TRINITY TOWER February, 2016 Volume 24, Issue 2 Lent 2016 We ve just taken down the tree and packed away the ornaments and already we re preparing for Lent. Ash Wednesday is February 10 as early as it can be! The date of Easter is determined by calculating the first Sunday after the full moon that occurs on or soonest after March 21, the Spring equinox. The date of Ash Wednesday is counted 40 days backward from that Sunday; Sundays are excluded since each one is a little Easter, a weekly celebration of The Resurrection. Our Lenten theme this year continues with Making Room For God. Starting on Ash Wednesday, we will gather each Wednesday for a bread and soup supper, followed by Holden Evening Prayer. During worship, we will hear testimonials from six Trinity members who are making room for God in the midst of their busy days and plans for the future, and in the midst of their joys and struggles. We will hear how they listen to God who is continually and eternally caring for us and strengthening and nurturing our faith as we travel through this life. Our Lenten offering will be directed toward our fourth bi-annual Feed My Starving Children mobile pack. (see below for details) We are so grateful to be able to host this wonderful event which gives us the opportunity to give, and to serve and to feed many hungry people. We hope that you will make room to participate in this event as you ponder the ways that you make room for God in your own lives. Trinity s Fourth FMSC MobilePack will be April 15-17 held in the Great Hall, packing nutritious, life saving meals for the families who continue to struggle with hunger. A congregational letter was recently mailed to all households April 15-17,2016 with more details. Please take time to read the letter and prayerfully consider how you can support this congregational and community-wide event. This year, we hope a portion of our food will be directed to El Salvador and to Haiti. Each meal costs 22 cents and our initial commitment is 200,000 meals. Based on your previous generosity, we believe we can reach higher and pack over 350,000 meals or more! Through two very generous gifts, funds donated toward our 2016 event will be matched up to $40,000! More on page 2 Sunday Worship 8:45 & 10:15 February 3, 6pm Wed. Night Live Holy Communion February 7 Luke 9:28-36 Holy Communion Joyful Noise & Chancel Bells February 10 Ash Wednesday 11:30 am Worship with Communion 6:30 pm Holden Evening Prayer February 14 Luke 4:1-13 Baptism Sanctuary Choir February 17, 6:30pm Lent February 21 Luke 13:31-35 Holy Communion Youth Choir February 24, 6:30 pm Lent February 28 Luke 13:1-9 Sanctuary Choir FEBRUARY 10 11:30 AM and 6:30 PM Worship
Be still, and know that I am God. (Psalm 46:10) Friday, February 19 (5 pm) Sunday, February 21 (11 am) The Lodge at Crooked Lake, Siren WI Cost: $150 (for a double room) includes meals and necessary supplies Forms available at the Welcome Desk, or the website. February 11 deadline April 15-17, 2016 By March 1, we need to raise the majority of our funds so that we can increase our packing commitment to FMSC by this date. As noted on the cover article, funds up to $40,000 will be matched by two donors. In addition to this, our Ash Wednesday dinner will be covered by a Thrivent Action team and all donations for the dinner will be directed to the packing meal. Consider giving a gift today to share your love with the children being nourished by these meals. There are several ways to give: Checks should be made payable to Trinity with FMSC on the memo line. Electronic giving to a FMSC website specific to Trinity s event. As mentioned, our Lenten offerings and donations to Ash Wednesday dinner will be directed to the FMSC MobilePack and donations can also be made at the packing event. Please check with your employer as many organizations provide matching gifts. Every dollar makes a difference! Volunteer sign up will begin early March. We will have 1,200-1,500 volunteer spots. Everyone over the age of 5 is encouraged to help. There will be something for everyone and training will be provided for each shift. We anticipate having 9 packing shifts (2 Friday, 5 Saturday and 2 on Sunday). Each shift is 2 hours long. Children under 5 are too young to participate in the actual packing, so we will provide childcare at Trinity for the Saturday morning shift for families with young children. We are excited to come together as a church and a community to help in feeding God s children across the globe. We know we can do this together! Blessed are those who are generous, for they feed the poor. Proverbs 22:9 Youth Fundraiser Auction & Italian Dinner Auction & Italian Dinner Sunday, February 28th, 2016 Silent Auction 3-5 pm Italian Dinner Theater 5-6:30 pm It s that time of year again Trinity s 15th Annual Italian Dinner and Silent Auction Fundraiser!!! Set aside February 28th for an afternoon of bidding, entertainment, and great food. Donation collections have begun, and forms can be found in the office or on Trinity s website. Tickets for the dinner will go on sale on Sunday, January 31st. The fundraiser will support the High School Mission Trip to Haiti, HS Leadership team members going to Flathead Lutheran Bible Camp in Montana, and the Middle School trips to Camp Hiawatha and the Boundary waters. We are so grateful for your support! 2
