TRINITY TRUMPETER Newsletter - February 2012

Trinity Lutheran Church
TRINITY TRUMPETER Newsletter

February 2012
Volume 11, Issue 2

The Lenten Season Is Fast Approaching!

As Pastor Josh’s article on page 3 points out, Lent begins Ash Wednesday, which is
Wednesday, February 22, this year. Mark your calendars now:
Wednesday, February 22 - Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the Lenten season.
Soup supper at 6:00 p.m. followed by worship service at 7:00 p.m.
Wednesdays, February 29, March 7, 14, 21, and 28 – Soup suppers at 6:00 p.m.
followed by Midweek Lenten Services at 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, April 1 – Palm Sunday, worship at 10:30 a.m.
Thursday, April 5 – Maundy Thursday, worship at 7:00 p.m.
Friday, April 6 – Good Friday, worship at 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, April 8 – Happy Easter! Easter celebration service at 10:30 a.m.

Please sign up to bring a part of a soup supper (soup, salad, bread, dessert) on the
Midweek Lenten Soup Supper signup sheet in the Fellowship Hall.

Welcoming New Members

Pastor Josh is once again teaching a class for persons potentially interested in becoming
members of Trinity. The first class session was held Monday, January 23, 2012, at 9:00 a.m.
with four people attending. The class will meet 3-4 times at dates and times agreed upon,
leading up to New Member Sunday, which is Sunday, February 19, 2012. Anyone
interested in attending the sessions is encouraged to contact Pastor Josh at your first
convenience (562 437-4002).
To encourage all of us to welcome the new members and to get to know them
better, the Fellowship Committee is planning a potluck following worship on that day.
Please figure out what you would like to bring and plan now to attend.

Bold Women’s Sunday

Once again, here at Trinity, in February, we will observe Bold Women’s Sunday. The actual date this year is Sunday, February 26. The intent on this day is that the women of our congregation handle all aspects of the worship service. Kathy Glendening may be calling you to participate. Don’t wait—call Kathy at the church office (562 437-4002) to volunteer and let her know how you’d like to help.

The new year stretches before us like a fresh blanket of snow.
Each of us needs to remember: Every move we make leaves a mark.

Meet Dan Parks, Our New Organist

We welcome enthusiastically our new organist, Daniel M. Parks. Dan officially began his work at Trinity, effective the third week of January, January 15. If you attended worship services at Trinity either of the prior two Sundays, you may have observed Dan or met him. (He’s the tall, handsome, quiet but smiling young guy.) The first Sunday he played the organ for Trinity worship services was Sunday, January 22. What a joy to hear some of the breadth and the depth of this beautiful instrument!
Dan is a native of Pasadena and currently lives in the Pasadena area. He graduated from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, in 2010. His bachelor's degree is in physics, but he has loved church music for a long time and wants to get a master's degree and a doctorate in sacred music or organ performance. At this time, he’s taking classes at Glendale Community College and studying organ with Dr. Timothy Howard at Pasadena Presbyterian Church. His favorite composers are Mendelssohn, Haydn, and Bach.
When Dan is not practicing organ or in class, he may be volunteering at a railroad museum, where he operates trains and maintains an old steam locomotive. He also bikes, skies, and likes to go adventuring in the San Gabriel mountains.
Sincere thanks to the members of our Search Committee—Pastor Josh, Choir Director Arline Walter, and Congregation/Council President Kistyn Gritney—for their dedicated, diligent work in locating a new organist for Trinity. Once again, we’re enjoying organ music at our worship services. Dan also provides accompaniment to Trinity Choir and other special musical numbers and serves as a member of the Discipling Committee. Please help to welcome Dan to Trinity!

Annual Report 2011

The Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church Annual Report 2011 is now available. It contains a wealth of interesting, valuable information—Pastor Josh’s summary of the 2011 calendar year, President Kistyn Gritney’s report, 2011 summaries of activities from the various committees, year-end financial data, and more. If you have not received a copy of the report, but would like one, please contact Kathy Glendening at the church office (562 437-4002).

