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TABLE OF CONTENTS

page

Council President’s Report ............................................................ 2

Pastor’s Report .............................................................................. 3

Parish Statistics for 2015 ................................................ 5

Director of Operations Report ....................................................... 7

Board of Ministry Reports ............................................................. 8-15

Children

Youth

Faith Formation

Nurture

Outreach

Worship

Treasurer ........................................................................................ 18

Proposed Budget .............................................................. 19

Offering Summary ........................................................... 20

Balance Sheet ................................................................... 21

Statement of Revenue and Expenses ............................... 22

Child Development Center ........................................................... 23

Endowment and Memorials Honoraria .......................................... 24

Congregation Annual Meeting Minutes ........................................ 26

3

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all!

This report not only marks the completion of 2015, it also marks the completion of my term as president.

The year saw the transition from defining our core values, purpose, vision, and mission to the beginning of living

into them. The Board of Ministries has reviewed them in detail and has created milestones for growing our minis-

tries with them.

Council evaluated the staffing structure and proposed changes that have brought clarity and improvements to oper-

ational aspects of running the church. Doug Nelson stepped into the new role of Director of Operations first as a

volunteer and then as Interim Director. Following a search for a long-term director led by Kim Updegrove, the

team recommended Doug as the best fit for the position. His efforts and those of the volunteer Operations Teams

have produced noticeable improvements to the CDC, the technology infrastructure, and the overall campus.

Gene Richards is stepping into the president-elect role vacated by Doug. He will take over as president at the annu-

al meeting.

Our new Stewardship Team led by Karen Peoples and Ted Reynolds conducted a successful fall general and build-

ing fund gifting program. This is just one aspect of what will be a year-round program that includes directing peo-

ple’s talents to ministries, education, and the celebration of putting God’s gifts to work in his name.

We wish to thank Council members Julie Shannon, Len DiSanza, and Jay Ellwanger for their years of faithful

service to our congregation and ministries.

It has been my honor to serve our congregation and I look forward to finding new ways to celebrate and share

God’ grace with you and beyond.

Congregational Council President David Robinson

4

This was an exciting year of increased clarity around God’s mission, beginning to align our ministry with our re-

fined purpose of Celebrating and Sharing God’s Grace, and reorganizing our staffing model to best support the

ministry we will do together in the future.

At our annual meeting last year, we unveiled our recently completed new ministry framework that will guide our

work together. This included defining who we are through our Core Values of Worship, Relationships, Children

& Youth Ministry, and Outreach; discerning why we exist as a congregation through our Purpose of Celebrat-

ing and Sharing God’s Grace; charting how we will live out our purpose through our Mission Themes of Em-

bracing all, Engaging across generations, Developing faithful leaders, and Sharing stories of hope; and

dreaming about what it would look like if we fulfilled our purpose through our Vision of Generations of faithful

leaders, rooted in unconditional love, overflowing with hope.

Soon after the annual meeting, the Board of Ministries (BOM) began work on crafting ministry plans that align

with our new ministry framework. Together we set milestones for how each team and collectively the BOM would

live out our purpose and mission themes for the 2015-2016 school year. We are making great progress on our mile-

stones! Our current Sunday morning adult faith formation series “Through the Open Door” and revamped

Wednesday CONNECT are just a few of the results of our milestones giving new shape to our ministry together.

Also, following the annual meeting, the Council and I began working on reorganizing our staffing model to best

support the ministry God is calling us to do. One of the results of this process was the new Director of Operations

position to replace the previous Executive Director position. The Council then turned its attention to updating our

governance documents to align with our new purpose and staffing model along with the ELCA model constitution.

At a special meeting in July, the congregation approved the updated Constitution and By-laws. In October, we

hired Doug Nelson to be our first Director of Operations. Doug is a long-time congregation member who has many

years of experience working in operations management.

This reorganization also highlighted the ongoing need for more pastoral support for our congregation. Following

in the footsteps of Pastor Ed Schwanke, we hired Pastor Armin Steege to be our Visitation Pastor, a position that

was modified from years past. Pastor Armin brings with him a wealth of pastoral and counseling experience along

with being a long-time congregation member. He now leads the small team of pastors and volunteers who meet

each week to pray and discern how we can best support our congregation members during the transitions and chal-

lenges of life. Last spring, we also celebrated, thanked, and invited Pastor Norb Firnhaber to be a Pastor Emeritus

of TLLC, a teaching and preaching position in the life of our congregation.

In January, the Council launched a task force to bring greater clarity to the relationship between the Child Develop-

ment Center (CDC) and congregational ministry. The key result was to fully embrace the CDC as a ministry of

TLLC by unifying our finances and adding CDC leadership to the BOM. In July, Laura Mumme, a long-time

church and CDC staff member, was hired as our new CDC Director.

As we look forward to 2016, I am encouraged by the progress of our recent stewardship emphasis; I am excited

about completing our BOM milestones for the school year; and I am looking forward to working with the BOM

and Council on crafting a year-over-year strategic plan to capitalize on and continue our current momentum!

Pastor

Steve Troisi

5

Below is a list of some more particular areas in which I have served over the past year:

Presiding at Sunday morning and Wednesday evening worship

Presiding at funerals/memorial services, baptisms, and weddings

Teaching 8th Grade Confirmation and Confirmation Retreat

Sharing the teaching of Sunday morning adult classes and Wednesday Lunch-time Bible Study

Leading CDC Chapel and serving on the CDC Board

Attending the National Youth Gathering with forty-three youth and adults from TLLC

Attending the Advent Family Retreat with nine other TLLC families

Visiting hospitalized and homebound members

Helping to lead new member classes as we welcomed fifty-three new families in 2015

Serving as a member of the Council and Executive Team

Leading the Board of Ministries

Attending Synod Assembly, Conference Gatherings, and Pastor Meetings

Attending Strong Communities Forum sponsored by Upbring

Providing guidance and feedback to the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago and the Lutheran Seminary

Program of the Southwest related to support of students and strategic visioning for the future

Sharing a pulpit exchange with two Lutheran Mission Developers in the Austin area

Mentoring a new pastor in our synod

Mentoring Brianna Morris-Brock as part of her seminary coursework

Serving on the Thrivent Community Board for the Arbor’s Group

Finally, I want to say how thankful I am for each and every member of TLLC. I have just been blown away by the

work of the Holy Spirit in this place and your willingness to engage more deeply in God’s mission here and be-

yond. I am so grateful to be serving as your pastor and I can’t wait to see what the future holds as we Celebrate

and Share God’s Grace!

