_____________________________________________________

— ARNIE’S CORNER –

It seems ironic to me that last month I wrote about time, not thinking of the surgery I faced in early May. The procedure has given me the gift of time. No, not necessarily the gift I sought, but one of the gifts I received.

One of the other gifts is the gift of love, the genuine feeling of having arms wrapped around me, arms I cannot see, but arms that are certainly felt.

These arms are the arms of the people of Holy Trinity and those of the other people, both singularly and corporately, that offered up their prayers for a successful outcome for me.

How humbling that is for me. These people, some who barely know me, were exercising their faith by asking God to heal me.

Humbling, very humbling, but also uplifting and grace-giving to me at a time I needed it.

Like many people, I am anxious and unnerved by being anesthetized, not because of fear of the unknown, but the fear of relinquishing control to others who I have not known for very long.

I had to be at Jefferson University Hospital in Center City, Philadelphia at 10:30 a.m. on May 5. I was checked in, ushered into a cubicle and told to disrobe. I left my eyeglasses, watch and wallet in the care of Mary Ellen.

I did as I was told and adorned myself in that wonderful gown all hospitals use; you know, the one with the huge air conditioning panel in the back. Then I lay down in the bed. I was asked several questions, and told, “Relax.”

That is easier said than done.

It was at this point I realized I was no longer in control of my fate. It was the doctors, nurses and OR techs who literally held my life in their hands.

At this point, I realized that we have been promised that: “Lo, I will be with you always, even to the ends of the earth.” I felt calmer than I had felt before. I knew I was not alone. Whatever was to happen, I was not alone.

The OR called for me and the nurse who took me to the OR said I seemed very calm; more so than most patients. I knew then that your prayers had been heard.

Peace was another gift I was given. I remember seeing the DaVinci instrument that was to be used for my surgery. It reminded me of Danny in “The Karate Kid” standing on a large rock, emulating a crane, both arms elevated and one leg as well.

I woke up in recovery without pain, completely awake and oriented. Shortly thereafter, I went to the Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU), where Mary Ellen was waiting for me.

The last gift I received that day, was the absence of pain – and nobody believed me. I was offered drugs three times within a six hour period to “relieve my pain.” When I refused the last offer, the nurse gave me a lecture about pain control. She said this med was ordered and I needed to take it. I refused.

I write this 10 days after surgery and I have experienced no pain. I find it overwhelming. I was spared the obviously expected pain. I shredded the prescription for Percocet and have not needed so much as a Tylenol.

I am so very grateful to all of you who remembered me in prayer; to each of you who took the time to exercise your faith on my behalf. Prayer is a phenomenon that is critical to the believer. Regardless of how it’s presented, it is heard and God replies. We may never know what or how the response comes, but God does answer prayer. I know I was the recipient of God’s answer to many prayers, including my own. Thank you, everyone. You made my day on May 5.

~~Pastor Arnie

— CHRISTIAN EDUCATION –

“Take and Eat …”

Twenty-four children received their First Holy Communion Saturday, April 25 and Sunday, April 26. They were:

Shaun Patrick Ahern, Jr.

Cameron Cole Centrella

Sean Patrick Dickenson

Dakota Kayne Donohue

Paige Kristin Donohue

Alex Jay Fox

Erika Kristin Hand

Dylan James Kois

Alexandra Eleanor Kowalczyk

Emma Post Leming

Matthew John Moran

Willow Moon Nicolaides

David Lawrence Pearce

Aidan C. Quakenbush

Patrick Joseph Regan

Lauren Kandis Restucci

Madison Ann Rydholm

Anders Tomas Scala

Christopher Robert Sevastakis

Daniel Sherman

Andrew Nicholas Vogel

Laura Ann Vorbach

Jessica Maria Waldeyer

Kyle William White

Our communicants wrote these poems and read them aloud during the worship services that are indicated:

Saturday, 5 p.m.

