The Desert Voice Trinity Lutheran Church March 2010 Imagine that you are buried in debt. One day you go to your mailbox and everyone you owed money has sent you a notice with these words: You re debt has been paid. You are now debt free. Congratulations! What would your reaction be? How would your life change? Wouldn t it be great? As we approach Good Friday and Easter, we consider what Jesus meant by the words, It is finished. This phrase literally comes from the marketplace. When a debt was paid these words would be written over the debt. It is finished It has been paid. We, as sinners, owe a debt to God that we cannot pay. All of our attempts to do so fail miserably. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:12, 23). Our debt is so deep that it would leave us for dead. It can never be paid off by us. God, out of His eternal love for us, took action and made the payment with His own life, death and resurrection in the person of Jesus Christ, our substitute to bring about a change of that awful reality. Colossians 2:13-14 recounts our miserable condition and how God eradicated our accursed debt. You, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with Him (Christ), having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This He set aside, nailing it to the cross. What a marvel! It is finished! Your debt has been paid. Believe and thank the Lord who is compassionate. Pastor Smith Inside this issue: M.A.S.S., Women s Bible Study, WINGS, Quilters, From the Librarian TLC Youth News LWML Prime Time Tour 2 3 4 TLC Family News 5 TLC Family In Action March & April Birthdays & Anniversaries TLC Youth Fundraiser TLC Youth Winter Retreat 6 7 8 9 LWML Luncheon Meeting 10 Those Who Serve 11 Special Feature & Thank You Wayne 12 March Calendar 13 Famous Leftys Word Search 14 Special Services & Exalt 15
Page 2 MEN S M.A.S.S MEETING Tuesday, March. 9th, 2010 6:00 pm Sloan s Restaurant INDIO, CA The Desert Voice * March 2010 Women s Bible Study on Thursdays @ 5pm WILL NOT MEET DURING LENT February s Ladies Night at M.A.S.S. was a huge success! We had an attendance of over 50 people with each lady receiving a token box of candy and a long stemmed red rose. Valentines were given the men as well. We played a fun game. The food was good and the company great! Our next meeting is Tuesday March 9th, at Sloan s Restaurant, corner of Clinton & Hwy 111 in Indio at 6:00 pm. We always have room for one more. So, come and join us! We d love to have you. We all need to support our seminary students in the LCMS. Their goal is to become a Pastor: Our goal is to help them achieve that goal. You can contribute to M.A.S.S. at any time by placing a check in the offering plate, marked in the note column M.;A.S.S. Thank you for supporting this worthy cause. God bless you and our work at M.A.S.S.. The third Wednesday is our Quilting Day and we will meet on Wednesday, March 17th just after Bible Class, 11:15 a.m. Come and join us! W.I.N.G.S. - Women in God s Service meets MARCH 19th @ 6:30 pm This month W.I.N.G.S. will be meeting at CANTON BISTRO RESTAURANT at 79405 State Highway 111 Suite 5 (in front of Wal-Mart) in La Quinta 760-771-9129. Sounds like fun to me! Ladies come for a good night out. Call Emily in the office to R.S.V.P. 347-3971. From the TLC Librarian Day of the East Wind It was 1905 in Southern Russia. A time of revolution and religious dissention. A chain of terrifying events turned Piotr into an unwilling pilgrim who had to flee for his life to the mountains then on to a ship to America. This story tells the plight of a man s struggle finding his way in a strange land. A girl from his village takes Piotrs agony into her own soul. This is a heart wrenching story that kept my interest. I recommend it! Marilyn Mohr DON T FORGET TO CHANGE YOUR CLOCKS MARCH 14 th! Spring Forward
