Pastor's Message

You shall eat plenty and be satisfied,
and praise the name of the LORD your God,
who has dealt wondrously with you. …
You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel,
and that I, the LORD, am your God and there is none else.
Joel 2:26-27

Near the end of this month we will, as is our custom, take time to observe a national day of thanksgiving. A crowded table of culinary delights – meats, vegetables, fruits, nuts, pies, sweets and a rich variety of beverages – has become the central symbol of the day, and a house filled to overflowing with family, friends and loved ones has become the ideal setting for the feast. At the end of the day, we can take satisfaction in having gathered and enjoyed the best and most basic things of life in abundance: food, family, and shelter.

The ancient prophet Joel encouraged his people to look forward to a day of plenty and abundance as a sign and promise of God’s presence and a testimony to God’s goodness, mercy, and reconciling love at work in the creation and in the lives of God’s people. When the soil and vine and livestock produce in abundance, and God’s people eat, drink and enjoy the fruits of God’s creative providence so as to forget times of scarcity and want, the prophet envisions also a time when the people will praise the name of the LORD their God and know that LORD is their God and there is none else.

I wonder what emotions will be in our hearts, what thoughts will be on our minds and what words will be on our lips as we gather to “give thanks” this year? I wonder if any of us has looked around at a house, family and feast and thought, “Surely God is in the midst of God’s people, and the LORD is our God and there is none else?”

There will be a moment on that day, maybe a brief moment but a time nonetheless, when we have the opportunity to praise and thank the God “who has dealt wondrously with us.” I encourage you to seize and savor that moment in prayer, silent or spoken. I encourage you to seize that moment to give testimony and witness to God’s life-giving presence and gracious providence in your life. I encourage you to take the words and witness of the prophet to heart and realize that it is not our money, our technology, our intelligence, our family character, our nation or our wonderfully designed house that are worthy of our thanks and praise, but it is the LORD who is our God, who deserves our thanks and praise.

Of course, you don’t have to wait until the end of the month to come to the table, to fellowship with family or to offer God your thanks and praise. Each Sunday morning at Holy Trinity, we take time for a thanksgiving feast, the eucharist or Lord’s Supper. Bring your friends and your whole family and let’s fill our house each week to give thanks and praise to the Lord our God who has dealt graciously with us in Jesus Christ. In Word and in Sacrament we come to know that God is in the midst of God’s people, that God is God and there is no other.

In Our Community

Thursday Night Advent Dinners
Advent is one of two times in the church year, when God’s people are encouraged to take extra time to gather as God’s people in prayer, meditation, fellowship around God’s Word. Join us on
December 3, 10 and 17 starting at 6:15 p.m. for soup supper and an evening Advent prayer, devotion and Bible reading. Bring a friend.

In Memory…
Edith Schulz (nee Muller), 85, of Nutley, died Sunday,
October 25, 2009 at her home with her loving daughters by her side. Born in Treudorf, Poland on February 16, 1924, she and her late husband Miron Schulz emigrated to Lippstadt, Germany and then to the United States. She lived in Nutley for 30 years. She was an assembler at Torelco in Irvington before retiring. Mrs. Schulz was a member of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Nutley and had been a singer with the Schwaebischer Saengerbund. Beloved wife, mother, and Omi, she is survived by her daughters, Ellen, Doris, & Carmen; her son-in-law Mark Reilly; her brother, Ernst Muller; her grandchildren, Brant, Katie & Kristy Reilly and many loving relatives and friends.

In lieu of flowers, contributions to Holy Trinity Lutheran Church Endowment Fund will be appreciated.



For anyone interested in visiting or writing, the current address for Victor Smith is as follows: N.J. Veterans Memorial Home, Room M124D, One Veterans Drive, Paramus, N.J. 07652. Visiting hours are 8am – 8pm.

