Call Meeting and Call Service on Feb. 21 and 27

I am pleased to announce that the Trinity Call Committee has completed the interview process for potential pastors and now is prepared to share with the congregation the names of pastors who will be presented to the congregation for the call.

* Call Information Meeting *

On Sunday, February 21, there will be a Call Information Meeting following the late service. The Women’s League of Trinity will provide a light lunch in Belvedere Hall where brief biographical information of the final candidates will be distributed. The Call Committee members will answer any questions concerning the call process and the pastoral candidates. More extensive candidate information is still available for viewing in the church office. Please contact Anne Combes (tlc@trinitylutherannorfolk.org) for an appointment if interested in viewing the documents. Child care will be provided by Trinity’s Youth Group for this meeting.

Please note that this is an information meeting only and is NOT the call service.

* Call Service *

At 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 27, Trinity Lutheran Church will have a Call Service in the sanctuary. At this service, Communicant Members of Trinity will determine by ballot which pastoral candidate will be issued a call. Only Communicant Members of Trinity Lutheran Church will be issued ballots. Child care will be provided for this service by Trinity’s Youth Group.

This is always an exciting time in the life of a church, so I look forward to seeing all of you next Sunday and the following Saturday. Please continue to pray for the candidates, the call committee, and that God’s will be done as we discern who He has already chosen to be our next pastor.

- Jim Hoeft, president

SED Convention Day 2: State of the District and Q&A on the Synod

Day 2 of the convention is underway and we have heard a report from Pres. Diefenthaler on the state of the district, had a question and answer session with Pres. Kieschnick, and approved a couple of bylaws.

Here are some things of note…

First, from Pres. Diefenthaler, he spoke about the 70th Anniversary of the district and that the same core mission of the district remains almost the same as it was in the beginning, and that is it is a mission truly given to us from God and that the same urgency still exists. In 1939, it was the looming war. Today, it is economic uncertainty. The bottom-line is that the grace that comes from Jesus Christ still needs to be shared with the community.

Diefenthaler stated that the Ablaze! goals are well on the way to being met. By Oct. 31, 2017, the 500th anniversary of the Lutheran Church, the Southeastern District is looking to meet certain goals in prayer, faith-sharing moments, mission teams, outreach, etc. As I become more aware of these goals, I will share them with Trinity.

The president also was extremely proud of the fact that 118 congregations and 166 major donors, at a nearly 50-50 split, contributed close to $5.9 million to Ablaze! This is just short of the $6 million goal, but well beyond the $2 million that many said was the most possible.

Diefenthaler also explained the motives to change the staff at the district and that there are three full-time in-house directors for Mission Development, Congregational Outreach, and Stewardship and Finance. There are also three deployed facilitators to help with urban outreach, spiritual life, and church transformation. The motive to change is to have a staff that meets the following question: What kind of staff does the district need to meet mission goals by 2017?

which leads to a question for not only the district, but also us at the congregational level: What decisions do we need to make today to ensure the implementation of our mission tomorrow?

While the district has also upped its tithing to LCMS, it has implemented a salary freeze, cut travel expenses, and has gone to some business practices for some cost savings. It is their goal to demonstrate responsible stewardship.

Second, just a couple notes form Pres. Kieschnick’s Q&A:

He said that the single greatest threat to the synod from within are who is eligible to receive holy communion and the role of women, particularly with respect to ordination. He also said that from outside the synod it is a shift from being Biblical, Evangelical Lutherans in a churched country to exisiting “in a society that is indifferent, if not downright hostile, to the Christian faith.”

He addressed the issue of same-gender marriage and homosexuality and that the recent hate-crimes legislation passed in Congress may pose a challenge to our church as we continue to refuse to marry homosexuals.

“Culture is a huge challenge as we continue to be faithful and evangelical,” said Kieschnick. “But we must continue to speak the truth in love and do whatever it is to remain faithful in the face of criticism and harrassment.”

Regarding the service of women as voters, layleaders, council members, etc. He said that the LCMS does not prohibit a woman’s franchise nor ability to serve, accept in cases where they supervise ordained ministers.

“I do not believe LCMS will change it position on the ordination of women,” he said.

However, he also mentioned that congregations are welcome to express there dissent though congregational assemblies and regional gatherings, stating that a synodical convention does not always present the best location to discuss differing theological perspectives. within the by-laws of the LCMS, processes of dissent do exist.

