Trinity Lutheran Church

November 1, 2026

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Men’s Band Worship November 1^st, 9 am

Potato Pancake Meal, Sunday, November 1^st, 10 am till 11:30 am  Potato Pancakes, Apple Sauce, Kielbasa Sausage, Dessert, Beverage.  Served by the Trinity Men and benefitting Mission Madness.  Calling all Men to help serve the meal!  Sign-up in the Narthex to help!  We need help Saturday, October 31^st at

Mission Madness: October 25^th-December 13^th

  This year, our Mission Madness is going to go for something difference.  With all of our obligations to our benevolences paid, we are going to be supporting our own Mission here at Trinity.  For we have a mission to spread the Gospel through our own ministry day-to-day.  Your dollars not only will make PB do all sorts of things, but also lift up our internal ministry and help us to be on a stronger financial foundation as we end 2026.

$500: Eat Pickled Beets

$1000: Drink 4 ounces of Pineapple Juice

$1,500: Wear a Packer’s Christmas shirt for the Men’s Band Christmas Concert at Trinity and for the Pastor’s Conference Meeting he hosts at Trinity in December

$2,000: Eat Liver and Onions

$2,500: Pie to the Face

$3,000: Scoop Poop at the Horse Parade at Pickle Fest in 2027

$3,500: Eat Lutefisk

CURRENT TOTAL: $1800.  $1700 LEFT TO GO TO MEET THE TOP GOAL!  GIVE THROUGH CHECK, CASH, OR VENMO.  PUT “MISSION MADNESS” IN YOUR GIVING TO DESIGNATE

Mission Trip/Youth Gathering Meeting, Wednesday, November 4th^th, 7pm.

Meat Raffle, Sunday, November 15^th, 10:30 am  Join us after church for a meat raffle to support the parsonage fund!  Win some great meat products and some surprises.  Public welcome!  This is how it works:  You purchase a paddle that is good for every drawing except the “Golden Drawing.”  There will be two colors of paddle, five drawings each for each color.  At the end, there is a special drawing, that you purchase a special paddle for.  Numbers are determined by a spinning wheel.  You can win multiple times.  The meat is being donated by businesses and individuals, and if you would like to donate something for future meat raffles (could be anything from a package of brats to a ham or turkey to something more), see Sandy Wheeler or Pastor Brad. 

Sunday School Youth will sing on Sunday, November 15^th, at 9 am.

Deer Hunter’s Worship will be held twice, Wednesday, November 18^th and Sunday, November 22^nd.

Get Your Trinity Umbrella!  The Women of Trinity are selling Trinity Umbrella’s for $20 with all proceeds going to the Parsonage Fund.  Pick them up at the church. 

You can use Venmo to make your gift to Trinity!  You can find us using: @TrinityLutheranBoyceville. If it asks you for a phone number, use 1349

MUSINGS FROM PASTOR BRAD

   Today is All Saints Day (and Sunday), where we remember those who now reside with the Lord and those who have passed during the previous year, and I was thinking about my Grandma Ohle the past few days.  This was my Grandma on my Mom’s side.  I was thinking about how she taught me about service and putting others first, in ways both obvious and not so obvious.  The obvious ways were the lessons in holding the door open for women and for those who might need an extra hand, which she demonstrated when she stood out in the rain when I didn’t hold it open for her when we were entering a mall until I came back and got it for her.  But she did it in so many subtle ways too, like how when she hosted family meals she would never sit down until everyone else had sat down and she knew everything was ready.  I remember this because as the one who often prayed at meals as a kid I had to wait to pray until she came into the dining room; or how she made sure she had ice cream bars for me because she knew I didn’t really like cake for dessert.  She had them and yet she wouldn’t always let me have them, teaching me two lessons at the same time.  To provide for others but to also appreciate what you have.  She was a remarkable woman, kind but tough, full of faith.  She has been gone many, many years but is missed. Prayers to all who are grieving loved ones on this day but also a reminder to celebrate their lives as well and to give thanks for the saving grace of Jesus Christ, for they now reside in eternal life.

  Trunk or Treat was yesterday and it is always fun to participate as the church and to see all the kids in their costumes.  But it was a great reminder of who becomes the star of the show really quickly.  And let’s just say it wasn’t me.  It was Baxter, dressed up as his favorite toy, Lamb Chop, affectionately known as “Lamby.”  I was also dressed up the same way, but no one cared.  The moment they saw him, it was all over.  I don’t think the kids cared about the candy as much.  They just wanted to pet him and see him.  Amy was like a proud parent, soaking in all the praise for Baxter.  Special thanks to Amy for bringing him and being there to make the table really work because of him.  He really enjoyed all the attention too, despite hating having the costume on every second he had it on. 

    Two small things to close.  I’m super excited for Meat Raffle on November 15^th.  You will see an explanation of how it works in the announcements but it is basically this: you buy a paddle, we spin a wheel, if it lands on your number and it is your color (there are two colors), you win.  You can win multiple times with the same number.  There is a big prize at the end that you buy a new paddle for.  That’s it.  Come check it out at 10:30 am.  It is open to the public so all are welcome. 

  Lastly, congrats to the Milwaukee Brewers on winning the World Series. They were the best team all year and showed it and deserved it.  I actually picked them to win it in early May and I love being right!  I was rooting for you and glad to see it happen. I was very happy for so many friends who had waited their whole lives for this moment.  Despite being rivals, it is easy to put that aside when you know what it means to people.  I remember what it felt like for me in 2016, ten years ago, and how many people were happy for me and showed me kindness.  That anniversary is tomorrow and I will be watching the highlights like I do every year.  I hope that you enjoy it and cherish it and don’t take it for granted. 

  Have a great week and remember that God loves you!  Share some kindness to others, share your resources with your neighbor and your God, and remember that the Lord is with you always!

PICTURES OF THE WEEK.

Here are two pictures:  Me with my Grandma at my sister Amy’s wedding and Baxter in his Lamb Chop costume

October 25, 2026

ANNOUNCEMENTS

The Crew is on October 28^th for all 3^rd-6^th grade youth from 3:30 pm till 5 pm!  Snack, Game, Faith Time, and Music.  All are welcome!  Want to help?  We appreciate having adults help in the kitchen and provide extra supervision during group time.  Just talk to PB if you would like to help!

