july 2020 newslettertrinity lutheran church & school (920) 722-2662 church 300 broad street...
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Trinity Lutheran Church & School
300 Broad Street
Menasha, WI 54952
CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED
July 2020 Newsletter
Trinity Lutheran Church & School (920) 722-2662 Church 300 Broad Street (920) 725-1715 School Menasha, WI 54952 www.trinitymenasha.com
Important Dates
• Events are starting to be rescheduled. Please check the monthly calen-
dar for updates.
• Services are open to the public by reservation only. Please contact the church office at (920) 722-2662 or bwohrabe@trinitymenas
ha.com.
• Services will continue to be available for live-streaming on Trinity’s Facebook page, and for later viewing on YouTube. Check the church website for more
details.
• You may also check the church Facebook page for a Daily Devotion from
Pastor Billings.
July 2020
Our Mission Statement: Trinity Lutheran Church & School, Menasha is a fellowship of Lutheran Christians being empowered by the Holy Spirit through the Word of God and His Sacraments to encourage, refresh, and strengthen both adults and children in the redemptive work of Jesus Christ, while sharing His love with those who do not yet know their Lord and Savior.
Senior Pastor: Rev. Steven S. Billings
Assoc. Pastor/Principal:
Rev. Keith E. GeRue
Choir Director: Mr. Tim Reuning
♪ Organist:
Mrs. Nancy Lephart ♪
Just a Reminder
Church Office will be closed July 2nd to July 7th. If you have any
questions please contact Pastor Billings at [email protected]
Cheer Up the Lonely Day
This holiday is always held on July 11 Cheer Up the Lonely Day is an opportunity to make a lonely person happy. Any time you can make
someone happy, you've done a good thing, and should be proud of yourself. Lonely people have few friends and loved ones. They may have lost loved ones over the years.
They may be elderly. They see people on an infrequent basis. Spend some time today cheering up lonely people. It's easy to do.....just spend some time with
them. When you visit, bring happy things to talk about. Keep the conversation upbeat, and lively.
When you leave, give a big hug and let them know you enjoyed the stay. Sending cards or making
a phone call is okay, only if they live too far away to visit. What a lonely person really needs, is face
to face time with other people. The Origin of Cheer Up the Lonely Day: According to L.J. Pe-
sek, Cheer Up the Lonely Day was created by her father, Francis Pesek from Detroit, Michigan. She
told us that he "was a quiet, kind, wonderful man who had a heart of gold. He got the idea as a way
of promoting kindness toward others who were lonely or forgotten as shut-ins or in nursing homes
with no relatives or friends to look in on them." Francis Pesek chose this day, because it was his
birthday.
Send a free Ecard daily for just about any July calendar holiday, occasion, observance or event. Or,
just for the fun of it!
Trinity Camping Weekend August 21-23, 2020
Trinity’s Camping Weekend is August 21 – 23 at Wild West Campground & Corral, 8 miles west of Waupaca on Hwy 54. Please call Jay at (715)824-5112 and mention you are with the Trinity Menasha group. We have 12 sites set aside for us until July 12 to camp together as a group; after this date it is based on availability. Spread the word to other Trinity campers and guests. Yes, guests are welcome to attend the Saturday lunch potluck meal. No, the campground will not charge an extra fee to those guests who join us for the day on Saturday. Let’s plan on another great weekend of fun and fellowship. Ques-tions? Contact either Roger or Merry Voigt at (920)725-9908.
