November 2020
|
Trinity
Evangelical Lutheran Church The Wyoming District Church: (308) 247-2432 Mobile: 308-631-8431 Rev.
Kenneth L. Humphrey, Pastor + + + Newsletter
Contents Pastor’s Article Page 1
Stewardship Ministry Page
2 Good News for Families Page
3 Wyoming District Round Up Page 4 Every Day Faith Page 6 Meeting Minutes Page 7 LWML Corner Page 9 Dates to Remember Page 9 Calendars/Treasurer’s Report |
Dear friends in Christ,
May the grace and peace of our Redeemer Jesus Christ be with you and your families today and always as we give thanks for the many blessings that our gracious Lord showers upon us daily. In the Small Catechism, Luther wrote in the explanation of the 1st article of the Creed (“I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth”) that “I believe that God has made me and all creatures; that He has given me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my members, my reason and all my senses, and still takes care of them. He also gives me clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and home, wife and children, land, animals, and all I have. He richly and daily provides me with all that I need to support this body and life. He defends me against all danger and guards and protects me from all evil. All this He does only out of fatherly, divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in me. For all this it is my duty to thank and praise, serve and obey Him. This is most certainly true. ”
Those words may seem difficult to hear this year, what with disease, political
violence, and the accompanying economic trouble that so many of us have faced
in 2020. We might even ask ourselves “Is the Lord still caring for us, or did
He take this year off? Psalm 121:2-4 reads, “My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps
you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor
sleep.” Of course our Lord hasn’t checked out; Jesus has promised to be with us
always (Matthew 28:20).
But please note that He didn’t promise that everything would go smoothly in
this fallen world; in fact, Jesus told His disciples that “in me you may have
peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take
heart; I have overcome the world.” We will struggle because of the effects
of sin (ours as well as others), but the Lord is with us in all our sorrows and
tribulations. He faced them Himself and carried the consequences of our sin to
the cross of Calvary.
Therefore, we should
continue to give thanks to God for all He has done, and He continues to do for
us. As is our tradition at Trinity, we will be having a special Thank Offering
Sunday on the 22nd of November to express our gratitude for all the
blessings that our Lord has showered upon us. This is a time to give back to
Him a token of what He gives to us, a gift to further God’s kingdom over and
above our usual tithes and offerings.
We do realize that this
may be difficult, especially if you’ve been affected by job loss or have
experienced health problems. Nevertheless, we ask that you prayerfully consider
how you might help, if at all possible. Of course, whatever you may choose to
give is between you and the Lord—God’s love for us in Christ is not dependent
upon our financial contributions. We give so that Word and Sacrament ministry
may continue here at our church and the Gospel may be proclaimed throughout the
world.
If you have not been able
to be at Trinity for some time, we would especially ask that you come join us
for Divine Service at 9 AM to hear of God’s love for you in Christ, Bible study
and Sunday School at 10:15. We still plan to have a potluck fellowship meal at
noon, but please consider your own health and that of your neighbors. Please
feel free to call the church or Pastor Humphrey if you have any questions.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
LCMS Stewardship Ministry
Newsletter article –
November 2020
Wyoming District Round-Up
November 2020
District Website:
www.wylcms.org
“Here I Stand” on the Word in the Home “...REMEMBERING YOU
IN MY PRAYERS…” (Eph. 1:16) For Rev. Vernon Boehlke (emeritus, Riverton), as he
undergoes a new round of treatments for cancer. For Rev. Ralph Jaeger
(emeritus, Laramie), health PASTORS AND CONGREGATIONS St. Paul’s, Sidney is
being served by Rev. Allen Strawn (St. Paul’s, Bridgeport) during the vacancy.
