Prayer Ministry Group
All are welcome to join! Prayer Ministry meets on Mondays via Zoom, from 7:00 – 8:00 PM.
Contact [email protected] or (612) 377-5095
Wednesday Morning Bible Study
Pastor Haug leads the morning bible study group in the Library & via Zoom at 10:00 AM Wednesdays.
Women’s Bible Study 2023-24 Program Year
The Women’s Bible Study meets the first Thursday of each month 7:00 – 8:30 pm, in the Library.
The 2023-24 Sessions begin October 5.
This season’s text is Esther: It’s Tough Being a Woman – Bible Study Book, by Beth Moore.
Dates include: OCT 5, NOV 2, DEC 7, JAN 4, FEB 1, MAR 7, APR 4, MAY 2
Moore provides a personal study experience five days a week plus viewer guides for the group video sessions of this in-depth women’s Bible study of Esther – a profile in courage. Join Beth in a very personal examination of this great story of threat and deliverance as she peels back the layers of history and shows how very contemporary and applicable the story of Esther is to our lives today.
If you’ve ever felt inadequate, threatened, or pushed into situations that seemed overpowering, this is the Bible study for you. Just as it was tough being a woman in Esther’s day, it’s tough today. This portion of God’s Word contains treasures to aid us in our hurried, harried, and pressured lives.
Contact [email protected] or (612) 377-5095
Growlers & Theology
Following the model of Luther in his home in Wittenberg, Germany, Pastor Haug leads a monthly gathering on the Patio or in the Library on Thursday evenings.
See Events or the Sunday Bulletin for details.
Priscilla Circle
Have you wondered what the Priscilla Circle is all about? Our focus is on knitting and other crafts which we donate to bring happiness (and warmth) to others. We do simple things that are easy, but have members who are happy to help when needed.
Check the bulletin board in Fellowship Hall for additional samples of our work.
We meet the first Saturday of each month, 9:30am, on the Patio, in the Christy Room or at a member’s home.
Contact [email protected] or call (612) 377-5095.
LOTI Book Club September 2023 – May 2024
Meets once a month on Friday at 5:00pm at the home of Debra Gilroy.
Contact [email protected] or (612) 377-5095
Join us! And bring a snack to share if you like…
As Bright as Heaven, by Susan Meissner
September 29
From the acclaimed author of The Last Year of the War comes a novel set during the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918, telling the story of a family reborn through loss and love.
In 1918, Philadelphia was a city teeming with promise. Even as its young men went off to fight in the Great War, there were opportunities for a fresh start on its cobblestone streets. Into this bustling town came Pauline Bright and her husband, filled with hope that they could now give their three daughters – Evelyn, Maggie, and Willa – a chance at a better life.
But just months after they arrive, the Spanish Flu reaches the shores of America. As the pandemic claims more than 12,000 victims in their adopted city, they find their lives left with a world that looks nothing like the one they knew. But even as they lose loved ones, they take in a baby orphaned by the disease who becomes their single source of hope. Amid the tragedy and challenges, they learn what they cannot live without – and what they are willing to do about it.
As Bright as Heaven is the compelling story of a mother and her daughters who find themselves in a harsh world not of their making, which will either crush their resolve to survive or purify it.
The Hiding Place, by Cori ten Boom
October 27th
Every experience God gives us . . . is the perfect preparation for the future only He can see. ~ Corrie ten Boom
Corrie ten Boom was a Dutch watchmaker who became a heroine of the Resistance, a survivor of Hitler’s concentration camps, and one of the most remarkable evangelists of the twentieth century. In World War II she and her family risked their lives to help Jews and underground workers escape from the Nazis, and for their work they were tested in the infamous Nazi death camps. Only Corrie among her family survived to tell the story of how faith ultimately triumphs over evil.
Here is the riveting account of how Corrie and her family were able to save many of God’s chosen people. For 35 years millions have seen that there is no pit so deep that God’s love is not deeper still. Now The Hiding Place, repackaged for a new generation of readers, continues to declare that God’s love will overcome, heal, and restore.
The Gentle Art of Blessing, by Pierre Pradervand
November 17th or December 1st
It begins with a deeply inspiring wish for the positive welfare of another person. Writer and social justice advocate Pierre Pradervand believes that making the conscious choice to bless every person or being around you can truly make the world a better place.
