trinity together together trinity lutheran church 357 west main street kutztown, pennsylvania 19530...
TRANSCRIPT
1
TRINITY TOGETHER Trinity Lutheran Church
357 West Main Street Kutztown, Pennsylvania 19530
December 2017 Interim Pastor: The Rev. David Strobel 610-682-4353 [email protected] Director of Youth & Family Ministry: Seth Noggle 570-529-2325 [email protected] Editor/Administrative Assistant: Lisa Finke 610-683-3450 [email protected]
Church Office Hours: Monday through Friday 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Website: www.trinitykutztown.com
Our Mission Statement
Telling others of God’s unconditional love through worship; Empowering discipleship through education;
Leading others to this family of Faith as baptized believers; Calling all to follow Jesus’ example of servanthood.
2
Scrapings and Parings Advent again! The ever-circling cycles of time have brought us again to the beginning of a new church-year. And, just as in our celebration of the calendar New Year, we reflect on where we’ve been and anticipate where we shall be going, full of hope and expectation. For Trinity, the old year, the year past, was one of dramatic change. A beloved pastor retires; the congregation settles-in to the new reality of a pastoral vacancy; an old war-horse, retired bishop fills just a few of the gaps in the interim; the call committee awaits candidates to interview. All the while in the year past, we have followed Jesus with St. Matthew, the Evangelist, as our guide, making our pilgrimage on the same paths we travel each church year from Advent to Christ the King, but having heard afresh from Matthew the old, old story of Jesus and his love. The gospel in the midst of change: a special message for Trinity last year, to be sure, but still the gospel of Jesus Christ, “the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.” (Hebrews 13:8) Advent again! I find the poetry of T. S. Eliot in his Four Quartets so appropriate.
“For last year's words belong to last year's language And next year's words await another voice. And to make an end is to make a beginning." (Little Gidding)
“Another voice”: as Trinity goes through the call process, that phrase has a particular and very special meaning. A new pastor called and installed, with a new voice to lead the congregation in making a new beginning – a genuine and realistic hope for the new church year. However the call process works itself out, there will be another voice for next year’s words. St. Mark, the Evangelist, will be our guide in following and learning from Jesus in the church year to come. Mark will introduce us to his distinctive Jesus, the Christ, the anointed one. He is at the same time the Son of God and the Son of man. Again and again, Jesus demands that no one announce who he truly is: this is the Markan secret. He will be fully revealed as the King of Creation in his suffering, death and resurrection. Advent again! It is an end and a beginning: a new church year to explore with St. Mark as our guide. Once again T. S. Eliot:
“We shall not cease from exploration And the end of all our exploring Will be to arrive where we started And know the place for the first time.” (Little Gidding)
Advent again! Pastor David Strobel
3
Schedule & Volunteers
LAY READERS: Dec 3 8:00 AM Michele Zimmerman 10:15 AM Kris Tuerk Dec 10 9:00 AM Sue Mangold Dec 17 8:00 AM Kevin Stump 10:15 AM Bob Hobaugh Dec 24 9:00 AM to be determined 5:00 PM to be determined 7:30 PM Andrea Orwig Dec 31 9:00 AM to be determined
ACOLYTES: Dec 3 8:00 AM Elena Graff & Colin Pape 10:15 AM Rachel Hoffman & Alyssa Heffelfinger Dec 10 9:00 AM Jarrett Noecker Dec 17 8:00 AM Elena Graff & Will DeVall 10:15 AM Taylor Greenawalt & Justin Diehl Dec 24 9:00 AM Rachel Hoffman & Jarrett Noecker 5:00 PM Alyssa Heffelfinger & Justin Diehl 7:30 PM Colin Pape & Aidan Pape Dec 31 9:00 AM Kendall DeVall & Will DeVall
