TRINITY IN ACTION January 2014
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News from TLS . . . YOUR School
It is hard to believe that we are already halfway through another school year. The second semester will begin when students come back from Christmas break on January 6th. There is still so much to be done! We wrapped up the first semester with our annual Christmas programs. We certainly hope you had the opportunity to attend at least one of them. Our students really are at their best when they are sharing the WORD . . . with either words or music.
Registration for the next school year will be taking place this month. Please take advantage of priority registration time to secure a spot for your child(ren) next year. Priority registration is open to all families who already have children in the school as well as church families who would like to become part of our school. Please watch your email, the website, and the school’s Facebook page for more details. We will be hosting our annual Community Open House this month: Monday, January 26th, 4:00-6:30. Feel free to drop by for a visit, and mention this event to any of your friends, neighbors, and relatives who are interested in seeing what Trinity Lutheran School has to offer. Basketball season is in full force throughout the winter. Check the school calendar for game schedules, and come cheer our Eagles on to victory. There are numerous games each week. Please keep our faculty and leadership in your prayers as we continue to grow and plan for ways to better serve our children, families, and the community. Please keep our faculty and leadership in your prayers as we continue to grow and plan for ways to better serve our children, families, and the community.
IN THIS ISSUE: News from TLS..............................Pg. 2 What Wise Men Do...................Pg. 3 Children’s Ministry GROW Groups.............................Pg. 4 Trinity Ablaze In Kenya................Pg. 6 Meet the New Faces in the Church Office..............................Pg. 7 Large Print Ministry......................Pg. 7
@ Worship
MEET GOD
3 TRADITIONAL: Sunday 8:30 a.m. Wednesday 7:15 p.m. CONTEMPORARY: Sunday 11 a.m. SUNDAY SCHOOL: Sunday 9:50 a.m.
“What Wise Men Do!”
throughout the Christmas season. Just like the wise men we also bring our gifts back to the Lord through offerings. by Rev. Chris Singer The question as we look ahead into 2015 is, “Will we be “We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.” wise men?” Will we follow Christ’s star and receive His – Matthew 2:2 invitation to come to His house and worship? How many miles will we travel? As Senior Pastor I After the birth of Christ Magi from the east came to personally have set my eyes on crossing “mile” by reaching Jerusalem. Today we commonly refer to these as the wise 1,500 in worship attendance. To date we have not been men. I like the way they are named by one of my children’s able to crest over an annual worship average of 1,500. I Christmas Programs from the past, “The Wise Guys.” am excited to ask the Lord to help us accomplish that goal So, what did these wise men do? After seeing the star they because I know that the Lord would delight in seeing His traveled over 1,000 miles by animal-driven caravan in order house full! I want to ask you to pray and commit to joining to bring gifts and worship Jesus. Simply stated, wise men me in this journey. Your commitment to make Worship a worship! frequent priority is a spiritual discipline that is both right Sadly, that wisdom is starting to be lost among Americans. and will bring many blessings. Consider the following I recently read from Barna.org, Faithful worship will also send a message to that eighth a Christian Research Company with more than 30 years most populous country in the world; the unchurched. The experience in statistics within the church: message is simply that WISE MEN WORSHIP! “As of 2014, the estimated number of people in the U.S. who Barna Group would define as “churchless”—meaning they have not attended a Christian church service, other than a special event such as a wedding or a funeral, at any time during the past six months—stands at 114 million. Add to that the roughly 42 million children and teenagers who are unchurched and you have 156 million U.S. residents who are not engaged with a Christian church. To put that in context, if all those unchurched people were a separate nation, it would be the eighth most populous country in the world, trailing only China, India, Indonesia, Brazil, Pakistan, Bangladesh and the remaining churched public of the United States (159 million).”
Lets be wise in 2015.
January Nursery Hours: Sundays
8:20 a.m. to end of 11:00 a.m. service (Ages 2 months- Pre K)
Tuesdays 8:00-11:30 a.m. Precepts and MOPS Bible
Wednesdays 9:00-11:30 a.m. Ladies Bible Study 6:00-8:15 p.m. Bible Class & Church Nursery is offered for other Ministry Programs as they specify in their advertising.
