Trinity Lutheran Church

August 20^th, 2026

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Annual Lunch & Pie Social on Sunday, August 23! We look forward to seeing you between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. for hot beef and pulled pork sandwiches, hot dogs, homemade potato salad, baked beans, homemade pickles, homemade pie, and ice cream. Bring your family and friends to join us for lunch and a slice of pie – everyone is welcome!  

Looking for workers and donations for the Lunch & Pie Cream Social!  See the sign-ups on the table in the Narthex or come help us out on Sunday, August 23^rd from 10 am till 4 pm or on Saturday, August 22^nd at 9 am.  Every little bit helps!  You can call the office as well to sign-up at 715-643-3821!

Looking for float riders for the Cucumber Festival Parade Float on Sunday, August 23rd. All ages are welcome. Come to church at Noon by the shed. All youth who ride get their own candy bag.

New Parsonage Open House! Sunday, August 23rd from 10-Noon and 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!

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. 

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

Looking for mowers!  See the sign-up sheet in the Narthex to mow the church lawn this spring and summer!

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 recently got back from vacation and the last three days of that vacation was spent at the d23 Convention.  If you don’t know what that is, it is a huge Disney convention, basically like Christmas for Disney nerds like Amy and myself.  It is named after the year that the Disney corporation was founded, 1923, and it involves big announcements across all of Disney (movies, TV, theme parks around the world, cruise line, etc), panels about all sorts of stuff from history, to a convention floor full of booths displaying all sorts of items and promoting all sorts of things, to some major stores selling all sorts of merchandise that is coveted by collectors and casuals alike.  It is three days of sensory overload, where one minute you are sitting in front of a stage eating a sandwich and watching the voices of Disney princesses having a trivia contest and seeing the director of the last Star Wars movie (and actor) Jon Favreau walk by to a bit later meeting the producer of the Lion King and Beauty and the Beast to going to a panel where the team who makes Grogu (Baby Yoda) come to life shows you how they do that to the next walking through an exhibit of movie props that includes stuff from the Muppets, Hannah Montana, Mary Poppins, Raiders of the Lost Ark, the Parent Trap and more, to seeing incredible people in full homemade costume of favorite characters, to a thousand other things. 

  Along the way, you meet all sorts of people.  Every day we were in line with a Mom and Son from Israel who stayed in our same hotel and how live part of the year in Florida.  It was their first d23 and we spent a lot of time waiting together and it was fun to get to know them.  At the same time, you meet people around you as you wait to get in and in other lines and you start conversations, from what stores you got into, what panels you saw or didn’t see, thoughts on news, people you saw on the floor, and compliments on what you are wearing.  It is a shared community starting at 5:30 am and going till 8 pm at night and we joked at the end that we should all get a “I survived d23” pin at the end.  But that is what d23 ends of being: a community.

  We all have different communities.  I think about those of you who go to a campground every weekend.  That is a type of community.  We are celebrating our Boyceville community this weekend with Pickle Fest, a chance to lift up this place we live and care about and welcome back others to this place.  I think about our church community, gathered around shared faith and mission, connected by the love of God in Jesus Christ. 

  And one thing is the same about all these communities: not everyone is the same in them.  We all look different, have unique abilities and talents, possible even different perspectives and points of view.  But we have a shared passion, whether it be Disney or Boyceville or Jesus or whatever, and that is what connects us together. It is the connection that is important, not that we are all exactly the same.  It is our diversity that makes us stronger.  It is our uniqueness as individuals, gathered together around common purpose, that makes our community, no matter where it is, special.  It is being in community that reminds us that we are not alone in this world.

  So give thanks this day for your community, no matter what kind it is.  And nurture it and support it in whatever way you can.  May God bless you today and always!

August 2^nd, 2026

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Luther Park Golf Outing, Thursday, August 6^th, 9 am, Sioux Creek Golf Course.  Come support Luther Park and have a great time doing it while playing golf with Pastor Brad!  Raffles, hole games, and fun for all ages!  Sign up at by clicking on this link: https://lutherpark.org/golf-outing/

Lagers with the Lord, August 17^th, 6 pm at Buckshot’s.

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!

Save the date for the Annual Lunch & Pie Social on Sunday, August 23! We look forward to seeing you between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. for hot beef and pulled pork sandwiches, hot dogs, homemade potato salad, baked beans, homemade pickles, homemade pie, and ice cream. Bring your family and friends to join us for lunch and a slice of pie – everyone is welcome!  

Looking for workers and donations for the Lunch & Pie Cream Social!  See the sign-ups on the table in the Narthex or come help us out on Sunday, August 23^rd from 10 am till 4 pm or on Saturday, August 22^nd at 9 am.  Every little bit helps!  You can call the office as well to sign-up at 715-643-3821!

Looking for float riders for the Cucumber Festival Parade Float on Sunday, August 23rd. All ages are welcome. Come to church at Noon by the shed. All youth who ride get their own candy bag.

Tacos for kids– Every Tuesday until August 18th. We will be making taco’s for kids in need and then handing them out, along with apple slices and cheese sticks. Join us at 11 am to put the Taco’s together and/or help hand out from noon– 1pm on Main St.

New Parsonage Open House! Sunday, August 23rd from 10-Noon and Wednesday, August 26th from 6-7 pm. Come check it out!

Fellowship Servers needed for the summer!  Please sign-up in the Narthex or call the office if you are willing to serve!

Looking for mowers!  See the sign-up sheet in the Narthex to mow the church lawn this spring and summer!

