Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church

July/August Newsletter, 2013

Vacation Bible SchoolJuly 29th - August 2nd - 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

Kids from 3 years old through 6th grade are welcome!

Register NOW by calling 856-939-4411 or sign upon our web page: www.trinityrunnemede.org

This month my article covers three separate issues; Summer Bible Study, theChurch Secretary and the Contemporary Worship Service.

He is named in the Bible, but he is no saint. His name is mentioned weekly bymillions of Christians during worship, but he is no God. Hollywood is rumored tobe producing two movies about his life (will Brad Pitt star in one of them?), buthe is no hero. Until 1961 there was no concrete evidence that he ever existed.His most famous words are "Ecce homo" (behold the man) which he

proclaimed to the crowd as he presented Jesus to them for crucifixion. He is,Pontius Pilate.

Each Sunday as we recite the Apostles' Creed we say the line, "He was crucifiedunder Pontius Pilate", I wonder if we truly contemplate what that means? Have we gotten so usedto saying Pilate's name by rote that we forget the role he played in the passion of our Lord? Behindthe name in the creed there was a real Pontius Pilate who was appointed Prefect of Judea from26 - 36AD.

In addition to the Bible, Pilate is mentioned by a few writers from his time, Philo of Alexandria,Josephus and Tacitus. However, there are no public records of his birth, death or actions asPrefect of Judea. Prior to an archaeological find in 1961, scholars could debate whether or notPilate ever existed. In 1961 a stone was found in an excavation of the amphitheatre at CaesareaMaratima that bears a dedication to the Emperor Tiberius by Pontius Pilate. Most scholars nowaccept this inscription as solid proof that there was a Pontius Pilate, and he was the Prefect ofJudea during the reign of Tiberius.

If you are intrigued by this, come and learn more about the man, the myth, the maniac known asPontius Pilate. On July 25th we will continue our tradition of studying a biblical character. The studywill begin at 8:00pm after our summer choir rehearsals.

By now most of you know that Joanne Thornley, our church secretary will be retiring after 41 yearsof service to Trinity. This will be a major change for all of us. Most of you probably no longerremember what it was like before Joanne came to Trinity. We are working toward making thistransition as smooth as possible. However, every transition in personnel at any institution usuallyinvolves an adjustment period. Therefore we will need time to adjust to the new church secretaryas she also adjusts to us. Many people want to know if we have hired someone and who it is. It isstill too early to hire someone. We will begin interviewing in September with the goal of havingsomeone in place to begin training by November. Also, we are not planning on hiring from withinour membership. I know that some think we should only hire a member. When a member servesas an employee it can be really great and it can be really disastrous. I have had my share ofgreatness and disasters in many churches over the years. Also, this was reinforced for me at ourSynod's Boundaries training seminar that I attended in June. It is strongly recommended byprofessionals that churches do not hire employees from their membership. During this time oftransition it is important that we place our trust in the Lord, that He will lead us and guide throughthis time.

You may remember that we tried having a contemporary worship service on Saturday evenings thispast year. Unfortunately, this new service did not accomplish the goals that we had set. The counciland the contemporary worship group have decided to try the contemporary service during Sundaymorning to see if we can attract more youth and young families. The plan is to hold the serviceonce a month from September to January on the second Sunday of each month during the 11:15service. If this fails, we will discontinue the service. If it succeeds we will continue our regularservice at 11:15 with the addition of having the contemporary service once a month. I know thatthis will be a sacrifice for some, but we are hoping to bring new people into our church and buildup the 11:15 service at the same time. So we are asking our 11:15 worshippers to bear with usthrough this trial period and once again trust in the Lord that He will lead and guide us into ourfuture.

Pastor Andy

SERMON PREVIEWS:

July 7 - PENTECOST 7 - HOLY COMMUNION

Sermon: The Rev. Lou Dunkle will supply

Luke 10:1-11, 16-20

July 14 - PENTECOST 8

HOLY COMMUNION - 10:00 AM

BAPTISMS/SHARE SUNDAY

Sermon: “HI HO THERE NEIGHBOR!

