T r i n i t y L u t h e r a n C h u r c h & S c h o o l 3 0 0 B r o a d S t r e e t M e n a s h a , W I 5 4 9 5 2 C H A N G E S E R V I C E R E Q U E S T E D
Our Mission Statement:
Trinity, Menasha is a fellowship of Lutheran Christians be-ing 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.
January 2017 Newsletter
Trinity Lutheran Church & School
300 Broad Street, Menasha, WI 54952 (920) 722-2662 Church (920) 725-1715 School
www.trinitymenasha.com
December 2016
Newsletter
Important Dates:
1-2 No School-Offices Closed
1-3 Voter’s Meeting
1-7 Pizza Sales begin
1-10 Pastor’s Circuit
Meeting
1-14 Organ Soup Sale Begins
1-16 Pastor Billings at Symposium
1-21 Trinity’s Family Game Night
1-22 National Lutheran Schools Week Begins
1-23 SOUP-R-BOWL
1-24 School Open House
1-24 Perkins Dine Out
1-26 Alpha 1-27 No School-
Offices Closed 1-28 Officer
Orientation
Pastoral Staff
Rev. Steven S. Billings, Senior Pastor
Rev. Keith E. GeRue,
Principal/Assoc. Pastor
Worship Times: Saturdays at 5pm
Sundays at 9am
Thursdays at 6:30pm
(summer only)
Trinity’s Prayer Time Every Monday evening at 6:30pm in the
Narthex. Join us!
Happy New Year from Pastor Billings, Pastor GeRue and
the entire Trinity Lutheran Church & School staff!
Thank you to everyone that supported our SCRIP program in 2016. Without you we would not be able to give back to our Church & School in support of God’s work! May God, bless you in 2017, as we look forward to another great year of SCRIP sales! -Your SCRIP Team
You Are Invited…to Alpha Sunday! On Sunday, January 15th join us for sub sandwiches af-ter the worship service to learn more about Alpha! Meet in the Large Fellowship Hall. Contact Barb Sexmith at (920) 427-6763 for more info.
7th & 8th grade Pizza Sales Begin on Saturday, January 7th
through Sunday, January 15th. Sales will take place in the
Narthex & School Office. Many varieties to
choose from. All proceeds to benefit future class
trips. Talk to a student & order yours today!
Trinity’s Off Broad Street Players 15th Annual Dinner Theatre Ken Ludwig’s “The Game’s Afoot”
It is December 1936 & Broadway star William Gillette, admired the world over for his leading role in the play Sherlock Holmes, has invited his fellow cast-members to his Connecticut castle for a weekend of revelry. But when one of the guests is stabbed to death, the festivities in this house of tricks & mirrors quickly turn dangerous. Then it’s up to Gillette, as he assumes the persona of his beloved Holmes, to track down the killer before the next victim appears.
Travel back to the 1930’s & enjoy our elegant, traditional Christmas Buffet! Trinity Lutheran Church & School
300 Broad Street – Menasha
March 17th – 19th, 2017
2017 brings Trinity’s 160th Anniversary as well as 500 years of the Reformation
Trinity’s 160th Anniversary History Book Update We are on our way to gathering information for the book. Our Day School students have submitted art work and writings. Now we need the congregations input. While you’re looking out at the cold, please share your memories about Trinity. You don’t have to be a writer, just a couple of lines about: a stained-glass window that is special to you, a Pastor or teacher from your past,
remembering the move from the Chute Street church, a school activity, something special about the grand piano or organ, maybe special photographs, or artwork. Submit your writings by email to [email protected] A box will be available in the Narthex to collect your writings, artwork, or photos. Please sign your submissions. We will withhold your name if you wish to be anonymous BUT we will not accept any anonymous submissions. Helpers are needed to assemble, proof read and organize the incoming information. Please contact any member of the committee if you wish to be involved with any aspect of the project. History Book Committee: Dan Emery (920) 379-7985, Elaine Weinig (920) 470-9090, Pastor GeRue (920) 725-1715 or Pastor Billings (920) 722-2662. May God bless this anniversary celebration!
∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞
January is National Blood Donor Month -Mary Howden, Parish Nurse Please Consider Donating Blood
Find a convenient blood drive near you. You don't need a special reason to give blood. You just need your own reason. Some of us give blood because a friend asked us. Some know that a family member or a friend might need blood someday. Some believe it is the right thing to do.
Whatever your reason, the need is constant and your donation is important for maintaining a healthy and reliable blood supply. You'll feel good knowing you've helped change a life!
2017 National Lutheran Schools Week - PRESIDENTIAL PROCLAMATION
Whereas, Scripture exhorts and reminds us to “Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock” (Is. 26:4); and Whereas, All Lutheran education finds its beginning and its end in that same Rock, Jesus Christ; and Whereas, This unique educational model, grounded in Christ, is and will be even more needed and important in a culture that increasingly leads children and young adults toward chaos and confusion, rather than toward the order and peace that come from Him; and Whereas, Lutheran education directs young people to their heavenly Father, Who loves them on account of Christ, while simultaneously offering them thorough instruction in how to discern the world around them through a distinctly Lutheran lens; and Whereas, The Lord has seen fit to bless schools and children with teachers, pastors and church workers who encourage and assist students to think broadly and boldly, both academically and theologically, for the students’ benefit as well as for the sake of the world and the Church; and Whereas, Finding their mutual foundation in the Rock, teacher, student and parent learn together to make a faithful confession of Christ, while also discovering the joy inherent in His gifts of science and math, English and history, art and music through rigorous scholastic study; and Whereas, Teaching and learning – being both a thinking and speaking student of Christ’s Word as well as of academia – remains an LCMS mission priority, with Lutheran educators who continue to ground children in the Rock while encouraging them to be lifelong learners; therefore, be it Resolved, That Jan. 22-28, 2017 be officially proclaimed as National Lutheran Schools Week in The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, in the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Rev. Dr. Matthew C. Harrison
President, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
You are invited to the Alpha Preview Dinner! Got Questions about life?
Try Alpha
Alpha is an opportunity to explore life and the Christian faith in a friendly, open, and informal environment.
Thursday, January 26th at 6pm
Large Fellowship Hall at Trinity Lutheran Church 300 Broad St, Menasha
Are you, or is someone you know looking for answers to your spiritual questions?
Are you tired of just going through the motions in your spiritual life?
Do you want to connect with others on a deeper more meaningful level?
Is there more to life than this?
Connect with others, and enjoy a free home-cooked meal. Then watch a fascinating video. Participate in discussions.
No pressure. No judgement. No Follow up. No Charge.
RSVP by Monday, January 23rd
[email protected] or 920-427-6763
Please help! We have a sign-up sheet in the Narthex to help cook a meal, make desserts, set up
or tear down!
1/1 CISKE, Stan & Johanna (17) 1/1 THOMAS, Craig & Jill (48) 1/11 JOERNDT, David & Mae (48) 1/16 ZIRPEL, Randy & Renee (19)
1/2 BAEHMAN, Duane
1/3 KROES, Nick
PEOTTER, Georgina
1/4 MEIDAM, Kenneth
1/6 GROSHEK, Joseph
KRAUSE, Judith
1/9 HENKEL, Blaine
HENSON, Sara
VOIGT, Doris
1/12 ELLIOTT, Charlotte
VOIGT, Roger
1/13 NIELSEN, Bart
1/14 TSCHIRGI, Joyce
WOLTER, James
1/15 BROWN, Riley
MADER, Margaret
1/16 HERTZIGER, Tammy
1/17 MEIDAM, Helen
REUNING, Alexandra
1/18 BRADLEY, Randy
1/21 GEHRT, Randolph
1/22 WALDBURGER, Jolene
1/23 ZACHEK, Matthew
1/24 MODERSON, Michael
1/26 KAMPRATH, Ashlee
KONWINSKI, Chester
WOODBURN, Daniel
1/27 BOSS, Cari
DANIELS, Cody
1/28 SANDERS, Evie
1/29 ROSS, Jean
1/30 NIELSEN, Ethan
RALEIGH, Sharon
An invitation for every woman who feels she isn’t godly enough … isn’t loving enough … isn’t doing enough… Please consider coming to the Monday Night Women’s Bible Study as we begin a new study:
Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World-Finding Intimacy with GOD in the Busyness of Life by Joanna Weaver
Join us on Monday, January 9th at 6:30pm in Trinity’s School Library. Our study meets on the 2nd & 4th Monday of each month. Hope you can come! Questions, please call Juliet Colby at (920) 729-0927.
