Sept. 20th - Trinity Lutheran Church

God’s Work - Our Hands SundaySept. 13We are planning something new onSunday, Sept. 13th. We will change up ourschedule that day so that we won’t “do”church, but we will “be” the church. This hasbeen an ELCA emphasis for two years, and we thought weshould get on board!Our schedule will look like this on Sunday, Sept. 13th:8:00am – Prayer Service and Blessing of Hands8:30am - Begin Work Projects11:00 am – Celebration Worship with picturesThis is our chance to put flesh and blood on Jesus, as we serveothers. Here are some of the projects we need help with:- Making picnic tables- Packaging health kits- Working on the garden at Old Dry Road Farm- Making soup for City Light Ministries- Work projects for our older members- Painting at the Robesonia Pool- Painting at Old Dry Road Farm- Knitting hats for SeafarersAnd more .Sign up in the narthex to help us “be the church” on this specialSunday within our community. This will be a great day tocelebrate what it means to live Christ’s love, and a great way tostart off our fall together as the risen body of Christ. SundaySchool and our regular fall schedule will begin the followingweek.Jack Frost Paradeon Nov. 1stBe sure to save this date as plans areunderway to make this parade an evengreater witness to our community. Wealready have the mummers, Eagles PepBand, and bag-pipers coming back. If you are part of agroup, club or organization, talk to them now aboutentering a float or marching in the parade; remember thereare cash prizes!.We will have the same parade route as last year,traveling west on 422, going south on Church Street, easton Ruth Street, and ending at the church. We will stagethe parade at the Conrad Weiser Middle School.Please remember, we need more volunteers tohelp with the parade, so sign up at the parade table in thenarthex!Disney Raffle Fundraiser forJack Frost Parade &Scholarships400 tickets sold –2600 to Go!The church is having a raffle to help fund the Jack FrostParade and Scholarships. Tickets are 10 a piece, 3 for 25, or 7 for 50 (but must all be purchased in the samename). First prize will be a trip for four to Disney World(using Boscov’s Travel) in Orlando, Florida which includesair transportation, six nights’ accommodations at a DisneyValue Resort, four seven-day park hopper passes, and aDisney quick service dining plan, orthe winner may take a 5,000 cashprize. The winner is responsible forall taxes. Second prize is 500 andthird prize is 250, with anadditional ten people winning 100. Proceeds from the raffle willbenefit the Jack Frost Parade and the two Jack FrostScholarships for a senior male & female student at ConradWeiser ( 2,500 each). Tickets are on sale now in thechurch office. If you are willing to sell tickets, we will signthem out to you.The Jack Frost Parade is an incredible outreachopportunity for us at Trinity. We can show how we care forour community and demonstrate our love of families andyouth. Parades cost a lot of money to bring in bands andattractions. So, we hope that you will purchase and sellraffle tickets. You must be 18 in order to purchase a ticket.Again, tickets are available in the church office. We havealso purchased the required licenses from the state for thisraffle.If every family at Trinity sells ten tickets, we will have themoney for the parade, so please be generous. Also, postit on Facebook; one of our members has already hadrequests for 70 tickets with very little effort. Thanks forhelping with this great evangelism opportunity!Dear Trinity Congregation,Thank you very much for your generous donation to theWestern Berks Free Medical Clinic from the ChocolateFestival proceeds. The clinic has become a much neededresource for the community of Berks County. Your continuedsupport will aid us in furthering our mission. We appreciate yourgenerosity and ongoing support.With appreciation, Stacie Dreibelbis, Admin. Director

