j u n e 2 0 2 0 t r i n i t y l u t h e r a n c h u r c h | o w a t o n n a m n messenger ·...
TRANSCRIPT
MESSENGERJ U N E 2 0 2 0
T R I N I T Y L U T H E R A N C H U R C H | O W A T O N N A M N
609 Lincoln AvenueOwatonna MN 55060
NON PROFIT ORGUS POSTAGE
PAIDPERMIT NO 61
OWATONNA MN
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
8
Sr. Pastor Todd Buegler, [email protected]
Pastor Amanda Floy, [email protected]
Deacon Kris Oppegard, [email protected]
Pastor Cindy Halvorson, [email protected]
Pastor Emeritus:Pastor Charles Espe
Visit tlcowatonna.org/staff for a full staff listing with photos
TRINITY LUTHERAN CHURCH (ELCA)609 Lincoln Avenue, Owatonna, MN 55060 phone 507.451.4520
To receive the Messenger electronically—call 507.451.4520 or email [email protected]
For all ministry events and calendar items with the most
current dates, times, details, event locations, and registrations—please visit tlcowatonna.org
Trinity was deep into the planning stages for its strategic plan when the Covid-19pandemic struck. In the midst of everything else that needed to be figured out quickly(Online church? By next week? Sure!) the strategic planning process was set to the side.
About a month ago, the three vision teams reengaged their work. Their goal is to presenttheir suggestions for a structure to the congregational council for their July meeting.
The team that has been planning how we welcome and engage people through dynamicfaith formation have been working on expanding Trinity’s digital offerings once thepandemic and quarantine is over. Our experience these last few months has reminded usthat the church is not bound by the walls of the building and has taught us that there areways we can use technology to help people grow in their faith every day of the week,wherever they are.
The team focused on healing opportunities for those broken by life’s circumstances havebeen thinking both about how we can provide access to quality mental health care.There is a significant shortage in our community. In addition, they are working on waysto train and support congregational volunteers who can provide mentorship and supportto those who struggle.
And the group that is working on plans for direct ministry to those on the margins ofsociety are looking at ways we can provide support and care to families who are withouthomes. This may include providing housing as well as access to community organizationsand congregational volunteers who can partner with them to step out of poverty andtowards self-sufficiency.
None of these new initiatives replace the good ministry that already happens at Trinity.We remain committed to worship, to children and youth ministry, to music, and to beinga place of compassion and grace.
These Vision Teams do their work knowing that the Holy Spirit is in their midst. Theyalso know that they have the support of the congregation. The impact of the work isdirectly fueled by the support of the congregation. Your prayers, your volunteer timeand your financial generosity to Trinity will allow our plans to move forward and for thepeople in our community to be served.
Because God is for us, we can be for our community. Because God is for us, we can be #ForOwatonna.
An Update...Trinity's Strategic Plan and Vision
32
Virtual Coffee & DonutsSundays at 10:30am, June 7, 14, 21...Following the 9:30am LIVE Online Worship grab a cup of coffee, your favorite morning treat (donuts!), and join the pastors, staff and other Trinity friends in the Zoom Room. Sunday mornings are even better with the opportunity to connect with friends and welcome new friends. Please join us!Find the link to the Zoom Room attlcowatonna.org/coffeetogether
Young Adult Bible Study (ages 18-30) with Grace McClintock Thursdays, 7:30pm-8:30pm, May 28, June 4, 11, 18...every Thursday through August 27Being in community with others is what God calls us to do. We sometimes get caught up in the busyness of life and forget how revitalizing it is to read God’s Word and grow in faith together. We may not be able to meet in person yet, but we can start by building a virtual community. Please invite others that may be interested. Grace McClintock, [email protected] the link to the Zoom Room at tlcowatonna.org/zoomgroups
Nonperishable Food Donations are being accepted for Trinity's continued food ministry. Suggested items include pasta, pasta sauce, cereal, crackers, Mac & Cheese, granola bars and fruit bars. Your nonperishable food donations may be delivered to the box at the main entrance of the church. If you wish to make a monetary donation, please go to tlcowatonna.org/gifts Thank you for your generosity.