Cut Your Grocery Budget with the Help of Golden SHARE Foods

Trinity is now a host church for an alternative low-cost food distribution program: Golden SHARE [Self Help and Resource Exchange] Foods, out of San Diego County. Major differences between Golden SHARE and the prior distributor we used are that (1) the fruits and vegetables are fresh, not frozen, and (2) a wider range of food packages is available—for example, there’s the Basic package (frozen meats and fresh produce) for $30.00, the Veggie package for $20.00, the Breakfast package for $22.00, the Lunch Box package for $25.00, and so on. You may save 30-50% on the cost of the same kinds of tasty, nutritious food items you would buy at a supermarket.
The February order deadline is Wednesday, February 15, and the February distribution date is Saturday, February 25. See the goldensharefoods.com website for additional information. Contact Kathy Glendening at the church office between 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Tuesday – Friday to place your order.

Leave Your Baggage

He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness. – 1 Peter 2:24

Everyone has baggage. Whether it be our sins (whether it be things we have done or things we have failed to do), burdens, issues, problems, drama, fears, worries, regrets, shame, suffering, pain, etc. We tend to carry these things, and this baggage can weigh us down and prevent us from really living as God intends.

Lent is the 40-day season leading up to Holy Week. It is a time of self examination, meditation, prayer, repentance, and renewal...it is a time to come to terms with our baggage. We ask ourselves: what baggage am I carrying (that I might not even realize)? What is weighing me down? And once we’ve come to terms with our baggage, we give it to God.

So for Lent this year, I want you to bring your baggage to church...Literally. Think about what baggage you’ve been weighed down with. Then candidly write down what your baggage is on a piece of paper and enclose it in an envelope (no one will read it). Then place it inside of a suitcase, backpack, or bag of some sort (one that you can part with for forty days) and bring it to church on Ash Wednesday, February 22nd (soup supper at 6:00 pm and worship service at 7:00 pm). During this service we will collect all of the baggage and pile it up near the altar, and leave it there throughout Lent.

Then, as we do each year, we will be gathering on the Wednesdays in Lent for Lenten mid-week soup suppers (6:00 pm) followed by worship services (7:00 pm). If you would like to cook soup, bring bread or dessert, you may sign up on the bulletin board in the Fellowship Hall. For these five Lenten worship services, we will be going through passages from the five chapters of the book of 1st Peter:

• Week 1 (Feb. 29) – 1 Peter 1:3-16 (Rejoice through suffering)
• Week 2 (March 7) – 1 Peter 2:11-25 (Christ suffered for you)
• Week 3 (March 14) – 1 Peter 3:8-22 (Suffering for doing right)
• Week 4 (March 21) – 1 Peter 4:1-2, 12-19 (Suffering as a Christian)
• Week 5 (March 28) – 1 Peter 5:1-11 (God with us through suffering)

1 Peter 2:24 says: “He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness (what is right).” Jesus carried our sin, our baggage—those things that weigh us down—on the cross. And so, as we make our Lenten journey, as we prepare our hearts and minds for Holy Week, we leave our baggage at the cross. Then, free of baggage, we can really live our lives for what is right. Amen.

God bless you,
Pastor Josh Ebener

Attendance at Worship

Average worship attendance Advent mid-week: 15.5; Christmas Eve: 48
Average worship attendance December 2011: 55.25 (Sat: 15, Sun: 40.24)
Average worship attendance 2010: 76.36 (Sat: 32.61, Sun: 43.75)
Average worship attendance 2011: 73.92 (Sat: 28.40, Sun: 45.52)
We know that a personal invitation is often the most effective encouragement to others to join us at Trinity. Have you invited someone to Trinity recently?

Year-End Financials

The table below summarizes annual totals of expenses and income in various categories for calendar years 2009, 2010, and 2011. The purpose of this table is to encourage you to look at the “big picture” of Trinity’s operating income and operating expenses, to help you to realize what’s significant, and to show trends over a 3-year period.

2009 2010 2011
INCOME: Member receipts $51,949.57 $58,609.46 $58,955.76
Groups using the church 45,965.34 60,844.41 64,924.81
Rental of church properties 87,392.00 94,120.18 94,305.00
Other operating income 4,874.58 3,285.39 3,120.88
TOTAL OPERATING INCOME $190,181.49 $216,859.44 $221,306.45

EXPENSE: Synod. ELCA 5,360.00 5,200.08 5,400.00
Salaries & related benefits 94,181.25 120,247.40 126,160.50
Property (utilities, repairs, etc.) 68,059.83** 52,312.91** 60,001.39
Other operating expenses 25,007.76 19,771.52 23,062.46
TOTAL OPERATING EXPENSES $192,608.84** $197,531.91** $214,624.35
**$7,953.80 was transferred as a credit to Property from Bldg Fund Reserve in 2010 for Apts. G&H expenses, mostly chg’d in 2009.

