October 2024 Witness

OCTOBER | 2024

CHARACTER MATTERS

As a child, I spent countless hours immersed in the colorful worlds of cartoons. From the action-packed adventures of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Ghostbusters, and X-Men to the whimsical antics of Looney Tunes, these characters shaped my childhood. However, my fondest memories come from watching Bugs Bunny with my grandpa. Time and again, we found ourselves laughing at Bugs’ cleverness and charm. In fact, surveys consistently show that Bugs Bunny is often named America’s favorite cartoon character, even topping TV Guide’s list of the 50 greatest cartoon characters of all time. At 86 years old, he remains a beloved icon. Who is your favorite cartoon character? Which cartoons have been shared across generations in your family?

Cartoons do more than entertain; they teach us valuable lessons that can last a lifetime. Bugs Bunny, with his smart-aleck wit and laid-back demeanor, embodies resilience and quick thinking. His ability to remain cool under pressure and to use humor to diffuse tense situations is a lesson in itself. Did I pick up my sense of sarcasm from him? Perhaps. But more importantly, he taught me the importance of kindness paired with a lighthearted attitude, even when faced with challenges.

Bugs Bunny won’t be one of the cartoon characters you will hear about in the coming weeks at Vinje, but you will be seeing some of his animated friends as we explore what lessons these cartoons can teach us about living out our Christian values. That’s because cartoons and those who create them are some of our best story tellers. The Bible teaches us a lot about the importance of our personal and communal character. Character matters. And while Jesus was never shy about teaching ethical values to the crowds that gathered around him, he often did his teaching with stories or parables. Jesus had an uncanny ability to illustrate the deepest truths in life with stories, so we thought we’d try to do the same.

Our character matters. As followers of Jesus, our character should reflect the traits he embodied—traits like courage, forgiveness, and joy. Jesus didn’t teach these values for our benefit alone; he understood that a community built on strong character can change the world. Throughout history, the spread of Christianity has been closely linked to the way believers serve others and embody these values. Starting October 6, we’ll explore practical ways to strengthen our character, positively impact our relationships, and navigate daily challenges with integrity. Living by these standards not only enhances our well-being but also contributes to a stronger community and a better world.

Join us as we discover how the timeless lessons from our favorite cartoons can inspire us to live with character and compassion.

-Pastor Justin

TRAIL OF TREATS

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31

4-5:30 PM

VINJE SANCTUARY

Get your kiddos in their costumes and join us for our fifth annual Trail of Treats! We’ll have a trail of treats and fun set up in the sanctuary for kids to walk through!

If you’d like to contribute towards the purchase of candy and supplies for our Trail of Treats, you can donate on the give link on our website, just note “Trail of Treats” in the “memo” section. Or drop a check with “Trail of Treats” in the memo in the church office or offering plate.

THANK YOU, MEGAN!

Vinje wants to say thank you to Megan Strand for her incredible contributions as our part time Faith Formation Coordinator. With the addition of Erica Mathews as our Director of Faith Formation, Megan’s position sunset. In the months that she worked with us Megan brought creativity and passion to our programs. The best news is that Megan and her family will continue to be here at Vinje and active volunteers in our many ministries.

TOWN HALL MEETINGS

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 3 & WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6

The council will be holding our next Town Hall meetings on Sunday, November 3 after worship (around 10:30 am) and Wednesday, November 6th after worship (around 7:00 pm).

To keep the meeting moving and to be sure we cover topics of importance to the congregation, please submit the topic(s) you would like to discuss to our Vinje Council email address council@vinjechurch.com by Monday, October 14th. This will give the council an opportunity to review topics, combine similar items, and be ready for discussion on the 27th.

We will have council members present and will conduct round table discussions. The topics will be shared, each table of congregation members will have 3 – 5 minutes to discuss topics (depending on how many topics), and then share with the larger group the thoughts discussed at the smaller table groups.

We are excited to continue with this new process with our town hall meetings, gathering topics in advance, conducting meetings throughout the year, and offering the meetings on both Sundays and Wednesdays.

PIZZA WITH THE PASTORS

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 13 | 11 AM | ROOM 102

Are you new to Vinje? Do you want to learn more about the church? Would you like a chance to get to know your pastors better? Or...do you maybe just like eating pizza with fun people? Please plan to join the pastors for lunch and conversation after worship on October 13!

