The Message . . . July 2015
Dear Partner Disciples at Holy T, As quickly as it began, my time with you as your interim pastor is drawing to a close. I am excited to know that you have called Pastor Lynda Ernst as your next pastor! She brings many gifts. Combined with your unique gifts, I am excited beyond measure to see where God takes you in the next chapter of ministry. Holy T is a dynamic, vibrant congregation. You have been through the valleys and you have been brought up to the mountain tops. Most importantly, you have learned and refined your ministry. This is the hardest work of all. Pastor Lynda's first time at worship with you will be July 19th. MARK YOUR CALENDARS!!! She also plans to be in town to participate in Vacation Bible School during that previous week. So, I go back into "retirement" after Sun-day, July 12th. But this is not goodbye by any stretch of the imagination! Jo and I are both grateful that we are only an hour away. We know that we will see you again. For now, we want to thank you for your ministry to us. Your encouragement and affirmation were exactly what was needed when the Holy Spirit steered us your way again. And then, there is the saga of my broken wrist. Again, your care and support continues to help us through this difficult time. We look forward to Pastor Lynda's installation! And the Good Lord willin' and the crick don't rise, we will be there! Shalom, Pastor David and Jo
CHURCH CALENDAR
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Sunday July 5 9:30 am Worship
10:45 am Fellowship—In thanks of Pastor David
Sunday July 12 9:30 am Worship
10:45 am Fellowship
Thursday July 16 5:30-8:00 pm VBS
Friday July 17 5:30-8:00 pm VBS
Saturday July 18 9-11:30 am VBS
Sunday July 19 8:00 am Council Meeting
9:30 am Worship-VBS Sunday
**Pastor Lynda’s first Sunday at Holy T**
10:45 am Fellowship
Sunday July 26 9:30 am Worship
10:45 am Fellowship
Monday July 27 DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS FOR THE MESSAGE
“Keep It Simple” (Alcoholics Anonymous) meets every Wednesday evening at 8 p.m.
(closed meeting) and every Saturday morning at 10 a.m. (open meeting) in the
Dahlinger Fellowship Hall.
Please tell others about this hope-giving resource.
Holy Trinity Office Hours are Monday-Thursday from 9:00am-12:00 noon.
Please submit announcements by 9:00am Tuesday morning for the
upcoming bulletin.
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July 12, 2015
Greeter: Steve LaMontagne
Acolyte: Zane Shook
Assisting Minister: Stephen Shook
Lay Reader: Lindsay Bishop
Communion Set-up: Suzi Sittel
Communion Assistant: Ginny Gable
Ushers: ST White and Dennis Christian
Tellers: Charlene Cullen and Mike Franklin
Fellowship: Kris Helou and Steve & Lee
Nursery Attendant: Les Dahl
July 19, 2015
Greeter: Lee Perry
Acolyte: Gray Janovitz
Assisting Minister: Peter Verlander
Lay Reader: Gail White
Communion Set-up: & Ginny Gable
Communion Assistant: Julie Foss
Ushers: ST White, Bob Poole
Tellers: Dennis Christian and Dick Sittel
Fellowship: Carolyn & Jeannie and Becky
Jones
Nursery Attendant: Jessica Shook
July 26, 2015
Greeter: Suzi Sittel
Acolyte: Matthew Helou
Assisting Minister: William Gable
Lay Reader: Ann Bishop
Communion Set Up: Linn Folger
Communion Assistant: Suzi Sittel
Ushers: ST White, Dennis Christian
Tellers: Lindsay Bishop and Bob Poole
Fellowship: Charlene Cullen and Julie Foss
Nursery: Les Dahl
July 5, 2015
Greeter: Susan Dronberger
Acolyte: Shannon Fauth
Assisting Minister: Cathy Crimi
Lay Reader: Addy Fauth
Communion Set-up: Barbara Hansen
Communion Assistant: Barbara Hansen
Ushers: Julie Foss and Kathy Poole
Tellers: Mike Cottingham & Russ Anderson
Fellowship: Martha Christian
Nursery Attendant: Michelle Janovitz
Worship Assistants We are in strong need of people to volunteer for:
Fellowship Lay Reader
Greeter
Please feel free to contact Gail White at 615-943-4445 or
[email protected] for more information or to volunteer!