Holy Communion is Heavenly!

Only Son, Jesus Christ,

Loving Jesus, cures leprosy and other

sicknesses.

Your brother and sister are beside you,

your Father is God.

Christ is with you in communion, in

Confirmation, in church.

Outstanding Father, I love you!

Move forward with God, our

Maker in heaven.

Unbelievable God in Heaven, You Rock!

United people, You rock!

Never doubt God, Never forget God,

Never blame God.

In God we trust,

Our Father that we love.

Nothing but you can give us life. Amen.

Sunday, 10:30 a.m.

Hallelujah! Christ is Risen

On the cross, Jesus died for us.

Let the Lord’s love be with you!

Your love is for Jesus.

Christ loves us.

Christ is with us for life!

Our communion is special.

May the Lord be with you.

Make Sunday holy.

Understand that God loves us.

Now is the time to worship.

IHS means Jesus.

On the altar rests the bread and wine.

Never stop loving Jesus! Amen

“Come, Gracious Spirit …!”

Twenty-three youth affirmed their baptism Saturday, May 28 and Sunday, May 29. Our confirmands are:

Kyle McGarry

Emily Montgomery

Allison Moran

Meryl Parseghian

Daniel Place

Tucker Jabonz Ritchie

Carly Suchecki

Nicholas Comerford

Reid Anthony Dans

Eric Farrington

Brianna Fox

Thomas Howell

Alyison Madonna

Catherine Kelly McIver

John O’Malley

Ian Bateman

Genna Chesney

Morgan Harkness

Brandon Maier

Emily Maier

Kristiane Olson

Alexander Michael

Restucci

Matthew Francis Wall

Breakfast Club Tells Foodbank:

Keep the Change

The Breakfast Club would like to thank everyone who donated to the Coins for the Kingdom fund raiser.

$306.75 was raised and the entire amount will be donated to the local foodbank.

Thanks for your continued support in all we do!

Library Grateful for Your Support

Christian Education and the library volunteers want to thank everyone who supported our Adopt a Book Coffee Hour on May 10. Fourteen books were adopted with over $250

raised for the church library and $100 donated to the non-profit literacy organization, READING IS FUNDAMENTAL (RIF). Every $10 provides RIF books and materials for one child for one year.

We especially appreciated everyone who stopped by the book tables to learn more about our Adopt-a-Book program. Adopt-a-Book Coffee Hour is held once a year, usually in May in celebration of Children's Book Week, but books may be adopted in honor of or in memory of a loved one all year round.

Please call Ellin Greene (732) 899-2270 if you would like to participate in the program. We invite everyone to visit the library downstairs outside the nursery classroom or browse in the library kiosk in Fellowship Hall.

Book Review

Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace… One School at a Time,

by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. Viking, 2006

Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Journey to Change the World … One Child at a Time: The Young Reader’s Edition, by Greg Mortenson & David Oliver Relin. Adapted by Sarah Thomson. Forward by Jane Goodall. Dial, 2009

Listen to the Wind: The Story of Dr. Greg and Three Cups of Tea, by Greg Mortenson and Susan L. Roth. Collages by Susan L. Roth. Dial. 2009

While mountain climbing in Pakistan, Greg Mortenson became separated from his companions. Lost, weak from hunger, he is rescued and nursed back to health by the hospitable people living in the impoverished village of Korphe. During his recovery Mortenson observes children sitting in a circle on the bare ground as they scratch out the multiplication table with sticks and learns that this is the children's only "school." The children share a teacher three times a week with another village. In gratitude to the people of Korphe Mortenson promises to return and build a school.

