June 2016 - St. Paul Lutheran Church

journey
T H E M A G A Z I N E O F S T. PA U L L U T H E R A
N CHURCH
June 2016
Journey | June 2016 1
PA S TO R ’S c olumn
Angle of repose
I’ve watched enough people die over the years to know that nobody can design their own
death, even if a few rudely step in to try and engineer it. Yet we all contemplate how our
final breath might happen. For me, the most desirous scenario would be to fall asleep after
a day full of rich friendship and meaning, and then to die in the midst of a beautiful dream.
No pain. No medical distress for others. No lingering illness.
journey
J U N E 2 016
Volume 4 | Issue 4
E D I TO R Ann McGlynn
D E S I G N E R Lauren Brown
ADDRESS
St. Paul Lutheran Church
2136 Brady Street,
Davenport, Iowa 52803
CO N TAC T
[email protected]
Phone563.326.3547
MISSION
St. Paul Lutheran Church is
a faith community, shaped
around five core values: radical
hospitality, passionate worship,
intentional faith formation,
adventurous mission and
service, extravagant generosity.
Journey (USPS 8314) is
published monthly by St. Paul
Lutheran Church ELCA, 2136
Brady St., Davenport, IA, 52803.
Periodicals Postage Paid at
Davenport, IA.
POSTMASTER
Send address changes to
Journey, 2136 Brady Street,
Davenport, Iowa 52803
2 Journey | June 2016
I am beginning to re-evaluate that scenario a bit
more actively, especially following the death of Jane
Little. My death sights have evidently been set too low.
My concept of peace has been too inwardly tame. Ms.
Little died three weeks ago at the age of 87, doing what
she most loved to do – playing her double bass for the
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. During the final minute,
of the final encore piece, of what was to be the final year
of her orchestral career, she collapsed. Her colleagues in
the bass section carried her backstage where she later
died.
Jane Little began her 71-year run with the Atlanta Symphony in 1945. At 4’11”, and topping out at 98
pounds, this dainty woman played the largest instrument of the string section. In fact, she insisted on carrying her six-foot-long double bass onto the stage herself
for each performance. Her late husband – a large 6’2”
man – happened to be a flautist in the same orchestra.
Rumor has it that he carried his own instrument on
stage as well.
Everybody loved Jane. Her playing. Her personality. Her smile. Friends speak of being unable to find
enough superlatives to pay adequate compliment to the
woman. She bore no children. Her bass was her baby.
And she played that baby with remarkable vigor.
When the psalmist writes of “numbering our days,”
his admonition has nothing to do with counting. “Teach
us to number our days that we might gain a heart of
wisdom,” is not about checking boxes off a calendar. It
is about taking stock of the brevity of life. With only
so much time on Earth, how are we going to fill each
day with value, and keep from squandering the days we
have been allotted? Jane Little was lucky enough, or wise
enough in heart, to be able to die in the midst of fulfilling her greatest passion – playing music.
Consider this metaphor, taken from the title of Wallace Stegner’s novel, Angle of Repose – a novel in which a
retired historian chronicles his grandparents’ life on the
frontier. The steepest angle at which a slope of loose or
granular material comes to rest, without sliding further,
is called the angle of repose. Ashes settle at a 40° angle of
repose, wheat at 27°, and dirt somewhere between 38-45°.
Translating this geometry into our lives, it appears
we all seek to find that angle of life into which we can
settle and find peace.
The angle we eventually locate is typically
related to our different
vocational passions, and
the contentment we find
in living out those vocations. Passionate people,
it seems to me, are individuals who understand
the fleeting nature of life
as well as anyone, leaning into their experiences with
maximum slope, eventually locating that place where
they can happily settle in. Good upright bass players, in
case you haven’t noticed, lean into their music, though
they allow their bass to come to them. They sit or stand
in such a way that the bass gently balances against their
body. In the case of Jane Little, seated on a concert stool,
her 310-year-old bass rested at a comfortable 70° angle.
Let’s call that her angle of repose.
She slumped from her stool near the end of the
pops concert’s encore piece, “There’s No Business Like
Show Business.” It was an orchestral arrangement of the
Broadway production. But had someone been singing
the lyrics, they would have sung a line right near the
time of Jane’s collapse: “Let’s go on with the show.” She
didn’t design it that way. But it sounds even better than
dying in one’s sleep, no matter how beautiful the dream.
