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June  2010 Newsletter

GOD SPEAKS OUR LANGUAGE

June, 2010

 

Whoever we are and from wherever we come, the Holy Spirit knows how to

speak to us in ways we can understand.  For some of us, the Spirit speaks in words, in favorite verses or images from Scripture:  “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want”; “Nothing can separate us from the love of God…”; “God so loved the world that he gave his only son to die for us…”.  For others the Spirit speaks in music: the swell of an organ, the breathy quality of a flute, the harmonics of a guitar, the familiar melody of a hymn we’ve heard since childhood. 

For some the Spirit speaks in laughter: in joy, which catches us by surprise.  For others, the Spirit speaks in tears: in the cry of a child, a neighbor , a stranger in need; or the yearnings deep within us calling us to sorrow and forgiveness.  For many of us the Spirit speaks in nature: in sunrise and sunset, the cycles of the seasons, the greening of spring, the gold of harvest, the cleansing of water, the rush of wind, and the dance of fire.  For others, the Spirit speaks more profoundly in silence, in a still, small voice.  How does the Holy Spirit sweep you up into the presence of God?  I encourage you to notice more often the language that the Spirit uses to speak to you.

God’s Spirit works to give each of us a language of our own.   The Spirit works in our lives to help us find our own ways to tell others about God.  What is your way of pointing others in God’s direction?  Maybe it’s your courage, that people can see in the ways you have confronted troubles in your life.  Perhaps it’s your patience and self-control evident in the ways you forgive those who have hurt you.  Maybe your language is a word of compassion in the way you reach out to others who are hurting.  Perhaps you point others to God through the ways you challenge the injustices in our society.  Each one of us has a sacred word to speak, through the way we live, that can draw others to God.  This is why we sometimes say, “When the worship is over, it’s time for our service to begin”.  I encourage you to notice more often the ways that you give voice to the Spirit of God within you.

 

                                                                                                Yours In Christ,

                                                                                                Pastor Tom Lichner


Make It Simple

 
Reflection on Simpler Living

 

            "Simplicity is more than time management. It's more than wholistic health. It's more than quality time versus quantity time, self-care versus social reform. Simplicity requires us to become more focused - to serve one God instead of many. Simplicity coaxes change in the core of our being as we begin to question some widely held assumptions and ask ourselves:

·         What are the values that guide my actions?

·         What is my fair share?

·         When is enough enough?

·         Why don't I feel good?

·         How can 1 live a more integrated faith?

·         Who are my neighbors, and do I really care about them?"

(From Preface of Tis a Gift to Be Simple: Embracing the Freedom of Living With Less,
Barbara DeGrote-Sorensen and David Allen Sorensen, Augsburg Press, 1992)
                                         

 

 

 


Proposition on Stewardship in These Times

 

Stewardship is about more than being obedient.  

Nothing wrong with "obedient," of course.  But if stewards are to "be found faithful," something else characterizes them. Stewardship is about knowing God’s plan. That's why a steward is someone who is "working the plan" of God. Carrying out the will of God for the world. Being flexible, smart, adaptable, nimble, and smart.  Sometimes walking outside the footsteps of the disciples.  Leader and follower at the same time.


 

CARD SHOWER

           

               

                Martin Skrovina                                              Margaret Rush

1637 Eighth Avenue                                       Moravian Kings Daughter Home

Bethlehem, PA 18018                                     61 West Market Street

Birthday – June 16                                          Bethlehem, PA 18018

                                                                        Birthday – 7/2

 

Henry & Cheryl Seiss

8505 Monarch Place

Imperial Lakes

Palmetto, FL 34221

 


RECENTLY HOSPITALIZED

           

William Bigg, Jr./Carol Ebeling

Nicole Kresh/Louise Rittoper

 


IT’S A BOY!

           

Bridget & Mike Hujsa became the proud parents of a son on April 25. They named him Landon John and he arrived at 12:18 AM weighing 8 lbs. 9 oz. and was 21 inches long. Bridget says “they love being parents.” Landon’s grandparents are Cheryl & Warren Wilson.