Eric Oberndorf has a new address (he is moving to another base) – the only difference is the zip code. Please address as follows:
Oberndorf, Eric
D Co 1-504th PIR
APO AE 09808

Holy Trinity will be accepting donations on behalf of our soldiers. To follow is a list of items needed for Soldier Care Packages. Please bring in your donation(s) to Holy Trinity by Sunday, November 29th and we will arrange to have the items shipped. These are items the soldiers want, but cannot purchase:

PLEASE, NO PACKING PEANUTS

Food, snacks, drinks: energy drinks, drink packets (for water bottles), or anything that can keep well without refrigeration. This includes Lunchables, tuna salad kits, beef jerky, canned pasta, ramen noodles, summer sausage, trail mixes, gum, pop tarts, Tobasco sauce, coffee, sugar cubes, and non-dairy creamer are always in short supply. Mailing: envelopes and postage stamps are a great way to help your soldier keep in touch. Electronics: Most base camps now have electricity, and so many soldiers have portable DVD players, CD/MP3 players (iPods), Game Boys, and the like. So send new DVDs, CDs, games, etc. that a soldier may like, to help break the monotony. AA batteries also help a lot for these small personal devices. Magazines are always good; send general magazines that people their age enjoy. Toiletries: hand sanitizer, baby wipes, Chapstik, sun block, foot/body powder, boot insoles, disposable tooth brushes and Ziploc bags. Thank you.

Facebook

Holy Trinity is now on Facebook. You can become a fan of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church and stay up-to-date with what's going on in the congregation and among our members. As a fan you can also post your news, your questions, thoughts and experiences of God's love in action to share with others. It’s just another way to share the good news, overcome barriers and connect one to many in Christ. You can access our page directly from our website, at www.htlcnutley.com

Check out the new Community section of our Website as well. You can read blogs, news from ELCA, preview this week’s worship service and so much more. Log on today.

Christmas Services

December 24th:
4:00pm. Simple spoken Eucharist with carols.
7:30pm: Candlelight services with festive music.

December 25th:
10:00am: Christmas Day Worship.

Now’s the time to invite a friend. Go ahead, share the good news, overcome the barriers and make the connection. To assist at these services, please sign up at worship or call the church office.

Christmas

Stewardship Strengthens...

Stewardship strengthens our relationship with Jesus

Thank You for Your Pledge

Thank you to all who have pledged to share your gifts and assets to carry out the mission and ministry that God is calling this congregation to do. And, thank you to all of you who have committed yourselves to deepening your relationship with Jesus through daily prayer, Bible reading, weekly worship, generosity, service and friendship. Please, continue to pray for God’s wisdom and understanding as we seek God-pleasing ways to spend our time, our talents and our money, and remember the work of our congregation in your prayers.

If you have yet to send in your pledge card or your covenant card, you can still send both to the office. We need all God’s people acting together in faith, hope and love to live out the fullness of the ministry that God is calling us to. Thank you again.

Live Simply and Share the Wealth

Do you or someone you love have a car, appliances, furniture or other stuff they are looking to get rid of or donate? There are people in the community who may be praying for just that thing you are looking to give. Call the church office and let us know what you have.

Remember the Hungry

During these difficult times, organizations that provide food often run short of needed supplies. We will continue to collect food as part of our offering during worship. Bring your non-perishable food items to worship with you, and leave them in the designated area in the narthex.

We were notified of the following by the Red Cross:
FOODS NEEDED: Soups, Stews, Beans, Broths, Peanut Butter
THEY HAVE A SURPLUS OF: Pasta, Pasta Sauce, Rice, Tuna

Seafarers & International House

SEAFARERS & INTERNATIONAL HOUSE is a Lutheran Mission for seafarers and sojourners that started out in 1873 as an Augustana Lutheran mission from Sweden that strives to nurture the human spirit and to foster human dignity.

