THE HE R A L D. Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church 1215 Parent Avenue, Windsor, ON N8X 4J1

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1 THE HE R A L D Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church 1215 Parent Avenue, Windsor, ON N8X 4J1 www.trinitylutheran.

As a family we are involved in worship and fellowship that strengthens and builds us up, uniting us in Christian love and enabling us to reach out with concern to meet the physical and spiritual

1 1 THE HE R A L D Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church 1215 Parent Avenue, Windsor, ON N8X 4J1 January 2019 Our Mission Statement We are a family of faith called together under the Lordship of Jesus Christ to teach and share God s love through Word and Sacrament. As a family we are involved in worship and fellowship that strengthens and builds us up, uniting us in Christian love and enabling us to reach out with concern to meet the physical and spiritual needs of others in our daily lives. Through prayer and the Holy Spirit we use our talents to unfold the loving purpose of God in our neighbourhood and throughout the world in these challenging times. Sunday Worship & Sunday School. Pastor Mike Lees (Cell) Bob Swiatoschik Council Chairperson Phone: (519) trinitywlutheran@gmail.com Christmas and New Year greetings to you all, in the name of Jesus, our Lord, who in so many ways saves us from ourselves. Much has been theorized about the birth of Jesus. There is an old tradition that held that the day you died was the same day you were conceived (hopefully after many, many years), and so people could figure out from when you were born, counting back nine months, the day on which you would die. Conversely one could calculate, from the day you died, when you were born. Another interesting article I recently read (and shared on the church's Facebook page) talked about the astronomy and astrology that was in practice at the time of Jesus' birth. Apparently there is a time, in the astrology of things, when a planet will rise above the predawn horizon and be visible in the night sky until the sun rises behind it. These ascensions happen in various astrological houses, or signs of the zodiac. Another interesting observation is an optical illusion of sorts that, near the end of the cycle, the planet will appear to turn left just before it is lost to sight. This article muses that the star the wise men followed was Jupiter, rising in Aries (March), and near the end of the cycle (September) appeared to turn left to rest over Bethlehem. Following this line of thought Jesus could have been born sometime in September, 6 BC. It is also not hard to find theories of how the church would co-opt early Pagan rituals for their own evangelizing purposes. One of those theories is the church's hijacking of Saturnalia and the Pagan celebrations of the winter solstice and overlaying them with the celebration of the birth of Jesus, and Christmas is born.

2 The earliest New Testament books Paul's letters and the gospel of Mark make no mention of Jesus' birth so an argument can be made that the event was not so spectacular until later generations

2 2 The earliest New Testament books Paul's letters and the gospel of Mark make no mention of Jesus' birth so an argument can be made that the event was not so spectacular until later generations Matthew and Luke's gospels decided to make a big deal of it. Before we all get dragged down the depressing path of 'well-what's-the-point-then' let us not forget that the New Testament writers were concerned much less with fact than with significance and meaning. Writing down a story told by illiterate shepherds in the fields about being visited by angels is not something a respectable journalist of today would likely do. If you think about your own birth, or perhaps the births of your children for which you have been present, you will agree that the facts of the affair paled in comparison to the significance and meaning for those involved. When you were born those who care about you likely thought something miraculous had happened, and their lives were changed forever. The longer I live the more miracle I see. Estranged families reunited. Bitter feuds resolved. Addicts conquering and recovering from the prisons of their pasts. Love healing and making things whole in the most unexpected places. No-one really knows what the facts of Jesus' birth actually were, but that is not the point. Whether there were a million angels singing or just a cold and lonely Mary and Joseph huddled in a manger, the birth of this child changed the course of history for us all. This is a hard and undeniable fact. The birth of this vulnerable baby, this wonderful gift of God into the darkness of the world made possible a new way of understanding life. Our faith in Jesus' birth makes possible a new way for us to live. Many blessings, Pastor Mike OUR CONDOLENCES to the Bormann family following the death of Gerda, on December 7, Our thoughts and prayers are with you.