Here at Trinity we have committed to WORSHIP as seen in our Discipleship Pathway: WORSHIP – GROW – SERVE – GO. We worship because it is the place where we meet God SNACK DONATIONS: We appreciate donations through the preaching of His Word and the Sacraments. of Goldfish, animal crackers, Cheerios, raisins, Think of it in a similar way to getting to know someone. pretzels, Kleenex, baby wipes, Clorox wipes, and The first thing is communication. There is talking and there small disposable is listening. In Worship, we do both. We talk to God with our drinking cups. prayers and petitions. We listen to what God says to us as we TOYS NEEDED: Nursery toys are getting a little hear His Word read and explained to us. worn. If you have gently used more recent The second way that we can really get to know a person is toys you are looking to donate, we will happily to visit them in their home and share a meal. In Worship we accept them. We cannot accept fabric toys. are invited to God’s house. There we join with some of the CHRISTMAS EVE Help Needed: If you are available traditions that God’s family has practiced throughout their to volunteer in the nursery during one of the history. We join together around the sacred meal of Holy services please contact Sarah Dill. Communion. We enjoy fellowship and time together. Nursery questions? Contact Sarah Dill at We all just recently practiced gift giving to those we love dills@trinityklein.org or 281-290-4911.
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Grow to Know God
CREW starts back up Jan. 4! See you high schoolers at the Pier at 6!
7th & 8th Grade
GROW Groups Start back up Jan. 14!
Public School Confirmation Students are on vacation until Jan. 11. See you back in FLC 213 from 6 to 8 p.m.
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Serve and Love God We care. If you are in need of a support group to help you through grief, divorce, finances, or getting adjusted to a new environment, we care! We are here to help you. For more information about these ministries or to register, visit Trinity’s website.
! y ar u n Ja in p u k ac b g in rt Sta
FELLOWSHIP
C L U B
Wednesday, Jan. 14 at 10:30 a.m. Table games will be played and a pot luck lunch will be shared.
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Go & Share God Trinity Ablaze In Kenya by Michelle Heckmann
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; Praise Him, all creatures here below; Praise Him above, ye heav’nly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost! Safaris, glasses, shillings, passion fruit, chai tea, mosquito nets, the doxology … What comes to mind when you think about Kenya? During our mission to Kenya in June we experienced each of these, but the words of the doxology (and the singing of it) permeated everything. As we traveled on a safari, we admired God’s glorious creation while watching giraffes, lions, baboons, hippos, antelopes, a variety of birds, and so many other animals roam though the land perfectly designed in the beginning by God. As we distributed prescription and reading glasses we told of God’s saving grace through a native Kenyan evangelist and through pamphlets telling the story of salvation that could be read clearly for the first time thanks to the newly provided glasses. Through the triage station and through a “second touch” we were able to discuss our faith with each individual simply by asking the question, “May I tell you what I believe about Jesus,” to which we never heard “no” as a response. Even as we slept under mosquito nets, we were reminded of the aid that so many Christians have provided for people around the world, sharing the love of God in meaningful ways. In everything, the Word of God was shared trusting that it would not return empty, and would achieve its purpose. (Isaiah 55:11) The Word of God can be shared anywhere and everywhere, both here and there. If “anywhere” and “there” is on your heart, prayerfully consider joining Trinity Ablaze on their next trip to Kenya.
Is Adoption part of God’s plan for your family? Do you feel overwhelmed of where to start? Come join us as we explore adoption on Saturday, February 7 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church in the Pier. Through biblical videos, presentations from experienced adoptive families and a lunchtime panel discussion, we’ll learn the processes, challenges and joys of adoption whether it be domestic, international or foster to adopt. Lunch and childcare are provided. To sign up for “If You Were Mine,” please call Mary Ann Day at 832-585-2931 by Monday, Feb. 2 or go to www.trinityklein.org.
