January 22, 2023

ANNOUNCEMENTS 

Winter Family Fest is moved to February 26^th, 2 pm till 4 pm.  Sled rides, games, food, and more!  All ages welcome!

Annual Meeting: Sunday, February 5^th, 10 am.

Super Bowl Pizza’s:  Orders due on February 5^th.  Pick them up on February 12^th. Benefits our youth going to Luther Park Bible Camp.  Form attached. 

Crew is on February 1st at 3:30 pm for all for all 3^rd-6^th graders!

Communion Bread Bakers needed!  Please sign-up on the table in the Narthex. 

Volunteers Needed to remove snow from our sidewalks! Please sign-up on the table in the Narthex. We have a new tractor with snow blower that you can use.

First Communion Class is January 22nd at 10:30-11:30 am. First Communion class is for all youth from 3rd grade and above whose parents believe they are ready to receive communion.  Make up class on January 29^th at the same time.

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

  And he said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fish for people. Matthew 4:19

I have to admit, I have never been a big fan of this metaphor for finding disciples of Jesus Christ.  Fishing for people.  Why?  Well, I really don’t like fishing.  I really don’t.  I’m appreciative of those who love to fish as I love to eat the fish (Fish are food, not friends!).  But I can’t think of anything less I would rather do, especially you crazy people who go out on the ice to fish this time of year.  I just don’t have the patience for fishing.  Call it a character flaw (as it is).  I want stuff to happen right away. That often doesn’t happen with fishing.  I wish I was more patient, but I’m not.

  But there are things I appreciate about the art of fishing.  I do appreciate those that have the patience who do it.  I appreciate that there is an art and skill to being a good fishermen, to finding the right spot, picking the right bait, all the prep that goes into it.  I appreciate the fact that for some there is not greater activity of peace and joy than fishing.  Probably most so, I appreciate the faith that goes into fishing.  You put a line in the water and even with the best preparation, equipment, and knowledge, nothing is guaranteed.  You put a line in the water and hope.  You might get something, you might not.  But you put the line in the water anyways. It is an act of faith.

  The same is true in our calling to fish for people.  It is an act of faith, an act of hope.  We cast a line out there, using the gifts we have to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ in word and deed.  We are hoping people respond to those gifts, to our message of hope and love, and want to follow Jesus as we do.  Sometimes we might get impatient and think our efforts are in vain.  But here is the thing, my friends: it doesn’t rest with us.  We are the hands and feet of God in the world and we are called to spread the Gospel and serve the neighbor, but God in Jesus Christ is at work.  It is the Lord who will catch the fish.  We are just the ones putting out the line on behalf of our Savior who loves and saves us.

  But we don’t catch anything if we don’t cast the line.  The Lord can’t be at work if we are not willing to take the risk to share our faith with others.  To hope.  To have faith in the one who is faithful to us.  And maybe we sometimes treat fishing for people like I treat fishing in general.  With impatience.  With fear that we don’t have the necessary skills or preparation to be successful, so why do it at all? 

  God in Jesus Christ is acting in and through us.  It is the Lord who will do the catching, who will reel people in to see the grace, mercy, and hope we have in Jesus Christ.  We just have to be willing to cast out the line, to let God be at work through us.  Fishing is all about hope.  Let us set our hope on our loving Savior Jesus Christ, casting out a line of love and grace so that God might catch some people.  May the Lord bless you as you fish for people in the name of Jesus Christ. 

Website: www.trinityboyceville.com

YouTube: www.youtube.com/TrinityBoycevilleWI

Facebook: www.facebook.com/trinityboyceville

ANNOUNCEMENTS 

Crew is on January 18^th at 3:30 pm for all for all 3^rd-6^th graders!

Communion Bread Bakers needed!  Please sign-up on the table in the Narthex. 

Volunteers Needed to remove snow from our sidewalks! Please sign-up on the table in the Narthex. We have a new tractor with snow blower that you can use.

First Communion Class is January 22nd at 10:30-11:30 am. First Communion class is for all youth from 3rd grade and above whose parents believe they are ready to receive communion

Winter Family Fest, Sunday, January 29^th, 2 pm till 4 pm.  Sled rides, games, food, and more!  All ages 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

  On Saturday night, I turned on the Los Angeles Chargers versus Jacksonville Jaguars Wild Card Playoff game.  I was excited for the game as they are two teams that haven’t had a ton of success over the years and it was shaping up to be a great game that I thought would be close.  However, as the first quarter got going, it started to look like a blowout.  The Jaguars threw four interceptions in the first half and was down 27-0 at one point and 27-7 at halftime.  Because of the score, I almost thought about turning it off.  Glad I didn’t.  The Jaguars came storming back and eventually won on a last second field goal, 31-30.  It was the third largest comeback in playoff history. I couldn’t help but think about those Jaguar fans who had to be in despair in the first half and then were elated at the end of the game, which was in their home stadium. 