USHERS: Dec 3 8:00 AM Volunteers 10:15 AM Jim & Andrea Orwig Dec 10 9:00 AM Michele Zimmerman & Linda Geiring Dec 17 8:00 AM Volunteers 10:15 AM Trevor & Tracey Greenawalt Dec 24 9:00 AM Volunteers 5:00 PM Michele Dugan 7:30 PM The Esser Family Dec 31 9:00 AM Volunteers
COMMUNION USHERS: Dec 3 8:00 AM Richard Miller 10:15 AM Tina Billig & Kurt Rohrbach Dec 10 9:00 AM No Communion Dec 17 8:00 AM Randy Heffner & Marsha Hoyer 10:15 AM Karen Raudenbush Dec 24 9:00 AM No Communion 5:00 PM No Communion 7:30 PM to be determined Dec 31 9:00 AM No Communion ALTAR COMMITTEE: Nancy Hildenbrand &
Melanie Wessner
FLOWER CHAIRPERSON: Nancy Hildenbrand BIBLE STUDY: Every Wednesday at 10:00 AM
IMPORTANT DATES: Dec 3 First Sunday of Advent Advent Wreath Celebration Dec 10 Second Sunday of Advent Phase I Congregational Meeting Dec 17 Third Sunday of Advent Dec 24 Fourth Sunday of Advent/Christmas Eve Dec 25 Christmas Day Dec 31 New Year’s Eve
Christmas Eve Ushers Needed We are in need of 3 volunteers to usher at the 5:00 PM service on Christmas Eve. If interested, please contact Lisa in the church office at [email protected] or 610-683-3450.
Upcoming Newsletter Deadlines Because of the holidays the deadline for the
January newsletter has been moved up.
January Newsletter Deadline December 11
4
I wanted to ask
everyone a favor for
Sunday mornings. If
you have any questions
or concerns for me
about the Sunday
services or want to add someone to the prayer
list please feel free to ask me. However, if you
have something else…an article for the
newsletter, a question about an upcoming
event, etc….please send me an email, leave a
note on my desk, or call and I will address those
questions on Monday morning. I would like to
spend Sunday mornings attending worship,
holding Teddy, listening to Cassidy sing a song,
and catching up with everyone else. Thank you
for your consideration in this matter.
Congregational Meetings
Phase I Congregational Meeting
December 10th, 2017
This meeting will be to elect new Council
members and to approve the 2017 Budget.
There will only be one service that day at 9:00
AM and the meeting will be held immediately
after the service in the sanctuary.
Phase II Congregational Meeting
January 28th, 2018
This meeting will be to review 2017 Committee
reports. There will only be one service that day
at 9:00 AM and the meeting in conjunction with
a covered dish brunch will take place
immediately after the service in the Fellowship
Hall. A sign-up sheet for the brunch will be on
the office door closer to the meeting day.
Student Food Pantry at KU Thank you to everyone who has contributed
time, groceries, and cash donations to this
ministry. This pantry which is a satellite of
Friend, Inc. started up for the new school year
on August 30th and it has been a busy year so
far. If you would like to contribute food items
please see the list below…
Peanut Butter Juice
Miscellaneous Snacks Crackers
Knorr Side Dish Packets Cereal
Instant Potato Packets Breakfast Bars
Toiletries Mac ‘n Cheese
Soup Tuna
Canned Fruits & Veggies Pasta
There is a box outside of the Parlor to put the
items in. If you have any questions, please
contact the church office.
Hope’s Table Trinity will be organizing several meals at Hope
Lutheran Church in Reading. The date for the
next meal is December 26th, and we would like
your help to serve food at this meal. The time
involved would be approximately 4:30 PM to 7
PM that night. If you would like to help out
please speak with the church office.
Interested in making one-time or ongoing contributions from your own home? You can now do this online! Just go to the church’s website
(www.trinitykutztown.com) and look in the sidebar on the left…the link is near the bottom. If you have any questions please call the church office at 610-683-3450.
5
Looking ahead to the Christmas season: We will be decorating the sanctuary on
Saturday, Dec. 9th at 9:00 a.m. and the
Christmas tree on Saturday, Dec. 16th at 9:00
a.m. Please join us!