Some of the TLS classes brought pairs of tennis shoes for the people we serve at 45 & Hope. There are going to be lots of happy people with new shoes!
Thank you to those who helped people in our community this Christmas with Adopt-A-Family!
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Large Print Ministry Has Been Busy in 2014! In 2009, Trinity started a Braille ministry with Lutheran Braille Workers, from an LWML grant and about 20 volunteers. In 2013, the need for Large Print New Testaments was greater than for Braille materials and Trinity agreed to switch to a Large Print ministry. In 2014, this ministry was blessed with over 80 volunteers and 1,650 volunteer hours. We sent 606 New Testaments and 100 copies of John in large print throughout the US and to several foreign countries. All materials from Lutheran Braille Workers are given free of charge to those who have ordered them. Since we print the New Testaments ourselves, a used printer for Large Print was purchased in 2013 and used to make over 1,070,000 pages of large print. As a result we “wore out” the first printer and this fall purchased another very gently used printer. The cost of printing, binding, and mailing a Large Print New Testament is approximately $40.00. Lutheran Braille Workers and the Large Print ministry at Trinity are sharing these costs and rely on our volunteer time and donations to fund this work for our Lord.
Please Pick Up Your 2015 Contribution boxed envelopes for weekly offerings!
NEW THIS YEAR, they do NOT have envelope numbers, but members’ names and addresses. Look for your box in alphabetic order on tables in the back of the Sanctuary. Simply Giving is our automatic giving option. If you are interested in finding out more about that program, please contact Jim Kellerman. If you have difficulty finding your envelope or have any other contribution questions, please contact Mary Gibbs.
Ladies of Trinity: You are invited
to the January 20 meeting of the Lydia Guild. We will have a special devotion featuring photo’s relating to Paul’s mission trips through the ancient cities of Greece and Turkey. We hope you will join us for this Biblical and informative presentation. The meeting If you or someone you know needs God’s Word in large print please call Jean will be in FLC 116 beginning with Webber to find out how this can be provided. The process is simple but the refreshments at 7:00 p.m. If you enjoy Christian fellowship while helping spread the Good News of Jesus Christ please consider joining the Large Print ministry at Trinity. Groups meet once a month and there are daytime and evening groups available. No training is needed, just willing hands! If you are interested in joining a group or making a donation please call Jean Webber, Work Center #93 leader, at 281-350-5220 or 281-923-6486.
rewards are eternal.
MEET
T New Faces Of H E
TRINITY
Gloria Kimbwala is our Fellowship One Database Manager. She was born and raised in Orange, CA to an African family that had been brought to the United States with the aid of the LWML. She was baptized in the Lutheran faith as a baby and attended Lutheran education until 10th grade. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science from Ashford University and is working on her Master’s Degree in Computer Science from National University. Gloria met her partner in life, Robert Erhardt in Hollywood, CA. They were married in 2005. Together they enjoy creating music, watching concerts and entertaining friends. Their stash of earplugs became handy when they were blessed to be the parents of a spirited five-year-old named Bentley. Upon moving to Spring in February, Gloria was happy to find Trinity Lutheran because of its rich church history, familiar faces and friendly members. It instantly felt like home. Her family is actively volunteering in children’s and youth ministry. You can find Gloria in the office behind her computer screen. In her spare time Gloria enjoys computer programming, playing the drums, practicing yoga, and cheering on Manchester United.
Texas German Society will meet Jan. 26 in FLC 116 at 7:00 p.m. “What work has God prepared for you? (Ephesians 2:10) Is it helping a woman who is pregnant and alone? Is it ministering to someone who has had an abortion and can’t believe that God would forgive her? Is it feeding the hungry? … Whatever God has called you to do, do it with joy.” - Kay L. Meyer, former director of development for Lutherans For Life A “Life Quote” from Lutherans For Life
Submission deadline for the February issue of Trinity In Action will be January 15. Please send your content to Melissa Kasper at kasperm@trinityklein.org.