Vol. 35                                                                                                                                No. 5

May 2009

Family Page News

Trinity Lutheran Church

14 East 38th Street, Erie, PA  16504-1558

e-mail address:  tlcerie@verizon.net

web site:  www.lutheranerie.com

 

Rev. Fred Poeppel, Vacancy / Interim Pastor

e-mail:  pfpoeppel@yahoo.com

Trinity Office and Fax Number:  456-1703

Pastor’s Cell Phone:  323-1679

Pastor’s Office:  452-4888

 


The mission of Trinity Lutheran Church is to share the
Good News of Jesus Christ
by inviting others into God’s family,
encouraging spiritual growth through God’s Word and Sacraments, and
caring for one another in the love of Christ
.

 

 “Celebrating with Thanks, Ablaze with Hope”

128 Years of Ministry at Trinity Lutheran Church – 1881 - 2009

 

 

Sunday Schedule for May

 

10:15 AM   Adult Bible Class  (Subject:  The “Law and Gospel”)

 

11:15 AM   Traditional Worship Service

                          Communion 1st and 3rd Sundays

 

  6:00 PM   Today’s Praise Worship Service

                          Communion 1st Sunday

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FROM THE PASTOR

 

Alleluia!  Christ is Risen!  He is Risen Indeed!  Alleluia!

One of the really nice things about Easter is that in church we celebrate the Easter season for seven Sundays, from Resurrection Day until the Day of Pentecost.  After a long winter with near record snowfall and the forty days of Lent, we really need the warm sunshine of spring and fifty days to celebrate the Good News of Jesus’ resurrection and the certain hope of our own resurrection and of those we love.  May we never tire of repeating that Easter greeting: Alleluia!  Christ is Risen!  He is Risen Indeed!  Alleluia!

On a personal note, I want to thank all of you for your warm welcome and your kind words of encouragement.  I’m beginning to recognize many of your faces when we meet and many of your names when I see them in writing; …I just don’t always connect the right names to your faces yet, but that will come.  Thanks for your patience. I wouldn’t say that I’ve settled in to a new routine yet, but I’m learning to manage my new schedule.  I want to set up a regular office day for Trinity, but I’m not sure what the best day will be yet.  Tuesdays and Thursdays are preschool days at Holy Trinity, Albion.  In the meantime you can find me at Trinity between services on Sundays (confirmation is from 1:00 to 2:30) or you can call me (for free) on my cell phone: 814-323-1679.  I just doubled my monthly plan minutes.

As we begin to look once again toward the future of Trinity, we need to ask ourselves why God has put us here in Erie, PA.  What is our mission?  Back in 2001 you said that, “The mission of Trinity Lutheran Church is to share the Good News of Jesus Christ by inviting others into God’s family, encouraging spiritual growth through God’s Word and Sacraments, and caring for one another in the love of Christ.”  That is a perfectly fine statement of your God-given mission.  Your circumstances obviously changed when God called Pastor Mark home.  Do you think God has changed your mission?  If so, what is our new mission?  If not, how can we be more effective at sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ?”  One thing we can all do is join Peter and John in the prayer they prayed in Acts 4:29 after they were released by the Jewish officials, “Now, Lord,… enable [us] your servants to speak Your Word with great boldness.

What is happening in the lives of the people outside our walls?…in our neighborhoods?… where we work?  Do they know Jesus as their Savior and Lord (their forgiver and leader)?  Invite someone to church with you or to our next special event.

See you in church!  Bring a friend!

Pastor Fred

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TRINITY LUTHERAN THRIVENT GROUP

On Good Friday, Thrivent provided a light luncheon after the noonday service.

On Sunday, April 26, following the morning service, The Trinity Lutheran Thrivent Group sponsored a Pancake Brunch which included a love offering that raised $400!  The $400 will be matched by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans and will be used to provide support for our adopted missionary family – the Esala’s – in Africa.

Thank you to everyone that helped in any way with the Pancake Brunch … workers and contributors … we couldn’t have done it without you!!

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SUNDAY MORNING STUDY GROUP

 

The SUNDAY morning Adult study group, meeting at church in the first main floor classroom before worship is now working through a study series entitled, the “Law and Gospel.” 

All are welcome to begin their day of worship in this study, meeting at 10:15 am.  Led by Millis Parshall.

Beginning June 7, the group will not be meeting for the rest of summer.  Watch late summer newsletters and bulletins for information regarding the date that our Adult Bible Study will resume!!

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MEMBERS IN HOMES

 

Please remember our elderly and others who do not get out much with notes, cards, visits in person or telephone calls, as well as remembering them in your prayers.

