Tr i n i t y T i d i n g s Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, Newport News, VA October 2019

Rally Day and Blessing of the Backpacks

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I’ll be the first to admit that

I don’t like change. It

actually seems pretty tame

to say I “don’t like” change,

when sometimes change

and I feel like we could

come to blows with how

much we absolutely do not

get along. The perfect

example? I haven’t changed the way I cut my hair

since about…high school, simply because the idea of

that kind of change? Awful. I am just not the type of

person with the temperament to say, yeah, change!

Bring it on! It doesn’t feel like some grand

experiment, it feels petrifying, and so if I can avoid

it? I do. Adamantly.

Yet, at this time of year, it’s hard not to think about

change. It’s happening all around us, as fall

schedules fully sink into motion and life takes on

new rhythms from the summer, as the weather

slowly starts to change, as the days get shorter and

darkness emerges sooner. Change happens all

around us, even when we’d rather not see it or

experience it. Even as the church, this time of year

puts us in the mindset of change, as we look towards

the end of the month and our annual celebration of

Reformation Sunday. Sometimes though, I think we

tend to imagine that the Reformation is just a long

ago and far away thing that we bring out from the

back of the closet once a year, dust it off and admire

it for a few moments, and then shove it back away

from us before we really have to think about it. We

don’t think about Reformation, about change as part

of our identity, as a vital part of our being as the

church.

More often than not, as the church, we tend to

approach change like I approach the thought of a

new hair cut. No thank you. No way. No how.

Nope. Hard pass. We think that the church has

always been and always will be and if it’s survived

this long then it must not need any adjustment

because clearly it’s made its way this far what more

can we do, what more should we do? Yet, the heart

of the who we are, the heart of what brought us, as

Lutherans, to where we are today is change. The

Reformation was nothing but change, massive

amounts of it. It was people daring to take a hard

look at the church that had been built up around

them and dare to ask if this is how it was always

meant to be or if there were things that needed to

change. It was people daring to say that maybe the

church needed to adapt to meet people where they

were in the culture they were living in. Jesus never

changes. The heart of the gospel never changes.

But how we as the church live out Jesus, how we

share the gospel? That is always open to change, as

the world around us shifts and as our siblings needs

grow and change around us.

There can be no doubt that it is a daunting prospect,

asking the hard questions of how we as the church

need to be in the world, particularly in 21st century

America. It’s downright paralyzing to face down the

questions of whether or not we as the church need

to change in order to make sure that the heart of the

gospel is able to be shared with our siblings that

need it most. When you have spent most of your

life running from and actively avoiding change, the

last place you want to confront it is the church, one

of the few things that has been a constant for so

long in your life. Yet, if we want the church to

continue to grow, to continue to be here, to

continue to be a vital part of not only our own lives,

but the lives of those around us, we have to dare to

ask the hard questions. We have to dare to ask

where and how we might need to change in order to

better live into our calling as disciples of Christ. It’s

in our heritage, it’s written right into our DNA. We

are people of Reformation, we are people of change,

and sometimes that can be a terrifying thing, and yet

where would we be today if the Reformers hadn’t

dared to do the difficult thing? To ask the difficult

questions? To take a stand for the difficult but

necessary changes? The church as we know it might

look entirely different. So, we must ask ourselves,

From the Pastor’s Desk . . . Change

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how do we want the church of the future to look

back on us and think? Do we want them to look

back and say, if only they had dared to take the leap?

If only they had dared to do the difficult? Or do we

hope that they look back on us and say, thank God

they leapt, thank God they dared, because it brought

us to where we are today..

Peace it Together,

Pastor Tina

Pastor’s Announcements

Calling all Trinity Book Lovers!!

This month we are starting a new group at Trinity! If you're one of those folks that loves nothing more than sitting down with a good book, then hopefully you will join us for the first installment of Trinity's book group. Starting Thursday, October 17th at 5:30 PM, we will gather together (Place

TBD) to discuss Nadia Bolz-Weber's latest book Shameless. For our first gathering, we will read the first four chapters of the book, and get together around drinks and food to discuss what we thought. Since we are still looking for where to meet, we are asking folks to RSVP so that we can make a reservation somewhere for all of us. Feel free to either email Pastor Tina or sign up on the bulletin board so we can get a head count. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Pastor Tina, Wendy Mynoymany, or Whitney Ledesma.

Walking Worship Wednesdays: Fall Edition

Walking Worship will resume on Wednesday, October 2nd. We will gather at the Mariner's Museum at 5:45 PM (note time change from summer). Our walks in the fall are a bit shorter because of sunset, but we will take the time to walk together with prayer and scripture as we appreciate the creation around us. There will be four sessions through October, with the last one being October 23rd. All are welcome!!!