In Christ,

Pastor Steve

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Parish Membership Statistics

7

Pastoral Acts

Baptisms

2/8 Stephanie Ellis Wyatt

Eleanor Raine Kohls

Lillian O'Brien Kohls

2/15 Kate Lela Kingslien

4/4 Amy Roehle (Adult Baptism)

4/19 Chloe Elizabeth Keys

4/22 William James Brown

5/3 Jack Walter Haverkamp

5/3 Gabrielle Rose Garcia

5/10 Harper Brown

5/17 Elliott Dudley Nevergall

8/9 Solen Anatoli Gobena

10/18 Logan James Penley

Weddings

3/28 Jennifer Ross and Joshua Calderon

8/29 John Roehm and Lorrie Stacy

9/19 Ryan Orton and Kayla Kopp

Affirmation of Baptism (Confirmation) May

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Deaths/Funerals/Memorials 4/18 Alfred Riddle

6/7 Alden Cox

7/1 James Michael Erdeljac

7/25 Judy Reswik

9/10 Don Smith

10/17 Robert Trachon

10/23 Meridith Eileen Morton Kluck

11/7 Ryan Christopher Melton

12/16 Mary Smith

5/10 Emily Nichols

Erica Weber

Joshua Thissen

Mackenzie Bartek

Marisa Rech

Natalie Jenkins

Parker Patterson

Rachel Sanchez

4/4 Barbara Ellwanger

Betty Hampton

Clyde Olson

David Ellwanger

Dennis Vanderwerf

Jean Olson

Joyce Olson

Michele Knight

First Communion

3/18 Henrik Koellhofer

Caleb Koellhofer

Benjamin Burke

Brock Copeland

Clare Hinkhouse

Nathan Carlson

Sydney Rehbein

Christopher Polkowski

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TLLC operations staff were stable throughout 2015; with Janice Daily, office manager, Tara Brecheisen, commu-

nications administrator, and Gary Collier, bookkeeper. In July, Laura Mumme was selected as the new CDC direc-

tor, replacing Cindi Guerrero. Annual performance reviews were completed for all staff members, and the Person-

nel Policies document was amended to include a new process for employee issue resolution.

The TLLC support committees continued to grow member engagement and deliver important solutions to opera-

tional needs.

IT/Telecom – awarded single provider contract to Integritek for more reliable and higher functioning infra-

structure: digital telephones; new server and storage; new WiFi; e-mail MS Exchange server; and web hosting

(2016)

Facilities – team focused on HVAC systems, landscaping, and building/campus maintenance. Two volunteer

days enabled substantial facility maintenance at material cost only.

Communications – small team was created to begin envisioning the infrastructure, tools, and production capa-

bilities for increased digital video communications.

Finance – committee was re-launched in order to provide increased expertise on matters such as mortgage

financing, investment portfolio management, and financial procedures. Tangible progress was achieved on

nine Audit Committee findings.

Operations Highs and Lows:

High: HVAC system maintenance; landscaping (driveway; sign; CDC); exterior storage; exterior lights; CDC

entry sidewalk and fence; cleared trees and brush for youth gaga pit; all inspections and certifications current;

and volunteer support.

High: The Resurrection Garden continues to receive praise from the community at large—many enjoy its

peace, view, and opportunity for reflection. In 2015 we have memorialized on the garden walls three TLLC

members who have passed on. Our first columbarium (“Love”) has fourteen remaining empty niches. Two

more columbaria, Grace and Faith, will be installed early in 2016.

Low: HVAC aging and breakdowns (sanctuary and CDC); plumbing; and filtration pond maintenance.

Building usage by non-members grew in 2015, as we continued to grow intentional engagement with the surround-

ing community through our physical resources. In particular, organizations such as Lifetime Learning (non-profit

service for seniors), recovery groups (AA and Al-Anon), neighborhood associations, and small businesses (piano

teachers, Suzuki Academy, Tai Chi classes, etc.) were active users of our facilities.

Financially, the budget approved by the Council and congregation for 2015 was more optimistic than 2014; includ-

ing a 2% increase in total income and expense. Late in the third quarter, the income goal began to appear less

likely and expense constraints were introduced. Planning for the 2016 budget proposal began in early October

with participation by all ministry teams and staff. The most notable methodology change was inclusion of the

CDC as a ministry.

Director of Operations Report Doug Nelson

9

Children’s Ministry continues to provide faith-oriented resources, experiences, and education to the children of

Triumphant Love and the Northwest Austin community. Our team’s purpose is to help children discover and share

God’s grace in everything that they do.

Sunday School is a large and ongoing piece of our overall program. Laura Sykes has been our Sunday School Co-

ordinator for both the 2014/15 school year and the 2015/16 school year. We appreciate the dedication and energy

of both her and her motivated teaching team. The Sunday School teachers and children continue to enjoy the Spark

curriculum written by the Augsburg Publishing House.

A goal for our team this year was to do a better job reaching out to families going through the milestone of Bap-

tism. This is often the very youngest in our congregation. Tima Brown has been coordinating this outreach as our

Baptism liaison. Tima and her volunteers have brought a warm meal and children’s prayer book to these families.