P E T E R W. M A R T Y
s enior pastor
O N T H E CO V E R :
Marc Ndabaramiye, a refugee from
the Congo, at the bakery Oh So
Sweet by Tiphanie, where he works
as a dishwasher.
All St. Paul swimming party to be June 18
NEWS briefs
St. Paul will host a swimming party at Splash Landing in Bettendorf on
Saturday, June 18, 6-8 p.m.
Splash Landing has a Caribbean theme with a variety of fun features. There
is a pool with a zero-depth entry and water geysers. There’s also a kiddie slide,
two flume slides, a drop slide, diving board and sand area. There is also plenty of
room for lounging, a concession area with large shelter, and seating.
The event is free; please sign up to come at stpaulqc.org/signups.
St. Paul to host Youthworks this summer
Final reminder for VBS sign-up:
Deadline is June 5
St. Paul will transform into an ocean of excitement
as kids and volunteers glide through surfer-themed
music, crafts, science projects, recreation, Bible stories,
and more. The theme verse is “Remember that the Lord
is great and awesome (Nehemiah 4:14b).”
VBS will take place Monday, June 13-Friday, June
17. Registration deadline is Sunday, June 5. No late registrations or walk-ins will be accepted. The pre-k class
will be capped at 45.
Registration is $20 per child age 4 (as of Sept.
15)-entering grade 8. Registration is $30 for teens entering grades 9-12.
VBS and 678 Summer Experience will be from
8:30 a.m.-noon. High school students volunteer in the
morning with VBS and 678, then spend the afternoon
playing water games, making T-shirts, and studying
the Bible.
Volunteers: A strong corps of service-minded and
joy-filled adults make it all happen. Interested in helping? There’s a job to fit your gifts.
Sign up at stpaulqc.org/signups.
The basement at St. Paul will be transformed into a living space for 75-or-so
high school students for several weeks this summer, as groups of kids from all
over the country come to the Quad Cities to serve for a week at a time.
YouthWorks is a nationwide initiative that connects teens with their faith,
each other, and communities through life-changing mission trips. They will be
here from June 5-August 5.
St. Paul is one of dozens of communities nationwide that hosts YouthWorks. The organization’s staff, along with caring adult leaders, guide the teens
through a week of thoughtful service and learning about God.
To learn more, visit youthworks.com.
So All May Eat: Serve a meal at Salvation Army
On Wednesday, June 29, help cook a meal and serve at the Salvation Army
shelter at 6th and Harrison Streets in Davenport.
Cooks and servers are needed for this six-times-a-year effort. Cooks meet
in the St. Paul kitchen at 2 p.m. for meal prep. Servers meet at church at 5 p.m.
for a food delivery caravan to the Salvation Army and serving. Shoppers also are
needed to purchase a list of food before cooking day – reimbursement is
provided.
The meal site is open to anyone. Many of the people who come to eat are
staying at the shelter, which is for families in crisis. The shelter staff works with
families to build self-sufficiency and help them transition into a more permanent housing situation.
Sign up to help at stpaulqc.org/signups. Contact: Pastor Katy Warren,
[email protected].
PASTOR LIESEBET GRAVLEY TO BEGIN CHAPLAIN PROGRAM
Pastor Liesebet Gravley, one of St. Paul’s two
resident pastors, will leave this summer to begin a
program in hospital chaplaincy.
Liesebet, who is at St. Paul as part of a twoyear pastoral residency program for first-call pastors, will depart one year early for what is known
as a Clinical Pastoral Education program. Her last
weekend at St. Paul will be July 16-17.
“I very much appreciate the experience I’ve
had at St. Paul,” she said. “As time has gone on,
I’ve come to understand that my vocation is being
present for people who are hospitalized, as well as
their family and friends. I am excited about this
change, but will dearly miss the people of this
congregation.”
Clinical Pastoral Education is a form of theological education that takes place predominately
in clinical settings where ministry is practiced.
Locations can include hospitals, children’s and
veterans’ facilities, hospices, psychiatric and community care facilities, and geriatric and rehabilitation centers, among others.