Men’s Band Worship November 1^st, 9 am

Potato Pancake Meal, Sunday, November 1^st, 10 am till 11:30 am  Potato Pancakes, Apple Sauce, Kielbasa Sausage, Dessert, Beverage.  Served by the Trinity Men and benefitting Mission Madness.  Calling all Men to help serve the meal!  Sign-up in the Narthex to help!  We need help Saturday, October 31^st at 8 am for prep and then on November 1st starting at 9 am.  

Mission Madness: October 25^th-December 13^th

  This year, our Mission Madness is going to go for something difference.  With all of our obligations to our benevolences paid, we are going to be supporting our own Mission here at Trinity.  For we have a mission to spread the Gospel through our own ministry day-to-day.  Your dollars not only will make PB do all sorts of things, but also lift up our internal ministry and help us to be on a stronger financial foundation as we end 2026.

$500: Eat Pickled Beets

$1000: Drink 4 ounces of Pineapple Juice

$1,500: Wear a Packer’s Christmas shirt for the Men’s Band Christmas Concert at Trinity and for the Pastor’s Conference Meeting he hosts at Trinity in December

$2,000: Eat Liver and Onions

$2,500: Pie to the Face

$3,000: Scoop Poop at the Horse Parade at Pickle Fest in 2027

$3,500: Eat Lutefisk

 You can give by check (put “Mission Madness” in the memo), though the website, or by Venmo (again, put “Mission Madness” in the tagline)

Mission Trip/Youth Gathering Meeting, Wednesday, October 28^th, 7pm.

Confirmation Youth Lock-In, Friday, October 30^th, 6 pm till Saturday, October 31^st, 7 am HAS BEEN POSTPONED DUE TO THE BOYCEVILLE HOME PLAYOFF GAME.   Updates will come in the future.

Meat Raffle, Sunday, November 15^th, 10:30 am  Join us after church for a meat raffle to support the parsonage fund!  Win some great meat products and some surprises.  Public welcome! 

Get Your Trinity Umbrella!  The Women of Trinity are selling Trinity Umbrella’s for $20 with all proceeds going to the Parsonage Fund.  Pick them up at the church. 

You can use Venmo to make your gift to Trinity!  You can find us using: @TrinityLutheranBoyceville. If it asks you for a phone number, use 1349

MUSINGS FROM PASTOR BRAD

   Something interesting happened on Thursday night that I have been thinking about.  I was watching the Bears-Patriots game and Amy came home from parent teacher conferences.  After a little while, she sat down to watch with me (well, not really watch as she was going to read, but it was on the TV), and as she tried to engage me in conversation later she could tell I wasn’t in the best of moods.  But this confused her, because as she looked at the TV and the score, the Bears were winning and this normally puts me in a good mood.  So she said, “Why are you so grumpy?  The Bears are winning.”  This is a very valid and reasonable question.  And I said the following: “Because we should be winning by more.” 

  At the time, we should have been, because we squandered some opportunities including giving up an inexplicable TD at the end of the half (I still get mad thinking about it).  But as I have thought about it since then, I realized how unreasonable I was being in that moment. I wasn’t happy because we weren’t winning by more.  Not that we weren’t winning.  It was that we weren’t winning by more.  And that thought was stopping me from having good conversation with my wife, who I had not seen since 6:15 that morning, and that thought was putting me in a bad mood, affecting my relationship and the people that were around me.  How dumb am I?

  We are rarely content with what we have.  We want more.  (In this moment, I’m thinking of the moment in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, when Kylo Ren screams “More!” as they are firing lasers at Luke Skywalker, who he thinks is there but is really a force projection.  It is a meme).  We always want more.  We are taught by our culture and society to keep wanting more.  And there is nothing wrong with wanting to succeed and strive for success.  But there is a line there and when that wanting turns into hording or when the wanting becomes all-consuming and makes us neglect the needs of our neighbors, that is when we have a problem.  See me, exhibit A.

  Because our need for more, and for hording what we have, runs opposite of God’s call to share what we have with others and to be thankful for the blessings we do have.  We are to live with generous hearts, trusting in the Lord who provides and to whom all belongs.  The need for more can become like another God for us, something we worship, a compulsion that can have destructive consequences.  It can be a force for good if the resources we are gathering are used for the sake of the other.  But when used to exploit the other or to keep others down, or to fuel only selfish ambition, then it has the opposite effect. 

  Being content with what we have is hard and being thankful, I think, is even harder.  We often don’t see what we have in life as blessings and we often see what we don’t have, or think about what we should have, instead of what is in front of us.  We often live in fear of not enough, and that fear keeps us from being generous.  Of being grateful.  Of being content.  It makes us pout on a couch because our football team, despite winning, isn’t winning by more.  It makes us hesitant to use our resources of time, talent, and treasure to support God’s mission in the world or care for our neighbor in need.  It makes us oppress others or push the other aside for our own gain. 

  We are about to enter the month of Thanksgiving, and it is a good time to reflect on what we have, who it belongs to, and how we can use what we have for the sake of others.  It is also a time to reflect on where our happiness and contentment comes from and why.  Does it come from having more or appreciating what we have, or who we have, or who loves us?  These are all faith questions and questions to reflect upon.  No matter what, remember this promise: you are loved by your Savior Jesus Christ, who provides all things for you, most especially eternal life.  May God bless you today and always!

October 18, 2026

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Lagers with the Lord Monday, October 19, 6 pm at Buckshot’s. It will be Ask PB anything, so bring your questions!

The Crew is on October 28^th for all 3^rd-6^th grade youth from 3:30 pm till 5 pm!  Snack, Game, Faith Time, and Music.  All are welcome!  Want to help?  We appreciate having adults help in the kitchen and provide extra supervision during group time.  Just talk to PB if you would like to help!

