Author: Kathy Erat

Trinity Lutheran Church

TRINITY NEWS
July, 2018

1354 S. Otsego Ave. Gaylord, MI 49735 (989) 732-4816 Pastor: Joseph W. B. Polzin

Inside this issue:

Pastor’s Corner	1
Birthdays & Anniversaries	2
Financial Report	2
Family Fare	2
Men’s Ministry	3
Stephen Ministry	3
Cancer & Friends	3
Community Food Giveaway	4
Say Yes to the Dress	4
LWML Events	5
Kut-Ups	5
Church Lansdcaping	5
Electronic Funds Transfer	5
Trinity Bible Studies	6
Praise & Prayer Page	6
Church Extension Fund	6
Here we Stand	7
VBA	8
Church Leaders	9
People who Serve	10
Calendar	11

LOVE GOD
LOVE OTHERS
SERVE THE WORLD

PASTOR’S CORNER

Freedom to Do What?
It’s that time of year again when we celebrate Independence Day, the 4th of July, which is the anniversary of our country declaring its independence and freedom from foreign rule. And still today, we enjoy many freedoms in our country, things like freedom of religious expression, freedom of speech, and freedom to pursue life, liberty, and happiness.
But, as the saying goes, “Freedom isn’t free.” We owe a debt of gratitude to many people, both to people who have served in the military, and to people who have served in the public sphere in other ways, who have led us to freedom and protected it. They sacrificed much, including their own lives, so that we could be free.
In Christ, we are also free. Galatians 5:1 says, “For freedom, Christ has set us free.” It’s through Christ that we know what true freedom is. We are free from wondering what God thinks about us, especially when we realize and confess our sinfulness to Him. We are free from the bonds that sin, the wages of sin, which is death, and Satan all have over us.
Jesus was speaking to the crowd one day, and said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:34-36). Without Jesus, we would be enslaved to sin and death. But because of what Christ has done for us, we are truly free!
But “freedom isn’t free.” It cost Jesus greatly. It cost him suffering the punishment from God the Father that we deserved. And Jesus died in our stead on the cross. But because the Son set us free from punishment, sin, and death, we are truly free. We are “sons” of the Father, which means we are not enslaved anymore, we have been made a part of the family of God. And the inheritance—eternal life—is ours in Christ.
So, now what will you do with your freedom? Does it give you license to go off and live however you want as Christians? Not at all. Martin Luther wrote, “A Christian is a perfectly free lord of all, subject to none…” And by that, he is talking about our freedom in Christ. But he goes on… “A Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all… subject to all.”
We are free, that’s true. We don’t have to spend our lives worrying about doing enough good works to please God or earn eternal life. Jesus did that for us. But now, we are free to share God’s love by loving others. We are subject to other people, our friends, our family, our neighbors, not out of slavish obligation, but in order to serve them in love. We can use our Christian freedom to put others before ourselves, and care for them as best we can. All because of what Christ has first done for us.
So, this July, let us thank God for our freedom, both our freedom as Americans, and our freedom as Christians!

TRINITY NEWS
July, 2018

BIRTHDAYS

The following people have July birthdays:
7/1 Bill Stiles
Richard Straith
7/2 Frederick Polzin
Gene Seibel
7/3 Charlotte Farner
Darlene Techel
7/6 Taylor Armstrong
Christopher Forrest
7/11 Don Koeppen
David Sides
7/16 Hunter Knight
Wyatt Knight
Tom Raithel
7/19 Risa Sherman
7/21 Eowyn Steensma
Gale Tesolin
Steve Anderson
7/22 Kathy Erat
7/23 Nola-Jean Brown
Carolyn Cox
7/23 Dick Ohlrich
7/24 Kyle Techel
7/26 Rose Dittman
7/27 Brittany Beyers
Ken Mertz
Karen Schneider
7/31 Samantha Moore
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

ANNIVERSARIES

The following people have July wedding anniversaries:
7/12 Donna & Gary Cottrell
Larry & Joann Whitney
7/27 Jim & Marge Kunisch
7/29 Dave & Rita French
Richard & Sharon Kowalsky
God’s blessings to all of you who celebrate your years of marriage!

