July 2020

Inside this Issue

Simultaneous

Worship Watch Parties at

9:30am!

Join your church family either on Facebook (account

needed) or at Church.Online (no account needed) for worship! Check in via comments or the chat

function so we know you are with us.

Zoom Coffee Hour!

At 10:00, we will host a Zoom coffee hour for anyone

interested in online fellowship after worship - email the

church office for the Zoom link info@northfieldumc.org.

July Worship

July 5 Ezekiel 37:1-4

Guest Preacher District Superintendent

Cynthia Williams

July 12 Revelation 9:1-12

Rev. Rachel McIver Morey

July 19 Revelation 12:13-13:10

Rev. Rachel McIver Morey

July 26 Revelation 16:1-21 Rev. Jerad Morey

July Worship 1

Message from the Pastor 2

Stewardship & Finance 3

Margie & Randy Farewell

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Parish Nurse Thank you notes

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Children & Family Ministry ISAIAH

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Habitat for Humanity 7

Church Staff 8

Pastors Drive-thru Office Hours Want to connect in person? Pastor Rachel or Jerad will have a lawn chair at the south entrance to the church from 4-5 pm on Wednesdays. Come by, STAY IN YOUR CAR for safety, and bring your cell phone if you have it to call Rachel 507-403-0071 or Jerad 507-403-0070 to chat!

Beloved Church Family: I am the bad guy. Don't worry - this is good news. Every story has a hero, a victim, and a villain. Go ahead - think of your favorite book, movie, or TV/Youtube series - who is the hero? The victim? The bad guy? Good shows, books, and series will sometimes shift these around (fans of Game of Thrones can attest to this), but narratives live or die on how they keep the tension managed between these archetypes and how they resolve - or intensify - the relationships in the triangle. When I say, "I am the bad guy," I am talking about my specific place in the historical story and moment we have stumbled into. We were already handling one deadly global crisis - the COVID-19 pandemic has left us all reeling - when the death of George Floyd on Memorial Day led to protests, riots, and a sudden shift in the public conversation around racism, safety, and unhealed wounds from our country's legacy of slavery, Jim Crow laws, red-lining, and mass incarceration. So I thought I would offer you my own reflection on where I "fit" in this story. At some point during my last two years in Minneapolis before arriving in Northfield, I had started feeling uneasy. . .without being able to pinpoint why. After all, I had spent 5 years working to bring housing to youth and adults who didn't have it, and I even worked with church and volunteer groups to teach them what "urban ministry" was about. I collected food, held community meetings, worked with officials, and spoke the right language about systemic injustice. There wasn't a lightning strike of realization or a transfiguration moment, but eventually clarity reached me: I had become just another white-savior figure in a community that badly needed to let people, particularly people of color, speak for themselves.

The way we were doing things wasn't working - deep and persistent racial disparities did not disappear, or even shrink, because of my well-intentioned efforts. By trying so very, very hard to be the hero in the story, I had become the bad guy - the kind that defensively says, "but I was trying to do the right thing! Doesn't that count for something?!". I could name the hunger and housing statistics for three counties, and I was therefore treated as an "expert" in other people's lives and experience and needs. I expected, and often received unquestioningly, a leadership place at the table when "social problems" were discussed, with frowning faces and lots of reports and graphs - and worse, I interacted with people of color and/or in poverty as people "in need" rather than children of the same God with their own story and gifts to share. Why is this good news? Because the bad guy in the story is the one with the most power to change the story: think Darth Vader throwing Emperor Palpatine over the railing in "Return of the Jedi," or Captain Renault joining Rick in getting resistance leader Victor Laszlo and his wife to safety in "Casablanca," or the conversion of Paul - notorious persecutor of Jesus' followers - on the road to Damasacus. When the bad guy repents, a new story can begin. So I offer my confession and repentance to the new story we pray is being written right now. I am no "white savior" (it turns out that Jesus is savior enough for the whole world, white and otherwise), and I am ready to put my shoulder to the wheel right here in Northfield. If you are ready to join me, let's talk. I have no idea how to do this. You probably don't either. This means we can both begin on our knees in prayer, where all good things start. At its best, the church is a support group for recovering bad guys. I am one of them. Are you? Blessings, Rachel

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ZOOM MEETINGS for Ministry Teams

To schedule a meeting for your team send your

meeting information (date, time, name of group)

to Sandy at northfieldumc@gmail.com.

