| Help Wanted: Church Administrative Assistant - By Carolyn Schaefer |
The purpose of this role is: to fulfill the day-to-day affairs of the church, which require ongoing attention, and to perform general office work. The administrative assistant will create an environment that is inviting to people passing through on a daily basis.
The Church Administrative Assistant will…
1) have a caring attitude, excellent people skills and high integrity
2) be accessible, responsive and reliable
3) have clerical, communication and computer skills (Microsoft Office Small Business)
4) be well-organized and have good management skills
5) have effective verbal, writing editorial, proofreading, and publishing skills
6) have general understanding of the uniqueness of "church" and ability to coordinate unique schedules
7) be a self-starter and have ability to work independently without supervision
8) have good time management skills.
Because of the nature of the role, this person needs to demonstrate a high level of trust and the ability to protect the reputation and integrity of others through confidentiality. The wisdom to refrain from indiscriminately sharing information is critical. Additionally, the willingness to learn new skills, work as a team player, and overall dependability/accessibility are important.
The Administrative Assistant will be responsible to the Pastor on a day-to-day basis as well as the Personnel committee on an ongoing basis.
The following is a list of responsibilities which is not all-inclusive, but rather a sampling of the types of work and responsibilities for this position:
1) support for congregational/visitors needs
2) support for pastor, the session and its subsequent ministries, deacon and other staff
3) other Areas related to the position.
Part-time position
Hours flexible - if interested, send resume or questions to officepeaceprez@comcast.net
Salary will be based on experience - $12-$15 a hour
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| Choosing to Choose Hope in 2009 - By Rev. Stan Martin | This year we are kicking off the "New Year" with our theme of Choosing to Choose Hope. This may seem an awkward message, but it is based on an article from the Alban Institute that can be read at:
http://www.alban.org/conversation.aspx?q=printme&id=6686
If you would like to share a message of hope and want to know more about this idea, see my Pastor's Blog.
We have buttons available if you would like one, call the office at (952)545-2587 and request one.
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| VBS - By Robin Councilman | Now that there is Spring in the air, summer can't be far behind and with summer comes Vacation Bible School. This summer from Sunday, Aug. 9 through Thursday, Aug. 13 we are going out of this world as we go to Cosmic City. Our theme for the week will be "I will praise you O Lord with all my heart. I will tell of all your wonders," and we will focus on the awesomeness of God. We are tentatively planning to add a VBS group this year for our youngest kids, 3 years old and younger and their parents. Registration and volunteer information will be available in May or talk with Robin Councilman. Supplies we need include an old plastic kids swimming pool (to be used for a flying saucer), stars and planet decorations, and lots of boxes, particularly big appliance type boxes and tall skinny tubes and tall, rectangular boxes that can be used to make our intergalactic city.
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| Blessing of the Animals - By Janet Martin | Our 2nd Annual Blessing of the Animals was on Wednesday, May 20. Despite the hot windy weather we had a great turnout. We had around 65 people from our congregation and around the neighborhood. We even had some who came back to worship on Sunday. Our pets are such an important part of our lives and it is wonderful to have a day to honor and bless them.
This year our most exotic or should we say unusual blessings were of three cows that the Smith family brought -- not the actual cows, but pictures. They are from Lori’s father’s farm. And Aaron Councilman brought his pet crab, Hermonie, for the blessing. We heard touching stories of pets, like Buttons (owned by Tammy Djerf, the Taschner’s daughter) who is blind and deaf and got out of her yard just the week before. They thought all was lost until she was found under a car at a local car dealer. They felt she really should come. Dean took pictures of all who wanted one and we have them posted on the Shutterfly page that you can access by going to http://peacepresbyterianchurch.shutterfly.com/
We want to give a special thank you to Jim Moffet who coordinated the volunteer groups this year. Thanks to all who helped in all capacities -- passing out flyers, contacting businesses, setting up, cleaning up, preparing dinner, taking pictures and, last and certainly not least – Stan for preaching and blessing! See you next year for the 3rd Annual Blessing of the Animals!
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| Smile – You’re On Shutterfly! | In case you missed the announcements lately you may not be aware that Peace Church has a site on Shutterfly. If you are not familiar with this site, here’s a brief summary of what it is. It is a site where you can download your digital photos so you can share them with a group and each person can then order photos if they wish or comment on your photos. The photos can be sent directly to you or sent to Target and you can pick them up yourself.
This site does NOT replace our website. It is a site for sharing photos and stories. If you want to add photos, order photos or leave comments, you will need to register. Registering is simple, just follow the steps as you are prompted.
Ready, set, go to http://peacepresbyterianchurch.shutterfly.com/ and start sharing. Vacation time is upon us and we welcome your pictures of fun, frolic and relaxation. They will remain up as room permits. See you in the pictures!
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| Norma Grace Johnson |
September 15, 1928 – July 7, 2009
Our sympathies to the family and many friends of Norma J ohnson, who died Sunday, July 7. We said good-bye to Norma at a service for her at Peace Church on June 12, with Paster Stan officiating. We’ll miss Norma immensely – her ready smile and light heart warmed our congregation. A poem read at the service by Janet Martin captures Norma’s spirit well:
Thanks, Norma
Thanks for all the little things,
The “done-and-then-forgotten” things,
The “oh-it’s-simply-nothing” things
That made our days much brighter.