FINANCIAL REPORT

The past month’s statistics report…
Date Attendance Offerings Special funds Reimbursements Total Deposit
5/27 97 $3279.00 $ 977.73 $ .00 $ 4256.73
6/3 90 $1975.00 $ 845.00 $ .00 $ 2820.00
6/10 80 $3576.00 $ 50.00 $ 2636.54 $ 6262.54*
6/17 97 $3622.00 $ 20.00 $ .00 $ 3642.00
*Mt. Hope Pastoral Pay
The average weekly receipts needed to meet our 2017 budgeted expenses are $3,144.50

FAMILY FARE

Family Fare receipts: If you shop at Family Fare, please save your receipts and turn them in to Trinity. We can collect them and turn them in for money. Family Fare supports community non-profit organizations in this way. A collection container can be found by the narthex shelf. So far the total for the Family Fare 24,109.

TRINITY NEWS
July, 2018

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MEN’S MINISTRY BREAKFAST

Our next Saturday Morning Men’s Breakfast will be meeting the last Saturday of the month from 8 to 10 am in the Trinity Fellowship Hall. This month, Ken Mertz will be leading our study and will provide details in the weekly worship bulletins. This is a great opportunity for Christian men to get together for fellowship, food and the sharing of experiences, hobbies and interests. Let’s grow together in our faith while becoming better husbands, fathers, grandfathers and ambassadors of Christ. Please let us know if you’re attending, Sign-Up Sheet on the board in the Narthex or contact Ken Mertz @ (734) 709-8768.

STEPHEN MINISTRY SUBMITTED BY LAURIE BREEN

I’m proud and happy to tell you that our Stephen Ministry class is going very well. Your six trainees are working hard each week to become the best Stephen Ministers that they can be. In the last four weeks we have concentrated on “The Person of the Caregiver”, “Feelings: Yours, Mine and Ours”, “The Art of Listening”, and how Stephen Ministry differs from other caring (for others) by being “Distinctively Christian Caring”.
Each of the trainees brings their own special talents, interests and perspectives to the class and they each have their own special gifts and life experiences to offer. It’s wonderful to see how dedicated they are to learning about themselves and the “Art of Caring for others in a Distinctively Christian caring way”. Please keep them in your prayers as they continue on this journey. It’s not always easy to give up each Wednesday evening and an hour or so during the week for additional reading and study. Thank you all for your continued support of this ministry.

CANCER & FRIENDS SUPPORT GROUP

Cancer & Friends Support Group meets on the fourth Tuesday of each month at 5:30. This month on July 24th we will be meeting in the Fellowship Hall. Our guest speaker is Dona J. Wishart the Executive Director of the Otsego County Commission on Aging (OCCOA), a community based organization (CBO) providing home and community based care for older adults and support to family caregivers. She is a recognized leader in the network of aging services with a passion for developing and managing innovative programs to meet community needs. Dona also currently serves on behalf of Governor Snyder as the Chair of the Michigan Commission on Services to the Aging. Dona holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Education from Michigan State University. She is the immediate past board president of the Community Services Network, a non-profit organization offering educational opportunities to empower persons who provide care to others by increasing their knowledge and enhancing their skills; former president of the Michigan Directors of Services to the Aging Association; and a former Executive Vice President for the Alzheimer’s Association – Greater Michigan Chapter. She was a national nominee of the Maureen Ragan Advocacy Award, and recipient of the Alzheimer’s Advocate Award in the State of Michigan. She was a recipient of the Diana C. Jones Award presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. Dona was also the Athena Award recipient in Otsego County. Dona is a dedicated leader determined to influence the continued innovation of programs and services for older persons and their care providers, including “technology and aging” interventions that will support both professional and informal caregivers, and enhance quality of life. She has “walked the walk” as a family caregiver.
All of us can use support at sometime. Our meetings will be the fourth Tuesday of each month at 5:30. There is more information available on the shelf in the narthex or on the church web site. Including our guest speakers for this year.
You can call or text Elaine Raschke @ 989-350-4391 email elaineraschke@gmail.com. Or check Trinity's web site at trinitygaylord.com.

