Annual Congregational Meeting
Trinity Lutheran Church
Sunday, January 29
Following Worship on that day!
A one service ONLY Sunday
at 10:00 AM
Election of Church Council
Approval of Budget
Brunch
Please bring a main dish to share.
ALL Members are encouraged to attend.
Dear Friends in Christ,
“Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, ‘If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free….Very truly, I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not have a permanent place in the household; the son has a place there forever. So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.’” John 8: 31-32, 35-36
I have always had an affinity for these verses from the Gospel of John especially verses 31-32, as they happen to be my Confirmation verse. Also, as we look to the 500th anniversary of the Reformation this year, this Gospel text is traditionally the one appointed for the celebration of that day. I find it fitting then to frame my annual report in these words of Jesus from the Gospel of John.
If we do anything as a body of Christ, if I do anything in my calling as the pastor of Trinity Lutheran, I would hope and pray these words of continuance in the Word would lead and guide me and us. Whether I speak of our worship, service, or witness to the Gospel, our journey of faith is experienced in the Word and the freedom to live out our faith in the Word.
Martin Luther lived in a day and time, as with any other day and time, when the world as he knew it was undergoing turmoil, change, and upheaval. Some 500 years later we would say the same about our world as we know it. The year 2016 saw the good and bad, andjoys and sorrows of our humanity. We experienced such things within our communities and nations. We experienced both good and bad, joys and sorrows within the church community as well. Turmoil and suffering brings sorrow. Change brings anxiety. Upheaval brings unsureness. And whether we speak of the church or the world into which we live as followers of Christ and the Word, we are affected by events, people, and situations which we encounter to the point of wondering will we never be able to break the bondage of being ‘a slave to sin?’
Yet, I am called as all the baptized people of God are called to proclaim a different reality; a reality experienced in the Word above, “If the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.” It is a reality based in the knowledge of a Word which leads us to enter into the turmoil, the change, and the upheaval and there we meet Christ, the One who frees us to speak of grace, to speak of love, to speak of justice, and to speak of peace. It is in this Christ of cross and resurrection we are freed. It is in this Christ of cross and resurrection we are called to speak to and for others His Word of justice, grace, mercy, and peace.
For these reasons among many others, it is why we worship week after week, season after season. Why you come and participate as we welcome your involvement within the worship and Word heart of Trinity. For these reasons it is why we share the Word of freedom in our witness and our service to others. For these reasons it is why we nurture our faith and grow in our understanding of the Word. And for these reasons it is why we celebrate and fellowship lifting each other in the Word of Christ which brings us joy amid our sorrows, surety in our anxiety, and freedom amid that which holds us back in our journey of faith.
As we move through this year then toward that 500 year celebration in October of the Reformation and, as many events throughout this year will reflect on that time and its implications for the life of the Church and Trinity now; I share with you these words of Martin Luther:
“This life therefore is not righteousness, but growth in righteousness, not health but healing, not being but becoming, no rest but exercise. We are not yet what we shall be, but we are growing toward it, the process is not yet finished, but is going on, this not the end, but it is the road. All does no gleam in glory, but all is being purified.”
I share my thanks then with all of you who have journeyed on this road with me – John, Linda, and Patricia
whowork among thiscommunity and all who volunteer their time and their gifts within the ministry and
mission of Trinity. And, my love and gratitude is shared with Rebecca for all the years we have journeyed
on the road together and for all your support and encouragement along the way. The road we travel is
sometimes bumpy and sometimes smooth. It has its twists and curves and its hills andvalleys. Yet, it is the
road on which Christ leads us as we continue in His Word.
In the hope of Christ and in anticipation of the journey of faith before us, I look forward to the days ahead
of us as we share Christ with others and we explore opportunities to grow in our witness to the Word among
us. So, in your own words, I share a few comments from this fall’s ministry fair about why you are grateful
for our ministry: “We are accepting of all. Because you don’t have to dress up fancy and you can bring
anyone. I am grateful that we are open to everyone.”
Pure and simple, by the grace of God, all are welcome in this place and among this ministry. Thank you
then for your openness to the Gospel in your lives and to your openness and acceptance of each other.
Peace and Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Paul
WORSHIP AND MUSIC COMMITTEE REPORT
“Worship is a unifying event in the life of a congregation. It is the one time when...members join together in a common purpose--to worship and thank God for God’s grace given to all in Word and Sacrament.” (elca.org.worship committee)
Trinity’s Worship and Music Committee meets each month to plan the worship experience for all services. In addition to choosing hymns to deepen and enhance the worship service, the committee makes liturgical changes, such as changing the offertory, to help focus our understanding of the different liturgical seasons.
