Church Briefs - June 6, 2010

Duluthians headed for Guatemala

Charlotte Frantz, pastor at Pilgrim Congregational Church, and her son Alex will be headed to Guatemala Friday, June 11, for a week of volunteer service with Common Hope, a community development non-governmental organization based in Antigua. The trip has been scheduled for several months, but the focus of the trip may change in light of the recent tropical storm.

Common Hope’s facilities were not damaged, but several nearby villages have been hit by mudslides. Some families who receive services from Common Hope have lost everything. In the aftermath of Agatha, Common Hope is concentrating its energies on providing humanitarian relief and cleanup. Frantz and her 11-year-old son will be soon be part of the volunteer effort.

“We’re still planning to go,” Rev. Frantz said. “We usually take suitcases of donated school supplies, but this year we’ll carry whatever soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste and washcloths people can donate. Those are among the most needed items at the moment.”

School supplies donated by students at Kenwood Edison will be stored at Common Hope’s warehouse in St. Paul and delivered by other volunteers later in the summer.

Last year Pilgrim sent a group of nine to do voluntary service with Common Hope. This year Frantz’s group includes volunteers from the Chicago area, Denver and southern Minnesota. Common Hope has been working in Guatemala since 1990 and most of its divisions are under the direction of native Guatemalans.

Brighton Beach service

Lester Park United Methodist Church will host worship services by the lake at 8 a.m. every Sunday June through Labor Day at the Pavilion on Brighton Beach in Kitchi Gammi Park. Call 525-4373 or visit www.lesterparkchurch.com for more information.

Vacation Bible School in Duluth

Join Christ Lutheran Church, 2415 Ensign St., June 14-17 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. This year’s theme will be SonQuest Rainforest; travel to the rainforest to make crafts, sing songs and much more. Each evening will begin with a light dinner. This event is free for children ages 3 through sixth grade. Register at www.clcduluth.org or by calling 624-2003.

Singing ‘Outside the Lines’

First Lutheran Church of Duluth will host EverBlest Youth Choir for the first stop on their exciting summer tour, “Music Outside the Lines!” The concert will be at FLC on Sunday, June 13. at 7 p.m.

EverBlest will be touring around Lake Superior, including a portion of their journey in Canada.

Their days will be filled with travel and activity while their evenings will be spent performing and bringing their faith through music and service to people in three states and two countries.

EverBlest, since its inception in the mid-1980s, has been an outreach ministry of Cambridge Lutheran Church.

EverBlest seeks to reach young adults and give them an opportunity to grow in community and faith through the medium of music. Every week, EverBlest youth choir gets together for rehearsal and faith exploration to further their commitment to God and his glory.

The concert to be presented at FLC will include over an hour of choral music of varied traditions — much of it contemporary — that glorifies God, as well as a half-hour ensemble musical, Ken Medema’s “The Story Tellin’ Man.” Audience members will be able to support EverBlest’s mission through a free-will offering at the concert.

Olympic-style Vacation Bible School

All children entering kindergarten through fifth grade are invited to join those at Bayside Baptist Church (corner of New York and Belknap in Superior) June 14 to 18 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. for Vacation Bible School. They will be “Going for Gold,” in an Olympic-themed VBS that will include games, crafts, music, drama presentations and team camaraderie. Each evening will begin with a light dinner. The week will end with a family Olympic celebration, which will include a barbecue, games and a video to recap the week’s activities. Please pre-register for this free program at www.baysidesuperior.org or by calling the office (715) 394-6002.

Church scholarships

Anne Acheson, Jim Danielson and Aaron Dusek have been awarded new college scholarships for the 2010-2011 school year from the St. Paul’s Church Scholarship Fund.