SEPTEMBER JOURNEYS WITH JESUS AND PASTORS CHRISTA & WAYNE

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1 SEPTEMBER 2018 JOURNEYS WITH JESUS AND PASTORS CHRISTA & WAYNE Dear Trinity Lutheran Church Congregation, Good Neighbors The hot, hot part of the summer is past (we trust!) and we are gearing up for the Fall season at Trinity Lutheran Church of Las Cruces. Everything is still an adventure for Pastor Wayne and me as we are still exploring this gorgeous desert landscape and strange weather patterns, finding out more about Las Cruces and NMSU, and we are still getting to know YOU dear congregation, your personal and spiritual histories and hopes, and dreams for our lives together! A big wonderful group (22+ people) from church recently went to see the documentary film about Fred Rogers, Won t You Be My Neighbor, at the Fountain Theatre in Mesilla. One of my favorite quotes from Mister Rogers is this one: "Deep within us no matter who we are there lives a feeling of wanting to be lovable, of wanting to be the kind of person that others like to be with. And the greatest thing we can do is to let people know that they are loved and capable of loving." From The World According To Mister Rogers One of the best things about Wayne & my new neighborhood in the Sonoma Ranch area of Las Cruces is we have a fantastic neighbor family. Some of you met them during our VBS this summer. The family consists of a dad and two super cute and energetic little boys one of whom, you ll remember, was dancing in our church aisles on the Sunday after VBS, when we sang one of our VBS theme songs, This Little Light of Mine, I m Gonna Let it Shine. From Day 1 in our new house, this neighbor has treated us as lovable he s taken out our trash, introduced us to las tunas and how to pick and peel them (carefully, with tongs); he s asked for help with his dogs, and has invited us over to his church group, which often meets at his house, for potlucks. How do we get to that level of neighborliness? Exercise & Practice Maybe, through exercise and practice of the Gospel of Love God has given us! Journeys With Jesus, continued on page 2, Page 1

2 Journeys With Jesus, continued from page 1, Some of you know that I, Pastor Christa, am training for the Chicago Marathon Oct. 7 (believe it or not!) Yes, a real marathon with my own two (ahem) fifty-something year old feet and one hundred and something (ahem again) pound body. One of my favorite authors, John Ortberg, keeps reminding me that extremely few people would be able to run a marathon by sheer will power. What it takes to run a marathon (for most people) is practice. Lots and lots of short run practices, gradually increasing the mileage each week. To run a long distance doesn t require a lot of coordination, nor a particularly svelte body, nor are there age limits (the dad of a friend of ours started running marathons in his 60 s and continued well into his 80 s) Pastor Wayne and I think there is an important analogy here with living the Christian life, and becoming a great neighbor, both as individuals with our actual neighbors, and as Trinity Lutheran Church in the neighborhood of Las Cruces. Short Run Training Practices We have lots of short run practice training sessions happening this fall, ways to get involved with loving our neighbors: Join in for a meal and getting to know some of the residents of the Community of Hope homeless shelter: God s Work. Our Hands. Sunday Sept. 9 Cook (and join in for a meal) Wednesday nights confirmation/church program night starting Sept. 12 Stay overnight at church [cots are on order! ] and interact with mostly non-english speakers, with our first Oak Tree project [legally registered] refugees starting in late September Engage children and their families (Sunday School, or maybe in an expansion of Wednesday night intergenerational events) with education, service, music, worship. Choir & Music practice not only the music but also the nearly athletic effort needed to harmonize together (choir practice started late August but it s not too late to join in!!!) Blessing Bearers (Eucharistic Ministers) visiting homebound members and friends, bring them communion (watch for details and training session dates) Page 2 Jim Class And the point to all of these activities? As we ll be discovering on Sundays in September during Jim Class (sermons from the Book of James), it s NOT to become do-gooders. It s to get stronger down to our core, our innermost being, in