Happy Reconciling Anniversary!

April 1, 2025, marked 30 years of Good Samaritan UMC being a Reconciling Congregation! A reconciling community is a church, university, campus ministry, or a small group within such larger organizations that is committed to the full inclusion of LGBTQ+ people in the life and ministry of the United Methodist Church, both in policy and in practice. To become reconciling, a group must reach the point where they can declare they “welcome and affirm people of all sexual orientations and gender identities” with at least 75% support. Congratulations, Good Sam!

Good Friday Self-Guided Reflection Stations Worship

On Good Friday, April 18, we invite you to join us for a self-guided, multisensory experience anytime between 2:00 - 8:00 p.m., as we trace the final steps in Jesus’ journey leading to His crucifixion and death. You can take as much or as little time as you need to travel from station to station around our main floor, exploring the story through scripture, artworks, sound, music, and reflective activities. Engage all your senses as we travel the dark valley that will eventually lead to a bright Easter morning. This will be a quiet, prayerful, intimate journey for each person.

Due to the difficult nature of the subject matter, we recommend that children under 12 not attend, and those from 12-14 should engage in this encounter with an adult in their life. Childcare with activities will be available. It’s recommended you enter from the upper parking lot portico entrance.

We will also have an online version of this experience available any time after 12 noon.

We are hoping to borrow some hand weights – 5 lb., 10 lb. or 20 lb. Let Christian or Pastor Jim know if you can lend any to us. We are also seeking volunteers to help with setup on Tuesday, April 15, from 1:00-5:00pm and on Friday, the 18th, at 12 noon. We also need volunteers to serve as guides and facilitators along with our staff during the event for two-hour shifts. Please reach out to Christian (christian@good.org) or Pastor Jim (jim@good.org) for more information, to sign up to help, or with any questions you may have.

Minnesota Reconciling Congregations Spring Gathering

All are invited to the Minnesota Reconciling Congregations' Annual Spring Gathering Saturday, April 5, from 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. at Eden Prairie UMC, 15050 Scenic Heights Rd. This is an opportunity to gather with other Reconciling United Methodists to share lunch (bring a dish to share) and hear a program presented by Rev. Carol Zaagsma and Becky Boland. They will provide information about Regionalization and other Constitutional Amendments coming before the Annual Conference in June and about the next steps to take toward inclusiveness. Contact Brian Boysen at bteambackup@earthlink.net for more information.

Intergenerational Ukrainian Egg Day!
Saturday, April 12, 2:00-5:30 p.m.

100 Wooden Eggs Have Arrived! We will have a variety of painting methods to try out. Plus, games, Ukrainian music, and supporting the UMCOR mission in Ukraine. Please RSVP by April 11 to Jan at jan@good.org.

Prayer Shawl Ministry

Calling all knitters and crocheters! Your skills are needed to make prayer shawls. These are given to church members when hospitalized or recovering from illness in care facilities or at home, letting them know they are being thought about and wishing them well. They can be made the size you wish and dropped off at the church office. Thank you!

Feed My Starving Children

Volunteer for meal packing at the Chanhassen site (18932 Lake Dr E): Friday, April 11 from 7:15-8:45 p.m. Sign up with Jane Heimerl at jane.heimerl@yahoo.com by two days ahead. Space is limited!

Spring Social with Homeward Bound
Friday, May 2, 7:00-9:00 p.m.

Mark your calendars and RSVP for your spot at this year’s Spring Social! This event features Good Samaritan's band, Homeward Bound, for an evening of family-friendly music, fellowship, and fun. The band will play two sets of music in Fellowship Hall with a short intermission. Coffee, lemonade and desserts will be served. A free-will offering will benefit our music department. All are welcome. RSVP at https://tinyurl.com/GSSpringSocial25.

Thursday Afternoon Book Club

Drivers Needed for Meals on Wheels!

If you have 1-2 hours per month to spare, please consider this volunteer opportunity! Good Samaritan supplies volunteer drivers for Meals on Wheels on the third and fifth Fridays of each month. The number of clients has increased and routes have been added. We now need six drivers on our assigned days. Contact: Vicki Dunn, victoria.dunn@q.com.

Good Samaritan is now on BlueSky!

We’re continuing to grow our social media footprint. BlueSky is a new social media space with a strong Progressive Christian presence. They’re also considered by many to be a more ethical alternative to existing social media platforms. If you're on BlueSky, please consider following us here.

