Trinity Lutheran Church

October 15, 2023

ANNOUNCEMENTS.

Mission Madness 2023: Support our Mission Partners by donating to Mission Madness.  PB will do the assigned tasks only after you hit these financial goals.  You can donate in worship, send in an offering, or use the giving portal at www.trinityboyceville.com.  Scroll down and select “Mission”

  $500 PB sings “I’m a Little Teapot” in front of the congregation. 

$1,000 PB dresses as Packers fan or player for Halloween

$1,500 PB gets pelted by water balloons after the Men’s Band concert in November.

$2,000PB wears an inflatable dinosaur costume

$2,500PB dresses as a clown one morning for crossing guard.

CURRENT TOTAL $380

Crew October 18th at 3:30 pm till 5pm for all 3rd-6th graders!

Lagers with the Lord Monday, October 16^th, 6 pm at Buckshot’s.  All are welcome to join us for this time of faith conversation and fellowship.

High School Lock-In, October 27^th, 6pm till 7 am on October 28^th.  Sign-up in the Narthex.  Need some parents to drive at 6:30 pm till 7:30 pm for our Scavenger Hunt for Hunger and a parent or two for some of the overnight hours.  See the sign-up in the Narthex.

Men’s Band Worship, Sunday, November 5^th, 9 am.

Potato Pancake Meal, Sunday, November 5^th, 10 am till 11:30 am. Potato Pancakes, Kielbasa Sausage, Apple Sauce, Bars, Beverage.  All funds raised go to Trinity Missions.  We are also looking for workers so please sign-up in the Narthex

Sign up to bring snacks for Crew and/or Sunday School.  Any and all are very much appreciated. Sign ups are on the table in the Narthex.

MUSINGS FROM PASTOR BRAD

  One of the coolest things this year in being at Boyceville football games has been our awesome cheerleaders.  We have a lot of them this year and not only do they cheer at varsity games, they cheer at JV games, which is super fun.  If you don’t know, I come from a family of cheerleaders.  My mom was a cheerleader and a cheerleading coach.  My sisters were both cheerleaders for football and basketball.  I had to listen to a lot of cheerleading going on when I was a kid, especially when they would practice in our living room while I was trying to watch TV!  Anyways, our cheerleaders at the Bulldog games have been super loud, which I love to hear when I’m up in the booth announcing.  They bring great energy and they have had to do a lot of jumping jacks this year with all the points we have scored! 

  I thought of our awesome cheerleaders as I read these words Romans this morning: “If God is for us, who is against us?”  This comes from Romans 8:31b. Have you ever thought about how God is cheering you on?  That our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is with us, cheering for us as we make our way in the world.  That image brings me comfort. I don’t think God wants us to fail, to sin, to make mistakes.  I think God wants us to make the right choices, to succeed in the important ways of life.  I think God cheers us on as we celebrate the joys of life. 

  But the other thing is that God never stops cheering for us.  Our cheerleaders cheer on the Bulldogs win or lose, in warmth and in the cold, when it is a perfect night for football or when it is raining sideways with 20 mph winds.  They are there for the team no matter what and God in Jesus Christ is there for you no matter what.  No matter the storms, the difficulty, nothing keeping God away from cheering you on.

  May you know every day that you are not alone, that Jesus Christ is there for you, loving you, forgiving you, and giving his life for you.  And remember that God is cheering you on, this day and every day!  May the Lord bless you today and always!

October 8, 2023

ANNOUNCEMENTS.

Mission Madness 2023: Support our Mission Partners by donating to Mission Madness.  PB will do the assigned tasks only after you hit these financial goals.  You can donate in worship, send in an offering, or use the giving portal at www.trinityboyceville.com.  Scroll down and select “Mission”

  $500 PB sings “I’m a Little Teapot” in front of the congregation. 

$1,000 PB dresses as Packers fan or player for Halloween

$1,500 PB gets pelted by water balloons after the Men’s Band concert in November.

$2,000PB wears an inflatable dinosaur costume

$2,500PB dresses as a clown one morning for crossing guard.

CURRENT TOTAL $160

Crew October 4th at 3:30 pm till 5pm for all 3rd-6th graders!

Fall Family Fest, Sunday, October 8th, 2:30 pm till 5pm: Inflatables, games, food, and more for all ages!

Craft & Vendor Fair, October 14^th, 9 am at Boyceville High School.  We are looking for helpers for this event.  Please see the sign-ups on the table in the Narthex. 

October 15^th we will Bless First Responders  We invite all EMT’s, Firefighters, and Law Enforcement officers to join us for worship at 9 am as we bless them for their service and vocation.

Lagers with the Lord Monday, October 16^th, 6 pm at Buckshot’s.  All are welcome to join us for this time of faith conversation and fellowship.

High School Lock-In, October 27^th, 6pm till 7 am on October 28^th.  Sign-up in the Narthex.  Need some parents to drive at 6:30 pm till 7:30 pm for our Scavenger Hunt for Hunger and a parent or two for some of the overnight hours.  See the sign-up in the Narthex.