Blessing of the Pets: Walking "Furship"

Join us on Sunday, November 3rd at 3:00 PM at the Noland Trail for our Blessing of the Pets service. This year, Blessing of the Pets will be an adaptation of walking worship, what we're calling walking "furship." Bring your pets along for a walk along the trail

where we will worship together and take time to bless the furry members of God's creation who bring so much joy to our lives.

Theology on Tap Date Updates

Usually Theology on Tap meets on the last Thursday of the month, however, the next few months of the fall hit on holidays that might prevent us from joining together as fully as we would like. To avoid this, we're updating some of our meeting times:

October: Thursday, October 24 November: Thursday, November 21 December: No meeting

Oktoberfest and Reformation Sunday

To celebrate Reformation Sunday, we will gather together for one worship service at 10:00 AM, followed immediately by Oktoberfest in the social hall. There will be music, food, and libations for all to enjoy as we come together as a community for this time of fellowship. Please

bring a side dish or dessert to share for the meal afterwards, drinks and main courses will be provided.

All Saints' Sunday

Please note we will only have one service on All Saints Sunday (November 3rd) so that we may come together as a community to remember, honor, and celebrate the saints of our lives and our church family who have entered into the glorious saints in light this year. We

will have candles available for lighting at the beginning of the service, and all are invited to bring photographs of loved ones to place in the window wells so that we may truly be surrounded by the saints as we worship our resurrected Lord and Savior.

Fiftieth Organ Anniversary Celebration Thank You “When in our music God is glorified . . .”

Fifty years ago this December, the music of worship

here at Trinity began to soar, as our wonderful

Casavant organ was dedicated. For these fifty years,

the music of this organ has been part of our

worship, part of our joys, part of our sorrows -- an

intricate melody of worship woven in and

throughout the lives of each of us. Each of our

organists -- from Mr. Donald Golden to Mr. Rob

Keene –also has added his or her talents to the flow

of worship and blessing to Trinity’s members and

visitors.

This December, we will all have the opportunity to

celebrate this amazing instrument that has been such

an important part of our lives for fifty years and has

added so much to our worship here. As we prepare

to do this, we want to thank everyone who has

contributed in any way to making this celebration

possible – from Mr. Donald Golden and The

Reverend Elmer Bosserman, who first brought the

idea to the congregation, to the congregation

members who voted to go forward with the

purchase, to the experts from Casavant Freres who

built and installed it, to the various organists who

played it, to the members of the congregation who

voted for the recent renovation and the members

and friends who contributed financially to help make

our celebration this December possible.

Below is the list of members and friends who

contributed financially to our 50th anniversary

celebration:

Ms. Debbie Budlong

Mr. and Mrs. Dave Carlson

Mr. and Mrs. Chip Carpenter

Mr. and Mrs. Richard Davis

Mr. and Mrs. James Deagle

Mr. and Mrs. Kevin Goetz

Mr. and Mrs. Harlan Hamby

Mr. Ken Hoffman

Mr. and Mrs. David Hunt

Ms. Kathy Johnson

Mr. and Mrs. Rick Johnson

Ms. Carol Jones

The Rev./Mrs. Dan Jungkuntz

Mr. Charles Kessler

Mr. and Mrs. Butch Klapperich

Mr. and Mrs. Al Lebold

Mr. and Mrs. John Lunsford

Mr. Earl (Mickey) Neubaum

Ms. Susan Nobles

Mr. and Mrs. Cliff Obara

Ms. Barbara Olson

Mr. and Mrs. Mike Piland

Mr. and Mrs. Steve Quist

Mr. and Mrs. Loyd Rawls

Mr. and Mrs. Dave Roselius

Dr./Mrs. Richard Sallade

Mr. John Savage

Dr./Mrs. Robert Schappert

Mr. and Mrs. Cal Scougal

Mr. and Mrs. Don Sniady

Mr. William Solomon

Ms. Hazel Wiseman

Together with these members and friends, our

anonymous matching donor and with all the saints

of Trinity and beyond, we say “Alleluia!”

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Save the Date: December 1, 2019 Mark your calendars for

Sunday, December 1st at

4:00 PM for a hymn festival

to celebrate the installation

of our pipe organ 50 years

ago.

John D. Schwandt,

Associate Professor of

Organ and Director of the

American Organ Institute

(AOI) at the University of Oklahoma School of

Music, will lead the festival. A nationally acclaimed

performer, he is known for his musical versatility

and his ability to excite and engage audiences of

every kind.