Your help is always appreciated to prepare for
the holiday season.
ELCA Youth Gathering: Houston, Texas June 27th-July 1st (Wednesday-Sunday) The Youth Gathering is only every 3 years and is done by the ELCA Lutheran synod. This is a huge nationwide church event, and is an amazing time. There are speakers, a mission element, a lot of activities, and chances to meet thousands of other High school students from all over the US. The cost will be $195, but then we'll all be tasked to raise the rest of the money which will help cover hotel and plane costs. This is a once in a life time opportunity, and I hope you all consider going.
I need to know if you are able to come to
this along with the 195 dollars no later than
February 15th!
Friend, Inc.
Holiday Boxes Once again we will be
participating in the
Holiday Box Project that Friend, Inc. has every
Christmas season. Below is a list of items that
can be purchased for each box but this is a
general guideline so if there is something you
would like to substitute or add please feel free.
Each family will receive a turkey along with the
box. Also, if you would like to decorate the box
or add the name of the organization that
prepared the box you are encouraged to do so.
Items that can be included are as follows:
2 CANS OF SWEET POTATOES 2 CANS OF CRANBERRY SAUCE
2 CANS OF DIFFERENT VEGETABLES LARGE CAN OF FRUIT JUICE
BOX OR BAG OF STUFFING MIX BAG OF APPLES (may substitute
applesauce) BAG OF POTATOES (may substitute canned
potatoes or mashed potatoes) CAN OF FRUIT COCKTAIL
COOKIES 1 CAN OF COFFEE OR COCOA
HOLIDAY NAPKINS
Christmas boxes need to be delivered to Trinity by December 10th Volunteers will take the boxes to Friend, Inc. for
distribution.
6
The Adult Sunday
School Class
welcomes you to join
us in enjoying “Faith
in Action,” a program
that explores how
God empowers ordinary people to live actively
in faith for doing good in the world. Martin
Luther pointed out that where there is active
faith there is love for the neighbor. We will
read extensively from the books of Daniel,
James, the Acts of the Apostles, together with
Paul’s Letters to the Ephesians and Timothy.
We will find that our acts of stewardship in the
world are proof of faith because love for
neighbor flows from faith and through faith we
accept God’s grace. We will rediscover that
grace and faith come from God and that we as
faith actors must never think that those who
perform many acts are more faithful than those
who perform fewer acts. Rev. Jeanette Bialas
Strandjord, a retired ELCA pastor, has written
this study to help us to recognize how God
empowers us to do good in the world. Please
join us Sunday mornings at 9:00 am in the
Library for conversation, coffee and fellowship.
Christmas Caroling at
Cabela's in Hamburg
for singers and
instruments Saturday
Dec. 16th from 2:00 to
4:00 pm. Join with
carolers from Zion
Lutheran Church,
Shoemakersville.
Please contact Bruce Rohrbach now to confirm
your attendance and pick up music.
Instrumentalists for
Christmas Eve
Willing to play an instrument for services
Christmas Eve? Please see Bruce Rohrbach now
for the music. We'll play December 24th for a
hymn at 9:00 am; 4:30 to 5:00 pm preludes for
the early service; and 7:00 to 7:30 pm preludes
for the late service. All instruments are
welcome.
Usher Coordinator Needed
There are many Trinity members who are
willing to serve as an usher and the Worship
Life Team wishes to thank you for your service.
We would be grateful if we could find someone
to serve as usher coordinator. This would
involve devising an usher schedule for the 10:15
and holiday services. If you would prayerfully
consider volunteering for this task, we would
appreciate your willingness to serve. Please
contact the church office to volunteer and if you
have questions regarding this ministry.
Open & Close on Sunday Mornings
We are looking for a few people
to open and close the church on Sunday
mornings. If we had four different people to
open in the morning and then four different
people to close that would be great. A checklist
has been created for anyone interested and
hands-on instruction would be provided if
needed. Please see the church office if
interested.
