Congregational Life – The Intercom, January 2019

Connecting Faith and Life
Join Pastor Randy for the next session of this adult learning opportunity beginning on Wednesday, January 9, from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m., in the Friendship Room. For seven weeks, the group will meet to discuss what author, historian, and keen cultural observer Phyllis Tickle refers to as Emergence Christianity.

Through video and group discussion, the group will examine the changing face of Christianity and culture through Tickle’s survey of 2,000 years of Western history, in which she identifies the great upheavals that occur in Western culture and Christianity every 500 years. The last was the Great Reformation of the 1500s; the next is happening now.

Questions the group will engage include: What are the implications of this “Great Emergence,” both culturally and spiritually? What are the key questions and issues that need to be addressed? Where might we be headed next? And, perhaps most importantly, where are you, at this moment? Might you be an emergence Christian?

Workbooks are available in the Church Office. A donation of $15 will help cover the cost of course materials.

A Place to Belong
If you’ve moved often, you may know when a place starts to feel like home to you. Personally, when I have moved into a new place, I haven’t needed a whole lot of furniture or even a comfortable couch for a place to feel like home. I simply need to hook up my stereo and play my own music. Once I hear my own music in a place, I can start to see how I belong there.

At church, the process is a bit different. Even if a church plays songs you like, that doesn’t mean it’s a place that will feel like home. You have to settle in; you have to come a few times. You have to feel comfortable with the people around you, even if you don’t know them. Still, like moving into your own home, a church community won’t become your community until you add your own personal touch.

This is what congregation membership means at Our Savior’s. You’ve arrived here. You know this is a place you could find yourself comfortable. Now, come and discover how you can add your own personal touch—how you can make this church your church.

As a prospective member, you may have questions. Does joining a new congregation mean you give up on your old one? Does it come with some hidden benefits other people aren’t telling you about? Or does it suddenly mean new commitments, new expectations? The answers are often easier than you think. Contact Loretta, 336-2942, ext. 14, or lnelson@oslchurch.com, to reserve your spot at OSL’s New Member Orientation on Saturday, January 19, from 9:00 to 11:30 a.m., and find out how easy it is to make yourself at home at Our Savior’s. New members will be received at worship services on January 26 and 27.

—Pr. Justin Kosec

Say Cheeeeeeese!
If you haven’t had your portrait taken yet for the upcoming OSL Pictorial Directory, you still have time—but not much!

The remaining rounds of sittings are January 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 22, 23, 24, 25, 26. And slots are filling up fast, so don’t delay!

Sign up in one of three ways: (1) Stop by the table on the west side of The Gathering Place on Sunday morning. (2) Visit the OSL website and follow the link to sign up online. (3) Contact Loretta in the Church Office, 336-2942, ext. 14, and lock down an appointment!

And say cheeeeeeese!

St. Olaf Choir at OSL
The St. Olaf Choir, conducted by Anton Armstrong, will begin its 2019 Winter Tour with a concert at Our Savior’s, on Saturday, January 19, at 7:00 p.m.

The St. Olaf Choir, comprised of 75 mixed voices, is the premier a cappella choir in the United States. The ensemble’s annual tour brings its artistry and message to thousands of people across the nation and around the world.

Visit https://wp.stolaf.edu/stolaf-choir/ to purchase tickets.