The Trinity Times October 2012 Volume 13 Keeping you informed of the timely happenings, news, Mission and ministry of Trinity Christian Church A Word from Terry Where there is no vision the people perish. Proverbs 29:18 Allow both to grow together until the harvest ; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn. Matthew 13:30 This past week I officiated at a memorial service. The graveside service was at a small country cemetery by Ellston. As we stood there on the windswept hill committing the body to the grave. I noticed there was a combine in the distance. That combine diligently made its way back and forth reaping the harvest. Friends, just as there is a time for harvesting crops, so too is there a time for the harvesting of souls. The Lord's angels will gather everyone together for judgment. The harvest this year has been sad and bleak for many farmers. Most of the corn has been cut for silage or put into bales. The harvest of souls includes the gathering of wheat as well as the gathering of tares. The tares are souls that completely wasted their lives and lived only for themselves. The Lord was not a part of their lives and come harvest day Jesus says they will be gathered to be burned. The wheat represents the faithful believers. God will lovingly gather the wheat and place them in his heavenly barn for safe keeping. Do you get a burden for the tares in realizing what is coming for them on harvest day? We all have loved ones both family and friends that we long to see come to know Jesus. Keep lifting them up in prayer. Go through those doors of witnessing when they open. Don't be shy but be bold. Recognize what is at stake. Share Jesus and someday you may very well hear a loved one say to you: "Thank you. I am here in Heaven because you invited me." Until He returns - Terry Inside this Edition A Word from Terry Cover Monthly Stats Page 2 Ministry Volunteers Page 3 Monthly Calendar Page 4 Upcoming Events Page 5 Operation Christmas Child Pages 6 & 7 Mission Up-dates Page 8 Membership Requirements Page 9 New Members Page 10
Page 2 October 21st Thank you for your generous spirit! August in Review Attendance Sunday School Worship August 5 93 204 August 12 89 168 August 19 91 176 August 26 101 211 Cereal Canned Meat Peanut Butter Canned Peas Sugar Pasta Soups Laundry Soap Needed Items Salad Dressing Spaghetti sauce Canned Fruit Flour Crackers Toilet Paper Trash Bags If you are blessed to have any extra garden produce, please feel free to bring them with you on Sunday mornings to share with those who have not been quite as successful this year. Monthly Income/Expenses August 5 $4,028.94 August 12 $1,886.00 August 19 $2,378.14 August 26 $2,456.00 Misc. Income $725.26 Total Income $11,474.34 Expenses $11,063.58 Just a reminder that the Food Pantry is open any time of the month to those who attend Trinity when there may be need. No appointment is necessary. Thank you and God bless! Please note that due to infrequent use and lack of volunteers, we will no longer be staffing the nursery during first service. It will still be staffed during Sunday School and second service. The Word of God preached ~ The Word of God taught ~ God glorified in all that we do ~ Love, support, and care in times of crisis A place and a way to serve our Lord ~ Fellowship and friendship ~ Warmth and acceptance from our people
Serving in October Communion Servers October 7 October 14 October 21 October 28 Brett Tharp Ray Files Garry Palmer Mike Covington Eugene Yoder David Peters Ryan Olson Owen Martsching Jeff Boswell Jack Trowbridge Josh Blades Max Buckner Myron Ingram Paul Grasso Gabe Vredenberg Jeff Waterstone Tyson Smith Will Greenwood Jim Early Zane Vredenberg Casey Paxson Rick Irving Rod Zimmerman Doug Tharp Eldon Paxson Carl Hoffman Alva Yoder Tracy Eivins Page 3 Communion Prayer Communion Meditation Scripture Readers Oct. 7 Oct. 14 Oct. 21 David Peters Garry Palmer Jack Trowbridge Terry Roberts Tracy Eivins Doug Tharp Haley Irving Gina Savely Kristi Minnick Oct. 28 Merrill Hamilton Josh Blades Rhonda Tharp Greeters 1st Service Debbie Norman Sunday School Mary Mothershed 2nd Service Myron & Shirley Ingram Communion Preparation Pam Combs & Rhonda Tharp Kitchen Hosts David & Sherry Peters Jr. Church We need leaders for Jr. Church during 2nd service for two Sundays in October. If you can help fill these voids, please sign up on the Ministry Table. Thank you. Nursery Workers Sunday School 10:45 Service Oct. 7 M. Potts J. & C. Seymour, Gloria Redman Oct. 14 A. Blades R. Olson, A. Minnick, S. Ingram Oct. 21 L. Olson B. Hunt, T. Martin, E. Vredenburg Oct. 28 K. Rockhold N. Stone, L. Scrivner, G. Vredenburg Endeavor to worship our awesome God ~ Eagerly live in love and unity ~ Earnestly share the gospel with all ~ Establish believers in the Word ~ Equip believers for service ~ Encourage believers in holy living and ministry
For our monthly event calendar, please see calendar on right sidebar. Click on dates highlighted in red to see event, time and event description scheduled for that day.