THANK YOU!the floor and were amazed by so many people in oneplace.At this point, the summer istruly winding down butnow I am able to reflectand share my experiencesfrom the National YouthGathering in Detroit.Thursday: We spent the day in the interaction centerwhere we zip-lined, did team rope games, playedbasketball, learned about social issues,walked carrying water, ate a tasty lunch,decorated our Bibles, and painted muralswhich would cover windows on abandonedhomes throughout the city. We laughed; we smiled;we met new friends and saw old ones. That eveningwe heard various speakers and musicians andheaded back to our hotel in preparation for our dayof service.(Part two)By the time you read this, you will have already beenin worship where the youth and adult participants inthe National Gathering shared stories, experiencesand gratitude. But I don’t think that our stories,words and appreciation are able to truly convey thelife-changing experience that we all had.The group as a whole was engaged in the entireexperience, from the first naps on the bus at 6am onthe day we left to the cheers of thanks that broughtus into the church parking lot upon our return.Here’s a brief glance at our week:Monday: We left Trinity at 6am – cheered by parentsand friends and fueled with coffee and donuts.Midafternoon we arrived at Cedar Point AmusementPark, where we rodecoasters, walked on thebeach and enjoyed a greatevening outside.Tuesday: We caught up on some sleep and headedto Greenfield Village and the HenryFord Museum.We spent themorning outside riding Model-Ts,omnibuses and a carousel. We evenate custard before lunch! We spent the afternoon inthe museum with experiences including the bus RosaParks rode, the Oscar Meyer Wiener Mobile andmany other exhibits.Wednesday: The first day downtown began with awalk on the River Walk (spotting Judy Trump) andselfies with Canada behind us! We played Gaga Ball,four square in the air, can jam, Twister and other funindoor games with folks from all across the country.After dinner, we made it into Ford Field and got seatson the floor. We saw Drew Trump as we rushed thesmall stage to see “Lost And Found”. We danced onFriday: We made it to the spot where our bus wouldlaunch for our service project and we waited anddanced in the pouring rain! We finally made it to ourservice site (Highland Park Fire Department) wherewe pulled weeds and cleared trash from aparking lot that local businesses use. Wewere treated to cold water by a localrestaurant and had a group photo with thefire chief. After we finished dinner andheaded to Ford Field, it made for a long day. But aswe learned the history of Motown, the wholegathering rose to their feet with cheers and singingaloud with the “Motown Experience”! It wasAWESOME! Following that performance, we had amoving speaker, and Rachel Kurtz brought the houseto silence as she played guitar and sang with a youngboy.Saturday: We slept in and were FED at Zoe’s House ofPancakes. We had some Bible study, worship andsongs with other people from our synod beforeheading out for dinner at a tasty Mexican restaurant.That evening, we gathered in Ford Field again forspeakers and a concert by “Skillet”.Sunday: Our experience was brought to aclose with Sunday morning worship with27,000 people. Bishop Elizabeth Eatonreminded us that, “We don’t have to savethe world. That has already been done forus in Jesus Christ.” She concluded hersermon by inviting us all to sing Halleluia. Weshouted and cheered when we realized that the nextgathering would be in Houston! We high-fived as

many people as we could before boarding the bus tohead back home.On behalf of the 15 youth and 4 adultsfrom Trinity who attended this year’sgathering, THANK YOU! Our lives havebeen changed. We have seen God atwork in the world .and we are called toRise Up to our baptismal call of love andservice to others. THANKS! peace, Pastor JenNational Youth Gathering Notes of Gratitude:Dear Trinity family,Thank you for the opportunity to attend theNational Youth Gathering in Detroit. Thank you forthe wonderful bus and driver thataccompanied us there. Also, thank youfor paying for almost all of our meals. Allof the youth and adults had a greatexperience. I enjoyed doing the service project atthe fire company. I was excited to help peopleespecially from a different part of our country. Ithink the people of Detroit appreciated what we didthere. We