The congregation is considering a multi-parish agreement with Salem, Gurley,
and St. Paul’s, Potter. Rev. Travis Sherman (Grace, Gordon) is serving Grace,
Merriman, NE (Nebraska District) while it considers its future. Our Redeemer,
Glenrock and Zion, Douglas: Rev. Jonathan Durkopp is being installed as pastor
on October 25 at 4:00 PM in Douglas. Mount Calvary, Dubois is considering a
ministry agreement with the Wyoming District in order to call Rev. Gregory
Sonnenschein (Wind River Lutheran Mission, Fort Washakie and Crowheart), who is
serving Mount Calvary during its vacancy. St. John’s, Lovell is in pre-call
preparations. The congregation is being served by Rev. Jais Tinglund (Zion,
Emblem and Grace, Greybull). Trinity, Riverton and Immanuel, Alliance have
asked for a call list to call a pastor as headmaster. Here I Stand on Marriage
At the Tell the Good About Jesus Convocation a number of years back, Dr.
Matthew Phillips told the story of Anna Büring, the widow of the mayor of
Hamburg, who changed her last will and testament in 1535 to reflect her new
convictions and beliefs in the Lutheran Reformation. Instead of funding private
masses, prayer vigils, and other works to get her through purgatory, she
instead provided for her family and gave the rest to care for the sick and
needy and to fund Lutheran university education, trusting in Christ alone for
her salvation.
Like Anna Büring, we confess our faith by what we do,
including what we do with our possessions. We all leave an inheritance to our
family and church family—a legacy, both while we live and when we die. A legacy
is something we bequeath to others, especially the next generation. The legacy
of a Christian represents the giver in an ongoing way, not only providing the
money and property needed for teaching the Gospel to the next generation, but
at the same time giving a public confession of the divine doctrine we believe,
our most valuable treasure. In fact, how we live and confess our faith now, how
we raise our children, and how we use our possessions for the Gospel
establishes our most important inheritance and legacy. My parents still joke
with me about how they spend my inheritance. But they have already given me the
best and the eternal part of my inheritance, as all Christian parents do for
their children. They baptized me, taught me the Word of God, and brought me to
the Lord’s Supper. They modeled and taught me Christian virtues and deep
Christian piety. They led me to a godly marriage, which by God’s grace has
given them Christian grandchildren and great-grandchildren. They educated me
well so that I could serve my neighbor fully in home, church, and community. By
God’s grace, this is the great inheritance and legacy which they have given me,
which can never be taken away. But older adults must also give thought to the
disposition of their possessions at their death. Granted, all Christians,
starting in childhood, are taught by God to give a percentage of their
possessions and income to the church, in addition to other charitable giving.
But older Lutherans need to prepare a will and plan to distribute their
possessions to their heirs and to their church. Some of our older adults do not
have Lutheran children or grandchildren and must consider soberly what will be
done with their estate at death. Lutherans are in the best position when their
children are zealous for the Lutheran faith and can be counted on to use their
physical inheritance to serve their Lutheran churches, Lutheran schools, and
Lutheran missions. In either case, we should think of using our possessions to
further the Kingdom of God, not just the pocketbooks of our heirs. Luther
reminds us in the Large Catechism, “We must not think only of amassing money
and property for them. God can provide for them and make them rich without our
help, as indeed he does daily” (LC I. 172f). We must also think of providing
for the Gospel and the church. God has given us a trust—a duty and
responsibility—to use our possessions for the welfare of our heirs and
neighbors in the world and to provide for the preaching and teaching of God’s
Word. In funding our Lutheran congregations and our Lutheran schools we do
both. By such a bequest we do our part to enable our congregations and schools
to continue as places where our grandchildren and greatgrandchildren can still
find that greatest and most priceless of all treasures: the purely preached
Word and holy sacraments. Let this be your legacy also. REFORMATION 500: 1520
in Review It was three years after the 95 Theses, and Luther was threatened
with excommunication by the papal bull Exurge Domine. Nevertheless, he was
persuaded in October 1520 to write a friendly letter and devotional booklet to
Pope Leo X (AE 31:333-377). Luther addressed Leo as a brother pastor and urged
him to carry out his office faithfully, standing against the corruption and
deceivers all around him. He made clear to Leo that his quarrel with the papal
leadership concerned only “the word of truth. In all other matters I will yield
to any man whatsoever; but I have neither the power nor the will to deny the
Word of God.” (335) The devotional booklet he appended to the letter is “The
Freedom of a Christian.” In it he explores two propositions: “A Christian is a
perfectly free lord of all, subject to none. “A Christian is a perfectly
dutiful servant, subject to all.” (334) With these two seemingly contradictory
statements he proceeds to consider the Christian life in two parts: according
to the inner man and faith, where the Christian is a free lord of all; and
according to the outer man, where he is a servant subject to all men. Luther
begins with the source of the Christian’s faith and freedom—the Word of God.
