TRINITY TOWER. 450,000 meals $99,000 1,500 volunteers $33,000 is left to raise!

Transcription

1 TRINITY TOWER February 2018 Volume 26, Issue 2 Cross Points Wednesday Night Lenten Worship Series The season of Lent begins on February 14, Valentine s Day, the day when all thoughts are on the gift of Love. It is actually a good day for this holy season to begin, because Jesus death on the cross stands as one of the deepest and most powerful images of love in human history. Lent is a season of 40 days, not counting Sundays, which begins on Ash Wednesday and ends Holy Saturday. Lent comes from the Anglo Saxon word, lencten, which literally means, lengthening (of days). It later took on the meaning of "spring." The 40 days represent the time Jesus spent in the wilderness, enduring the temptation of Satan and preparing to begin his ministry. For us, Lent is a time of repentance, fasting and preparation for the coming of Easter. It is a time of self-examination and reflection. In the early church, Lent was a time to prepare new converts for baptism. Today, we focus on our relationship with God during the season, often choosing to give up something or to volunteer and give of ourselves for others. Instead of giving something up, it can also be about adding a discipline in your life in order to strengthen your relationship with God. This Lent, consider adding to your life a Wednesday night worship centered on the theme, Cross Points. Jesus lived with the awareness that God is doing something, right here, right now, and anybody can be a part of it. He encouraged his listeners to search, to question, to wrestle with implications of what he was saying and doing. Every Wednesday night from 6:30-7:15, you are invited to worship at Trinity and view a series of short videos that explore our world from a perspective of Jesus. Each video will challenge you to search, question, and grow in faith, in themes ranging from anger to compassion to guilt. Begin the evening with a delicious Lenten dinner and cross crafts for kids 5:00-6:15 p.m., and finish the night with some hearty spiritual food. You will leave feeling nourished and strengthened for the days ahead. Sunday Worship 8:45 & 10:15 a.m. Wednesday Worship 6:30 p.m. February 4 Fifth Sunday after Epiphany Mark 1:29-39 Holy Communion Joyful Noise February 11 Transfiguration Sunday Mark 9: a.m. Altar Communion Chancel Bells February 14 Ash Wednesday 11:30 a.m. Worship/Communion 6:30 p.m. Worship February 18 First Sunday in Lent Genesis 9:8-17 Holy Communion Sanctuary Choir February 21 Holden Evening Prayer 6:30 p.m. Worship Rob Bell Video Series February 25 Second Sunday in Lent Genesis 17:1-7, a.m. Altar Communion February 28 Holden Evening Prayer 6:30 p.m. Worship Rob Bell Video Series Trinity s 5 th FMSC MobilePack will be April in the Great Hall. A letter with more details was recently mailed to all households. Please take time to read the letter and prayerfully consider how you can support this event. This year, we have requested the food we pack to go to Puerto Rico and other locations where need is greatest. Our goal for the event is: 450,000 meals $99,000 1,500 volunteers $33,000 is left to raise!

2 Youth Fundraiser Gala Sunday, February 25 Silent Auction 3-5 p.m. Dinner Theater 5-6:30 p.m. Proceeds benefit middle school and high school youth attending summer trips to the Appalachian Mountains, ELCA Youth Gathering, Boundary Waters and Camp Hiawatha (m ore info on the trips below ). Tickets for the dinner will go on sale Sunday, February 4. Tickets are $12 for adults, $3 for children 5 & under, and $5 for children Prices will increase on the day of the fundraiser so buy early! You can buy tickets in the Narthex on Sunday mornings, Wednesday evenings or during the weekday in the church office. Silent auction donations are appreciated. These can be anything gift certificates, wine baskets, electronics, weekend getaways, etc. Donations must be received by Wednesday, February 21. Some auction items will be available to buy beginning February 11. If you re unable to make the big day, bring your wallet to worship and help support these life-changing experiences! A little about the wonderful trips planned for our middle school and high school youth: Appalachia Mission Trip: 52 youth will travel to Charleston, WV on July 14-20, where they will do construction projects, flood recovery, street ministry and work with children. ELCA Youth Gathering: 5 youth will head to Houston, TX on June 26-July 2 for fun, fellowship, worship and service work with 30,000 other ELCA high schoolers. This event only happens once every 3 years, and it ll be something our youth will talk about for years to come. Camp Hiawatha and Boundary Waters Canoe Trips: 30+ youth will travel to the BWCA (June 23-29) and Camp Hiawatha (July 15-20) in northern Minnesota. Both trips are through Voyageurs Lutheran Ministry. Our youth will spend time in fun and fellowship as they learn their value as children of God. 2