Year-end surplus or deficit -$2,427.35** +$19,327.53** + $6,682.10
Reserve % of church use & rental props. -$13,168.70 -$14,604.00 -$16,544.50

During these same 3 years, by Council decision, we have placed a certain percentage (Charter School 15%, all other 10%) of our income from groups using the church and from rental properties in a savings account for major unexpected property expenses as indicated by the last line in this table. During these same 3 years, by Council decision, we have placed the Oil Revenue income we receive from drilling of oil reserves on church properties (2009: $16,082,72, 2010: $29,420.48, 2011: $46,030.08) directly into a savings account. This income is in addition to that noted in the table above. If you have any questions about any of the financial data, please just ask me.
— Marilyn Bohl, Financial Secretary

Thanks, Thrivent Choice Participants!

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans introduced a new gifting program in 2011 called Thrivent Choice. Investors in Thrivent Financial for Lutherans product offerings (mutual funds, certificates of deposit, insurance policies, and the like) can direct a certain amount of Thrivent Choice Dollars to not-for-profit organizations of their choice. Gifts to Trinity, which arrived during various months of the 2011 year, totaled $1,713.00. We greatly appreciate these gifts and express our thanks to Thrivent Financial for Lutherans and to investors directing Thrivent Choice Dollars to Trinity.

Equipping Leaders for Mission (ELM)

Another season of Equipping Leaders for Mission (ELM) classes is officially underway. Raul Barrios from Trinity joins about 20 persons from other congregations in our Synod at the Synod offices Saturdays to attend classes. Raul describes with great enthusiasm the class he’s now taking entitled “Worship” taught by Rev. James Bessey of Christ Lutheran Church, Long Beach. “I’m learning so-o-o-o much,” declares Raul, both from Rev. Bessey and from other attendees. Chat with Raul if you’d like to know more. He strongly encourages others from our congregation to consider pursuing ELM studies.

Choir Notes

Regular choir rehearsals Wednesdays at 2:00 p.m. and Saturdays at 3:00 p.m. are well underway. We welcome Robert Equivel, a tenor, to our group. We rejoice in Dan Parks as accompanist (he can sing too, we’ve discovered). We’re starting to practice music for the Lenten and Easter seasons. Anyone with an interest in music is welcome to join us.
– Arline Walter, Trinity Choir Director

Meet Our Newly Elected Council Officers for 2012

At the January Council meeting, the new Council elected the Council/Congregation officers for the 2012 calendar year. Each officer will serve one year. An officer need not be a member of the Council prior to being elected to office, but he or she becomes a member of the Council after being elected. The officers are:
President Kistyn Gritney – she’s a licensed clinical social worker for the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
Vice President Raul Barrios – he’s currently attending ELM classes and enjoys life with his partner Wallace Johnson
Secretary Bob Jackson – he’s a retired school teacher and manages the apartment complex in which he lives
Treasurer Jan Laser – she’s a retired executive secretary who still devotes time to Long Beach City College
Financial Secretary Marilyn Bohl – she’s a retired computer executive and a sports enthusiast
The Council also appointed Hermine Burg to the position of Business Manager. Thankfully, she agreed to continue to serve in this capacity! She’s a retired owner/manager of an escrow company and spends countless hours each week at Trinity.

An Awesome Gift!

As mentioned in the notes of the Annual Congregation meeting, Part 2 (page 8), an anonymous donor has made a significant monetary gift to Trinity. The donor requested that a portion of the gift be used to cover the cost of providing exterior backlighting of the stained glass windows at the front and sides of the sanctuary. With such lighting, the stained glass windows will be clearly visible from inside the church during evening services. The Property Committee has been authorized to do investigative work and secure bids for the cost of backlighting and necessary building modifications and repairs relating to this project.
The Council and congregation publicly expressed gratitude for the generous gift. We all say Thank you! again in this newsletter.