  


Congregation Council Meeting

June 8th – 7:00 PM

 

******

 


Electronic Recycling Event

Date: June 19, 2010
Location: Lehigh Valley Lutheran School
Time: 9:00 am to 3:00 pm

               

Electronics in our landfills are an increasing concern. Toxic chemicals in electronic products can leach into the land over time or are released into the atmosphere, impacting nearby communities and the environment. Please don't add to this problem.  Instead, bring your unwanted electronics to Lehigh Valley Lutheran School so they can be recycled responsibly. With the help of Advanced Green Solutions, components will be recycled in an environmentally friendly way. None of the recycled components will end up in landfills.  Advanced Green Solutions will separate batteries and other components that would otherwise end up in landfills, illegal dump sites, or shipped abroad to become someone else's problem. Equipment that is found in working order will be resold to companies who refurbish and recycle back into the community.  None of the items collected will end up in a landfill!
          There is a small fee for certain items.  Please go to http://sites.google.com/site/lvlsrecycling for details regarding accepted items.
Used printer ink cartridges will also be collected at the event.

 



Committee Nite

June 1st  @6:30 PM

 


IT’S GRADUATION TIME …

 

Congratulations to Lauren Horwath who completed requirements for a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering from Lehigh University. Lauren plans to continue graduate studies in structural engineering at Lehigh.

Congratulations also to Kimberly Gomboz, who graduated Magna Cum Laude in December, but with the Class of 2010, from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, in Troy, New York. Kimberly was a candidate for a Bachelor of Science in Electronic Media, Arts & Communication.

                        We wish these graduates the best of luck in their future endeavors.



SUMMER SABBATH DAY

Open to All Adults

July 26th – 9:00 AM-4:00 PM

           

Treat yourself to a day of guided prayer, walking, resting, music, journaling, devotional reading, worship/eucharist, solitude, and spiritual direction upon request. Bring your own lunch! Attendance is held to 20 people so you will need to register by calling the Church office (610.865.2684). Cost is $20/person. Make your check payable to Holy Trinity Lutheran Church and mark the memo portion “Summer Sabbath.” For additional information, please speak to Pastor Lichner.

           

           



 RECENT BAPTISMS

           

The following children were received into the membership of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church through the Sacrament of Holy Baptism during the month of May: Shellie Hope Dean, daughter of David & Erica Dean (May 9);

Leah Elise Raab, daughter of Ryan & Sandra Raab (May 16), and Jackson Cole Mroz, son of Frank & Jennifer Mroz (May 30).

 



RED SCHEDULE BOOK

 

Please remember to schedule all church meetings in the RED SCHEDULE BOOK.

For the sake of good communication and administration, please reserve your time and space in the Red Schedule Book located in the church office. This will also assure that your meeting will be advertised in the weekly worship bulletin and the monthly newsletter. Phone the church office Tuesday-Friday between 9:00 AM-2:00 PM to schedule your meetings.

The Mail Room will be open on Sunday mornings for you to walk in and personally schedule a meeting in the Red Schedule Book. You will find the book on the desk just inside the Mail Room the door.

Remember to include your name and telephone number when reserving a meeting time and place in the Red Schedule Book and keep in mind your request needs to be approved by Congregation Council at its monthly meeting.

           

 


           

FLOWER/BULLETIN SPONSORS NEEDED

Sponsorships for altar flowers and weekly bulletins are available for the following Sundays in February and March:

 

                                    Altar – June 13 & 27

                                                          July 4 & 18

                                    Bulletins – June 6, 13, 20 & 27

                                                                 July 4, 11, 18 & 25

***          Please use a Sponsor Form in addition to signing the chart to let us know how you want your gift acknowledged in the bulletin. Simply fill out the form (attached to the flower chart) and drop it into the mailbox on the church office door. (Flowers - $35.00/Bulletins - $20.00) Thank you!


 Property Committee Meeting

Tuesday, June 1st , 6:00 PM

           

******


SUMMER WORSHIP SCHEDULE BEGINS

Sunday, June 13, 9:00 AM

Worship in the Nave


 

LAST SUNDAY OF JUNE, JULY & AUGUST

Worship at 9:00 AM in the Chapel


 

BROAD STREET CONGREGATIONS

Worship-in-the Park & Summer Picnic

Sunday, June 13, 11:30 AM/Worship

12:00 NN/Picnic & Games (until dusk)

               

Louise Moore Park, Bethlehem Township

In the Pavilion - Rain or Shine!

               

Holy Trinity Members are asked to bring desserts.


           

Apartment Board Meeting

June 1st  – 7:00 PM


SAVE THE DATE

Women’s Retreat

“A Little Child Shall Lead Them”

Saturday, September 18, 9 AM-1 PM

 

            This retreat has been rescheduled in the hope that more women will be able to attend. It is open to all women from Grace, Holy Trinity, Rosemont, and Salem Lutheran Churches. Come see how stories from children’s books are tied into the Bible lessons we all know and love. The presenter will be Cynthia Simmons, a Presbyterian pastor. There will be a $10 fee to help defray the cost of morning refreshments and a light lunch (donations of  breakfast or lunch items would be greatly appreciated).

