PASTOR’S
PEN November
2007
Dear
Holy Trinity Family and Friends,
This year’s “Concerts at
4” series began in September with organ performances by four musicians,
including Ned Perwo, our Holy Trinity Director of Music. The final piece Ned played was Carillon de Westminster by Louis
Vierne. Ned explained that he had been
working on the piece for a full year, not long, really, since it will probably
take a lifetime to perfect. “But at some
point you have to play it with someone listening. Here goes!”
Then he played the piece – beautifully.
I admire the honesty,
courage, and pluck Ned showed by playing that difficult work and inviting us to
be part of his learning process. Most of
life is like that, isn’t it? How many
things do we do perfectly? Any? Certainly not many! I’ve sometimes been guilty in my life of not
cultivating new interests and talents because I couldn’t imagine myself ever
doing them well. Mary the perfectionist got in the way of Mary
the person. What’s that old saying? “Better to have tried and failed than never to
have tried at all.” Why? Because we can learn from every experience,
despite the outcome! Also we can enjoy the process, pan for and find
gold in the moment, look back with gratitude on experiences that didn’t last
forever but contained goodness.
I’m thinking along these
lines because at this year’s annual meeting we made the painful decision not to
renew the contract of our Director of Youth & Family Ministry. Financial realities drove us to that conclusion,
because we simply didn’t have enough money to pay Karen Astrom’s salary. Many changes have occurred in the
meantime. Giving is strong, our
investments are profitable, we have successfully lived within a lean budget,
and with Pastor Leitzke’s departure our expenses are down. As you hopefully heard in the recent temple
talk and adult forum, we are now envisioning a change in staffing for the
future: a full-time Director of Youth & Family Ministry and a part-time
second pastor.
Included in this Lamplighter are proposed ministry
descriptions for myself as lead pastor and for the other two positions
mentioned above. (A proposed salary
break-out for the Director of Youth & Family and part-time pastor is also
included.) These descriptions are not
all-inclusive, but will give you a good idea of the
division-of-labor-in-the-vineyard which would occur if we were fully staffed in
this way.
Council members, Chris Ed
team members, and I have reflected long and prayerfully on what the Holy Spirit
is calling us to do with the richness of children and youth in this faith
family. Those of us who work with the
young people believe that a full-time staff person in this area will enable our
congregation to plough new ground in youth and family involvement in faith, fellowship
and service. Additionally, a staff person
specifically responsible for youth and family ministry will help to ease the
heavy load many of our volunteers carry, not by doing the work they now do, but
by providing constant staff support, enrichment opportunities and coordination.
Our first venture into
this form of youth and family ministry was of only eighteen months’ duration,
but provided us with the first-hand experience we needed to refine how we want
to shape the position and how we need to fund it (i.e. as a protected line item
in the budget rather than through the ever-fluctuating Staffing Challenge
Fund). We are much further “ahead” in
wisdom and practice now than we were three years
ago when we initially approved the addition of a part-time Director of Youth
and Family Ministry.
Your prayers are
requested and your input is welcomed as we continue this discernment and
planning process. Our congregation’s
heartfelt thanks go to all of our
volunteers who nurture families and children in the faith, to our Christian
Education Committee members who shepherd our vast and multi-faceted educational
program, to Finance members who help us
figure out how to pay for it all, to Council
members who have accepted the responsibilities, joys and occasional headaches
of leadership among us, to the parents who are the children’s teachers in “the
first church, the home,” and to each of you
who recognize these children as “ours” to raise in the faith, despite the fact
that most or none of them live under your roof!
In Christ, who pointed to the children and said,
“It is to such as these that the
Pastor
Mary
*Luke
18.16
— COUNCIL CORNER –
The
Church Council asked Pastor Mary to develop a list of duties that she, as the
Pastor, does and would continue to do, and those she would like the part time
Pastor and the Director of Youth and Family Ministries, to do. This is the list:
Pastor Mary:
/supervising).
opportunities –link us up
with
Ministerium and
synod-sponsored
servant trips.
·
Take
the lead in scheduling children’s messages, by various people, including
herself/himself.