Men’s Band Worship, Sunday, November 5^th, 9 am.

Potato Pancake Meal, Sunday, November 5^th, 10 am till 11:30 am. Potato Pancakes, Kielbasa Sausage, Apple Sauce, Bars, Beverage.  All funds raised go to Trinity Missions.  We are also looking for workers so please sign-up in the Narthex

Sign up to bring snacks for Crew and/or Sunday School.  Any and all are very much appreciated. Sign ups are on the table in the Narthex.

MUSINGS FROM PASTOR BRAD

  On Tuesday, I exchanged emails with the executive director of Lutheran Campus Ministry at Stout in preparation for my visit there this Monday, where I will do my annual semester Q&A session with the students there.  She was sending me some questions in advance, deep, faithful questions that some of the students had already raised that she wanted me to be ready for. It is one of my favorite things, to have these deep, faithful conversations with young adults who love Jesus and want to grow in their faith and knowledge of God.

  On Wednesday, a group of Trinity members gathered together to put together Weekend Meal Program bags at WestCAP, a program that is a sponsorship between the Boyceville churches, WestCAP, and Boyceville Schools that help provide food for the weekends for families in need.

  On Thursday, I stopped at Luther Park in Chetek to drop off a bunch of Recharge sign-ups for our middle school youth and to reconfirm that they were coming at the end of October and the first weekend in November to help me run lock-ins for our High School and Middle School youth.  Without their help, we would not be able to do these lock-ins as it has become harder and harder to have parents staff it.  With Recharge, it gives our confirmation youth an event that not only allows them to explore their faith but also to get familiar with Luther Park before they go to summer camp.

  On Friday, I pulled into to church to see a group of people loading up a U-Haul trailer to take our Lutheran World Relief kits to be collected in Eau Claire.  Boxes of school supplies, health kits, quilts, and more were loaded up to make a difference to people around the world.

  What do all these things have in common?  They are part of our Missions here at Trinity and many of these ministries are supported by our mission and benevolence dollars.  These are just a few of the ministries that help expand our ministry beyond our walls.  And these organizations are the reason we do Mission Madness.  It isn’t about me doing stupid things.  It is about helping these organizations to fulfill their mission, a mission that we are a part of.  The work they do is work that we cannot do on our own.  By partnering with them, we are expanding our ministry out into the world and making a larger impact than what we could on our own.

  You can make a difference with your financial gifts through Mission Madness.  Donate online through the link in the announcements.  Send in a check in the mail or drop something in the offering plate.  You can support a specific ministry or just write “Missions” or “Mission Madness” in the memo line.  Help our partners.  Serve the neighbor.  Make a difference by supporting our mission partners.  And remember that you are loved and saved in Jesus Christ. 

October 1, 2023

ANNOUNCEMENTS.

Mission Madness 2023: Support our Mission Partners by donating to Mission Madness.  PB will do the assigned tasks only after you hit these financial goals.  You can donate in worship, send in an offering, or use the giving portal at www.trinityboyceville.com.  Scroll down and select “Mission”

  $500 PB sings “I’m a Little Teapot” in front of the congregation. 

$1,000 PB dresses as Packers fan or player for Halloween

$1,500 PB gets pelted by water balloons after the Men’s Band concert in November.

$2,000PB wears an inflatable dinosaur costume

$2,500PB dresses as a clown one morning for crossing guard.

Crew October 4th at 3:30 pm till 5pm for all 3rd-6th graders!

Fall Family Fest, Sunday, October 8th, 2:30 pm till 5pm: Inflatables, games, food, and more for all ages!

Cross Generational Worship: Sunday, October 8^th, 9 am.  Our theme this year is “Stitched Together By God’s Love.” 

Craft & Vendor Fair, October 14^th, 9 am at Boyceville High School.  We are looking for helpers for this event.  Please see the sign-ups on the table in the Narthex. 

October 15^th we will Bless First Responders  We invite all EMT’s, Firefighters, and Law Enforcement officers to join us for worship at 9 am as we bless them for their service and vocation.

Lagers with the Lord Monday, October 16^th, 6 pm at Buckshot’s.  All are welcome to join us for this time of faith conversation and fellowship.

Sign up to bring snacks for Crew and/or Sunday School.  Any and all are very much appreciated. Sign ups are on the table in the Narthex.

MUSINGS FROM PASTOR BRAD

As I walked into the sanctuary of the church this morning, I got to see an incredible site.  It is all of our pews covered in colorful quilts.  You will see a picture of that at the end of “Musings” (taken by Becky Nyhus on Wednesday when they set them out).  Even though I had walked by it multiple times this week, there is something about turning on the lights and seeing them all displayed.  Seeing them on the pews made me think of how it is a great representation of what the church is.

