February 2018 1 www.thanksgivinglutheran.org

DECEM BER 2014 volume 7 • number 3

The TRUMPET

1 Leadership Update

2 Who’s Who

3 Group News

4 Financial News and

Worship Schedule

4 Stewards

What’s INSIDE

Birthday Blessings This Month To:

Katherine Zuest 2/3

Sandy Koppen 2/3

Deb Feronnato 2/6

Georgia Nichols 2/7

Mark Koppen 2/11

George Land 2/16

Leadership Panel Update

Well, thanks to all of you, we made it through our first

month without Pastor Jean—whew! We’ve continued to

offer uplifting weekly worship and have been inspired and

encouraged by Supply Pastors Dave Miller and Tim

Kellgren, and we had a productive Congregational

Meeting on January 19:

We appointed Karen Lehman to be our voting

representative to the Synod Assembly, taking place in

Sacramento in March.

We elected an Audit Committee: Cindy Heiler, Lisa Bartlett, and Mary

Thompson affered to serve in this capacity.

We agreed to have Kathy Alexander, Sandy Koppen, Jan Thomas, and

Jordan Eberly (whose Leadership Panel terms will be ending after 2018) )

be the nominating team which will identify and invite candidates for the

2019-2020 Leadership Panel for congregational vote at the November

2019 congregational meeting.

Michelle Higgs, Jim Lehman, Cindy Heiler, and Jan Loewen stepped

forward to form a Communications Task Force to work on updating our

website and bringing some coordination to our communication efforts.

Verda Burr offered to assist Lisa Bartlett, Paul and Ingrid Feiertag, Jordan

Eberly, and Dennis Higgs with Altar Guild duties

Ten (10) members offered to help with refreshments and serve as

attendants/greeters for the Gratitude Art Show happening February 10 and

11, 2018.

The congregation gave the Leadership Panel a vote of confidence by

approving the following motion: The Leadership Panel of TLC shall have

full authority to negotiate sale and/or lease terms with the City of Santa

Rosa or other entities.

The Leadership Panel continues to explore our next steps with our property.

As shared at the Congregational Meeting, we are in the process of negotiating

a possible sale of the property to the City of Santa Rosa, along with the

possibility of being able lease back the building. We will also be meeting this

month with our synod connections, Pastor Kathryn Gulbranson and Pastor Ron

(Continued on page 5)

Welcoming, Inclusive, Joyful, Serving the Community. Thanksgiving Lutheran

www.thanksgivinglutheran.org 2 February 2018

The TRUMPET volume 15 • number 2

The next TLC Trumpet deadline

will be Monday, February 22nd.

All future deadlines will be the

22nd. Editor requests articles be

no longer that 500 words. Please

email submissions to:

tlcsantarosa@sbcglobal.net

Change in Office Hours: Due to Dorothy becoming a substitute teacher, her office hours will now be Monday or Tuesday and Friday or Saturday, from 9-3. The office will be closed until January 5th.

Sunday morning worship at

9:30 with Holy Communion

Thanksgiving Lutheran Church

1225 Fulton Road

Santa Rosa, CA 95401

Email: tlcsantaro-

sa@sbcglobal.net

On the web:

www.thanksgivinglutheran.org

Facebook: Thanksgiving Lutheran

Church in Santa Rosa

Officers

President Sandy Koppen

Vice President Jordan Eberly

Secretary Mary Thompson

Minister of Spiritual Formation

and Expression Jan Thomas

Minister of Welcome

and Connections Jordan Eberly

Minister of Campus Use

and Maintenance Keith Becker

Minister of Talents

and Treasures Kathy Alexander

Treasurer Jean Harrison

Financial Secretary Astrid Anderson

Coordinators

Website Jim Lehman

Sound Jim Lehman

Community Garden Karen Lehman

Women’s Retreat Karen Lehman

Men’s Breakfast Hank Cornelssen

Worship Music Jan Loewen

and Sandy Koppen

TLC Facebook Page Mary Weber

Panel Member of the Week

Feb 4 - Feb 10: Jan Loewen

Feb 11 - Feb 17: Keith Becker

Feb 18 - Feb 24: Jordan Eberly

Feb 25 - March 3: Sandy Koppen

Reconciling in Christ

TLC is a Reconciling in Christ congregation, which means we

believe that God celebrates diversity in all of creation, loves us

all unconditionally, and intends that all persons be valued. We

welcome and accept all people regardless of their cultural or

ethnic background, physical or mental abilities, socio-economic

status, sexual orientation, marital status, gender, or age. God

loves us exactly as we are.

Who’s Who at TLC

The TRUMPET

Please think of us before you shop online—it’s free to you and valuable to us.

For Amazon Smile:

1. Sign into smile.amazon.com on your desktop or mobile phone

2. Go to Your Account and select Thanksgiving Lutheran as your charitable

organization.

