St. Matthew Lutheran Church February 2021
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St. Matthew Lutheran Church
February 2021
PAGE 2 From the Pastor
Greetings Friends,
A man called the church office and
asked if he could speak to the Head
Hog at the Trough. The secretary
asked, "Who?" The man replied, "I
want to speak to the Head Hog at the Trough!" Now that she was certain she
had heard him correctly, the secretary said, "I'm sorry sir, but if you mean our
pastor, you will have to refer to him with more respect and ask for the pastor or
even the minister. But you certainly can't refer to him as the Head Hog at the
Trough!" On hearing this, the man said, "Oh, I'm sorry. But I have ten thousand
dollars and I was thinking about donating it to the building fund." "Just one mo-
ment," said the secretary. "I think the Big Pig just walked in the door.”
That is, of course, not a true story. It’s just an attention getter as we kick off this
month of Rebooting Giving. I like The Message version of Luke 6:38:
“Give away your life; you’ll find life given back, but not merely given back—
given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity
begets generosity.”
We have a generous God! That makes us a generous people! I have a gener-
osity challenge for you this month.
During the first two weeks of February, in addition to your regular church offer-
ing, pick 2 local charities and make a special gift.
During the second 2 weeks of February, pick 2 national or international chari-
ties and make a special gift.
Wednesdays in Lent: Rebooting Easter—On Wednesdays during Lent, we
will have midweek worship—a daytime service at Gloria Dei, an evening ser-
vice at St. Matthew and an online service. We will be looking at some of the tra-
ditional parts of Easter (Easter baskets, Easter Egg Hunts, hot cross buns, etc)
and seeing how they can help us reboot our own celebration of the Resurrec-
tion of Jesus.
Grace and Peace, Luke 6:38
“Give, and it will be given to you. A good
measure, pressed down, shaken together
and running over, will be poured into your
lap. For with the measure you use, it will
Pastor Bill Hugo
be measured to you.”
PAGE 3
CHRISTMAS WRAP-UP:
Our 2020 Christmas Eve Candlelight Choir was able to safely present their
lovely music in person on Dec. 24th for the 11 pm service. “Go, Tell It on the
Mountain” was particularly energizing! Thank you to the choir members for
their work in rehearsals and in leading worship:
Bruce Blase Katie Landwehr
Brooke Edberg Kristin Landwehr
Ben Hugo Kevin Lindee (flute)
Brenda Hugo Sydney Naber
Will Hugo (solo) Deb Santillo
Andrew Wagner (flute)
And Christmas Day hymns were enlivened by our instrumental
trio, consisting of Will Hugo (trumpet), Karyn Naber (tenor saxo-
phone) and Ted Landwehr (trombone). Again, it was with great
joy that we were able to lead Christmas hymns in person!
GOOD FRIDAY/EASTER FESTIVAL CHOIR:
Lent begins this year on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 17th (please see more information about
our theme in Pastor Bill’s article). After this, we begin preparations for the special music
needed at our Good Friday Service of Darkness as well as Easter services, April 2 & 4 re-
spectively. You are encouraged to join in this effort. Rehearsals will begin on Thursday,
Feb. 25th, 7:30 p.m., and will run for six weeks. Please contact me if you have any ques-
tions. As usual, we will mask and social distance for safety.
ORGANIZING HELP NEEDED:
Help is needed to sort, organize, and label the many seasonal banners used in our worship
space. This work needs to be done in the building. If you could spare a couple of hours to
complete this task, it would be greatly appreciated. Contact me for more details.
NOTE:
Unfortunately, due to the continued dangers of COVID, the Dixiedores will be unable to
lead us in Mardi Gras-style worship music on Feb. 14th. We will miss their wonderful lead-
ership and brand of music, but hope that we can schedule them again for 2022.
To God be the glory!
Carol Blase, Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders,
music coordinator Let me walk upon the waters
763-788-9427
carol.blase@stmatthew-ch.org Wherever You would call me.
carolblase@juno.com
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander,
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Savior.
PAGE 4
In January we returned to in-person Sunday school! Lessons
were also emailed to families who are staying at home due to
COVID-19 concerns.