Worship Assistants
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We need your help to make Camp Discovery as success! A volunteer sheet will be posted by the giant VBS poster so please sign up! There will also be an opportunity to donate items for activities, crafts and snacks! If you have any questions, please contact one of the Camp Discovery Directors: Les Dahl ([email protected]) or Michelle Janovitz ([email protected])
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Dear Holy Trinity Congregation, I have always thought that, like a book, life is a series of chapters and transitions. We have, indeed, been in transition for nearly a year. Now we head toward a new and exciting chapter, as we look forward to our next Pastor, Lynda Ernst. She will begin her call at Holy Trinity July 19, when she presides over worship, and just in time for Vacation Bible School! I do hope you can join us that day, as we celebrate the beginning of our next chapter.
The Church Council begins it’s new chapter, as well. In my mind, the first order of business is to thank a few
people. Outgoing Council President Bud Miller and Pastor David Hood for their amazing leadership though some difficult times. Bud showed not only keen vision and steadiness at the helm through these past three years, but also grace, generosity of spirit, patience and a sense of humor. Most of us have no idea how hard he worked and how easy he made it all appear. Thank you, Bud and Carol! Similarly, Pastor David Hood once again anchored us through this time as well, providing meaningful worship, Pastoral care, wisdom, and capable guidance throughout the transition, all with his fabulous sense of humor.
Again, Pastor David, making it all look easy (when we know it’s not), has led us through twice now as interim.
Pastor David, thank you! We appreciate you more than we can say. We will miss you, and count on you coming back for visits often. You promised! Please join me in giving thanks for these two extraordinary leaders, whom God placed in service at just the
right time. We’ll have a send off for Pastor David after worship next Sunday, July 5. Yes, it’s a holiday
weekend, but he and Jo need to leave immediately for Lutheridge after worship his last Sunday, the 11th. We thank Linn Folger, who, along with Bud, ended Church Council duty in May. Linn has worked tirelessly on the call committee and Council, and continues to serve, leading us in conversations as we consider becoming Reconciled in Christ. Thank you, Linn! There are many others who have and continue to serve; e.g., Russ Anderson, thank you for your leadership on the call committee and Church Council. Les Dahl and Michelle Janovitz, you both worked hard on call committee and now lead the charge with VBS. Thank you. As you may be able to tell, I really could keep going. To all of you who glorify God with your service, thank you, and God bless you. I am looking forward to our next chapter together. I am excited to see what the Holy Spirit has in store for us. On behalf of your council, we are committed being good stewards of what the Lord has so generously provid-ed, and we deeply appreciate the trust you have placed in us. Jeannie Ingram Church Council
Gracious and Loving God, set our sights on your kingdom this day - to seek peace and pursue it; to hunger and thirst for righteousness; to uphold the cause of the voiceless. Turn our praises into hands that clothe the naked, arms that comfort the afflicted, tables that host the stranger, and shoulders that support the weary. We pray to step beyond the boundaries of what we call kindness. Expand our notion of mercy. And broaden the circle of those we love and accept. For you are the God whose patience exceeds our comfort and whose grace is greater than all our sins. You alone secure us in our place. Provoke us by your Spirit to set out beyond the horizon to seek your heart. Amen. Prayer adapted from Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals Mr. David Seamon.
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Thank you, Pastor David! Please plan to join us for fellowship this Sunday, July 5 as we honor and thank Pastor David.
Though he will be with us through Sunday, July 12th, he and Jo will need to leave immediately
after worship that day, so we’re going to celebrate early!
There is yummy cake and laughter involved, so don’t miss out!