Children’s choirs and music are a joint project between Children’s Ministry and Worship Ministry. We currently

support three choir programs. The Cherub Choir is directed by Courtney Petiprin. The Alleluia Choir is directed by

Stacey Troisi and assisted by Abby Grifno. There is also a choir for older children that is directed by Carol Holck

and assisted by Tracy Wells. Courtney also serves as the Children’s Music Coordinator for the Children’s Ministry

Team. Coordination between these groups has resulted in greater children’s involvement in worship, such as sing-

ing in church, children’s processions, and great involvement in the annual Children’s Sabbath.

Communion Instruction is provided each year for children and their parents as they begin to come to the table as

communicants. This year ten students participated in the training and were recognized at worship on Maundy

Thursday.

Family Camping continues to be a growing emphasis for our ministry. Carrie Thayer has helped create interest and

participation in family camping at Camp Chrysalis and Lutherhill. Parents and children have gone to camp together

during both Advent and Lent for special family celebrations of the season. This December we had forty-four

TLLC members attend Family Advent Camp. Another event that is enjoyed its second year was Building Youth

Group (BYG). This was a fall retreat for third through fifth graders to help build relationships as they grow older

and look to middle and high school.

Multi-Generational Celebrations bring our entire church family together as we celebrate the events of the church

year. Our traditional Sunday morning celebrations were a Pancake Breakfast celebrating Shrove Tuesday and an

Advent Family Breakfast. Through the coordination of Courtney Petiprin and Tima Brown, we hosted the second

annual Advent Night. This event involved more than twenty families sharing in crafts, gingerbread house decorat-

ing, carol singing, and dinner.

Summer Camps at Triumphant Love continue to thrive. Musical Camp and three weeks of Camp Hope brought in

children from both our congregation and the Northwest Austin community. For the second summer in a row, we

had three camps sponsored and coordinated by the TLLC Child Development Center. All of these camps gave

children the opportunity to learn about God, to get to know both adult and youth volunteers, and to have fun.

Trunk-or-Treat was another highlight this year. The Children’s Ministry Team coordinated the event with repre-

sentatives from various ministry teams. Over fifty TLLC families worked together to make this event such a suc-

cess! We had over 300 people in attendance from both our church and the neighborhood. We enjoyed an evening

of creative trunks, wonderful music, and fall fun!

Children’s Ministry Team Leader Tessa Burns

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Youth Ministry Team Leader Hilary Spilo

On behalf of the Youth Ministry, we cannot thank you enough for the commitment you have shown our young people.

Your prayers of support, mentoring, participation in youth-related events, and financial gifts are truly blessings to our

ministry.

The youth are actively engaged in our church community through confirmation, Sunday School, Wednesday night fellow-

ship and Bible study, service opportunities, retreats and camping experiences, worship groups, fellowship events, and

Camp Hope.

Camp Hope offers three one-week sessions. Camp Hope is a day camp

program for preschoolers and elementary age kids that focuses on devel-

oping youth leaders, cultivating biblically-literate children and youth, and

mentoring camp participants in their faith journey.

We have expanded our Wednesday night confirmation to include the 6th

graders. Confirmation now consists of: 6th grade - Bible, 7th grade - Cat-

echism, and 8th grade - what it means to live Lutheran. In addition, the

6th and 7th graders attend a week of confirmation camp at Camp Chrysa-

lis every June.

We offer middle school youth a fall retreat at Camp Chrysalis and high

school youth an early spring retreat at Luther Hill. We also have a number of youth, 8th-12th graders, who participate in

the LYLE (Lutheran Youth Leadership Experience) program at Camp Chrysalis in the summer.

The youth were actively engaged in raising funds to cover costs of their trip to participate in the National Youth Gather-

ing that was held in Detroit, Michigan, in July 2015. Under the leadership of Tracy Wells, we had a very successful year

of baking pies for Thanksgiving. In addition to our normal sales, we added pies for the Westwood vertical team PTSA. In

all we baked about 250 pies this year. Thanks to all who bought pies.

In July, forty-two youth and sponsors went to Detroit, Michigan July 15-19 to participate in the 2015 ELCA National

Youth Gathering: RISE UP TOGETHER along with 30,0000 other youth from across the country. This is not only the

largest gathering of youth but also the largest gathering of adults in the church with about 5000 adult sponsors & volun-

teers to make this happen. We also sent 5 students to MYLE - Multi-Cultural Youth Leadership Event which was held

July 12-15 prior to the larger gathering. This was an awesome experience - we participated in Proclaim Justice, a gather-

ing wide service project; Proclaim Story, a day with our synod; and Proclaim Community, a day full of interactive learn-

ing. Each of these days ended with a Gathering of all in Ford Field (home of the Detroit Lions) which included speakers

and bands. On our last day we attended a worship service with Bishop Eaton preaching and communed with our 30,000

new friends. On top of these events, we ate at local restaurants and had a tour of Second Baptist Church, an end station

for the Underground Railroad. If you haven't yet, please talk to our youth about this wonderful experience.

We continue to identify and cultivate relationships between the youth and other members of the congregation. Several of

our senior high youth are leading Sunday morning Sunday School. The youth actively participate in Sunday morning wor-

ship by performing in the worship services and serving as worship leaders, acolytes, and ushers.

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The Wednesday night fellowship, Bible study, and study hall continue to be very well-attended and a great oppor-

tunity for the youth to spend time together and deepen their understanding of the Bible. Other fellowship opportu-

nities included the annual trip to Schlitterbahn, informal dinners and swim parties at youth homes, Hard Core Bible

Study, Trunk or Treat, and Sunday morning coffee breaks or informal lunches near the church. Brianna Morris-

Brock, Director of Children, Youth, and Family Ministries, also attended as many football, hockey, soccer, volley-

ball, and basketball games, band events, performances, and graduations as her schedule allowed to continue to

build relationships among those in the youth program and to reinforce her dedication to the youth and their faith

journey within and outside Triumphant Love.