            Watch future newsletters and bulletins for additional information. If you have questions regarding the retreat, please contact Zel Shifter at 610.390.7200.



THANKS TO ALL …

 

            The Membership/Evangelism Committee would like to thank everyone who made monetary donations or purchased supplies for the school kits to be sent to Haiti. The committee was able to assemble 30 kits which will be shipped to the children in Haiti in time for the opening of their school year.

 

 



CROP WALK UPDATE

 

Matt Piszel, coordinator of the CropWalk for World Hunger has advised that over $23,000 was raised for the 25th Anniversary of the CropWalk last October. Of that, $5,800 will be distributed to the following agencies: New Bethany Ministries, Northeast Ministries, Victory House, New Jerusalem Community Food Bank, Trinity Episcopal Soup Kitchen, Salvation Army of Bethlehem, West Bethlehem Emergency Food Pantry, Nazareth Area Food Pantry, and Pennsylvania Avenue Interfaith Food Pantry.



STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL & TEACHER RECOGNITION

 

The last day of Sunday School will be June 6 beginning at 9:00 AM with a Strawberry Festival taking place after classes end. The children will be making cards to send to HTLC’s shut-ins during class time and the adults will hold their classes as usual. After class time ends, all will meet in The Gathering Place to enjoy the annual Strawberry Festival and teacher recognition.

           

           


           

HAVE YOU REGISTERED FOR VBS?

 

Vacation Bible School has been scheduled for July 11 thru the July 15 from 6:00 – 8:00 PM, and this year’s host church is Grace Lutheran Church, located at 74 East Broad Street, Bethlehem. These will be five days of summer fun and learning and the theme is “SonQuest Rainforest.” All children Pre-K to 5th Grade are invited to join in all the fun activities planned for them. There will be lessons, songs, crafts, snacks, and so much more. All you need to do is fill out the registration form enclosed in this newsletter and drop it off at church. We’re hoping to see all the children from the Holy Trinity family at VBS this year!

           

           


           

MONTHLY FOOD BANK DELIVERIES

June 17, 2010 – Approx. 8:30-9:00 AM

 

The West Side Emergency Food Pantry now receives monthly truckload deliveries and they can use all the volunteer help they can get to get the truck unloaded. If you have some free time and are able to lift and carry, please consider giving the food bank some help with this project. If you have questions concerning the project, please direct them to Jane Cygan at 610.625.0411.       

           
 


Congregational Council

Summary of 9 May 2010 meeting

 

Treasurer’s report:

¨       The “funds in the red” will continue to appear in the Sunday bulletin and in the newsletter. Council is hopeful that this will encourage members to donate to these specific needs.

¨                   The review of our insurance coverage continues

¨                   The security system has been serviced.

President’s report:

¨       The new application for use of church facilities is in place along with the new fee schedule.

Pastor’s report:

¨       The next joint service for the Broad Street Churches will be on 13 Jun. 2010 at 11:30 A.M. at Louise Moore Park.  It will be followed by the joint picnic.  Because of this, H.T.L.C’s. summer schedule of one service at 9:00 A.M. will begin on 13 June 2010.

¨        The joint catechetical retreats/workshops have been a success with a positive reaction from students.  Joint catechetical program with Salem L.C. will continue in the fall.

¨        Council approved Pastor’s recommendation to establish a 125th anniversary task force to prepare to celebrate the congregation’s anniversary in 2012.

Worship & Music:

   The worship surveys of the congregation are in and have been tabulated.

However, since there were only 43 forms, the results are statistically

insignificant.  Eight more forms came in after the tabulation was completed.


 

 Joint Venture Task Force (J.V.T.F.):

      A. Cygan read a statement to the Council from the J.V.T.F:

The shared ministry study group believes that they should now move forward on developing an arrangement to be implemented within the next two years.  However,

in order to do this, they need to have a commitment from each Congregation Council on whether they are willing to move towards a joint ministry arrangement by June of 2012.  Based upon the commitments received, the study group will develop a joint ministry recommendation for these congregations.  If a congregation chooses not to commit at this time it will still be invited to continue its participation in the discussions.  Each of the congregations has been given these documents (titled: Challenges to Sharing Staff and Proposed Arrangement for a Four Congregation Joint Ministry With 4 Sunday Services) … for their May Council meeting (and is) asked to introduce the question of movement to a shared ministry arrangement by June of 2012.  Councils will be requested to advise on whether they will make the commitment …. at or before their Congregational Council meeting in June of this year (2010).