“One thing, and only one thing, is necessary for Christian life, righteousness,
and freedom. That one thing is the most holy Word of God, the gospel of Christ…
On the other hand, there is no more terrible disaster with which the wrath of
God can afflict men than a famine of the hearing of the Word, as he says in
Amos [8:11].” (345, 346) Here is the great Lutheran Reformation theme sola
Scriptura, “Scripture alone.” The Word of God delivers to its hearer the object
and content of Christian faith: Christ Jesus. “The Word is the gospel of God
concerning his Son, who was made flesh, suffered, rose from the dead, and was
glorified through the Spirit who sanctifies. To preach Christ is to feed the
soul, make it righteous, set it free, and save it, provided it believes the
preaching. Faith alone is the saving and efficacious use of the Word of God.”
(346) Note Luther’s use of the sola fide, “by faith alone,” the great Lutheran
theme that is prominent in this treatise. Luther then addresses the challenge
about faith alone, “that faith alone justifies and offers us such a treasure of
great benefits without works.” He does so by teaching that great distinction
between Law and Gospel: “Here we must point out that the entire Scripture of
God is divided into two parts: commandments and promises.” (348) The
commandments teach man his lost condition and helplessness. The promises teach
and deliver to him all the blessings of Christ. It is the gospel that makes a
man free, “for faith alone and the Word of God rule in the soul.” He adds,
“This is that Christian liberty, our faith, which does notinduce us to live in
idleness or wickedness but makes the law and works unnecessary for any man’s
righteousness and salvation.” (349f) He then teaches that this faith honors God
above all things because it listens to His Word and trusts in him. “The very
highest worship of God is this, that we ascribe to him truthfulness,
righteousness, and whatever else should be ascribed to one who is trusted.”
(350) Luther describes the faith of the inner man as the mystical union of
Christ and the believer, as a bridegroom and bride: “The soul is full of sins,
death, and damnation. Now let faith come between them, and sins, death, and
damnation will be Christ’s, while grace, life, and salvation will be the
soul’s; for if Christ is a bridegroom, he must take upon himself the things
which are his bride’s and bestow upon her the things that are his.” (351) The
value of this union depends on this foundation: “Christ is God and man in one
person… for his righteousness is greater than the sins of all men, his life
stronger than death, his salvation more invincible than hell.” (351, 352) In
the December Roundup we will conclude our look at “The Freedom of a Christian”
by learning what Luther teaches regarding the royal priesthood of Christians
and concerning the Christian’s outer man, where “a Christian is the servant of
all and made subject to all.” (358) THE NEXT ROUNDUP The next Roundup will be
delivered to congregations around November 20 (December 2020 issue). DISTRICT
HAPPENINGS • The Tell the Good News About Jesus Convocation will be held
February 5-6, 2021. Rev. Brent Kuhlman will be speaking on The End Times with a
focus on Christian Persecution and Martyrdom. Registration will be forthcoming
on the district website. • The Wyoming District Convention will be held May
6-8, 2021 at the Ramkota in Casper. Please take note of the following
deadlines: DP and 1st VP nominations are due by January 6, 2021 Voting delegate
names (Pastoral and lay) are due by February 6, 2021 Reports and Overtures are
due to the DP by February 6, 2021.
