November 2012 Tidings

TRINITY

EVANGELICAL

LUTHERAN

CHURCH

7 1 0 4 3 9 t h A v e n u e K e n o s h a , W I 5 3 1 4 2

T R I N I T YT R I N I T YT R I N I T Y T I D I N GT I D I N GT I D I N G SSS

November 2012

Volume 61 Published Jan.-Dec.

Saturday Morning Study ............. 2

Sunday’s Com’n ............................. 2

Confirmation Ministry .................. 2

New Traditions .............................. 2

New Members ............................. 2

Children, Youth & Family ........ 3

Care for Creation ....................... 3

Adult Lunch Bunch ...................... 4

Thanksgiving Service ................... 4

New Minister of Music .................. 4

Opportunities for Ministry ............ 4

Financial Stewardship ................. 5

Lines from the Library .................. 5

Social Ministry/CUSH ............. 5

Memorials .................................. 6

Thanks ....................................... 6

Calendar of Events .................... 7

Getting into the “Tidings” .......... 7

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one

who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to

a different gospel—not that there is another gospel, but

there are some who are confusing you and want to

pervert the gospel of Christ. Galatians 1:6-7

The word ‘gospel’ means good news. For Christians, the ‘gospel’ of

Jesus Christ is that our relationship with God has been restored and

death defeated through Jesus. God freely gives us the faith and trust

to believe this is true. This news is life giving and renewing and

freeing.

Yet there are other gospels we hear every day. One ‘gospel’ is that

happiness is best found through consumption. In other words, we can

experience life more fully when we make that next purchase (never

lasts, I’ve tried it). Or the gospel that if one is good enough and trusts

enough, God will bless them with all sorts of things—money, cars,

Larry Bird autographed basketballs ☺.

Yet the gospel spoken about in the Bible is not only good news but

more importantly is a person—Jesus. This one who comes to us, lives

among us, loves us and dies and rises for us. Jesus proclaims the good

news of God’s love for us and is also this good news in the flesh.

This fall we haven’t pursued a typical fall stewardship appeal. You

know what I mean: five or six Sundays during which we speak about

how God is at work through the ministries of the church and then we

ask for financial pledges so we can develop a spending plan for next

year.

Instead, we have sought to focus our stewardship on our

relationship with Jesus Christ—the good news. I believe that as we

care for our relationship with Jesus, our relationship with everyone

and everything else will begin to fall into place. Will everything be

perfect? No. But as we care for our faith, we will begin to see things

from His perspective more clearly and in seeing things from His

perspective, experience renewal in all our relationships.

For practical planning purposes, I hope you’ll make a pledge this

month in response to Jesus’ presence in your life. Your gifts of time

and money really do make a difference in people’s lives and faith.

And while life giving ministries are happening here at Trinity, I also

know they are happening through you at your places of employment

and schools and homes. I thank God for each of you for living out your

(Continued on page 2)

Table of Contents

Baptism

Adults who desire to be baptized, or those who want to have their child

baptized, are invited to contact the church office. In the case of Adult

Baptism, candidates are encouraged to worship and attend a Sunday morning Bible Study. Those

who want to have their child baptized are asked to schedule a Baptism Preparation session with

Pastor Tom prior to the baptism. P.T. looks forward to talking with you! Please speak with him if

you have questions.

Saturday Morning Study

Saturday, November 10th, 8:30-10:00am (No meeting November 24th)

Downstairs in the Great Hall

How do Lutherans understand baptism? Why do we make such a big deal about it? How does

it tie to how we live? For answers to these and more questions, we finish up our 5-session audio

series from Rev. Susan McArver, Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary. You do not need to

attend every session. Come for coffee and conversation as your schedule allows. For additional

information, contact Tammie at [email protected] or 654-3256.

Sunday's Com'n

Each Wednesday morning at 8:30am, gather with Pastor Tom in the Gathering Space to

reflect on the scripture reading for the coming Sunday. No experience necessary. We read the

text and share how it makes us feel and the thoughts and questions it generates. It's all good!