We have the following resources available in the
2008 Budget to fill the positions of Part Time Pastor, and Director of Youth
and Family Ministries:
Salary
$ 28,030
Housing
Allowance 20,000
Auto
Allowance
4,000
Pension
5,640
Disability
Costs
1,504
Life
& health
Ins. 10,152
$69,326 for 2007
With inflation to 2008 dollars = $ 72,000
These are the “dollars”
we have to spend.
— CHRISTIAN EDUCATION
–
LIBRARY
Holy Trinity will be
celebrating Children’s Book Week at coffee hour on Sunday, Nov. 18, with our
Adopt-a-Book program and a very special one-half price sale of “Books for
Holiday Giving.”
Books will also be
available for adoption and for sale immediately before and after the 5 p.m. on
Saturday, Nov. 17.
Children’s Book
Week
This national celebration
of the pleasures of reading was first observed Nov. 10 through 15, 1919, with
the theme, “More Books in the Home,” and
a poster designed by Jessie Willcox Smith, known for her Good Housekeeping magazine
covers featuring mothers and children.
Now in its eighty-eighth
year, Children’s Book Week came about through the combined efforts of Franklin
K. Mathiews, then chief librarian of the Boy Scouts of America, book editor
Frederick G. Melcher and Anne Carroll Moore, the First Superintendent of
children’s work at the New York Public Library.
These three dynamic leaders recognized the importance of introducing
children to “good” books and the parents’ role in encouraging reading. This year’s theme is “Rise up
The Holy Trinity Adopt-a-Book
program is a way to support the Sunday School Library, which, in turn, supports
the Sunday School curriculum and introduces children to the pleasures of
books. All books “adopted” are immediately
added to the library collection for everyone to enjoy. A book plate with the name of the donor and
the name(s) of the person(s) honored or memorialized is placed at the front of
the book. With the past support the
library has grown from approximately 100 books to 800 library items including
books, audio books, CDs, videocassettes and DVDs. We gratefully look forward to your continued
support.
Books for
As many of you know, the WELCA
Christmas Bazaar will not be held this year. In lieu of the book table at the Bazaar and in
honor of Children’s Book Week we will have a special table with a selection of
new books to be sold at 1/2 price. The
books will be appropriate for the very young child to the teenager on your shopping
list. As you look forward to the
holidays, think of a child you know who would love to receive a beautiful book
of his/her own. That child will thank
you, especially if you read the book aloud to a younger child, or talk about it
with an older child.
Give the
Gift of
Proceeds from the book
sale will be donated to two non-profit literacy organizations:
Ellin
Greene
Library
Book Review
EAT, PRAY, LOVE
By Elizabeth Gilbert
Book Review by: Anne
Kurzenberger
Weekday Spirituality
Participant
Several weeks ago, I attended a potluck dinner
and discussion about the best-selling book, Eat, Pray, Love. Everyone was to bring a dish from one of
three countries featured in the book –
Eat, Pray, Love is a true tale about a
year in the life of Liz, who has collapsed under the weight of her seemingly
wonderful life and, later, a failed love affair. Despair becomes her constant companion. We are mercifully spared the details,
recriminations and accusations about her past.
The story is about Liz accepting personal responsibility for her
emotional growth and taking action even if the path is radical. Liz embarks on
an adventure to lands and cultures that she believes best represent what she
wants most to learn about: pleasure, spirituality, and the balance, if
possible, between these two forces.
Liz journeys first to
Next, our heroine moves
to
Last, Liz travels to
Eat, Pray, Love relates a terribly
funny, painfully honest and intensely personal odyssey. It is rich in spiritual
self-revelation, vivid cultural details, and ingratiating characters. I was
delighted to hitch a ride on Liz’s quest; I think you may enjoy the trip,
too. A word about language. This book, like most popular adult fare, is
not immune to four-letter words, and there is an intimate scene or two. These
infrequent and brief moments are written with a deft and graceful hand and will
not be a distraction.
By the way, following is the recipe for the
Indonesian dish I brought to the party.
After some initial trepidation, I thought it was pretty good, and it
will be a nice addition to my kitchen repertoire. I hope you enjoy it, too!
