Trinity Lutheran Church

August 24, 2025

ANNOUNCEMENTS

No Bible Study on Monday

Confirmation Parent Meeting, Wednesday, August 27^th, 7pm for all 7^th & 8^th grade confirmation students & parents.

Women of Trinity Fall Gathering, Saturday, September 6^th, 9 am.  Brunch meal, with speaker Rev. Jeanne Hartfield. 

Sunday School Rally Day is Sunday, September 7^th, at 9:45 am!

Voices of Praise is back starting Wednesday, Sept 10th at 7pm, join us for singing and fellowship!

Crew starts back up Wednesday, Sept 17th from 3:30-5, for all 3rd-6th graders!

Crew snacks needed! See the sign-up on the table in the Narthex or call the church. We are looking for snacks for 50 youth. No need to serve them, just to provide them! You can bring anything you want! Cookies, cheese, fruits, vegetables, anything you can dream up the kids will eat! Make it as big or as small as you want! Talk to PB if you have questions.

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!

Neighbor to Neighbor Health Fair, September 27th, 10 am till 1 pm. This event is to provide resources and information specifically for the Hispanic population of our area and in conjunction with the Northwest Syn od of Wisconsin. We are collecting personal care items as well to hand out during this event. Items include soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, dish soap, laundry detergent, underwear (men’s & women’s), socks. Want to help? See the sign-up on the table in the Narthex

You can now give to Trinity through Venmo!  You can find us @TrinityLutheranBoyceville.  If they ask you for a confirmation code, please put in 1349. 

MUSINGS FROM PASTOR BRAD

Some quick hits:

• I had a lot of fun announcing the Cucumber Festival Parade this past Sunday, August 17^th.  I have to admit, I was incredibly nervous.  One, I was following a living legend in Joe Pieters.  Two, I had no idea what I was doing and when I have no idea what I’m doing, I’m always a little nervous.  Three, since it was in front of the whole town, I really didn’t want to suck.  I’m not sure about the last part, but I think it went ok and I had fun doing it.
• I had to give a shout out to my partner in crime, Beth Heifner, who did a great job being my assistant, taking care of the little things, and having Pickle jokes ready when I needed them.  Thanks for being a great teammate!  You still don’t get to touch the microphone though!
• Another big shout out goes to Tillie, who just does so much work for Pickle Fest and the parade.  She did a great job making sure I didn’t sound like too much of an idiot.  Thank you Tillie for everything you do!
• My favorite part was getting some free food during the parade.  I asked for it as a joke and I actually got it!  Thanks to the awesome businesses that brought it to us and I look forward to trying it out on others next year! 
• My voice afterward sounded like a cross between Oscar the Grouch and the way a garbage disposal sounds when you stick bolts in it. 
• It was weird not being on the Trinity float for the first time in forever (Frozen line!).  I think they had more fun without me.  Thanks to everyone who made the float possible and all who rode on it!
• Important service announcement: preseason football does not matter.  Stop worrying about it.  Thank you.
• Another important service announcement: saying to me, “How about the Cubs?” does not actually bother me.  I get mad when the Cubs lose a game in April. I’m already bothered and your comment does not move me one inch. I’m well aware of their collapse.  A reminder that YOU think of the Cubs as a rival.  The Brewers are number 9 on my list of teams I care about.  I get more upset when the Pirates beat the Cubs than when the Brewers do. Heck, I even cheered for you against the Reds before you played the Cubs because it helped the Cubs.  All I care about is that the Cubs make the playoffs for the first time in three years.  How has winning the division done for you the past few years Brewers fans?  😊
• Sorry about that last line.  That was petty.  But the Cubs did win the season series.  When the Brewers win the World Series this year, I’ll raise a glass in your honor and be truly happy for you.  I will. I want good things for you.  Mostly. 
• I watched college football today.  That makes me happy. 
• This is my favorite time of year for sports.  Golf is still on.  Football is starting.  Baseball pennant races.  Glory.
• I believe there are two kinds of parents.  The kind who cry buckets when their kids go back to school, and the kind who throw a party when their kids go back to school. There is no in between. 
• Everyone complains that Christmas stuff comes out to early.  But the fact that Halloween stuff is going out and Disney Parks are having Halloween parties in August is worse. 
• Speaking of that, I’m out of the office Monday and Tuesday at our “Fall Ministry” retreat.  Again, this also seems wrong but it is true. 

Have a good week and remember that God loves you in Jesus every day!

August 10, 2025

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Lagers with the Lord, Monday, August 11, 6 pm at Buckshot’s!

Annual Lunch & Pie Social, Sunday, August 17^th, 10 am to 4 pm!  We are in need of workers on Saturday, August 16^th from 9 am till 11 am to prep and set up and then Sunday from 9 am till clean up after 4 pm.  There are sign-ups on the table in the Narthex or you can call the church office at 715-643-3821 to help us with this important Trinity tradition that the community looks forward to every year!

Float riders needed for the Trinity Parade float on Sunday, August 17^th!  All ages are welcome!  Youth get their own candy bag.  Please come to the church at Noon and meet by the shed.  Let PB know if you are willing to ride as we “Let our Light Shine!” 