The son of Lutheran missionary teachers who took him to Tanzania, Africa, at the age of three months and where he lived until the age of twelve, Mortenson learned the values of compassion and serving others from his parents, but until his life-saving experience in Korphe his main goal was to be "a mountain climbing bum." Mortenson believes poverty and ignorance are the roots of terrorism and that the best way to fight terrorism is through education. About 110 million children ages 5 to 15 around the world don't have a chance to learn how to read and write or to go to school due to poverty, discrimination against girls, religious extremism or corrupt governments. Since 1994, with financial backing from Dr. Jean Hoerni, a mountain climber and a physicist who became a multimillionaire from "creating a new kind of process to store information computer chips," Mortenson has raised money to build 58 schools for both boys and girls in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Over 24,000 children attend these schools. The very first donation, however, came from children in his mother's elementary school in River Falls, Wisconsin, who raised $623.45 in "Pennies for Pakistan." This was the beginning of the "Pennies for Peace" program which is ongoing today.

Sarah Thomson has done a brilliant job of adapting the book for young readers. Jane Goodall, who since 1960 has been studying chimpanzees in Tanzania and founded the Roots and Shoots program in 1991 that encourages young people to learn about one another's cultures and how to work together to make a better world, wrote the Forward. The Young Readers Edition doesn't dwell on the politics of Pakistan and Afghanistan, Mortenson's 8-day kidnapping, a fatwa from the Taliban, and death threats not

only from the Taliban but from Americans who do not understand, or who disagree with, his philosophy.

Instead, Thomsen focuses on aspects of the story of most interest to children. The book includes a question/answer segment with Mortenson's 12-year-old daughter Amira, photos of the Mortenson family, the people of Pakistan and the rugged terrain, a time line and a glossary.

Listen to the Wind tells the story of the first school that Mortensen built in Pakistan in the village of Korphe. Illustrated with colorful collages by the talented artist Susan Roth, this is a perfect introduction for younger children. The simple text is told in the voice of the children of Korphe and even mentions how they helped with their small fingers by wedging tiny slivers of stones into the cement to make the walls of the school stronger.

Tom Brokaw called Three Cups of Tea "one of the most remarkable adventure stories of our time" and "proof that one ordinary person, with the right combination of character and determination, really can change the world." This New York Times best seller is "must" reading for a better understanding of the people and cultures of Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Ellin Greene

— EVANGELISM –

Welcome to the Family

We will be receiving new members into our faith family during worship at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, June 7. The service will be followed by a welcome luncheon.

Spiritual Nourishment

Max Lucado’s Cast of Characters: Common People in the Hands of an Uncommon God, is the subject of our Easter season weekday spirituality series. Join us for conversation about some unlikely people God chose for holy responsibilities in the Bible.

Classes meet from 10 to 11:30 a.m. and 7:30 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays. (The first session was April 22.) Pastor Mary leads the conversation.

A copy-to-borrow is available in our church library.

Saints and Sinners

Packing a Picnic Basket Full of Fun

The Saints and Sinners picnic will be at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, June 20 at the Walsh's home in Brielle. The rain date is June 21.

A sign up sheet and info are posted on the bulletin board in Fellowship Hall.

diakonia® Coming to Holy Trinity

Holy Trinity is now a teaching site for the diakonia® mission of the New Jersey Synod. We will be starting a class in September and we anticipate a good response from the local churches because of our location.

diakonia® is a series of 12 classes presented over a two year period. (One night a week, agreed upon at the outset by student and teacher.) The courses are set up in a Series A and B format. At Holy Trinity we will begin with Series A and the first course will be Introduction to the New Testament. The length will be three hours, one night a week, for five weeks.

The second course will be Church History – The First 400 Years, and the last course will be Practical Ministry I – Biblical Images of the Life of the Church (diakonia, koinonia, leitiurgia and kerygma).

These three courses will end prior to the start of Advent to allow the student to participate in the Advent celebration of the church.

I can tell you that there is an excitement that builds up among the students that is almost electric. There is also a bond that develops and continues. I still maintain contact with some of my fellow classmates.

