Saint Martinsfest 2025

We had a great turnout for our annual,  Oktoberfest style, family friendly German festival. We enjoyed great music by Mark Stillman and a very lively Saint Martin’s parade of lanterns! 183 winter gear items were donated and we raised $700 for Project for Pride in Living! A good time was had by all—special thanks to Don Holzschuh and family for a delicious dinner.

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100th Anniversary — Laying of the Cornerstone

On Sunday, November 16th, we celebrated the 100th anniversary of the laying of the cornerstone on November 8, 1925, with a rededication liturgy on the patio.

The former Lowry Hill Congregational Church had purchased the property on Lake of the Isles Boulevard, constructed the basement as a temporary place of worship, and the cornerstone from Lowry Hill was laid at the new site by Dr. Lotus Coffman, President of the University of Minnesota. We commemorated the current day celebration with photographs in the same space.

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Children’s Ministry December 2025

College Care Packages

Nine care packages will be heading to our college age young adults in the next week – just in time for finals preparation. Thank you to the Sunday School children who packed the boxes and made cards of encouragement, and thank you to the families who donated the snacks. The college students love receiving this gift of love from LOTI.

Sunday School Calendar Notes

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The most needed items include spaghetti, white rice (1-2 pound bags), canned proteins (tuna, chicken, beans, and tofu), ramen, name brand cereal, oatmeal, tampons and pads, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and paper grocery bags with handles. They accept all non-expired shelf stable foods.
 

All donations make a huge difference. Donations are collected on the wooden cart in Fellowship Hall. Volunteers deliver them to the food shelf on Friday mornings.
joyceuptownfoodshelf.org

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Lake of the Isles Lutheran Church provides a meal on the second Saturday of each month. Our monthly meals are provided by donation. The shelter orders & serves the meal. Thanks to the Mary Sabatke for sponsoring the November meal in memory of Bruce Sabatke.

Contact Diane LaMere to arrange to sponsor a meal in 2026.

JAN	Bruce & Jean Carlson
FEB	Isaac Spanjer
MAR	Jim & Pat Bausell
APR	David & Mary Goplen
MAY	Rick Gripentrog
JUN	Jim Olson, in memory of ChanSoon Olson
JUL	Available
AUG	Available
SEP	Available
OCT	Available
NOV	Mary Sabatke, in memory of Bruce Sabatke
DEC	Available

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 This holiday season, we thank everyone who has supported LOTI this past year with their time, talent and financial contributions and look forward to support from all of our members in the year ahead.
End of the year gifts to LOTI must be received by Wednesday, December 31st.

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Children’s Ministry November 2025

Sunday School Calendar Notes

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Winter Gear Drive Wrap Up

November 16th

Please consider donating gently used or new winter gear to help those less fortunate stay warm this winter. We need winter coats, boots, snow pants, hats, gloves, scarves and socks for ALL AGES. There will be collection bins at both entrances to the Sanctuary. Our drive will end on November 16th. Donations will go to Project for Pride in Living.

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College Care Packages Donations Needed

Our Sunday School children will be assembling the college care packages on November 23rd for our college age members. The Care Packages will contain a letter of encouragement from Pastor Haug, snacks and other fun items. If you would like to donate items for the care packages, please contact Diane LaMere for a list of items needed. The packages will be mailed out after Thanksgiving so that they arrive in time for finals weeks.

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Foodshelf Donations Needed

The most needed items include spaghetti, white rice (1-2 pound bags), canned proteins (tuna, chicken, beans, and tofu), ramen, name brand cereal, oatmeal, tampons and pads, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and paper grocery bags with handles. They accept all non-expired shelf stable foods. All donations make a huge difference. Donations are being collected on the wooden cart in Fellowship Hall.

All donations make a huge difference. Donations are collected on the wooden cart in Fellowship Hall. Volunteers deliver them to the food shelf on Friday mornings.
joyceuptownfoodshelf.org

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Lake of the Isles Lutheran Church provides a meal on the second Saturday of each month. Our monthly meals are provided by donation. The shelter orders & serves the meal.
Thanks to the Beryl & Don Waldeland for sponsoring the October meal.
If you would like to sponsor a meal in 2026, please contact [email protected] for details.

NOV 8	Mary Sabatke, in memory of Bruce Sabatke
DEC 13	Bruce & Jean Carlson
JAN 10	Isaac Spanjer
FEB 14	Jim & Pat Bausel

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All Saints Sunday 

November 2nd  

Remembering the Saints

 Dear Friends of Lake of the Isles Lutheran Church,

When Janna and I were living in Central and Eastern Europe, one of the most memorable celebrations was All Saints on November 1st. Whether you were Roman Catholic or Protestant, families would make the annual pilgrimage to the family cemetery to honor those who were their ‘beloved saints’. Most often these were family members, but they could also be cultural and political figures. The candles and lamps would burn well into the night. Surprisingly, the following night the lights would reappear again as families moved on to other family cemeteries. All Saints was more than a cultural ritual. It was way to reconnect with the past and to retell the stories of family and faith of an earlier generation.

Remembering the saints is one of the most important tasks we have as Christians. In Proverbs 10:7 we read, The memory of the righteous is a blessing. St. Paul writes about celebrating the faith of the saints both living and the dead, in his letter to the Ephesians 1:15-17, I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. Remembering the saints is honoring the men and women who have nurtured us in our faith. It is also a confession, that no Christian stands strong alone. We are supported by a host of “saints” who support and encourage us in own journey.

How we choose to remember the saints in our lives is a matter of culture and tradition. Several years ago, Janna and I drove around to the various cemeteries where our grandparents were buried. We carried our lamp with us from place to place where we said a prayer and sang a song. It was a meaningful day. In worship, we often light candles and ring bells to honor and remember the newly passed. This coming Sunday we would like you to come forward during the singing of the hymn of the day Shall We Gather at the River to place a flower in a vase in front of the Easter Paschal candle in memory of the fallen saint in your life.

There is still another way of remembering the saints. Traditionally at Lake of the Isles, members and friends have designated special financial gifts to the LOTI Endowment Fund on All Saints Sunday. These gifts continue to grow and serve as a reminder that the legacy of faith doesn’t end in death. The life of faith lives on through love, memory and continuing service.
Join us this Sunday, November 2nd for All Saints Sunday and consider what ways you can remember the saints in your life.

Peace, Pastor Arden Haug

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