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

 “God is faithful, by whom you were called into the partnership of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1:9

  How is the faith of your congregation pastor?  Someone asked me that question recently, a person I didn’t really know well.  It was an interesting question, and I wasn’t exactly sure what they meant.  But then as I thought about it, I realized that we often spend a large amount of time worried about how people’s individual faith is.  Are they faithful or aren’t they?  Do they believe in the promises of Jesus or not?  Is there doubt or is there not?  Often, in the midst of the stories of Jesus and his disciples, he is often commenting on their “little faith” or their own doubt, even as they are marveling at his miracles or his teachings, and we often lift those disciples up as examples of faith.  In two weeks we are going have one of the best examples of that with Jesus walking on water, where Peter walks out on the water with him and then starts to sink when fear creeps in, a perfect example of living with doubt and faith at the same time.

  Because, after all, that is what we do, don’t we?  We are constantly living with doubt and faith.  They go hand in hand, because faith is overcoming doubt.  And doubt is always there, and it is easy to question to the promises of God in Jesus Christ, for even the most steadfast of us, in the most difficult of times.  But sometimes, I believe the thing we forget to remember the most is that it is often not about our faithfulness.  It is about God’s faithfulness to us.

  I love this verse from 1^st Corinthians.  We are in partnership with our Savior Jesus Christ, and a partnership is a two-way street.  But the thing is, God in Jesus Christ always upholds their side of the bargain.  Jesus will always be there for us, dying and rising for us, giving us His righteousness and blessedness and taking our sinfulness so that we have the promise of eternal life.  God is always faithful, even when we are not.  Even when we doubt.  And it is that promise, that assurance, that brings us hope.  God never breaks this partnership even when we do.

  Yesterday was my 24^th anniversary of starting as pastor at Trinity.  24 years.  And if I have learned anything, it is that God is faithful.  Times don’t always look great.  Things don’t always go the way we want them to go.  Bad things happen, scary awful things.  But through it all, God is faithful.  God in Jesus Christ sees us through.  Every time, whether we are at our most faithful or not.  God’s promises in Christ do not depend on our faithfulness, they only depend on God’s, and God comes through again and again and again.  So trust in the faithfulness of God, keep going, and know that your Savior Jesus Christ is there for you.  Always.

  May God bless you today and always!

July 19^th, 2026

ANNOUNCEMENTS

The Women of Trinty are collecting for Personal Care kits during the month of July. You can bring any or all of the items needed to make a kit. These are the items needed: 1- light weight bath size towel, dark color preferred, 2- bath size bar soap, 1- adult size toothbrush in original package, 1- sturdy comb, 1- metal nail clipper: attached file optional. Thank you for helping us help others!

Heart for the Luther Park, Saturday, August 1^st. Quilt Auction begins at Noon, Lunch at 11 am, Silent Auction at 11 am.  Camp’s biggest fundraiser.  Lots of great items in the Silent Auction, a Common Thread’s Maker’s Market, Food, amazing quilts, and a lot more. 

Luther Park Golf Outing, Thursday, August 6^th, 9 am, Sioux Creek Golf Course.  Come support Luther Park and have a great time doing it while playing golf with Pastor Brad!  Raffles, hole games, and fun for all ages!  Sign up at by clicking on this link: https://lutherpark.org/golf-outing/

Lagers with the Lord, August 17^th, 6 pm at Buckshot’s.

TACO’S FOR KIDS! Starting on July 7th, every Tuesday until August 18th, we are going to be doing Taco’s for Kids! We will be making 25 beef & cheese tacos and 25 beans and rice tacos every Tuesday for the youth of our community, along with some apple slices and cheese sticks, to hand out, as a way to provide some sustenance during summer when many of our youth don’t often have a reliable source of food. These are simple taco’s that provide a delicious snack to help our vulnerable youth. So what can you do? You can sign-up to come help put the taco’s together at 11 am on those Tuesday’s. If you want, you can even provide the Taco meat at home and bring it here for us to use it in the taco’s. Then, come help us hand it out from Noon to 1 pm over on Main Street by the library. Questions? See Pastor Brad or Heidi Kothrade and more importantly sign up in the Narthex or call the church office to sign-up.

Fellowship Servers needed for the summer!  Please sign-up in the Narthex or call the office if you are willing to serve!

The Women of Trinity is currently updating the Service Groups.  Please share with the office any updated phone numbers.  Also, we are looking for volunteers to help call people to help serve for funerals.  Please contact Heidi Kothrade, Sandy Wheeler, or Deb Holmlund if you are willing to be a caller. 

Save the date for the Annual Lunch & Pie Social on Sunday, August 23! We look forward to seeing you be tween 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. for hot beef and pulled pork sandwiches, hot dogs, homemade potato salad, baked beans, homemade pickles, homemade pie, and ice cream. Bring your family and friends to join us for lunch and a slice of pie – everyone is welcome!  

Looking for workers and donations for the Lunch & Pie Cream Social!  See the sign-ups on the table in the Narthex or come help us out on Sunday, August 23^rd from 10 am till 4 pm or on Saturday, August 22^nd at 9 am.  Every little bit helps!  You can call the office as well to sign-up at 715-643-3821!

Looking for mowers!  See the sign-up sheet in the Narthex to mow the church lawn this spring and summer!

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

“Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God’s sight, and ⁵like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 2:4-5

  It has been fun to watch the new parsonage take shape as it is being constructed.  Every few days I take a walk through it, seeing the new details come together, new things get installed, and watching it rise from a slab of concrete to an actual house.  I’ve been very impressed with the work being done and how great Kaleb Humpal, our contractor, has been along with all of the subcontractors. 

  In watching the house take shape it made me think about the above scripture passage from 1 Peter, talking about being built into a spiritual house.  One of the things to notice here in these verses is that the stones that build this house are at first not perfect.  They are rejected by the world.  But they are precious in God’s sight.  We are not perfect, but we are loved by our Lord.  We are built into a spiritual house not because we are perfect but because we are chosen and loved by God, made perfect by the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ.

