Engaged by Grace Weekly Sept. 25 – Oct. 2, 2022
For a printable version of this week’s news, please click Engaged Weekly 09252022
WELCA Bible Study
Everyone is invited to attend the WELCA Bible Study on Tuesday, September 27 at 10:00 am at Holy Trinity. You do not need to be a member of a WELCA group to attend. The topic will be “Jesus and Nature: Teachers of Faith.” Hope to see you on the 27th!
Concerts at Holy Trinity 2022-2023
We are pleased to announce the twelfth season of concerts for the support of the Holy Trinity Mission Endowment Fund and musical arts in our community. The season kicks off on Sunday, September 25 at 4:00pm with a concert performed by Organist Joshua Brodbeck that includes old favorites as well as new works never before heard at Holy Trinity. The remainder of the schedule is as follows:
Sunday, October 16, 4pm – Marrazza-Cart duo, an acclaimed piano and flute chamber ensemble based in the Philadelphia area
Sunday, December 11, 4pm – The Brass Band of Columbus will present their Annual Christmas Concert
Sunday, February 19, 4pm – Waiting for Salvation, a Ukrainian art and music concert with art collector John Kohan
Sunday, March 26, 4pm – Rising Stars! – Carter Evanchan and others will showcase young talent
Sunday, April 23, 4pm – An afternoon of piano and organ duets featuring favorite hymns
Friday, May 19, 7pm – Patron Concert – a private concert for the financial contributors to the concert series, featuring special artists including Artist-in-Residence Joshua Brodbeck.
We are excited that we will once again be able to have receptions following the concerts this season and hope you enjoy the fellowship time it provides.
We look forward to seeing you at the concerts. Invite your friends and family to join us for an enjoyable entertaining, and inspiring time.
Stewardship Corner – September 25, 2022
The Apostle Paul prayed, “I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being” (Ephesians 3:16). God’s glorious riches includes God’s gifts of Word and Sacrament through which God’s Spirit works to nurture us in faith so that we might be strengthened with God’s power to do the tasks that God has called us to do: to serve others and share with them our resources, both of ourselves and our finances. For more information about stewardship, please contact Max Buban.
Engaged by Grace Weekly September 18 – 25, 2022
For a printer-friendly version of this week’s news, please click Engaged Weekly 09182022
You are the Rainbow too!
Our engagement with the story of God through the 2022-2023 ministry year has begun. Starting on Rally Day last Sunday with the Flood and Promise where God wrestles with the frustration at the good works of creation being squandered by human wickedness and evil intention, instead God promises to never give up on us and all creation. As a reminder of that promise, God places the rainbow in the sky with its hope of sunshine after the rain. And when you trust in the promise, you are the rainbow too (see the picture above!) — being a reminder of hope to the world in all that you say and do!
With Sunday morning activities beginning with a Warm-up of children’s songs and Bible lesson at 9:45, Worship at 10:00 and Wrap-up activities until 11:15, we will be following the story of God from beginning to end, celebrating the love of Christ Jesus our Lord which is present and active throughout.
For your faith enrichment through the week, please pick up a set of At-Home Devotional Resources or find them here At-home Devotions – Season 1 or under the Bible Readings tab on the church website.
I look forward to sharing with you this new adventure in God’s Word among us today!
Peace,
Pastor Steve
Confirmation and Adult Faith Enrichment
Starting at 9am on Sunday, September 18 (the week after Rally Day), Confirmation class will take place in the Youth Room downstairs and Adult Faith Enrichment will take place in the Library. Vicar Jaren will be leading the first series for adults on Opening the Bible, to help augment the new approach we are taking with the Narrative Lectionary of weekly Bible passages that proceeds from the beginning of the Bible to the end through the program year.
Stewardship Corner – September 18, 2022
In the Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:18-23), Jesus describes people who hear the word but are beset by thorns. Thorns represent “the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth.” The seed (God’s Word) thrown among the thorns grows for a while but never really thrives. This kind of hearer of the Word is still too concerned about material things and the problems of this life. These listeners or people have a difficult time trusting God for all of their needs. The focus is on obtaining more material things for their security and happiness. Money and things are their gods. Their fulfillment is found in their riches. Only by God’s help can we overcome the “deceitfulness of wealth.” For more information about stewardship, please contact Max Buban.
Engaged by Grace Weekly September 11 – 18, 2022
For a printer-friendly version of this week’s news, please click Engaged Weekly 09112022
Rally Day – Sunday, September 11, 2022
Rally Day is here! On Sunday, September 11, we will celebrate together the start of our new Discipleship Ministry program year, guided by a series of weekly Bible passages that starts at the beginning of the Bible and builds toward the end by next summer. After studying and discussing all the passages for the year, the 2022-2023 Theme Team of Sue Eubanks, Sharon Hamersly, Patti and Bob Kammeyer, Cheryl Kriska, Elizabeth Sammons, Leslie Torres, Melea Wachtman, Director of Faith Formation Noelle Fox, Vicar Jaren and Pastor Steve have discerned this theme for the year:
ALL IN!
Called by Love for Action
God’s promise of love calls us ALL. Season of the Old Testament
September – December
God’s presence in love engages us ALL. Season of Jesus’ Ministry
January – March
God’s power for love acts through us ALL. Season of the Early Church
April – May
For the sake of going ALL IN! together more closely around God’s love that calls us to action, we are going to try a new, integrated pattern for our Sunday morning worship and faith enrichment activities:
9:45 Children’s Warm-up/Opening in the Conference Room
10:00 Worship
10:50 Adult Hospitality in the Gathering Space
Children’s Hospitality and Wrap-up until 11:15 in Grace Hall
At 9:45, all children are invited to gather in the Conference Room to Warm-up with a few songs and read together a paraphrase of the Bible story for the day. Then on the way to worship at 10:00, everyone is welcome to pick up resources that will be available outside the sanctuary entrance to enhance engagement with the Bible story. At the dismissal of worship, children will be invited to follow Noelle Fox and a team of youth leaders into Grace Hall for a snack treat and Bible Story Wrap-up activities with church friends, while adults interact around hospitality in the Gathering Space.
Having been affirmed last month by Council, we pray that this new approach to Sunday mornings will strengthen our connection with the Bible and deepen our faith together. And we will encourage that growth to continue at home with weekly devotions around additional Bible readings, caring conversations, service challenges and prayer as part of everyone’s daily routine.
We look forward to seeing you at 9:45 a.m. on Sunday, September 11th for a faith-filled Rally Day – ALL IN!
About this blog
Welcome to my running online dialog on matters of our life together in faith community at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church—where the grace of Christ Jesus our Lord engages each of us and, in turn, sends us out to engage others with that grace as well. I look forward to learning and growing together.
- Pastor Steve Wachtman
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America News
Upcoming Events
Sep
26
Mon
6:30 pm
BSA Troop 555
BSA Troop 555
Sep 26 @ 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Troop Meetings/Events in Grace Hall Scouts will set up tables and chairs as needed