September Activities

Trinity Lutheran Church September Newsletter, 2013 September Activities Sept. 8 th - 10:00 A.M. - RALLY DAY & PROMOTION SUNDAY will be held during Sunday School. CONFIRMATION ORIENTATION will follow the 11:15 Service. All 7 th and 8 th grade students and at least one parent are urged to attend. Sept. 11 th - 1:00 & 7:30 P.M. BIBLE STUDY begins with the book of I Romans. All are welcome to attend! Sept. 14 th - 8:00 A.M. - CHURCH WORK DAY Sept. 15 th - TEACHER APPRECIATION SUNDAY 10:00 A.M. Sept. 29 th - TRINITY MINISTRY FAIR 9:30-11:30 AM Fellowship Hall

Friends, Lutherans, Countrymen, lend me your ears; I have come to explain the letter to the Romans! On September 11 th, our Bible study will begin. We meet at 1:00pm and 7:30pm and all are welcome to attend. After a difficult yet enlightening year of studying the 1 & 2 books of Kings, we will be moving to an easier more enjoyable study of Romans. Romans is one of the more important books of the New Testament after the four Gospels. Written by the Apostle Paul, Romans is the longest of his epistles in the New Testament and is believed to be his most important theological legacy. If you were to sum up the book in one sentence you could say that in this letter, Paul explains that salvation is offered through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. During this study we will investigate this premise and give deep consideration to how Paul accomplishes his goal. Martin Luther wrote a brilliant preface to his Lectures on Romans. His first and last paragraphs of his preface explain the importance of studying Paul's letter to the Romans: This letter is truly the most important piece in the New Testament. It is purest Gospel. It is well worth a Christian's while not only to memorize it word for word but also to occupy himself with it daily, as though it were the daily bread of the soul. It is impossible to read or to meditate on this letter too much or too well. The more one deals with it, the more precious it becomes and the better it tastes. Therefore I want to carry out my service and, with this preface, provide an introduction to the letter, insofar as God gives me the ability, so that every one can gain the fullest possible understanding of it. Up to now it has been darkened by glosses [explanatory notes and comments which accompany a text] and by many a useless comment, but it is in itself a bright light, almost bright enough to illumine the entire Scripture.[1] We find in this letter, then, the richest possible teaching about what a Christian should know: the meaning of law, Gospel, sin, punishment, grace, faith, justice, Christ, God, good works, love, hope and the cross. We learn how we are to act toward everyone, toward the virtuous and sinful, toward the strong and the weak, friend and foe, and toward ourselves. Paul bases everything firmly on Scripture and proves his points with examples from his own experience and from the Prophets, so that nothing more could be desired. Therefore it seems that St. Paul, in writing this letter, wanted to compose a summary of the whole of Christian and evangelical teaching which would also be an introduction to the whole Old Testament. Without doubt, whoever takes this letter to heart possesses the light and power of the Old Testament. Therefore each and every Christian should make this letter the habitual and constant object of his study. God grant us his grace to do so. Amen.[2] Why not decide for yourself if Luther's high praise of St. Paul's Letter to the Romans is warranted. Come and join us as we delve into "the richest possible teaching about what a Christian should know: The meaning of law, Gospel, sin, punishment, grace, faith, justice, Christ, God, good works, love, hope and the cross."[3] Grace and Peace Pastor Andy [1] Luther, Martin. Preface to the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans. Trans. Bro Andrew Thornton, OSB. Web and Saint Anselm Abbey. 1983. <http://ccel.org/>. [2] Ibid. [3] Ibid.