For escrip:

1. Enroll with www.escr ip.com

2. Click on the Online Mall logo

3. Shop at your favor ite brand name stores and automatically donate to TLC!

Make your shopping count for TLC. And don’t forget every time you use Good

Search as your search engine you earn money for TLC. Every little bit helps!

The TRUMPET volume 15 • number 2

February 2018 3 www.thanksgivinglutheran.org

T he TLC Book Group will be meeting on Monday,

February 26th, 7:00 PM at Jean Flak’s house. If

date, time, or place changes are needed, an email

will be sent out. Please join us for our discussion. We will

also bring along ideas for books to read in 2018.

The TRUMPET

We will meet at 9am at

the village Café in

the Raley’s Shopping Center at

Fulton/Guerneville on February

24th. If you don’t regularly attend,

let Hank Cornelssen know ahead

as he calls the Café to let them

know how many to set up for.

(707) 528-6535. Come join the

wild conversations!

Bunco

Day! Bunco, which

is a monthly

fundraiser for

our Capital Fundraiser Drive, will

be held on the 3rd

Saturday of

each month. The doors open at

1:30, and the fun begins at 2 p.m.

$10 per person, including light

refreshments. Invite your friends,

neighbors and relatives to join in

– the more the merrier and the

greater the prizes and the sum

for the Fund! If you can, please

bring cookies and an item to

raffle. The next game will be

February 17.

Bible Art Journaling

led by Michelle Higgs

C ome and experience God’s word in a

creative, fun, expressive, no rules kind

of way. Bible art journaling is where

you read the assigned scripture and

express in your journaling bible, art journal, or

just a piece of paper what it means to you.

If you would like to participate in bible art

journaling, please bring any art supplies you

would like. Please also bring something to draw

in. This could be an art journal or just loose paper. If you don’t want to take the time

to do some page prep (explanation during event), make sure your journal or paper is

thicker/heavier paper. This could be journals made for mixed media or acrylics.

Watercolor paper would work but it is a little thick. If you would like to use a bible

for journaling, I would suggest a bible journaling bible. Our sessions this month are

February 8th and 22nd at 7pm.

Come and check it out!

www.thanksgivinglutheran.org 4 February 2018

The TRUMPET volume 15 • number 2

Finance Update

We finished the year with another

deficit month. That means we

had a deficit every month in 2017. In

December expenses were $15,876.85

while income was only $12,072.88. That's

a $3,802.97 deficit. Total income for 2017

was $122,873.37 while expenses ran

$163,882.73. The deficit was $41,009.36

which on average is $3,417.45 per month

or $854.36 per week. The total mortgage

payments in 2017 were $60,252. Capital

Campaign funds covered some of the

deficit but only the portion of mortgage

payment that went towards principal. The

situation should improve some in 2018.

Please keep this in your thoughts and

prayers.

Capital Fund

This designated fund can only be used

to pay mortgage principal. As of

1/20/17 there is $44,708.02 in it.

Donations continue to arrive for this

fund, including the proceeds from

Bunco. If you wish to give to this fund

please be sure to make a note on your

check or envelope. If you have any

ideas for fundraisers please speak with

one of the Leadership Panel.

Gifts to Others

As of the end of the year

TLCers gave a grand total of

$4,119.19 to the following

worthy causes:

ELCA Disaster Relief $110

ELCA Good Gifts T. Elsie the

cow $323.19—that’s nearly two

-thirds of her!

ELCA Good Gifts numerous

other items $1,177.00

ELCA Immigration $60

FISH $480

Homeless with Pets $444.09

Local Fire Assistance $280.00

Lutheran Social Services of

Northern CA $150

Reconciling Works $90

Rwanda School Project $970

Susan Stephens headstone

$225

Worship in February February 4 Fifth Sunday after Epiphany

Scriptures: Isaiah 40:21-31, Psalm 147:1-11, 20c, 1

Corinthians 9:16-23, Mark 1:29-39

Preaching and Presiding: Rev. Dave Miller

Music Leader: Classic Band

February 11 Transfiguration

Scriptures: 2 Kings 2:1-12, Psalm 50:1-6, 2 Co-

rinthians 4:3-6, Mark 9:2-9

Preaching and Presiding: Rev. Dave Miller

Music Leader: The Band

February 14 Ash Wednesday

Scriptures: Isiah 58:9-12, Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

February 18 First Sunday in Lent

Scriptures: Genesis 9:8-17, Psalm 25:1-10, 1 Peter 3:18-22, Mark 1:9-15

Preaching and Presiding: Rev. Dave Miller

Music Leader: Leilani Wicklund

February 25 Second Sunday in Lent

Scriptures: Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16, Psalm 22:23-31, Romans 4:13-25, Mark 8:31-38

Preaching and Presiding: Lay-led service; Paul Feiertag presiding at Communion.