JANUARY WEDDING ANNIVERSARIES
JANUARY BIRTHDAYS
Trinity’s Game Night Saturday, January 21, 2017 Approx. 6:30pm Pizza & beverages will be provided by your Board of Outreach
DID YOU KNOW? We still have a Consignment account (#302) at
Bumblepuppy in Appleton? Thank you to everyone that has been taking their unwanted items there for consignment to Trinity! We have discovered they receive donations from people that do not wish to deal with consignment & they graciously add those items to our account for profit. Please remember…… Bumblepuppy when browsing & when cleaning out your unwanted items. If you have any questions about what they take or you want to schedule a drop-off, call (920) 213-0927.
Duracell AA batteries are needed for both Pastor’s Microphone Headsets. If you can help, please drop off your donation in the Church Office. Thank you!
-To the men that continue to keep Trinity’s sidewalks and entry ways clear of snow & ice. We are very blessed to have you!
-To everyone that helped prepare our
Sanctuary & worship services for the Christmas season.
- To the congregation for supporting the
Ladies Aid/LWML Cookie & Candy Sale. We were blessed with a huge profit of $1,164.70. These funds will be used for numerous missions as well as Church & School projects.
-To the ladies & gentlemen that helped with the Huntley Brown concert. What a huge success! It would not have been possible without YOU!
January 2017
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1-New Year’s Day 9am Worship 10:30 Ed Hour
2
No School-
Offices Closed
3 6:30am Ladies Bible
Classes Resume 9am Men’s Mtc
6:30pm Voter’s Mtg Board Mtgs
4 8:45am Chapel
10:30am Adult Bible 5pm Confirmation
7pm Choir
5 6am Men’s Bible
4:30pm BB vs W. Bloomfield
6 Popcorn Friday
7 Pizza Sale Begins
5pm Worship
8-Baptism of Our Lord 9am Worship
Pizza Sale 10:30 Ed Hour
9 Pastor’s Day Off
Sewing Day 6:30pm Prayer Time 6:30pm Ladies Bible
10 6:30am Ladies Bible Pastor’s Circuit Mtg 6:30pm Brd of Dir
11 8:45am Chapel
10:30am Adult Bible 5pm Confirmation
5pm PTLS Mtg 7pm Choir
12 6am Men’s Bible
9:30am Admin Mtg 4:30pm BB at
St. John’s, Berlin
13 14 9am Food Pantry
9am Conscious Discipline Organ Soup Sale
Pizza Sale 5pm Worship
15-2nd Sunday after the Epiphany
9am Worship Organ Soup Sale
Pizza Sale 10:30 Ed Hour
16 Pastor’s Day Off
Sewing Day 6:30pm Prayer Time
17 6:30am Ladies Bible
4:30pm BB at All Saints, Berlin
6:30pm Ladies Aid
18 8:45am Chapel
10:30am Adult Bible 5pm Confirmation
7pm Choir
19 6am Men’s Bible
4:30pm BB at Celebration
20 3:30pm Pizza making
21 9am Conscious Discipline
Organ Soup Sale 5pm Worship
6:30pm GAME NIGHT
22-3rd Sunday after the Epiphany
9am Worship Organ Soup Sale
10:30 Ed Hour
23 Pastor’s Day Off
Sewing Day 5pm SOUP-R-BOWL 6:30pm Prayer Time 6:30pm Ladies Bible
24 6:30am Ladies Bible
4pm Open House 4:30am BB vs
Trinity, Oshkosh 5pm Perkins Dine Out
25 8:45am Chapel
10:30am Adult Bible 5pm Confirmation
7pm Choir
26 6am Men’s Bible
6pm Alpha
27
No School-
Offices Closed
28 9am Food Pantry
10am Officer Orientation Organ Soup Sale
5pm Worship
29-4th Sunday after the Epiphany
9am Worship Organ Soup Sale
10:30 Ed Hour
30 Pastor’s Day Off
Sewing Day 6:30pm Prayer Time
31 6:30am Ladies Bible
4:30pm BB at Manawa
Tr in ity Lutheran Church & School
300 Broad Street
Menasha, WI 54952
Pastor Billings at Symposium
NATIONAL LUTHERAN SCHOOLS WEEK
JANuaRY 2017 TriNiTy LC – MENashA CrOSswORd
ACROSS
1. Trinity will continue
our ____ to many and
various charities, families,
individuals, ….
