August 2012, page 1

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In a twist on the old cliché I have sad news and joyful news. The sad news is that Mary

Lou Schutz, our long time Children’s Director, is retiring this fall. Below is a portion of

the letter she wrote to the volunteers of the Children’s Ministry.

_______________________________________________________

Dear Friends, Sisters, Brothers of Children’s Ministry and Nursery,

Read the following, please, as if you and I were sitting near each other

having a heart to heart conversation. Words can be so limited in expressing

our hearts. This message is probably one of the most difficult to put on

paper. So, I’ve decided to be very honest.

I am stepping down from Children’s Ministry and Nursery Director. No date

in sight yet. Many steps need to happen here at church first.

Why? Top reason as many of you can observe and some of you know, my

husband, Jim, is not well. The Parkinson’s and skin cancer are taking away

his strength, energy and causing anxiety for which more medicine is

prescribed. Then too, this summer I will be old enough to be your mother,

grandmother or great grandmother! Yes, I do have good health and do run

circles around some of you. But, you probably suspected the above when I

did not direct VBS last summer.

You need to know that I dearly love Children’s Ministry and Nursery. My love

for the children and for you is more than I can express. The Bible says that a

three-fold cord cannot easily be broken. That’s you and I and Jesus Christ

woven together in a strength, love, bonding, togetherness, oneness that has

brought us through memories that will never leave us, but can only be

shared by us. We have 15 years of blessings from the hand of God. It has

been a privilege to be called by God and serve in our ministry. My gratitude

to/for you and your commitment does not have enough superlatives that

can be written. It has never been about me. It isn’t now.

Keep running the race and fighting the good fight. Victory comes when we

do not stop.

Love and prayer always, ML

_______________________________________________________

This of course will be another time of transition. In the next couple months we will be

hiring an interim Children’s Director. We will put together a search committee to hire

a new Children Director.

August 2012, page 2

Women Serving Women Beth Moore's latest study on James: Mercy Triumphs, will start

Sept 18th, and Sept 22nd. Sign ups begin August 19th! Get started

on the study, and get your workbook at any Lifeway store.

EVERY TIME IT RAINS: THANK YOU!

In the 1st chapter of his letter to the church in Philippi, the Apostle Paul wrote, “I thank my God every time

I remember you.” What a great way to express his joy and thankfulness about those who he had in his life then.

In the same way, my family and I are very thankful to our God for the generosity and love of a few people at Discover Church – you know who you are – those who made it possible for us to have a new roof over our heads this summer. We are, indeed, blessed by the donations, the time and the talents that went into fixing our old and leaky roof. Though we did not ask for the help, the Lord knew what we needed and whispered into the hearts of those who were able to reveal His grace. Thus, we are grateful beyond words.

So if you had a hand or a part in making sure that our home stayed dry this summer and through the years ahead, thank you, and we thank God for you. Know that, like the Apostle Paul, we cannot help but thank our God for you every time it rains.

Pastor La Andriamihaja & family

The joyful news is that Mary Lou is not stepping down from ministry. She will still be very active in

ministry helping me to lead our Pilot Missional Community. She will also continue to share her art work

with the larger church. I am personally thankful that she will continue to be my partner in ministry for a

long time to come.

In Hope and Joy,

Pastor Carl Billings, Senior Pastor

August 2012, page 3

Be Born Again By Nancy Brown

John 3:3- Except a man be born again, he cannot

see the kingdom of God.

What does it mean to be born again? This is a

phrase much used. So much it can seem that

the term has been squeezed dry. In my early

years as a Lutheran, I hadn’t heard it much. So

when my Baptist neighbor asked me if I had

been born again I had to think because that

terminology was not familiar.

I knew my spirit had been quickened by the Holy Spirit when I was 21. Therefore I said “Yes, that is what I

would call it.” It was a surprise of God. I thought I knew God, but this was an exciting new knowing. When

it happened, I was down. “Lord, I can’t go on like this. I turn my life over to you.” God touched my world,

turned it upside down and I have never been the same.

