W��� �� P�� L� ���� C���� ���.���������.��� P.O. B�� 306, R�����, MN 55374 � 763.496.2400

Peace Notes FEBRUARY 2012

Church Assessment Results Are In!

We recently administered the Church Assessment Tool© at

Word of Peace. Thank you to everyone who par�cipated and

provided us with your honest opinions, thoughts and ideas.

Why take �me for a church assessment? Because churches, like

people, need an occasional check-up. A picture of how things

are now can be of help to church leaders in solving the puzzle of

what direc�on they should take in the future.

We partnered with a company called Holy Cow! Consul�ng to

administer the survey for us. The Church Assessment Tool© that

was used is built upon a survey pla%orm that has been used for over 25 years. The results have been

interpreted and your church staff and leadership will be ac�ng on the informa�on.

Here is a summary of the results: • 1,373 people were sent an authen�ca�on email to par�cipate in the survey

• We received 492 responses

• 85% of those who responded are clearly sa�sfied with things in the church

• The morale in our church is very high! The results suggest that our congrega�on is highly ener-

gized about the ministry of our church.

People tend to feel posi�ve about Word of Peace overall. They also feel that:

• Those who serve as leaders are representa�ve of the congrega�on.

• The worship services at Word of Peace are excep�onal in both quality and spiritual content.

• Our church provides opportuni�es for people to engage in ac�ve ministry within the church and

to the world.

• A friendly atmosphere prevails among the people of our church.

• The leaders of our church show a genuine concern about what people are thinking when deci-

sions need to be made.

Top five goals of our congrega�on:

1. Enlarge or improve the physical facili�es of the church to expand or enhance our ministries

2. Develop ministries that work toward healing those broken by life circumstances.

3. Develop the spiritual generosity of the people to financially support the ministry of the church.

4. Strengthen the process by which members are called and equipped for ministry and leadership.

5. Change or improve the music of the church to deepen our worship experience.

All of this informa�on will be explored and validated in further conversa�on. Survey data is not the

end of a conversa�on, but the beginning. Thank you again for your par�cipa�on.

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CAMP SUNDAYCAMP SUNDAYCAMP SUNDAYCAMP SUNDAY Sunday, January 29thSunday, January 29thSunday, January 29thSunday, January 29th

Wouldn’t it be great if you didn’t have

to worry about lunch on Super Bowl

Sunday? Stop by the kitchen following

all three services on Sunday, February 5th

and order up some Super Bowl Sub Sand-

wiches for the whole family!

This is a High School Youth fundraiser for

those going to the Na�onal Youth Gather-

ing in July. Need some �me to think? Pick

up a pre-order form on Sunday,

January 29th

.

Super Bowl

Subs

Sharing & Caring Hands Lunch

Tuesday, February 7th

Volunteers and Dona�ons Needed

We need 22 batches of goulash—please

bring food to church by the evening of

Monday, February 6th.

We need 5 volunteers to serve the meal and

clean up a�erwards. Our carpool will leave

Word of Peace at 10am and return approxi-

mately 2:30pm.

We need monetary dona�ons to purchase

side dishes

Please sign up in the Gathering Area at

church. For more informa�on, contact Alli-

son at 612-761-5750.

THANK YOU hanks to everyone for your prayers, phone

calls, visits, and cards for Marshall during

his illness. He has not fully recovered, but

because of your love and prayers and with

God’s help, he is doing much beDer.

— The Parsons Family

Benefit Concert for C.R.O.S.S.

Bluegrass Band

Monroe Crossing

Friday, February 10th—7:00 pm

at Word of Peace

Tickets: $15.00 each (Children under 12 are free)

Proceeds benefit C.R.O.S.S. Food Shelf. For more informa�on

or �ckets, contact Elroy Mueller at 763-428-2446 or contact

the church office.

Each year hundreds of youth from Word of Peace descend on

Camp Wapo, Ox Lake, Luther Dell and Wilderness Canoe Base

for an experience of a life�me. At Word of Peace we believe

that everyone should have the chance to go to camp. This sum-

mer we will dig deep into the life and parables of Jesus, learning

about His grace, forgiveness and healing meant for everyone.

Come and pick up informa�on for summer camp and sign up

soon. Deadline is March 5th

.