  It reminded me of these verse from Psalm 40: ¹I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry.²He drew me up from the desolate pit, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. ³He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord.

  Sometimes in life it feels like we are down 27-0 and there is no hope left.  But in the Lord, we always have hope.  We just need patience and trust, remaining faithful to the Savior who is faithful to us.  Our suffering will not last forever.  We will be lifted up, given a foundation, and a new song will be put into our hearts.  Not a song of sorrow and sadness, but a song of joy and hopefulness.  Our Lord does not forget about us and will give us a song of praise. 

  For here is the promise we have in Jesus Christ: in the game of life, we have already won.  We have the victory through what Jesus has done on the cross for us.  No matter how bleak it looks, how awful it seems, how hopeless it can be, we have the victory in the end because Christ has won it for us.  There is always light in the midst of the darkness because Jesus shines upon us.  Jesus shines upon you.  There is always a comeback because the Lord plays on our team in life.  Plays for you.

  It was an awesome comeback to watch on Saturday.  It was a reminder that you never give up because you never know what might happen.  And in life, we never give up for we have Jesus Christ at our side.  May you trust in your Savior today and know that in him you have the victory and a new song in your heart.  For that we can say, “Thanks be to God!” 

Website: www.trinityboyceville.com

YouTube: www.youtube.com/TrinityBoycevilleWI

Facebook: www.facebook.com/trinityboyceville

TRINITY TIDINGS

January 11, 2023

ANNOUNCEMENTS 

Crew is on January 18^th at 3:30 pm for all for all 3^rd-6^th graders!

Communion Bread Bakers needed!  Please sign-up on the table in the Narthex. 

All reports for the Annual Report are due on January 15th

Volunteers Needed to remove snow from our sidewalks! Please sign-up on the table in the Narthex. We have a new tractor with snow blower that you can use.

Pick up your 2023 Offering envelopes in the Narthex.

First Communion Class is January 22nd at 10:30-11:30 am. First Communion class is for all youth from 3rd grade and above whose parents believe they are ready to receive communion

Winter Family Fest, Sunday, January 29^th, 2 pm till 4 pm.  Sled rides, games, food, and more!  All ages 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

  Our puppy Baxter does a lot of cute things. He loves to zoom around the house with his toy lamby in his mouth.  He will stare at this reflection in a mirror and wonder why another dog is staring back at him.  He curls up all cuddly on our laps and falls asleep, so peaceful and serene.  And then there are things he does that isn’t as cute, like chew up rugs, jump on his sister all the time, and then do what we call the pogo. 

  The pogo is that he stands on his hindlegs and jumps up on down, often at Amy or I wherever we are sitting, as he wants to come up.  But nine times out of ten, we lift him up and he uses us as a human ladder so he can go to the top of the chair or the couch and look outside.  Then he climbs down, all the way back to the floor, and like thirty seconds later comes back, doing the pogo, wanting to come up again.  This happens A LOT and can be incredibly annoying.  We have to keep going down to get him, stopping whatever we are doing, to get him, for him only to jump down right away. Of course, we could NOT pick him up, but there is that chance he will settle in and be all cute. But it can sure be a hassle as he does it again and again and again (and again). 

  But it made me think of our relationship with God.  We are the Baxter, wanting to God to pay attention to us, to lift us up.  And God is Amy and I, constantly coming down to us, constantly lifting us up, constantly giving us forgiveness, grace, mercy, and hope.  God keeps lifting us up and yet we sometimes are just using God for a few moments.  Then we jump down and go back to our lives, only to return again, seeking God’s help, guidance, and salvation.  You would think that God would get tired of it.  But just like Amy and I keep lifting up Baxter, God continues to lift us up through Jesus Christ.  God keeps coming down to us in Christ, coming down to offer us new life, to lift us up out of the darkness and mire of this world and restore us, renew us, and offer us a sanctuary of peace and hope.  I’d like to think God is like Amy and I, hoping that we might stay awhile in God’s embrace of love and grace, taking a moment to rest and bathe in the salvation we have received by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. 