      At Independence Court:  Ted Steinbarth

      At Manchester Presbyterian:  George Hill

      At Presbyterian Lodge (on Elmwood):  Hilda Papesch

      Rouse-Warren County Home:  Gerda Mushrush

      At Sarah Reed:  Amy Mares

      At Sunrise on the Bay:  Mary Lynch

      At Village at Luther Square:  Bill Guerdon

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SHAWL MINISTRY

 

The next meeting of the Trinity Shawl Ministry Group will be on Saturday, May 16 at 11:00 am.

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TRINITY SENIORS

 

The next meeting of Trinity Seniors will be Wednesday, May 13, at 12:00 pm at church. 

This is a catered meal and reservations are to be made for the dinner – price is $7.00.  Deadline for purchasing tickets is Sunday, May 10.

Trinity Seniors is collecting items for our local “Dress for Success” program coordinated by Mary Graziano of the Mercy Center.

Mary will be the guest speaker at the next Trinity Seniors luncheon.

“Dress for Success” provides knee-highs, bath & body products, and costume jewelry for ladies in need to be used in preparation for job interviews, etc.

Please help the ladies in our area “Dress for Success” by bringing in some of the items listed above.  A box for collecting these items can be found in the narthex.

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LWML – Lutheran Women’s Missionary League

 

The Lutheran Women’s Missionary League asks you to pray for missions every Monday at noon.  No matter where you are, please take a moment to pray for missions work around the world, for missionary families, for financial support of outreach through our church body and any other work of the LWML.  Remember to pray especially for our missionaries, the Esala’s.  Thank you.

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CONGRATULATIONS TO…

 

Mary Sallach who won a second place award for her printing that was entered in the NW District Arts Day contest.

And, Mary was also a participant, from the County, in the City vs. County All-Star basketball game, in which the County won!

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LUTHERAN DAY AT WALDAMEER

 

Mark your calendar and plan to join us on Saturday, July 11, for this year’s Annual Picnic sponsored by the Erie County Chapter of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans.

This event is open to all Lutherans and their families and friends.  You do not need to be a Thrivent member to attend.

Watch upcoming newsletters and bulletins for more details as they become available!

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LADIES AID SOCIETY

 

·         The Ladies Aid Society will meet on Thursday, May 14 at 7:00 pm for a Hat Party and we have lots of fun planned!

Each person should wear a hat.  It can be simple, elaborate, or funny.  They can be made of paper, ready made and gussied up or what ever.  There will be a prize for these categories:  funniest, cleverest, prettiest.

We hope that all ladies from Trinity will consider attending!!

Our hostesses for the evening are Trudy Sallach and Gertrude Weber and our devotions leader is Trudy Sallach.

A hostess is needed for June along with Edie Neidinger, please offer your service ladies, should you not be on the schedule.

·         A Ladies Aid Bake Sale was held Sunday, May 3 before and after each worship service! 

Thanks to everyone that helped bake, work or buy!!

·         And the Ladies Aid will have another bake sale on Primary Election Day, May 19.  Workers, buyers and bakers will be needed!! 

Please remember that we can no longer sell anything that needs to be refrigerated, including pumpkin and other cream pies!

Baked goods need to be securely wrapped in plastic wrap or bags and the contents clearly marked.  When wrapping your baked goods, please keep in mind that small portions seem to sell best.

Items for the Primary Election Day bake sale can be dropped off on Monday, May 18 from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm or on Election Day from 7:00 am to 9:00 am. 

·         Ladies Aid is still collecting small to medium sized boxes that bracelets, earrings etc. sometimes come in.  We are unable to use cardboard boxes, but rather the boxes that are usually hinged, and are fabric (velveteen) covered.  A collection box with a display of the types of boxes we need is on a table in the narthex.  Thank you for your assistance.

·         We will attempt to put together School Kits, as a service project, this year.  Should you see a good sale, pick up some items to donate.

·         Upcoming meetings: 

-          On June 11, we will have a craft activity.

-          On July 9, we will have a Tureen Picnic at Luanne’s … the picnic is open to all adults attending Trinity Lutheran.  Watch newsletters and bulletins for more info to come. 

-          And on August 13, we will meet and assemble the School kits!

SPECIAL NOTES FROM THE LADIES AID SOCIETY

First, to all who use the church kitchens …

all items are to be thoroughly washed and dried before putting them away!

Why?

Because dirty items were found in the cupboards and drawers recently
and we can’t have that!