Grief Support with Pastor Amanda FloyMondays, 6:00pm, June 15, July 20, August 17...the third Monday of every monthGrief is not limited to experiencing a death of a friend or loved one. Grief is experienced with any type of loss, or life transition. As we wade through these feelings we must also cope with the uncertain world outside. The COVID 19 pandemic has also created a new reality marked by grief and loss. We are mourning the loss of normalcy. You don't have to walk the journey alone. Gather to share with others in order to understand our grief and to find support amidst these uncertain times.Find the link to the Zoom Room at tlcowatonna.org/zoomgroups
Trinity was deep into the planning stages for its strategic plan when the Covid-19pandemic struck. In the midst of everything else that needed to be figured out quickly(Online church? By next week? Sure!) the strategic planning process was set to the side.
About a month ago, the three vision teams reengaged their work. Their goal is to presenttheir suggestions for a structure to the congregational council for their July meeting.
The team that has been planning how we welcome and engage people through dynamicfaith formation have been working on expanding Trinity’s digital offerings once thepandemic and quarantine is over. Our experience these last few months has reminded usthat the church is not bound by the walls of the building and has taught us that there areways we can use technology to help people grow in their faith every day of the week,wherever they are.
The team focused on healing opportunities for those broken by life’s circumstances havebeen thinking both about how we can provide access to quality mental health care.There is a significant shortage in our community. In addition, they are working on waysto train and support congregational volunteers who can provide mentorship and supportto those who struggle.
And the group that is working on plans for direct ministry to those on the margins ofsociety are looking at ways we can provide support and care to families who are withouthomes. This may include providing housing as well as access to community organizationsand congregational volunteers who can partner with them to step out of poverty andtowards self-sufficiency.
None of these new initiatives replace the good ministry that already happens at Trinity.We remain committed to worship, to children and youth ministry, to music, and to beinga place of compassion and grace.
These Vision Teams do their work knowing that the Holy Spirit is in their midst. Theyalso know that they have the support of the congregation. The impact of the work isdirectly fueled by the support of the congregation. Your prayers, your volunteer timeand your financial generosity to Trinity will allow our plans to move forward and for thepeople in our community to be served.
Because God is for us, we can be for our community. Because God is for us, we can be #ForOwatonna.
An Update...Trinity's Strategic Plan and Vision
32
Virtual Coffee & DonutsSundays at 10:30am, June 7, 14, 21...Following the 9:30am LIVE Online Worship grab a cup of coffee, your favorite morning treat (donuts!), and join the pastors, staff and other Trinity friends in the Zoom Room. Sunday mornings are even better with the opportunity to connect with friends and welcome new friends. Please join us!Find the link to the Zoom Room attlcowatonna.org/coffeetogether
Young Adult Bible Study (ages 18-30) with Grace McClintock Thursdays, 7:30pm-8:30pm, May 28, June 4, 11, 18...every Thursday through August 27Being in community with others is what God calls us to do. We sometimes get caught up in the busyness of life and forget how revitalizing it is to read God’s Word and grow in faith together. We may not be able to meet in person yet, but we can start by building a virtual community. Please invite others that may be interested. Grace McClintock, [email protected] the link to the Zoom Room at tlcowatonna.org/zoomgroups
Nonperishable Food Donations are being accepted for Trinity's continued food ministry. Suggested items include pasta, pasta sauce, cereal, crackers, Mac & Cheese, granola bars and fruit bars. Your nonperishable food donations may be delivered to the box at the main entrance of the church. If you wish to make a monetary donation, please go to tlcowatonna.org/gifts Thank you for your generosity.