We have also made the commitment to take our youth to Germany in the summer of 2017 for the 500th anniver-

sary of the Reformation and as our service trip.

We are blessed with a very talented and enthusiastic group of middle and high school youth, and Youth Ministry

strives to help them develop and cultivate their faith for a life-long meaningful relationship with Jesus Christ.

Thank you to all of the mentors, parents, and volunteers who make this possible.

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Faith Formation Ministry Team Leader Doug Nelson

Advisory Board included Mike Stys, Nancy Funderburk, Ted Ziehe, Brianna Morris-Brock, Leroy Haverlah, and

Pastor Stephen Troisi.

Thanks to the dedication and energies of a number of TLLC faith leaders, the adult members of our faith communi-

ty have been blessed once again with a continuous and diverse array of faith growth opportunities. The following

weekly study groups have been the anchors:

Augsburg Bible Study Series, led by Mike Stys on Sunday mornings

Spring - we focused on the workings of the Holy Spirit in our own lives and the life of the church,

referencing the Gospels, Acts and other New Testament books.

Summer - Old Testament prophets and how God spoke through them to require justice and faithful-

ness of his people; including messages that resonate down to our own community today.

Fall - writings in Acts about the monumental changes being worked by the Holy Spirit to transform all

aspects of worship in the growing Christian communities.

New Lens Series on Sunday mornings, led by Pastor Steve Troisi, Pastor Armin Steege, and Doug Nelson

“Surprised by Hope” by N.T. Wright

Animate Practices from Sparkhouse and various contributors

“Down + Out; Where Grace Takes You” from Centered Life, and initiative of Luther Seminary

“Biblical Stewardship; Duty and Delight” by Pastor Mark Alan Powell

Beth Moore Bible Studies, led by Jeannine Jordan on Monday mornings (late)

“To Live Is Christ” - life and ministry of Paul

“Beloved Disciple” - life and ministry of John

Wednesday Lunch and Study with Pastor Steve

Winter/Spring – Minor Prophets & “Surprised by Hope” led by Pastor Steve

Fall - Introducing the Gospels; led by Pastor Emeritus, Norb Firnhaber

Wednesday Evening Connect

“Lutheran Trump Cards” by Pastor Dave Daubert; led by Pastor Steve

“Embracing a Life of Meaning” by Kathleen Norris; led by Amy Roehl

Monday Matters, led by Doug Nelson and Leroy Haverlah

“Blessed to Be a Blessing” by Dr. Norman Beck

“Just a Little Bit More” by Pastor Tim Anderson (aka, T. Carlos Anderson)

“Convictions; How I Learned What Matters Most” by Dr. Marcus Borg

Those who have led and those who have attended clearly realize that ongoing study and learning are critical compo-

nents of a Christian faith based life. The journey of faith is an ever-changing landscape of broadening and deepen-

ing awareness.

As leaders of adult faith formation, we believe that effective Christian education programs must be diverse and

capable of intersecting the thirst for knowledge of the faithful and the needs of those seeking love, compassion,

and hope through a community of faith. We also believe that effective adult Christian education programs should

inspire the student to “act out” their faith in accordance with their gifts, their vocation, and the needs of the commu-

nity.

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Nurture Ministry Team Leader Don Welker

Nurture Ministry Team members included Don Welker (team leader), Pat Disanza, Kathy Wells, Karen Steans, Al-

lan Becker, Joyce Moeller, and Russ Miller.

During the year, the Nurture Team:

Assisted with serving a champagne reception after the Easter Vigil worship service.

Served lunch to team leaders and workers for Camp Hope in June.

Served hot dogs and chips for Trunk or Treat in October along with Mark Funderburk, Ellen Welker, Kyle Bigler,

Rick Steans, Linda Becker, and Joel Hinkhouse.

Hosted a pie reception following the Thanksgiving Eve Worship Service. The pies for the event were purchased

by the Prime Timers in support of the TLLC Youth.

Assisted CeCe Coffman in hosting the LSS Foster Children’s Christmas Party on December 11.

Assisted with the Annual Adult Christmas Party, which was held on December 13 at the home of Terry and Ver-

netta Westbrook. There were seventy-six in attendance.

Small Groups:

The Prayer Team has fifty-six members who pray intercessory prayers for the needs of our community of faith,

our communities, our country, and the world.

Wednesday Prayer Group meets in the parlor for prayers on Wednesday mornings under the leadership of Joyce

Olson.

The Prayer Shawl Group created and gave out ten prayer shawls during the year under the leadership of

Margaret Lund

Eucharistic Ministry Group visits those who are unable to attend church. Leaders are Bev Bayer, Laura Bell,

and Laurel Reed.

Connection’s Hour: The Nurture and Witness Teams hosted and organized other hostesses and hosts for Con-

nections Hour, which meets in the parlor from 9:15 to 10:45 a.m. every Sunday. This is an opportunity for mem-

bers and guests at TLLC to gather and share time together.

Grief Share: Ellen Welker presented “Surviving the Holidays” on November 15 and led three, thirteen-week

grief support sessions during the year.

Care Ministry: Deb Hilton, Ellen Welker, and Armin Steege assist Pastor Steve in ministering to the ill, shut-ins,

and anyone else needing pastoral care

Stephen Ministry: Deb Hilton completed the Stephen Ministry training course in July and is in the process of

reactivating the program.

Genealogy Group meets on the first Sunday of each month to discuss genealogy and other items of interest. Any

one interested in genealogy is welcome to attend.

I Do x 50 Annual Event: Ellie and Ralph Erchinger, team leaders, hosted a dinner at the Brick Oven on February

14 for couples married fifty years or longer.

