MAY WORSHIP ASSISTANTS
Greeters
7
Pauline Fretz
14
Martha Cooley
21 Jose & Stacey Gonzales-Herrera
28
Mike & Monica Lambert
Lector
Communion Asst.
Acolyte/Crucifer
Dan Painter
Barry Hockenberry
Joe Hollis
Del Craun
Hilda Painter, Sid Dailey
Barry Hockenberry, Carole Pfisterer
Joe Hollis, Sue Scheulen
Tammy Craun
Cody & Will Wolf
Trinity Times
Trinity Lutheran Church [ELCA]
Stephens City, Virginia
“A Creative Christian Community”
Cody & Will Wolf
Becca Hall
If you would like to become a greeter, lector or communion assistant, speak to Pastor Cam, or Lorea Koontz (678-3832; [email protected])
540.869.4019; [email protected]
Summer Opportunities for our youth:
Kairos is the Virginia Synod’s annual week-long faith formation event for youth who will be in 9th-12th grades in
the coming fall. It is a chance for youth to be part of a unique Christian community for an entire week, to have a
fresh experience of the grace and presence of God in that community, and to develop habits for discipleship that can
be taken home. Kairos is different from our weekend events in that the event staff serves as small group leaders and
dorm advisors for the week. For more information check out the Synod website: vasynod.org
Rising 10th-12th grade teens: Ask the big questions; Live on campus for a week; Learn with professors and
Roanoke College students — T4T Roanoke college’s second annual summer camp introducing teens to biblical
and theological scholarship, exploring contemporary challenges & how their faith tradition can meet those challenges. Starting Sunday July 16, 2016 through Sunday July 22, 2017 we will focus on the life & thought of Dietrich
Bonhoeffer—a church leader who met the challenges before him—we will explore today’s social issues & encounter
other faiths by engaging the students with leaders from those various communities. Come and discover a sense of
mission, be equipped with theological tools to enable you to meet the challenges facing the church today. http://
www.roanoke.edu/t4teens
(note: if you are interested in attending one of these events, financial help is available through the Camp Scholarship
Fund)
Trinity Lutheran Church
810 Fairfax St.
Stephens City, VA 22655
Address Service Requested
May 2017
“Don’tBeAfraid:”HowTo‘Do’Easter'Living'
Whew! The somberness of Lent has passed. The joy of Easter is over..
One of those statements is true; the other is as false as it can be. Wanna' guess which one
is which?
Of course: Easter is not "over!" The day may be, but not Easter! Easter is much more
than a day, or the Church Year season between Easter Day and Pentecost. Easter presents us
with the opportunity to experiment with a new lifestyle that melds our thinking and our
‘being’ as one. It’s a reality that – if we so choose it - extends from now until forever – even
(maybe particularly so) beyond the grave.
Because of Easter, we have the opportunity of living in the reality that:
A) we really don’t have to be afraid of physical death, and because of that
B) we don’t have to fear life, either, but can live our lives joyfully every day, and because of that
C) we enjoy the moment, unencumbered with the burden of worry.
In Matthew (6) Jesus looks at each of us, and says:
“Don’t worry about your life: is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
Can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?” and
“Don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough
for today.”
What a reality check, huh? Who can deny either of those? And who isn’t at least a bit apprehensive about what
‘tomorrow’ may bring? Nobody, that’s who! We’re such ‘control freaks:’ fretting and worrying about what
might happen - spending an inordinate amount of time plotting about the “what ifs,” all the while literally killing
valuable, never-to-be-seen again time that could be spent in living.
In 1956 (you elderly, infirm people – who still have your wits - will remember), Doris Day sang what became her
‘signature’ song: Que Sera, Sera. You’ve already started humming it, haven’t you?
“Que sera, sera: whatever will be, will be. The future’s not ours to see, que sera, sera!” There’s deep eternal truth
in those few French words: “whatever will be will be; the future’s not ours to see.” Que sera, sera.
That’s evidenced by a comment I ran across on Facebook by an anonymous contributor known only as ‘Theopolis’
who wrote:
“I vividly remember a time when my life was in utter shambles and ruin: I was undergoing an emotional
breakdown after being laid off from work, getting kicked out of my parents' house, and still
struggling with the break I’d made a few months back from an unhealthy relationship that still was
affecting me. Everything was spiraling out of control and simply couldn't find a single ray of hope or silver-lining.
“As I was getting into a cab to the homeless shelter, this music (“Que Sera, Sera”) started playing on the
radio: such dramatic irony that perfectly illustrates our ‘control’ in life. It’s no longer in my narrative or my favorable outcome, but somehow it works out despite the trade-offs, short-comings
and present imperfections.”
That ‘somehow’ is God. And that’s all about ‘Easter Living’ – free of the fear of death and the fear of truly living
– freed, through the Resurrection – to “take each moment, and live each moment in peace eternally…”*
Receive this Easter power as God’s gift of Grace, following Jesus - who concludes his Matthean text - “Strive first
for the kingdom of God* and his*righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
We can’t tell what the future holds – but, we know – because of Easter – who holds the future. And, that’s true
whether we believe it or not!
Blessings!
Pastor Cam
*Let There Be Peace On Earth” lyrics
Sewing for the Savior: Join us at 9:30
AM on Tuesdays, May 9 and 23. Anyone interested in sewing lap quilts is
welcome to join us!
The April LCW meeting will be May 9 at 7PM. ALL
women of Trinity are invited to be a part of this group.