  God loves us so much God will never not reach down for us.  Never not bring us to God.  That is why God sent Jesus after all.  To save us.  To come down to us so that we would be free of sin, death, and the devil.  And Amy and I will continue to pick up Baxter, no matter how many times he jumps up and down.  Why? Because we love him.  And the same is true for God and us.  God loves us, no matter what, and will always be there to lift you up.  Every time.  Every day.  For that we can say, “Thanks be to God!” Amen

Website: www.trinityboyceville.com

YouTube: www.youtube.com/TrinityBoycevilleWI

Facebook: www.facebook.com/trinityboyceville

December 31, 2022

ANNOUNCEMENTS 

Crew is on January 4^th at 3:30 pm till 5 pm for all for all 3^rd-6^th graders!

Communion Bread Bakers needed!  Please sign-up on the table in the Narthex. 

All reports for the Annual Report are due on January 15th

Volunteers Needed to remove snow from our sidewalks! Please sign-up on the table in the Narthex. We have a new tractor with snow blower that you can use.

Pick up your 2023 Offering envelopes in the Narthex.

First Communion Class is January 22nd at 10:30-11:30 am. First Communion class is for all youth from 3rd grade and above whose parents believe they are ready to receive communion

Winter Family Fest, Sunday, January 29^th, 2 pm till 4 pm.  Sled rides, games, food, and more!  All ages welcome!

Did you order a poinsettia for Christmas? Come pick it up!  Stop by the church and take your poinsettia home.  We have bags for you to use to keep them protected from the cold. 

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

   On my annual trip home to Chicago for the Peterson family Christmas with my sisters, we did something we had never done before.  We went to Wrigley Field.  They had an event going on called Winterland.  At Winterland, they had a European Christmas Market outside the stadium, and inside they had all sorts of activities. Ice slides, a train that went around the infield, tilt-a-whirl, a tea cup ride, a bunch of games, lots of decorations, a skating rink, and a beverage tent with a place where you could roast marshmallows. 

  It was pretty cool and I was pretty much acting like a 12 year old boy (a surprise, I know).  I went with my niece and nephews down the ice slide and played some of the games with them. I enjoyed a beverage with Amy, my sisters, and their spouses in the tent.  I watched Amy go on the Tilt-A-Whirl with my sisters and I excitedly rode the train around the infield, getting excited as we got glimpses into the dugouts and imagining that I was going by where Cub greats of the past had stood.  Even as we walked through the bowels of the stadium to get to the field, I stopped at the Cubs Hall of Fame to show my family the plaque of Boyceville native Andy Pafko.  It was a pretty cool experience, at least for me, as I became a child again for just a little bit. 

  In one sense, I have to admit I was embarrassed about how I was feeling and acting.  It was just a winter carnival inside a baseball stadium.  But at the same time, as I reflected about our time there, I thought that maybe it was an example of a New Years resolution that I could have and that maybe we all need.  To be willing to experience life with childlike wonder.  To embrace that part of life.  I could have approached it cynically and think about the cost of the tickets to be able to do the activities (though the outdoor market was free and to enter the stadium itself was just $5). 

  Sometimes I think we don’t let ourselves get enveloped in wonder enough, to see the joy in the world.  To be a kid again, just for a bit.  Maybe that is why I love going to Disney parks so much or attending Bible Camp with our youth.  It helps me put aside the stresses of life and experience the wonder of a child, to see the simple joys and blessings in fun and imagination that the Lord gives us.  Life is full of joy. It has its shares of hurts and difficulties, there is no doubt.  But it is also full of joy. 

  I hope in the New Year you will embrace the joy.  That you might allow yourself to bask in the wonder, to appreciate the blessings, to be a kid from time to time.  I hope in the New Year you will see that God is active and present in all of it.  Have a Happy New Year and may God in Jesus Christ fill you with wonder and joy!

PICTURES OF THE WEEK

Here are two pictures from my time at the Wrigley Field Winterland.  The first is me at the end of riding the ice slide, and then my family in front of Wrigley.

(L-R): Logan, Abby, Me, Amy, Megan, Jack, Amy, Ryan, Tyler, Will.

My family.  Logan and Abby is my twin sister Megan and her husband Ryan’s kids.  Tyler & Jack are my older sister Amy and her husband Will’s kids (Niece Kaelyn is absent as she lives in Australia). 

Website: www.trinityboyceville.com

YouTube: www.youtube.com/TrinityBoycevilleWI

Facebook: www.facebook.com/trinityboyceville

ANNOUNCEMENTS 

Christmas Eve Worship Services: 2:00 pm, 4:30 pm, & 9:00 pm.  All services will be live streamed on Facebook and will have Communion and a Candlelight portion.  Join us as we celebrate the birth of Jesus!