REboot Serving was the January theme, and our lessons re-
flected it. On Jan. 10 the students studied the story of the Good Samaritan via a utensil dra-
ma, discovering who did the serving and who was served. Then, on Jan. 17 and 24, stu-
dents watched two episodes of the BBC version of C. S. Lewis’ “The Lion, the Witch and the
Wardrobe,” (from the ‘Chronicles of Narnia’ series), taking a close look at the importance of
children using their gifts to serve others. This was followed by another service focused les-
son, being salt and light, which included a ‘Be Salty’ t-shirt project using glow-in-the-dark
paint.
Congratulations to Sean A. for memorizing the Shema! The Sunday
school students were presented with this challenge early in the month and
upon completion earn a prize from the award cabinet. At the time this article
was written, Sean was able to complete it (in English, Hebrew is optional)!
Who will be next???
The Shema (in Hebrew) The Shema (in English)
Shema Israel! Hear O Israel!
Adonai Elohenu, Adonai Echad The LORD is our God, The LORD is One.
Ve’ahavta et Adonai eloeikah Love the LORD your God
B’khol levavhka with all your heart,
uve’khol naphshekah, with all your soul,
uve’khol m’odeka. and with all your might.
Ve’ahavta la’reyah’cah And love your neighbor
ka’mo’cah. Amen. as yourself. Amen.
The Wednesday ‘Hand in Hand’ class also follows the same congregational ed-
ucation themes. My favorite quote came from a first grade student, the lesson focus
– Jesus, and the importance of children serving in the kingdom of God: “Jesus loves
everybody, but sometimes he just doesn’t like our attitudes!” How true!!!!
(Set 2 Wednesday sessions will run through Feb. 10 after which we break for Ash
Wed./Lent.)
Thank you to those who served as teachers, shep-
herds, assistants and supervisors in Children’s Ministries
(Sundays and Wednesdays) in January: Sarai Kretschman,
Mike Alm, Casey Kretschman, Kristina Martin, Julie/Scott
Kyseth, Teresa Anderson, Vanessa Eames.
Yep – still doing it. Are you saving your quarters?
Sunday School Mission Project: ‘Feed My Starving Chil-
dren’ Children are encouraged to earn or find quarters and
bring them to St. Matthew, loose or in mini-M&M tubes, to
support FMSC. Mini-M&M tubes can be purchased at Sun-
day school - $2, or at most grocery/convenience stores. Pe-
riodically the tubes will be taken to FMSC. One 1.08 oz. tube
of quarters holds $14 and feeds a meal to 63 children!
PAGE 5
The Good Friday Family Event (Apr. 2) Out-
doors? Drive through?
VBS event (June? August?) Socially distant? Different ways to
present/teach??
These events will be dependent on where we are with the Coronavirus.
Unfortunately they do not lend themselves to last minute preparations. Some prep
work had already been done for these events when they were cancelled/changed
last year. Please contact Brenda if you have bright ideas about how we can move
forward with these events – adapt, change, or do something different.
Details about Children’s Ministries classes/activities can be found on the St. Matthew
website, which also contains links to the St. Matthew worship services.
Staff Service Project St. Matthew staff members take turns during the year, to lead a
staff service project (with staff members who are available). On Jan. 19, the staff decorated
aprons for each of the D.C.L.C. teachers and assistants as appreciation gifts, complete with a
few goodies placed in the pockets. Julie S., Sam, Linda, Traci, Tabby, Shelly, Kelly, Julie A.,
Autumn and Nicole – You are a blessing!
Sarai Kretschman
PAGE 6 Care Ministries Pastoral Care Assistant
We are currently in the middle of our winter session of Grief-
Share, which will started up on January 6, 2021 and runs from
6:30-8:30 pm on Wednesday nights through March 24, 2021.
Please keep the facilitators (Carol Lundholm and Julie
Sventek) and participants of this group in your prayers.
Each session is self-contained, so they do not need to be at-
tended in order. If you or someone you know would like to start part way through the session,
please call to register. Cost is free; pre-registration is requested to make sure there is ade-
quate space for distancing by calling the church office at 763-788-9427.
If you or someone you know would like to receive daily “A Season of Grief” emails that pro-
vide encouragement and reminders of the recovery process, you can sign up at https://
www.griefshare.org/dailyemails.