  Each quilt is unique.  Unique colors, unique patterns.  They aren’t all the same size.  Just as the church is made up of unique individuals, of every gender, color, size, background, and more.  We sometimes forget that.  Also, just as the quilt has it’s own unique pattern, we have our own unique gifts, given by God for the sake of God’s mission in the world and for serving and loving our neighbor.  Our gifts don’t need to be the same as our neighbors.  Rather, they are ours, uniquely given so that we might display God’s love in Jesus Christ.

  At the same time, how the quilts came into being in like the church.  Someone donated the fabric.  Someone cut the fabric into squares or pieces to be used.  Those pieces are sewn together to make a top and then paired with a bottom.  Those are tied together with yarn and then the whole thing is sewed together.  Each quilter in the quilting room has their own job, their own skills and talents, but they are used to create a quilt which brings comfort to the afflicted, warmth to the cold, and joy to all who receive it.  This is just like the church where you use your gifts and talents for the sake of bringing the love of Jesus Christ to others.  Your financial gifts, your gift of time, the gift of your talent to serve. 

   If the quilters don’t use their gifts, then a quilt cannot be made.  If we don’t use our gifts, our ministry will die and cease to exist.  If we don’t give of our time, our financial resources, or of our talents, then our ministry withers and fails.  It is why we need you to continue to keep making “quilts” if you will in this place called Trinity Lutheran Church.  To give of our financial resources so that we have a building that can be open to do so much but also a staff to make it all happen.  If you don’t give of your time and your talents, then events don’t happen, the Gospel isn’t proclaimed and the poor and needy are not lifted up. 

  My hope and prayer is that right now you are thinking about how you can use your gifts, your resources, this day, this moment, to further the kingdom of God.  To keep making quilts that will bring the warmth of Jesus Christ to all who need it.  And I hope that, just as a quilt surrounds us, that you are surrounded by the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ.  For that we can say, “Thanks be to God!”  Amen

September 25, 2023

ANNOUNCEMENTS.

October 1^st is our Blessing of the Quilts and our “Turn Back the Clock” worship  Join us at 9 am as we bless the work of our quilters and we go back to doing worship how we did when PB arrived 21 years ago!

Crew October 4th at 3:30 pm till 5pm for all 3rd-6th graders!

Fall Family Fest, Sunday, October 8th, 2:30 pm till 5pm: Inflatables, games, food, and more for all ages!

Cross Generational Worship: Sunday, October 8^th, 9 am.  Our theme this year is “Stitched Together By God’s Love.” 

Craft & Vendor Fair, October 14^th, 9 am at Boyceville High School.  We are looking for helpers for this event.  Please see the sign-ups on the table in the Narthex. 

October 15^th we will Bless First Responders  We invite all EMT’s, Firefighters, and Law Enforcement officers to join us for worship at 9 am as we bless them for their service and vocation.

Lagers with the Lord Monday, October 16^th, 6 pm at Buckshots.  All are welcome to join us for this time of faith conversation and fellowship.

Sign up to bring snacks for Crew and/or Sunday School.  Any and all are very much appreciated. Sign ups are on the table in the Narthex.

MUSINGS FROM PASTOR BRAD

The results of the Mission Madness survey are in.  But before I reveal the winners, I want to take a moment to remind you why we do Mission Madness.  Sure, part of it is to see me do stupid things and possibly embarrass myself publicly multiple ways.  But it is really about helping others, about following our call to serve the neighbor.

  All the other stuff means absolutely nothing if we forget why we do it in the first place.  Serving the neighbor is part of who we are as followers of Jesus Christ.  By giving of our financial resources to our partner organizations, we help them fulfill their mission while at the same time fulfilling ours.  To help others.  To spread the Gospel.  To serve the poor and needy.  We do this out of thanksgiving for the resources we have been given but also as a way to live out our faith.  For if we truly take seriously the gift of the faith we have been given and the saving grace of Jesus Christ that is given to us, then good works, then generosity, flow for us.  For as it says in Ephesians 2:10, “For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.” 

  My hope and prayer is that as you designate funds for “Mission Madness,” you will do so not just out of a desire to see me dress as a clown or get pelted by water balloons.  I hope that you will give those financial resources as an act of living out your faith and answering God’s call to serve the neighbor.  Just put on your offering “Mission Madness” or designate it specifically to one of our Mission partners (Luther Park Bible Camp, WestCAP, Stepping Stones of Dunn County, Lutheran Campus Ministry at Stout, the ELCA, American Lutheran Home, Lutheran Social Services).  May the Lord take our offerings and use them to bring hope to others.  And without further adieu, here is the 2023 Mission Madness list, as voted on by you:

$500 PB sings “I’m a Little Teapot” in front of the congregation. 

$1,000 PB dresses as Packers fan or player for Halloween

$1,500 PB gets pelted by water balloons after the Men’s Band concert in November.

$2,000PB wears an inflatable dinosaur costume

$2,500PB dresses as a clown one morning for crossing guard.

