Print/view the July 2019 Tidings in PDF Format
Dear Siblings in Christ,
Some routines and ministries remain the same in every season. One of those is Visitation Ministry. This is a group of people who see our members who are home bound. There are 23 people on the list right now and the list is constantly refined based on a person’s changing desire for visitation, health concerns, and schedule.
When people go to visit, they share the news of the congregation, bringing with them a recent bulletin or Tidings. They keep our members informed. They also bring communion, pray, and read scripture. How do they know how to do this? With a little instruction and by shadowing another Visitation Minister. The volunteers for this ministry would love to take you along sometime if you’re interested in learning more. It is a wonderful ministry and recently we gathered for a meeting. Here are a few things the Visitation Ministers had to say:
- {The person I visit} always thanks me but I really get a lot out of it too!
- All parties involved benefit!
- I think there is something connecting the people we visit with the life of our church.
- The Holy Spirit told me this is something I should do.
- When I go to the nursing home, I go to each room where the door is open to say hello.
Of course, you don’t have to sign up for Visitation Ministry to share the Good News, the joy of Christ, or the news of Trinity Lutheran Church. You can simply live with love and interact with others speaking the name of Jesus or the church. Remember that the truth of Jesus’ love for all people IS a healing, healthy Word for all to share. In Proverbs 16:24 the Bible says, “Pleasant words are flowing honey, sweet to the taste and healing to the bones.” The Word of God is the most pleasant Word we can share.
Sunday School News
Opportunities for a rewarding experience! Become a part of the Sunday school team.
At the end of the Sunday school season a few of our teachers and aides stepped down. We give thanks for their loving service to our Sunday school program. Please put this opportunity to become a part of the Sunday school team into your prayers. An area of need for the next Sunday school season is working with the 6th grade class. There are openings for 1 teacher and 2 aides.
Sunday school volunteer staff commit to a flexible schedule, where they commit to teach or assist about every other week. Teachers need to prep a lesson using the Sunday school curriculum. Aides assist with child management by helping students stay on task and assisting with projects. Aides do not prepare or teach lessons unless they desire to do so.
Interested? Contact Julie Vurva at 563-4145 ex. 4 or julievtlc@yahoo.com.
Looking for a few musicians
The Sunday school program is seeking a piano player and/or a guitar player who would enjoy helping Julie Vurva and Pastor Amy lead music during the Sunday school opening sessions from 9:30-9:45 on Sunday mornings. Contact Julie for more information.
Building Task Force Updates
Volunteers needed for occasional outdoor work:
Throughout the summer and early fall there will be a need for volunteers to pull weeds and water flowers. If you enjoy doing this type of work, please sign-up at the Sign-Up Center bulletin board. You will be contacted by a member of the building task force with further information.
Volunteers needed for doing touch-up painting in the church hallways:
The Building Task Force will be organizing a group of volunteers to do some touch-up painting in the church hallways this summer. If you enjoy doing this type of work, please sign-up at the Sign-Up Center bulletin board. You will be contacted by a member of the building task force with further information.
Youth and Families
The Summer Service Trip is in just a few short weeks!
We are looking for Prayer Buddies.
Every day on our trip at 7 p.m. we stop and pray for the people we have served, the world, each other and the people we love. We have stopped in a cave and prayed, we have stopped at the movie theater and prayed. Wherever we are at 7 p.m. that’s where we pray. Then we call our prayer buddy and chat about our day and the work we have done. All you have to do is also stop at 7 p.m., say a prayer in kind and wait for us to call you for a quick chat. We love the connection that this gives us to our congregation while we are gone. If you are interested, please contact Kitty or pick up a Prayer Buddy form at the office and hand it back in before July 15.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
***Please join us on our sending Worship service on Thursday, July 25
Message from Synod Vice President & Prayers for Healing for Bishop Thomas-Breitfeld
Dear Friends in Christ,
This is to let you know that as of June 12, Bishop Viviane Thomas-Breitfeld is on medical leave. A communication was sent to all rostered ministers (pastors and deacons) of SCSW congregations and specialized ministry settings on June 12.
We ask that you pray for Bishop Viviane to be surrounded by God’s healing presence. We also ask that you respect her privacy and give her the space to become healthy again. As information becomes available, we will update you in a timely manner.
The Executive Committee has appointed Rev. Steve Kottke as Acting Bishop, effective immediately, pending further confirmation of that appointment by Synod Council. Please contact him with any needs you might have. His contact information at the synod office is:
Email: stevek@scsw-elca.org Phone number: (608) 270-0201
If you need to arrange a meeting with Acting Bishop Kottke, please contact Director of Operations, Executive Administrative Assistant to the Bishop, Robyn Zimmerman who manages his calendar at (608) 270-0201 or robynz@scsw-elca.org.