Confirmation Sunday is October 25^th at 9 am

Mission Madness: October 25^th-December 13^th

  This year, our Mission Madness is going to go for something difference.  With all of our obligations to our benevolences paid, we are going to be supporting our own Mission here at Trinity.  For we have a mission to spread the Gospel through our own ministry day-to-day.  Your dollars not only will make PB do all sorts of things, but also lift up our internal ministry and help us to be on a stronger financial foundation as we end 2026.

$500: Eat Pickled Beets

$1000: Drink 4 ounces of Pineapple Juice

$1,500: Wear a Packer’s Christmas shirt for the Men’s Band Christmas Concert at Trinity and for the Pastor’s Conference Meeting he hosts at Trinity in December

$2,000: Eat Liver and Onions

$2,500: Pie to the Face

$3,000: Scoop Poop at the Horse Parade at Pickle Fest in 2027

$3,500: Eat Lutefisk

Confirmation Youth Lock-In, Friday, October 30^th, 6 pm till Saturday, October 31^st, 7 am Scavenger Hunt, Games, Food, Movies, and more for all youth in 7^th & 8^th Grade.  Sign-up in the Narthex by October 28^th.  Need parent drivers for the Scavenger Hunt and to help with overnight hours.  It will be the only confirmation age lock-in this year. 

Men’s Band Worship November 1^st, 9 am

Potato Pancake Meal, Sunday, November 1^st, 10 am till 11:30 am  Potato Pancakes, Apple Sauce, Kielbasa Sausage, Dessert, Beverage.  Served by the Trinity Men and benefitting Mission Madness.  Calling all Men to help serve the meal!  Sign-up in the Narthex to help!

Where is Pastor Brad? Reminder that Pastor Brad now walks over from the new parsonage to the office so his car most likely is not parked at the church anymore. Just stop into the church to see if he is there if you need him! (Someday there might be a sign from his office letting you know that he is there).

Get Your Trinity Umbrella!  The Women of Trinity are selling Trinity Umbrella’s for $20 with all proceeds going to the Parsonage Fund.  Pick them up at the church. 

You can use Venmo to make your gift to Trinity!  You can find us using: @TrinityLutheranBoyceville. If it asks you for a phone number, use 1349

MUSINGS FROM PASTOR BRAD

  It is always fun to get an invitation in the mail, whether it be to a wedding or a birthday party or any event.  Even better is a personal invitation to join in something.  It makes you feel part of something, like you are included and valued and important.  It is why we encourage you to personally invite people to church or to our events. People are much more likely to come when personally invited than when they see an advertisement in a newspaper or online.

  Well, I have two personal invitations to give you today.  The first is to attend Lagers with the Lord this Monday, October 19^th, at 6 pm at Buckshot’s.  Why?  It is “Ask PB Anything” night.  It is your chance to ask me any question you want and you get to do this anonymously.  There will be post it notes on the table, you write your question down, I collect them in a hat, and then I mix them up and read them and attempt to answer them.  I know that many of you have questions out there about faith and life and here is a perfect way to ask them in a non-threatening environment with a bunch of other people who are there for the same purpose.  Plus, you can ask me any other sorts of questions: Star Wars, Disney, how I became a pastor, why do I follow terrible sports teams, my favorite foods, what is it like to work with Andrea and survive the quilters every week.  It is all on the table. 

  Next, I want to invite you to be part of Mission Madness this year.  You might have seen the announcement prior to musings.  Mission Madness is going to be different this year.  Sure, the concept is the same: you all give money and when we reach certain benchmarks, I do stuff, like eat pickled beats or get a pie to the face and the like.  But normally our funds go to our Mission Partners to meet our benevolence goals.  However, those goals have already been met this year.  So instead, we are going to shore up our own mission.  After all, every day we doing mission work here at Trinity.  We are spreading the Gospel and serving the neighbor.  I think about the youth who recently told their Grandma that Crew is the most fun they have all week.  Or I think about the person who stopped me at Walmart to thank me for the daily Facebook devotions.  Or the laughter I hear from the fellowship hall as the card players are playing cards on Thursday mornings or the care Church Council takes in thinking about the future direction of our ministry during a meeting.  All of this happens, and can continue to happen, because of your financial support to the mission of Trinity Lutheran Church and Mission Madness will help with that.  It starts next Sunday, October 25^th, and runs into December.  You can give through check with Mission Madness in the line item and through our Venmo (which you can scan here in Trinity Tidings).  Again just put Mission Madness in the note.   

  You are personally invited my friends.  To make a difference in the mission of the church through your financial gifts and to come and get questions answered or hear others questions get answered and grow in faith at Lagers with the Lord.  Most importantly, every single day our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ invites you to participate in what the Spirit is doing here at Trinity and in your lives, to see the love of Jesus Christ for you.  Answer that invitation and remember that you are saved and redeemed in Jesus Christ and that you are called to participate in your own way in what God is doing.  May God bless you today and always!  

October 4, 2026

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Deadline to sign-up for our summer Youth Summer Trips in 2027 is Sunday, October 4th. We have the opportunity to go on two trips. The Youth Gathering in Minneapolis is June 28-July 2, 2027 and/or a mission trip to Logan County, West Virginia on July 17-23, 2027. All high school youth welcome.

Oktoberfest Sip & Shop, Saturday, October 10^th, 9 am till 2pm at Boyceville High School  Stop and see all of the great vendors, get great baked items, and much more!  Also visit all the businesses around the area participating!  Sponsored by the Women of Trinity!

Looking for a few people to help load the Lutheran World Relief truck on Saturday, October 10^th at 8:30 am

Outdoor Worship service and Blessing of the Animals Sunday, October 11^th, 9 am  Sit in your lawn chair or in your car. 

The Crew is on October 14^th for all 3^rd-6^th grade youth from 3:30 pm till 5 pm!  Snack, Game, Faith Time, and Music.  All are welcome!  Want to help?  We appreciate having adults help in the kitchen and provide extra supervision during group time.  Just talk to PB if you would like to help!

Deadline to sign-up for our summer Youth Summer Trips in 2027 is Sunday, October 4th. We have the opportunity to go on two trips. The Youth Gathering in Minneapolis is June 28-July 2, 2027 and/or a mission trip to Logan County, West Virginia on July 17-23, 2027. All high school youth welcome.