Liesebet will relocate to Ft. Wayne, Indiana,
for her training.
Journey | June 2016 3
Fruit Spirit
Fruits
OF THE
A summer lunch series starting June 29
How can I tell if God is at work in my life? How can I know that my faith is making a difference in the way I live? Author Anne Lamott answers these questions beautifully in her book
Help, Thanks, Wow: The Three Essential Prayers.
“Imagining God can be so different from wishful thinking, if your spiritual experiences
change your behavior over time. Have you become more generous, which is the ultimate healing? Or more patient, which is a close second? Did your world become bigger and juicier and
more tender? Have you become ever so slightly kinder to yourself?” she writes.
This is how you tell if faith in God is making any difference for you at all, Lamott says.
For five weeks this summer, St. Paul pastors and staff will lead a lunch-time series about
the fruit of the spirit, nine attributes of a Christian life according to Paul in his letter to the
Galatians. He writes, “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity,
faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22-23)
Fruit is a familiar metaphor in the Bible. In Matthew 7, Jesus explains that good trees bear
good fruit and bad trees bear bad fruit, and it cannot be different. Clearly, the fruit of the Spirit
is good fruit, and Paul contrasts it with the “works” of the sinful nature. These include impurity,
idolatry, sorcery, strife, jealousy, anger, envy, and carousing.
God wants us to be good trees that bear good fruit, but God doesn’t expect us to cultivate
such virtue in isolation. To tend the precious orchard that is the church, God sends the Spirit.
When we notice those fruits that Paul talks about appearing in our lives – when we become
more generous or patient, when we experience more joy and peace and so on – we can be sure
that the Master Arborist is at work.
Summer lunch series
Bring a sack lunch and come to the Library
Commons, Wednesdays, June 29-July 27,
12 noon-1 p.m., for a discussion about the
fruit of the spirit.
JUNE 29: Overview and Love
Ryan Bailey and Tammy Hermanson
JULY 6: Joy and Peace
Katy Warren and Andy Langdon
JULY 13: Patience and Kindness
Amy Diller and Ann McGlynn
JULY 20: Gentleness and Self-Control
Sara Olson-Smith and Karen Holden
JULY 27: Generosity and Faithfulness
Peter Marty and Dana Welser
— Ryan Bailey, director of faith formation
The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
— GALATIANS 5:22-23
4 Journey | June 2016
‘Our own house’
St. Paul people to help build Habitat for Humanity home
A
hlonko Kokou was a high school math and physics teacher in the country of Togo. He and his wife,
Afi Amewou, dreamed of coming to the United States
someday – so they started the process to come here on
a Visa.
In a lottery type of process, Ahlonko was chosen to
come. Eight years ago, he left his family and friends, and
Afi, to come and start a life in the U.S. He visited Togo
twice in the five years he and Afi were apart.
“The third visit, she came to see me,” Ahlonko said
of Afi’s arrival in the United States three years ago.
The two are now parents to a beautiful little boy
named Ghislain. Ahlonko works at Tyson and is attending Western Illinois University to become an electrical engineer. Afi, a beautician in Togo, works at Kraft
Foods. They work different shifts to minimize the time
Ghislain is cared for by others. Each of them speaks
three languages – French, Ewe, and English.
This summer, they will build a new home through
Habitat for Humanity. St. Paul people will be some of
the folks who will provide the labor.
“Our big dream is to have our own house,” Afi said.
“Our dream is to live with our family with no problems,
in peace.”
Their home will be at 1651 W. 17th St., Davenport, just up Division Street from the Putnam Museum.
They broke ground in early May. Building will continue
through the summer. It’s one of several houses that will
be started or completed this year – including the 100th
home built through the Habitat program.
St. Paul people will swing hammers, saw wood, and
raise walls. The church also provides a financial donation of $22,000 to support the building of this house, as
well as the organization in general.
“We work alongside families to build that strong
foundation for their future,” said Dougal Nelson, director of development for Habitat Quad Cities. “Homeownership builds strength, stability, and self-reliance. It
helps shape a better tomorrow.”
Families apply to Habitat to be considered for
the program. They are chosen by the family’s level of
need, their willingness to be partners in the program,
and their ability to repay the loan through an affordable
payment plan.