Luke 10:25-37

July 21 - PENTECOST 9 - HOLY COMMUNION

Sermon: “A TALE OF TWO SISTERS”

Luke 10:38-42

July 28 - PENTECOST 10

HOLY COMMUNION - 10:00 AM

Sermon: “LORD, TEACH US TO PRAY”

Luke 11:1-13

August 4 - PENTECOST 11 - HOLY COMMUNION

Sermon: “A GODLY INHERITANCE”

Luke 12:13-21

August 11 - PENTECOST 12

HOLY COMMUNION - 10:00 AM

BAPTISMS/SHARE SUNDAY

Sermon: “RESIDENT ALIENS”

Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16

August 18 - PENTECOST 13 - HOLY COMMUNION

Sermon: “A TOWER VIEW”

Isaiah 5:1-7

August 25 - PENTECOST 14

HOLY COMM UNION - 10:00 AM

Sermon: The Rev. Lou Dunkle will supply

Luke 13:10-17

SUMMER BIBLE STUDY , HANDBELLAND CHOIR REHEARSALS

July 25th

6:00 pm - Senior Handbells7:00 pm - Senior Choir8:00 pm - Bible Study

GOD’SBACKYARD BIBLECAMP, Under the

Stars

Vacation Bible SchoolJuly 29th - August 2nd

6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Welcome to God’s Backyard Bible Camp! Getready for an outdoor adventure that starts in yourown backyard and gets bigger as kids take thelove of Jesus into their neighborhoods andcommunities! This backyard adventure will takeplace right here at Trinity Lutheran Church.

Each day begins at Backyard Bash with large-group music and fun, where kids experience theother activities of the day, kids gather back toBackyard Bash to review, to be encouraged, andto be motivated to serve others.

Other sites include Backyard Bible Club, wherekids will explore the Bible story in a variety ofinteractive ways and then apply the story bycompleting the “Its Your Serve!” challenges;Backyard Food and Fun, where kids have time tomove around, have fun, and fill up; ClotheslineCreations, where kids have fun creating craftsthat are service-oriented; and Community Corner,where kids hear stories about communityservants and get motivated to be involved incommunity projects! And all these fun activitiesconnect to the Bible story, Bible Memory, and theLife Focus of serving!

The staff is waiting for some backyard crews tojoin them in serving and having a blast!

Register by calling 856-939-4411 or sign uponline at: www.trinityrunnemede.org .

“Start children off on the way they should go,and even when they are old they will not turn

from it” Proverbs 22:6 (NIV).

It is so important to teach our children to loveGod and help them to develop a personalrelationship with Jesus, and strive to keep theTen Commandments. This will help them find

a sense of self-worth by knowing how theyshould live their lives as they walk in faith. Every day out in the world our children learn new thingssome of which are good, but a lot that are not good. The earlier in life that they accept Jesus astheir Lord and Savior the fewer difficulties they will have from worldly influences. Not only this, butthey will live their lives knowing the peace and joy that comes from a loving relationship with Jesus.

Our Father’s Day program was a success, we had 25 fathers attend. It was held in the FellowshipHall during the Sunday School hour. Dads and their sons or daughters had fun playing Bible Bingo,they received prizes, and had refreshments. Our Pre-K class had their own special time of fun withtheir Dads with a “Fathers of the Bible” craft. Dads, it was nice to see all of you come and spendtime with your child and have fun together. I hope you all enjoyed the program. I know the DadsI had the opportunity to speak with did have fun.

My thanks to those in the congregation and Sunday School who made peanut butter and jellysandwiches for Cathedral Kitchen. I estimate that on June 9th we collected well over 300sandwiches. Also, just as a reminder we are still collecting funds to give financial support to theCathedral Kitchen. In the near future we will be sending Cathedral Kitchens a check for the moneythat has been donated.

Sunday June 23rd started our summer semester. Students in 1st grade through 8th grade aremeeting in the Fellowship Hall. Pre-K and High School students will continue to meet in theirregular class rooms. Our summer program allows students to have a time of Christian fellowshipwhile having fun. There will be games and crafts as well as time for receiving a Christ centeredmessage.

It is coming soon so don’t forget to register for Vacation Bible School. It will be held on July 29th toAugust 2nd from 6:00 pm until 8:00 pm. “God’s Backyard, Bible Camp under the Stars” by StandardPublishing is the program being presented. My thanks to those who have already made donations.If you are interested in helping or supporting VBS please contact Jennifer Smith.