New Traditions

We had our first New Traditions service on October 14th and I feel that it was a great

experience. As we welcome new traditions we also celebrate old ones. So beginning in November,

on the first Sunday of the month, when you enter the sanctuary please do so silently so that

those who desire may experience a quiet time of pre-service meditation and prayer. The doors to

the sanctuary will be kept closed before the service begins to allow fellowship and conversation to

take place in the Gathering Space.

I hope both these worship opportunities—the New

Traditions service and the quiet prayer time before

worship—are seen as Worship and Music’s efforts to

provide a variety of worship experiences for God to

refresh our lives.

Linda Kluck

Worship and Christian Education

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faith this way.

So whether you pledge or not, give or not, know this: God’s good news in Jesus Christ is for

you, always. There is no better gospel than that.

A blessed Thanksgiving to each of you and remember: thankful and generous people truly are

the happiest people on earth.

Love,

Pastor Tom

(Continued from page 1)

New Members

Please welcome Trinity’s new members:

Tom and Kim Stevens

Kelly Schmitz

Christian and Eleanora von Dehsen

Patricia Hasselburg

Andrew and Karen Terry

Mary Siebert

Eric Lin

Ann, Haddon and Margret Harms

mailto:[email protected]

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Care for Creation

According to Green Christmas: How to Have a Joyous, Eco-Friendly Holiday

Season by Jennifer Sander, Peter Sander, and Anne Basye, “Every year between

Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, Americans generate 25 million extra tons of

garbage (about 25 percent more than during the rest of the year) and spend billions of dollars on

purchases that may trigger an uptick on Wall Street but leave consumers burdened with more

debt.”

This Advent season your Care for Creation team will be sharing with you ways to minimize

that “holiday effect” on God’s creation. Watch for “greening Christmas” tips in the December

Tidings and weekly bulletins during Advent. Also look for examples of eco-friendly decorations,

gift ideas, and wrapping alternatives on display.

In keeping with this Green Christmas theme, the congregation’s Christmas tree in the

Gathering Space will have a “homemade ornaments” theme. Please represent your family by

bringing a homemade ornament to hang on this community tree. Your family’s contribution

could be an ornament you’ve been hanging on your tree for years (made by a child at school,

Sunday School or scouts, made by you in your “crafty stage” or made by a friend or loved one and

given to you as a gift) or it could be something made between now and December as a family

project. Try to reuse and repurpose items you already have, rather than go out and buy a lot of

supplies.

A Recycling Station will be set up to collect various items throughout the coming church year.

During the month of December Christmas lights will be collected. So please hang onto those old

strings of lights you were going to throw away and bring them to church any Sunday in

December. Consider replacing your current lights with LED lights. These use around 90 percent

less energy than incandescent Christmas lights. Look for lights that are Energy-Star-approved.

As we give thanks to God this Thanksgiving for family, food, and all creation, let us look

forward to Advent preparation and Christmas joy by reflecting on how we can celebrate the

blessed birth in a more earth friendly and responsible manner, remembering that God so loved

the “whole world”.

Fall Fest

Due to a conflict in schedules, the Second Annual Fall Fest has been

rescheduled to Sunday, November 18th, 12:00 – 4:00pm. We are looking for volunteers to help

out and to bake pies for the pie sale. A volunteer signup sheet will be in the Gathering Space.

New this year—we will be selling Pie in Your Face tickets for $3. Please continue to watch for

updates in the bulletins and eTidings.

Veggie Tales Movie Event

Trinity’s Children, Youth and Family Ministry is pleased to offer a Veggie Tales Movie Event:

The League of Incredible Vegetables! The event will be Friday, November 23rd (“Black Friday”)

from 9:00am to 12:30pm and includes the movie, snacks, activities, and lunch. This is offered to

children ages 3 (self toileting) to 8. This is a public event but space is limited so pre-registration

is required. To register, please contact Misty Van Laningham at

[email protected] or 262-653-1282.

Confirmation Ministry

The date for the fall retreat at Lutherdale is December 7th-9th with the theme of the Lord’s

prayer. Registration and $100 is due by November 21st. Drivers are still needed.