For
chicken and marinade:
2 whole skinless boneless chicken breasts (about 1 1/4 pounds)
3/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut
2 t chopped peeled fresh gingerroot
2 t curry powder
2 T fresh lime juice
1/2 cup hot water
For
sauce:
2 t canola oil
3 scallions, chopped fine
1 garlic clove, chopped fine
1 T finely grated peeled fresh gingerroot
1 cup water
1/2 cup creamy or chunky peanut butter
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
3 T firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 t dried hot red pepper flakes
Equipment: About 32, 7-inch bamboo
skewers
Make the chicken and
marinade:
Cut the chicken lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices, and season them with
salt and pepper.
In a blender, blend
together the coconut, the gingerroot, the curry powder, the lime juice, and the
hot water until the mixture is smooth, strain the mixture through a fine sieve
into a bowl, pressing hard on the solids, and let the marinade cool. The
marinade may be made two days in advance and kept covered and chilled.
In a large shallow dish, pour the marinade
over the chicken, coating the chicken well, and let the chicken marinate,
covered and chilled, for at least one hour and up to three hours. (Do not let
the chicken marinate longer or the meat will break down.)
Soak the bamboo skewers
in water to cover for 15 minutes. Thread the chicken onto the skewers.
Make the sauce: In a saucepan heat oil
over moderate heat until hot but not smoking and cook scallions, garlic and
ginger, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in remaining ingredients
and bring to a simmer, stirring. Simmer sauce, stirring, until smooth and cool
to room temperature. Sauce may be made up to three days ahead and chilled,
covered. If sauce is too thick after chilling, stir in one to two tablespoons
hot water until sauce reaches desired consistency.
Grill the chicken with
the marinade clinging to it on an oiled rack set five to six inches over
glowing coals for 1 1/2 minutes on each side, or until it is cooked through,
and serve the sates with the dipping sauce.
— EVANGELISM & STEWARDSHIP
–
Walk with
Jesus
The Stewardship and
Evangelism Committee would like to thank everyone for their participation in
our yearly Stewardship drive.
A special thank you to our
office manager, Diane Churchman, for efficiently getting everything in print
and ready on time. “Thank you” also goes out to our letter stuffers who
quickly accomplished a monumental task. Many hands really do make smaller
work.
A profound thank you goes
to our
We are grateful to Paul
DiCorcia for his confidential accounting of the Estimates of Giving. We are
also thankful to Pastor Mary for supporting the work of our committee and
contributing meaningful Stewardship sermons.
Thank you to director of
music Ned Perwo for coordinating music during the procession of the offering
and pledge collection.
Most of all, thank you to
our faithful congregation because without your prayerful consideration and
financial support, we would not be able to plan our
If
you have not already turned in your estimate of giving card, it is not too
late. Please make it a priority this week so we may bring our program to a
successful conclusion. We will be reporting back to the congregation the
results of pledges later in November.
Thank you all for walking
with Jesus together.
Chicks, Honeybees and Rabbits; Oh My!
A
few weeks ago, nine-year-old Jimmy Malta, and I, age?, signed up to do a Coffee
Hour together. He and I spoke during the
week prior and decided who would bring what.
We were pleased that Joy Blazak offered to prepare the coffee for us on
Saturday night so when we got to Church early on Sunday, all we had to do was
plug it in. She also brought bagels! (Thanks,
Miss Joy!) Jimmy enjoyed baking
delicious muffins with his Mom and I loved getting a good deal at ShopRite on
some wonderful cakes!
Jimmy
and I thought about what charity we would like to donate the ‘free will’
offering to and decided to contact The Heifer Project and get a list of the
animals we could buy that would be sent around the world wherever the
need.
We
collected $110 and guess what we bought – chicks, honeybees and rabbits!
The
point of this story is how much fun hosting a Coffee Hour can be for all ages; how
people join together joyously to make it happen; and how nothing but ‘GOOD’ can
come out of it! Many people were touched
by one hour of fellowship, coffee, goodies and your generosity!
Thank
you and Praise the Lord!
Cindy Markus
Social Ministry says “Thanks”
Thanks to all who
devoted their time and efforts to our clothing sale. This includes our
Property Committee members, the ladies circle members and the "I want to
sort" people. We needed all of them to produce $1690.25 for charity.
