Open Circle Church Update
Thinking Encouraged, Diversity Welcomed September 3, 2009 
Open Circle Calendar
2 Weeks Out
 
Sunday 9/6
10:00 a.m. Worship
Children's Story
Nicole Giesen
Nursery
Nicole Giesen


Sunday 9/13
10:00 a.m. Worship
Children's Story
Janet Westenberg
11:00 a.m.
Community Meal











Support The Mission And Ministries Of Open Circle
Please help our community of faith continue to be a progressive Christian presence in the Twin Cities metro area. You can make a contribution online by clicking here. You can see our most recent financial statement here. Thank you for your financial suppprt of our ministries!

GoodSearch
Every internet search you make raises money for Open Circle if you use GoodSearch as your search engine. It's easy. Go to GoodSearch, choose your charity, and then use it to search.  You can also have a portion of your online purchases go to Open Circle by clicking on the GoodShopping logo and shopping at BestBuy, Target, Barnes & Noble, and hundreds of other retailers.

Next Newsletter
 September 15, 2009
Deadline for Submission is
September 14, 2009
Coffee and Conversation with Jay

I saw a particularly disturbing video this past week of footage shot undercover at a large egg farm in Iowa. The animal rights group Mercy for Animals documented what happens to male chicks, which are of no use to egg producers and don't grow rapidly enough for meat production. They are routinely ground up - alive. The farm and the egg industry didn't dispute the practice and said simply that there was no market for the animals. This was only the most gruesome part of a very disturbing video.

It is almost enough to make me want to give up eating eggs, which is what Mercy for Animals advocates. At the very least I was reminded once again that this is what it costs us to maintain our way of life. It has much the same feel as undercover footage from sweat shops I have seen that bring us our inexpensive garments. Remember when Kathy Lee Griffin was shocked and humiliated with the news that her clothing line came from sweat shops. Our way of life does not come cheap, at least it doesn't for the humans who are poorly paid to bring us our coffee, bananas, garments and trinkets, and the animals that too often treated inhumanely so that we can have cheap meat and eggs.

Living in the city and suburbs of America we are usually shielded from having to see what it takes to live the way we live. I am reminded, on a lighter note, of having to argue with my then preschool aged daughter that the milk she was drinking did indeed come from the cows we were showing her in the country. Her milk, she said, came from the store, not from cows. And so it is with the meat we eat, the energy we consume, the clothes we wear and virtually everything else we have and use. We rarely see the death, the labor, or the pollution that it takes to bring it to us.

What to do about this? A first step is to not stick our heads in the sand and pretend that there are not costs. Do we know where our coffee comes from? Do we know if those who work to bring it to us are being paid a fair wage? It isn't difficult to find out. The choices we make about these everyday purchases and practices affect the lives of real people around the planet.

Some things like coffee have to come to us from far away. But much of our food can be grown locally and many local farmers practice humane farming and try to minimize their ecological footprint. We are fortunate to have great farmers markets in the twin cities where we can meet and support these growers and farmers. How often do we shop there? Or how about CSA's? Or growing more of our own food?

I know that the readers of this newsletter know and care about our ecological footprint, the welfare of animals, and living conditions of fellow humans around the world. But, as we often sing on Sundays, there is always "one more step" that we can be taking. What is your next step to make this world a healthier and more humane place for someone or something on the planet?


September Highlights

Introduction to the Enneagram: Discovering Your True Self Through the Study of Nine Points of View
Friday evening, September 11, from 7:00-9:30pm
The Summit Executive Office Suites (in "The Summit Club" meeting room)
1500 McAndrews Rd. W., Burnsville, MN  55337     (just east of the Co. Rd. 5 and McAndrews intersection)

Cost: 100% of suggested donation of $25 per individual/family will further the goal for completion of the OCC Wellness Room. (Please make checks out to Open Circle Church.)

Kathy Heuser is offering this class especially for the Open Circle Church community. Whether you are a newcomer to the Enneagram or have already taken other Enneagram classes, you will leave this talk with updated handouts and new insight into the nine types! Format includes lecture, typing assistance, and question/answer period. Light snacks provided. Please call Kathy at 612 275-9863 or email her at Kathy@alternativewellnessresources.com to reserve your seat.

Prior to attending this class, visit www.enneagraminstitute.com and take the free RHETI Sampler typing assistance tool. Print out results to bring to class.

Congregational Meal
Sunday, September 13 after worship we will have a potluck/picnic meal. We will grill burgers and hotdogs. Bring a salad or dessert to share. If you are interested in helping with the grilling let Jay know.

Education Hour Resumes
Education Hour resumes September 20 after worship. Children through grade 5 will meet downstairs. Adults will meet upstairs.


