MARCH Monthly Newsletter
Jesus’ Resolution for You
[God] desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4).
Some of you made New Years resolutions a few months ago. Perhaps you have been persistent and dedicated enough to stick with those resolutions. If so, good for you. You are among the few that have lasted this long. Hopefully, you will stick to the promise you made and become a better person for it.
On the other hand, many of you who made one or more resolutions are no longer working on them. I do not need to be a mind-reader to write this. My years in this line of work have taught me that this is so. I also have failed to keep many resolutions.
Being the sinners that we are, we are going to fail more often than not. We will most certainly sin every hour of every day.
God’s Word, however, tells us that He did not wait for a new year to roll around to make one, all-important resolution. He resolved to save sinners, all sinners, even the likes of you and me. It is that resolution that sent Jesus to this earth, that led Him to walk this earth for thirty-three years, doing everything necessary to pay for our sins and make us right in the sight of His Father.
Our resolve and self-discipline often fail. That does not mean that we stop trying to do better. We should admit, though, that we are sinners. Thanks be to God that Jesus’ resolution for you still holds. No matter the numbers or kind of sins, He has won your forgiveness and eternal life.
Pastor Klein
A Day To Be Remembered!
What has been the most IMPORTANT event in your life---a day to be remembered and treasured??? Most of us don’t even remember this day; the day we became a member of God’s Kingdom, THE DAY OF OUR BAPTISM!!
In an effort to help Trinity members reflect and “remember,” Trinity is honoring the baptismal birthdays of our members. On the last Sunday of each month, members, young and old, who were baptized during that month can sit together, enjoy a treat and, perhaps, share stories during the fellowship hour.
We do have the dates of baptism for most of our members; but, if we missed yours, please let us know so we don’t miss it again. Any questions and/or dates, please contact the church office: 645-4438.
Arise and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. Acts 2:16
Baptism doth also now save us. I Peter 3:21
March Baptisms Anniversaries
Gloria Berg Jean Childers Jeff Ciffra
Lillian Criswell Marcia Huber Linda Munson
Cliff Roberts Kathy Schuster Susan Stock
Adaline Swanson Lynn Webber
FROM THE TREASURER
January Home Fund Budget Status Report
Home Fund Balance on January 1, 2025 $75,049.98
January Home Fund Contributions $17,496.91
Designated Giving* $16,909.72
Loose Plate Giving** $587.19
Rental Property Fund $0.00
January Home Fund Expenses $19,171.19
____________________
Home Fund Balance on January 31, 2025 $73,375.70
* Includes giving by people who use offering envelopes and e-giving
**Includes giving by people without offering envelopes
Trinity Fund Report
In January of 2025, Trinity received $20.00 given in memory of Elaine Zobel.
CHURCH COUNCIL MINUTES
(February Council Meeting minutes were not submitted by the March newsletter deadline. They will be included in the April newsletter)
TRINITY NEWS
WEDNESDAY DINNERS DURING LENT
There will not be Wednesday dinners during March and April this year because of the Ash Wednesday and other Lenten worship services. There will be one more dinner at 6:00 p.m. on May 7th before the summer choir break.
MONDAY SOUP LUNCH AND DESSERT
Please come to the Fellowship Hall on Monday, March 17th, at 11:30 a.m. for a delicious soup lunch, dessert, and conversation, followed by optional card games. Everyone is welcome to come! There is no cost to participate and no signup sheet. The lunch is hosted by the Fellowship Committee.
ASH WEDNESDAY/LENTEN WORSHIP
Next Wednesday, March 5, is Ash Wednesday and the beginning of the Lenten Season. There will be Ash Wednesday Worship services at 2:00 pm and again at 7:00 pm next week then midweek Lenten Services continuing every Wednesday through April 9.
God’s Instruments, God’s Stewards
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (Eph. 2:10)
Some pastors refer to these words as “the most forgotten words in the Scriptures.” They are forgotten because they follow the familiar and critical words before it. The preceding two verses that overshadow Ephesians 2:10 are words of justification: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Eph. 2:8–9). These are words preached regularly. They are assigned as confirmation verses. They carry with them the very heart of what it means to be a redeemed child of God!
