GRAPEVINE March 1, 2013 TRINITY LUTHERAN CHURCH 612 Main Street Westbrook, ME 04092. Garden of Gethsemane Altar at Trinity Lutheran Church Karen Indorf, Pastor Elsie Reese, Editor Phone (207) 854-5653 Phone (207) 854-5653 Email pastor@trinitywestbrook.com Email office@trinitywestbrook.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Time change Sunday, March 10-Daylight Saving Time Begins PASTOR S REFLECTIONS Once again we are in the mist of the season of Lent. While we may tend to think of Lent in dour terms with its focus on sin and fasting and death, the word Lent actually comes from an old English word meaning "the lengthening of the days", or Spring, a time of new growth, new life. Yes it is important to look at our failures, to repent when we have done wrong. However, the purpose of this examination is not to flog ourselves, but rather to mend our ways, to grow spiritually into the children of God that we are meant to be. I invite those of you with computer access to look at this you tube message from our New England Synod Bishop. http://youtu.be/byvyckmg278. In his message, Bishop Hazelwood reflects on how we in the church are sometimes divisive and intolerant of others. It is just one of the ways that we could reflect on our need to repent in order to produce new growth and renewed life in ourselves and in our churches. The Bishop reminds us that in this season of Lent, we need to turn back and confess that we have done wrong and that we need the help of our Lord to refocus, re-center and re-evaluate the ways in which we treat others. As Spring will come and it surely will we will look for new growth as the crocus make their way through the melting snow. Let us also nurture that new growth in ourselves as we journey to the cross with Jesus, where we will find forgiveness and then the promise of new life. Pastor Karen. 1
BY THE GRACE OF GOD THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING GOOD GOING ON AT TRINITY!! VALENTINE S TEA: Our Valentine s Tea for our Valentine Seniors was a huge success. 71 attendees were treated to a variety of petite sandwiches and desserts, scones with homemade jams and clotted cream, teas of various sorts, coffee, and candies. Beautiful Valentine cards were made by Mary. The Parish Care Committee did a wonderful job on making the delightful decor and foods. Talented Bruce entertained us as he sang and played lively tunes on the piano. Others joined together to present songs and story telling. SHROVETIDE CELEBRATION: Lots of strawberries, whip cream, wrapped in crepes were enjoyed by our worshipers directly after the service. A batch was made with traditional sugar, and another with Splenda so that diabetics could enjoy them also. Yum!!! UPCOMING AT TRINITY HOLY COMMUNION CELEBRATION ON MARCH 3: Four of our youth are completing a class in Holy Communion and will receive the body and blood of Jesus at worship on March 3 rd. Blessings to Scarlett, Jessica, Mark, and Eleshadaye. MIDWEEK LENTEN SERVICES: Our midweek Lenten services continue every Wednesday night at Emmaus Lutheran Church, 265 Middle Road in Falmouth. Soup and bread supper will begin at 6:00, with choir rehearsal at 6:30. Worship is at 7:00, featuring a weekly Lenten drama. Each Portland area Lutheran church takes a turn providing dessert. Trinity s night is March 6 th. Contact the church office if you are able to provide a dessert on that night. CLIMB ABOARD THE FOOD TRAIN KICK-OFF MARCH 15: Plans are underway by our Social Ministry Committee to sponsor another food drive for the Westbrook Food Pantry. Last year we collected food from the churches on Main Street. This year we are involving local businesses and service clubs, in addition to the churches. Collection boxes for food and jars for money will be distributed at our kick-off on Saturday, March 15 from 9:00-12:00. All of the collections will be picked up by the food train the weekend of May 4/5. Contact Brenda, Deb, or Jane if you would like to help. PALM SUNDAY EASTER EGG COLORING MARCH 24: Join us after worship on Palm Sunday, March 24, as we gather for fellowship, pizza lunch and dying Easter Eggs. 2
HOLY WEEK SERVICES PALM SUNDAY PROCESSION WITH PALMS SUNDAY MARCH 24 at 10:30 A.M. MAUNDY THURSDAY HOLY COMMUNION THURSDAY MARCH 28 at 7:30 P.M. GOOD FRIDAY TENEBRAE DRAMATIC SERVICE OF SHADOWS FRIDAY MARCH 29 at 7:30 P.M. EASTER VIGIL FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT SATURDAY MARCH 30 at 7:30 P.M. EASTER FESTIVAL HE IS RISEN, INDEED SUNDAY MARCH 31 at 10:30 A.M. PANCAKE BREAKFAST 9:00-9:45 on Easter morning given by the Youth Group and the Parish Care and Social Ministry Committee. The proceeds from the breakfast are designated for Lutheran Social Services Activity Fund in this area. EASTER FLOWER MEMORIAL REQUESTS: Requests for Easter Flower Memorials can be given to JoAnn. We will be using tulips, daffodils, etc., in lieu of Easter Lilies in order to be friendlier to asthmatics. Please note the deadline for Easter Flower Memorial requests is March 3. LENTEN COMBINED OFFERINGS: The combined offerings from the Wednesday night Lenten services which include Emmaus Lutheran, First Lutheran, St. Ansgar Lutheran, Faith Lutheran, and Trinity are designated to go to the Community Health Clinic in Portland. GOOD FRIDAY AND EASTER OFFERINGS: Please use special offering envelopes designated for the following: Good Friday offering is designated for the Root Cellar in Portland. Easter offering is designated for the Good Samaritan Fund in Westbrook. ONGOING AT TRINITY ETHIOPIAN AND ERITREAN FELLOWSHIP IN SONG AND PRAYER Our Ethiopian and Eritrean 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 languages. 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. Families and caregivers, as well as anyone else who would like to attend is invited. A fellowship meal follows. 3