Christmas-at-Sea – there is some irony in that. The Christmas gifts we will share with family and friends in the warmth of our homes will most likely have arrived from overseas, aboard merchant ships whose seafarers will spend Christmas in the middle of some ocean, far away from their own family and friends. All of us ashore have the opportunity to return the favor to these seafarers and Holy Trinity would like to help. We will be accepting donations here at the church on their behalf. There will be one satchel for each seafarer (please keep in mind that most of them are men) and each satchel will contain:

One Sweatshirt – hooded or unhooded (size L-XL)
One pair of socks – thermal or white gym
One casual pullover T-shirt (size M-L)
One winter cap
One can of nuts or bar of chocolate
A Christmas Card from you.

Note: please do not wrap your items, we will be provided the special satchels for placement.

Please bring your donation(s) to Holy Trinity no later than Sunday, November 29th. Thank you.


To learn more, please go to http://www.sihnyc.org

November Birthdays, Anniversaries & Disciples

November Birthdays

4: Erika Bacik
8: Sara Murphy
10: Jennifer Murphy
11: Chris Amlung
12: John Fenton
13: Irene Falk
14: Barbara Hudnett
15: Victor Smith
18: Cathy Geiselmann
21: Erik Hess
25: Frank Siclari
27: Judi Lovas
28: Joelle Bernhard,
28: Stefeny Krombholz
29: Bonnie Munoz
29: Grace Viola
28: Aida Rubens
30: Nancy Duhm, Nicole Duhm, William Murphy

November Anniversaries

1: Ken & Irene Geiselmann
2: Richard & Susan Ulley
24: Louis & Terry D'Agnolo
24: Jim & Stefeny Krombholz

November Disciples

2: Chao-Lin
3: Agee Lin
4: Joyce Lin
5: Jeff Lin
6: Jared Lin
7: Edith Lodge
9: John Lovas
10: Judi Lovas
11: Rebecca Lovas
12: Kay Ludwig
13: Janette Lutz
14: Betty Mack
16: Tony Maguire
17: Nancy Maguire
18: Miriam Mascola
19: Gerald Mayr
20: Otto Mayr
21: Hedy Mayr
23: Bernd Mayrs
24: Carlos Medina
25: Grace Medina
26: Elaine Miller
27: Lois Milner
28: Nicole Mozeliak
30: Lizzy Wiede

On the Calendar

Sunday School
Sunday School is in full swing. Families gather for worship at 10 a.m. and children and teachers move to the classroom after a children message and prayer. The whole assembly gathers again to celebrate the Lord’s Supper together. If you would like to volunteer to be a teacher or helper, please call the church office.

Let’s Have Lunch!
All women of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church are invited to have lunch – bring a friend! – enjoy the fellowship!

When: Saturday, October 17th at noon
Where: The Park Pub, 789 Bloomfield Ave. Nutley (across from Roche)
Who: Please RSVP by October 14th to Julie Franchino at (973) 667-8492 or to Phyllis Weber at (973) 744-5482.

Remember to “fall back” on November 1st!
Please note that daylight savings time ends on November 1, 2009 – make sure to set your clocks back one hour.

Celebrate 85 years in mission November 1st
On November 1st, we will celebrate our 85th year in God’s mission here in Nutley with a festive worship service and a famous Holy Trinity potluck dinner after worship. Look for the potluck signup sheet later in this newsletter.

Pastors' Message

“I have learned to be content with whatever I have. I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” Phillipians 4

Over and over again, I am reminded of your generosity and the eagerness with which you share all God has blessed you with. I thank God for you and for your willingness to share in God’s mission to love, save and bless the world in Jesus Christ. I am especially thankful for the people of this community in these exciting, difficult and changing times.

All around us the world is changing. Our ideas about money, time and the environment may all be changing too. It seems that in times like these we are being asked – in some ways being forced to live more simply. At the same time, the circumstances of people in our lives, our families and our communities continue to depend on our generosity. Now, it seems we are starting to sense the urgency in our Lord Jesus’ voice when he invites us to follow him for the sake of the world by living simple and generous lives of faith, hope and love.