Fall Family Fest, Sunday, October 18^th, 2 pm till 5 pm!  Inflatables, games, food, pumpkin carving, and fun for the whole family!

Where is Pastor Brad? Reminder that Pastor Brad now walks over from the new parsonage to the office so his car most likely is not parked at the church anymore. Just stop into the church to see if he is there if you need him! (Someday there might be a sign from his office letting you know that he is there).

Get Your Trinity Umbrella!  The Women of Trinity are selling Trinity Umbrella’s for $20 with all proceeds going to the Parsonage Fund.  Pick them up at the church. 

Lagers with the Lord Monday, October 19, 6 pm at Buckshot’s. It will be Ask PB anything, so bring your questions!

You can use Venmo to make your gift to Trinity!  You can find us using: @TrinityLutheranBoyceville. If it asks you for a phone number, use 1349

MUSINGS FROM PASTOR BRAD

  I say this with all of the affection and love in my heart.  I do.  I really do.  I have to be upfront about that.  Let’s be clear.  Lots of love here.  But my dog Daphene can really, really, really be a pain in the butt.  Again, I love her dearly, but sometimes she just is so, so, so, so annoying. Why is she annoying you might ask?  Does is overly bark at things? No.  That would be the other one.  Does she poop or pee all over the house?  No.  Does she destroy things or randomly eat things she isn’t supposed to?  No.  She doesn’t do that.  So then, what makes her so annoying, you might ask?  She will not leave us alone.  I mean, she must be on us AT ALL TIMES.  If I’m standing there, she is literally pressing up against me with her paws on my thighs.  She wedges herself next to us even in the smallest spaces or she will crawl to the top of couch/chair/loveseat/recliner and sit behind our neck and head.  She will lay across your chest in bed.  You move her?  She comes back.  You tell her to go away and you want some space?  Too bad.  You reading a book?  She will lay on your chest so you can’t see said book and then proceed to dart kisses at your face like an assassin.  She is clingy like hot glue to a finger your finger or tree sap when you accidently touch it on a pine tree.  She just doesn’t go away.  Ever.  And yet, you can’t help but love her.  She is just the sweetest and when she does cuddle on your chest it is the best thing for when you want to take a nap.  Instant night-night. 

   But what is most important is she is persistent.  She will not take no for an answer.  She keeps coming and coming and coming.  She will not give up, no matter how much you cajole/threaten/push away/place obstacles in her way.  She is going to press on to get to you, to snuggle next to you/on you.  And she will succeed, in one or another.  Nothing will stop her. And it made me think of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  I think of how our Savior Jesus Christ never gives up loving us, no matter how often we try to push him away.  No matter our sin, no matter how many times we reject him, no matter how often we think we don’t need him, this Savior, this Son of God, never gives up.  He keeps coming and coming and coming to show us that we are loved by him, going so far to give his life on the cross for our sins.  Reminding us that he is there to carry our burdens.  Strengthening us when we are weak. Healing us when we are broken.  Guiding us when we are lost.  Being our refuge when we need a place to feel safe. And bringing us to eternal life through his death and resurrection.

  Jesus is pretty persistent and will never give up on you and will continue to do whatever it takes to remind you that you are loved and saved by him, just as Daphene will continue to cling to us.  May you feel love of Jesus this day and appreciate it.  And I will try to appreciate Daphene’s love a little more, giving thanks for this crazy, loving dog!  May God bless you today and always!

PICTURES OF THE DAY!

  Two pictures of Daphene. A good one (a second after I took this, she was trying to climb up me), and one of illustrating what it is like to read with her on you). 

September 27, 2026

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Lutheran World Relief Pack out Day is Wednesday, Sept 30th at 9 am. Come help us fill the boxes with all the wonderful supplies you have all donated throughout the year! It’s a fun assembly line and snacks/lunch to follow!

The Crew is on September 30^th for all 3^rd-6^th grade youth from 3:30 pm till 5 pm!  Snack, Game, Faith Time, and Music.  All are welcome!  Want to help?  We appreciate having adults help in the kitchen and provide extra supervision during group time.  Just talk to PB if you would like to help!

Deadline to sign-up for our summer Youth Summer Trips in 2027 is Sunday, October 4th. We have the opportunity to go on two trips. The Youth Gathering in Minneapolis is June 28-July 2, 2027 and/or a mission trip to Logan County, West Virginia on July 17-23, 2027. All high school youth welcome.

 Where is Pastor Brad? Reminder that Pastor Brad now walks over from the new parsonage to the office so his car most likely is not parked at the church anymore. Just stop into the church to see if he is there if you need him! (Someday there might be a sign from his office letting you know that he is there).

Get Your Trinity Umbrella!  The Women of Trinity are selling Trinity Umbrella’s for $20 with all proceeds going to the Parsonage Fund.  Pick them up at the church.  

Lagers with the Lord Monday, October 19, 6 pm at Buckshot’s. It will be Ask PB anything, so bring your questions!

Outdoor Worship service and Blessing of the Animals Sunday, October 11^th, 9 am  Sit in your lawn chair or in your car. 

You can use Venmo to make your gift to Trinity!  You can find us using: @TrinityLutheranBoyceville. If it asks you for a phone number, use 1349

MUSINGS FROM PASTOR BRAD

  Today in worship we are going to bless the quilts and it is always super fun to see people when they come into the sanctuary and see it awash in color and pattern as every pew is covered in quilt, the result of the hard work of our amazing quilting group that meets every Tuesday morning here at the church. And I want to take a moment to talk about this group of ladies.  After all, I’m often mentioned in their little corner of the newsletter and they just made an effigy of me for their float in the Pickle Fest parade this year. 

  The quilting group is nothing short of amazing and frankly always has been.  When I arrived here in 2002, they were like my Mom’s and Grandma’s, helping to guide a young man who had no idea what he was doing and giving sage advice.  They were often the group I approached about an idea to see if it went to far, to test out things.  And though many of them now could still be my Mom or Grandma, they are more like a group of crazy Aunt’s.  I still run things by them, but if they get really enthusiastic about it, I realize that the idea IS probably too far and too crazy! The stories I have about them now are legendary and make my pastoral colleagues shake their heads. But that is what makes them awesome.  The thing that has never changed in this group is their commitment to the church and to helping others through quilting.

