08/13/20 Tidings

Dear Trinity,

On Sunday, August 30, the Trinity staff and I will be hosting Back to School Blessings from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. We’ll use our drive-through format like we do at communion and offer blessings to anyone returning to school. Students! Teachers! Paraprofessionals! Principals! Administrators! Parents! Grandparents! In any format: virtual or in person. At any location: Fort Atkinson, Whitewater, Jefferson, Lake Mills, UWW – anywhere!

A person doesn’t need to be a member of Trinity to attend. Invite your neighbors! When you see this on social media please repost it! If you’re so moved, you can feel free to make signs and (responsibly in the Covid era)
line the block to cheer people on! I really want to raise up this community of students, educators, families, and all the people who make school happen.

This year, more than ever, let’s be involved in the education of our children and the support of our teachers. Let’s covenant to pray for them, speak well of them, support them in the ways they ask of us. Speaking for my own household, it’s been more challenging to get ready for the start of this school year than in the days of endless school supply lists and physicals! Every household involved in the start of school is unique. Every household needs our prayer.

Please pray this prayer with me:

Grace + Peace,

Pastor Amy

Semi-Annual Congregation Meeting

On Sunday, August 23, at 10:30 a.m., we will hold our semi-annual meeting via simultaneous Zoom video and telephone conference. Anyone with a telephone will be able to participate. We have three very important
agenda items for that meeting:

The new constitution (emailed out along with the old constitution)
New council members (whose bios are featured below)
The Adams Street property

Voting will take place over Zoom or the telephone conference, as outlined in last week’s Tidings. We look forward to your participation in the congregational meeting in a new format, and we appreciate your
patience.

Register with the names of those voting by contacting the office by Aug. 20 at 1 p.m. in order to receive the meeting information for Zoom.

New to Zoom?

If you are interested in receiving a written walk-through on how to navigate Zoom and the telephone conference for the semi-annual congregational meeting, please contact Sarah in the office at (920) 563-4145.
She is here Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m.

A Letter from Wartburg Theological Seminary

Dear Pastor Amy and People of Trinity Lutheran Church,

Wartburg Theological Seminary is extremely grateful for the partnership of the Walworth-Jefferson Conference in training and sending church leaders into the world. Your generosity helps ensure that seminary education remains as accessible as possible. This is indeed good news. You are minimizing student indebtedness, allowing those who graduate from Wartburg to follow wherever God’s call is leading them. Thank you for your generosity and commitment to our students.

Enclosed in this document is the Thanksgiving Covenant detailing your congregational gift of $5,000. Your partnership with the Walworth-Jefferson Conference forms a total combined gift of $17,000 to the Wartburg Seminary Scholarship Fund. As discussed, with this covenant, Wartburg will work to connect the conference with a student for the academic year of 2020-2021. Please kindly see the enclosed covenant, praying for God’s wisdom and guidance as you continue to act to impact the whole church.

Thank you for your faithfulness.

In Christ,
Daniel Potaznick
Development Officer
Wartburg Theological Seminary

Council Candidates

Randy Recob

I’m a proud father of four beautiful children and a devoted husband who still can’t believe how blessed he was to find Julie (my wife) and somehow convince her to marry me 20 eventful years ago. I’m an engineer by day (working for the past 14 years at Subzero Appliance Group) and try to stay active in my free time, boating and watching kid’s sports in the summer and skiing and watching kid’s sports in the winter. I’m excited to think about the opportunity to serve on council and hope that you will find me able to the task. I’ve been a member at Trinity for the last 16 years and think that I can bring a unique perspective as we move forward into these challenging and ambiguous times.

Jill Henze

Jill Marie Henze lives in Fort Atkinson with her husband Chris and their three kids, Helena, Weston, and Griffin. She is the Manager of Major Projects at Spacesaver where she manages a group of 10 project managers, estimators, and CAD drafters. She is going on her 4th year of teaching Sunday school, teaching 2nd grade, kindergarten, and 4K. When she isn’t busy running her kids to basketball, baseball, and football, she enjoys camping with her family, reading, and doing any crafting projects she can think of. She is excited and honored to serve the congregation on the council and hopes to provide insight for all the busy families.