Habitat works in a number of ways to create decent,
affordable housing. Methods include new housing, renovation of existing buildings, and initiatives – such as
one in the Floreciente
neighborhood in Moline – that help people
repair and improve
their own homes and
neighborhoods. Habitat also works in disaster response.
Once their house
is complete, Ahlonko,
Afi, and Ghislain will
move from their second-story apartment
in Moline to their
home in Davenport.
No doubt, their phone
calls and letters home
will be filled with joy.
“That house will
be blessed,” Ahlonko
said. “We are so
thankful for everyone’s support. May God bless everyone who helps, give them long life and peace.”
Afi echoed her gratefulness. “Habitat has become
like a real family for us here.”
VOLUNTEER FOR HABITAT FOR HUMANITY
Several Saturday and Wednesday evening dates are available to work on
Ahlonko and Afi’s home.
Saturdays: June 18, July 16, August 13. The morning shifts are 8 a.m.-noon, the
afternoon shifts from noon-4 p.m. Lunch is provided; help is needed to provide
lunch as well.
Wednesday evenings: June 8 and July 6, 5-8 p.m., dinner provided.
No previous building experience is necessary. To help, visit stpaulqc.org/signups.
Journey | June 2016 5
COVER story
EMPOWERING
refugees
St. Paul to partner with World Relief to accompany refugee family arriving in Quad Cities
The journey begins by fleeing their
home – adults and children of all ages. They
may have no time to plan and can take only
what they can carry. Sometimes, it includes
traveling by foot through jungles, deserts, war
zones, with fear of attack from militia groups
and animals – or capture and punishment by
law enforcement.
Next is a stay in a refugee camp, a time
that can last from 18 months to 20 years.
Refugees remain there until a new country
gives them permission to enter. The camps
are where the paperwork, interviews, security
checks, and medical screenings begin.
REFUGEE FAMILY SUPPORT
In partnership with World Relief-Moline,
St. Paul people will walk alongside a refugee
family resettling in the Quad Cities.
The family will likely arrive in July or August,
from one of several nations worldwide
experiencing war and poverty.
Resettlement support usually lasts six-eight
months, sometimes longer.
Please note: Those who will have direct
contact with the family will be asked to
submit information for a background check,
and take a 90-minute training led by World
Relief staff, to be held at St. Paul.
Help needed includes: Home setup, shop
for first week’s worth of groceries, prayer,
transportation assistance, friendship partner,
English tutor, support team leaders.
To indicate interest in supporting a refugee
family, visit stpaulqc.org/signups.
6 Journey | June 2016
A refugee family in a far-away place is
about to learn they are coming to the Quad
Cities. St. Paul people are about to learn the
joy and challenges of welcoming them.
“Transformation of lives is what we are
here for,” said Amy Rowell, the executive director of World Relief in the Quad Cities. St.
Paul is embarking upon a new partnership
with World Relief, to empower a refugee family who will arrive at the Quad Cities International Airport sometime in the coming
months.
The number of people in our world displaced from their homes by violence and persecution is unprecedented in human history.
By the end of 2014, nearly 60 million people
were forcibly displaced, with nearly a third living outside of their countries as refugees. By
far the greatest force driving the crisis is Syria.
Nearly half of Syria’s population is thought to
be displaced or killed. Four million Syrians
have now taken refuge in neighboring countries like Jordan, Iraq, Turkey, and Lebanon,
struggling to build new lives for themselves in
regions far from home.
The U.S has a history of resettling refugees: this year, the country will admit as many
as 85,000 refugees from various parts of the
world. In locations throughout the United
States, including the Quad Cities, World Relief partners with local churches to help refu-
gees integrate into communities, providing
help with housing, employment, and cultural
adjustment.
Why does World Relief stand with refugees?
It’s biblical: Throughout the Bible, we
are repeatedly told that God loves and cares
for strangers, and that God expects God’s
people to do so, also. Jesus was a refugee, and
says that when we welcome a stranger, we
welcome him. “The Lord watches over the
strangers, and upholds the orphan and the
widow.” (Psalm 146:9)
It’s foundational: World Relief began
in 1944 as the War Relief Commission, the
rebuilding response of churches throughout
the United States to a war in Europe that had
fueled an enormous refugee crisis. Facing the
greatest global refugee crisis since World War
II, it’s time for the Church to rise up once
again.