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Southeastern Synod The Southeastern Synod of the ELCA met in assembly in Birmingham, AL the first weekend of June . The synod is one of 65 synods in the ELCA and is made up of approximately 160 congregations across the states of Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi. The voting members sent by Holy Trinity were Bob and Kathy Poole. Rundi Ream was also a voting member by virtue of the fact she represents our conference on the Synod Council. Synod Assembly junkies Cathy Crimi and Mike Franklin were also in attendance as visitors. By most standards, this year’s assembly was quiet and nondescript. There was no election of a new bishop, there were no hot items to come before the assembly as either memorials (going on to the ELCA Churchwide Assembly) or resolutions (requiring action by the Synod). There was, however, a wonderful bible study series led by Dr. Mark Alan Powell of Trinity Lutheran Seminary and great worship culminating with the Sunday morning worship service. The worship service on Sunday featured Bishop Michael Grabow of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria, one of our sister Synods. The bible study was a discussion of images for the church, recognizing that no metaphor is perfect but all do have something to say. The four images that were lifted up included:
1) The temple of God in which the Holy Spirit dwells; I Cor 3:16, I Cor 6:19 2) The body of Christ; Eph Chap 22-23, Romans 21, Phil 3:8-9 3) The bride of Christ; Mark 2:19, Eph 5:31-33, Rev 21:9 and 22:17 4) The branches on the vine; John 15:1-5
There were only two (2) resolutions/memorial passed, both memorial to the ELCA Church-wide Assembly to be held in New Orleans in August, 2016. The first was to transition to clean, renewable energy especially which essentially asked the ELCA to continue to invest in environmentally responsible companies, encourage Portico Benefit Services (servicing most of the ELCA clergy) to support the development of clean, renewable energy sources whenever such support is consistent with its fiduciary obligations and affirm the ELCA’s Corporate Re-sponsibility Program and encourage that program to grow its work on developing a sustainable environment. The other memorial to the ELCA Churchwide Assembly was for the ELCA to advocate for the U.S. Congress to increase funding for suicide prevention research. Finally, elections were held for several positions including Synod Treasurer, positions on the Discipline Committee, the Consultation Committee, Synod Council and voting members from the Synod to the 2016 Churchwide Assembly. Mike Franklin was elected twice, once to an at-large position on the Synod Council and once to be a voting member of the next Church-wide Assembly. Respectfully submitted Kathy and Bob Poole
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July Birthdays
Prayer Needs
For healing, God’s presence and comfort –
July Anniversaries
Is your special day missing from
this list? Please let Michelle know
in the Holy Trinity office!
Members: The Cottingham family; Tsegaye Arku for continued safety as he continues to serve in Kuwait Friends: Kenneth Fowlker, Sr., recovery from open hear t surgery; Yolanda Leacraft, for healing; family of Bill O’Guinn (uncle of Barbara Hansen) as they gr ieve his death; Mark Fager (brother of Barbara Hansen, recovery from surgery; Eileen Gaddes (sister of Ron Hansen), recovery from surgery; Rose Fitzgerald (sister of Ron Hansen), end of life hospice care; Terry Burns, battling cancer; Betty Nelson, battling cancer; Peggy Bond; Fami-ly of Darryl Emerson after his passing; Family of Lula Brooks after her passing; Reese Family, fr iends of Dahl family whose daughter died in a car accident; Joe Lowes, Taylor Dahl’s godfather for lung health; Sara Myers, mother of Jim Myers who is recovering from surgery; Isabell Johnson on the return of childhood leukemia; The family of Marianne Ogren, friends of the Helous, as they grieve her death;
7/2 William White.
7/8 David Bishop
7/9 Sasha Pfotenhauer Banks
7/12 Bud Miller
2/12 Matt Ivey
7/18 Dick Sittel
7/20 Angie Sarola
7/23 Mac Folger
7/28 Becky Jones
7/29 Matthew Helou 7/12 Leo & Carol Miller
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Holy T Kid’s Choir
The Kid’s Choir will practice each Sunday immediately following the wor-ship service. They will be providing special music during worship the last Sunday of each month.
If you have any questions, please contact Les Dahl at (615) 927-4514 or [email protected]
Submissions for the August issues of The Message are due to
Kris Helou by Monday, July 27th!
John Anderson and Addy Fauth at Affirm 2015,
June 14-19 at Berry College
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Holy Trinity Staff Rev. David Hood Interim Pastor
(cell) 615-339-3437 email: [email protected]
Rev. Dr. Delmer Chilton Pastor Emeritus
David Dorn Director of Music
Michelle Janovitz Administrative Assistant
Bill Gable Organist Emeritus
Church Phone #: 615.673.6289
Church Fax #: 615.673.6292
Church Email: [email protected]
Webpage: www.holytrinitynashville.com
525 Sneed Road Nashv i l l e , TN 37221
Holy Trinity Lutheran
Church Mission
Statement
Disciples of Jesus Christ called to
proclaim God's grace and serve the
community