"Thrivent",
formerly the Lutheran Brotherhood investment company, has been a staunch
supporter of our efforts and is enhancing our total by $800, for a
final count of $2490.25 Please
investigate this investment company for your personal needs. They have
certainly been behind our efforts!
Children of God
During the month of October, Holy Trinity
welcomed the following children into the Body of Christ through the Sacrament
of Holy Baptism:
Name: Shelby Elizabeth Weingartner
Date of Baptism: Oct. 13
Rest in Peace
Our prayers and thoughts are with the families who mourn the
death of loved ones …
Harriet Pearce passed away on Oct.
22. Pastor Mary presided at Harriet’s funeral at Pable Evertz in Point Pleasant
and at the graveside service at
Joyce Newman, passed away on Oct. 24.
Pastor Mary presided at Joyce’s funeral at Holy Trinity and interment in
Love and Marriage
The
following weddings took place at Holy Trinity during the month of October:
Jamie
L. Schwier and David Emmerich were married on Saturday, Oct. 13.
Amanda
M. Carl and John T. Brockwell were married on Sunday, Oct. 14.
Sew and Sews
The Holy Trinity Blanketeers will
meet at 1 p.m. Monday, Nov. 19 in the room behind the kitchen to make blankets
for fragile children.
You are cordially invited to join
them!
For more information, call Gloria
Smith. Her telephone number is (732) 449-1942.
— W. E. L. C. A. –
Executive Board will
meet at 10 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 4.
The members of this
circle have completed six health kits for Church World Service. They will host coffee hour on Sunday, Dec. 2.
The Women of the ELCA
have a “No Bake” sale set up for Nov. 10 and 11. The idea of “no bake” is that
in lieu of making or purchasing items to sell at a bake sale, you offer the $5 that
you would have spent on ingredients as a donation toward a charity.
A cardboard “cake” will
be set up for display purposes, along with envelopes for your donation.
Special No Bake Sale envelopes
will also be passed around at church.
All proceeds will go to the women’s group Redeem-Her.
The Redeem-Her program has been created to
prepare incarcerated women for release into the community. Very often the picture seen upon release
looks something like this: a woman with the clothes on her back, a plastic bag
of personal belongings, a $20 money order to get where she needs to go, no
support system, no place to stay, no car, no job, and a criminal record to
report on every job application.
Sound inviting?
The outside component of
this program builds trust by assisting women with practical needs such as clothing
& personal hygiene products. They
also assist with finding housing, employment & appropriate counseling
services. This group is dedicated to
preparing the women for reconciliation with God, herself, her family & her
community, because when women come home healthy – spiritually, emotionally,
physically, & economically – we all benefit in the end.
Please
consider assisting us in our mission to help this organization to provide a
future for these women in need of a supportive environment and a chance for a
fresh start.
For more information
about the program visit the website, www.redeem-her.org
, call toll-free 1-(888) 807-2944, or send an e-mail to info@redeem-her.org.
Thank you!
Have a
Heart?
Grace Hospice has a place
for anyone who has a heart for listening to and caring for others. As a volunteer or a certified home health aide,
you will work with Hospice patients and their families in Monmouth and Ocean
counties.
Those who have a special
call to this unique ministry can obtain more information by calling Holy
Trinity member Debbie Cox at 1-866-447-0246 or sending an e-mail to coxd22@yahoo.com.
— WORSHIP AND MUSIC –
Notes from the Director of Music
It’s hard to believe that
November is here and I’m starting month five at Holy Trinity! The ensembles are up and running, I’m settled
into my new office, and I’ve experienced my first Oktoberfest J. I couldn’t be happier
with how warm and friendly the congregation is and how hard the members of each
ensemble work in order to provide us with the best worship experience possible.
Since my arrival, I have
noticed one thing that is common among many churches which is also the trend at
Holy Trinity. This trend is the ratio of
people participating in ensembles to the number of people sitting in the
pews. Currently each ensemble is made up
of a small core of dedicated individuals.
This doesn’t mean
that a smaller ensemble isn’t as good as a larger
one, but it does put the added stress on the individual to always be there
regardless of schedule or various circumstances.