  And like quilts, they are varied and diverse. Some of them have been part of this congregation their whole lives. Some of them have been sewing forever. Others are recent additions to our congregation and have limited experience sewing or quilting.  But everyone has a place and a job and contributes.  They have others that don’t come on Tuesday that help make quilt squares and tops and others who contribute fabric and yarn.  They even let a 50-year old pastor come in and tie strings from time to time in between times of harassment.  They open up their time to help teach kids about quilting from the Middle School every year on their service project day and contributed quilts to let college kids do the same and even led a congregation-wide quilting session during a Cross-Generational worship experience.  They contribute to all of our special events, make quilts for fire victims and hospital patients, baptisms and confirmations, Luther Park Bible Camp, and everything else in between (including two quilts for my dogs!) and make these quilts that we will bless on Sunday that will get sent around the world that will bring warmth and comfort to perfect strangers.  And they do it with laughter, joy, faith, and love. 

  Every week I am grateful for them and what they bring to our ministry to Trinity and to me personally.  They are another example of what makes the church a great place.  People of varied backgrounds and experience gathered together in community in common purpose and faith making a difference in the lives of others.  Because they make a difference.  To each other, to Trinity, to Boyceville, and to me, and to the wider world, even if they don’t realize it all the time.

  If you have ever thought about joining them, do.  Or, if you have thought about getting involved in any group at Trinity, do so. You won’t regret it.  Or, if you want to help them out in some way, stop in and talk to one of them and they can tell you how you can contribute to the cause.  Most of all, give thanks for this group of faithful women who use their time, talents, and treasure for the sake of the Gospel and the neighbor.  And say a small prayer for me, because any day they are going to bulldoze the wall to my office to make more room for themselves!

  May God bless you this day and always! 

PICTURE OF THE DAY!

September 20, 2026

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Lutheran World Relief Pack out Day is Wednesday, Sept 30th at 9 am. Come help us fill the boxes with all the wonderful supplies you have all donated throughout the year! It’s a fun assembly line and snacks/lunch to follow!

Youth Summer Trips for 2027 Informational Meeting will be TODAY, September 20th at 10am. We have the opportunity to go on two trips. The Youth Gathering in Minneapolis is June 28-July 2, 2027 and/or a mis sion trip to Logan County, West Virginia on July 17-23, 2027. All high school youth welcome. More info at the meeting. Deadline to sign up is October 4th. Where is Pastor Brad?

 Reminder that Pastor Brad now walks over from the new parsonage to the office so his car most likely is not parked at the church anymore. Just stop into the church to see if he is there if you need him! (Someday there might be a sign from his office letting you know that he is there).

Get Your Trinity Umbrella!  The Women of Trinity are selling Trinity Umbrella’s for $20 with all proceeds going to the Parsonage Fund.  Pick them up at the church. 

The Crew is on September 30^th for all 3^rd-6^th grade youth from 3:30 pm till 5 pm!  Snack, Game, Faith Time, and Music.  All are welcome!  Want to help?  We appreciate having adults help in the kitchen and provide extra supervision during group time.  Just talk to PB if you would like to help!

Crew Snacks  Sign-up for serve Crew Snacks.  We need snacks for around 50 youth and you can bring anything you want.  You do not need to serve the snacks, just bring them here by 3 pm. Sign-up on the table in the Narthex or call the church office at 715-643-3821.

Lagers with the Lord Monday, October 19, 6 pm at Buckshot’s. It will be Ask PB anything, so bring your questions!

You can use Venmo to make your gift to Trinity!  You can find us using: @TrinityLutheranBoyceville. If it asks you for a phone number, use 1349

MUSINGS FROM PASTOR BRAD

  I got back late last night from doing a wedding down in Illinois with our former intern Katie Wagner, which was super fun.  It was fun to do the wedding with Katie and the wedding itself was fun, as it was one of her former Stout Campus Ministry students who also attended Trinity on Sunday’s.  I had to come back for worship today because we have another great event, a baptism, in which we will be welcoming another child into the family of God.  Now, baptisms are pretty regular around here (there is another one next week), but it is still a pretty special and fun event. 

  And it got me to thinking that when we have these celebrations that we can sometimes take them for granted or put a lot of stress on them.  I think of all of the work that goes into weddings and I’m often reminding couples to try to enjoy them, to remember the most important parts of them, which is the vows they make to each other, the promises they hear from God in the midst of their marriage, and the opportunity to be with friends and family.  Last week I got a chance to attend a birthday party and though I could only go for a little bit due to a burial and not feeling the best, I think of all the work that often goes into a birthday party that we can sometimes lose the fact that people are gathering to celebrate someone and their life.  Or, with the holiday’s around the corner with Thanksgiving and Christmas, how much stress we put on ourselves to throw the perfect gathering instead of enjoying the time we get to gather.

  There is so much in life that is hard.  So many tragedies, difficulties, stresses, and times of hurt and suffering.  But, at the same time, we have chances to celebrate, to rejoice, to give thanks, to appreciate the people in our lives we love and cherish.  Let us not take those moments for granted.  Though baptisms are regular occurrences at Trinity, I hope we always rejoice and give thanks for them and the awesome opportunity we get to welcome another brother or sister in Christ.  I hope at weddings and birthday parties and anniversaries or family reunions or holiday gatherings that we take a moment to give thanks for the chance to celebrate life, milestones, and the chance to be with people we love and who love us. For the Lord is in the midst of those times as well, reminding us of the gift and joy of life.  And even more so, be reminded that every day we have a reason to rejoice. We don’t need a big party or event for it.  Because every day we are saved and redeemed by the grace of God in Jesus Christ and every day the Lord shows us we are loved and valued and brings joy into our lives in ways both big and small.  My prayer is that you would appreciate the joys and the celebrations both big and small and see your Lord and Savior in them. 

  May God bless you today and always!

September 13, 2026

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Lagers with the Lord Monday, September 14, 6 pm at Buckshot’s.