knowing we are loved, and we are capable of loving. It s the marathon of love, and for that we need life-long training. See you in Jim Class and at short run practice sessions this September! With and in and for and because of the love of Christ, Pastor Christa JIM CLASS - HOW TO LIVE WELL A Journey Through the Letter of James Sermon Series During the month of Sept., Pastors Wayne and Christa will be focusing on the letter of James in their homilies. A couple of themes which run through this letter are patience and wisdom. In fact, James is a form of literature similar to what the Hebrews called wisdom literature very practical, established, and tested wisdom. In a way, throughout this letter, James asks: What will last? How shall we live faithfully? How shall we trust God and discover how that trust can work itself out in our daily life? So we invite you to Jim Class this September! September Jim Class Themes: September 2 nd - Listening and Doing - James 1 September 9 th - No Favorites James 2 We will be celebrating God s Work Our Hands Sunday and invite you Tent City at the Community of Hope (999 W. Amador) to eat and talk with local homeless people. September 16 th -Taming the Tongue - James 3 September 23 rd -Two Kinds of Wisdom - James 3 & 4 September 30 th -Patience through Prayer and Correction - James 5

3 God s Work. Our Hands. Ministry Team In Celebration of Our Gods Work. Our Hands. Community Service Projects Trinity Lutheran Church Is Hosting an Afternoon of Lunch & Games for the Residents of Tent City Where: Community of Hope 999 W. Amador When: Sunday, Sept. 9 th Time: 12:00 pm Council Notes The Church Council met on August 28, 2018 at 6:00 pm. Ten members were in attendance. The meeting covered council meeting minutes from the previous meeting, financial reports, committee reports, and pastor s report. During the business portion of the meeting, a motion was made and approved to offer the Custodian position to Maria Evaro. Upcoming plans and events discussed were: God s Work. Our Hands. event to be held at the Community of Hope, update on plans for a second service, and a Conference Better Together Summit sponsored by the Rocky Mountain Synod to be held on Saturday, October 20, 2018 at Peace Lutheran Church. The next meeting of the Council will be on August 28, 2018 at 6:00 PM. Richard Rakoff, Council Secretary Fellowship Committee News Wear Your Yellow God s Work. Our Hands. T-shirts! We are also needing small items to use as bingo prizes: travel sizes of shampoo, conditioner travel sizes of talcum powder travel sizes of lotion travel sizes of toothpaste -- full size toothbrush small flashlight/batteries (if needed) good condition paperback books puzzle books -- such as crossword, Sudoku, word finds, etc. colored pencils & adult coloring book candy -- hard, chocolate, gum, etc. And any thing else you feel would make a good prize. Items can be brought to the church by Sunday, Sept. 9th and placed in the wooden crate, located in the Narthex. Ann Steinhoff, GOWH Chair Get your grass skirts, Mumu s, Hawaiian shirts and lei s out and join us for a Hawaiian Luau on SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 15 th. Tickets can be purchased from Fellowship members - Adults $7, Children $3. There will be photo-op area, a Hula Hoop demonstration, a men s hula contest and ukulele entertainment. You don t want to miss this sure to be fun event! Looking waaaaay ahead we are planning a Scandinavian Smorgasbord on January 13 th after worship. It isn t necessary to bring anything, but if you have a favorite Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish or Danish dish you are welcome to add it to our smorgasbord. Jan s Lending Library is getting full Don t forget to check out the interesting books and magazines on the cart. There s a wide selection of materials and I am sure you will find something you would enjoy reading. We meet on the 2 nd Thursday of the month at 10:00. We would love to see some new faces and new ideas at our meetings! Tama Garski, rtg1965@yahoo.com Page 3