4. in January there are
seven days which are
designated as National
Lutheran ____ Week
6. the angel told Mary and
Joseph to name their Son
this name
9. I AM
12. the sound cows make
13. 6 January, the 12th
day
of Christmas, AND the
season of the Church we
have just begun
17. IF there were a couple
getting married, Pastor
Billings would say,
“Repeat after, me: with
this ring, I thee ___...”
19. ___ of St. Paul is
celebrated on 25 January
20. “___ to the Lord, the
Almighty”
21. early January the
church gets ____ed from
all Advent/Christmas
things
22. another word for
“beginning” (of the
calendar year)
23. the sound cats make
25. those guys who
brought Jesus gold,
incense and myrrh
29. see 21 across
30. a main hymn of this
season, “O ___, How Fair
and Bright”
31. wear warm socks
when outside doing
8down to protect these…
32. a theme of this season
DOWN
1. our Christmas tree did
this, so we had to put it
outside on 6 January and
begin the next season
6. you might do this while
doing 8down
7. oh, isn’t it beautiful? ☺
8. when it’s done 7down,
grab your plastic flat thing
and go wild…
10. there are rehearsals for
this meal treat, coming in
March…
14. wear gloves and/or
mittens during this month!
Protect your ___!
15. the program to raise
money for the church by
money spent at various
stores (using coupons
from the stores)
16. at the beginning of the
year some new elders,
ushers, other board
members begin their
term(s)
24. the season of the year
– snow, ice, cold
26. the third party of God
28. the women of Trinity
NEVER stop doing this! ..
..even after Christmas…
34. this shines a bit in
January
1 2 3
4 5
6 7 8 9 10
11
12 13 14 15 16
17
18 19
20
21 22
23 24
25 26 27
28 29
30
31
32 33 34
rdwc 12/19/16
35
Special Descriptions A. After playing outside in the cold, nice hot drinks to warm us up include hot chocolate and 27down 2down.
B. Near the end of the month, Trinity’s version of a food-football-finale-festival… …. 5down – R – 3down!
C. 1 January: 33across Day; 1 January – the naming and 11down of Jesus
D. Friends of the 35across 5down 18down …. … .. give up? Ok . Translation: Buddies of that keyboard-
thing, liquid dinner, trading. ☺ {please contribute to both sides – donating and purchasing
Trinity Financial Report November-16
General Fund Checking & Savings
Weekly Income
Date
Gen. Fund
Offerings Matching Funds
School
Transfers BOTR Other Income Total Income
11/7/16 $14,331.53 $1,972.97 $4,035.73 $20,340.23
11/14/16 $10,986.26 $406.31 $287.31 $760.00 $12,439.88
11/21/16 $10,681.19 $200.00 $327.27 $20,406.81 $31,615.27
11/28/16 $10,031.53 $12.50 $308.80 $0.12 $10,352.95
Total $46,030.51 $618.81 $2,896.35 $25,202.66 $74,748.33
Weekly Expenses
Date Regular Bills Thrivent Match Memorial Fund BOTR
Other
Accts/Misc
Expenses Total Expenses
11/7/16 $2,509.77 $2,509.77
11/14/16 $27,060.80 $7,414.10 $34,474.90
11/21/16 $21,883.29 $21,883.29
11/28/16 $19,870.69 $19,870.69
Total $71,324.55 $7,414.10 $78,738.65
Beginning Balance - General Fund $16,628.64 less $50 Oct. error
Income for Nov. 2016 $74,748.33
Expenses for Nov. 2016 $78,738.65 less $335 Oct. error
Ending Balance - General Fund $12,253.32
Offering/Matching Funds YTD $378,566.95
Expenses YTD $366,846.78
BOTR Income YTD $17,247.53
BOTR Expenses YTD $37,770.50
Mortgage Balance $1,265,640.93
LCEF Steward Acct - Endowment Holding $2,210.33
Endowment Funds Account $18,091.71
Memorial Fund Account $14,224.13
RBC Account $26,006.81
Beginning Balance - Restricted Accounts $68,100.96
Income for Nov. 2016 $11,661.00
Expenses for Nov. 2016 $15,031.24
Ending Balance -Restricted Funds $64,730.72
Debts Repay Balance $16,540.89
Past Due Bills $15,000.00
CATECHETICAL COMMENTSA Series
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
This month we take up the Fourth Commandment:
Honor your father and mother.
