THE EVANGELIST Trinity Lutheran Church a growing, caring Church with a heart for Christ and the World Community OCTOBER 2015 A PUBLICATION OF TRINITY LUTHERAN CHURCH LINTON, INDIANA COMING UP October 4, 11, 18, 25 9:30 am Worship 10:45 Fellowship 11:pp Christian Education October 14 6:30 Church Council October 21 Worship at Good Samaritan 10:30 WELCA Supper 6:30 7 PM Bible Study October 15 SON Ministries 6:30 @ 1 st Christian Church October 20 Food Pantry 1-4 1 & 7 PM MOVIE October 22 Holy Comforters 9 AM 6:30 pm SON Ministries, Inc Volunteer Appreciation Dinner October 29 Holy Comforters Good Samaritan 6:30 ============ Trinity Lutheran Church 1759 E St Hwy 54 Linton, IN 47441 812-847-7372 www.lintonlutheran. org Like us on Facebook! God s work. Our hands. September 13, 2015 -- Open Arms Ministry
A Word from Our Pastor Giving: an Obligation or Opportunity?* Pr. Doris Sparks Email: pastordoris@hotm ail.com Office 812-847- 7372 Cell 812-699- 9372 Pastor s Schedule Office Hours Tues-Thurs 1-3 pm Saturday - Sunday By Appointment Pastor s Email pastordoris @hotmail.com PLEASE CALL PASTOR S CELL PHONE at ANY TIME FOR EMERGENCIES (Which include ER visits, life crises, emergency aid, etc.) Stopping by the office? Please call first. If there is an emergency I will try to leave a note but you want to call first to save a trip. As the Apostle Paul traveled to churches, he collected offerings for the Christians in Jerusalem who were experiencing hard economic times. When Paul was speaking to the Corinthians, he used the Macedonian believers as an example of people who, in spite of their own economic troubles, gave joyfully to the people in Jerusalem. The Macedonians love for Christ and their concern for their fellow believers moved them to give beyond their ability. They excelled in the grace of giving. The Macedonians gave themselves first to the Lord, and then, Paul said, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints (2 Corinthians 8:4). In Christ, they saw their giving as an opportunity to help other believers in need. Does someone who views giving as an obligation plead for the opportunity to give? Probably not. When giving is an obligation, we will give, but giving as an obligation will not give us the joy or the attitude of pleading for the privilege to give as the Macedonians had. As God s people, we have both an obligation and an opportunity. Scripture is clear that we are called to give. Paul said, On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made (1 Corinthians 16:2). Giving is an obligation, but, just as God changed the hearts and minds of the Macedonian people, he changes us so we view our giving as an opportunity rather than an obligation. As renewed and transformed people, our attitudes toward giving change from a got to to a get to attitude. We stop giving grudgingly, and we start to excel in the grace of giving by giving willingly and cheerfully. We want to give, because giving is an expression of our love and gratitude to God for who he is and what he does for us. The more we give of ourselves and our gifts the closer our relationship with Christ becomes and the more we want to give, and the more God blesses us, enabling our continued giving. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God (2 Corinthians 9:11). We thank God that he fills us daily with his love so that we as members of his Body here at our church see giving as a privilege and an opportunity to praise and thank him. *(adapted from Parish Publishing) Blessings, Pr.Doris P.S. Thank you for the birthday celebration, cake and cards. I keep telling myself I m 40! Pr. D
Christian Education: Rally Day was a great time for learning and for fund and good food. As a special event, the new basketball goal which was purchased with funds donated by Dempsey Jarman was dedicated at the end of worship that day. We pray that it brings many hours of enjoyment to the youth of Trinity. The children of Trinity will be experiencing a different Sunday School style this fall. We will have a Preschool through grade 5 class that will be studying twelve parables. We will use a variety of adults to help facilitate this program. If you were not sure you could teach a group by yourself, but would be willing to work with one or two others, maybe by helping with crafts or games that help to support the message, we could use your help. Please volunteer! PURPOSE STATEMENT As a community of women created in the image of God, called to discipleship in Jesus Christ, and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we commit ourselves to grow in faith, affirm our gifts, support one another in our callings, engage in ministry and action, and promote healing and wholeness in the church, the society, and the world. Women of the ELCA Bible Study We met on at 6:00 on September 15 for supper at the home of Carolyn Konnert. We were pleased to welcome Ruth White to our study. During the meeting, the women decided to send $100 to the I/K Synod Women of the ELCA from our regular monthly offerings. We will next meet on Wednesday, October 20, at the church with Teri Simmons as hostess and Pastor Doris as study leader. The Topic is Make Haste, O Lord. It sounds like a strange title in a study that is Slow Faith, but I notice it is the Lord we are asking to make haste, we are not doing it ourselves. Join us to see how these two terms fit together. NOTE: We have not received word yet on where our quilts were sent. They are waiting in the warehouse to be shipped for a crisis.