3 3 Well here we are ending 2018 and starting Your council has been very busy over the last few months. The Stewardship committee sponsored a congregational meeting in September to bring to light the financial situation of the Church, but also to identify the many ideas you the members brought forward. The budget committee then created a very tough budget which was approved by council and presented to the congregation in December which was then voted in favour. As a result of the budget being approved there will be many changes to the day to day operations of the church. The current job roles/descriptions of our custodian and organist where altered. The jobs were basically terminated and following the guidelines of the employee standard acts of Ontario, Debbie and Donna were paid severance (as their jobs were eliminated). The new jobs will be considered volunteers, and will be looked at as an honorarium. An honorarium position is used by made smaller churches. Council is currently working to ensure all insurance concerns are addressed. In the meantime, we ask everyone to be patient as we go through these changes. Will the music stop no Donna has agreed to continue on under the new arrangement. As a result of the proposed changes in the custodian, our church will go GREEN. To reduce the clean-up of the church, our goal is to eliminate all re-cycling and 98% of garbage. What does that mean to everyone? Basically, each group that will be using the church must take all garbage and re-cycling with you. Who is affected today with these changes? Currently, Gambler s Anonymous (Monday), Senior s (Tuesday) and Coffee Hour after church on Sunday s, and any special community dinners, youth events or any special receptions. At our budget meeting in December, a presentation and discussion was held related to the severance of the parsonage, for the sake of selling it. The congregation voted in favour to start the process. In the May newsletter, we started to present financial information which we all hope all readers had an opportunity to read and better understand what the financial numbers mean when presented. If you still have any questions or concerns, please reach out to your council members. Below is the monthly trend up to November for giving in 2018: Contr. Goal Diff Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec

4 4 Below is the monthly trend up to November for earnings / expenses in 2018: Jan $$$ Exp. Diff Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec At the end of September, our unrestricted funds (basically the money we have to use for the church expenses) were at $17, At the end of November, we have grown to $25, I would have to say that the majority was due to Pastor Mike s $400 challenge. Thank you to everyone that supported. The challenge was to end on December 31 so it will be interesting to see where we ended up. Are you wondering about the fans and the broken floor tiles in the Church. We are investigating the proper methods of resolution. Thanks for your patience. Our gift card program was pretty good this year. We earned $ this year, so really doing nothing at all. Thanks for all those that use this easy fund raiser. Please don t forget our various congregational fund raisers which all support our bottom line: Gift cards (on sale each Sunday for immediate sale or you can order monthly). Take a look at the order form on the bulletin board, there has been SO many new cards added!! Coffee drinkers we have Starbucks and Tim Horton cards also for sale Some NEW cards that have been added include Dollarama and Rexall an up-to-date order form has been posted on the bulletin board for a complete list Our Friday Night Dinners Above and Beyond (please mark your envelope AAB) The gift cards are such an easy way to help raise funds and there have been so many new organizations that have joined the program. If you are unfamiliar with the program or want more information see me and I will answer all your questions. As discussed at the Budget meeting, council will put together a list of various items or budget lines that you will be able to donate or buy for directly, to help maintain a lower budget for the Church. Here are a couple of examples:

5 Community Outreach we eliminated the $800 budget for this in 2019. What did we do with this money each year? Every 3 months, we would buy 8 $25 Metro cards.

Above and Beyond (AAB) this has been in place for a few years now. This is design to mark your envelopes with AAB above and beyond your normal giving. For those able, thank you.

5 5 Community Outreach we eliminated the $800 budget for this in What did we do with this money each year? Every 3 months, we would buy 8 $25 Metro cards. These cards would then be given out to help our neighbours in need. So this is an opportunity to either donate or buy a gift card and then donate it to this outreach program. Above and Beyond (AAB) this has been in place for a few years now. This is design to mark your envelopes with AAB above and beyond your normal giving. For those able, thank you. There will be more to come on this. Remember that Our future is ahead of us, not behind us. Again, our council is always looking for any direction or input or comments from the Congregation. Feel free to reach out to any member of council. We continue to look forward to serving and doing the best we can be. Bob Swiatoschik, Chairperson CHRISTMAS BAZAAR & POINSETTIAS Thank you to all of the volunteers and to everyone for their generous donations to the Christmas Bazaar. We raised $2, for the Christmas Bazaar and $ for the poinsettias. The Sunday School play A Christmas to Believe In was fantastic. The children were amazing and we were so proud of them. We would like to thank Pastor Mike and Patti for the amazing job they did telling our story. We would also like to thank Dena, Debbie & Molly for playing our shepherds, and the choir for being our many angels. Sunday School will return January 6, Hope you had a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. See you in 2019! Blessings, Debbie Woytta & Donna Umbach YOGA CLASSES Please join our yoga sessions, which we now call Sweatin' with the Yogis on Wednesdays at. There is a minimum donation of $5.00 for each session you attend.