Children, Youth and Family Ministry

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Equipping Ministry—Who do you call? Within our congregation there are many ministries to serve God and others.

Pastor Pastor Tom Smith [email protected] 287-8098

President Linda Kluck [email protected] 653-9491 Vice-Pres Mike Spitzer [email protected] 859-2032 Treasurer Jim Lichtenheld [email protected] 654-3940 Finance Mike Spitzer [email protected] 859-2032 Secretary Linda McKinney [email protected] 843-2851

Property Bruce Milne [email protected] 694-5859 Social Scott Blanchard [email protected] 945.2756 Stewardship Open Youth Sue Torres [email protected] 515-1844

Witness Rhonda Brennan [email protected] 942-0587 Worship & Music Tom Johnson [email protected] 652-7476

Children, Youth and Family Minister Mike Van Laningham [email protected] 653-1282 Adult Ed Open Opportunity Altar Guild/Flowers Donna Dezoma 298-5464

Bowling Woody Knutson [email protected] 658-3052 Busy Bees (Quilters) Donna Dezoma 298-5464 Care for Creation Dru Spitzer [email protected] 859-2032 Choirs Kerri Sherwood

Communion Asst [email protected] 694-5050 Co-op Pre-School Lea Ann Taber [email protected] 694-5192 CROP Walk Rhonda Brennan [email protected] 942-0587 CUSH Jay Labedz [email protected] 654-8852 Lenore Baumann [email protected] 654-1261

Nancy Lehrke [email protected] 694-2624 Fair Trade Coffee Nancy Lehrke [email protected] 694-2624

Grace Safe Place Summer Lunch Program Scott Blanchard [email protected] 945.2756 Health Ministry Cindy Johnson [email protected] 652-7476

Lectors Office [email protected] 694-5050 Library Dru Spitzer [email protected] 859-2032 Lutheran World Relief Lucille Brenneman 694-4097 Memorials Linda McKinney [email protected] 843-2851 Money Counting Ken Larsen [email protected] 654-4801

Mutual Ministry Jay Labedz [email protected] 654-8852 Parish Visitors Cindy Johnson [email protected] 652-7476 Saturday Bible Study Tammie Sorenson [email protected] 654-3256 Senior League Linda Kluck [email protected] 653-9491

Soup Kitchen/Shalom Center

Linda McKinney [email protected] 843-2851 Sunday Morning Coffee Rhonda Brennan [email protected] 942-0587 Sunday Morning Nursery Kaley Gerou Sunday School Open Opportunity

Tidings & Website Sheri Villers [email protected] 697-8238 Urban Outreach Center Scott Blanchard [email protected] 945-2756 Ushers Woody Knutson [email protected] 658-3052 VBS Mike Van Laningham [email protected] 653-1282

Women of the ELCA Roseann Knutson [email protected] 658-3052

Opportunities for Ministry Trinity Adult Lunch

Bunch

41st

Year

Nov 8th

Chicken and dressing with bread

and whip cream salad. Pumpkin pie

squares for dessert and we will

celebrate November birthdays. Let’s

play Bingo.

Dec 13th

Chicken wrapped in foil, rolls and

birthday cake for dessert.

*If school is cancelled due to bad

weather, there will be no lunch served

that day.

Linda Kluck, 262-653-9491

Thanksgiving Service of

Gratitude

November 21st, 7:00pm

Thankful and generous people are

the happiest people on the planet. So

join us for a service of thanksgiving

followed by fellowship time featuring a

slice of

homemade

pie. Invite a

friend and

tell them how

thankful you

are for them!

New Minister of Music

We welcome Kerri Sherwood as the

new Minister of Music at Trinity. She

comes to us with a diverse background

as a recording artist, performer,

composer, conductor, inspirational

speaker, counselor and teacher. Kerri

has had 21 years of experience as a

church music director. In addition she

has recorded, produced and marketed

15 albums. She has performed in

various venues, many of which have

been benefits for various cancer

foundations. Trinity is blessed to have

Kerri share her talents with us.