Yes, I am a diakonia® graduate and went on to enter ordained ministry. I am proud of the program and the students who go through it. I also understand that two years is a significant chunk of time to commit to, but approaching it class-by-class does make it seem less daunting. The reading assignments are not difficult and can be quite interesting.

The fees related to the program amount to $300 per year, which includes books, a one-time registration fee of $25, the cost of retreats (typically one a year) and a graduation fee of $25 to $40, which includes a commemorative diakonia® cross.

The above information and more can be found in the booklet “diakonia®, Program Overview and Course Descriptions,” which is available at Holy Trinity.

If you are interested in becoming a student and/or seek further information, please see me. ’hope to see you in class!

~~ Pastor Arnie

— CHILDREN OF GOD –

During the month of May, Holy Trinity welcomed the following children into the Body of Christ through the Sacrament of Holy Baptism:

Name: Kathryn Elizabeth Crist

Date of Baptism: May 17

Kathryn’s sponsors are Richard Malta and Helene Crist.

Kathryn’s parents are Samuel “Gus” and Sandra Crist. She has a brother, Gus, 3 ½ years old.

Her aunt and uncle, Laura and Richard Malta, are Holy Trinity members, as are cousins Jimmy and Alec.

Name: Max Douglas Monteforte

Date of Baptism: May 24

Max’s sponsors are Brandon Kutz and Dyana Monteforte.

His parents are Frank and Brynn Monteforte. He has a sister, Alexandra, who is four years old. Max’s grandparents are Holy Trinity members Doug and Linda Kutz.

— REST IN PEACE –

Our love and prayers are with the family of

… Rachael “Chickie” Loughlin, who died April 27, 2009.

Pastor Mary presided at the memorial service for Chickie on Friday, May 15, in the Holy Trinity sanctuary, and at the interment in St. Catherine Cemetery.

… Holy Trinity Pastor Emiritus the Rev. Robert Z. Wuchter, who died Monday, May 25.

Pastor Wuchter was buried from Atonement Lutheran Church, Asbury Park, on Friday, May 29.

We give thanks to God for Pastor Wuchter’s faithful, fruitful ministry to our Holy Trinity family over the course of 35 years (1950 to 1985). Until ill health prevented them from doing so, Pastor Wuchter and his wife, Ellie, were a faithful presence at funerals and celebrations of this congregation into which they invested so much of themselves.

The Holy Trinity Congregational Council voted Monday, June 1, to make a monetary donation in Pastor Wuchter’s memory to the Atonement Lutheran Church. If you would like to contribute to this gift, please place your donation in an envelope and put the envelope in the collection plate or drop it off in the church office. (Note: Please write “Pastor Wuchter Memorial” on the front of the envelope and, if you write a check, write “Pastor Wuchter Memorial” on the memo line.)

Donations in memory of Pastor Wuchter may also be made to the Rev. Michael D. Wuchter Memorial Endowment Fund, ELCA, 8765 West Higgins Ave., Chicago, IL 60631 or to the Atonement Lutheran Church, 308 1st Ave., Asbury Park, NJ 07712.

For those who would like to send a note of condolence, Mrs. Wuchter’s address is 1403 Siebel Road, Wall, 07719.

— BEREAVEMENT MINISTRY –

On the first Sunday of each month, Holy Trinity offers bereavement support to those grieving a loss or a change of some kind. The group will meet at 10:15 a.m. on June 7 in Pastor Mary’s study. Chris Ann Waters, author and certified bereavement specialist, leads the discussion. Consecutive attendance is not required and people are welcome to attend as needed.