Prime Timers: Team members Kathy Wells, Sue Haught, Melanie Daude, Karen Steans, Beverly Bayer, and

Judy Kjelland hosted nine luncheons and programs for TLLC members and friends seventy years and older. Three

people attending were non-members of TLLC. Some have found us on the internet and others have learned about

this group by word of mouth. There are three people willing to pick up people that need rides.

14

The Mary-Martha Friendship Group is a social group for women of all ages meeting eight times a year be-

tween September and May. The evening meetings are mostly at the church. There is one day trip each year to

some place of interest. In September, the group hosted a Women’s Retreat at TLLC; Joyce Rupp, international

conference speaker and author presented the theme: “Cultivating Kindness: Reenergizing our Christian Life.”

At Christmas, the group provided gifts for ten girls in the New Life Treatment Center.

Women's Book Study Group is an informal group of women who meet 2nd Monday evening of the month at

7 pm. Contact person is Cindy Buford.

The Village People is for parents and kids (ages newborn to 6th grade). Contact person is Pascha Copeland.

Funeral Ministry Team members include Kathy Wells (team leader), Sandy Kingslien, Diane Pilat, Melanie

Daude, Sue Haught, and Jeanette Burger. The team hosted four funeral receptions for TLLC Members.

The Witness Ministry Team joined with the Nurture Team in July of 2015. Members include Diane Lung (team

leader), Cathy Reynolds, Reenie Visness, Vicki French, Kelly Condon, Gwen Ristow, CeCe Coffman, Jeff Orb,

Mike Wendling, Sandra Polkowski, and Bennie Engelke. Witness provides opportunities for TLLC members to

reach out to our community and to visitors at TLLC. These opportunities include:

Welcoming first time visitors by contacting them and providing information about TLLC.

Providing coffee and snacks on Sunday mornings during Connections Hour for members and visitors. This

gives a friendly environment to reach out to all and develop relationships.

Offering a worship and communion service to the Pavilion and Atria retirement communities the first Sunday

of each month in their facilities.

Hosting the New Member classes along with the Nurture Team three times a year. This includes two sessions

to introduce staff members, Council, and Board of Ministries as well as a church tour, a luncheon after the sec-

ond session, and taking family pictures for the website directory. This team also keeps in touch with new mem-

bers through mentors touching base with them for the first year.

Hosting the welcome table at Trunk or Treat including a raffle for gift cards.

Working with the TLLC communications team posting flyers around the community for different events

at TLLC.

15

Outreach Ministry Team Leader Janis Coltin

Outreach Ministry team members included Maureen Nichols, Jon Martin, Jan Vardaman, Kristin Burke,

Ed Scharlau, Bob Kohls, Russ Miller, Haydee Pleitez, and

Holly Hinkhouse. Team leaders were Christina Westfall and

Janis Coltin. The purpose of the Outreach Ministry is to foster a culture of

service for TLLC members of all ages. Members of the Out-

reach team coordinated various projects and serve with organi-

zations in our community, in Central Texas, along the Mexi-

can border, and in mission to other countries.

In September, Outreach sponsored Service Saturday, where

over sixty TLLC members volunteered their time for the fol-

lowing organizations: Florence’s Comfort House, Windsor

Nursing Home, Micah 6 of Austin, Upbring/BeReal, Bread for

the World, Fig Leaf, and Arden Courts.

Other Outreach opportunities in 2015 included: Participated in the CROP Hunger Walk, coordinated by Janis Coltin and Bob Kohls. Participated in two Thrivent Lutheran Habitat for Humanity Builds, coordinated by Russ Miller. Donated and delivered food (4000+ lbs.), assisted with food distribution, and coordinated volunteers at the

Bread for All Food Pantry, coordinated by Haydee Pleitez and Jon Martin. Donated to Upbring’s New Life Center, coordinated by Laurel Reed. Made quilts for Lutheran World Relief, coordinated by Mary Halaney, Arlene Campbell, and Maud Ann

Reddehase. Delivered food on two weekly routes for Meals on Wheels and More, coordinated by Pat DiSanza. Rolled sheet bandages for Global Health Ministries, coordinated by Mary Halaney. Provided 130 backpacks and school supplies for school children, 131 Christmas gifts for children, and thirty-

three Christmas gifts for the elderly at Agua Viva, coordinated by Jon Martin and Josh Martin. Participated in Bread for the World letter writing campaigns, coordinated by Jan Vardaman. Sponsored Missionary for a Day to provide after-school meals for 100 school children of Agua Viva and food

for the Agua Viva Food Pantry, coordinated by Reenie Visness, Jon Martin, and Josh Martin. Delivered household items, clothing, furniture, and toys for refugee families through Pastor John Monger, co-

ordinated by Jon Martin and Josh Martin. Provided donations of baby goods and diapers and hosted a silent auction for Florence’s Comfort House, coor-

dinated by Kristin Burke. Designated special offerings for New Hope Facility, Florence’s Comfort House, Bread for All, Multicultural

Refugee Center, Bread for the World, Water to Thrive, and Agua Viva. TLLC started Water to Thrive opportunities in 2007 and ongoing support comes from gifts designated on of-

fering envelopes or memo lines on checks. TLLC members have traveled to Ethiopia through Water to Thrive

and trips will be available in 2016. Coordinated by Len DiSanza, Russ Miller Dick Moeller and Ed Scharlau.

16

Worship Ministry Team Co-Leaders Jean Olson

and Claudia Teinert

2015 Worship Ministry Team Members included Mike Wendling, Kathryn Zentner, Kay Mueller, Linda Becker,

Laura Gonzalez, Becca Halaney, Cheryl Wendling.

