The PPUMC Choir is excited to be back on an in-person weekly rehearsal schedule as we join with the rest of the congregation in exploring new ‘normals’ in the midst of the pandemic. Following all guidelines established by the church administrative council, we’re meeting – and singing – while masked and keeping safe distancing boundaries.…
A big THANK YOU to everyone who contributed to the February campaign to support Afghan refugees via the Minnesota Council of Churches Refugee Services. PPUMC collected three carloads of goods. The MCC was especially grateful to receive two car seats and a wheelchair. Most of our donations were household goods: kitchenware and cleaning/laundry supplies to…
Over the past months, the PPUMC community has been incredibly generous in helping provide support to Afghan refugee families making their way to a new home in Minnesota. (See our previous post about this service project here.) As the re-settlement efforts continue throughout February, we will be collecting a variety of household items, specifically kitchen…
As choir director here at PPUMC, I feel pretty darn comfortable speaking for the entire congregation when I say we ALL love to sing, especially when together in the sanctuary. Ah, those sweet sounds! Of course, it has been nearly two years since we’ve last shared that gift in person; and yet, we’ve created new…
Beloved Community, Today I plan to eat a peanut butter, bologna and lettuce sandwich on white bread, with the crusts cut off. I’m thinking to serve it on a favorite vintage plate (photo included) with a few potato chips on the side. If I can come up with some red licorice, it will be dessert.…
Did you know? 578 people have arrived in MN since September, that’s 163 families. The state of MN houses new arrivals at a hotel in Bloomington where they await placement in apartments or houses. 499 individuals have stayed at the hotel. 211 are currently at the hotel. 288 people have moved out and are in…
“Making merry,” is a wonderful expression, if you take it seriously. It can mean more than a Holiday Party after the Secret Santa exchange at the office. It can mean that in the midst of increasing pressure, fear, anxiety, need and grief, we make, literally, make our way toward hope: God breaking into history with…
Thank You, God!In the midst of the incessant onslaught of bad news, it’s time to give thanks for all that is good. Challenge family and friends to swap out a traditional meat-based dish for one from plants. In a four-person household, making the change just once a week is the equivalent of removing the emissions…
Friends, I hope you have gotten some mail from PPUMC recently, first, an invitation to the Fall Arts and Food Fest coming up this next weekend on its traditional date: the first Saturday in November and second, a letter introducing this year’s Stewardship season. I hope you received both. I like the balance of the…
How you think of yourself matters. We’ve repeatedly been told we are consumers, but to consume means “to use things up.” Rejecting that label and seeing ourselves as citizens—ones who care for the welfare of the community—makes a difference in our actions. Which one aligns with our faith? Who do you want to be? Fall…