4 Meet more of our New Members! Evangelism Team News This month we ll meet Karen, Percy, and their son Alan Walls. The Walls are longtime Las Crucens having been here for 20 years, moving to Denver for 9 years, and then back to Las Cruces. Karen and Percy will be married 37 years in December. Percy was a computer technician in the civil engineering department at NMSU for 17 years. During that time their two children were born. Karen was a full-time mother and extremely involved in their education. Amanda (38 years old) lives in Oregon and has a daughter Serenity Grace who is 4. According to modestly proud grandmother Karen, she is smart and an absolute delight. Alan (34 years old) works for the STS-NM, the transportation contractor for the Las Cruces Public Schools. He is completing his training to be a bus driver. The Walls are long-time Lutherans: during their earlier period in Las Cruces, they had gone to Peace. When Percy s new position as an environmental technician for Lockheed Martin took them to Denver, Karen attended Trinity when she visited their previous hometown. At that time, something clicked. Karen says that the best thing about Trinity is the friendly people who talked with them and made them feel welcome. What happens in their spare time? The Walls are video game aficionados and enjoy swimming. Karen knits and crochets as well her latest project is a vulture (where the pattern would be for that?) with a nativity scene in the works for Christmas. When you see the Walls, please say hello and welcome them to Trinity. We are blessed to have you Karen, Percy, and Alan! Congratulations! At the start of each fall semester, New Mexico State University administration gathers the faculty and staff for a universitywide convocation and awards presentation. This year, John Shonk, was given the Excellence in Academic Advising Award. Currently John advises undergraduate students at the Center for Academic Advising and Student Support. This award recognizes professional academic advisors for their outstanding achievement and service to students. It is especially meaningful because the candidates are nominated by the students themselves. John enjoys advising all students and watching them thrive as they progress through their educational career at NMSU. The ultimate reward is when students graduate and achieve the job they have worked so hard towards. He has many years of experience as an undergraduate advisor and an MBA advisor in the College of Business at NMSU. Congratulations, John, shown with the other honorees standing third from left. Page 4

5 Stewardship Message So, here is a building. It's big and has lots of seats. We call it a church. Why do we come here? Why do we have it? Do we need it? We come on Sunday morning - to hear an inspirational talk? to hear music? to greet friends? So What!! It is possible to hear an inspiring talk, to hear a beautiful professional choir sing on radio or TV and to chat with friends on Facebook. And you don't even have to get dressed! Why come here? I have given this a lot of thought and would like to share these thoughts with you. Historically, a church was the center of a community. Life in a town or city revolved around the church, the cathedral, or the temple. The church was usually a very safe place. If you were fleeing for your life, you were safe in a church. The church provided Sanctuary, Safety. It was also a place of learning. A nearby convent might provide teachers. People sent their children here to be schooled. Girls who did not marry, would often join the convent, they were safe and they would learn to read and write and perhaps teach. Travelers would find a safe place to stay, usually in a guest house run by the nuns or brothers. There was frequently an herbalist, a nun or brother who had an herb garden and was skilled in making salves and potients. They treated illness, burns, etc. Market day saw people setting up booths and stalls around the church to sell their wares and produce. A "patterer" might stop by to chant or sing the news. People were married, babies were baptized and the dead were buried with funerals in the church. Cradle to grave, the church was central. So what does that have to do with us? We have doctors, hospitals, restaurants, police departments, hotels, schools. Why do we need a church? What does the church do today? Well, it is still a safe placea sanctuary. We can feel the love and peace of God. Our kids can be safe from bullies and taunts. They can learn how to take care of each other, and act kindly. We can all find forgiveness and forgive, we can find compassion and be compassionate, we can find love and be loved. We can assist each other and help those in need, be a real community. We can touch, hug, shake hands and smile. In this day of electronic communication, actually coming together with each other, by speaking, laughing, and