  For we always live in that tension, for we are both saints and sinners.  Sinners because we make mistakes and sin against God and each other.  But we are made saints through the work of Jesus Christ on the cross for us.  We are both at the same time and God takes us, imperfect though we are, and forms us into something perfect through the work of God’s only Son Jesus Christ and builds us up, builds you up. 

  Be reminded today that you are loved and you have been built up into a spiritual house by your loving God.  You are precious in God’s sight and nothing can change that.  For your sins are forgiven, you have been saved by grace through faith, and you are a precious child of God.  May God bless you today and always!

July 12^th, 2026

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Vacation Bible School July 13^th-17^th, 9 am till Noon, for all youth 4 years old through 6^th grade. Completely free!  Run by Luther Park Bible Camp.  See the attached registration form. Fill out and return to church so we know how many youth to expect.  Looking for snacks and snack helpers. See sign-up in the Narthex or call the church office to sign-up.

Lagers with the Lord, July 13^th, 6 pm at Buckshot’s.

TACO’S FOR KIDS! Starting on July 7th, every Tuesday until August 17th, we are going to be doing Taco’s for Kids! We will be making 25 beef & cheese tacos and 25 beans and rice tacos every Tuesday for the youth of our community, along with some apple slices and cheese sticks, to hand out, as a way to provide some sustenance during summer when many of our youth don’t often have a reliable source of food. These are simple taco’s that provide a delicious snack to help our vulnerable youth. So what can you do? You can sign-up to come help put the taco’s together at 11 am on those Tuesday’s. If you want, you can even provide the Taco meat at home and bring it here for us to use it in the taco’s. Then, come help us hand it out from Noon to 2 pm over on Main Street by the library. Questions? See Pastor Brad or Heidi Kothrade and more importantly sign up in the Narthex or call the church office to sign-up.

Fellowship Servers needed for the summer!  Please sign-up in the Narthex or call the office if you are willing to serve!

The Women of Trinity is currently updating the Service Groups.  Please share with the office any updated phone numbers.  Also, we are looking for volunteers to help call people to help serve for funerals.  Please contact Heidi Kothrade, Sandy Wheeler, or Deb Holmlund if you are willing to be a caller. 

The Women of Trinty are collecting for Personal Care kits during the month of July. You can bring any or all of the items needed to make a kit. These are the items needed: 1- light weight bath size towel, dark color preferred, 2- bath size bar soap, 1- adult size toothbrush in original package, 1- sturdy comb, 1- metal nail clipper: attached file optional. Thank you for helping us help others!

Heart for the Luther Park, Saturday, August 1^st. Quilt Auction begins at Noon, Lunch at 11 am, Silent Auction at 11 am.  Camp’s biggest fundraiser.  Lots of great items in the Silent Auction, a Common Thread’s Maker’s Market, Food, amazing quilts, and a lot more. 

Luther Park Golf Outing, Thursday, August 6^th, 9 am, Sioux Creek Golf Course.  Come support Luther Park and have a great time doing it while playing golf with Pastor Brad!  Raffles, hole games, and fun for all ages!  Sign up at by clicking on this link: https://lutherpark.org/golf-outing/

Save the date for the Annual Lunch & Pie Social on Sunday, August 23! We look forward to seeing you be tween 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. for hot beef and pulled pork sandwiches, hot dogs, homemade potato salad, baked beans, homemade pickles, homemade pie, and ice cream. Bring your family and friends to join us for lunch and a slice of pie – everyone is welcome!  

Looking for mowers!  See the sign-up sheet in the Narthex to mow the church lawn this spring and summer!

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

  When Amy and I go to a Disney park, we always have a schedule.  That schedule includes dining reservations, reservations for special things like a dessert party, and we usually have a game plan of what we are going to do in a day.  And we often talk about what we are going to do, going from attraction to attraction and so on.  It is good to be thinking about what you want to and how you are going to do it so you can maximize and be efficient in your time while enjoying the Happiest Place on Earth. 

  So on this most recent trip to Disneyland, we were heading through Sleeping Beauty Castle on our way to another attraction that had a decent wait time before a scheduled Lightening Lane reservation when we came upon something unexpected.  The horse drawn trolley was sitting in front of the castle, which wasn’t the unexpected thing.  We love the trolley and love to ride on it, but that wasn’t something that would normally stop us from our schedule.  But what did stop us was the world famous, always amazing, incredibly talented Dapper Dans of Disneyland were on that trolley. The question was: could we ride with them?  There was a small moment of hesitation as we assessed the situation to make sure they were taking passengers and then we jumped on, schedule and previous plans be damned.  After all, we love the Dapper Dans and we weren’t going to turn down this opportunity to travel down Main Street, USA with them. It was awesome.

  Why do I bring this up?  Because it made me think that for all our planning and scheduling, sometimes the very best moments come unscripted and unplanned and you have to be ready for them.  You have to seize the chance and be willing to take it.  In life, as well as at a Disney Park, you never know what might come up.  But you have to hearts open to the unplanned thing that God might put in front of you.

  So often we think we can only do this thing or that thing, or our gifts can only be used this way or that way, or God is only calling us this way or that way.  We get a very narrow view of life and our place in it, or even worse, where God thinks our place is.  But our Lord does surprising things all the time and new and amazing things are in front of us all the time, if we are willing to see it and step into it.  The Holy Spirit is working in and through you my friends.  It might be a nagging thing in the back of your brain or a feeling in your heart.  Fear might be holding you back or a sense you might be feeling that “isn’t you.”  But what might happen if you took that chance or stepped into that moment instead of running away from it?  What if you said yes instead of no or didn’t make the excuse of why you couldn’t experience that thing you have thought about?  You might find a whole new world in front of you or a whole new experience that can have a positive impact.

