TRINITY TOGETHER. Trinity Lutheran Church 357 West Main Street Kutztown, Pennsylvania DECEMBER 2015

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1 TRINITY TOGETHER Trinity Lutheran Church 357 West Main Street Kutztown, Pennsylvania DECEMBER 2015 Pastor: The Rev. Keith Rohrbach Director of Youth & Family Ministry: Seth Noggle Editor/Administrative Assistant: Lisa Finke 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. Advent again.advent AGAIN! The Advent season marks the beginning of a new Church year for those who follow a liturgical calendar as we Lutherans do. While following a liturgical calendar offers a particular pace to our walk as Christians year in and year out, it can also numb us to the thrill and excitement of what God has done and is still doing in the world. Most of the time we are given signs, the Advent wreath with its candles, a Christmas tree proximately placed, the smell of Spring flowers on Easter morning, all reminders to us that a new season in the Christian year is upon us. Unfortunately the excitement and thrill of God s activity in the person Jesus Christ seems to wane as we cycle through the liturgical church calendar year after year. Oh, it s advent again, rather than, IT S ADVENT AGAIN! might be our attitude. I was reminded of the thrill and excitement of experiencing something for the first time a few weeks ago as I sat next to a young girl on an amusement ride. The ride was Soarin in Epcot (Disney World). I had experienced this ride many times over the years and it is truly a favorite of mine. But as I sat next to this young girl who was experiencing it for the first time, I was in awe of her excitement and anticipation, she was literally giggling with anticipation. As the ride lifted us up, giving us a sensation of flying over spectacular views of California, I was captured by the sense of thrill, excitement and joy displayed by this girl throughout the whole three minutes the ride lasted. Upon our return to the ground I asked my young riding companion what she thought. It was the best, she replied. Oh, how I d longed for that same sense of wonderment she expressed. Maybe it s not too late as we approach this new church year with anticipation, excitement and wonder at what God was willing to do through Jesus the child, Jesus the man, Jesus the savior. Just maybe as we embrace God s gift of Jesus, as if for the first time, we might respond when someone asks, what did you think? with It is the best! 1 Riding Together, Pastor Keith

2 DECEMBER SCHEDULE & VOLUNTEERS LAY READERS: Dec 6 9:00 AM Tom Kulp Dec 13 8:00 AM Sue Mangold 10:15 AM Louisa Esser Dec 20 8:00 AM Kris Tuerk 10:15 AM Tom Nardone Dec 24 5:00 PM to be determined Dec 24 7:30 PM to be determined Dec 27 9:00 AM Michele Zimmerman ACOLYTES: Dec 6 9:00 AM Hannah Nicholson Dec 13 8:00 AM Brody Graff 10:15 AM Sarah Bubbenmoyer & Scott Sanders Dec 20 8:00 AM Scott Sanders 10:15 AM Hannah Nicholson & Owen Kulp Dec 24 5:00 PM Sarah Bubbenmoyer & Brody Graff 7:30 PM Aidan Pape & Elizabeth Diehl Dec 27 9:00 AM Owen Kulp & Elizabeth Diehl USHERS: Dec 6 9:00 AM Jim & Andrea Orwig Dec 13 10:15 AM Judy Steinle & Kathy Hertzog Dec 20 10:15 AM Kim June & Liz Shrawder Dec 24 5:00 PM to be determined Dec 24 7:30 PM to be determined Dec 27 9:00 AM Randall & Lori Heffner ALTAR COMMITTEE: Melanie Wessner & Nancy Hildenbrand FLOWER CHAIRPERSON: Nancy Hildenbrand COMMUNION USHERS: Dec 6 9:00 AM Sue Mangold & Catherine Holm Dec 13 8:00 AM Tina Billig Dec 20 10:15 AM Karen Raudenbush & Kathy Buschan Dec 24 7:30 PM Allen McSparron Dec 27 9:00 AM Jeff Collier BIBLE STUDY: Every Wednesday at 10:00 AM Every Thursday at 6:30 PM IMPORTANT DATES: Dec 6 Phase I Congregational Meeting Dec 21 First Day of Winter Dec 24 Family Focus Worship 5:00 PM (includes special music & candle lighting) Christmas Celebration Service 7:30 PM (includes Holy Communion, special music & candle lighting Dec 25 Merry Christmas! UPCOMING NEWSLETTER DEADLINE Because of the holidays the newsletter deadline for the January newsletter has been moved up. January Newsletter Deadline December 11 th Congregational Meetings Phase I Congregational Meeting December 6, 2015 This meeting will be to elect new Council members and to approve the 2016 Budget. There will only be one service that day at 9:00 AM and the meeting will be held immediately after the service. Following this meeting there will be a presentation made by the Organ Committee as well as a town hall meeting/discussion about the options available and possible course of action. Phase II Congregational Meeting January 24, 2016 This meeting will be to review 2015 Committee reports. There will only be one service that day at 9:00 AM and the meeting will be held immediately after the service. INTERESTED MUSICIANS If you are interested in playing with the orchestra on Christmas Eve, please see Bruce Rohrbach as soon as possible to get a copy of the music that will be used that evening. The music will be different this year so make sure you get your copy. 2

