The Desert Voice Trinity Lutheran Church January 2019 New Year s day always captures the imagination as we look toward the future. I wonder if you are optimistic at this time. It s true that trouble can easily capture our imagination. Whether those predicaments are real or perceived, our thoughts often turn toward pessimism and despair over them. We need a constant source of good news as we proceed into the future. We recently celebrated the birth of Jesus Christ. He came because He knows our trouble under the curse of sin, death and the tyranny of the devil s hostility and accusations against us.. Some 700 years before Christ was born, God gave the prophet Isaiah a look into the future of the coming Messiah. He foretold what God told him then. It was a message of the good news of conquest and victory over sin, death and the devil. The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn (Isaiah 61:1-2). To proclaim the year of the LORD's favor To comfort all who mourn God s purpose is clear. He wants to reclaim sinners from the treacherous grip of sin and eternal damnation and establish a new year of favor (grace). The fulfillment of God s desire found itself in the occasion of Jesus visit to His hometown of Nazareth. After reading the famous words of Isaiah, Jesus said, Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing (Luke 4:21). It is as if Jesus were saying, Happy New Year! Optimism and great joy are the result. It is clear that God remembered His promise to deal with our sin by taking upon Himself the punishment for that sin. 2 Corinthians 5:19 declares that in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Now we look forward to this new year with great optimism and hope. We have been reconciled to God and are empowered to be reconciled to one another through the same power that saved us. Happy New Year to all! Pastor Robert Smith Inside this issue: M.A.S.S., Women s Bible Study, WINGS, Quilters 2 TLC Family Ministry 3 SS/Youth Picture Gallery 4 TLC Sunday School TLC Youth Fellowship 5 LWML Christmas Party 6 LWML News 7 TLC Picture Gallery 8 Birthdays & Anniversaries 9 Those Who Serve 10 MASS/ Saying Good-Bye 11 Pastor & Bobbi s Reception 12 Hanging of the Greens 13 Meet Our New Elders 14 Puzzle 15 Calendar 16 From the Treasurer 17 Bea s 99! 18
Page 2 The Desert Voice January 2019 MEN S M.A.S.S. MEETING in January 8, 6:00 pm WELCOME BACK (Men Assisting Seminary Students!) M.A.S.S. meets on the second Tuesday of the month, January 8th, at 6:00 pm. at Sloan s Restaurant in Indio. We are a dedicated group of men helping our younger cohorts continue through their Seminary years; doing the work of our Lord Jesus spreading the Word of God through helping them become ministers in the Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod. We support them with our prayers, encouragement, communication and dollars. You can also help on Sunday mornings by placing a check in the offering plate noted for MASS. Anyone, any age, can help. God bless you and God bless our work for MASS here at Trinity. Please keep supporting MASS and helping these worthy young students become ministers of God. Russ Campbell WOMEN S BIBLE STUDY Our Women s Bible Study meets on Thursdays at 5pm led by Mary Helen Kelly. Come join us! WINGS (Women in God s Service) We will meet on Friday, January 25 @ 6pm. at Villagio Italian Kitchen located across the street from the UC Riverside campus on 37029 Cook Street, Palm Desert. Very good food! Happy New Year ladies! All are welcome and you can bring a friend. Please call Bobbi to RSVP. At 760-485-7770 QUILTERS MEETINGS Quilters will be meeting on January 2nd, 16th, 23rd & 30th. Any questions please call Chairman Marilyn Mohr 760 310-3242. Please join us as we welcome beginners and seasoned quilters in the new year. You might want to bring a lunch. BOOKS!!! A 12 year study at the Yale School of Public Health shows that people that read books (fiction & nonfiction, poetry or prose) for as little as 30 minutes a day over several years were living an average of 2 years longer than people who didn t read anything at all. Simply put, word power increases brain power. Reading a book (of any genre) forces your brain to think critically and reading books especially fiction has been shown to increase empathy & emotional intelligence which in turn can lower stress levels. All books in the church library are Christ centered and are guaranteed to bring you hours of pleasurable reading. Marilyn Mohr, Librarian This Month s Puzzle: Can you tell me? According to Matthew what gifts did the wise men give to Jesus?. First one to call Ruth Farquhar wins. (760) 574-3787.
Www.TrinitIndio.org * Trinity81500@verizon.net Page 3 TLC Family Ministry Your faithfulness continues through all generations Psalm 119:90 January 2019 TLC Movie Night Friday, January 4 @ 6:30pm *DOA* Daughter s of the Almighty Fridays @ 10:30am What?! You haven t heard of D.O.A.? Well, it is a wonderful group of gals that meet weekly for a Bible study from the LWML national website. They gather in the Fellowship Center, Fridays @ 10:30am. After a brief break for the holidays the D.O.A. Bible study will resume the first Friday of January. All ladies are welcome! Men & Young Men s Bible Breakfast Saturday, January 12 @ 8:00am 9:30am In the Trinity Fellowship Center Free Will Offering Join us for the TLC movie night, I Can Only Imagine. Discover the captivating story behind the bestselling single in the history of Christian music and the man who wrote it. You ll be moved by this compelling story of love, loss and family. Free popcorn and lemonade! Bring your friends! Ever find yourself humming along with the choir anthem? Well, we would love to have you join our small but mighty choir. We meet Wednesday evenings for an hour in the Fellowship Center. Anyone willing to Make a Joyful Noise to the Lord is welcome! There is plenty of room! Regular practices resume, Wednesday, January 2 @ 7:00pm.
