Trinity Together Trinity Lutheran Church 357 West Main Street Kutztown, Pennsylvania 19530

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1 Trinity Together Trinity Lutheran Church 357 West Main Street Kutztown, Pennsylvania June 2018 Interim Pastor: The Rev. David Strobel Director of Youth & Family Ministry: Seth Noggle Editor/Administrative Assistant: Lisa Finke Director of Music: Bruce Rohrbach Financial Secretary: Kenny Kunkel Church Office Hours: Monday through Friday 9:00 AM 2:00 PM Website: Our Mission Statement Telling others of God s unconditional love through worship; Empowering discipleship through education; Leading others to this family of Faith as baptized believers; Calling all to follow Jesus example of servanthood Church Council Members Kurt Rohrbach Dan Raudenbush Allen McSparron Dennis Angelisanti Tina Billig Jeff Collier Randy Heffner Catherine Holm Marsha Hoyer Richard Miller April Rakowiecki Elizabeth Shrawder President/Personnel Committee & Endowment Committee Vice President/Witness & Communications Secretary/Mission Team & Mutual Ministry Property Committee Finance Committee & Nominating Committee Mission Team Property Committee Worship Life Committee Worship Life Committee Stewardship Committee Fellowship Committee Personnel Committee 1

2 From the Pastor Scrapings and Parings Back in April, I spent a Sunday morning at my other Trinity. Trinity in Reading, that is, where Doris and I hold our church membership. I was presenting an adult forum on Thomas Merton. In preparing, I came across the Pew Research Center s study of America s Changing Religious Landscape. Merton and Pew: what in the world do they have to do with each other? Thomas Merton ( ) was a Trappist monk, a Roman Catholic priest, and, through his voluminous writings, a spiritual guide for a generation of seekers in post-war America. His autobiography, The Seven Storey Mountain, was on the New York Times best-seller list for several months in While it seems a contradiction in terms, Merton was - at the same time - a monk in the Cistercian Order of Strict Observance, vowed to silence and obedience to the order s strict rules, and an internationally celebrated public intellectual. He was a remarkably complex character, who still deserves our attention today. And the Pew report? Here are just a few of its fascinating and somewhat distressing findings that still apply today, three years later: Atheists and agnostics have nearly doubled their share of the religious marketplace, and overall indifference to religion of any sort is rising as well. The percentage of people who describe themselves as Christians fell about 8 points from 78.4% to 70.6%. While nearly 86% of Americans say they grew up as Christians, nearly one in five (19%) say they aren t so anymore. The nones Americans who are unaffiliated with brand-name religion are the new major force in American faith. Nones, at 22.8 % of the U.S. (up from 16% in 2007) run second only to evangelicals (25.4%) and ahead of Catholics (20.8%) in religious market share. Combined, there are more nones than Evangelical Lutherans, United Methodists and Episcopalians all together. The bulk of this group (39%) is not agnostic, atheist or vaguely spiritual they re just not interested. Religion is not even somewhat important to them. [These findings were extensively reported in the New York Times and Washington Post in their May 12, 2015, editions. The full report is available at the Pew Research homepage.] May I suggest that this Pew report brings into sharp statistical relief what we in the mainline churches (including the ELCA) have been vaguely experiencing for the past half-century: namely, that we are suffering a decline in membership and participation, not because of outright hostility or persecution, but from benign neglect and indifference. In other words, the news we hold to be so good the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is neither news nor good to the nones. Here is where Thomas Merton proved to be a prophet. In Peace in the Post-Christian Era (1962), he wrote: (continued) 2

3 We live in an irreligious post-christian world in which the Christian message has been repeated over and over until it has come to seem empty of all intelligible content to those whose ears are closed to the word of God even before it is uttered. In their minds, Christian is no longer identified with newness and change, but only with the static preservation of outworn structures. Newness and change: this is what inevitably happens when the gospel of Jesus Christ is proclaimed, taught and lived without regard for institutional survival. Let s call it evangelical recklessness. As Christians in a post-christian world, as members of Trinity, Kutztown, our on-going challenge is to make our priority the message - the gospel, not the church - the institution. In the book of Revelation, God, seated on the throne says, Behold, I am making all things new. (21:5) Refreshed by the power of the gospel, God will continually enlist us as agents in his work of renewal. And then, I am confident that, in the power of the Holy Spirit, even the nones will experience our gospel message and mission as both news and good. Pastor David Strobel ALTAR COMMITTEE: Nancy Konemann & Linda Geiring FLOWER CHAIRPERSON: Donna Keglovits Schedule & Volunteers LAY READERS: June 3 9:00 AM Amy Pfeiler-Wunder June 10 9:00 AM Nancy Plushanski June 17 9:00 AM Melanie Wessner June 24 9:00 AM David Esser ACOLYTES: June 3 9:00 AM Rachel Hoffman & Alyssa Heffelfinger June 10 9:00 AM Jarrett Noecker & Justin Diehl June 17 9:00 AM Kendall DeVall & Will DeVall June 24 9:00 AM Elena Graff & Colin Pape MONEY COUNTERS: Steve Finke & Melanie Wessner COMMUNION USHERS: June 3 9:00 AM Jeff Collier June 10 9:00 AM No Communion June 17 9:00 AM Marsha Hoyer June 24 9:00 AM No Communion BIBLE STUDY: Every Wednesday at 10:00 AM IMPORTANT DATES: June 14 Flag Day June 17 Father s Day June 21 First day of summer USHERS: June 3 9:00 AM Jeff & Sue Collier June 10 9:00 AM Valarie Kutz & Volunteer June 17 9:00 AM Jim & Andrea Orwig June 24 9:00 AM Kurt & Pauline Rohrbach 3

