Author: Secretary

WITNESS

October-December
Volume 1, Issue 3

A quarterly newsletter by Holy Trinity Lutheran Church

HOLY TRINITY EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
1308 Mt. Holly Rd., Burlington, N.J. 08016
Office: (609) 387-1202
www.holytrinityelc.org
Pastor Truland – Pastortruland@holytrinityelc.org Nicole Rodig, Church Secretary — Secretary@holytrinityelc.org
Michelle Foster, Church Organist — michfoster16@gmail.com

Pastor’s Peace
Ahhh, summer! School’s out! I have spoken to many of our youth about what the end of classes and the beginning of their longest break of the year means for them. Some of them are disappointed, because it means seeing friends less and working new jobs more. Some are relieved, because the school year has been hard and time away from studying and inter-personal stress is a blessing. Maybe these next few months will include camp, or family vacations, or time spent outside. My prayer is that in some way, summer will include relaxation for each of you, no matter your age. While our culture often demands that we make ourselves constantly available for work, and we are overwhelmed with things that need to get done, places we have to go, people we have to meet with, scripture has long taught us that this is not the way to build a spiritually fulfilled life. We are in fact commanded by God to include rest in the rhythm of our life! Does that sound like a fantasy? I understand if it does. But the spiritual discipline of rest need not include expensive vacations or extensive amounts of time off. Rather, it is a way of living that reminds yourself that you are worth so much more than what you earn or accomplish. You have intrinsic value as a beloved child of God. Remembering that and celebrating it is a kind of holy resistance to the forces that tell you otherwise. May you find renewal and peace in this season.

Inside this issue
Pastor’s Peace 1
Craft Show………………………………...2
Serving the Lord 2
Creation…………………………………….3
Steps to Stewardship 3
ELCA Church Wide Assembly….....4
IGNITE: Youth 4
Kids Korner………….…………………….5
Advent Services……….…...……..…..5
Confirmation……………….…………….5
Calendars………………………………...7-9
Quarterly Prayer….. ……………back cover

1

Holy Trinity ELC Annual Craft Show
By Laura Poethke

Serving The Lord

Contacts
Clean Up Crew
Laura Poethke:
poetfam@comcast.net
Greeters
Peggy Bowers:
pegnted@comcast.net
Communion Assistant
Amber Johnson:
starlightglass@gmail.com
Altar Guild
Nicole Rodig
secretary@holytrinityelc.org
Ushers
Steve Anderson
sand0427@gmail.com
Lectors
Judy Bariexca
Bariexca@comcast.net
Youth
Bonnie Mazza
bonnie@holytrinityelc.org
VBS
Bonnie Mazza
bonnie@holytrinityelc.org
Fundraising
Nicole Rodig
secretary@holytrinityelc.org
Social Ministy
Lynn Immendorf
lynn09@verizon.net
Hospitality Committee
Kris Triolo
Triolofam@comcast.net
Leslie Manning
Gardengirl121@gmail
Property Committee
Ray Klaus
Rklaus303@aol.com
Chris Rodig
chris@wcit.net
Stewardship Committee
Bonnie Mazza
bonnie@holytrinityelc.org
Endowment Committee
Hank Bariexca
Bariexca@comcast.net

Is this the year you discover those one-of-a-kind, handmade items for everyone on your shopping list? Yes it is! At the 2018 craft show I bought beautifully sewn placemats for newlyweds and exquisite wine glass charms - for folks of a certain age who can’t keep track of their beverages! There were adorable winter-themed earrings for the ladies on my list, and jewelry made of recycled materials...the purchase of which helped support an elephant sanctuary. I am so excited to see what treasures I happen upon this year! Plan now to “oo and ah” as you browse tables overflowing with unique gifts for that special someone...maybe even yourself! Invite a friend to join you and jump into the Christmas season together. Happy shopping!