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Dear members of Trinity,

September was a very

good month; we had enough

funds for both Unified

Giving and Debt Reduction

accounts. However, we are

still behind in Unified

Giving for the year. The

expenses for September

were a lot lower with no

music director salary, but

that was a temporary

reduction. Please make sure to keep up with your Unified Giving and Debt Reduction offerings.

Also, keep everyone in your prayers; they help!

Thanks,

Jim Lichtenheld, Treasurer

How are We Doing?

September 2012 YTD 2012

Income $17,885.77 $157,476.39

Expenses $14,738.02 $160,187.90

Unified Overage (Shortage) $3,147.75 ($2,711.51)

Estate Gift Transfer $0.00 $2,447.96

Building Debt Reduction Funds $5,445.00 $44,622.00

Mortgage Payment $4,900.83 $43,637.78

Mortgage Overage (Shortage) $544.17 $3,432.18

Financial Stewardship

The Social ministry and CUSH committee will

meet on November 4th so we will not conflict with

the New Tradition service. Please join us in the

library at 9:10am.

Please remember CANS FOR CUSH on

November 4th. Please drop off any bagged

aluminum cans in the back hallway of the church

on the first Sunday of each month. The recycling

money will benefit CUSH.

Thank you for your support of CUSH and

Trinity’s Social Ministry programs.

Many volunteers donated time and

prizes for the October Bingo party at

Brookside. Many people ordered pecans through

the CUSH fundraiser.

Social Ministry will adopt the volunteers at

the Urban Outreach Center again this

Christmas. A tree with ornaments containing

names and gift ideas will be in the gathering

space at the end of November or early December.

Social Ministry and CUSH Corner

Lines from the Library

In keeping with the Care for Creation Green Christmas theme the library has added two new books that are filled with eco-friendly ideas for gifts, decorations, and entertaining.

In I’m Dreaming of a Green Christmas: Gifts, Decorations, and Recipes that Use Less and Mean More Anna Getty shares decorative craft ideas, delicious recipes and advice on how to choose the best tree, light and heat your house, give sustainable gifts, and organize and recycle after Christmas. Sara Snow, host of Living Fresh and author of Sara Snow’s Fresh Living gives this review of I’m Dreaming of a Green Christmas. “Anna Getty’s way of living, to protect her children and the planet, is inspiring and worthy of applause. This book draws upon her love of children, family time, and holiday feasting to help make a special time of year not only a little greener and healthier, but more enjoyable as well.”

Green Christmas: How to Have a Joyous, Eco-Friendly Holiday Season by Jennifer Sander, Peter Sander, and Anne Bayse focuses on giving more of ourselves and consuming less of what is wasteful. It focuses on time together rather than gifts received. Green Christmas calls for family involvement, entertaining without waste, reducing spending, cutting energy use and reducing your carbon footprint, preserving the environment, and supporting local business.

If you are looking for ideas to not only “green” your Christmas but to de-stress it as well, you most likely will find those ideas in these books. Because of their timely subject matter, during the months of November and December we ask that these books be returned within two weeks instead of the usual three.

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Memorials and Gifts

An offering from Ginny Onserud was given towards the Unified Fund

in honor of her 90th birthday.

Offerings were given in honor of Ginny Onserud’s 90th birthday

towards the Worship and Music Fund from Vernetta Belongia, Darlene and Ken Larsen,

Helen Oechler, Fran and LaVerne Zuehlsdorf, Margie Slavik, Laurie Jacobs, Jim and Audrey

Steel.

Offerings were given in memory of Wayne Haney towards the Building Fund from Jim

and Audrey Steel, towards the Memorial Fund from Stanley and Nancy Demske and towards

the Baby Grand Fund from John and Sue O’Day.

Offerings were given in memory of Lyle Krahn towards the Unified Fund from Ken

Krahn and Carol and Leslie Gillmore.

An offering was given in honor of Nash Schmitz’s baptism towards the Memorial Fund

from grandparents, Donald and Jane Schmitz.

