TRINITY LUTHERAN

CHURCH

JANUARY 2014

JOIN THE CHOIR!

Rehearsal

Thursday Nights

7:30 p.m.

JUNIOR CHOIR!

Rehearsal

Sunday Morning

9:45 a.m.

Choir Room

Sr. Bells – 6:30 p.m.

Thursday Nights

Every

Sunday

10:00 a.m.

FRIENDLY CIRCLE

12:00 Noon

Join us!

The 2nd & 4th Thursday

SUNSHINE CLASS

12:00 Noon

2nd Tuesday of

Each Month.

YOUTH GROUP

Call Jim Eberts

DECORATING

COMMITTEE

Call Florence Robinson

JOIN US !

Help beautify the church for

the holidays.

Help make Prayer

Shawls for those who

mourn, are sick or

newly Baptized.

Call Carol Lunn

Like to join us?

Please call !

SOCIAL CONCERNS

SHARE SUNDAY

Second Sunday of each

month.

By the time you read this, we will be two weeks into the

New Year. The celebrations will be over; we will no longer

be "accidentally" writing 2013 on checks and other

documents and with the holiday season behind us we will

finally have settled into the 'bleak' mid-winter.

As January progresses the days get longer and we

await and prepare for the season of Lent, followed by the

joyous celebration of Easter. We begin to entertain thoughts

of spring and summer along with all the outdoor activities

that accompany that season.

As we slip from December to January, from 2013 to

2014, from the longest days of darkness to lengthening days

of light, we recognize the time of transition. At Trinity this

transition period has been a long time coming. We have

been preparing for Joanne Thornley's retirement for over a year and now the time has come.

After forty one years Joanne will no longer be answering the phone or greeting those who enter

the church office. No more bulletins will be copied, folded or stuffed under her command. An

era has come to an end. However, it is a time of transition. By now, many of you have met Janet

Lipski. For over two months she has been training to be our church secretary. Janet comes to us

with many skills including experience working in a church office. She will continue to hone her

knowledge of how things are done here over the next few months. I have every confidence that

God has brought her to us to help us through this time of transition.

Also, I continue to heal and become stronger every day. Hopefully, by the time you read

this I will be clear of my infection. The arthritis in my back has finally cleared up for the

moment. Once again I am thankful for the work of the church council during my absence.

Special thanks to Pastor Ed Schmidt for filling in on Thanksgiving Day as well as handling a few

other situations during my illness. Also, thanks to Pastor Ed for his visits and the prayer shawl

he delivered on behalf of our prayer shawl committee (the prayer shawl was lovely, inspiring and

warm). Thank you to all the members of Trinity for your prayers, concerns and cards not just on

behalf of my illness, but at the death of my sister, Eileen. It is my goal to be stronger, thinner

and healthier in the new year.

Although we do not know what the year will bring, we do know that God will be with us

throughout the year. As Jesus said, "And remember, I am with you always to the end of the

age." Matthew 28:20 (NRSV).

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Andy

SERMON PREVIEWS:

January 5 THE SECOND SUNDAY

AFTER CHRISTMAS

John (1-9) 10 – 18

“UNWELCOMED HOMECOMING”

January 12 THE BAPTISM OF OUR LORD

Acts 10:34-43

“GOD HAS NO FAVORITES”

January 19 THE SECOND SUNDAY

AFTER THE EPIPHANY

1Corinthians 1:19

“GRACE, GIFTS & A GUARANTEE”

Children’s Sermon:

“Taking a Closer Look At God’s Word”

January 26 THE THIRD SUNDAY

AFTER THE EPIPHANY

Matthew 4:12-23

“THE CHALLENGE OF AUTHENTIC FAITH”

2014 OFFERING ENVELOPES are

available now. Please pick up yours as

soon as possible.

PLEASE NOTE: Your envelope number

has been updated. Boxes are in

alphabetical order, not numerical as

in years past.

February 2 THE FOURTH SUNDAY

AFTER THE EPIPHANY

Matthew 5:1-12

“THE CHARACTER OF GOD’S PEOPLE”

February 9 THE FIFTH SUNDAY

AFTER THE EPIPHANY

Matthew 5:13-20

“SALTY CHRISTIANS”

February 16 THE SIXTH SUNDAY

AFTER THE EPIPHANY

Matthew 5:21-37

“THE LIVING LAW OF GOD”

Children’s Sermon: “Surprise”

February 23 THE SEVENTH SUNDAY

AFTER THE EPIPHANY

Matthew 5:38-48

“LIVING GOD”S RULE”

2014

Annual Choir Festival January 23, 2014

7:30 P.M.

