The Message . . . June 2012 Pastoral Ponderings

“For we are God’s servants, working together, you are God’s field, God’s building. Do you not know that you are

God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” 1 Corinthians 2:9, 16

When I read these verses that Paul wrote to the early church at Corinth, I can’t help but feel like he is de-

scribing Holy Trinity Lutheran Church and her serving saints here in Nashville, Tennessee. Taking care of

a church is in no ways different from taking care of your personal homes. We are always in need of lights

to be repaired, tables moved, windows washed, pews cleaned, plants watered and planted, doors unlocked,

bills paid, worship held, and inclusive hospitality showered upon the stranger.

We are God’s servants, working together in God’s field and truly being God’s building. I give thanks to

each of you from the ones who sing in the choir, prepare for fellowship, serve on council, assist with wor-

ship, take care of our property, attend worship, pray for your church, and participate in community activi-

ties. Holy Trinity is a congregation that busily is about the work of the kingdom and continually opening

our doors, hearts, and minds to those in need; from AA—to Girl Scouts—to Boy Scouts.

As we grow as a congregation in mission, more needs arise and more opportunities to serve present them-

selves. I encourage you to give thanks to one another for the good work we do together in God’s field, but

I also encourage you to invite others to participate in the kingdom work we are about. Being a member of

a church is not about consumerism, but it is about community and relationship building that takes work on

all of our parts.

It is hard to believe that we find ourselves at summers door already; for in many ways, it feels as if it were

just winter. Summer welcomes us with all its fullness from Synod Assembly, confirmation camp, AF-

FIRM, Vacation Bible School, and new innovative worship opportunities.

Over the summer months, we will take a break from our Wednesday worship, confirmation classes, Adult

dinner bible study, and Theology Un-corked. We break, to pause and receive Sabbath, so that we can gear

up for continued service and formation in the fall.

When I describe Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, I say, with a smile and grin, “Holy Trinity Lutheran

Church, is a community that welcomes inclusively, loves unconditionally, and engages gracefully. This is

a community of eclectic, weird, wacky, wonderful people, who are continually on the move with God and

who allow the Holy Spirit to her work.”

What do you say about this church? Thank you for your servant-hearts and continue to share the good

news of God’s Work among us!

Summer Blessings!

Pastor Kevin Strickland

CHURCH CALENDAR

Page 2 June 2012

Sunday June 3 9:30 am Worship

10:45 am Fellowship

Friday June 8 6:00 pm Gourmand Society

Sunday June 10 9:30 am Worship

10:45 am Fellowship

Friday June 15 Pastor’s Day Off

Sunday June 17 9:30 am Worship—Happy Father’s Day

Fellowship

Thursday June 21 6:00 pm Vacation Bible School

Friday June 22 6:00 pm Vacation Bible School

Saturday June 23 9:30 am Vacation Bible School

Sunday June 24 9:30 am Worship

10:45 am Fellowship

Friday June 29 Pastor’s Day Off

“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-12:00noon. Please submit announcements by 9:00am Tuesday morning for the upcoming bulletin.

Page 3 June 2012

Worship Assistants

June 3, 2012

Greeter: Carol Miller

Acolyte: Gabrielle DePalo

Assisting Minister: Barbara Hansen

Lay Reader: Bob Poole

Communion Assistant: Julie Foss

Ushers: Carol Dronberger and ST White

Tellers: Russ Anderson and Tom Cullen

Fellowship: Charlene Cullen

June 10, 2012

Greeter: Carol Dronberger

Acolyte: Taylor Dahl

Assisting Minister: Susan Dronberger Lay Reader: Marcus Mendenhall Communion Assistant: Virginia Gable Ushers: Russ Anderson and Dennis Christian Tellers: Lindsay Bishop and Cheryl Steffek Fellowship: Cheryl Mendenhall

June 17, 2012

Greeter: Cathy Crimi

Acolyte: Shanna Jones

Assisting Minister: Bill Gable

Lay Reader: Cheryl Mendenhall

Communion Assistant: Marcus Mendenhall

Ushers: Bob Poole and ST White

Tellers: Dennis Christian and Mike Cottingham

Fellowship: Bill Gable

June 24, 2012

Greeter: Elsie Irlinger

Acolyte: Matthew Helou

Assisting Minister: Gail White

Lay Reader: Cathy Crimi

Communion Assistant: Les Dahl

Ushers: Carol Miller and Dennis Christian

Tellers: Bob Poole and Charlene Cullen

Fellowship: Suzie Sittel

Page 4 June 2012

Who's on first?

You can find out on Friday, August 17th during Lutheran Church Night at the Nashville

Sounds game. We will be taking over the brand new (covered) Just Kicking Saloon Deck

for the game against the Tacoma Rainiers.

Tickets price is $30 per person ($25 for children 3-13) and includes a reserved seat

for the game and an all-you-can-eat picnic from 6:05-7:35pm. (menu: BBQ pork;

hamburgers, hot dogs, baked beans, cole slaw, potato chips, soft drinks, water and

cookies) You will also receive $2 Miller Lite drafts until the 7th inning. And...post

game fireworks!