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. There are prayer request cards and a box to place them in after they are filled out on the table next to the office door. SENIOR SAINTS: Every third Wednesday of the month, Sr. Saints meet at 11:00am at North Deering Congregational Church, and then on to sing at a health care facility at 2:00pm. They will meet again on March 20 th with singing at the Barron Center. PAUL S PALS will be singing on Sunday, March 3, at the So. Portland Nursing Home at 2:00pm. COMMUNITY MEAL: Every Wednesday at the Mission Possible Teen Center, from 5:00-6pm, a free meal is served for anyone in the community. It is sponsored by Trinity Lutheran Church doing food prep, serving and cleanup, with the Wayside Food Programs providing the ingredients. BLOOD PRESSURE CHECKS are being offered at the community meal. An R.N. has volunteered her time. Trinity will be expanding this program to help promote healthy life styles. Thank you to all the volunteers who make this Community Meal possible. In January, 64 volunteers worked 215 hours to serve 625 meals. BROWN BAG BIBLE STUDY Wednesdays at noon. Join us in discussions over the Bible passages we study. ADULT FORUM: Every Sunday we are meeting in the fellowship hall from 9:15-10:00. We are discussing the gospel lesson assigned for that day, primarily from the gospel of Luke. WOMEN S BIBLE STUDY: meets the first Wednesday of the month at 10:00am. CHOIR: Our choir meets every Thursday evening at 7:00pm to 8:30 pm. All are welcome. KNIT NIGHT PLUS: A group of knitters, hand crafters, etc. meet in the large Sunday School room between 5:30-7:00pm to knit prayer shawls, duduzas, cuddle bears, etc., or work on any art or craft project they find interesting. Beginners welcome. 4
POTPOURRI MEET MARY : Mary is the daughter of Adam and Christine and was born in Chicago, Illinois on June 17, 1921. Mary had an older brother Richard and a younger sister Rita. Mary moved to Westbrook on July, 27, 1936, two weeks after her dad died. Her Aunt Annie, a member of Trinity travelled to Chicago and brought the family to Westbrook on the train via Canada. Mary met her husband at Peter s Tea Room in downtown Westbrook and they were married on March 7, 1941, and shared 60 wonderful years of marriage. Louis and Mary had six children Nancy, Linda, John, Janice, David and Laurie. Mary had 14 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. All but four of her grandchildren live in Maine. Mary is a member of Westbrook Women s Club, Red Hat Society, attends Women s Bible Study, sings with Senior Saints, and participates in several activities at her residence. Mary loves to spend time with her family, play beano and to cook. Mary is a great cook and loves to bake cookies. Her whoopee pies are delicious! Mary wants everyone to know she loves her friends at Trinity. BAPTISMAL BLESSINGS to Felix, son of Ron and Roberta, who was baptized on February 10th. We welcome this newest member of Trinity. WE MOURN THE LOSS OF MYRNA who passed on Sunday, February 17. May God be with and comfort her loved ones. Viewing will be on Saturday, February 23 from 10-11 at Trinity, followed by a funeral at 11:00 and a lunch at noon. ALTAR FLOWERS: There are openings for altar flowers on the following dates: Feb. 17, July 14, and Dec. 22. If you have a loved one you wish to remember through an altar bouquet, please contact JoAnn. JoAnn will need a date of remembrance and preferred colors. Please note the cost of flowers has increased to $14-$15. If you wish to make any changes or corrections, please let JoAnn know. The new 2013 Altar Flower Calendar is located in the kitchen by the telephone. Thank you, JoAnn. MISSION TRIP TO ETHIOPIA: Project Katrina, a group of people from Trinity and a few other churches who went to New Orleans for disaster relief, is anticipating a new project this April, a two week mission trip to Ethiopia. This trip would be in partnership with Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Minneapolis, and the Holistic Ministry of Children of the Horn of Africa (HMCHA). The goal would be to work on the construction of a safe foot bridge over the Wadecha River in the Yerer mountain region, where every year people die trying to cross the river during the rainy season. The Lutheran Church in Addis Ababa has established three preaching points in this region and is working to help the poorest of the poor who live there. If you would like more information about this trip, contact Jane or Pastor Karen. 5