I thank you for voting and most especially for your upcoming generosity to make a difference for our partner organizations. 

September 10, 2023

ANNOUNCEMENTS.

Sunday School starts back up Sunday, September 10^th at 9:45 am.

Youth Mission Trip Presentation will be Sunday, September 10^th at 9:45 am. Come see the amazing work our youth did in Colorado.

2024 ELCA Youth Gathering Informational Meeting: Sunday, September 10^th, 10:15 am.  The Youth Gathering is in New Orleans July 15-21, 2024.  All current high school students can attend.

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!

Sign up to bring snacks for Crew and/or Sunday School.  Any and all are very much appreciated. Sign ups are on the table in the Narthex.

The Crew begins on Wednesday, September 20^th, for all 3^rd-6^th graders from 3:30 pm till 5:00 pm.

Sunday, September 17^th is Blessing of the Animals and Parking Lot worship. Bring a chair and your beloved pets.

We invite all teachers, school personnel, and day care workers to join us for worship on Sunday, September 24^th, as we bless and honor their work.

MUSINGS FROM PASTOR BRAD

  One of our favorite traditions here at Trinity is “Mission Madness.”  This month-long event is an opportunity for us to raise funds for our mission partners, which are organizations like Luther Park Bible Camp, WestCAP, Stepping Stones, the Northwest Synod of Wisconsin, and more.  We do this by you all giving money to our benevolences, or earmarking offerings to one of our organizational partners, and I do what I like to call “stupid stuff.” Over the years, I have worn too many Packers and Brewers things to remember, eaten most of the food I absolutely hate (though not ALL), grown beards, did the hula in a grass skirt, defeated Katie Wagner in a tricycle race and spaghetti eating contest, and been smashed in the face with pies and cupcakes, just to name a few of the things we have done.  The important part of all it is supporting our mission partners but doing so in a fun way. 

  For this year, I thought it might be fun to let YOU choose what “stupid stuff” I will do this year.  The below list is a combination of suggestions from my own brain, one of our high school youth, and my wife Amy.  I invite you to respond to this email with your choices by September 24^th.  Mission Madness this year will start on October 1^st and go through November 5^th.  Thanks for voting and for supporting our Mission partners!  

Mission Madness 2023

Choose five from the following options:

____PB can’t wear any Star Wars clothing for two weeks.

____PB dresses as a clown one morning for crossing guard.

____PB cannot eat any BBQ for one month.

____PB takes a chocolate cake to the face.

____PB dresses as Packers fan or player for Halloween

____PB must lead his Pastor’s Conference meeting in the Packer poncho

____PB must eat a serving size of mayonnaise

____PB must grow a beard for a whole month

____PB gets pelted by water balloons after the Men’s Band concert in November.

____PB has to drink one cup of church coffee

____PB wears an inflatable dinosaur costume

____PB sings “I’m a Little Teapot” in front of the congregation. 

September 3, 2023

ANNOUNCEMENTS.

OFFICE CLOSED ON SEPTEMBER 4^TH FOR LABOR DAY

Confirmation starts back up Wednesday, September 6^th at 5:30pm for 7^th graders. 8^th graders will start the following week.

Women of Trinity Fall Gathering, Thursday, September 7^th at 6 pm.  Bring a dish to pass. 

Sunday School starts back up Sunday, September 10^th at 9:45 am.

Youth Mission Trip Presentation will be Sunday, September 10^th at 9:45 am. Come see the amazing work our youth did in Colorado.

2024 ELCA Youth Gathering Informational Meeting: Sunday, September 10^th, 10:15 am.  The Youth Gathering is in New Orleans July 15-21, 2024.  All current high school students can attend.

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!

Sign up to bring snacks for Crew and/or Sunday School.  Any and all are very much appreciated. Sign ups are on the table in the Narthex.

The Crew begins on Wednesday, September 20^th, for all 3^rd-6^th graders from 3:30 pm till 5:00 pm.

Sunday, September 17^th is Blessing of the Animals and Parking Lot worship. Bring a chair and your beloved pets.

We invite all teachers, school personnel, and day care workers to join us for worship on Sunday, September 24^th, as we bless and honor their work.

MUSINGS FROM PASTOR BRAD

 “Some of it’s magic, some of it’s tragic, but I had a good life all the way.”  Jimmy Buffett from the song, “He Went to Paris.”

  As we got ready for the day on Saturday morning, Amy came into the living room with shocking news: Jimmy Buffett died.  One of our very favorite singers of all time, I had come to love his music through Amy after we met.  We went to incredible concerts over the years in places like the Twin Cities, Chicago, Indianapolis, and Cincinnati, with a full set-up to tailgate all day.  We have visited Margaritaville’s all over the place and putting his music on when driving places was a weekly occurrence.  We even got to appreciate the members of his Coral Reefer band, especially Peter Mayer who has in years past led the band at the ELCA Youth Gathering.  It hit us hard.

