valley free newsletter - november 2011
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News & Events from Valley Evangelical Free ChurchTRANSCRIPT
N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 1
Happy
Thanksgiving!
Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples! Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works! i Chronicles 16:8–12
How many countries or cultures have a day
set aside specifically for the offering of
thanksgiving? Each culture has its own
dedicated days for the purpose of
remembering significant events. But simply
for giving thanks? I’m not sure, but I’m willing
to guess not many. Our American heritage
affords us the privilege of a holiday just for
this purpose.
Like so many aspects of our culture, this
intentional thanksgiving is often cast off from
its original moorings. The early settlers
brought us the concept of giving thanks to
the Lord God for life, provision and divine
presence. Today, we still hear the call to give
thanks, but our politically correct culture has
stripped the practice of its fullness. We have
removed the Living God from being ascribed
the honor and praise of being the source and
giver of life. When He is erased from our
offerings of thanksgiving, we are left with a
vague sense of gratitude with no person or
place to ascribe our thanks to.
As followers of Christ, we need not look for a
place to ascribe our gratitude.
Under the leadership of King David, the
people of Israel did not suffer from politically
correct ambiguity when it came to giving
thanks for all that caused their hearts to
rejoice. Yahweh, the Living God, was for them
the source and giver of life.
I Chronicles 16 is a psalm of thanksgiving. As
we consider it a model of how to praise the
Ascribe to
the Lord, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength! Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering and come before him! Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness; tremble before him, all the earth; yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved. Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice, and let them say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!”” 1 Chronicles 16:28–31
Lord, what can we glean from it as we choose
to give thanks in the upcoming season?
Draw attention to who God is. What qualities
of God have you seen or have impressed you?
When you give thanks for a specific blessing,
you might also share what characteristic of God
that blessing highlights.
Let our blessings draw us into worship. In its
simplest form, worship is our response to the
presence and activity of God. As we scan the
panorama of God’s work and blessing in our
lives, let us fall to our knees in worship. As you
share your blessings and thanksgivings, be sure
to ascribe to God the recognition He deserves
for His great salvation and working of grace in
our lives.
Seek to make His name great. As His people,
we are called to be witnesses (give praise to
God) to the world around us. Notice the scope
of David’s thoughts…he calls for making the
name of the Lord great among all the nations.
From our neighbor to the farthest reaches of
our world, we are called to be intentional with
proclaiming our thanks to the world around us.
How appropriate it is that in this month of
Thanksgiving, we are commissioning Katie
Dudgeon as a missionary to Spain. Now that’s a
statement of intentional thanksgiving to God!
May we be a people of intentional and directed
thanksgiving this month! Make His name great
in your family, your neighborhood and in the
world!
P A G E 2
maturity. Like any other aspect of our lives, giving needs to be
turned over to the Lordship of Christ. “He who supplies seed to
the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed
for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness.” (2
Corinthians 9:10)
Giving is a commitment to God’s Kingdom purposes. “You will
be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which
through us will produce thanksgiving to God. For the ministry of
this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is
also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God.” (2 Corinthians
9:11–12) As you give to the Lord, your giving is multiplied as
thanksgiving and blessing in the lives of others. Here at Valley
Free, our giving is not only for the blessing of our own
congregation, but also for our community and out into the world
through our missionary family.
Giving is a result of a joyful, steadfast heart. “The point is this:
whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever
sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as
he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion,
for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:6–7) The Apostle
Paul tells us that our giving is not an ‘exaction’ from God but an
opportunity to let our joy and faith shine out of a heart
dedicated to the Lord.
Let each of these principles sink into your heart and into your
financial decisions as you grow in your faith and commitment to
the Lord!
Contact Ron Schmit at [email protected] to volunteer. You
will be put in teams to clear sidewalks and steps one week every
4-6 weeks. Your service to our church family will be appreciated!