Church Council Highlights

The Church Council held its first regular meeting of the 2012 calendar year Tuesday, January 24. Highlights follow:
1. Pastor Josh remarked that leadership will be the theme of Council meeting devotions this year. Pastor stated that Council members are chosen by God and asked those present to consider what it means to be thusly chosen. Discussion followed.
2. Pastor called attention to two new security measures, the installation of new locks on glass doors in the patio area and the locking of the ramp door at 10:45 a.m. on Sundays. These actions are responses to unwelcome intrusions on several occasions during recent months.
3. Pastor especially encouraged Council members to consider the work of implementing resolutions of the LIFT task force (Living into the Future Together: Renewing the Ecology of the ELCA). The Pastor remarked that he will attend sessions regarding LIFT Saturday, March 24, at 9:00 a.m. and encouraged members to attend.
4. Business Manager Hermine Burg summarized data in the December 2011 Financial Report, which is printed in the Annual Report 2011. She specifically referred to items such as 2011 year-to-date member receipts $58,955.76, 2011 year-to-date total budget receipts of $221,306.45, and 2011 year-end working capital of $29,636.13. Referring to the Designated Receipts pages, Financial Secretary Marilyn Bohl noted that in December the church again received a donation from Farmers & Merchants Bank, as it has annually for a number of years. The 2011 gift of $800 may be used for activity that affects the community surrounding this church.
5. Kistyn Gritney reported that the two Meals on Wheels food packaging activities have been very successful, and that another date will be assigned for Trinity member participation in February. Dates have not yet been set for the next Habitat for Humanity building activity and for the Health Fair, which is being considered.
6. Property Chair Robert Pedder was present to provide information regarding the backlighting of certain stained glass windows in the sanctuary, as well as other property matters. After discussion, the following resolution was passed unanimously:
Whereas, At the Annual Meeting of the Congregation, Part II, on January 22, 2012, the congregation passed a motion approving a project providing for the backlighting of stained glass windows in the sanctuary;
Whereas, The motion provided that execution of the project is subject to Council approval; and
Whereas, During that meeting statements were made clarifying the manner of dealing with cost overruns on said project; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Congregation Council of Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church approves the Congregation's motion of January 22, 2012, authorizing the Property Committee to secure bids for the cost of backlighting the stained glass windows in the church sanctuary, and of providing necessary building modifications and repairs relating to this project. Awarding of the bid(s) shall be approved by the Council. Total expenditures for this project are not to exceed $32,000 unless prior approval has been granted by this Council. Project costs are to be paid with funds the church has received from an anonymous donor, who has requested that this project be undertaken. Further, the congregation and the Council publicly acknowledge their gratitude for this generous gift and appreciation for the suggested project.
7. A motion to approve the bid of The Judson Studios, Inc., in the total amount of $23,473.85 for Lexan materials and installation, necessary building permits, and elevator lift rental in conjunction with the project relating to backlighting of the stained glass windows was passed unanimously.
8. The Council passed a motion approving Pastor Ebener's request to admit the following persons to membership in the congregation: Paula Costa, Robert Esquivel, Donna Fleming, and Modesta Kardell. The new members will be publicly received February 19.
Edited from notes provided by Council Secretary Bob Jackson

A Visit from “an Angel”

Once again this year, an unidentified woman stopped by the church to leave a donation. The woman chooses to remain anonymous. She insists that the donation she gives for God’s work through Trinity comes solely from recycling and money found on the street. This year, the donation (lots of bills, lots of coins) totaled $1100.00. Yes, $1100.00! Thank you, God, for sending this angel our way. Thank you, angel, for choosing Trinity as an instrument through which you hope to accomplish your goal of reaching out to others through the funds you provide.