If you don’t want to wash and dry items from the kitchen, then bring your own paper products and plastic utensils and throw them in the dumpster before you leave!

Second, to all who note that supplies in the kitchen are low …

there is a notepad in the basement kitchen for recording the needed items!
When writing down items, please include your name and phone number so that the person picking up the supplies can contact you with questions if needed.

Why?

Because recently a note was posted to buy 30-gallon trash bags …
first of all, we don’t use 30-gallon cans in either kitchen … only 13 and 50 gallon cans …
and a check of the supplies in the kitchen cupboard yielded
large amounts of both sizes on hand.

If you are looking for something and can’t find it, ASK!

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DORCAS

 

Dorcas meets every Tuesday morning from 9:00 am to 11:00 am to trim stamps for missions.  Please save all your stamps for us.  Remember … one pound of stamps equals one Bible to a third-world country in the language of that country.

Dorcas will not meet on Tuesday, May 19 due to the Ladies Aid Election Day Bake Sale and their final meeting before summer break will be on Tuesday, May 26.  Then, be sure to watch newsletters and bulletins for updates as to when Dorcas will resume meeting in September.

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SPRING YARD CLEAN-UP

 

Our Spring Yard Clean-Up Project was held on Saturday, May 2.

Many thanks to all who came to help with this project … the outside of the church looks great!

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BIRTHDAYS AND ANNIVERSARIES

 

Please keep in mind that the church office only has the information that you have provided.  Please update us as to any mistakes or omissions.  Thank you.

 

Celebrating their birthday this month are:

 

2

Philip Sanders

15

Judy Leretsis, Ben Steiner

6

Arnold Conner

16

Terry Lawrence

8

Hilda Papesch

18

E’dona Lawrence, Helen Hoffman,

9

Jerry Behringer, Bob Sawtelle

 

Mikey Yokoff

12

Kathy Lewis

24

Donald Klins

 

Celebrating their anniversary this month are: 

 

5/1/1948

Jim and Doris Swan

5/28/1966

Eugene and Karlynn Bernhard

 

Congratulations on your special day!
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ALTAR FLOWERS

 

Special thanks to those who contributed altar flowers in church for April:

May 3         Tim and Gabriele Gland to the Glory of God.

May 10 –       Nancy Rusnak in honor of her mother’s, Wilma Lankiewicz’s, birthday.

May 17 –       Elmer and Helen Hoffman in memory of their loved ones.

May 24 –       Eugene Bernhard in memory of his mother, Esther Bernhard.

May 31 –       Linda Federici in memory of her loved ones.

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FOOD DRIVE

 

Don’t forget to leave your bag of non-perishable groceries by your mailbox on Saturday, May 9.  Your letter carrier (or a volunteer) will pick up the food and deliver it to the Second Harvest Food Bank of NW PA.  This food collection is sponsored by the National Association of Letter Carriers, Local #284.

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ABLAZE … The Lutheran Church sharing the Gospel

Let’s be Ablaze for Sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ!  That’s the theme for many of our church body’s efforts this decade.  Many people need to know the love and care of our Lord Jesus Christ!  We all respond to the Gospel in a variety of ways.  Our responses can be in any of the identified ways, as on our banner at church - LEARN, PRAY, GIVE, TELL, SEND, GO, and CELEBRATE. 

Consider being involved in some manner with sharing the Gospel with another person.  We are keeping a tally to join in with our national and international partners.  You can add your witness events to the total by filling out the orange cards available and submitting them to the box in the church – signed or unsigned.

ABLAZE UPDATE:

      International Goal -   100,000,000         Latest tally -   10,008,966 (as of 5/7/2009)

      Trinity’s Goal -                     4,400         Latest tally -             177 (as of 12/1/2008)

 

For information about the movement, go to our church body’s website – www.lcms.org

 

Here is a recent story from the website:

 

Using "Journey to the Cross" to Tell the Easter Story in Rockford, Ill.

Janice Wood, of Christ the Rock Lutheran Church in Rockford, Ill., shares how her congregation reached out to their community on Palm Sunday weekend.

04/06/2009

 

The Saturday  before Palm Sunday, our congregation hosted "Journey to the Cross," published by Concordia Publishing House (CPH).  What a wonderful way to tell the story of Passion Week at Christ the Rock!  We were blessed to tell the story to about 70 people, which included both members and people in our community.  The "Journey" begins with Mary telling the story of how she washed Jesus' feet with perfume, then we experienced the events of Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and ended at the empty tomb.  At each station, the children received an Easter egg, and at the empty tomb, they received an empty egg to remind them of Christ's empty tomb and His resurrection.
The next day at church services, people were sharing with others about the event and what we can do next year to reach more people with the Good News.  It was a joy to see our people so excited about telling the Easter story.
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“THRIVENT BUILDS” PROJECT

 

Thrivent Erie County PA Chapter is sponsoring a Habitat for Humanity "accelerated build" this summer from June 1 through June 21. 