Finally, Pres. Kieschnick is excited about three documents from the Council on Theological and Church Relations which will discuss Male and Female relations, the Environment, and inter-Christian relationships (something the council has been working on since 1981).

To conclude Pres. Kieschnick reminded the convention that God has given us all the ability communicate the “unsearchable riches of Christ” within our congregations and community.

Day 1: SED Convention “One Name, Jesus”

The SED Convention of the LCMS opened today in Norfolk, VA.

President John Diefenthaler has been re-elected by the convention to serve another three-year-term.

Of note, Pres. Diefenthaler is proud of the mission work being done in the district and the growth being shown. However, he reiterated that mission work begins with the congregation. Something we at Trinity are very mindful of.

We also heard from LWML and Lutheran Hour Ministries/Lutheran Laymens League.

LWML reiterated that 3/4 of donations stay for mission work within the district. They also reported that all of LWML contributed $80 million to the LCMS. They suggested there be a “mitebox” Sunday every quarter.

LHM/LLL brought forward a very interesting statistic regarding families attending church. If it is the child that is interested, 3% of families attend. If it is the wife that is interested, 17% of families attend. If it is the husband that is interested, 93% of families attend. I’d be interested to know where they found that statistic and what constitutes attendance, etc.

Chesapeake Community of Hope is now, officially, a new congregation! Congratulations! They were one of three to be introduced.

Rev. Thomas Zhender of Lutheran World Mission reported on the Ablaze! movement. What interested me was in addition to what you might consider traditional mission work in Asia, South America and Africa, there is also mission work here at home and in Eurasia. The Eurasia work is being done to bring folks back to their Christian heritage and tradition.

Personally, I am sitting at a table with some lovely folks from NC, MD, and VA. Altogether, there are three laypersons, myself included, and four pastors.

We were led today in worship (which included the election of president), by LCMS president Rev. Dr. Gerald B. Kieschnick. Perhaps the greatest thing I recall from his proclamation is that even in great difficulty and tragedy, calling on the name of Jesus as our salvation provides us refuge and strength. It was truly a spirit-filled message.

One of the things that strikes me about this convention is the wonderful mix of music between traditional hymns and contemporary praise. All for the Glory of God. The two forms can definitely be mixed.

Finally, I am being introduced to “Listening Prayer.” What it does is help focus and direct decision-making. Hopefully, I can learn enough about this and we can implement it at our own council and voters meetings. It’s very powerful. From what is reported by the district, they use it at district meeting and it does not slow meetings down, but actually speeds things up because more folks allow the Holy Spirit to guide them and bring clarity to their decisions. Having only just briefly been exposed to this, I can say the I believe it.

Budget Meetings

All congregant members are invited to review the budget for the church and school Sunday Apr. 26 and provide their feedback.

The following week, on May 3, we will be reviewing, voting and approving the yearly spending plan.

Be sure to check your issue of the Trinitarian for the budgets.  Otherwise, shoot me an email at president@trinitylutherannorfolk.org and I’ll send you a copy.

Council Update: Of the budget, communication, and dedication

Here is the latest from church council:

1) Congratulations to Meg Faller and Patty Hoeft.  They have agreed to serve as the vice president and treasurer, respectively.  Their service, enthusiasm and dedication to Christ and His church is greatly appreciated.

2) We are seeking two capable members to step forward to conduct an independent review of the church’s financial records.  If you are interested in performing this vital service, please contact the church office.  We’d like to complete this audit by the end of February.

3) Financial statements for 2008 will be complete by the end of January.  If not, please contact the church office immediately.

4) Meg Faller, vice president, and Arne Kristo, chairman of the Board of Deacons, have agreed to serve on the nominating committee for odd-year elections, along with Pastor.  They will complete forming the committee with two additional voters.  This year, the following offices are up for election / re-election:

• Financial Secretary
• Recording Secretary
• Third Trustee
• Director of Worship
• Director of Outreach
• Director of Stewardship
• Director of Special Ministries

If you are interested in serving in any of these positions, or continuing to serve in these positions, please contact Meg, Arne, or Pastor.  We need to know by March so that the list can be published in the April Trinitarian.

5) Send me your email address!  A great way that we can communicate with one another about what’s going on with the church and our families is via email.

For example, if there is something you wish to share with the larger congregation, perhaps a prayer request, you can send that request to the church office and that request will be shared with the congregation.  Additionally, if we are having an event or meeting, we can keep you up to date with a quick note.  I hope you’ll consider participating, as this is yet another way that we can share the Holy Spirit together.

