Vol. 36 No. 2

February 2010

Family Page News

Trinity Lutheran Church

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

e-mail address: tlcerie@verizon.net

web site: www.lutheranerie.com

Rev. Fred Poeppel, Vacancy / Interim Pastor

Trinity Office and Fax Number: 456-1703

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.

129 Years of Ministry – 1881 to 2010

WORSHIP SERVICES

February

7 11:15 AM - Traditional Worship with Communion

6:00 PM - Today’s Praise with Communion

14 11:15 AM - Traditional Worship

6:00 PM - Today’s Praise

17 12:00 PM - Ash Wednesday Service

21 11:15 AM - Traditional Worship with Communion

6:00 PM - Today’s Praise

28 11:15 AM - Traditional Worship

6:00 PM - Today’s Praise

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FROM THE PASTOR

What are you giving up for Lent? Has anyone asked you that? It was probably a more common question a generation ago, when the majority of Americans still went to church on Sundays. These days it’s hard to find anyone who even knows what the word Lent means. That’s partly because of the decline in church participation, and partly because most non-denominational churches don’t observe the seasons of the Church Year.

If you grew up in the Lutheran church, you know that Lent is the forty day period that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends with Jesus’ Resurrection on Easter morning (not including Sundays). Lent is a time of self-denial and reflection on the sacrifice of Christ for the sins of the world. The forty day time period is derived from Jesus’ forty days of fasting in the desert after His Baptism in the Jordan River and followed by His temptation by Satan.

The practice of giving up something for Lent began in the church long before the Reformation. If you do this, it is not something that we should advertise or brag about. Our sacrifice doesn’t earn us anything in the eyes of God beyond what Jesus already did for us on the cross. The benefit to us comes from remembering His sacrifice for our sins. Anything that we do that helps us to spend more time each day thinking about Jesus and His amazing love for us is a good thing.

Many years ago, when Pastor Mark and I were carpooling to meetings of the Eastern District’s Lake Shore Circuit, the circuit counselor was Rev. Ted Dallmann. One year, as we talked about our plans for the season of Lent, Pastor Dallmann suggested that he was going to do something different. Instead of “giving up” something for Lent (like steak or meat or cake or sweets), that year he was recommending to his congregation (Trinity, Silver Creek, NY) that the members add something for Lent (some increase in their personal devotional habits). I’ve always liked that idea.

If you don’t have a devotional routine, start by saying a prayer at least once a day, and read Portals of Prayer. If you already read Portals of Prayer for five minutes a day, make it a point to look up the Bible reading and spend another five minutes in prayer. One of my favorite devotional aids is “Today’s Light” from CPH. It provides daily devotions by Jane Fryar (edited by Rev. Rodney Rathmann) while reading through the Bible on a two year schedule. If you spend a lot of time at a computer, go to the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod’s website at lcms.org for an on-line daily devotional reading. You could also go to Lutheran Hour Ministries’ web-site at lhm.org and download their Lenten devotional or if you’re afraid you’ll forget, you can sign up to receive the devotional reading each day in your e-mail. Or you could actually give up something for Lent. Fasting is a long-standing spiritual discipline, …more valuable if combined with Bible reading and prayer.

Whatever you do, the point is to remember Jesus’ sacrificial love for you, and to grow closer to Him in a personal relationship each day. See you in church! Bring a friend!

Pastor Fred

Cell phone: 814-323-1679 Email: pfpoeppel@yahoo.com

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SCHEDULE OF LENTEN SERVICES

Ash Wednesday, February 17:

12:00 pm – Trinity Lutheran, Erie

7:00 pm – Holy Trinity, Albion

Maundy Thursday, April 1:

5:30 pm – Trinity Lutheran, Erie

7:30 pm – Holy Trinity, Albion

Good Friday, April 2:

12:00 pm – Trinity Lutheran, Erie

7:00 pm – Holy Trinity, Albion

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RELIEF EFFORTS IN HAITI

Mark your calendar and plan to join us around 12:30 pm on Sunday, February 28 for a pancake brunch! A free-will offering will be taken for the relief efforts in Haiti. Thrivent Financial will match donations made via members of Thrivent on a $1 to every $2 donated up to a total Thrivent Financial contribution of $1 million! So please be generous and plan to join us for lots of good food and fellowship! Hope to see you there!

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TRINITY SENIORS

Trinity Seniors will meet on Wednesday, February 10 at 12:00 Noon at church for their monthly luncheon. This will be a catered meal and reservations are required. Cost is $7.00 each. Reservation deadline is Sunday, February 7.

Our guest speaker will be Kristin Bowers from the Alzheimer’s Association.

Plan to join us for an afternoon of food and fellowship!

