The ACT Parish is a UNITED MINISTRY WITH SIX MISSION POINTS!
Each of our mission points has a long history of faithful witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Together they form the ACT Parish that strives to maintain and grow as faithful witnesses, and to impact our area with the good news of God's grace for all!
Together they form the ACT Parish that strives to maintain and grow as faithful witnesses, and to impact our area with the good news of God's grace for all!
DINNER CHURCH 101
The mission statement for the ACT Parish’s 2023-24 initiative is bold:
Dinner Church is experiencing worship and participating in community life together.
It’s not just church with dinner. It’s a deeper experience for people who might be disenfranchised with traditional Sunday morning services.
Sometimes you need to unpack things to really understand them, and this is one of those times: The rest of this
article explains the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of the statement itself and includes an invitation to participate.
Depending on the liturgy, music leaders and pastor, worship can be uplifting, comforting, thought-provoking –
and if we’re being honest – sometimes boring.
Pastor Jennifer Thul and members of the ACT Parish are adding a new adjective to worship: Tasty.
“We’re calling it Dinner Church,” she said. “And it’s different than what we do on Sundays,”
She explained that the focus is on community and connecting with one another in a relaxed environment.
“One of the greatest needs Daryl and I have seen since coming here is isolation and loneliness,” Jennifer said.
“The Spirit is calling us to do something about this.”
Hope Lutheran in Sunburg hosts first Monday of the month, starting Oct. 2.
Dinner Church begins at 6 p.m. and concludes at 7 p.m.
Mamrelund Lutheran of Pennock hosts the third Monday of the month and Bethesda north of Murdock hosts the
fourth Monday.
The second Monday is devoted to ACT Parish members providing meals for students at Ridgewater College in
Willmar.
“I’d talk about ‘Eleanor Rigby’ buy I’m not sure people remember the song,” Co-Pastor Daryl Thul added. “I
think Jennie said it best when she introduced it to me a while back.
“She explained that there are so many ways for people to communicate with one another and connect, but that
they don’t,” he continued. “It’s so busy that unless we take the time to connect, we won’t.”
“The bottom line is we need to know our neighbors and we need to know God better, too,” Jennifer said. “And
I’m not so sure we know our neighbors as well as we did in the 70s and 80s.”
Dinner Church is not just for the lonely: It is for all.
And it is free.
The Southwest Minnesota Synod of the ELCA Endowment Fund awarded a $2,000 grant to the Parish and the
Monday night dinner church is scheduled through Spring 2024.
Using the time and talent cards church members filled out earlier this year, Jennifer eallied those who checked
‘food ministry.’
Joyce Rudningen of Hope Lutheran was one of those and at a recent council meeting shared her excitement
about being the first congregation to open its doors for the new ministry.
“We’re ready!” she reported to the board. “I think it can help.”
Dinner Church is experiencing worship and participating in community life together.
It’s not just church with dinner. It’s a deeper experience for people who might be disenfranchised with traditional Sunday morning services.
Sometimes you need to unpack things to really understand them, and this is one of those times: The rest of this
article explains the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of the statement itself and includes an invitation to participate.
Depending on the liturgy, music leaders and pastor, worship can be uplifting, comforting, thought-provoking –
and if we’re being honest – sometimes boring.
Pastor Jennifer Thul and members of the ACT Parish are adding a new adjective to worship: Tasty.
“We’re calling it Dinner Church,” she said. “And it’s different than what we do on Sundays,”
She explained that the focus is on community and connecting with one another in a relaxed environment.
“One of the greatest needs Daryl and I have seen since coming here is isolation and loneliness,” Jennifer said.
“The Spirit is calling us to do something about this.”
Hope Lutheran in Sunburg hosts first Monday of the month, starting Oct. 2.
Dinner Church begins at 6 p.m. and concludes at 7 p.m.
Mamrelund Lutheran of Pennock hosts the third Monday of the month and Bethesda north of Murdock hosts the
fourth Monday.
The second Monday is devoted to ACT Parish members providing meals for students at Ridgewater College in
Willmar.
“I’d talk about ‘Eleanor Rigby’ buy I’m not sure people remember the song,” Co-Pastor Daryl Thul added. “I
think Jennie said it best when she introduced it to me a while back.
“She explained that there are so many ways for people to communicate with one another and connect, but that
they don’t,” he continued. “It’s so busy that unless we take the time to connect, we won’t.”
