Trinity Newsletter November 2019

Newsletter Archive

November 2019

Trinity Lutheran Church

Villa Park, IL

Always Growing in Christ


 A Letter From Pastor

Dear Trinity Family

Several of you may have heard that I have requested a sabbatical leave in 2020 and I wanted to send you this letter so that you are aware of this

About 10 years ago, Trinity decided to follow the advice of the Synod and the District and create a policy for a pastoral sabbaticals. Our policy states

"A twelve-week sabbatical may be granted to the full-time called Pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church after seven years of continuous service. The sabbatical time will not include normal vacation time.

There are several purposes for a sabbatical

1. It gives the pastor an extended time to pursue other study or experience that will enhance his ministry and benefit the congregation.

2. It provides the pastor opportunity to spiritually recharge.

3. It gives the congregation a break from the pastor, allowing them to hear different preachers and encourages them to take over some of the jobs of ministry that the pastor may have started doing just because no one else did them but which others may find joy and meaning in doing.

4. It allows both the pastor and the congregation a time of renewal in which both evaluate their roles in the ministry, their potential for going forward and renewed enthusiasm for the work God gives us

I had requested a sabbatical in 2012 after I had served 8 years at Trinity. It is always Trinity's choice as to whether to grant the sabbatical or not and the Council asked me to delay because of the forthcoming 100th anniversary of the congregation. Then we experienced several significant deaths in the congregation and I did not request a new date. In the fall of 2017, I began working on my doctorate and decided that I would wait until I was ready to write my dissertation to request a sabbatical. So, in February of this year, I requested a sabbatical for August 1 - October 23, 2020. 

Recognizing that there are many moving parts to this process, I am hopeful that it will all work out and that the congregation will be able to grant me this time of renewal and educational exploration. If granted, the majority of the time will be spent in my home office writing and rewriting the dissertation with perhaps some time at a retreat center and the seminary for spiritual revitalization. I hope this is helpful and if you have any questions, please feel free to ask. 

In His Service, 

Pastor Rogers 


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 Saturdays, Beginning January 11, 2020

10 am - 12 pm

We are forming an adult Bible Study that will also serve as a membership class for people who are interested in knowing more about Christianity. Whether you have questions about Christ or want to deepen your faith in Him, this class will explore what the Bible says about our God, and how His love gives direction and meaning to your life today and forever. This class is designed for those who are interested in learning or reviewing the foundations of the Christian faith. Attendance at the class may lead to membership in our church, but there are no obligations.

Child-care will be provided, and anyone who is interested in helping us organize child-care should call the office. If you are interested in knowing more about the course, go to www.lhm.org/GodConnects and watch the introductory video. 

Is there someone at work, in your neighborhood, or at your dinner table who is not a member of a Christian church and that is weighing heavily on your heart? Invite (or refer) a friend to our class! Feel free to talk to pastor if you would like ideas on how to craft your invitation. Go to http://www.trinitylutheranvp.com/ to find an e-mail or text that you can send to your friends. Info cards to share are available in the Narthex if you prefer. You can also refer your friends using the referral card on the table in the Narthex.

GodConnects is a video series explaining the Christian faith in a way that makes it easy to invite a friend, family member, or church visitor. Plain language and helpful illustrations present God’s work of salvation in a concise manner. This series is ideal for those with questions about sin, judgment, redemption, Jesus, the believer’s life, and more. GodConnects—an excellent resource for amplifying and sharing key concepts of the Christian faith. Who has God put in your life that needs to hear His message?

 

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Anniversary Dinner

Saturday November 9th at 6:00 pm
 
Tickets will be on sale after Saturday evening services, 8:00 and 10:30 services on Sundays or at the door. Tickets are $50 for a family, $20 for adults, 65 and over $15, Children 7-12 $10 and 7 and under are free.
 
Come enjoy a delicious dinner prepared by Chef Dino!

Please attend the Congregational Meeting aka Voter's Meeting

 
November 17th, after the 10:30 service in the Trinity Center

All are welcome.
 
Please attend to hear what great works are happening right here at Trinity. 
 
You will also receive important financial information regarding Trinity's financial forecast.
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November at TCNS

We enjoyed our visit from Fireman Blaise in October.  The children learned about fire safety and got to see what a firefighter looks like in full gear.
 
Thank you to everyone who supported our Barefoot Book Fair.  Your orders not only put wonderful literature into the hands of the children in your life, but also helped fill our library with amazing books.
 
In November we will be having a Fannie Mae fundraiser.  Orders will be due Nov. 15th for delivery in early December.  More information will be coming soon.
 
Next month we are excited to welcome back Dave Herzog's Marionette Show.  He will be presenting "The Pumpkin Patch Review" to our nursery school children.  Dave's shows are fun, creative, and engaging.  We are thrilled to offer this experience to our preschool!

Church Property Updates

The Board of Church Property is excited to share that we have completed two major projects to the Church.  These projects help with the long term life of our property, and also make a better first impression for those arriving at our Church.
 
The first project is the roof, which has visibly been losing shingles over the past year and a half.  This is a concern both from an aesthetic standpoint, as well as an obvious leak and water damage perspective.  Our initial thought was that we would need to pay for this completely out of pocket, however after numerous bids on the project, we found that exploring an insurance claim was worthwhile.  After working with our insurance company, we discovered that this was completely within our policy, and were encouraged by them to file.  This resulted in a zero out of pocket expense to the Church compared to the nearly $30,000 one we were expecting, which is fantastic news in our trying financial situation.
 
