GRAPEVINE May, 2011 Trinity Lutheran Church 612 Main Street Westbrook, Maine 04092

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1 GRAPEVINE May, 2011 Trinity Lutheran Church 612 Main Street Westbrook, Maine Karen Indorf, Pastor Elsie Reese, Editor Phone (207) Phone (207) Worship 10:30am; Sunday School 9:30am; Adult Bible Class 9:15am PASTOR S REFLECTIONS Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed. Allelujah! As I mentioned in my weekly , Easter is not just a celebration on one Sunday of the year. The Easter season lasts for seven Sundays or fifty days, up until Pentecost. It is a time when we read the stories of the risen Jesus appearing to his disciples. It is a time to continue to sing some of the wonderful Easter hymns. It is the feast of victory for our God. And every Sunday in the year is a little Easter when we remember our risen Savior. My hope and prayer for each one of you is that you will continue the disciplines of Lent during this Easter season prayer, devotions, giving of alms, and doing deeds of kindness. It is here that you will find the arms of Christ, no longer outstretched on the cross, but outstretched to welcome us into his loving arms. He is risen, indeed! Allelujah. Pastor Karen FROM YOUR COUNCIL We had a wonderful devotion last month about Joyful Generosity. It pointed out that our relationship with money and the power it has over our lives is crucial to our relationship with God. Money, and all that it can get for us, can easily become our god. And giving to the church just to pay the bills will suck the vitality and energy of a congregation dry. On the other hand, faithful stewardship will strengthen the spiritual health of the congregation. People of God will give their resources generously and seek ways to share what they have. We are blessed through this kind of generosity. Being faithful stewards of all that we have been given by God, means living in grace and trusting fully in the faithfulness of God. OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR SPIRITUAL WELL BEING Prayer Group Meets Wednesday at 11:15. Many prayer concerns have been lifted up and many thanksgivings raised. We invite all who cannot attend to consider praying with us at 11:15 on Wednesday from wherever you are at that time. 1

2 Adult Bible Studies Sunday, 9:15: studying an overview of the Bible. Wednesday Brown Bag Study at 12 noon: Have been studying the book of Exodus. There are two more weeks before this session will close for the summer and resume again in September. First Wednesday morning of the month at 9:30am: Women s Bible Study. Rejoicing Spirits Third Sunday in the month at 4:00pm: Casual and user friendly for those with disabilities or mental challenges. We have a sign language interpreter. Sister Carol Weaver, Lutheran Deaconess is assisting with this ecumenical ministry. Families and caregivers, as well as anyone else who would like to attend is invited. A fellowship meal follows. Looking for volunteers... perhaps to play keyboard, guitar, drums, or any other musical instrument. Contact Pastor Karen. Ethiopian celebration in prayer and song Our Ethiopian brothers and sisters from Westbrook and greater Portland are meeting weekly at Trinity every Saturday at 3:00pm in the fellowship hall for a Celebration of Prayer and Praise in their native language. UPCOMING: Community Meal every Wednesday at the Mission Possible Teen Center from 5-6pm. A meal is served for anyone in the community. Sponsored by Trinity Lutheran Church doing food prep serving and cleanup, and the Wayside Food Programs provides the ingredients. Sunday, May1: Paul s Pals 2:00pm Freeport Place. Take Rt1 North. Pass the Big Indian. Take next left onto Old County Road. Take next right onto Old County Road Extension. Pass Hawthorne House on the left. Freeport Place is the next building on your left. Wednesday, May 18: Senior Saints Singing at Gorham House 2:00pm. Take New Gorham Road from Westbrook. Meeting will be at North Deering Congregational Church on Washington Avenue in Portland at 11:00am. Summer Fun Vacation Bible School at Trinity - Monday Friday, July 25-29, Ages Time - 9am to 4pm. Donation - $25 per child. The day will include music and singing, drama and dance, stories of Jesus, arts & crafts, fun times, great Friendships and Super Role Models. 2

