Blessings Trinity Lutheran Church What s Inside Message from Pastor Can Do Youth Group Goings On Tidings... Giving & Council Notes The Free Market Serving Calendar June 2014 Worship Times Fellowship Sunday Morning 10:00 am Following Sunday School Services 10:30 am Traditional Sunday Evening 7:30 pm Contemplative Education Wednesday Morning 9:45 am Bible Study Sunday Morning 9:00 am PreK 5th Grade & Adult Dear Friends in Christ, It is with great joy that I write this edition for the newsletter. Today is May 22 nd and it is the 10 th anniversary of the day when I was ordained a Lutheran minister in the ELCA. My ordination in 2004 was the final step of a 15 year journey of higher education where I once thought I wanted to be an Electrical Engineer, an In-patient Addiction Counselor, a Marriage and Family Therapist, or a Social Worker in an Employee Assistance Program for the building trades industry. Every step of the way was difficult at times and there were many times I wanted to quit because the workload was too much. Most of the credit for getting to where I am today goes to my wife Sherry. You have probably heard it said that behind every good man there is a good woman. I am here to tell you that old adage is baloney. For every sometimes good, sometimes broken, and often times sinful man is a loving partner in life that at times stands beside him, walks in front of him, watches over him, and yes stands behind him to give him a good swift kick in the pants or thump on the head when needed. Sherry is all those things and I thank her for all the time alone she had to spend while I was in class, for holding our household together spiritually and financially, for being a mother, a grandmother, and a wife. This day is as much hers as it is mine.
Continued... Finally, let me reflect on the final step of this process. In the ELCA a pastor cannot be ordained unless he or she is called to serve a congregation. You, the people of Trinity held the ribbon of the finish line for me, and for that I am eternally grateful. The 10 years I have spent here has been filled with great joy and love. You are a wonderfully faithful congregation who continually work to put that faith in action. I have seen you grow in relationship with our community, with each other, and most importantly with God. You are a blessing. A year ago I wrote this newsletter article expressing my feelings about discerning my sense of call to serve this congregation. I was feeling a sense of loss, but could not identify the source of that feeling and felt that it was the Holy Spirit calling me to a different place. Fortunately for me, you allowed me the time, space, and resources to allow the discernment process to take place. I have listened to your input, prayed for guidance, and sought outside consultation through the Peer Study Group I was involved with. What I was experiencing was loss, not of my sense of call to Trinity, but loss of colleagues and friends. Over the past 10 years every pastor that arrived in Lebanon and that I became friends with either left the area or passed away. On top of that, we, as a congregation, have seen many of our friends and sojourners in Christ move away or return to the Lord. Many of these were part of the leadership team that brought me here, and were close to my heart. What I was feeling was grief, and I am grateful to you all for allowing me the space to work through it. Today, I feel like I have a refreshed spirit, renewed energy, and a strong sense of calling to continue our work together at Trinity and in Lebanon. When I came to Lebanon you told me that you wanted to be a congregation dedicated to mission work and a congregation that welcomes people looking for a place to call home. There is still work to do, but I feel we can still do this work well together. So if you will have me, I would like to stay on board in the humble role as pastor of this faith community. A community that has decided to walk alongside of people without judgment, a community that does not tell people how to live, but instead wants to tell people about Jesus and his love for the world. Peace, Pastor Scott CAN DO First allow me to say thank you to all of you who take the time to bring your cans to the church for recycling and mission support. I would like to ask you to go a second mile in this ministry. Please rinse your cans if you are able to before you bring them to the church, and separate your cans from other type of aluminum such as aluminum foil or aluminum pans. I can recycle the aluminum pans and foil, but I have to have them separate to be weighed. It is very time consuming for me to open every bag that comes to the church to separate cans from other types of aluminum. We can also accept copper, brass, silver, or gold that can be recycled. To date in 2014 we have received 151 pounds of copper, steel, and aluminum cans, which translates into $105.00 for mission work. Thank you all for your support. COMMUNICATION Please be sure to let Laura Kafka know if there are any changes to the weekly volunteer or worship schedule by Wednesday of each week. (Worship bulletins are printed on Thursdays.)