These groups comprised the ministry in 2015: Altar

Guild (Jean Olson and Linda Becker); Liturgical Arts,

(Cheryl Wendling); Music Department; A/V Team (Jeff

Buchle); Youth Ministry Liaison (Laura Gonzalez);

Children in Worship Liaison (Kathryn Zentner), Divine

Drama (René Kendall). Paid staff include Carol Holck,

Director; Karen Haverlah, organist; Eric Daub, key-

board; Jeff Buchle, A/V coordinator.

During 2015 the following musical groups were active in

leading worship: Morning Ringers, TLLC Chorus, Cher-

ub Choir, Alleluia Choir, Ring and Sing Choir, TLLC

Orchestra, Triumphant Praise Band, Bluegrass String

Band, 8:15 Instrumental Quartet and contemporary ensembles. The Director of Worship and Music has primary re-

sponsibility for planning and implementing all worship services. Worship services were held regularly at 8:15 and

10:45 a.m. Sunday services are planned in two styles: a traditional liturgy with organ using the liturgical settings of

Evangelical Lutheran Worship and a non-traditional service utilizing praise band and contemporary ensembles. Spe-

cial services included Ash Wednesday, Holy Week services, Blessing of the Animals, Thanksgiving Eve worship,

Advent Lessons & Carols, Christmas Service of Healing and Lament, and Christmas Eve and Christmas Day wor-

ship. Healing Services and World Mass were celebrated at regular intervals throughout the year. Midweek services

were held every Wednesday, September through May.

The Worship Ministry recruits and trains volunteers to serve on Sunday mornings. These people served as team lead-

ers: Mark Thissen (Assisting Ministers); Kim Updegrove (Ushers); Janis Coltin (Acolytes). Courtney Petiprin

served as Cherub Choir and Alleluia Choir Director, assisted by CeCe Suknaic. Tracy Wells and Madeline Sands

served as Ring and Sing assistants. Stacey Troisi and Abby Grifno served as Cherub Choir directors.

Divine Drama met throughout the year under the direction of René Kendall and offered a variety of dramatic events

in worship. Len DiSanza presented two original monologues as proclamation in 2015.

The Altar Guild works with a team of sixteen volunteers who prepare the altar for all worship services. A new pro-

cessional Cross and a new altar, designed and built by Michael Colca, were dedicated as memorials. Plans for new

font and ambo are complete but unfunded. Some of the paraments were altered to accommodate the new altar.

The Music Department hosted the CHAMPS string program and the Blazing Bows for worship services. Children’s

choirs presented an Earth Day Creation spring musical in April. The 2015 summer musical camp served twenty-

eight children who performed The Rockslinger and His Greatest Hit in August. On Reformation Sunday adult sing-

ers and instrumentalists led a J.S. Bach/Luther worship experience.

Members of Triumphant Praise attended the Worship Tune-Up in August—an educational event for worship bands in

the Texas synods. The Director of Worship and Music represented TLLC at the ELCA Worship Jubilee event in

Atlanta in July.

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Children’s Team Ministry Leader Tessa Burns

OUR VISION IN ACTION

Camp Hope Food Pantry

Trunk or Treat

Block Party

Trunk orTreat

National Youth Gathering in Detroit

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Habitat for Humanity

Affirmation of

Baptism

Camp Hope

Water to Thrive Trip

First Communion

Instruction

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Treasurer

For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

—Jesus (Luke 12:34)

For the third straight year, TLLC reduced operating expenses. Expenditures actually came in

$24,600 under plan at the close of 2015. Unfortunately, offerings came in under plan by $70,800

(the equivalent of $202 per family or $3.90/week) and stock and bond holdings fell $5,600 short

of expectations, due to headwinds in financial markets. All in, 2015 closed with an operating

deficit of $38,628.

A Finance Committee reviewed TLLC’s debt and investments during the year. Their charge was

to determine whether it was time to implement any changes. TLLC started the year with noncash

investments of $255,000, with approximately 75% bond exposure. The Finance Committee

decided the time was right to reduce bond holdings; since rising interest rates were expected to

reduce bond values, and TLLC needed access to cash, given the shortfall in offerings. Bond

funds were sold and TLLC ended the year with more cash accessible and investments worth

$103,000, with only 30% bond exposure.

Regarding debt, the Finance Committee decided it was timely to lock in historically low interest

rates of 3.5% (for a 5-year term). While modifying the mortgage, a decision was made to extend

the maturity of the note an additional 4 years. As a result, mortgage payments moving forward

will be $64,740 less per year. As good stewardship, the Finance Committee recommended that

the Building Fund’s contribution toward scheduled mortgage payments be reduced by a

corresponding amount, thus allowing the Building Fund to make greater and more regular

accelerated principal payments—to retire the mortgage earlier.

The Finance Committee also recommended that, to the extent possible, the Building Fund only be

used to make accelerated principal payments, so TLLC can meaningfully reduce its debt service

(the second largest expense). This would require the General Fund to cover the entirety of

scheduled mortgage payments, without any assistance from the Building Fund. This would

require families to add $2.49/week to their General Fund offerings.

As a step forward in the process of retiring debt, TLLC made accelerated principal payments

totaling $22,198 in 2015, resulting in a mortgage balance of $2,255,015.

The Building Fund closes the year with a balance of $0

Operating reserves stand at 1.5 months of operation

Replacement reserves for major, unplanned maintenance stand at $28,232

The Endowment maintains assets totaling $426,488

A summary balance sheet and statement of revenue and expense follow. Detailed financials are

always posted on the church’s website (search for Treasurer’s reports).

Mark Stuckey

TREASURER

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Triumphant Love Lutheran Church 2016 Proposed Budget

21

Offering Summary

22

Congregation Balance Sheet

Numbers may not add up precisely due to rounding

23

Statement of Revenue and Expenses

Numbers may not add up precisely due to rounding

*

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Child Development Center Laura Sykes, CDC Board Director

with CDC Director Laura Mumme

2015 has been a vibrant year for the CDC. With new leadership and financial structure, we find ourselves in the

blessed position to bring more support and alignment of mission to TLLC than ever before. Some highlights from

our year include:

January—CDC families collected diapers, toys and clothing to benefit Any Baby Can. We had three car loads of

donations! We participated in "Spirit Night" at the Texas Stars game with over fifty people from the CDC attend-

ing the game together. Our annual registration process also took place in January and was highly successful.