Over the next month, I invite you to join the conversation this congregation will be having around the topic – “Make it Simple.” I invite you to join the conversation and to share with this whole community – in prayer, talk, song and friendship -- how God has been working in your life. God has given us to each other to share our lives and challenges and share and grow in our faith. And so, remember that God has a word for us; Jesus has a life-giving, life-changing word to speak. We need to talk and share all that’s happening in our lives, but, more importantly, we also need to listen and to hear God speak.

I am anxious to hear about how you are “making it simple.” What steps have you taken to simplify your life? How have your ideas about money, time and the environment been changing? How is God challenging you to grow in your generosity? You can post your stories to our Facebook page, e-mail them to me at pastor.htlcnutley@verizon.net, write a card or letter or even share your experiences with the congregation as we gather for worship. I look forward to hearing from you, and to listening to what God is saying through you.

Over the course of this month, I am excited to look for new ways in which we can “Make it Simple” and inspire each other to live a simpler and more generous life -- not as a defensive reaction to current conditions but as a faithful and hopeful response to our Lord Jesus’ invitation to follow him, to face the truth, to act together and to share enough.

But let’s not just do this alone. Please, invite your friends, family, buddies, co-workers, hairdresser, handyman, plumber -- whoever you talk -- to join our conversation and to be part of God’s solution.

I rejoice in the mission we are partnering to accomplish – to share the Gospel, to overcome barriers, to connect one to many in the unconditional love of God. And I thank God that we are facing these times together as a community. In the power of the Holy Spirit, God is making us a powerful community of faith, committed to following our baptismal call of faithfulness to Jesus and service to our neighbor.

Facebook

Holy Trinity is now on Facebook. You can become a fan of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church and stay up-to-date with what's going on in the congregation and among our members. As a fan you can also post your news, your questions, thoughts and experiences of God's love in action to share with others. It’s just another way to share the good news, overcome barriers and connect one to many in Christ. You can access our page directly from our website, at www.htlcnutley.com

In Our Community

Chris and Nancy Duhm are proud to announce that their son Matthew has attained the highest rank in Scouting, the rank of Eagle Scout. Matthew, along with eight other scouts will be honored on Sunday, November 8, 2009 at the Essex Manor located at 41 Broughton Avenue in Bloomfield, 1:00 - 5:00 pm, cost per person is $34.00. Those individuals interested in attending should contact Sally Mueller at 973-667-1049 by October 19th.

For anyone interested in visiting or writing, the current address for Victor Smith is as follows: N.J. Veterans Memorial Home, Room M124D, One Veterans Drive, Paramus, N.J. 07652. Visiting hours are 8am – 8pm.

In Memory…
Dorothy (Dot) Wilson on Thursday, August 27, 2009. She was survived by her husband, Bradford, son, Greg of Westfield and daughter, Susan of Butler. She was predeceased by her brother, Peter Janco and her sister, Susan Trehan.

The following is an excerpt from a Sympathy Card to the memory of
Dot Wilson…
“I remember Dorothy’s dedication and service to her Tuesday evening L.C.W. circle, as well as her sincere and caring ways and her presence at worship. Enclosed is a donation to the Endowment Fund to remember with thanksgiving, the life of Dorothy Wilson. With sympathy… ’’~ Jeff Grieco.

Jeannette M. (Ibbotson) Rusignuolo,87, of Clifton, and formerly of Nutley, on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2009, at St. Vincent's Nursing Home in Cedar Grove. Mrs. Rusignuolo was born in Brooklyn; she resided in Nutley until 1999 when she moved to Clifton. Mrs. Rusignuolo was employed for 23 years at Roche where she was a member of the Roche Retirees Club. Before her retirement in 1984, she was a supervisor in clinical drugs research at Roche.

Predeceased by her husband, Frank Rusignuolo, she is survived by a daughter, Lois A. Milner; a son, Frank R. Rusignuolo; four grandchildren, Scott, Kristie, Brian and Kari, and five great grandchildren, Kaitlyn, Ava, Isabel, Leah and Olivia.
Memorial contributions to the Alzheimer's Association would be appreciated.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!