3 3. Decorating: The schedule for decorating is: Friday November 27th: 5:30-7:30PM *Tonight will be decorating the Narthex and turning it into the Census room * Volunteers Needed: 3 Friday, December 4 th 6 8 PM Saturday, December 5 th 12 2 PM This is a large-scale interactive live nativity that allows people to experience the culture and emotions that surrounded the birth of Jesus. Experience the sights, sounds, tastes, and smells of Bethlehem long ago, as you walk through a fully immersive experience. There are animals, Middle Eastern foods, live actors, crafts for children, vendors selling jewelry, and more! This truly is an amazing experience so please consider coming out and invite your friends and family. There s something for everyone! Here are some ways that you could volunteer for this event 1. Making Food: We need Middle Eastern dishes that can be served to many people coming through the Nativity. If you could make a dish please contact Sue Collier at or scollier@hometownu.com. There are some recipes available if you need some ideas. 2. Actors: NO ACTING EXPERIENCE NEEDED. We just need people to make our basement look like a bustling market place. This is a fun time as you get to dress up in simple garb and help visitors feel like they're in ancient Bethlehem. The more people the better! The next actor s meeting will be held on Sunday, November 29 th following the 10:15 AM worship service (approximately 11:30 AM). If interested in being an actor please see Seth Noggle. Saturday November 28th: 4-7PM - DINNER WILL BE PROVIDED *Tonight will be decorating the Parlor and turning it into the Stargazer Room *Volunteers Needed: 5 Sunday November 29th: After Church--12PM LUNCH WILL BE PROVIDED *This afternoon will be decorating the basement and turning it into the Market Place *Volunteers Needed: 6 volunteers and 4 set builders Tuesday December 1st: 6-8PM *Tonight will be decorating the Sun Room and turning it into the Shepherd s Hill *Volunteers Needed: 4 Volunteers and 2 set builders Wednesday December 2nd: 6-8PM *Tonight will be decorating the front of the sanctuary and turning it into the Jewish Home *Volunteers Needed: 4 volunteers and 2 set builders Thursday December 3rd: 6-8PM (Trinity) *Tonight will be decorating the Church Hallway and turning it into a Roman Palace *Volunteers Needed: 3 Friday December 4th: 9-11AM (Trinity) *This morning will be decorating the Church's main entrance and turning it into the Jewish Temple *Volunteers Needed: 2 volunteers and 2 set builders If you are interested in helping out or have questions, please speak to Seth at or seth.noggle@gmail.com. 3

4 Friend, Inc. Holiday Boxes Once again we will be participating in the Holiday Box Project that Friend, Inc. has every Christmas season. Below is a list of items that can be purchased for each box but this is a general guideline so if there is something you would like to substitute or add please feel free. Each family will receive a turkey along with the box. Also, if you would like to decorate the box or add the name of the organization that prepared the box you are encouraged to do so. Items that can be included are as follows: 2 CANS OF SWEET POTATOES 2 CANS OF CRANBERRY SAUCE 2 CANS OF DIFFERENT VEGETABLES LARGE CAN OF FRUIT JUICE BOX OR BAG OF STUFFING MIX BAG OF APPLES (may substitute applesauce) BAG OF POTATOES (may substitute canned potatoes or mashed potatoes) CAN OF FRUIT COCKTAIL COOKIES 1 CAN OF COFFEE OR COCOA HOLIDAY NAPKINS Christmas boxes need to be delivered to Trinity by December 13 th. Volunteers will take the boxes to Friend, Inc. for distribution. Bell Ringers Needed Friend, Inc. will once again have a Salvation Army kettle set up outside the Quality Shoppe during the holiday season but they need your help to ring the bell. The kettle starts on Black Friday (November 27 th ) and goes until Christmas Eve. They are especially looking for someone to ring on Fridays (midday to early evening) and Saturdays (10 AM to 4 PM). If you are interested please call the church office at Last month we had 15 of our youth go out to the Synod Offices where they met several youth from other Churches in our synod along with German youth who were visiting local ELCA congregations. Overall, there were about 40 youth in attendance, and we had an amazing time. Our students handled themselves amazingly, and really stepped out of their comfort zones. They met new students and new friends. It was a big success. The Haunted House was a little bit of a bust this year as Merchants Night was cancelled, but we still had everyone show up. We still had a great time, and we had 26 people walk through. The last couple weeks we have also been discussing the resurrection with the youth, and what it means. The Good News Club has been working on Operation Shoe Box these last couple of weeks. Sue Collier has really been heading that up and doing a great job. The children are excited about it and have been bringing in toys and supplies. Next Sunday we ll have each class create a box to send out. We ll also be tracking a box to see where it goes in the world. Also, every morning we end our opening time with the Lord s Prayer which the children are really picking up. The college ministry also had the Germans who were visiting come on a Wednesday night which provided a lot of great conversations. We had good food, and then a lot of great fellowship where everyone was asking each other a lot of questions about their different cultures. This weekend a group is going to tailgate for the last home game. Christmas is not as much about opening our presents as opening our hearts. Janice Maeditere 4