Tidings. JUNE BIRTHDAYS 06/01 Olivia Krug 06/03 Alexander Krug 06/06 David Swartz 06/09 Todd Braaksma 06/12 Tara Lorenzen 06/14 Emma Biddle 06/15 Ruth Ann Jansing 06/16 Megan Hammerle 06/22 Jason Sharkey 06/23 John Herrin 06/27 Steve Thomas JUNE ANNIVERSARIES 06/07 Rick & Amy Hammerle 06/15 Gene & Vivian Bokash 06/16 Dave & Debbie Bradley 06/16 Damon & Wanda Krug 06/19 Keith & Brenda Burkholder 06/23 Ryan & Kari Ottinger If your birthday or anniversary isn t listed, then we don t have it recorded in our database. Please contact Laura K. in the RAISE FUNDS FOR CHERUB BY SHOPPING AT KROGER Yes, it s true! You can shop at Kroger and raise money for our CHERUB group at the same time! How can one do this, you ask? It s so E-A-S-Y! 1.) $25 Kroger cards are available for purchase in the church office. (cash or check made payable to CHERUB) 2.) Shop to your heart s content! 3.) Be sure to reload your card before the initial $25 has been spent. You can then continue to reload and use this card as much as you d like. So far this year we have received over $225 from the Kroger Community Rewards program! BUILDING RESERVATIONS One of our perks of being a member of Trinity is that we can use the church for various activities at no cost. In order to keep our calendar and records up-to-date, we ask that an Event Scheduling Form be completed and returned to the office. (The forms are available from the church office and will soon be available on the church website.) Party on! ANNIVERSARY SUNDAY JUNE 22 Please join us on Sunday, June 22 as we celebrate the 58 th anniversary of the church and the 10 th anniversary of Pastor Scott s ministry at Trinity Lutheran. It is hard to believe that ten years has passed since he and Sherry joined us and we are so blessed to celebrate this milestone with them. June 22 will not be an ordinary service! It will be jam-packed will all kinds of blessings..welcome of new members, Mission Trip memories and worship led by our youth members. Invite your family, friends and neighbors to join us on this special day! A catered meal will follow the worship service. Please be sure to sign up in the Narthex! BLAST OFF VBS! Launching Kids on a Mission of God s Love Vacation Bible School Saturday, July 26 9:00 a.m. 1:00 p.m. Kids ages 4 5 th grade are invited to attend. Volunteers are needed to help with learning stations and lunch.
Tidings continued. TRASH TO TREASURES GARAGE SALE A GREAT SUCCESS! Thanks to Kathy Smock and Carol Jensen for taking the lead on the annual garage sale last month! It was a smashing success and raised over $1,000, plus our $500 match from Thrivent Financial. CHOIR Choir practices will end on June 8th, for the Summer, resuming when the kids return to school. SUMMER YOUTH GROUP If you are interested in meeting during the summer, please let Pastor Scott or Jason know what day and time works best for you. We could also plan some special outings if enough people are interested. SUMMER EVENTS Be sure to add these dates to your summer calendar! June 20-22 - Light the Night Festival (Boone County 4-H Fairgrounds) June 22 Anniversary Sunday Celebration June 29 Symphony at Sunset July 4 Cookout and Fireworks at TLC July 26 Blast Off! VBS August 24 Worship in the Park SYMPHONY AT SUNSET Please join the church council as we come together for a night of music and fellowship! Abner Longley Park is to play host to the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra on Sunday, June 29, at the 25 th Annual Symphony at Sunset concert. The park opens at 5:30 p.m. and the concert begins at 8:00 p.m. with a fireworks display beginning at approximately 10:00 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults ($20 at the gate), $5 for students through college. Children ages 6 and under are free. Be sure to bring a picnic dinner, lawn chairs and blankets. Sign up on the bulletin board so we ll know how much space to reserve for the Lutheran contingent. 2 nd ANNUAL LIGHT THE NIGHT FESTIVAL June 20-22, 2014 Boone County Fairgrounds Free Admission Twenty-three Christian bands will play during this weekend event. It will also feature a car show, motorcycle ride-in, activities for kids, three stages of music and a fireworks show to end the event. Headliners include: Rhett Walker Band, 7Eventh Time Down, March Imboden, Hunter Smith Band, The Neverclaim, Ryan Stevenson During the event there will be a Fish Fry to benefit Teen Challenge. Visit www.lightthenightfestival.com for more details. June 21 st 4-7:00 p.m. Witham Pavilion Adults - $8, Children 12 & under $5, family of four $25