TRINITY NEWS
July, 2018

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COMMUNITY FOOD GIVEAWAY

Community Food Giveaway a Huge Success! -submitted by Kathy Erat & Donna Cottrell
Trinity held a Community Food Giveaway event on May 30th. We had 153 families served, which included 479 family members. Many people were extremely grateful for this assistance. One person told us that she had no idea how she was going to feed her family this week, and then she saw our food giveaway! This is how God works to provide for people’s needs… He uses us! We extend our thanks to the 37 volunteers who showed up to allow God to use them in this endeavor. Thanks to the kitchen helpers and Thrivent Financial, our helpers enjoyed refreshments and a nice lunch to keep us going through the day. We also thank the anonymous donor who provided for the entire cost of the food truck. We were very blessed to have all this assistance to make this possible.
Our next food giveaway event is scheduled for Wednesday, August 1st. Please mark the date on your personal calendars. The timetable will be the same as May 30th event we just completed…volunteers arrive by 9:15am, truck arrives about 10am, and distribution begins at or before Noon. You will find a volunteer sign-up sheet in the narthex at church. We will need all the help we can get!

SAY YES TO THE DRESS AGAIN (May 4, 2018)

LWML presented a bridal fashion show of dresses from weddings of the past on May 4th in Trinity’s Fellowship Hall. About 50 people participated, including fashion show guests, presenters, and models. Bridal gowns, bridesmaid dresses, flower girl dresses, and mother-of-the bride dresses were modeled, and stories about the weddings in which they were worn were shared with the audience. A delicious and beautiful wedding cake was made by Marge Kunisch and shared with all in attendance.

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LWML EVENTS

TRINITY NEWS
July, 2018

LWML Michigan District Convention is July 20-22 in Port Huron. Please contact Carla Elenz, 732-1607 for details on accommodations and registration if you are interested in attending.
LWML will take the summer off from regular meetings. You can look forward to regular meetings resuming in September.

KUT-UPS

Kut ups is now in recess for the summer. Thanks to all the helping hands we have 13 boxes of quilts ready. Enjoy the summer and we'll see you in September. (During the break keep in mind sheets are always welcome)
Kut ups is now in recess for the summer. Thanks to all the helping hands we have 13 boxes of quilts ready. Enjoy the summer and we'll see you in September. (During the break keep in mind sheets are always welcome)

CHURCH LANDSCAPING (May 12 & May 28, 2018)

Our volunteer team working under the guidance of Bill & terry Stiles to change the landscaping around the church. This was done in two days May 12th and finished on May 28th. There are more pictures in the fellowship hall.
A big thank you to all our volunteers.

ELECTRONIC FUNDS TRANSFERS

We are pleased to inform you that we now are able to accept donations through Electronic Funds Transfers from your checking or savings account. In order to do so, go to our website www.trinitygaylord.com. From the home page click on the link at the top of the screen “Donate Online”. This will take you to the Vanco site who is the provider for this service. There are options for making one time donations, weekly, or monthly. You can also make donations to our various funds and special services such as Advent and Lent. This is a convenience that many asked for and is especially convenient for those who take extended trips and still wish to donate without having to send checks to the office. If you have any questions about how to do this, feel free to contact me, June Weber or Dave Beyers. Thank you. Bob Erat

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TRINITY NEWS
July, 2018

TRINITY BIBLE STUDIES

Bible Studies:
Sunday morning 10:30 am (summer break, will continue in the fall)
Monday evening at 6:45pm led by Rev. Paul Schneider in the fellowship hall.
Wednesday morning 10:30am led by Pastor Joe (summer break, will resume August 8th.)