sharing in person, we become a family, a community. I would like you to think about this church, this building, with all the seats in it. What does it mean to you, why is it necessary or important. Do you need it? Lee Beatty Stewardship Committee Member From the Treasurer I wanted to take this opportunity to bring you up to date on our financial picture. Remember that at January s congregational meeting, we passed a church s ministry plan (otherwise known as a budget) knowing that our projected income was much less than what we needed to spend. So, it should not be a surprise to know that at this point in time, we have a deficit between our income and spending of almost $13,000. If we continue in our current trend, we could end the year with a deficit of $18-20,000. While this is concerning, we should not panic. Every Sunday I feel the excitement of Christ s presence in our worship service and I see new faces in our pews. I know that we are moving in the right direction and I encourage you to continue your support for our church. The plan that we agreed on in January is that if our finances do not improve, we will draw on some of our reserves to continue our ministries. We can choose to use either our savings account, stock, or a certificate of deposit. If you have any questions, I am available to you. You can reach me by atsteinhoff@msn.com. Ann Steinhoff, Treasurer Page 5

6 Youth and Education News VBS Wrap-up Our VBS God s Good Creation was a complete success and so much fun! Trinity was an energetic hub of activity from July 23 rd through the 27 th. Forty people of all ages participated in this ministry. We had exciting music (such as the famous chicken dance!), skits, daily themes, storytelling, games, crafts, snacks (voted favorite activity), simulations of activities in biblical times, custom T-shirts, and live animals every day courtesy of 4-H members. THANK YOU to everyone who helped with this joyful community outreach! Submitted by Naomi Schmidt Our VBS children helped raise funds for ELCA World Hunger Project Movie Ministry and Margueritas! Thank you so much for supporting long-term, s u s t a i n a b l e c h a n g e through your gifts to ELCA World Hunger s 40 Days of Giving. Thanks to you, we raised more than $300,000 to fund programs in India, Malawi and the United States that accompany our neighbors as they work to end hunger and poverty in their communities. We re still collecting funds and tracking progress toward our goals. Please give now and continue to support these critical programs in India, Malawi, and the United States that urgently need your support. Your gifts will support these life-saving, life-changing programs of ELCA World Hunger in If funds raised for a specific program exceed the goal, the funds will be used to address a similar need in that country or region. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization. Page 6

7 30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, but violence takes lives away. (Proverbs 11:30) Updates and Q & A on PROJECT OAK TREE The Trinity Lutheran Church Council has endorsed a plan to partner with other local, Las Cruces churches (and at the request of our US federal government) to provide basic Christian kindness: food, shelter, and coordination of travel for legally registered Central American asylum seekers for about a day before they're sent on to sponsoring families around the country to await immigration court proceedings. Those served by the project are usually small family groups: a parent with one or two children. Thank you to the many of you who came to the Trinity Lutheran Church information session held in our fellowship Hall after church on August 19 th. Good discussion took place and several important questions were raised. The God s Work. Our Hands. Ministry Team has been working to get clear answers including the following: Q: Would our insurance cover our offering this type of overnight shelter? A: Yes. Our insurance coverage is through Liberty Mutual, serviced by The Pat Campbell agency. A phone call to the agency confirmed that Our church coverage extends to this type of church ministry involving overnight programs. Q: What governmental requirements or paperwork would this involve? A: There are no US Government obligations that churches have to perform. We receive no resources from the government, and therefore have no official responsibilities to the government. Other churches have decided it is important