SERMON PREVIEWS: Sept. 1- PENTECOST 15 - HOLY COMMUNION Sermon: The Rev. Lou Dunkle will supply Luke 14:1, 7-14 Sept. 8- PENTECOST 16 -RALLY DAY HOLY COMMUNION - 10:00 AM BAPTISMS/SHARE SUNDAY Sermon: AVOIDING A WRONG TURN Jeremiah 18:1-11 Sept. 15 - PENTECOST 17 - HOLY COMMUNION TEACHER APPRECIATION DAY Sermon: THE POWER OF GRACE I Timothy 1:12-17 Sept. 22 - PENTECOST 18 HOLY COMMUNION - 10:00 AM Sermon: A BALMY GIFT Jeremiah 8:18-9:1 Sept. 29 - PENTECOST 19 - HOLY COMMUNION Sermon: WHAT MORE PROOF DO YOU NEED? Luke 16:19-31 Oct. 6 - PENTECOST 20 - HOLY COMMUNION Sermon: NO THANKS! Luke 17:5-10 Oct. 13 - PENTECOST 21 HOLY COMMUNION - 10:00 AM BAPTISMS/SHARE SUNDAY Sermon: THE COMPETENT CHRISTIAN II Timothy 2:8-15 Oct. 20 - PENTECOST 22 - HOLY COMMUNION JUNIOR CHOIR/JUNIOR HANDBELLS Sermon: THE BREATH OF GOD II Timothy 3:14-4:5 Oct. 27- REFORMATION DAY HOLY COMMUNION - Senior Handbells Sermon: A REFORMATION OF TIME AND FAITH Joel 2:23-32 SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 15 TH 10:00 A.M. SEPTEMBER 8 TH - 10:00 A.M. Join us for our Rally Day Sunday celebration! The students will meet their new teachers, and move up to a new class. Join us for Teacher Appreciation Sunday during 10:00 Service as we honor our Sunday School Teachers for their hard work and dedication.

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. 1 John 4:7-16 (NIV) Love is of God. The very essence of Him is love. It is such an integral part of His being that it never is or can be absent from Him. God loves us so much that He not only gave us our lives and all that we possess, but to win us back He gave His only Son, Jesus, to be sacrificed for our sins. Love is two-fold in our lives. If we possess love it is evidence that God dwells in us. The practice of a Christian undertaking loving deeds in God s name is the means by which the invisible God is seen. When we practice love, God s love is perfected in us; we are maturing in our relationship with Him. A life of love is evidence of a believer s union with God and the perfecting of His love within us. Thanks to the Congregation and Sunday School donations we were able to send a check to the Cathedral Kitchen for $600. We received a letter of thanks from them, to quote from the letter: What a surprise it was when our volunteer Ann Carter gave us the envelope with this awesome donation inside. We are continuing to give financial support to the Cathedral Kitchen. September 1 st was the last Sunday for our summer program. Students had the opportunity to have a time of Christian fellowship. They had a lot of fun with games and crafts, and even some snacks. Each game or craft was part of lesson planned around a Christian theme. Vacation Bible School was held from July 29 th to August 2 nd and was a great success with its theme, God s Backyard, Bible Camp under the Stars. There were at least 55 children in attendance, many of them were from neighboring towns. On the last day, there was a block party with at least 120 children and adults attending. All expenses for the VBS program were covered by donations. Today is Rally Day, September 8 th at 10:00 am in the Fellowship Hall. We want to reach out to children who do not attend Sunday School; and have the opportunity to lead them to a personal relationship with Jesus. We are asking the congregation to look around their neighborhoods and amongst friends and relatives to find a child that they could invite to come with them on Rally Day. There will be a party to celebrate which will include balloons, a craft and ice cream. During the party students will be promoted and meet their new teachers. In Jesus name, Carl Nagel