Taking a Fresh Look at
I f there is one area of confusion and a variety of opinions,
it is the area of giving to the local church. How do you
approach the topic? Do you just throw whatever cash you
have in your pocket into the plate as it comes by? Do you
intentionally and prayerfully plan your giving? Are you
somewhere in-between those two options? Consider these
thoughts from God’s Word as you evaluate your giving to
the ministry.
Giving is a commitment to the Lord. “…they gave
themselves first to the Lord…” (2 Corinthians 8:5a) Our giving
is part of our testimony that Jesus Christ is our Lord. Out of
gratitude and obedience, we dedicate our financial
resources to His leading. When we receive our income, we
first ask the Lord for His leading on how to steward them for
His glory.
Giving is a commitment to others. “…they gave themselves
first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us.” (2
Corinthians 8:5). Our giving is a commitment to the Body of
Believers. We are all called to worship the Lord and follow
Him in the context of a local fellowship. Our giving is a
commitment to that Body of Believers following the call of
God.
Giving is a commitment to spiritual growth. “But as you
excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all
earnestness, and in our love for you—see that you excel in
this act of grace also.” (2 Corinthians 8:7) Our obedience in
this area of giving is a matter of discipleship and spiritual
P A G E 3
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
Psalm 119:105
A s I shared my confusion, frustration, and doubt about
church planting with a pastor friend of mine he replied,
"God's Word is a lamp unto our feet. Lamps only provide
enough light for you to see a few steps into the future." How
true is that!? God calls us to trust Him, day by day and step by
step, often times not seeing the whole picture.
I've realized that I'm not very good at this. I'm all about
anticipating, predicting, and controlling my future. In my doubt,
I'm convinced God's Word should be a spotlight, showing me all
the turns, dangers, and joys the future will hold. I continually
operate on the assumption that once I can see my future, then I
can make a move, eliminating all risk, and setting myself up for
sure success.
How foolish. God never calls us to that type of reasoning. There
is NO faith in that. God doesn't promise us a spotlight equaling
future safety, comfort, and security. He doesn't even promise
to lead us in ways that seem wise compared to the standards of
the world. But, He does promise to take care of us as we walk
step by step, in faith, obeying Him, following His call,
committed to His purposes. (Romans 8:28)
A few weeks ago Brittany and I said no to a potential renter of
our home, as by our standards it seemed foolish. A day later, by
God's standards, we said yes to the renter, as God opened the
floodgates in His infinite wisdom, providing far beyond all we
could ever think or imagine (Ephesians 3:20). Yes, God moved
like He always does. In response, it looks like we're moving
towards St. Cloud by the end of October (no, we’re not done at
Valley, we’ll just be commuting for a while)! So many details
still do not make sense to us, but what we do know is that God
is faithfully leading this process. We do not need a spotlight,
His lamp is enough. He's already there, in the future, waiting
for us to arrive! Not only is He there waiting, but He is here,
leading! What a great God we serve.
May God lead us, step by step, only revealing His plan to us at
the most appropriate time! And may we learn to walk in His
ways, keeping in step with the Spirit (Galatians 5:25), knowing
that from Him, not us, comes everything we need for life
(home, food, clothes, friends, yes...EVERYTHING!) and godliness
(2 Peter 1:3). Keep praying as the ground work for a new
kingdom work is being laid in St. Cloud!
Pressing onward, for the Kingdom!
A fter 11 years under the roof of Valley Free, God has
provided Ebenezer Church with their own facility. They
have been transitioning to their new space over the past few
months, but are now officially located on the east side of
downtown Chaska. We are rejoicing in God’s provision for
them in a permanent home.
Within the same timeframe, Valley was contacted by a
representative of the Restoration Church, otherwise known as
Iglesia Restauracion Fuente de Vida. Restoration
Church is a Spanish speaking congregation made up of
immigrants from Central America. They had been meeting at a
building on the Southwest High School campus, but were in
need of a new home after the building was sold. They are
currently meeting at Valley on Sunday afternoons and
Thursday evenings. If you get a chance, please welcome them
to Valley, as we look forward to a mutually encouraging
relationship.