September 17, 2020 Council Meeting
Called to Order: 7:03pm
Pastor’s Report: Pastor Humphrey reports Elmer has repaired
the Parsonage garden shed and that Jim has repaired the handrail on the
parsonage’s back steps. He reports Pine Ridge Circuit Visitor Rev. Scott
Firminhac will be visiting on 9/27/20. Pastor Humphrey reports Thursday Morning
Bible Study has continued over the summer and Sunday morning Bible Study is
being led by Don Bowlin while he (Pastor Humphrey) teachers the confirmands.
Pastor notes that the State of Nebraska directives are now recommendations, and
snacks/coffee can be served after worship. Good sanitation practices are
recommended as always. Upcoming events for youth include the meeting at
Immanuel in Alliance on 9/27/20 and youth breakaway in Gillette on Oct. 9-10.
Pastor further reports he will be attending the Fall Pastors’ Conference at
Mount Hope in Casper on October 5-7, the usual lodgin and meal expenses are
expected. The Pine Ridge Circuit forum will be held at Immanuel in Alliance on
10/18/20, Trinity will need to elect a lay delegate. Pastor Reports we will
also need to nominate pastors for circuit visitor, and mail that to Rev
Firminach before the meeting. Finally he notes that the District convention
will be in Casper on May 6-8, 2021. Trinity will also need a lay delegate to
attend.
Elders Report: no business to report
Trustees Report: no business to report other than the
aforementioned repairs at the parsonage.
Sunday School Report: Sunday School has resumed when
students are present.
New Business: Gerald and Rudy will be on the nominating
committee. Anniversary Committee meeting on 9/30/20 at 7pm. Thank offering
Sunday will be 11/22/2020.
With no further business to address the meeting was
adjourned and closed with the Lord’s Prayer.
Adjourn: 7:46pm
John Bowlin
October 15, 2020 Voters’ Meeting
Called to Order: 7:05pm
The October Voters' Meeting was called to order by Chairman Virgil Ritz. Pastor Humphrey led an opening devotion from Psalm 119 and Mathew 13. The minutes of the July Voters’ meeting were read and approved.
The Treasurer’s
Report was read by Julie Alkire A motion
was made by Rudy and seconded by Gerald to approve the Treasurer’s Report. The
motion carried.
Pastor’s Report: Pastor Humphrey reports the streaming video
camera used for services has been moved to the sound cabinet to tie into the
audio system. He notes that all of the UPS’s at the church have bad batteries,
and Virgil recommended meeting with Trustees to decide if purchasing new UPS’s
or new batteries was a better option. Pastor asked the Voter’s Assembly if
moving meetings to Sunday after service would be helpful. After some discussion
a motion was made by Pastor Humphrey and seconded by Levi Bowlin to try having
the January Voters’ Meeting on January 10, 2021 after service. The motion
carried. Pastor notes Trinity needs a lay delegate for the circuit forum in
Alliance, and Keith Kaufman volunteered. He also reports Trinity will need a
lay delegate to the Wyoming District Convention May 6-8, 2021 in Casper. Pastor
asked that if no one volunteered from the Voting Assembly that the council seek
out volunteers from the congregation to attend and approve the volunteer at the
next Council Meeting. After discussion from the group a motion was made by Wes
B and seconded by Levi B to accept a lay delegate selection from the upcoming
Council Meeting. The motion carried. Pastor Humphrey further reported we will
need a nomination for District President and 1st Vice President.
Pastor Humphrey notes that Sunday morning and Thursday morning Bible Studies
continue, and that he is meeting with the confirmands on Sundays following
worship and is hopeful to complete their studies before Lent.
Trustees Report: No business to report
Elder’s Report: No information to report this date per
Keith.
Sunday School Report: Karen Ritz reported for Melvina that
Zandee and Kylee would like to have a simplified Christmas Program and that new
Sunday School material has been ordered.
Old Business: Melvina reports she found some maps or
schematics of wiring and sewage lines for the church, and would like to have
Trinity keep them. It was decided to keep them in the church safe.