Music Leader: The Band

The TRUMPET volume 15 • number 2

February 2018 5 www.thanksgivinglutheran.org

Zoesch, to discuss next steps with regard to the Call Process and the

possibilities for an Interim Pastor. At press time, we have no further news in these

areas—but we will certainly keep you posted as we move forward!

In closing, we hope you will join us in offering the following prayer—frequently!:

Loving God, be with us and guide us during this time of discernment. Fill our

leaders with your wisdom. Keep us mindful of the work you would have us do. Lead

us and guide us, O God, to be about the work of establishing your reign here on

earth as the search for a new pastor continues. Bless all who have taken on extra

responsibilities, and fill them with a sense of your love and presence. We pray in the

name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Thanking All Stewards

Feb. 4—5th Sunday

After Epiphany

Assisting: Cindy Heiller

Bread: Dennis Higgs

Greeter: Verda Burr

Reader: Astrid Anderson

Dog Treats: Dennis Higgs

Ushers: Cindy Heiller

Refreshments: Cindy Heiller

Trash Cans: Randy Easterling

Flowers: Jan Loewen

Tellers: Sandy Koppen & Gloria Feiertag

Feb. 11—Transfiguration

Assisting: Cindy Heiller

Bread: Dennis Higgs

Greeter: Lisa Bartlett

Reader: Gloria Feiertag

Ushers: Vera Burr

Refreshments: Michelle Higgs

Trash Cans: Randy Easterling

Flowers:

Tellers: Astrid Anderson & Cindy Heiller

Feb. 13—Ash Wednesday

Feb. 18—1st Sunday of Lent

Assisting: Ingrid Feiertag

Bread: Verda Burr

Greeter: Gloria Feiertag

Reader: Paul Feiertag

Dog Treats: Cindy Heiller

Ushers: Cathy Estes & Lynn Cornelssen

Refreshments: Bruce and Kathy Alexander

Trash Cans: Jan Loewen & Sandy Koppen

Flowers: Marilyn Schuler

Tellers: Lisa Bartlett & Paul Feiertag

Feb. 25—2nd Sunday of Lent

Assisting:

Bread: Dennis Higgs

Greeter:

Reader: Verda Burr

Dog Treats: Dennis Higgs

Ushers: Marilyn Schuler

Refreshments: Lynn Cornelssen

Trash Cans: Jan Loewen & Sandy Koppen

Flowers: Verda Burr

Tellers: Keith Becker & Lynn Cornelssen

Leadership Panel Update, continued

The Relationship Between a Congregation and Their Departing Pastor

The ELCA Sierra Pacific Synod Call Process Manual lays out a number of

guidelines for the relationship between a departing Pastor and the con-

gregation. As part of the transition process, the Leadership Panel and Pastor Jean even

had to sign a Letter of Agreement clarifying Pastor Jean’s role in relationship to the con-

gregation. Some of these guidelines may strike you as rather harsh! However, like many

policies that are put in place in other arenas of life, these guidelines have grown out of

past Synod experience. Because we want everyone to be aware of some important issues

related to the transition between pastors, we ask you to read this carefully.

The Leadership Panel and Pastor Jean have agreed to the following, and seek your coop-

eration, regarding the positive future relationships among us:

We will do everything possible to uphold the mission of the Church and the positive

quality of life in this congregation.

We will recognize the need for time to adjust to the new relationships, and will reach out

in care and compassion to one another.

We will honor Pastor Jean’s departure, allowing her to relinquish her duties fully; we

will honor the arrival of our next pastor by seeking their counsel and ministry. We are

aware that conducting pastoral acts (such as baptism, weddings, funerals, confirmations,

communions) and defining ministry programs and leadership styles are no longer the

prerogative of the departing pastor, but belong to the arriving pastor along with the

Leadership Panel and congregation.

While we recognize that we will continue to care about Pastor Jean, we will not expect

nor invite her to participate in congregational life, with the possible exception of special

congregational anniversaries or observations.

The nature of the relationship between pastor and people often gets translated as the pas-

tor being a friend. The reality is that while the pastor may indeed have been very friend-

ly, the professional pastoral relationship is not one of friendship. Experience across the

Church has shown that continuing relationships with former pastors is very positive

when the above things are kept in mind.

While the Leadership Panel certainly doesn’t expect any problems in these areas, we

thought it important to share these expectations. We love Pastor Jean—we’ll keep her in

our prayers, and TLC undoubtedly remains in her heart as well—but we also want to

respect her new retired status and be ready to embrace the leadership of our next pastor.

Thank you for your cooperation!

The TRUMPET volume 15 • number 2

www.thanksgivinglutheran.org 6 February 2018

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