Tidings 12/23/21

A Message from Pastor Amy

Merry Christmas!

When I attended Osceola High School in Osceola, Wisconsin, I took choir all four years with Mr. Kenny. He was, in my estimation, a sentimental, strict teacher. I liked him. During this time, in this small town, with Mr. Kenny as the director, we often sang Christian choral music. And during this time of year, we would sing for him, “Of the Father’s Love Begotten.”

Mr. Kenny had us sing it every year, not always in a concert, but at least in the classroom. I remember loving it. The low tones of the basses and the different steps in my own alto line. We were always thrilled when, during the song, he stopped playing piano and had us sing acapella. That was a signal from him that we sounded good! We loved the compliment.

When I was a senior, he shared with us that his mother had taught him to love this song. He loved hearing it sung every year. As a sentimental person myself, I am especially appreciative that he shared his own background with this hymn, that he shared about his beloved mom – who, in other conversations, was described as a saint. Now, I always remember Mr. Kenny when I hear or sing this beautiful song.

The latter part of verse three says:

Let no tongue on earth be silent,
Ev’ry voice in concert ring
Evermore and evermore.

Like Mr. Kenny, I remember those people in my life who taught me about Jesus and the meaning of Christmas. Sometimes it was through song; sometimes through Christmas program practice. At Christmas, I was always reminded about being a church together for the sake of Jesus Christ.

On Christmas Eve, familiar volunteers made sure ushering went off without a hitch and that the lights were dimmed at precisely the right time. The organists who played faithfully and hustled home to serve dinner to their families. The choir members who simply didn’t travel out of town because they had to (read: wanted to) sing in the choir. In these myriad ways, the faithful community that raised me showed me the heart of Christmas.

This is my Christmas prayer: that together we will sing out in joy for God’s love in Jesus Christ, sharing the heart of Christmas. I pray that we will love one another – in the richness of our diversity, valuing how God made us different. That we will continue together as a congregation, a living community of Christ for the sake of His Good News that is for the whole world!

Paul sometimes reminds me that I’ve accused him of not being able to carry a tune in a bucket. 😊But Paul and ALL can sing this song – the song of God’s love born in a manger. We can sing it through our actions, our worship, our prayers, our welcome and understanding of each other.

This Christmas time may our hearts, lives, and voices sing of Jesus, our Savior!

With Christmas love,

Pastor Amy

Snow Tubing/Fellowship Event

Sunburst Winter Sports Park, Kewaskum, Wisconsin

Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022, 3:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m.

$18 per Person Group Tubing Rate

For 2 Hours of FUN (Bring Family & Friends)

More Information & Sign-Up in late December

STAR

There will be no STAR meeting in January. The next meeting will be on Feb. 14. Contact Sharon Armstrong (jnsarmstrong@yahoo.com) with questions.

Fellowship Event at Fireside Theatre

We have reserved a group of tickets at the Fireside Theatre to see The Church Basement Ladies in “A Mighty Fortress is Our Basement” on May 15, 2022 at 2:30 p.m. Contact the church office to reserve your spot and to ensure you get the group rate ($70.95/ticket). All payments need to be made to Trinity Lutheran Church by the end of April.

Happy Birthday Jesus!

Come celebrate the birth of Jesus with the whole Sunday School on Jan. 9 at 9:30 a.m. in the fellowship hall. Enjoy cake and party games! Sing Happy Birthday! Bring an (unwrapped) gift of NEW adult socks or NEW kids underwear. The socks will be going to a homeless shelter in Janesville and the kids underwear will be going to local elementary schools in Fort.

UPAVIM Quarters in 2021

The donations for the UPAVIM scholarship fund have exceeded the goal – again! While the Quarters Can Make a Difference container collected $1,042.50, donations through envelopes and electronic giving brought in another $1,026.50. That’s a total of $2,069! Your generosity never ceases to amaze and reflect God’s goodness in this congregation’s lives! You are impacting more than 30 students and their families. Thank you so much!

Thanks for keeping kids warm!

The STAR group has gathered, sorted and distributed all the hats, mittens, gloves, gaiters and more to four very grateful elementary schools in Fort Atkinson. We also took excess hats and five scarves to the Fort Food Pantry, where they’re available for clients to select. Some hats and handware will be placed in our little pantry in the driveway, as well. The collected items totaled 228! What a generous outpouring to show God’s love to our community. THANK YOU!

Epiphany Good Book Club – Exodus

The class will meet every Monday from Jan. 10 to Feb. 28 at 11:30 a.m. (in-person) or 6:30 p.m. (online). All you need is a Bible and the free materials (online or printed in the office). Sign up is on the bulletin board near the Narthex in the church (or contact the office).

Hiking/Snow Shoe/Fellowship Event

Sunday, Jan 2, 2022 at 1:00 p.m., meet at the Dorothy Carnes Park East parking lot on Jones Lane just off of Banker Road, north of Fort Atkinson.

At the entrance, visitors will notice a log cabin restoration project in progress along with multiple farmstead buildings. There are groomed trails with restroom facilities. This is also the trailhead for two walk-in, rustic camping sites. Existing Facilities – Parking lot, trails, shelter, electricity, hand pump, picnic tables, restrooms, benches, observation deck, woods, prairie, grassland and wetland when not covered by snow.

Bring a water bottle, trekking poles or walking stick if you have/want them, snacks in case you need an energy pickup, winter jacket, hat, gloves and/or sunglasses. You may want to bring “Yak Tracks” for your boots or snow shoes.

We’ll be hiking about 2-3 miles in the 514 acre conservation park.

Any questions, please contact Aurelio at callopeAnD86@gmail.com or 262-490-4923.

Little Free Pantry

As of Jan. 1 we will have an opening for the first and third Tuesdays of the month. We also need someone to fill the Little Pantry on the first and third Thursdays of the month for January through April while someone is gone. If you are able to help either or both of those Tuesdays or Thursdays, please contact Becky Tuttle (bjtuttle@charter.net) or Polly Schull (pollya@charter.net).

Interested in volunteering in 2022?

Contact Sarah at the office to hear about our volunteer needs!

Prayers Requested For . . .

Cortlyn Almquist, Judy Almquist, Terry Badura, Jeremy Barnes, Dan Burke, Keith Burrow, Jamie Dassow, Jean Fico, Janice Garrett, Helen Haase, Sarah Jones, Linda Keene, Pat & Bob Kyle, Phyllis Lange, Keith LaPointe, Barb Manwaring, Ken and Doris, Gary and Debbie Neumann, Pam Nicholas, Violet Prust, Harold Rumppe, John Sanders, Ruth Smithback, Harley Stokstad, Olaf Stokstad, Roger Strege, Keith Woods, Marilyn Young, Dan Zick.

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!