4 From the Secretary Please make sure when entering or exiting the church that the door you enter/exit closes completely and latches. With the summer months and the humidity on the rise the doors are less likely to completely close so you need to push them shut. Thank you for taking the time to make sure our church is safe and secure. For your information Emergency Exit Maps The Property Committee has placed emergency exit maps in key locations around the church (Sanctuary, Fellowship Hall, Sunday School area, Choir Room, etc.) Please take a moment to locate these signs and review how to exit the building in case of an emergency. Just a Reminder Choir Rehearsals The adult choir rehearsal have ended for the summer. Rehearsals will start up again in late August. Check the newsletters and bulletins for the exact date. Summer Worship Schedule We have switched to our summer worship schedule already. There will be one service each Sunday at 9:00 AM through September 2 nd. The exceptions to this will be the Folk Festival service on July 8 th at 10:30 AM and the Service in the Park on August 26 th at 10:00 AM. Upcoming Events Summer Senior Luncheon Join us for another fun senior event on Wednesday, June 6 th at 11:30 AM. The menu has not been determined yet but is always very yummy! A sign-up sheet is on the church office door. Join us for another fun-filled luncheon! Celebrating Our Graduates We will honor our graduates college, high school, and trade school on Sunday, June 17 th at the 9:00 AM service. If you have a graduate in your home please let the office know so we can include them in the bulletin and honor them at the service. Information needed for the bulletin is school graduating from, course of study/major and future plans. At the May 6 th service the following students were recognized Emily Bubbenmoyer Emma Kyle Trevor Shurr A complete list of graduates will be included in the July/August newsletter. Attic Outlet Update Thank you to everyone who brought clothing and small household items. Also, a big thank you to all who helped to set up and sell the items. We made over $900 for the Helping Hand Fund. The next Attic Outlet Sale will be in October. We can use children s clothing as well as ladies and men s clothing. Items donated can be put in the room next to the kitchen. Thank you, Darlene Dietrich. 4

5 How you can help Hope s Table Trinity will be organizing several meals at Hope Lutheran Church in Reading. The date for the next meal is June 26 th, and we would like your help to serve food at this meal. The time involved would be approximately 4:15 PM to 7 PM that night. If you would like to help out please speak with the church office. Student Food Pantry at KU Thank you to everyone who has contributed time, groceries, and cash donations to this ministry. Even though the pantry will not be open over the summer months we are still collecting so they are ready for the fall. If you would like to contribute food items please see the list below Peanut Butter Juice Miscellaneous Snacks Crackers Knorr Side Dish Packets Cereal Instant Potato Packets Breakfast Bars Toiletries Mac n Cheese Soup Tuna Canned Fruits & Veggies Pasta There is a box outside of the Parlor for the items you are donating. If you have any questions about this program, please contact the church office. Green Thumb Volunteers If you would like to volunteer to help clean out and maintain the flower beds throughout the summer your help would be greatly appreciated. No lawn mowing is required. Please contact the church office if you are interested. With your help we can keep our church grounds looking clean and green. How you can help Money Counters We are looking to add a few counters to some of our counting teams. Each team counts approximately two to three months out of the year for about minutes after church. Training is supplied. If interested or have questions please contact the church office. Sponsors needed Altar Flowers There are a few Sundays in 2018 that do not have altar flower sponsors. The following dates are still available September 2 September 16 September 23 If you are interested in sponsoring the flowers for any of these dates please contact Darlene Dietrich at or the church office at Bulletins The bulletin sponsor chart for 2018 is up on the bulletin board across from the Parlor. Cost to sponsor the bulletins is $20 per week. If you are interested please list your name beside the date(s) you would like and what you would like printed in the bulletin. If you have any questions, please contact the church office. 5

