Author: Kathy Erat

Trinity Lutheran Church

TRINITY NEWS
June, 2018

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

Inside this issue:

PASTOR’S CORNER

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

LOVE GOD
LOVE OTHERS
SERVE THE WORLD

What Is Stephen Ministry?
Stephen Ministry is a caring group in our dual-parish in which trained and supervised lay persons, called Stephen Ministers, provide one-to-one Christian care to individuals facing life challenges or difficulties.
These individuals, or care receivers, can be anyone from our church or community who is experiencing any sort of hardship: grief, loss, loneliness, medical challenges, or family troubles, just to name a few examples.
Stephen Ministers usually meet with their care receivers once a week for about an hour. The Stephen Minister is not a counselor, rather simply someone who will listen, understand, accept, and pray for and with a person working through a tough time.
So, what does this have to do with Trinity and Mt. Hope? There are two reasons. First, Trinity is going on its third year of an active and successful Stephen Ministry, and has helped numerous individuals from both our churches. Second, there are six new Stephen Ministers from both Trinity and Mt. Hope who have just begun this training.
The training is 20 weeks (50 hours), and is set to conclude in the fall. It is top-notch, extensive, and intense, but also growth-producing and enjoyable for our Stephen Ministers. They are making a commitment to this training as a way to serve our congregations.
Stephen Ministry, which was started by a LCMS pastor in St. Louis in 1975, is now in over 10,000 churches worldwide. Our dual-parish’s participation in Stephen Ministry means we are part of something pretty big. People whose needs might otherwise slip through the cracks are coming face to face with Jesus’ love through Stephen Ministry. Our new class will help us touch that many more lives with the Gospel.
Please lift up this new training class in your prayers over the coming months, and watch for further updates. If you have any questions about Stephen Ministry, or perhaps know someone who may benefit from a Stephen Minister, please speak with Laurie Breen from Trinity, or Pastor Joe.

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BIRTHDAYS

TRINITY NEWS
June, 2018

The following people have June birthdays:
6/1 Noah Smith
6/4 Andrew Albrecht
Carla Elenz
Jacki Knight
June Weber
6/7 Tami Techel
6/10 Sandy Smith
Don Wenglikowski
6/11 Mark Mohr
6/12 Brian Techel
6/14 Wendell Smith
6/19 Janice Knoellinger
Terri Raithel
6/24 Sophia Temple
6/25 Jim Bernthal
6/26 Wally Beasinger
6/30 Morgan Armstrong
Jane Polzin
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!

ANNIVERSARIES

The following people have June Wedding anniversaries:
6/2 Mark & Jacki Knight
Eric & Tara Moore
6/7 Bob & Kathy Erat
6/14 Brian & Tami Techel
6/16 Jack & Teri Osantowski
6/21 Sterling & Jeanine Boldrey
6/22 Dave & Brittany Beyers
Gene & Jean Seibel
6/26 Jeremy & Michele Bartley
6/28 Jim & Julie Forrest
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
4/29 87 $3157.00 $ 69.00 $ .00 $ 3226.00
5/6 85 $3054.00 $ 100.00 $ .00 $ 3154.00
5/13 106 $7467.06 $ 411.00 $ 5195.44* $13,073.50
5/20 97 $2956.00 $ 55.00 $1135.70* $ 4146.70
*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 22,669.

TRINITY NEWS
June, 2018

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MEN’S MINISTRY BREAKFAST

Our next Saturday Morning Men’s Breakfast will meet Saturday June 30th 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 as 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 your attending, Sign-Up Sheet on the board in the Narthex or contact Ken Mertz @ (734) 709-8768.

STEPHEN MINISTRY SUBMITTED BY LAURIE BREEN

Unfortunately due to my foot surgery, the start of the Stephen Ministry training classes had to be postponed until May 30, but we are all looking forward to getting started (as I write this on May 24th) Please keep the new trainees and your leaders in your prayers for their commitment, loyalty, and God’s blessings on our pursuit to add to our numbers of ministers for this great program. From Trinity we have Terri Raithel, Elaine Raschke, and Jennifer Martin joining us. From Mt. Hope, we will have Linda Owens, Sharon Hopkins, and Ken Bendick as our trainees. Unfortunately, a few people who had originally signed up from Mt. Hope had to reconsider their participation at this time, so we will have a total of six trainees for this class.
Please keep Stephen Ministers in mind if you, a friend, or someone you know is going through a rough time and needs a Christian friend to walk beside. We can be there to listen and pray with and for you until…
Thank you for you continuing support and prayers for your Stephen Ministry team. If you have any questions regarding Stephen Ministry such as training, or referrals, please contact Laurie Breen or Pastor Joe.