What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not despise or angerour parents and other authorities, but honor them, serve and obey them, love andcherish them.
And question 48 asks: “Who are parents and other authorities?”
The answer given probably goes farther than many people realize, for it encompasses morethan just our immediate biological ancestors:
Parents are fathers, mothers, and guardians; other authorities are all those whom Godhas placed over us at home, in government, at school, at the place where we work, andin the church.
Oh, the list we could make of all to whom this commandment refers!
Fathers, mothers, grandparents, aunts, uncles, teachers, pastors, bus drivers, police,firefighters, governors, congressmen, mayors, magistrates, and on and on. Simply put,anyone and everyone whom God has placed in positions of authority over us. We oweeach and every one of them respect, honor, and obedience according to the FourthCommandment.
So often we treat our parents, policemen, government officials, pastors, etc., with suchregrettable disdain. We must remember that these are people whom God has given us for ourbenefit.
Luther has much to say to say about this in the Large Catechism, especially concerningpastors and princes (government). Then as now people seemed to disregard their leaders,though in his day people had little control over who governed them.
In our day many people seem to think that if they did not vote for the current governmentthey owe little or nothing to their leaders. This is not true! We owe allegiance to ourgovernment whether we voted for the elected leaders or not. Our leaders need our prayers! And so do our pastors!
Please pray for us, that we may be God’s servants, even as our elected leaders are God’sservants. And may God lead our elected officials to realize the solemn responsibility that istheirs to govern as God would have them govern.
Humbly in His service,Rev. Steven S. BillingsSenior Pastor
From the School Start the New Year off on the right foot
The Blessedness of Sins Forgiven
Have you wronged anyone recently? Have you said unkind things? Have you hurt someone or neglected
them? Then read what Psalm 32 has to say for you:
Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
Whose sin is covered.
Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity,
And in whose spirit there is no deceit.
When I kept silent, my bones grew old
Through my groaning all the day long.
For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me;
My vitality was turned into the drought of summer. Selah
I acknowledged my sin to You,
And my iniquity I have not hidden.
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
And You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah
For this cause everyone who is godly shall pray to You. —Psalm 32:1-6
David contemplates the blessedness of being a forgiven sinner. God justifies us, declaring us righteous
for Jesus’ sake, by not imputing our iniquity to us. It has been imputed to Christ, and His righteousness has been
imputed to us as a gift of God’s grace. Unbelief and impenitence are characterized by silence: a refusal to
acknowledge one’s sin and one’s need for God’s mercy. We waste away spiritually when we refuse to believe
what God’s Word says. Faith and repentance are characterized by confession: “I acknowledge my sin to You,
and my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,’ and You forgave the
iniquity of my sin.” This is the reason why Christians pray: with God there is forgiveness of sins, and all our
prayers ascend to God by grace alone on the basis of the merits of our Savior. We hide ourselves in the
righteousness of Christ. His mercy instructs us and guides us into all truth. Unbelief is stubborn and headstrong,
like a horse or mule, and will not heed the call to confess one’s sin and believe the Gospel. The wicked are
those who will not trust in the Lord. The righteous are those whose sins are forgiven. The Lord’s promise is of
supreme comfort to the penitent sinner: “He who trusts in the Lord, mercy shall surround him” (vs. 10).
“Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven.”