  Don’t be afraid of the new thing in front of you and be open especially to the ways that God is calling you to use your gifts for God’s glory in the world.  You just never know what might happen.  You might find yourself living in Northern Wisconsin as a pastor for the past 24 years instead of being a high school science teacher in Illinois.  Or you might ride down Main Street USA in Disneyland listening to the sweet sounds of the Dapper Dan’s instead of keeping to your schedule and having the time of your life.  God works in mysterious ways. 

  May God bless you today and always!  

July 5^th, 2026

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Vacation Bible School July 13^th-17^th, 9 am till Noon, for all youth 4 years old through 6^th grade. Completely free!  Run by Luther Park Bible Camp.  See the attached registration form. Fill out and return to church so we know how many youth to expect.  Looking for snacks and snack helpers. See sign-up in the Narthex or call the church office to sign-up.

TACO’S FOR KIDS! Starting on July 7th, every Tuesday until August 18th, we are going to be doing Taco’s for Kids! We will be making 25 beef & cheese tacos and 25 beans and rice tacos every Tuesday for the youth of our community, along with some apple slices and cheese sticks, to hand out, as a way to provide some sustenance during summer when many of our youth don’t often have a reliable source of food. These are simple taco’s that provide a delicious snack to help our vulnerable youth. So what can you do? You can sign-up to come help put the taco’s together at 11 am on those Tuesday’s. If you want, you can even provide the Taco meat at home and bring it here for us to use it in the taco’s. Then, come help us hand it out from Noon to 2 pm over on Main Street by the library. Questions? See Pastor Brad or Heidi Kothrade and more importantly sign up in the Narthex or call the church office to sign-up.

Fellowship Servers needed for the summer!  Please sign-up in the Narthex or call the office if you are willing to serve!

Lagers with the Lord, July 13^th, 6 pm at Buckshot’s.

The Women of Trinity is currently updating the Service Groups.  Please share with the office any updated phone numbers.  Also, we are looking for volunteers to help call people to help serve for funerals.  Please contact Heidi Kothrade, Sandy Wheeler, or Deb Holmlund if you are willing to be a caller.   

Looking for mowers!  See the sign-up sheet in the Narthex to mow the church lawn this spring and summer!

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 celebrated the 250^th birthday of our nation yesterday, I couldn’t help but think throughout the day, in between naps (we had come back from Disneyland on a red eye flight that morning) of one of my favorite Presidential quotes of all time, spoken by President John F. Kennedy: “Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.”  It is a call to arms, to service, to pull together for the sake of the common good of our nation.  I remember first encountering this quote as a boy when I came across a book about Kennedy my parents owned in our basement library.  This quote has always stuck with me and some of that has to do with my parents, who emphasized to my sisters and I that it wasn’t enough to just do your job and then go home.  You had to use your gifts out in the community, to give back in whatever way you could, whether that be through the church or other organizations.  It was something that was expected, and despite their busy schedules, it was something they both did, modeling it for their children.  You were to be engaged in the world around you and if you could do something, you did. You didn’t worry about what you get out of it, your call was to serve in the way you could. 

  It is the reason I do the things I do in our community because I care about the community but also to answer that call and expectation.  And that call comes not only from how I was raised but from our God, to be involved in the world around us.  We are called to use our gifts in whatever ways we can and to try to make a positive difference.  Some of those ways are very visible and some aren’t.  A great example of the subtle ways people make differences is the member who stopped in recently to drop off some hamburger for our “Taco for Kids” program that starts this week.  They just came to make a donation to help out in a way that they could.  No fanfare, no nothing, this was just the way that they could help.  Same with the person who made a monetary donation for the program.  We have others who will be here on Tuesday for the first one, giving of their time, helping in their own way.   

   We often live in a world that wants to know what they are going to get out of something before they commit to it or they want to know the end result before they will give of their time.  But true service is being willing to say yes to the call to serve for the sake of others no matter what you may receive or even what the outcome might be.  It is answering the call to try to lift up the whole, to see a need and try and meet it.  Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t, but the reward isn’t in the outcome.  The reward is in serving something greater than yourself, in having a purpose that is bigger than you and knowing that you may have touched and helped the life of at least one person. 

  How can you touch or help the life of one person today?  Where is God calling you to use your gifts to serve to the best of your ability?  As it says in 1 Corinthians 12:4-6, “Now there are varieties of gifts but the same Spirit, ⁵ and there are varieties of services but the same Lord, ⁶ and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone.” I pray that you will discern how to use your gifts to not only serve this country, but your community, your church, and the wider world.  For in doing so, you might change someone’s life, even for one day.  And that is a blessing.  Speaking of blessing, may God bless you today and always!

June 21^st, 2026

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Lagers with the Lord, June 22^nd, 6 pm at Buckshot’s.

Fellowship Servers needed for the summer!  Please sign-up in the Narthex or call the office if you are willing to serve!

TACO’S FOR KIDS! Starting on July 7th, every Tuesday until August 17th, we are going to be doing Taco’s for Kids! We will be making 25 beef & cheese tacos and 25 beans and rice tacos every Tuesday for the youth of our community, along with some apple slices and cheese sticks, to hand out, as a way to provide some sustenance during summer when many of our youth don’t often have a reliable source of food. These are simple taco’s that provide a delicious snack to help our vulnerable youth. So what can you do? You can sign-up to come help put the taco’s together at 11 am on those Tuesday’s. If you want, you can even provide the Taco meat at home and bring it here for us to use it in the taco’s. Then, come help us hand it out from Noon to 2 pm over on Main Street by the library. Questions? See Pastor Brad or Heidi Kothrade and more importantly sign up in the Narthex or call the church office to sign-up.

The Women of Trinity is currently updating the Service Groups.  Please share with the office any updated phone numbers.  Also, we are looking for volunteers to help call people to help serve for funerals.  Please contact Heidi Kothrade, Sandy Wheeler, or Deb Holmlund if you are willing to be a caller.   