Sandy will set up your meeting and send the meeting link back to you so that you can share it with your team. (She will not notify your team

members for you.) Please plan in advance just as if you were scheduling a meeting room.

Need a mask? Any NUMC community members still in need of

masks to keep others safe can request some by emailing info@northfieldumc.org.

Contribute your praise If you are a musician - if you play an instrument or sing a song - then please record yourself performing a hymn.

Worship coordinator Wendy Smith would love to hear from you. Email her at WendyNUMC@aol.com.

Stewardship and Finance Update The world is a different place in many ways since we last gathered in-person March 8th. News of hundreds of thousands of deaths was immediately followed by lament and horror at the death of George Floyd, and at the time that the July NUMC Herald is published. . .who knows what will have grabbed our attention, demanded our action, or added to the anxiety of an already difficult year?

But the world is also the same place - with neighbors who are hurting and helping at the same time; music and art that open windows to the world and offer comfort in pain; children who need to know they are loved, valued, and cared for... bills that need to be paid, lawns that need to be tended, and the voice of God calling us to be in ministry wherever we find ourselves.

The church has become more flexible and nimble than we thought we could be; we have gone online for many things, and found creative ways of being community even distanced from each other. This work is ongoing and nowhere near finished. We rightfully celebrate our mask-makers and their ministry both for our church and our school district summer programs - a ministry which did not exist 4 months ago! We lift up our new Zoom school-aged ministry with children, a first time summer opportunity using tools only purchased in May! We give thanks for our pandemic care team calling ministry, which only started the last week in March! Get used to hearing the words "flexible", "nimble," and "pivot" - they will be with us for a while.

Our generosity has made this flexibility possible, allowing leadership to focus on mission and calling for the future. It is our generosity and imagination - tools given us by God - that will give shape to our church's future ministry in ways we are just now beginning to see. Your Stewardship and Finance team will continue to monitor costs alongside other leaders, and to discern carefully how God is calling us to use what we are given for the work of the Kingdom.

General Fund May 2020 contributions $28,071.66 General Fund May 2019 contributions $22,954.16

General Fund YTD 2020 contributions $179,928.07 General Fund YTD 2019 contributions $160,382.43

You may mail your offering to: Northfield United Methodist Church 1401 S. Maple St. Northfield, MN 55057

The church mail is checked daily.

You may set up a monthly electronic funds transfer by printing a form from our website and mailing to the church address or requesting a form at northfieldumc@gmail.com. Electronic giving offers convenience for individual congregation members and provides much needed donation consistency for our congregation. Please consider electronic giving.

Tithes and Offerings By maintaining your weekly offerings during this time you help ensure that your care ministries are coordinated, your community is connected, worship is facilitated, small groups can continue to meet, and your church building is maintained and ready for the day we can all gather together again as family in Christ.

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If you would like a statement of your Giving Account through

the end of June (2nd Quarter) please contact the

church office at northfieldumc@gmail.com to request a statement be

either mailed or emailed to you.

The deadline for the

August issue of the Herald Newsletter is noon on

Wednesday, July 22nd.

Please submit your items in a digital format to northfieldumc@gmail.com by the deadline.

NUMC WELCOME STATEMENT

We affirm that all people are created in the image of God and, as beloved children of God, all are worthy of God’s love and grace, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity, family status, race, ethnicity, physical or mental ability, socio-economic status, or age. We unreservedly support and affirm the full inclusion of persons of all sexual orientations and gender identities in all facets of ministry at Northfield UMC, including ordination and marriage. Following Christ’s example, we open our hearts, minds, and doors to welcome all who come to us in God’s grace.

MARGIE BROCKTON - 37 YEARS OF MINISTRY TO NUMC Margie Brockton began working at NUMC 37 years ago. Thirty-seven years!! She is, far and away, our longest-serving servant on staff here at the church, and she is such a blessing.

Her ministry of custodial and door-security service with us came to an end in June; while this was a planned departure in the works for several months, we weren't able to throw her the big party we wanted to because of COVID-19 restrictions and precautions. So instead Margie joined me (Pastor Rachel) for my outdoor office hours and we celebrated her with an interview we posted to our website and Facebook pages - and let me tell you, Margie has stories to tell!