P A G E 4
Pray...Read your Bible...Jesus
What do all of these have in common? They are typically
thought of as “Sunday School answers,” meaning they are
often overlooked as necessary answers, and rather thought of
as cop-out answers. Need proof? Just this past Sunday night at
CruX we had this very discussion:
Person A: “How do we actually live for Jesus every day?” Person B: “Pray and read your Bible.” Person A: “That’s a Sunday School answer and doesn’t really help.” Person C: “Yeah, we need practical ideas.” Person D: “We say that’s a Sunday School answer as though it doesn’t work, but how many of us actually read the Bible and pray each day? I guarantee you that if we did; we would find it much easier to actually live for Jesus every day. This is the ultimate practical idea!”
…and a quiet feeling fell upon the room as we all realized how
true this was. Many of us dismiss the Sunday School answer as
not working, without actually dedicating ourselves to trying it!
In a culture that barrages us with new information, we quickly
bypass old information as not relevant before we ever try
applying it. Last week we discovered this is true for a majority
of our students in the area of a devotional life.
We are flailing, desperately wanting to live more and more for
Jesus, but not taking the necessary steps of studying the
scriptures for ourselves, or even knowing where to begin. The
practical help we are looking for is more accessible to us than
ever, yet it sits untapped and unutilized for so many.
Our current project in CruX – help students to understand that
the Word of God is living and active (Hebrews 4:12), useful for
training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16), and able to revive
our very soul (Psalm 19:7)!!! As a result, when we actually read
and meditate on the Bible, we gain life, hope, courage, and the
ability to live for Jesus Christ, every day!
Pray that God would reveal His word to our group powerfully
as we study the book of Ephesians on Sunday nights. Even
more importantly, pray that God would reveal His Word to the
students each day, drawing them to the scriptures for
themselves; because in His Word lies the practical help our
students so desperately need.
Warring, with Christ, in the power of the Spirit, for the souls of
our students - the Youth Leadership Team: Andrew Peterson,
Abby Johnson, Nic Boortz, Mike Schenck, Pete Tornquist, Ellis
Noone, Jared Carpinter, Nicci Stultz, Marissa Byrd, Kendra
Maggard…and a handful of parents!
We need your used postage stamps, Campbell product labels, regular yarn,
flannel for baby blankets, quilt batting - not craft fill, teaspoons and soup
spoons (metal NOT plastic). Please leave any supplies you donate in the basket
labeled "White Cross" at the Donation Center near the office. Thank you!
Knitters...would you like to help us by knitting stocking caps at home? We'll
supply the yarn! Contact Shirley Sindelar at [email protected].
Cont’d on p.6
P A G E 5
K atie Dudgeon will be commissioned by Valley, on Sunday,
November 6, as a missionary to Madrid, Spain. But did you
know she grew up here at Valley? We asked Katie to take a trip
down memory lane and share some of her memories with us.
What years did you attend Valley? I started coming to Valley
when I was in third grade and we met in
the gym at the old High School. I
attended Valley throughout middle
school and high school, in summers
while I was in college, and after college
before I went to Mexico on an internship
with ReachGlobal.
Your dad, Doug Dudgeon, was the pastor of Valley for nine
years. Any fun memories of being a pastor’s kid?
I always enjoyed how friendly everyone was to me. People
would ask about what I was up to and were genuinely
interested in my life. I don’t think many kids have that privilege
of being known, cared for, and loved by so many adults. I also
have some fun memories of eavesdropping on church
meetings—I liked to feel like I was “in the know” even if I had
no clue what they were talking about!
I will never forget getting the giggles in church when my dad
was preaching—whether it was watching a spider climb on the
wall behind him or erupting in laughter because someone
choked on a lozenge while praying.
Being a PK, all the other kids thought I knew the Bible through
osmosis…but I have never been good at Bible Trivia! I always
lost memory contests and Bible trivia games—much to my
peers dismay.
Did you have any memorable Youth Group trips or activities?