Rally Day for this fall will be held on Sunday, September 8th. This will be an exciting time withgames and refreshments. Also, students will be promoted and meet their “new” teachers. This yearwe would like to increase the number of children attending Sunday School. We will be asking ourstudents to bring a neighborhood or school friend with them on Rally Day. The congregation canhelp by reaching out to their neighborhoods to invite parents to bring their children.

In Jesus’ name,Carl Nagel

Monday, July 29th – Friday, August 2nd, 6-8pm Ages 3 – 6th Grade

Get ready for God’s Backyard Bible Camp – where kids have a blast serving Jesus!The fun begins later this month – We’ll be having outdoor fun in our own backyardwhile kids learn to serve Jesus in their homes and communities. Your kids won’twant to miss the adventures where they will experience God’s Word, create crafts,play games and of course have some snacks! Encourage your children to invite theirfriends to this great program.

Register children early by going to www.trinityrunnemede.org or by completing aVBS registration form distributed in Sunday School.

During this month, we’ll be collecting donations of cookies, juice and pretzels. Anydonations can be left at the VBS table in the sanctuarythrough the month of July.

We’ll also be collecting donations for theVBS Family Block Party night – hot dogs,ketchup, mustard, chips, etc. See aVBS team member during church inJuly to sign up to donate block partyitems needed.

Look forward to seeing you atGod’s Backyard Bible Camp –Under the Stars this month! Letsgo serve Jesus!

If you have any questions orwould like to volunteer, pleasecontact Jennifer Smith.

Summer is officially here! The 4th of Julywill soon be upon us with lots of parades,picnics and celebrating people for our flag,

our country and just plain celebrating!

Many activities at the church have “slowed down” for the summer. JuniorChoir will not have rehearsals again until Labor Day weekend and we will notsing in church until the third Sunday in October, October 20th.

In the meantime, be sure to put Vacation Bible School on your calendar! Ifyou haven’t yet registered for “God’s Backyard VBS Bible Camp Under theStars” to be held at Trinity July 29th - August 2nd you may do so when youcome to Sunday School this week! VBS will be held from 6 - 8 p.m. thatMonday through Friday with a very special closing on Friday evening!

So enjoy the rest of the summer and I will be looking forward to seeing allJunior Choir girls and boys on September 1st to begin rehearsals for anotherseason. Be sure to ask your friends to join you as we lead the congregationin worship on the third Sunday each month.

Love and blessings to all,Mrs. Schmidt

Our first meeting for the Young Adult Ministry, which was held on June 2nd during the 11:15 service,was full of a ton of great ideas regarding our message, our mission, and the types of activities andservice ministries we would like to pursue. A great interest among the members, besides being ofassistance to other ministries within the church, was starting disaster relief efforts where we wouldcollect and prepare items for various organizations throughout the state.

On Sunday, September 8th after the 11:15 contemporary service, the Young Adult Ministry will beholding a social hour for individuals between the ages of 18 and 30; regardless if you are marriedor single. We will be serving light refreshments during this time. Feel free to bring friends andspouses to the event. During this meeting, we will get to know each other and share ourexpectations of the group. We are open to suggestions from others regarding the group, as well.

If you are interested, or know someone who may be interested, please feel free to attend the eventon September 8th.

This has the potential to be a great group! We hope to see you there!

The Young Adult Ministry

Trinity offers scholarships to it's High School and Collegegraduates. If you are interested please pick up anapplication either from the church office, back of the

church, or on back table Johnson Avenue side. The scholarships offeredat this time are for 500 dollars. Deadline for returning applications is Sunday, July 28, 2013. Pleasereturn all applications to church office. Also, please remember we are only able to do this becauseof the gracious support of the members of Trinity through donations and memorials to thescholarship fund.

BRETT BAKER, son of Tracy and Tammy Baker, graduated from Clearview Regional High Schooland received an academic scholarship. He will be attending Temple University in the fall majoringin architecture.

SEAN EBERTS, son of Jim and Paige Eberts graduated from Delsea Regional High School andwill be enlisting in the United States Air Force.

Well school is out and it’s time to this about the Back-to-School project. The School Bus will be going up onJuly 28th. There will be Children, School and Back-pack-packs. Choose one, take it home and shop forthis child. Items are due back by August 18th. Wewill also be collecting school supplies as well.