to have any overnight volunteers undergo a background check before being appointed to the responsibility of all-night hospitality, and this is likely something we would want to require at our church, also. Q: How often would we be doing this? Every night? A: Definitely not every night! We anticipate hosting one or two families (up to 6 people) once or twice a month. Q: How much will this cost our church? A: The cost is not high and would not be taken from any current church funds. We already have a couple of offers of help (including a partner church in El Paso who want to buy at least one cot), and are looking into other avenues, including a possible synod grant. The biggest initial costs would include: 6-8 sturdy fold-up camping cots (6 for guests and 2 for TLC overnight volunteers), at a cost of about $75 per cot. 8 sets of sheets, blankets, pillows, towels Other costs such as food for meals (rice, beans and chicken, etc.), laundry, hygiene supplies, extra janitorial duties, etc., would, at least initially, all come from donations and volunteers, without any financial commitment from the church s current budget or funds. There might, of course, be some incidental costs such as utilities. Q: Do we even have any Spanish speakers at our church? A: One member of our church and one friend of our church are currently being trained to be the transportation coordinators, for which fluency in Spanish is a necessity. The general consensus is that Spanish language ability is not necessary for most of the volunteers, as long as we have a few names we can call on to be translators for any emergency situation. The language of food, shelter and warm smiles doesn t need much translation! Page 7

8 Greetings from the Las Cruces Chapter of the American Guild of Organists (AGO), It is my pleasure it invite you to the first fall meeting of the Las Cruces Chapter of the American Guild of Organists (AGO). The meeting is a potluck and will be held at 6:00 pm on Sunday, September 9, at Peace Lutheran Church, 1701 E. Missouri in Las Cruces. Although the meeting is a potluck, and you may bring a dish if you wish, please do not feel obliged to do so your presence is gift enough. Please bring wife, husband, partner, or significant other as well. We do ask that you RSVP if you plan to attend, so we have some idea of how much food to prepare. You can call me (Steve Helmreich) at or me at Helmreich@zianet.com. This fall marks the beginning of the 30th year of this chapter s existence, and we wanted to mark it by inviting community members, former and prospective chapter members, and guests, to join us. Please come and celebrate with us. Sincerely, Steve Helmreich (for the Las Cruces AGO) SPARK SUNDAY SCHOOL RALLY was held August 26th. Sunday School for Pre-K - 6th grade will start Sunday Sept. 9 th following worship, 10:30-11:30 am. Older students are encouraged to participate as helpers. Adults are welcome to join Pastor Wayne's TRIP class during this time. WARM thanks to our Sunday School ROCK STARS Robin Quillen, teaching Pre-K - 1st grade, and Haley Baker, teaching 2nd grade and up. Please see either for more details or to offer your help! The Cross as a Burden and a Blessing Sept Holy Cross Retreat Center 600 Holy Cross Road Mesilla Park, NM \ Registration: 6:30-7:30 pm in the Sierra Hall Friday, Sept. 14, 2018 Closing after lunch on Sunday, Sept. 16 We often think of the Crosses we bear as painful and difficult. Certainly Jesus experiences real suffering in his death on the cross. Yet Christ transformed the cross from a burden to a blessing. He gave us salvation, hope, and forgiveness through the cross. We now proudly display crosses as a sign of victory, not just defeat. This retreat will give us a chance to reflect on how we respond to the crosses in our own lives, and how they can transform us and give us hope and grace. Led by Fr. Tom Smith OFM Conv. Call for registration fees and information: Holy Cross Retreat Center 600 Holy Cross Road Mesilla Park, NM For more info. contact: Phone: Fax: programs@holycrossretreat.org (If finances are a concern, let us know.) Page 8