3 At Calumet: Mothers Day Weekend, May 6-8:Pastor Karen will be the guest chaplain at Calumet. Mothers, grandmothers, daughters and other women are invited to attend. Saturday, May 14, 9:00am 8:00pm: Workshops by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans on financial matters. This a kid-friendly event and will include lunch and dinner. Labor Day Weekend: Reunion of people who worked at Calumet in the 1980 s. Further information on Calumet events can be found in the church office and on the wall in the Sunday School Area. OPPORTUNITIES TO SERVE Volunteers need: to help prep food, serve and clean up for the Westbrook Community Meals. Contact Jane or Ted if you can help. During the month of March we have served over 400 meals. We have registered 150 guests plus 25 teens to eat in this program. We see this program as a growing one since we register 5 to 10 new guests per week. As the weather warms up, we see this trend continuing. Without our volunteer base of 50 people and the Wayside Food Program personnel, we would not be able to function. Community Gardens: This season, Wayside is organizing two community gardens. One at Harbor Terrace, a Portland Housing Authority side in the West End, will allow low-income seniors to grow their own produce to supplement their diets and food budgets. The other is a garden site, we will be growing produce for use in Waysides Community Meals, as well as for distribution to all of the food pantries, soup kitchens, and social service agencies served by the Food Rescue Program. Our goal with both sites is to increase access to fresh, local foods for people facing food insecurity. We are underway on both projects, and we are seeking donations or loans of garden tools. If you have any old rakes, shovels, spades, or hoes (or anything else you think might be useful) and would like to see them put to use, please contact Ted Deschambeault at (207) to donate or to receive more information. Alternate Mother s Day Gift Idea: In celebration of Mother s Day we have an alternative gift idea. For those who like to buy corsages for their Moms, we would like to offer the gift of a net.. a corsage made from netting. The purpose is to bring awareness of the impact of Malaria in countries around Africa. Did you know? Malaria is caused by a parasite and transmitted to people through the bite of an infected mosquito. In 2008, malaria caused nearly 1 million deaths, mostly among African children. In Africa a child dies every 45 seconds of malaria. Malaria threatens more than half the world s population with a disproportionate effect on children, pregnant women and their unborn babies. Malaria is preventable and curable. For $10 per net, far less than flowers from a florist, the donor receives a corsage and card and a mother in another country will receive Malaria net, and her children new life. 3

4 Insecticide-treated bed nets are the most cost effective way to prevent malaria transmission. This is one of several campaigns and part of a global effort to prevent, treat and contain Malaria by List of Needs/Wishes From LSS in Auburn: Critical Need: there is a single mother being reunified with her 4 children (May 2 nd ) and she does not have beds or bedding for any of them. She will need twin beds and bedding for each. Ongoing Needs for group homes and apartments: Pots and Pans, Tupperware/Rubbermaid storage containers, Cooking Utensils slotted spoons/spatulas, Baking Sheets, Casserole Dishes, Full/Queen sheets, Bath Rugs, Socks Men s and Women s Board Games, Craft supplies, Rosary Beads/Spiritual pictures/photos, Plants/bulbs/seeds for gardens. Larger Items- Mattresses full/queen, Kitchen Chairs, Couch, Dressers, Microwave Oven, Vacuum Cleaner, Steam Mop. If you would like to donate any of these items, contact Heather Bingelis at (207) , X26, or hbingelis@lssne.org KEEPING THE CHURCH CLEAN We need everyone to co-operate in keeping the church clean. Please remove all cough-drop wrappings, bulletins, papers, etc., and put Hymnals back in place in pews. In fellowship hall, put coffee cups and litter in trash cans. If you spill, please wipe it up. All groups who meet in Church should pick up and make sure the room is clean. The AA groups who meet here will be cleaning after each meeting. If you bring litter in, please bring it out. Thank you very much for your co-operation. The Property Committee. THANK YOU FROM: Jane Sinclair: Thank you to Barbara, Dorothy, Honor, Ginny, Lillian, Mary, Myrna and Steve for polishing the Communion Ware. Million Alemayheu: I would like to thank you for the love and support which you showed me during my recent sorrow. Thank you for your prayers, visits, phone calls, flowers, food, cards, and all your expressions of sympathy. It was heartwarming to me, because I have not been able to return to Ethiopia to visit my mother. May God Bless each one of you. THE FAMILIES OF Dinkenesh Lemma and Sentayehu Desta would like to thank everyone who participated in their Memorial Service. Thank you for your prayers and support during our sorrow. May God richly Bless you. Abera, Werkenesh, Amanuel and Fente. Mary Peters & Family: Many thanks for your donations, cards, and kind words of prayer in memory of my daughter Nancy Marione. Nancy has now departed exchanging life on earth for life forever with our Lord. God Bless you. Trinity Congregation: Many thanks of appreciation to all of our worship leaders, musicians, and dramatists who helped during the special worship services of Holy Week and Easter. Special 4