The date and time is set!
● Saturday, November 2, 2019 ● 10AM - 3PM
Holy Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church
1308 Mt. Holly Road, Burlinton, NJ

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Steps to Stewardship

Summertime is rapidly approaching and, for most places of worship, with it comes the dreaded “summer slump.” The weather improves and school is out, so many families head out for vacations — and it goes beyond missing a single week here or there. Families miss services more often even when they’re in town, and transplanted retirees (snowbirds) may head back north for the summer months.
Church attendance dips during the summer months, and July and August are the lowest giving months of the year for the average ministry. Established churches with sufficient cash reserves can weather this kind of dip without much difficulty, but for some ministries (church plants especially), two to four months of significantly decreased giving can be devastating.
The good news: this problem can be easily solved by implementing an inexpensive modern giving system.
The Solution: Mobile Giving
Electronic giving is the simple, obvious answer to the question, “How can I give when I’m not physically present at church?”.
Our website has a section to set up Automatic or Single time electronic giving. If you need help setting this up please visit the office during office hours and Nicole will be happy to help!
Blog by Doug Bergren blog.givelify.com

Creation
mid-week worship
At Creation we will worship in a style based on informal conversation, relationship building, and artistic expression. No skill is required, just the desire to explore what faith means to you and refresh yourself spiritually.
Look for Creation services in the hall starting in September. 7pm

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Summer Office Hours
Tuesday and Wednesday
10am-3pm

NJ Synod Assembly:

The New Jersey Synod is a geographical grouping of Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) congregations that share the mission and ministry of the Church on the New Jersey territory. It is one of 65 synods in the ELCA. The NJ Synod is comprised of 161 congregations, which include over 60,000 baptized members. The annual Synod Assembly of New Jersey met from June 6-8 in New Brunswick. Around four hundred voting members gathered around the theme of BE BOLD for worship, the sharing of ministry reports, and other business of the church. At the opening service of Holy Communion, a new pastor was ordained. Our bishop, Tracie Bartholomew, was re-elected to a second six-year term on the second ballot. We passed a new spending plan for 2020 that will re-structure some of the staff in the synod office.
In her report to the assembly, Bishop Bartholomew had encouraging and challenging words to share. She wrote that, “Our bold witness to the gospel means that lives are changed and communities transformed. Sharing the love and grace of Jesus Christ means we stand our ground in places of poverty and violence – places where we find God already at work. Boldly living our faith means congregations dare to do things differently to reach new populations with a message of radical welcome. Being bold means we listen to those who cry out for justice and raise our voices together to affect change. A bold witness to the gospel means we gather for worship regularly and often to hear the old, old story in new and innovative ways. Boldly living our faith means we are generous, not as a transaction from which we benefit, but because we are disciples of a generous God. Being bold in the face of fear and uncertainty means we trust the one who promises to always be with us.” The complete bulletin of reports and a summary of the assembly can be found on the synod’s website. If you have any questions about the materials or would like to hear more about the experience of being there, please speak to Pastor Truland or Holy Trinity’s voting members, Bonnie Mazza and Chris Rodig.

"Be Bold"
"for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline."
(2 Timothy 1:7)

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Vacation Bible School
August 5th-9th
ELCA World Hunger is thrilled to invite you to explore our new VBS curriculum for 2019, “Who is My Neighbor?”
“Who is My Neighbor?” invites children and youth to re-imagine what it means to be neighbors in Christ. Based on the Good Samaritan story, this full, five-day program contains skits, games, crafts, snacks and intentional activities for children to enjoy and learn how our faith calls us out into the world to love and serve our neighbors.
Bosnia
International Service Trip
Pastor Truland was invited to be a chaplain for the 2019 Travel Team of the NJ Synod’s mission trip to Bosnia and Herzegovina in eastern Europe. During this ministry, which has occurred annually for nearly twenty years, over 1,200 children will be reached through Friendship Camps to continue reconciliation and peace-building efforts after the Bosnian War of the 1990’s.

