Follow Up Meetings & Special Voters Meeting #2

Follow Up Meetings

Last Sunday, at the Voter's Meeting, we discussed a critical financial shortfall of $373,000.  Leadership offered to meet with you to address your questions and discuss a pathway forward that addresses this crisis.  Meetings will be held this Saturday following our evening service at 7:15 pm and again Sunday after the 11 am service. Both will occur in the sanctuary.

 

Special Voters Meeting #2 Sunday, March 17

Please join your Trinity family in the Sanctuary at 12:30 pm on Sunday, March 17. The primary purpose of this meeting is to review and update information shared on March 3 and to bring forth recommendations from the Leadership Council for the remainder of this fiscal year and next year.

We thank you for your prayers and financial support of our ministry. May Almighty God bless Trinity. "The Word of the Lord endures forever;  and this is the Word that was preached to you." 1 Peter 1:25

Childcare Available for March 17 Special Voter's Meeting

If you are planning to attend the voter's meeting on Sunday, March 17th, at 12:30 pm, and are in need of childcare, please contact jmalenke@trinitydowntown.com  by Friday, March 15 to let us know the number and age of the child(ren) that you will be bringing (drop-ins will only be accepted if we have enough volunteer staff to supervise). You may sign your child into the Kindergarten Room at 12:15 p.m. when the childcare staff will arrive. There will be snacks available (cheese, crackers, cut grapes, bottled water), but please send a personal snack along if your child has specific dietary needs.

Touch-A-Truck is Finally Here!

A Series on Stewardship - 4 of 4 - by Senior Elder, Tom Finger

Where does you money go?

If you have been reading this Stewardship series, you now know that you are responsible for being a good steward of the talents and treasures the Lord has entrusted to you. You realize that you should be a cheerful giver with the target of tithing to the Church.  You also saw that if you want your contribution to have its maximum impact, you need to fill out a pledge card during Trinity's annual Stewardship drive, as well as the importance of notifying the church finance office if you need to change the amount you pledged due to changing circumstances. This week we will look at what Trinity does with your donations.

 

In short, Trinity uses the talents and treasures donated by its members and guests to carry out the command of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, found in the book of Matthew, chapter 25: "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

This includes providing the funds for Trinity's Senior Pastor, Ministry Associates, and the Music Ministry as well as the Sunday School and Bible Study classes that take place each Sunday morning. Trinity would not be able to minister to the more than 300 members and guests who regularly attend weekend services without your donations.

 

A portion of your donations also go to maintain Trinity's properties, which include the Sanctuary, and the K-8 and CDC buildings that Trinity uses on a daily basis to bring the word of Jesus to almost 400 children, many of whom do not yet have a permanent church home. Trinity's Church-Ministry Christian Operating Center (COC) also covers overhead expenses for the whole campus, taking care of such things as insurance, utilities and mortgage payments as well as shortfalls that might arise in the budgets of Trinity's other two COCs.

 

Without your donations, Trinity would not be able to reach out to the downtown Orlando neighborhood through community outreach events such as our participation in the City of Orlando's Lake Eola Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony or on-campus Community Outreach events such as Oktoberfest and VBS.

 

Just as your target should be to bring your donations to a tithe (or more if you can!) Trinity's Church-Ministry COC donates one tenth of the money it receives to help spread the Word around the world. Trinity donates to the Missouri Synod Florida-Georgia District, helping them support Missouri Synod Lutheran Churches in our area. We also support numerous Orlando area Christian charities and LCMS missionaries engaged in spreading the word of Christ around the globe.

 

I hope I have answered some of the questions that you might have concerning Stewardship here at Trinity.  If you need or want additional information please feel free to contact any of Trinity's Elders. If they can't provide an answer on the spot they will get back to you with the information as soon as possible. See you in church!

 

Lenten Services and Lenten Soup and Bread Suppers

Lent began with Ash Wednesday and Lenten services will continue at 12:10 and 7:00 pm every Wednesday until Holy Week. Soup and Bread Suppers will be hosted each of those Wednesdays from 5:30-6:45 pm in Fellowship Hall. This past Wednesday we enjoyed Baked Potato Soup and Bread prepared by Trinity's Food Service Manager, Rich Poole. Twenty-one people gathered before church for a meal and a time of fellowship together. We hope YOU will join us next Wednesday evening.

 

IDignity Lenten Can Project

Trinity is participating in the IDignity Lenten Can Project. You'll find collection cans for IDignity in the Narthex. Each family is encouraged to take one home, and throughout Lent you can use it to collect funds in support of IDignity. Lent is a time of sacrificing, getting us in touch with the greatest sacrifice ever, when Jesus died for our sins on the cross. Each time we decide to give something up or take something on, we are stretched in our daily comfort. Consider foregoing something this Lent (maybe your daily latte or that favorite treat you enjoy) and putting the money you would have spent in the can provided. On Palm Sunday, all the individual cans will be collected and the proceeds will be given to IDignity, a non profit that helps to restore dignity and hope by providing identification to those in need. Once a person has restored their identity with IDignity's assistance, doors open to numerous opportunities that were not available to them without identification.   