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4 Congregational Life Membership If you are interested in membership, please talk with a pastor or complete the form found on the website. Funerals Jan Jacobson Trinity South Gathering Are you going to be in South Florida this winter? Join other Trinity folks for the annual Trinity South Gathering in Naples on March 1. For details and to RSVP, Ken Jenson at MKJenson7@gmail.com. Please RSVP by February 16. Save the Date for VBS 2018! We know it s only February, but it s time to start thinking about Vacation Bible School! This year s VBS WILL BE June 11-14, and the theme is Shipwrecked. Children ages 3 to grade 4 are welcome! Youth in grade 5 and up, as well as adults, are needed as volunteers. Registration will be available at the beginning of March. Together at Trinity This month s Community Meal is Thursday, Feb. 22, 5:30-6:30 p.m. at Calvin Presbyterian Church (177 Glendale Drive, Long Lake). All are welcome bring the kids, too! Adults needed for Lenten Mentoring. During Lent, Confirmation youth (6-8th grade) meet with adult mentors on Wednesday nights, and some youth have trouble finding adults to ask. If you are willing to help, please Kelsey (kelseya@trinitylonglake.org), and we will partner you with a student. Lenten mentoring runs Feb. 14-March 21. Thrivent Action Teams It s a new year and two new Action Teams for Thrivent members are available. If you have an Action Team we could use for events or outreach, please contact Jill Cornell. Trinity Foundation Scholarships. Do you know a current high school senior or college student? The Trinity Foundation offers scholarships to support young leaders. Applications will be available in March. Don t miss this opportunity for Trinity to support you! Worship Tech Assistants Needed. We have recently invested in a high quality projection system and streaming capabilities, which are being used and appreciated by many. Right now, we have three people who assist on a regular basis, but we need more volunteers. No technical knowledge is needed, as training will be provided. Please consider helping one Sunday per month. Contact Mark Hemingway if willing to help or if you have questions. Days for Girls Event on Sunday, Feb. 11, 1:00-3:30 p.m. The Orono Rotary is sponsoring a sew-a-thon to make and assemble feminine hygiene kits that allow girls to continue attending school and have a more dignified life. See the Sign Up Center to learn more. It will be held at the Orono Discovery Center, Maple Plain. The Grief Coalition meets Thursdays at 4:30 p.m. This winter, the group is meeting at Oak Knoll Lutheran Church in Minnetonka. Go paperless! Sign up to get the Tower electronically. Help us save paper by switching to the Tower list. You ll get the newsletter at the beginning of the month via . Call the Trinity office at to make the switch. Thank you in advance. Financial Update Through December The Annual Meeting to review 2017 and approve the 2018 budget will be Sunday, January 28 at 9:30 a.m. If you are unable to attend, please pick up a copy of the Annual Report at the Welcome Desk or in the church office. An easy way to stay current on your pledge for 2018 is through electronic giving. Please contact the church office for a form, or visit the giving page: For worship, you can pick up an I Give Electronically card at the usher stand and place it in the plate during offering to show your participation. Over 80 families are already giving electronically! Trinity also accepts stock gifts, and if you re 70½ or older, an IRA Charitable Rollover may be right for you. Contact Rindee Erdmann, Financial Manager, by at rindee@trinitylonglake.org or by phone at x136 for more information. 5

5 6 Thank you for the many ways you serve! For ALL the worship assistants who help each week! Our faithful counters: Dee & Earl Swanson, Janice Lehrke, Dave Ketcham and Tom Micke. For all who helped serve meals at Simpson Shelter and Crisis Nursery, volunteered with Interfaith Outreach, quilters, prayer shawl, Wednesday dinners, Community Meals and card ministry. For the continuous supply of donations to support local organizations. Well done, good and faithful servant. Matthew 25:23 Families Moving Forward Next hosting week is March 4-11 We are gearing up for our first hosting week of the year! Trinity will host up to 4 families experiencing homelessness. Please consider helping there are many ways to volunteer throughout the week! Help with cooking/providing meals, stay overnight, provide financial support or wash dishes and sheets. A signup will be available online and at church beginning Jan. 28. Thanks in advance for your help. Families Moving Forward Info Session Come learn what a hosting week is all about! On Sunday, Feb. 11 (between services), join us in the Fireside Room to learn about the program, how you can get involved, and how FMF has helped families transition into their own homes. El Salvador Summer Trip, July 7-16 This is a multi-generational trip for the whole family! We ll spend time with our sister church, connect with Seeds of Hope students and learn the history of the country. Several people have signed up so far come along and join us! Please contact Jill Cornell or Kassy Heinrich with questions. More info is available at the Welcome Desk or online. This trip is open to friends. NOTE: 50% of the trip cost is covered by a donor for Trinity members, making the cost approximately $900 (covers airfare, lodging, meals, transportation.) 320 Seeds of Hope students in El Salvador started school on January 15. Trinity members sponsor 68 students, including 7 university students. Please continue to keep these students in your prayers. Volunteer Opportunities Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God s grace. 1 Peter 4:10 Sunday morning & Wednesday Night Lenten assistants. We are always looking to increase the number of helpers. During Lent, we need the help of ushers on Wednesday nights, in addition to the regular number of assistants on Sunday mornings. No experience is necessary! Please consider giving it a try. Sign up as a family or individual. See the Sign Up Center or Linda Koltes at lindak@trinitylonglake.org. Simpson Shelter Breakfast, Feb. 3 & March 3, 5:30-8:30 a.m volunteers (any age) needed. Wednesday Interfaith Outreach Night, Feb. 14 (Food Shelf) & March 14 (ReSale), 5:30-8 p.m volunteers (12 & older) are needed. Crisis Nursery Breakfast, Feb. 10, 6:30-9:30 a.m. 4-6 volunteers (12 & older) are needed. Sign up for these opportunities in the Narthex or online at The AGAPE Planning team will have its first meeting on Feb. 6 at 6:30 p.m. for the November 2018 market. We always welcome new members! Please let Jill Cornell know if you are interested. Receipt for donations to 2017 AGAPE Gift Market. Tax donation slips are available at the Welcome Desk or in the church office. Look what we are collecting Can you help? Help us restock supplies for FMF Hosting Week: Collecting gently used hand towels/washcloths, twin sized blankets and sheet sets. Items for Interfaith Outreach: Cleaning supplies (e.g., Windex, Lysol wipes, furniture polish, etc.) Items for the 2018 AGAPE Market: Qt-sized jars. Ongoing Donations: Used cell phones/batteries; travel-size shampoo, soap, cream rinse; grocery/ coupon books (expired no more than 30 days); paper bags; diapers (any size and quantity); socks (men s & women s); reusable bags; women s bras (any size, new) and feminine hygiene products. Place donations in the bins at the Sign Up Center.