It’s sustainable: Refugees are not just
vulnerable, they are also resilient and resourceful. While they may have needs up
front, refugees have a long-term positive impact on the communities that receive them.
When refugees arrive at the Quad Cities
International Airport, World Relief staff and
volunteers are there to greet them, with an
interpreter on hand. Their things are loaded
up and the group heads to the family’s new
HOUSEHOLD ITEMS COLLECTION
A household items collection will be held beginning the weekend of June 18/19. Visit the
house set up in the Gathering Area and choose an item or two to purchase new for a refugee
family to be welcomed by St. Paul. Items collected beyond the family’s needs will go to fellow
refugees arriving in the Quad Cities. Items must be returned to church by Friday, July 1.
home.
After a safety briefing, the family sits
down to a hot meal cooked just for them, familiar foods from their homeland. A whirlwind first few weeks involve employment assessments, enrollment in school, visits to the
health department for medical checks, connecting with friends and family, figuring out
the bus system, visiting a free clothing ministry, starting to learning English and the laws,
and understanding finances.
World Relief, through the federal government, receives money to help support the
family for a set amount of time. Families also
are eligible to receive public assistance as they
work toward independence.
“People are strong,” Amy said of the people World Relief serves. “It is a slow process.
WHAT IS A REFUGEE?
A refugee is someone who has been forced to flee his/her
homeland as a result of persecution because of race,
religion, nationality, political opinion, and/or social class.
Each year, approximately 225 refugees are resettled in the
Quad Cities through World Relief.
But as they are learning about
our culture, we have an opportunity
to learn from them – their ways and
their thoughts. It’s a growth opportunity for
all of us.”
‘TO BE IN A PEACEFUL COUNTRY’
Finishing up his duties for the day, Marc
Ndabaramiye steps out from the kitchen and into
the seating area of Oh So Sweet by Tiphanie in downtown Davenport.
He is a dishwasher at the bakery. He sweeps,
clears dishes, and unloads shipments as well. His
easy smile lights up the room when his co-workers
tease him about being famous, as he sits down for
this interview.
“I like working here,” Marc said, noting that he
appreciates the flexibility and his co-workers the
most.
Marc has been in the United States for a year,
a refugee from the Democratic Republic of the
Congo. His family resettled here through World
Relief. They escaped their country, which is
wracked by war, and fled to Burundi. After
a two-year-long process of paperwork and
interviews to be accepted for resettlement,
they arrived at the Quad City International
Airport last June.
He started working for Tiphanie Cannon, a St. Paul member, last fall.
“He has the biggest heart,” she said.
“There’s not a mean bone in his body.”
Marc, 23, is a “super important part of
the team,” Tiphanie said.
Life in the Congo was very hard, Marc said.
Getting food, clothing, water, education – the
basics – was incredibly difficult. He was able to
go to Rwanda to earn his high school diploma,
he said. He loves to read – right now he mostly
reads grammar books to fine-tune his English. Marc
speaks six languages, including Swahili, French,
English, and three regional dialects.
The Congo is one of four countries that people
who resettle in the Quad Cities predominately come
from, the others being Myanmar, Burma, and Iraq.
More than 2.4 million people from the Congo
alone have been displaced because of killings, kidnappings, mass rape, and torture.
Marc’s parents and siblings came to the United
States as well. His father and siblings work or go to
school, while his mother recovers from back and leg
injuries. Marc has plans to attend Black Hawk College, with the hope of going into social services. But
first, eye surgeries are a priority – procedures to correct vision problems he’s had since childhood.
“I hope to be able to drive afterwards,” he said.
Now, he rides the bus a half-hour each way from his
family’s home in Rock Island to work in Davenport.
Marc says his dreams for his life in the United
States are for the surgeries that will correct his vision, and “to be in a peaceful country.”
When asked for the most significant struggles
for refugees coming to the United States, he said
transportation and “for the first two weeks, it’s really
hard to eat food from America.”
“It’s important to have a church,” he said. “It’s
much better for you to have a church.”