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PASTORAL CALL COMMITTEE

The Pastoral Call Committee would like to thank everyone that filled out and submitted a Congregational Self-Study survey in January. The responses were compiled and reviewed during the Call Committee’s meeting on Saturday, January 30.

This compilation is being sent to our English District President, Rev. David Stechholz, and our Circuit Counselor, Rev. David Beutel for their information and review.

We are presently planning to have Rev. Beutel join us on Sunday, March 14. As he did with the Call Committee, Rev. Beutel would like to talk with the congregation at large to discuss the call process, etc. … so please mark your calendar today and plan to attend either service on March 14 to hear what Rev. Beutel has to share with us!

Members of the Call Committee, please note that the meeting originally planned for February 28 has been cancelled. The next meeting date has yet to be determined.

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ALTAR FLOWERS

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

February 7 – not yet underwritten

February 14 – Max and Gertrude Weber in memory of
Rev. D. E. Sallach and Rev. Mark L. Sallach

February 21 – Joe and Maggie Balter in memory of their parents

February 28 – Pat and Linda Federici in memory of loved ones

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UPDATES TO MEMBERS & FRIENDS DIRECTORY

No updates or changes to report this month!

If you move or change your phone number, please notify our church secretary! Addresses are particularly important when we send out our newsletters. Any newsletter that is non-deliverable comes back to us and we are charged a fee of anywhere from $1.09 to $1.59 for the return. If your address is still within the USPS forwarding time period, we get charged $.50 to receive notification of your new address … so please, be proactive and help us keep our mailing lists current!! Thanks!

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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, Ruth Steiner

At Presbyterian Lodge (on Elmwood): Hilda Papesch

At Presque Isle Rehab (on Schaper): Audrey Baker

At St. Mary’s (Asbury): Betty Peterson

At Sunrise on the Bay: Mary Lynch

At Village at Luther Square: Bill Guerdon

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ALTAR FLOWERS FOR 2010

There are only a few openings left for 2010 Altar Flowers. A signup chart with the openings remaining is posted on the bulletin board in the hall of the east parking lot. Your name written on the chart entitles you to pay $35 for two vases at Trinity’s altar for one week.

The cost is payable during the month for which you signed up. You will receive a reminder with an envelope.

Please note that after the Sunday services, flowers are used by the Altar Guild for baptisms, also for those who are hospitalized, for shut-ins, and those in other institutions. If you have any questions, please contact Joann Kaufer.

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DORCAS

Dorcas meets every Tuesday at 9:30 am to trim stamps for missions.

Please remember that for every pound of cancelled stamps, a Bible is given to a foreign country in their native language. So, please help us spread the Word of God throughout the world by saving your stamps!

If you have any questions, please contact Trudy Sallach.

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CHURCH COUNCIL AND VOTERS

The Church Council and Board Meetings will be held on Monday, February 8 at 7:00 pm.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact one of the following Council Members:

President – Mark May 725-2560

Elders – Tyco Swick 868-9393

John Anderson 881-1335

Terry Lawrence 602-3185

Carl Marzolf 734-1231

Richard Wenger 476-1549

Trustees – Sam Steiner 833-8704

Art Anderson 456-1319

Sean Bartlett 881-6910

Tim Hinds 864-5284

Millis Parshall 864-1370

Congregational Secretary – Jeannette Copley 825-6842

Financial Secretary – Doris Swan 864-5217

Treasurer – Marina George 881-4331

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BOOKLET MINISTRY

The booklets on the Lutheran Hour Ministries display in the narthex have been updated so be sure to check them out the next time you are at church. You’ll find lots of booklets in four major categories: Coping with Life, Emotional Issues, Family Matters, and Spiritual Matters.

If you see a booklet you might like (or you think a friend might like), please feel free to take a copy or two!

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SERVANTS THIS MONTH

COUNTERS 11:15 am

Feb. 7 Ben Anthony, Sam Steiner, Millis Parshall

Feb. 14 Mark & Luanne May, Dick & Dot Smith

Feb. 21 Art Anderson, Vince & Neva Cunningham

Feb. 28 John & Brenda Johnson, Tyco & Sharon Swick

If you are unable to serve a scheduled date, please make a substitution or call Art Anderson at 456-1319.

ELDERS 11:15 am 6:00 pm

Feb. 7 Tyco Swick John Anderson

Feb. 14 Carl Marzolf Terry Lawrence

Feb. 17 Tyco Swick – Ash Wednesday

Feb. 21 Carl Marzolf John Anderson

Feb. 28 Dick Wenger Terry Lawrence

If you are unable to serve a scheduled date, please make a substitution or call Tyco Swick at 868-9393.

LOCK-UP 11:15 am 6:00 pm

Feb. 7 Sam Steiner Art Anderson

Feb. 14 Millis Parshall Tim Hinds

Feb. 17 Mark May – Ash Wednesday

Feb. 21 Sam Steiner Art Anderson

Feb. 28 Millis Parshall Tim Hinds

If you are unable to serve a scheduled date, please make a substitution or call Sam Steiner at 833-8704.