While her custodial and building security role is ending, her ministry in and through our church is far from over. In the early 2000s, there was an annual women's retreat event (which has plenty of stories all of its own. . .) and Margie hosted a card-making class. Encouraged by the participants, Margie started teaching card-making classes at the church; she also makes them for local retail establishments. One of her ministries with me has been to keep me stocked in her cards so that when I send a note, it is twice-blessed as an item of her own hand-making. Fortunately for us, she will continue this ministry - and I can't wait to sign up for the next card-making class once we are back to gathering in some form face to face!

If you see her around town or have a card of your own to send, I encourage you to say or write "THANK YOU!" to this wonderful servant minister whose heart is grounded in God's love and grace. You can send it care of the church (address on back). Don't worry- even if it is store-bought or made with construction paper, Margie will approve! ESPECIALLY if you include images of cats and dogs - many of you might remember the Christmas Eve service she brought her cat to for the children's message (no children's message since has quite lived up to that.)

I invite you to offer prayers of thanksgiving for her ministry, and to consider your own gifts and service to the Kingdom. Margie's life of ministry is a gift to us all: beautiful as the cards she makes, conscientious as her years of custodial service, and caring as the hands that have tended to gardens and pets and people in need over the years. Thank you, Margie!

Thank You, Randy! We are sad to report that Randy Ferguson, Director of the NUMC Adult Choir, has submitted his resignation. Randy has worked with our choir since the fall of 2018. After much consideration, he has decided that it is time to step down due to health reasons. We are glad that he has been a part of our music team and will miss him! Randy has directed the choir, played guitar for worship, and brought his musical program on the evolution of the guitar to church. He has been an energetic, hardworking, and cheerful presence. We are grateful that he has been a part of our community and wish him the best!

Hello NUMC friends, After much thought, consideration and prayer, I have turned in my resignation as Choir Director at NUMC. This was not an easy decision, but one dictated by health concerns. Over the past two years, I have greatly enjoyed being a part of this church. I have loved working with the choir, the rehearsals, and singing over 60 anthems to the glory of God! I have made many friends. Not many musicians have been blessed with the opportunity to work with a choir with such talent, two of the finest organists in the Twin Cities area, a worship band comprised of extremely talented musicians, (and their leader), an open minded and encouraging Pastoral staff and a

wonderful, warm and welcoming congregation! I will truly miss the Wednesday night dinners, the choir rehearsals, and especially the Sunday morning worship services. I will on occasion be back to provide special music for services or most anything else! Thank you, for all you have given me. Soli Deo Gloria! Sincerely, Randy Ferguson

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We have been dealing with the pandemic for well over three months. New information about the disease and about people’s reaction to it is being made available frequently. “Worries and anxieties about COVID-19 and its impact can be overwhelming. Social distancing makes it even more challenging” (Mayo Clinic). Learning to cope with feelings of stress, anxiety, fear, sadness, loneliness, and with mental health issues of anxiety and depression is important.

• Take care of your body by getting enough sleep; participate in regular physical activity; eat healthy, well-balanced meals; avoid tobacco, drugs, and alcohol; limit screen time on all your devices; and relax and recharge with yoga, meditation, reading, or listening to music.

• Take care of your mind by reducing stress triggers. Ways to do this include keeping a regular routine for meals, bathing, getting dressed, working, studying, exercising, and sleeping; limiting exposure to news media; staying busy with hobbies and projects; focusing on positive thoughts and gratitude lists; and setting priorities in your life.

• Take care of your spirit by drawing strength from prayer, reading devotional literature, attending church services virtually, or

joining a Bible study group; making connections with others via emails, phone, text, or letters; or showing kindness to others. Stress is a normal reaction to life’s demands, but everyone responds differently to this stress. If feelings of sadness, hopelessness, irritability, anxiety, or depression last for several days or weeks, ask for help. It is important to deal with mental health issues that arise from the stress and anxiety caused by the pandemic. Contact a friend or family member, call a pastor, or seek help from a mental health counselor. Following are websites and phone numbers that you can use to get needed assistance or information.