 
 
For Your Thoughts and Prayers
If you have prayer concerns or joys to share with our community please e-mail me. Todd and Mary Hall; Todd will receive a kidney from Mary on September 4. Dan Kanitz, who has a heart murmur caused by a tear in a valve that will require surgery this winter. Mary Ann Steele's father, Ed Davies, who continues to struggle with a chronic pulminary disease. Todd Lines' dad, who continues to suffer with a chronic pulminary disease. Jeannine Mayer who continues to receive chemotherapy. For families both in Open Circle and in our communities and world who are struggling with life's problems.  Continued prayers for the men and women serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, and for the Iraqi and Afghani people.
Upcoming Events for your Calendar
 
New or Special Events

Wanted: Three or four volunteers to serve as part of a teaching team for our children's educational program.
During the spring of 2008, we had a congregational conversation about what we wanted for our children.  This conversation generated several sheets of newsprint full of ideas.  A small group that included Rhonda Pittman Gingrich (Team Leader for Ministry with Children and Youth), Vicky Goplin (Pastoral Leadership Team Member), Sam Lucido (parent), Jan Johnson (parent), and Nicole Giesen (parent), took the wealth of ideas generated during the congregational conversation and consolidated the ideas, articulating a list of 15 key learnings we want to pass on to our children (birth through grade 5).  The list includes:

·        Stewardship/Caretaking (time, talents, money, resources, environment)

·        Community, belonging, relationship

·        Who/what is God (source of love and life, God is love)

·        Service

·        Peace (internal, relational, global) and Justice

·        I am a child of God (a person of value)

·        I have gifts to share (value in the congregation and the world)

·        Present an approach to life/God through the life and teachings of Jesus

·        Understand and respect diversity.

·        Kindness

·        Questions are good.  Life is a journey.

·        Denominational heritage.

·        Faith takes courage (the cost of doing the "right" thing)

·        Sense of the biblical story (What is the Bible?  What is in the Bible? the good, the bad, and the ugly)

·        Welcome

This list serves as a guide to how we plan for and interact with children during the education hour and in the broader context of congregational life.

This year, we will be working with the theme: Living our Values.  We will be focusing on the values of self and community; values based financial decision making; the values of love, joy, peace, and hope (traditional Advent/Christmas concepts); the value of the Bible (What is it?  How did it come to be?  How do we read it?  How does it give roots and wings to our values?); the value of prayer and meditation; and the value of service and outreach (and the importance of seeking balance between our internal and external spiritual practices).

During our education program we want to expose children to these ideas through scripture, conversation, experiential activities (games/art/etc.), and relationship.

We are looking for a team of teachers-people who genuinely enjoy and value children and want to help them grow in faith-who will share the teaching responsibilities throughout the year, providing some stability and consistency for our children and allowing them to build a stronger relationship with a small group of adults.  Responsibilities include: attending planning meetings (one meeting approximately every six weeks to prepare for the upcoming theme), willingness to teach (or assist another teacher) once or twice a month.  If you are interested in more information or would like to join the team, please contact Rhonda Pittman Gingrich at rpgingrich@yahoo.com or 612-926-9460.

Youth Program Parent Conversation
Parents of youth 6 grade and up are invited to participate in a conversation about this year's youth programming. It will happen during the community meal on Sunday, September 13. Grab a bite to eat and then head on upstairs with your food to the sanctuary.

Leadership Conversations and Formation
Beginning Wednesday, September 30, 6:30 p.m.
The Pastoral Leadership Team will be facilitating a leadership class focusing on the spiritual and psychological foundations of leadership. Three weeks of the 8-week class will be devoted to spiritual foundations: spiritual practice, foundational readings, faith sharing; three weeks will be devoted to psychological foundations: healthy self-definition, emotional intelligence, group dynamics; we will wrap up with two weeks on what we are trying to accomplish together as leaders and how we identify and name gifts.

It is our intent that this will become an annual offering at Open Circle and that over time we will develop an expectation that everyone who participates in leadership will go through this class. It is our expectation, of course, that the class will also evolve as we learn from each other what works best. Registration is required. Child-care will not be offered. If there are couples who wish to take the class we encourage one to take it this time and one to do it in the future.

Rain Garden Celebration
Sunday, October 11. We will celebrate the completion of the rain garden during and after worship. Our plan is to invite city and county representatives to thank them for our grants, as well as neighbors and friends. We are having a bake sale as part of this event.

Ongoing Events

September Birthdays
2      Myrna McInenly        
2      Marlys Wiens        
5      Michael Henly        
14    Sam Lucido        
26    Rhonda Gingrich

Women's Group
Our Women's Group will be meeting through the summer every other Thursday evening at 7 pm. Folks are welcome to contact Danette (952-835-0353) or Jodi (952-881-3051) for more information.

Community Events

mnpACT Event
On September 11th, 7 pm, John Marty and Paul Thissen will be at Open Circle for an evening of give and take on the issues facing Minnesota. This is an open invitation to meet the candidates.


Other Information

Updated Directory Available
The 2009 Open Circle Church Directory (18 pages with Pictures) is now available. Also available is the short form Directory (4 pages without pictures). These copies are printed in black and white and are available in the vestibule of the Church. Both directories are also offered as a PDF file for saving or printing from your own computer. This PDF versions of the 2009 OCC Directory is in color. Anyone wanting a PDF version should Email mdhenly@msn.com and it will be returned with the PDF attachments.
 

About Us
Open Circle Church
2400 Highland Drive, Burnsville MN 55337
612-578-3233