Friends, 

The news about the earthquake in Syria and Turkey this week has broken my heart. As of my writing this, over 17,000 people have been confirmed dead. The devastation of whole cities is nearly unimaginable without images. I saw a picture of a father sitting on a chair amidst the rubble of his apartment building. His hand was extended onto a partially exposed mattress amidst layers of concrete. He was holding the hand of his dead daughter who was still buried under the debris. The image took my breath away. You can’t help but feel his pain and utter sense of hopelessness deep in your being when you see images like these.

There’s a word at the center of our Christian faith that speaks to this feeling. Compassion. It’s a compound word – Com- means “with”, -passion means “to suffer”. Compassion literally means “to suffer with”. This is what Jesus does when he meets people on the margins, those who have been ignored, neglected, despised, or pushed out, or devastated by life’s circumstances. It’s ultimately what Jesus does for all of us when he willingly and freely goes to the cross – he suffers with and on behalf of all of creation. To have compassion – to suffer with others – is to follow in the way of Jesus.

One of our primary global partners, Lutheran Mideast Development has been directly impacted by the earthquake. Most of the cities and villages LMD works in is in the heart of the earthquake zone. Some staff have lost their homes, others have family members missing. In response to the suffering in Turkey and Syria, the Global Mission Team has authorized $8100 from the global mission fund to support our partners at Lutheran Mideast Development. Augustana was also able to send $8100 to Lutheran Disaster Response from designated gifts and income from the land lease for the cell tower. If you would like to contribute to relief efforts, you may give by clicking on Lutheran Mideast Development or Lutheran Disaster Response. These partners are using 100% of gifts to support relief efforts. Our gifts matter and so do our prayers. So we pray together:

Compassionate God, 

In the face of unspeakable suffering in Syria and Turkey, we seek your power, your love, and your protection for all who are impacted. We pray that you will comfort those whose family and friends have died or who are still missing. Bring order out of the chaos and strength to those who serve. Be with the relief workers and those who will work endless hours to comfort and counsel. Guide your church to be your compassionate body in this world, and empower us to be bearers of hope, even now.

Amen. 

Christ’s peace and compassion,

Imagining

Our Future Ministry Together 

We are in a different place emotionally, organizationally, and spiritually than we were just a few years ago. The congregation is invited and encouraged to complete an online congregational assessment to help us measure congregational satisfaction and energy, pinpoint strengths within the congregation, and discover our key priorities. An email was sent out last Sunday, February 5 to all households for which we had an email address with an online link to the survey. That same link can be found below.

A few things to note about the online survey:

• The survey must be completed in one session, you cannot stop and then come back to it later.
• There are 104 questions, plan on approximately 30 minutes to complete.
• Only one person per household answers the demographic questions, (questions 79-85). Other members of your household completing the survey should respond to questions 79-85 with "another person from my household is providing this information."
• All answers are strictly anonymous. We have no way of matching any assessment to a particular person, so please feel free to candidly share your perceptions, opinions, and experiences.
• This survey is conducted by Holy Cow! Consulting. They have helped over 5,000 congregations across the country discern their future.
• For anyone without access to the online survey, paper copies are available at the Information Center.
• The survey will be available through Sunday, February 26.

Our goal is to have 300 individuals complete the assessment. Our future together is dependent on your participation and honest answers. If you have any questions, please contact one of the members of the Steering Committee below. They will be happy to answer your questions. We look forward to your insights. 

Many thanks,



Laurie Tostrud, Church Council President

Kelly Schmidt, Church Council Member

Nancy Huart, Church Council Member

Carla Pfeifer, Communications Director

Pastor Jason Bryan-Wegner, Senior Pastor 

Spring New Member Event

Sunday, February 26 | Noon (lunch provided)

If you’ve been worshiping with us or connected with a ministry and are interested in being a member, join us for our Spring New Member Event. Learn more about ways to grow, serve, and live out your faith as part of the Augustana community. Childcare available upon request. New members welcomed into the congregation on Sunday, March 12 at 9:45 am. RSVP to Barb Rolfes in the church office 651.457.3373 by Wednesday, February 22. 