7/1 NIELSEN, Bart & Jane 7/2 REICHERT, Brian & Paula 7/4 ACHESON, Steven & Kelly 7/6 BOSS, James & Cari 7/7 REINKE, Steve & Joan 7/9 JORDING, David & Joann 7/10 SCHMIDT, Craig & April 7/15 BECKER, Mark & Jean
7/15 MODERSON, Michael & Ailene 7/15 ROSS, Andrew, & Nicole 7/17 WENDLER, Kurt & Jodi 7/24 SEXMITH, Steve & Barbara 7/26 TSCHIRGI, Donald (Bud) & Joyce 7/31 VANDEN WYNGAARD, Thomas & Julie
7/1 ACHESON, Hailey 7/1 EMERY, Heather 7/1 KRAUS, Dottie 7/2 BRILL, Molly 7/2 KROES, Levi 7/3 REED, Melissa 7/4 MAYNARD, Ellie 7/6 WRAY, Tegan 7/7 ACHESON, Kelly 7/7 WENDLER, Bradley 7/10 KROES, Lilli 7/11 THOMAN, Lois 7/13 BOUCHARD, Jackie 7/13 GAST, Christopher
7/13 GAST, Jennifer 7/13 KAMPRATH, Elizabeth
7/13 ROSS, Savannah 7/14 WENDLER, Cheryl 7/15 DIONNE, Jeffry 7/15 HENSCHEL, Deb 7/16 ALLIET, Rev. Paul 7/16 WEINIG, Marshall 7/17 RADTKE, Eva 7/17 SCHMITTING, Wynogene 7/18 PUES, Michelle 7/18 SCHRAMPFER, Karen 7/19 GROSHEK, Elizabeth 7/20 EARLY, Renee
7/21 KROES, Ezra 7/22 NIELSEN, Josiah
7/23 HOWDEN, Mary 7/23 LENTH, Payton 7/23 MILLER, Lily 7/24 OHLROGGE, George 7/24 SMITH, Christina 7/24 WRAY, Sheryl 7/25 ANDERSON, Ilene 7/27 WUSSOW, Lisa 7/31 JORDING, Joann 7/31 WENDLER, Arianna
National Hot Dog Day
This holiday is always the third Wednesday in July
Hot dog, hot dog, hot diggety dog! Today is National Hot Dog Day, on this date, we celebrate one of America's favorite
summer sandwiches. It is only fitting that this dog gets its day. Its summertime. Hot dogs are center stage on the grill,
and at picnics all across America. They are at the ballpark. They are sold from carts on street corners in every city. It is
not hard to find them. We consume hundreds of millions of hot dogs on the Fourth of July alone. Enjoy National Hot
Dog Day to the fullest. Have a couple of hot dogs for lunch or dinner. And, do not forget to cook a few on a stick at the
evening campfire.
WEDDING ANNIVERSARIES- JULY
BIRTHDAYS- JULY
Trinity Membership Update
New Members/Transfers In: None Released/Transfers Out: None
Baptisms: None Weddings: None Members Who Have Passed: None
25For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. 26And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God. Job 19:25-26
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1 8am-Noon Church Office
2 6am Men’s Bible Study Church Office Closed
6:30pm Worship by Reservation
3 Church Office Closed
4 5pm Worship
by Reservation & Online
5-Pentecost 5 9am Worship
by Reservation & Online
10:30am Ed Hour Online
6
Pastor Billings’ Day Off Church Office Closed At Home Prayer Time
6:30pm Women's Bible online
7 Church Office Closed
6:30pm Board Meetings Online
8 8am-Noon Church Office
9 6am Men’s Bible Study
8am-Noon Church Office 6:30pm Worship by Reservation
10 8am-Noon Church Office
11 9am Food Pantry Drive Up
only 5pm Worship
by Reservation & Online
12-Pentecost 6 9am Worship
by Reservation & Online
10:30am Ed Hour Online
13 Pastor Billings’ Day Off
9am Sewing 8am-Noon Church Office
At Home Prayer Time 6:30pm Women's Bible
online
14 8am-Noon Church Office
6:30pm Board of Dir. Meeting Online
15 8am-Noon Church Office
16 6am Men’s Bible Study
8am-Noon Church Office 6:30pm Worship by Reservation
17 8am-Noon Church Office
18– Summer Begins 5pm Worship
by Reservation & Online
19-Pentecost 7 9am Worship
by Reservation & Online
10:30am Ed Hour Online
20 Pastor Billings’ Day Off
9am Sewing 8am-Noon Church Office
At Home Prayer Time 6:30pm Women's Bible
21 8am-Noon Church Office
6:30pm Ladies Aid
22 8am-Noon Church Office
23 6am Men’s Bible Study
8am-Noon Church Office 6:30pm Worship by Reservation
24 8am-Noon Church Office
25 9am Food Pantry Drive Up
Only 5pm Worship
by Reservation & Online
26-Pentecost 8 9am Worship
by Reservation & Online
10:30am Ed Hour Online
27 Pastor Billings’ Day Off
9am Sewing 8am-Noon Church Office
At Home Prayer Time 6:30pm Women's Bible
online
28 8am-Noon Church Office
29 8am-Noon Church Office
30 6am Men’s Bible Study
8am-Noon Church Office 6:30pm Worship by Reservation
31 8am-Noon Church Office
Tr in ity Lutheran Church & School 300 Broad Street
Menasha, WI 54952 July 2020
Question 68. What does God particularly
impress upon us in the last two command-
ments?