Cancer Support Group
This group is for those who have received a cancer diagnosis to pro-
vide hope and encouragement for each other. We meet monthly on
the 3rd Wednesday of the month from 1-2:15 pm. As the group does
not all have access to technology and would like to meet in person,
please check the church webpage for updates in case the February
meeting needs to be cancelled.
Currently, the group is going through the videos and discussions that
go along with the book Don’t Give Up by Kyle Idleman. In February,
we will be doing the Week 4 – Obstacle Course session.
Please contact Sarai Kretschman, Pastoral Care Assistant, at 763-788
-9427 or sarai.kretschman@stmatthew-ch.org if you need to talk between sessions,
if you have any questions, or to RSVP.
BeFriender Ministry - A Listening Presence
“It is central in the biblical tradition that God’s love for his people should not be
forgotten. It should remain with us in the present. When everything is dark,
when we are surrounded by despairing voices, when we do not see any exits,
then we can find salvation in a remembered love, a love that is not simply a wist-
ful recollection of a bygone past but a living force that sustains us in the present.
Through memory, love transcends the limits of time and offers hope at any mo-
ment of our lives.” - Henri Nouwen
In February, we, as a church, will be working on ReBooting Giving. This
month as you go about your days, try asking yourself, “What can I do to
help?” instead of thinking that you don’t need to worry because someone else will take care of it.
Remember what we learned on Day 28 of the Red Letter Challenge: “God can do a lot with a
little.”
If you, or someone you know, would like to learn more about BeFrienders or could benefit from
having a trained BeFriender make visits, please contact Sarai Kretschman
(sarai.kretschman@stmatthew-ch.org) or another member of the BeFriender Leadership Team:
Pastor Bill Hugo, Louise Roberts, Kathy Rosenberg, and Cheryl Fristad.
PAGE 7
PARISH NURSE MINISTRY:
Kathy Rosenberg, RN, Parish Nurse, continues to be available each week for 1:1 Parish
Nurse Visits with you and your family, and mainly works each Tuesday from 9am to
5pm. Please call Kathy directly or the church office if you wish to arrange a Parish Nurse
phone or outdoor visit from Kathy. Currently while the COVID-19 Pandemic re-
strictions are in place these visits are still happening but are being done by
phone or computer or video calls. I am eager to see you in person when that becomes possible!
My contact info is 612-296-1812 for text or call; or email at kathy.rosenberg@stmatthew-ch.org
As your Parish Nurse, I’M EAGER TO HEAR FROM YOU AND WOULD LOVE TO CHECK IN TO SEE HOW YOU
ARE DOING AND WHAT CREATIVE WAYS YOU ARE STAYING BUSY AND HEATLHY DURING THIS PANDEMIC.
Let us all encourage one another! Stay in touch, keep moving, eat 5 fruits and vegetables a day, get 7-8
hours of sleep, drink plenty of water, wear your mask, keep your physical distance, wash your hands, keep
your hands away from your face, and above all keep the faith in our good God who is watching over you –
God bless you!
As a review, Parish Nursing is a specialty practice of nursing meant to help carry out the caring and healing
ministry of the church, working in partnership with the Pastor, Church Staff, BeFrienders, and resources in the
community. The focus on Parish Nurse Ministry is on health promotion, wellness and preventative care, help-
ing people to understand how our faith and our health are intertwined. The role of the Parish Nurse blends
our faith and our health by providing:
Personal Health Counseling: Addressing health issues w ith m em bers and m ak es 1 :1 hom e,
hospital, senior living, nursing home, or phone visits as needed.
Referral Source/Advocacy: Uses k now ledge of com m unity services and agencies to help peo-
ple access resources and referrals.
Health Educator: Through a variety of form ats, educates to prom ote self -care and improve the
understanding between lifestyle, personal habits, attitudes, faith, and wellness.
Coordinator of Groups and Volunteers: R ecruits and coordinates volunteers to help carry out
the Health and Wellness ministries and other caring ministries of the church.
Relationship Builder between Faith and Health and Healing: I n all activities, and through 1 :1
Parish Nurse Visits, provides a spiritual dimension of care and fosters an understanding that even in
the presence of illness it is possible to experience a sense of healing and wholeness.
