Download Report

VOLUME 20
ISSUE 3
April. 2015
April
Newsletter
The April newsletter is in honor of the
birthdays of our daughter Penny Nacci
and granddaughter Taylor Bechtel by
Frank and Carole Nacci.
“Serving and Ministering to the Community Since 1873”
Rev. John A. Hart, Pastor
Phone: 610-282-3336, Email: [email protected]
“Trinity Tidings” is a monthly publication printed on the
premises of Holy Trinity Memorial Lutheran Church
(Hospital Code: 244)
Robin McCloud, Office Secretary,
Email: [email protected]
HOLY TRINITY MEMORIAL
LUTHERAN CHURCH
604 Fourth Street
Catasauqua, Pa 18032
Phone:610-264-2641
Fax:610-264-2661
Website: www.holytrinitymemoriallutheran.com
Email: [email protected]
DEADLINE FOR MAY NEWSLETTER IS
TUESDAY, APRIL 21ST.
IF HOSPITALIZED, BE SURE TO
SIGN A RELEASE CARD AND
USE OUR
HOSPITAL CODE #244.
WE ARE A HANDICAPPED
ACCESSIBLE FACILITY.
FROM THE PASTOR’S DESK……..
State of the Faith Road Trip
This past February at our congregation meeting, a member stood up and called for our congregation to start a
road trip. You don’t remember that happening? I do, but maybe not in those exact words. I think it was a call for the
congregation to figure out where we want to be in five years. Now, before we begin this road trip we need to consider
where we have been, where we are going, what we will see along the way, how we will get there, and how long the trip
will be.
I believe, from working with and listening to many members over the years, our ultimate goal is to be as
faithful a congregation to the gospel message that we can be by sharing and living that gospel message in our lives and
worship. Now since we are talking about a journey, I believe that we have been on one together for the last 12 years
and we are simply moving in a new direction. Now to decide our new route on our Faith Road Trip let us look where
we have been so far.
We have fixed our property, carrying out around two hundred and fifty thousand dollars of repairs and
improvements on our church and buildings. This was important to do because the condition of the church property is
often seen as a reflection on the depth of faith in those attending. If we are going to do the Calling of Church, we must
have a well cared for facility. However, we have not just stopped with property improvements alone. If that were the
case, I would say our ministry trip was fated for failure. No, we have given thousands upon thousands of dollars,
probably close to the amount we have spent on repairs, for ministries inside and outside the congregation.
For example, the Morning Glories, the women’s group, have given over sixteen thousand dollars to needy
causes. They have probably given double that in material goods to those in need, such as, LCS Refugee program,
Habitat for Humanity, Cops N Kids, Wounded Warriors, Catty Food Bank, 6th Street Shelter, Operation Christmas
children, Mrs. Nothstein’s Helping Hands, Appalachia’s Health Wagon, and many, many more. Our Social ministry
team has also carried out various ministries through ingatherings and many other collections. Our food table in the
narthex has collected thousands of pounds of goods for the Catasauqua food bank.
On this Faith Road Trip, you have supported the “Pastor’s Discretionary fund”, which has helped members of
our congregation and many in the community. We do not advertise our giving from that fund because it is done
quietly. As a congregation, we also help meet needs and emergencies for both local and international causes. One that I
will mention specifically and that is close to my heart is Neumann Orphanage in Ethiopia. Let us not forget the youth
group. The youth group has also raised over twenty-nine thousand dollars for the 30-hour famine, collected for Souper
Bowl Sunday and the Catasauqua Fund Bank.
Our Faith Road Trip is not about money, but it will be a topic of where we are going and how we can continue
our ministries. We have already implemented many long-term goals through the SALT team, which has carried out
many positive programs to increase our stewardship.
In addition to the financial commitments we have made, and our many social ministry programs we have also
offered many chances to increase our understanding of the Bible and our faith through Sunday morning and weeknight
bible studies, Lenten movies, various speakers and more.
What can you say about Sunday school? Its leadership and teachers are dedicated and the students are a great
group. They have fun learning about their faith.