In Christ, Pastor GeRue
What’s happening around The School. January 3 School Resumes
January 5 Basketball at Home against West Bloomfield
January 12 Basketball at St. John, Berlin
January 14 9-3 Conscious Discipline Training
January 17 Basketball at Home against All Saints, Berlin
January 19 Basketball at Celebration, Appleton
January 20 Hoops For Heart
January 21 9-3 Conscious Discipline Training
Lutheran Schools Week January 22 – 29 Watch for more details to come.
January 22 School Students sings at 9 am service at Trinity
January 23 Soup- R- Bowl
January 24 Basketball at Home against Trinity, Oshkosh
January 29 School Students sings at 9 am service at Peace, Neenah
January 31 Basketball at St. Paul, Manawa
February 9 Basketball at Home against Valley Christian Oshkosh
6th – 8th graders are selling Pizza’s until January 15
What an exciting time to be a servant in the LORD’s harvest.
Thanks for being a part of the Trinity family.
Faithfully Serving Our Lord– January 2017
Senior Pastor: Rev. Steven S. Billings, Assoc. Pastor/Principal: Rev. Keith E. GeRue
Elders of the Month: 5pm Tom Harrmann, 9am Lee Weinig
Worship Date/Time
Acolyte on Duty
Communion Assistants
Greeters
Lectors
Ushering Crew
Jan 1 9am A. Hopfensperger Weinig/Reinke Jan Bathke Pastor Billings/GeRue Diesch/Maynard
Jan 7 5pm 8 9am
Ashlee Kamprath Harrmann/Nickolai Weinig/Kamprath
Sharon Raleigh Lynn Olson
Deb Bartelme Tim Reuning
Harrmann Reinke/Weinig
Jan 14 9am 15 5pm
Josiah Nielsen Harrmann/Guiley
Weinig/Bathke Adamovich/Gehrt
D & R Collingwood Karen Riske
C. Hopfensperger Maynard
Wray/Sexmith
Jan 21 9am 22 5pm
Abby Reuning Harrmann/Henkel
Weinig/Drum Jean Zeinert
Wendler/Sexmith Juliet Colby
Joshua Bailey Colby
Zirpel/Pomerenke
Jan 28 5pm 29 9am
Alex Reuning Harrmann/Buksyk
Weinig/Buksyk JoAnn Schultz
Jan Bathke Roger Voigt Larry Olsen
Voigt Diesch/Maynard
Getting to Know You: Rita Wilke
Rita was born in Appleton WI. She was baptized and confirmed at St. Joseph’s Church in Appleton. She graduated from high school and worked jobs at Riverside Paper, St.
Elizabeth’s Hospital, Theda Clark and Maritz Marketing Research. She married Duaine Wilke (deceased) in 1983 and together they have eight children (Wayne, Luann, David,
Debra, Jeff, Julia, Daniel, Shelley; step-children, Vicki, David, Doug and Tricia). Rita also has 40 grandchildren! She became a member of Trinity through her husband and has been a faithful member
for 33 years. Rita’s favorite bible verse is Psalm 23 “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want”.
Classes for Adult Confirmation The classes are for those wishing to become members of
Trinity, Menasha or for those that wish to have a refresher of the Catechism. Classes will begin after worship on
Sun, Jan 8th at 10:30am with Pastor Billings in the Large Fellowship Hall. Please call Renee in the office to register
at (920) 722-2662.
Church Office Hours: Monday through Friday 8:10am to 3pm
Missed Worship? Visit our website: www.trinitymenasha.com “Like” Us on Facebook
Our next meeting is Jan 17th at 6:30pm in the Small Hall. The evening to consist of Bible study, various fund disbursement, & discussion for the April 22nd Zone Spring Rally held at Trinity. All ladies are invited to attend. Our mission is to assist the ladies of Trinity in their relationship with their Lord so that we are able to use our God given gifts in the ministry to the people of the world. We take time for fellowship, getting to know & learn from each other. Sewing for World Relief & area shelters is every Monday at 9am in the Small Hall. Contact Dottie at (920) 991-2705 for more info on any Ladies Aid events.
