This Weeks Announcements

Lent Wednesday Webinar Worship
Wednesdays in Lent will focus on specific aspects of building a resilient life. Following the Ash Wednesday online service, each of the subsequent Wednesday webinar worship will be on Zoom so that everyone can participate safely from your home. The services will include music, prayers and practices, and a teaching on one component of building a more resilient life.
Please click the link below to join the webinar:
Passcode: 321483
Wednesday Themes: Resilient Relationships:
March 3 and 10: Our Relationship with Ourselves: Part 1—Resilience and Stress: Managing our Thoughts and Feelings, Part 2—Grief/Conflict/Forgiveness/Gratitude
Incarnation member Pat Nyman, for many years a facilitator of resilience groups, will be our guide as we do a deep dive into how we deal with our daily lives—the routine and extreme stresses that shape us.
Lenten Guides and Wooden “Clinging” Prayer Crosses
There are two guides for Lent this year to enhance your worship experience. Each contains unique content, so you may chose the one you like best or use both:
1) The Lenten Blessing Guide: This guide is appropriate for all ages, but is more easily adaptable for families with young children to use.
2) The Lenten Spiritual Practices Guide: This guide uses Lectio Divinia and images from the Saint John’s Bible to focus your spiritual practice.
As a gift to the Incarnation faith community, members from the Incarnation Wood Workers created and donated wooden clinging crosses for people to use while they pray. The shape of the crosses are made to fit naturally into your hand as you pray, read the Bible, or use a devotional. Clinging crosses may be picked up inside Door #1 during office hours of Monday – Thursday from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., while supplies last.
Lutheran Disaster Response: U.S. Winter Storms
Lutheran Disaster Response is communicating with and standing ready to support the Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod, the Southwestern Texas Synod, the Northern Texas-Northern Louisiana Synod, and Lutheran Social Services Disaster Response. Congregations are already conducting relief efforts such as supplying water, food and generators to those in need and opening their doors to serve as shelters. With such extensive damage, long-term recovery may include repairing water-damaged homes, disaster case management and supporting vulnerable populations. Your gifts will support storm survivors. Gifts to “U.S. Severe Storms” will be used in full (100%) to assist those affected by severe storms. Click here to donate.
Minnesota FoodShare March Campaign
Minnesota FoodShare, the largest grassroots fundraiser and food drive in the state, brings people together to help restock food shelves statewide, including the Ralph Reeder Food Shelf. You’re invited to make financial donations on behalf of the Ralph Reeder Food Shelf through Incarnation’s online giving site or by writing a check to Incarnation with “food shelf” in the memo, any time March 1 – April 11. A portion of all donations made will be matched by Minnesota FoodShare.
Incarnation is currently not collecting physical food or hygiene items for the Ralph Reeder Food Shelf; however, if you wish to donate physical items, you may drop them off directly at the food shelf. Click here to learn more.
Pathways Panel for Congregational Engagement in Racial Equity 
On Saturday, March 6 from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. learn about racial equity work that some of the Saint Paul Area Synod congregations are doing. Panelists will share how they got started as they sought pathways to participate, plan and develop work promoting racial equity and justice. There will be small group sessions with each panelist; select your top choices when registering. This is a free event hosted by the synod’s Advocates for Racial Equity public witness work group. Click here to register.

Resuming In-Person Worship
Starting March 7, Incarnation will be resuming in-person worship (8:45 a.m. Traditional and 10:00 a.m. Contemporary services). To help keep those in attendance safe, registering for worship is appreciated so we can stay below the max capacity for the space. Please click here to learn how to register for in-person worship. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Kairos
March 8: Living Out a Mission of Accompaniment
From August of 2018 through July 2019, Maddie Lindahl participated in the Young Adults in Global Mission program. As a YAGM, she lived in Senegal, West Africa for a year of intentional learning, service and humility. The program intends to form young adults to be global citizens living and leading within the ELCA. Maddie will discuss her formation during her year as a missionary, and the larger calling she is unearthing as she reflects on her time and relationships in Senegal. Though this story is from her perspective, it speaks to how the wider church is being called to participate in God’s mission and learn from what God is already doing through our siblings across the world. Click here to register for reminder emails.
Meeting ID: 826 9291 8315
Passcode: Kairos