Maggie Messler

Hello! My name is Maggie Messler. I have been a member of Trinity since shortly after we moved to Fort Atkinson 15 years ago. My husband Mike and I have 3 children: Anna (23) Ryan (16) and Aaron (13). I am a CPS social worker at Jefferson County Human Services and love my very rewarding and challenging work. Our family enjoys camping, boating, attending sporting events and spending time playing games with our family and friends.

When I have some time for myself, I love to read, play piano/sing and go to
the theater. Music has allowed me to serve Trinity in various ways over
the years, through Sunday school music, directing a youth choir, and
singing/playing with the band, which I have thoroughly enjoyed. Trinity has
become part of our family and I’ve been proud of the compassion,
faithfulness and dedication this congregation has to God and sharing His
word. I am honored to have the opportunity to serve Trinity in another
capacity and look forward to working with this amazing group of people to
continue that work going forward.

Drive Through Communion

Sunday, 8/23 , 9 – 10 a.m. at Trinity!

Communion is a sacred gift to us from God. Jesus commanded that we “do this to remember” him and still serves as the host of this meal. Come. Receive this gift, be strengthened by the love and sacrifice of Jesus, be renewed. To prepare yourself for receiving communion, please worship online with us at 8 a.m.

Enter parking lot on Lincoln Street
Volunteers will direct you around the building
Roll down your window to receive communion
Gluten Free Wafers Available

Thank you Fran Frandson

Thank you for sharing your Heart Chain Project with us! Every day she adds a heart to the chain until we gather again for worship. It’s not too late to start your own Heart Chain Project!

Pastor Amy out of office Aug. 14-16

Pastor Amy will be on vacation Friday (Aug. 14) through Sunday (Aug. 16). If you need anything, you can contact Kitty Sawyer at (920) 650-2777 or at kittysawyer314@gmail.com.

Sunday School in a Bag

Trinity Lutheran is offering families the opportunity to continue Sunday school lessons at home. We are offering Sunday school in a bag! Every four weeks, a new Bible story will be featured, along with a bag of fun activities to help families explore the story. Activities will include several of the following, arts and crafts, science, cooking, games and storytelling.

You do not need to be a member of Trinity to participate. We do ask that you fill out a registration form, which will let us know the ages of your children, how to contact you. The registration form includes details of two types of options for participation. If you have questions, email Julie at julievtlc@yahoo.com.

Please register soon if you are interested in participating!

Registration link:
https://forms.gle/WEqaoCxkpqrAko4M8

Last call!

Thank you for the support you’ve shown thus far. If anyone else would like to donate to Mask Makers of Fort Atkinson Area, please let Mary Beth know by Friday, Aug. 14. The gift bags will be completely put together this weekend and hopefully delivered early next week.

School Kits for Lutheran World Relief

Ruth Circle will be collecting school kits, supplies and or a monetary donation towards needed supplies again this year for Lutheran World Relief. We ask that if you feel comfortable shopping for the supplies that you would make a
complete kit and bring to the church on drive thru communion Sunday. Ruth Circle deeply appreciates your help in providing these much needed school kits. It has been a difficult year in every sense for our communities locally nationally and globally.

School Kit items:

16/24 Count Crayons
4-70 country spiral notebooks
1 ruler with centimeters
1 pencil sharpener
1 blunt scissors
5 unsharpened pencils with eraser
5 black or blue pens
1 2 1/2 inch eraser
Again, thank you for your help. If you have questions, contact Stephanie Beran at sfberan@charter.net.

Prayers requested for . . .

Judy Almquist, Marsha Anderson, Sandy
Anderson, Karen Butcher, Alberto Calderon Castro, Linda Doerr, Melissa Endl,
Kim Hannan, Phyllis Hulstein, Bob Kyle, Phyllis Lang, Steffani Liebel, Rick Liebel, Wanda Mello, Jane Milan, Dan Morrow, Pam Nicholas, Debbie Pierce, Tom Pomraning, Violet Prust, Paul Reed, Shelley Scheurm, Ruth Smithback, Karen Weber, Donna Weeks, Aryzone Zick, 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!