PRAISE & PRAYER PAGE

We at Trinity have so many blessings for which to be thankful! A few come to mind, and we thank God…
For those who have had surgery this past month and are recovering.
For the gift of comfort for the families who have lost loved ones.
For the good turnout we had for our Vacation Bible Adventure, and for all the great volunteers who stepped up and helped.
For the good turn-out our Third Thursday Service had.
For hearing our prayers;
For the hard work of our church members to help beautify the outside of our church.
For each and everyday you have created for us. Thank you Father
For another successful community food distribution.
For the wonderful groups we have working together within our Church.
For the continued good news on Pastor Joe’s family.
O Lord, who has given us so much, please grant us one thing more—a grateful heart.
(We would be glad to print any of your praises or prayers on this page, so feel free to submit specific praises to be included in future issues.)

CHURCH EXTENSION FUND

Do You Need a Change of Direction? In today’s uncertain economy, you may feel like you are walking up the down escalator. But changing direction might be easier than you think. An IRA from Church Extension Fund can deliver excellent returns, while also helping to finance the growth of Michigan churches, schools and ministries. CEF can also help you transfer an existing IRA or roll over your 401(k) to a CEF IRA – just another way you can change directions. CEF can get your savings dollars and the ministries that mean the most to you moving the right way, toward a bright future. Call CEF at 800 242 3944 or visit the web site at www.mi-cef.org to discover more. Paul R. Wills Vice President – Marketing Church Extension Fund of the Michigan District LCMS 3773 Geddes Road, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48105 800.242.3944 734.213.3242 734.332.7811

TRINITY NEWS
July, 2018

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HERE WE STAND 2018 SUMMER EVENTS

michiganintouch.com/commission/stand-2018-summer-events/
The Reformation 500 Walk,
Bike, Run Challenge is Back!
From May-September 2018, members of congregations and schools are encouraged to form teams that will work together to complete 500 miles by walking, running, and/or biking during the 5-month period. This event is an opportunity to come together to financially benefit individual congregations and schools while supporting the Michigan District’s Here We Stand campaign, as well as enjoying a summer of physical activity.
How Does it Work?
1. Organize Your Team. A team may be comprised of as few, or as many, individuals as you would like. Congregations can have more than one team.
2. Collect Financial Pledges. Each individual team member is encouraged to collect financial pledges. Upon completion, participants will be responsible to collect their pledges. These will then be distributed to each participant’s church or school (50%), and to the Michigan District’s Here We Stand campaign (50%).
3. Complete the Mileage Goal. Each individual team member will complete any combination of miles (by running, walking, or biking) each week, and then add their total completed miles to their team’s accumulating results, which will be kept on a master log. Visit herewestand.michigandistrict.org/thereformation500 to download your documents and get started today!
Here We Ride II
Here We Ride II is a FREE single-day bike-riding event that will be held on Saturday, August 4, 2018 at Bethany, Charlevoix.
How does it work?
1. Starting and finishing at Bethany, you and your family are encouraged to ride the distance you choose: 5, 10, 25, 50, and 100 miles are available (and anything in between). There will be starting times for serious cyclists and other riders. A come-and go
family picnic will be available at Bethany throughout the day for riders, their families, and the community.
2. Here We Ride will take place on the Little Traverse Wheelway—a multi-use paved trail that skirts the beautiful waters of the Little Traverse Bay. There are plenty of opportunities to rest and enjoy the scenery, and happy volunteers will be stationed along the route.
3. As mentioned above, Here We Ride is intended to be entirely FREE for ALL PARTICIPANTS. However, participants are encouraged to collect pledges for the miles they will ride. We ask that you give 50 percent of the money raised to your church or
school for its ministry purposes, and the remaining 50 percent to the Here We Stand campaign initiatives. All participants are asked to register online. More information can be found at michigandistrict.org/hereweride. During the summer of 2017, between the two events, teams raised $10,910.81 that went to their congregations and the Here We Stand campaign.
For more information, visit the webpages or email Ray Zavada at ray.zavada@michigandistrict.org or
Linda Ekong at lida.ekong@michigandistrict.org or call Linda at 888.225.2111 ext. 265.
Photo by Cindy Zavada/Michigan District, LCMS