Thank you people of Holy Trinity … you all helped to make our Back-to-School/Back-to-Church celebration such a joy. THANK YOU …

…to Diane and Kara for putting together our gift packs;
…to Debbie, Emily, Sally, Nancy, Julie, Rebecca, and everyone who helped teach our children that God’s Word is our light;
…to Martin, Elaine and Ruth for leading our discussion as we began to rediscover our Book of Faith, The Bible;
… to Scott and the choir for leading worship and for inspirational music;
… to Julie, Greg, Aida, Frank, Nancy and everyone who planned, prepared and served the food;
… to all who passed out door hangers, invitations and postcards.

Thank you to everyone for making it another event to remember. But most importantly thank you for your warmth, your enthusiasm and your desire to share the Gospel with everyone we meet.

Using Email to Make, Keep and Invite Friends

As postal rates continue to rise -- we are trying to distribute more and more of our information electronically. If you haven't already shared your e-mail address with the church office, please consider doing so by sending an e-mail with ADD ME TO THE MAILING LIST in the subject line to office.htlcnutley@verizon.net.

Stewardship Strengthens our Relationship with God

LIVING AS GOD’S GENEROUS PEOPLE

Pennies for Peace
Thanks to everyone who contributed to our “Pennies for Peace” program during the summer. We raised a total of $100.50 to help children in war-torn areas of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Thanks to Paige and Diane Petschel for bringing this project to us—together we do more! www.penniesforpeace.org


Live Simply and Share the Wealth
Do you or someone you love have a car, appliances, furniture or other stuff they are looking to get rid of or donate? There are people in the community who may be praying for just that thing you are looking to give. Call the church office and let us know what you have.

Remember the Hungry
During these difficult times, organizations that provide food often run short of needed supplies. We will continue to collect food as part of our offering during worship. Bring your non-perishable food items to worship with you, and leave them in the designated area in the narthex.

We were notified of the following by the Red Cross:

FOODS NEEDED:
Soups, Stews, Beans, Broths, Peanut Butter

THEY HAVE A SURPLUS OF:
Pasta, Pasta Sauce, Rice and Tuna

How to Contact Our Staff

How to contact our staff – church office: (973) 667-0256
158 Vreeland Avenue, Nutley, N.J. 07110

Rev. James R Krombholz, Pastor:
(732) 548-1215 + pastor.htlcnutley@verizon.net

J. Scott Jones, Minister of Music:
(973) 338-0267 + music.htlcnutley@verizon.net

Tina Patti, Parish Administrator:
(973) 667-0256 + office.htlcnutley@verizon.net

Facebook - You can access our page directly from our website, at www.htlcnutley.com

October Birthdays, Anniversaries and Disciples

October Birthdays

1:Agee Lin
12:Tony Maguire
14:Evelyn Cordes
16:Angela Murphy
17:Ruth Sekula
18:Joseph Cicci
22:Martin Futyma
23:Jennifer Riccio
26:Lynn Johnson
29:Matthew Duhm
30:Kevin Johnson and Monica Rubens

October Anniversaries

3:Brenda & Dan Munoz
16:Nancy & Tony Maguire

October Disciples

1:Dot Greengrove
2:Nancy Guenther
3:Marcia Hayes
5:Erik Hess
6:Dayna Hess
7:Samantha Hess
8:Sydney Hess
9:Ruth Hsu
10:Rich Hudnett
12:Barbara Hudnett
13:Christina Hudnett
14:Alicia Hudnett
15:Ricky Hudnett
16:Lynn Johnson
17:Kevin Johnson
19:Brian Johnson
20:Scott Jones
21:Debbie Jones
22:Emily Jones
23:Sarah Jones
24:Robert Kozak
26:Marilyn Kozak
27:Robbie Kozak
28:Pastor Krombholz
29:Stefeny Krombholz
30:Jakob Krombholz
31:Luke Krombholz

Job Opportunity

Children’s Aid and Family Services is a non-profit human services organization that has been helping children since 1899. They have a rewarding employment opportunity that is more than just a job. Perhaps you know of someone in your community who is looking for work or is seeking a change in his or her life? They are looking for individuals who understand the importance of family, are community-minded, and who would be great role models to help positively change the lives of teenagers in foster care. These are young people who are desperately seeking the opportunity to experience a stable home and a loving family environment.