also had a lot of fun. Personally, Ienjoyed taking pictures around the city and atGreenfield at the Ford Museum. Thank you for thismoving experience. Sincerely, Olivia GrajewskiTrinity,Thank you for the opportunityto go to the 2015 NationalYouth Gathering in Detroit. Iam very thankful for thechance to serve the city. Inaddition, I was happy to be able to enjoy the tripwith my fellow youth and the leaders. I would liketo thank the adults (Pastor Jen, Mrs. Weiser, Mr.Scalese and Mr. Lagerman) for giving up their time,energy, and sleep to accompany us all. Of course,none of us could have gone without the variousdonors and participants in our fundraisers. Theirhelp allowed my fellow youth and I to travel and eatfor several days while paying very little. I am verythankful for their contributions. This trip was awonderful example of the church’s ability to dogood for the world. I am blessed with wonderfulpeople who allowed me to experience that firsthand. Many thanks in God’s name, Gabe GrajewskiLOST AND FOUNDat TrinityOct. 4th, 2015 @ 6pmCONCERT ALERT! If you are one of the many youththat attended a Youth Congress, Quake or a NationalYouth Gathering with Trinity over the last 30 years, youwill most likely remember these two talented musicians.Or maybe you can recall their unique music from the twotimes they visited Trinity in the past. LOST ANDFOUND has decided to retire after many years ofspreading the Gospel around the world by using theirmusical talents. Trinity has booked them for a stop ontheir World Farewell Tour.Mark your calendar todaySunday, Oct 4, 2015 - 6pm at TrinitySPREAD THE WORD!Sharing some of their history LOST AND FOUNDconcerts involve the audiences. Michael and Georgedeveloped an interactive style as they introducedthemselves to audiences throughout the United Statesand, in turn, made hundreds of friends on their firstconcert tour. On this first tour, LOST AND FOUNDtraveled from New York to St. Louis, to Miami, to SanDiego, to Seattle and back to New York on bicycles!During those 340 days, they sang more than 260 times atschools, camps, churches, and colleges. With no supportvehicle and no particular training regimen, the year trulyproved to be a journey of faith. To this day, their concertsinclude stories of their lives and their travels along withtheir songs. The concerts are a bit like having Michael andGeorge over to your living room for conversation andmusic; it’s more like a dialogue than a presentation. Justone more reminder. You don’t want to miss this finalevent in LOST AND FOUND’s journey, so mark yourcalendar today!Sunday, October 4th at 6pm at TrinityFor more information aboutLOST AND FOUNDCheck out www.speedwood.com

New Pictorial DirectoryIt’s time once again to begin takingpictures for Trinity’s new ChurchDirectory. Life Touch bought outOlan Mills, and they will be puttingtogether our directory.1. You will be able to register on-line.Use this link or find it on our church web utheranchurch50/index.php?page 10Follow the EZ sign-up directions and you will be set.Or you can sign up as usual on the pages in thenarthex at the church after worship.2. In addition to your church portrait, you can bringyour family pet for a picture. And you will be ableto select a more contemporary pose. If your childplays an instrument, bring it along; plays a sport,bring the ball, etc.3. Again, it will be one stop shopping. Get yourportrait taken, meet with the consultant to pick yourportrait for the directory, and order pictures if youwish. You do not have to purchase anything.Our second group of dates are:Tuesday, Sept. 29 – 2:00-9:00pmWednesday, Sept. 30 – 2:00-9:00pmThursday, Oct. 1 – 2:00-9:00pmFriday, Oct. 2 – 2:00-9:00pmSaturday, Oct. 3 – 10:00am–5:00pmThis is a great resource for thewhole congregation, so please helpus encourage all of our members tohave their photograph included. Wehave heard countless times what ahelpfulresourcethechurchdirectory can be. One change wehave to make is that you musthave your picture taken to receive a copy ofthe directory. If you submit your own picture (withcopyright permission) for this resource by a specifieddeadline, you will also be entitled