An Evening with Author Kate Bowler

 Sunday, April 23  |  7:00 pm | St. Andrew Lutheran Church in Eden Prairie

Join Christians around the Twin Cities for an evening with Kate Bowler, Duke

University religion professor and New York Times bestselling author of No Cure For Being Human and Everything Happens for a Reason: And Other Lies I’ve Loved.

Augustana is co-hosting this event thanks to a gift from the Augustana Harvest Fund. A limited number of free tickets are available. Email Barb Rolfes to get your ticket.

Ash Wednesday

Wednesday, February 22

Midweek Worship | 11:00 am & 7:00 pm

A service of scripture, song, & prayer With Holy Communion & Imposition of Ashes 

Youth Ski Trip

Friday, February 17 – Monday, February 20

We are very excited to have the youth ski trip to Giants Ridge return this year! It is a weekend filled with laughter, fun, fellowship and of course, skiing/snowboarding. This weekend is open to all students in grades 7-12. For more information contact Abby.

Lenten Mentoring 2023 News

Lenten Mentor Orientation | Wednesday, February 15

7:00 pm | Youth Room

Lenten Mentoring will begin on Ash Wednesday, February 22. Lenten Mentoring is a special part of the Confirmation Ministry at Augustana; providing students the opportunity to learn and grow in their faith through conversations and activities with an adult mentor from the congregation. Information about Lenten Mentoring was emailed to all registered confirmation students & families.  

Where Faith Meets Family Take & Make

Sunday, February 19  |   9:45 am

All families are invited to join us on the third Sunday of each month in place of Youth Forum and Kids’ Kingdom to receive ideas on simple practices to grow their faith together and a bag of supplies (and instructions) to take home. Please sign-up for the February project by emailing Cathy Hendrikson or Abby Norlin-Weaver.

To register, email: Abby Norlin-Weaver, Cathy Hendrikson, or Joann Arneberg.

This event is supported by a grant from Minnesota Health Fairview.

Augustana Summer Camps

Online registration is now open for Augustana Camps.

 Music & Arts Camp

June 12—15  |  9:00—11:45 am |  $15   

Children finishing grades 1—5



 VBS Week 1

June 19—22  |  9:00 am-12:00 pm  |  $15  

Children 4yrs old—grade 5

VBS Week 2

June 26—29  |   9:00 am-12:00 pm  |  $ 15  

Children 4yrs old—grade 5

Adult Forum | Sunday Mornings at 9:45 | Jerusalem Room

This month we are finding the power within our Lutheran doctrines and Scripture.

February 12, 19 | A New Look at an Old Friend | Rev. Jim Gustafson

This class is intended to be a quick overview/refresher of Luther’s Small Catechism for those who haven’t looked at it for a while, or those who may never have studied it, or for the parents of our confirmation students who are studying it in depth this year. Everyone is welcome!  

Women’s Coffee & Conversation

Mondays 10:00 – 11:30 am  | February 13 | The Power of Aging

We will finish this series by combining our wisdom with insights from The Gift of Years by Joan Chittister. Our next series on embodiment is March 6-27.

Shrove Tuesday/Fat Tuesday Pancake Dinner

Tuesday, February 21 | 5:00—6:00 pm Fellowship Hall   |   Cost $6 per person

Join us for a fun dinner of pancakes, sausage, and other breakfast foods before we start our Lenten journey. Invite your friends and family to join you! Please sign up below.  

Book Study

The Power Worshippers: Inside the Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism

by Katherine Stewart.

Online discussions  |  February 26, March 26  |   6:30 – 7:30 pm



Stewart’s research reveals that Christian Nationalism is a political movement that seeks to gain power and to impose its vision on all of society; this movement has turned religion into a tool for domination. This month we will discuss chapters 5-8. You can still join the group just email Stacy secardwell@augustana.com.

Finding God's Power Within and in Front of the Church: Reading the Acts of the Apostles | Matt Skinner, Luther Seminary Professor

Tuesday, February 28 | 6:30 – 8:00 pm | Jerusalem Room

After the four Gospels tell us about the life of Jesus, the next book in the New Testament, The Acts of the Apostles, recounts the adventures of several of Jesus' followers during the earliest decades of the Christian church. What can a story like that contribute to our faith and life today? How might it help us realize God's power for us, now? Acts can inspire us (and sometimes confuse us) with its descriptions of those ancient adventures, but the book's greatest value lies elsewhere. Through the history it recounts, Acts reminds us who we are, as people of faith. We are people gathered, empowered, led, and loved by the God who raised Jesus from the dead. Acts also urges us to remember that God is trustworthy; God continues to lead and accompany the church through its adventures, whether the adventures are safe or risky, pleasant or agonizing, familiar or strange. Join us for this opportunity to dig deeper into Acts, so that we might keep on discovering our own places in the long-running stories of God's people. We'll discuss where Acts comes from, how best to read it, and how it tells of God's own Holy Spirit as the power within the church and its members--all of us. Please email Stacy if you plan to attend.