The most recent Transitions, a monthly devotional written by Ms. Waters that addresses matters of grief and change, is printed here for the benefit of Lamplighter readers:

Getting Home

And I will pray the Father and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever. John 14:16

Recently I set out on a trip to visit a colleague/friend for a late lunch. It was an unseasonably warm and beautiful day as I drove along fine for about forty miles when my plans suddenly changed and traffic came to a halt. There had been a serious accident. Police officers and highway officials redirected traffic due to various road closures. I was at a complete stop so I made a call on my cell phone to reschedule our luncheon and then I focused on the task ahead: getting home. It was a slow and circuitous route home; the same forty miles in reverse took two and a half hours to navigate. I persevered. During the long trip I would not allow myself to complain; I thought about the people in the accident and their families. Some people would not be going home. The next day the newspaper would report that the accident was tragic as ten vehicles were involved in the crash and in one vehicle five people were killed.

Getting home. Generally a simple and routine action. We make all sorts of plans to go to and from home. We go off to school, work, worship, recreation, dinner, movies, and errands all with the same expectation—to return home. However, accidents happen. Choices are made. Circumstances change. Original plans are altered; sometimes temporarily and sometimes permanently. In an age of constant communication via cell phones, text messaging, and emails, news travels quickly and we can notify others of changes/delays regarding our return. That is, when we are in a position to do so.

Sometimes the act of getting home is not easily accomplished nor communicated. There is the teenager or college student who drinks and loses all control and is unable to remember where home is let alone how to operate a car to get there. There is the soldier miles away serving his or her country with skill and honor and getting home is longed for but duty calls. There is the elderly Christian who sits lonely and confused in a nursing home trying each day to endure aches and accept medications while trusting in God’s promise to get to their final Home. Getting home means different things at different ages and stages in life. Whatever home means to each of us at different times in our lives, getting there cannot be taken for granted.

When Jesus left this world to return to Home to Heaven, He said that He would leave the Holy Spirit with us to give us help, comfort, counsel, and guidance. If you know God through Jesus Christ, you know some of the Spirit’s language and movements. He is the gentle nudge that tells the teenager not to drink and to go home. He is the encourager and defender that keeps soldiers prepared for battle and soothed when homesickness is felt. The Holy Ghost helps the frail man and woman to remember a verse from the Bible or the line of hymn as a sign that he or she is not alone. A Christian is never alone. God promised. The Holy Spirit is here. Jesus said so.

Spring brings a host of activities. Communions, confirmations, proms, graduations, graduation parties, field trips, and weddings fill the season. There are other activities as well such as special memorials and trips to cemeteries for those veterans who served the country or the Christians who served the faith. Furthermore, there are trips that come in every season; trips to cemeteries to pay respects to those who did not make it home due to car accidents, suicides, homicides, miscarriages, drug and alcohol overdoses, fires, and other endings that are challenging and painful. We pray for those we remember who have died and rest from the labors of this life, and pray for their eternal peace with Jesus Christ.

Whether our travels are celebratory, common, or reverent, we are wise to be attentive to the Holy Spirit’s tender or bold instructions to act or not act respectively. God loves His people. He loves each one of us in such a profound and mysterious way that He sent the Holy Spirit to be with us to guide, comfort, and grow us for our good and for God’s glory. In all of our comings and goings the Holy Spirit is there. Safe arrival back home is a gift; it is a gift we give to mothers, fathers, spouses, all loved ones, ourselves, and to the dear Lord Himself. May we be mindful of the Holy Spirit’s presence to lead us home.

Holy Spirit, You are with us wherever we go and in all that we do. Thank You for providing a supernatural advantage—when we realize it and when we do not. Whether our travels are simple, complex or final, we trust You to be with us as Jesus said You would be. Amen.

— WOMEN OF THE

EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH

IN AMERICA (WELCA) –

Elisabeth Circle will meet at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, June 8 in the church. Lucille Adelman will be our hostess and Louise Moenke will prepare devotions.

Circle members contributed $100, which was given to the new free health clinic at Bethel Lutheran Church, Biloxi, Mississippi. This is our continuing support for Hurricane Katrina victims.

The Circle of Faith (formerly the Louise Circle) will be meeting during the
summer months. Our June meeting is at 7 p.m. Monday, June 15.