No Wednesday Worship on August 20^th.  Join the Trinity Men’s Band at First Lutheran Church, Cumberland, at 6 pm.  There is a Corn Feed that starts at 4 pm.  Please note that the service will be outside. 

Confirmation Parent Meeting, Wednesday, August 27^th, 7pm for all 7^th & 8^th grade confirmation students & parents.

MUSINGS FROM PASTOR BRAD

  This past Thursday, it was one of my favorite events of the year, the Luther Park Golf Outing.  I get to play golf with my friends, I get to honor a dearly departed friend, and I get to help out one of my favorite places, Luther Park Bible Camp.  I have been privileged to help to run this event the past few years and though it is a lot of work, I enjoy doing it and I’m proud that the church is a sponsor and so many of you come and play in it, which makes it even more fun.  It is really a great day and things went really well this year.

  But, every year, there is one big hiccup.  I normally play really crappy golf.  I mean, really bad golf.  It is such a tradition for me to play badly that I expect it.  I just expect to play bad.  I could be playing great all the way up to the outing and when it comes, it will seem like I don’t know how to play golf.  I will spray drives, chunk chips, shank irons, and miss three-foot putts.  It is bad.  I know that some of this is because I’m helping to run the event, I’m in a different head space.  I’m in “got to organize and run this thing” mode, not “let’s play some golf” mode.  Also, because I WANT to play so well, I put pressure on myself and that makes me play even worse.  I’ve played so badly that I just assume it is going to happen and I’m basically ok with it.  The point of the even is to raise some money, have some fun, and make sure everything else goes ok.

  But something weird happened this year.  I played really well.  Drove the ball mostly well.  Hit my irons really well.  Coming into Thursday I was hitting my irons as well as my dog Baxter was.  Hitting out and out shanks.  But Thursday?  Darts.  I hit some good putts and good chips.  It was strange.  I think I was so sure I was going to play badly that I put no pressure on myself and I just played, and so I played well.  You just never know what might happen and what you can expect.

  Now, I’m not sure there is a great lesson here.  I could go out and play this week and just play incredibly crappy again and when this event happens next year, I could play terribly again.  But sometimes you get surprised.  Sometimes, things don’t happen the way you think and things turn out better than you expect.  So, believe in yourself. You never know.  Maybe this one thing I should try to remember for myself as well.

  I hope I get a chance to see all of you at Pickle Fest this weekend, especially at the Lunch and Pie Social on Sunday at Trinity from 10 am till 4 pm.  May God bless you today and always! 

July 28, 2025

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Results of the Congregational Meeting from Sunday, July 27^th, to authorize the Church Council to sell the existing parsonage and to borrow up to $100,000 to build a new parsonage on church property next to Trinity Lutheran Church.  Vote passed 76-2.

Adopt-A-Highway, Sunday, August 3^rd, 1 pm.

Luther Park Golf Outing, Thursday, August 7^th, 9 am.  $50 per person, includes cart.  At Sioux Creek Golf Course in Chetek.  9 holes.  Prizes, Raffle, and fun to help Luther Park Bible Camp!  To register, email at info@lutherpark.org or talk to Pastor Brad. 

Lagers with the Lord, Monday, August 11, 6 pm at Buckshot’s!

Annual Lunch & Pie Social, Sunday, August 17^th, 10 am to 4 pm!  We are in need of workers on Saturday, August 16^th from 9 am till 11 am to prep and set up and then Sunday from 9 am till clean up after 4 pm.  There are sign-ups on the table in the Narthex or you can call the church office at 715-643-3821 to help us with this important Trinity tradition that the community looks forward to every year!

Float riders needed for the Trinity Parade float on Sunday, August 17^th!  All ages are welcome!  Youth get their own candy bag.  Please come to the church at Noon and meet by the shed.  Let PB know if you are willing to ride as we “Let our Light Shine!” 

Confirmation Parent Meeting, Wednesday, August 27^th, 7pm for all 7^th & 8^th grade confirmation students & parents.

MUSINGS FROM PASTOR BRAD

  I’m sitting here in my office, a little tired, as we have come off a couple of crazy weeks, centered around our youth, having done Vacation Bible School and the Mission Trip in back-to-back weeks.  As I was looking at the week ahead, I noticed that the calendar was going to turn to August on Friday, which for me really means the end of summer.  Time to start planning for confirmation, Crew, and all of our fall events.  But August also means an anniversary for me as August 1^st was my start date at Trinity back in 2002. 

   But as I thought back to these past two weeks, I thought of those who helped to make VBS and the Mission Trip happen, and all those who make our ministry happen on a daily and regular basis.  As many of you may have heard, nothing annoys me more than when I hear Trinity referred to as “Pastor Brad’s” church.  Sure, I have been here now 23 years, but it is first and foremost Jesus’s church, and then it is your church.  We are partners together and this ministry doesn’t happen without you, without your faith, your dedication, your generosity, and your support.