Summer Camp Dates:Summer Camp Dates:Summer Camp Dates:Summer Camp Dates:

Youth Camp at WAPO

(Completed grades 4-6) June 10-15

SEEDs Camp at WAPO

(Completed grades 2-3) June 15-17

Journey of the Cross at Ox Lake

(Completed grades 7-11) June 10-15

Youth Camp at Luther Dell

(Completed grades 7-9) August 5-10

RooTs Camp at Luther Dell

(Completed grades 10-12) August 5-10

Wilderness Canoe Base

(Completed 9-12) End of July

3

Music & Worship

Word of Peace Seniors

Please contact Judy Hanson at 763-428-7657 for resource, community or

general informa�on for seniors.

If you’d like to subscribe to the Senior NewsleDer, call 763-241-3520. Or, you

can read the newsleDer online by going to www.seniors.cityofrogers.org.

Date Time Activity Cost/Details Contact

Thurs. 10:00am Thursday Senior Shop Rogers Bus $1.00 per rider Judy 763-428-7657

2/5 1-6pm Jammers Pot Luck & Music Rogers Community Center

(eat at 4pm)

Dave 763-428-4217

Tues. 2:30-3:30pm Fit & Fun Exercise for Seniors North Ballet Academy

Hwy. 101 & CR 141

Barb at 763-429-4955

2/14 9:30am Kids-Care Bus: Ridgedale Shopping Center $1.00 per rider Judy 763-428-7657

2/15 1:30-3pm Memory Loss Support Group at Wellstead For family members caring

for loved ones

Heidi at 763-428-8181

2/17 9-10:30am Breakfast at Denny’s in Rogers Menu items for $6.99 Margaret 763-428-8650

2/28 3-5 pm Happy Hour at Dehns in Dayton Early dinner $3.95, drinks

not included

Margaret 763-428-8650

2/20 12:30-2pm Cards at Rogers Community Center Includes coffee Margaret 763-428-8650

A;en�on All Flute Players! (or parents of flute players)

Dawn Saxton is forming a flute choir to perform at the Rogers Review talent show

at Word of Peace on Friday, April 20. This annual event supports the Rogers/

Hassan Seniors group and is comprised of a variety of talent from our communi-

ty. If you (or your child) are interested in par�cipa�ng, here are the details:

Performance: Friday, April 20 (evening) at Word of Peace

Repertoire: Music of the Night from Phantom of the Opera

Rehearsals: from 4:30-5:30 on Jan 29, Feb 19, March 18, April 15 and

from 5:30-6:30 on April 10. (5 hours total)

What Else: In addi�on to rehearsing the piece, we’ll talk about some flute-

specific topics like breathing, tone, tuning and technique that should be a lot of

fun! If all goes well, maybe we’ll play for worship at some point.

Contact Dawn at dsaxton@woplc.org or 763-496 2413

4

It’s Easy.

• You determine the frequency and amount of your automa�c dona�on.

• Cancel or change your preferences at any �me.

• Use Direct Giving for recurring offerings or one-�me payments of dona�ons/fees

It’s Safe.

• Funds are transferred using a secure website to process the transac�ons.

• Strong, reputable companies process the transac�ons.

It Helps.

Word of Peace benefits from steady, more predictable revenues throughout the

year, more efficient bookkeeping, and greater confidence in mee�ng its financial

commitments.

3 WAYS TO GIVE:

Checking

Savings

Credit/Debit Card

Over the past year, members of the Stewardship Team

have shared personal stories with the congrega�on about

the importance of suppor�ng our church and what stew-

ardship means to them. This year we would like to have

members of our congrega�on share stories of what impact

Word of Peace has had on them and their faith journey.

We want to show that giving to the church does more than

simply heat the building and keep the lights on. Having this

place of worship truly changes lives. If you have a story

that you would be willing to share with the congrega�on,

please contact Pastor Rick, pastorrick@woplc.org, or any

member of the Stewardship team. Let's use our own tes�-

mony to encourage and inspire each other as we strive to

do God's work here on earth.

As we look to the month of February, please know that your giving to the General Fund not only supports the

ongoing ministries of Word of Peace, but also helps support these additional events:

• Space for community groups to use such as Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, Alcoholics Anonymous, Rogers Quilt

Sew-Ciety, Mothers of Preschoolers and Otsego Moms Club

• Hosting the C.R.O.S.S. (area food shelf) Bluegrass Concert on February 10th

• The All Night Ski Event for middle school and senior high school youth on February 10th

• The Wild Game Dinner to be served at the Union Gospel Mission and Sharing and Caring Hands

• Pastors and Voting Members attending the Minneapolis Area Synod Assembly, Feb. 17-18th

• Ash Wednesday and Lenten Worship Services

Get Started Today! Go to

www.wordofpeace.org or

stop by the Informa�on Desk

For more Informa�on,

Contact Holly Finstad at

hfinstad@woplc.org or

763-496-0407

"Therefore encourage one another and build each other up" - 1 Thessalonians 5:11

5

Faith Forma�on Ministry

Parents Night Out—Saturday, February 11th, 6-10pm

Parents, would you like to celebrate Valen�ne’s Day without

worrying about what do with the kids? Sign them up for Parents

Night Out on the Youth Ministry board.