Page 5 New Location Same Great Fun! Remember to mark your calendar for Saturday, October 6th for our annual Bar-B-Q/picnic. Please note that since last month s newsletter was printed, the location has changed and will now be held at the Gary Coffelt Shelter at Little River State Park. We plan to start gathering together between 4-5 p.m. and will begin serving supper at 5:00 p.m. If you can t quite make it by then, don t worry about being late. Join us whenever you can as supper will be served for several hours. This year we will also be having a hayride around 6:30 for anyone interested. Hot dogs will be provided, as well as the drinks. We will once again be having our communal pot of chili so you would like to make a batch of your favorite chili to add to our big black kettle, please feel free! Side dishes are always welcome and we know we have some excellent cooks in the church so feel free to bring a side dish or two along as well. There is always plenty to share so be sure to invite your friends and neighbors to join us for the evening. Bring your lawn chair, a jacket, a hearty appetite and spend an evening with Christian friends around the roaring campfire! We ll be watching for you! + = Fabulous Fall Fellowship! You Are Invited The Trinity Ladies of Faith Prayer Group invite you to join them October 13, for a brunch at 10:00 a.m. The Chonda Pierce video Staying Alive... Laughing will be shown at 11:00 a.m. Invite a friend or neighbor to join you for a wonderful time of fellowship. Meal will be provided by the Trinity Ladies of Faith Prayer Group. Hope to see you there! 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
Page 6 Operation Christmas Child 100 million boxes? Trinity, they need our help! In 1993, Samaritan's Purse kicked-off Operation Christmas Child in the United States with just 28,000 shoe box gifts. That number soared to one million gifts collected in a single year in 1997 and 5 million collected in 2001. This year, Operation Christmas Child hopes to collect another 9 million shoe box gifts and surpass the mark of reaching 100 million boys and girls since the start of the project. For those of you who may be unfamiliar with Operation Christmas Child, it is a program established by Samaritan Purse for the needy and underprivileged children in third world countries. Each year churches around the world, pack standard sized shoeboxes with small gifts for children in various age groups. The boxes are then collected at a Relay Center, taken to a regional collection center, and then shipped to a national collection center. Before shipment, each shoebox will be stuffed with a short message about the Good News of Jesus Christ and delivered with Gospel storybooks. This is a missionary opportunity anyone can directly participate in or sponsor another to shop and pack a shoebox. Messages and pictures can be included, and some recipient children write back to the donor. OCC encourages using a standard size shoebox to make shipping costs more predictable and helps avoid hurt feelings by any child who may receive a smaller shoebox. A durable shoebox (i.e. plastic with a sealable lid) is often used by the recipient child for other purposes. Such boxes can be purchased at Dollar General, Wal-Mart, spacesaver.com and elsewhere. Of course, any shoebox is welcome. They request a donation for each shoebox in the amount of $7 to defray shipping costs. Trinity will once again act as a Relay Center for the collection of Operation Christmas Child (OCC) shoeboxes from southern Iowa and presumably northern Missouri. Collection Week is set for Monday, November 12 thru Sunday, November 19. Volunteers are needed to accept shoeboxes at Trinity from 6pm to 8pm Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 9-11am Tuesday and Thursday, 9am 12pm on Saturday, and 12:00pm to 2:00 pm on Sunday. Volunteers are needed to deliver the shoeboxes to Des Moines on Monday, November 20th. With this year s challenge of 9 million boxes, we anticipate over 500 individual shoeboxes to be processed here at Trinity, including those donated by Trinity members. Before packing your shoebox, you must first determine if your gift is to be for a boy or girl, and the child s age category: 2-4, 5-9, or 10-14. Use the appropriate boy/girl label from a brochure on the Ministry Table. Mark the correct age category on the label, and tape the label to the top of your box. If you re not sure what to get as gifts, here are some general guidelines as given by Samaritan s Purse, the sponsor of Operation Christmas Child: Toys small cars, balls, dolls, stuffed animals, kazoos, harmonicas, yo-yos, jump ropes, small Etch The Word of God preached ~ The Word of God taught ~ God glorified in all that we do ~ Love, support, and care in times of crisis A place and a way to serve our Lord ~ Fellowship and friendship ~ Warmth and acceptance from our people