Holy Child Parish (St. Teresa’s)

13 E. Evesham Rd.

Runnemede, NJ 08078

Participating Choirs:

Holy Child Parish Trinity Lutheran

St. John the Evangelist Chews UMC

Each choir will make its own presentation and there will be two combined anthems. There will

also be special scripture and prayer. Refreshments will follow. Join us and bring a friend.

BIRTHDAYS 1 - Susan Wallen 1 - Nicole Quinton Tsvik 2 - Stephanie Kraemer 3 - Rich Haines 4 - Clara Meyer 5 - Miriam Szalabofka 6 - Dee Stroup 6 - Carol Papa 6 - Floss Robinson 6 - Sharon Fetters 8 - Michael Belzer 8 - Carolyn Shinseki 9 - Gloria Guenette 9 - Owen Palmer 10 - Amber Scott 10 - Andria Passalaqua 11 - Hailey Siracuse 12 - Fallon Shinseki 12 - Kathy Papa 13 - Jim Fenton 13 - Isabelle Cloud 15 - Phillip Daniels 17 - Tim McGarvey 18 - Michelle Harris 18 - Brent Bowne 18 - Bryan Mayer 19 - Nicole Thatcher 20 - Jennifer Delmar 20 - Matthew Schaffer, Jr. 20 - Ryan Richards 21 - Barbara Anconetani 22 - Lauren Nagel 22 - Lindsey Lucas 22 - Barbara Shinseki 24 - Stephen Daly 25 - Mickey Dunda 26 - Gina Greiner 28 - Dorothy Mattern 29 - Martha Thomas

2 - Phillip & Nancy Daniels 5 - Richard & Gina Greiner 17 - John & Darlene Thatcher 14 - Robert & Kathleen Zentner

Prayer for a new year

Lord, I give up all my own plans and

purposes, all my own desires and hopes,

and accept thy will for my life. I give

myself, my life, my all utterly to thee, to

be thine forever. Fill me and seal me with

thy Holy Spirit. Use me as thou wilt. Send

me where thou wilt, and work out thy

whole will in my life at any cost, now and

forever. Amen.

—Betty Scott Stam

JUNIOR CHOIR Christmas Eve was an evening to go down in history for the Junior Choir! Everyone in the choir was present to sing at the 6:00 p.m. Service and we sat in the pews in the chancel usually held by the Senior Choir! We were on our best behavior. But the crowning accomplishment of the choir was singing “Christmas Dreams” with solos by Sarah Smith as the

angel and Gus Ciuffo as the shepherd boy. Many thanks to everyone who made this evening possible: Mr. Bob Kraemer, our able accompanist; Miss Emilee Schipske and Miss Kenna Brockway as our “choir helpers”; parents and families who also were able to have the children

here by 5:30 p.m. and of course, the Junior Choir members themselves. Hearty congratulations to all!

As we look towards a new calendar year, we already have two new members ready to join us: Faith and Tori Veigel. All children in grades 1 – 6 are welcome to join us. Rehearsals are held each Sunday morning from 9:45- 10:00 in the Choir Room in the basement of the church. Immediately after our rehearsal, children will go to their Sunday School classes. We sing at all three Services each third Sunday of the month (except April this year as that is Easter Sunday) and each member is expected to sing at two of the three Services. Questions? Call me at (856) 845-3485. We will sing January, February, March and May for this season.

January 19 will be our next time to sing when we will be doing “Make Me a Servant”: a

catchy tune and poignant message for people of all ages. February 16 we will be singing “In

This Very Room”. Won’t you join us?

As we begin this new year, may we remember the real reason for the Christmas Season and carry the message of Jesus and His love to many.

Love and blessings to all,

Mrs. Schmidt

Sunday School News “For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all,

and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no

longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we

once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new

creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to

himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the

world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us

the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were

making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God

made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of

God.” 2 Corinthians 5:14-21 (NIV)

As Paul has written, when we accepted Jesus Christ we became a new creation, we have begun

a new life. Our old self has died and we no longer live for our self, but live for Him. Why not

make a New Year’s resolution to live that new life more fully? To be truly alive is to act in

response to the new life given you, so embrace that new life in Jesus. Genuine faith in Christ

always results in actions that demonstrate faith. My wish for you is to have a blessed and

Happy New Year, and to live life more fully in Christ.