They are seeking committed couples who are passionate about parenting and making a positive difference, to serve as “Professional Parents” to teenager in either an agency-owned home or possibly their own home. To follow is a description:

Professional Parent (FT positions): To provide 24/7 intensive, therapeutic foster care for up to five (5) adolescents and demonstrate the knowledge and skills necessary to work with behaviorally challenged youth. Participate in trainings and treatment planning as well as its implementation. Assist each adolescent with developing the necessary life skills which will promote independence and encourage them to be active in his/her community and maintain relationships with birth family members as approved by DYFS. Requirements: Must be at least 21 years of age with a minimum of a high school diploma (or equivalent), one (1) year of experience working with behaviorally challenged youth and have a valid NJ driver’s license/good driving history. The professional parent must secure their own co-parent who will reside full time at the home/apartment provided by the agency – additional funds provided for food, utilities, car, etc. The professional parent must accept any team assigned referrals and supervise a full time youth counselor. The professional parent may not have outside employment and have any children under the age of fourteen (14) living with them. The co-parent is not an employee of the agency and may work outside of the home. Salary: $40,000 annualized.

Call (201) 226-0300 or visit www.cafsnj.org for more information.

Unemployed? Trials, Lessons and Blessings

If you’ve just lost a job, be angry, frustrated, scared and downright crazy if you need to be. Losing a job stinks and you’re allowed to tell God so. But if you’re past that first period of shock and fear, here are some of the things we’ve learned.

Don’t hide out
Tell everyone what’s going on. Get out of the house and network with folks. Let people know you’re looking for work – you never know where an opportunity might come from.

Keep praying
Let’s be honest – most of us turn to God more often during difficult periods, and this is one of them. If your prayer life has been on the back burner, now is a good time to move it front and center. Be as honest and forthright with God about your anger, frustration and fear as you want or need to be – God can take it!

Breathe and exercise
Breathing brings down stress levels. Take time to care for your body and soul during this time, not only by breathing but by exercising. Breathe and exercise so your body and soul can be open and attentive to whatever comes your way.

Continue to laugh
Laughter is great medicine. Do it daily. It will reduce stress, make you feel better and help you to stay balanced.

Keep the lines of communication open
Talk with family members about how you’re feeling and listen to their feeling as well. It’s easy to suffer silently, to think that if you don’t name your fears out loud they’ll go away. Talk about them with those you love. Let the hardships of this time pull you together.

Let the church hold you up
Your church community can help. Go to Bible/Prayer Studies. Go to Soup Suppers (Holy Trinity offers one every Thursday Night!) – it’s not only a good meal for pennies but an opportunity to socialize, network and relax with others who are holding us in prayer. Take a second look at ways in which your church community can support you right now.

Work the system
One of the most difficult aspects of unemployment really is all the bureaucratic red tape, with all it specialized language. Be persistent –
be dogged in going after the resources out there for those out of work. You’ll start feeling better when those unemployment checks start coming in.

Let others help
Teresa of Avila, a Spanish nun and writer once said that we are Christ’s hands and feet, so let others be Christ’s hands and feet to you. This is no time to be proud. If those around you want to help and are able, let them!

Give back in whatever ways you can
Budgets are important when your financial situation changes and maybe you don’t have money for charitable gifts right now. But you have time and talents to offer – give whatever you can – be Christ’s hand and feet yourself. You’ll feel better when you give to those who are even less fortunate than you. There are plenty of them out there.

The above was an excerpt from an article by Debra Farrington from The Lutheran. www.thelutheran.org

If you have time, talent and/or money and want to help some people in our community who are feeling the pinch of these tough economic times, talk to Pastor Jim about ways you may be able to help.