The second project is that to our parking lot.  As many of you know, the lot hasn't been re-surfaced in a long while, and our parking space lines were getting very hard to see.  Given the windfall of the roof coverage, we decided to explore this.  The Brockie family had reached out to us with their company, ENA Trade Services.  Their vision is to help individuals who have difficulty finding employment given their background, and eventually reintroduce them into the general workforce.  In partnering with them, we were able to complete this work well within our budget thanks to their generosity in the cost of the job.  We are pleased with the work and look forward to finding the parking spaces more easily going forward!
 
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Dorcas Meeting

All women are welcome to Dorcas Guild’s meeting on November 5 at 7 PM in the Trinity center!

Our speaker Will be Deborah Ruxton speaking on “preventing Falls” followed by homemade goodies and coffee and a very entertaining meeting! All are welcome!


Coffee Corner

St. Nick's Mart: The Projects and the "Flying Hooks and Needles" knitting group from The Trinity Center will share a table at the Villa Park Library's craft/vendor show on Saturday, December 7 @ 5:00-8:30. Stop by and support them so that they can both continue to afford to create future projects.

Volunteers Needed:
1. Wednesday Host - Commitment: Wednesdays 9:00 - Noon Weekly or every other week.
2. Substitute Coffee Shop Hosts - Commitment: Occasional shift of 9:00 - Noon when a regular host is unable to be there.
3. Activity Assistant - Commitment: 2nd & 4th Fridays 9:30 - 11:30. Volunteers lead crafts for the adults with disabilities from UCP Seguin. We can use your creativity or just your hands if you want to help but not come up with ideas. Be a regular or help occasionally.
Contact Judy Bruschuk if you'd like to be a member of The Trinity Center Crew.

Halloween Party: The Trinity Center hosted a Halloween party for a group from UCP Seguin. They decorated mini pumpkins and enjoyed treat bags and snacks donated by Sheila Christiansen and her comfort dog, Emily. who was dressed in her favorite Halloween costume. Thanks to Sharon Moestich and Eileen and Mitch Pietraszek for assisting at the party. The Trinity Center hosts activities group on the 2nd and 4th Fridays of each month. Next up will be Thanksgiving crafts, including writing with ink and turkey feathers. 

Veteran Recognition: On Monday, November 11 from 9:00-noon The Trinity Center Coffee Shop will recognize veterans. We will say thank you with free coffee and special treats

Christmas Tree

The Middle School Sunday School Class is looking for a tree to decorate for the 2nd floor. Specifically a 4-5 foot pre-lit tree. If you have one to spare, please contact Stacy Warpool at sswarpool@gmail.com.

Young Adult Dinner

Young adults will meet for a Thanksgiving Eve dinner at Hi-View @ 5:00 pm on Wednesday, November 27. They will attend worship together at 7:00 pm.

Building Bikes for youth

Trinity has so many amazing people who help to make dreams come true! One year ago Katie Boudro Wendorf began saving her tips from the Third Thursday Massages in The Trinity Center Coffee Shop. She saved enough to purchase 10 bike kits and helmets for older kids in foster care. The bikes were assembled by a great crew of volunteers on October 5. Thanks to Harley DeJong, Dave Scofield, Marilyn and Frank Felz, Sharon Moestich, Dave Bruschuk, Katie Wendorf, Jodie and AJ Esposito, Dave and David Sullivan, Michael and Wes Warpool, and Henry Meier for lending their hands. The bikes are now at Youth Service Bureau of Illinois waiting for their new owners.

 

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Halloween Happenings

On October 18th, Dominic Cappetta and Jackson Scofield handed out candy, books and play doh to about 300 area trick or treaters at the annual Halloween Happenings sponsored by the Villa Park Park District

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Feed My Starving Children

On Saturday, October 26th, 16 teens and adults participated at an event at Feed My Starving Children in Schaumburg IL where they joined with many other volunteers to hand-pack nutritious meals specifically designed to assist in reversing and preventing under-nutrition. They created enough meals to feed 185 children in Iraq for one year.

Save the Date

Wednesday, Nov 27 - 7 pm - Thanksgiving Worship
Wednesday, Dec 4 - 7 pm-   Advent 1 Worship (Supper at 6 pm)
Wednesday, Dec 11 - 7 pm -   Advent 2 Worship (Supper at 6 pm)
Sunday, Dec 15 - 4 pm - Children's Christmas Program
Wednesday, Dec 18 - 7 pm-   Advent 3 Worship (Supper at 6 pm)
Tuesday, Dec 24 - 5:30 & 11 pm Christmas Eve Worship
Wednesday, Dec 25 - 10 am Christmas Day Worship
Tuesday, Dec 31 - 7 pm Eve of the Name of Jesus Worship 
Monday, Jan 6 - 7 pm Epiphany Worship 
 

Worship Services

Saturdays 4:30 pm

Sundays 8 am & 10:30 am

Each month you will receive a newsletter from Trinity in your email.  If you have any upcoming news, events, photos or other information to share, please email Marna Rundgren @ marnarundgren@gmail.com

  
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