Journey | June 2016 7
A garden grows
St. Paul people find joy, happiness, challenge, and contentment in nurturing
flowers, vegetables, fruit in their own backyards
Snapping green beans and sugar snap peas
Growing up, Kaitlyn Schnekloth watched – and helped weed – as her mom grew an amazing garden. One of her favorite things to do was to snap green beans fresh from the earth.
Today, Kaitlyn lives on a farm with her husband Hans and baby girl Millie Jane. Her own
garden is just steps outside her back door, filled with all sorts of delicious things to eat – raspberries, tomatoes, peppers, sugar snap peas, broccoli.
She draws maps to plot out her plan for the year. There’s the map that represents her dream,
she said, and then the map that represents reality – once planting is underway. She keeps the
maps in her gardening journal, where she also writes down planting dates and other details that
will help remind her of the summer’s journey. She also likes to learn about what grows together
well – such as tomatoes and marigolds.
Rabbits do not come to visit the Schnekloth garden, she said. Their dogs do visit, one loves
peppers and the other is a fan of brussel sprouts.
As the produce ripens, Kaitlyn makes salsa and has taken a try at canning. She loves to
make a meal with the veggies she’s grown.
“We give a lot of it away, too,” she said, adding that she particularly enjoys sharing garden
bounty with her church friends.
Purple beans and rainbow carrots
As far back as he can remember, Lee Marbach’s family had a garden. He enjoyed helping
and picking vegetables.
“I think my dad was always a big part of getting the garden in, but it was a full family activity in the summer,” he said.
Today, gardening brings him great joy – especially educating his kids and having an activity where they can get dirty, learn, and spend time with the family.
“I believe it is my duty to help my kids know where food comes from and that good food
can be grown. I always enjoy sharing the abundance from a garden with others. I enjoy seeing
the tangible outcomes of working the land. The produce from a garden can’t be beat! Gardening, like weather, is always something that can be used for small talk, too.”
The Marbach garden will be expanding this year. With three trellised main beds that are
20 feet long, they added a 25-foot bed alongside the house, trying a new area this year to see if
it will produce despite the shade it gets.
The family’s favorite things to grow are cucumbers and dill because Lee and his wife, Julia,
make their own lacto fermented dill pickles. Lee is excited for the hops he planted, and their
daughters can hardly wait for their purple beans and rainbow carrots.
“It brings me pride that my kids feel comfortable in the garden and will eat beans, banana
peppers, and rhubarb straight from the source. As I reflect back on it, gardening has always
been something I enjoy. While at Iowa State, I had containers with heirloom tomatoes and pepper plants on my apartment deck.”
8 Journey
Journey || June
June 2016
2016
Fingers in the dirt
Deanna Feuerbach loves to pull weeds.
Really. She could sit for hours and care for the beauty around her by making sure the
weeds are held at bay.
“It’s my therapy. I always like to have my fingers in the dirt,” she says of the gardens of flowers surrounding her and Leon’s home in north Davenport, as well as the gardens at St. Paul. “I
feel like I’m in heaven when I’m in the middle of flowers.”
Deanna’s love for gardening was planted by her mom, who grew and arranged flowers for
all of Deanna’s childhood. Since then, Deanna has taken classes from the Iowa State University
Extension and Outreach office.
With Leon as chief hole digger (he calls himself the gopher), the Feuerbachs have a gorgeous variety of flowers that surround their home. Roses are her favorite. Shady plants thrive
out front, sunny plants grow best in the back. Sometimes, it’s a matter of trial and error to see
what works where. “We’ll plant something and if it doesn’t grow, we don’t plant it there again.”
The Feuerbachs also can be seen around St. Paul, planting and tending to the flowers by
the library entrance on the north. They are an important part of the crew that tends to the Memorial Garden.
St. Paul has been a part of their lives for decades – they were married at St. Paul, their
children baptized here, Leon said. Sharing their love of gardening is how they show their appreciation for this community of faith.
Lilacs and bunnies
Jennie Barnds’ earliest memory of gardening involves her grandparents.