 

Food and Funds on the Fifth Sunday

March has five Sundays! Trinity sets aside the fifth Sunday for a collection of canned  goods to donate to a local food pantry and for cash donations to replenish the Pastoral Discretionary Fund which serves to help those dealing with an immediate financial crisis. Your support to both of these ongoing needs is greatly appreciated.  So, watch for those BOGO sales at the grocery store and check your cabinets for those unexpired items you thought you might need, but never used. And we'll take that collection during weekend worship on March 30/31. Thank you.

 

Thrivent Members - Choice Dollars - Deadline March 31

Eligible members can recommend where Thrivent distributes a portion of its charitable funding by directing Choice Dollars®. Members become eligible for Thrivent Choice based on insurance premiums, contract values and Thrivent volunteer leadership. Trinity is a participating charitable organization to which you can direct Choice Dollars.   These gifts, above and beyond, are a great blessing to Trinity.  Please consider.  For more information contact your Thrivent rep or go to:

https://www.thrivent.com/making-a-difference/living-generously/thrivent-choice/

 

Youth Gathering Update

Trinity's 7 youth and 3 adults continue fundraising efforts for attending the National Youth Gathering (NYG) that is now only 4 months away.  Our group has begun Bible study and fellowship time. Please keep the group in your prayers as they get to know one another and bond as a group. The group will fly out on July 10 and the Gathering activities begin on July 11. The group will return on July 15.

THANK YOU for your generosity already!  We have been able to cover airfare and a few other expenses already. This is a huge blessing! Our hotel costs should be made known soon and that will be another large expense to help these kids get covered.

We have a few more fundraising opportunities.  

The NYG participants will also host a coffee hour in thanks for your support this summer where they will share stories and photos of their experience. If you have any questions, please see Jennifer Blackwood (team fundraising coordinator) or email at jenn.blackwood@outlook.com.

LWML Greater Orlando Spring Rally

The women of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church welcome all ladies from the churches in the Greater Orlando Zone, and all guests, to the LWML Spring Rally for a day of fellowship, Bible study and song. Registration is $8.00.

 

Our theme for the event is Real.Present.God based on Psalm 46. Registration will be from 8:00-8:45 am with coffee, juice and pastries available. Our Gifts from the Heart will be for the Samaritan Resource Center, so please bring any of the following: AA and AAA batteries, canned meat with pull tab, plastic containers of fruit, applesauce, tuna, washcloths, crackers, playing cards, fruit drink boxes, candles, matches, men's shorts 28-34, bars of soup, deodorant.

 

We will have Mission Service project time, Bible study time, worship and communion and lunch. Please reserve your space now - email kathymccartin@gmail.com or call  407-286-7288.  Please also advise if childcare services are needed.  (Prince of Peace, 1515 S. Semoran Blvd, Orlando, FL 32807 407-277-3945)

 

Mailing Address for Trinity - Mail to 123 E. Livingston

For those who mail in your contributions or need an address to use for Church business, please use the 123 E. Livingston Street, Orlando, FL 32801 address.  We no longer have offices at the 427 N. Magnolia address. Thank you.

 

Please let us know!
Please let your Trinity family know of any scheduled surgery or hospital stay.  In addition to scheduled procedures, please give the church office a call to let us know about extended illness, unplanned hospital stays, or even the birth of a child.  You can call the office at any time and leave a message-no need to wait until business hours (407-488-1919 x101). During business hours, that information can then be forwarded to the appropriate caregivers.  For an emergency that requires the care of a Pastor after hours or over the weekend call or text us at 407-490-7339 and leave a message. We'll get back to you ASAP. We want to be sure to know when you need us-whether to pray with you before a scheduled procedure, sit with you during a loved one's procedure, pray for you while you recover, visit you in the hospital/at home or to share praise and thanksgiving prayers for good news/results. Just let us know. Thank you.

Urgent Prayer Requests

If you have an urgent prayer request that can't wait until you fill out a yellow prayer card during worship, please submit it via email to Pray@TrinityDowntown.com .  While submitting a yellow card during worship is still the preferred way to share prayer requests, sometimes a prayer need can't wait until Sunday.  Your prayer request (first name and basic details of the prayer requested) will be shared with a team of committed weekday prayer warriors and will also be added to Trinity's regular printed prayer list for the congregation.  All prayers are kept on the printed list for a period of three weeks, so please resubmit long term prayer needs regularly so that they stay on the printed list. Thank you.

Important Dates

March 9 - Touch a Truck Community Event & Fundraiser for TLS

March 13-April 10  Wednesday Lenten Devotions 12:10 and 7pm

             5:30-6:45 Soup and Bread Supper in Fellowship Hall

April 18 Maundy Thursday Worship 12:10- and 7pm

             Confirmand First Communion at 7pm

April 19 Good Friday 12:10 and 7pm Worship

April 20 Easter Eve 6pm worship

April 21 Easter Morning 6:30/8/9:30/11am Worship

April 21 Easter Pancake Breakfast by the Youth