MSM.AM—Sunday, February 12th, 9:30-10:30am

Each month, 6th-8th graders are invited to MSM.AM (Middle

School Ministry AM), where we meet for food, devo�ons and

games. Join us!

Welch Village All-Night Ski—February 10th & 11th

We’ll meet at Word of Peace at 8:30pm on Friday and return

Saturday morning between 5 and 6am. Cost is $50 for a liV �cket

and ski rental; $35 for just the liV �cket. Sign up on the Youth

Ministry board. Everyone going must fill out a Health/

Registra�on form and have it signed by a parent or guardian.

January 29th is Camp Sunday! Come browse the informa�on

tables, pick up camp brochures and sign up for summer pro-

grams. This is a great opportunity to get your ques�ons an-

swered.

SUNDAY MORNING STUDIES If you are looking for a chance to join a Bible Study but are

struggling to find the �me, aDend one of our thriving Bible

studies on Sunday mornings!

Offered at both 9:30 & 11:00 am, these studies are led by

Word of Peace Pastors and will peak your curiosity. No regis-

tra�on is required—just drop in to Room #120. (By the bath-

rooms on the South side of the building.)

Being the Body of Christ: Studies in 1 Corinthians

January 29—February 19 In I Corinthians, Paul writes poe�cally and passionately about

what it means for the church to live as Christ’s body in the

world. This Bible study looks at selected texts from Paul’s

leDer, examines ques�ons that we may have, and explores

how the body of Christ is part of everyday life.

Making Sense of the Cross

February 26—April 1 The cross is everywhere. We see it on top of buildings, on

walls, on Bibles. We sing and hear about it in hymns and songs.

We even wear them. The cross is a powerful symbol at the

center of our faith. Just in �me for Lent, this study will give you

the opportunity to be part of an open and candid conversa�on

and discussion about the cross, it’s significance and symbolism.

Kids of Peace Preschool Registra�on Now Open

Word of Peace offers an excellent preschool

program for children ages 3-5. We strive to

provide a welcoming, safe, loving environ-

ment where we accept each child as a

unique individual, created by God. Our

wide variety of curriculum

resources, quality staff

and small class sizes

(10:1) encourage

excellence in learning.

Registra�on forms are

available by the

Preschool office and

online at www.wordofpeace.org.

Limited space is available. Pre-registra�on for congrega�on

members and currently enrolled families opened January 23rd.

Open registra�on for the community-at-large began January

30th.

CHURCH SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENTS

February 19, 20 & 22 NO CHURCH SCHOOL/CONFIRMATION

February KTP Events Families with 4 & 5 yr.-olds, keep your

eyes open for your child’s special

Keeping the Promise events!

Youth Ministry

Interested in having an impact? We are looking for individuals interested in shaping the future of Word of Peace’s

Educa�onal Ministry (infants, children, teens & adults!) Call Kris�n to learn more! 763.496.2404 or kskare@woplc.org

6

Pastor Ron Prasek

Senior Pastor

Dear Friends,

As I looked back on 2011 and thought about our congrega�on, I was remind-

ed of the following quota�on. “Pay as liDle aDen�on to discouragement as

possible. Plow ahead like a steamship, which moves forward whether facing

rough or smooth seas, and in rain and shine. Remember the goal is simply to

carry the cargo and to make it to port.” — Malthie D. Babcock

In 2011 we faced a major financial shor%all, but many of you stepped up

with financial support. We were able to finish our year with all our bills paid

and over $5,000 in the checking account for 2012. Our building fund actually

went over our needed budgeted amount. I have been humbled and amazed

by the generosity of so many of the members and friends of our congrega-

�on. Together, “we plowed ahead” and made it happen. Thank you!

We also had an amazing Christmas. We had almost 3,000 people worship at

Word of Peace for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Just 5 years ago that

number was 2,000. Our aDendance has grown drama�cally on Fes�val Sun-

days as well as on Sundays and Mondays throughout the year. Our average

aDendance of weekend worship in 2011 was 885 people. This is up from 686

just 5 years ago.