Total offerings received: $1280

Thanks

A big thank you to all my Trinity friends for the surprise reception and gifts. It is indeed by

the grace of Jesus that I’ve been able to assist you in singing your hymns of praise.

Margie Slavik

——

Thank you to all my Trinity family and friends for all the kindness to me on my birthday.

It is greatly appreciated. Saved by grace through Christ to serve.

Ginny Onserud

Lutherdale Fest

Final results from Lutherdale’s Fest have come in. Over $36,000 was raised on the auction

of quilts, $9,800 in other areas (bakery, silent auction, etc.) plus over $15,000 in supplemental

funds from Thrivent Chapters for a grand total of $61,655. Plan on attending and providing a

quilt for next year’s auction on Saturday, August 10, 2013!

Funerals

Wayne Haney Passed away 9/14/2012 Funeral 9/20/2012 Robert Johnson Passed away 9/24/2012 Funeral 9/29/2012 Donald Shidagis Passed away 9/13/2012 Memorial Service 10/18/2012

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Sunday, November 4th

Daylight Savings Time

8:00am Worship

9:00am Coffee & Hospitality Hour

9:15am Sunday School

9:10am CUSH/Social Ministry

10:15am Worship

11:00am Boy Scouts

Monday, November 5th

6:00pm Boy Scouts Troop 525

Tuesday, November 6th

6:00pm Cub Scouts 525

6:00pm Security and Housekeeping

7:00pm Venture Group

7:00pm Worship and Music

Wednesday, November 7th

8:30am Sunday's Com'n

6:30pm Choir Practice

7:30pm Bell Choir Practice

Thursday, November 8th

9:00am WELCA Bible Study

11:30am Trinity Adult Lunch Bunch

Saturday, November 10th

8:30am Saturday Morning Bible Study

4:30pm Boy Scout Spaghetti Dinner


8:00am Worship


9:15am New Traditions Service


10:15am Worship

12:00pm Jade Schmitz Baby Shower



6:30pm Care for Creation



6:30pm Witness Ministry


7:00pm Pre-school Board Meeting



6:30pm Choir Practice

7:30pm Bell Choir Practice


8:00am Worship



10:15am Worship

12:00—4:00pm Fall Festival




5:30pm Finance Ministry

6:00pm Council Ministry



Wednesday, November 21st

No School

Registration for Lutherdale Due


7:00pm Thanksgiving Eve Worship &

Pie Social

Thursday, November 22nd

Thanksgiving

No School

Friday, November 23rd

No School

9:00am VeggieTales Event

4:00pm Soup Kitchen


Christ the King Sunday

8:00am Worship



10:15am Worship








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November 2012

Getting into TRINITY TIDINGS

The deadline to receive information for the December 2012 issue:

Wednesday, November 21st

Articles may be left in the church office or E-mailed to Sheri Villers at [email protected].

TRINITY TIDINGS Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church

7104 39th Avenue

Kenosha, WI 53142

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Kenosha, WI

TRINITY TIDINGS November 2012

Volume 61

TRINITY EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH Phone: (262) 694-5050

Website: www.trinitykenosha.org Email: [email protected]

STAFF Pastor, Rev. Thomas Smith ........................... ext. 24 Cell: 262-287-8098 Email: [email protected]

Parish Administrator, JoAnn Konkle .......... ext. 21

Children, Youth and Family Minister,

Mike Van Laningham ................................ 653-1282

Minister of Music, Kerri Sherwood

Co-op Preschool Administrator, Lea Ann Taber Co-op Preschool Financial Administrator Misty Van Laningham

Custodian, Sue Torres

Health Ministry Coordinator, Cindy Johnson, RN

SUNDAY WORSHIP TIMES Worship with Holy Communion .... 8:00 & 10:15am New Traditions ............ Second Sundays at 9:15am Hospitality & Coffee Hour ........................... 9:00am

Attended Nursery is available Sundays from 7:30 am to 11:45 for children 6 weeks to 4 years of age

Saved by Grace through Christ

to Serve

November Thanksgiving Service of Gratitude

November 21st, 7:00pm

Followed by fellowship and pie!

Documents

November 2012 Tidings