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4 Congregational Life Membership New Members will be recognized on February 14 If you are interested in membership, talk with a pastor or complete the form found on the website. Baptisms I have called you by name, you are mine. Isaiah 43 Finnegan Bauer New this year during Lent! Cross Crafts! As we way make our way to the cross, stop by with your family, mentee, spouse or friends and make a Lenten cross to take home. Each week, there will be a new cross! Stop by anytime: Cross Craft materials will be available from 5:00-6:15 pm in the Fellowship Hall. (There will be a free will offering for those who are able to help offset the material cost.) Join us! If you have participated in a Thrivent Action team, we would love to hear from you! Please share what your Action Team project was and a picture or two and send to Tina Gabos (tgabos@yahoo.com) by February 15th. We will be creating a poster of all the teams to encourage and spur on other ideas. Thank you. February Suppers 2/3 Ham and Cheesy Potatoes 2/10 Taco Salad 2/17 Wild Rice Soup 2/24 Chicken Noodle Soup Together at Trinity Stamping Group Come and help create hand-stamped cards for people to purchase and for special events at church. We ll have supplies and directions you need to just show up and help us create! The group will meet monthly on the 2 nd Friday of each month from 9-noon in the Art room (Rm. 108). Our first date is February 12. The sales from the cards goes to the Dorcas Circle to support their outreach ministry. The Grief Coalition meets Thursdays at 4:00 at Spirit of Hope United Methodist Church, 7600 Harold Ave. Golden Valley, MN 55427. Trinitarian s meet February 18 at 10am in the Media Room. We celebrate Holy Communion as a congregation at Trinity on the first and third Sundays of the month, and all are welcome at the table. We also offer the sacrament at 10 a.m. (between services) at the altar in the sanctuary on the second, fourth and fifth Sundays of the month. This has become a very meaningful time for those who join in. One Hundred Reasons We Love Trinity! Why do you love coming to Trinity? Volunteers? Bible Study? Mission Trips? Start thinking now because on Sunday, February 7 you ll get a chance to add your reason to the giant heart in the Narthex. Headed south or won t be there on February 7th. Email terriea@trinitylonglake.org or drop off your reason in the office and we will add it to the heart! P.S. We ll enjoy special treats on February 7 too! Shared Ministries Administrative Assistant I am excited to announce that starting February 1, Linda Koltes will be working part-time in the office to help support Shared/ Volunteer ministries for Trinity. Linda will be coordinating worship assistants and providing administrative support for Outreach Ministries. We are grateful for her support. We thank Marta Keane for her help these past few years and wish her well as she pursues other ventures. Jill Cornell Mark s Music Notes You may have noticed that the Sanctuary Choir has a few vacant seats this time of year. The lure of warm weather and sunshine has caught the eye of a number of our singers and the snowbirds have flown south for several months. This is a wonderful opportunity for you to try your time in the choir. Our Sanctuary Choir rehearses Wednesday evenings, 7:15-8:30, and sings 2-3 Sundays each month. We never take attendance and understand when conflicts arise, but would still love to have you join the music makers. There are not auditions, just stop in on Wednesday evening and add your voice to the ensemble. Check it out! Make a joyful noise unto the Lord with SINGING!
Families Moving Forward THANK YOU! And Gearing up for second Hosting Week, March 6-13! We are grateful to so many people helping in our variety of ways for our first hosting week the end of January. Our 2 nd week for 2016 is coming up quickly! If you didn t get a chance to help in January, OR would like to help again sign up information will be available the beginning of February. Opportunities to help include preparing a meal, helping with kids activities, providing food donations, staying overnight, washing dishes or linens. OR, if you can not help during the week, but would like to contribute, consider a cash donation that will help one of the families when they get their own home. Sign up at church or on-line. Questions? Please ask one of our FMF host coordinators: Andrea Henneman, Connie Shirley, or Lezlie Pinske. Thank you in advance for your help! NOTE: Our final hosting week for 2016 will be the end of October. Look What We Are Collecting- Can You Help? February Collection for IOCP Food Shelf: Help this month by donating any variety of granola bars for the food shelf. These are often requested by clients, but unable to be purchased at Food Bank. Collecting Gently Used ADULT sizes of men & women Sweatshirts Have any sweatshirts you are looking to donate. We are collecting adult sizes for Simpson & St. Stephen s shelter during the month of February. Place in basket by Sign Up Center. On-Going Donations Keep them coming! Used cell phones/batteries; hotel sized shampoo, soap, cream; grocery/coupon books (expired no more than 30 days); paper grocery bags; diapers (any size & quantity); socks (men & women) and reusable bags. Place donations in the bins by the Sign Up Center. Items are donated to local shelters & IOCP. 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 Simpson Shelter Breakfast, March 5, 5:30-8:30 am, 10-12 volunteers (any age) are needed to help prepare and serve breakfast. Wednesday IOCP Church Night, Feb. 10 (Food Shelf), 5:30-8:00 pm 8-10 volunteers 12 & up. Mpls Crisis Nursery, March 12, 6:30-9:30 am Help prepare and serve breakfast. 