98…99….100

Good Morning to you in the Trinity Tribe,

Today is a special day! It probably isn't on your calendar, but it is definitely on mine! Today is my 100th day at Trinity as your pastor. My doesn't time fly! I have been reflecting on what this first 100 days with you have held. We have said goodbye to some wonderful women who were important to us. We have dined together at the Lord's Table four times. We have spent a lot of time reading the Bible. We have started new Sunday School classes and new Bible studies. We had an AMAZING Family Fun Night! We have enjoyed some amazing Trinity cooking! We have had a few meetings. We have done a lot of renovation to the parsonage and some to the church building itself. Unfortunately, we have not had a full house on Sunday mornings at worship or in Sunday School. We have only taken in one new member who happens to be my husband. We have lost 4 members to death and had two transfer to other churches. And the financial picture for Trinity of late has been uncomfortably slim.

So, what are you willing to work on during our next 100 days together? I will continue to put good work into my sermons. However, I was serious in my sermon yesterday. I would like feedback. Do the sermons walk and talk out in the world on Monday morning or do they remain in the sanctuary? I will continue to visit people who invite me. So, please invite me! I will continue to work on balancing the paperwork aspect of being the pastor, especially without secretarial support, with the important part of being with people. I continue to pray about who we can invite to be a part of our congregation that isn't with us on Sundays already and continue to be invitational to the people I meet. I will continue to raise the issue of giving to the church and to the world. Gathering money on a Sunday morning is about spiritual health, about what real life is all about, and about acknowledging who’s we are rather than the pastor trying to get a raise. I will continue to pray fervently for you.

What else do I need to focus my time on? What do you think are the burning issues for Trinity? Who has not been to church that might need a note or card or personal invitation to come back? Where can you and I partner together to provide radical hospitality to others as well as take risks in mission and ministry to the world? Where can you and I work together to make sure there are plenty of opportunities for intentional spiritual development for all ages? Where can you and I partner to make sure we have passionate worship? What must you and I do to help people understand that extravagant generosity blesses the giver even more than the recipient?

Where will we be 100 days from now? Where will we be 1000 days from now? Where will we be 10,000 days from now?

I pray that you have a wonderful day!

Important Calendar Items to Note:
1. Remember that tomorrow night is Charge Conference at 7:30. (I had it incorrectly in last week's bulletin for 7pm. It is definitely at 7:30.) We will worship together and then go over all the business for the church for the year.
2. Bible study will meet Wednesday morning at 10am. Nurture committee will me right afterwards.
3. I will be at a meeting about rural church ministry tomorrow (Tuesday) all day. So, please call my cell phone if you need something immediately. However, I will be out in a rural area, so I can't promise to have signal!
4. No choir this week because of Charge Conference. Please sit with your families and friends this Sunday.
5. This Sunday is Children's Sabbath. Make sure that your kids and grandkids are here! It will be a special day!
Please send in your vote for the Lay Ministry of the year. I have attached a ballot or there are plenty available at the church. Help us select the most effective ministry for 2010.

Homecoming is Coming! For all you out of town folks, don't forget that the last Sunday of October is Homecoming! We would love to see you on October 31st at 10:45 for worship and then in the Fellowship Hall for lunch afterward! Put it on your calendar!


I wish we had the capability of showing videos during worship. If so, this would be the perfect one to have for the Sunday closest to Veteran's Day. I invite you to watch it. It was very thought provoking.
http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=KTb6qdPu8JE