  And so as I sit here, I’m incredibly grateful.  I’m grateful for our incredible staff, for Andrea, Trudie, Becky, Ginny, and Lee, who give so much to keep this place going every single day.  I’m grateful for our Church Council, their leadership, vision, and dedication to the mission of this church and keeping what is important at the center of everything we do, which is to proclaim Jesus Christ crucified and risen and serve our community.  I’m thankful for all those who gave so much to make VBS happen, like Chaele, Liz, Karen, Renae, Joan, Barb, Sawyer, Walter, Trudie, Christina, and all our snack providers.  The amazing Mission Trip we just had in St. Louis, in which our kids did amazing work for the people of St. Louis and were just absolute rock stars, doesn’t happen without your generosity but doesn’t happen at all without our incredible chaperones Tessa, Melissa, Beth, and Rich.  I think about all the little things that happen all the time, like Lionel taking the trash to the dump, Lonna, Peggy, and Trudie taking care of garden, Dan and Amy and Bill and others mowing the lawn; Perry making sure our services get out over live stream, Teana & Marik handling Wednesday nights when I am gone; Craig taking this past Sunday for me, and all those who usher, read, do Altar Guild, and so many others that I don’t have the time and space to name.  Thank you, every single one of you, who takes the time, the effort, and uses your gifts to lift up Trinity and make it go.  I am incredibly grateful and thankful. 

  Trinity is not one person.  It is not about the person in the big white dress waving his hands in the front.  It is a group of disciples, working together to proclaim the love of Jesus and serve in Jesus’ name near and far.  This congregation isn’t even all here in Boyceville or even all in Wisconsin as we reach people all over.  What connects us is shared faith and shared mission.  We are Trinity, together, and this is our church.  All of us, together.  I continue to be grateful and thankful to be your pastor for the past 23 years and hope for some years to come.  May the Lord continue to bless us and be with us and bless Trinity in its mission and ministry.

  May God bless you today and always!

July 14, 2025

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Lagers with the Lord, Monday, July 14^th, 6 pm at Buckshot’s!

Congregational Meeting, Sunday, July 27^th, 10 am to authorize the Church Council to sell the existing parsonage and to borrow up to $100,000 to build a new parsonage on church property next to Trinity Lutheran Church. 

Summer Fellowship Servers needed!  Sign-up in the Narthex or call the church office if you are willing to serve fellowship on any Sunday June through August.

Luther Park Golf Outing, Thursday, August 7^th, 9 am.  $50 per person, includes cart.  At Sioux Creek Golf Course in Chetek.  9 holes.  Prizes, Raffle, and fun to help Luther Park Bible Camp!  To register, email at info@lutherpark.org or talk to Pastor Brad. 

MUSINGS FROM PASTOR BRAD

Indeed, the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.  Hebrews 4:12

  Tonight we have Lagers with the Lord, one of my favorite things every month, and not just because I get to drink an expertly made Old Fashioned by Ding.  It’s because I get to dive into God’s Word with other people and we get to explore scripture.  I love the insights people give, the questions they ask, and the conversation afterwards.  I also love the opportunity to share some of the insights I have or I have read and give people a chance to learn a little more about scripture, or at least think about it in a new way.

  See, the thing about God’s Word is that it is a living and active thing, as it says in Hebrews.  And with this living and active thing is that we are constantly learning and growing as we explore it.  It is why I am constantly surprised by it.  Just this past week, as I prepared for my Sunday sermon, my eyes were opened to a fresh way to view a very familiar passage of scripture that gave it a new and powerful meaning.  I will never forget being a camp counselor and hearing the same parable of Jesus over and over again in the Christ Walk play, having no clue what it meant, until suddenly I got it.  Because that is the thing about the Holy Spirit and God’s Word.  It is always active and always working.

  For as we grow and change in the world, as we have experiences in the world, we hear scripture and the Holy Spirit works on us and sometimes those scriptures have deeper meanings.  Words we have heard time and time again now come at us with fresh expressions.  Sometimes the insight of someone else changes how we might see it.  And that is the joy of scripture.  That is the joy of hearing it, reading it, studying it with people of all ages.  For what a child gets out of it compared to an 80 year old can be completely different but also completely valid and amazing. 

  I encourage you to take some time with God’s Word, whether it is attending something like Lagers with the Lord (tonight at 6 pm.  We are going to be looking at the story of Mary & Martha) or Bible Study on Monday mornings at 10 am or maybe it is watching our devotions on Facebook or doing your own five minute reading of scripture every day.  For God’s Word is living and active and it moves us, creates us faith, inspires us, challenges us, and makes us think.  And these are things we need in life, every day.  May God bless you and be with you always! 

July 6, 2025

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Vacation Bible School, July 14-18, 9 am till 2 pm for all 4 year olds through 6^th grade youth.  Led by Luther Park Bible Camp.  No Cost.  Games, Crafts, Music, Food, and more!  Friends welcome!  We appreciate your registering in advance!  See the attached form.  STARTS IN ONE WEEK! 

VBS Snacks, Snack helpers needed!  See the sign-up in the Narthex or call the office if you would like to help!

