Print/view the April 2020 Trinity Tidings in PDF format
Dear Trinity Near & Far,
Grace and Peace to you from God our Father and Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. A few months ago, I started using the tag line Trinity: a living community of Christ to describe how we’re being a people of God in the world. We’re constantly in flux – who will be here for a given worship service, what kids will be at Sunday School, who can volunteer for an event. We never quite know who will come, what will conflict, who can give their time and treasure.
You see, being a church is full of uncertainty. We operate only by donations. We gather only by free will. We serve only by willing hearts. And yet, it has always worked anyway. This church, and the whole church of Christ, works because we are a living community of Christ.
When one of us feels weak, the others hold tight. When we’re in need, we provide for each other. Even when we’re apart, we remain connected because we are a living community of Christ.
It is Jesus Christ who calls us together as His church, to be His people in the world, to serve, to love, to give, to listen. Jesus Christ abides with us in the uncertainty of being His people in this world.
The ups and downs of life are normal, but what we’re experiencing now? This is not. And yet, we are a living community of Christ. We continue to gather, give, and grow even in this strange time.
And Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, remains with us and continues to call us to be His church.
We will be church in new and important ways by jumping way ahead in our online presence. Please call your church friends to check in voice-to-voice. Call Trinity if you need groceries or meds. We have a list of volunteers who’ve offered to make deliveries to people’s porches. All this is possible because
we’re already a close knit, loving community in Christ.
Here are other points of connection:
Staff Updates
Pastor Dan has coordinated phone check ins for our home bound members and together he and Kitty are extending the reach of this ministry.
Julie and Kitty are developing online communications/interactions for their groups.
Bea is getting set up to work remotely.
Ministry Updates
Worship with us every Sunday at 8 a.m. on our Youtube channel. You can watch it any time during the week and share it with others. https://www.youtube.com/trinityfort.
We will be working remotely as much as possible. The mail will be dropped off in our locked mailbox outside and Julie will check it, bringing offerings in to the safe.
I spoke with the Fort Food Pantry and offered Trinity as an emergency distribution location. At this time they don’t plan to expand hours or distribution. I am on the list of contacts for when this changes.
Meals On Wheels is operating smoothly for now. I’m on the list of contacts for when this changes.
Tech Updates
Please sign up to give an offering through Tithe.ly as you are able https://tithe.ly/connect-elca-church. Share this information please as we will continue to do so from the office.
We have a Zoom Account now. I will offer Bible Study through Zoom with invitations in email and on Facebook – stay tuned!
I’m doing a daily story time for children at 10 a.m.
We have permission to broadcast the Reader’s Theater that we have for Thursdays. My kids have been volun-told that they will read those for us. So we will have a mid-week Lent worship to the best of our abilities.
John Foust, our IT person we work with, talked to me today about uploading our YouTube worship to the community access channels there. We will get that going too on channel 987.
Praise be to God. We have connection and community even when we’re separated! Pray for this living community of Christ until we see one another again.
I remain, as ever, your faithful Pastor,
Pastor Amy
TRINITY
Lutheran Church
EXTENDED
Worship
Sundays @ 8 a.m.
Prayer
Daily @ 7 a.m. + 7 p.m.
Story Time
M-F @ 10 a.m.
Bible Study
Mondays @ 1 p.m.
Connect through email, trinityfort.org and Facebook
Annual Meeting Summary
This is a summary of the January 26, 2020 annual meeting. Complete minutes will be distributed following congregational approval at the August, 2020 semi-annual meeting.
Highlights of the meeting were:
Presentation of the ministry teams and discussion of how teams are foundation for suggestion and development of ideas which will provide overall direction for the church. Teams include education, fellowship, discipleship, finance, property, worship and music and youth. All members of church are welcome and encouraged to provide suggestions. Flow chart identifying process for submission of ideas and actions that will be taken is posted on the ministry team news bulletin board. Also posted is a list of individuals leading each ministry team. Kitty Sawyer and Eric Lonsdale are overseeing process.
2020 budget was presented and unanimously approved as submitted.
Discussion of Adams Street property continues and any final proposal prior to implementation will require approval of congregation.
Growth in endowment fund of 18.33% or $27,300 which will be distributed to outside organizations was noted. Suggestions for distribution may be given to any council member.
Ron and Beth Martin will represent Trinity at the church synod meeting on May 1 & 2 and at a special meeting on June 20 for election of bishop.
Unanimous vote to appoint Candy Milan, Vickie Steinke, Jeff Scheuerell and Jeanne Stark to fill terms of vacated council positions.
Located on the council news bulletin board is a list of council members with their contact information.
In support of our goal for open and transparent communication, any question or concern you may have may be addressed to any of these members.
Respectfully submitted,
Jeanne Stark
Interim Secretary
Sunday School/Christian Education
Sunday school
So many changes in such a short time period. Sunday school has been canceled until further notice. I hope we can gather before the end of our Sunday school season! Only time will tell. I will be sending families with Sunday school students a Bible reading two times a week. I am encouraging families to use a faith formation practice put together by Faith Incubators called FAITH5. It is a beautiful, simple 5-step practice for families to use at home.
Food Pantry donations
The church will not be open on a regular basis. If you regularly donate food, please leave a message for Julie at 563-4145 ex. 4. I will get back to you and set up a time to open the church for your donation. If you are saving egg cartons for the food pantry, please save the cardboard ones only. The food pantry is not making use of the Styrofoam cartons. Thank you!
Prayer Force
All prayer requests should be emailed to prayerforcetlc@gmail.com. All prayers will be prayed for faithfully and confidentially (unless requested otherwise).
April 2020 Youth and Families
What isn’t happening… In person meetings.
What is happening…
Ministry teams are reaching out to persons that are over the age of 79 to see
how they are doing and if they need anything. They are calling folks and staying connected! We will also be helping them find any supplies that they may need. If you would like to help with this ministry, contact Kitty.
I am working on setting up Google hang outs so that LIFT and other groups can still meet and chat. Maybe watching a movie at the same time and making fun comments, maybe a fun virtual game tournament, posting pics of our daily quarantined life! Stay tuned!
I will be posting on the Sunday School Facebook page, fun crafts and science
experiments as well as anything else I can think of that will be fun to do at home. If you have ideas and want to help, let me know!
Even though we will not be together in person, we will be together as always in spirit!
Announcements
The church office is closed at this time. We will be checking phone messages and email.
Volunteer Schedule
The volunteer schedule will resume when worship resumes. Beatrice will send out the schedule again when worship resumes.
40-day donation bags
If you picked up a black, plastic donation bag, when Lent ends take it to either Goodwill or St. Vincent De Paul. Please do not bring the bags to Trinity.
Wednesday Mid-Week Lenten services canceled
The Wednesday mid-week Lenten services that have been taking place at the First Congregational Church have been cancelled. Thank you Pastor Chris and First Congregational for hosting the first few weeks.
Trudy’s Room Baby Shower Update
The Trudy’s Room Baby Shower has been postponed. We will share information about a rescheduled event when it is available.
PRAYERS REQUESTED FOR…..
Judy Almquist, Marsha Anderson, Sandy Anderson, Donald Blasing, Linda Doerr, Kim Hannan, Inez Hoeye, Renee Jensen, Bob Kyle, Dan Morrow, Pam Nicholas, Debbie Pierce, Tom Pomraning, Jeremy Schepp, Larry Schumacher, Denny Stark, Shelley Scheurm, Ruth Smithback, Karen Weber, Donna Weeks, Donald Zuehlke and those we name silently in our hearts.
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