6 ANNUAL MEETING SUNDAY MARCH 3, 2019 Save the date for our annual meeting. Reports and input for the annual report will be required by the end of January.

6 6 ANNUAL MEETING SUNDAY MARCH 3, 2019 Save the date for our annual meeting. Reports and input for the annual report will be required by the end of January Gift Card Order Dates January 6; February 3; March 3; March 31; May 5; June 2; and more to come HELP WANTED 1. Council is looking for some congregational members who would like to be part of the sub-committee for the Parsonage severance process. Please contact any member of council if you are interested. We need YOUR help. 2. Did you know our kitchen is very close to being a certified kitchen? What does that mean? That means we can actually cook in our kitchen and invite the general public to attend. But we need your help. We need certified Food Handlers. This is a course that you can attend and then write your exam or study on-line and then take the course. If anyone is interested OR may already be certified, please see a member of council for more details. 3. The custodian position will be vacant come January 1. Council asks the congregation to be patient as we look at our various options. In the meantime, if anyone within the congregation wishes to help in anyway, please contact us. Your help would be greatly appreciated. THE GREEN CHURCH To reduce the clean-up of the church, our goal is to eliminate all re-cycling and 98% of garbage. What does that mean to everyone? Basically, each group that will be using the church must take all garbage and re-cycling with you. Please be patient as we go through this process.

7 COMMUNITY DINNER FUNDRAISER Our next dinner will be Friday, January 25, at 6:00 pm. It will be an all you can eat Spaghetti and Penne pasta dinner, with salad & fresh bread.

7 7 COMMUNITY DINNER FUNDRAISER Our next dinner will be Friday, January 25, at 6:00 pm. It will be an all you can eat Spaghetti and Penne pasta dinner, with salad & fresh bread. Coffee and tea are included in the price. Pop is $1.00. The cost - $10.00 per adult, $5.00 per child (grade 8 and under). Family includes 2 adults and 2 children (grade 8 and under) - $ Come out and support Trinity with this fundraiser. UPCOMING FRIDAY NIGHT DINNERS To help you plan, council has come up with a preliminary schedule of some upcoming dates. Please attend if you can. More details of the event will be publicized closer to the time. The dates are as follows: March 1; April 5; May 10; June 21; July 26 and September 13. STEWARDSHIP COMMITTEE UPDATES The Stewardship committee would like to update everyone on the items that were presented during the September meeting. We would like to use the newsletter to keep everyone up to date. Dated Issue / Concern Congregational meeting for more brainstorming ideas Ask Rob if he could give us a time line if things stay the same (income down, borrowing from savings) what does our future look like? Have an ongoing budget committee working with treasurer Green church eliminate all recycling and garbage Encourage to reset our thinking about our budgeted benevolence to synod Follow-up / Action Plan Meeting was held on At the meeting, Rob indicated that if no changes were made, our funds would run out in August Effective

8 Automatic withdrawal PAR encourage members how to do this and why it is important Outreach to non-active members phone calls communion Bill Jar a member could sponsor to pay a bill/part of a bill

8 8 Automatic withdrawal PAR encourage members how to do this and why it is important Outreach to non-active members phone calls communion Bill Jar a member could sponsor to pay a bill/part of a bill (this is over and beyond your regular giving not instead of your regular offering) Job Jar put in slips of paper with jobs that need to be done Raffles; car wash; Family Fun Day; more garage and bazaar sales; Sponsor a team (soccer, baseball, etc.) Attract outside groups to rent our space (Fellowship Hall needs clean-up to be inviting) If 40 people donated $400 or $500 more, our debt could vanish Initiate monthly free breakfasts on Sunday morning before service Well maintained website and other forms of communication Keeping in contact with all members to offer rides to and from church Do a bingo PAR forms from Patti The committee is starting to reach out Pastor Mike s challenge started to end by More discussions required Being changed to word press Pastor Mike supports - Ongoing plug ins; posting sermons and newsletters Dena investigated: We need to apply need to be on a waiting list Charitable match We would qualify We need to fill out the required paperwork These are NOT in the church, but at a Bingo facility Landon Collins-Parada Jan. 2; Courtney Peifer Jan. 5; Theresa Buchheidt Jan. 6; Nathan Lees Jan. 9; Kathy Peifer Jan. 12; Cordelle Bear Jan. 13; Ryan Lee Jan. 15 Walter Koch Jan. 18; Katherine Lees - Jan. 21; Lori Lynn Bormann Jan. 22; Maria Bormann Jan. 26.