Christmas Day Worship, 9:00 am.  Service will also be live streamed on Facebook.

Office Closed on December 26^th & 30^th.

No Wednesday Worship on December 28^th.

No Sunday School December 25^th and January 1^st.

Bring your deer hides to Trinity!  Place them in the deer shack and we exchange them for gloves which we give to the needy. 

Communion Bread Bakers needed!  Please sign-up on the table in the Narthex. 

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

  We are just a few days before Christmas and I hope that you get a chance to experience Christmas worship in one way or another.  Whether it is in person here at Trinity, watching us online, or going to worship with your family in another place, I hope that you take a moment to remember that all of this is because a child was born in Bethlehem, the ultimate gift from God to all of us.

  Now, a couple of random thoughts this Christmas season:

• I always had an issue in the cartoon classic “Frosty the Snowman” that it appeared the kids were wearing shorts and many didn’t have on hats.  But after being a crossing guard for two years, it is an accurate representation of youth.  Even today, when it was below zero, kids walked with coats in their hands, gloves in their bags, and shorts on their waist.  Ah, youth.
• There is nothing more joyful than hearing the song “Snow” from the movie “White Christmas.”  Love it every time.
• My favorite sneaky line from “Christmas Vacation” is when the lights finally come on Clark’s house, he says to his dad, “Dad, you taught me everything I know about exterior illumination.”  It just makes me chuckle every time.
• I never tire of hearing the Muppet’s rendition of “Little Saint Nick.”  Or Kelly Clarkson’s “Underneath the Tree.”  Or Bing Crosby sing anything.
• This year, for the 20^th time, I’ll stand behind the altar with a candle in my hand as we sing “Silent Night.”  The sight of all those candles lit out in the sanctuary gives me goosebumps every time.
• I want to thank everyone who came to the Men’s Band Christmas Concert and the Meatball meal and to everyone who helped.  It went better then we ever expected and we now have a new Trinity Christmas tradition.  Also, it was great to have Katie sing with us and for her and I to partner up together again on a song.
• My favorite Christmas treat is Amy’s Soda Cracker Candy.  It is like Christmas joy in a bite. 
• Special thanks to the Trinity staff for all they do to make our Christmas services go and all the prep that needs to happen to make everything go smooth.  They are truly the best.

Have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! 

Website: www.trinityboyceville.com

YouTube: www.youtube.com/TrinityBoycevilleWI

Facebook: www.facebook.com/trinityboyceville

ANNOUNCEMENTS 

Crew is on December 14th for all 3^rd-6^th graders  Crew is 3:30 pm till 5:00 pm and this year we will be taking a Journey Through the Bible.

Brass Cleaning on Friday, December 16^th, 9 am.

Sunday School Christmas Program, December 18^th, 9 am.

Trinity Men’s Band Christmas Concert, December 18^th, 6 pm.  Special Guest: Katie Wagner.  A meatball and mashed potato meal will be served prior starting at 5 pm. 

Christmas Eve Worship Services: 2:00 pm, 4:30 pm, & 9:00 pm.  All services will be live streamed on Facebook and will have Communion and a Candlelight portion.  Join us as we celebrate the birth of Jesus!

Christmas Day Worship, 9:00 am.  Service will also be live streamed on Facebook.

Office Closed on December 26^th & 30^th.

No Sunday School December 25^th and January 1^st.

Bring your deer hides to Trinity!  Place them in the deer shack and we exchange them for gloves which we give to the needy. 

Thank you to everyone who helped make lefse, brought baked goods, donated items for the Silent Auction, and who came to the Lefse & Bake Sale and Silent Auction!

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

  I know I shared this last year, but I do really love this story.  I hope you enjoy reading it again as I do! 

The Cobbler and His Guest

Long ago there lived in the city of Marseilles an old shoemaker, loved and honored by all his neighbors, who affectionately called him “Father Martin.”

One Christmas Eve he sat alone in his little shop, reading of the visit of the wise men to the infant Jesus, and of the gifts they brought. He said to himself, “If tomorrow were the first Christmas, and if Jesus were to be born in Marseilles this night, I know what I would give Him!” He arose and took from a shelf two little shoes of softest snow-white leather, with bright silver buckles, “I would give Him these, my finest work. How pleased His mother would be! But I’m a foolish old man,” he thought, smiling. “The Master has no need for my poor gifts.”