Lagers with the Lord, Monday, July 14^th, 6 pm at Buckshot’s!

Congregational Meeting, Sunday, July 27^th, 10 am to authorize the Church Council to sell the existing parsonage and to borrow up to $100,000 to build a new parsonage on church property next to Trinity Lutheran Church. 

Summer Fellowship Servers needed!  Sign-up in the Narthex or call the church office if you are willing to serve fellowship on any Sunday June through August.

Luther Park Golf Outing, Thursday, August 7^th, 9 am.  $50 per person, includes cart.  At Sioux Creek Golf Course in Chetek.  9 holes.  Prizes, Raffle, and fun to help Luther Park Bible Camp!  To register, email at info@lutherpark.org or talk to Pastor Brad. 

MUSINGS FROM PASTOR BRAD

Come and see what God has done: Psalm 66:1a

  When you read the verse above, what do you think of? Do you think of creation, of the beauty of the world around you?  I bet that is the first thing we think of. Maybe you spent the July 4^th weekend at a lake or your cabin, enjoying time on the water and you think of the beauty of a sunrise or sunset on that lake.  Maybe you thought of fireworks in the sky or the beauty of a campfire.  Maybe you were traveling and you thought of the vista’s you encountered or something incredible you saw.  I was recently back at Walt Disney World for the first time in three years and it was great to see the majestic Cinderella’s castle towering in the sky.  When we think of God’s works, we so often think of those kinds of things.

  But have you thought of the fact that, and your fellow human beings, are also God’s works?  There is great beauty there.  Think of the smile of a child, or the laugh of a loved one, or the twinkle in the eyes of our wisdom elderly.  These are the works of this same God who created the mountains, the lakes, the rivers, the oceans.  We are also the created works of the Lord.  And there is beauty there, in our diversity of pigments, of heights and weights, talents and gifts, languages and accents. It is one of the things I love about travel. Not only seeing the diversity of landscapes and vistas, but the diversity of humanity.  God paints with a glorious brush and there is beauty in all of it.

  Take being in Walt Disney World for example.  It was not uncommon as we walked from one thing to another to hear four or five different languages, see everything from Bachelorette parties to families celebrating graduations to anniversaries or weddings to school groups to everything in between, all in one place. 

  This verse in Psalm 66 is an invitation to see all of God’s splendor, to see the richness of God’s creation in all of its forms.  For God is at work in this world, in the trees and mountains and lakes and deserts and in every form of living thing.  And as it says in Genesis 1:31, “God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good.”  This God loves this creation so much God sent Jesus, God’s only Son, to save and redeem it and promises to be with it always.  You are a part of this creation, as is every other living thing.  May we look at each other, and all of creation as God does: as something precious.  May we take God’s invitation to come and see what God has done, to see God’s loving work and hand in all that is around us, to appreciate it, treasure it, savor it, and value it.  And may we always remember that God loves this creation, and loves us so much that God sent Jesus to it, and us, to redeem and save it. 

  May God be with you today and always. 

June 11, 2025

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Summer Fellowship Servers needed!  Sign-up in the Narthex or call the church office if you are willing to serve fellowship on any Sunday June through August.

Lagers with the Lord, Monday, June 16^th, 6 pm at Buckshot’s!

Vacation Bible School, July 14-18, 9 am till 2 pm for all 4 year olds through 6^th grade youth.  Led by Luther Park Bible Camp.  No Cost.  Games, Crafts, Music, Food, and more!  Friends welcome!  We appreciate your registering in advance!  See the attached form. 

VBS Snacks, Snack helpers needed!  See the sign-up in the Narthex or call the office if you would like to help!

Baby Care Kits:  The Women of Trinity are collecting items for Baby Care Kits through June.  We are looking for, in sizes 6-24 months, sleepers or gowns, cotton t-shirts, light jackets, sweaters or hooded sweatshirts.  Receive blankets, dark colored hand towels, and baby socks.  We can also use onesies.  Items can be placed in the bins underneath the altar in the Narthex. 

Congregational Meeting, Sunday, July 27^th, 10 am to vote on the building of a new parsonage.

Luther Park Golf Outing, Thursday, August 7^th, 9 am.  $50 per person, includes cart.  At Sioux Creek Golf Course in Chetek.  9 holes.  Prizes, Raffle, and fun to help Luther Park Bible Camp!  To register, email at info@lutherpark.org or talk to Pastor Brad. 

MUSINGS FROM PASTOR BRAD

  For the 22^nd time, I am sleeping in the same room in the Shalom Center at Luther Park Bible Camp as I spend this past week up there with some of our kids who are attending camp this summer (we have kids going other weeks as well this summer, though I can’t be there all week for them).  Actually, I’ve been in this room more than twenty-two times, but of my twenty-three years of ministry, I have stayed in the same room twenty-two of them.  The only year I did not stay in “my” room was last year when I was on sabbatical and did not come up to camp with our youth.  It was sad.  My room missed me.