Grief Support with Pastor Amanda FloyMondays, 6:00pm, June 15, July 20, August 17...the third Monday of every monthGrief is not limited to experiencing a death of a friend or loved one. Grief is experienced with any type of loss, or life transition. As we wade through these feelings we must also cope with the uncertain world outside. The COVID 19 pandemic has also created a new reality marked by grief and loss. We are mourning the loss of normalcy. You don't have to walk the journey alone. Gather to share with others in order to understand our grief and to find support amidst these uncertain times.Find the link to the Zoom Room at tlcowatonna.org/zoomgroups
Tanzania. The land of Kilimanjaro, safari, coffee plantations and the Maasai people. In the heart of thepeace-filled nations lies the Central Diocese of the Lutheran Church of Tanzania, a partner of theSoutheastern Minnesota Synod of the ELCA. That means that they are also partners of TrinityLutheran Church. We support our Tanzanian siblings in Christ through Trinity’s mission support of the SEMN Synod. Kathy Chatelaine, Assistant to the Bishop for Global Ministry, connects us to ourTanzanian friends and shares this update on life in Tanzania. The verdant green of the Great Rift Valley is replaced by dusty scrubland dotted with rockyoutcroppings. Most people are farmers who, in good years, grow enough food for their families with alittle left to sell. Women walk several kilometers each day on rutted dirt roads to dip clay pots intostagnant ponds of water to use for drinking, food preparation, washing of hands, and cleaning of clothand body. Life here is precious, tenuous. Indeed in this region plagued by either drought or floodingrains, there is a thin line between sustenance and famine, health and disease, life and death. Yet, in this people, lies great joy. Joy that another day has dawned. Joy in living within a communitycentered in tradition, family, and the land. Joy in gathering for Sunday worship filled with four hoursof songs of praise, dance, the Lutheran liturgy, scripture, and communion. Joy in giving the fruit oftheir labors - shillings, sugar cane, groundnuts, or a chicken – as an offering of thanksgiving to God.Joy in the connection to ancestors within the ‘circle of life’: birth, life, dying, death.
In March, COVID-19 entered into this land of hard living. Due to close living quarters and the inabilityto ‘shelter in place,’ there is no ‘flattening the curve’. Hundreds of people have fallen ill and, due tomalnutrition, chronic disease and substandard health care, communities are being decimated aspeople over 40 – the leadership of the country – are dying. Indeed, in a country where over 50% ofcitizens are under the age of 15, a crisis of leadership is on the horizon. Thirty years of 'development’is now being wiped away within weeks. The crises of disease and lack of leadership will soon bejoined by great famine. Within this bleak reality shines hope born within this people’s faith, resilience, and connection tocommunity. Although Tanzanians have never known war, they are well-acquainted with hunger andwant. Until recently, their lives were simple, intimately connected to the soil in which they grow theirsustenance. How can the people of Trinity - who, in Jesus’ name, are called to Welcome, Connect, Learn, andServe -respond to these crises. Accompany individuals and congregations by sharing Scripture,prayer, and stories via WhatsApp, YouTube and other social media. May our generosity in prayer,communication, and financial gifts be our response to the love we know from God in Christ Jesus.If you would like to visit about our Tanzanian family and their needs, please contact Kathy Chatelaineat [email protected].
Worship under a tree
Ordination of pastors
Worship at Emmanuel Lutheran Cathedral, Singida
4 5
Rural Tanzania
Hope.
Resilience.
Community.
Tanzania. The land of Kilimanjaro, safari, coffee plantations and the Maasai people. In the heart of thepeace-filled nations lies the Central Diocese of the Lutheran Church of Tanzania, a partner of theSoutheastern Minnesota Synod of the ELCA. That means that they are also partners of TrinityLutheran Church. We support our Tanzanian siblings in Christ through Trinity’s mission support of the SEMN Synod. Kathy Chatelaine, Assistant to the Bishop for Global Ministry, connects us to ourTanzanian friends and shares this update on life in Tanzania. The verdant green of the Great Rift Valley is replaced by dusty scrubland dotted with rockyoutcroppings. Most people are farmers who, in good years, grow enough food for their families with alittle left to sell. Women walk several kilometers each day on rutted dirt roads to dip clay pots intostagnant ponds of water to use for drinking, food preparation, washing of hands, and cleaning of clothand body. Life here is precious, tenuous. Indeed in this region plagued by either drought or floodingrains, there is a thin line between sustenance and famine, health and disease, life and death. Yet, in this people, lies great joy. Joy that another day has dawned. Joy in living within a communitycentered in tradition, family, and the land. Joy in gathering for Sunday worship filled with four hoursof songs of praise, dance, the Lutheran liturgy, scripture, and communion. Joy in giving the fruit oftheir labors - shillings, sugar cane, groundnuts, or a chicken – as an offering of thanksgiving to God.Joy in the connection to ancestors within the ‘circle of life’: birth, life, dying, death.