TRINITY NEWS
July, 2018

VACATION BIBLE ADVENTURE

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We had a wild ride at Splash Canyon Vacation Bible Adventure in June. In those three days, 25 children have learned about God’s promises through the Wild River Opening and Closing events, River Run Storytelling, Plunge in Bible Challenges experiments, Fireside snacks, Sandbar Crafts, White Water Games, and Otter Preschool activities. We would like to thank our many volunteers who gave of their precious time and many talents, (many of whom used their vacation time from work): Pastor Paul Schneider, the emcee extraordinaire; Pastor Joe Polzin, the Bible Promise scientist; Jennie Polzin, the Otter Preschool Leader; Jenny Jolin, the Bible Story Leader; Jean Beach, the Craft Designer and Leader; Dr. Tom beach and Paula Beach, the Game Creators and Leaders; June Weber, the Chef of delicious snack, Jen Martin our River Designer; Terri Raithel, Joan Bigelow, Jean Seibel, and Pastor Ken Bernthal, our registration and security personnel; marge Kunisch, our Photographer; and our Crew Leaders and Room Assistants: Helen VanDusen, Laura Beach, Judy Anderson, Joann Whitney, Jennifer Martin, Carla Elenz, Kathy Erat, Scott Purgaric, Joyce Goodrich, Karen Schneider, Ann Mertz and all of our student assistant!!! Each of You made this event happen for so many! We thank the congregation for your prayers a financial support to lead our children to God in the Bible Adventure mission. Nancy

TRINITY NEWS
July, 2018

Trinity Lutheran Church

1354 South Otsego Ave.
Gaylord, Michigan 49735

At Trinity we are
EXPERIENCING THE HEART OF GOD!

LET
FREEDOM
RING

2018 Church Personnel/Leaders
Pastor Joe Polzin (989) 732-4816
Cell Phone (608) 395-8029
E-mail: pastorjoepolzin@gmail.com
Elaine Raschke, Secretary (989) 732-4816
E-mail: secretary@trinitygaylord.com
Church Council
President Bob Erat (989) 732-7153
Secretary Kathy Erat (989) 732-7153
Board of Education Nancy Ely (989) 732-7903
Board of Outreach Elaine Raschke (989) 448-8165
Co-Chairs Jack Udebrock (989) 939-8545
Board of Properties Roger Raschke (989) 448-8165
Board of Stewardship Jack Udebrock (989) 939-8545
Treasurer June Weber (989) 732-4144
Assistant Kathy Erat (989) 732-7153
Financial Secretary Joann Whitney (231) 585-6163
Assistant Jim Forrest (989) 350-2848
Member at Large Teri Raithel (989) 370-5056
Member at Large Donna Cottrell (989) 732-9875
Event/Communication Coordinator Sharon Kwapis (989) 732-5257
Elders Tom Beach (989)448-2409
Bob Breen-Chair (989) 939-7432
Wally Beasinger (231) 546-3001
Ken Mertz (734) 709-8768
Gene Seibel (989) 732-9691
Ron Tesolin (989) 619-0921
Other Leaders
Stephen Ministry Laurie Breen (989) 939-7432
Sunday School Superintendent
Sharon Techel (989) 732-3973
Vacation Bible Adv. Nancy Ely (989) 732-7903
Youth Director Dave Beyers (989) 350-3040
Staci Brown (989) 614-1569
Adventures in Faith Pastor Joe (989) 732-4816
Nancy Ely (989) 732-7153
Children’s Church Marge Kunisch (989) 732-2803
Helen VanDusen (231) 546-3888
Trinity Mom’s Group Jennie Polzin (608) 395-8505
Choir Director Tom Beach
Organ/Piano Tom/Jean Beach (989) 448-2409
Library Vacant
Kut-Ups Donna Cottrell (989) 732-9875
Nehemiah Group Roger Raschke (989) 448-8165
Altar Guild Co-Chairpersons
Judi Stutzman (989) 939-7438
Donna Cottrell (989) 732-9875
Ladies Guild
President Jean Seibel (989) 732-9691
Secretary Sharon Kwapis (989-732-5457)
Treasurer June Weber (989) 732-4144
LWML “Women for Christ”
President Carla Elenz (989) 732-1607
Vice President Tina Van Til (989) 350-3287
Secretary Marge Kunisch (231) 732-2803
Treasurer Kathy Erat (989) 732-7153
Christian Growth Ann Mertz (734) 709-8768

