“I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.” — John 11: 25-26, NRSVUE
The Easter Season is a time of celebrating all the ways in which resurrection is possible in our lives. We can be in need of rising out of the depth of imprisonment, addiction, poverty, illness, and oppression — not just physically and literally, but also spiritually. What keeps us locked up inside? What holds us back from the joy of life? What binds us, keeping us from the fullness of who God created us to be? Join us for powerful testimonies of courage, kindness, strength, and overcoming — Resurrection Stories — from those who have found “resurrection” in their lives. It might just inspire you to unlock your own rising up!
Have you heard…Dining Out For Life Minnesota is happening on April 25! Don’t have FOMO, join thousands of Minnesotans supporting local restaurants and the HIV community today!
Whether you dine at a participating restaurant, or order takeout to dine at home, a portion of your bill will be donated to the Aliveness Project (one of our Mission & Outreach partners) to promote wellness and social justice for communities most impacted by HIV.
Click here to find a restaurant near you!
We will begin with coffee hour in the Gathering Space and online from 9-10. From 10-12 we will be putting together hygiene kits for Church World Service. We will also have a piñata (children only, please! 
) as well as a craft activity and pastries from a Mexican bakery.
The SpringHouse Green Team has several updates to share with the SpringHouse community:
Birding Outing – Coldwater Spring Area – May 12
The Green Team will host a birding outing at the Coldwater Spring area (close to Veterans home area) on May 12 8:30-9:45. This is an area with rich indigenous importance. We will start with a brief history of this area, before searching for birds. Click here for location and more information
Wakan Tipi Restoration Outings – Summer
Wakan Tipi in St. Paul is another Dakota sacred area that is in need of restoration. We have volunteered on Tuesday nights for the last 2 years. This year we are considering adding a Saturday opportunity if the Youth (14yo+) would be interested. There are no firm dates yet, but it would be June, July, August or October. The work is not necessarily easy–pulling weeds, cutting sticky plants and risking ticks & chiggers. But the area will become a beautiful prairie filled with native plants when the work is done. There is usually a fun information activity before the work starts. Learn more about Wakan Tipi
Kayak/Canoe Outing On The Mississippi River – June 29
For pure fun, we are organizing a kayaking/canoeing day on the Mississippi River June 29 from 9-Noon. Rentals should be available or bring your own. The rentals hold 2 people. Car rides will be arranged to retrieve cars after all is done. The park we will end in has a Nature Center and a picnic area.
We are looking to liven up our office space with art from our community! If you create any kind of wall-mounted work that could fit in our office, this call is for you! Submit an application online or pick up a printed form at SpringHouse. The deadline for submissions is Sunday, April 21 at 11:59 PM. Please reach out to Allison Jones, Building Coordinator, at SHCoordinator@fccmpls.org with any questions.
Salem English Lutheran Church, our sister congregation here at SpringHouse, has launched a storytelling and fundraising campaign event in celebration of Rev. Roger Livdahl’s six decades of ministry and the 50th Anniversary of ELCA World Hunger and its predecessor organizations.
The campaign began on Easter Sunday, and continues for seven weeks. Event features include remembrances from Roger’s 65 years of servant leadership, including his ministry with ELCA World Hunger, and also fundraising with a goal of donating $5,000 to ELCA World Hunger in honor of Rev. Livdahl.
Our community is pleased to be able to honor our longtime member and friend Roger Livdahl through this special event. For more information go to this link:
http://support.elca.org/goto/Roger
Press Release – Livdahl’s Legacy
Lyndale UCC and the Center for Sustainable Justice have invited the music group 29:11 to lead worship on April 7, and have invited the rest of SpringHouse to join them, so we will worship with them and Salem next Sunday at 10:30 am in the South Sanctuary. The service will be streamed through Salem’s LiveStream channel, which you can access here.
A little bit about 29:11:
29:11 is based in South Africa and the U.S., their mission is to facilitate hope and reconciliation through music and cross-cultural collaboration. Representing 9 tribes and 11 languages, the message of 29:11 transcends politics and culture. Through music and collaboration, we can acknowledge our shared humanity and inspire reconciliation.
This Sunday and next, we will receive the special Easter Offering.
The Easter Offering, received by most congregations on March 24 & 31, 2024, supports several of the general ministries of the Christian Church. Your gift supports college students in leadership development programs, global mission partners, health and social service ministries, the formation of new congregations, support for pastors and chaplains, and so much more.
You can give your gift through Givelify, or mail a check to the church office.
Join us for Holy Week and Easter – we will again have a slate of services and activities leading up to Easter Sunday:
Come and make a diorama with Peeps! Palm Sunday, March 24th 9:30 to 10:30 am – Gathering Space. All ages welcome! Materials will be provided. Dioramas will be on display through the Easter season. Dioramas may also be created at home and brought in for others to peep at. Diorama idea suggestions- favorite Bible story, passage, activity with a SpringHouse congregation.
Palm Sunday Worship:
10:20 AM: Palm Gathering and Procession – Gathering Space
10:30 AM: Palm Sunday Worship – Garden Sanctuary and LiveStream
Prayer Vigil
Thurs. March 28, 8 pm thru Friday, March 29, 3 pm
Once again we have the opportunity to join millions around the world in a day of prayer from Maundy Thursday to Good Friday. While the time is for each of us to have an uninterrupted dialogue with God, this prayer chain also links us to many other Disciples around the world who will also be doing continuous praying.
What am I signing up for? A half hour of prayer; you may sign up for more than one slot if there is one available.
Easter Sunday Worship
10:30 AM – Garden Sanctuary and LiveStream
If you are attending onsite,
Don’t forget to bring flowers to decorate the cross!!!