In The Gentle Art of Blessing, Pradervand shows that the practice of blessing has the power to create more than just a momentary change. It unleashes tangible benefits throughout your entire life—through your daily interactions, your relationships, and how the laws of positive expectations and unconditional love can open the doors to a more peaceful world.
Pradervand describes a blessing as genuinely wishing the best for another person through seeing their individual worth and honoring them for it. By looking at several different perspectives—providing spiritual inspiration from Hinduism, Taoism, the Koran, the Bible, and other important spiritual sources—The Gentle Art of Blessing provides the tools for people to shift their attitude from negativity to acceptance. These blessings can be practiced daily in everyday situations whether it be at the supermarket, driving in rush hour, or spending time in the workplace, the simple action of blessing the event can turn a challenging experience into an experience of grace and gratitude. Simple yet powerful, a blessing can change the way of perceiving and shaping our surroundings, reflecting the unconditional love and acceptance that is necessary for global—and inner—peace.
Sensible Shoes, by Sharon Garlough Brown
February 23rd
Over 100,000 Copies Sold Worldwide! Midwest Publishing Awards Show Honorable Mention Sharon Garlough Brown tells the moving story of four strangers as they embark together on a journey of spiritual formation: Hannah, a pastor who doesn’t realize how exhausted she is. Meg, a widow and recent empty-nester who is haunted by her past. Mara, a woman who has experienced a lifetime of rejection and is now trying to navigate a difficult marriage. Charissa, a hard-working graduate student who wants to get things right. You’re invited to join these four women as they reluctantly arrive at a retreat center and find themselves drawn out of their separate stories of isolation and struggle and into a collective journey of spiritual practice, mutual support and personal revelation. Along the way, readers will be taken into a new understanding of key spiritual practices and find tangible support for the deeper life with God. If you want to travel this journey with others, you will find a group study guide and book club resources at www.sensibleshoesclub.com.
Among the Gods, by Lynn Austin
March 22st
Fleeing King Manasseh’s tyranny, Joshua leads the faithful remnant to their new home in Egypt. But as years pass, Joshua’s desire for vengeance becomes an obsession. Blinded by hatred, he makes rash decisions, placing his loved ones in jeopardy.
Amid Joshua’s turmoil comes an unexpected awakening of love–a love that burns so intensely it draws him from the dark inner seclusion where he often retreats. But what will it take for him to grasp the great love his Heavenly Father has for him…and for the chosen people of Judah?
(Chronicles of the King Book 5)
West with Giraffes, by Lynda Rutledge
April 26th
An emotional, rousing novel inspired by the incredible true story of two giraffes who made headlines and won the hearts of Depression-era America.
“Few true friends have I known and two were giraffes…”
Woodrow Wilson Nickel, age 105, feels his life ebbing away. But when he learns giraffes are going extinct, he finds himself recalling the unforgettable experience he cannot take to his grave.
It’s 1938. The Great Depression lingers. Hitler is threatening Europe, and world-weary Americans long for wonder. They find it in two giraffes who miraculously survive a hurricane while crossing the Atlantic. What follows is a twelve-day road trip in a custom truck to deliver Southern California’s first giraffes to the San Diego Zoo. Behind the wheel is the young Dust Bowl rowdy Woodrow. Inspired by true events, the tale weaves real-life figures with fictional ones, including the world’s first female zoo director, a crusty old man with a past, a young female photographer with a secret, and assorted reprobates as spotty as the giraffes.
Part adventure, part historical saga, and part coming-of-age love story, West with Giraffes explores what it means to be changed by the grace of animals, the kindness of strangers, the passing of time, and a story told before it’s too late.
Surprised by Joy, by C.S. Lewis
May 31st
The revered author’s spiritual memoir, in which he recounts the story of his divine journey and eventual conversion to Christianity.
C. S. Lewis—the great British writer, scholar, lay theologian, broadcaster, Christian apologist, and bestselling author of Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, The Great Divorce, The Chronicles of Narnia, and many other beloved classics—takes readers on a spiritual journey through his early life and eventual embrace of the Christian faith. Lewis begins with his childhood in Belfast, surveys his boarding school years and his youthful atheism in England, reflects on his experience in World War I, and ends at Oxford, where he became “the most dejected and reluctant convert in all England.” As he recounts his lifelong search for joy, Lewis demonstrates its role in guiding him to find God.