9 The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ (Ephesians 4:11-13). Three Sides is a monthly podcast featuring stories from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). As a church that believes God is calling us into the world together, Three Sides will present diverse voices from across the ELCA. Listen ( as we share unique stories from across this church. In our first full episode, our hosts, Shanna Crawford, Philip LaDeur and Andrew Steele, introduce you to ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton; Dr. Sylvia Sloan Black, a retired professor and now an executive coach; and Wendy Davidson, president of U.S. Specialty Channels at the Kellogg Co. The three leaders speak about the role of women in religious, educational and corporate settings, how those roles have evolved, the inspiration that led them down each path, the challenges they ve faced and what the future looks like for female leaders. From the Wider Church: Rocky Mountain Synod Conference Better Together Summits We used to call them Missional Gatherings! Border Conference SAT Oct. 20 at Peace Lutheran, Las Cruces noon to 3:30 pm This fall, conference "missional gatherings" throughout the Rocky Mountain synod will take place under a new name: CONFERENCE BETTER TOGETHER SUMMITS. Bishop Gonia will be present at all 11 Conference gatherings. The focus will be: Money & Church: For the Life of the World. A team of the rostered minister/s and 4-6 congregational leaders from every congregation will meet together. Prior to the gathering each attendee will be asked to complete a "money autobiography' and also to meet with the group from your congregation. The materials/guide for that activity and advance meeting will be ready soon. Each person attending is asked to register with his or her address so we can be sure attendees receive the advance materials. REGISTER NOW Go to the Rocky Mountain Website to register today! Page 9

10 PRAYER REQUESTS 2900 Elks Drive Las Cruces, NM George Timmerman, President Kris Hanson, Vice President Richard Rakoff, Secretary Ann Steinhoff, Treasurer Lee Beatty Dale Dannhaus Malinda Dyer Patti Risk Mary Sletten Pastor Christa von Zychlin Pastor Wayne Nieminen = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Mary Sletten, Finance Secretary Seth Zamora, Music Director Lydia Lucero, Nursery Attendant Pamela Crume, Office Manager Please remember these family and friends in our prayers for wholeness and healing: Tony & Natalie Anthony, Brandon Allen, Rebecca Allen, Steven Anowlic, June Bauer, June Beck, Lynn Brandt, Jeremy Bryan, Kenneth Drake, Wilba Duggan, Russell & Ellen Fox, Beatrice Garski, Cheri Green, Bill Hart, Carla Holzerland, Susie Drumm Horton, Ted & Stella Jones, Dennis Kelly, Kerri MacPherson, Jim McDonell, Carol McCandless, Joe Metzger, Anne Miller, Carolyn Mink, Jamie Montoya, Carmella Myers, Dorothy Nelson, Conrad Picou, Ruth Rakoff, Marleen Reed, Myrna Roy, Miriam Shouman, Carrie Snyder, Magdalene von Zychlin, Maria Warner, Elizabeth & Craig Jr., and family of Ross Dahmer. Please call the pastors, Marlene Nunez or the church office if there are changes/ additions needed to the prayer requests. We want to care for one another. Members celebrating an anniversary: CELEBRATIONS Don & Christine Sexauer 9/06/1980 George & Susanne Timmerman 9/20/1975 Ronald & Tama Garski 9/25/1965 Marlin & Rebecca Schmidt 9/27/2014 TRINITY LUTHERAN CHURCH IS AN ELCA CONGREGATION. WE ARE A COMMUNITY GIVEN LIFE BY GOD TO: GATHER people to faith in the forgiving and transforming Presence of God EQUIP people for a dynamic role in the Body of Christ SEND people into the world, driven by the Spirit, to Share the Grace of our living God Members celebrating a birthday: Cosper Mary 9/02 Grayson Vigil 9/04 Kerri MacPherson 9/05 Rebecca Schmidt 9/06 George Timmerman 9/09 Kristen Dirickson 9/13 BJ Kershaw 9/14 Les MacPherson 9/14 Andrew Anthony 9/17 How To Find Us: We are located at 2900 Elks Drive, just north of the intersection at North Main St. (US 70) and Elks Drive. From I-25 take the US 70/ Main St. exit, turn west to first stop light, turn north one block. Web Site: office@trinitylutheranlc.org Facebook: trinitylutheranlc Page 10 SUNDAY WORSHIP 9:00 am SUNDAY SCHOOL 10:30 AM ADULT BIBLE CLASS 10:30 AM Please let us know if we inadvertently missed your birthday or anniversary! The editor of the Crossbeams newsletter is Pamela Crume, TLC Office Manager. The Crossbeams is a monthly publication of Trinity Lutheran Church in Las Cruces, New Mexico. If you would like to submit information for the newsletter, please it to the office by the 20 th of each month at: office@trinitylutheranlc.org. Information for the Sunday bulletin must be submitted no later than Wednesday of each week. Please notify the office manager if you have any changes to your address, , etc.