With unobtrusive, friendly things,
And “never-mind-the-trouble” things,
And “won’t-you-let-me-help-you” things,
You’ve made our hearts much lighter.
(Author unknown)
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| A Taste of America’s Favorite Pastime - By on-the-spot sports columnist Merna Knight |
On Friday evening, June 5, a group of enthusiastic members of Peace Church met at Pennsylvania Park for softball. There were no age requirements or restrictions. Appreciated by all those present was the absence of most rules. A fly ball that was caught? Never mind! The wood hit the ball, didn’t it? The batter is safe on first. A strike called? Oh, please! Even the spectators in their 80s, with not-so-perfect eyesight, could tell that was a ball.
Amongst the few criticisms was the length of the bases. Dean Meyer maintained (we won’t say “swore”) that the bags had to be pounded into the pegs indicating the correct placement. All participants probably would have voted to have the distances shortened for an amateur church group that doesn’t play softball regularly.
It was an hour of lots of fun, ending with salted-in-the-shell peanuts and miniature candy bars thoughtfully provided by Marilyn Mullen, as well as several renditions of “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.” Many thanks to all the planners and participants. Watching other baseball games where those starchy, inflexible rules prevail is going to be quite boring.
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| Laugh! - By Betts Snyder |
Remember, laughing costs you nothing, and can help lighten your mood, reduce your stress and boost your immune system. So, smile at the world and maybe the world will smile back.
Fun facts about laughter:
• Gelotologists are people who study laughter.
• If you are a misogelastic, it means you have a hatred for laughter.
• We laugh about 17 times a day.
• The brain can’t distinguish between a real laugh and a fake laugh, so it’s good to put on a happy face, even when you’re down.
• It takes 13 muscles to smile, and 47 to frown.
• You have to smile almost 250,000 times in order to make a wrinkle.
• By laughing 100 times a day, you can get the same health benefits as a 10-minute rowing workout.
• Laughing for 15 seconds adds two days to your life span.
• People think they smile 35 more than they actually do.
• Just 15 minutes of laughter a day provides the same benefit as two hours of sleep.
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| Confirmation Class 2009 - By Janet Martin | Rev. Stan and Janet taught the 2009 Confirmation Class which consisted of three boys: Jermaine McGee, Travis Nold, and James Ostrem. We had a total of eight classes that we held on Sunday after worship. This year we asked that the boys attend at least seven classes and we asked the parents to join us for half of the first and last class, which they did. We thank them for their commitment.
We studied 10 units so we doubled up on unit lessons in some classes. There was a quiz on each unit and a final quiz over all the units. In addition, they also studied and memorized the 66 books of the Bible, the Apostles Creed, the Lord�s Prayer and the Nicene Creed. As we did last year, the class wrote a �Statement of Faith� that we will use during the
May 31 service. They worked together to find common words and meaning in this process.
Help us welcome them with warm hearts and a loving spirit as they join the body of Christ. May we encourage and mentor them along their journey.
2009 Confirmation Group Statement of Faith
We believe God is all powerful and always forgiving.
We believe Jesus is fully one with God.
He is our lively, faithful friend.
We believe the Holy Spirit is strong like a lion
and guiding like the wind.
We know that all three work together to make us a whole
and a connected body of believers.
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| Mission Trip to Iowa - By Jodee Leininger | On Thursday, April 16, 15 people packed into vans and cars leaving Peace Church heading towards Iowa City, Iowa for the 2009 Mission Project. We stayed at the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Camp located at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church in Iowa City.
Our accommodations were wonderful with bunk beds, showers, and fully equipped kitchen for our cooking needs. We split into groups, with some painting a home while others went to help a businessman whose Tropical Fish Business was destroyed.
At the home, Peace volunteers prepped and painted while squeezing behind shrubbery and climbing on roofs. The owner was frustrated after a year of working hard to clean up her home after the damage of the flood when this team of eager workers approached and did their work. She was encouraged with new hope to continue the day-to-day process.
On Saturday morning we were troubled by a few raindrops but two eager volunteers (namely Rosemary and Deb) didn't let that stop them and they trimmed by half a home's back yard honeysuckle hedge. The result? A couple of drenched souls but brightened homeowners.
At the fish store the volunteers installed cabinets and shelving, painted a closet, connected the aquariums to the filtration system, hauled stone for each aquarium (about 75) and put their decorating skills to work placing artificial seaweed and decorations in each aquarium.
With the fish store ready for inventory to arrive, the workers moved onto getting another business owner's retail/gift shop moved to a new location. This owner was struggling with cancer and had a storeroom full of inventory, which included display racks, Christmas items, and boxes of financial records. The muscles of Peace Church were hard at work.
