News + Updates

Order of Worship:  4th Sunday of Lent

Welcome & Announcements

Gathering Music: “There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy” – Eric Brisson

Opening Prayer – Nancy Dunbar

Opening Song:  W&S #3099 “Falling on My Knees”

Children’s Moment

Scripture:  Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 – Joliene Olson

Centering Video:  “Prodigal Daughter” a film by TWOP

Message  “Prodigal Father”

Song:  #434 “When the Poor Ones” – led by Edie Davis, Norma Duden, and Mary Stoltman

Celebration of the Lord’s Supper

Joys and Concerns

Prayers of the People & The Lord’s Prayer:  #348 “Softly and Tenderly, Jesus Is Calling” [chorus only] led by Edie Davis, Norma Duden, and Mary Stoltman

Song:  W&S #3072 “Cast Out, O Christ”

Benediction

Postlude:  “He Leadeth Me”  – Jonelle Moore

Order of Worship:  3rd Sunday of Lent

Welcome & Announcements

Gathering Music: “I’m Just a Poor, Wayfaring Stranger” – Jonelle Moore

Opening Prayer – Nancy Dunbar

Opening Song:  #375 “There Is a Balm in Gilead” – led by Edie Davis, Norma Duden and Mary Stoltman

Children’s Moment

Special Music   Cherubini:  “Ave Maria” – Mary Stoltman, Frank Bures, Eric Brisson

Scripture:  Isaiah 55:1-9 – Barb Mihm

Centering Video:  “A Rule of Life – with Elaine Heath” a film by TWOP

Message  “Come to Me”

Song:  TFWS #2132 “You Who Are Thirsty” – led by Edie Davis, Norma Duden, and Mary Stoltman

Celebration of the Lord’s Supper

Joys and Concerns

Prayers of the People & The Lord’s Prayer:  W&S #2193 “Come to Me” led by Edie Davis, Norma Duden, and Mary Stoltman

Song:  W&S #3093 “Fill My Cup, Lord” [v. 2-3]

Benediction

Postlude:  “Spirit of the Living God”  – Eric Brisson

Order of Worship:  3rd Sunday of Lent

Welcome & Announcements

Gathering Music: “Be Thou My Vision” – Jonelle Moore

Opening Prayer – Joliene Olson

Opening Song:  #124 “Seek the Lord”  – led by Edie Davis, Norma Duden, Mary Stoltman and Melissa Wangen

Children’s Moment

Scripture:  Psalm 27 – Norma Duden

Centering Video:  “I Am with You” a film by TWOP, music by Wesley UMC

Message  “The Only Question”

Song:  TFWS #2164 “Cry of My Heart” – led by Edie Davis, Norma Duden, Mary Stoltman and Melissa Wangen

Celebration of the Lord’s Supper

Joys and Concerns

Prayers of the People & The Lord’s Prayer:  TFWS #2193 “Lord, Listen to Your Children Praying” led by Edie Davis, Norma Duden, Mary Stoltman and Melissa Wangen

Song:  “In the Secret”

Benediction

Postlude:  “This Is My Song”  – Jonelle Moore

Order of Worship:  1st Sunday of Lent

Welcome & Announcements

Gathering Music: “O Love, How Deep, How Broad” – Eric Brisson

Opening Prayer – Norma Duden

Opening Song:  #269 “Lord, Who Throughout Theses Forty Days” v. 1,4-5  – led by Edie Davis, Norma Duden, and Mary Stoltman

Children’s Moment

Scripture:  Luke 4:1-13 – Nancy Dunbar

Centering Video:  “Never Alone” a film by TWOP

Message  “Into Wilderness”

Song:  #377 “It Is Well with My Soul” – led by Edie Davis, Norma Duden, and Mary Stoltman

Celebration of the Lord’s Supper

Joys and Concerns

Prayers of the People & The Lord’s Prayer:  W&S #3049 “Wait for the Lord” led by Edie Davis, Norma Duden, and Mary Stoltman

Song:   W&S #3113 “A Wilderness Wandering People”

Benediction

Postlude:  “We Shall Overcome”  – Jonelle Moore

I am grateful that I had the opportunity to address the concept on trauma informed ministry with the congregation during our Sunday worship service on February 6, 2022.  I am committed to learning and growing in this type of ministry and invite members of our congregation that are interested in this topic to do the same.

A congregation that is trauma responsive is one that has a basic understanding of the nature of psychological and spiritual trauma and the overall impact of this trauma on a person’s or community’s quality of life.  A trauma responsive approach to ministry seeks to assist others as they cope with the impact of traumatic events upon their lives, including their understanding of God and spirituality.