No Wednesday worship on July 1^st!

Women of Trinity will be highlighting baby care kits for the months of May and June. If you are going to garage sales this summer these are some of the items we need: size 6-24 months – sleepers or gowns, cotton t-shirts, light jackets, sweaters or hooded sweatshirts, receiving blankets, dark colored hand towels and baby socks. We can also use Onsies, we cut them off to make t-shirts. You can pick up a list of what is needed in the Narthex. Thank you for helping us help others!

Vacation Bible School July 13^th-17^th, 9 am till Noon, for all youth 4 years old through 6^th grade. Completely free!  Run by Luther Park Bible Camp.  See the attached registration form. Fill out and return to church so we know how many youth to expect.  Looking for snacks and snack helpers. See sign-up in the Narthex or call the church office to sign-up.

Looking for mowers!  See the sign-up sheet in the Narthex to mow the church lawn this spring and summer!

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’ve been thinking about my Dad a lot lately.  Maybe it is because I’m turning 50 or because today is Father’s Day, but he has been popping into my head a lot in recent weeks.  But not just things about him, but one of his favorite quotes, his “philosophy of life” if you will.  I’m going to share that a bit later, but it came back a major way as we drove through the middle on the night from Denver having left our Mission Trip early.

  We left early due to sickness.  Illness had hit our Mission Trip site hard, and we made difficult decision to leave early for the safety of the group.  There were no good choices, and we made the best decision we could. But as we drove through the night, I couldn’t help but be filled with a sense of grief.  Profound grief.  Grief over those youth and adults who were suffering from illness.  Grief over those in other groups were suffering.  Grief over the mission partners with Youthworks who would no longer get to have us, and the other church groups who had already left, come to do service for them and serve the people of Denver.  And huge grief for our kids who were missing out on the opportunity and experience of serving.  Grief at what could have been. 

  See, they had been SO GREAT.  It was shaping up to be one of the best Mission Trips in our history in terms of kids just getting it.  They had jumped in early, immediately bonding with the youth from other churches.  They had understand the assignment if you would and on the first full day all of the adults had reported that they had been amazing out serving.  In their sharing that night you could tell they were locked in.  My Crew, Mile High, which literally walked the streets of Denver on that first day engaging with the homeless, were stepping up in a huge way on Monday and on Tuesday they were super awesome as they played games with residents in a long-term care facility and were pumped to lead them in a party for Thursday.  Even those that had some harder conditions on Tuesday reported great morale and a sense of purpose.  They were looking forward to service, not dreading it.  It is what I, as a trip leader on these things, dream of.  Then the sickness hit and a few hours later, we were gone. 

   And that was why I was full of grief.  Mission Trips transform lives, not just in terms of the people we serve, but the lives of those who are doing the serving.  They learn about themselves and they see God in action in and through them.  They see that faith means something in a powerful way.  They watch as hope makes a real difference, a hope that comes through Jesus Christ.  And they could start to see that happening.  And it was easy, so very easy, as we drove away, to only think about what we had lost.  What we were not going to experience anymore. 

  And then I thought about my Dad.  And I thought about these words he carried around in his wallet: “This is the beginning of a new day.  I have been given this day to use as I will.  I will use it for good, because I am exchanging a day of my life for it.  When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever, leaving in its place something that I have traded for it.  I want it to be gain, and not loss; good, and not evil; success, and not failure; in order that I shall rejoice in the price that I paid for it.”

  Yes, our days were short.  But the trip was  not a failure.  These kids touched lives, however briefly.  And they were touched and impacted.  I guarantee that everyone in my group will never forget Daniel’s story, one of the workers at Denver Dream Center.  I know that many will not forget the feeling of God’s awesomeness as we drove through Rocky Mountain National Park.  These kids know, however brief, that God was at work in and through them in Denver.  They traded a few days in Denver and those days were successes and that is all that matters.  Not how it ended but what they did with the days they had.  I will forever be incredibly proud of them, each of them, not only in how they served but also in how they handled the adversity at the end.  I will be immensely grateful for the leadership of our adult leaders and their partnership as we had to make hard choices.  I am thankful for the healing of our Savior Jesus Christ who watched over us on our drive back and who healed those in our group and watched over them. 

  It is easy to wonder what might have been.  But I am grateful for what was and will cherish that time and all these servants of the Lord that answered the call.  My prayer is that, in time, our focus will be less on the ending and instead on the memories of what we did while we were there.  I’m thinking of Vicky’s eyes at the nursing home when she really liked something or Jerry kicking our butts at Uno.  I’m thinking of hearing Zach’s story as we walked the streets or praying with Gerald on the street corner.  I’m thinking of my whole van having Del Taco after showers or the crew going to Dutch Brothers for drinks and the stories of the kids as they came back from their service and Lydia and LillyAnn leading YeaGod’s during the Gathering and playing Hacky Sack with the boys and doing Church Clap with the girls and Christina forgetting to put our lunches in our cooler and me giving Lenny a big hug when I wasn’t supposed to.  And my heart rejoices and I give thanks to God.  Because, in the end, it is those memories that really matter the most and I hope they will matter the most to our kids. 

  May God bless you today and always. 

Picture of the Day

June 8^th, 2026

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Fellowship Servers needed for the summer!  Please sign-up in the Narthex or call the office if you are willing to serve!

Please pray for our 19 youth and 8 chaperones heading for Denver Saturday for a week on their Mission Trip!