Graduates!!! Parents and students please notify
the church office ASAP of your high school or
higher, grads!
Collecting Canned Goods! In an effort to
eliminate some of the pressure of collecting so
much food at the holidays, each month we will
spotlight a certain canned food item. You are
asked to bring that particular item in during the
month. These will be saved until Nov/Dec and used for
our holiday baskets. We hope to cut back to one Food
Drive this way.
May’s canned good is: peas
May Birthdays
(These are the ones we have “of record”. If you don’t see your birthday or
anniversary here, please contact the church office with those dates)
Birthdays:
Anniversaries:
2-Jeannie Rathman
5-Keyser
4-Jeremy Sharp
28-Greg/Tammy Rogers
8-Jose Gonzales-Herrera
9-Monica Lambert
11-Paul Anderson
15-Stacy Defilippi
16-Aaron Pyne
26-Marcie Stern
28-Samantha Anderson
29-Sophia Gonzales-Herrera
Barry Hockenberry
May Noisy Offering will benefit Trinity’s Camp Scholarship Fund to enable those who would like to attend a faith
-based summer camp, but need a little help paying the
fees.
July 16, 23, 30 & August 6 - 11am
Adult Catechism Class
If you've never been Confirmed in the Lutheran
Church (but would like to since, then, your blood
type will become "ELCA Positive," - OR, if you'd
just like a "cram" course to feel better versed in:
BIBLE: what it is, where it came from, how to better
understand it) Old Testament Heritage: Christianity's
link to Judaism, New Testament Development: Why
Jesus is the "One" for Christianity, Protestant Reformation: Why Martin Luther makes "such a difference" for Lutherans, Lutheran Theology: Grace,
Law, and Justification by Grace through Faith, and
Lutheran Worship: what we do and why. Join Pastor
Cam July 16, 23, 30, and August 6 at 11am in the
Parish Hall.
Mother’s Day Lunch Everyone is invited to join us Sunday, May 14 for a Mother’s Day lunch. We’ll provide
chicken and beverages, you are asked to bring a side dish
and/or dessert. Mother’s day is an opportunity to appreciate all the mothers around us, so spend the time with your
church family!
New policy: The Nursery will be locked at all
times unless our paid attendant is present or other
arrangements for supervision have been made with
the Church Office.
Church office hours:**
Monday– Thursday, 8:00AM-1:00PM
Sun
CMS—Community Music School
Mon
1
Tue
2
Wed
3
Thu
4
10AM CMS
Fri
5
Sat
6
Pastor’s day
off
** Brenda will not be in the office May 3-9
6PM Choir
7PM Council
It’s not too late to lend a hand with Trinity’s NEWTOWN FESTIVAL CAR SHOW. We need many,
many volunteers for this special event, which will be
May 27. Contact Dan Painter to volunteer (4659698). You do not have to volunteer for the entire
event. Make certain you give Dan your T-shirt size,
because we all will be wearing matching shirts. Once
you volunteer, please INK the event on your calendar, because we’ll be counting on you! Thank you!
Power in the Spirit—July 13-15, 2017
Hosted at beautiful Roanoke College in Salem Virginia, Power in the Spirit is an inspirational conference for
everyone who wishes to explore God’s call to service
through joyous worship, Bible study, keynote addresses,
workshops, and fellowship. The Reformation didn’t “fix”
the Church. In fact, you might say it’s just one example
of how we’re always “recalculating” our way forward as
individuals and as a Church. In that spirit, this year’s
theme for Power in the Spirit 2017 is: On Our Way Reforming! For more information and to register for Power
in the Spirit: http://www.vasynod.org/power-in-the-spirit/
Singing Martin Luther
Please make note: Brenda will be out of the office
May 3-9.
May 2017
“The devil is a sad spirit and likes sad people therefore he can-
7
8
9:30AM Worship
10:45AM Sunday
School & The Vision
10
6PM Choir
7PM LCW
14 Mother’s
15
Day
9:30AM Worship
10:45AM Sunday
School
11:30AM Mother’s
Day luncheon
16
17
28
9:30AM Worship
10:45AM Sunday
School
18
10AM CMS
10AM
Newsletter
Deadline
22
9:30AM Worship
10:45AM Sunday
School & The Vision
23
24
6PM Choir
30
31
6PM Choir
9-12 Farmers Mkt.
19
20
8AM-CPR class, PH
9-12 Farmers Mkt
6PM Girl Scouts
5:30PM
Community
Meal
10AM CMS
13
Pastor’s day
off
Pastor’s day
off
25
9:30AM Sewing
10AM CMS
29
12
6PM Girl Scouts
6PM Choir
21
11
9:30AM Sewing
10AM CMS
not bear merriment. This is the reason why he flees as far as
possible from music. He doesn’t stay where people sing.”
Martin Luther, 1532
As Pastor Cam cited in the April newsletter: of the “10 most historical events that
changed the world forever”, the Protestant
Reformation comes in at no. 7. Because of
that, Trinity will be honoring the 2017 500th
anniversary of the Reformation and Luther’s love
of music by singing each Sunday, a Martin Luther
hymn. The hymns credited to Luther are works of
his genius through musical composition and the written word. Let’s make the sanctuary ring by singing
the hymns of Martin Luther to the glory of God.
9
6PM Girl Scouts
6PM Girl Scouts
Community Meal
Menu
Lasagna
Garlic Bread
Salad
Dessert
26
27
Pastor’s day
off
Newtown
Festival
9AM-3PM
Car Show
6PM History
Lecture, PH