June is Pride Month, and there a lot of activities that you can be involved with and support the LGBTQ+ community & FCC members, along with sharing the extravagant welcome that we are known for. There’s so much going on we can’t wait until June – it’s going to start on May 31!
May 31: SpringHouse All Generations Queer Prom, 7-10 PM
June 1 – MNSOC Youth Pride, 1 – 6 PM, Como Midway Picnic Pavillion
FCC will once again be tabling and is a sponsor of Youth Pride, one of the yearly events held by the Minnesota School Outreach Coalition. Youth Pride is a free event for LGBTQIA+ youth. This is an event for young people to feel celebrated and strengthen connections to their community. Youth Pride has a little bit of everything; resources from local organizations serving queer youth, activities and games, performances by amazing entertainers, food from local businesses, photo-booths, and more!
June 7: Wild Card Drag Game Night, Hosted by Mitch G. (aka Primordial Chaos)
6:30 – 9:30 PM @ Metta Coffee, 215 E. Main Street, Anoka
Mitch G (AKA Primordial Chaos) is producing and hosting a board game event in Anoka, in conjunction with Metta Coffee and Highlander games. Join Chaos and two other local drag artists in a night of games, coffee, and entertainment on Friday, June 7th. Tickets are $17 and can be bought online. Don’t hesitate to reach out to Mitch with any questions! https://www.facebook.com/events/381342561587810
June 13: Kings and Things VeggieTales (Mitch will be performing as Primordial Chaos)
7:30 PM @ Lush Lounge & Theater, 990 Central Ave NE, Minneapolis
Mitch G (AKA Primordial Chaos) will be performing in this show at Lush Lounge and Theater on June 13, 7:30 pm. Ticket info coming soon – don’t hesitate to reach out to Mitch with any questions!
June 21 & 22 – This Is Me, presented by Twin Cities Gay Men’s Chorus
7:30 PM, St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church – Mahtomedi
Step into a world of inclusivity, artistry, and self-expression with “This is Me,” a captivating concert experience brought to you by the Twin Cities Gay Men’s Chorus (TCGMC) with special guests. Set against the majestic backdrop of St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church, this event promises to be a celebration of diversity, acceptance, and the transformative power of music. Pastor Dan’s husband Keith is a member of the chorus.
Our season’s grand finale is a unique fusion of choral music and dance designed to challenge the stigma surrounding body image. This concert represents a powerful collaboration between TCGMC, the acclaimed James Sewell Ballet, Minnesota Valley Women’s Chorus and See Change Treble Choir.
At the heart of “This is Me,” we proudly unveil our latest commission, Every BODY, a groundbreaking commission led by TCGMC featuring over 200 singers on stage and professional dancers, exploring the complexities of body image, identity, and self-acceptance. This significant work was crafted by a talented team of composers, including Kyle Pederson, Melissa Dunphy, Sharon Udoh, Britney Boykin, and our own artistic director, Dr. Gerald Gurss. Through music, dance, and spoken word, this innovative piece invites audiences to reflect on the beauty and resilience of the human form. Read more about the concert and special guests
June 22 – PrideFest @ CanCan Wonderland
4 PM – Midnight, CanCan Wonderland, 755 Prior Ave N Suite #004, St Paul
Mitch G (aka Primordial Chaos) will be leading a StoryTime at 4 pm as part of PrideFest @ CanCan Wonderland.
June 29 (10 AM – 7 PM) and June 30 (10 AM – 6 PM)
Twin Cities Pride – Loring Park
The Twin Cities Pride Festival is Minnesota’s second largest festival and the largest FREE Pride festival. Once again we will have a booth at the festival in Loring Park, sharing the extravagant welcome of our congregation and sharing the message that All Means ALL. Plus, stickers!! It is always a lot of fun!!
We have lots of shifts available to be filled – click here to sign up for a shift.
RESTORE AND REWIND
When it comes to church, we have a lot of negative tapes playing in our heads:
“Church is judgmental.”
“Church is hypocritical.”
“They think they’re better than everyone else.”
It’s time for restoration. Time to rewind the tape.
New Church Ministry is dedicated to fostering faithful communities marked by deep Christian spirituality and a passion for God’s love and justice.
Like our ancestors, we’re going back to the beginning, when new Christian communities gathered together and shared all they had, organizing everything around the Spirit’s dreams for their lives and their communities.
Yesterday, today, and tomorrow, God is singing a new song: not a song of judgment, but of welcome and forgiveness; not a song of superiority, but of humility and grace; not a song of hoarding, but of sharing everything we have!
God’s movement for wholeness is already underway. Our job is to listen, and learn, and follow – supporting leaders and communities as the Spirit calls them into being, laying down a new song for a new generation.
Church as a place of generosity and justice. Church as a movement for wholeness in a fragmented world.
Your gifts to the 2024 Pentecost Offering, received on Sunday, May 12, and Sunday, May 19, are divided equally between your regional ministry, which supports local new churches, and New Church Ministry, which trains, equips, and assists emerging leaders to be “movement initiators.”
You can give your gift through Givelify, drop it in the offering plate on Sunday, or mail it to the church office.
Admit it…you’ve got a certain passage from the Bible that you’ve been wishing for years that the pastors would preach on; OR you’ve got a favorite hymn/worship song that you’re really wanting to sing on Sunday. Well, now is YOUR CHANCE TO TELL US!
Our July/August Worship Series is Many Voices, One Body, and we want YOU to help us shape the series. Click here to send Pastor Laurie that specific passage/verse that you’ve always wanted to hear preached (it can be from the Hebrew Bible or from the New Testament) and your favorite hymn/worship song.
“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