6 Youth News There will be no Elementary Youth Group or Youth Group meetings during the month of June. See you in July! Youth Gathering News! We have 4 young adults and 2 leaders that will be attending the ELCA Youth Gathering later in June. To help raise funds for the trip the group will be flamingo-ing yards! This was a big hit last time! If you have a friend or family member that you would like to have flamingo-ed please speak with Karise Mace or Seth Noggle. Cost is $30/yard or $50/2 yards. Join a Committee Interested in joining a committee? We have several committees here at church that would like your help. The Finance Committee is looking for some new members to add to their group. They meet the third Tuesday of the month at 7:00 PM. Also, we are looking to start up the Fellowship Committee again to help out with meals or other fun events at the church. Other committees here at Trinity that would like your help include the Personnel Committee, Stewardship Committee, Property Committee, Witness/Communications, Mission Team, and Worship Life. If you are interested in any of these or have questions please contact the church office. In early June the world of leaf and blade and flowers explodes, and every sunset is different. John Steinbeck, The Winter of Our Discontent Community Events Kutztown Folk Festival Help is needed to greet people, hand out daily programs, and answer questions. The festival runs from June 30 th through July 8 th. If you are interested in volunteering please contact Bev Godshall at or the Festival Office at for more information. Christian Education... Adult Sunday School The Adult Sunday School Class welcomes you to join us in enjoying Justice in the New Testament, a program that can help us find a renewed sense of mission today as agents of God s loving justice. The Gospel can empower us to serve others in justice rather than being an escape from the world. We will read from Matthew and Luke about how our interpretations of Moses and our traditions must yield to God s demand for justice and mercy. Next, we will read Jesus teaching about justice. Finally, we will turn to the epistles to see how our experience of God s grace nurtures and empowers a life of justice and mercy toward others. Rev. Brian Peterson, professor at the Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary, leads us in this study of justice, subject to special discussions with Rev. David Strobel about topics of mutual interest. Please join us Sunday mornings at 8:00 am in the Parlor for conversation, coffee and fellowship. 6

7 Mark Your Calendars Service in the Park Our annual service and picnic in the park will be held on Sunday, August 26 th at 10 AM. The picnic will start at approximately 11:30 AM. More details will be in the July/August newsletter. Vacation Bible School This year s Vacation Bible School will be held once again in conjunction with St. Paul s UCC and will be held here at Trinity. The dates this year are August 5 th through August 9 th. If you would like to help out with VBS contact Seth Noggle at Registration forms are included in this newsletter and are available at the back of the sanctuary. Mark Your Calendars Folk Festival Service This year s Lutheran Service at the Kutztown Folk Festival will be held on Sunday, July 8 th at 10:30 AM on the Main Stage. Worshippers can enter through the main gate at 9:00 AM with a special coupon. Choir and musicians can enter through the vendor s gate beginning at 7:00 AM. Coupons for admission for congregation members will be in the July/August Newsletter and at the back of the sanctuary very soon. If you have any questions please contact the church office. Please consider volunteering to help make VBS decorations on a Wednesday evening at St. Peter's Union Church in Macungie from 6:00-8:00 p.m. (address below). We usually meet every Wednesday plus other days as needed. If you plan to help, please contact Louise Moyer at or LouiseMoyer13@gmail.com so that we can plan accordingly and ensure that we have things ready for you to work on. Additionally, are you hungry for spaghetti? Please consider attending St. Peter's Spaghetti Dinner which directly benefits our VBS program since we use their decorations. St. Peter's Spaghetti Dinner is being held on Friday, June 8 from 5:00-7:00 p.m. at St. Peter's (7863 St. Peters Rd, Macungie, PA). Tickets can be purchased in advance ($8/Adult, $6/Child Ages 6-10) or at the door ($8.50/Adult, $6/Child Ages 6-10). We are also in need of strong wire drapery hangers if anyone has any. Thanks! 7

8 SPRING CARE PACKAGES: Our Trinity youth enrolled in higher education programs have finished their studies for this school year. Trinity s Mission Committee mailed out 24 Study Care Packages. We also mailed out three care packages to our military in honor of Armed Forces Day. Many, many thanks to all those who contributed items included in these packages. Rita Robertson This is a list of students and their colleges: Patrick Herbert Zach Owen Patrick Wise Jennifer Rohrbach Stephanie Billig Katrina Billig Sarah Stump Kristel Buschan Dr. Sam Towne Dr. Neil Robertson Dr. Nathaniel Robertson Emma Weaknecht Sarah Woodland Sam Bubbenmoyer Alyssa Wentzel Madison Sanders Justin Shurr Sam Owen Sam Kulp Jack Solivan Hannah Solivan Emily Wentzel Ryan Woodland The Lutheran Centre Alvernia University MIT Penn State Medical School-Hershey Campus Widener University University of Delaware DeSales University Kutztown University West Chester University New York Presbyterian Hospital-Pathology Resident Allegheny Health System-Oral, Maxillofacial Surgery Resident Temple Hospital Internal Medicine Resident Shippensburg University Shippensburg University Kutztown University Temple University Kutztown University Elizabethtown College Minneapolis Technical and Community College University of Pittsburgh Penn State University-Berks Penn State University-Main Campus Misericordia University Lehigh-Carbon Community College Kutztown University Our Military for Armed Forces Day: Keefe DePue John Julian Kristiana Buschan 8

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