Ground breaking for this project will be on April 9 at 10:00 am.  The home is being built for a family from Sudan … a father, mother and three daughters (ages 2 to 13.) 

The family will be assisting in the building project with on build site being from 8:00 am until 4:30 pm.  All skill levels needed.  No experience necessary.  You don't have to volunteer for the whole project.  

Whatever help you can provide is both welcome and appreciated!  If you are interested in helping, please see Pastor Poeppel or contact Pastor Edwards at 814-474-4570.

The Erie County PA Chapter is nearly halfway to their financial goal for this “Thrivent Builds” project.  If you would like to donate toward the project, checks can be made payable to the “Erie County PA Chapter of Thrivent Financial” with “Thrivent Builds” written in the memo field of your check.

IN ADDITION …

 

Our Trinity Lutheran Thrivent Group is planning to help with this Erie County PA Chapter project by providing lunch on the three Mondays during the build time, i.e., on June 1, 8 and 15.

The workers will be providing their own sandwiches so our Thrivent group will be providing drinks, desserts/cookies, fruit and chips for them.  If you would like to help provide any of the luncheon items or donate toward them, please contact one of our Thrivent coordinators (Karlynn Bernhard, Jerry Neidinger or Trudy Sallach) by Sunday, May 24.

Our Thrivent group would like to make a nice lunch for the workers so the more helpers we have the merrier!! 

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CHURCH COUNCIL AND VOTERS

 

Council would like to ask everyone to be vigilant about our church building.  Before you leave, check the building to see if anyone else is still here.  If not, then PLEASE:

·         check ALL doors to make sure they are properly closed and locked

(some of our doors stick and they need a little nudge to actually shut)

·         check ALL lights, fans and other equipment to make sure they are turned off

·         make sure the alarm is set and that all ropes are in place

The more people that do these things, the more secure and cared for our building will be!

 


May 2009 - Trinity Lutheran Church - Calendar of Events

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

 

 

 

 

 

1

2

  9:00 am Spring Yard Clean-up

3

10:15 am Adult Bible Study

11:15 am Traditional Service with Communion

Ladies Aid Bake Sale!

  1:00 pm Confirmation Class

  3:00 pm Baptism

  6:00 pm Today’s Praise with Communion

4

 

5

  9:00 am Dorcas

 

6

  7:30 pm Choir Practice

 

7

 

 

 

National Day

of Prayer

8

  3:00 pm Wedding Rehearsal

9

  1:30 pm Tirpak / Kozuch Wedding

 

 

 

US Postal Service

Food Drive

10

10:15 am Adult Bible Study

11:15 am Traditional Service with Baptism

  1:00 pm Confirmation Class

  6:00 pm Today’s Praise

~~~ Mother’s Day ~~~

11

  7:00 pm Church Board and Council Meetings

 

<----- LAST DAY TO

purchase tickets for Seniors Luncheon on Wednesday

12

  9:00 am Dorcas

 

 

13

12:00 pm Trinity Seniors Luncheon

  7:30 pm Choir Practice

14

  7:00 pm Ladies Aid “Hat Party”

 

15

 

16

11:00 am Shawl Ministry Meeting

17

10:15 am Adult Bible Study

11:15 am Traditional Service with Communion

  1:00 pm Confirmation Class

 6:00 pm Today’s Praise

18

  6:00 to 7:00 pm Drop off items for Election Day Bake Sale

 

19

  7:00 am to 9:00 am  Deadline to drop off items for Bake Sale

  7:00 am until ? Election Day Bake Sale

NO Dorcas

20

  7:30 pm Choir Practice

 

21

 

 

22

 

23

 

24

10:15 am Adult Bible Study

11:15 am Traditional Service with Baptism

  1:00 pm Confirmation Class

  6:00 pm Today’s Praise

25

Memorial Day

26

  9:00 am Dorcas

 

 

Deadline for June Newsletter Articles!!

27

  7:30 pm Choir Practice

 

28

29

Wedding Rehearsal

30

Cavaretta Wedding

31

10:15 am Adult Bible Study

11:15 am Traditional Service

  1:00 pm Confirmation Class

  6:00 pm Today’s Praise