Our Christmas program, “Our Gifts to Jesus, for He is the Best Gift of all” was another

success this year. It was presented on Sunday, December 15th at the 10:00 am service and the

Pre-k to 1st grade portion of the program was presented again on Christmas Eve at the 6:00 pm

service. Hope you had the opportunity to see our children in action and enjoyed the program, I

know I did.

From the Sunday School Memorial Fund for Kaitlyn Lutz, $600 was donated to the Memorial

Lights Fund which will be used to replace the exterior doors at the main entrance of the

church. Also a memorial gift has been purchased and is being prepared to be placed in the

lounge area of the church.

There still are copies of “Raising Your Child In Faith – From Preschoolers To Teens; A Parent’s

Handbook” available. This handbook can help you: prepare your child for the challenges of this

world, strengthen your own faith, and make your family closer. If you would like a copy of the

handbook they can be found in the narthex of the church, compliments of the Sunday School.

On January 5th Sunday School resumed after our holiday break. I hope you enjoyed the one

service, a family time of worship, at 10:00 am on the previous 2 Sundays. As your faith leads

you, please continue to give support to our Sunday School through offerings, donations, and

memorials. Also, please remember to support our Missionary Outreach Program, Cathedral

Kitchen by bringing in your $3-dime folders or other donations.

In Jesus’ name,

Carl Nagel

Youth Ministry News Happy New Year! I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and have some precious memories of time spent with family and friends. In December, we had a few events planned for the Youth. One was Christmas caroling at the Lutheran Home in Moorestown on December 8th, that was unfortunately canceled due to the snowstorm that left us with about 8 inches of snow. On December 15, we baked cookies for the Sunshine Class. Thank You Ashley and Jessica for your help. Then in Sunday, December 22nd, we had most of our youth help with packing the Christmas baskets for the needy. And several of them stayed to help distribute them as well.

OK all you Pot Pie lovers, mark your calendars. We will once again be selling Pot Pies from January 12th to January 26th. We have the chicken and beef pot pies and the chicken Parmesan dish. This year we added a turkey platter to the selection. We've changed this a little bit this time. Payment is due when your order is placed and orders must be picked up on Saturday, February 1st. So look for

the order forms in your bulletin. We will also have extra forms for those of you who wish to share with your friends and family. Our next planning meeting will be Sunday, January 19th in the 8th Grade Sunday School room at 11:15 am. All parents of our youth are encouraged to attend this meeting. In His name, Sherry Stroup Youth Ministry Advisor

Traditional Chicken pot pie ($5.50) & Beef pot pie ($5.50)

Chicken/Broccoli ($5.50) - Whole piece chicken breast over tender broccoli in sauce topped with a thin layer of Parmesan and Romano cheeses.)

Roast Turkey Platter ($5.50) – Sliced turkey over stuffing with gravy, glazed sweet potato and green beans, garnished with cranberries.

SOCIAL CONCERNS Well our busy Christmas season is over and it’s

time to get back to normal. Well, as normal as we can get.

I would like to thank everyone for all of their help with the

shopping, sorting and packing of the Christmas gifts and

baskets. We helped 60 families in all this year. Many

youth as well as adults came out to help which help to

make things run smoothly and quickly. It was especially

nice to have Pastor Andy to help us with the black bags as

he usually does. It’s really good to see him up and about

again.

Our pantry days will start up again on January 23rd

. Other than that we will

be enjoying our usual January rest and relaxation time. As you will be getting this

newsletter on our usual Share Sunday, please plan on bringing your can good

donations anytime this month and put them in the container located in the lobby.

Please only non-perishables.

Our Clothing closet continues to provide much needed clothing to our pantry

families. The closet is also open to all members of the congregation. If you plan to

drop off any of your donations please remember to keep the bags light. They can

be dropped off on the porch at 17th Knight Avenue anytime.

On February 9th we will be having our annual late Christmas Dinner. Please

let Karen Bal know if you plan on attending. All are welcome.

We are working on activities for the spring which will include: Lenten Soup

and Bread suppers, a Spring Tea, Easter Baskets and a spring Breakfast. Date and

time will be posted in future newsletters.

New members are always welcome. We meet on the second Sunday of the

month following the 11:15 Service. Please come out and join us. Remember God

loves a cheerful giver. Those who not only give of their wealth, but of their time,

their talents and their possessions. With God ALL things are possible.

“Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”

Matthew 25:40

Caring and Sharing

Cheryl Morris

LUTHERAN CARE AT MOORESTOWN

The Lutheran Home Auxiliary met at 10 am Thursday December 12. We bagged up cookies and gifts for the residents. We had a Chinese Auction to raise money for the residents which netted $102 and change.

We then had Christmas lunch together. Afterwards, four Santa’s

and some of the Auxiliary members delivered the gifts to all the residents. My daughter Nicole and I enjoyed accompanying Santa to each resident’s room or Activity room to help distribute gifts.

The next meeting, the first one of the New Year, will be at 10 am January 9, 2014. More than likely we will recap about the Christmas celebration for the residents and begin our planning for June Day. I’ll have more to report to you next month. Have a healthy, safe

and wonderful New Year- and- I pray for you- an even closer walk with Him!

Sincerely,

Sandra Pagano

January 12: Contemporary Service 11:15 AM

January 12 – 26: Youth Ministry Pot Pie Sale

January 13: Church Council Meeting 8:00 PM

January 15: Lifeline Screening

January 19: Youth Ministry Planning Meeting 11:15 AM

January 23: Christian Unity Choir Festival 7:30 PM at Holy Child Parish, 13 E. Evesham Rd., Runnemede January 23: Pantry Day resumes - Share Sunday January 12

Our meeting for December 6, 2013 opened at 10:07 am. We started with the Lord's Prayer. Members in attendance were Barbara Anconetani, Beverly Bethany, Ann Carter, Val Colasuonno, Dolores Keller Carolyn Lunn, and Mary Raws. We received one no-sew blanket. Members presented prayer shawls to Pastor Andy, Beth Shute, and Eleanor McDonald. We pray for your return to good health. We need a larger storage area for our shawls and blankets. If you attended the Congregational Dinner, you have already seen the totals for our prayer shawls. Prayer shawls, lap robes, and no sews made since 10/09 were 149, made from 9/12 to 6/13 total 53, total 202 to date. Baptismal blankets made since 10/09 were 56, # made from 5/12 to 6/7/13 total 10, total 66 to date. Our ladies have worked hard to produce these numbers. Our treasury includes $1085 which is being held for the memorial to Sally Miller. The memorial will be an altar parament which has to be made for us. Pastor Andy is overseeing the project. Our newly installed vice president is Valerie Colasuonno. A dedicated crocheter and crafter she will be assisting this chairman in many ways. Corresponding Secretary Barbara Anconetani read the following: Thank you note "Dear Members of the Prayer Circle Ministry Group, Many thanks for the lovely scarf I got at the event last Sunday when we honored the memory of Sally Miller. Like all of you, Sally was all about showing the love of Jesus to everyone she met. Trinity's Prayer Shawl Ministry is more than a name and surely a way in which the love of God is manifested in all you do--and that is a lot more than making shawls. Thank you to all of you for your many hours of work and praying for the recipients of what you make. Love in Jesus, Pat Schmidt" and "Your thoughtful gift of the prayer shawl warmed my heart as well as my body It is a great blessing to know that your prayers to the Lord were offered on my behalf for healing. God is faithful and hears all the prayers of His children. May God richly bless you and your ministry for your act of love and kindness! F. Bowers (John 13:35) Baptismal Historian Mary Raws reported there would be 2 baptisms this week. Mary does quite a bit of work with this department. Why not stop up and see her work. It will be worth the trip! We received a package from another prayer shawl group sharing what they are doing. Instead of the letter we have been giving with each handmade item, they have changed to using a "card type" eliminating the need for writing the names on the letter. Everyone liked it and we will try to duplicate it for our use. We welcome all suggestions that will help our cause. We discussed the distribution of homemade items in memory of Sally Miller on Nov. 2nd. Our members said all items were distributed and people seemed delighted with their choices. Ann Carter gave out St. Nicholas Day treats to all in attendance. Get Well Soon, Pastor Andy. Val Colasuonno gave us a closing blessing and the meeting was adjourned. Our next meeting will be held on Jan. 3rd, 2014. Other dates for meetings (the lst Friday of each month) are Feb. 7, Mar.7, Apr.4, May 2 & June 6. Happy, Healthy New Year to All! Until We Meet Again May God Keep You in the Palm of His Hand. Carolyn Lunn President