Trinity First Lutheran Church

Bulletin Announcements

December 17, 2006 through December 23, 2006

On this third Sunday of Advent, we encourage everyone to think often about God's gift to us in Christ. What love God has for each of us! And what love we should have for one another! Welcome in the name of the Lord.

At Our Annual Voters Meeting last Sunday, the voters elected to sign a Covenant of Cooperation with Church Development Partners. A copy of the Covenant, FAQs and other documentation is posted outside of Pastor Jake's office and in the 19th Street entrance. Above all, please be in prayer that Trinity First would receive a clear vision of how she should develop her most under-utilized asset - property and equity - to further the kingdom of God! Thank you to all who have worked to get us to this point. Please also pray for endurance for the long - but fulfilling - journey which lies ahead.

Installation of Pastor Francis Stephanos Beko as Associate Pastor for East African Missions & Evangelism in a 2pm worship service today, Sunday, December 17, 2006. Please attend and add  your voice tot he praises - Ethiopian style!

Christmas Break for the TFL School children begins at noon on Wednesday, December 20th. School resumes on Thursday, January 4th. The office will be closed from Saturday, December 23 until Tuesday, January 2nd. Deep cleaning will happen over this Christmas break and access to certain areas will be limited as tables, desks and chairs are moved around to enable shampooing and waxing.

Sunday 11am Bible Study Series  -  A series on Embryonic Stem Cell Research led by Pastor Jake. Don't let anyone say that Trinity First avoids the "Hot topics" of our day - we engage the World with Faith!

Todd Bentz Named KS95 "Teacher of the Week" on December 1st. He was interviews live on the air along with Mia Anderson, a CA-Bloomington senior in his theology class who nominated him. During the interview, Mia said she appreciates the extra mile that ll of her teachers are willing to go for students. Congratulations Todd!!

Council Meeting - Saturday, January 20, 9am

Elder's Meeting - Wednesday, January 31, 7pm

Congregation's Annual Meeting - Sunday, February 11, 11am

Live Conversations - January 6, 10am-3pm at Trinity First- We want to help you start 2007 with a New Year's resolution: "I will let God use me to reach unbelievers." 10-noon: worship and training; 12-1 lunch; 1-3 application (watch others or participate in live conversations with a mentor). To register or for more information , please call Paul Vavrin at 763-670-5368. Presented by Cross Pollination Ministries

Hospitalizations, Births and Funerals ... Please phone the church office if you or someone you know is hospitalized, has given birth, or is in need of funeral arrangements. Due to privacy laws and lack of staff, hospitals and nursing homes seldom (if ever) phone the congregation or pastor when you enter the hospital.

Please Pray!
+ For Harold Fry III, great-grandson of Jeanne Huff, who is in the hospital with breathing problems
+ Laura Kane who had surgery to remove cancer from her nose, on December 13
+ Gloria Groenke who is recovering at St. Paul Transitional Care , North St. Paul, as she heals from 3 surgeries
+  Norm Gallup as he receives treatment for a tumor in his abdomen
+ Healing for brothers Milt and Donald, Delores, Brad Peterson (cancer), Brian (stage 4 lymphoma), Henry, Shirley, David, Ray, Alice, Sharon Kirts (radiation), Pastor Dennis Ahl, Leo (feet), Pastor Rich Latterner and family
+  For those who mourn ...
+ Volunteers and funds for Global Health Ministries
+ For serenity & spiritual discernment in the midst of hectic holiday schedules
+ For all who travel this holiday season. May their road trips be an opportunity to clear their heads and re-connect with the babe in the manger
+ For those who struggle with spending addictions - especially in this season of consumerism
+ For peace in Venture Village neighborhood
+  For those suffering from mental illness
+  For those caught in the tentacles of drug addiction
+ Please pray against the spiritual forces of darkness that seek to hold our neighborhood hostage indefinitely by passing sin on from one generation to the next to the next ...
+ Blessing upton God's union of Denae Thormodson and Alex Antuna in Holy Matrimony!
+ Praise for Pastor Francis Stephanos Beko and Addis Hewot Ministries as it is more closely aligned with TFL!
+ Praise for healing for Gert, Petirna
+  Praise for the valiant prayer warriors of the Wednesday morning bible class
+  Praise for increased attendance in all worship services on our campus
+ That the Lord would honor the solemn stewardship pledges that we've made for the year ahead.
+  Praise for the Lord's financial provision on a week-by-week basis for our thriving urban mission center

Preaching Schedule for the weeks to come:

A Measure of our Faithfulness Last Week
 + There were 67 in our Sunday Worship Service on December 10
 + There were 82 in our German Christmas Service on December 10
 + There were 48 in our Tuesday Night Worship on December 12
 + Last week's offering : $2,589.00

Hispanic Mission Minute  -  (written by  Abby Dawkins)  King of Kings: Rey de Reyes - "God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal... To Him be honor and might forever. Amen." (1 Timothy 6:15-16) A few weeks ago the Reyes family got connected with a few individuals at Mt. Zion Lutheran Church in South Minneapolis and from there I, too, was introduced to this lovely couple acting as a translator. They are in a different situation having recently moved from Texas with their five children only to find few work opportunities in Minnesota. After being involved in a car crash a few weeks back, only working temporary jobs, and facing the holiday season, the Reyes family is struggling. Reyes means "Kings" in English. Please Pray that Jesus would the be King of the Reyes family this Christmas season.

Lutherans for Life - "All of my [adopted] children were created by God for His unique purposes. God doesn't make any mistakes. All people, no matter their conception circumstances, handicaps, economic situation, etc., are uniquie individuals created by God with distinct purposes for their lives. I'm very grateful that the birth parents of my children were visionaries that could see past the difficult circumstances of their pregnancies to the fine young men and women their children have become." - Diane E. Schroeder, President of Lutherans For Life

Thrivent Matching Funds  allotted $28 million thru their "Giving Plus" program for 2006 that will most likely run out before the end of the year. If you are a Thrivent member and plan to make a gift to a qualifying charitable institution (like Trinity First School) and want to maximize your gift with Thrivent's "Giving Plus" matching program, please act quickly! The window of opportunity will have passed when the last penny of the $28 million has been dispersed. All gifts coming in 2006 after that point will not be matched in 2006.