Trinity Family
From Pastor Jim Martin ADVENT: SEASON OF NEW BEGINNINGS
Advent “Church Year Service” As we begin a new church year in this season of pre- paration for the coming of Christ, we’re going to sing hymns and read Scriptures from every season of the year. It’s our once-a-quarter Fifth Sunday worship, using a different format. We’ll move through Advent, Christmas, & Epiphany, right into Lent and Holy Week, pausing for our Celebration of the Lord’s Supper between the agony of Good Friday and the ecstasy of Easter Sunday. If you like familiar hymns, you’ll enjoy this!
Advent Wednesday Worship: Our “Signs of the Savior” series begins Wednesday, December 2 from 12:10 to 12:50pm with Pastor Tom Zehnder. He will also preach at the 7pm service, following Soup Supper from 5:30 to 6:30 PM. Watch for the “STAR” to rise above the sanctuary. Join us again at noon or 7 Pm on Dec 9 & 16.
This week it’s hard for me to know whether to look back with joy at the Trinity Thanksgiving Dinner last Sunday, followed by School Thanksgiving Dinner on Tuesday, Thanksgiving Eve & Day worship, and finally the Community Thanksgiving Dinner or Friday…OR…to look ahead to our Trinity School Students on stage at the Lake Eola Bandshell for “Holiday Tree-Lighting Celebration” (aka “The Gift”) on Friday, December 4. Their program will be between 5 and 6 PM, Tree Lighting follows immediately after, and lots more too (see article below).
Senior Pastor Call Process This is the last weekend for you to fill out the congregational survey (online or paper copy) and to fill out a Nomination Form if you know of a potential candidate to be our next pastor. Please be part of the process! (more info below).
Thanks for making Carol and I feel like part of the family during the holidays!!!
An urgent plea from Trinity’s leaders: Time to Catch up on our Giving
If you have fallen behind in what you intended to give for Trinity’s ministries, this is a great time to catch up. Like most families, there are times when expenses pile up. Right now Trinity faces tax & insurance bills as well as benefits payments, in addition to our regular payroll and expenses. We have been able to keep expenses in line with budget, but since offerings are about $70,000 short of pledges since July 1, we have no cash reserves for high-expense times like this.
We can’t wait til Christmas to catch up. Please, give as God has blessed you. And, if you are able, consider a one-time Thanksgiving Gift. Together we can prevent a financial crisis.
Prayer: “Dear Lord, thank-you for all Your blessings in our Trinity family. Please move your people to provide what is needed for Your work. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”
A Time to Eat and a Time to Serve
On Friday, November 27, Trinity is offering a meal for 80 people who have cannot experience a warm family Thanksgiving meal. The women and children living temporarily in rooms at the Orlando Coalition for the Homeless’ Women’s Residential Counseling Center will be our guests for a dinner featuring traditional turkey and pie. Here is how YOU can help. Before 6:00 p.m. tables need to be set and decorated, food needs to be warmed up, guests must be greeted, and photos will be taken. Note: BEFORE 6 p.m. Even if you are scheduled to work that day, stop by Fellowship Hall and see how valuable 30 minutes of time offering can be. Set up begins at 4 p.m. and continues through clean up time, which should be 8:30 p.m. Contact Trinity church office with questions: tlc@trinitydowntown.org or 407-488-1919 X 101.
Senior Pastor Call Process
The Call Committee needs your input in the Call Process for Trinity’s new Senior Pastor. We want this to be a congregationally based process from beginning to end. This is how you can contribute:
Matching Congregational Needs to a Pastor
If you weren’t able to attend the focus groups last Sunday, you are still able to complete the survey of the top ten characteristics that you feel are the most important for our next pastor to possess in order to meet congregational needs. Please read through and complete this Pastor Characteristics Form and return to a member of the Call Committee or the church office. This is a great opportunity for you to tell us where Trinity needs to be heading!
Trinity Self Study Input
As we move forward with working to bring a new Senior Pastor to Trinity, your thoughts and ideas are critical to the process. Please take about five minutes to complete an online survey at http://www.customercontactinc.net/survey/trin/trinlogn.htm (either click on the link or copy into your browser). The information you provide will allow the call committee to complete our self-study and in turn help the District when making additional candidate suggestions. If you are unable to complete the survey electronically, hard copy surveys can be downloaded here and will also be available in the school office and in the sanctuary – just return completed surveys to the same location. The deadline for completing the survey is Monday, November 30.
Senior Pastor Nominations
The period for making nominations for our new Senior Pastor is now open! We encourage all Trinity members to make nominations of qualified candidates. Simply complete this Nomination Form. It can also be found on the Trinity Downtown website or via hard copy in the Sanctuary. Nomination forms must be returned by Tuesday, December 8, and can be given to any member of the Call Committee: Ted Lange, Stephanie Landis, Mike Kunze, Jen Blackwood, Bonnie Roby, Rocky Smothers, Mike Hofmann, or Pastor Martin.
