God’s Story and Do Acts of
Service and Justice .
September 28
Living our Faith through the Stewardship of Our Lives and the Building of Spiritual Friendships.
This sermon series will kick off a year-long congregational emphasis to focus on how we each can and need to continually grow in our faith. We will have different things for you to take home with you that will help you keep these concepts before you at work and at home. I invite you to join us on Rally Day as we begin to explore together what it means to live a life of faith and how you can help your faith come alive in Christ!
We are now offering communion instruction for all children who are ready to begin receiving the sacrament. The instructional workshops are intended to be taken by families together. Each begins with a community meal and then proceeds through a series of active learning exercises to teach the basic concepts of communion. Each family will be sent home with a parent and child workbook to review on their own. If your child has further follow-up questions, we invite you to visit with one of the pastors again; otherwise your child would be invited to then begin receiving communion at any time. You can sign up for the workshops in the Sunday Friendship Folder or by calling the church office.
Upcoming Dates: September 14, 5:00 p.m.; October 12, 12:30 p.m.; November 16, 12:30 p.m.
Families are not required to participate in the workshops and might feel it is best to wait until the 5th grade when we will continue to offer the Communion Retreat for all children, regardless of whether they have been taking communion already or not.
