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Trinity Lutheran Church

INSIDE THIS ISSUE...

Seminary Lecture Series ......... 2

Endowment.............................. 2

Women’s Retreat ..................... 3

Trinity Youth Group ............... 3,4

Adult Forum ............................. 4

Online Newsletter

SPRING 2013 NEWSLETTER

Trinity Lutheran Church

Holy Week ScheduleHoly Thursday – March 28Seder Meal 6:00 pmMaundy Thursday Service - 7:15 pm - approximately Good Friday Community Service – March 2912:00 until 3:00 pmSt. Peter’s Lutheran Church Good Friday Evening Liturgy – March 297:00 pm at Trinity Festive Easter Morning Worship7:00 am Sunrise Service9:00 & 11:00 am - Worship with Holy Communion Easter Breakfast Served by Trinity Youth & Parents8:00 until 10:30 am Easter Egg Hunt - 10:15 am

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Trinity Endowment Fund Continues to Grow

8 a.m. first of the month

Dr. Craig Koester to speak on the Book of Revelation and Popular Culture

April 21-23 Luther Seminary Series

Preaching Sunday morning, April 21 8. 9:30, 11 a.m.

Speaking Sunday evening, April 22 - 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.

Speaking Monday evening, April 22 - 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.

Craig Koester received a B.A. from Saint Olaf College, an M.Div. from Luther Theo-logical Seminary, and a Ph.D. from Union Theological Seminary in New York. He served as a parish pastor for several years in Princeton, Minnesota, and joined the faculty of Luther Seminary in 1986. He was appointed to the Asher O. and Carrie Nasby chair of New Testament Studies in 2012.

An innovative teacher, Dr. Koester is known for his “Genesis to Revelation” course, which uses visuals, music, and drama to take people through the sweep of the biblical story in ten days. His other courses include John’s Gospel and Epistles, and the book of Revelation. Because of the high level of public interest in Revelation, he developed a course that explores the back-ground and content of Revelation, as well as its impact on western culture. Entitled Apocalypse: Controversies and Meaning in Western History, it was released on DVD through the GreatCourses.

Luther seminary professor, Dr. Craig Koester, is this year’s featured speaker for Trinity’s Luther Seminary lecture series. His talks will address the Book of Revelation and Popular Culture in the first part of the series, and A Tale of Two Cities: Babylon and New Jerusalem in the Book of Revelation.

Revelation is a book that many people as-sociate with the An-tichrist, Armageddon, and the end of the world. Such scenes are featured in popular media, and fuel a sense of fear and confusion.

A careful look at how these theories came about and how they work is one helpful step toward a more promis-ing view of what Revela-tion says about the future.

The other step is to open Revelation itself, in order to see a vision that fosters a sense of hope and actually informs Chris-tian worship in surprising ways.

In A Tale of Two Cities: Babylon and New Jerusalem in the Book of Revelation

Revelation uses con-trasting word pictures to shape ways of seeing the world.

Major sets of images include the Lamb and the Beast, Babylon and New Jerusalem. By taking these images together, we can see how Revelation offers a significant critique of the world as it is, along with a vision of the power of God that calls people to re-newed hope for the future.

Revelation is not designed to conceal but to reveal, and through its vivid imagery it offers engaging perspectives on what it means to be people of faith in a world of competing loyalties.

The Endowment Committee is able to re-port that the value of the Endowment Fund as of February 28, 2013, was $362,035.49 which was an increase of $13,832.58 or 2.64% over the value on January 1, 2013.

The economy and the stock market have continued to provide steady increases which have benefitted the Fund. During the first two months in 2013, supporters of the Fund, including the contributors on Endowment Sunday, donated $5,728. These gifts are very much appreciated and will facilitate distribu-tions to charity in the fourth quarter of the

year. These distributions will be taken from dividends and earnings of the Fund.

As Pastor Jim announced on Endowment Sunday, a gift is being given to the Church in the form of a bequest to support scholarships.

The Endowment Committee is currently doing research on investments to provide a safe and prudent way to hold the funds until the scholarships are awarded. The Church Council will select the students to receive the scholarships.

Submitted by Paul Thonn, Endowment Chair

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What an amazing winter it has been for our Youth!

Several famil ies ended 2012 by head-ing to Lutherwood and Mt. Baker for fun, games, food and sledding! This was our 2nd year of this adventure, offering a nice “get away” not far from home. Everyone returned in one piece, albeit a bit cold and tired after a full day of sledding--and, for the adults, driving!

Middle Schoolers started off Febru-ary with an evening of “Super Bowl” ing at Ebey Bowl in Coupeville. (Insert Bowling Picture here.)

Fifteen middle school students also joined 150 peers from the Synod for an “all nighter” in early March.

Three brave chaperones, Robbie Hu-som, Kristi Etzell, and Joe Lippo shown below), traveled to Kirkland where youth played games, enjoyed trampoline time at Skymania, skated at Sno King Ice Arena, returned to Holy Spirit Lutheran Church for Giant Inflatables, a movie, XBox and other video games, followed by a 6:15 a.m. breakfast! We returned to TLC by 8:45 a.m. and rumor has it several of the kids didn’t see any other daylight that Saturday.