  About an hour later I was heading up to play golf, listening to Margaritaville Radio, when the song, “He Went to Paris,” was played.  When it got to the lyric that I have at the top of this musings, I started to cry.  Look, I’m not a crier by nature, but I couldn’t help it.  It just hit me right in the soul.  As I reflected on the lyric, I thought about how Jimmy’s music is so positive, filled with gratitude for just the gift of life.  At his concerts, he always thanked the crowd not only for that day but for his entire career and I always believed him.  It wasn’t an act.  I think he was truly grateful for all his success and for all life had brought him.

  I have thought more and more that it is can be very hard to be positive in life.  I’ve been called a positive person, but I can find in myself an incredible cynicism and how easy it is to just see all the crap in life.  To make that the focus.  A great example is the fact that the Cubs have lost the past two games in the 9^th inning and I was declaring to friends that the season is over and we won’t make the playoffs and woe is me.  It is easy to look at the world and see all the tragedy.  Death.  Cancer.  Natural disasters.  Racism and discrimination run amok.  The tragedy stares us right in the face all the time. 

   But there is also magic.  So much magic.  The laugh of someone you love.  The smile of a child.  A beautiful sunset.  A good song.  Weddings.  Anniversaries.  Birthdays.  The snuggle of a dog.  A great tasting meal.  There is so much magic in the world and it is a gift.  A gift from our loving Savior.  And the greatest gift we get from Jesus is that we have the promise of eternal life and that because of that gift, we can see the magic of life.  The joy of life. 

   Jimmy Buffett’s music reminds me to look and see the magic of life and the joys of the simple things.  A good cheeseburger.  A cold margarita.  The beauty of creation.  The joy of sitting back and relaxing.  The magic of life itself. To see the gifts of God right in front of my nose.  He is truly going to be missed but will live on in the songs that he gave us.  I hope that when I get to the end of my life, whenever that may be, that I might look back upon it and give thanks to God for it.  And that I might say those words Jimmy gave us, “some of it’s magic, some of it’s tragic, but I had a good life all the way.” 

  May God bless you today and always. 

August 27, 2023

ANNOUNCEMENTS.

Confirmation Parent Meeting is Wednesday, August 30^th at 7pm. This is for all youth in 7^th & 8^th.  If you can not make this meeting, please contact Pastor Brad

Confirmation starts back up Wednesday, September 6^th at 5:30pm for 7^th graders. 8^th graders will start the following week.

Women of Trinity Fall Gathering, Thursday, September 7^th at 6 pm.  Bring a dish to pass. 

Sunday School starts back up Sunday, September 10^th at 9:45 am.

Youth Mission Trip Presentation will be Sunday, September 10^th at 9:45 am. Come see the amazing work our youth did in Colorado.

2024 ELCA Youth Gathering Informational Meeting: Sunday, September 10^th, 10:15 am.  The Youth Gathering is in New Orleans July 15-21, 2024.  All current high school students can attend.

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!

Sign up to bring snacks for Crew and/or Sunday School.  Any and all are very much appreciated. Sign ups are on the table in the Narthex.

The Crew begins on Wednesday, September 20^th, for all 3^rd-6^th graders from 3:30 pm till 5:00 pm.

We invite all teachers, school personnel, and day care workers to join us for worship on Sunday, September 24^th, as we bless and honor their work.

MUSINGS FROM PASTOR BRAD

“Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look at the earth beneath; for the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment, and those who live on it will die like gnats; but my salvation will be forever, and my deliverance will never be ended.” Isaiah 51:6

  When I first saw this verse as I examined the scriptures in preparation for this week’s sermon, I couldn’t help but think of the people of Lahaina, on Maui, and the devastation they have faced since wildfires wiped out that historic town.  It was, and has been, sad to see such destruction.  The loss of life.  The loss of everything people owned and incredible history.  Having had the privilege of visiting that community, it adds extra meaning and sadness to what has happened.  The despair the people must be feeling has to be overwhelming. 

  Thinking about that despair, I couldn’t help but think of the despair I have felt in my life, those times when it seems like everything was lost and that there was no hope.  Have you ever felt that way?  Felt completely without hope, lost, despairing?  I bet we all have in some way or another.  Faced with loss, filled with grief and pain, hurting in body, mind, and soul, it seems like our world has been devoured by a wildfire of suffering and hurt that seems never ending. 

  In those moments, the promise of these verses from Isaiah 51 comes forth like the dawn after a long night.  The salvation of the Lord is forever.  This salvation is for you, accomplished through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  No matter what happens in life, this salvation is always there for you.  It is our foundation to stand on.  No matter how much it feels like the earth, and our life, is slipping away from us, the promise of salvation in Jesus gives us something to stand on.  Sometime to build on.  Something to trust when everything else seems lost.