We will continue to have Pantry and Clothing Closet days duringthe summer. We need the following:

Pasta, cereal, canned vegetables, peanut butter, jelly, crackers, tuna fish, soup, Mac & Cheese,juice, pancake mix, syrup, paper towels, toilet paper, napkins.

Any clothing items dropped off need to be clean and stain-free. The Clothing Closet is open toanyone. We have a large selection of gently use and a few new clothes. Help stretch your budgetand give some of our clothing a new home.

We will be having our annual summer picnic at my home on August 18th. All are invited to come.Please email me to let me know if you are coming and what you will be bringing.

Some dates to remember:

July 25th – Pantry/Clothing Closet Day

July 28th – School Bus up

August 18th – Back-to-School Items due back

August 18th – Social Concerns Summer Picnic at the Morris’

August 22nd – Pantry/Clothing Closet Day

September 8th – Social Concerns Meeting 11:15

New members are always welcome. We meet on the second Sunday of the month following the11:15 service. Please come out and join us. Remember God loves a cheerful giver. You will lovethe fellowship and the great feeling you get from helping others.

“The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifullywill also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly orunder compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you,so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work” 2Corinthians 9:6-8.

Caring and SharingCheryl Morris

The Lutheran Home Auxiliary met at 11 am on Thursday, June 14th. The Pastor from HolyCommunion, Berlin led devotions from Corinthians and explained that we sometimes are the onlychurch or the only Jesus that others see out in the community. We are the love letter and thesweet fragrance of a flower to others in the community.

The library has been very successful and will be moved to a bigger space. This will help toaccommodate more shelves, books, residents and wheelchairs.

The Lutheran Home will also be getting a dog from the seeing eye organization. They plan to namethe dog Nipper.

The Auxiliary Officers for 2013-2014 have been installed and are as follows;Elsie Koman, President

Joan Kelley, Vice PresidentNancy MacMaster, Treasurer

Brenda Hanson, Recording SecretaryJan Miller, Corresponding Secretary

Residents had a great time at Innskeep House for high tea and the Red Lobster another day forlunch.

We had a wonderful June Day. Once again the weather was great. We had 11 ladies fromSunshine Class along to help, plus 2 men from our congregation and Pastor Andy. Our group putin a total of 127+ hours and raised approximately $188.00 for the residents. The grand total for thewhole day will be reported at the Fall meeting. I will let you know then.

June 18 Lunch at PerkinsJune 30 Residents birthday lunchAug. 15 Residents lunch at Cracker BarrelAug. 23 Red Cross blood drive (ask for Saralynne to sign up)Aug. 27 Residents birthday lunchSept 12 Auxiliary Meeting 10:00 amOct. 12 Ocktoberfest 4:00-7:00 pm

Have a wonderful and safe summer. See you in the Fall!

Sincerely,Sandy Pagano

“There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and find enjoyment in his toil”Ecclesiastes 2:24.

The Altar Guild would like to welcome two new members. They are Kim Higgonbothamand Nancy Fenton. We are thrilled to have them join us.

Our thanks go out to the men responsible for the new lighting in the sacristy. We canactually see now and appreciate all that you do all over our church (inside and out)!

In Christ’s Service,Terry Paradise

Summer is here ~ Schools Out ~ and Vacationdays await us ~

Some of us will head to the shore, others themountains and some will travel to exciting places.

As we wind down for the summer months, projectsstill go on for the property committee – there are afew small jobs to keep things in check until we pickup again in the fall.

Our last work day, on June 8th was terrific! Fourlight fixtures in the sacristy were replaced to the

new T-8 standard. In addition 2 fresh coats of paint were applied to the wall abovethe new doors in the back of the Sanctuary.

The new tile floor was cleaned and mopped and our new baby grand piano waspolished with a lot of elbow grease by our resident piano player. It not only soundsgreat but looks fantastic and is a nice addition to our church.

Our storage shed finally got some R-E-S-P-E-C-T and the doors have a new coatof rusty metal primer on them. This was overdue . . . a nice shade of brown will finishthe job.

The light switch by the organ has been remounted. Ceiling tiles were replaced in thekitchenette due to a leaking roof which was repaired a few months ago.

New keyed locks were installed for the Social Concerns committee in the fellowshiphall.

All of the church flower beds have been weeded, including the cracks in the parkinglot. A special thank you to newcomer, Bob Reed.

Thanks to all the folks who came out to participate