August 26, 2020
“And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.”
Colossians 3:17 NLT
One of my very good friends died last month. It still makes my heart break to type that. He was the husband of one of my college roommates, a dear friend and I knew him for almost 25 years. He’s an amazing example of someone who worshiped through his work.
For the quick stats, my friend Dan was one of the most successful swimming coaches in Iowa high school history. He coached the Ames High boys to a state title in 2018 and led the girls’ team to a run of eight state championships in nine years. Since being named the head girls coach, Dan’s varsity dual meet record was 140-11-1. That may not seem that impressive to you until you remember that most coaches get 40 years to achieve these stats and my friend did it in just half the time. And, that was just his side “gig”. During the day, he taught high-risk high schoolers who were falling short and helped them graduate.
As I sat at his funeral, it was hard not to wonder if I was living my life to that capacity. Dan didn’t just coach and teach these kids, he changed their lives. He taught them that team comes before individual. That character is more important than stats. He taught them that their individual stories are important whether they’re breaking records or cheering for their teammates. Most of all, he showed up for them. He didn’t just show up for work, he glorified God through it. Dan was a good Christian, but he didn’t bring these kids to Jesus through sermons, but by being the incredible human God made him to be every day.
At his funeral, his pastor reminded each of us that Dan’s legacy would live on in us. It was pretty amazing to watch hundreds of his past and present swimmers and students hear that. And, I was reminded again that my call to worship doesn’t stop on Sundays. It should reverberate in everything I do – how I raise my kids, how I interact with strangers as well as friends, and in how I go about my daily tasks. I may not have hundreds of teenagers to influence like my good friend Dan, but I do have every person I encounter in my daily life. And that’s a pretty good start.
With hope,
Kerry
*THIS SUNDAY*
Outdoor Worship Service
On Sunday, August 30, we invite you to join us at Central Park in Rosemount for an outdoor worship celebration. We will also have our worship service online for those not comfortable with meeting in person yet or for those who can’t make it. We are so excited to see you, hear what God is doing, and celebrate where we’ve been and where we are going.
A couple things to know about this outdoor celebration:
- Bring a chair or blanket, a beverage and a picnic lunch for you/your family.
- You are welcome but not required to wear a face covering (since we will be outside).
- We will be social distancing so we trust that you will stay roughly 6 feet away from each other and we ask that you refrain from hugging or handshakes. I know some of you will be VERY disappointed about that.
- We will be inviting testimonies to what God has been doing in our lives during our time apart.
- We want to celebrate believer baptisms, so please let us know if you are interested.
- We will only be singing at the beginning (spaced out) but we understand if that is an obstacle for you, we invite you to join us at 10:20am.
Again, if you are not comfortable meeting in person, we hope you will join us online.
*THIS SUNDAY*
Communion Sunday – August 30
Communion is one of the sacred rhythms of the church that, among other things, celebrates the beautiful, unhindered communion we have with God and each other through Jesus’ sacrifice. In light of this, and knowing that the outdoor service is our first in-person Sunday in months, we want to include it as part of our worship to God, and our celebration of being back together again! We are asking everyone who wants to participate to prepare their own elements ahead of time (bread and grape juice are the most common) and bring them with their picnic lunch to the park the morning of the outdoor service, so that we may all partake in this act of worship and celebration together.
*THIS SUNDAY*
Shoes for Westview
Over the last four years Restoration has helped support families at Westview Elementary by raising money to buy shoes and backpacks. This year Westview has asked us to help in a tangible way by providing shoes for students in need. Here’s how you can help – bring a pair of new athletic shoes in a youth size to our outdoor worship service on August 30 or contribute money to our GoFundMe Campaign before August 31. Thanks in advance for your help with this great outreach to our community. Contact MicheleJacobson@restorationcov.org
*NEW*
Fall Schedule
In-person and Online Sundays – Sept 13, 27, Oct 11, 25
Arrive before 10am to grab a chair and be a part of our “studio congregation” at The Family Life Center Building at 14201 Cedar Avenue, Apple Valley, or tune in at 10am for our live stream on Facebook or our website online.restorationcov.org. For parking and worship follow the Restoration signs.
Online Only Sundays – Sept 6, 20, Oct 4, 18
Tune in at 10am for our live stream on Facebook or our website online.restorationcov.org. Host a watch party and invite some friends to join you in-person or in a digital small group to connect and grow.
Regathering Information – Sept 13 & 27
We’re excited to be offering in-person worship at our new location at 14201 Cedar Avenue, along with continuing to stream our worship gatherings online. Please know that there will be things that will look and feel different as we regather together. Regardless of how your family chooses to participate in church, we want you to know we’re glad that you’re a part of our church family. The foundation of why we gather together is not changing. We gather together to worship Jesus and to spread the hope He brings as one body in Him.
