01/21/21 Tidings

A Message From Pastor Amy

Dear Trinity,

You really exceed any goal we set.

Last month, a stewardship letter came to your homes. What timing! At Christmas, in a pandemic, we debated not sending it but we needed more information to set the 2021 budget. You responded enthusiastically. In a pandemic, when things feel uncertain, you remain certain of your call as God’s people.

In two weeks, we’ll hold our annual meeting and it will again be conducted online. We need a quorum to hold the meeting and I’m heartened by the number of people who’ve already signed up with Sarah to attend. On the agenda is the approval of the updated constitution, electing two people to attend our virtual synod assembly, and passing the budget. This budget holds space for additional staff. The Council and I are hoping this staff person will be an additional pastor but that will depend on availability of candidates and continued strong giving.

And the toothbrush collection! In less than three weeks, you blew past our original goal of 200 toothbrushes for the Fort Food Pantry. Carter and I will be sharing our numbers in worship this week so be sure to tune in!

Up next is Souper Bowl Sunday on Feb. 7. We’ll be collecting donations for the Fort Food Pantry and special offerings for ELCA World Hunger. In the month of December, we donated $1,200 to the ELCA World Hunger campaign our synod held. I wonder if, in one day, we can collect $600 to help people at home and around the world through this program. Let’s try!

Thank you for being overachievers in generosity! You are radically changing our community and the world in the name of Jesus!

Pastor Amy

Singers Needed for Online Worship

Do you enjoy singing hymns and miss being able to sing in church? We need more singers record themselves at home for our online services. If you are interested, please contact Sarah at the office for more details.

Offering Envelopes

The offering envelopes for January-June should be arriving at your homes shortly. Keep your eye out for the package! Many thanks for your patience as we work to get the envelopes ordered and sent.

Operation Christmas Update

Thank you Trinity Lutheran Church Congregation for your generous donations to Operation Christmas this past December.
We collected $467.00 which was given to the Fort Food Pantry.
Thank you for your support.

Blessings,
Ruth Circle

Schools are returning. Now what?

The Fort Atkinson School District voted to return students to school in a modified format. (Hybrid for older students and in person for younger ones.) Trinity’s Council will discuss our return to in-person worship at our next council meeting on Jan. 26.

UPAVIM Update

At the end of 2020, we sent just about $1,200 from our quarter bank to UPAVIM, the women’s cooperative in Guatemala we support. We got a huge THANK YOU from them, saying that they have met their scholarship goal for 2021!

They also have received funds from other generous donors to enable them to help provide work and assistance for the women for awhile. Their craft sales are way down, so the foundation board has been supplementing the
women’s income to enable them to feed their families until this pandemic eases and life returns to more normal status.

Your donations and purchases of craft items really do make a huge difference in people’s lives.

ELCA World Hunger Drive

We were able to raise $1,140.00 for the ELCA World Hunger Drive! That money will be matched by a generous donor through the ELCA. We thank God that you are such a giving and generous church family!

Reading the Bible in a Year

There is a reading guide available for those interested in reading the Bible in a year. Please contact the office if you are interested in receiving a digital or paper copy of the reading guide.

Prayers Requested For . . .

Marsha Anderson, Sandy Anderson, Terry Badura, Wayne Behselich, Maggie Dostalek, Ralph Draeger, Roger Draeger, Chris Griffin, Bob Kyle, Phyllis Lang, Diane Luebke, Barb Manwaring, Dan Morrow, Carol Mueller, Debbie Pierce, Violet Prust, Paul Reed, Harold Rumppe, Shelley Scheurm, Verne Sell, Carrie, Ruth Smithback, Roger Strege, Hannah Teubert, Kathryn Woods, Donald Zuehlke.

Do you have a prayer concern? Email the prayer force at prayerforcetlc@gmail.com. People will gladly pray for you or your loved one with their whole hearts!