Frozen Meat; Canned Meat; Peanut Butter; Cereal (box and oatmeal); Side dishes (Sidekicks etc.); Cake mixes. FUN PUNS, JOKES & INSIGHTFUL THOUGHTS!

9 9 Baptism Anniversaries: Donna Dick Jan. 8; Landon Collins-Parada & Lorraine Wedow Jan. 17, Evan Walpole Jan. 26. *Any birthdays and wedding or baptism anniversaries missed, please contact the office to update the records. The Downtown Mission would like to wish your Happy New Year! Frozen Meat; Canned Meat; Peanut Butter; Cereal (box and oatmeal); Side dishes (Sidekicks etc.); Cake mixes. FUN PUNS, JOKES & INSIGHTFUL THOUGHTS!!! BULLETIN BLOOPERS: The sermon this morning: 'Jesus Walks on the Water.' The sermon tonight: 'Searching for Jesus.' Ladies, don't forget the rummage sale. It's a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Bring your husbands. A bean supper will be held on Tuesday evening in the church hall. Music will follow. The ladies of the Church have cast off clothing of every kind. They may be seen in the basement on Friday afternoon.

P Joanka Albrecht Lorraine January 20 Bob & Kathy Dena & Al January Dena, Carol, Erika February 3 Stephanie Albrecht Patti January 27 Greg Debbie P Joanka Albrecht Anne Al & Dena Joe & Anne Bob &

10 10 WORSHIP SCHEDULE Worship Asst. Communion Asst. Acolyte Reader (German) Reader (English) Ushers Counters Coffee Fellowship Flowers Altar Guild Bulletin Sponsor Herald Sponsor January 6 Greg Debbie P Stephanie Albrecht Carol January 13 Anne Debbie P Joanka Albrecht Lorraine January 20 Bob & Kathy Dena & Al January Dena, Carol, Erika February 3 Stephanie Albrecht Patti January 27 Greg Debbie P Joanka Albrecht Anne Al & Dena Joe & Anne Bob & Kathy Stephanie Albrecht Margaret February Dena, Carol, Erika To volunteer for assisting in worship services please contact the appropriate convener: Worship Assistants Patti McGarroch Acolytes Kathy Peifer English Readers - Anne Drouillard Communion Assistants Patti McGarroch German Readers Albrecht & Peter Ushers Greg Peifer Newsletter Deadline! The deadline for the Herald is the third Sunday of each month. Please submit articles to pmcgarroch@hotmail.com or deliver them directly to me. Thanks, Patti.

11 11 JANUARY CALENDAR OF EVENTS (C) HOLY COMMUNION SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY Yoga 6 (C) Worship Souper Sunday 7 13 (C) Worship (C) Worship Yoga 7:00 pm Choir 15 5:00 pm 12 noon Confirmation Seniors 7:30 pm Gambler's Anon. 20 Worship Muffin Sunday 8 5:00 pm Confirmation 12 noon 7:30 pm Seniors Gambler's Anon. 21 6:45 pm Council 7:30 pm Gambler's Anon. Yoga 7:00 pm Choir noon Seniors 28 5:00 pm Confirmation 7:30 pm Gambler's Anon Yoga 7:00 pm Choir 19 10:15 am Worship & Music 12 noon Seniors 30 Yoga 7:00 pm Choir 6:00 pm Pasta Dinner Fundraiser 31

THE HERALD Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church 1215 Parent Avenue, Windsor, ON N8X 4J1

1 THE HERALD Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church 1215 Parent Avenue, Windsor, ON N8X 4J1 www.trinitylutheran.ca June 2018 Our Mission Statement We are a family of faith called together under the Lordship