Get Your Trinity Umbrella!  The Women of Trinity are selling Trinity Umbrella’s for $20 with all proceeds going to the Parsonage Fund.  Pick them up at the church. 

The Crew begins on September 16^th for all 3^rd-6^th grade youth from 3:30 pm till 5 pm!  Snack, Game, Faith Time, and Music.  All are welcome!  Want to help?  We appreciate having adults help in the kitchen and provide extra supervision during group time.  Just talk to PB if you would like to help!

Crew Snacks  Sign-up for serve Crew Snacks.  We need snacks for around 50 youth and you can bring anything you want.  You do not need to serve the snacks, just bring them here by 3 pm. Sign-up on the table in the Narthex or call the church office at 715-643-3821.

You can use Venmo to make your gift to Trinity!  You can find us using: @TrinityLutheranBoyceville. If it asks you for a phone number, use 1349

MUSINGS FROM PASTOR BRAD

  As we started to get very serious about packing things up in the old house and get ready for the move, we started to move stuff.  We got rid of our dining room table.  We cleaned and then rolled up our rugs.  Things went off the walls and stuff was being boxed up.  In the midst of that, we started to notice something with our dog Baxter.  Every now and again, he would have almost panic attacks, especially when he got worked up.  And we figured out why: his safe places were now gone.  He liked to hide behind the dining room table but it wasn’t there anymore, replaced with boxes.  The carpets he rolled on for comfort were gone. Everything was changing around him, despite it being his home.  He would calm down after a bit of snuggling, but it was obvious all the changes, and the loss of his spaces, was affecting him.

  We have now moved into the new house, though it is isn’t yet completed.  We have no cabinets.  No bathroom sinks, no stove or fridge or dishwasher.  I’m happy to say it looks like that hopefully by the end of this week that will all change.  Being in an entirely new place has been an adjustment for Baxter.  New routines, and though many things are back, like his rugs, they are in new places and still with unsettled things around them.  There is a new yard to go into and a new routine to going outside. We are also doing new routines, as with two full bathrooms our morning routines are different, bedrooms are different and more.  We got him some stuff to help him calm down and he is starting to adjust (Daphne, by the way, is just fine.  She just needs a human lap, any human lap, and the world is all rainbows and unicorns).  I have no doubt in a week or two he will be fully settled as we get fully settled.

  But I found out something about myself as we moved into the new house this past Tuesday.  I realized it two days later on Thursday when I was having a hard time getting relaxed when I got home, this new home: I need a settled place too.  Sure, my clothes were in there places and the furniture was in its place in my room, but not much else was done in my room.  We were using a sink made out of sawhorses and using a small beer fridge as our fridge.  We were still searching for things and even worse, I was swamped with work.  Funeral.  All day Confirmation retreat I was teaching at Luther Park coming up.  Confirmation starting.  Five hour Luther Park board meeting (and other meetings).  Youth meeting coming and youth presentation that needed to be finished.  Crew around the corner, Lagers with the Lord to finish, sermons to write, and on and on, besides working a football game. I realized that my life can be chaos and that I need a settled place, kind of like Baxter.  That home is that settled place where the world slows down (even if I come home and start immediately working again, which is what I did a few nights this week). 

  But without things settled, I was unmoored a bit.  I was also out of routine.  Now working out in the morning, instead trying to find boxes to unpack so I could feel more settled.  Forgetting to take medication at night because I don’t quite have the spot for it yet and remembering in the middle of the night. Dealing with a restless dog who couldn’t get settled like me. 

  But, as I got home last night from teaching all day, with a shredded voice, tired feet, and a weary spirit, I found I was able to start to relax.  Was it because I had more stuff unpacked in my room?  Was it because Amy had done a lot of unpacking while I was gone?  Was it just time and getting more used to the house?  Probably all three.  But I was also reminded that in the chaos of life, we have a home in our loving God.  I was reminded of Psalm 46:1, “God is our refuge and strength.”  God is our home in the midst of the chaos of life and when we need a settled place.  And I think of how the Lord has seen us through the chaos of moving and getting everything in, despite all that isn’t there right now, in the midst of work and everything else.  I think of all the people that helped to make it happen so we can even be in the house and not in a hotel.  I think of the love of Amy and the dogs that always provide comfort when life seems to be going out of control. 

  Because not only is the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ our refuge and strength, the Lord brings people into our lives to be those safe spaces for us, to make us feel at home, even when we aren’t in a physical “home.”  We all have people we can turn to that help settle us down, like how we settle down Baxter, that reminds us that everything will be ok. 

  The new house will soon feel like home.  Baxter will soon adjust and find all of his safe spaces.  And in our life, when the chaos swirls and we need that place to feel like home, never forget that your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is there for you and brings people in your life to be a safe space for you.  May God bless you today and always!

September 6, 2026

ANNOUNCEMENTS

TIME FOR THE LAST MOVE!  Tuesday, September 8^th, 8:30 am.  Moving our mattresses, box springs, couple of smaller furniture items, and a few other things.  A few trucks/trailers are appreciated! 

Office closed on Monday for Labor Day.  No Bible Study

Confirmation begins this Wednesday for 7^th grade youth at 5:30 pm!

Women of Trinity Fall Gathering, Saturday, September 12^th, at 9 am till Noon.  Brunch will be served and they will be doing a Gnome craft you can take home! All women are invited! 

Sunday School begins on September 13^th at 9:45 am

Lagers with the Lord Monday, September 14th, 6 pm at Buckshot’s.

Get Your Trinity Umbrella!  The Women of Trinity are selling Trinity Umbrella’s for $20 with all proceeds going to the Parsonage Fund.  Pick them up at the church. 

The Crew begins on September 16^th for all 3^rd-6^th grade youth from 3:30 pm till 5 pm!  Snack, Game, Faith Time, and Music.  All are welcome!  Want to help?  We appreciate having adults help in the kitchen and provide extra supervision during group time.  Just talk to PB if you would like to help!

Crew Snacks  Sign-up for serve Crew Snacks.  We need snacks for around 50 youth and you can bring anything you want.  You do not need to serve the snacks, just bring them here by 3 pm. Sign-up on the table in the Narthex or call the church office at 715-643-3821.

