Another day learning from our Lakota neighbors. Basil Braveheart and Elizabeth Little shared their stories and insight into the Lakota understanding of the world and way of life. Then we helped host over 60 kids and their families for a summer BBQ party.
An amazing, eventful, beautiful day! After getting settled at the Pine Ridge Retreat Center we headed to Darrin’s buffalo ranch. We visited with his buffalo and heard the story of the White Buffalo Calf Woman. After lunch we headed over the hill and dismantled a chicken coop. Next up was learning traditional Lakota dancing then performing the dances at a nursing home with the Lakota Grandchildren’s Dancing Society led by Kelly Looking Horse and his wife. Then dinner and a movie and ending the day with small group discussion time. Thank you God for today.
Congratulations to our 2019 high school graduates! And, thanks to graduates McKealy Baker, Zach Osmundson, Simon Roemig, and everyone who helped to make our baccalaureate services so special.
Merciful God, we thank you for these sisters and brothers, whom you have made your own by water and the Word in baptism. You have called them to yourself, enlightened them with the gifts of your Spirit, and nourished them in the community of faith.
Congratulations to Mount Calvary’s Confirmation Class of 2019!
Luke Anderson
Noah Anderson
Justin Anderson
Ellie Anlauf
Kate Berchild
Xóchitl Bergthold
Jackson Blanks
Leo Boime
Maxwell Buescher
Audrey Burton
Amelia Bussey
Whitney Cowan
Hanna Dahlin
William Dieken
Emma Dill
Laney Dodd
Hope Durenberger
Mia Elvecrog
Nathan Faster
Madeline Fiedler
Charlie FitzPatrick
Brock Foslien
Jack Frame
Fantaye Gilbertson
Kate Gilmore
Spencer Gongoll
Henry Gregerson
Hailey Guptail
Parker Hitchcock
Frances Huso
Meghan Ische
Sarah Johnsen
Abby Johnson
Bjorn Johnson
Jana Johnson
Lauren Johnson
Lilia Johnson
William Johnson
Lexy Kakacek
Lily Kamrath
Mirbella Kilner
Jenna Klein
Kaelyn Knudtson
Abigail Koehnen
Isabella Konat
Brianna LaMere
J.D. Landstrom
Vera Laninga
Natalie Larson
Savannah Lenk
Veda Link
Tommy Lurie
Lucas Martin
Carmen McLaren
Chloe McLaren
Jack McMillan
Tanner McPherson
Luke Miller
Tony Nelson
Peyton Olson
Wesley Parker
Zach Peterson
Carly Pfeffer
Derek Puzak
Emma Quam
Avery Rafferty
Charlotte Reitan
Avery Roerig
Anton Rutten
Grace Sadura
Lillie Schaefer
Julia Schini
Benjamin Scott
Brynn Shedd
Leah Shedd
Lauren Sundry
Stephani Sundry
Emmett Swendseid
Jocelyn Thom
Henry Tuttle
Justina Valentini
Noah Volbrecht
Anya Vukovich
Regan Way
Jaxson Well
Grace Whisnant
Madeleine Wiitala
Maizey Wilken
Jackson Woodley
Ava Zavadil
Jacob Zils
Mount Calvary thanks our 2019 Confirmation Guides for their inspired service to our youth!
Marri Anderson
Tim Anderson
Amy Burton
Kim Dieken
Amy Dill
Heather Durenberger
Tony Gilbertson
Jennifer Ische
Sonja Johnson
Stephanie Johnson
Jon Kamrath
Diane LaMere
Tracy Olson
Craig Parker
Traci Peterson
Maria Reitan
Stephanie Sundry
Heidi Tuttle
Dan Volbrecht
Tom Vukovich
Angela Vukovich
Renee Whisnant
Class Manager: Nancy Link
Thank you 8th Graders and parents for an excellent service day at our partner congregation, Gethsemane Lutheran, this past weekend!
Our Mount Calvary 7th graders spent a great day learning from our Somali Muslim neighbors at Augsburg University with our 7th Grade Interfaith Bridge Building day.
6th Grade – will make 540 after-school snack-packs for WeCan which is located in Mound.
7th Grade:
8th Grade – will assemble 110 Newborn Kits to be distributed in third-world countries through Global Health Ministries.
It was MOVIE day – the boys had scoffed and joked, the girls had giggled and whispered. If the truth were to be told, we were all mortified. The day when the 5th grade girls went to one school room and the boys went to the other. We were going to see the changing bodies movie and get “the talk”. This was an important milestone and every parent was invited by the school to attend. I remember it vividly
because out of 50 students, my mom was one of two moms who came. I liked my mom, so I wasn’t too bothered. The fact that the other mom belonged to the most popular girl in 5th grade didn’t hurt, but I remember wondering why no other parents attended. I learned later, that not only did parents not attend, there was no discussion on the topics of sexuality and dating between my friends and their parents, ever!
Being a typical adolescent, I was completely and utterly embarrassed by the “conversations” my parents were determined to have with me. Now I know what an amazing thing it was. Working with young people for the past 32 years has taught me that even though “sex and sexuality” front all the magazines, TV, movies and every social media
outlet, it is not talked about in the home.
In this church home, it’s a different story. Several years ago, Pastor Dave and I decided we wanted to help parents talk to their children about sexuality and dating. We didn’t want to talk biology we wanted to talk relationship. We wanted to open the door to comfortable conversation between parent and child – a door that could remain open. We designed and wrote four lessons based on everything from dating and love to body image, abusive relationships, media messages
and God’s hope for us. We shaped it around 7th and 8th graders and placed it within the confirmation ministry. There was much fear and trembling from child and parent as they shuffled in for the first time, but it didn’t take long for it to be replaced by conversation and laughter.
We used a combination of discussion, interviews, power point, graphics and personal story to invite everyone to participate where they were at. It was facilitated to allow the parent to guide the discussion using their own language, experience and values. We received a flood of positive response! The most important to me was an email from a member who worked at the West Suburban teen clinic. She said it was an amazing experience and if all teens had an opportunity for conversation like this,
it could change what she did!
At the end of January, teen and parent gathered. They entered with fear and trepidation, giggles and whispers which soon changed to laughter, jokes and warmth. God calls us into relationship and who better to teach and guide young people than those who love them the most! The night ends with each parent placing a hand on their child’s
head and blessing them – a holy moment in time. What an honor to behold!
College Care Packages are arriving at college dorms all over the United States and Canada! Over one hundred Care Packages are being mailed to college kids from Mount Calvary. Each box contains a dozen chocolate chip cookies baked by the Tuesday morning “Women of Thunder” Bible Study ladies, a handmade Christmas Card from our Sunday School kids, all kinds of healthy and a few “not-so-healthy” snacks donated by college families, a novelty gift, and a motivational letter from Pastor Dave for finals week. We are looking forward to welcoming our college kids back to worship over the holidays!