TO ORDER TICKETS

Online: http://sounds.streamlineticketing.com/web/group.asp and enter the following codes:

Username: Lutheran2012

Password: baseball

Or call: (615) 690-4487

Your tickets will be available for pick up at Will Call. Space is limited and the party package is only

guaranteed through July 16th, so get your tickets today.

We look forward to seeing you at the ballpark!

Office Volunteers

Pastor Kevin and Debbie will be out of the office at the same time this summer. So

we are looking for volunteers who would like to answer the phone in the office the

mornings of June 18th-21st and July 2, and 3. If you would like to help any of those

days please call Debbie at 673-6289 or email at htnashville@gmail.com

Page 5 June 2012

From our friends in Madagascar

Greeting in the name of Jesus,

How are you at Lutheran Holy Trinity Church? Last Sunday, all Christian at

my Parish are together at FLM Antaniditra. Now Antaniditra village haven't

church. We praise the Lord at a school yard near the church.

Our text is at Mat.6:5-13, the disciples ask Jesus to teach them to pray. Why I tell to everyone that

the Christian at Holy Trinity also pray for us, and we pray to you also.

Thank you and next time again.

Pastor Theodoric

Madagascar.

Page 6 June 2012

Council Notes

I wanted to take a minute this morning to thank all of our past Council members for a great year. I

thought that our Congregational meeting went very well. We had 43 ballots filled out....a wonderful ma-

jority. We have some returning faces and new faces to join us as we continue our journey forward.

Tom, Jon and Mike...what can I say? You have been invaluable to us each in your own way. I personally

will miss your smiling faces at the meeting but look forward to seeing you in church and supporting the

missions that are dear to each of you. Don't be alarmed or surprised if you are still called upon for help!

You are, after all, friends also.

Cathy and Rundi welcome back. New smiles and idea makers include: Russ Anderson, Les Dahl. Kathy

Poole, and Suzi Sittel. Thank you all for agreeing to be a part of our Holy Trinity Council. You all have

unique talents to bring to the table and I personally look forward to seeing how this year moves forward.

Council members are:

Ann Bishop, Barbara Hansen, Marcus Mendenhall, Barbara Crooke, Linn Folger, Bud Miller, Cathy

Crimi, Rundi Ream, Russ Anderson, Les Dahl, Kathy Poole, and Suzi Sittel.

I have been given the honor of writing you all about the various happenings reviewed at our Council this

month. I would like to start by thanking the good Lord for His oversight of our mission of Faith, Fellow-

ship and Service. So much is happening both inside and outside of these walls.

The workday sponsored by Montessori and HT was remarkable. Kate Riley from HTM arranged for 25-

30 seniors from CPA to come for a work day. Windows were washed, the wall outside was painted, trees

were planted, the kitchen and pantry were cleaned and organized. Thanks go to Dick Sittel, Tom and

Charlene Cullen, Mike Riley, the CPA counselors, and Ann Bishop for efforts to provide leadership to

the students. They were a fun group. I enjoyed watching the girls "sing" to their mops! Thanks also to

Lisa Ahrens, Dick Sittel, and Lindsay Bishop for maintaining a watering plan so our new plants stay

around for us to enjoy! The grounds continue to be mowed by Dot and Arn Cross. A daunting task that

they willingly take on each year as part of their giving mission. Kudos and thanks go to them both.

Check out the pictures of the Bellevue Picnic! The attention getting cutout was done by Mike and Carol

Cottingham. Teams of two or more HT members manned the booth from set up at 6:30 until shutdown.

Popsicles were enjoyed during the heat of the day. Our own Taylor performed with her dance class on the

stage. One poor team got to get up close and personal in the middle of the tent as it poured down rain.

We had many children and their parents through our booth...what a fun way to let people know that we

are here!

Continued on next page

Page 7 June 2012

Council Notes continued

The Faith Formation team is busy planning vacation Bible school for June 21, 22, and 23rd. Read about

supplies needed and volunteers welcomed! Worship team has wonderful services including a Jazz Sunday

in the works for the fall. The Oktoberfest will be bigger and better than ever. Holy Trinity is now home to

Boy Scout Troop 41. They look forward to partnering with us in many ways. Look for more information

about them. Montessori will have their old "modular" removed in June and the original building they or-

dered put in where the old one was.

And where are we financially? At this point we show a deficit relative to our spending plan. However we

expected this as we move forward and we will be monitoring it as the year progresses. You saw from

Mike's Strategic Plan that we are definitely going about God's business. Our average attendance has in-

creased from 45 to around 75 each Sunday. We are growing. Hallelujah! It is our responsibility as a Con-

gregation to be mindful of who and Whose we are. And continue to give of our time, talents, and service as

we are able.

Thank you for allowing me to be your Council president this past year. I look forward to walking toward

the future with you all!

Ann Bishop

Oktoberfest is coming soon! Mark your calendars! Oktoberfest will be held Saturday, September 29th.