For complete information about our in-person guidelines, click HERE. Here’s a quick recap:
- Worship will still be streamed online
- Come early for in-person worship – must set up and be in seats for a prompt 10am start
- No Restoration Kids ministry or nursery; bring your own activities, busy bags available
- Bring your own mask, notebook, pen, and a phone if you’d like to access the digital worship folder
- Social distancing and masks required by state mandates
- No coffee or bagel service for the time being
Immerse: Beginnings at Restoration
These days more than ever we need a hopeful story of God taking care of His people. It feels like divine planning then that our goal has us slotted to read Immerse: Beginnings. Starting September 28, we will be reading Immerse: Beginnings; finishing the entire Pentateuch (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy) in 8 weeks. What better way to combat fear and uncertainty than reading the promises of God? For those 8 weeks, Pastor Rob will preach about the week’s reading and small groups will discuss what they have read in a format similar to that of a book club, and the students will be studying the same material. Thanks to an anonymous donor, we can provide one free Immerse: Beginnings book per family, with additional copies available for $5 per book. Join us as we find hope and comfort in the beginning of God’s story. To find out more or to join a small group, contact danielmorgenstern@restorationcov.org.
How you can participate – Weekly sermons, join a small group, follow the Reading Plan, read the Family Discussion Guide with your family, watch the weekly videos or listen to the audiobook free HERE.
How you can get a book – Outdoor service 8/30, in-person service 9/13 or 9/27, pick up from the Ministry Center during the week, call or email the office for delivery, or buy the e-book.
Love Thy Neighbor Bingo
When Jesus was asked what the most important commandment was, he replied, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.” When Jesus was asked who one’s neighbor was he told a story about a compassionate outsider. Jesus wasn’t just talking about his (or our) physical neighbors; he was talking about all the people around us, whether it be the people we work with, play with, learn with, or live near.
While all of these are included in his definition of neighbor, we want to focus on the neighbors we live near, especially during our beautiful Minnesota summers.
Our hope and prayer is that each of us can build relationships with our neighbors and hear their stories and have an opportunity to share ours. As an encouragement to our Restoration community, we created a Love thy Neighbor Bingo Card and Sign. Thanks to Culver’s in Apple Valley, we will hook you up with a free scoop of custard if you complete the entire card by August 30. Just let us know by filling out the form HERE.
Small Groups
We’re very excited to launch a new season of small groups soon. If you’re looking for a deeper connection with others within our church, we highly encourage you to plug in to one of the many small groups starting soon, both in-person and virtually. If you want to learn more or you’re not sure which group would be the best fit for you or your family, please contact danielmorgenstern@restorationcov.org.
- Men’s Group – Every Saturday morning at 7am – led by Chad White
- Prayer Group – Every Tuesday 7-9pm – led by Mary Beshara and Michael Nybakken
- Adultish? Group – Friday evenings – led by Daniel Morgenstern
These groups are all easy to join. Please reach out to DanielMorgenstern@restorationcov.org to get connected to these zoom chats or to find the group that fits best.
You are invited to Family Game Night! – August 31
We want to stay connected and have fun through these times, so every other Monday from 7:30pm-8:30pm we will be gathering through Zoom to play some fun party games together! No installation or purchase required. Anyone age 12+ can join the game via computer, phone, or any other device that can browse the internet. If you’re interested and would like to know more, please contact Matthew at: matthewgoerdt@restorationcov.org
Sunday Coffee Time
Are you missing after service chats by the coffee cart? Join us after the message Sunday on a zoom call for our virtual coffee meeting; we’ll bring the company you bring the coffee. We will break up into groups of 3-4 callers to give you a chance to chat and check in on folks you might not have connected with otherwise. Use this link to join. A link will also be posted in the chat at the end of the service on Sunday.
Online Giving
There’s no time like the present to set up online giving. Because our regularly scheduled worship service will be online for the next few weeks, online tithing is a way to remain faithful in your giving even in the most uncertain of times. Decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. For God loves a person who gives cheerfully. And God will generously provide all you need. We encourage you to consider giving online so that your giving is regular and easy to manage – it’s easy to sign up HERE.
Pray or Receive Prayer
Now more than ever, people are turning toward prayer or are in desperate need of prayer. We have an amazingly gifted prayer team you can depend on for prayer. They’re always looking for other prayer warriors if you want to join or if you need prayer for any situation, you can contact them. We believe in the power of prayer and know that God is listening. We would love to pray for you. If you’re interested in joining the prayer team or have any prayer requests, send them to our prayer team at prayer@restorationcov.org
RESTORATION KIDS
Contact: ChrystineVilhauer@restorationcov.org
This fall as we begin regathering as a church, we will be waiting a few weeks before adding nursery and Kids Ministry classes. During this time, families will worship together during intergenerational worship services. We will have busy bags with activities available for kids to take, use during worship services and then take home and bring back with them on following Sundays. Stay tuned for information on fall events for families coming soon!
Restoration Kids’ Lessons
We believe that every moment with your kids matters and that as parents, we have the opportunity to impress Biblical truth in a kid’s life, especially during these unprecedented circumstances.
Follow this link to access each week’s video lesson that your kids can complete on their own or with you.
RESTORATION STUDENTS
Contact Daniel with questions about any Restoration Students events at DanielMorgenstern@restorationcov.org or 952-686-8408.
View past News & Notes by clicking HERE.