Optimal Online Worship Experience is on the Good.org
“Watch & Listen” page or YouTube

We’re continuing to have challenges with Facebook and online worship. They are often mistakenly muting music due to copyright issues. This happens when Facebook’s AI mistakes original recordings for commercially available recordings. This is not an issue on our Good Samaritan YouTube Channel, which features music, prayers, Time with Children segments, visual meditations, and sermons.  You can also watch on our Good.org “Watch & Listen” page.

Special News for Youth and Families

BFF – Building Faithful Families!  We all have such crazy schedules.  Making it to church can sometimes be difficult.  To help you build your family’s faith, each month we will have a new resource for you to try at home with your family.  These resources don’t need a theology degree, just a desire to be come closer as a family and to strengthen your family’s spirituality. January is all about setting your intentions for 2025.  You can pick up these resources at the welcome desk in the Narthex or Jan can email them to you!  Let her know at jan@good.org if you would like a copy.

Online Readers Wanted

We want to extend an invitation to those who participate in Online Worship to be readers, especially for those who are not able to come to our in-person services. If you’re in the local area, we would be happy to come to you to record. If you are distant, we can find a way to help you record. We may even include the recording during In-Person Worship as well. Please reach out to christian@good.org if you would like to participate in worship remotely. You don’t have to be the perfect reader to be a part of worship.

Sanctuary Camera System Training

Training is still available for our sanctuary camera systems for Recording and Live streaming. If operating our built-in sanctuary cameras seems too much, there is also training available for our free-standing cameras, which we use in creating Online Worship, and we could use your help. Please contact Chrisitan Nielsen at christian@good.org to learn more or to sign up.

Let the Play Begin!

The Good Sam Pickleball Club invites interested adult Good Samaritan members to join in the newly added introduction/beginners pickleball sessions. The sessions will be held in the church Gym each Saturday from 10:00-11:00 a.m. No previous experience is necessary. Paddle equipment will be available. Regular pickleball play time is Mondays and Thursdays from 3:15 to 5:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 11:00a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Registration is required for ANY/ALL sessions. Registration forms are available outside the church office or at the Gym.

Memorial Service Help

We are looking for people who are interested in occasionally helping with memorial services held at Good Samaritan. This is something we used to do years ago and are exploring restarting it. The areas we could use help with are baking cookies, making coffee, washing tablecloths, and coordinating. You would be contacted when a memorial service is planned at Good Samaritan where the bereaved would appreciate cookies and bars provided by the church. If you are interested in being on the list, please contact Kathy Clark at kjcclark@icloud.com. Thank you for your time.

Chancel Chimes Needs You!

Chancel Chimes handbell ensemble is looking for new members. If you are interested in ringing handbells or even just trying them, now is the time. Rehearsals are on Wednesday evenings from 6:00 to 7:15 pm and we participate in worship approximately once a month. The ability to read music and a can-do attitude are helpful. Contact Kate Graber, kate@good.org, for details. The Bell Room 153 is on the lower level in the Music Wing..

Online Worship on SW Community Television!

Our Online Worship is now on Southwest Community Television, accessible to cable subscribers in Edina and surrounding communities on Channel 15 (Standard Definition) 799 (High Definition). Having our worship on cable will make it more accessible for those with limited technology access or knowledge and we hope it will increase our visibility in the area. Online Worship will also be available on demand from their website http://edinamn.gov/swtv and through their “Cablecast” streaming app for iPhone, Android, Apple TV, Roku and Fire TV users.  Our schedule on channel 15 & 799 is:

• Wednesdays 7:30-8:30 pm
• Fridays 9-10 am
• Saturdays 7 - 8 pm
• Sundays 10 am (airs one week behind due to our production schedule)

Help Beautify our Worship

Our altar flower signup sheet for Sunday morning worship is looking very empty. Consider signing up! You can acknowledge an anniversary, honor someone, or provide flowers just because! There are several ways to provide flowers for the altar for all different budgets, including:

• Have Cindy in the office order an arrangement from Bachman’s for a cost of $65 (or more for a larger arrangement).
• To avoid the $18 delivery fee, order your own arrangement and pick it up yourself.
• Grab a bouquet from your local grocery store (Trader Joe’s has a great selection for lower cost) or farmers market (Fulton Farmers Market meets at Lake Harriet UMC on Saturday mornings).
• Cut flowers and foliage from your own yard.

When you sign up on the Altar Flowers chart on the Narthex kiosk, Cindy will be in touch with you to discuss what you would like to do. Contact her with questions - cindy@good.org or 952-929-0049.