Reach Out. Proclaim. Inspire.

June 24, 2015

Opportunities to Serve!

Contact: Pastor Valerie Strand Patterson, vstrand@spdlc.org. To learn more, visit our website.

June 30 - Feed My Starving Children
July 8 - Food Shelf at Interfaith Outreach
July - Drivers for Meals on Wheels
Watering outdoor flowers and plants at church

The Texts this Weekend

This weekend is the Fifth Sunday after Pentecost. The readings include Psalm 30 and Mark 5:21-43:

When they came to the house of the leader of the synagogue, he saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. When he had entered, he said to them, 'Why do you make a commotion and weep? The child is not dead but sleeping.' And they laughed at him. Then he put them all outside, and took the child's father and mother and those who were with him, and went in where the child was. He took her by the hand and said to her, 'Talitha cum', which means, 'Little girl, get up!' And immediately the girl got up and began to walk about (she was twelve years of age). At this they were overcome with amazement. He strictly ordered them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.

Read more of Mark 5:21-43

TONIGHT! Bible Read-Along Gathering

We have been reading for 164 days and have completed three sections of the Old Testament: the Pentateuch, the Books of History, and the books of Poetry and Wisdom. TONIGHT we gather at 6:30 p.m. in the Learning Center for our third conversation. We will review the prophetic messages, their particular audiences, and set them in their appropriate time frame. And, as always, we will check in with one another on how we are doing and share best practices and insights with one another.

TONIGHT! Encounter: Rock Balancing

Artist Peter Juhl will be at St. Philip the Deacon TONIGHT at 7:30 p.m. in the CFL (lower level), talking about and demonstrating rock balancing. He will help us as we give this special art form a try. We'll explore different dimensions of meditation, balance, patience and skill. All ages are welcome to this unique Encounter event!

Learn more about Peter Juhl and his art at temporarysculpture.com.

Join Bike Club - June 25

Join our SPD summer Bike Club! Every Thursday this summer at 9 a.m. we'll meet at a different place to explore our local bike paths, enjoy God's creation and fellowship with one another. And there will be an evening ride each month on the fourth Thursday. Here are the remaining June rides:

June 25 - 9 a.m.
Meet in the parking lot for Wayzata Beach, west of the 6Smith restaurant south of Lake Dr. Bike the Dakota Regional Trail to the Minnetonka Drive Inn.
June 25 - 7 p.m. Evening Ride
Meet at Carver Park. Enter the southeast corner of the park from Hwy. 5, turning north onto Park Dr. After the road turns to gravel, find the parking lot on your left. The biking trail is paved.

Lights Out for an Upgrade - June 29

Starting Monday, June 29, the lights will be out in the sanctuary as we upgrade the entire lighting system to more energy efficient LED fixtures. The project will likely extend through the weekend of July 4, but we trust that our skylight will provide enough lighting for worship during the installation--even on Monday evening. This renovation will save the congregation significant resources both in energy consumption and in maintenance costs for bulb replacement (which always require us to rent a cherry picker, given the ceiling height). We also hope that worshipers will notice better lighting in the sanctuary. It's nice to be able to make improvements and be good stewards of our church's resources! Many thanks to all of the families who have generously helped to underwrite this project!

Soul Sisterhood Retreats in July

Please keep the Soul Sisterhood staff in your prayers throughout July and August as they begin their outreach ministry to girls, bringing God's love and spirit of creativity to congregations throughout the Twin Cities. Want to see what they're up to? Check out our blog at thesoulsisterhood.com.

Wiffle Ball BBQ - Postponed

Due to several scheduling conflicts, our summer Wiffle Ball Tournament and BBQ, originally planned for July 1, has been postponed. A decision on the new date is still pending.

Play in the Park - July 1

Families with young children are invited to enjoy "God's Great Outdoors" at "Play in the Park", Wednesday mornings 9:30-11 a.m. at Plymouth Creek Park. Join friends and neighbors for summer play outdoors. A healthy snack and juice will be provided for the children. Make a play date on these Wednesday mornings: July 1, 8, 15 and 22.

Sanctuary of Survivors - July 2

Sanctuary of Survivors is a faith based support group for those who have lost a loved one by suicide. We meet the first and third Thursdays of each month from 7-8 p.m. at church. All emotions, all questions (including questions of faith) will be heard and honored. Members, non-members, friends -- all are welcome, wherever you are on your faith journey. Our next meeting is July 2. The evening will include lighting a candle in memory of your loved one, a brief devotion from scripture which lifts up a promise of God, and group check in and discussion. Members will be invited to hold one another in prayer between meetings. Questions? Contact group leaders Cheryl Johnson at 612-759-1241or meemocj@comcast.net, or Pastor Strand Patterson at 763-475-7126 or vstrand@spdlc.org.