Www.TrinityIndio.org * Thedesertvoice@verizon.net Page 3 TLC Youth News High/Low Desert Winter Retreat What a great time! The weather was beautiful and the snowboarding was great!.the theme was dealing with loss. We began the retreat with a movie Lars and the Real Girl. The evening finished off with the kids, Pastor Jennings included, playing in the snow! Saturday was spent mostly on the slopes of Bear Mountain with a few minor injuries. All in all everyone had a great time snowboarding. Saturday night Pastor Jennings led us in Bible Study. We discussed how loss can pertain to many different things, from death to the loss of a girl/boyfriend, to the loss of a job. Knowing that we have a merciful God to turn to and people He has put in our lives is truly a comfort. Saturday night wrapped up with s more making and hanging out by the fire. Oh yea, and Paul digging a big whole in the snow. Sunday morning, after a delicious pancake and sausage breakfast, we closed the retreat out with a worship service. It was a wonderful mountain top retreat of renewal! Check out the full photo gallery on the web. Www.trinityindio.org go to TLC Family Ministry page and click the TLC Youth page. You ll find the link there. Enjoy! March 2010 Youth Connection Cancelled until further notice Monthly Activity Hike Date and Time TBA Chancel Drama TBA 8:30am & 11am Services Thank You!!! TLC Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser. was a great success and lots of fun. The youth, 11 total, served 44 people and everything went smoothly. Thank you to Tammy and Bryan Carlson and Kathie Hunter for helping. I was able to keep from being a chicken with my head cut off! Thank you Anne for making sure the sauce tasted just right. Katie, you did a great job greeting the people as they signed in and received their name tags. Thanks Mr. and Mrs. Weichman for preparing the name tags ahead of time. Thank you Nolan, Dani, Matthew, Christina, Lindsay, Blake, Kris, Ali and Paul for serving the dinner and waiting on the people. Thanks TLC Family for supporting your youth group with your donations and prayers. The TLC Youth have decided to donate to the 2200 Wheels with some of their funds and hope that the Lord will bless that Ministry. God is Good! May God Bless you all! Bobbi Smith TLC Youth Director Picture Gallery at www.trinityindio.org
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Www.TrinityIndio.org * Thedesertvoice@verizon.net Page 5 TLC Family Ministry Your faithfulness continues through all generations Psalm 119:90 March 2010 An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah: Matthew 16:4 Jonah... for Lent? Sounds fishy, but it s a natural fit. When the Jews asked Jesus for a sign, he gave them the above answer. After three days in the belly of the earth, Jesus rose with news of God s prodigal grace. This series of special Lenten services explores the meaning of Sign of Jonah, as we follow Jonah on his journey...and Jesus on His way to the cross. 2nd Week of Lent March 3 @ 7pm Our Providing God 3rd Week of Lent March 10 @ 7pm Praying in the Belly of the Great Big Fish 4th Week of Lent March 17 @ 7pm The God of the Second Chance 5th Week of Lent March 24 @ 7pm About Face Maundy Thursday (Holy Communion) April 1 @ 7pm On the Same Page Good Friday April 2 @ 7pm The Answer It is Finished TLC Family Get Together Sunday, March 21, 2010 12:30pm 2:00pm Well, TLC is on a roll. The Luau was such a success that we thought we d have another TLC Family Get Together. Plan now to join this day of fellowship, food and fun! We will have a bounce house for the younger ones. We will set up the volleyball net, the ping-pong table and bean bag/washer toss. If you want to challenge your mind you can challenge someone to a game of backgammon or chess. Lunch will be potluck. The sign up sheet will be available each Sunday. You can bring your own lawn chairs if you wish. So sign up now and bring a friend!!!
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Www.TrinityIndio.org * Thedesertvoice@verizon.net Page 7 MARCH Birthdays 1 Delmar (Bergie) Berghoefer 2 Wally Kortman 5 Michaela White 8 Gert Sonntag 23 Paul Miller 31 Christina Negron APRIL Birthdays 3 Blake Carlson 3 Luke Mohr 7 Bill Clark 9 Emily Bonette 14 Doris Spiker 20 Ruth Farquhar 22 Bill Bonette 24 Christy Clark 26 Joan Mandel 28 Bob White 29 Nolan Ducatte 29 Laura Thomason March 2010 Anniversaries March 8th Bill and Lisa Bonette March 20th,1994 Rocky & Renee Young April 2010 Anniversaries April 12th, 1975 Mark & Elsa Smith April 15th, John & Luretta Eide April 19th Eva & Chris Balmes April 19, 1975 Luke & Marilyn Mohr April 19th, 1985 Alex & Maggie Negron
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Page 10 The Desert Voice * March 2010 General Meeting Devotions LWML Lutheran Women s Missionary League Luncheon Meeting Wednesday, March 10, 2010 11:30 am A Valley to Cross Guest Speakers: Roy and Sandy Culley Volunteer Missionaries to Taiwan Mission Project for March: Cambodia Mission Lunch will be served by: Mary Helen Kelly & Luretta Eide Sign up sheet available each Sunday as you exit worship ALL MEN, WOMEN AND FRIENDS OF TRINITY ARE INVITED! Singing