“Most certainly, parents are apostles, bishops, and priests to their children, for it is they who make them acquainted with the gospel.” –Martin Luther Here are some suggestions for ways to nurture baptismal faith in your kids at home! Some items adapted from “Washed and Welcome: A Baptism Sourcebook” and “Let the Children Come: A Baptism Manual for Parents and Sponsors.” Are you heading to the pool or the shore with your children this summer? Help them remember their baptisms!
When wrapping your child in a towel, speak of being “wrapped in Jesus’ love.”
Play a game: start off underwater, then jump up into the air and say, “I am a new person!”
Make the sign of the cross on your child’s forehead with water and say, “Remember your baptism. You are a child of God.”
Is your child still young enough for picture books? Try purchasing “Water Come Down” by Walt Wangerin; “My Baptism Book” by Sophie Piper; or “At Your Baptism” by Carrie Steenwyck. If your child is in middle school or high school, they might enjoy finding baptismal imagery in “A Ring of Endless Light” by Madeleine L’Engle. On your child’s baptism anniversary, light their baptism candle and say a prayer together. Tell them how you see God’s light shining through them. One of the promises made by parents at a child’s baptism is raise them “to care for others and the world God made, and work for justice and peace.” Find a volunteer or advocacy opportunity to bring your child to. If you’d like help with this, please get in touch with Pastor. Some ideas might be: working at a soup kitchen or food pantry; a park clean-up; making cards to send to missionaries; raising money for a charity. Dance in the rain! Dance under a sprinkler! Teach your child the joy of being made new in the waters of baptism. As you get ready for a new school year, affirm your child and help them identify signs of new life and new beginnings as blessings from God. “I am so proud of how you are growing up. I am grateful for the new beginnings God gives us. Meeting new people is a chance to see new images of God!” Help your child memorize the Lord’s Prayer if they have not already done so. Tell your child the story of their baptism. Who was there? What did the child wear? What time of year was it? Was there a celebration afterward? Help keep this part of the faith journey alive for them, especially if they were not old enough to remember it.

Kids Korner

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Worship in the park 2019

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July 2019

Regular Sunday Events: 10am Weekly Worship
Please see calendar for Special Events

Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
	1	2	3	4	5	6
7	8	9	10	11	12	13
14	15	16	17 Holy Trinity night at Farm Fair / 7pm-close	18	19	20
21	22	23	24	25	26	27
28 Bosnia Brunch after service. Please bring a dish to share.	29	30	31

August 2019

Regular Sunday Events: 10am Weekly Worship
Please see calendar for Special Events

Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
				1	2	3
4	5	6	7	8	9	10 BTHS Marching band Car Wash 9am-12pm
11	12	13	14	15	16	17
18	19	20	21	22	23	24
25	26	27	28	29	30	31

September 2019

Regular Sunday Events: 10am Weekly Worship
Please see calendar for Special Events

Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
1	2	3	4 Creation 7pm	5	6	7
Rally Sunday / Blessing of Backpacks	9	10	11 Creation 7pm	12	13	14
15	16	17	18 Creation 7pm	19	20	21
22 Bring a Friend Sunday	23	24	25 Creation 7pm	26	27	28
29	30

Holy Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church
1308 Mt Holly Rd
Burlington NJ 08016
Phone: 609-387-1202
Fax: 609-387-2067
E-mail: secretary@holytrinityelc.org

Monthly Devotions These brief prayers may be read daily, weekly, or at the beginning of the month. They are meant to provide a spiritual focus and help develop the discipline of regular prayer: short, to-the-point, and accessible! July – “So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:36) Lord Jesus, in our freedom, give us courage to joyfully serve you. Amen. August – “From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised.” (Psalm 113:3) At the beginning and the end of the day, O God, may we look to you. Amen. September – “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.” (Isaiah 43:18) God of grace, call us into the future you want us to live. Amen. of all, lead us to sing and shout in celebration of your goodness!

Holy Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church
1308 Mt Holly Rd
Burlington NJ 08016
Phone: 609-387-1202
Fax: 609-387-2067
E-mail: secretary@holytrinityelc.org

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