Sr. High Golf Outing - July 7

Join Jeremy Lahaie and Pastor Westermeyer for a fun Sr. High golf outing. Meet at the church on Tuesday, July 7 at 11 a.m. for carpooling to the golf course. We'll set up our teams and hold a tournament. All abilities and experience levels are welcome. Cost is $25 per person. Bring extra money for your snacks or lunch. Register online today!

Donate Black Dress Shoes - Now through July 12

Our collection of black dress shoes for school children in Haiti is growing! To learn more about this wonderful project, visit our website.

Thanks to you, we have collected over 200 pairs of school shoes to date, and with a good assortment of sizes. We still have a couple weeks to go with this project, so keep the shoes coming! A great place to look for gently used shoes is your closet at home. Does your child have a pair of black dress shoes that he or she has outgrown?

Or try your neighborhood consignment or resale shop, department store or shoe store clearance sale, or discount shoe websites. Monetary gifts are also welcome! Now through July 12, bring your donations to the Hospitality Desk in the Atrium or to the church office.

Contact Pastor Valerie Strand Patterson at vstrand@spdlc.org or 763-475-7126, or Cindy Carlson at ccarlson@spdlc.org or 763-475-7115.

Encounter: Art on Canvas - July 15

The wonderful folks from Wine and Canvas in Minneapolis will be at St. Philip the Deacon on Wednesday, July 15 to guide us in a fun painting event. They have prepared a painted version of one of our stained glass windows and each participant will paint their own on canvas to take home. No painting experience necessary; all abilities are welcome! This is an adult event, but children as young as age ten are welcome to attend with a parent. The class runs from 6-9 p.m. The cost is $35 per person. Refreshments of the non-alcoholic variety will be served. Register at stphilip.smartevents.com. For more information contact Pastor Mathison at cmathison@spdlc.org.

Summer St. John's Retreat - July 30-Aug. 2

This year's summer spiritual growth retreat at St. John's University is called "Balance." Through worship, prayer, reading, meditation and activity, we'll explore what it means to live a balanced life. The retreat runs from Thursday, July 30 through Sunday, Aug. 2. Our special guest on Saturday morning of the retreat will be Peter Juhl, an expert rock balancer. Journey together in an eclectic group of people for few days of refocusing on God in creative ways in a very beautiful and relaxing setting. Contact Pastor Valerie Strand Patterson at vstrand@spdlc.org or 763-475-7126 for more information. Register online by July 20.

Youth Choir Festival - Aug. 1

Students in grades 6-12 are invited to enjoy a great day of music and meeting new friends at the Cities of the Lakes Youth Choir Festival, Saturday, Aug. 1 at St. Philip the Deacon. The director will be Philip Brown, Director of Choirs at Hopkins High School. Students from any faith community are welcome. Cost: $30/youth (includes lunch, dinner, and festival t-shirt) Questions? Contact David Clarke, Director of Music & Worship, Normandale Lutheran Church, at 952-929-1967 or davidc@normluth.org. Register online. Invite your friends!

Summer Church Picnic - Aug 9

Save the date for an all-church summer picnic on Sunday, Aug. 9 starting at 5 p.m. at French Park. Mark your calendar! Stay tuned for more details and a registration link. It's going to be fun -- you won't want to miss it!

In This Issue

Bible Read-Along Gathering

Encounter: Rock Balancing

Bike Club

Lights Out for an Upgrade

Soul Sisterhood Retreats

Wiffle Ball Postponed

Play in the Park

Sanctuary of Survivors

Sr. High Golf Outing

Black Dress Shoes

Encounter: Art on Canvas

Summer St. John's Retreat

Youth Choir Festival

Summer Church Picnic

I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up,

And did not let my foes rejoice over me.

O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me.

O Lord, you brought up my soul from Sheol, restored me to life from among those gone down to the Pit.

Sing praises to the Lord, O you his faithful ones, and give thanks to his holy name.

For his anger is but for a moment; his favour is for a lifetime.

Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning.

As for me, I said in my prosperity, 'I shall never be moved.'

By your favour, O Lord, you had established me as a strong mountain;

You hid your face; I was dismayed.

To you, O Lord, I cried, and to the Lord I made supplication:

"What profit is there in my death, if I go down to the Pit?

"Will the dust praise you? Will it tell of your faithfulness?

"Hear, O Lord, and be gracious to me! O Lord, be my helper!"

You have turned my mourning into dancing; you have taken off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,

So that my soul may praise you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you for ever.

Psalm 30

For Reflection

"Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase."

- Martin Luther King Jr.

See more thoughts like this at fb.com/spdlc.

Faithful Parenting

Turn a Big Meltdown into a Big Win!

Think of your child's last big meltdown (or wait for the next one!) and put your focus on however they were able to calm down, and/or solve their problem. Pray for vision to see the good - even in the challenge. Then tell your child what you see. This is how their identity will begin to change from, "I'm a problem" to "I'm an overcomer."