www.nami.org (National Alliance on Mental Illness)

www.mayoclinic.org (Mayo Clinic)

www.cdc.gov (Center for Disease Control)

www.who.int (World Health Organization)

www.co.rice.mn.us (Rice County Public Health Department, or at 1-507-333-3773 for mental health)

www.health.state.mn.us (the Minnesota Department of Health)

National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or text LOVEIS to 22522

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255

Pastor Rachel McIver Morey 507-403-0071

Pastor Jerad Morey 507-403-0070

Notes from the Parish Nurse

Northfield UMC, Thank you for the mask donations to District One Hospital. We greatly appreciate them during this time of need! All of us at Allina Health appreciate the outpouring of support from you and the community. Thank you for being part of the effort to keep our communities safe. With gratitude, District One Hospital Staff

Dear Northfield UMW, I would like to thank you for the kind donation of cloth masks. Our staff and residents are grateful for the support received from the community. Thank you kindly, Jane Gilbert Chair - Board of Directors Emma Norton

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News from Kids Creating Communty in Christ (KC3)

Summer KC3 has started up on Zoom and we are having a great time! We are meeting every Wednesday at 3:30 through July.

We have been spending time hanging out together and catching up on Zoom. Then of course have a Bible lesson and discussion. The discussions lately have moved into what has been going on in the world with COVID19 and racial inequalities. We are thinking about what it means to respond as Christians in an uncertain time.

There have been a lot of fun activities throughout our Zoom time. Music to sing along too, crafts, and of course games. I’ve discovered some interactive games to play together online like Heads or Tails, Rock Paper Scissors, Charades and more. It has been a great way to connect in this very different world that we all find ourselves in now. I hope all elementary age children will think about joining us. Please email me at gennis@northfieldumc.org if you are not already on the list and would like to attend our KC3 meetings.

We are also starting a pen pal program between the KC3 youth and senior members of the NUMC. I am facilitating this program. Each student is being paired with a senior member, especially those in nursing homes, and will write letters to each other on a regular basis. I believe this is an important ministry right now because we are all experiencing less social interaction due to sheltering in place.

Even if a student can’t make it to the Zoom meetings this summer he or she can still participate in the pen pal program and I would encourage our children to support this ministry. I think it is a great outreach of service. Please email me if you can participate and I will match your child up with a senior member.

I am praying for peace and God’s Blessings for all of you. Gregory KC3 coordinator.

Confirmation Overnight: August 22-23 The confirmands going into 10th grade have an overnight scheduled at church on August 22. If the building is unready or health guidelines recommend otherwise then this may become a daytime event on August 23 or a series of Zooms during August.

Children and Family Ministry

If you want to get involved in a structured “voter engagement campaign organized by ISAIAH’s sister organization “Faith in MN” contact Evelyn.

How ISAIAH and NUMC connect. ISAIAH is a statewide coalition of more than 125 congregations and Islamic communities focused on building a Minnesota that is inclusive and just for everyone. Our congregation has been a due-paying member for the past two years. One of the NUMC-ISAIAH leaders has a seat in the Ad Council to ensure that justice ministries are interwoven into actions toward the congregation’s purpose: to glorify God by acts of worship, devotion, compassion, and justice.

NUMC-ISAIAH has a loosely organized core group of about 12. We don’t meet very often, but we take on the particular task of educating the congregation about our United Methodist social principles, specific justice values and how we, as individuals and groups, can take action with other individuals and groups that share these values.

We also maintain an email list of about 40 other NUMCers who want to receive emails to inform them about opportunities to act for systems-change. Everything we do is focused on creating a democracy that honors every person’s dignity and a caring economy that allows everyone to thrive. We’d love to grow this email list. Want to join the ISAIAH email list or learn more about getting involved? Contact evelynburry@hotmail.com or 507-645-7481.

Vote your values for a just and inclusive society:

• Are you clear what your faith-based justice values are?

• Are you registered to vote?

• Will you vote – and vote your values – in both the August 11th primary and

November 3rd general election?

• Have you applied for an absentee ballot to be mailed to you? Apply by July 10

and get ballots for both elections. (There may be fewer polls and COVID may still be a deterrent to voting in person.)

• Will you encourage your family and friends to register and vote their values?

