TRINITY TOWER Youth Fundraiser Gala Sunday, February 26th, 2017 Silent Auction 3-5 p.m. Dinner Theater 5-6:30 p.m. Proceeds benefit middle school and high school youth attending summer trips to Heifer Ranch in Arkansas, Flathead Lake in Montana, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area and Camp Hiawatha in Deer Lake, MN. Tickets for the dinner are on sale now! They re $12 for adults, and $.50 for every year of age for children under 12. Prices increase on the day of the fundraiser so buy early! You can buy tickets in the Narthex or church office. Silent Auction donations are appreciated gift certificates, wine, electronics, weekend trips and more. Donations must be received by Wednesday, February 22. Donation forms are available in the Narthex and online. Some items will be available for purchase starting February 12. If you re unable to make the big day, bring your wallet to worship and help support these life-changing experiences! February 2017 Volume 25, Issue 2 Sunday Worship 8:45 & 10:15 a.m. February 5 February 12 Fifth Sunday/Epiphany Matthew 5:13-20 Holy Communion Joyful Noise Sixth Sunday/Epiphany Matthew 5:21-37 Sanctuary Choir 10 a.m. Altar Communion February 19 Seventh Sunday/Epiphany Matthew 5:38-48 Holy Communion Chancel Bells February 26 Transfiguration Sunday Matthew 17:1-9 Youth Choir 10 a.m. Altar Communion A little about the wonderful trips planned for our MS and HS youth: Heifer Ranch Mission Trip 30 HS youth will be traveling to Perryville, AR, on June 22-30, where they ll do service projects and partake in activities that promote sustainable solutions to global hunger, poverty and environmental degradation. They ll also spend a night in a mockup of a village where Heifer International is working to end hunger. Leadership Team Montana Trip 12 HS youth have the opportunity to sail across the crystal clear Flathead Lake in Montana on July 8-14! In addition to serving Trinity through their leadership, this trip provides the opportunity to grow and explore their own faith all while enjoying God s beauty. Camp Hiawatha and Boundary Waters Canoe Trips Over 30 MS youth will head to the BWCA (June 24-30) and Camp Hiawatha (July 16-21), both through Voyageurs Lutheran Ministry, in northern Minnesota to grow in faith and fellowship! While there, they ll learn their value as children of God and experience Jesus in some of the most beautiful and intentional Christian communities. I learned my church will always be here for me. We have such a strong community, and I think it really shows on these trips.
Middle & High School Middle school and high school youth will have a very busy month as they prepare for the Youth Fundraiser Gala. The students can earn up to 50% of their summer trip costs by helping with the fundraiser. Students volunteer their time in many ways: gathering items for the Silent Auction, calling businesses for donations, making treats for the bake sale and working shifts on the day of the fundraiser. Please join us for the event on Sunday, February 26 and see the result of their hard work! Children & Family Mark your calendars for VBS this summer! We know it s only February, but it's time to start thinking about Vacation Bible School! This year's VBS will be the week of June 12-15, running from 9 a.m. to noon each day. The theme this year is Maker Fun Factory: Created by God, Built for a Purpose! Children ages 3 to grade 4 are welcome! 5th grade through adult are needed as volunteers. Online registration will be available March 5! MS Faith Mentoring On Wednesdays during Lent, in place of regular lesson nights, confirmation students meet with mentors to guide them in their faith formation. Trinity adults, please consider being a mentor and reach out to some of the MS youth in our congregation. Mentoring begins March 1. Upcoming MS events in February: Feb. 1 Lesson Night #10 - The Lord s Prayer Feb. 8 Lesson Night #11 - Sinner & Saint Lenten Mentors Due Feb. 12 Lenten Mentor Training at 11:30 a.m. Feb. 15 Lesson Night #12 - The Church Fundraiser Volunteer Meeting at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 22 Faith & Life Speaker Series: Jeremy Meyers - A Christian Perspective on Islam All are welcome to attend! Feb. 26 Youth Fundraiser Gala Upcoming HS events in February: Feb. 4 TNT - small groups Feb. 6 Rise & Shine Feb. 8 TNT - Roller Garden Feb. 15 Fundraiser Volunteer Meeting, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 22 TNT - Fundraiser prep Feb. 26 Youth Fundraiser Gala Progressive Adult Ministry Tuesday, Feb. 7 Beer & Hymns - Sing your favorite tunes and enjoy a night out with other Trinity members. 7 p.m., Axel s in Loretto. Sunday, Feb. 12 Why Lutheran? Lesson #4 - From Priest to Outlaw. 10 a.m. in the Fireside Room at Trinity. Tuesday, March 14 Pub Theology - Have a drink, meet new people and discuss topics about life and faith and how they intertwine. 7 p.m., Axel s in Loretto. Trinity Women Winter Gathering: That s what friends are for. Trinity Women will be celebrating friendship in February. We all need our friends, but exactly why are those friendships so important to us? Please join us on Tuesday, February 7 from 7-9 p.m. and hear Sonja Benson, Ph.D., L.P. dive deeper into the meaning of friendship and how different friends can help us through the good and ugly parts of life. There will be light appetizers and sweets, as well as plenty of time for you to visit with friends. You may even begin some new friendships at the event! All are welcome young or old, Trinity member or nonmember so please invite your friends to enjoy this wonderful evening! Learn more and RSVP online at www.trinitylonglake.org/trinitywomen. 2nd Thursdays Coffee Time February 9 from 9:30-10:30 a.m. in the narthex. There will be coffee, conversation and a short devotion to start your day. Prayerful Yoga Prayerful Yoga with Pastor Carrie is off to a great start! Classes are every Tuesday evening at 6 p.m. and Saturday morning at 10 a.m. in the narthex. All are welcome women and men, young and old! No yoga experience needed. Please come and join Pastor Carrie for an evening or morning of yoga centered in the grace and spiritual refreshment! 2