Confirmation Classes have contin-ued and in the Spring we will have 5 eighth

graders par-ticipating in a Confirma-tion Service. Thank you, Pastor J im and Pastor J e r r y, f o r leading our youth on the

journey through the 10 Commandments this year.

Trinity Youth Group News: Busy, busy, busy!Lutherwood is hosting a CONFIRMA-

TION IGNITE! Retreat April 19th-20th. Registration forms are on the Confirma-tion cart. If any adults are interested in chaperoning this event, I would love to hear from you! This is an awesome, inex-pensive $35 experience for our Confirma-tion students to meet with other youth and enjoy a “taste” of Lutherwood, too.

Our High School students have been keeping busy with so many school and ex-tracurricular activities that it’s been hard to gather them for more than 15 minutes

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Adult Education April - JuneApril 7 & 14Peter & Paul and the Christian Revolution Part I & II

This DVD includes interviews with contemporary scholars as they lead us through the historical evidence, of a small band of Jews burdened with carrying on Jesus’ name, and the dangerous politics as the Roman Empire collapsed.

April 21What is Spiritual Direction?

Is it a Lutheran thing to do? A Lutheran, whether in a life crisis or merely seeking spiritual maturity, meeting with a spiritual director as a guide/mentor has proven over the centuries to be especially helpful in leading one into a deeper communion with God. Learn more about the minis-try of spiritual direction and participate in several exercises a spiritual director might use to help you discern your unique response to God’s presence and action in your life.

Guest Speaker: Pastor Jerry

April 28 What is a Liturgical Calendar?

Pastor Eric will begin with the histori-cal rise of the liturgy and go through the church year with special emphasis on how and why it came to be.

Guest Speaker: Pastor Eric

May 5The Quest for Solomon’s Mines

This DVD shows explorers crossing the rugged countries of Jordan and Africa, searching for treasures believed to adorn Solomon’s temples and palaces.

May 12 & 19Dietrich Bonhoeffer Part I & II

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a Lutheran Pastor motivated and led by his faith. He

opposed Hitler and it cost him, his life. Study a powerful and spiritually evocative film and a part of Lutheran history.

June 2 Faith in Action Series:50 Years of Northern Lights

Listen to this remarkable story of love, forgiveness, and strength; living through and surviving the Holocaust. Noemi and her father were the only family members to survive the horrors of Hitler’s war. Her mother, grandmother and siblings were murdered in Auschwitz. “I don’t hate because I want to be free. If you live with hate, you will never be free. If I hated, the Nazis would have won. Life is precious, and don’t ever give up. If life is hard, and you are still alive, keep on trying. I am still alive. I love life. I am a happy person.”

Guest Speaker: Noemi Ban

Bio: Noemi Ban was the commencement speaker for Western Washington University graduation Winter Ceremony 2013, in Bell-ingham, where she also received an Honorary Doctorate of Humanities. Noemi will have her book available for purchase; “Sharing is Healing, A Holocaust Survivor’s Story”

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at a time. However, a few are participating in Young Life Club on Mondays and April 1st, all High School students are invited to join Central Whidbey Youth for a Club night activity in Oak Harbor, followed by fun in Coupeville!

Also, although Holden Village is unable to host us this year because of renova-tions, I just got word about a May retreat for High School students! The location will be Camp Lutherwood and the dates are Friday, May 24 at 7pm – Sunday, May 26, noonish.

Cost is $95 and includes meals, lodging and high ropes courses. More details in late March--registration begins April 8, final payments are due May 3.

Finally, three of our TLC youth will be joining Coupeville’s Living Hope Church on a Mission Trip to Mexico July 1st-9th. Please keep Ben and Marisa Etzell and Sophie Nilsen in your prayers and offer your support to them as they prepare for this amazing journey.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS:

HIGH SCHOOL: April 20th Concert to see Christian singer, Chris Tomlin! Contact Kristi to reserve a ticket ASAP!

Middle School AND High School:

”Acquire the Fire” on May 10th-11th in Everett (2-3 additional chaperones needed)

Creation 2013 in Enumclaw August 8th-9th--a campout and Christian Concert experience like no other!

Lutherwood Camp Opportunity Books are in the Narthex! There are music, ad-venture, Confirmation camps and MORE available all summer! Grab a book and sign up early to get the best rate!

**NOTE: Pastor Jerry will be participat-ing in the Summer Confirmation Retreat @ Lutherwood! Sign up soon to be part of a memorable weekend with him!

Feel free to contact me if you desire to help with our youth or youth activities.

--Kristi Etzell, Youth Coordinatorsimplesis01@yahoo.com or

360-320-3910 Follow us on Facebook.

Trinity Lutheran Church P.O. Box 97

Freeland, Washington 98249Telephone: 1-360-331-5191

email: robin@trinityfreeland.orgon the web at:

www.trinitylutheranfreeland.orgFacebook: www.facebook.com/trinitylutheranchurchfreeland

SPRING 2013Managing Editor - Pastor Jim

Editor-In-Chief - Robin EdgemanOnline Design - Laura Canby

Contributors to this issue:Linda Nevermann, Pastor Jim Lindus,

Paul Thonn, Robin Edgeman,