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Rice County Habitat for Humanity Update With the appearance of the COVID-19 virus and resulting world-wide pandemic earlier this year, house construction efforts by Rice County Habitat for Humanity have changed and been adapted in response to CDC guidelines and Minnesota governor’s orders for physical separation. House construction for Partner Families continues but under an evolving set of operating guidelines.

The Rice County Habitat for Humanity Board of Directors passed a resolution in mid-March to modify the mortgage of any Partner Family who needs it. That means that six Partner Families, who have their loan with Rice County Habitat for Humanity, have been able to suspend their principal payments for 3 months.

House #50 for the Kath Family, located at 3000 Acorn Trail in Faribault, began construction in the fall of 2019 and was dedicated on 02/06/2020. House #51 for the Iverson Family, located at 706 30th St NW in Faribault, was also started in late 2019 and was dedicated virtually on 5/15/2020. House #52 for the Ahmedmuktar Ali Family, located at 312 22nd

St NW in Faribault, was started in 2020 and is a six-bedroom split entry for this Somali family of 11. Framing up through siding has been completed by Kleese Construction Co. from Kenyon, MN. Sub-contractors have installed HVAC, plumbing and electrical utilities. The interior finishing work will be done during June and July by six volunteers through the AmeriCorps Emergency Response Initiative. Construction of two new houses will start shortly in Faribault. The footings for House #53 for the Rindahl Family were dug during the second week of June. This house will be handicap accessible and is located at 313 23rd St NW. The construction permit application for House #54 to be located at 309 23rd St NW was submitted during the second week of June. Both of these houses will be framed by Kleese Construction. Volunteer work by the Go-To-Crew, the core group of volunteers, has been on hold since the middle of March due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting shelter in place guidelines. Hopefully the finishing work by the Go-To-Crew and other volunteers will resume later this summer when the physical distancing constraints allow. The 2020 Faith Build Project, a four-unit townhome to be located at the intersection of Ford St E and Cotton Lane in southeast Northfield, has been moved to 2021 due to the constraints imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Habitat has a long history of engaging with local faith communities; the Faith Build Project is meant to strengthen those partnerships.

The 2020 Virtual Habitat 500: Bike @ Home celebrates the 28-year history of the Habitat 500 Bike Ride while participants bike in their own communities. In 2020, participants will cycle any time between registering and September, for as many miles as they would like. Each rider pays a registration fee and also raises funds from family, friends, businesses, and church groups and designates the Habitat for Humanity affiliate they wish to support. You can support Dave Wolf, a NUMC member, on his ride by visiting the link https://p2p.onecause.com/habitat500/david-wolf-2. This will be his 5th year participating in the Habitat 500 Ride and will again be raising funds to support the Rice County Habitat for Humanity affiliate.

Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage

PAID

Northfield, Minn PERMIT No. 122

1401 South Maple Street

Northfield, MN 55057

NORTHFIELD

UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

Phone: (507) 645-5689

Email: northfieldumc@gmail.com

Website: www.northfieldumc.org

Offering Christ

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

Our Church Staff

Pastors Rachel McIver Morey Jerad Morey

Parish Nurse Ruth Kruse

Office Administrator Sandy Vesledahl

KC3 Coordinator Gregory Ennis

Worship & Music Wendy Smith

Child Care Provider Kathryn Steed

Organists /Accompanists Bob Henstein Donna Paulsen

Handbell Choir Director Kathy Szydlo

Adult Choir Director

Projection Coordinator Molly Peterson

Custodian Arturo Rosas Avila

Sunday School Superintendent Diana Huseth (Volunteer)

Treasurer John Stull (Volunteer)

Web Site Jesse Steed (Volunteer)

Retired Clergy: Wayne Abdella, Carl Caskey, Richard Collman, Jeanne Martin, Dick Waters,

Mary Keen, Gordon Orde

Northfield United Methodist Church offers an electronic option for our monthly newsletter. By having our newsletter available electronically, we will save costs on paper, postage and copier usage. The newsletter will still be available to those who want to receive a hard copy in the mail.

For those that sign up, you will receive an e-mail directing you to a link to view the newsletter. If you have more than one member in the household that would like to receive this e-mail, please list them also.

Please cut out this form, fill in the information and place it in the basket in the church office or place it in the offering plate on Sunday mornings.

Please print clearly! Thank you!

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