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Www.TrinitIndio.org * Trinity81500@verizon.net TLC Youth Bible Fellowship & Sunday School Page 5 Thank you to all the TLC families for helping to make this past Christmas season a JOY and blessing. The Youth and Sunday School did a great job presenting the real reason for the season, the birth of our Savior, in I Didn t Think it Would Happen like That! It is always so much fun seeing the young faces of our TLC Family participating in the Sunday morning worship time! With the new year comes new beginnings. We continue with the new Sunday morning focus, I Spy Salvation s Story Our TLC investigators gather clues, dig into the Bible and put all of the pieces together to unearth God's plan of salvation in both Old Testament and New Testament Bible stories. We ask that you keep our TLC young families in your prayers and we are thankful for your continued support. TLC Youth Fellowship Friday, January 11@ 6:00pm What an exciting time we all had at our first ever, Christmas Boutique! Never a dull moment! Some were out waving signs welcoming the community, some were manning booths, some were runners for the Bread Lady and all were having fun! The youth with the help of the different booths; Mary Kay, Tupperware, Candles, tacos, bread, essential oils and Christmas décor made just over $810 to be added to the Youth Project account. This will help with the funding upcoming retreats and youth gatherings. The next fundraiser will be a Walking Taco dinner, February, 1 @ 5:30pm 7pm, in the Fellowship Center. Look for more details in the Sunday morning bulletins as the event approaches. The TLC Youth love spending time together in fellowship and Bible study. We will meet for a Youth Night, Friday, January 11 @ 6pm. The youth are asked to bring $5 per person or $10 per family to cover the pizza dinner. This is also a great time for the youth to introduce their friends to the TLC Family!
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Www.TrinitIndio.org * Trinity81500@verizon.net Page 7 Lutheran Women s Missionary League Date: January 9th, 2019 at 11:30 am Proclaim the works of the Lord "I will proclaim the name of the Lord. O praise the greatness of our God! He is the rock, His works are perfect." Deuteronomy 32;3-4 Program: speaker Ruth Farquhar, regarding her career as a school bus driver. $100 grant for Find Food Bank Project: cards to shut ins and nursing homes Hostesses: Monique and Elaine Bishop Decorations: Ruth Faquhar Sign up sheet on the LWML table in front t of church COME AND BRING A FRIEND! (Don t forget your Mite Box!
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Www.TrinitIndio.org * Trinity81500@verizon.net January 2019 Birthdays 4 Mary Helen Kelly 5 Ramona Haugen 10 Anne Negron 10 Gaylene Burkett 13 Maggie Negron 13 Samantha Schuessler 18 Jerry Norris 21 John Eide 22 Mary Ann Miller 29 Linda Kastner 29 Julie Bruni 30 Bob Wirtenberger 31 Kim Ryan Page 9 February 2019 Birthdays 6 Ryan Lorimer 6 Charles Richardson 7 Zoe King 8 Elizabeth White 9 Sheila McCafferty 9 Woody Kastner 21 Aiden & Alivia (Negron) Giles 21 Janet Krause 23 Andie Bonette 23 Walt Ulbricht 24 Beverly Ducatte 26 Emma Ashbaugh 26 Elyssa Ashbaugh 26 Erin Ashbaugh 27 Robert Heinzeroth 27 Earlene Reynolds 28 Nancy Ahsmuhs January 2019 Anniversaries January 13 January 19 Wally & Cheryl Kortman Steve & Susan Bottom February 2019 Anniversaries No anniversaries in February
Page 10 The Desert Voice January 2019 Those Who Serve in January 2019 Duties January 6 8:30 am Communion January 13 11 am Communion January 20 8:30 am Communion January 27 11 am Communion Duty Elder 8:30am Gary Wiedle Gary Wiedle Kevin Hemp Kevin Hemp 11am Woody Kastner Woody Kastner Robert bishop Robert Bishop Readers 8:30am 11am Gary Wiedle Woody Kastner Gary Wiedle Woody Kastner Kevin Hemp Robert Bishop Kevin Hemp Robert Bishop Ushers 8:30am Russ Campbell & Charles Richardson Terry Lahn & Larry Burkett Russ Campbell & Larry Piunti Larry Piunti & Charles Richardson 11am Andy Schlange & Bob Wirtenberger Jim Ducatte & Andy Schlange Jim Ducatte & Steve Bottom Bob Wirtenberger & Steve Bottom Acolytes 8:30 am 11:00 am Logan Ashbaugh Lily Tobin Ethan & Anna Marie Frese Elder Elyssa & Erin Ashbaugh Lily Tobin Ethan & Anna Marie Frese Elder Greeters Bruce & Raejean Kuhnau Bruce & Raejean Kuhnau Bruce & Raejean Kuhnau Bruce & Raejean Kuhnau 8:30am 11am Bob & Irene Wirtenberger Bob & Irene Wirtenberger Bob & Irene Wirtenberger Bob & Irene Wirtenberger Flowers Mark Langenwalter
Www.TrinitIndio.org * Trinity81500@verizon.net Page 11 M.A.S.S. NEWS January 2019 The news for the past month is light due to the students starting a new school year. MASS did receive a very nice card from Samuel St. John who is our new four year student. He graduated from Concordia University Irvine last June. His parents are (or were) missionaries for the LCMS in China. They adopted Samuel from an orphanage while they were in China. He was one of the top students at Concordia the past year. We also received a nice letter from Kyle Weeks who is one of our fourth year students who will graduate in May of 2019. He and his wife are very grateful for the financial aid MASS provides, and they express this in every communication they send to us. Kyle hopes to continue his studies and get his doctorate. Should he be able to accomplish his goal he will be the first of all our graduates to go on to further studies? I know we all wish him well. Lastly Sunday the 18 th Nicholas Duerr our graduate this year and is in Mesa Az. Became a father of a future pastor in the LCMS. Russ Campbell Dan and Mary Jo Hanson are moving to Arizona but they have promised to visit us a lot. The choir, quilters and the rest of us will miss you two very much but wish you God s blessings in Arizona.