  I’ve probably been in this room close to forty times between recharges, multiple stays at camp during the summer, and I even stayed in the room for other retreats.  The room is the room right next to the Men’s bathroom.  It is one of the smallest rooms in the Shalom Center and some say it is the warmest.  I picked it my very first visit to Luther Park in June of 2002, about five weeks before I became a pastor when I went up for three days with a group of kids in my first act as pastor of Trinity, even though I wasn’t yet a pastor.  I picked the room because it was so small, figuring that way no other person would try to room with me and I could have it by myself.  And the rest is history. 

  The room has changed over these twenty-three years.  It used to have two beds and now has one.  Those beds were twin beds and now it has a queen-sized bed (yeah me!).  Fun fact: this room is used as a bride’s room, and a few years ago I stayed in this room for a week of camp, moved out, and a bride moved in and I did that wedding that weekend!  It has many different end tables over the years, but the towel rack on the back of the door is the same.  Both windows used to open but now only one does.  It used to have brown colored paneling but now it is painted white and there are new pictures on the wall.  And every year I walk into this room, I swear the bed is in a different place in the room.

  Despite the changes, it is still my room.  It still has the same magic.  Camp has of course changed in the twenty-three years since I started going with our kids, and yet there is still the same magic.  The same Spirit permeates through everything.  The Gospel of Jesus Christ is still being proclaimed through holy play: in songs, skits, games, crafts, and more.  I see that faith being proclaimed through the counselors, year-round staff, and youth of all ages. And the kids that come are the same.  They still sing and dance (mostly).  They still are always hungry and love the food and complain about the food at the same time.  They engage with their counselors and meet new people and deal with people snoring in their cabins and the inconvenience of rain and get challenged in their faith. The programs change, new buildings are built, new stuff is there, but yet, the magic and joy of camp still endures.  Seeds of faith are planted in all who experience what camp has to offer.

  I was talking to a counselor earlier today who said they remembered me from a few years ago.  She remembered me playing my uke in worship and interacting with the kids and then coming into her high school Bible Study to do a Q&A with them.  She said it was a powerful experience and she remembered the tears that many shed has they shared their questions and heard me answer them and the faith conversations they had with me and then their counselor afterwards.  She said it was that experience that convinced her she would come back to camp as much as she could and here she was, serving on staff for the first time.  And I shared with her that being on staff was what was the catalyst for me becoming a pastor and even now renews me in faith, which is why I keep coming back.  Because camp plants seeds of faith in all of us. 

  You know, things change.  They don’t stay the same.  But the things that have true power, true meaning, keep that power and meaning despite the changes.  You can feel it.  I see it at Luther Park, I see it here at Trinity, and I bet you see it too at places in your life.  Places where love and faith are proclaimed, nurtured, valued, and cherished.  Take a moment to give thanks for those places in your life and to see God at work in them.  And take a moment to give thanks for places like Luther Park and Trinity, where we plant seeds of faith and where we nurture and support each other in faith even as we grow and change. 

  May God bless you today and always! 

June 3, 2025

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Women of Trinity Summer Gathering, June 5^th, 5:30 pm.  All women are welcome! 

Loading up the Savers U-Haul, Thursday, June 5^th, 9 am

Summer Fellowship Servers needed!  Sign-up in the Narthex or call the church office if you are willing to serve fellowship on any Sunday June through August. WE CURRENTLY DO NOT HAVE FELLOWSHIP SERVERS FOR JUNE 15, & 22,

Vacation Bible School, July 14-18, 9 am till 2 pm for all 4 year olds through 6^th grade youth.  Led by Luther Park Bible Camp.  No Cost.  Games, Crafts, Music, Food, and more!  Friends welcome!  We appreciate your registering in advance!  See the attached form. 

VBS Snacks, Snack helpers needed!  See the sign-up in the Narthex or call the office if you would like to help!

Trinity Summer Office Hours begin in June!  Office will be open Monday – Thursday, 9 am till 1 pm.  Closed Fridays.

Baby Care Kits:  The Women of Trinity are collecting items for Baby Care Kits through June.  We are looking for, in sizes 6-24 months, sleepers or gowns, cotton t-shirts, light jackets, sweaters or hooded sweatshirts.  Receive blankets, dark colored hand towels, and baby socks.  We can also use onesies.  Items can be placed in the bins underneath the altar in the Narthex. 

We are collecting Cereal for the West CAP food pantry!  Bring your boxes and place them by the altar in the Narthex. Please make sure the cereal is not expired. 

Voices of Praise is taking a break until September  We will see you then!

Congregational Meeting, Sunday, July 27^th, 10 am to vote on the building of a new parsonage.

MUSINGS FROM PASTOR BRAD

Today is our dog Baxter’s 3^rd birthday (he is so cute), and it kicks off a month of celebrations for us in the Peterson household.  Well, we actually started celebrating on May 30^th with the end of school for Amy.  But the celebrations continue with my birthday on June 21^st, our 20^th anniversary on June 25^th (can you believe we have been married 20 years and that Amy has survived me that long?), and Amy’s birthday on June 28^th.  It is always a fun month (that also includes a much needed vacation for me!)