Replacing the shoes, he blew out the candle, and retired to rest. Hardly had he closed his eyes, it seemed, when he heard a voice call his name, “Martin!” Intuitively, he felt aware of the identity of the speaker. “Martin, you have longed to see Me. Tomorrow I shall pass by your window. If you see Me and bid Me enter, I shall be your guest and sit at your table.”

He did not sleep that night for joy. Before it was yet dawn he arose and tidied up his little shop. He spread fresh sand on the floor, and wreathed green bows of fir along the rafters. On the table he placed a loaf of white bread, a jar of honey, and a pitcher of milk; and over the fire he hung a hot drink. His simple preparations were complete.

When all was in readiness, he took up his vigil at the window. He was sure he would know the Master. As he watched the driving sleet and rain in the cold, deserted street, he thought of the joy that would be his when he sat down and broke bread with his Guest.

Presently he saw an old street sweeper pass by, blowing upon his thin, gnarled hands to warm them. “Poor fellow! He must be half-frozen,” thought Martin. Opening the door, he called out to him, “Come in, my friend, and warm yourself, and drink something hot.” No further urging was needed, and the man gratefully accepted the invitation.

An hour passed, and Martin next saw a poor, miserably clothed woman carrying a baby. She paused, wearily, to rest in the shelter of his doorway. Quickly he flung open the door. “Come in and warm while you rest,” he said to her. “You are not well?” he asked.

“I am going to the hospital. I hope they will take me in, and my baby,” she explained. “My husband is at sea, and I am ill, without a soul to whom I can go.”

“Poor child!” cried the old man. “You must eat something while you are getting warm. Let me give a cup of milk to the little one. Ah! What a bright, pretty little fellow he is! Why, you have no shoes on him!”

“I have no shoes for him,” sighed the mother.

“Then he shall have this lovely pair I finished yesterday.” And Martin took down the soft little snow-white shoes he had looked at the evening before, and slipped them on the child’s feet. They fit perfectly. And shortly the young mother went her way full of gratitude, and Martin went back to his post at the window.

Hour after hour went by, and many needy souls shared the meager hospitality of the old cobbler, but the expected Guest did not appear.

At last, when night had fallen, Father Martin retired to his cot with a heavy heart. “It was only a dream,” he sighed. “I did hope and believe, but He has not come.”

Suddenly, so it seemed to his weary eyes, the room was flooded with a glorious light; and to the cobbler’s astonished vision there appeared before him, one by one, the poor street sweeper, the sick mother and her baby, and all the people whom he had aided during the day. Each one smiled at him and asked, “Have you not seen me? Did I not sit at your table?” and vanished.

Then softly out of the silence he heard again the gentle Voice, repeating the old, familiar words: “Whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.”* “For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in.”* “Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”*

Website: www.trinityboyceville.com

YouTube: www.youtube.com/TrinityBoycevilleWI

Facebook: www.facebook.com/trinityboyceville

ANNOUNCEMENTS 

Women of Trinity Christmas Gathering Saturday, December 3^rd, 9 am.

Lefse Making:  Wednesday & Thursday, December 7 & 8, starting at 8 am and going until we are done.  All are welcome to participate!  We have a job for every person and are willing to teach you how to make this Trinity tradition!

Lefse & Bake Sale on Saturday, December 10^th, 9 am till 3 pm.

Silent Auction, Saturday, December 10^th, 9 am till 3 pm.  Come support our Mission Trip youth!  Lots of great packages. 

Soup Lunch, Saturday, December 10^th, 11 am till 2 pm.  Served by the Mission Trip youth.

Mission Trip Youth in need of items for the Silent Auction!  With a record 27 youth going on this summer’s mission trip, our Silent Auction is more important than ever!  We appreciate any donations of new items or crafts!  Please have them to the church by December 7^th. 

The Trinity Men’s Band is at United Methodist Church of Knapp on December 3^rd at 7 pm and First Lutheran Church of Cumberland at 6 pm on December 4^th.

Crew is on December 14th for all 3^rd-6^th graders  Crew is 3:30 pm till 5:00 pm and this year we will be taking a Journey Through the Bible.

Poinsettia orders due on Sunday, December 11^th. 

Sunday School Christmas Program, December 18^th, 9 am.

Trinity Men’s Band Christmas Concert, December 18^th, 6 pm.  Special Guest: Katie Wagner.  A meatball and mashed potato meal will be served prior starting at 5 pm. 

Bring your deer hides to Trinity!  Place them in the deer shack and we exchange them for gloves which we give to the needy. 

Thank you to everyone who helped decorate the church for Christmas!