It’s pretty hard to forget a freshman 6am Bible study of
Matthew with Stacey Ploeger—and non-Christian friends
actually came to it! I will
never forget doing the
three-legged race in Awana
with gross boys,
memorizing verses with
Char Streed, or tug-of-war
at the AWANA Olympics. I
also can’t forget summers
at Camp Shamineau,
Dawson McAllister
conferences, driving to
Reynosa, Mexico for mission trips, or sharing Christ through
translators in Pitesti, Romania.
Who did you hang out with? Are any of them still at Valley?
I grew up hanging out with Kristin Berquist Tabor and Jessica
Lundgren Trebil—they were the only girls in the church my
age!
How did you serve during your time at Valley? I helped with
the nursery while in elementary school and middle school, and
taught second grade Sunday School when I was in High
School. Those second graders were the CUTEST kids ever—
now they are the cutest college graduates!
What led up to you entering the missions field? My trips to
Mexico and Romania in high school led me to spend a
semester in Central America and pursue a degree in
International Relations. After graduating from college, I
P A G E 6
Are you a subscriber to Trinity Magazine? Well, check out the most recent front cover article, A Youth Revolution, featuring Trinity student, Andy McGowan, son of Valley’s own, David McGowan.
wanted to do ministry in Latin America because of the need
that I saw for solid evangelical
churches.I discovered a missions
internship program through
ReachGlobal and it seemed like
the best opportunity to get
experience in church-based
ministry while becoming fluent in
Spanish. At the time I thought that
church planting was something for “old” men in their 40’s—but
quickly learned that I was energized by doing ministry in an
entrepreneurial environment like church planting and knew
that I would like to be involved in helping establish new
churches in the future.
After that year I was asked to oversee the missions internship
program with ReachGlobal in Minneapolis (every missionary’s
dream—Minneapolis!) and spent four years recruiting and
helping prepare young adults for cross-cultural ministry. As I
was helping new staff get the training they needed to be
successful in ministry, I realized that I wanted more theological
training myself.
Through the encouragement of others and Valley Free, I moved
to Southern California in January of 2006. I completed a Master
of Divinity in May of 2010 and worked on staff at a large Free
Church in the area until June of this year. While in school my
interests in evangelism, church planting and cross-cultural
ministry continued to grow and I began exploring opportunities
to serve again with ReachGlobal overseas. I visited various
cities in Latin America, but Madrid, Spain seemed to be the
best fit for my interests in evangelism, leadership training, and
compassions ministries that lead to new churches.
When do you leave for Madrid? I will be leaving on November
15th. Please pray for a sense of God’s presence as I transition to
a new city, new team, and new ministry. Also pray for good
beginnings as I meet people and begin relationships that will
continue for years to come.
I t was heartwarming to see individuals who may not have
had a family to eat Thanksgiving Dinner with, as well as
parents with children, come and enjoy a festive and hearty
turkey dinner at the Community Thanksgiving Dinner last year.
On Thursday, November 24, from 11:30-1:00 Love INC will
sponsor a Community Thanksgiving Dinner that will be hosted
again by St. Johns Lutheran Church in Chaska. This provides a
wonderful opportunity for individuals or families to come and
serve together, as we celebrate the many blessings God has
given us this past year. Volunteers are welcome. You can help
Wednesday, Nov. 23 with preparation or Thursday, Nov. 24
with the Dinner itself. Also, we will be packing and
delivering Thanksgiving meal groceries to families on Saturday,
Nov. 19 from 10 am - noon. For more details and to volunteer,
go to stjohnschaska.org and click on Thanksgiving Day Dinner
Volunteers Needed under Announcements.
Healthy Living: Aging. . . Linda Kozicky, R.N., Parish Nurse
know it, you REACH 50. and your dreams are gone. But wait!!!
You MAKE it to 60. You didn’t think you would!
So, you BECOME 21, TURN 30, REACH 50, and MAKE IT to 60.
