Trinity First Lutheran Church

Bulletin Announcements

March 11, 2007 through March 17, 2007

We are grateful for all who come to worship our Creator today. Let us come together with joy and love in our hearts.
Bless you, friends, and be assured that you are indeed welcome.

We have two college-aged, Spring break servant groups that will be on-site in the coming days. A group March 9-18 from Cedar Falls, IA and a group March 10-24 from Concordia University, WI. Please send up prayers of thanks for the many ways that these young people aim to bless us - and on their spring break, no less! And thanks in advance for your understanding if the building seems more crowded or "lived in" than normal.

A Note from the Finance Chair: If you are not able to put your offering in the plate on Sunday, please feel free to mail it in to the office. This will help us with our cash flow each week. Thank you!

To God be the Glory this Easter! - Would you like to express praise and thanks to our Lord by presenting flowers for use in the Sanctuary this Easter Sunday, April 8th? If so, please use this form and turn it in to the church office by Sunday March 25th. Tulips $8.50; Easter Lilies $9.00; Pink Hydrangeas $12.00

March is Food Share Month - There is a small barrel near the south entrance (parking lot side). All non-perishable items will be taken to Community Emergency Services as they faithfully serve the needy in our community Please give generously!

The LWML Spring Rally will be held at Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Minneapolis, on Tuesday March 27th. Registration at 5:45 pm is followed by dinner and a program at 6:30 pm. The speaker is Pati Kachel from Salt of the Earth Story Tellers and her subject is "Be Faithful Daughters of Heaven." Everyone is invited. Tickets are $6 and available from Bea. Please stop and see the poster on the bulletin board by the church office.

Buy FoxFaith Movie Tickets and Support Trinity First! Visit www.foxfaithfund.com and enter our church code of 100013 and a credit of one dollar per ticket will be donated to Trinity First at the end of the theatrical release. The first eligible film is The Last Sin Eater, a movie based on the best-selling book by Francine Rivers and directed by Michael Landon, Jr. now out in theaters.

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.

Preaching Schedule for the weeks to come:

A Measure of our Faithfulness Last Week
 + There were 87 in our Sunday Worship Service on March 4
 + There were 53 in our Tuesday Night Worship on March 6

An Accounting of our Finances:
Amount needed weekly to meet budget and pay off line of credit by 6/30/07 : $5,450.00
General Fund received last week: $6,772.00
Amount ahead / (behind) on plan: $(10,253.00)

Hispanic Mission Minute  -  by  Abby Dawkins
Suitcases of faith - "Always take with you suitcases filled with faith" said my Peruvian friend, Noemi, as I chatted with her last week. God has called her and her husband from Peru to serve him as missionaries to the Hispanic population here in the Twin Cities. They have learned to daily live by faith as they deal with the reality of immigration, financial, logistical, and ministerial difficulties during their time here. "God is really teaching us to trust him." I was challenged. It takes faith to follow Jesus, to understand where he is leading, and trust that what he has for us is good. Where is God asking you to pack and take your suitcases filled with faith today? Pray: for Noemi and Fernando as they trust and serve God in a foreign land. Pray: for Latino families suffering from abuse - that they might have faith to take needed steps to break the cycle.

Intern Somali Love - by Doug Stoeckicht
I met a homeless man on the street Tuesday. He was digging through the garbage outside of a tea shop downtown, finishing cups of tea that were thrown away. I was immediately drawn to this person, because as he was pulling cups he was writing on them with a sharpie. I couldn't help but ask him why he was writing on the cups. He responded by telling me he writes on them because every few hours he'll come around again and search through the garbage, and he writes so he know which ones he's checked. My heart was broken at that moment. Let's pray for our fellow neighbors so that they don't need t always dig through the trash for a warm drink.

Camp Omega - The 2007 summer camp program is open for registration. The 70 different week and weekend programs for children and families focuses on providing a vibrant and fun Christian community where campers learn, grow and apply the Christian faith. Please visit www.campomega.org, call 507-685-4266, or pick up a brochure in the church office.

Live Conversations presented by CrossPollination Ministries - March 24, 10am-4pm at the University of MN in the Coffman Memorial Center Room 324.
CrossPolination is a mentoring ministry that helps train you to talk to others about Jesus. We use a simple Law/Gospel method in talking with people about God. Specifically, we inquire of one's knowledge of the 10 Commandments. We help them understand that no one can keep the 10 Commandments as God demands. When people come to this understanding and experience a personal conviction in breaking the Law; we share the saving Gospel of Jesus.
To register, or for more information, call Paul Vavrin at 763-670-5368 or visit www.cpmin.net .

Handbell Concert - Friday April 20 - Come and listen to the first annual Concordia University Handbell Ensemble Concert on April 20 at 7pm in the Graebner Memorial Chapel at Concordia University, St. Paul. It will be a night filled with the dazzling sight of over 60 gleaming bells rung by the ensemble, creating peaceful melodies and energetic rhythms. - a night you won't want to miss! Free will donation will be taken to help refurbish the bells. For more information, please contact Carolynne Mathis, Director at 763-755-3530 x 7812.

Ladies, Save This Date! On Saturday, May 12th, Glory of Christ Lutheran Church in Plymouth is sponsoring "Women's Forum - From cradle to grave: The Vocation of the Lutheran Woman." The keynote speaker will be Mollie Ziegler Hemmingway. The focus: "Recovering a positive Lutheran approach to issues of God's design for women in singlehood, marriage and sexuality."  If you have questions, please contact Jean Small at 763-525-0272 or at jsmall@quest.net .