We have tried to make worship as spirit filled and faith nourishing as possible, without being simply glitz and
glam or merely entertaining. God does not need to be worshipped, but God knows that we need to worship to
maintain a healthy faith. We need to praise, at least once a week, in order to affirm what is critical in our lives – God
and we have tried to make that ultimate in our goals for worship.
On our Faith Road Trip we have always tried fulfill our role in the creation—joining in with God using our
free will to respect and care for the image of God in others, making a better world than we have inherited, to
appreciate what we have been given, and to enjoy it. I ask anyone who would like to be part of the upcoming planning
team, which will set the course for the next leg of our Faith Road Trip to contact me. Remember we all get to ride
shotgun with God!
Yours in Christ, Pastor John
Church Council Members
Term Ending Dec. 2015
Term Ending Dec. 2016
Terms Ending December 2018
Barb Fister: 610-266-1160
Dale Greenzweig: 610-419-3843 Arden Strickland: 610-351-0341
Cheryl Kneiss: 610-262-0467 RuthAnn Reinsmith: 610-264-4346 Rick Martson: 484-661-5183
Sherry Creyer: 610-262-1811
Carol Cunningham:
Joe Schwindenhammer: 610-573-1957
Carole Nacci: 610-264-8785
Mark Fried: 610-262-2645
Open
Youth Rep.:
OFFICERS
President: Barbara Fister
Secretary: (Rotating)
Vice President: Arden Strickland
Treasurer: John Marakovits
$ FINANCIAL UP-DATE $
At the end of February, we were (-$5,308.16) behind budget. At the end of
February of 2014 (last year), we were (-$4,572.00) behind budget -$736.16 less. However,
regular budgeted income received thus far in 2015 is $175.84 more than last year. In
addition, Sunday, February the 22nd was lost to bad weather as both services were
cancelled.
In February a total of $437.00 was received in our “Lent” envelopes which
included a separate envelope for Ash Wednesday. Other special gifts received during
February were for the following:
$ 85.00
Initial (offering envelopes)
$ 10.00
Benevolence
$808.00
Thrivent Funds Deposit
$ 65.00
Letter Set for Portable sign
$630.00
“Sweets for your Sweetie” - Valentine’s Day
Weekend event—$315.00 for “Mrs. Nothstein’s
Helping Hands” and $315.00 for the Numan
Orphanage.
$240.00
Pasto’s Discretionary Fund
$ 45.00
Building Fund
$249.59
Heating Fund—$199.59 was interest from the
LeeAnn Webb memorial C.D.
$108.00
“Morning Glories”
Thank you to all contributors.
As you can see, there are many “special” causes to contribute to here at Holy
Trinity.
With another very difficult winter season now behind us, please be extra generous
to the church this Lenten and Easter season.
As always, thank you for your on-going support of Holy Trinity and it’s ministry.
Thank you,
John Marakovits, Treasurer
HOLY TRINITY NEWS
Holy Trinity
welcomes
Diane Jones
as our newest
member!
Have you remembered
Holy Trinity
in your will?

About the 3rd week of
April, you should be
receiving your offering
envelopes in the mail for
May and June. If you do not
receive them, please contact
Robin in the church Office
(610) 264-2641.
“Simply Giving”
At any time, you can give
donations to the “Pastor’s
Discretionary Fund”. This fund is used to give
temporary financial assistance to people of our
congregation and community when a sudden
need arises. You may send contributions to the
church or place them in the offering plate on
Sunday mornings. Please mark your checks or
envelopes “Pastor’s Discretionary Fund”.
“Simply Giving” allows you to share
first fruits through planned giving.
Activate your stewardship into an ongoing automatic withdrawal of your
tithes and offerings. Holy Trinity
benefits by having a steady income no
matter what the season or weather.
To learn more, call the church 610“Joyful Giving Circle”
264-2641. “As each has received a
gift, employ it for one another,
as good stewards of God’s varied
Help further the ministry of Holy Trinity… grace.” I Peter 4:10 – RSV
Holy Trinity is a member of
the Blood Bank Program. If
you give blood, you may
designate it as Holy Trinity.