6 Feed My Starving Children MobilePack is April Through two very generous matched gifts of up to $40,000; a gift of $20,000; and $6,000 already donated online toward our event, this year s planning team feels our goal of $99,000 (450,000 meals) is very doable! By March 1, we need to raise the majority of our funds so that we can commit to FMSC that we will pack 450,000 meals. Donations can be made from now through March 1 to help us reach our goal. Our Lenten offering will be designated to our MobilePack event, and all donations received from Ash Wednesday dinner will go to the event as well. (Costs for the meal are covered by a Thrivent Action team.) Please consider a gift today to share your love with children being nourished by these meals. Now through March 1 Donate online at or drop a check off at church. (Please make checks payable to Trinity Lutheran with FMSC in the memo line.) Also, please check to see if your employer will offer a matching gift for your donation. Donations will be listed in the April 15 bulletin, so consider a donation in honor or in memory of a loved one! A gift of $33 feeds 5 children for a month. A gift of $80 feeds one child for a year. A gift of $220 provides 1,000 meals for children. A gift of $400 feeds a family of five for one year. More than 90% of every contributed dollar goes toward feeding kids in need. Beginning March 2 Shift sign up will open to the church and community. We have 1,500 volunteer spots to fill. Everyone over the age of 5 is encouraged to help. There will be something for everyone, and training will be provided at each shift. We anticipate having nine packing shifts (two on Friday, five on Saturday and two on Sunday). Each shift is two hours long. Children under 5 are too young to participate in the actual packing, but we will offer childcare at Trinity on the Saturday morning shift. Thank you from Trinity s FMSC Planning Team Angie Boner, Beth & Mike Arends, Cari & Earl Hanson, Connie Francis, Emma Dalton, Denise Aasen, Elsa Soderstrom, Linda, Troy, Emma & Matt Koltes, Frank Larson, George Goldade, Jeri Lowe, Jill Kunze, Julia Rosendahl, Melissa Albers, Edwards Family, Rebecca Furnival, Ellie Schaible, Tori Everson, Konnie & Kristin Berg, and Jill Cornell Endings and Beginnings On Sunday, January 14, we said Farewell and Godspeed to Pastor Carrie. It was a day filled with gratitude and grace, as we thanked her for her ten years of faithful service at Trinity. Continue to hold Pastor Carrie close to your hearts in prayer as she opens up a new chapter in her life. With endings come new beginnings. Pastor Brian has already been in contact with the Minneapolis Area Synod about possible interim pastors. An interim pastor will be called to serve with Pastor Brian until we as a congregation have called a permanent Associate Pastor. During the interim period, a Call Committee will be formed by the Council and will begin interviewing candidates for the permanent position. When a pastor is called to Trinity, the work of the interim pastor will conclude here. It is hoped that the interim period will take no longer than six months. Rest assured, you will be apprised of the process as it moves forward. Please pray for Trinity as it enters this exciting process! Also, please don t hesitate to contact Pastor Brian if you have questions. 7

7 Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 4 Long Lake, MN ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED POSTMASTER: DATED MATERIAL February 14 11:30 a.m. & 6:30 p.m. Worship Joyful Noise singing during worship Mpls Crisis Nursery Wednesday Interfaith Outreach Church Night Simpson Shelter New Youth Room Furniture 8 Pastor Carrie s Farewell Reception Days for Girls SERVE Project