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Imagine that you and your family are moving to a remote Asian village, where you will set up a health clinic under the sponsorship of your denomination. You quickly recognize that the local people with whom you will live and work not only are naive about Christianity but hold some negative stereotypes toward it. You begin to create learning resources to explain the Christian religion to them. You recognize that you should feature the diversity of Christian practices around the world. You want even to acknowledge the occasional misuse of the tradition by extremist groups such as the Ku Klux Klan and cults such as the Branch Davidians. But mainly you want to help your new community understand your own Christian faith and how it shapes your life and motivates your work.

The producers of the DVD series Discover Islamhad very similar goals:  “There are over a billion and a half people across the globe that claim to be followers of Islam. Yet few people outside the faith truly understand Muslim beliefs, practices and values. These DVDs aim to remedy this situation.”

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and A Center of Christian-Muslim Engagement for Peace and Justice at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago have crafted study guides to use with this DVD resource for the sake of helping Lutheran Christians to better understand Islam and to form positive relationships with their Muslim American neighbors. While Discover Islamis not a resource created mainly by academic experts, it is a resource that represents some authentic American Muslim voices sharing their vision of Islam and their hopes for constructive Muslim participation in American public life and for friendship and mutual understanding with religious others.

Understandably, the DVDs showcase Muslims who are faithful and ardent practitioners of the their tradition. But the DVDs also wrestle with real-world distortions of Islam and the Qur’an in such radical actions as prohibiting women’s education or terrorist attacks for political ends. It could well be argued that such extremists are no more representative of authentic Islam than are the KKK and the Branch Davidians of Christianity.

Join the viewing and conversation on this topic with Pastor Steve on Sunday mornings March 24, 31, and April 7 in the Conference Room at 9:30 am during the Sunday School hour.

All members of Holy Trinity are invited to attend a brief meeting on Sunday, April 7 at 11:30 am, immediately following the 10:30 worship service, when Church Council will provide an update on the results of our recent Estimate of Giving ministry and present a revised ministry spending plan for 2019.

Following is a brief recap of the approved minutes from the February 2019 Church Council meeting:

• Youth room completion is being coordinated with Kris Eicher.
• Awaiting information from Estimate of Giving ministry to decide on Roofing Master Plan.
• Jacob’s Porch property purchase is awaiting approval from Synod and ELCA.
• Vicar Andrew’s Rural Ministry course has been completed. His final intensive class will be 3/26-4/2/19.
• Giving statements were mailed to all who made financial contributions to Holy Trinity in 2018.
• Stewardship/Estimate of Giving mailing has been sent. About 40 responses have been returned to date.
• Easter music will include a brass quintet as well as organ and piano duets.
• Mike Christman (president), Tim Stock (VP), Matt Fox (Treasurer) and Dan Perry (Financial Secretary) will be signatories in 2019 for the church’s bank accounts.
• Leslie Torres will research options for improved electronic file sharing between council members.
• Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper will be March 5 from 5:00-7:00 pm. Please help serve if you’re able.
• Income and expenses are within expected estimates for this time period.

All women are invited to attend the Women of Faith lunch gathering at 11:30 am on Tuesday, April 10at Hunan Lion Restaurant, 2038 Crown Plaza Dr., Columbus 43235 (faces Bethel Rd next to Dollar Tree). If you like Asian food you will want to join us for some of the best. Please sign up at the Collection & Signup Corner in the Gathering place or contact the church office so we can add you to our reservation number.

It’s time to get any unused eyeglasses, lenses or cases to the box with the glasses on it at the Collection & Signup Corner in the Gathering place.  Although we collect these items throughout the year, in April we turn them in to VOSH, an organization that distributes them in third world nations.  Make it part of your Spring Cleaning!

Holy Trinity’s next opportunity to cook and serve breakfast for our friends at First English Lutheran Church is this Sunday, March 24.  We also like to provide baked goods for the coffee hour as people come in out of the cold.  If you would like to help with this effort, donations of muffins, breads, coffee cakes, etc., as well as fresh fruit, would be greatly appreciated.  Any food contributions should be dropped off in Holy Trinity’s kitchen by 7:45 am on Sunday, March 24 when the carpool leaves, or meet us at First English at 8:00 am for serving at 9:30.  Please contact Becky Warnement for more information.

Holy Trinity will provide a lasagna dinner for the families at the YWCA Family Center on Saturday, April 6 at 5:00 pm.  The event is a wonderful service project for families and friends!  Volunteers help with meal prep, setting tables, and serving food.  If you would like to help, please arrive at the Y-Center by 5:00 pm (900 Harvey Ct., Columbus, 43219).  You may also help by making a donation for purchasing the food.  If you make a monetary donation, please make checks payable to Holy Trinity and mark the check or envelope for the Y-Center. Please contact Chris Pryor or Danielle Gonsiska if you have questions or for more information.  Thanks for your support!

On Sunday, March 10, everyone who worshiped at Holy Trinity experienced a rare treat.  Long-time Holy Trinity member Eugenia Mae “Genie” Craven preached the sermon in honor of her 90th birthday.  Speaking not only about the scriptures of the day but also about her 90 years of life, 67 of which have been spent at Holy Trinity, Genie shared lessons, stories, and the power of the Holy Spirit at work.  If you weren’t able to experience Genie’s sermon in person, or if you’d like to hear it again, click on the links below.  Thank you, Genie, and thanks be to God for the blessing of being church together!

On Wednesdays through April 10, stir up your senses and join us for a soup and bread lunch following the midday worship services during Lent.  Free-will donations this year will support The Stand Project, a community action project focused on the prevention of substance abuse and committed to standing by students and families concerned about or touched by this issue.  For more information, go to www.TheStandProjectUA.org.