February—CDC kicked off the food drive benefitting Bread for All. We were fortunate to update all the classroom

doorknobs to comply with Emergency and ADA standards. And thirty-nine of our proud dads helped us celebrate

Valentine's Day with a special Dad's Pizza Day.

March—We hosted our second annual fundraiser gala. Thanks to the generosity of all who attended and donated,

and the countless hours of hard work and preparation from our fundraising committee and parent volunteers, the

CDC raised $30,000 to assist in much-needed playground and facility improvements.

April—The children enjoyed newly installed playground equipment! We also celebrated the Week of the Young

Child throughout the school with special activities.

May - July—We said goodbye to our graduates and hello to Summer Camp! Summer Camp sessions were com-

pletely full each week. The children enjoyed learning about nature, science, outer space, and enjoyed lots of water

play!

August—Our very own Laura Mumme was named Director of the Child Development Center, and steps were tak-

en to transition the CDC's fiscal year to a calendar year-end to align with the church budgeting process.

September—A new school year began with a brand new entrance for CDC families from the lower parking lot.

We continued to see the impact of the spring fundraiser with newly installed bonded surface on the small play-

ground.

October—The children enjoyed seeing the fire truck visit the school. As in years past, our generous parents donat-

ed homemade treats to the firefighters. We also enjoyed participating in Trunk or Treat and were so happy to see

so many CDC families - past and present!

November—Several TLLC members were adopted as classroom "grandparents" and began coming to visit and

read stories to the children. We hosted our annual Thanksgiving Family Feast in the Fellowship Hall with over

150 people in attendance! We again collected food donations for the Bread for All food pantry.

December—The CDC families collected toys for Agua Viva. The children made art for the Eucharistic Ministry.

Many CDC families participated in the Family Advent Night with food, gingerbread house making, crafts, and

caroling.

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Endowment and Memorials Honoraria

I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and you

invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.

Matthew 25:35-36

Triumphant Love Lutheran Church (TLLC) chartered the Endowment on November 5, 2000. With the exception of

the Memorials and Honoraria Fund, the Endowment is a special fund established to provide a permanent source of

income in perpetuity. Its funds may be used for grants alone, not used to support the general budget or operating

expenses of the church. Over the past fifteen years, the TLLC Endowment has awarded $215,569 in grants to Lu-

theran missions, Lutheran social service agencies, seminary education, and community outreach programs.

The Triumphant Love Lutheran Church (TLLC) Endowment currently includes the Unrestricted, Outreach, and

Firnhaber Seminary Education Funds, as well as the Memorials/Honoraria Fund. The Endowment provides an op-

portunity to honor, celebrate, and memorialize loved ones and events through donations. The Unrestricted, Out-

reach, and Firnhaber Seminary Education Funds support the mission of TLLC by reaching out to those most in

need in our community, enriching the lives of others, and supporting seminary education. The Memorials/

Honoraria Fund supports special needs of the church that are not funded by the TLLC annual budget.

Donors to the Endowment can make gifts in honor or in memory of a loved one, in celebration of occasions, or by

including the Endowment as a beneficiary in estate or life insurance plans as part of the Legacy Program. The gen-

erosity of contributors to the TLLC Endowment allows lives to be touched, not only in Austin, but throughout the

world. Grateful responses received from the recipients affirm the impact.

On Sunday, April 19, 2015, the Endowment Committee sponsored its sixth annual charity golf benefit at Avery

Ranch Golf Club. This year was marked by increased support from agency grant recipients who donated several

valuable items for swag bags. Water to Thrive joined as a Gold Sponsor and the TLLC Child Development Center

sponsored the event at the Silver Level!

In 2015, the Endowment Committee awarded nine grants and scholarships totaling $20,500.00 to:

Any Baby Can – Basic Needs Assistance www.anybabycan.org

Hill Country Community Ministries – Replace Cooler & Freezer www.hccm.org

Austin Diaper Bank www.austindiapers.org

Round Rock Area Serving Center – Food Pantry www.rrasc.org

SafePlace – Family Tree Child Development Center www.safeplace.org

Upbring – New Life Off-Campus Enrichment www.upbring.org

Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago for benefit of Samantha Nichols http://www.lstc.edu/

Wartburg Theological Seminary for benefit of Jennifer Michael www.wartburgseminary.edu/

Lutheran Seminary Program of the Southwest (LSPS) – Spanish Language and Hispanic Ministry

www.lsps.edu/

This year, 2015, marked the 15th Anniversary of the creation of the TLLC Endowment. To celebrate this milestone,

the Endowment hosted a reception during the Sunday School hour on September 20 to raise awareness of the En-

dowment and the many blessings that it has brought to our community. Three generous donors offered a matching

funds challenge to the congregation in which they offered a three for one match to all Endowment contributions up

to $1,500 made in the last ten days of September. TLLC members generously responded to the challenge, adding

more than $8,700 to the Endowment balance by the end of the month.

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In accordance with the terms of the TLLC Endowment Statement of

Investment Policy, the Endowment Committee is responsible for the

prudent investment of all gifts received by the Fund. Because the

goal of the Endowment is to award grants in perpetuity, the invest-

ment objectives are to preserve purchasing power while balancing

the need for income with the need to maintain and grow principal

while keeping the Christian and social principles of TLLC firmly in

mind. The Investment Policy provides for a diversified asset alloca-

tion composed of cash, fixed income and equity assets.