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

    Romans 15:13

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

  We have started the season of Advent, this time of year before Christmas that we often frankly forget about, other than the lightening of those Advent candles or those of you that have an Advent calendar at home.  Advent is about preparing for the coming of Jesus, not only the birth of the babe born in Bethlehem but also the second coming of Jesus, when God’s kingdom will be ushered in for all time.  Because of this, Advent is really about hope.  The hope that comes with the birth of Christ, the hope of Jesus’ return. 

  As such, we, as the people of God in this time of Advent, are also about hope.  The church is a place of hope, a place where sinners gather to hear of their salvation in Jesus Christ.  A place where new life is proclaimed to those dead in sin, a place where hope is shouted from the mountaintops to those who feel lost, or abandoned, or alone.  Here, in the midst of the church, in the midst of the people of God, everyone has a place and everyone receives good news: you are loved and saved by Jesus Christ.  A place and a people of hope that reach out to those in need and who care for their neighbor and each other. 

  This place, this church, this people called Trinity Lutheran Church is a place and a people of hope, and we have been blessed for what God is doing in and through all of you.  I am hopeful for our future, for where the Holy Spirit will take us, for the ways in which we can do even more for our community in proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all ages and serving our neighbor.  I am hopeful because of your generosity, the financial support you give and for all who give of their time and talents for the sake of our mission and ministry.  Of course, we want as many of you as possible to be a part of this ministry in whatever way you can, so if you feel the hope that I feel, I hope that you will give of your time and talent and treasure in the near future, whether that might be helping out with lefse, donating for the Silent Auction, signing up to move snow or bake communion bread, or helping with Sunday School. 

  As people of hope, we will go where God is leading us to go.  And that means trust. Trusting in our God, trusting that even in the midst of ups and downs, of hardships and struggles, of doubt and worry, God in Jesus Christ is leading us. To be willing to take a risk, a risk in hope, to maybe go in a direction or a place we haven’t been before.  To be willing to step up to answer God’s call to service, to generosity, to participating in the great mission that is before us.  I look towards the future and I see great things for us as Trinity Lutheran Church, because I trust in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  And I trust in you.  In your faith.  Your generosity.  Your hard work.  Your love. 

  So my friends, have hope.  God is at work.  God has been at work and God will continue to be at work amongst us.  For in this time of Advent, we have hope.  Our salvation is here.  Our sins are forgiven, death is defeated, for Jesus has died and risen for all of us.  To save us.  And to make us people of hope.  For that we can say, “Thanks be to God!”  Amen

Website: www.trinityboyceville.com

YouTube: www.youtube.com/TrinityBoycevilleWI

Facebook: www.facebook.com/trinityboyceville

ANNOUNCEMENTS 

New Member Class, November 13^th, 6:30 pm.  If you are someone you know is interested in joining Trinity, please join this class or call PB if you cannot make it.

Deer Hunter’s Worship, Wednesday, November 16^th, 6:30 pm All are welcome!  Wear your blaze orange and camo!

Crew is on November 16th for all 3^rd-6^th graders  Crew is 3:30 pm till 5:00 pm and this year we will be taking a Journey Through the Bible.

Crew Snack Sign-Up.  Please sign-up in the Narthex to provide snacks for the Crew.  Please prepare to serve 60 kids and you can bring anything you want.

Community Thanksgiving Worship, Sunday, November 20^th, at 6:30 pm at Trinity.  Please bring a non-perishable food item for Stepping Stones.  All monetary gifts will be given to WestCAP. 

Bring your deer hides to Trinity!  Place them in the deer shack and we exchange them for gloves which we give to the needy. 

Decorate Trinity for Christmas!  Sunday, November 27^th, right after worship.  We appreciate your help!

Mission Trip Youth in need of items for the Silent Auction!  With a record 27 youth going on this summer’s mission trip, our Silent Auction is more important than ever!  We appreciate any donations of new items or crafts!  Please have them to the church by December 7^th. 

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

    I think this time of year is a season of preparation.  Everyone is preparing for something.  Maybe you are preparing for hunting, getting the cabin ready, getting the hunting rifle sighted, making sure your deer stand is in good condition.  Maybe you are also preparing to be hunter’s widow, checking out where the best craft fairs are, preparing for outings with others.  You could be preparing for Thanksgiving, going to the store to get the turkey, all the ingredients for pumpkin pie, the necessary items to make the best part of Thanksgiving, which is the stuffing.  You might also be preparing for Christmas as well.  Doing some of the early shopping.  Getting the outside decorations up before it becomes bitterly cold.