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Church Phone: 989-732-4816
Church email: secretary@trinitygaylord.com
Church website: www.trinitygaylord.com

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DATE	TIME	ELDER	USHERS	LAY READER	GREETERS	COFFEE SERVERS	COUNTERS	ALTAR CARE	CHILDRENS / TALK	CHILDREN’S / CHURCH
7/1	9:00 a.m.	Ken / Mertz	Julie & / Jim Forrest, / Roxie / Mohr	Ann / Mertz	Jack / Teri / Osantowski	Dave & / Britany / Beyers	Jim / Forrest, / Brian / Techel	Jeanine / Boldry, / Judi / Stutzman	Pastor / Joe
7/8	9:00 a.m.	Gene / Seibel	Rich & Risa / Sherman, / Dave / Beyers	Dave / Beyers	Wally & / Pam / Beasinger	John & / Judi / Stutzman	Donna / Cottrell, / Sharon / Kato	Irene / Pollock, / Teri / Raithel	Staci / Brown
7/15	9:00 a.m.	Ken / Mertz	Bill & Terry / Stiles, / Roger / Raschke	Terry / Stiles	Jennifer / Martin, / Nancy / Ely	Jim & / Marge / Kunisch	Larry / Whitney, / Wendell / Smith	Irene / Pollock, / Teri / Raithel	Pastor / Joe
7/22	9:00 a.m.	Wally / Beasinger	Pam / Beasinger, Don / Wenglikowski, / Jim Kunisch	Terri / Raithel	June / Weber, / Irene / Pollock	Bill & / Terry / Stiles	Don / Wenglikowski, / Nancy / Ely	Sharon / Kwapis, / Donna / Cottrell	Nancy / Ely
7/29	9:00 a.m.	Ron / Tesolin	Bob Erat, / Chris Simmon, / Renne Girard	Bob / Erat	Ken & / Ann / Mertz	Nancy / Ely, / June / Weber	Chris / Simmon, / Kathy / Erat	Sharon / Kwapis, / Judi / Stutzman	Pastor / Joe

JULY , 2017 SERVICE SCHEDULE

TRINITY NEWS
June, 2018

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THRIVENT FINANCIAL

CANCELLATION POLICY

	TIME	ELDER	USHERS	LAY READER	GREETERS	COFFEE SERVERS	COUNTERS	ALTAR CARE	CHILDRENS / TALK	CHILDREN’S CHURCH
5/7	9:00 a.m.	Gene / Seibel	Jim & / Julie / Forrest, / Chris / Simmon	Judi / Stutzman	Judi & / John / Stutzman	Dave & / Brittany / Beyers	Jim / Forrest, / Brian / Techel	Joyce / Goodrich, / Irene / Pollock	Pastor / Joe	Kathy / Erat
5/14	9:00 a.m.	Ron / Tesolin	Bob / Erat, / Roger / Raschke, / Gene / Pickering	Bob / Erat	Jim & / Julie / Forrest	LWML	Donna / Cottrell, / Eleanor / Raether	Gale / Tesolin, / June / Weber	Staci / Brown	Dave / Beyers
5/21	9:00 a.m.	Tom / Beach	Bill & / Terry / Stiles, / Dave / Beyers	Terri Raithel	Rich & / Risa / Sherman	Jim & / Julie / Forrest	Sharon / Kwapis, / Chris / Simmon	Gale / Tesolin, / June / Weber	Pastor / Joe	Staci / Brown
5/28	9:00 a.m.	Ken / Mertz	Rich & / Risa / Sherman, / Mike / Goodrich	Jim / Forrest	Jerry & / Joan / Bigelow	Nancy / Ely, / June / Weber	Kathy / Erat, / Nancy / Ely	Terri / Raithel, / Joann / Whitney	Nancy / Ely	Carla / Elenz

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