TACO’S FOR KIDS! Starting on July 7th, every Tuesday until August 18th, we are going to be doing Taco’s for Kids! We will be making 25 beef & cheese tacos and 25 beans and rice tacos every Tuesday for the youth of our community, along with some apple slices and cheese sticks, to hand out, as a way to provide some sustenance during summer when many of our youth don’t often have a reliable source of food. These are simple taco’s that provide a delicious snack to help our vulnerable youth. So what can you do? You can sign-up to come help put the taco’s together at 11 am on those Tuesday’s. If you want, you can even provide the Taco meat at home and bring it here for us to use it in the taco’s. Then, come help us hand it out from Noon to 2 pm over on Main Street by the library. Questions? See Pastor Brad or Heidi Kothrade and more importantly sign up in the Narthex or call the church office to sign-up.

Lagers with the Lord, June 22^nd, 6 pm at Buckshot’s.

Women of Trinity will be highlighting baby care kits for the months of May and June. If you are going to garage sales this summer these are some of the items we need: size 6-24 months – sleepers or gowns, cotton t-shirts, light jackets, sweaters or hooded sweatshirts, receiving blankets, dark colored hand towels and baby socks. We can also use Onsies, we cut them off to make t-shirts. You can pick up a list of what is needed in the Narthex. Thank you for helping us help others!

Vacation Bible School July 13^th-17^th, 9 am till Noon, for all youth 4 years old through 6^th grade. Completely free!  Run by Luther Park Bible Camp.  See the attached registration form. Fill out and return to church so we know how many youth to expect.  Looking for snacks and snack helpers. See sign-up in the Narthex or call the church office to sign-up.

Looking for mowers!  See the sign-up sheet in the Narthex to mow the church lawn this spring and summer!

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 looked like it was over.  Completely over.  And why wouldn’t we think it wasn’t done?  Eight straight losses at home, lost nine of our last ten games.  Down 6-3 in the 9^th inning, my nephew and I looked at each other as we sat in the left field bleachers of Wrigley Field at our annual Cubs game assuming another depressing Cubs loss.  We had enjoyed a beautiful night, shared drinks, had laughs, and I had a eaten the Holy Trinty of sausages (hot dog, Italian, Polish), so the night wasn’t a complete waste.  But a Cubs win and singing the song (“Go Cubs Go”) didn’t seem to be in the cards.  Oh well. 

  And then a miracle happened.  Hit after hit.  Suddenly a team that seemed almost afraid to get a hit with runners in scoring position, and with the worst hitters in doing that up at that plate, started to do it.  We got some help with an error.  And the immortal PCA stepped up, him who had we had literally watched 20 feet from us lose a ball in the lights for a two run inside the park home run, step up to the plate and deliver the winning hit.  Suddenly we were jumping up and down like school kids, singing the song at the top of our lungs as the “W” flag was flown at the top of the scoreboard.  7-6, Cubs win!  One of the best games I ever seen at Wrigley in all of my years (and I’ve been 49 years). 

   The game had everything.  Incredible mistakes.  Redemption.  Comeback.  Some good luck.  It reminded me of life.  Baseball does that.  Sometimes all seems lost and then the incredible happens.  You dust yourself off, you keep going, and things turn around.  In one moment, you are getting the booed, then next, cheered.  You keep doing your best even in the most difficult of odds.  You keep having faith even when faith is at its lowest. 

  My Dad taught me that you never leave a game early.  For one, you never know what great play you might miss. You never know what cool thing you could see.  You never know, if your team is losing, what comeback you could see.  But also, you don’t get to go to those games to often and you should appreciate and enjoy them.  We went to one a year, maybe two if we were lucky.  So we soaked in every moment.  I go to one a year now, maybe two.  I never leave early, ever.  I want to appreciate every moment.  When I started taking my nephew he was in elementary school.  Now he is just finished his first year as a teacher and actually bought ME a drink!  Life is full of ups and downs, blessings and woes, but the key is we just keep the faith and we keep going.  Because you never know what might come your way, what blessing God might put in your path, what miracle you might witness, what thing you get to experience that will change your life, what thing you think is a loss that turns into a win.

  God works in mysterious ways.  Right now, maybe in your life things seem like you are losing.  That it is the bottom of the 9^th and you are down multiple runs and it doesn’t look good.  Don’t leave the game early and don’t give up.  Keep playing.  You never know.  At the same time, if things are going great and you are 3-4 with a couple of hits and a homer, appreciate it.  Remember that the blessings of this life come from a loving Savior who is with you every day.  For whether we feel like we are winning or whether we are losing, we have a Savior in Jesus Christ who is walking with us in every moment and reminding us that we are beloved children of God.  And you never know what is going to happen on the next pitch.

  May God bless you today and always.  

June 1st, 2026

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Fellowship Servers needed for the summer!  Please sign-up in the Narthex or call the office if you are willing to serve! WE HAVE NO FELLOWSHIP SERVERS FOR THIS SUNDAY OR NEXT SUNDAY!

Summer Office Hours begin this week, so the office is now closed on Friday’s. 

Help us pack up the Savers U-Haul on Thursday, June 4^th, at 9 am!

Women of Trinity Spring/Summer Gathering this Saturday, June 6^th, 9 am.  Teresa Pejsa is the guest speaker.  All women are invited!

TACO’S FOR KIDS! Starting on July 7th, every Tuesday until August 18th, we are going to be doing Taco’s for Kids! We will be making 25 beef & cheese tacos and 25 beans and rice tacos every Tuesday for the youth of our community, along with some apple slices and cheese sticks, to hand out, as a way to provide some sustenance during summer when many of our youth don’t often have a reliable source of food. These are simple taco’s that provide a delicious snack to help our vulnerable youth. So what can you do? You can sign-up to come help put the taco’s together at 11 am on those Tuesday’s. If you want, you can even provide the Taco meat at home and bring it here for us to use it in the taco’s. Then, come help us hand it out from Noon to 2 pm over on Main Street by the library. Questions? See Pastor Brad or Heidi Kothrade and more importantly sign up in the Narthex!