Precisely because the previous verses are so central to salvation, they often overpower our practice of stewardship! We have been saved by grace. This is certain and sure because of Jesus. Works play no role in our salvation. No credit taking for us! Grace is freely given. Faith is miraculously created by the Spirit and joyously received. This truth is so wonderful and so encompassing that we often miss out on WHY we are redeemed.
The grace of God revealed in Jesus calls us to faith. But St. Paul doesn’t stop with grace and faith. He continues to the logical conclusion. Just like the creation declares the handiwork of God, the redemption of sinners like you and me declares His greatest handiwork! Redeemed stewards are created to reflect the grace and mercy God showers on us to others.
As Lutherans, we understand that good works flow from faith in Jesus Christ. They are the fruit of the tree of salvation into which we have been grafted by grace.
Sanctification and stewardship are both on-going and active confessions of what the Lord has done in us. These works are not always spectacular. Many times, they are simply parents showing Jesus to their children. They are compassionate actions that live out the truth of the Gospel to co-workers and even complete strangers. While they can be grand endeavors, more likely they are simple, beautiful works which highlight what Jesus has done in us.
These works aren’t random either. They have been planned by God. God planned to use you as a faithful steward as you walk the road that leads you through your daily life. There are no chance encounters or coincidences. They have been planned by the Lord of the universe for the benefit of His creation. Good works are what point to God’s greatest work: Jesus!
He calls you and me to walk in this faith, which flows from this grace, which has been poured out on us in Jesus. But even this is not to our credit. We are simply called to be faithful stewards of God’s grace so that we may share it with those who need is as much as we do. God’s Spirit carries us along in this. We are just the steward — the instrument in His hand to accomplish His plan and glorify Him!
lcms.org/stewardship
MARCH READINGS
March 2 - The Last Sunday after the Epiphany
Deuteronomy 34:1-12
Hebrews 3:1-6
Luke 9:28-36
March 5 – Ash Wednesday
Joel 2:12-19
2 Corinthians 5:20-6:10
Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21
March 9 – The First Sunday in Lent
Deuteronomy 26:1-11
Romans 10:8b-13
Luke 4:1-13
March 16 - The Second Sunday in Lent
Jeremiah 26:8-15
Philippians 3:17-4:1
Luke 13:1-9
March 23 - The Third Sunday in Lent
Ezekiel 33:7-20
1 Corinthians 10:1-13
Luke 13:1-9
March 30 - The Fourth Sunday in Lent
Isaiah 12:1-6
2 Corinthians 5:16-21
Luke 15:1-3, 11-32
VACUUMING AND SNOW REMOVAL
John Greenfield March 2 to 8 Josh Wagner
Tony/Bobbi Schmidtke March 9 to 15 Jim Frederick
Brent Casmey March 16 to 22 Buzz Cummins
Rob/Colleen Gottsch March 23 to 29 Tony Schmidtke
Linda Munson March 30 to Apr. 5 Brent Casmey
John Pfeiffer Apr. 6 to 12 Dan Wett
Jim/Kay Koch Apr. 13 to 19 David Nybakke
John Greenfield Apr. 20 to 26 Josh Wagner
Tony/Bobbi Schmidtke Apr. 27 to May 3
Brent Casmey May 4 to 10
Rob/Colleen Gottsch May 11 to 17
Linda Munson May 18 to 24
John Pfeiffer May 25 to 31
WORSHIP CAMERA OPERATOR SCHEDULE
Worship camera operators are not needed at this time. The live-streaming of worship services has been paused until technical updates are made.