Here’s where you, the
individual in the pew, can do your part J. Give one of the ensembles a try. Sing in the Adult Choir; sing or play an
instrument in Joyful Noise; bring your children to Children’s Choir; spread the
word about the concert series.
No Previous
Experience Necessary
If you’ve ever considered participating in
Holy Trinity’s music ministries but thought –
“I don’t know how to
sing,” it’s never too late to learn;
“It’s
been years since I’ve played my instrument,” you’ll get back in shape;
“I
don’t know if my kids want to sing,” have
them give it a try, they’ll thank you in the long run;
“I
have absolutely no musical ability,” we can always use PR people for the
concert series;
“I
can’t join an ensemble for an entire year,” participate when you can!
The wonderful thing about
Music Ministry is the way in which it encompasses all the components that Holy
Trinity values –
Music
Ministry is Outreach
Music
Ministry is Evangelism
Music
Ministry is Education
Music
Ministry is Social
Music Ministry is
Spiritual
Listed below are all the
ways in which you can participate in Holy Trinity’s Music Ministries. I hope to see you at one of our ensembles.
In His Service,
Ned Perwo,
Director of
Music
NPerwo@holytrinity-nj.org
Adult Choir is open to all singers (grade 9 through
adult). Rehearsals are Thursday evenings from 7 to 9 p.m. and take place
in either Fellowship Hall or the choir loft, depending on the church’s
schedule. The ensemble performs a wide variety of music ranging from
Baroque & Classical masterworks to multicultural & contemporary
selections. People wishing to be a part of the Holy Trinity Choir are not
required to be seasoned singers or be able to read music. A desire to
work hard and have fun is the only requirement. Everything else can be
learned in rehearsal. A complete anthem schedule and rehearsal Cd’s are
available through the Director of Music
Cherub Choir (age 3
through 6) meets at 4:45 p.m. on Wednesdays, September through June. Children
spend time discovering their singing voices, developing their sense of rhythm,
and learning age-appropriate repertoire.
Choristers (grades 1
through 8) meet from 4 to 5:15 p.m. on Tuesdays, September through June.
Choristers use the RSCM curriculum Voice for Life, which focuses on
age-appropriate vocal training, sight-singing, and music theory. Joyful Noise
is Holy Trinity’s contemporary worship ensemble. We rehearse from 4 to 4:45
p. m. on Saturday afternoons before the 5 p. m. worship service. The
ensemble performs a wide variety of music ranging from Praise & Worship
choruses to hymns from our new ELW hymnal. Membership is open to singers
of all ages and instrumentalists who are comfortable learning music at a fast
pace.
Youth Instrumentalists provide
music at the Saturday worship service during the offertory. Interested youth should possess a moderate
facility on their instrument and be able to play songs with a minimum of two
sharps or flats.
Holy Trinity Concerts @ 4 is
a major outreach tool of Holy Trinity’s Music Ministries. Concerts are interesting, fun, and feature
performers of the highest quality from the Tri-state area. They not only promote visibility within the
community but also serve as a no pressure way to invite people to church. People who may never consider coming to a
worship service may come to a concert.
The next Concert @ 4 will
be on Sunday, Nov. 18, and will feature Jen Silipino on flute and Ned Perwo on
piano. A free-will offering will be
gratefully received.
— MAIL BAG –
Dear Pastor Mary, our Holy Trinity
family, Intercessory Prayer and to all those who cared to send the very best –
their love and their prayers –throughout Bill’s surgery, rehab and
continuing recovery and the many prayers for our family during this past year.
God being all seeing and all knowing has showered His Grace upon us. We are
ever grateful for His continuing love and yours. Your faith has been an ever
present, uplifting gift.
Peace be with
you,
June &
Bill Gregory
♥
Dear
Pastor Mary and staff,
Thank
you for helping to make Megan’s christening such a special day that we will
never forget. We feel so lucky to welcome Megan into such a caring and loving
church family.
Sincerely,
Mark and
Susan Liggett
♥
Gloria
and all the Holy Trinity Blanketeers:
Thank you all for your
support and wonderful donation to Project Linus, N. J. Your 12 blankets will be
added to the
Thank you for your generosity,
W. Jones
Volunteer Recreation Commissioner