This year, the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation brought a new focus to the liturgical year. We have endeavored to use hymns composed by Martin Luther as well as text from Luther such as portions of his Small Catechism. As music was an important part of worship for Luther, we continue as a church to be blessed by committed musicians in this church who enhance the liturgy through our organ and the band which has supported the 8 and 9:30 a.m. services approximately once a month. In addition, the weekly bulletin contains a quote from Martin Luther as a way of understanding his world view on numerous topics.
Plans for more activities and services to highlight this major milestone of our Lutheran heritage are in the making and will be announced as the year progresses. In addition, we are still in the process of selecting new paraments. We appreciate those are are willing to serve in important ways in each service by ushering, being communion assistants, and reading the lessons. We welcome anyone who is willing to help out. If interested, please call the church office and let John Softcheck, our Administrator, know. The committee welcomes feedback from the congregation. This year’s members include Pastor Paul, Linda Leahey, Klara Barlow, Dolores Fitzgerald, and Janet Buehler.
Attendance (2016 totals)
ServiceTotal #Services Average
8:15 1,2534529
9:30 2,04245 45
11:00 1,5694535
Total 5,581 51 109
The numbers above include one service only Sundays on January 31 (104) and February 7 (142), March 20 (143) Palm Sunday total for 2 services, May 8 (97), December 18 (197), and December 25 (34). Also, although we were officially open on January 24 we did not include that attendance of a total of 16.
Mission Report
As a congregation we affirm that the church and this congregation is God’s mission and that we are part of Christ’s ministry and mission to the whole world, whole society, whole person, and the whole church.
The Shepherd’s Pantry
The local community food bank known as the Shepherd’s Pantry continues as a generous ministry of the congregations of Fairhaven and Acushnet. Trinity has been involved with the pantry from the pantry’s beginnings and, throughout the years, we have had faithful and dedicated volunteers who have served. We especially give thanks to Jackie Johansen who continues as our church’s representative to the board and coordinates the volunteer schedule. Thanks to all from all churches and the people of Trinity Lutheran.
Market Ministries (Soup Kitchen)
Thank you also to those who volunteer to serve on the first Monday of each month. We welcome more volunteers in this role. Please call the church office if you wish to volunteer.
Inter Church Council of Greater New Bedford
We continue our financial support of the Inter Church Council. The ICC is a vital ministry to our greater communities as seen in the role it continues to play in such ministries as its work with those struggling with addiction, suicide prevention, as well as many other needs of the community.
Souper Bowl of Caring
On February 7 the congregation of Trinity came together to worship and to share in a soup luncheon to benefit the Shepherd’s Pantry. We offer our thanks to the Confirmation class, to all who made soup, and to all who supported this year’s efforts. Our worship that day reflected the power of the Spirit as the students led worship and presented a new skit called “The Twelfth Man on the Team!” Through your involvement in this annual event we once again saw a generous amount raised of $1,200 for the Pantry. What is marvelous about this experience is that all monies go directly to feed the hungry of our area. Please note that in the 14 years in which we have participated in the Souper Bowl of Caring, we have raised over $16,000. Every cent has been given to the ongoing ministry of the Shepherd’s Pantry. Thank you!
Food for the Poor
In January of 2016 we welcomed our biannual visit of a representative from “Food for the Poor.” Pastor John Roth returned to be with us once again as he led us in worship and shared the vital mission and ministries of this organization as it continues to provide assistance to the people and countries of the Caribbean and Central America.
During the season of Lent, we entered our eighth year, led by the children of the church, in a Food for the Poor ministry called “Operation Starfish”. We invited the whole membership of the church to bring their pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters and any other loose change which we collected in an aquarium. Some even emptied their banks into the aquarium. In 2008 we raised $600. In 2009 we raised $500. In 2010 we raised $500 plus, in 2011 we raised $500 plus, in 2012 we raised $500 plus, and in 2013 we raised $500, in 2014 we raised $860, in 2015 we raised $740, and in 2016 we raised $640. Thank you!