  To be honest, I feel like I’m in the middle of all of those preparations.  The Deer Hunter’s service is this Wednesday, so I have been getting ready for that (and for the annual tradition of the venison jerky I receive from Marlin Bird.  Right Marlin?).  I’m prepping for Thanksgiving, as we did our shopping this week as we are having our Thanksgiving on Saturday since we will be gone for Thanksgiving, plus the Community Thanksgiving service which we are hosting on the 20^th.  And, if you have driven by my house, you know I have been preparing for Christmas, getting all my stuff up outside while it was 70 degrees (glorious).  Even with that, I even wrote my Christmas Eve sermon already and the Men’s Band has been practicing for our three Christmas concerts in December.  It is a time of preparing. 

   I’ve always like being prepared, and not because I was a Boy Scout (I didn’t make it that far).  I like the feeling of knowing that everything is ready to go, of having the security (and frankly, the control) of it being in order so I can handle whatever may come.  But of course, you can’t prepare for everything.  There is always going something that comes out of the blue, or something that doesn’t work or falls over, or something that just won’t go the way you hope it does.  Those moments can cause me some anxiety, but because of my preparation, I feel I can handle whatever may come.

  In the same way, my faith in Jesus Christ prepares for anything that life throws at me.  For I know that Christ has taken care of all things.  I know that Jesus has freed from all bondage.  I know I have a place prepared for me in heaven, not due to anything that I have done but solely on what Christ has done for me.  I know Jesus is there to carry my burdens, bless my blessings, guide my life, and strengthen me when I am weak. When we place our faith and trust in Jesus, we are prepared for anything and everything. 

  May the Lord be with you as you prepare for all the things coming up in these next weeks.  And may you know that, through your faith in Jesus Christ, you are prepared for everything and you don’t prepare alone.  Your Savior is with you.  For that we can say, “Thanks be to God!”

Website: www.trinityboyceville.com

YouTube: www.youtube.com/TrinityBoycevilleWI

Facebook: www.facebook.com/trinityboyceville

ANNOUNCEMENTS .

Men’s Band Worship on Sunday, November 6^th, at 9 am.

Potato Pancake Meal, Sunday, November 6^th, 10 am till 11:30 am. Potato Pancakes, Kielbasa Sausage, Apple Sauce, Dessert, Beverage.  Free-will offering taken to support Trinity Youth Ministries.

Workers needed for the Potato Pancake Meal  See the sign-up on the table in the Narthex.

Crew is on November 2^nd for all 3^rd-6^th graders  Crew is 3:30 pm till 5:00 pm and this year we will be taking a Journey Through the Bible.

Crew Snack Sign-Up.  Please sign-up in the Narthex to provide snacks for the Crew.  Please prepare to serve 60 kids and you can bring anything you want.

New Member Class, November 13^th, 6:30 pm.  If you are someone you know is interested in joining Trinity, please join this class or call PB if you cannot make it.

Deer Hunter’s Worship, Wednesday, November 16^th, 6:30 pm All are welcome!  Wear your blaze orange and camo!

Community Thanksgiving Worship, Sunday, November 20^th, at 6:30 pm at Trinity.  Please bring a non-perishable food item for Stepping Stones.  All monetary gifts will be given to WestCAP. 

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

  Recently, our puppy Baxter started to play with a racquetball.  Our old dog Henry loved to play with them, but Kapono never got into playing with a ball.  But Baxter loves it.  It is so cute to see him batting it with his paw, following it around, carrying it in his mouth, and learning which parts of the floor aren’t quite level and so he can push the ball out and watch it roll.  It is pretty entertaining to watch.  But, there are times when the ball rolls under a table or a shelf and suddenly Baxter can’t get it.  He sticks his whole arm under there trying to get the ball and will even try to crawl under.  Sometimes, he can get it.  But other times he can’t.  What is a dog to do?

  Like a super hero swooping out of the sky to save the day comes Mom or Dad.  We get on our hands and knees and get the ball out for Baxter.  We reach under to get this thing that he wants and he is so happy when he gets it back.  And why do we do this?  We do this because we love him.  We do this because we want him to be happy.  Even if it means getting up from our comfortable space on the couch or the chair.  Even if it is an inconvenience of the highest order.  We do it because we love him.

   For you, on your own, salvation is out of reach.  It is like that ball stuck under that shelf.  You try and try to get it but it is elusive.  It is just out of reach.  No matter how much you do, you will not and cannot attain that salvation.  And so here comes Jesus, getting that ball of salvation for you, sacrificing his life to give you eternal life.  And why?  Because Jesus loves you.  Because you are loved.