I have had encounters with the Living Christ since then, time and time again. Are these little births? What

do you call them? Some are momentary A-HAs and some are profound deepenings. I need renewal daily. I

go to my special place to be with Him looking forward to just being. He’ll be there.

GET READY, MEN! By Pastor La Andriamihaja, Associate Pastor

No, I’m not trying to be sexist or discriminatory by only addressing the men of Discover Church. I’m only

reminding and inviting them to prepare for the up and coming Men’s Retreat this fall (Oct. 5-7). Last fall,

close to twenty men spent a great weekend together at Cragun’s Resort, by Brainerd, MN. We fellow-

shipped and worshiped together as men of God and as men of the church. We enjoyed fishing, boating,

golfing, walking, Bible Studies and much more as well as learning about ourselves, our roles as men in

mission for our congregation, and what’s expected of us in God’s world. It was a great and fantastic time.

Well men, it’s time to make ready for this fall’s Men’s Retreat again. Please mark you calendar and save

the date of Oct. 5-7, at Cragun’s Resort, on Gull Lake (by Brainerd, MN). In addition, start saving your $$

now for what promises to be another great retreat. It will cost each man around $240 for the weekend –

may be even less if we have more people attending. There will be more information and registration

packet out on the Ministry Desk later this month. But for now, pray that you can join us, mark and save

the date, save toward it, and invite other men of God to join us.

Should you have questions, or need more info on this fall’s Men’s Retreat, please feel free to contact, or

talk to me (612-396-2762; prlha@aim.com). Until then, God bless you!

August 2012, page 4

Christ or the Church? By Pastor Mark Graham, as excerpted from the LCMC newsletter

“...’choose this day whom you will serve,’ declares Joshua. ‘But as for me and my house, we will serve the

Lord!’ ”— Joshua 24:15

Which comes first, Christ or the church?

Yes, Paul writing to the Colossians describes the church as the very body of Christ in the world. Indeed, it

is the will of Christ that we act in such complete concert with Him, embodying His love and truth, that the

world will see Him, even as it sees us.

But when the church doesn’t live accordingly, when it rejects the Headship of Jesus Christ, then we have

decisions to make and ultimate priorities to consider. If that happens, we come to a crossroads of a crisis.

Which then will be first in our lives: Christ or the church?

That time came in 2009 for us at St. John, Roanoke, Virginia. Perhaps it came earlier for you and your con-

gregation, or maybe later, but it comes to us all. The debate over the authority of Scripture is the main

issue. But the particular point of contention, of course, centers on the biblical doctrine of marriage and

human sexuality. Is the Bible right on these core matters? Which is to say, is Christ right?

When our former denomination determined Christ was wrong and mandated extraordinary changes in

ministry, faith and obedience, our leadership believed the church had separated itself from Christ. So we

put forth a vote to separate from it. Christ or the church? We had to decide our priority. We could no

longer have both.

When the dust on the final vote settled, and we counted up the casualties from the battle at this cross-

roads, we lamented great losses. This was not a little skirmish that later everyone could laugh off over

drinks at the club. People—the very Body of Christ—had to decide. It was either follow Christ or the

church. That’s a great divider, indeed.

Looking back, we can see where the division basically came. The congregation was split into two camps,

not exactly, but largely.

In one camp were those who had come to Christ through the church. Through friendships, ministries, and

activities in the church, they had gotten to know Christ. When the church was questioned and challenged,

it shook their world. The church had their allegiance, and they fought hard for it and for our continuing

participation in the denomination they loved so deeply. In their eyes, separating from the church denomi-

nation would be tantamount to separating from Christ. The church came first, so most in this camp left

for churches still loyal to the denomination.

In the other camp were those who had come to the church through Christ. At some point, they had been

brought into a saving relationship of faith with Christ. It may have happened in the context of a congrega-

tion, but it could just as well have been through the witness of a friend, a neighborhood small group or

other setting. As a result, when the church was questioned it did not shake their world. They could see

themselves in a variety of church settings and organizations—as long as Christ was the main focus. Sepa-

rating from the church was not the same as separating from Christ, for Christ came first.