New Business: The Nominating Committee presented a ballot
with the following individuals listed for each office: President/Chairman
Virgil Ritz; Secretary Wes Bowlin; Finance Secretary Susan Williams; Finance Board
Karen Ritz, Gerald Ritz, George Ross; Treasurer Julie Alkire; Board of Elders
Keith Kaufman, Don Bowlin, Levi Bowlin; Trustees Rudy Landreth, Jim Swenson;
Sunday School Superintendent Melvina Dillman. Susan Williams made a motion to
accept the Nominating Committees’ Ballot for 2021 officers. Rudy Landreth
seconded the motion and the motion carried.
Following discussion from the Voters’ Assembly of a 2021
budget of $115, 600.00, a motion was made by Gerald Ritz and seconded by Wes
Bowlin to approve the budget (see handout for detailed budget). The motion
carried.
A motion to adjourn was made by Pastor Humphrey and seconded
by Rudy Landreth and the meeting closed with the Lord’s Prayer.
John Bowlin
LWML Corner
Next meeting is Sunday,
November 8, 2020. Guest Speaker will be Levi Bowlin. We will have a short
business meeting @ 2:00 pm with Levi speaking at approximately 2:30 pm. We
would love to encourage the congregation to join us for an informative wellness
presentation.
. Trinity LWML will be taking on a mission
project each quarter and would like to invite the congregation to assist us in
this undertaking. It is a great way for us to work together to help those less
fortunate than us!
For the current quarter, we
will be collecting items to complete Orphan Grain Train Christmas boxes. The
lists will be available on the table with the list for the school bags. It is
imperative that you stick to the list, as the boxes are usually opened by
government officials at their destination & if they find anything not noted
in the customs log they will confiscate the shipment! We will be doing
this project through the end of September. Bring the items in a bag & we
will get the boxes for shipping.
FYI-for those of you who may
not be familiar with Orphan Grain Train, they are primarily a volunteer
organization. That means that over 95% of monies they collect go to the
charities they serve & not for administrative costs which is not true of so
many other organizations!
Trinity Lutheran Women’s
Society LWML has completed two mission projects with the fleece blanket project
and school kit project.
Fleece blankets were made by members and
presented 7 blankets to members of our congregation and 7 fleece blankets were
presented to the local Firefighter’s Ministry in Scottsbluff who assist
families or individuals experiencing loss after a fire.
The school kit project has
been part of our mission projects over the years. We completed 13 school kits that will be sent
to Lutheran World Relief. They are to
help children coping with poverty, disaster, conflict or more to keep education
going during a crisis. Very special
thank you to our congregational members for helping with our mission
projects.
DATES TO REMEMBER FOR NOVEMBER
November 1 Mike Strauch Birthday
November 1 Addison Bowlin Birthday
November 2 Courtney Haskins Birthday
November 3 Nancy Wohl Birthday
November 3 Ryker Bowlin Baptismal Date
November 8 Michelle Hill Baptismal Date
November 12 Elmer Wohl Baptismal Date
November 12 Aimee Haskins Baptismal Date
November 26 Kerrie (Siegel) Heimbouch Birthday
November 29 Peyton Wilson Baptismal Date
If
your name does not appear, it is because these were taken from Trinity’s
calendar directory for which we have permission to use names and dates.
Please
notify the office to have a date added.
Trinity will once again be collecting gift cards to send to Seminary families in Fort Wayne Indiana. If you would like to donate gift cards, please have them to Trinity by November 22nd. Gift cards in increments of $10.00, $20.00, or $25.00 would be appreciated. Fort Wayne suggests gift cards from the national store chains, such as Walmart, Target, Olive Garden, Applebees, etc.
Thank Offering Sunday will be November 22nd. There will be a pot luck dinner following divine service. Please plan on enjoying this time of food and fellowship.
75th Anniversary Updates
Trinity will be celebrating its 75th Anniversary in 2021. The planning committee has set Sunday, October 24 as the celebration date. We are going to try to organize a choir for the celebration. We will start meeting in the next couple of months. If you are interested or know someone who might be, please contact Susan Williams. If you have any suggestions, know old members and have their address, please contact Virgil Ritz, Chairman of the Anniversary Planning Committee.