Something new:

This year we are trying to get sponsors for Oktoberfest. The goal is to raise money

for an outdoor pavilion that can be used by both the church and the Montessori

School. If you know of anyone that would make a good sponsor and would like to

contact them please let Russ or Patty Anderson know. Their e-mail address is

RAnde1878@aol.com. They will forward you a copy of the sponsorship letter that

explains different levels of sponsorship and what sponsors receive.

Silent Auction Items:

Anyone who wants to donate items for the silent auction or would be willing to contact local businesses that

would be willing to donate goods, services or items for the silent auction let Patty or Russ Anderson know so

they can forward that information on to the silent auction coordinators.

Page 8 June 2012

June Faith Formation News

All Kids Sunday School will be taking a break until mid-August, but kids in grades preK-6 with

gather around the piano after worship to learn songs for Spark Summer Splash VBS.

Children's Church will continue on first and third Sundays through the summer. Children will gather

after the children's sermon for age-appropriate activities exploring the readings for the day and why

we say and do things during worship. Contact Les Dahl for more information.

Vacation Bible School

Spark Summer Splash is almost here!

Holy Trinity Lutheran and The Church of the Resurrection Anglican Episcopal will be partnering for

VBS this summer. At Summer Splash kids age 3 to 12 can dive into music, games, science activities,

crafts, and more as they immerse themselves in the stories of Noah’s Ark, Jonah and the Big Fish, and

Walking On Water.

Place: Holy Trinity Lutheran Church

Dates: For ages 4-12, Thurs-Fri evening June 21-22; Sat morning (June 23) from 9:30 am - noon

(snack provided)

For ages 3-4, Sat morning (June 23) only, “Mini-VBS” from 9:30 am - noon (snack provided)

To register email htnashville@gmail.com or call (615) 673-6289.

Spark VBS still needs:

Clear plastic water or soda bottles with lids

Mineral oil

Marbles

Pirate hats or costumes

Netting for our "fishing boat"

Large boxes

Contact paper scraps

Eyedroppers

Food coloring

A salad spinner

Goldfish crackers

Shark or fish-shaped fruit bites

Page 9 June 2012

Members: Stuart Harrison; Bob Hawley for healing from pneumonia; Angie Sarola,

trouble with healing after operation; Tsegaye Arku for continued safety as he continues

to serve in Afghanistan; Bret Sheroky, awaiting heart valve replacement

Friends: The family of Bonnie Parker, a member of St. Andrew's who died this week;

Joel Cook, brother of Pastor Keith Cook (All Saints Lutheran Church, Huntsville) who had surgery

Monday; Erna Wieland, mother of Becky Jones; Josey Scott, premature baby; Amelia Scruggs,

second knee replacement; Brenda Leake on the passing of her father Edison Franklin; The family of

Bradley Collier for the loss of their son; Stephen, friend of Gloria Kleve, who is battling lung cancer;

Hank Woerner, friend and former member of Holy T whose mother passed away recently; Jack

Ficken for recovery from surgery; Lewis Baldwin and his family on the death of his niece. Lewis is my

professor for MLK and the Social Role of Religion class; Rev Bob Wolfert, a former SE Synod pastor,

now in Woden, IA who had hip replacement surgery 4/19 at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN; Joyce

Yearian, Aunt of Barbara Hansen, cancer treatment/surgery; Carolyn Akland’s parents, Agnes and Len

Akland for healing; Sue Hasse, neighbor of Charlene and Tom Cullen, who is undergoing

chemotherapy

Birthdays

6/13 Winta Tsegaye

6/13 Kellye Marcum-Mullins

6/17 Mike Cottingham

6/19 Alex Crooke

6/19 Taylor Dahl

6/22 Christian James (C.J.) Giordano

6/24 Maggie Kaufman

6/30 Barbara Hansen

Anniversaries

6/10/50 Bill & Ginny Gable

6/11/66 Lyle & Carol Hood

6/11/11 Marty and Allison Kaufman

6/23/01 Arn & Dot Cross

6/25/83 Lindsay & Ann Bishop

6/27/81 Marcus & Cheryl Mendenhall

June Celebrations

Prayer Needs For healing, God’s presence and comfort –

Page 10 June 2012

Scenes from the Bellevue Picnic

Page 11 June 2012

Scenes from the Bellevue Picnic

Thanks to

all who

made the

day a

success!

Holy Trinity Staff Rev. Kevin Strickland Pastor 615-829-3981 (cell)

David Dorn Director of Music

Debbie Robert Admin. Assistant

Bill Gable Organist Emeritus

Church Phone #: 615.673.6289

Church Fax #: 615.673.6292

Church Email: htnashville@gmail.com

www.ho ly t r in i ty na shv i l l e .com

525 Sneed Road Nashv i l le , TN 37221

For the good of the congregation . . .

Thank you to everyone who helped out with the Bel levue Picnic! Special thanks to Russ Anderson for coordinating the volunteers for

the Holy T table!

We are thankful for Carol and Mike Cottingham for creating the awesome VBS

themed cutout that we used at our picnic booth.

Thank you to Les Dahl for coordinating Children’s Church! Our young members love

this special t ime during worship on 1st and 3rd Sundays!

Thank you to our outgoing council members

and our continuing and newly elected members. We appreciate your service!