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Congregational Life Membership New Members will be received February 12 at either service. If you are interested in membership, talk with a pastor or complete the form found on the website. Baptism I have called you by name, you are mine. Isaiah 43 Zachary Reitan 2017 Thrivent Action Teams With the new year, all Thrivent members start over with two Action Teams to use throughout 2017. Each Action Team is worth $250 of seed money you can use in the community for doing good. Perhaps you have a fundraiser in mind, or an educational event you want to host? There are so many ideas of ways to use your Action Teams. Information is available at the Sign Up Center, or you can contact Susie Eastman, Tina Gabos, Vicki Brink or Jill Cornell. Make Your Offerings Green! Go paperless and set up automatic electronic transfers through Simply Giving. Learn more on the website at www.trinitylonglake.org/giving Trinity Tower www.trinitylonglake.org (952) 473-8577, Fax (952) 473-8153 Articles are due by February 14 to cindyp@trinitylonglake.org Children & Family Early Childhood Youth and Family Youth and Family Youth and Family* Worship/ Music Shared Ministry Shared Min Admin* Facilities Manager Financial Manager* Office & Confirmation Office Support *Part time positions Pastor Brian Fragodt Pastor Carrie Scheller Terrie Allen Stacy Thoma Tyler Moe-Slepica Jenny Aleckson Kara Lattu Mark Hemingway Jill Cornell Linda Koltes Jerilyn Lowe Rindee Erdmann Kelsey Arens Cindy Pearson Together at Trinity The Grief Coalition meets Thursdays at 4:30 p.m. at St. Bartholomew Catholic Church in Wayzata, 952-473-6601. Trinitarians are meeting to watch Rick Steves Martin Luther video Thursday, February 16 at 10 a.m. in the Media Room. On March 29, they ll be seeing Wife Begins at Forty at the DayTrippers Dinner Theater. Cost: $40. More info and sign up sheet are in the narthex. Liz Erstad- Hicks from Interfaith Outreach will join us in worship on Sunday, February 5 to lift up Trinity for its financial support and volunteerism. Liz is the Community Engagement Manager and she will share some of the work in which our members are involved, and she ll outline ongoing needs for Interfaith and the ways we can become involved as volunteers. Interfaith Outreach is a unique volunteer-based organization that has considerable impact in our community; it attracts an ever-expanding wealth of resources, which it brings together in multiple partnerships, not only to address the needs of individuals in our community but also to effect systemic change in order to create a stronger and more just community for us all. Please join Liz between services in the Fireside Room to learn more about this dynamic organization. Ladies Night at Interfaith Outreach s ReSale Select Store will be Thursday, February 9 from 7-9 p.m. The store will save some of its best merchandise for the event. Grab your girlfriends for food, fashion and fun as you browse the store for great finds and fantastic prices. Refreshments and surprises all night long. Find what s lost this month. Please take some time to check items in the lost and found. Stop by the Coat Room on Sunday morning after worship or while you re at Trinity throughout the week. We ve developed a large collection of items waiting to go back home. Lutheran Night at the Twins with the Brew Crew. Save the date! Tuesday, August 8. Twins vs. Brewers. More details to come. Sanctuary Choir singers are needed! As our choir loses members to the warm southern sun, now would be a great time to join! Rehearsals are every Wednesday night at 7:15 p.m. in the Music Room. Please see Mark if you re interested in joining. Financial Update The annual meeting is January 29. Members will review 2016 and approve our budget for 2017. Please pick up your copy of the annual report and financials in the office if you aren t able to attend. Please consider signing up for Simply Giving, our online payment system. It s an easy way to stay current on your pledge! You can sign up online at www.trinitylonglake.org/giving and click on Give now with Simply Giving. Trinity also accepts stock gifts, and if you re 70 ½ or older, an IRA Charitable Rollover may be right for you. Contact Rindee Erdmann, Finance Manager, at 952-473-8577 x136 or rindee@trinitylonglake.org for more information on Simply Giving, stock gifts or IRA rollovers. 5
