At Holy Trinity’s annual meeting on Sunday, January 22, Council is seeking affirmation from the congregation to include Stephen Ministers among the caring ministries of the congregation.  As a supplement to, rather than replacement of, pastoral care, Stephen Ministers are trained to provide confidential, extended one-on-one Christ-like care for persons who are working through a significant loss or transition in their lives, such as the death of a loved one, the loss of a job, a divorce and so on.  Local Stephen Leaders receive 20 hours of training for initiating, implementing, staffing and maintaining the ministry in their congregation. Those Stephen Leaders then lead 50 hours of training for Care Givers to prepare for their service to Care Receivers from both the congregation and community-at-large.  The training is followed by monthly meetings to provide on-going support for Care Givers in their service.

In order to advance Holy Trinity’s engagement in what it perceives to be a worthwhile addition to our caring ministries, last year Church Council approved training for our first two Stephen Ministry Leaders:  Director for Equipping Ministers Laura Hudson and Pastor Steve Wachtman.  Council has also identified four people with the gifts and interest to serve as Stephen Minister Care Givers:  Ron Benedick, Sharon Kokot, Steve Rice and Cathy Steffen.

A motion at this year’s Annual Meeting seeks to affirm the congregation’s involvement with Stephen Ministry in general and commit its engagement with the ministry going forward.

June 14-24, 2023

Next summer, seven youth and six adults will embark on Holy Trinity’s next LutherLand Pilgrimage, and there’s room for 20 more!  Staying in shared hostel accommodations as well as host family homes with our partner congregation in Schwerin, we’ll travel by motor coach sponsored by a generous donor. The current (land travel) cost of this faith-changing pilgrimage is $1439, which will fall $200 to $1239 for all travelers with the next person’s registration.  Current non-stop airfare estimates departing and returning from Detroit are $1500.

As with every previous pilgrimage, this experience will include engagement with sites of the Protestant Reformation, our German Partner congregation, and German cultural flavors, sights and sounds.  Like previous pilgrimages with youth and adult participants, ample opportunity will be afforded the group to share the experience together and within their peer group.

The itinerary for this particular pilgrimage (including our first ever two-night stay in a Bavarian palace turned hostel) is available by clicking here or hard copies can be picked up at the Info Center table.  Please see Pastor Steve with any questions and to register your interest.

We are new creatures in Christ, the Apostle Paul declares (2 Corinthians 5:17)!  As such, we no longer view ourselves or others the way we once did.  We have a new role; we are ambassadors for Christ, “as though God were making His appeal through us” (2 Corinthians 5:20).  And those to whom God appeals are the lost for whom Christ has died.  What a sober responsibility we have!  As stewards of the Gospel that we spread not just with our mouths, but with our actions as well, let us implore God to enable us to be His light in this dark world. For more information about stewardship, please contact Max Buban.

For a printer-friendly version of this week’s news, please click Engaged Weekly 01152023

For a printer-friendly version of this week’s news, please click Engaged Weekly 01082023

From the staff at Holy Trinity, thank you for the generous gifts you gave to us at Christmas.  It’s our privilege to serve in ministry with you and we look forward to our continued work together in 2023!

The 2023 offering envelopes have arrived. You may pick up yours from the table in the hallway near the church offices.

Somehow a New Year seems to bring revitalization.  We take a deep breath, forgetting all that went wrong in the old year, and start fresh.  For the Christian, this revitalization takes place daily as we remember our Baptisms, for God “has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3). Empowered by this knowledge, let us use each day for God’s glory.  For more information about stewardship, please contact Max Buban.

For a printer-friendly version of this week’s news, please click Engaged Weekly 01012023

On Sunday, January 29th from 4:00-7:00pm, Holy Trinity is having a birthday party! Everyone is invited to celebrate Jesus’ birthday as well as our own birthdays! Fun activities, fellowship, and a potluck meal will be shared. Table Leaders are needed! If you are willing to be a Table Leader, you will be asked to provide a small birthday cake (store bought or homemade) and simple table decorations while welcoming others who were born in your same birthday month. Come celebrate and get to know others! For more information, please contact Noelle Fox at noelle.fox@engagedbygrace.org.