   But we need celebrations.  To be honest, we often spend a lot of time dealing the difficulties of life that we forget to celebrate things in life.  And it can be easy to celebrate the big things, like birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, weddings (I had one of those this past week too!), and such, but we also need to take a moment to celebrate the other joys of life.  Because there is a lot to celebrate.  Like when we can take a nap.  Or when we get to have dinner with friends or a visit with a family member.  Or time at the lake or cabin or sitting down to watch our favorite team play or listening to our favorite band play a concert.  Maybe it is just a beautiful sunset or a good book being read.  It can be a million different things. 

  The Lord puts little joys, little things we can celebrate in our lives every day.  We just have to stop and see them, realize them, open your eyes to notice them around you.  For those little celebrations, those little joys, sustain us.  They are gifts to us.  Like how our birthday boy Baxter sometimes just crawls up our chest to say hi, just giving a little bit of love before he goes back to playing with his lamby toy or attacking his sister.  Those little moments are little gifts I believe from the Lord to remind us that we are loved and to brighten our spirits.

  So appreciate the celebrations of life, the big and the small.  See the joys that are all around you.  Most of all, celebrate the love of God in Jesus Christ that is for you every day!  May God be with you today and always!

May 27, 2025

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Women of Trinity Summer Gathering, June 5^th, 5:30 pm.  All women are welcome! 

SAVERS FUN DRIVE-Bring your household items and clothes to Trinity in May. LAST SATURDAY THIS SATURDAY, MAY 31^ST!  Every Saturday in May, from 9 am till Noon. We are collecting items as a fundraiser for the Women of Trinity. All items should be clean and in good condition. Place clothes and shoes in white kitchen trash bags and all other items in boxes. Thank you for supporting the Women of Trinity!

Summer Fellowship Servers needed!  Sign-up in the Narthex or call the church office if you are willing to serve fellowship on any Sunday June through August. WE CURRENTLY DO NOT HAVE FELLOWSHIP SERVERS FOR JUNE 8, 15, 22nd!

Vacation Bible School, July 14-18, 9 am till 2 pm for all 4 year olds through 6^th grade youth.  Led by Luther Park Bible Camp.  No Cost.  Games, Crafts, Music, Food, and more!  Friends welcome!  We appreciate your registering in advance!  See the attached form. 

VBS Snacks, Snack helpers needed!  See the sign-up in the Narthex or call the office if you would like to help!

Trinity Summer Office Hours begin in June!  Office will be open Monday – Thursday, 9 am till 1 pm.  Closed Fridays.

Baby Care Kits:  The Women of Trinity are collecting items for Baby Care Kits through June.  We are looking for, in sizes 6-24 months, sleepers or gowns, cotton t-shirts, light jackets, sweaters or hooded sweatshirts.  Receive blankets, dark colored hand towels, and baby socks.  We can also use onsies.  Items can be placed in the bins underneath the altar in the Narthex. 

We are collecting Cereal for the WestCAP food pantry!  Bring your boxes and place them by the altar in the Narthex. Please make sure the cereal is not expired. 

Voices of Praise is taking a break until September  We will see you then!

Congregational Meeting, Sunday, July 27^th, 10 am to vote on the building of a new parsonage.

MUSINGS FROM PASTOR BRAD

Since we had sound issues on Sunday, below is the written version of the sermon I gave on Sunday that, if you watched online, you couldn’t hear.  Yes, this does prove that I do actually write my sermons, despite rumors of the contrary.  No, it does not mean that I stick to said written word.  😊

  John 14:23-29 ^: Jesus answered him, “Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me.“I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate,ⁱ the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I am coming to you.’ If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you this before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe.”

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen

Have you ever heard the phrase “easier said than done?”  You know, you can say something and it seems pretty easy, and then you have to do it, and it isn’t so easy? Like, running a mile doesn’t seem so hard until you actually have to do it.  Or sewing on a button seems easy, until you have to actually try to do it.  There are many things that could fall into that category.  And Jesus says something in our reading today that I think falls into that phrase, “easier said than done.”

  Jesus says to the disciples “Do not let your hearts be troubled.”  Actually, this is the second time he says it in chapter 14, which tells you that the disciples had troubled hearts.  He of course, follows it up with “do not let them be afraid.”  Do not let your hearts be troubled.  Umm, that is easier said than done, because I don’t know about you, but it is pretty easy to let my heart be troubled.  All I gotta do is turn on the news to get my heart into a troubled state.  All I gotta do is talk to some of my friends or family and hear what is going on in their lives to get my heart to be troubled.  All I gotta do is let my own weaknesses, insecurities, and doubts creep into my head in the middle of the night to let my heart be troubled.  It is easier said than done, to not let our heats be troubled or to not be afraid.

  And I think that Jesus knows it.  Which is why Jesus is telling the disciples, and us, that he is not leaving us alone.  Not only is he promising to be with us, reminding us that he and the Father are one, but telling us two other things.  One, that he is gifting us with his peace, a peace that is different than the world’s peace.  This is a peace that comes from his salvation, of knowing that sin and death have been defeated and we have the promise of eternal life.  When you know you have the promise of eternal life, you can rest a little easier and live with hope, for you have that assurance of heaven.  We are saved, not by our works, but by what Christ has does for us, and that is a peace the world cannot give.  It is a peace that only Christ can give. 