  In those times when I have been in despair, it is the promises of Jesus Christ, the hope of salvation and new life in him, that has seen me through.  Given me something solid to stand on.  And something to build anew on.  No matter what happens, we can trust that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is there for us, to save us, to strengthen us, to walk with us every day.

  I continue to pray for the people of Maui and for all who are suffering in any way.  I hope that you are praying for them too.  But I hope that we all never forget that the salvation of the Lord is forever and that, no matter what, can trust that Christ is there for us.  May God bless you today and always!

ANNOUNCEMENTS

No Wednesday Worship on August 23^rd.  The Men’s Band is in Cumberland at First Lutheran Church at 6 pm that night.

Confirmation Parent Meeting is Wednesday, August 30^th at 7pm. This is for all youth in 7^th & 8^th.  If you can not make this meeting, please contact Pastor Brad

Confirmation starts back up Wednesday, September 6^th at 5:30pm for 7^th graders. 8^th graders will start the following week.

Women of Trinity Fall Gathering, Thursday, September 7^th at 5 pm.  Bring a dish to pass. 

Sunday School starts back up Sunday, September 10^th at 9:45 am.

Youth Mission Trip Presentation will be Sunday, September 10^th at 9:45 am. Come see the amazing work our youth did in Colorado.

2024 ELCA Youth Gathering Informational Meeting: Sunday, September 10^th, 10:15 am.  The Youth Gathering is in New Orleans July 15-21, 2024.  All current high school students can attend.

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!

Sign up to bring snacks for Crew and/or Sunday School.  Any and all are very much appreciated. Sign ups are on the table in the Narthex.

The Crew begins on Wednesday, September 20^th, for all 3^rd-6^th graders from 3:30 pm till 5:00 pm.

MUSINGS FROM PASTOR BRAD

  On our last morning in Paris, France on July 1st, we went to breakfast and I decided to order bacon and eggs.  I know, a shocker.  I was very much looking forward to having this simple breakfast with two of my favorite things, eggs and bacon.  And in my head, they would come like the picture below.

I bet that is how you viewed it in your head when I said I ordered bacon and eggs for breakfast.  Now, maybe your eggs would be scrambled or fried or something else.  But this is what it normally looks like.  How do I know?  When I “googled” the phrase “bacon and eggs,” this is the image that popped up.

  But this is not how my bacon and eggs looked.  Rather, it looked like this:

I was blown away.  The bacon was literally inside the eggs.  It wasn’t two separate things, it was one.  I have wanted to try to recreate this at home but haven’t been able to yet.  It was bacon and eggs but it was different.  Still basically the same, but presented in a very different way.

  Sometimes we have an image in our head of how something is supposed to be and we can find out that it can be something totally different.  It still has it basics but might be presented in a completely different way.  Think of popular songs that are redone by other artists who put their own spin or musical style upon it.  Still the same song, just done differently. 

  Sometimes we think church should always be the same.  And though God is eternal, the church does need to change from time to time.  We want to keep our core, our foundation, which is of course proclaiming Jesus Christ and serving our neighbor.  But how we do that doesn’t always need to be the same. And at Trinity, we have tried to do that.

  Just last week I made everyone get up and sit in a different spot in the church.  The week before we had worship in the park.  This fall we are going to have services presented by youth, have a parking lot service with the blessing of animals, and much more.  We do this in order to keep worship fresh but also to help us expand our minds to what worship is and what church is.  Yes, we are bringing out bacon and eggs, but presenting it in an entirely different way.

  Sometimes we don’t like change or don’t like when something familiar is presented in a new way.  But if we reject it before we experience it, we lose out on the chance for the Holy Spirit to work and the fact that we might actually like it.  If I had rejected that bacon and eggs dish because it didn’t look like what I expected, I would have missed out on an incredible meal.  If I had told the group of people who asked me to lead a Bible study in a bar, I would have missed out on the incredible faith conversations we have been having at Lagers with the Lord. 

  My hope at Trinity is that we never get complacent.  That we are willing to try stuff, even if they fail.  My hope for you is that you might open up your heart and mind to the new ways God might be working in your lives.  Maybe an opportunity to serve and be in a different way or a chance to experience the Gospel in a way that is not the norm or might even be out of your comfort zone.  Most importantly, may you know every day that God is working in your life and that through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, you are free from sin and death and loved every day.  No matter how you serve your bacon and eggs!

  May God bless you today and always!

ANNOUNCEMENTS 

Lunch & Pie Social Sunday, August 20^th, from 10 am till 4pm! Sponsored by the Women of Trinity.  Come for great food, homemade pie, and a chance to join together in fellowship with this Trinity tradition!

WORKERS NEEDED FOR THE LUNCH & PIE SOCIAL  We need helpers of all genders and ages to serve this Trinity Tradition.  9 am till 11 on Saturday, August 19^th.  Then on Sunday with shifts at 9 am, 10 am till Noon, Noon till 2pm, 2 pm till 4pm, and clean-up after 4 pm.  Can you give even an hour?  Every moment counts!  See the sign-up in the Narthex or call the church office to sign-up!