GREETER SCHEDULE
March 2 The Wagners - Josh, Ruthie, Elijah, Josiah, Isaiah, Lizzie
March 9 Jim & Kay Koch
March 16 David, Jackie, Grace Ohmann
March 23 Kurt Anderson
March 30 John Pfeiffer, Kurt Anderson
Apr. 6 Craig & Kathy Schuster
Apr. 13 Larry & Joan Pralle
Apr. 20 The Wagners - Josh, Ruthie, Elijah, Josiah, Isaiah, Lizzie
Apr. 27 Jim & Kay Koch
May 4 David, Jackie, Grace Ohmann
ACOLYTES
March 2 Maddox Schwaab
March 9
March 16 Morgan Voigt
March 23 Isaiah Wagner
March 30 Elijah Wagner
USHER SCHEDULE
March 2 - Group B April 6 – Group G
March 9 - Group C April 13 – Group H (Palm Sunday)
March 16 - Group D April 17 – Group A (Maundy Thursday)
March 23 - Group E April 20 – Group B (Easter Sunday)
March 30 - Group F April 27 – Group C
Group A - Ray Larson, Dave Downhour, Ray Ozmun, Larry Pralle
Group B - Tom Pumper, Jeff and Holly Ciffra, Jackie Ohmann
Group C - Kurt Anderson, Brent Casmey, Russell Kraft, Jim Koch
Group D - John Greenfield, Josh Wagner, Karl Thomforde, Kevin Mortensen, Sheldon Volkert
Group E - David, Erin, and Jared Nybakke, Jonathan Ohmann, Martin Ohmann, David Ohmann
Group F - Tony and Bobbi Schmidtke, John Pfeiffer
Group G - Craig and Kathy Schuster, Jim Grieser
Group H - Dan Wett, Rudy, Myleen, and Ashlie Maurer, Rob Gottsch, Jim Frederick
COUNTING TEAMS
March - Larson & Roberts
April - Thomforde & Niebuhr
May - Rasmussen & Downhour
June - Larson & Roberts
July - Pralle & Childers
August - Schmidtke & Anderson
September - Thomforde & Niebuhr
October - Rasmussen & Downhour
November - Pralle & Childers
December - Schmidtke & Anderson
ALTAR GUILD
March - Mary Ozmun, Linda Munson, Darlene Larson
April - Brenda Niebuhr, Becky DeMann, Mary Vogt
May - Mary Ozmun, June Rado, Linda Munson
June - Becky Grieser, Barb Greenfield, Marcia Huber
July - June Rado, Becky DeMann, Darlene Larson
August - Barb Greenfield, Colleen Vivant, Mary Vogt
September - Becky Grieser, June Rado, Marcia Huber
October - Barb Greenfield, Becky DeMann, Brenda Niebuhr
November - Colleen Vivant, Mary Vogt, Linda Munson
December - Mary Ozmun, Darlene Larson, Brenda Niebuhr
MARCH VOLUNTEER SCHEDULE
PLEASE NOTE: If these times do not work for you, please remember that it is your responsibility to find a replacement or someone to switch with. (Special services are in bold, italics.)
WORSHIP ASSISTANTS USHERS
March 2 – Barbara Greenfield Group B
March 5 – Kurt Anderson Group C
(Ash Wednesday)
March 9 – Craig Schuster Group D
March 16 – John Greenfield Group E
March 23 – Pastor Boehme Group F
March 30 – Tony Schmidtke Group G
GREETERS ACOLYTES
March 2 – The Josh Wagner Family Maddox Schwaab
March 9 – Jim & Kay Koch
March 16 – David, Jackie, Grace Ohmann Morgan Voigt
March 23 – Kurt Anderson Isaiah Wagner
March 30 – John Pfeiffer, Kurt Anderson Elijah Wagner
VACUUMING SNOW REMOVAL
Jim & Kay Koch Feb. 23 to Mar. 1 Dave Nybakke
John Greenfield March 2 to 8 Josh Wagner
Tony & Bobbi Schmidtke March 9 to 15 Jim Frederick
Brent Casmey March 16 to 22 Buzz Cummins
Rob & Colleen Gottsch March 23 to 29 Tony Schmidtke
Linda Munson March 30 to April 5 Brent Casmey
ALTAR GUILD
Mary Ozmun, Linda Munson, Darlene Larson
COUNTING TEAM
Ray & Darlene Larson
Cliff & Susan Roberts