Living Well with Chronic Conditions

Thursdays, February 16—March 23  |  1:00-3:30 pm  |  At ReaLife Cooperative

This wellness class is for anyone over 60 years old. Topics include: nutrition, exercise,

medication use, sleep, pain management, emotions and communicating with medical providers. Led by Joann Arneberg and Rebecca Indahl, Faith Community Nurses. The class is free of charge, but donations are always welcome. Pick up a flyer in the church kiosk or see Joann.  

Family Support Group

Monthly, 2nd & 4th Mondays, 6:30 to 8:00 pm

Facilitated by Joann Arneberg, Augustana Faith Community Nurse

 Does your loved one live with a mental illness? NAMI Minnesota (National Alliance on Mental Illness) offers family and friends of individuals living with a mental illness an opportunity to meet with others who share their concerns and experiences. The meeting is free of charge and registration is not necessary. 

Blanket Collection

Do you have blankets that you don’t use and aren’t sure what to do with them? We will be collecting new and clean, gently used blankets and comforters to be given to Walking With A Purpose MN. Walking With A Purpose MN provides blankets, food, warm weather gear and other resources to those who are experiencing homelessness in St Paul and on the West Side. Blankets can be dropped off in the church office or the Info Center until the end of February.  

February Auggie Bags   

Every February the Community Mission committee chooses one or two non-profits for which to collect items. This year we have chosen a theme of “Supporting Local Schools” as our recipient. We will collect child-size underwear, socks, hats, & mittens for the elementary nurse’s offices and hygiene products for the nurse’s offices at the middle and high schools in WSP, SSP, and IGH. We will also collect items to make classroom packs for the teachers with sanitizing wipes, healthy/nut free snacks, markers, and Kleenex. A list of items is available at the Information Center. Donations can be dropped off at the Information Center or the church office anytime in February.

Looking for Ways to Get

Involved at Augustana?

Ways to Serve on Sundays

Families, couples, and singles, we would love your help on Sunday mornings! Usher, read the lesson, serve Communion, or be the welcoming face at the Information Center. Contact Barb Rolfes to learn more or sign up.

Help with Community Meals

More volunteers are needed for these coming months to help prepare our meals each Thursday. Please sign-up below if you would like to help.  

Romance in Opera: Tragedy and Triumph

Friday, February 17  |  7:00 pm | Augustana Sanctuary

All are invited to a recital by Geoffrey Schellenberg and fiancé, Tamar Simon. Geoffrey grew up at Augustana and his first experience communicating to others in a different language was through a Global Mission trip to Guatemala. He and Tamar are opera singers in Montreal Canada and pursuing doctoral degrees in voice. They will perform with the Mississippi Valley Orchestra here on Sunday, February 19 at 2:30 pm.

Mississippi Valley Orchestra

Sunday, February 19  |  2:30 pm | Augustana Sanctuary

The program will include: Gipps: Jane Grey Fantasy for Viola, op. 15; Grieg: Allegro

moderato molto e marcato from Piano Concerto in A minor; Mahler: Des Knaben

Wunderhorn featuring Tamar Simon, soprano and Geoffrey Schellenberg, baritone. 

Augustana is Seeking a Bookkeeping/Worship Secretary

Responsibilities include recording, reconciling, auditing, and reporting financial data. Other duties will include editing/printing worship materials and providing front office assistance as needed. The position will be 20-25 hours a week with core working days being Tuesday – Thursday. If you or anyone you know would be a good fit for this position, please contact Stacy Bratvold, Augustana Business Administrator at sbratvold@augustana.com or 651.457.3373.  

Augustana Connect is intended to highlight activities and events coming up in the next few weeks. For ongoing weekly activities, please check the online calendar. 

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