SENIOR MINISTRY/GOLDEN AGERS—Support for ALL St. Matthew Seniors! (ONSITE Golden Ager GATH-
ERINGS ARE ON HOLD FOR NOW) But, for All SENIORS 55+ – we are all strongly encouraged to stay con-
nected and watch the bulletins for opportunities to gather safely on phone or computer in various ways. If
COVID allows, we will TRY to plan something special on the second Tuesday of the 4 months of October, Jan,
May and August if we are able. These typically include time for a devotion, special program or activity, fellow-
ship, and fun, led by Parish Nurse Kathy Rosenberg. Unfortunately, those gatherings are still on hold but
please know I am available to connect with you each week on most any Tuesday. Don’t’ hesitate to let me
know how I can be supportive to you during this challenging time. You can reach me most easily by calling
my cell at 612-296-1812.
END OF LIFE CHOICES: Give your loved ones a gift of “having the conversation” and filling out your
Health Care Directive. It is never too early to plan and communicate your end of life wishes with your loved
ones, knowing there may be a time when you cannot speak for yourself -
it is a wonderful gift to give your family - to have your end of life wishes
made known ahead of a crisis and complete your Health Care Directive.
If you are interested in learning more about this and discussing your
wishes and choices for starting or completing your health care directive,
Parish Nurse Kathy Rosenberg is a trained facilitator and has the re-
sources to help you make your end of life wishes known. I’m happy to
help you understand what is needed as you write out your Health Care
Directive. Please call Kathy’s cell or call the church office to leave her a
voicemail to set up a Tuesday afternoon phone appointment.
PAGE 8
HEALTH AND WELLNESS MINISTRY RESOURCES AND OPPORTUNITIES:
HEALTH AND WELLNESS EVENTS:
Contact your Parish Nurse Kathy if you have further questions or resource needs
For online classes available to you on a variety of health topics such as Living Well with Chronic Pain, Living well with Dia-
betes, Arthritis, Social Connections, Staying Active and Independent, go to www.yourjuniper.org or call 1-855-215-
2174.
HEALTH AND WELLNESS TOPIC: WHAT’S ON YOUR PLATE?
We started in October and running each month through May 2021, I will continue to invite you to join me each month via
the Newscene in using the wonderful resource “What’s on your Plate? Smart Food Choices for Healthy Aging”
put out by the National Institute on Aging and the US Dept of Health and Human Services. Would you like a free copy
of this? Call Kathy your Parish Nurse!
If you would like a FREE COLORFUL COPY of this book and guide to healthy eating, let me know and I will get you a copy,
I have at least 25 available! I can drop it off at church or your home, so just give me a call at 612-296-1812.
Each month in the Newscene I will be sharing portions of that resource with you to educate, inspire and motivate us all to
take a good look at what is on our plate, and how we can take good care of our bodies so we can all take good care
of each other!
If there is interest to form a monthly ZOOM or conference call discussion surrounding this Health and Wellness topic, let
me know and I am happy to set that up! See the info page in this Newscene to get started!
Welcome to What’s on Your Plate! (info taken from the NIH and US Dept of HHS resource above)
There is no better time than now to make lifestyle changes so you can stay active in the coming years. Research shows that
it’s not too late to make smarter food choices and add healthy habits, like being physically active, to help reduce your risk of
chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis and the disability that can result from them.
Making wise food choices, as you grow older, might be easier than you think. This resource shows you how to make good food
choices part of your daily life and adjust those choices as you grow older.
In October, we learned:
The five major guidelines to encourage healthy eating patterns include:
Follow a healthy eating pattern across the lifespan – all food and beverages choices matter.
Focus on a variety, nutrient density, and amount.
Limit calories from added sugars and saturated fats, and reduce sodium intake.
Shift to healthier food and beverage choices that you like to make the shift easier.
Support healthy eating patterns for all at home, school, church, work and in our community.
In NOVEMBER, we learned: how to focus on healthy snacking, reading labels, being aware of serving sizes and portion
control.