5 gratitude to Elsie Reese for her leadership with the Easter Vigil dramas and to Betty McIntyre for the choir and instrumental offerings. Social Ministry Committee: Thank you all who helped support various ongoing projects. Twelve Baskets of Promise through LWR were assembled and Joanne Graffam worked tirelessly on the backpacks for the school kits. The kits will be delivered to people coping with war, disaster, disease and poverty. The Westbrook Community: To Jane and Ted for their tireless efforts to make the Community Meals a success. Ted and Jane: Thank you to all volunteers who are making the Community Meals a big Success. POTPOURRI Citizenship Abera, Werkenesh, Amanuel, and Fente will become new United States citizens on April 29 th. We will celebrate with them at our fellowship hour on May 1 st.congratulations and God s blessings. Celebration of Life A Memorial Service for Natalie Hakanson, who died 01/22/11, will be held on May 14 th at 11:00 at Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Kennebunk. The service will be followed by a light luncheon. All are welcome. CONGRATULATIONS We congratulate Ellen Cutting Schoepf on her graduation from Trinity Lutheran Seminary, May 21 st. May the Holy Spirit guide her as she discerns where God might be calling her to do ministry. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Charles Russell Jensen who passed away on April 4, Jack Jensen is a professor at the University of South Carolina and the University forwarded the following to honor Jack s father. Resolution of Respect for C. Russell Jensen No matter what your trials are, or how big your mountain seems; The Lord is there to see you through; He ll go to all extremes. So if your cross seems hard to bear, and you know not what to do; The One who loves you most of all will be there to see you through. We, the members of Management Science Department, Moore School of Business, University of South Carolina, want the family to know that our hearts are with you as you gather to bid a Christian good-bye, Mr. C. Russell Jensen, father of Janice Gould, Timothy O. Jensen, Stephen R. Jensen and John (Jack) Jensen. WHEREAS, Russell Jensen professed a hope in Christ at an early age and was an active and regular supporter of his church Trinity Lutheran Church. 5

6 WHEREAS, Brother Russell Jensen was a reverent man who loved the Lord. A very independent person who would perform any tasks and instilled in his family to follow his example. He loved his family with a gentle, yet stern combination which only he possessed. WHEREAS, not only is this a loss of a devoted father, but also a confident counselor and closest of friend for many. WHEREAS, the passing of our beloved Brother in Christ is the will of God and there is a human tie that has been broken which bleeds the heart in agony and pain. We are encouraged and consoled in the words of Jesus who said, I will never leave thee nor forsake them. THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that we embrace the family because all of us have a common bond that will connect us for the rest of your lives. We can not replace Brother Russell Jensen, but will attempt to demonstrate his love for all. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, we Management Science Department, Moore School of Business, University of South Carolina will care for and support the son of Russell Jensen during this difficult time. To the family, we know your loss is deep and your sorrow is great, but we want you to know that we share in your sorrow, but more importantly, we recognize that this loss is Heaven s Gain. When it is all over, we would like you to remember: In case there s a time when you just need some cheer, In case there s a problem you would like us to hear, In case there s a favor you would like us to do- We re here if you need us to help see you through. Management Science Faculty & Staff On May 29 th we will celebrate the baptism of Sierra and Doran Cameron during our Worship Service. We look forward to welcoming Sierra and Doran into the baptized fellowship of Trinity Lutheran Church. COMMITTEE MEETINGS Education Committee - with Sunday School teachers after church on May 1 st. Parish Care May 2 nd? Check with Alice Social Ministry May 2 nd at 7:00 Worship Committee May 4 th at 7:00 Church Council May 9 th at 7:00 6

7 PRAYER LIST Pray for those among us who ask for our intercessions Members: Enid Smith, Karen Griffin Kilmer, Tom Erskine, Carol Henigan, Barbara Henry, Sena Herbert, Mary Ann Gagnon, Irma Magnusson, Frances Webb, Sue Sheloske, Pastor Norm Bumby, Tricia Bumby, Betty Schaefer, Mary Christensen & Honor Sanville & Family, Mary Peters, Million Alemayheu, Jane Sinclair, Flavilla Billings, Christina Stover, Kevin King, The Family of Russ Jensen Friends of Members: Taja Sieber, Joe Hakanson, Pat Milligan, Fatuma Boru, Joe Query, Michael Walton, Carol Blake, Joyce Cole, Belfe, Joe McGonagle, Patricia Welker, Phyllis Medeiros, Judy May, Dan Mjolsness, Theresa Morrison, Joyce McGee, Catherine Pappas, Ray Thorp, Ruth Abbiati, Peg Stark, Desiree Hendricksen, Pat Becker, Connie Beal, Michele, Mary King, Lorraine Junkins, Lauretta Babkirk, Bruce Churchill, Fred Fernald, Jenny Sevrence, Jerry Sinclair 7