She writes: “I'm from a rural town in Pennsylvania and my family lived about a quarter
of a mile from my grandparents. We had large vegetable gardens on both properties, but my
grandparents maintained both of them. We grew enough potatoes to last a year (we ate potatoes
probably five or six nights out of the week, so that's a lot of potatoes) as well as lima beans and
string beans, both of which we froze, and tomatoes, which my grandmother canned. Why does she garden? “So many reasons. I enjoy the physical nature of it and the sense of
accomplishment I feel throughout the growing season. It provides a creative outlet when I plan
new perennial gardens. I enjoy the solitude of being alone with my thoughts and simply just
‘being,’ which is rare when you are the mother of three young children. More than anything,
I think I garden because I feel a sense of contentment and connectedness with my family in
Pennsylvania as well as the joy of experiencing God's beautiful creation.”
What are your plans for your garden this year? “This is the year that I take back my garden
from the rabbits. It's either them or me. I won't tell you who's winning right now.”
What is your favorite thing to grow and why? “Flowers! I love old fashioned flowers...lilacs,
peonies, lily of the valley. When Kent, Martha, and I relocated to the Quad Cities 11 years ago,
I brought along with us a single foot-long lilac start from the bush in our yard. Apparently it
loves Iowa soil and it has since grown into a full 10-foot-tall bush. When we moved to a new
house almost two years ago, I took two new starts from that bush and transplanted them to our
new backyard. That is how I chose the name for my business, Lilac Hill Photography.”
Journey | June 2016 9
new members / APRIL 2016
Dianna & Randy Amhof
Bonnie Heydeman
Vince Honts
Mike & Jean McGee
Jim & Tonya Belk, Dylan, Hannah
Ashley Kruse
JIM & TONYA BELK have four children, Austin (not
pictured), McKenna (not pictured), Dylan, and Hannah. Jim is a machine operator at ALCOA while Tonya
works as an account assistant at KBMC. The opportunities for youth and worship services are what attracted this family to St. Paul.
KYLE BOLINDER & MEGAN DELCOURT are engaged to be married. Kyle is employed at Group O as a
strategic sourcing specialist and likes to stay active and
spend time with family. Megan is a registered associate
at Morgan Stanley and spends her free time playing
volleyball and reading.
10 Journey | June 2016
Harriett & Don Lantow
Billie Meili & Brad Plett,
Zac, Emmersen, Xander
DIANNA & RANDY AMHOF enjoy gardening, fitness, volunteering, and reading. Randy is the owner of
Amhof Trucking and Dianna is a retired nurse. They
have three adult children.
Kyle Bolinder & Megan Delcourt
Randy & Susie Rathje
Dave & Dortha Dewit
Loresa Latham, Pierce, Liam
Bruce & Susan Simmons
DAVE & DORTHA DEWIT were drawn to St. Paul by
the people and atmosphere. Dave works at Augustana
College as a professor of chemistry while Dortha is a
musician and violin teacher with ties to the Quad City
Symphony Orchestra and Augustana College.
BONNIE HEYDEMAN is employed as an operating
room nurse at Genesis East. She likes to read, cook,
and sing.
VINCE HONTS is a staff pharmacist at Trinity Medical Center in Rock Island. His hobbies include golf,
movies, and travel – particularly to the beaches in
Florida. He comes to St. Paul through friend, Hildasue
Petersen.
ASHLEY KRUSE is a material coordinator at John
Deere. She’s new to the area and likes to spend her free
time with friends and family.
Peter & Beth Laureijs
Rex West
HARRIETT & DON LANTOW have three adult children and are former members of St. Paul. Don is a retired veterinarian and Harriett is a retired homemaker.
LORESA LATHAM has two sons, Liam and Pierce.
She is a physical therapy assistant at Millenium Therapy. This family spends their time camping, fishing, and
cheering on the St. Louis Cardinals.
PETER & BETH LAUREIJS enjoy spending time with
friends and family, traveling, and music. Peter works
as a family physician in DeWitt and Beth is a registered nurse and manager at Habitat for Humanity.
MIKE & JEAN MCGEE come to St. Paul through
friends. Mike is employed by the City of Davenport
as a divisional program manager. Their hobbies include baking, walking, biking, and spending time with
grandchildren.
NE W MEMBERS CONTINUED
CHRIS & ERICKA PAGE (not pictured) have a son, Jace, 9.