In DECEMBER, we looked at IMPORTANT NUTRIENTS TO KNOW:
Your body needs nutrients to survive and stay healthy. Picking a variety within every food group throughout the week will help
you get many nutrients. We learned more about the five main nutrients of Proteins, Carbohydrates, Fats, Vitamins and Miner-
als, and Water. Picking an assortment within every food group throughout the week will help you get the many necessary nu-
trients.
In January, we learned to focus on a HEALTHY LIFESTYLE related to taking in calories, burning calo-
ries.
IN FEBRUARY: We will learn about FOOD SHOPPING- making the trip easier and food cost.
This past year has perhaps been extra challenging as we have had wanted to limit our exposures to being in public due to the
pandemic. On top of that, as we age, getting out for shopping can be extra challenging as well. Making a list of needed items,
helps make the shopping more efficient. Keeping staples stocked in your pantry can help make meal planning easier. Some
people are finding ways to order groceries online and have them delivered or pick them up curbside at the store’s parking lot.
However you are having others shop for you, be sure to maintain a healthy balance of healthy fruits, vegetables, whole grains,
lean meats and fish in your purchases.
Food can be expensive but there are ways to cut costs and still eat healthy by using coupons or senior or daily discounts. Buy-
ing in bulk or consider the store brands that are often cheaper. Resist temptations at the checkout and avoid buying empty
calorie foods or snacks. Focus on the economical fruits and vegetables like bananas, apples, oranges, dark green leafy vegeta-
bles, green peppers, carrots, etc.
If you’d like resources on receiving Meals on Wheels or Meals from SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program),
contact Kathy for more info.
If’ you’d like to learn how to download the free Target App and be able to order your groceries online and have them
picked up curbside, this is also something Kathy can teach you.
Enjoy your shopping, meal planning and eating. Remind yourself that what you put into your body makes all the difference
on how healthy your body feels and the energy you have to enjoy each day!
Information ADAPTED FROM: https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/smart-food-choices-healthy-aging
PAGE 9
FEBRUARY IS HEART MONTH
February is a great time to LOVE one another and share God’s love – just like every month is
- but it’s also a great time to be reminded that our heart health is important and heart disease
is still the number one killer in the U.S. even in front of COVID. It’s important to do what we
can to keep our hearts healthy and know the risk factors and early warning signs of heart dis-
ease, and strive to live a healthy lifestyle.
A few ways to prevent heart disease include:
Do not smoke or use any tobacco
Maintain a healthy weight
Exercise regularly – at least 30 to 60 min of activity every day
Eat a healthy, well-balanced diet including lots of fruits and vegetables
Monitor your blood pressure
Get screened for diabetes
Watch your cholesterol numbers
Manage your stress
Know the warning signs of heart attack
Get quality sleep
Stay hydrated
Limit your salt, sugar, alcohol and processed carbs
Limit trans fats found often in red meat and full fat dairy products
Limit saturated fats found often in fried, fast food, chips and baked goods
If you’d like more information on understanding how your heart works and how to prevent
heart disease, let your Parish Nurse Kathy Rosenerg know and she can send you a fun and
easy to read booklet or have phone discussions, education and health coaching with you as
well.
Or some great informative websites to go to:
https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/materials_for_patients.htm
https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/prevention.htm
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-disease/in-depth/heart-disease-
prevention/art-20046502
MAKE IT A HEART
HEALTHY AND
HOPE FILLED
2021!!
PAGE 10
February 2021
Greetings from St. Louis!
After a full Christmas Season of celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior, Tim and
I have navigated our way back home and have settled into our regular routines. We
are both thankful that, given our new, long-distance location, we were able to join our
family and friends in celebration. The changes enacted socially due to COVID may
have affected the way we were able to gather however but our hearts and our praise
were still focused on Jesus’ birth.
Upon returning home from Minneapolis, one of my tasks was to sort through a box of
papers that were a gathered prior to moving and includes all sorts of miscellaneous
papers such as hand-written notes, old church bulletins, recipes, and more. In
amongst these treasures, I found four letters that were written in 1945 from Tim’s
grandfather, Frank, to his bride, Hazel. These letters are important to my husband as
they reflect a significant time in his family’s history as well as the history of our coun-
try. Grandfather Frank served as a civilian worker during WWII and wrote home multi-
ple times a week. Here, he shares about his arrival to California (of which he was
most unimpressed), the journey to Mare Island and Hunters Point Navy Yard, and the
boat transport to Pearl Harbor. Aside from the series of “xxxxxxxxxx” following
Frank’s signature, there is nothing overt or of obvious importance. Grandpa Frank
wanted Grandma Hazel to know he was thinking of her, missing her, and wrote to en-
courage her in his absence.