to a copy of thedirectory. Thanks for participating!!!We will need hosts and hostesses to helpregister families as they arrive for their photoappointment. If you would be willing to takea two hour shift, please call the church office.Thank YOU!Thrivent Member PicnicThrivent members of theNorthwest Berks Chapter areinvited to come to the lastchapter picnic & electionmeeting at Kauffman’s ChickenBBQ Pavilion in Bethel, Sept. 20th at 3pm. We askfor a 5 donation to secure your reservation. Thismoney will be given to support a cause yet to benamed. Come enjoy a chicken BBQ dinner served at5pm. Enjoy a free game of mini golf and have funplaying other picnic games.This event is for Thrivent members and all nameswill be checked when registering. To register, sendyour names and check for 5 per person to Mr.George Morneau, c/o Trinity Lutheran Church, 108South Robeson Street, Robesonia, PA 19551.Deadline for reservations is Sept. 7, 2015.Let’s have a great Trinity showing for this lastThrivent member picnic!Breakfast Bible StudyWe begin again on Monday, September 14th inthe social hall This year, we will be studying theBible readings that we heard the previousSunday. All of us will be able to share in a wonderfulbreakfast buffet. We collect a free-will offering so you canshare out of your blessings! In a world in which so many arestruggling with faith issues, wouldn’t it be good to find comfortand direction from God’s Word? So, come enjoy somefellowship and the study of God’s Word. Make this the yearyou spend some extra time growing in your knowledge of theBible. You can come once a month or every week, but joinus! We would love to have the room overflowing. We havehad about thirty people in the past. So please participate. Itall begins at 8:30am and we are finished by 10:00am.Blessing of theAnimalsOct. 4th at 3:00 pmWe invite members and friendsof Trinity to come out incelebration of St. Francis of Assisi. We will gatherto bless pets on the front lawn of the church. Thiswill be a drop-in event with an individual blessingand prayer said for every animal.

The Vicar’s Voice Dear Trinity Disciples:In only the first two days as yourvicar, I was handed a five poundzucchini, a corn roast, a bed &breakfast care of Pastor Jen & BillyDee, and the body and blood of our Lord. To all thehands that prepared the vicarage to welcome me,thank you.And thank you to all of you for handling me with suchcare.Here are some more thoughts on hands as we lookforward to “God’s Work, Our Hands Sunday.”AN ODE TO HANDSWhen you enter the 5th Avenue parking garage at theReading Hospital & Medical Center, you cannot helpbut pass two murals on the right depicting all kinds ofhands representing healing. It was painted by schoolstudents in 2009 with help from Sacred Heart seniorsand is called Healing Hands.This mural and a memory ofhealing hands by a collegechaplain on my behalf over 50years ago, as well as a hand onmy forehead and a blessing byFr. Karpyn during ClinicalPastoral Education at ReadingHospital, are three remindersthat “handed” me more ideas about hands.We give someone in need a hand up or a hand out.We can be told to hand over or hand off something.A teacher asks her/his students to put their hands upto answer a question,to ask a question,to ask permission.There is slight of hand, ranch hand and living hand tomouth.Hands can soothe and comfort; hands can also hurt.Hands communicate information or feelings ingestures and sign language.We can make music with our hands by striking,plucking or holding an instrument.We can create beautiful art when we hold a brush, orclay or needle, thread or yarn in our hands.We can hold a pen, pencil, or punch keys to write abook, a poem or a progress note.Hands milk cows, pluck chickens or fruit on the vineor on trees.Hands plant seeds, chop or peel food or wood.Men are handsome; women are hand maidens.Hands clap in approval. Thumbsup means OK. Thumbs downcan be a death sentence.We can have a winning hand ora losing hand.