A. In God's sight evil desire, coveting, isindeed sin and deserves condemnation.
Catechetical CommentsA Series
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
This month we resume our consideration of the 10 th Commandment:
You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant ormaidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to yourneighbor.
What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not entice or force away ourneighbor's wife, workers, or animals, or turn them against him, but urge them to stay and do their duty.
The Catechism 1991 answers the question:
“What does God particularly impress upon us in thelast two commandments?” by saying that covetingis indeed sin and deserves condemnation. It thenlists the following passages of Scripture:
Gen. 3:6 – When the woman saw that the tree wasgood for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes,and that the tree was to be desired to make onewise, she took of its fruit and ate.
James 1:14-15 – Each person is tempted when heis lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desirewhen it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sinwhen it is fully grown brings forth death.
The application of these passages is fascinatingin that they bring out a depth of understanding bothof the nature of sin and the progressiveness of sin.
In the first case, we know that Adam and Everebelled against the command of God and ate theforbidden fruit, and that this was the origin of sin inthat their sinfulness was then passed on to all theirdescendants. But underlying that sin was a funda-mental motivation. With what did Satan temptthem? In the previous verse (v. 5) Satan isrecorded as saying, “God knows that when you eatof it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like
God, knowing good and evil.”The devil was pointing out that God had
something they didn’t, and successfully convincedthem that this something – this knowledge of goodand evil – was a thing to be desired. It couldreasonably be said, then, that the original sin wasnot eating the forbidden fruit, but coveting whatbelonged to God alone: the knowledge of good andevil.
This, then, led to their rebellion, taking some-thing that didn’t belong to them (the fruit – 7th
Commandment?), and ultimately every ill to befallthe human race, necessitating the death of God’sSon (5th Commandment?).
The passage from James reminds us that sinhas a progressive quality. It starts with temptation. From that temptation grows desire. Desire, leftunchecked, develops into sin, and sin leftunchecked leads to death.
We all know how that goes. A married mansees a beautiful woman and begins to lust after her. If he doesn’t rebuke that sin in himself and repent ofit, he begins to imagine what it would be like to bewith her. Soon, he begins to plot and scheme as tohow he can make it happen. He ignores thewarning signs of what this would do to his wife andchildren. Eventually, he doesn’t care what therepercussions might be. The sinful desire for thiswoman has taken over his mind and will eventuallytake over his soul. He doesn’t care what destruc-tion may come. He doesn’t care that it’s wrong. Heis consumed by his desire. Unless he repents andturns away from his sin, his desire will carry himaway from God. And it all began by allowingcoveting a foothold in his life. T
Humbly in His service,Rev. Steven S. Billings, Senior Pastor
888-THE LCMS • lcms.org • [email protected] | 1
June 2020
To be added to or removed from this mailing list, send an email to [email protected] with the word ADD or REMOVE in the subject line.
Musings from
MATONGONEWS FROM REV. DR. WALTER & ROBYN STEELE
SteelesInAfrica.com
One Year Later…
STEELES IN AFRICA
Fun Facts:
—We have comp le ted formal Swahili language training!
—Wal te r now has h is course assignments for August:
—Biblical Hebrew
—Romans
—Old Testament Survey
—The Psalms
—Walter will teach classes t o f u t u r e p a s t o r s , d e a c o n e s s e s , a n d evangelists
—The East and West Africa areas are now combined in one region:
—This will provide us some exciting possibilities in the coming years!
One year ago, while visiting our son in Texas, we received “the phone call,” informing us that we were called by LCMS as missionaries to Africa. Specifically, the call was for Walter to teach at Neema Lutheran College, Matongo, as a theological educator.
You have been with us on this journey that called us from California to Kenya. And we thank our Lord ever day for you—for your prayers, your words of encouragement, and for the financial support that the Lord has moved you to provide. Truly you are an integral part of the Mission of God in this place.
We have been busy with Swahili language training. Now the time comes to work on course preparation for the coming semester. Although, as of this writing, we remain in Tanzania, and this location provides a wonderful setting for working on the courses, we are “chomping at the bit” to get to Kenya, to set up our new home, and to get to the work the Lord has called us to do.
One year later! What a year it has been! A year of making new friends and sharing about the Lord’s Mission! A Mission that includes you!