Vacation Bible School at Trinity was a great success this summer! We had a great group of kids join us each evening where they learned about the importance of service to others all while having a great time with crafts, games, their bible lesson and don t forget the snacks. Our Family Block Party at the closing of Vacation Bible School was a hit! We had approximately 150 people attend the barbeque and then families spent time together playing games. Our VBS kids also shared a song they had learned over the week with their families that night. Each family also made a service project they decorated grocery bags with messages and stickers, and then took them home to fill with nonperishable food items for the Cathedral Kitchen. Families brought their In the Bag projects back to the church on Sunday, August 18 th. We collected approximately a dozen bags which will be distributed through the Cathedral Kitchen to families in need. On top of having such a wonderful group of VBS kids this year we had great a team working to make sure that our VBS program went well. Thank you to all that helped with VBS teachers and all others that volunteered your time. You were all a blessing to the program and it went well due to all of your efforts. Finally, we have to thank all of you, for your donations, support and prayers. We couldn t have done this without you. The handbell Choirs have been a part of Trinity's worship services since 1980. It takes eleven (11) ringers to ring the bells. The choirs usually perform once a month from October to May. The Junior Handbell Choir rehearses on Thursdays from 6:00-6:30 PM and the Senior Handbell Choir from 6:30-7:15 PM. If you're interested in keeping the handbells in Trinity's worship services, please join us. No experience is necessary. Our first rehearsal will be Thursday, September 12 th. I hope to see you then.

Trinity Lutheran Church Cradle Roll September is approaching and so is Rally Day. This is the time of the year that I update our Cradle Roll/Sunday School bulletin board. The children who have turned 5 years old by September 30 th will be promoted to our kindergarten class. I will now be taking down the little baby feet showing that they were baptized and their picture showing that they were in the Pre-K Sunday School class. I do this to make room for the new children who will be baptized and those starting Sunday school this coming year. I will be giving these to the children when they are promoted in September for a keepsake of their special days. If your child is 3 years old and potty trained and has not started Sunday School yet, please be sure to bring them up to our Pre-K class room and register them. We look forward to receiving new students and updating our Cradle Roll/Sunday School bulletin board. I would like to invite you all to stop by to see our Cradle Roll/Sunday School Bulletin Board, which is located by the Pre-K class room. When a child is baptized, I place a pair of baby feet with their name, date of birth and date of baptism on the bulletin board. When the children who were baptized have turned three years old, I send them an invitation inviting them to come to Pre-K Sunday School. A red ribbon is then added to their baby feet showing that they are now attending Sunday school. I take their picture and it is put on the Pre-K Sunday School Bulletin Board, which is attached to the Cradle Roll Bulletin Board. All of the children pictured here are now attending their first Sunday school class and will remain here until they are promoted to the kindergarten class. Please take the time to stop by and see all the children who have been baptized and are now attending Pre-K. We have been blessed with many wonderful little children. Jesus loves the little children and so do all of the Sunday school teachers. Mary Raws Cradle Roll

Youth Ministry News As we look at the calendar, we all know that it's that time of year again. Summer's over and school is right around the corner! I hope everyone enjoyed their summer. I know I did. As September starts, we are all trying to get back into the swing of things - including me. I'm excited and sad at the same time. I'm excited to see all the new kids who will be joining us in the Youth Ministry. But I'm also sad because we will be losing several kids who have graduated and are moving on to the next chapter in their lives. But I also know that some of them will be back to help with Youth Ministry events when they can! I'm also looking forward to the upcoming year as we will be partnering with the Young Adult Ministry for some of our events. We will start the month off with a planning meeting on Sunday, September 8 th at 11:15 am in the 8 th grade Sunday School room. Any parent/guardian of children in grades 6 thru 12 are encouraged to attend the planning meeting. I'm also hoping to continue with the VBS theme of service - serve family, serve community, etc. I would like to see our youth more involved in the church and our church community. And for those of you whose freezer may be a little empty, we will be having our Pot Pie fund-raiser again this year. Another fund-raiser for this year will be the 2014 Chick-fil-A calendars. Some other events returning this year will be the Lock-In, cookie baking, bowling and crafts with residents at the Lutheran Home. I hope to also continue doing things for the Cathedral Kitchen throughout the year. I would also like to bring back twice monthly Sunday meetings. In doing so, I hope to help our youth understand more fully how they will be a big part of our church in the years to come. As you can see, I have lots of ideas to make the upcoming year jam packed with service oriented and fun events. I also hope to see more parents involved in our planning meetings this year. Sherry Stroup Youth Ministry Advisor