Women of Trinity will be highlighting baby care kits for the months of May and June. If you are going to garage sales this summer these are some of the items we need: size 6-24 months – sleepers or gowns, cotton t-shirts, light jackets, sweaters or hooded sweatshirts, receiving blankets, dark colored hand towels and baby socks. We can also use Onsies, we cut them off to make t-shirts. You can pick up a list of what is needed in the Narthex. Thank you for helping us help others!

We are looking for donations for the Mission Trip. We are looking for travel size toiletry items, hand sanitiz ers, plastic cutlery, chalk, and food bags. Please bring them to the church by June 10th.

Vacation Bible School July 13^th-17^th, 9 am till Noon, for all youth 4 years old through 6^th grade. Completely free!  Run by Luther Park Bible Camp.  See the attached registration form. Fill out and return to church so we know how many youth to expect.  Looking for snacks and snack helpers. See sign-up in the Narthex. 

Looking for mowers!  See the sign-up sheet in the Narthex to mow the church lawn this spring and summer!

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 was thinking about community the other day.  I thought about it in a big sense as we stood there on Memorial Day at the cemetery, celebrating the honored dead who gave their lives for our country, coming together as the young and the old, all together to give thanks for their sacrifice for our country.  And when we think of community, we often think of it in that larger sense, like in that kind of gathering, or when we gather in our larger church community for a funeral or a celebration like our Raise the Roof fundraiser. 

  But I also started to think about the little communities that often form in the midst of us, the ones that are just as important.  This hit me as I came to give some grief to our card club group this past Thursday or as I watched our quilting group lead middle schoolers as part of their service learning day on Tuesday.  Those are smaller communities.  They care for each other, check in on each other, bond with each other.

  I think of the small community that will form when our kids go to Luther Park Bible Camp next week.  This will be an important new community for them.  They will leave their electronic devices at home and form their own communities in their cabins. They will get a chance to break out from the way they are perceived in school, learn different things about themselves and each other even when they are with people from their school, and they will get a chance to meet others and be inspired by different leaders like their counselors.  They will be challenged by being away from home, away from devices that like to tell them who they should be and what they should be.  They will get to instead explore what God has to say, try some new things, and get some seeds of faith planted that may not show fruit till later in life.  They will form their own community that will be unique and special in their time together.  The same thing will happen the next week with our high school students on their Mission Trip as well.

  I think of the sense of community that happens when we serve together.  It is one of the reasons we don’t have dishwashers here at Trinity.  There is a bond that forms when you wash dishes with someone, a way you can get to know someone as you start talking when making or serving a meal.  We want to act as community this summer in providing taco’s for needy kids starting in July.  In summer, so many of our youth don’t have food security.  School is the place where they can count on getting meals.  This is a way for us to provide a little something to them, once a week in the summer.  But it also a way for us to not only provide something for our most vulnerable but to foster community amongst us.  Are you willing to come join a community ready to help others?  Sign-up to serve, put a smile on a child’s face, and maybe meet someone new as you make a taco.

  Because in the end, that is one of the cool things about a lot of the things we do at church.  Whether it is the Women’s Gathering on Saturday, serving VBS snacks in July, the Taco’s for Kids, or even as I watched a group of adults taking care of Saver’s items on Saturday, small communities were forming.  Communities of mutual support, connected by shared faith and purpose.  I’m about to enter into another community with Bible Study where we spend 30 minutes talking about life and being there for each other and the other 30 minutes talking about the Bible (mostly).  You are welcome to join us at anytime because we all need community.

  For community is a gift from God, wherever and however it is.  May the Lord bless you in whatever community you find yourself in and I hope you might feel the pull of the Spirit to be part of one of the many here at Trinity.  May God bless you today and always! 

May 24^th, 2026

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Memorial Day Prayer Service, Monday, May 25^th, 11:45 am at Tiffany Cemetery in Boyceville

Looking for mowers!  See the sign-up sheet in the Narthex to mow the church lawn this spring and summer!

Fellowship Servers needed for the summer!  Please sign-up in the Narthex or call the office if you are willing to serve!

The next Savers FUNdrive collection will be during the whole month of May, so start cleaning out the closets and SAVE IT, BAG IT, AND THEN BRING IT to Trinity Lutheran Church any Saturday in May! If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Peggy Schutz – 715-556-2247. *No large items and no black bags this year*. Please pull around to the back of the church. 

Women of Trinity will be highlighting baby care kits for the months of May and June. If you are going to garage sales this summer these are some of the items we need: size 6-24 months – sleepers or gowns, cotton t-shirts, light jackets, sweaters or hooded sweatshirts, receiving blankets, dark colored hand towels and baby socks. We can also use Onsies, we cut them off to make t-shirts. You can pick up a list of what is needed in the Narthex. Thank you for helping us help others!

We are looking for donations for the Mission Trip. We are looking for travel size toiletry items, hand sanitiz ers, plastic cutlery, chalk, and food bags. Please bring them to the church by June 10th.

Vacation Bible School July 13^th-17^th, 9 am till Noon, for all youth 4 years old through 6^th grade. Completely free!  Run by Luther Park Bible Camp.  See the attached registration form. Fill out and return to church so we know how many youth to expect.  Looking for snacks and snack helpers. See sign-up in the Narthex. 

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 Pentecost Sunday, the day in which we celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit, and also the day in which celebrate the beginning of the Christian church.  After all, it is the Holy Spirit that calls us together into this thing called the church, a collection of human beings that gather together to worship and serve our Lord Jesus Christ.  As you have heard me say about a thousand times, the church is not just a building, it is a people joined together, and the church is bigger than just Trinity, it encapsulates all of us who share this faith in Jesus Christ scattered throughout the world.  But that can be too big for our brains at time and I know when we often talk about church, we talk about our local context and even our local physical structures, and that is fine, even if it does limit us.