Photo by Eric Lundsford, LCMS staff photographer.
888-THE LCMS • lcms.org • [email protected] | 3
There are many opportunities to serve as short-term or GEO missionaries. Check out the current list and download an application at lcms.org/service. Click on “Service Opportunities.”
To support the LCMS through the work of Walter and Robyn Steele, you may send a tax-deductible gift to:
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod P.O. Box 66861 St. Louis, MO 63166-6861
Make checks payable to The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Mark checks “Support of Steele/Kenya.” Gifts can also be given securely online through the LCMS website, on my online giving page at lcms.org/steele.
PRAYER REQUESTS:
• Pray that Magongo Seminary will be able to open in August for the regular semester—on time!
• Pray for the safe reopening of the borders of the countries of Africa. Many of our students come from countries other than Kenya.
• Pray for our entire Africa Team, as we bring the two areas together into one region.
• Pray for the leadership within LCMS and the world, that they may lead with wisdom and integrity.
• Pray for a deeper understanding of the Word of God, especially the Gospel of our Lord, that you may grow in your faith, in hope, and in love for one another and for all the peoples of the world.
Remember:
You can support us at lcms.org/givenow/steele
Or at the world-famous Mission Central
MISSION CENTRAL
40718 Highway E-16
Mapleton IA 51034
Make the memo line: Steele/ Kenya
Well the time of suspense is over. (As if this was all you were waiting for!) What
was that funny plunger thing we showed you last month? It is nicknamed, an
“Amish Plunger.” It is used to wash clothes without the use of electricity. We
simply add water, some laundry soap, and the clothes. Then the plunger agitates
the water and the clothes are cleaned. After a few exchanges of water, they are
rinsed and ready for the clothes line. Yes, we use it every day!
For more information on our work and our progress check out:
Our Website: SteelesInAfrica.com
Our LCMS page: lcms.org/steele
On Twitter: @WalterRSteele
Or Facebook: Walter Steele
1
The
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Year 3 June 2020
Sziasztok mindenki! 大家好!Здравствуйте все! Bonjour à tous! Hello
everyone!
Pentecost (or Pünkösd in Hungarian) was celebrated the first Sunday of
June, which means that here in Hungary Monday was also a holiday. At
Pentecost we remember the Holy Spirit, the promised Helper,
descending upon the disciples, who were locked away in an upper
room. We read that the disciples started speaking in a variety of
languages, sharing the Good News of Jesus with people in their own
languages. This year for the week leading up to Pentecost Sunday
fellow MCN mission parnters in Asia had set up a week long series of
Pentecost themed activities for their students, and they asked for
volunteers from around the globe to help their students have that same
many languages, one message feeling of the first Pentecost. What a
blessing to be a part of three of the five days of activities and also to
share in the experience of hearing about the love in God for all people
in all nations.
At my school here in Hungary, yesterday was the last day of class for
the students. It’s been a bit of a strange end to the year. Since school
here ended in online learning, there were no class parties or school
trips. The eighth graders won’t be having their usual celebrations and
festivities that mark the transition from primary school students to high
school students. On Wednesday, I shared ’Through Heaven’s Eyes’ from
’Prince of Egypt’ with the my students. It’s a great reminder that we are
all special to God. One of the fourth graders wrote, ’I liked the video.
Thank you for teaching me even in this difficult situation God helped
me a lot.’ As this fourth grader points out, what a wonderful thing to
remember that God is always with us!
Above: A few of my
students have mentioned
that they miss singing
together in class, so I
made a short video of “I
will call upon the LORD”
(a song we sang together
quite often) and sent it to
them.
For more stories about life here in Hungary, check out my blog at: https://calledtogosite.wordpress.com/
Above: A slide to
accompany the
international music night
that was a part of the
weeklong Pentecost
activities.
2
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Things are slowly starting to regain some sense of normal here in Nyíregyháza.
Although there have been reported cases of coronavirus in this county,
thankfully there have been no deaths. At grocery stores the mornings are still
reserved for the elderly and masks are required at all times; but cafes and
restaurants have reopened for sit down service. With the warmer
temperatures, outdoor seating is very popular as well and the city center is
coming back to life. It is wonderful being able to meet with people, even if it’s
smaller groups, in person again! Two weekends ago, a friend and I went to
Tarcal to see the giant Jesus statue. It has also been great seeing a few students
at school as they return books or are part of a small group the past two days
when I’ve been there for meetings, etc. Borders are also slowly starting to
reopen. Hopefully, the Hungary-Ukrainian border will be opening up June 22nd
(the currently scheduled date).