You’ve built up so much speed that you HIT 70. After that it’s a
day to day thing. You HIT Wednesday! You get to your 80’s and
every day is a complete cycle; you HIT lunch, you TURN at 4:30
pm you REACH bedtime. And it doesn’t end there.
Into the 90’s, you start going backwards. “I WAS JUST 92”. Then
a strange thing happens. If you make it over 100, you become a
little kid again. “I’m 100 and a half!” May you all make it to a
healthy 100 and a half!
I have adopted this next one as my new philosophy for life.
LIFE should not be a journey to the grave
with the intention of arriving in heaven safely,
in an attractive and well preserved body,
But rather, to skid in side-ways
chocolate in one hand and Starbucks in the other,
body thoroughly used up,
totally worn out and screaming
“WHOO HOO-WHAT A RIDE.
C.S. Lewis said “ You are never too old to set new goals or to
dream new dreams.”
Let us keep our eyes on Jesus this coming year and keep smiling
no matter if your 2 or 92!
It is getting to be that time of year when our level of stress
increases. Especially with the ever unsettling economy and
world unrest I thought maybe some light humor might be
helpful. Let me share just a few that I found funny but
insightful.
This first one I received some years ago titled George Carlin’s
Views On Aging…
Do you realize that the only time in our lives when we like to
get old is when we’re kids? If you’re less then 10 years old,
you’re so excited about aging that you think in fractions. “How
old are you?” “I’m four and a half!” You’re never thirty-six and
a half. You’re four and a half going on five. That’s the key.
You get into your teens, now they can’t hold you back. You
jump to the next number, or even a few ahead. “How old are
you?” “I’m gonna be 16!” You could be 13, but hey, you’re
gonna be 16!
And then the greatest day of your life…you become 21. Even
the words sound like a ceremony. YOU BECOME 21! YESSSS!!!
But then you turn 30. Ooooohh, what happened there? Makes
you sound like bad milk. He TURNED, we had to throw him out.
There’s no fun now, you’re Just a sour-dumpling. What’s
wrong? What’s changed?
You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, then you’re PUSHING 40.
Whoa! Put on the brakes, it’s all slipping away. Before you
New Members Class Saturday, Jan. 7, 2012 9am-1pm
Contact Pastor M
ike at
o sign-up
P A G E 7
P A G E 8
S aturday, October 22 arrived with the hustle, bustle, and
noise of construction equipment at Valley. Volunteers
gave up, what could possibly be, their last weekend of
warm weather to make some much needed improvements.
Concrete Pad & Drain Installation
Before this project took place, the dumpster sat at an angle
that required the garbage truck to make a 90-degree turn in
order to lift the dumpster. This has been a continual source
of damage to the asphalt. By pouring a pad that sits at a 45-
degree angle, this issue has been solved.
The drain tile installation will provide better drainage under
the road thus allowing water to flow from the north side to
the south, to empty into the drainage ditch along the back
of the property. As a result, we have a permanent fix to the
annual wash out of this area, better drainage, and less water
damage to the road.
In addition, a concrete pad and sidewalk was poured at the
north entrance to the Youth Room to cut down erosion and
provide a safer surface for exiting in the event of an
emergency.
Our sincere thanks goes to Greg Swanson, Mike Oran, Peter
Larson, Bill Weber and Kjell Plath for their sacrifice of time
and resources, as well as, to Cathy Swanson and Lesley Oran
for their provision of lunch and donuts!
Basement Furnace
For several years, the basement HVAC system has needed
repair. Construction began on this project the week of
October 23.
Rather that using the existing duct work under the floor, the
new ducts will be enclosed in the suspended ceiling through
the Youth Room and the Activity Center.
The Activity Center, however, will require a second unit ,
making it necessary to run duct work along the east wall. In
order to house this second unit, a small, existing room on the
east wall which was originally built to house a divider system for
the basement, will be used. Since the addition of the permanent
wall that separates the Activity Center from the Youth Room, the
installation of a divider system is no longer needed.