CANCER & FRIENDS SUPPORT GROUP

Trinity Lutheran Church has started a Cancer support group, the group meets on Tuesday evenings at 5:30. This month on June 26th we will be meeting in the Fellowship Hall. Our guest speaker will be Dianne South retired to Northern Michigan from Ann Arbor after retiring from Corporate America in 2008, already having experienced a cancer diagnosis and successful treatment 5 years earlier. In retirement, Dianne pursued a life-long passion for horses taking lessons and finally purchasing her own horse. At the same time, she initiated a regular practice of yoga and decided to become a certified yoga instructor, finishing her teacher training in 2016 at the age of 64. Shortly after completion of her yoga teacher training, Dianne sought medical attention for a suspicious spot on her face, resulting in 2 additional cancer diagnosis. Today Dianne teaches yoga and volunteers with Munson Hospice Direct Patient Care
Cancer & Friends Support Group is for Cancer survivors, patients, caregivers, spouse, family, friends and loved ones. 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
June, 2018

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COMMUNITY FOOD GIVEAWAY COMING AGAIN!

The Board of Outreach and Church Council is planning to host a Community Food Giveaway event in our parking lot on Wednesday, May 30th. We did this last year, and it was a great success! This is an opportunity to be the hands and heart of Christ providing food to those in our community, thereby communicating God’s love and care to them. We need at least 30 volunteers for this from our congregation, and even more would be better!
We have ordered a semi-truck of food - fresh, frozen, and non-perishables. This is a larger truck than we had last year. The pallets of food will be unloaded in our parking lot at 10am, and we will position the pallets in stations, so that people can be given free food after registering. We are in the process of advertising the date and time, and people will be advised to bring their own containers to collect and transport their food. Each person/family is allowed to take food from each station in varying quantities, depending on the volume provided. We expect maybe 200 families to come through in 2-3 hours!
If you can be available to help, please put your name on the sign-up sheet in the narthex, so that we know we can count on you and be assured that we will have enough help. Volunteers should plan to arrive at 9am to receive directions, and a lunch will be provided for our volunteers. We also need donations of lots of plastic bags. Please bring them to the church, and place them in the designated tub in the narthex. One more thing each of you can do is pray for the success of our first food giveaway event – that the food would get into the hands of those who need it and that God would be glorified in the entire activity.
If you have any questions, talk to Pastor Joe or Donna Cottrell or Kathy Erat.

LWML's Paint & Sip event, held at Michaywe on May 11th, was lots of fun for the ten who participated.
Mary Backlund gave us her expert advice to help us paint birds.

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LWML EVENTS

TRINITY NEWS
June, 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)

A HUGE THANK YOU to Eleanor Raether for the donation of new sewing machines to Kut-Ups! They will be a blessing to us in the making of the LWR quilts.

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
June, 2018

TRINITY BIBLE STUDIES

Bible Studies:
Sunday morning 10:30 am led by Dr. Tom Beach in the tutoring room.
Monday evening at 6:45pm led by Rev. Paul Schneider in the fellowship hall.
Wednesday morning 10:30am led by Pastor Joe in the fellowship hall.
(Wednesday morning bible study will be taking a summer break, the last day
will be June 13th and resume on 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 Pastor & Jennie’s good news.
For the good turn-out our Third Thursday Service had.
For hearing our prayers;
For giving us what we need, which isn’t always the same as what we want;
For everyone who helped with the church yard, kitchen and fellowship hall clean up.
For each and everyday you have created for us. Thank you Father
For those who volunteered to help with the food distribution.
For the wonderful groups we have within our Church.
O Lord, who has given us so much, please grant us one thing more—a grateful heart.
(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
June, 2018

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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

HERE WE STAND 2018 SUMMER EVENTS

TRINITY NEWS
June, 2018

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VACATION BIBLE ADVENTURE 2018

Announcement for VBA 2018
This year our Vacation Bible Adventure title is Splash Canyon with a river rafting theme. VBA starts at 9 and runs until Noon on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, June 18, 19 and 20! All children from preschool through 6th grade are invited to participate.
There are registration forms for children in the narthex and online at trinitytutoring@yahoo.com. Preregistered children will receive a special gift and will be assigned a team leader before Monday morning.
We need volunteers (adults and students who have completed sixth grade) for games’ helpers, preschool helpers, crew leaders, and to provide assistance at the registration table. Volunteers should come between 8 and 8:30 on Monday morning so we can go over any final ideas and preparations. Thank you to all the volunteers. We will have fun with this new program.
We will decorate for VBA on Sunday, June 17th after the service. Anyone who would like to help turn the church into a river rafting adventure is welcome to come and have fun!

TRINITY NEWS
June, 2018

Trinity Lutheran Church

1354 South Otsego Ave.
Gaylord, Michigan 49735

At Trinity we are
EXPERIENCING THE HEART OF GOD!

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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 School Nancy Ely (989) 732-7903
Youth Director Carla Elenz (989) 732-1607
Adventures in Faith Carla Elenz (989) 732-1607
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
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
Treasurer June Weber (989) 732-4144
LWML “Women for Christ”
President Carla Elenz (989) 732-1607
Vice President Roxy Mohr (989) 390-3970
Secretary Marge Kunisch (231) 732-2803
Treasurer Kathy Erat (989) 732-7153
Christian Growth Ann Mertz (734) 709-8768

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

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TRINITY NEWS
June, 2018

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THRIVENT FINANCIAL

CANCELLATION POLICY

MENS MINISTRY AT TRINITY submitted by Bob Breen

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