Page 7 A Sketch, toys that light up or make noise (with extra batteries), Slinky, etc. School Supplies Pens, pencils and sharpener, crayon or markers, stamps and ink pad sets, writing pads or paper, coloring and picture books, etc. Hygiene Items Toothbrush, toothpaste, mild bar soap (in a plastic bag), comb, washcloth, etc. Other Hard candy and lollipops (please double bag all candy), mints, gum, T-shirts, socks, ball caps, sunglasses, hairclips, toy jewelry, watches, flashlights (with extra batteries). A personal note In a separate envelope, you may enclose a note to the child and a photo of yourself or your family. (If you include your name and address, the child may write back.) Operation Christmas Child does ask that you DO NOT include any of the following items: used or damaged items, war-related toys, chocolate or food, liquids or lotions, medications or vitamins, or breakable items such as snow globes or glass containers, or aerosol cans. As we said, this is a project anyone can get involved in and makes a wonderful project for families to do together. We ll be providing additional information in the week s to come. Remember, Christ said Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me. Won t you make a difference in a life today? Discover the Destination of Your Shoe Box Gift A new feature recently added by Samarian s Purse now makes it possible for you to track your shoebox donation! By making your donation online using a credit or debit card you will receive a special shoe box label included in your e-mail receipt. Print or copy the label as many times as you need to attach to each of your boxes. Your specific barcode is connected to your e-mail address, so it s important to use the same label on each of your boxes. The barcode on the label enables us to track each shoe box gift. You will receive an e-mail telling you the destination of your gift, along with information about Operation Christmas Child in that country. If your boxes go to more than one country, you will receive more than one e-mail. Not only does this new feature make donating a shoebox more personal, but also provides the opportunity to learn more about the recipient and the country of your box s final destination! To use this new feature go to www.samaritanspurse.org, click on the WHAT WE DO tab, select Operation Christmas Child and then select FOLLOW YOUR BOX DONATION in the blue box on the right hand side of the screen. 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
Page 8 MISSION UP-DATES We d like to take a brief moment to share with you recent event highlights from one of our regularly supported missions, Christian HolyLand Foundation. Recently there has been much talk about war in Israel. Here is a brief note from the CHLF team in that area. "The situation is serious and difficult. The physical preparations do not exist in the infrastructure in the Arab sector, and our churches are not ready to take in who will come looking for help and shelter and, needless to say our families!! "God is with us and we are protected in Him. We as Christians (Evangelical believers) live in a situation where we are rejected by the traditional churches here in Israel, and are considered part of the western Zionist movement because of our relations with the western world; we are enemies to the Muslims, and surrounding countries, especially Iran will not differentiate who or where to strike once they decide to do so. "We believe that God will use us in these circumstances but we need prayers for the Lord's protection and provision for everything we need, even to prepare for the war beginning with food supplies, water (at least 3 liters/person/day for the duration of the time where everything will collapse if it does), blankets, fire extinguishers, power generators etc." CHLF also deals with hostility from some