Friends of the Pipe Organ Soup Sale begins Sat, Jan 14th & runs every weekend through Sun, Feb 12th. Pick up fresh soup & bread. Funds to go toward regular organ tunings & maintenance during the year
Willkommen zu Trinity Lutherische Kirche
Did you know? In 2017, Trinity, Menasha will celebrate its 160th Anniversary! It’s the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation. Martin Luther never intended to start a new church, just a re-examination of some of the church practices. But here we are today, 500 years later, a Lutheran church. We will be looking for your input for a book project to commemorate Trinity (written, artistic, photographic, editing, assembly & more). We would like you to personally plug into this getting a little creative or maybe a little sentimental. Do you have a favorite memory of Trinity that could be put in a sentence or two? Have you or would you like to do something artistically with the windows or some other inspirational part of Trinity? Our Day School students are creating & writing about stained glass pictures to be put in the book. There will be many opportunities to tell stories and express your feelings about Trinity and its history. If you have questions, contact: Dan Emery, Elaine Weinig, Pastor Billings or Pastor GeRue.
~Items for Weekly Bulletin must be submitted to the Church Office before 10am on Wednesdays~
~Items for Monthly Newsletter must be submitted to the Church Office before the 15th of the month~
We will no longer collect any stamps for missions. With the changes in stamps & what is now acceptable it is no longer productive for us. Thank you to those who have diligently saved stamps throughout the years. -Trinity’s Ladies Aid
Trinity Congregational Statistics
New Members/Transfers In: Elizabeth Bahrns transfer from Zion Lutheran, Beleville, IL
Transfers Out/Released: None
Baptisms: Blake & Logan Van Handel, sons of Samuel & Allison (Thomas) Van Handel
Weddings: None
Members Who Have Passed: None
If you would like Pastoral care, please call the Church Office at (920) 722-2662.
TRINITY IS NO LONGER ACCEPTING: Campbell’s Soup Labels, Old Cell phones,
Postage Stamps TRINITY IS ACCEPTING:
Box Tops for Education, Kwik Trip Milk Caps & Bag Tops, Coke Caps, Ink & Toner Cartridges, Aluminum Cans, Blankets/Sheets/Material.
Trinity’s Food Pantry Meets the 2nd & 4th Saturday of the month at 9am. If you or someone you know needs our pantry, please contact Marc & Sandy Guiley at (920) 969-0475. We appreciate all monetary and food donations that are given to us, to help those in our community.
Matters of Importance to Congregation If you would like to make an
announcement to the congregation, please contact the Church Office at least
two weeks in advance for approval by the Pastors. Thank you!
Voter’s Meeting-for the election of new officers & directors will be Tues, Jan 3rd at 6:30pm in the Sanctuary. New Officer Orientation- will be Sat, Jan 28th at 10am in the Small Fellowship Hall. Questions, please call Blaine Henkel, Congregation President at (920) 725-0694.
The Newsletter of Amanda Groshek
Tidings from Taiwan
Greetings!
There’s been a lot of exciting things going on here in Taiwan this past month (and will continue to be
through the beginning of January)! At the end of November, CELA and the kindergarten hosted
Thanksgiving feasts for the students. The kindergarten Thanksgiving activities also included a skit put on
by the teachers depicting the first Thanksgiving. The Americans also hosted their annual BIG
Thanksgiving dinner at the Practice Hotel. December 1st, some of the American teachers helped to lead J1
(seventh grade) chapel – singing songs, reading Bible verses, and performing a skit – talking about how
God makes all things new. And now, we’re transitioning into Christmas activities. At school, alongside
their regular work, the students have been making Christmas cards to be handed out to local nursing
home residents. In O.S.F, we’ve also started talking about Christmas and preparing to go caroling in a few
weeks.
As always, I hope this newsletter finds you well. Merry Christmas! 聖誕快樂!
Peace, Amanda
December 2016
You Make All Things New – J1 Chapel
Once or twice a semester the American teachers are asked to
lead a J1 Chapel. This semester, we were asked to lead one at
the beginning of the December. One of the fun things for me
with helping out with J1 Chapel is that several of the students
are ones that were my E6/CE6 students last year!
We looked at 2 Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore, if anyone is in
Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away;
behold, all things have become new." Because of the variety of
English levels, we try to at least make sure the slides in the
PowerPoint are bilingual. We sang songs including, “Trading My
Sorrows” and watching a video of the song “You Make Beautiful
Things.” There was also a skit. At the beginning of the skit, we all
had problems: anger, fear, loneliness, feeling not good enough,
and hopeless. But Jesus had a conversation with each
individual, offering to take their bad feelings, reminding each
person that God loves them and made them special. When
each person handed their negative feelings over to Jesus, He
replaced them with good things. God makes all things new.