Also, if you ever need Don’t wait for a special occasion to make a
blood, tell them you’re a contribution in honor or in memory of
someone. Fill out the enclosed form or print
church member.
it off our website, place it in the offering or
mail it with your check in any amount. We
will print your dedication in our next
newsletter.
Thank you to all of the Sunday Church School parents
and students for their food contributions and help
during refreshment Sunday on March 8. Also, thank
you to Steph and Vicki Chimics for leading the SCS
students in a St. Patrick's Day/Easter craft activity on March 15.
Looking ahead:
April 5 (Easter Sunday) no SCS
April 12 Easter program presentation during 10:30 worship service
May 24 (Pentecost) Affirmation of Baptism - reception follows 10:30 worship
service
May 31 SCS closing program at 9:15 in Alice Storch room (and make your own
Sundae!)
June 13 Christian Education Annual Yard Sale
June 14 (tentative)-- Paul Frantz Memorial Scholarship presentation
And, of course, planning for our summer has begun, so please keep your eyes
open for further details!!
PAUL FRANTZ
SCHOLARSHIP
Applications are now available from
Rick Minnich. Due date is Sunday,
April 12th. Scholarship is open to
all graduating High Seniors
continuing their education in the
fall. Call Rick with any questions at
610-261-2901.
ARE YOU PROUD OF
YOUR CHILD’S
ACCOMPLISHENT?
Let us know.
We are happy to publish it in our
newsletter. Call 610-264-2641.
If someone in your
household is
graduating from High
School, College/
University, or Trade
School (including advanced degrees),
please call the church office with the
info. We would love to include it in the
June edition of the “Trinity Tidings.”
Call Robin in the office and let her
BYOB - Bring Your Own Bible. STARTING ON
THURSDAY, April 9th. It's more than just a clever
name for Thursday Night Bible study - it's a diverse
group of people gathering to learn more about the
word - and the Word - of God. Our small group
includes a scientific mind, a former Daisy leader, a
grammar surgeon, a guy with a smart-phone
answer for every question, an R.C. (reformed
Catholic), a guy whose hip Bible that belies his
chronological age, a snarky Jesus freak, and a
pastor who does his homework before each
study! There's room for so many more
personalities - let us get to know yours while you're
getting better acquainted with the Bible. Join us
from 7-8 o'clock for Thursday night BS with Pastor
John - Bible Study, that is! Come see what you've
been missing!!
DID YOU KNOW?
The Christian Education Team collects Redner's
receipts. Proceeds support camperships for Holy
Trinity or other kids and youth who want to attend a
week of camp at Bear Creek. Please place receipts in
the basket on the Food Table. Thank you!
Remember or Honor Loved Ones
Altar Flowers
TO THE GLORY OF GOD:
April 5
EASTER—Individual Lily Plants
ALTAR— In loving memory of David
Svitana by Sandy and Erich Svitana.
April 12
In loving memory of LeeAnn Webb by
her parents.
April 19
In honor of our daughter, Penny, to
celebrate her birthday by Frank and
Carole Nacci.
April 26
In honor of our granddaughter, Taylor,
to celebrate her birthday by Frank and
Carole Nacci.
Bulletins
TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND:
April 5
Open
April 12
Open
April 19
Open
April 26
Open
“Trinity Tidings”
All dedications are taken for 2015. Thank you.
Please Note: To reserve a flower date, fill in the Flower
Chart in the narthex and call Suzanne Webb 610-2644880 with your dedication. If you do not call
Suzanne, the dedication will read “To the glory
of God by (your name)”. To dedicate a Sunday
bulletin, call the church secretary (610-264-2641).
Bulletins are $10, altar flowers are $35. Please pick up
your flowers or have someone pick them
up for you.
