Living Faith Weekly News (Week of March 2, 2025)

Kay Michaelson
Mar 3
4 min read

Ash Wednesday Services will be held on Wednesday at 5:00 in the sanctuary of the PUCC.

Last Week

Thank you to Pastor Jean Ziettlow for leading worship on Transfiguration Sunday! If you missed the service, you will have to ask her about meeting Mother Teresa! Thank you also to those who helped with our worship service: Gail Kass, Karen Schroeder, Kay Allen, John and Peg McAllister, Rich Ziettlow, Dave Grosenheider, Jim Heeren, Tim Kass, Angela Catton, Sharon Utesch, and Sandy Heeren!

THANK YOU to all who provided food for our soup and sandwich luncheon on Sunday: Cheryl Juhl, Kim Lang, Kari Kopperud, Debbie Gibson, Sandy Heeren, Yvonne Law, Gail Kass, Sharon Utesch, Jenelle Van Otterloo and Kay Michaelson! Thank you to Tim Kass for brewing the coffee and to all who set the meal up and cleaned up afterwards!

This Week

Ash Wednesday services will be held on Wednesday, March 5th, at 5:00 PM in the sanctuary of the Presbyterian United Church of Christ (858 7th Ave. SE). Vicar Grace Baumgartel who serves Christ Lutheran Church and St. Peter Lutheran Church, will preside and offer the Imposition of Ashes and Holy Communion. Gail Kass will accompany us on the piano, Jess Kopperud will read scripture, Jordan Kopperud will assist with Communion, and Nate Rathke will hand out bulletins.

This Coming Sunday

On this special Sunday when we call a part-time pastor for Living Faith, we are happy to welcome Deacon Eric Haitz to lead us in worship in the sanctuary of the PUCC! Join us at 11:00 AM! This will be a full circle day for Living Faith and Deacon Haitz. He has supported us from the beginning in assisting us in worship and providing guidance in becoming a SAWC and then becoming a congregation which now enables us to extend a call to a rostered minister! Deacon Haitz will also provide special music during the service.

Gail Kass will accompany us on the piano and Travis Balt will read scripture. There will be no Holy Communion this Sunday.

There will be a congregational meeting immediately following worship. The purpose of the meeting will be to approve a part-time call and compensation package for our pastoral candidate.

According to our Living Faith Constitution, "Voting members are confirmed members. Such confirmed members, during the current or preceding calendar year, shall have communed in this congregation and shall have made a contribution of record to this congregation. Members of this congregation who have satisfied these basic standards shall have the privilege of voice and vote at every regular and special meeting of this congregation..."

A quorum must be reached of 20% to convene the meeting which equates to 12 members.

At 10:00 AM, before worship, come to the Fellowship Hall of the PUCC for coffee and conversation with our PUCC friends!

During the season of Lent, Living Faith will gather at 5:00 PM in the PUCC sanctuary for mid-week Lenten services. Our first service will be held on March 12. Kjersten Rathke will lead us in the Holden Evening Prayer liturgy accompanied by Rachel Cunningham. There will be a special speaker to be named soon.

At 5:30, Living Faith will host a lasagna meal in the Fellowship Hall. There is a sign up sheet on the table in the narthex for volunteers to bring items for this meal. Please check this out on either Wednesday of this week or on Sunday!

After the meal, the PUCC will host the first session of a discussion series: "Reclaiming Wholeness: Hospitality, Fear and Relationship in a Divided World." This study time begins with a short video and discussion will follow from there. The evening will wrap up at 7:00.

Pick up a Lenten devotional in the basket on the Living Faith table in the narthex! This is a great resource from Augsburg Fortress to enhance your Lenten journey! There is also a basket with a baggie containing devotions for families. Pick one up for your children or grandchildren!

The PUCC has also prepared a Lenten devotional, Grieving Change and Loss. You are invited to pick one of these up on the PUCC table in the narthex,

This great milestone will be celebrated at our April 27th Annual Meeting and at this summer's Synod Assembly!

Fundraiser for Sleep In Heavenly Peace - Lenten Tree Project

Living Faith once again will participate in this fundraiser for Sleep in Heavenly Peace - and we are inviting our PUCC friends to join! Here's how it works:

Take an egg labeled with an item you'd like to purchase. There may be helpful suggestions inside the egg in regards to this purchase.
Return the item and the egg by Easter to the area by the Living Faith sign up table.
If you purchase a gift card or sponsor a bed, put your card/monetary donation in an envelope labeled Sleep in Heavenly Peace and put it into the offering plate.