  But you know what really limits us?  How we sometimes view this thing called church. We so often expect the church to be perfect and the people inside of it to be perfect.  We think the church is to be some sort of perfect place, filled with perfect people, who always make the right decision and act the right way.  We say things like, “Oh, they go to church.  They are going to do this and act like this and be like this.” But that can’t be further from the truth.  The church is not a place for saints.  It is a place for sinners who need redeeming.  For we all fall short of the glory of God.  The church is a collection of people in need of redemption, who are trying to do their best and they sometimes fail.  It is an institution in some regard doing their best who sometimes fails.  It can be messy because it is filled with humans beings.  And we need to remember that.

  For when we do, when we remember that this thing called the church is filled with messy human beings who are connected not because they are perfect but because they are messy, who need the grace of God, we can see the beauty of the church.  We see the beauty of imperfect people who are made new by the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ, of imperfect people coming together to worship in thankfulness and praise to the one who has given them new life; of imperfect people joining together to make a difference in the life of others.  That is the church.  That is us.

  As we gather today to celebrate the birthday of the church, let us remember that the Spirit is moving in and through us.  We are not perfect.  But we are not meant to me.  What we are meant to be is a place and a people where Jesus is proclaimed, people can use their gifts for the sake of the neighbor, people can be there for each other, and we can be reminded that God calls all sorts of messy people hear the good news of Jesus Christ for them.  May God bless you today and always!

TRINITY TIDINGS

May 17^th, 2026

ANNOUNCEMENTS

The next Savers FUNdrive collection will be during the whole month of May, so start cleaning out the closets and SAVE IT, BAG IT, AND THEN BRING IT to Trinity Lutheran Church any Saturday in May! If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Peggy Schutz – 715-556-2247. *No large items and no black bags this year*. Please pull around to the back of the church. 

Baccalaureate Service on Sunday, May 17^th, 6 pm at the Boyceville Gymatorium

Memorial Day Prayer Service, Monday, May 25^th, 11:45 am at Tiffany Cemetery in Boyceville

Looking for mowers!  See the sign-up sheet in the Narthex to mow the church lawn this spring and summer!

Vacation Bible School July 13^th-17^th, 9 am till Noon, for all youth 4 years old through 6^th grade. Completely free!  Run by Luther Park Bible Camp.  See the attached registration form. Fill out and return to church so we know how many youth to expect.  Looking for snacks and snack helpers. See sign-up in the Narthex. 

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

   On Monday of this week we gathered at Buckshot’s for “Lagers with the Lord” and our “Ask PB Anything” session.  It was a great time with some great questions and I thank everyone that came and asked some wonderful and insightful questions.  But one that has stuck with me was this: “What song would be your walk up song before a sermon?”  Now, that was a very difficult question in the moment, and in the moment, I gave three possibilities.  I gave these three songs:

1.     “Thunderstruck” by AC/DC

2.     “Let’s Go Crazy” by Prince (was specifically thinking of the beginning)

3.     “In the Air Tonight” by Phil Collins, specifically thinking of deep into the song when the drums come in. 

  Someone commented that they were surprised I didn’t choose something from Star Wars, but frankly that is more of a walk-in to church song (we are going to get to that in a minute), but now that I have had a chance to think about this question over a few days, I would like to add some more possibilities.  Again, this is the kind of stuff that can consume my brain when I try to sleep. Number 1 rule: I chose no blatantly Christian music type songs.  No hymns.  That is no fun.  Here you go. 

1.     “Sabotage” by the Beastie Boys.  How this one did not come immediately to mind I’m frankly ashamed of.  This would be my walk up song if I was a professional baseball player.  I play this song to hype myself up all the time. 

2.     “Jump” by Van Halen.  This was the run out music for the 1984 Chicago Cubs and still gets me hyped every time.  So I would love it right before I preached.

3.     “Walk this Way” RunDMC featuring Aerosmith.  You get the best of both worlds here with the beat and get the great Aerosmith guitars. 

4.     “Shout” by the Isley Brothers.  Another just great hype up song. Just a tremendous way to get going.  Plus has a Gospel flare. 

 Now, let’s talk about walk in to church songs.  So, imagine worship is about to start and the doors are going to open and I’m going to walk in.  Here is my top 5.

1.     “Main Title” Star Wars Episode IV A New Hope, John Williams.   I mean, come on, there is only one choice here.  Just one.  I’m no Sith Lord, so there was not going to be the “Imperial March” chosen. 

2.     “Sweet Child O’Mine” by Guns N’ Roses.  One of my favorite guitar riffs of all time.  Plus, it is a long intro, so plenty of time to get down the aisle.  A classic of the hair metal era (one of my favorites), just a really great song. 

3.     “Circle of Life” Carmen Twille, from the Lion King.  Cliché?  Yes.  But that opening cry just really works as the doors open.  Very spiritual sounding, dramatic, fulfills a Disney requirement here as well. 

4.     “Partyman” by Prince from the Batman soundtrack.  Has a great opening line from the movie, “Gentlemen, let’s broaden our minds.”  Plus, isn’t Jesus a partyman?  There is nothing like hearing your sins are forgiven to start a party. 

5.     “Duel of the Fates” from Episode I, Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. John Williams.  Just a banger.  An absolute banger.  Love that choir.  Totally would get us hyped up for the start of worship. Plus it would make me think of one of the greatest lightsaber duels in all of Star Wars, which is always a plus. 

Honorable mention: “We’re All in This Together” from High School Musical.  A fun upbeat song that reminds us that we are all together, even though we are different, which is a great message for the church in general.

So there it is.  What would be your choices (again, no obvious actual church songs)?  Drop me your suggestions! I hope you have a great week and remember this: God loves you every day and is strengthening you in faith, hope, and love!