Our ministries of educa�on, youth, and care for those in need have grown

exponen�ally as well. We also con�nue to strengthen our work in the area

of local and global mission. In addi�on, we are looking forward to se[ng a

future date for building our new sanctuary. We are simply running out of

room.

The people of our congrega�on have generously given of their �me, talent,

and money and we have con�nued to “plow ahead, whether facing rough or

smooth seas, and in rain and shine”—and it has been wonderful.

Our mission con�nues to be to bring the love of Christ to a community and

world that is so in need of the Gospel. In all we do, we will con�nue to make

sure that we as clearly and as effec�vely as possible “carry the cargo” of the

Good News of Jesus so that in Him all can “make it to port.”

By God’s Grace,

21705 129th Ave. N., P.O. Box 306

Rogers, MN 55374

Church Office: 763-496-2400 (press 3 to leave an emergency

message for the pastor)

On the Web:

www.wordofpeace.org

www.facebook.com/wordofpeace

Office Hours:

Mon-Thurs 8am-4:30pm;

Fri 8am-12:30pm

NEWSLETTER SUBMISSIONS

Contact Jennie Priebe in the

church office at 496-2401

or jpriebe@woplc.org.

March newsle:er deadline:

February 17 at Noon

Peace Notes is mailed to over 1,500

households each month. Help us

save costs (and trees) by signing up

to receive it as an e-mail.

Contact Jennie in the church office at

496-2401 or jpriebe@woplc.org, or

go to www.wordofpeace.org.

7

Sermons & Texts

February 5 & 6 Pastor Ron Prasek

“How Much is your Church Worth?” We need to feel confident about the mission

and ministry of our congrega�on. Our church

provides real value to the community around

us.

Scripture Readings: 1 Corinthians 9:16-23,

Mark 1:29-39, Psalm 147:1-11, 20c, Isaiah

40:21-31

February 12 & 13 Pastor Rick Skare

“Let the Healing Begin” Some�mes we think that healing needs to oc-

cur in some quick, miraculous way. But more

oVen, the power of God works through acts

that are mundane, humbling and repe��ve.

Scripture Readings: 2 Kings 5:1-14, Mark 1:40-

45, 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, Psalm 30

February 19 & 20 Pastor Krista Strum

“Don’t Wait for the Brick” Are we moving so fast and making too much

noise to perceive the gentle voice of God?

What does it take for us to slow down and pay

aDen�on?

Scripture Readings: Mark 2:1-12, 2 Corinthians

1:18-22, Psalm 41, Isaiah 43:18-25

February 22 ASH WEDNESDAY

Pastor Ron Prasek

“Really?!!”

On Ash Wednesday, as we face our imperfec�ons

and sinfulness, we can almost hear God say, “Are

you kidding me?” “Really?!!” But when we hear

God’s great word of forgiveness, we say,

“Really?” and God says, “Really.”

Scripture Readings: Joel 2:1-2, 12-17, Psalm 51:1-

17, Ma:hew 6:1-6, 16-21

February 26 & 27 FIRST SUNDAY IN LENT

Pastor Ron Prasek

“Recalcula�ng, Recalcula�ng”

When you take a wrong turn in your car, your

GPS will tell you you’re going the wrong way.

When you take the wrong turn in life, you need

someone to tell you — maybe even Jesus.

Scripture Readings: Mark 1:9-15, Psalm 25:1-10,

Genesis 9:8-17, 1 Peter 3:18-22

FEBRUARY

Non-Profit Org.

US Postage

PAID

ROGERS, MN

PERMIT NO. 9

C h a n g e S e r v i c e

R e q u e s t e d

P.O. B�� 306

R�#$%&, MN 55374

Sundays

8:00 a.m. Traditional

9:30 a.m. Blended

11:00 a.m. Contemporary

Mondays

6:30 p.m. Contemporary

ASH WEDNESDAYASH WEDNESDAYASH WEDNESDAYASH WEDNESDAY February 22February 22February 22February 22 Worship Services Worship Services Worship Services Worship Services at 5:30 & 7:00 p.m.at 5:30 & 7:00 p.m.at 5:30 & 7:00 p.m.at 5:30 & 7:00 p.m.

LENT BEGINSLENT BEGINSLENT BEGINSLENT BEGINS February 29February 29February 29February 29 Worship ServicesWorship ServicesWorship ServicesWorship Services at 5:30 & 7:00 p.m.at 5:30 & 7:00 p.m.at 5:30 & 7:00 p.m.at 5:30 & 7:00 p.m.