I hope you and yours are well. And as always, feel free to reach out if you have
questions or just want to say hi.
Peace, �������
Above to the Right: During this time
of social distancing, one of my
students decided to surprise me by
sending me a picture she drew for me
just because.
Please prayerfully consider partnering with me in
God’s mission here in Hungary. You can learn
more and give online at:
https://missionofchrist.org/service/groshek-
amanda/
Prayer Requests:
- Praise God for another good school year.
Prayers that students would continue to grow
in their faith. Pray for students and staff, both
at Túróczy primary school in Hungary and also
at Kyiv Christian Academy in Kyiv, that summer
holidays would be safe and restful.
- Prayers for me as I prepare to transition from
Hungary to Ukraine. Prayers of thanksgiving for
the time I have had here in Hungary and the
friends that I have made. Prayers as I move that
borders will open, the visa application will go
smoothly, and it will be a safe and uneventful
trip from Nyíregyháya to Kyiv.
May 22, 2020
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
When I was six years old, my mom took my brothers and I to listen to
missionaries speak at a friend’s church. We listened to missionaries
serving all over the world talk about how they were sharing the love
of Christ with people in the host country. Two of the talks we
attended stand out in my mind, even today. One was a couple who
were serving in Afghanistan, drinking tea and talking with their
neighbors, and helping them to rebuild their houses. Six year old me
thought to herself, ’I could do that. I could help people [build houses]
and share about the love of Jesus! I’m going to be a missionary.’
Central and Eastern Europe were under the rule of communism from
the end of WWII until 1990. The communist government varied in
the serverity to its reactions to Christianity, from discouraging it to
persecuting Christians. After the fall of the Iron Curtain, people
began returning to the church and missionaries also started coming
into these formerly communist countries to share the love of Jesus.
Although around 51% of Hungarians and 59% of Ukrainians today
would consider themselves somewhat to very religious, studies show
that when it comes to actually praying or attending services, very few
people do it. There is a need to bridge the gap between having an intellectual knowledge of who God is and
actually having a personal relationship with Him.
In partnership with my sending organization, Mission of Christ Network, I have been serving as a school teacher
at a Lutheran school in Nyíregyháza, Hungary for the past three years, and I will be transitioning to teaching at
Kyiv Christian Academy in Ukraine in August. Teaching provides a way for me to not only help students learn
English, which is a valuable skill in a global world, but relationships built in and out of the classroom allow me to
encourage students in their own faith walks, teaching by example that faith isn’t just about intellectually
knowing who Jesus is, but that God desires a personal relationship with each of us. He loves us and wants us to
know Him more.
In August I will be starting my tenth year of serving abroad and God-willing I will continue to serve for many
more. Through my role as teacher and native English speaker, I am able to build relationships that allow me to
intentionally share about Jesus with others. I am looking for people to partner with me as I not only teach
English which is a useful skill in today’s global world but more importantly in sharing the news that God isn’t
just an idea or opinion, but a living God who wants to have a relationship with each and every person He has
created. Partners who will be staying connected with how God is at work in Eastern Europe, praying for Ukraine
and her people, and regularly giving financially. Together, using the individual gifts God has given each of us,
the body of Christ can do great things!
Would you be interested in meeting with me? You can respond with a simple Yes or No. I would love to share
more about what God is doing here in Central and Eastern Europe, my story, get updated on what’s happening
in your life, and invite you to partner with me in sharing God’s love with students and coworkers in Hungary
and Ukraine.
Thank you so much!
Peace,
Amanda Groshek
Email: amanda.groshek@
missionofchrist.org
Blog:
Called to Go: The Next Chapter
From the School Principal You Don't Know What You Have Until It's Gone
What have you missed during the COVID – 19 lockdown? Eating out? Going shopping? Getting together with friends? Traveling? All of the above? For me, add to that list mingling and fellowship! All these are things we take for granted . . . until we can't. And then we realize how fortunate we are.
And some of you, know, I would add going to church to that list. (Music to a Pastor's ears!) Did we take that for granted before now? Assume that we could just always go and so, what's the big deal if we miss a week or two? But then we could no longer go as before . . . and it hasn't been easy.