  The other thing that Jesus is telling us is that we are not alone.  Christ is giving us an Advocate, the Holy Spirit, to be with us.  And this Advocate, this Spirit, is there to remind us of all that Christ has done for us.  This Spirit is there to create faith in our hearts, sustain us in faith, and to remind us.  to remind us that we are loved.  To remind us that we are saved.  To remind us that we are not alone.  To remind us of everything that Jesus has taught us.  So that in those moments when our hearts our troubled, when we feel overwhelmed with sadness and grief and doubt and anxiety, we can remember Christ’s promises for us.  That we are forgiven.  That we are loved.  That we have eternal life.  That we have a peace that passes all understanding.  That it will be ok because Christ is with us.

  Do not let your hearts be troubled is easier said than done because we do need constant reminding.  It is easy to forget all that Jesus has done for us and that Jesus is with us.  But that is why Christ sends the Advocate, the Spirit, to us.  To remind us.  To remind you.  That we do not need to be afraid.  That it will be ok.  Jesus has us.  Jesus has you.  Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid, for the peace of Christ is with you.  For that we can say, “Thanks be to God!”  Amen

May 20, 2025

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Office Closed Monday, May 26th.  No Bible Study

Memorial Day Prayer Service, Monday May 26^th, 11:45 am, Tiffany Creek Cemetery

SAVERS FUN DRIVE-Bring your household items and clothes to Trinity in May. Every Saturday in May, from 9 am till Noon. We are collecting items as a fundraiser for the Women of Trinity. All items should be clean and in good condition. Place clothes and shoes in white kitchen trash bags and all other items in boxes. Thank you for supporting the Women of Trinity!

Summer Fellowship Servers needed!  Sign-up in the Narthex or call the church office if you are willing to serve fellowship on any Sunday June through August. 

Vacation Bible School, July 14-18, 9 am till 2 pm for all 4 year olds through 6^th grade youth.  Led by Luther Park Bible Camp.  No Cost.  Games, Crafts, Music, Food, and more!  Friends welcome!  We appreciate your registering in advance!  See the attached form. 

VBS Snacks, Snack helpers needed!  See the sign-up in the Narthex or call the office if you would like to help!

Trinity Summer Office Hours begin in June!  Office will be open Monday – Thursday, 9 am till 1 pm.  Closed Fridays.

Baby Care Kits:  The Women of Trinity are collecting items for Baby Care Kits through June.  We are looking for, in sizes 6-24 months, sleepers or gowns, cotton t-shirts, light jackets, sweaters or hooded sweatshirts.  Receive blankets, dark colored hand towels, and baby socks.  We can also use onesies.  Items can be placed in the bins underneath the altar in the Narthex. 

We are collecting Cereal for the WestCAP food pantry!  Bring your boxes and place them by the altar in the Narthex. Please make sure the cereal is not expired. 

Voices of Praise is taking a break until September  We will see you then!

Congregational Meeting, Sunday, July 27^th, 10 am to vote on the building of a new parsonage.

MUSINGS FROM PASTOR BRAD

  One of my favorite things to be a part of is when our seniors give the sermon in worship.  For at least the past 15 years or so now (maybe longer), we have had at least one senior, often two, preach on a Sunday morning, often at our youth service and at our Graduate Recognition Sunday.  To be honest, I’m always shocked when they say yes.  You know, when I was a senior in high school I was asked to preach at our Graduate Recognition Sunday and I said no, which I regretted.  I would preach my first sermon a year later, after my freshmen year in college, and I can tell you right now that many of our seniors have done a much better job than I did then (and probably than what I do now!)

  To give you a little insight to what happens, I ask them to preach, and after they say yes, and then give them the assigned scripture for that Sunday, and if they don’t like that scripture, I let them pick their own OR I ask them what they want to talk about and help them find a scripture that can fit the theme they want.  Sometimes I give them some scriptures in advance that I think they might like.  Often they might even pick the scripture they picked as their confirmation verse back when they were confirmed.  I’ll help them with the background of the scripture, but after that, everything they do is completely on their own.  Every word they write is their own words.  I’m there to help them if they need it, and sometimes, they might ask me for a way to start, and sometimes they need help ending, because a sermon is a little different than a speech they might give in school.  But every sermon is completely theirs and I’m always blown away by their faith and the things that they share. 

  It is a blessing we have that we have students that are willing to share their faith.  It is nerve racking and scary to stand before the congregation to give a sermon, plus to do so in front of family and classmates.  But I think that is what makes it all the more special.  This year was especially fun as when I asked the two senior’s to preach, Delaney and Brooklynn, thinking one would do it at the youth service and one at Graduate Recognition, they came back to me asking if they could do it together.  It was especially fun since they go to different schools and the assigned scripture for this past Sunday on Graduate Recognition Sunday set up perfectly for their experiences they have had and they knocked it out of the park.  I encourage you, if you weren’t there, to watch it, either by going to our Facebook page or the Trinity Boyceville YouTube channel. 