Landscaping Alert: Looking for Trinity
members who like the great outdoors and enjoy
watching flowers grow! Last year, we had 14
members who weeded and checked our flower beds
and property throughout the spring, summer and
fall. That meant that every 7 weeks, each team of 2
took a turn. Several members who helped last year
can’t help this year. The schedule this year will
begin the week of April 13 and continue through
the week of October 26. Please consider helping as
a team or as a family! Many hands make light
work….see Janis Charvala for more information.
YOUTH NEWS
They're back, and you have responded to them with your usual generosity!! Those ever-popular youth
with their 30-Hour Famine books were like the 11th plague, swarming like locusts in March, looking for
sponsors! Here's a tidbit to inspire you to pledge once, twice....maybe as often as asked: Since we
started doing the Famine, you have helped HT Youth raise over $29,000 for World Vision's development
and relief programs in the US and internationally!!!!!!! If you're new to the Famine, don't hesitate to ask
the kids about it. And if they're a little shy about asking members that they don't know, why not
introduce yourself and offer your pledge? They'll be fasting for 30 hours from noon on Good Friday until
6pm on Saturday (April 3-4). Thank you in advance for your enthusiastic support!
NO CAMO REQUIRED FOR THIS HUNT! While the youth are fasting, they'll be preparing a neighborhood
Easter egg hunt on April 4th at HT. We'll be decorating hard-cooked eggs and filling plastic eggs on
Friday, and hiding the eggs and hosting the free event on Saturday at noon, rain or shine. So mark
your calendars if you have children or grandchildren age 6 or under, and invite neighbors or friends that
you would like to invite to Holy Trinity - what a fun way to introduce them to our church home! An adult
must accompany their children. Please RSVP to Diane (610-739-6006) or the church office (601-2642641) if you are planning to attend to help us know how many eggs the Easter bunny needs to hide!
Thank you to the adults who have kept the youth in mind and donated a wonderful supply of plastic eggs
for our egg hunt! Still needed: small egg-sized treasures and individually-wrapped candy to fill those
eggs - deadline to drop those items in the basket in the narthex is Sunday, March 29th.
While you have your calendars out...Pencil in Saturday, May16th for our Junior Victorian Tea. Tentative
time: 1-2:30pm. We'll be serving kid-friendly sweets and beverages, offering a junior-sized basket
raffle, and hosting what could become an annual tradition like the Victorian Tea in April. Cost will be
adult $3, children $2. You must bring a child to attend!!! Think about inviting friends/family/coworkers
and their children to this fun event. 100% of the proceeds will go toward our $35/month sponsorship of
Nohla, our South African sister that we sponsor through World Vision.
Coming June 23-28th: Creation Festival in Mount Union, PA. Tuesday, June 23 will be travel and set up
camp; Sunday, June 28 will be pack up and travel home. Creation Festival is "a tribute to our Creator",
and gives individuals, families, and youth an opportunity to hear Christian musicians/bands and Christian
speakers; camp in a safe environment; enjoy a fair-like environment with food, t-shirt and poster
vendors; learn about a variety of ministries; and serve as volunteers to help run the festival for a
reduced admission fee (age 14 and up). I attended in 2014 with the Helds and another family, and am
returning with the same group this June - I would love to see at least 2 HT youth attend!
SOCIAL MINISTRY NEWS
Don't be THAT family!!! Including a toothbrush in a basket of candy is like eating diet soda with
pizza! It's fun to indulge in the secular part of Easter celebrations, but why not fill those baskets with
goodies that give twice? Items from the Fair Trade table or from the catalogs on the table benefit small
farmers and artisans in developing countries...and yes, there's even chocolate on the table that is not
only delicious but is also fairly traded! This Easter, let's think outside the basket!!
Keep these ongoing opportunities for ministry in mind - and thank you for your support of the many
social ministry opportunities offered at Holy Trinity:

nonperishable items for the Food Table - delivered to the Catasauqua Food Bank



"meant-to-but-forgot" donations on the Food Table for the Catty Food Bank
Bean Soup Mix next to the Fair Trade Table - $5 donation goes to the Pastor's Discretionary Fund
Fair Trade Table purchases of chocolate and hand-crafted items - benefit small farmers and crafters
in third-world countries
 catalogs on the Fair Trade Table with gifts and donation ideas - God's love, gift-wrapped
donations to Numan orphanage, which struggles to meet the needs of the children who live there, and
where Metsehet turns when she needs additional help.