We will continue to
bring undergarments for RedeemHer and discuss our next charity (in addition to the Food Pantry).

Please mark your monthly calendar and keep you eyes open for updates in upcoming worship bulletins.

— TRINITY BLANKETEERS –

New Name; Same Dedicated Group

We continue celebrating our tenth year serving New Jersey children through the gift of a handmade blanket and a refreshed new logo – Blankie Depot.

Many thanks to Lois Hodousek for keeping our group active over the winter months while I was away. Lois welcomed four new volunteers – Wonderful!!

Twenty four blankets were made and will be delivered to Blankie Depot.

We will meet at 1 p.m. on June 8 in the back classroom of Fellowship Hall. Please join us to make blankets for fragile children.

For more information, please contact me at (732) 449-1942. Thank you for your support.

~~ Gloria Smith

—WORSHIP & MUSIC–

September’s Right Around the Corner

Yes, that’s right! It may be summertime but it’s also time to start thinking about fall schedules. Now is the perfect time to set aside a portion of your child’s schedule and enroll them in the Holy Trinity Choir School.

Cherub Choir (age 3 -Kindergarten) rehearsals will be held from 4 to 4:30 p.m. on Wednesdays beginning in September and continuing through June. Children discover their singing voices, develop their sense of rhythm and learn age-appropriate repertoire. The Cherub Choir sings regularly at the 10:30 a.m. Sunday worship services.

Junior Chorister (grades 1-2)

rehearsals will be held from 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. on Wednesdays beginning in September and continuing through June. This is the training choir which prepares children to enter the Holy Trinity Chorister program. Rehearsals are

based on the RSCM curriculum but are more relaxed. This ensemble is also open to children who have previously completed two years of Cherubs. Junior Choristers will sing regularly at Sunday worship services.

Chorister (grades 3-8) rehearsals are held from 4 – 5:30 p.m. on Tuesdays beginning in September and continuing through June. Choristers use the RSCM curriculum Voice for Life, which focuses on age-appropriate vocal training, sight-singing and music theory. Choristers will sing regularly at Sunday worship services.

Youth Choir (grades 9-12) rehearsals will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursdays beginning in September and continuing through June. During the first hour of rehearsal the youth will work as an ensemble. During the second hour, the youth will join the Adult Choir for rehearsal and sing as one inter-generational ensemble. Youth will use the same RSCM curriculum as Choristers and be eligible for all awards, trips and courses. Youth Choir will sing regularly with the Adult Choir at Sunday worship services.

A Few Words from Choir Parents

In an email survey, our choir

parents and children were asked to

respond to these questions:

Parents: (1) Why have you chosen to involve your child(ren) in the HTLC church music program? (2) What do you see or hope to see your child(ren) getting from our church music program that they do NOT experience anywhere else?

Children: (1) Why is being in a church choir different than being in a school choir or community choir? (2) What is special to you about being in the HTLC Children's Choir Program?

Here are some of the answers we received:

Casandra Sutton (child) – (1) In Mr. Ned's class we do a lot more singing and learning how to sing the right way. We also sing about Jesus.

(2) I have made a lot of new friends and we sing in special Holiday programs with the grown-ups.

Christel Sutton (parent) – (1) I chose to involve Casandra in the program, because it is a great experience and something that I did as a child in Holy Trinity Lutheran Church.

(2) I believe she will have a better understanding of how our services work. It also makes church an enjoyable place to go, where for some parents it is a chore to get their kids to go.

Emily Kave (child) – (1) Because we sing in the church instead of the school.

(2) Because we get to learn a lot of stuff about God.

Alex Kave (child) – (1) Because we get to sing about God.

(2) Playing the music games like The Follow the Leader game.

Gail Kave (parent) – (1) I chose to have our children participate in the music program because I have always sung in church choirs from, CYO to college. While singing any kind of music is fun for us, there is just something very special about the music we sing in church. I wanted to give my children the opportunity to experience it early with the hope that they would develop a general love of music and singing and a specific enjoyment of church music.