6) The by-laws have been amended so that the budgets for the Church and School will be presented in May from now on.  Between then and now, we will have an open-door budget meeting to discuss the budget committee’s proposals, and any questions or concerns you might have.

The preliminary proposed budget shows that we will have a $17K deficit in 2009-10.  The budget committee will work diligently over the next couple months to bring the budget into balance.

Despite the difficult economic times our nation faces, we must consider our gifts to Trinity.

Please continue your faithful contributions to the Lord’s church.  Additionally, if you are moved by the Holy Spirit to do so, please consider adding to your generous gift by a small percentage per week.

Regardless, you can be rest assured that your council will work hard and make deliberate and tough decisions that are necessary to effectively continue spreading the gospel to all God’s people.

New council members and other news

Congratulations to Meg Faller and Patty Hoeft on their new positions of Vice President and Treasurer, respectively, on church council.

This Wednesday, Jan. 7 at 7 p.m., council will meet to discuss several important topics:

• The church and school budget
• The use of the church for AA meetings
• Preparation and coordination for Lent and Easter

On Sunday, Jan. 11 following the late service, there will be a voter’s meeting to vote on a change to the by-laws regarding when budgets are due.

Additionally, we will be writing a poll available here on-line and through the Trinitarian asking for your feedback on our Christmas services and what you’d like to see changed or remain the same in future years — and potentially implemented this Easter season.

Finally, the new floor looks fantastic.  Special thanks to Sharon Plawin, Gerry Harger, Ken Leiding, Ron Jones, and Contract Carpet Sales for all of their efforts.

Council Update – November

Earlier this fall, Bill Sneath was afforded an excellent employment opportunity in New York; unfortunately, this new position takes Bill away from Trinity for the next few years, which means he has resigned his position as Vice President.  So, while we are all thrilled for Bill and the new adventure on which he has embarked, it is certainly bittersweet for us to see him go.

That being said, I have empowered the nominating committee to find a suitable nominee for the position and am anticipating that the position will be filled within the next few weeks before Christmas.

The Council also took action at the last meeting to commence our yearly budgeting process.  In doing so, it was suggested to move the final voters approval for church and school budgets to May, vice January.  This will permit a more thorough review and audit of our needs, as well as provide more time for the congregation to meet and participate in the decision making.

Finally, I’m happy to say that we received an excellent quote to remove asbestos and replace tiles throughout the school and church.  This project, to be discussed, and hopefully approved, by voters at the Nov. 30 voters meeting, is the first phase of our tile replacement plan.  This first phase will be accomplished during the school shutdown over the holidays.

I hope the blessings of the season are abundant for all of you as we celebrate the birth of our Lord.  In many ways, it is also the rebirth and renewal of our church too, so I look forward to the joys and wonders to be found this new year and our continued life together in Christ.

Council Update – September

I wanted to take this opportunity to outline quickly some issues that have been brought to the council and a few of the items that we are currently working on.

First, I’m pleased to announce that our biennial calendar was approved at the last voters meeting. It is posted to our web site and is available from the church office. I wanted to thank all those who participated in developing and approving the calendar. Having tangible dates to work towards goes a long way at furthering the church’s mission.

That being said, here are several dates to highlight in the near future:

• October 26-28 Reformation Weekend
• November 9 Consecration Sunday
• November 22 Norfolk Holiday Parade
• November 26 Thanksgiving Eve Service
• December 5 Chrismon and Christmas Tree Decorating

All of these events, in their own unique way, represent our continued involvement in the community and service to Christ and one another. I encourage everyone to learn more about these events, and most importantly, participate. Personally, I always enjoy the fellowship and fun of these events — whether it’s a beer at the Oktoberfest or a hot cocoa when decorating the trees — I always know I’m in good company and having a good time. Contact Anne Combes (tlc@trinitylutherannorfolk.org, (757) 489-2551) at the church office if you would like more details.

Second, the next big agenda item is the budget. We’ll begin laying the groundwork here at our next council meeting in October. If you would like to help in any way, or are interested in learning more about the budget process, please don’t hesitate to drop me an email at president@trinitylutherannorfolk.org. One element of the budget discussion will be upcoming major building projects.

Third, our web site has been overhauled. The site will be used to frequently pass information, thoughts and interesting tidbits about our various ministries, the school, and church life in general. I expect the site take a much more central role in how we communicate as a church. Pastor’s sermons are also posted there as audio files. I encourage you to check it often and share the link with others. (http://trinitylutherannorfolk.org) I’m not joking — you’re going to get information on the web site that you won’t get in the Trinitarian or the bulletin, so be sure to look there.