JRLC’s Virtual Day on the Hill
The Joint Religious Legislative Coalition (JRLC) is the largest and most inclusive interfaith public interest group in Minnesota and Incarnation has recently become a congregational member. The JRLC mobilizes religious communities to influence public policy in Minnesota. Join JRLC’s Virtual Day on the Hill – Make Justice Your Aim (Isaiah 1:17) on Thursday, March 11 from 6:30 – 8:45 p.m. Participants will examine justice for Minnesotans of color and those who are unsheltered in the context of COVID-19 vaccines. This will prepare us to meet legislators to work for justice. Registration details and legislative visit information can be found at 2021 Day on the Hill. For questions, contact Joan Miltenberger, Statewide Organizer.

Saturday Morning Guided Retreat: Love
Participate in a Saturday morning guided retreat on March 13 from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. on Zoom. This retreat will guide participants to deeply experience God’s love for each one of us as well as helping us understand how to love others as we love ourselves. The time will include two guided meditations, silence, visionary meditations and short teachings from noted Christian authors. All are welcome! Led by Anne Cremons and Chris Lepoutre. For more information or to register contact Anne Cremons.
Fundraising for Children, Youth and Family Summer Camps
The Children, Youth and Family staff have created a digital Wall O’ Money that will make it easy to give a predetermined amount of a donation, or you can choose how much you’d like to give as you please. Click here to check out the Wall O’ Money.

Summer Camps and Programming for Children and Youth
Start planning for fun this summer with the camps and programs being offered this year! There’s a variety of things to do for children and youth and there are volunteer opportunities too. Check out the 2021 summer camps page here.

Vacation Bible School: Spotlight Writers
If you are a writer or have an interest in writing and would like to learn from one of the best, Greta Grosch will be working with a team to develop scripts for Opening, Closing and more for Vacation Bible School this summer. Contact Rebecca Christiansen for more details.

Vacation Bible School: Spotlight Actors
If you are an actor, tech, or director or you have an interest in various areas of theatre, you can work alongside Greta Grosch to learn more about acting, editing processes of videos and all that goes into putting together an online production. Contact Rebecca Christiansen for more details.

Zoom Help for Online Kairos 
Kairos, Incarnation’s Adult Learning forum, is seeking a volunteer to be the primary administrator for the Zoom Kairos meetings. The person will provide technical support to the guest speaker, record the session and perform minor editing to the video to prepare it for uploading. Training is available. Contact Pastor Joel Vander Wal for a more detailed job description, if interested.

Congregational Care and Connections Leader
Incarnation Lutheran Church is seeking a part-time Congregational Care and Connections Leader to begin immediately. This position is for 20 hours a week and offers prorated vacation and sick time. This person will lead a responsive and compassionate ministry of care by developing systems that respond to immediate care needs and ongoing connection needs for people who are more isolated or alone. This is the frontline face of the caring ministry at Incarnation. An associate’s or bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university is required along with at least 1-2 years of related paid or volunteer experience in a church setting. To apply, please send a cover email and resume to Danette Griffith, Administrator by March 1, 2021.

Growing Through Loss Series
This six week series provides information and support for a variety of loss and grief issues. Each session begins with an educational presentation by a professional, followed by small groups facilitated by leaders who understand the grieving process. There is no cost, but donations are welcome. Registration takes place each evening before the program. Church affiliation isn’t necessary. Attend any or all sessions. We will be following Abiding Savior Lutheran Church’s facility use policy during this pandemic. Child care will not be provided and you are required to wear a face mask. Call 763-755-5335 or visit www.growingthroughloss.org for more information. The next series will be held Tuesday evenings, April 6 – May 11 from 6:45 – 9:00 p.m. at Abiding Savior Lutheran Church.
2020 Year End Giving Statements
2020 Year End Giving Statements were emailed on January 18. If you have not received your statement, check your SPAM/Junk folder in your email system in case it was flagged as SPAM. If you still need a reprint of your statement, log into Realm and select the 2020 Giving Statement button to reprint it. You will find the button when you are in GIVING. It is located just above your giving number.
Note: We are currently experiencing a high volume of inquiries, so please consider this self-serve approach for faster service. If you still have questions, contact Amy Faymoville, Financial Secretary. For more instructions on how to use your Realm Account, click here.