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Page 14 The Desert Voice January 2019 MEET OUR NEW ELDERS Kevin Hemp is, first and foremost, a husband, father and grandfather. He and Yolanda (Yoli) have been married for 26 years. They have four children: Carlos, Garrett, Cassandra and Bryan. Their granddaughter s name is Cozette. Kevin also, for nearly 17 years, has been working at the Coachella Valley Water District as an Education Specialist. He has a Masters Degree in Public Administration with an emphasis on Water Resources Management. He also is a California credentialed teacher. He was a public school teacher for six years from 1996 to 2002. He became a teacher through the federal Troops to Teachers program after honorably serving in the Marine Corps from 1990 to 1996. He was born in Loma Linda, California but grew up in Redding, California. He came to the desert in 1990 after joining the Marine Corps wherein he was stationed at the 29 Palms Air Ground Combat Center. He met his wife at a church in Yucca Valley and, despite all of his attempts to move somewhere with forests, lakes and rivers, he s finally surrendered to the fact that the desert is now his home. He looks forward to serving the church as an elder and invites anyone to call or text him if they need someone to talk to. His approach to service is simple. If I can point people to Christ, if I can say Look to Christ, He is our perfection, righteousness and salvation. then I feel like I ve done my job. You can reach Kevin on his personal cell phone at: (760) 985-5915. ================================================================ My name is Robert Bishop. I grew up in the Coachella Valley and have attended Trinity Lutheran Church here in Indio (along with my mother Elaine Bishop) since I was a youth. I learned early on that Trinity Lutheran Church is where I am supposed to be, I hope you have realized the same for yourselves. I am married to my wonderful wife Monique and have two beautiful daughters, Roberta and Rebecca. My profession is local law enforcement. Words can t describe what an honor it is to serve GOD, our congregation, and to assist Pastor Smith as an Elder with Trinity Lutheran and it is my intention to do my best and improve every day (Colossians 3:23). Please feel free to stop and talk with me or offer any advice or suggestions on how we can all better our blessed church. Thank you all for this opportunity. ================================================================ The Elders have assigned each Elder to a section of the alphabet for primary responsibility. You may contact the Elder of your choice. Following are the current assignments for 2019: A - C Kevin Hemp D I Don Lahn J M Robert Bishop N Sm Gary Wiedle So Z Woody Kastner
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Page 16 The Desert Voice January 2019 WHOSE JOB IS IT? This is a story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody & Nobody. There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that because it was Everybody s job. Everybody thought Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn t do it. In the end, Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done. Marilyn Mohr, Librarian ============================ A NOTE FROM OUR TREASURER First, we can rejoice that the Holy Spirit has moved an individual to give a large gift to Trinity Lutheran Church's General Fund. This gift made it possible to cover the December payroll and end of the year bills. Second, we can not depend on one person to keep Trinity open. Every member must pray for the Holy Spirit to move them to give just a little more every month. Only a small percentage of Trinity members are giving as they have been blessed. The Lord has blessed us with a wonderful Pastor who preaches and teaches the True Word of God. We have a treasure to share with our community. Please do not depend on "Somebody" to be moved to give. Pray that "Everybody" will answer God's Call to be witness for Him through our giving and keep Trinity Lutheran Church open. Without that one large gift, and the gifts of visitors, we would be operating with a deficit again this month.
Www.TrinitIndio.org * Trinity81500@verizon.net Stamp Lutheran Church Missouri Synod Pacific Southwest District Robert E. Smith, Pastor Cell Phone: 760-485-5171 Emily Bonette, Church Secretary Church Office Phone: 760-347-3971 Sunday Worship 8:30am & 11am Sunday School 9:45 am Bible Class 10:00am Holy Communion 8:30am 1st & 3rd Sundays