Tidings Jan 2016

January 2016 | Volume 19, Number 1 Happy New Year! Worship Times: Saturday 5 pm Sunday 8 am /10 am trinitylutheranfc.org TRINITY LUTHERAN CHURCH is a welcoming faith community living together in God’s love to share the joy of Jesus Christ. Even though it’s not an official church holiday, we have always loved the New Year. Not because we typically celebrate in grand fashion (our favorite party game is “watch the kids try to make it to midnight and fall asleep at 9:47.”) But because there is something in marking the passing of the year that feels prayerful to us. We celebrate and thank God for the gifts of 2015; we mourn what was lost; and we also try to let go of the things we worried about or regretted. We take a deep breath and look ahead to the possibility of what may be for 2016—planned and unplanned. We entrust ourselves and our future into God’s hands once again. This year, we truly give thanks for 2015. We thank God for the personal blessings of family: Luke’s healthy birth, Ethan learning to read, Natalie becoming a preschooler. We thank God for a roof over our heads, for food to eat, for family and friends near and far. And we thank God for Trinity: for a full and vibrant year of ministry and mission; for welcoming Kevin, Cecilia, Patrick, Natalie, Kelli and Chris to our staff; for a successful capital campaign that aimed for $583,000 and raised more than $710,000! And most of all, we’re thankful for each one of you: the people of Trinity. As we walk with you in your lives, as we share times of joy and support and pray for one another, as we join together to make a difference in the world and love and serve our neighbors beyond our walls, we are continually reminded that we are richly blessed to be your pastors. We also look ahead in hopes that we will discern, with you, what God has in store for Trinity in a new year. God willing, we’ll see many of the projects outlined in our capital campaign begin, and come to fruition. Continued on page 3 In This Issue From the Pastors’ Desk……………..…..…..3 Council Minutes….………….………….…….4 Calendar of Events....……………...……….....6-7 Youth & Families...………….………………....8-9