Please also pray that the Lord will provide all that is needed to Acting Bishop Kottke, the Synod Staff, the Synod Council, our leaders, to navigate the waters ahead with vision and grace.
Blessings,
Jane Cahill Wolfgram
Vice President
South-Central Synod of Wisconsin
Pastor Amy’s vacation schedule
Pastor Amy will be out of the office from July 10-23 for Sabbath rest. Thank you to Kitty Sawyer and Rich Vurva who will lead worship in her stead. If you should have an emergency and you desire to speak with a pastor, you can reach Pastor Mike from St Luke’s in Rome at (262) 593-2380. He will be on call for Pastor Amy.
There will be no worship service Thursday, July 4.
Fellowship opportunities
Have you ever wanted to do something but you didn’t want to go by yourself? There are countless activities that are a lot more fun when you have one or more people with you. Golfing, biking, hiking, fishing, bowling, walking, or even going to dinner or a movie are a few examples. The fellowship group is looking for people who would be interested in putting their name and phone number on an activity list who would be interested in having someone call them to join in an activity. If enough people sign up for any given activity, someone on the list might be interested in organizing a group outing. Look for a sign-up sheet at the Sign-Up Center if you’re interested in learning more.
Thanks for giving
We have filled five nice size boxes of soap for Lutheran World Relief! If you’ve forgotten, you can still bring full-sized bar soap, any brand, in original wrappers, to add to the four bars we couldn’t fit into the other boxes. Soap is so important after natural disasters and to displaced persons.
We’re off to a good start
As of June 3, donations to the Quarters Can Make a Difference container have totaled, $135.22. A great beginning to providing scholarships for impoverished children to attend school in Guatemala. That is slightly ahead of last year ($133.22). Everything costs more now, but the poverty is still pervasive in the slum area where the women’s cooperative UPAVIM works and runs the school. So donations are appreciated more than ever! In 2017 we raised $1,267 and last year it was $1,350. Can we top those figures this year? Together with God, we can!
Just remember to place your spare change in the container each time you attend worship. We also gratefully accept quieter cash and checks! Thanks for caring.
New Member Class 7/28 at 8 a.m.
Are you or someone you know interested in becoming a member of Trinity Lutheran Church? We’d love to have you! RSVP to Pastor Amy or Beatrice in the church office at (920) 563-4145. New members will be welcomed at worship on Aug. 1 and Aug. 4.
School Kits for Lutheran World Relief
During the summer months, Trinity and congregations around the country will show our love for our global neighbors by preparing School Kits to donate to Lutheran World Relief for distribution to children in need around the world. Individuals that would like to help provide us with the items necessary for these backpacks, can use the list below when purchasing the supplies. The supplies should be put into a plastic bag, labeling it LWR School Kit. Kits can be placed in the blue bin in the education hallway during the summer months, up until Rally Day.
- Four 70 sheet notebooks or wide or college ruled paper, 8″ x 10″
- One 30 centimeter ruler, or a ruler with centimeter on one side, inches on the other
- One pencil sharpener
- One blunt scissors (safety scissors with embedded steel work well)
- Five unsharpened #2 pencils with erasers (secured with a rubber band)
- One box of 16 or 24 crayons
- One 2 1/2″ eraser
- Five black or blue ballpoint pens…no gel ink (secured with a rubber band)
Please remove any excess packaging from the items. Thank you!
We are in need of notebooks and pencil sharpeners
We have 37 kits already!!
Prayers requested for . . .
Marsha Anderson, Sandy Anderson, Vern Borchardt, Lisa Brunk, Dean Brunk, Andrew Campbell, Rhonda Cook, Linda Doerr, Isaiah Gravelle, Kim Hannan, Ellyse Jacobs, Renee Jensen, Steve Mepham, Dan Morrow, Bill Peterson, Julie Recob, Shelly Weber Shaitel, Jeremy Schepp, Ruth Smithback, Mary Theil, Bill Theil, Carol Topel, Karen Weber, Donna Weeks, Lori Williams, and those we name silently in our hearts.
We are updating our system
We are in the process of updating a new computer system that maintains our membership list. You can help by downloading this PDF form, printing it, filling it out and returning it to the church office. Don’t have access to a printer? No problem. You can stop by the office or send an email to Bea at officetlc314@gmail.com to request a form.
Trudy’s Room
Trudy’s Room is dedicated to fostering the well-being of infants and young children by facilitating the donation, collection and distribution of furniture, clothing, diapers and other basic supplies to families while assisting them to achieve economic independence. Trudy’s Room is being housed at First United Methodist Church in Fort Atkinson. Download this PDF to learn more and to make a donation.
You must be logged in to post a comment.