Schwandt has served as a parish musician and an

artist-in-residence at various churches. He leads

hymn festivals all across the nation, frequently

accompanies silent films and was recently featured

on an album by the rock band Shiny Toy Guns. He

has won numerous organ competitions. You won’t

want to miss his performance at Trinity.

For more information on John Schwandt check out

his website johnschwandt.com

Celebrate with us some of the best American musicians and poets from the 20th century.

Our fall concert will include new settings of leading American poets and compositions by

some of the top American composers, including Eric Whitacre, Mack Wilberg, and Aaron

Copland.

Presents American Voices. Performance dates, times, and locations:

October 11, 7:30 PM, Trinity Lutheran Church, 6812 River Rd, Newport News, VA 23607

October 12, 4:00 PM, MTC Auditorium, TNCC, 99 Thomas Nelson Dr, Hampton, VA 23666

October 13, 4:00 PM, Ebenezer UMC, Suffolk, 1589 Steeple Dr, Suffolk, VA 23433

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Blessing of the Backpacks and Rally Day Photos

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Photos by Michelle Carpenter

There will be one worship service on

Reformation Sunday, October 27th at 10:00 AM

The annual Oktoberfest celebration will be held in the social hall

immediately following the service

Please bring an American or German side dish to share

The traditional brats, hot dogs, beer, and other drinks will be provided by

the Congregational Life committee.

Music, dancing, games, and fellowship!!!

Thursday, November 7, 2019 8:30 - 9:30 AM

School Gymnasium

Guest Speaker

William B. Downey President and CEO - Riverside Heath System

Presenting Sponsor

Towne Bank

2019 Lion’s Share Annual Fund Breakfast

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Happy Birthday to our Special Senior Saints for October

Youth Group Announcements

Howl O Scream – October 13 – The Youth Group

is going to Howl O Scream at Busch Gardens again

this year, so be prepared to get the pants scared off

of you. Please sign up on the youth group bulletin

board if you are planning to attend, meet at church

immediately following the 10:45 AM service and we

will travel together to Williamsburg. Bring money

for lunch and dinner. Make sure that you bring your

pass or pre-purchased ticket with you. After the

event, parents can pick your youth up at the Rum-

mel household. We will call parents when we are on

our way back to Newport News.

Light the Night –On October 26, the youth group

will participate in the Leukemia/ Lymphoma Socie-

ty’s Light the Night event. We will meet at Trinity at

4 PM to travel to Norfolk’s MacArthur Center for

the event. We will grab dinner at the mall, and then

enjoy the event and our walk through downtown

Norfolk. Youth will return to Trinity around 9 PM,

and we will call parents when we are on our way.

Parents can pick up youth at the church. This is a

great family event if parents and siblings would like

to attend. Please sign up with all participants’ names

on the youth group bulletin board by October 1.

See the fundraising article for information on dona-

tions.

Lost and Found – November 22-24. Attention all

7th and 8th graders, you are eligible to attend the

weekend long Lost and Found Event held by the

VA Synod at Eagle Eyrie in Lynchburg, VA. This is

a wonderful faith forming event that allows our kids

to interact with other Lutherans from across the

state and explore the Gospel on the top of a moun-

tain. Please fill out the registration form located on

the youth group bulletin board and give it, along

with full payment of $150 to Kelly Rummel by Oc-

tober 6, 2019. Make sure that you add your name to

the sign up sheet on the bulletin board.

Donations for Light the Night - The Leukemia and

Lymphoma Society’s Light the Night walk funds

treatments that are saving the lives of patients today.

This organization is making cures happen by provid-

ing patient support services, advocating for lifesav-

ing treatments and pioneering the most promising

cancer research anywhere. This year, the Trinity Lu-

theran Church Youth Group will be participating in

that walk in Norfolk, VA. If you would like to do-

nate to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society for

this important cause and support our youth’s fund-

raising efforts, please submit all checks or money to

Carol Bessom or Kelly Rummel by Sunday, October

13. Please make checks out to Trinity Lutheran

Church and include Light the Night in the memo

line, and we will submit one check to the Leukemia

and Lymphoma Society. Thank you in advance for

donating to this very worthy cause.