   You cannot attain salvation on your own.  As it says in Ephesians 2, “For by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this is not your own doing, it is the free gift of God—not the result of works, so that no one may boast.”  You are saved not by what you do, for you cannot do enough, but by what Jesus Christ has done for you.  You could not reach the ball of salvation, but Christ has sacrificed so that it can be given to you.

  And so, like Baxter getting that ball we have retrieved for him, rejoice!  Be glad!  You are free from sin and death.  You are saved and redeemed.  You have been given grace and love in Jesus Christ.  Remember this gift you have been given and who has given it to you.  It has come from Jesus, because Jesus loves you.  For that we can say, “Thanks be to God!”  Amen

Website: www.trinityboyceville.com

YouTube: www.youtube.com/TrinityBoycevilleWI Facebook: www.facebook.com/trinityboyceville

ANNOUNCEMENTS .

Confirmation Stole Making and Rehearsal  October 26, 7 pm.

Confirmation Sunday, October 30^th, 9 am.  We hope that you will come to support our 15 youth who are affirming their faith.  Wear red in honor of Reformation Sunday!

Men’s Band Worship on Sunday, November 6^th, at 9 am.

Potato Pancake Meal, Sunday, November 6^th, 10 am till 11:30 am. Potato Pancakes, Kielbasa Sausage, Apple Sauce, Dessert, Beverage.  Free-will offering taken to support Trinity Youth Ministries.

Workers needed for the Potato Pancake Meal  See the sign-up on the table in the Narthex.

Crew is on November 2^nd for all 3^rd-6^th graders  Crew is 3:30 pm till 5:00 pm and this year we will be taking a Journey Through the Bible.

Crew Snack Sign-Up.  Please sign-up in the Narthex to provide snacks for the Crew.  Please prepare to serve 60 kids and you can bring anything you want.

New Member Class, November 13^th, 6:30 pm.  If you are someone you know is interested in joining Trinity, please join this class or call PB if you cannot make it.

Deer Hunter’s Worship, Wednesday, November 16^th, 6:30 pm All are welcome!  Wear your blaze orange and camo!

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

  I have to admit, I was pretty impressed, friends of Trinity Lutheran, last Sunday.  Last Sunday was our Cross Generational Worship service, a service in which we try to have our various generations interact with each other.  This year, I did something a little different.  I made you sit at tables based on something that was on top of your bulletin, forcing some families and couples to sit at tables apart from each other.  I know that some of you, who knew you would have to participate with each other, already weren’t the biggest fans.  I believe a few phrases I heard was, “I hate this service” and “I think I’m going to go home.”  Then, adding in how I was seating you, made many of you nervous and even upset. 

  BUT you stuck it out.  You stayed.  You gave it a shot.  And then some of you who said the phrases above said, “I really enjoyed it” and “That was a lot of fun.”  The Cross Generational Worship service is meant to stretch us, to challenge us, to get us out of our comfort zones a bit, not only in a bid to get to know each other better but to also to connect on a faith level.  To risk a little bit.  Risk putting ourselves out there.  Risk looking at the world in a different way.  Risk letting something new happen, something that challenges us. 

  I want to thank you Trinity for being willing to risk.  My prayer is that you might continue to risk.  Maybe putting your name on that sign up sheet for that event that you are hesitant about.  Maybe showing up for something that might seem difficult.  Maybe going out into the community to risk connecting with others different than yourself.  For in risking, we are putting our faith in Jesus Christ to care for us and be with us.  In risking, we are letting the Holy Spirit work in, through, and amongst us.  I hope that you will continue to be a risk taker and place your trust and faith in Jesus Christ.

  It reminded me of a poem that I got in college.  I am not sure who the author is, but I share it with you now:

                                                “Risks”

    To laugh is to risk appearing the fool.

To weep is to risk appearing sentimental.

To reach out for another is to risk involvement.

          To expose feelings is to risk exposing your true self.

          To place your ideas, your dreams before a crowd is to risk their loss.

          To love is to risk not being loved in return.    

          To live is to risk dying.

          To hope is to risk despair.

          To try is to risk failure.

But risks must be taken, because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.

The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing and is nothing.

They may avoid suffering and sorrow but they cannot learn, feel, change, grow, love, live.

Chained by their certitudes they are a slave, they have forfeited their freedoms.

Only a person who risks is free.

Website: www.trinityboyceville.com

YouTube: www.youtube.com/TrinityBoycevilleWI

Facebook: www.facebook.com/trinityboyceville