Heat to the lower level will be supplied by the furnace in the
Activity Center prior to the replacement of the transite unit in
the Youth Room. The vent pipe for the transite unit will continue
to serve as a drain field, into the sump pump, however, the floor
registers will be sealed.
Look for future updates in the bulletin, weekly email, and
upcoming Valley Views. Please feel free to contact Ron Schmit at
[email protected] or 952-378-0109 if you have questions.
T 1 6:45 pm Women’s Bible Study
TH 3 7:00 pm Worship Team Rehearsal
SU 6
8:45 am 10:00 am
2:00 pm 6:00 pm
DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME ENDS! REMEMBER TO “FALL BACK” 1 HOUR! Sunday School/SMS Worship—Katie Dudgeon’s Commissioning Baby Shower for Brittany Peterson CruX
M 7 7:00 pm Men’s Bible Study
T 8 6:30 pm 7:00 pm
Missions Outreach Team Meeting Elder Board Meeting
TH 10 7:00 pm 7:00 pm
Worship Team Rehearsal Web Team Meeting
F 11 9:30 am Mornings 4 Moms
SA 12 7:30 am Men’s Monthly Breakfast
SU 13 8:45 am
10:00 am 6:00 pm
Sunday School/SMS Worship CruX
M 14 11am-1pm
12:30 pm 7:00 pm
OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD DROP OFF WEEK!
White Cross Men’s Bible Study
T 15 11am-1pm
6:45 PM
OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD DROP OFF WEEK!
Women’s Bible Study
W 16 5-7pm OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD DROP OFF WEEK!
TH 17 4-6pm
7:00 pm
OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD DROP OFF WEEK!
Worship Team Rehearsal
F 18 11am-1pm
7-10 pm
OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD DROP OFF WEEK!
CruX Night Games & Bonfire
SA 19 11am-1pm OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD DROP OFF WEEK!
SU 20
9:30-11:30am 8:45 am
10:00 am 6:00 pm
OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD DROP OFF WEEK!
Sunday School/SMS Worship CruX Thanksgiving
M 21 7:00 pm Men’s Bible Study
TH 24 HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
SU 27
10:00 am
NO SUNDAY SCHOOL OR SMS Worship NO CRUX
M 28 12:30 pm
7:00 pm White Cross Men’s Bible Study
T 29 6:45 pm Women’s Bible Study
See bulletins for weekly updates/changes to this calendar
P A G E 9
Operation Christmas Child brings joy and hope to children in
desperate situations worldwide through simple, gift-filled
shoe boxes and evangelical materials that tell the Good
News of God’s love. Here are some ways you can make a
difference:
PACK A SHOEBOX
Fill a shoebox with small toys, hygiene items, school
supplies, etc…(please no liquids, chocolate or war toys)
Go to www.samaritanspurse.org/occ for more details
(“Follow your box” instructions can be found there too!)
Deadline to bring in your boxes is November 20.
VOLUNTEER AT THE RELAY CENTER
Valley Free is a shoe-box drop off location for area
churches and community groups during the week of
Nov. 14-20.
We are open Monday and Tuesday 11-1, Wednesday 5-
7, Thursday 4-6,
Friday 11-1, Saturday 10-2, Sunday 9:30-11:30.
If you would like to welcome people to our church by
hosting one of the listed dates/times, contact the
church office at 952-448-6144.
SERVE AT THE PROCESSING CENTER
Saturday, December 3—6-10pm
We have reserved 50 spots for VEFC attendees to serve
together This is sure to be a highlight of your Christmas
season!
This opportunity is available for ages 12 and older.
Sign-up in the church foyer or contact the church office
at 952-448-6144.
952-448-6144
Fax: 952-448-5119
150 Engler Blvd
Chaska, MN 55318
Friday, November 11
9:30-11:30 am
Fellowship Hall
Hear Candace Wisely speak on How to Love Your Husband
We’ll enjoy fellowship, a devotional, crafts, &
refreshments!
Childcare is provided! Next Meeting: December 9