Tidings continued... BLESSINGS ABOUND! Ten years ago this month, Pastor Scott and Sherry began their ministry at Trinity. I m sure they were nervous about moving from their home and family in northern Indiana to Lebanon.a town surrounded by corn and soybean fields. This was a huge leap of faith for them and for us. We chose to accept the Call of a newly ordained minister starting his second career. He chose a small ECLA church that had come through the call process a bit worn and tattered. Little did we know that this partnership would be a perfect fit! Pastor Scott s very first experience at Trinity was Vacation Bible School. He dressed as a park ranger and made his first and probably last Gyotaku (the Japanese art of fish printing) shirt. He bonded with our children and became their mentor and friend. In 2005, he led a motley crew of twelve youth and adults on their very first mission trip. The group travelled to the WaFloy Retreat Center near Gatlinburg, TN where they stayed in ramshackle cottages. The group deconstructed a shed for a 100 year old mission center in Sunset Gap, lost (then found!) two boys and returned home to share their stories. In the spring of 2006, Pastor Scott led the celebration of the 50 th anniversary of Trinity Lutheran Church. Many old friends returned to Trinity to help us celebrate this very special milestone. Pastor Scott had the honor of presiding with the Bishop for the ordination of Adrienne Coulter Meier in December of 2010. Adrienne is one of two Trinity Lutheran members to become ordained ELCA ministers. His passion for providing families with safe and adequate housing has inspired many people in Boone County. Pastor Scott joined the Habitat for Humanity team in 2006 as the board president and served for seven years. Under his leadership the small Boone County affiliate grew and grew and grew. During Pastor Scott s tenure as president, the Habitat affiliate built 21 homes in Boone County communities and a Thrivent Build each year from 2007-2009. In addition to his role as president, he also shared his extensive experience as a long time electrician and led the work on all the electrical work needed on every HFHBC build from 2006 to the present Women s Build. He has proven time after time that he is truly a servant leader and a great heart for giving of himself day after day. Sherry has also shared her many talents with us. She has coordinated Seder Meals and holiday progressive dinners, shared her delicious dessert and salad recipes and is in the process of making new banners for the church. The beautiful blue and purple banners that she has handcrafted are a wonderful addition to our worship space. Over the past ten years Pastor Scott has led our youth on nine mission trips, baptized and confirmed over 78 infants, teens and adults and helped us to grow as a church. He has shared his knowledge of the bible and helped to strengthen our faith. On behalf of the members of Trinity Lutheran Church, I would like to thank Pastor Scott and Sherry for taking that leap of faith ten years ago. We are very blessed to have you as part of our church family and look forward to the future. We wish you and Sherry many blessings and much joy! Peace, Amy Hammerle, TLC Council President
Tidings continued...
Week Of Current Expenses 05/04 05/11 05/18 05/25 $3,880.00 $1,357.00 $1,716.00 $1,415.00 Run-Through $2,327.00 $289.00 $882.00 $80.00 Special Projects $20.00 $20.00 $20.00 $20.00 Sunday School $0.00 $11.50 $9.25 $0.00 Total Deposit $6,227.00 $1,677.81 $2,627.25 $1,515.00 Weekly Goal $2,224 to meet expenses; $2,708 to fully fund the budget THE COUNCIL NOTES The Foundation Notes: - Approve minutes - Review account information - Approve purchase of three robes for liturgists
Trinity Lutheran Church wants to remind you that we offer electronic giving as a way to automate your regular weekly offering. Electronic giving offers convenience for individual congregation members and provides much-needed donation consistency for our congregation. Direct Debit Giving is used to automatically transfer funds from your checking or savings account to the church s bank account. As you contemplate future contributions, please consider electronic giving. Authorization forms are available on the hallway bulletin board or see Steve Thomas for more information. June Usher Team: Nick Biddle, Gene Bokash, Sherry Mauch July Usher Team: Tom Coulter, John Hancock, Andrew Thomas Serving Fellowship 6/01 6/08 6/15 6/22 6/29 X X X X X Greeters Ervin Ervin- Park Fahrenbach Fisher Hammerle Hancock Acolyte Willow P Abby T Tom P Cassie M Emma B Lector Communion Assistant Altar Guild Tim P Dave S Eric W Barb B Vivian B Steve T Mike A X Laura A X Amy H Cheri T Joyce W Cheri T Joyce W Nursery & Children s Church Sara H Megan H Sydney R Alexes A Madison R Counting Team Laura K Dave S Julie B David W Nick B Rick H Marilyn S Mike A Joyce E Dave S