Baskets of Promise
During the season of Lent we entered our second year in the ministry called “Baskets of Promise.” As a ministry of Lutheran World Relief, we joined them in assembling personal care kits for distribution to people throughout the world. We had a modest goal of 50 kits and we ended with 100 kits. From the children to the adults the greeting area of the church became filled with towels, soap, toothbrushes, combs, and nail clippers – basic necessities needed for personal care. We are grateful for your support of this ministry.
Family to Family Project
In conjunction with local social service agencies we participated in the Family to Family project. We were provided the names of 30 plus children in need this Christmas season and, through angels on a tree, members were invited to choose an angel and purchase gifts for their individual. The response was tremendous and we plan on increasing the amount of families we support this coming Christmas season. Thank you!
Play and Learn Campus Annual Report
Gail Pierce and myself have been working at TLCPLC for several years now. We have had challenges to work through and continue to focus on improving the program. During the summer we hired a new staff person for the program, but unfortunately she was not with us very long. We will resume our search for a school monitor within the next few months.
Some of the highlights of our ministry with the children include the following. Last year we had virtual travel and every month we visited a new country. This past fall we traveled the New England states and concentrated our visits to national parks. We were given several tablets as a wonderful donation to our program. Gail and I have introduced these tablets into weekly projects, asking the children to look up information on sites such as National Geographic’s for Kids. There are rules to using the tablets. The children have to sit at a table with a staff person and use them with respect. We take special care in keeping the tablets safe and in excellent working condition.
This year we started right away with several service projects. The children bagged rice and spices to make a dried soup. This finished project was given to Gail’s daughter,Arwyn, to take back to Baltimore where there is a need within her church community. We are planning another service project that will benefit the Play Brigade charity that Gail’s daughter Lindsey is working with as she prepares to run this year’s Boston Marathon.
We decided to break the children into two groups this year. Everyone reads for 20 minutes and/orthey work in their journals. We are, also, starting an ongoing monthly project from the Disney Nature Series. We will start by examining ocean life, focusing on the characters from Finding Dory. We will end each monthly project with a movie.
This was our fourth year having a “Thanksgiving Feast” with our students and their families. It gives us a chance to thank them for sharing theirchildren with us. Each day has moments filled with smiles and laughter, and times of confusion and struggle. We take everything in stride as we strive to provide a safe, healthy and educational program for the children. We thank you for this great opportunity and ask you to keep us in your prayers so we can continue our mission as we travel on this journey of nurturing children.
Thank you,
Director, Ruth E. Medeiros
2016 Financial Secretary’s Annual Report
Trinity Lutheran has been blessed over the years by tremendous generosity from its congregation and 2016 has been no exception. Despite a national financial crisis and years-long recovery, I am happy to report that TLC has experienced steadfast support through your envelope offerings. However, there has been a significant decline during the past seven years in the number of people pledging a financial commitment to their giving. For example, there were only ten Estimate of Giving pledges submitted in 2016, as compared to 2009 when there were 48 pledges submitted. Looking ahead, there is clearly opportunity for us to grow in our willingness to pledge a financial commitment to TLC’s mission and ministry. If you are interested in participating in a commitment to your financial stewardship, please fill out an Estimate of Giving form – they are available in the church office.
The New Year also has brought some new changes to our process for envelope offerings. Many people have asked to forego physical envelopes, taking a “green” approach to financial stewardship. This saves the church the cost of purchasing offering envelopes which means that we are better able to maintain a balanced budget and financially commit ourselves to the ministries we support in Christ’s name.
I thank you for the opportunity to serve Trinity in the capacity of financial secretary and I look forward to another year of serving the congregation and helping to find ways to support the TLC finance committee and church council. As always, I am blessed by your patience and support.
Prayerfully submitted,
gilSoftcheck
Women’s Fellowship aka Sewing Circle
The Women’s Fellowship continues to meet on Tuesday mornings at 10:00 AM. In addition, the younger working women (who are an important part of our mission) meet when they can during prearranged evenings and continue to play a vital role during the Christmas fair. Skills, both practical and spiritual, are shared as well as food, fun, fellowship, devotion, and prayer. Week after week, support is offered by sharing stories of faith and hope. In service to the sick and the homebound, cards of comfort and encouragement are sent on a regular basis.
The annual Christmas fair is the highlight of the year. Proceeds from the fair support the ministry of the church along with local community outreach programs. This year’s proceeds were donated to Community Nurse and Hospice of Fairhaven, the Salvation Army, Shepherd’s Pantry, the Play and Learn Campus, and Pastor Paul’s discretionary fund.