CHALLENGE! Did you respond to the matching fund challenge for the Malaria Campaign? It is great to announce that the ELCA has met their $15 million goal ahead of the Dec. 2015 deadline. Of course, if more money comes in it will be used to meet the needs of more people and that will be great. Holy Comforters We will meet on Thursday, October 22, at 9:00 am. We will go to Good Sam on October 29, at 6:30 pm. ++++++++++++++++++++ Rummage Sale: Friday and Saturday, October 16-17 Set up will begin Sunday, October 11, after worship and continue until Friday. A signup sheet will be available for you to indicate the hours that you would be available to assist. Pastor Doris will be at church Wednesday and Thursday 1-6 pm for last minute donations. Once again we will do it by donation instead of pricing items. The hours will be Friday from 8:00 3:00 and Saturday from 9- noon. We will need several people and trucks or vans to help us pack up things on Sat. at noon to take to O-Cheepo Depot uptown in Linton. Bibleway Apostolic Church runs that store and uses the proceeds to help the Linton Community.
Saturday, October 10 -Full Life Development will sponsor a tractor drive, show, and a chili dinner. To enjoy seeing the tractors arrive back from their drive, arrive about 3:30. The tractors will then be available for individuals to view, a photographer will be available to take pictures of children and the tractors. I think some of the owners will let the children sit on the tractors. A chili supper will be served from 4-7 PM. It will be a free will donation. This event will be held at Mineral Methodist church south east of Bloomfield. We need 3 desserts to be donated by individuals. A signup sheet is at the church. IU Campus Ministry On Sunday September 6, Diaconal Minister, Jeff Schacht, provided the message at our worship service and gave us some information about the program that is offered to students at IU. During the fellowship time he answered questions and reported on two students who graduated last spring. He told us how he had met both of these girls as freshman and how they had matured during their years at IU to the point that they decided to delay further plans to apply for one of the ELCA Young Adults in Gobal Mission positions and were selected. Jessica Edelman is from Indianapolis and is spending her year in Woverhampton, United Kingdom, and Anna Sloss is from Kokomo and is in Mazini, Swaziland. There are a total of 5 young adults who are from our state who were selected to participate this year. Although most of their expenses are covered during this year, each person is required to raise $4,000 themselves. They do not have to have the money before they go. If you would like to follow them, they each have a blog. Jessica Edelman s is Wind, Rain, Fire and Kumbaya. To follow Anna Sloss go to Come Walk with Anna. To make a donation toward their support, mark your check with one of their names and the abbreviation YAGM. Our treasurer
will see that it gets to the right place. When their year is over and they return to Indiana, we will try to get at least one of them to visit our congregation and report on some of their experiences. Trinity regularly supports the IU Campus Ministry program with our Benevolence dollars. PROPERTY One never knows unless one asks, but God tells us he will meet all of our needs. So here are some of our needs. *Sand and stain the door to the altar care storage in the sanctuary. *Paint the Computer room. *Paint the ceiling in the kitchen *Install new curtain rods in Computer room. If you can assist with any of them, please tell Jim Hayes. October Birthdays & Anniversaries Birthdays/ Anniversaries October 11: Wes Leigh IV October 12: Bruce Allison October 16: Carol Johnson October 20: Wes and Jerrie Leigh October 23: David and Peg Hall October 27: Gerry and Babs Bellgraph ====================
FREE mini-retreat -- saturday, November 14, 10 am - Noon Praying in Color is the perfect practice for anyone who hungers to know God better. People who love color, visual or kinesthetic learners, distractible or impatient souls, and word-weary pray-ers have all delighted in this fresh, joy-filled approach to prayer. "A new prayer form gives God an invitation and a new door to penetrate the locked cells of our hearts and minds," explains Sybil MacBeth. "For many of us, using only words to pray reduces God by the limits of our finite words." Email office@lintonlutheran.org or call 812-847-7372 to register so we have supplies. November events Tuesdays 1 pm and 7 pm Journey to Israel Pastor Doris Sparks will share biblical scholar, Dr. Lamontte Luker s insights on the Holy Land and her own photos from the journey in January 2015. Thanksgiving eve November 25 7 pm
FREE MOVIE EVENT -- Tuesday, October 20 at 1 & 7 pm A debate rages over the credibility of the Bible. Most archaeologists today have concluded that there s no evidence that the Exodus of Israelite slaves from Egypt ever happened. Filmmaker Timothy Mahoney faces a crisis of faith, Is this foundational event of the Bible really just a myth? He embarks on a 12-year journey around the world to search for answers. Patterns of Evidence: The Exodus unlocks the mystery of this ancient saga, combining a scientific investigation with a retelling of the Exodus story to reveal an amazing pattern of evidence matching the biblical account that may challenge our understanding of history. COME AND BRING A FRIEND SUNDAY SCHEDULE Worship 9:30AM Coffee Hour 10:30AM Linton Food Pantry 440 E Street NE Linton, IN Phone: (812) 847-7901 Tues & Thurs 1-4 pm Saturday 10-Noon Trinity Lutheran Church 1759 E St Hwy 54 Linton, IN 47441 ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED RETURN POSTAGE GUARANTEED