Light The Night - October 26th

Maureen Sallade turns 87

On October 21st

Millie Christensen turn 95

On October 6th

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OCTOBER 2019 CALENDAR

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1 Bible Study Zumba W&M

2 Walking Worship

3 Choir

4 5 Yard Clean Up

6 Worship Sunday School

7 Finance

8 Bible Study Zumba Council

9 Walking Worship

10 Choir

11 VCS Concert

12 VCS Concert

13 Worship Sunday School Howl O Scm

14 Columbus Day

15 Bible Study Zumba

16 Walking Worship

17 Trinity Book Club Choir

18 19

20 Worship Sunday School Cnfrm. Class

21 22 Bible Study Zumba

23 Walking Worship

24 Theology on Tap Choir

25 26 Light the Night

27 Worship Refor-mation/Oktoberfest

28 29 Bible Study Zumba

30 31 Halloween Choir

Nov. 1 2

3 Worship All Saints Walking Furship

4 Finance

5 Bible Study Zumba W&M

6 7 Lion’s Share Breakfast Choir

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ONGOING NEEDS:

PORT hygiene and clothes

Thrive shoe drive

Lutheran Disaster Relief

TELC Organ Anniversary

Emma/Lina’s Gifts of Love

Winter is Coming

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Bulletin Board

The Trinity Adult Sunday School

class meets in the parlor across

from the sanctuary. For the Fall

term, we will read and dis-

cuss Searching for Sunday by Ra-

chel Held Evans, a progressive

Christian voice and writ-

er. Rachel died tragically at

age 37 on May 4, following a hos-

pitalization for an infection

that led to seizures for which

she was placed in a medically in-

duced coma, from which she did

not survive. She leaves behind a

husband and two young children.

Along with many others, Rachel

was an inspiration and friend to

Pastor Tina. ALL are welcome; we

hope to see YOU there!! Questions

or suggestions - contact Dan

Jungkuntz or Patricia McClelland

at 930-0358.

The Archives Committee is getting

ready for Trinity’s 125th

Anniversary (2023). Please look

back through your pictures and

help us find pictures of

baptisms, first communion

classes, and confirmation classes

for the past 25 years. We will

either scan the pictures and

return them to you or download

them from a disc (if they are

digital). Of course, we are

always looking for pictures for

the archives—especially of

special occasions. We would be

delighted to get pictures before

1998 also. PLEASE include a list

of names of the people in the

pictures and the approximate date

the picture was taken.

Hygiene supplies for PORT have already begun to

appear in various places around our building, items

coming from both church members and school staff

and families. Thank you so much!! There are two

boxes (more may be added!) in the church library in

which you may place your items.

In the past, we have asked that shampoos and

conditioners NOT be donated as we do not have

facilities for showering. However, the Four Oaks

Day Center (open seven days a week, 8 to 5) right

down the street from us DOES have shower

facilities and would LOVE to have donations of

shampoos and conditioners, as well as any other

travel size hygiene products.

Let’s see if we can top our donations from past years

with enough hygiene supplies to provide comfort

and care, not just for our own PORT guests, but

enough to share with the Four Oaks facility as well!

All shampoos and conditioners will be given to Four

Oaks, and we are hoping to receive enough

donations of other hygiene items to share with both

PORT and Four Oaks.

Together, let’s make a difference in the lives of our

brothers and sisters in Christ!

Thank you!

Items always needed: Combs, Brushes, Deodorant,

Powder, Men’s and women’s underclothing,

(preferably larger sizes), Men’s and women’s socks,

gloves, hats, Men’s and women’s jeans, shirts, coats

(preferably larger sizes), and Bus Passes for the

employed.

Thrive Shoe Drive

Trinity has partnered with Thrive to col-

lect new and gently used shoes to help

Thrive meet the growing needs of the

community. There is a red Thrive Bucket

in the church narthex where shoes can

be dropped off.

Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church

6812 River Road, Newport News, Virginia 23607

Phone: (757) 245-7861

Worship Schedule

Sunday Worship: 8:15 AM and 10:45 AM

Faith Walk (Sunday School) Between Services: 9:30 AM

Starting June 9th: Summer Sunday Worship: 10:00 AM, No Sunday School

Holy Communion is celebrated weekly

A Nursery is Provided during worship

Contact Information

Pastor: The Rev. Tina Melusky (tina.melusky@gmail.com)

Organist and Director of Music: Rob Keene (music@trinitynn.org)

Administrative Assistant: Anne Obara (admin@trinitynn.org)

Treasurer: Carol Bessom (cbessom@trinitynn.com)

Website: http://www.trinitylutheran-nn.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TrinityNN/

A congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Virginia Synod

Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church is a covenant partner with:

Peninsula Pastoral Counseling Center, Habitat for Humanity, Newport News Link,

and Thrive Peninsula (formerly Denbigh United Christian Outreach).

Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church is a Stephen Ministry Congregation.

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