Fourth, I want to know more about what you think regarding Trinity. I want to know what we can do better and what we are doing well. The most important mission of any church is to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Are we doing that effectively? Let me know your thoughts. You can email me anytime.

Biennial Calendar Approved

At the last voters’ meeting, the church’s biennial calendar was approved. Here is the calendar in its entirety:

2008
March 23 – Easter
May 11 – Pentecost
July 27 – Council Installation
July 30 – offsite/mission renewal/yearly planning finalized
August 1- 3 – Richmond Ablaze Convention
August 10 – Voters Meeting: Mission Renewal
August 22-23 – Youth Ball Game and Lock-in
August 24 – Teachers Installation
August 26 – TLS First-day of school
September 1 – Labor Day
September 7 – Youth Adopt-a-Spot Clean-Up
September 9 – School Orientation, 7 pm
September 13 – LWML Meeting with White Elephant Auction
September 19 – National Treasure 2 Movie and Scavenger Hunt
September 26-28 – LWML Retreat
October 5 – Youth Lunch Bunch and Bowling
October 11 – Golf tournament
LWML Fall Rally at Christ Lutheran
October 18 – LWML Tailgate Bazaar
October 24-26 – Reformation Weekend
- Bach Festival, Trinity Special Scholarship Fund (reception by LWML)
- Oktoberfest, LCT
- Reformation Day, LWML desserts
October 25 – Youth Haymaze at Triple R Ranch
October 29 – Council Meeting: Budget Initiated (nominating committee meet for odd-year offices)
November 4 – Election Day
November 9 – Consecration Sunday
November 21-22 – Youth Lock-In
November 22 – Holiday Parade
November 23 – LWML Holiday Happenings
November 26 – Thanksgiving Worship 7pm
November 27 – Thanksgiving Day
December 5 – Church/Chrismon Decorating
December 6 – LWML Christmas Luncheon
December 14 – Christmas Caroling
and Youth Lunch Bunch and Angel Tree Shopping
December 17 – Council Meeting: Finalize Budget
December 18 – German Service
December 19 – Last day of school for TLS
Sunday, Dec. 21 – Fourth Sunday in Advent
Wednesday, Dec. 24 – Christmas Eve/Lighting of Christmas Trees (7pm and 11pm)
Thursday, Dec. 25 – Christmas (10am)
December 31-New Years Eve (7pm)

2009
January 5 – TLS resumes
Jan. 11 – Voters Meeting: Budget
and Youth Lunch Fundraiser
Jan. 25 – TLS Open House
February 1 – Youth Super Bowl Sunday Caring Fundraiser and Party
February 18 – Council Meeting-Nominating Committee Report
February 24 – Pancake Supper
February 25 – Ash Wednesday
March 2-6 – Lutheran Schools Week
March 6-8 – Youth High School Retreat
March 20-22 – Youth Middle School Retreat
March 25 – Council Meeting
April 5 – Palm Sunday/Youth Lunch Bunch and Rock Gym
April 12 – Easter
April 13-17 – TLS Easter Break
April 26 – Youth Adopt-a-Spot Clean-Up
April 29 – Council Meeting
May 10 – Issue ballots for odd-year offices
May 16 – Youth Group Day at the Park
May 21 – Ascension Day
May 30 – Trinity’s 89th Birthday (May 30, 1920 – Trinity chartered)
May 31 – Pentecost
June 2 – TLS Fifth Grade Graduation
June 5 – Last day of school for TLS
June 7 – Holy Trinity
June 12 – Youth Group Welcome Summer!
June 15 – Summer Camp begins
June 24 – Council Meeting Yearly Program Initiated
Saturday, July 4 – Independence Day
July 29 – Council Meeting/Offsite/Mission Renewal/Approve Yearly Program for voters
August 9: Voters Meeting – Mission Renewal
Monday, September 7 – Labor Day
October 28: Council Meeting – Initiate Budget/Select Nominating Committee
October 30 – Nov 1 – Reformation Weekend
November 8 – Voters Meeting: Approve of nominating committee
November 25 – Thanksgiving Eve Worship Service 7pm
November 26 – Thanksgiving
December 20 – Fourth Sunday in Advent
December 24 – Christmas Eve (Service 7pm and 11pm)
December 25 – Christmas (Service 10 am)
December 31 – New Year’s Eve (Service 7pm)