Also, because of the Lenten services planned, please look for an updated schedule on the main bulletin board! Thanks!!

USHERS 11:15 am

Feb. 7 Mark May, Millis Parshall, Dick Smith,
Dick Yeager

Feb. 14 Vince Cunningham, John Johnson,

Mark May, Dick Smith

Feb. 21 Vince Cunningham, John Johnson,

Millis Parshall, Dick Yeager

Feb. 28 Mark May, Millis Parshall, Dick Smith,

Dick Yeager

If you are unable to serve a scheduled date, please make a substitution or call Terry Lawrence at 602-3185.

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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:

5	Norma Anthony	13	Michael Sallach
6	Katie Dzuricky	16	Rachel Bock
8	Bill Guerdon	22	George Hill
	Rachel Sallach		J. J. Pfeifle, Jr.
11	Justin Burkett	23	Betty Jo May
	Nick Lawrence	24	John Billen
12	Alexis Tate	25	Joseph Balter

Celebrating their anniversary this month are:

2/26/1966

Joe and Maggie Balter

Congratulations on your special day!

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A SPECIAL NOTE

Thank you for your prayerful support during my mother’s illness. The doctor said that she had “everything going against her survival,” but we know with God nothing is impossible.

Your prayers were deeply felt by me and my family.

In Christian Love, Nancy Rusnak

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SUNDAY MORNING ADULT BIBLE STUDY

The Adult Bible Study meets at 10:15 am every Sunday morning as they continue reading the “Law and Gospel” study series.

All are welcome to begin their day of worship in this study led by Millis Parshall.

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18^th KAIROS PRISON MINISTRY WEEKEND

Please help John Anderson and others as they minister to those incarcerated at the Lake Erie Correctional Institution in Conneaut, Ohio between March 18 and March 21.

You can:

Bake cookies following these guidelines:

NO nuts, raisins or fruit, NO powdered or sprinkled sugar on top, NO candy type sprinkles on top.

Please make cookies about 2-1/2 to 3 inches in diameter and pack them in non-returnable containers that have been lined with plastic wrap or wax paper. NO aluminum foil is allowed.

Cookies must be dropped off in the church library by 6:00 pm on Wednesday, March 17.

Join in the Prayer Vigil that lasts throughout the weekend or

Make a donation to the Kairos Prison Ministry

Checks can be made out to the “Kairos Prison Ministry” and placed in the designated box in the narthex (or mailed to the attention of John Anderson at Trinity’s address by March 12.)

If you have any questions, please contact John Anderson at
871-2736 or 881-1335.

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NURSERY WORKERS NEEDED

We are in need of several volunteers to rotate weeks overseeing young children who are unable to sit still for an entire worship service becoming a disturbance to others. The children will most likely leave the service just prior to the sermon and go upstairs to the Nursery where they will play until the conclusion of the service.

This is an important outreach effort since new families exploring our church as a possible home often make the availability of a nursery a requirement for joining so please contact any of the Elders if you are interested in this ministry or would like further information.

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February 2010 Trinity Lutheran Church Calendar of Events
SUNDAY	MONDAY	TUESDAY	WEDNESDAY	THURSDAY	FRIDAY	SATURDAY
	1	2 9:30 am Dorcas	3 NO Choir Practice	4	5	6
7 10:15 am Bible Study 11:15 am Traditional Service with Communion 1:00 pm Confirmation Class 6:00 pm Today’s Praise with Communion Last day to purchase tickets for Wednesday’s Trinity Seniors Luncheon!	8 7:00 pm Church Board and Council Meetings	9 9:30 am Dorcas	10 12:00 pm Trinity Seniors Luncheon 7:30 pm Choir Practice	11	12	13
14 10:15 am Bible Study 11:15 am Traditional Service NO Confirmation Class 6:00 pm Today’s Praise Happy Valentine’s Day!	15 President’s Day	16 9:30 am Dorcas	17 Ash Wednesday Worship: 12:00 pm Erie 7:00 pm Albion - - - - - - - - - - 7:30 pm Choir Practice	18	19	20
21 10:15 am Bible Study 11:15 am Traditional Service with Communion 1:00 pm Confirmation Class 6:00 pm Today’s Praise	22 7:00 pm Glenwood Hills Meeting in Social Hall	23 9:30 am Dorcas Last day to submit articles for March’s newsletter!	24 7:30 pm Choir Practice	25	26	27
28 10:15 am Bible Study 11:15 am Traditional Service with Baptism 12:30 pm Pancake Brunch 1:00 pm Confirmation Class 6:00 pm Today’s Praise