Www.TrinityIndio.org * Thedesertvoice@verizon.net Page 11 Those Who Serve in March 2010 Duties 7th 8:30 Holy Communion 14th 11am Holy Communion 21th 8:30am Holy Communion 28th Palm Sunday 11am Holy Communion 8:30am Duty Elder 11am Ray Flaskamper Don Lahn Don Lahn Ray Flaskamper 8:30am Readers 11am Ray Flaskamper Don Lahn Don Lahn Ray Flaskamper 8:30am Ushers 11am Mike Harai & Terry Lahn Paul Smith & Travis Carlson Frank Brady & Russ Campbell Nolan Ducatte & Travis Carlson Larry Piunti & Mike Harai Jim Ducatte & Paul Smith Russ Campbell & Larry Piunti Jim & Nolan Ducatte 8:30am Acolytes 11am Katie Hunter Blake Carlson Kristen Balmes Blake Carlson Katie Hunter Christian Balmes Kristen Balmes Ali Young 8:30am Bergie Berghoefer & Ann Anderson Bergie Berghoefer & Ann Anderson Bergie Berghoefer & Ann Anderson Bergie Berghoefer & Ann Anderson Greeters 11am Winona White & Tess Campbell Winona White & Tess Campbell Winona White & Tess Campbell Winona White & Tess Campbell We have several empty spaces on our 2010 Flower Chart that could be filled. If you would like to honor a family member or honor a special occasion with flowers, you can sign up on the Flower Chart located on the wall as you enter church. Minimum cost of flowers: $20.00 or see Emily in the church office: 760 347-3971.
Page 12 The Desert Voice * March 2010 TLC Family Member Matthew Hawkins Matthew is part of the TLC Family and loves to draw. Matthew is in the 5th grade and attends Gerald Ford Elementary School. We will be featuring a new drawing of Matthew s in the next few newsletters. This month Matthew has created a Lenten cross.. Look for an Easter drawing next month. Thank you Wayne! The Board of Trustees would like to thank Wayne Osterhold for making the pew racks for the new Bibles. Wow! What a great job! The new Bibles have been ordered by the Board of Elders and will be here soon. They will match the hymnals that we now have and will be the same version as the Bible that is used in our Scripture readings for each service. They will be in large print. Again, thank you Wayne for all your help. Miss Jones, an elderly spinster, was the oldest resident of her Midwestern town on the day she died. In writing her obituary, the editor of the local paper became stumped after noting her age. Miss Jones had never spent a night in jail, or been seen intoxicated on the streets. She also had never done anything noteworthy. After musing about what he might write, the editor went out for coffee and in the local café he met the owner of the tombstone company, who was equally perplexed as to what to write about Miss Jones. The editor returned to his office and assigned both the obituary and epitaph to the first reporter he saw who happened to be the sports editor. If you pass through that little town, you ll find this on Miss Jones tombstone: Here lies the bones of Miss Jones For her life held no terrors She lived an old maid, She died an old maid. No hits, no runs, nor errors. If we don t try...if we don t do...we can t bless others. We each have a contribution to make to the lives of others. Give your best effort today. It s your best shot at scoring in the game of life. ECB
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Www.TrinityIndio.org * Thedesertvoice@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 Eloise Freeman, Preschool Director Preschool Phone: 760-347-3838 Sunday Worship 8:30am & 11am Sunday School/ Bible Class 9:45am Holy Communion 8:30am 1st & 3rd Sundays 11am 2nd & 4th Sundays THOSE WHO SERVE IN SPECIAL SERVICES in MARCH 2010 CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY EXALT SINGERS COMING TO TRINITY 2 nd Lenten Service MARCH 3rd 7pm Ushers: Terry Lahn & Larry Piunti Elder: 3 rd Lenten Service MARCH 10th,2010 7pm Ushers: Mike Harai & Russ Campbell Elder: 4 th Lenten Service MARCH 17 th, 2010-7pm Usher: Terry Lahn & Frank Brady Elder: The a cappella vocal group EXALT, from Concordia University Irvine, will be our special guest singers on Sunday, March 21st, at both services. Exalt is a six-person ensemble consisting of four guys and two gals. This will be a real treat for our church. Please mark your calendars. You won t want to miss this special group! 5 th Lenten Service MARCH 24 th, 2010-7pm Ushers: Russ Campbell & Larry Piunti