5-6 volunteers (12 & up) AGAPE Gift Market Workshops Each Friday, 9-11 am, we will meet in the Art Rm (108) to create items for the market in November. Feb. Dates: 5,12, 19 & 26. Sunday morning & Wednesday Night Lenten assistants: We are always looking to increase the number helping. Please consider being an usher, greeter, reader, serving refreshments, communion assistant, baking bread or helping with altar care. During Lent, we need the help of ushers on Wednesday nights. We hope you will give it a try. Sign up in the notebooks at the narthex Sign-up Center, online or email Linda Koltes at LindaK@trinitylonglake.org. Thank you for the many ways of serving! To the many volunteers that helped at Simpson breakfast, St. Stephen s Dinner, Mpls Crisis Nursery, IOCP Church Night and the Families Moving Forward week the end of January. Thanks for your gift of service & time. To the many, many volunteers who helped during January as worship assistants. Thanks to our ushers, greeters, refreshments hosts, altar care, communion assistants, bread bakers and readers. For the various donations to support local organizations. Well done, good and faithful servant Matthew 25:23 2016 El Salvador Mission Trips Sistership/Seeds of Hope- July 30- August 8, 2016. Join us for a multi-generational trip! We ll spend time with our sister church, help with a work project, be part of the annual Lutheran march, and connect with Seeds of Hope children. Several people have signed up so far come along and join us! Questions? Please contact Kassy Heinrich or Jill Cornell. Information is available at the Welcome Desk or on the website. This trip is open to friends. Thrivent Builds/ Habitat Spring Break Trip A group of 6 from Trinity are getting ready to join another group from N. Dakota for a week of building homes March 19-27. If you are interested in the trip, you must see Jill Cornell OR Jerry Paulson by Feb. 1. 5
Receipt for donations to 2015 AGAPE Gift Market Many people donated items for the market in 2015. If you did not pick up a donation slip to use for tax deductions, copies are available in the church office or at the Welcome Desk. Weekly AGAPE Gift Market Workshops Begin February 5 Help us get an early start during these winter months creating items for the market in November! Members from our team will help lead the workshops. Enjoy creating items and the fellowship of others. Workshops will be each Friday from 9-11 am in the art room (Rm. 108). Sign up at the Sign up Center, online, or just show up! Collecting During February for AGAPE Gift Market Winter months are a good time for organizing and decluttering. Do you have any of these items to donate that we can repurpose for items to create for the market? Place in the bin by the Sign up Center. Thank you! Bright, colorful fleece (minimum size of fabric - 3 x 2-3 wide) Glass beads Gently used sweatshirts or t-shirts of schools (Orono, Delano, Mound, Wayzata), Sports Teams (Twins, Vikings, Wild), or MN Colleges (U. of M., St. Olaf, Gustavus, Concordia, Augsburg, etc). Old cabinet doorknobs (metal, ceramic, glass) 350 Seeds of Hope students in El Salvador started their 2016 school year January 18. Trinity sponsors 79 students including four University students. Please continue to keep these students in your prayers this year. Ladies Night at ReSale 101 (IOCP), Feb. 11 Grab your girlfriends and join come for food, fashion and fun Thursday, Feb. 11, 7-9 p.m. ReSale 101 is saving some of its best merchandise to provide you with the finest shopping selection at this event. Free giveaways and refreshments! When you shop at ReSale 101, everyone wins, because all proceeds support IOCP programs and help struggling kids and families in our community. 6 Share the Love!!!! During February, the Dorcas Circle is having a Diaper Drive for Life Haven. Life Haven is a Lutheran Social Service Organization which offers emergency shelter for homeless pregnant women and women with small children. There is a great need for diapers of all sizes, baby wipes, and infant and toddler clothing. There will be a cradle and basinet in the narthex where you can put your donations. This is a Thrivent Action Team project and we are thankful for their generosity. Memorial Garden News: Purchasing a niche in the Columbarium is now easier, with the option of partial payments. On January 20, 2016, the Memorial Garden Committee changed the policy to allow more flexibility in payments. We hope to open the Garden to more people in the congregation and the community, according to Julie Dzubay, Committee Chair. Thank you for your prayers, donations and purchases to complete landscaping and add John 11:25 to the Memorial Wall. Contact Cindy Pearson at 952-473-8577 x 110 to arrange your purchase. See a Committee Member, Jeri Lowe, or Pastor Brian for more information. Dear Pastor Brian, Thank you for the many different ways of contribution to IOCP we receive from Trinity. Your congregation has been such a fabulous partner and supporter of IOCP over our long history together. We can never thank you enough for all you have done. Please know that Trinity is making a significant difference in the lives of those we serve. Blessings to you and Trinity throughout this Christmas season!
Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 4 Long Lake, MN ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED POSTMASTER: DATED MATERIAL FEBRUARY 10 11:30 AM and 6:30 PM Worship Simpson Shelter Breakfast Mpls Crisis Nursery IOCP Church Night ReSale 101 Thank you for serving with heart, passion and kindness! J-Term Taste of the World Special Event K 2 7