As the remaining days of summer begin to dwindle quickly, it is time to look toward the Labor Day weekend and the beginning of fall, and activities in it. School will soon be starting and Junior Choir rehearsals will as well. The Junior Choir will not be singing until the third Sunday in October so that we can have time to gather together and learn some new music. Rehearsals will begin Sunday of Labor Day weekend, September 1 st. Last season we were blessed to have 5 boys and 11 girls as a part of our group. It is hoped that we will have these children and others to join us from their experiences at Vacation Bible School and Sunday School. For those who are not acquainted with our Junior Choir program, we meet each Sunday morning at 9:45 a.m. in the choir room and rehearse for just 15 minutes. Then children can go directly to their Sunday School classes. The choir sings the third Sunday of the month at all three Services but members are expected to sing at just two of them each month. In addition, we sing on Thanksgiving morning and at the 6:00 p.m. Service on Christmas Eve. Girls and boys in grades 1 through 6 are welcome to join us. For more information please feel free to call Mrs. Schmidt. I m looking forward to seeing everyone and hearing about summer and their plans for the fall. Love to all, Mrs. Schmidt

Trinity Ministry Fair - 2013 Sunday, September 29 th, 9:30-11:30 a.m. Fellowship Hall Spread the word to others about the joy of ministry! Come and see how each ministry works. See how members of our congregation work together forming groups like our Music Ministry (Junior & Senior Choirs, Junior & Senior Handbells and Praise Band). Come, see the different tables showing how the groups help by serving others, including the Pantry, Clothing Closet, Youth Group, Prayer Shawl Committee, Decorating Committee, Prayer Circle, Altar Guild, Sunday School, Friendly Circle and Sunshine Class. If you can play an instrument, bake cookies, deliver flowers, make a bow, sing, serve soup, pray for the sick, tell a Bible story, ring a bell, learn a new craft, ice skate, pack a basket, crochet a blanket, pull weeds, pour juice, dust a window sill, paint a door, make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, or teach a Sunday school class - come out and see where you can use your talents in the service of others. To reserve a table, contact Jim Eberts or Cheryl White at 856-939-4411. Refreshments will be served. Remember, at Trinity when we meet we eat! y No Charge for tables, we just need a count for set-up.

I hope that everyone had a wonderful summer. The Social Concerns Ministry continued its work during the summer with our Back-to-School project as well as our regular pantry and clothing closet days. We did enjoy a summer pool party at my home with lots of food and fellowship. As the summer draws to a close it s time to swing right into our busy fall season. We begin our fall with an old favorite of the ministry. We are going to have a Donut Sunday on the lawn between 17 and 25 Knight Ave on Sunday, October 6 th from 9:30 11:30 AM. At that time we will also be hosting an open house for both the pantry and the clothing closet. Stop in and see how our ministries work and what a wonderful job the members do to make it all happen. We will continue to have Pantry and Clothing Closet days during the fall. We need the following: Pasta, cereal, canned vegetables, peanut butter, jelly, crackers, tuna fish, soup, Mac & Cheese, juice, pancake mix, syrup, paper towels, toilet paper, napkins. Any clothing items dropped off need to be clean and stain-free. The Clothing Closet is open to anyone. We have a large selection of gently used and a few new clothes. Help stretch your budget and give some of our clothing a new home. Some dates to remember: November 10 th Social Concerns Meeting, 11:15 AM November 24 th Pack Thanksgiving Baskets December 1 st Angel Tree September 8 th Social Concerns Meeting 11:15 AM September 26 th Pantry/Clothing Closet, 9-11 AM or 6-7 PM October 6 th Fall Donut Sunday and Open House. October 24 th Pantry/Clothing Closet, 9-11 AM or 6-7 PM November 3 rd Turkey and Thanksgiving table will be up. December 22 nd Pack and distribute Christmas Gifts and Baskets New members are always welcome. We meet on the second Sunday of the month following the 11:15 service. Please come out and join us. Remember God loves a cheerful giver. You will love the fellowship and the great feeling you get from helping others. Acts 20:35 In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, It is more blessed to give than to receive. Caring and Sharing Cheryl Morris