Growth of the Endowment over the fifteen years since its inception demonstrates the prudent investment of

resources and the outstanding support provided by generous donors. Started with an initial legacy investment

of $250,000, the Endowment has received over $434,000 in gifts and fundraising, has dispersed over $215,000

in grants, and still maintains a current value of $426,000. In 2015, donations in excess of $15,000 were made to

the Endowment and $8,500 was raised at the golf benefit.

The most current information about the Endowment and Memorials can always be found on the TLLC website

(tllc.org) by selecting "Resources" from the top menu bar and then "Endowment Overview." The direct link is

http://tllc.org/endowment. There you can make a donation, see which organizations have received grants, read

about the history and structure of the Endowment, look at the calendar of events benefiting the Endowment,

and find forms to apply for a grant or to request Memorial funds.

The seven-member Endowment Committee is a dedicated group, diverse in age and backgrounds, who comple-

ment each other with unique educational backgrounds, skills, areas of expertise, and professional experience in

the fields of non-profit organizations, finance, fundraising, and grant-making. Committee members during

2015 included Rosanna Garry, Greg Hilton, Jan Hopson, Diane Pilat, Joel Reed, Deborah Rosenquist (chair),

and Mark Stuckey (TLLC treasurer; ex officio member). TLLC members who are interested in serving on the

Endowment committee may contact a committee member for additional information.

Memorials and Honoraria Fund

The purpose of the Memorials and Honoraria Fund Committee is to ensure that all memorial and honoraria

gifts received are used to serve the mission of the church. This committee is responsible for creating a Needs

List of items that can be donated as memorials or honoraria, publicizing memorials opportunities to the congre-

gation through the newsletter, accepting donations to the Memorials and Honoraria Fund, and other memorials

and honoraria tasks.

In 2015, donations of $760.00 in undesignated funds were made to the Memorials and Honoraria Fund. Distri-

butions of $15,203.70 were made from designated funds; $9,950 for the design and build of the new cross and

altar and $5,453.70 for clearing brush and trees for the “Field of Dreams” project. Members of the Memorials

and Honoraria Committee include Laura Bell, Diane Pilat, Andi Reaves and Ellen Welker, chair.

Respectfully submitted,

Deborah Rosenquist, Endowment Committee Chair

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Congregation 2014 Annual Meeting Minutes 12:00-1:00 pm Sunday January 25, 2015

Call to Order by Council President David Robinson.

Determined Quorum: Total count equaled 131.

Opening Devotion was led by Pastor Steve for the meeting and for the luncheon that followed the meeting.

Accepted Meeting Ground Rules as read by David Robinson. Ralph Erchinger motioned to accept the ground

rules as printed and Della Robinson seconded the motion. The vote was accepted and the motion carried.

Agenda: Ralph Erchinger motioned to accept the agenda as printed and Julie Shannon seconded the motion. A vote

was taken and the motion carried.

Review and acceptance of the minutes from the January 26, 2014 Annual Meeting was approved as presented.

without any corrections.

Council members Rob Brueck, Katherine De Vos, Mark Funderburk, Len Disanza, Jay Ellwanger, and Julie Shan-

non were recognized.

Recognized current Treasurer Mark Stuckey, Assistant Treasurer Marvin Coffman, Financial Secretary Kelly Con-

don and Assistant Final Secretary Don Visness.

Financial Compliance Review Committee members Joel Reed, Gil Debner, and Bob Kohls were present and

recognized.

Board of Ministry team leads, Children Tessa Burns, Nurture Don Welker, Faith Formation Doug Nelson, Out-

reach Christina Westfall, Witness Diane Lung, Worship Jean Olson & Claudia Teinert, and Youth Julie Lynch

were recognized and thanked.

Retiring members of Council Rob Brueck, Katherine DeVos, and Mark Funderburk were recognized and thanked

with a special thanks to Rob as Council secretary. Rob and Mark were not present.

Approved Continuing and New members for the CDC board: The nominating committee members, Rob

Brueck, Julie Lynch, Ralph Erchinger, Brittany Bartek, Pastor Steve, and Katherine De Vos were recognized. The

committee nominated Bennie Engelke and Tessa Burns and Katherine moved that they be approved by acclamation

and it was seconded by Carl Teinert. The vote was accepted and they were elected. Amanda Koellhofer made a

correction that Bennie was a non-CDC parent.

Approved Continuing and New Members for Council: Nancy Funderburk, Amanda Koellhofer, and Gene Rich-

ards were nominated. Katherine moved to elect by acclamation and a second was made by Bennie. The slate was

approved. Katherine then moved to accept Julie Shannon as a replacement for a now vacant council position and

Ralph Erchinger seconded. A vote was taken and Julie was approved to hold the vacated position. David Robinson

reported that Doug Nelson had been contracted to serve as Interim Executive Director until a search committee has

been appointed and made a final selection.

Review and Accept the 2014 Annual Report excluding the 2015 proposed budget: Kathy Wells made a motion

to accept and Carl Teinert seconded. Pascha Copeland wanting it to be noted that $23K was absorbed by the church

from the CDC without notification, and Gil Debner noted that $10,181 in Designated Funds was not a surplus and

should be a deficit. Mark Stuckey, noted that the entry for Restricted Accounts expenditures should be $165,054. In

which case, the balance is a surplus of $10,181. The report was approved as corrected.

Approved the Proposed 2015 Budget: Ralph Erchinger motioned to approve the budget and Carl Teinert second-

ed. Tracy Wells asking if it was a $45K salary reduction for the Executive Director position and how Doug would

separate his duties if he was temporary Director and on Council. David responded that yes it was a $45K reduction

and that he could not vote on council. A vote was taken and the budget was approved.

Closing Blessing was given by Pastor Steve.

Adjourn: Andrew Lynch motioned to adjourn and Carl Teinert seconded the motion. The motion carried.

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