(2) I do see them learning about the meanings behind the songs that they sing. Anyone can simply read words on a sheet of paper and repeat them to the music being played. I believe that it is important to understand what those words mean so that they can be sung with a purpose.

Catherine Schwier-Mencer (parent) – (1) I chose to have Lydia participate in the Cherub Choir because she loves music. She loves to sing and dance! I also want my children to be involved with music at Holy Trinity because my Grandmother, Louise Schwier, was devoted to the music program here at church. She received so much joy from her involvement with the music at church. When she was alive, she was so proud knowing that my oldest, MaCay, was in the Cherub Choir. When we visited my Grandmother, she always asked MaCay about the songs they were learning. My Grandmother is smiling down from Heaven knowing that her Grandchildren are receiving the same joy from our music program that she did!

(2) With the cutbacks in the school systems, I know that my children do not receive the same instruction in music that I received when I was growing up. The music program at our church enhances the necessary learning that is needed for our children to appreciate the Fine Arts. Plus, I firmly believe that children need to be a part of our church other than Sunday morning. Lydia loves to sing in the Cherub Choir and she knows she is a voice in God's chorus.

The Next Step

Now is the perfect time to give your child the gift of music. Studies have shown that learning a foreign language becomes more difficult as we grow older; the same is true for music. Early childhood is the time when these skills need to be properly developed. Once a child learns to sing, he or she will have that skill for the rest of his or her life.

Please take a moment to fill out the registration form on the next page and enroll your child today. Mail the completed form to the church office (or drop it off!) in an envelope addressed to me.

Parents and children do not need to be members of Holy Trinity to participate in the music programs. All ensembles are open to people who live locally.

In His Service,

Ned Perwo

Director of Music

—COMMUNITY–

Vacation Bible School will meet from 9:30 a.m. to Noon on Aug. 3 through 7 at the Manasquan United Methodist Church. Classes are for children who will be 4 years old by July 1, 2009 through young people who have completed 6^th grade. Fee: $15 per child. Youth who have completed 7^th grade are invited to help with VBS. Sign up sheets are on the coffee hour table in Fellowship Hall. Sign up today; spots fill quickly!

Shore Area Welcomes

New Bereavement Support Group

Common Ground, Inc. is forming bereavement support groups for any child, teen or young adult who has lost a primary caregiver, sibling or friend. Groups are free of charge.

Holy Trinity members Deb Chesney and Diane Andrusaitis are among the Common Ground facilitators.

For more information, please contact Lynn Snyder at (732) 606-7477 or e-mail lynnsnyder@verizon.net.

— WEDDING BLESSINGS –

Erin Carlson and Gary Wood were married on Sunday, May 24 in the Holy Trinity sanctuary.

Pastor Mary performed the ceremony.

— MAILBAG –

Dear Faith Family and Friends,

“Love has a healing power all its own.” I feel the love individually and collectively; I am deeply appreciative for all the super support. Thank you, thank you!

Peace and Love,

Kim Scharg

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Dear Faith Family,

Last January, as I was riding the train to work, I would sometimes see homeless people sleeping on mattresses under the trestles. I would wonder how they happened to become homeless and how long it took.

I found out later that month that in my case it would take about a half an hour.

On Saturday, Jan. 27, my daughter, Kerry, grandson, Josh, and I were downstairs in our duplex when the upstairs smoke alarm went off.

“Must need batteries,” I thought as I went up the stairs.

To my surprise, I was met with thick, black smoke.

I came back downstairs, told Kerry to put shoes on herself and Josh and to call 911.

I went back upstairs to see about the possibility of putting the fire out but it was way too late. I came back down and told Kerry to get Josh, get out of the house, get into the car and start it.