So maybe one of the blessings that will come out of this time of lockdown is a realization of how blessed we are to be able to go to church every week,
and a renewed commitment to do so! Maybe we won't so easily let other things get in the way anymore. We need the gifts given there, including the fellowship we have with one another. We didn't have it for a little while, and it was tough.
But now think: How many don't have this at all? We have a church to go back to, but others do not. How can we help them? How can we share the joy we have in re-opening with others? Especially those who have been so frightened and anxious during this time? How can we tell them of the confidence and certainty we have in Jesus, and that they can have this too? Perhaps this time of lockdown has exposed a need, or an emptiness, or hole in someone's life they didn't realize was there before.
Of course, your Board of Outreach and Social Ministry is thinking about this very thing, and always trying to point out ways to help you do this. Here an idea. What about our live streamed services? Maybe you can point someone to our streaming, or even watch a service with them yourself! Pick a service with a sermon that particularly stood out to you, and watching with them you could explain what we're doing in the liturgy and what it means.
Of course, maybe you've missed more than the Divine Service. Maybe you haven't been to a Bible Study in some time. Well, many Bible Study opportunities both in person and online. Ask a friend to attend with you.
Now, we haven't been able to re-open everything yet - we still aren't having our Sunday Sunday School, and no official fellowship time after church. We are joining Peace in Neenah for a virtual VBS. There is no Higher Things conferences this year either. These are all things we perhaps have taken for granted as well, and will look forward to having next year.
And what else for you? What can we as a church be doing to re-open, re-capture, and re-claim what had perhaps been taken for granted or lost? Please give it some thought and let me know. Let's use this time of re-opening as a time of re-newal and re-commitment. Keep your church and our leaders in your prayers. We've been through a difficult time - will we try to quickly move past it and forget it? Or can we use it as a blessing to help us? God uses all things for our good - how about this?
Yours in Christ, Pastor GeRue
Serving Our Lord with Gladness- July 2020
Senior Pastor: Rev. Steven S. Billings, Associate Pastor/Principal: Rev. Keith E. GeRue. Elders of the Month: 5pm Bruce Gast 9am Bart Nielsen.
Altar Guild of the Month: Paula Reichert, Jackie Kislewski.
Worship Date/Time
Acolyte Serving
Elder on Duty/ Comm. Assistant Greeters Lectors
Ushering Crew
July 4 5:00pm 5 9:00am
None Bruce Gast Bart Nielsen
None Pastor Pastor
Volunteer Volunteer
July 11 5:00pm 12 9:00am
None Bruce Gast Bart Nielsen
None Pastor Pastor
Volunteer Volunteer
July 18 5:00pm 19 9:00am
None Bruce Gast Bart Nielsen
None Pastor Pastor
Volunteer Volunteer
July 25 5:00pm 26 9:00am
None Bruce Gast Bart Nielsen
None Pastor Pastor
Volunteer Volunteer
History of Independence Day
When the initial battles in the Revolutionary War broke out in April 1775, few colonists desired complete independence from Great Britain, and those who did were considered radical. By the middle of the following year, however, many more colonists had come to favor independence, thanks to growing hostility against Britain and the spread of revolutionary sentiments such as those expressed in the bestselling pamphlet “Common Sense,” published by Thomas Paine in early 1776. On June 7, when the Continental Congress met at the Pennsylvania State House (later Independence Hall) in Philadelphia, the Virginia delegate Richard Henry Lee introduced a motion calling for the colonies’ independence. Amid heated debate, Congress postponed the vote on Lee’s resolution, but appointed a five-man committee—including Thomas Jefferson of Virginia, John Adams of Massachusetts, Roger Sherman of Connecticut, Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania and Robert R. Livingston of New York—to draft a formal statement justifying the break with Great Britain. Did you know? John Adams believed that July 2nd was the correct date on which to celebrate the birth of American Independence and would reportedly turn down invitations to appear at July 4th events in protest. Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died on July 4, 1826—the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. On July 2nd, the Continental Congress voted in favor of Lee’s resolution for independence in a near-unanimous vote (the New York delegation abstained, but later voted affirmatively). On that day, John Adams wrote to his wife Abigail that July 2 “will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival” and that the celebration should include “Pomp and Parade…Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other.” On July 4th, the Continental Congress formally adopted the Declaration of Independence, which had been written largely by Jefferson. Though the vote for actual independence took place on July 2nd, from then on, the 4th became the day that was celebrated as the birth of American independence.