You can use Venmo to make your gift to Trinity!  You can find us using: @TrinityLutheranBoyceville. If it asks you for a phone number, use 1349

MUSINGS FROM PASTOR BRAD

  Twenty-four years ago, when I was interviewing to be the pastor of Trinity, they took me through the parsonage for the first time and then, about two hours later, in my interview, someone asked me if I would be happy living there.  I got a sense that the parsonage was a sensitive subject as that question was asked and found out later that a pastoral candidate before me had rejected the call because the house was sufficient for them.  I said something like, “Yes, I think it will do fine,” when inside I was thinking to myself, “Are you kidding me?  For seven of the past eight years I have either lived in a dorm or in apartments the size of closets!  I don’t have to share a bathroom with an army full of other people?  I get more than one room?  Sign me up!” 

  This Thursday, I will no longer live in that house.  Actually, on Tuesday Amy and I will walk out of there and spend our first night in the new house for the first time. Twenty-four years I have been in that house and it is the longest I ever lived in one place in my entire life.  I am excited for the new house.  Excited to have a kitchen (once our cabinets are installed in a few weeks or less) to not run into Amy every four seconds and have a ton of counter space and storage space.  The new parsonage is a great and amazing home that we are excited to move into with more living space than we have had with a larger living room, two full bathrooms, plug-ins everywhere, and so many modern amenities and walls in which I don’t have to drill into to hang a picture. 

  But at the same time, I will miss the old parsonage.  I first saw it as a 25-year-old (didn’t turn 26 till two months after I saw it for the first time).  Now I leave it as a 50-year-old.  A lot of memories in that house.  I will miss the office, which was basically a recreation of my college dorm room and a space we don’t have in the new house.  I remember how the house transformed from a bachelor house to a house dominated in look and feel by Amy when we got married, as it should have and was for the better.  I will never forget the epic nap Amy and I took the day after our wedding in the guest bedroom or the times when we brought all of our dogs into the house for the first time.  But I’m excited for the new house and it was fun yesterday to have Daphne and Baxter run around the new house for the first time. 

  It will be with a touch of sadness when I exit the old parsonage for the final time this week but I know that the new owners will do it proud and it will continue to be a great house for decades to come.  It has been a good and faithful servant to the people of Trinity since 1949.  And I’m excited for the future and the memories we will make in the new house, how we will decorate it for Christmas, enjoying all that this new house has to offer, and the blessings that the Lord will bring.  Because we can look back with fondness but we don’t cling to the past.  We move forward, trusting in the Lord who guides us and giving thanks.

  Speaking of that, Amy and I want to give thanks for the countless people who have helped to make all of this a reality.  First off to our amazing parsonage committee: Bill Fisher, Amy Hellmann, Tony Bowell, Paul Danovsky, and Jon Oakland, who have put in so much time and effort.  A special thanks to Bill who has headed the committee and spent so many hours on this.  If you see him, please give him a special thanks for he deserves it.  Our general contractor Kaleb Humpal has done an absolutely amazing job and continues to do so as things close down.  If you got a chance to tour the house, you saw his amazing work.  Thank you to all of our sub-contractors who have also done great work.  Thank you to Kevin Bygd who seeded our lawn and to Lonna Borgert and Tina Talmage who transplanted our precious peony plants, a few who came from both Amy’s mother and my mother.  And finally, to the too many to name volunteers who, over multiple days, have helped us move stuff from the old parsonage to the new or helped us throw stuff out of the old parsonage.  We are forever grateful and thankful for your help and appreciative of your time and efforts on our behalf.  Last but never least, all thanks and glory to Jesus Christ, who blesses us with grace and mercy every day and to all of you who have supported this project with your prayers, giving, and encouragement.

  May God bless you this week and always!

August 30^th, 2026

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Looking for help to move items into the new parsonage on Thursday, September 3^rd, at 8:30 am till Noon.   Need trucks and trailers.  Talk to PB or show up at the old parsonage to help. 

Confirmation Parent Meeting, Wednesday, September 2^nd, at 7 pm for all 7^th & 8^th grade confirmation parents.

Sunday School begins on September 13^th at 9:45 am

Get Your Trinity Umbrella!  The Women of Trinity are selling Trinity Umbrella’s for $20 with all proceeds going to the Parsonage Fund.  Pick them up at the church. 

The Crew begins on September 16^th for all 3^rd-6^th grade youth from 3:30 pm till 5 pm!  Snack, Game, Faith Time, and Music.  All are welcome!  Want to help?  We appreciate having adults help in the kitchen and provide extra supervision during group time.  Just talk to PB if you would like to help!

Crew Snacks  Sign-up for serve Crew Snacks.  We need snacks for around 50 youth and you can bring anything you want.  You do not need to serve the snacks, just bring them here by 3 pm. Sign-up on the table in the Narthex or call the church office at 715-643-3821.

You can use Venmo to make your gift to Trinity!  You can find us using: @TrinityLutheranBoyceville. If it asks you for a phone number, use 1349

MUSINGS FROM PASTOR BRAD

  Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:12

  I love movies, as many of you know, and one of the great genres of the cinema is the revenge movie.  You know, someone gets wronged or something bad has been done to them and the hero takes revenge on all the bad guys.  Think movies like “Taken,” or “John Wick” or “True Grit,” or “Gladiator”, and one of my favorite movies of all time, “The Godfather,” as some examples that come to mind.  Think of a great novel, like the “Count of Monte Cristo,” or the Shakespeare play “Hamlet” as other great examples of a revenge stories.  These are a but a few of a myriad of examples that come to mind.  But we love a good revenge story.

  And why not?  There is something that feels really good to see someone get their comeuppance.  And in life, we like to see those we perceive to be our enemy get got. It happens all the time in sports, when we watch our hated rivals get beat.  We take delight in their misery.  Or when that person who wrongs us finally gets wronged in the end.  There is a sense of satisfaction in watching that happen that even if want to fight it we sometimes just can’t.  It just feels right.