In March, COVID-19 entered into this land of hard living. Due to close living quarters and the inabilityto ‘shelter in place,’ there is no ‘flattening the curve’. Hundreds of people have fallen ill and, due tomalnutrition, chronic disease and substandard health care, communities are being decimated aspeople over 40 – the leadership of the country – are dying. Indeed, in a country where over 50% ofcitizens are under the age of 15, a crisis of leadership is on the horizon. Thirty years of 'development’is now being wiped away within weeks. The crises of disease and lack of leadership will soon bejoined by great famine. Within this bleak reality shines hope born within this people’s faith, resilience, and connection tocommunity. Although Tanzanians have never known war, they are well-acquainted with hunger andwant. Until recently, their lives were simple, intimately connected to the soil in which they grow theirsustenance. How can the people of Trinity - who, in Jesus’ name, are called to Welcome, Connect, Learn, andServe -respond to these crises. Accompany individuals and congregations by sharing Scripture,prayer, and stories via WhatsApp, YouTube and other social media. May our generosity in prayer,communication, and financial gifts be our response to the love we know from God in Christ Jesus.If you would like to visit about our Tanzanian family and their needs, please contact Kathy Chatelaineat [email protected].
Worship under a tree
Ordination of pastors
Worship at Emmanuel Lutheran Cathedral, Singida
4 5
Rural Tanzania
Hope.
Resilience.
Community.
BAPTISMS
February 23 - Maxwell George Schelling, son of Emma & Derek Schelling March 7 - Karter Joseph Christey, son of Megan & Joe Christey March 8 - Nolan Darrell Slack, son of Marne & Justin Slack May 2 - Owen Sander Tibbetts, son of Michaela & Jerad Tibbetts
WEDDINGS
February 22Anna Markham & Tyler Mickelson
February 28
Kara Martin & Richard Williamson
6 7
FURNERALS AND MEMORIAL SERVICES
February 24 - Craig Rue
February 27 - Herbert Sorenson
March 9 - Delores Hill
April 21 - Eleanor Schroht
April 22 - Ray Haugland
May 14 - Doug Belmore
May 19 - Don Hofius
Together ApartBe Kind
Share Joy Do Good Work
Trinity Nursery School
staying connected with families online
and celebrating preschool graduation!
Trinity's Food Ministry continues
through donations and distribution
Creative celebrations!
Enjoying a treat after
making the floors shine
Photo Credit: Dave Wiebke (Cover)
BAPTISMS
February 23 - Maxwell George Schelling, son of Emma & Derek Schelling March 7 - Karter Joseph Christey, son of Megan & Joe Christey March 8 - Nolan Darrell Slack, son of Marne & Justin Slack May 2 - Owen Sander Tibbetts, son of Michaela & Jerad Tibbetts
WEDDINGS
February 22Anna Markham & Tyler Mickelson
February 28
Kara Martin & Richard Williamson
6 7
FURNERALS AND MEMORIAL SERVICES
February 24 - Craig Rue
February 27 - Herbert Sorenson
March 9 - Delores Hill
April 21 - Eleanor Schroht
April 22 - Ray Haugland
May 14 - Doug Belmore
May 19 - Don Hofius
Together ApartBe Kind
Share Joy Do Good Work
Trinity Nursery School
staying connected with families online
and celebrating preschool graduation!
Trinity's Food Ministry continues
through donations and distribution
Creative celebrations!
Enjoying a treat after
making the floors shine
Photo Credit: Dave Wiebke (Cover)
MESSENGERJ U N E 2 0 2 0
T R I N I T Y L U T H E R A N C H U R C H | O W A T O N N A M N
609 Lincoln AvenueOwatonna MN 55060
NON PROFIT ORGUS POSTAGE
PAIDPERMIT NO 61
OWATONNA MN
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
8
Sr. Pastor Todd Buegler, [email protected]
Pastor Amanda Floy, [email protected]
Deacon Kris Oppegard, [email protected]
Pastor Cindy Halvorson, [email protected]
Pastor Emeritus:Pastor Charles Espe
Visit tlcowatonna.org/staff for a full staff listing with photos
TRINITY LUTHERAN CHURCH (ELCA)609 Lincoln Avenue, Owatonna, MN 55060 phone 507.451.4520
To receive the Messenger electronically—call 507.451.4520 or email [email protected]
For all ministry events and calendar items with the most
current dates, times, details, event locations, and registrations—please visit tlcowatonna.org