CAMPERSHIP APPLICATIONS NEED TO BE IN BY MARCH 31 DEADLINE. Applications can be requested from the church office. Guidelines for granting Camperships: 1. The recipient must be active in Sunday School, youth group, and/or church. 2. Camperships must be for a Christian camp. 3. A completed form requesting a campership by the applicant must be made in a timely fashion with the deadline set forth by the Church Council on an annual basis. 4. The amount to be granted for each campership will be the amount set in the annual budget and any additional funds received prior to the decision making deadline, divided by the number of recipients. 5. The recipients must be present to receive their camperships at a worship service. PFN (PENNIES FOR THE NEEDY MINISTRY) Trinity adopted 14 orphans with Alternative Gift Giving. Seven were paid in full for the year 2013 and seven are being paid monthly. If you have adopted a child and are paying monthly, please submit the $18 to Jane the first week of every month so the check can be forwarded to PFN. Thank you for your help with this ministry. REJOICING SPIRITS GATHERING: Representatives from the churches in New England who are hosting Rejoicing Spirits worship are gathering on Saturday, April 6 in Attleboro, MA, to share the joys and challenges of this wonderful ministry. Pastor Karen will be attending and hopes others will also come along. Please let her know if you would like to join her at this gathering. INTERNATIONAL BUFFET SUPPER TO BENEFIT PHOEBE: A Benefit International Buffet supper will be held at Faith Lutheran Church in Windham on Saturday, March 9 at 5:00 p.m. Tickets are $8.00 ea. or 2 for $15.00. This dinner is to benefit Phoebe, a student at Gorham Middle School and a member of the school band who's been selected to represent the United States of America in the Collegiate Honors Band throughout Europe. MONTHLY GRIEF SUPPORT MEETINGS IN WINDHAM: VNA Home Health Hospice offers monthly grief support meetings in Windham on the first Tuesday of the month from 6:00 7:30 PM at the North Windham Union Church, 723 Roosevelt Trail, Rt. 302, Windham. GORHAM CANCER PRAYER AND SUPPORT GROUP meets the first Tuesday of every month at 6:00 to 7:30 pm. If you re looking for the support during or after your involvement with cancer, please join us. Phone: (207) 839-3111. Website: http://www.cresseyrdumc.org. PRAYER AND SUPPORT GROUP: We meet every 2 nd Tuesday of the month from 6:00-7:30pm at First Lutheran Church on 132 Auburn St., Portland. We support those who have or have had cancer and their caregivers. The Rev. Norman Bumby is the facilitator. To contact Pastor Bumby, you can reach him at (207) 222-4336. 6
OPEN HOUSE: Greater Portland Christian School is having an open house on March 16 between 10-12. All are invited. THANK YOU TO: THANK YOU Trinity: Thank you to Trinity for the use of the Fellowship Hall for our Conference. We had 47 people attend including 7 from Boston. Our guest speaker, Pastor Mulualem from Ethiopia and studying at Gordon-Conwell Seminary in Boston, preached about Be Aware of the Season. Pastor Workneh, of Emmanuel Disciples Church in Boston, spoke about Leadership in the church. Pastor Mulualem s wife, Debre, led us in prayer and Mehretabe led us in music and praise. Thank you to Pastor Karen and Jane for their warm welcome and for providing coffee and breakfast treats. Ethiopian and Eritrean Fellowship. Thank you to Susan Lindberg Haley, a diaconal minister who is working part time for All Right Ministry, a project of the ELCA in New England focused on inclusive ministry. Through some grant money she was able to give $100 to each church in New England that supports Rejoicing Spirits worship. We will use this donation to help with the cost of our American Sign Language interpreter who comes to each service. THANK YOU FROM: Elizabeth and family would like to thank everyone for all the prayers, cards and thoughts on the loss of her sister-in-law, Barbara. Seafarer,s Friend: Thank you for the recent gift of $200.00. Your gift blesses the lives of seafarers and mariners in our port. Ginnie and Royden want to thank everyone for their greetings. They are having a good winter. Steve would like to thank the Parish Care Committee Carla, Priscille, Alice, Jane, Joleen, and Pastor Karen for the cards they send, visits they make, and all they do. Long Creek Youth Ministries would like to thank Trinity for the generous donations totaling $795.00 for 2012. Eva for all the cards and well wishes and visits she has received while recuperating. The Salvation Army: Thank you for your participation in the 2012 Angel Tree Program. Camp Calumet: Thank you for your wonderful support. ($45.00 donation through alternative Christmas gift) 7
ELCA: Thank you for your recent gift of $262.00 to Hurricane Sandy US. Your gift means that our church can continue its effective and efficient response and can be ready for the next phase in the recovery work. Thank you. Long Creek Residents say Thank you. (There were 33 notes written to Trinity for the support they received. They expressed how much these gifts meant to them at Christmas.) THOUGHT FOR TODAY Easter is just God s way of saying I Love You Forever. 8