If you have any questions, please contact Stephanie Landis, the chair for the Senior Pastor Call Committee at stephanie.landis@psiusa.com. Thank you!
Helping those in Need
Trinity school children are designating their November chapel offering for the Prince of Peace Lutheran Church Food Pantry. Our church family will add Food on the Fifth donations to make the gift to the food pantry at least 3 grocery carts full! The Prince of Peace Food Pantry is able to provide groceries to over 300 families from Orange County each month, this is equivalent to 15,000 pounds of food a month. Don’t forget your canned and non-perishable food items the weekend of November 28-29. Please check the “sell by date” to insure your gift is top quality.
Funding for those in Need
Did you know our congregation keeps a special fund ready to help anyone in need? Trinity’s Pastoral Staff is often approached by members and non-members for a variety of financial assistance crises. Every time we share our grocery shopping extras with a community food bank, we also take a door offering to fund this special Discretionary Fund. Bring your donation to church the weekend of November 28-29 and place in the collection plate when you enter or as you leave worship services.
Smiling faces needed for Dec 4 at the Orlando Tree Lighting Event
As hosts of the Downtown Orlando Tree Lighting Celebration (The Gift), and the only Downtown church and school that is recognized and gets to participate in this huge celebration, we need to have a team of volunteers on site to greet, pass out programs, and staff the welcome table which will have flyers, banners and a hot cocoa/mini marshmallow bar! It’s another excellent opportunity to be witness to the Downtown community and put some real faces to the Trinity Downtown name. The greatest benefit is that we get to share the real meaning of Christmas, and the birth of our Savior at a public, Downtown Orlando event! Please look for sign-up sheets, or contact Dittmers 407-659815 or odittmer892@gmail.com, or the church office. Thank you, Trinity friends!
Specific needs:
- Greeters/Ushers– smiling faces, wear something Christmassy, talk to folks, pass out programs, answer questions, talk about Trinity
- Staff the table — smiling faces, talk with people, answer questions, share info about Trinity, serve cocoa
- Someone with a truck/SUV to carry tables, chairs, lights, tent and hot cocoa from Trinity to Lake Eola. (early in the afternoon and again around 9:30pm–could be two separate people)
- The volunteers on the last shift should be able to help with tent and table tear down and loading the truck
A Hands On Way To Serve
Gifts have been purchased and some returned as delivery time for Trinity Shares Christmas approaches. Now you can experience how a small act of kindness brings deep gratitude and joy. Please contact Glenda to offer assistance for 1 or 2 hours to deliver the gifts and holiday meal items. Also,if you would like to help sort the items, or have any questions about Trinity Shares Christmas, please contact Glenda Frazier at whitemice@bellsouth.net.
Trinity Members with Children in the K-8 or CDC School Ministries
The Outreach Team is looking for Trinity members with children in the CDC and school to assist with introducing school families to our church family. If you have a heart for the Gospel and Great Commission, we need your help! Please contact Outreach Ministry Team Facilitator, Bill Ruffier at wruffier@dwklaw.com. Thank you.
Trinity Supports Overseas Missionaries
Did you know that we support four missionary families?
- The Trumps (Kenya)
- The Clausings (Eastern Africa)
- The Wasmunds (S Korea)
- The Lehmans (Spain)
For more information about each of these families, please check the missionary page on Trinity’s website. You can see newsletters, bios and contact information (send a Christmas Card). Want to help us get the word out? We need a volunteer to update our Missionary Display in the sanctuary. If you can help, please contact Chanda at TLC@TrinityDowntown.com or 407-488-1919 x101.
Growing Together Christmas Tree Ornaments
Available for purchase in Trinity offices now. Red and Green with the Growing Together Logo! $5 each. Proceeds benefit Trinity Outreach needs.
Come to the Downtown Orlando Tree Lighting Celebration
All Trinity families, friends and neighbors are invited to attend the Downtown Orlando Tree Lighting Celebration (formerly “The Gift”) at Lake Eola, on Friday, December 4, hosted by Trinity Downtown. Trinity Lutheran School students will present a Christmas musical and will sing holiday favorites on stage. You’ll also enjoy the Food Truck Bazaar, the 72-foot Christmas Tree lighting, festival vendors, and Encore Cast Performing Arts group!.
Wednesday Advent Worship
Advent worship begins on December 2nd. Trinity will provide a lunch hour service 12:10-12:50 as well as the evening 7pm service. For those coming to the evening service, this year the Fellowship ministry team has arranged for Wednesday Advent Soup Suppers served between 5:30 and 6:30 pm on Dec 2, 9, and 16.