Thank you for the many ways you serve! For ALL worship assistants who help each week! For all who help at Simpson Shelter, Mpls Crisis Nursery and Interfaith Outreach! For our faithful prayer shawl and quilting groups who share their love through the items they create. For $105 of Noisy Offering in January, which was used to purchase new socks for men and women at the shelters. Well done, good and faithful servant Matthew 25:23 2017 El Salvador Mission Trips Sistership/Seeds of Hope, July 6-16, 2017 Emotional Inspirational Spiritual. All words shared by last year s trip participants. Consider a trip that provides all of these aspects and so much more! The deadline has been extended for the Seeds of Hope trip so there s still time to sign up! It s a multi-generational trip spending time with our sister church and Seeds of Hope students, learning about the country and being in relationship with our brothers and sisters in El Salvador. All forms and information are available on Trinity s website under Outreach/Global or at the Welcome Desk. Thrivent Builds/ Habitat, March 25-April 2, 2017 A group of 19 will travel to El Salvador at the end of March. They are busy preparing with their second pre-trip meeting on February 5. 350 Seeds of Hope students in El Salvador started their 2017 school year on January 16. Trinity sponsors 70 students, including university students. Please continue to keep them in your prayers. Families Moving Forward NEXT HOSTING WEEK: March 5-12 We are gearing up for our first hosting week of the year! During the week of March 5-12, Trinity will host up to 4 families that are experiencing homelessness. Please consider helping there are many ways to volunteer throughout the week! NEW addition: assisting with transportation from a job to Trinity. Donations are needed for breakfasts and lunches, and we ll need help washing dishes, cooking meals, cleaning linens, planning kids activities and supervising overnight. Financial contributions are also appreciated. A sign up will be available in early February in the narthex and online. Thanks in advance for your help! 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 4, 5:30-8:30 a.m. 10-12 volunteers needed (any age). Help cook and serve breakfast! Wed. Interfaith Outreach Church Night March 8, 5:30-8 p.m. Help in the Food Shelf. 8-10 volunteers needed (12 & older). Mpls Crisis Nursery, March 11, 6:30-9:30 a.m. 4-6 volunteers (12 & older) are needed to help prepare and serve breakfast. Worship Assistants Trinity needs MULTIPLE worship assistants each Sunday, including greeters to welcome people; ushers to pass out bulletins, collect offering and count attendance; readers to deliver the lesson; communion assistants to serve the holy sacrament; and refreshment hosts to serve coffee and treats. ANYONE can help, and the training is easy! Please consider volunteering. Email Linda Koltes at LindaK@trinitylonglake.org to sign up or if you have questions. Stop by the Sign Up Center OR online at trinitylonglake.org/signups-media Look what we are collecting can you help? February Food Shelf Collection Band aids and similar first aid items. Ongoing Donations Keep them coming! Used cell phones/batteries; travel-size shampoo, soap, cream; grocery/coupon books (expired no more than 30 days); paper bags; diapers (any size & quantity); socks (both men s & women s) and reusable bags. Place donations in the bins by the Sign Up Center. Donations go to local shelters & Interfaith Outreach. Receipt for donations to 2016 AGAPE Gift Market. If you didn t pick up a donation slip to use for tax purposes, copies are still available in the church office or at the Welcome Desk. Thank you for your support! Thank you for your donation. Can t wait to see how the Lord uses these funds for safe and living water! Molly Greene at Water Mission Trinity members donated over $30,000 designated to the Haiti Program. 6
Salvadoran Cooking Class and Dinner Join us Thursday, February 9 from 6-8 p.m. in Fellowship Hall at Trinity. Beat the MN winter with a night of cooking, eating and learning as we make pupusas, empanadas, plantains, salsa and curitdo all recipes from El Salvador! Melanie DeLuca will help lead the evening. Share in the fun of making and eating these new foods while you learn about this small Central American country that has captured the hearts of many at Trinity. This class is made possible by a Thrivent Action Team grant. There s no fee, but a donation is requested to help Habitat El Salvador purchase land for a family. Activities will be available for younger children. Middle school youth and older will help prepare and cook the food. RSVP by Sunday, February 5 via Trinity s website or the sheet in the Sign Up Center. Giving Tree Thank You From Recipients! From two women served through Interfaith Outreach One was so pleased that her gift of clothes and everything fit perfectly! Another was very excited about her gift certificate to the Beauty Ecology Organic Salon. From Pastora Vilma Lopez at San Pablo, our sister church: Thank you for our brotherhood and the funds we received to support our Christmas Celebration with the children and adults. We enjoyed a rich dinner and purchased gifts and toys for the children. Thank you for making this a reality. Thank you from Interfaith Outreach! A just-in-time miracle brought the annual Sleep Out campaign to its $2.184 million goal, which will bring help and hope to the 2,184 local families Interfaith Outreach expects to encounter this year. It truly takes a village, and what a village we have. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you! Sonshine Candles In need of a gift? These candles make the perfect presents, and 45% of sales benefit Trinity s Seeds of Hope program. Not only are you supporting Seeds of Hope with your purchase, but you re also sharing God s words and love with others. Shop at www.sonshinecandles.com, and click Have a Code? at checkout to enter Trinity s code: TRINIT44 and ensure part of your sale goes to SOH. 7
Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 4 Long Lake, MN ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED POSTMASTER: DATED MATERIAL Crisis Nursery Just For Kids time during worship Strategic Planning Workshop Simpson Breakfast 8