This trip to Iowa was short but we accomplished plenty with many thankful hearts. Throughout our hard work the people we helped had the necessary connections to offer us a free Chinese buffet luncheon on Saturday -- no cold sandwiches for us. We opened many eyes and offered hope to others. Once again, a successful Mission Trip.
Many thanks for all your prayers, donations and support. Special thanks to the following people who were the crew:
Chuck Leininger
Paul O'Brien
Joe O'Brien
Jodee Leininger
Deb O'Brien
Rosemary Hall
Dawn DeBuhr
Margreth Koehler
Carita Dahlberg
Tracy DeBuhr
Ava Seger
Jason Seger
Dennis Hovdenes
Bob Unze
Eileen Unze
Ellen Staib joined us on Friday while she was visiting her in-laws who live in Iowa City. What a great addition. She was just the right size to squeeze in between the aquariums to hook up the piping.
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| Congratulations to the Graduates of 2009! | Our Peace Church graduates:
- Courtney Plender, St. Louis Park High School
- Katie Twedell, Andover High School
Karen and Pete May's daughter, Julie, graduated from the University of Minnesota on May 17 with a Major in Art. She is also enrolled at the Minneapolis Community and Technical College pursuing classes in Graphic Arts.
Ardy and Bob Volk's granddaughter, Marjie Volk (daughter of Greg and Ruth), is graduating from Eagan High School on June 12. She will be attending Iowa State University in the fall with a major in Architecture and Fine Arts.
Naomi Corrine Leininger, daughter of Charles Leininger, Jr., will graduate June 6 from Harbor City High School in Two Harbors, Minnesota. Naomi is the granddaughter of Chuck & Jodee Leininger, niece of Amy Leininger, Dawn DeBuhr and Tracy DeBuhr, and cousin of Jermaine and Anthony McGee.
Betts Snyder is the proud and happy grandmother of three graduates this spring: 1) Granddaughter Larisa Gorski will graduate Summa cum laude from the University of Minnesota and plans to pursue a graduate degree in English and African language studies at the University of Wisconsin - Madison; 2) Granddaughter Annalise Larson will graduate with honors from the Shanghai American High School in Shanghai, China, and will attend Hope College in Holland, Michigan, in the fall; and 3) Foster grandson Nathan Cole will graduate from Stillwater High School and will attend Mankato State this fall.
Quilters Honor Graduates
On June 7th, Graduation Sunday, the Peace Church High School graduates will be honored with their choice of one of the beautiful quilts made by the Quilters. The rest of the quilts on display in the Sanctuary will be available for sale while they last. Suggested donation start at $50
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| Youth and Children's Ministry TaskForce. - By Robin Councilman | Summary of the Final Report from the youth and children's ministry task force. (A full report is on the bulletin board in the church office.)
The need in our church and in our community: Peace church presently has among its active member families: two infants, five toddlers, four preschoolers, six early elementary, five upper elementary, nine middle schoolers, and six high schoolers, for a total of 37 children and youth encompassing 21 families.
In St. Louis Park as a whole, 18 of the population is younger than 18 years old and 25 of households have a member under 18 years of age.
Our Mission: To educate, encourage and equip our children to develop their Christian lives through an open, accepting, and caring environment filled with love.
Suggested Programming:
Based on survey results, our distribution of children and youth, and our commitment to ALL children in Peace Church, whether they are the only one in their grade or there are many in their grade, we are compelled to have a Children and Youth Ministry that includes:
- Weekly Middle school group on Wednesday evenings.
- Monthly after church 4-5-6er events.
- Monthly parent group associated with multiage kids activities and whole family activities (this has already started on the first Friday of each month).
- Occasional full family and multiage holiday-based or fun activities.
- A variety of service projects that incorporate whole families and multigenerational activities.
- New summer multiage family activities like bike rides and possibly gardening in a plot in the new community garden, possibly planting pumpkins to then carve for Halloween come fall. Involving the children and youth in the garden would give them a link to the church during the summer months even if they are out of town on weekends.
- We will continue with Sunday school and VBS as scheduled, expanding Sunday school back to high school age and ending VBS at 7:30, as well as adding a parents/toddler/infant class to better accommodate those with young children.
Staffing Needs: Our main needs are a person to plan and coordinate (a role that Carolyn Schaefer has generously offered to take on for now) and then volunteers to work with the 4-5-6ers, Middle School group, and a High School group. If members of the congregation are willing to volunteer with the help of Carolyn to plan and coordinate, the present staffing needs may be handled strictly through volunteers; then, once the church is in a better financial situation, aim to hire first a person to take over the planning and coordinating role.
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| Kitchen Oversight | Pat Wilson has joined the Kitchen Oversight Team of Robin Councilman and Eileen Unze. These three Peace members are responsible for oversight of kitchen use and policies for Peace Church. We thank them, as well as Jan Arlington, who died in April, for their ministry on our behal
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| Want to know more?Interested in joining the Peace Presbyterian Church Family? Would you like to know more about Peace Presbyterian Church? If so, just call the church office at 952-545-2586 to talk to Rev. Stan or email him at stanetm@earthlink.net. More information can also be found at our visitor information page.
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