If you are in need or know of someone who is in need and would like this community of disciples to be of assistance, feel free to call pastor Jim, anytime –
732-548-1215; pastor.htlcnutley@verizon.net

Stewardship Stew

A community-action activity
As a loving parent, you want “the best” for your child. “The best” is not just about the best schools, the safest housing or the most nutritious foods, although these are all desirable. The “best” you want for your children is the best part of them – the God part of them. You want your kids to be who God created them to be; people who care and live their life showing it.

God, your loving parent wants “the best” for you, too – no matter how old you are. The best God wants for you is that place in you where your generous heart still beats, your soul trusts in God’s economy and your spirit feels compelled to pass on this most essential news to the next generation: “We are richly blessed by God. We feel the most joyful and free when we share God’s blessings.”

You can nurture that best place of caring and generosity in your children and in yourself by learning about being good stewards. Here’s a delicious activity, “Stewardship Stew” that will get you, your friends, your family and anyone you want to invite cooking, thinking and learning together.

Ingredients from the store
2 lbs lean beef (or another protein)
1 qt water or broth
2 cups sliced potatoes
1 cup sliced turnips
1 cup sliced carrots
1-2 onions chopped
3T flour
Salt and pepper
Garlic, parsley or a few favorite herbs

Ingredients from home
Love
Baptismal water
Bible
Blessings
Secret ingredients

Start the Stew
1. Sauté the meat, stirring constantly. When well browned, put it into the soup pot.
2. Cover with water, bring to a boil; skim fat. Simmer for one hour.
3. Add carrot, turnip, onion and potatoes; simmer for another hour.
4. Thicken with 3 tablespoons of flour diluted with enough cold water to pour easily.
5. Let the stew come to a boil again.

Adding the home ingredients
Now consider: where will you find items in the right hand column of the recipe? Where do you keep love? Give each other hugs. Stretch out your arms and pretend to hug God’s world. Stretch out your arms as wide as a large soup pot. Love surrounds you and your stewardship stew.

1.Where are the blessings? Look around at home and name some blessings you see inside and outside. They’re everywhere. Scoop some up for pretend and throw them in the stew pot.

2.How about the Bible? Find it, open it and read John 21:15. Jesus asked his disciple Peter, “Do you love me?” Peter answered, “Yes, Lord, I love you.” “Great!” said Jesus. “Then feed my lambs. Of course you’re not going to put the Bible in the stew! But you can pretend to shake some words in there. For example. “Jesus wants us to take care of each other.”

3.If you can, find a picture or remember out loud the story of yours, your child’s or your friend’s baptism. Before the stew is cooking, let others pour cold water or broth over the meat in the pot. When you were baptized, God pours water over you and gives you some jobs. Ask: “What are some jobs God gives us? Your baptism goes into the stew because when you’re baptized God says, “Care, give, share.

A Secret Ingredient
Don’t hold back on adding more to your stew: fresh tomatoes, herbs, a Bible verse that taught you about giving, a song that makes you feel God. Use your whole bodies as you season the soup. Jump up and down like salt shakers, pop like herbs in the garden, sneeze from the pepper, twirl around like a stirred up stew.

Taste and See
Now it’s time to eat. Say a Stew Grace to bless the meal. And be sure to surprise someone by sharing a container or two with them.

Potluck Dinner

Celebrate 85 years in mission Sunday, November 1, 2009, by gathering for worship and the Lord’s Supper at 10:00 a.m. and then stay together after worship for a potluck dinner. Mark your calendar and get ready to share great food, some fun times and that famous Holy Trinity “family” fellowship. This is a great opportunity to invite your friends and neighbors to come and experience the grace of God working through our loving community, so bring a friend!

Use the form below to tell us what you plan to share at this gathering.
Thank you!




November 1, 2009 Potluck Dinner Sign-up Sheet

We will be there (names): ___________________________________

We plan on sharing:

Food:
Main Dish _____

Salad or Vegetable _____

Dessert _____



Time and talents:

Set up _____

Clean up _____