“You’re in good hands withAllstate.”Albrecht Durer’s woodcut ofThe Praying Hands is a powerfuldevotional image.I remember growing up that our minister, PastorFetter, had huge hands which held my parents at aparticularly difficult time in their marriage.My mother was left handed, but forced to learn towrite with her right hand in school.Pilate washed his hands of Jesus’s blood.Jesus folded his hands in prayer in Gethsemane.The night before he broke bread and poured wine withhis hands.He took a basin of water and a towel and with hishands washed the disciples’ feet.He laid His hands on children and blessed them.He laid His hands on people to heal them fromsickness or from their sins.Jesus’ hands were nailed to the cross to fulfill “not mywill but Thine be done.”Jesus placed His mother into John’s hands.Jesus handled a thief’s faith with the gift of paradise.Jesus commended His spirit into God’s hands.Jesus’ hands reached even into death, depicted in theicon Anastasis, to raise Adam and Eve.Our resurrection was imprinted in that moment, too.Hands down!Grace and peace to you all, Vicar BonnieGrandparents are great!Sept. 13th is Grandparent’s Day!“What a bargain grandchildren are,” saidcomedy writer Gene Perret. “I givethem my loose change, and they giveme a million dollars’ worth ofpleasure.”When it comes to family heritage, grandparents areworth their weight in gold. They serve as storehousesof history and wisdom, helping children see how theyfit into a family’s legacy. Christian grandparents alsoprovide a faith heritage that passes from generationto generation.The apostle Paul acknowledged this important roleof family elders when he wrote to young Timothy: “Iam reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that livedfirst in your grandmother Lois and your motherEunice and now, I am sure, lives in you”(2 Timothy 1:5, NRSV).

Harvest Home CelebrationOctober 10th and 11thJoin us as we adorn oursanctuary with the colors of theseason, and thank God for all ofthe blessings He bestows.The Worship & Music Board isasking all of our members tobring in food for the Food Pantryon October 101h and 11th. We willhave a special offeringpresentation of the food we bring in to help those in need. Let’sover-flow the grocery cart! Please bring as many of the itemslisted below to help fill the food pantry shelves.Here are the items the pantry always needs: Jelly Drinks mixes Rice/Stuffing Canned Soups Canned Vegetable Canned Beans Canned Meats Canned Pasta Canned Fruits Tuna Potatoes–cans or boxes Peanut Butter Saltine Crackers Spaghetti Sauce Pasta Macaroni & Cheese Cereal Snacks/Dessert Toilet Tissue Tissues Paper TowelsHarvest Home DecoratingWe will decorate the sanctuary on SaturdayOct. 10th at 9am. We will “un” decorateat 7pm on Monday, Oct. 12th. Allare welcome at one or atboth. Please let us know ifyou are able to help bydropping the sign-up in theoffering plate or at the church office. If you signed up on yourTime & Abilities, you will receive a reminder postcard!Yes, I can help decorate on Sat. 10/10.Yes, I can “un”decorate on Mon. 10/12.Name:Phone:A Letter from Camp Hi Pastor Jen and Trinity,I am having a great time at Bear Creek. I am learningso much about God that I didn’t know. Thank youfor paying for half of my trip.-Cole (Rothermel)Do you like tosing? Trinity's SeniorChoir is always looking fornew members. We needaltos, sopranos, tenors, andbasses! We need YOU!Our first rehearsal will be on Thursday, September10th @ 7:30pm. We normally rehearse Thursdayevenings and Sunday mornings and traditionally singat the 10:45am service every Sunday except the 4thSunday of the month. If you have any questions,please call Christine Mervine at 610-770-1841 or610-763-1831. We hope to see you at the firstrehearsal! Sing to the Lord a new song!!Calling all 1st through 4th graderswho love to sing! Our first choirrehearsal will be Sept. 3rd from 67pm when we will have fun singingwith our other youth choirs! Afterthat we will have choir every

Wernersville, PA 19565 . wishes, the incredible love, encouragement and advice . Lutheran Church in Vineland, NJ as their Youth Director. . Vicar Andrew has been called as an associate pastor at St. James Lutheran Church in August 28. th. at Trinity Lutheran Church in Mount Joy, PA. Correspondence may be sent to him at St. James, 109 York .