  But is it?  Because sometimes to get that revenge there are some pretty nasty things that have to happen, especially in those revenge movies we love so much.  And we can say that those are just movies and fiction and pretend, but how many times in life have we been tempted, or cheered on, when not so great things have been done to make sure our enemies have gotten their “just” desserts?  Or how we have let our own principles slip or at least ignored them because the one who did us evil got what we thought was coming to them?  Or how we maybe were happy when the person we didn’t like had something bad happen to them?  We have all felt it.

  Which is why this verse from Romans hits so hard.  Paul reminds us, charges us, as followers of Christ, of how we are to be in the world.  We are to not overcome evil with more evil.  Even if it feels good.  Even if it makes them get what we perceive as what is coming to them.  Why?  Because when we use evil to overcome evil, all we do is put more evil in the world.  In the end, judgement belongs to the Lord and not to us.  But also, what the world needs, a world full of sin and pain and suffering is not more evil.  It needs more good.  It needs more kindness.  It needs more compassion.  It needs more love.

  And I know what you are thinking.  Right now you are thinking that it sounds pretty naïve, or weak, or ineffectual.  But love and compassion and kindness brings about real and lasting change in people much more than revenge and evil.  It is sometimes an act of kindness that will change the course of a person’s life and make them change how they live their life in a substantial way.  The best way to deal with evil is to try do as much good as we can, to show the world a different way.  I believe this.  I have to, otherwise I might just go into despair and never get out of it.

  But I also believe it because I see it in my Savior Jesus Christ.  Who could easily condemn me forever but instead offers me grace and forgiveness and eternal life through the cross.  The cross, the ultimate instrument of death and torture, is now an instrument of love.  Taking what was evil and turning it to good.  For my sin demands punishment, but by the grace of God in Jesus Christ there is forgiveness and new life for all of us who turn in faith to Jesus Christ who loves us.  As always, Christ shows us the way. 

  There is much evil in the world, in ways both big and small.  How we react to that rests with us.  And as cool as it seems in the movies to exact revenge, sometimes in very harsh ways, we have a different calling. Because life is not the movies. Do not overcome evil with evil, but overcome evil with good.  May the Holy Spirit be with us as we put some good into the world and in doing so, show that the goodness of God in Jesus Christ is greater than any evil.  For that we can say, “Thanks be to God!”  

August 25^th, 2026

ANNOUNCEMENTS

No worship August 26^th!  Join the Men’s Band at First Lutheran Church in Cumberland at 6 pm for worship.  Corn Feed prior starting at 4 pm. 

Looking for help to move items into the new parsonage on Thursday, August 27^th, at 8:30 am till Noon and Saturday, August 29^th, from 8 am till Noon.  Need trucks and trailers.  Talk to PB or show up at the old parsonage to help. 

New Parsonage Open House!  Wednesday, August 26th from 6-7 pm. Come check it out!

It’s back to school time!! The WOT will be collecting items for our local schools and for kits to go to Lutheran World Relief. There are two different boxes set out for collection so make sure you put yours in the box you want your items to go to. The bags you take off the pews are the ones that go to Lutheran World Relief and each bag has a printed copy of all items needed to fill that bag. There are copies of items needed for our local schools on the display table by the kitchen. Thank you for helping us help others!

Parsonage Blessing, Sunday, August 30^th, at the end of the 9 am worship service!

Confirmation Parent Meeting, Wednesday, September 2^nd, at 7 pm for all 7^th & 8^th grade confirmation parents.

Sunday School begins on September 13^th at 9:45 am

You can use Venmo to make your gift to Trinity!  You can find us using: @TrinityLutheranBoyceville. If it asks you for a phone number, use 1349

MUSINGS FROM PASTOR BRAD

   Jesus said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” ¹⁶ Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” ¹⁷ And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you but my Father in heaven. ¹⁸ And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it”. Matthew 16:15-18

  This is a dramatic moment in scripture, Peter’s confession of Jesus as Messiah, and it leads to Jesus giving Peter a new name, from Simon to Peter, which means “rock.”  But I think what is most remarkable is who gives this confession, this truth.  It is Peter.  Peter is the great screw-up of the disciples.  He is that kid we all knew in high school with great potential that kept getting in their own way.  You know, the one that would do amazing things and had amazing talent and then in the same breath do the most amazingly stupid things you could imagine.  That is Peter. 

  This is the disciple who is at the Transfiguration who then puts his foot in his mouth and asks Jesus if he can build dwellings for Jesus, Elijah, and Moses.  It is Peter who answers Jesus’ call to come out on the water and yet then immediately gets afraid and starts to sink.  It is Peter, who in a few moments after this amazing declaration, will rebuke Jesus to his face because he doesn’t like how Jesus will describe what it will mean to be a Messiah and Jesus will call him Satan.  And of course, it is this same Peter who will promise to never deny Jesus who will of course deny him three times.  And yet, it will be this Peter who leads the early church and be that rock that Jesus identifies.  Peter is flawed and yet faithful.

  I think that is important for us as followers of Jesus today.  There are some in the wider Christian community that think that we need to be perfect in our following of Jesus.  But we are flawed people.  Sinners who make mistakes.  Yet, we are still called.  We are not called to be perfect, but we are called to be faithful.  Often we put a lot of pressure on ourselves to be perfect, to follow every command of Jesus, to do and act as we know Jesus would want us to.  But that is impossible in many ways because we are sinners.  The question is: are we being faithful?  Are we being faithful to the one who has called us?  Are we still trusting and believing in this Messiah who gives everything for us?  Are we coming with repentance when we make mistakes and doing our best?  If we are, then I think we are being true to our calling as followers of Jesus Christ.

  Peter was the first to confess Jesus as Messiah, and it is telling that God chose a flawed disciple to be the one to make that confession.  God in Jesus Christ has called you to carry on that mantle, to faithful even in the midst of your flaws, to follow in the footsteps of the rock and keep proclaiming Jesus as Messiah and serving your Lord the best way you can.  Have some grace for yourself when you aren’t perfect, for your Savior Jesus Christ certainly does.  And give thanks for people like Peter who showed us the way, that even the most flawed amongst us are called, loved, and redeemed by the Son of God Jesus Christ.

  May God bless you today and always!