Most in this camp remained joyfully in the congregation. Which comes first, Christ or the church? In every

generation, this question must be decided. If we choose Christ, the church of Christ always follows. If we

choose the church, Christ may be lost in the midst of other priorities.

August 2012, page 5

Ask The Pastor Pastor Carl Billings, Senior Pastor

Ask the Pastor will return in Septembers Newsletter with Part 2 on the Marriage Amendment.

Children’s Ministry By Mary Lou Schutz, Director of Children’s Ministry

For some reason whenever I think about Children’s Ministry which has been my thinking for 15 years I get

this huge sensation of gratitude. It would go something like what Paul said in Philippians 1:3-10, “I thank

my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your

partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that He who began a good

work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. It is right for me to feel this way

about all of you, since I have you in my heart…”

Did you to know that you are appreciated? I believe the annals of heaven are filled with years of children

and staff walking tight with God because of the presence of the Holy Spirit and the Joy of the Good

News. Discover Church’s congregation has been there to pray, offer scholarships and volunteer to teach

or assist. One last reason for gratitude is the faithfulness of everyone involved in Children’s

Ministry. You might not know that I do not send out reminders related to staff assignments. Children’s

ministers are there because they know they are called to those children and their responsibilities are

theirs. Even in the summer we do vacation and we find our own subs. To have such a mature caring team

of adults and teens is a big blessing that is not taken for granted. Every time I think of what God has done

thankfulness is the only response.

Youth Ministry By Jonathan Brandon, Director of Youth Ministry

1) Backyard BBQ Bible Study every Wednesday in August at Jona-

than's house. Our theme for the bible study will be "Remember All

God has Done." The dates will be 8/1, 8/8, 8/15, 8/22 and 8/29 from

6:00 - 8:00 pm at my house. The address is 1309 82nd Ave N, Brooklyn

Park, MN 55444 - it's just two houses off the church parking lot. Hot

dogs, chips, and beverages will be provided. You are more than wel-

come to bring a food item to share, but it is not required. Be sure to

bring your bible and a camping chair!

2) Just a reminder that Youth Mission Sunday is August 12th during all

three services.

August 2012, page 6

Families Moving Forward Week

Well, Discover Church, we did it again! We had another fantastic week hosting our families with Families

Moving Forward. We want to first and foremost thank all of our volunteers for all their hard work, from

the set-up crew, activities crew, the youth who came in, and the kitchen crew, you all did a wonderful job

and our families were very grateful! We would also like to thank all the people who donated food and

supplies this whole week could not have happened if this amazing congregation did not do this as a

whole body! Also, thank you for the beautiful quilts and their makers, the families loved them and will

cherish them always as a precious gift from Discover Church. Lastly, to the prayer shawl ministry, a guest

of ours, named Yolanda, was so blessed by your ministry and kindness. Thank you, Discover Church, for

your generosity and love that you showed these families!

A few side notes for those of you who may not know much about the FMF

guests that we had this week, we will share just a little with you all.

Yolanda and her son stayed with us this past week and she is recovering

from foot surgery. She was a beautiful woman of God who shared with us

the things that we can improve on as a ministry. We were very thankful

for her and her honesty and openness. We are always looking to do better

to help the needs of others. Kenneth, a single dad and his son, were a joy

to have this past week. We were blessed to be able to share and celebrate

his birthday with him on Wednesday. We had cake for him and rejoiced in

all that has been going on in his life and his sons. Thank you Kim S. for the

great cake!

We were very excited when one of our families moved out on

Friday. Martha and her 5 kids found a place to live, a 4-bedroom

apartment, and they were so very excited to have their own place

and their own space to call home! God is good! Rickell, her baby

boy, and 3 year old girl, are still new to FMF, and they were a joy to

have around all week. It was wonderful to see Rickell feel at home

at our church by the end of the week, and I know that she was very

grateful for everything we had for her and her kids.

Again, we cannot thank you, Discover Church family, for all that you have done for FMF and this ministry

that we are a part of. It is a joy to be a part of this ministry and to be able to assist these families at a time

in their lives when they just need a little help! We have heard wonderful things from our guests about

how beautiful our facility is and how kind our volunteers are, so thank you for showing the love of Christ

to our wonderful families!