rather unexpected places. We share the following account of one of their more recent attacks as shared by two of the leaders in that area. We had a wonderful worship experience up in Fassouta, right on the border with Lebanon, where our guest Dean Trune met the people and shared his teaching about spiritual roots. A few days later we received a phone call from a person in Fassouta who identified himself as being a deacon in the Catholic Church and he threatened me ad told me that he won t allow us to evangelize in the village because we are ruining it with our false teaching. He heard about three young men who were coming to the meeting and are holding onto the word of the Lord and are preaching it. He said, Woe to you if you enter Fassouta; you will see what will happen to you. I have eyes all around the village and I will know when you are here. I responded in love and said, You don t need to trouble yourself with sending someone to look out for me because I come to Fassouta every Friday at 6:30 if you want to meet me. I would like to invite you to the meeting to hear the teaching that we teach there. Afterwards, if you don t like what you hear we can sit down and discuss matters. So far there have been no further threats or actions, but can you imagine trying to share the gospel in this circumstance? Please pray for this mission as they continually strive to serve our Lord in an area of continuous upheaval and unrest. You can follow their work on Facebook at Christian HolyLand Foundation. The Word of God preached ~ The Word of God taught ~ God glorified in all that we do ~ Love, support, and care in times of crisis A place and a way to serve our Lord ~ Fellowship and friendship ~ Warmth and acceptance from our people
Page 9 Trinity Christian Church Membership Membership Requirements Open to All Who Have: 1. Repented of sin 2. Confessed faith in Jesus Christ 3. Been baptized by immersion into Him 4. Counseled with Pastor Terry Membership Expectations Worship One hour weekly Isa 43:21; Heb 12:28; Psalms 100:2; Heb 10:25 Bible Study One hour weekly 2 Timothy 3: 16, 17 Service One hour weekly Mark 10:25; 1 Cor 12:11; 1 Peter 4:10 Contribute to Unity Ephesians 4:1-3 Servant Requirements Genuine desire to serve Teachable Spirit and a positive attitude Ministry Leader Requirements Member of Trinity Christian Church Demonstrated love for the Lord and the church family FAT (Faithful Approachable Teachable) Ministry Leader Expectations Personal commitment to spiritual growth Commitment to pray daily for your ministry and other ministries of the church Willingness to mentor others NEW MEMBER INFORMATION We want to keep our directory up-dated and will be asking our new members and attendees for an opportunity to photograph you and to gather some information. It is a good way for all of us to get to know each other quicker attaching names to faces. Also, we have a new orientation program that Terry will be talking to you about in the near future just some helpful assistance in becoming a part of our church family. 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
Trinity Christian Church 16773 State Highway 2 Decatur, IA 50067 (641) 446-8654 Contact Us Terry (641) 446-3494 (Home) 641-340-2610 (Cell) trinity_christian_church @hotmail.com Welcome to our Newest Members! We would like to extend a warm welcome to Jerry and Ann Townsend of Mt. Ayr. Both Jerry and Ann came to us as previously immersed believers with a desire to place their membership with this local body of Christ. Please introduce yourselves to them if you haven t done so already and welcome them to the Trinity family! Past & Present We will be hosting a Lunch and Learn for all Sunday School, Jr. Church and Kid s Club teachers and leaders, past and present, on Sunday October 21st immediately following our 2nd service. Lunch will be provided We want to offer you a chance to come and learn ways to become a more effective teacher and to find a new level of confidence in your teaching abilities. You are an important part of the ministry team here at Trinity. We need your insight and input as we endeavor to expand our educational programs. Again, we encourage ALL past and present teachers and leaders to join us as we reflect on the past year and move forward into a new season of learning and teaching God s word. Board Meeting October 17th 7:30 p.m.