Children’s Christmas Eve Program
Children 4 years old through 13 years old are welcome to participate in this year’s Children’s Christmas Eve program. This program will be presented at the 3:00 pm Christmas Eve Worship Service. We will be practicing every Sunday morning at 9:30 in the church basement, with a few additional weekend or weekday practice times in December so we can practice in the Sanctuary. If your child is interested (all children–school kids, neighborhood kids, Trinity members, visitors–everyone!), please meet us in the basement at 9:30 Sunday morning. This year’s program will be organized by parents. If you are excited to be a part of this and can help in some way, please contact Pam Yates at pmyates4@gmail.com.
Collect Box Tops for TLS Fundraising
We are on the path to a great start collecting box tops for the 2015/2016 school year. Since August, Trinity has already earned $298.90. Our goal this year is to reach $1500. This is a great way to help earn money for Trinity! If you have any questions, please contact Stacy Walters @ slw2123@aol.com.
Giving Tuesday on Dec 1: “Give Graciously, Give Globally”
Giving Tuesday was conceived as a day for amplifying small acts of kindness through charitable giving in an effort to change the world for the better. On December 1st’s Giving Tuesday, which follows on the heels of Cyber Monday, Small Business Saturday and Black Friday (annual promotional events that profit the retail industry and kick off the holiday shopping frenzy) LCMS is promoting an initiative to “Give Graciously, Give Globally.” Gifts through this effort are used exclusively to support the church’s Witness, Mercy and Life Together efforts wherever the opportunities are greatest to witness to God’s Word and share the mercy of Christ. The Global Mission Fund impacts people around the world and in our own backyard through acts of Christian compassion, wherever the opportunities are greatest at the time the gift is made. Will you help? Visit lcms.org/givingtuesday to learn more and go to lcms.org/givenow/givingtuesday to make a gift.
From Lutheran Services of Florida
Every minute eight people leave everything behind to escape war, persecution or terror. A REFUGEE is someone who has fled his or her country because of a well-founded fear of persecution based on their race, religion, nationality, social group or political opinion. During 2014 over 32,000 refugees settled in Florida from 97 different countries. Lutheran Services Florida works with these legal immigrants to help them learn English, find jobs, get their children in school and assimilate into the community they now call home. To find out why LSF has been engaged in this ministry for the past 34 years refer to Luke 10:25-37. For more information and to get involved please email, Steve Cecchetti at scecchetti@lsfnet.org.
Youth News
Middle School & High School Bible Classes available at 9:30 Sunday Mornings
MS and HS Youth Sunday classes provide opportunities for students to grow deeper in their relationship with God as well as their relationships with others. Meet the Youth Ministry Team leaders in the second floor classrooms of the K-8 building for fellowship and study time each week.
Middle School Youth
- December 6 During Confirmation Class Ice cream will be provided for snack but we need toppings from families that day to help with our Sunday Sundae making!
- December 9 Confirmation students will attend Wednesday evening 7pm Advent worship together.
- December 20 Confirmation Class and fellowship time! Get ready to wrap a friend. Please bring a dozen cookies to share with group – maybe you have a favorite recipe to wow the group with? Milk will be provided.
High School Youth
- Saturday, December 12th
- 2pm: Christmas Shopping Fundraiser/Servant Event
- 6pm: Christmas Party
- July 2016–National Youth Gathering–check website for more information!
For more info: Contact Laura (407) 404-3242 or Mike (727) 686-7403, email TrinityHSYouth@gmail.com, check the Trinity Website or the Trinity HS Youth Facebook page!
Dates to Remember
Nov 29 First Sunday of Advent
December 4 Tree Lighting Celebration at Lake Eola, “The Gift”
December 2, 9, 16 Wednesday Advent Worship at 12:10 – 12:50 pm and 7 pm.
December 2, 9, 16 “Soup Supper” served 5:30-6:30 pm on Dec 2, 9, and 16.
December 24 through January 3 Trinity Campus/all offices/programs closed (except for worship services)
December 24 Christmas Eve worship services
3pm Children’s Program
5pm, 7pm, 9pm and 11pm Candlelight Communion Worship
December 25 Christmas Day Worship 10 am
January 4 Offices Open and School back in session
December 31 New Year’s Eve Worship 7pm
January 10 Epiphany Cantata in all Worship Services
January 23 Touch-a-Truck
January 30 New Century Center Dedication
TLS News
Important Announcement!
We’re pleased to announce that our very own Garden of Adventure teachers, Colby Howard and Stacey Carroll were voted as the best in Orange County in the Central Florida’s Family Favorites of Playground Magazine, for their creative storytelling at the annual Read In! We are blessed with so many outstanding teachers who are willing to share their creative gifts and love of children with all those in our community!