7
Kutztown Community Choir
Christmas Choral Concert
The Kutztown Community Choir will present
their annual Christmas concert on Sunday,
December 10 at 3:00 PM, at Trinity Lutheran
Church, 357 W. Main St., Kutztown. This year’s
concert will include a wonderful collection of
cherished holiday music that runs the gamut of
festive, fun, and inspirational seasonal favorites.
Featured pieces include Christmas Day by
Hoist, Almost There by Amy Grant & Michael
W. Smith, Christmas Is the Best Time of Year, a
medley of Christmas standards, the joyous
Christmas spiritual We're Goin' Up to Bethlehem
and Echoes of the Season arranged by well-
known local composer Carl Nygard. And in
what has become an audience favorite, the
concert will once again conclude with the
Hallelujah chorus, from Händel’s Messiah, in
which the audience is invited to join the
chorus. There will be a reception with light
refreshments following the program and an art
show featuring the local artists of Art in the
Afternoon. The annual Christmas Concert has
become a treasured tradition in our town, one
that affords the community a time to come
together and enjoy the sounds and spirit of the
holiday season. Please plan on joining us for an
afternoon that is sure to delight.
“The only blind person at Christmastime is he who has not Christmas in his heart.”
—Helen Keller
Advent Wreath Celebration
This year we’ll be having a
special family event at Trinity…an advent wreath-creating session ending with lighting the first candle in the Fellowship Hall of Trinity. This will be held on Sunday, December 3rd starting at 5:00 PM. We will have a meal to start off the evening. Then following the meal we will have craft projects for the whole family, warm drinks and snacks along with some Christmas carols and a time to reflect on our Advent season. We are asking everyone coming to bring their favorite Christmas cookie/dessert to share with the group. If you have greens (pine, boxwood, holly, etc.) to donate for the wreath making please speak with Seth or Lisa. This will be a great time of fellowship and fun, and we hope that you take time to join us!
Christmas Shoppe
Are there items in your house that you have purchased or have been given as gifts but are still unopened? We are collecting those items to create a Christmas Shoppe in our Fellowship Hall to give those who struggle during the holiday season a chance to shop for their friends and family. You can bring in any new unopened items you have to the church office to add to our “inventory”. We will also be needing people to help wrap presents, etc., when the Shoppe is open. The Shoppe will be open… Friday, December 15th from 6 to 8 PM Saturday, December 16th from 9 AM to
Noon Proceeds from this will go to the Helping Hand Fund. If you have any questions about what types of things are being collected or how to help out, you can contact Valarie Kutz at 610-790-5911.
8
Ringing the Salvation Army
Bell Throughout the year, Friend, Inc.,
as a Salvation Army Service Unit, distributes thousands of dollars to local families that are in danger of getting evicted, or having their heat or power shut off. Our kettle, set up at various locations brings in funds that directly go to these needs. We need your help to keep volunteers ringing the bell during the holiday season. The following is the schedule and locations for this year… Dec. 1st & 2nd Firefly Bookstore in Kutztown Dec. 8th & 9th Boyer’s in Fleetwood Dec. 15th & 16th CVS Mall in Kutztown Dec. 22nd & 23rd CVS Mall in Kutztown If you would like to help out, please contact Pastor Dennis Ritter at 484-529-7801. Thank you in advance for your help.
We have received the
following contributions to
the Memorial Fund…
In memory of William J. Boyer, Jr.
Robert Moyer & Cynthia Kohler
Debra & James Kohler
In memory of Cliff Salvesen
Erma Bond & Leonard Dietrich
Holiday Senior Luncheon
Save the date! We will be holding our annual
holiday Senior Luncheon on Wednesday,
December 6th at 11:30 AM. The menu is
shepherd’s pie! A sign-up sheet is on the office
door. Hope to see you there!
Christmas Eve Schedule
9:00 AM Worship Service
5:00 PM “Because Christmas” Service
7:30 PM Christmas Eve Celebration Service
with Holy Communion
We hope you are able to join us for this joyous
time of year!