Worship at Pafko Park on Sunday, August 13^th, at 9 am.  Bring a chair to sit in.  Hot Dog lunch to follow worship. 

Float riders needed for the Pickle Fest float!  Each rider gets their own bag of candy.  Let PB know if you can help!  All ages welcome!

Monday Bible Study each Monday at 10 am.

Lagers with the Lord, Monday, August 14^th, 6 pm at Buckshots.  All are welcome!

School Bags:  We are collecting items for school bags and kits.  Pick up a bag in the church or grab school supplies and bring them to the church. 

Confirmation Parent Meeting, Wednesday, August 30^th, 7 pm.

Don’t forget that you can support Trinity through the Vanco app OR using the donate form on our website.  Download the free app, search for Trinity Lutheran Boyceville, and go from there!

MUSINGS FROM PASTOR BRAD

  “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.”

   It was July 18^th at 7:21 am when I realized I had made a huge mistake.  In the annals of the mistakes, I have made in my now 21 years of being a pastor, this mistake might easily be in the top 5 of all of my mistakes.  I literally started sweating and thought I was going to throw up, the pit in my stomach was so bad.  I immediately was in panic mode and started to frantically search and even called Amy to help me.  What was my mistake?  I hadn’t reserved transportation for our 33 people going to Denver on our Mission Trip that upcoming Saturday.  Our largest trip ever and we had no way to get there.  No vans.  No nothing.  What I thought was a reservation was last year’s reservation, which were for the same dates, but I didn’t double check the year. 

  I felt devasted.  I felt awful.  I knew, even before I tried, that there would be no 15 passenger vans available for rent.  Maybe in the winter.  But the summer?  No way.  I started to make reservations for minivans and other vehicles.  I called all the chaperones to tell them what was going on and to see if they could all drive a vehicle if needed.  In the midst of all this, I still had to do my job, leading worship at Glenhaven and even had to get my oil changed.  I finally got our transportation fully figured out and set on Friday morning and even then, I wasn’t sure we would have enough room for our bags and had a back-up just in case.  It was a frantic lead0up to our trip, even more so than usual.  I was spent and we hadn’t even left yet.  But what made it worse was this: I couldn’t let my mistake go.

  Even now, as I write this, I’m not sure I have let it fully go.  I’m a person who holds myself to a high standard and often that standards and expectation of myself can be a negative.  I get upset when I hit bad golf shots or feel I gave a bad sermon.  I beat myself up if I haven’t been a good friend or husband.  I think way more about the things that I do wrong than anything I do right.  This is incredibly unhealthy.  I know it too and yet I can’t stop it.

  And in this situation, it consumed me.  I had a hard time sleeping those days before the trip.  Even when we got there, I would find myself awake, brooding over my stupidity and idiocy.  I couldn’t even pass it off on Katie not being there for the first time in awhile as I always took care of the vans.  Always.  My job.  My responsibility.  And I fumbled it.  I dropped it.  I put all the work of the kids, all the work of the parents, all the support from the congregation to send us to Denver in jeopardy.  My awesome chaperones told me it was ok, that we got it all worked out, that they would step up and do whatever needed to be done.  Amy told me it was ok, we all make mistakes, and I got it all figured out it in the end.

  But I wouldn’t listen to their comfort and reassurances.  And so, my guilt almost consumed me.  I know it made me unhealthy and made this trip the hardest one I had ever been on.  All because I couldn’t forgive myself.  All because of my own pride, ego, and perfectionist standards.  All because of my sin.

   Forgiveness is a gift we receive in Jesus Christ, and it is an incredible gift we give each other.  I like to think I’m a pretty forgiving person for the most part.  But not to myself.  And that needs to change.  So often I sit with people who can’t forgive themselves the mistakes they make.  It isolates them, keeps them away from the Lord, from their relationships, from engaging in the wider world.  They know their sin and they worry that is all that people will see of them. And when I sit them, I remind them of the grace of God in Jesus Christ.  I remind them that they are loved, not only by Jesus, but by others, no matter the mistake.  That in the church they always have a place and that true healing comes first and foremost from accepting the grace and forgiveness that comes in Jesus Christ.  After all, we pray in the Lord’s Prayer for God to forgive us our trespasses.  We need to have faith in that promise and prayer.

  I need to have faith in that promise and prayer.  And I’m so thankful for people like Amy and others who reminded me that we all make mistakes and there is forgiveness for all of us.  I need to be reminded that it is ok to not be perfect.  To screw up from time to time.  That when I screw up and I work to fix it, that is enough and that the same forgiveness I preach about is also for me.  I’m reminded about something that Yoda says to Luke Skywalker in “The Last Jedi” when he says, “The greatest teacher, failure is.” 