  I want to thank all of you for the way that you embrace our youth here at Trinity.  I always tell our youth that the church is a place where they can be themselves and that they will be loved for just being them.  You allow that to happen and share the love of Jesus Christ with them by embracing them for who they are.  They face challenges that we cannot possibly fathom or understand.  They are pulled in so many directions and have so many pressures and expectations that it makes my head spin.  Yet, when they come in the doors of Trinity, they are embraced.  They are welcomed.  They are encouraged as people and as children of God.  You set that tone and thank you for doing that.  My hope is that we will continue to love these young people as they are, remind them that Jesus Christ loves them as they are and is with them always, and that Trinity will always be a place where they can be reminded that they are loved and hear of God’s grace in Jesus Christ for them and lift them up.  May the Lord bless our young people and guide them in all that they do, and may the Lord bless you today and always!

May 11, 2025

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Parsonage Committee Update Sunday, May 18^th, 10 am  Join us immediately after worship to hear an update from the parsonage committee. 

SAVERS FUN DRIVE-Bring your household items and clothes to Trinity in May. Every Saturday in May, from 9 am till Noon. We are collecting items as a fundraiser for the Women of Trinity. All items should be clean and in good condition. Place clothes and shoes in white kitchen trash bags and all other items in boxes. Thank you for supporting the Women of Trinity!

Lagers with the Lord Monday, May 19^th, 6 pm at Buckshot’s.

Graduate Recognition Sunday, May 18^th, 9 am.

Boyceville Baccalaureate Sunday, May 18^th, 6 pm at the Boyceville Gymnatorium.

Voices of Praise every Wednesday night at 7 pm!  Come join us for a time of song.  A great time to sing with others and have some fun!

Vacation Bible School, July 14-18, 9 am till 2 pm for all 4 year olds through 6^th grade youth.  Led by Luther Park Bible Camp.  No Cost.  Games, Crafts, Music, Food, and more!  Friends welcome!  We appreciate your registering in advance!  See the attached form. 

Summer Fellowship Servers needed!  Sign-up in the Narthex or call the church office if you are willing to serve fellowship on any Sunday June through August. 

We are collecting Cereal for the WestCAP food pantry!  Bring your boxes and place them by the altar in the Narthex. Please make sure the cereal is not expired. 

MUSINGS FROM PASTOR BRAD

“My sheep hear my voice.” John 10:27a

  I think a lot about voice.  After all, I kind of make my living with my voice and many of the things I do happen because of my voice.  And I have many voices.  I have my regular, every day voice.  I have my preaching voice, which I can change based on what I’m preaching and how I’m preaching in the moment. I have my teaching voice.  I have my announcing voice, and there are different voices for that.  There is football announcing voice, prom announcing voice, general announcement voice.  I have “yelling at confirmation kids/yelling at the dogs” voice.  There is pastoral care voice.  There is my singing voice (probably the worst voice).  There are a myriad of funny voices that I do (at least I find them funny).  There is a voice for every occasion it seems. 

  At the same time, I have learned to listen to a myriad of voices.  In the band, I can pick out everyone’s voices for our harmonies and where we are.  I know all of Amy’s voices (especially the “I’m really annoyed at you Brad” voice, which is most common, because I’m really annoying).  I know the voices of many of you, not only your speaking voices but also singing voices as I hear you from the pews.  I can still, in the back of my mind, hear the voices of my parents (especially my Dad).  And I’m always trying to hear the voice of the Lord.

  I love this verse from John that is listed above.  My sheep hear my voice.  The thing is, I think that the Lord often uses different voices to reach us, kind of how we have different voices for different occasions.  Sometimes that voice is loud and clear and easy to understand and get.  Sometimes it is harsh and bold. Sometimes it is soothing and calm.  Sometimes it is funny and playful.  Sometimes it is thought provoking and needling.  Sometimes it is quiet.  But I firmly believe that the Lord is speaking to us, all the time, letting that voice ring out in ways that we often miss or don’t totally understand.  We just have to be willing to listen or have our hearts open to listen. 

  And this where I continue to grow.  Not only in the listening (as Amy would say, I suck at listening), but in being open to the new ways the voice of the Lord might be speaking to me.  As I have gotten older (and possibly more mature?  That’s debatable), I’ve started to hear the voice of the Lord in unexpected ways and surprising places.  But that is the fun of the Lord.  God will not be boxed in by us and the Holy Spirit moves where it will.  We just have to be willing to hear it. 

  So today, my friends, open your heart and your ears to the voice of the Lord.  We are sheep, after all, and the shepherd is speaking.  The voice of the Lord is out there and is talking to you and might be talking to you in ways you do not expect.  May you hear that voice and hear that promise that you are loved, forgiven, saved, and redeemed. May you hear that voice that comforts and challenges, guides and pushes, corrects and makes alive.  For that voice is out there and that voice is for you. 

  May God bless you today and always!