PANTRY DAY 2013 will be held on October 13 th. You will remember that day is when we target our annual financial drive for Trinity s Food Pantry. While we have been blessed to receive all sorts of non-perishable donations from members of Trinity on Share Sundays (the second Sunday of the month - and we DO still need those gifts) and from various groups and organizations in the communities we serve, there are still a myriad of items that need to be purchased each month. So mark your calendars and begin to save your pennies - and dollars - for this special cause! Families who come to our Pantry are SO grateful for everything they receive. Watch the bulletins for announcements and envelopes to be used for your gifts!

What a fast, wet summer this has been! Hard to believe September is here already. Our last meeting, June 3, 2013 was opened with the saying of the Lord's Prayer. The following members were in attendance: Barbara Anconetani, Dolores Keller, Jean Krips, Sally Miller, Carolyn Lunn, and Mary Raws. We received 8 prayer shawls and 5 quilted lap robes. A donation check from the Sunshine Class for $25 was a very welcome addition to our needy treasury. Thank you so much Sunshine Class for your donation to our "doings." Sally Miller mentioned that 3 prayer shawls were given to members for ill friends or other members. Corresponding Secretary Barbara Anconetani read the following thank you notes: "Dear Prayer Shawl Ladies, Thank you so much for the beautiful prayer blanket. I am very grateful for the loving prayers that are sent with it. It is such a blessing to have friends like you. May God Bless You, Bob Greiner." "To the Ladies of the Prayer Shawl Ministry, Thank you so much for thinking of my son, Robert Irvin, and for making him the beautiful prayer shawl. It is on him at Cooper Hospital. Your prayers are appreciated on his behalf. The Lord is watching over him and he is improving every day. We appreciate your thoughtfulness. Thank you, Diane Irvin-Pierson & Family (Cousin of Mary and Dolores)." Baptismal Historian Mary Raws reported there will be 1 June Baptism. We reviewed all who had donated gift bags to PSM -- Peg Cochran, Shirley Shannon, and Martha Thomas plus 2 members. Sally Miller read a closing blessing.our meeting adjourned at 10:50 am and we were off to the Olive Garden for our end-of-the-year luncheon. Our next meeting will be held on Friday, September 6, 2013. Please join us. Call Carol with questions 856-939-. Unfortunately, one of our members, Sally Miller, has been hospitalized recently. We ask everyone to please keep Sally in your prayers. Until We Meet Again, May God Hold You in the Palm of His Hand. Carolyn Lunn President

Greetings to all! Yet another summer has flown by and we re gearing up for the months ahead. Lutheran Home Auxiliary does not meet during the months of July and August. We will start back with our September meeting on the 12 th. Although we don t meet over the summer, the staff and volunteers at the Home continue to provide compassionate care and all regular activities. I will report back to you the 2013-14 activities after the September meeting. We will hopefully have our grand total (with Thrivant match) for June Day, 2013. Please be listening out for the Octoberfest plans. (Saturday, October 12, 2013, 4-7 p.m.). As always, thank you for your continued support and donations throughout the year. Hope you ll please join me in praying for our Pastor, our church, council and ministries, our members, children and families as we move forward into the fall season with all it s new ventures. May the Lord continue to strengthen us for the tasks ahead. Sincerely, Sandy Pagano For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future Jeremiah 29:11. We will be meeting on September 10 th at 12:00 p.m. The hostesses will be Lois Lyszkiewicz and Dorothy Offer. Come out and join us for fellowship, lunch and help decide what our next gift will be and for whom. God s love at work! Pass it on! Linda Brown, President