  You can bet I will never make that mistake again (and I put in my calendar 20 times to be sure).  But the biggest lesson that I have learned from this is that I need to forgive myself.  It does me and no one else good to wallow in despair and guilt.  To trust in the forgiveness offered to me in Jesus Christ.  Because, after all, it all worked out.  We had a great trip and we served the Lord.  My prayer for you today is that if you are carrying around guilt that weighs on your soul, give it to the Lord.  Forgive yourself for your Savior Jesus Christ died and rose for your sins and to set you free from all bondage.  May God bless you today and always!

Website: www.trinityboyceville.com

YouTube: www.youtube.com/TrinityBoycevilleWI

Facebook: www.facebook.com/trinityboyceville

ANNOUNCEMENTS 

Lunch & Pie Social Sunday, August 20^th, from 10 am till 4pm! Sponsored by the Women of Trinity.  Come for great food, homemade pie, and a chance to join together in fellowship with this Trinity tradition!

WORKERS NEEDED FOR THE LUNCH & PIE SOCIAL  We need helpers of all genders and ages to serve this Trinity Tradition.  9 am till 11 on Saturday, August 19^th.  Then on Sunday with shifts at 9 am, 10 am till Noon, Noon till 2pm, 2 pm till 4pm, and clean-up after 4 pm.  Can you give even an hour?  Every moment counts!  See the sign-up in the Narthex or call the church office at 715-643-3821 to sign-up!

Worship at Pafko Park on Sunday, August 13^th, at 9 am.  Bring a chair to sit in.  Hot Dog lunch to follow worship. 

Monday Bible Study each Monday at 10 am.

Lagers with the Lord, Monday, August 14^th, 6 pm at Buckshots.  All are welcome!

Don’t forget that you can support Trinity through the Vanco app OR using the donate form on our website.  Download the free app, search for Trinity Lutheran Boyceville, and go from there!

MUSINGS FROM PASTOR BRAD

  Whenever we come back from a Mission Trip, people ask us what we did during our time in Denver.  And we did all sorts of things.  We cleaned out yards and filled dumpsters for homeowners.  We painted houses and organized in a thrift store.  We put together food boxes at the Salvation Army and cut up handouts and shredded paper.  We even counted towels and washcloths!  In other words, we did a huge range of stuff.  We did what was asked and what was needed by the organizations we were working for, for service isn’t what we want to do, service is about filling a need that others want us to do.  Our kids were awesome no matter what they were asked to do and you should be incredibly proud of them. 

   I have no doubt I’ll write more about the trip in later weeks, but as I sit here on a Friday morning, I was reminded again about some of the small stuff that we did.  That shredding of paper, or helping our Youthworks staff get stuff packed up as this was their last week in Denver.  It might not have been what many of our kids thought about when they signed up for the Mission Trip, but it was the mission that needed to be done.  And I’m also sitting here thinking about how the Mission Trip is not a summer trip we take with our youth, our Mission Trip is every single day, right here in our own community and area and right here in our own church.  For we are disciples of Jesus Christ, called to be servants. Yet we often don’t think of our own place as a mission site.

  But it is.  Our community, our church, is its own mission field.  We are called to serve in whatever way we can in the needs that arise.  It can be volunteering at many of our own organizations, like WestCAP or Stepping Stones or United Way.  It can helping out at the schools or coaching youth sports or supporting the efforts of our area through donations.  This is all mission work and it is needed and important. 

  It can also be with sign-up for something that church.  To give that hour or two to make sure the people of our community enjoy a great piece of pie and a good meal during our Lunch & Pie Social.  To help out a few Sundays with Sunday school or sign-up to provide snacks for Crew or even come to lend a helping hand.  It can be to make communion bread or donate flowers or coming over to pull some weeds from around the church.  Our mission field is right here in front of us.  You don’t have to drive 2,000 miles to get there.  It is right here. 

  My prayer is that you might take a page from our youth and be willing to give a bit of yourself for the mission that lies before you.  To call the church office or right your name down to help at the Lunch & Pie Social.  To donate funds to help a cause or support an organization.  To not look at the busyness of your schedule and how you couldn’t possibly do something but rather see it as an opportunity to experience something new, to give something back, to connect with others in a different way.  To serve your Lord and Savior, a Lord and Savior who loves you and has saved you and to connect with your faith in a new way.

  For that is the secret sauce of a Mission Trip, my friends.  It isn’t in the doing.  It is in the CONNECTING.  That is why our youth go and come back.  It isn’t what they did, it is who they meet.  It is the deeper relationships they form with each other and the deeper connection they make with the God who loves and has saved them.  It is about realizing that even the smallest thing makes the biggest difference to someone else and to the world at large. 

   Thank you for supporting our youth.  And I thank you in advance for the way you will answer God’s call to serve, to connect, to being the hands and feet of God in the world.  May the Lord bless you today and always!

Website: www.trinityboyceville.com

YouTube: www.youtube.com/TrinityBoycevilleWI

Facebook: www.facebook.com/trinityboyceville