Trinity Lutheran Church
Annual Congregation Meeting, Part 2

Trinity’s Annual Congregation meeting, Part 2, was held Sunday, January 22, 2012, following the worship service. Acting President Kistyn Gritney presided. Highlights follow:
2012 Stewardship Update: Financial Secretary Marilyn Bohl reported 32 responses to our stewardship campaign “Let the River Flow” have been received. That’s 2 above our goal of 30 and 7 greater than the 25 in 2011. She optimistically noted that 2011 member giving exceeded 2010 member giving by about $300, a trend in the right direction, and encouraged an even greater increase during 2012. Pastor Josh added that the time and talent surveys are being used to develop lists that will be referred to as 2012 committees are formed, worship assistants are assigned each month, and other projects are undertaken in church life.
A motion was presented, seconded, and passed to accept the Trinity Lutheran Church Annual Report 2011. There was no further discussion of report contents.
Backlighting of Stained Glass Windows: Pastor Josh reported that an anonymous donor has made a significant gift to Trinity and requested that a portion of the gift be used to cover the cost of providing exterior backlighting of the stained glass windows at the front and sides of the sanctuary so that they’re visible during evening services. Property Chair Bob Pedder described investigative work that’s been done and detailed the scope of the project. He reported that he has received four estimates for the Lexan protective covering work as well as additional estimates on plastering and painting, electrical wiring, required permits, and the rental of an elevator lift. At this time, his cost estimates for the entire backlighting project total $31,073. The following motion forwarded by the Finance Committee was seconded and approved unanimously:
Pending Council approval, the Congregation authorizes the Property Committee to secure bids for the cost of backlighting the stained glass windows in the church sanctuary, and to provide necessary building modifications and repairs relating to this project. Awarding of the bid(s) shall be approved by the Council. Total expenditures for this project are not to exceed $32,000. Project costs are to be paid with funds the church has received from an anonymous donor, who has requested that this project be undertaken. Further, the congregation publicly acknowledges its gratitude for this generous gift and appreciation for the suggested project.
In discussion, it was clarified that any spending on this project in excess of the $32,000 would have to be presented to the Church Council and approved by them prior to the spending and prior to the work being undertaken.

Plan now to attend TRINITY’S NEXT POTLUCK: Sunday, February 19th

Prayer for Others

Prayer changes things. One kind of prayer is intercessory prayer - one or more persons pray for another person. Pray for healing for: Violet Bateman, John Carroll, Ella DeWeiss, Amy Lee Duprey, Anne Ebener, Bryan Gaffney, Kathy Glendening, Bill Harter, George Liesenberg, Perry Moore, Jr., Pastor Vince Negron, Erica Park, Larry Rice, Joyce Riley, Patsy Sampson, Aaron & Gabriela Slaight, and Louise Villarreal. Pray for peace and comfort for: Jayne Elizabeth Beall and Joan Hancock. Pray for protection for: Garrett Bloomberg, Rebekah Dedafoe, Kenneth Gary, Michael Rankin, Michael Whitaker, Darryl Williams and Raphael Winslow. Pray for guidance for: Pastor Joshua Ebener, Bishop Mark Hanson, and Bishop Dean Nelson. Pray for strength for: Joanne and James Crutcher, Connie Martinez, and Jeff Williams.

Remembering Tamara Long

Tamara Long passed away at the age of 54 on December 26, 2011. She was a dear friend of Jacquelyn (Jacqui) Nicholson and was frequently in attendance at Trinity worship services with Jacqui. Both Jacqui and Tamara were Christmas dinner guests of Fenton and Kathy Glendening the day before Tamara died. A memorial service for Tamara was held at Trinity Saturday, January 14, at 1:00 p.m. Pastor Josh Ebener presided, and Arline Walter provided piano music for the service. Friends described Tamara as creative, artistic, and caring. She related well to animals. She held many diverse jobs and had many diverse interests. Jacqui shared a poem to her friend during the memorial service. A portion of the poem is reprinted below:
For Tamara
When my final curtain falls,
When I go down to the dust,
At the hour of my death,
I believe I will see
The faces of all those I ever loved.
As you know, they not so very many are,
Beloved friend, you will be foremost among them.

I will see your light-filled eyes, freckled with gold,
The great plains of your Indian cheek bones
Some secret mischief rising
Like the smoke of distant fires behind your smile
And I will smile, too.

We went through so much together.
Once long ago there was a deeper passion
But you were no small-time, first-time adventure,
A tame stream, to be crossed lightly, skipping stones.
You were a roiling ocean of immense gaiety and pain.
The naive, the inexperienced could drown in such a seething sea.

. . .
Really, we have so little time left.
We are becoming nothing but
Two small quivering arrows aimed
At the vastness of eternity
Where we will meet again and soon.

Jacquelyn Nicholson

“Whatever happens, live a life worthy of the gospel of Christ.”
-- Philippians 1:27

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- The Editorial Staff of Trinity Trumpeter
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