Chris is a stay-at-home dad and Ericka works at John Deere
as a process team lead. They like to cook, watch movies, and
take care of animals. They find St. Paul to be a very welcoming
congregation.
BILLIE MEILI & BRAD PLETT have three children, Xander,
Zac, and Emmersen. Brad is an IT architect and Billie is a
business analyst, both at John Deere. This family enjoys soccer, travel, and home improvement projects. Brad’s parents,
Beverly and Rick Plett, are St. Paul members.
RANDY & SUSIE RATHJE like to spend their time doing outdoor activities. Randy is the president of the Riverboat Development Authority. Susie works in the Davenport School
District as a teacher coordinator.
BRUCE & SUSAN SIMMONS joined St. Paul because of the
welcoming community of others. Bruce is a supervisor at MA
Ford and Susan is employed by KONE in customer service.
This couple enjoys golfing and traveling.
REX WEST is retired and spends his time with his grandchildren and golfing. The church building is what first drew Rex
inside for worship.
Membership Inquiry Classes: Learn more about
the faith expressions that ground us, the mission
commitments that inspire us, and the program life
that can grow your faith. Come to an upcoming class
on Wednesday, June 15, 6:30-9 p.m. Sign up at the
Info Center or online at stpaulqc.org/signups.
Council Notes
The St. Paul Congregational Council accepted
a staff resignation and a partial retirement, gave the
go-ahead for new chairs on the Upper Level of the
Education Wing, and toured the construction project
underway in the Lower Level.
The partial retirement of long-time children’s
choir director Linda Allebach was accepted. Linda,
who directed our third- through sixth-grade Cantate
Choir for 10 years, will remain as assistant organist
at St. Paul. Linda and her husband, Don, are looking
forward to time travelling and enjoying their family.
“I leave this position with a very full heart,” Linda
wrote. The council expressed appreciation for her
continued valued role as assistant organist.
The resignation of Liesebet Gravley, resident pastor (see page 3), was accepted. Liesebet will leave St.
Paul midway through her two-year residency in order
UPCOMING worship
JUNE 4 & 5
Season after Pentecost
PR E AC H I N G
5:30 Katy Warren
8:00 Katy Warren
9:20 Amy Diller
11:00 Katy Warren
JUNE 11 & 12
Season after Pentecost
PR E AC H I N G
5:30 Sara Olson-Smith
8:00 Peter W. Marty
9:20 Peter W. Marty
11:00 Sara Olson-Smith
JUNE 18 & 19
to pursue training in hospital chaplaincy through a
Clinical Pastoral Education program in Ft. Wayne,
Indiana. Her last day will be July 17.
The council approved the purchase of 85 chairs
for the Luther Loft and Room 208 on the Upper Level
of the Education Wing. The purchase will be paid for
from the Memorial Gifts Fund as approved of by the
committee that oversees that fund. The fund receives
gifts given in honor or memory of others, often those
who have died.
A tour of the renovation underway in the lower
level Faith Trek area was a highlight of the meeting.
The 3,900 square foot project will be completed this
summer, opening up needed large-group space. The
area will have new carpeting, windows, lighting, and
ceiling.
Season after Pentecost
Fathers Day weekend
PR E AC H I N G
5:30 Peter W. Marty
8:00 Sara Olson-Smith
9:20 Sara Olson-Smith
11:00 Peter W. Marty
JUNE 25 & 26
Season after Pentecost
New Member Sunday at 11 a.m.
PR E AC H I N G
5:30 Peter W. Marty
8:00 Liesebet Gravley
9:20 Liesebet Gravley
11:00 Peter W. Marty
READY FOR SUMMER: Learning and music at St. Paul take on a different pace during
the summer, as school-year groups break for a few months. The Heart. Soul. Mind.
Bible study, Sunday morning learning, and preschool will be back in September,
as will the choirs. Watch for special music during worship this summer.
Journey
Journey || June
June 2016
2016 11
11
2136 Brady Street
Davenport, IA 52803
In summer there is everywhere the luminous sprawl of gifts,
the hospitality of the Lord,
and my inadequate answers.
— MARY OLIVER
12 Journey | June 2016