The United Methodist Church in Sartell, MN is a trauma responsive church.  I had the opportunity to learn directly from their church staff about their journey with trauma informed ministry and was inspired by their work.  They have become an instrument of wholeness and healing for those within their congregation and their broader community as they have adapted existing ministries and launched new ones through the perspective of understanding and addressing trauma.  To understand a bit more about this approach, please click here to be directed to the trauma responsive page of their website.  I encourage you to explore the resources there.

Please see further information about trauma informed ministry below, from the Partners in Health and Wholeness initiative of the North Carolina Council of Churches.  Here is a list, from this Council, of examples of how a congregation can be trauma responsive:

1. Address trauma in conversation– Many symptoms of trauma are connected with topics found in faith conversations: hope, despair, guilt, shame, low sense of worth, bitterness. Productive language is crucial. Practice language that destigmatizes mental health concerns, and invites people to become comfortable, safe, and empowered to trust.
   –For example- use “whole person,” person-first language. Do not use diagnoses as adjectives. Ex: “She is schizophrenic.” Instead say, “a person living with mental illness” or “those with the lived experience of a mental illness or a mental health concern.”
   –Utilize language in which people feel empowered and safe to talk about what is actually going on in their home, including spousal abuse, domestic abuse, etc.
   –Language that pivots from “what is wrong with you,” to “what happened to
   you.”
2. Faith communities often have established trust within a larger community- If a congregation takes the lead in informing communities about trauma and Adverse Childhood Experiences and resources around ACEs, it will be very productive due to this established trust.
3. Special worship themes- on ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) and destigmatizing language around trauma, whole-person language. Understand that preaching from certain passages might need extra sensitivity.
4. Throughout children’s ministries- including vacation bible school and more – Facilitate lessons and skills to complement school and home life with emotion identification. One way to do this is by using an emotion-wheel, which expands language and identification around emotions/ feelings. Validate how children feel and listen to what they have to say.
5. Break down toxic theology- that distances people from each other, leads to isolation, and that promotes the belief that God’s love and healing is exclusive rather than inclusive.
6. Critically examine how worship spaces and language might be hard for someone with trauma– music, physical embracing such as hugging, involvement in worship, where a child might feel pressured to go to the front, social pressure, etc.
     –Consider how physical touch plays a role in your worshipping community, such as the laying on of hands, hugging, etc. Consider how this might feel forced upon or expected of the members.
7. Staff training- Any leadership training, including Stephen ministers, deacons, pastoral care team, and the greater church community can benefit from leadership training in trauma awareness to change the overall church culture.
     –Mental Health First Aid: a wonderful training that offers tools to help a person in a mental health crisis.
     –Connections Matters Training: Connection Matters is a training that enables you to teach on trauma and ACEs.
8. Collaborate with other community leaders and organizations– particularly those that are addressing trauma well. Also work closely with other major facets of congregants’ lives including work, school, extracurricular, our children’s sports teams and practices, volunteer work, and more. It is important for churches to collaborate with school communities, by partnering with educators, parents, coaches, and other leaders. This is a great avenue for a church to partner with other community organizations.
9. Find ways to practice compassionate listening together– maybe through an active listening workshop class. This might be out of people’s comfort zones, but active listening is a needed skill in all aspects of life, and especially in becoming a trauma-informed congregation.
10. Encourage and normalize therapy- Help those with socioeconomic barriers get professional help if it is what they are asking for.
11. Host a screening and discussion- of “Resilience: The Biology of Stress and The Science of Hope” Documentary Screening and Discussion. See resources section, below.
12. Learn from a trauma-informed church- Find a community already doing this work well and take note.
13. Prepare a uniform, succinct referral process for all staff, including ministers, office managers, etc., to utilize- This referral system is a step-by-step system of how to meet people in need or crisis, with an index of phone numbers to local agencies that can meet a variety of those needs.
14. Promote the building of resilience- Encourage congregants by teaching and modeling skills that empower during stressful situations, eliminate blaming, and instead reframe how we view those events.  Learn from a wide variety of resources on how to build resilience.
15. Partners in Health and Wholeness and the PHW Mini-Grant- Collaborate with PHW to bolster your faith community’s health ministries and projects, including mental health. We can help establish and grow a mental health ministry, start your journey of becoming a trauma-informed faith community, and bring tools to help overall health: physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health.
16. Consider local community trauma- such as gun violence, collective loss, trauma around natural disasters and storms.  Do a church-wide study of your local area’s history; look closely at statistics around violence and poverty, education levels, police brutality, and more. Consider this all with compassion.

Please contact Nicole for further information.  Thank you!

Nicole Weydt, MA, RN
Director of Community-Based Justice Ministries
Candidate for Office of Deaconess (May 2022 Consecration & Commissioning)