VINJE QUILTERS

QUILT RAFFLE—NOVEMBER 5, 2024

Tickets for a “Grandmother’s Flower Garden” pattern quilt will be available for sale starting October 20th. Proceeds go to Bible Camp Scholarships.

Vinje Quilters will meet this month on Thursdays, October 10th and 31st. Join us!

LUTEFISK & MEATBALL SUPPER

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5 | 3-7 PM

We are excited to announce that the Lutefisk and Meatball Supper will take place on Tuesday, November 5th! Please save the date and plan to join us for this special (and delicious!) Vinje tradition.

FALL FUN!

We are loving all things fall right now! Our toddlers have been learning about apples and all the different kinds. Preschoolers are ready for fall and have learning with pumpkins and are already getting excited for Halloween!

Thanks to all of you for bringing your plastic bags for recycling. We continue to collect over 150 lbs each month! Take a look at the display in the front entrance-it shows some examples of what can and cannot be recycled.

Garden Update: We harvested carrots, onions, beets and potatoes so far and shared with the Food Shelf or at church. Squash is yet to come!

Dental Products Recycling: Check out the collection box at the welcome desk for items that can be recycled.

Solar lights for Ukraine: We have kicked off a project to provide solar lights for the Ukraine. The project will include raising funds for the light and then assembling them. Your donations are welcomed. Keep an eye on the bulletin and weekly emails for more information in the coming weeks.

Here’s what happened at the September 24th meeting:

Reviewed financial reports.
Received a report from Erica on the rapid growth of and future plans for faith formation ministries.
Transferred $883.67 to be used for Wednesday meals.
Approved Vinje’s mission support for Paz y Esperanza at $5,000.
Discussed the ongoing need for a capital campaign for roof repairs and other renovations.
Discussed Strategic Planning and the town hall meetings in November.
Approved Personnel Committee’s request to add Kim Hanson to the committee as one of two at-large members.
Received an update on Loving Arms financials.

EXPLORING VINJE'S HISTORY

This month pastor Andrés wants to share a little more about LAFF, “Life After Fifty Five,” that readers of last month’s piece have shared.

Carol Baker fondly recalled the days when she and her husband, Harold, would go dancing in their younger years. So when the opportunity to dance arose at the Valentine’s Day party organized by LAFF at Vinje, she was momentarily transported back in time. For a brief second, Carol imagined the two of them swaying to the music once again, reviving those cherished memories of the past.

Carol glanced at Harold, hoping he might invite her onto the dance floor, but the invitation never came. Perhaps Harold felt too frail to join her in a dance, or maybe he thought dancing in a church wasn’t appropriate. Carol never asked him. If it was meant to happen, she believed, it had to come from Harold’s own heart.

Phyllis Coleman, on the contrary, told me, “I recall joining in the group at the Valentine’s Day gala. Only time I ever danced in church. But felt good to be moving and swinging with the Lord.”

Also Char and Roger Kingstrom recall having danced at Vinje at least once at a LAFF Valentine’s celebration. Pastor Barbara Johnson and her husband Swan also went out on the dance floor. As pastor Barbara expressed it, “my husband was always game.”

I had hesitated about including the story about spit contest during one of the LAFF gatherings in last month’s piece, but pastor Barbara Johnson provided more details about that particular game. She shared, “I just read your fun newsletter article online. There were many occasions of silliness in those monthly gatherings. I had to chuckle at the ‘spitting.’ It was a late spring BBQ for LAFF and we had a watermelon seed-spitting contest. We measured how far the seeds flew across fellowship hall. I recall that retired pastor Fred Mueller, who had been one of Vinje’s pastors between 1964 and 1973, won that one.”

Pastor Barbara was also able to find this picture taken on the LAFF gathering of April 23, 2006. Can you recognize who they are? Left to right, they are Betty Melbye, Jim Tiede, Bobbi Gates, Fern Hauge, and Swan Johnson.

BUTTER BRAIDS FUNDRAISER

Loving Arms is once again selling delicious Butter Braids to raise money for classroom improvements! You will find an order form on the welcome desk or you can email your order to Melissa. Thank you for your support this important Vinje ministry!

Make a one-time contribution or set up reoccurring giving here. Need help? Call the church office!

VINJE ON THE GO!

RADIO Listen on Sundays at 9:30 am on KWLM, 1340 AM.

INTERNET Catch worship or our podcasts anytime right here.

TV Watch local access channel, 180 Sundays at 2:30 pm and 8:30 pm and Tuesdays at 8 am and 5 pm.