Letter writing for the purpose of encouragement is certainly not new and is seen in
the New Testament through the many examples by the Apostle Paul. Paul writes in
the pastoral epistles to encourage the efforts of Timothy and Titus to spread the Gos-
pel in their growing communities. They were facing opposition from all directions and
Paul worked to equip and empower his brothers in Christ, encouraging them along
the way that God is good, God is still working, and God is always saving. Much like
Frank’s encouragement to Hazel during his absence, Paul’s encouragement helped
others to know they were loved and had reason for their hope. Paul encouraged them
not just because of his love for the Gospel but because he knew that everything, our
hope and our eternal life, culminates in Jesus Christ alone.
As campus activity has started to buzz again in anticipation of classes resuming Feb-
ruary 1st, I am looking forward to reconnecting with students and staff. Because of
COVID, our last face-to-face class was held prior to Thanksgiving and I am missing
my cohorts! Studying and learning ministry during a pandemic has compelled us to
adapt new ways of encouraging others though less traditional methods like virtual
meetings and on-line platforms. I especially appreciate the way in which the church is
adapting how we share ministry with others. Whether you are writing letters to home-
bound friends or hosting a virtual gathering, thank you for how you are encouraging
others with the hope of Christ!
God is good, God is still working, and God is always saving!
Karyn & Tim Naber
7 Founders Way, Unit B
St. Louis, MO 63105
…and the Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope. (1 Timothy 1:1)
…according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 1:1)
In hope of eternal life, which God that cannot lie, promised before the world began (Titus 1:2)PAGE 11
Come get some Chili for the big game
drive thru style! Drive-Thru Chili Bowl Sun-
day Feb 7th 11:00am-noon in St. Mat-
thew’s parking lot! The chili is available in
to-go containers of mild and Pastor’s spicy
variety, reserve yours today with Faustina
Allen at Faustina.allen@stmatthew-ch.org
The Chili is available to all with considera-
tion of a goodwill offering to support St. Matthew Youth Ministry opportunities.
Family Fun Day Sledding at Keyes Park meet us there on Sunday Feb. 21st from 1
-3pm for Winer Fun! Bring your own sled- we’ll have the hot chocolate!
Youth Tubing—January 24ST. MATTHEW
LUTHERAN CHURCH
4101 WASHINGTON STREET NE
COLUMBIA HEIGHTS, MN
55421
763-788-9427
www.stmatthew-ch.org
The most current St. Matthew
news and calendar are online at
www.stmatthew-ch.org
Church Staff
Bill Hugo, Pastor
bill.hugo@stmatthew-ch.org
Carol Blase, Music Coordinator
carol.blase@stmatthew-ch.org
Brenda Hugo, Director of Children’s Ministries
brenda.hugo@stmatthew-ch.org
Sarai Kretschman, Pastoral Care Assistant
sarai.kretschman@stmatthew-ch.org
Kathy Rosenberg, Parish Nurse
Discipleship Vision Board Discipleship Vision Board kathy.rosenberg@stmatthew-ch.org
Mike Alm Larry Betzold Faustina Allen, Director of Teen Ministry
perfectkids2@hotmail.com hiitsmelar@comcast.net
faustina.allen@stmatthew-ch.org
Teresa Anderson
Lisa Neaderhiser Julie Allen, Office Manager
tjeje5@comcast.net
lisaneaderhiser@yahoo.com
julie.allen@stmatthew-ch.org
Brad Cornelius
Jason Zemke (President) Julie Sventek, DCLC Director
C3L1CA94@gmail.com
jasonzemke@gmail.com
julie.sventek@stmatthew-ch.org
Karrie Kikeh
Pastor Bill Hugo
karriekikeh@gmail.com
bill.hugo@stmatthew-ch.orgYou can also read