For more, check out: http://calledtogo11.blogspot.tw/2016/12/you-
make-beautiful-things.html
Above: practicing the skit
Below: A sea of J1 faces
-
“Dallas Willard says that God does not spotlight His special ones. Jesus came in a way so unobtrusive that many
missed Him. Perhaps our heroes aren’t in obvious places. Perhaps we will have to train our eyes and our hearts and
our minds to find them.” Nancy Ortberg, “Looking for God”
Contact Me:
Amanda.Groshek@lcms
intl.org
Feel free to also check
out my blog about the
daily aspects of my
missionary adventure: http://calledtogo11.blogspot.com
To support my work financially, you
may send a tax deductable gift to: The Lutheran Church – Missouri
Synod
P.O. Box 790089 St. Louis, MO. 63179-0089.
Make the check payable to LCMS
The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod and on the Memo Line write:
Amanda Groshek. You can also give online by going to:
http://www.lcms.org/groshek
The First Week of Christmas – O.S.F.
The Christmas season is one of, if not, my favorite time of year with the O.S.F.
students. Over the course of three or four weeks (depending on the year), we read
the Christmas story, make Christmas cards, cut out, bake, and decorate sugar
cookies, along with going caroling. So, when the other O.S.F. leaders asked if I’d
wanted to assume leadership of the next couple weeks, I happily said, “Yes!”
This past week was a full one! We started practicing carols for when we’ll go caroling
at local businesses and some of the on-campus teachers’ houses. We also read
through and talked about the Christmas story as it appears in Luke 2:1-20. Since we
were a little crunched for time, we just read it in Chinese, although the Power Point
had the story in both Chinese and English, along with some pictures. Finally, we
decorated Christmas cards to hand out while we go caroling.
For more, check out: http://calledtogo11.blogspot.tw/2016/12/osf-christmas-activities-week-one.html
Praise and Prayers:
- Thanksgiving for all the
ways God is working in and
through my students, and the
students here at school.
- Thanksgiving for fun
Thanksgiving activities that
went off without a hitch.
- Pray that God would
continue working in the
hearts of my students to
encourage them and bring
them closer to Him
- Pray for all the
missionaries/teachers here in
Taiwan that God would use
us as His hands, feet, and
voice. And, that God would
continue to send workers out
into the field.
“Rejoice evermore”
1 Thes. 5:16
Thanksgiving
Life isn’t always perfect, but there are still oh so many things to be thankful for. This
year, I had the privilege of enjoying three different Thanksgiving feasts, along with
having some special holiday themed classes.
The CELA Thanksgiving came first. It has taken on a variety of different shapes over
the six years that I’ve been here. The week before, the students had filled out
pumpkins with things there are thankful for (family, friends, a house, Jesus, teachers,
etc). These “I am thankful for _________” pumpkins were then displayed at the feast.
For E1 and E2’s feast, I was handed a cleaver and asked to carve the turkey. Table by
table, the students lined up to come over for some turkey. (I’d never carved a turkey
before, neither had anyone else. But, we managed to clean it off pretty well… although
we also used our hands at times). The students still waiting at their tables were given
bread, sweet potatoes with marshmallows, and pumpkin soup.
The kindergarten Thanksgiving is also a lot of fun, as the English teachers (both
Taiwanese and American) put on a skit about the first Thanksgiving. The kids’ favorite
part is when everyone is running around trying to catch the turkey! This year, the
turkey even had a costume. Then we eat!
Lastly, the Americans always host a rather large Thanksgiving feast over at the
Practice Hotel on campus. This year I think 75-80 people attended! The Americans
always provide the traditional fixings (turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, etc),
and then our guests bring a dish to pass as well. It’s a fun, delicious melding of food
culture that takes the pressure off any one person to cook for so many people.
For more, check out: http://calledtogo11.blogspot.tw/2016/11/the-art-of-living-and-being-thankful.html