Think about using some of these ideas when you make plans for Mother's Day, just a month
away! Beautiful cards are available on the Fair Trade Table and at Ten Thousand Villages at the Lehigh
Valley Mall outdoor shops.
SCRIP NEWS
EASTER BASKET ALERT: Scrip gift cards benefit our Christian Education program. There won't be another
order placed before Easter, but here are the cards that are available for immediate purchase:
Dunkin
Starbucks
Chipotle
Boston Market
Subway
Taco Bell Burger King Arby's
Dick's Sporting Goods
LL Bean
Cabela's
Lowe's
Kohl's
Old Navy
American Eagle
Giant
Weis CVS
Amazon.com
iTunes
Barnes & Noble Staples
PetSmart
Bed Bath & Beyond
Q'doba
Applebee's
Carrabba's
Bonefish Grille
Longhorn Steakhouse Olive Garden
Panera
Red Lobster
Cracker Barrel
Outback
TGIFriday's
Cards will be available from Joe or Diane after the early and late services on Easter morning, for last minute
Easter bunnies!
Did you know that Kohl's cards can be used to pay your Kohl's charge? That's right! Use your Kohl's charge card
to get those amazing savings, then pay your bill by purchasing Kohl's cards from Scrip. It's a superpower that
store-purchased Kohl's cards don't have. You can purchase Kohl's cards from our inventory, or place an order for
them the second Sunday every month. You don't have to plan ahead for Kohl's shopping because you can purchase
Scrip cards after the fact in the amount you need to pay your bill! And with a a 4% Scrip rebate, you could raise
$20 a year for our Christian Education program by purchasing $500 in Kohl's cards over the next year. And
seriously, if you shop at Kohl's, who hasn't spent at least $500 in a year?!!!
Please see our Scrip coordinator, Joe Schwindenhammer, after worship any Sunday to pick up cards in between
orders. Reminder: the deadline for regular orders is the second Sunday each month, but we will take your order
any time and hold it until the next order is placed. We pay $7.75 shipping for each order, so please try to plan
your purchases by the deadline each month. Several people can attest, however, that Joe can be persuaded to
submit an interim order when needed. We also take IOU's for orders and for stock purchases! Deadline for our
April order is Sunday, April 12th.
DON'T MISS OUT: Start asking for your cards back when you spend them...Put your name on each $0 balance
card and drop it in the Scrip box in the narthex. When we reach a net profit of $3000, we will draw a name - the
winner will receive a $10 gift card of their choice. Enter as many times as you like to increase your chances of
winning! The more cards you buy, the sooner we'll get to that $3000 profit goal - and the more cards you'll have
in the box when we draw the lucky winner!!! Since Holy Trinity started participating in the Scrip program on
4/1/14, we have a total gross profit since we started of $2430.91!!!!! Start dropping those used Scrip cards in
the box this Sunday!!
MAUNDY THURSDAY—APRIL 2nd
6:00p.m. Soup Supper—7:30p.m. Worship
(You may sign-up in the Alice Storch Room to help provide soup, bread, or desert, or to help clean up.)
GOOD FRIDAY—APRIL 3rd
7:30p.m. The re-enactment of the ancient rite of “Tenebrae” (Latin meaning “shadows”). Dating
from the 8th century, it commemorates the suffering and death of Christ. Extinguishing of
candles symbolizes the fading loyalty of the disciples and friends of Jesus.
THE RESURRECTION OF OUR LORD—EASTER DAY—APRIL 5th
(NO Sunday School Classes/ No Pastor’s Bible Study)
6:00a.m. Easter Vigil/Dawn Candlelight service with Communion
10:30a.m. Easter Holy Communion/Choir
Friday, April 24th, 2015 ~ Basket Raffle (6 to 8p.m.)
Saturday, April 25th, 2015 ~ Annual Victorian Tea