Meanwhile, I went to the neighbors’ back door to get them out but two men driving past on our street had already come in and gotten them up and out. More people passing by

came to my side of the house to save anyone who may have been there.

After we assured them that everyone was out of the house we all got out.

We moved the car out of the driveway and watched the house burn. There were police, fire engines and ambulances everywhere. Mostly, these were volunteers who put themselves at risk to help people in need.

I soon found out that there was no shortage of people willing to help.

Kerry, Josh and I were invited to my daughter Gretchen’s home for “… as long as needed – forever (?)”

Before we had even driven to Gretchen’s there were calls of concern and offers of help.

I had thought we should get a furnished winter rental while we decided what to do next, but offers of homes to rent came through.

Lists of things people wanted to contribute were started – furniture, TVs, wall units, bedroom sets – enough to completely furnish our new home.

Clothing of all sorts for all three of us was given. At least 30 bags of clothing that didn’t fit were left over and we donated them to the Mary Jane Enrichment Center, a shelter for the homeless located in Philadelphia.

A caravan of pickup trucks and a trailer was assembled. All of the furniture was gathered and we moved into our new home three weeks after the fire.

I have found people’s generosity overwhelming and I have been unable to thank anyone properly. Family and friends, co-workers of both Kerry’s and mine, The Red Cross and, of course, our church family has been generous beyond belief. You have given us support from the very beginning and the support continues today.

We thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

I no longer take the train but I do think of the homeless sleeping under the trestles. I don’t have it in me to become a big advocate for the homeless but I understand them a little better now and I’ll try and help them whenever I can. They’re not as fortunate as I am to have had such loving support available.

Thank you,

Buzz

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The Breakfast Club’s Ziti Dinner Gift Auction served over 170 people and raised $2,839.

The Breakfast Club would like to thank, their parents, our consistently hardworking kitchen staff and the many church members who supported our fund raiser by attending the dinner. Everyone deserves credit for the success of this event!

We also gratefully acknowledge the business community for their help, without which the evening would not have been possible. Generous contributors include Maria’s Italian Cuisine, Squan Tavern and Rocco’s in Manasquan; Joe Leone’s in Point Pleasant Beach and Anthony’s Pizza and Shop-Rite of Wall.

Please patronize these businesses and let them know you are from Holy Trinity. Hopefully, they will continue to support us in the future.

Thank you again for your support.

God’s peace to all,

The Breakfast Club

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Dear Friends,

Thank you for Holy Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church’s generous gift of $100 to the Seeing Eye in honor of Jane Lang. We have notified the recipient of your thoughtful gift which enables blind and visually-impaired people to transform their lives through the use of Seeing Eye® dogs. We truly appreciate the sentiments expressed by this gift as well as your generous support to the Seeing Eye.

Thanks to donations like yours, blind individuals from across North America are achieving independence and self-assurance. We’ll see much more success for many more individuals thanks to your generous support. Everyone here at The Seeing Eye is so grateful for your belief in what we do.

Warm Regards,

Jean Thomas,

Chief Development Officer

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Dear Ministerium Members,

On behalf of the Food Pantry and the Board of Deacons of First Presbyterian, I want to thank the member churches for your amazing support during the past few months. We served 72 families in February and 68 in March which represents a total of 507 people who were helped in the two-month period. In addition to the food, at each visit we provided one to four $10 Acme gift cards depending on the size of the family. For Easter we prepared bags of groceries and hams and turkeys for 94 families. (Editor’s note: A picture of the bags as they were ready to be distributed was attached. The children’s Easter baskets in the photo were provided by the members of First Presbyterian.)

We continue to get new requests every week. Twenty-one new families signed up during the month of March!! Your continued support is not only appreciated, but essential to the mission of the Pantry.

Mickey Kuntz,

Chairperson

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Dear friends at Holy Trinity,

               Thanks so much for the care package. It's always nice going into finals knowing you guys are thinking about me.

               See you soon!

Pat Davis

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