Blessings,

Families Moving Forward Leadership Team

August 2012, page 7

Amazing Grays

August 5th, 10am Sunday Brunch Bunch at Girvan Grille, Brooklyn Park.

August 17th, 11am Thursday lunch at Champlin Pizza Ranch.

August 30th, 6:30pm 5th Thursday Game Night at Discover Church.

Care Ministry is looking for volunteers to welcome people who come to

visit Discover Church for the first time. If interested please contact

Yvonne Larson at 763-670-0603 or yavonna1@aol.com or Pastor La at

763-561-5877.

Celebrate Recovery - Support group for those dealing with hurts,

habits, hang-ups . Join us the 1st and 3rd Sunday of each month at

5:30PM in the Chapel. Contact Todd at 763-670-7042 with questions.

Life After Loss - Facing loss is difficult. This support group meets the

last Sunday of each month in the conference room at 9:30 am. Contact

Nancy Brown at 763-783-8367 or Bob Paulson at 763-566-3147.

Men’s Ministry - Sign up now for the October Mens Retreat at Craguns

Resort.

Pastoral Care Phone: If you need to talk to a pastor after office hours or

have a pastoral emergency, please call 763-202-2741.

Prayer Counseling - Are you in need of prayer counseling? Our prayer

counseling team at the Elijah House is ready to assist you with handling

any of life’s difficulties. Give our Director, Terra Sorg, a confidential call

at 763-561-5877 to set up an appointment.

Prayer Shawls - If you know of someone who needs a prayer shawl,

please contact Barbara Duffy at 763-315-0952 or the church office.

Discover Church

81st Ave N

Brooklyn Park, MN 55444

763-561-5877 Fax: 763-561-4296

S T A F F

E M A I L A D D R E S S E S

All staff emails are in the

following format:

firstname.lastname

@discoverchurchnetwork.org

Pastor Carl Billings,

Senior Pastor

Pastor La Andriamihaja,

Associate Pastor

Joe Gerber,

Worship Director

MaryLou Schutz,

Director Of Children’s Ministries

Jonathan Brandon,

Director of Youth Ministries

Terra Sorg,

Director of Prayer Counseling

Jennifer Straw,

Business Manager

Jessica Kuhn,

Event Coordinator and

Director of Hospitality

August 2012, page 8

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1

2 7pm Worship Rehearsal

3

4 US Coast Guard Day*

5 Missional Community Launch 8am, 9:30am & 11am Service 9:30an AG Brunch Bunch 5:30pm Celebrate Recovery

6

7 10am Staff Mtg 6pm Stewardship 7pm Council

8 6pm Youth BBBS 9pm Men’s Group at BC Applebee's

9 7pm Worship Rehearsal

10 National S’mores Day*

11

12 Youth Missions Sunday 8am, 9:30am & 11am Service

13

14 10am Staff Mtg

15 6pm Youth BBBS 7pm Prayer Counselors Mtg 9pm Men’s Group at BC Applebee's

16 11am AG at Pizza Ranch 7pm Worship Rehearsal

17

18 Bad Poetry Day*

19 8am, 9:30am & 11am Service 5:30pm Celebrate Recovery

20 9am Quilting

21 10am Staff Mtg

22 6pm Monroe Missional Community Potluck Mtg in Foyer 6pm Youth BBBS 9pm Men’s Group at BC Applebee's

23 7pm Worship Rehearsal

24 National Waffle Day*

25 National Second-hand Wardrobe Day*

26 8am, 9:30am & 11am Service

27 28 10am Staff Mtg

29 6pm Youth BBBS 9pm Men’s Group at BC Applebee's

30 6:30pm AG Game Night 7pm Worship Rehearsal

31 National Trail Mix Day*

*These days are not necessarily observed by Discover Church.

Please call the Discover Church office 763-561-5877 or email

info@discoverchurchnetwork.org to reserve space for

your event or to make additions to the calendar.

Office Hours are Monday thru Friday from 9am to 4pm.