January 30, 2025 | Weekly Newsletter | |
Grounding in Faith with Pastor Elizabeth | |
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One and a half years ago I agreed to come out of retirement to serve as lead pastor at Hennepin Ave UMC. I had retired due to a challenging health diagnosis for my husband Cooper. I agreed to come to Hennepin to serve for three years. It wasn't an interim, and because it had an end-time cap on it, it wasn't a usual UMC-type appointment.
I am 1.5 years into ministry here. After receiving a heartening bit of good news about Cooper's health and having felt the goodness of being in your midst and the momentum of these days, the Governance Board, the Bishop and Cabinet of the Minnesota Annual Conference and I have agreed that we will remove that three year cap on my time here. The length of my service here will depend upon the Spirit and our shared sense of ministry fruit. It won't be a decades-long appointment, but it will likely go beyond the three years previously agreed upon.
I shared this information during worship, but wanted to share it with those who were not present. I will admit that the enthusiastic response when the news was shared during church will live with me always. This pairing of pastor and parish feels like a God thing. You bless me as we are in ministry together.
To that end, I commend to your attention the results of our Futures Lab. The link is below. The Futures Lab encouraged us to imagine the world and ministry Hennepin will be engaged in fifty years from now. We can minister in the present to build our future.
About that future... These are challenging times. The tang of fear and grief is pervasive in the air we breathe. In the midst of all that feels overwhelming, we have a church committed to resisting evil, injustice and oppression. We will not be moved from our conviction that all people are sacred and none are deserving of disdain or persecution.
Being in the midst of a counter-cultural movement grounded on the teachings of Jesus is saving grace.
Thank you for being the people of Jesus; it matters.
Pastor Elizabeth
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Church News of the Week:
The stories that keep us connected
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A Message from Pastor Laura Hannah | |
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I am deeply grateful to Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church for the incredible gift of renewal leave this summer. From June 2 to August 31, I will step away from the day-to-day demands of ministry to focus on rest, spiritual renewal, professional growth, and relationship care. This time away is a meaningful investment in sustaining a vibrant and balanced ministry for years to come, and I am thankful for the congregation’s support in... Read More.
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Church Conference Recap
Annual Report Booklet and Recording Available
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On Sunday, January 26, we held our 2025 Annual Church Conference, presided over by Rev. Becky Jo Messenbrink (Headwaters District), to reflect on the past year, celebrate accomplishments, and review our newly approved budget—which was balanced thanks to an impressive collective action of increased pledges. We also discussed ministry updates, membership changes, and strategic planning insights for the year ahead. To learn more, we invite you to watch the full recording (click the image) and read our 2025 Annual Report here. | |
If you have not yet pledged for 2025 you can still join the momentum! Click here. | |
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Celebrate Generations of Love at Hennepin Church this Valentine's Day
February 14 at 2pm in the Art Gallery | Register by February 2!
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For nearly 150 years, Hennepin Church has been a place where love stories begin and friendships are formed. This Valentine’s Day, we invite you to celebrate the love and connections that now span generations.
Jerry Gale shared a story that beautifully captures the legacy of love at Hennepin: "I married Nancy Krause on June 21, 1975. Nancy and I walked out of the church to Widor’s Toccata played by Richard Wagner. As my two children grew up, the organist played Widor's Toccata at the end of every Easter service. As the first notes... Read More and Register.
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Affirming Ministry
With Mayme Simms
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During the Annual Church Conference, the congregation voted “Yes” to affirm Mayme’s call as a United Methodist elder. From her earliest sense of God’s guidance in fourth grade through roles in children’s ministry and administration, she has felt a deep call to service. Though now in California, Mayme remains closely connected to Hennepin and looks forward to applying her gifts in service to the Church. Let support her on this journey of faith. Click the image to watch Mayme's video. | |
Welcoming New Members and Correction to Annual Report | |
Autumn McDowell, Steve Blons, Shirley Buchanan, Diana Scherbert, Daphne Soleil, Bob Fleetwood. Not Pictured: Julia Price | |
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This Sunday, we welcomed seven new members into the Hennepin Avenue UMC family. Please make sure to give these folks a warm welcome when you see them around the church!
We also want to issue a correction to the list of new members from 2024. We sincerely apologize for an inaccuracy in our recently published list of new members, as an error in our records led to some names being omitted from our annual report. To meet the new members and view the full, corrected list of 2024 members added, read more here.
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This Week in Hennepin History
Written by Phil Wala
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This week we’re excited to share the first excerpts from some remarkable films found in the church archives. One reel was labeled “New Member Film” and the other had “1941-45” scrawled on it, but we had no clue as to the actual content. When we finally acquired a projector and previewed the films, our jaws dropped as we saw scenes of Hennepin Avenue Methodist Church come alive, in full color, as it was 80 YEARS AGO! Read More and Watch. | |
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Save the Dates for Summer Camps!
Registration is Open for all Camp Minnesota camps
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For an entire summer full of screen free, outdoor opportunities for all ages through Camp Minnesota, visit this link.
Road Trip! Vacation Bible Camp: June 23 - June 27, 9am-12pm, Good Samaritan UMC, ages 4 years-4th grade, older kids are welcome as helpers.
Fine Arts Camp: August 18 - August 22, 9am-4pm, Hennepin Avenue UMC, completed grades 1-5, registration will open soon!
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Summer Mission Trip Interest
Please Respond ASAP!
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Based on the responses that we have received, we will partner with Good Samaritan UMC for our Summer Mission Trip. The dates are 7/12-7/20. Deadline for registration is THIS WEEK! We are thrilled to have a dozen youth and adults from Hennepin attending!
If you are still considering joining us, please let us know by emailing Lynne Carroll ASAP. This is a great opportunity to serve as a family, or to invite friends to serve with you!
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Sanctuary Memorial Flowers | | |
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Remembering the saints that are no longer with us is one of the great honors of being part of a holy community.
If you would like to honor the memory of a loved one or celebrate a special occasion by offering flowers for worship on Sunday morning, you may do so here.
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Hennepin Scholarships Available - Applications Due Tomorrow!
A Reminder from Jack Fistler
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Don’t miss your chance to secure scholarship support for college! Hennepin Scholar applications are available at haumc.org/hennepin-scholars.
This could be a meaningful part of your college financing, so apply soon—the deadline is Friday, January 31. For questions, contact Jack Fistler at 612-435-1321 or jack@haumc.org. Act now—your future is worth it!
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What We Learned Last Sunday
Learning and Fun (After the Children's Message)
We had a rousing discussion about temptation! What a big topic, but our kiddos were up to the task with big thoughts and bigger questions! We talked about how Jesus was tempted, too, and how we all have an inner voice that helps us manage temptation to help keep us safe and help us make good choices.
Coming Up This Sunday
Service Project & Communion
For February, we are going to try something new! We will combine Service Sunday with Communion Sunday. Instead of first going to worship with their parents, kids will sign in and then head straight to the education wing. We will begin work on our service project right away, and then come in as a group for communion. After being served communion, kids will return to the education wing where parents will pick them up!
Our service projects for February will be centered around spreading love far and wide. We will create care packages for our college students, and make Valentines for our students that we sponsor through Common Hope as well as our congregation members that are homebound!
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To submit event announcements to be published on the public events calendar, please send all the details to communications@haumc.org.
To plan your event, including reserving rooms, email scheduling@haumc.org.
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