5 KUTZTOWN COMMUNITY CHOIR S ANNUAL CHRISTMAS CHORAL CONCERT DECORATING THE SANCTUARY We will be decorating the church sanctuary on November 28th at 8:00 AM. If you can offer a few hours of you time to help us, we would appreciate it so much. The tree will be decorated on December 12th at 9:00 AM and help will also be needed on that date. HOLIDAY SENIOR LUNCHEON The Holiday Senior Luncheon will be held on Wednesday, December 2 nd at 11:30 AM. The menu is pulled pork, salad, and dessert, and our chefs for the day will be Pastor Keith and Deb! Signup sheet is on the church office door. Operation Christmas Child Update Thank you to everyone who made shoeboxes or donated items for the Sunday School children to make boxes. A total of 33 boxes were made and sent! Thanks for your help in sharing the joy of Christmas around the world. The annual KCC Christmas choral concert has been scheduled for Sunday, December 13, 2015, at 3:00 p.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church, 357 W. Main Street, Kutztown. The concert will feature holiday music from around the world, including carols from Ukraine, Africa, and Scandinavia. The choir will also perform a beautiful selection of sacred and classical pieces, including Randall Thompson s Alleluia and three movements from Vivaldi s Gloria. The children s choir, directed by Karen Quillman, will add their youthful exuberance to the holiday program. And as has become a Kutztown choir tradition, the concert will close with members of the audience being invited to join the choir in singing the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel s MESSIAH. Michael Barron will be conducting the choir, with the assistance of Anne Sitarik, who will conduct several selections. Laura Cressley is the Choir s accompanist. A reception will follow the concert with punch and cookies provided by members of the choir. There is no admission charge, but an offering will be received for the benefit of the choir s music fund. DRAMATIC READING OF SCROOGE The TALISMAN PLAYERS are proud to present a "Dramatic Reading" of SCROOGE on Friday December 11th at 6pm here at Trinity Lutheran Church. All ages are welcome to come and re-live this wonderful story. A free-will offering will be taken. USHERS NEEDED Ushers are needed for the two Christmas Eve services. The services will be at 5 PM and 7:30 PM, and four ushers are needed for each service. If you are interested in helping out please contact April Rakowiecki at adcna@aol.com. 5

6 Caroling invitation: Christmas Caroling will be Saturday, December 19, 2015 at Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, 354 Zion's Church Road, Shoemakersville, PA Any vocalist or instrumentalist is welcome to join us. Lunch at Zion's at 11:30 am; then out around Hamburg until 4:00 pm. Leave for Kutztown at 4:00 pm. Please RSVP by December 12th to Bruce Rohrbach if you will participate so we may prepare enough lunch. Please include "voice" or specify your instrument in your RSVP. We will have music for loan. Order your own copy to keep of the music from J W Pepper.com at this link: order Carolers Favorites music. We will leave from Trinity Kutztown parking lot at 11:00 am for Zion's Church. Around Town Holiday House Tour The Friends of the Kutztown Community Library is sponsoring a Holiday House Tour on Sunday, December 6 th from 12:30 to 4:30 PM. The tour titled Plain & Fancy features 9 distinctive locations on this self-guided tour. Tickets are $20 in advance at the library or $25 the day of the event at Jackie & Daughter Flower Shop. December/Holiday Events December 2 nd Holiday Senior Luncheon 11:30 AM December 4 th One Starry Night 6-8 PM December 5 th Christmas in Kutztown One Starry Night 12-2 PM Christmas in Kutztown Saturday, December 6 th 12 to 6 PM Lots of fun activities are scheduled including KU Breakfast with Santa, Train Rides, The Nutcracker presented by Marilyn s Dance Studio, One Starry Night here at Trinity, Tree-lighting Ceremony, Christmas on the Farm, crafts and vendors, plus many more! Check out the Kutztown Community Partnership website for more information on all the day s events. Come and join the Kutztown community in the celebration of the holidays! 6 December 6 th December 11 th December 13 th December 19 th December 20 th December 24 th December 25 th Second Sunday in Advent Dramatic Reading of Scrooge Third Sunday in Advent Caroling in Hamburg Fourth Sunday in Advent Family Focus Service 5 PM Christmas Celebration Service 7:30 PM Merry Christmas!

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