“The bottom line is we need to know our neighbors and we need to know God better, too,” Jennifer said. “And
I’m not so sure we know our neighbors as well as we did in the 70s and 80s.”
Dinner Church is not just for the lonely: It is for all.
And it is free.
The Southwest Minnesota Synod of the ELCA Endowment Fund awarded a $2,000 grant to the Parish and the
Monday night dinner church is scheduled through Spring 2024.
Using the time and talent cards church members filled out earlier this year, Jennifer eallied those who checked
‘food ministry.’
Joyce Rudningen of Hope Lutheran was one of those and at a recent council meeting shared her excitement
about being the first congregation to open its doors for the new ministry.
“We’re ready!” she reported to the board. “I think it can help.”
All ACT Parish Members welcome to attend!
What: 2nd Annual ACT Parish Family Fun Day (Sunday School Rally)
Date: Sunday, September 10th, 2023
Location: Monson Lake Lutheran Church, rural Sunburg, MN
Time: 11am-2pm
Details: A meal will be served. Main item and water provided.
· Bring a potluck item to share.
· Bring a lawn chair and enjoy the afternoon of fellowship.
· Bring a yard game and have fun playing with others!
Bouncy house will be available for small children as well.
What: 2nd Annual ACT Parish Family Fun Day (Sunday School Rally)
Date: Sunday, September 10th, 2023
Location: Monson Lake Lutheran Church, rural Sunburg, MN
Time: 11am-2pm
Details: A meal will be served. Main item and water provided.
· Bring a potluck item to share.
· Bring a lawn chair and enjoy the afternoon of fellowship.
· Bring a yard game and have fun playing with others!
Bouncy house will be available for small children as well.
Father's Day 2023
Take me out to the ballgame!
Holy Week Road Trip
(some photos of our recent visits)
We are thankful people
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Left: Harriet is a hat person. Pastor Daryl is not so much.
Above: Marylin broke her wrist! |
Middle: Connie & Joel Lee bth celebrate Birthdays this month
Above: The Gronseths are alive and well in Glenwood! Right: Leslie and Blue are living large near Brooten. The picture of Leslie includes a high chair that was likely put into use when his mother was an infant - a chair that has lasted five-plus generations and more than a century! |
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TRUNK or TREAT!
Mamrelund Lutheran in Pennock goes big for Halloween
ACT UP, PEOPLE!
Each of the Six Congregations has their own page within this website, but this might help to get you started:
Sunday worship at 8:15 - Buffalo Lake, Monson Lake and St. John's.
Sunday Worship at 10 - Bethesda, Hope and Mamrelund.
Please join us as we celebrate the One who provides hope in this world that seems so in need of that right now.
Sunday worship at 8:15 - Buffalo Lake, Monson Lake and St. John's.
Sunday Worship at 10 - Bethesda, Hope and Mamrelund.
Please join us as we celebrate the One who provides hope in this world that seems so in need of that right now.
Men's Bible Study resumes at Sherrie'sAt 7 a.m. on the first Saturday of the month, Pastor Daryl leads the Men of the ACT Parish in a Bible Study.
The group met in October and will continue meeting monthly. The Bible Study will be working through Augustine's 'City of God.' Before you stay after because it sounds way too complicated, please know Pastor Daryl has worked with Soldiers for the better part of his adult life and will use language that will make it possible to understand the work of this Saint who influenced the church and the way we believe more than anyone aside from the first church leaders (Paul, Peter ...). |
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Nativity Sets made by our youth
Made by our 7th through 10th graders, with a bit of adult supervision and assistance, the youth of the ACT Parish are producing Rustic Nativity Sets in order to raise funds for future missions trips and other youth events and activities. They will sell for $35 each. We are currently taking orders at all six of the churches and the nativity sets will be delivered before November 15th.
Confirmation at the Little Farm
Say what you want to about Pastor Daryl's mutton chops (he has actually shaved them off since the picture above was taken), the young men and women of the ACT Parish are gorgeous! The pastors are not trying to fill their confirmation students minds with things that they need to recite back in order to check off items on a list before they affirm the promises that were made at their baptism. No, the goal is to awaken their own ability to see the faith that God has given them in the Spirit - and to grow it boldly!
For more information about the Program, please check out the Confirmation Page at this website.
For more information about the Program, please check out the Confirmation Page at this website.