Campus Work Day This Saturday, August 4

Trinity's Back to School Campus Work Day is scheduled for Saturday, August 4 from 8:00 am to 11:30 am, with lunch provided afterward. We need all hands on deck to beautify the campus for the start of the school year, guests on campus for Open House and Backpack Blessings, and preparations for moving the pastoral offices back to the main campus!  We'll be moving the school library from its current location to make space available for the new school office in Heritage Hall. Your assistance hauling books and shelves as well as weeding, cleaning and beautifying our campus is very much appreciated!! THANK YOU!

New Adult Bible Study Series: The Way Back

Looking for some engaging discussion on the decline of Christianity in the world today? Want to explore the "way back" to a renewed commitment to sharing the gospel with the people around us in meaningful ways? Join us in this next adult study series exploring the decline of Christianity in the world today, how it might be our own fault and how we work to bring Christ's message back to the people. Based on the book, THE WAY BACK, by Phil Cooke and Jonathan Bock. Led by Tim Norris, this adult Bible study group will meet in Fellowship Hall at 9:30am on Sunday mornings beginning August 5. Invite someone new by sharing the Facebook event  for this Bible Study on your own timeline.

Backpack Blessings

Join us for Backpack Blessings during all worship services on Sat/Sun, Aug 11 & 12.  Students of all ages, and from any public, private or homeschool are invited to bring your backpacks to worship! Pastor Doug will offer a special prayer for students and will bless the backpacks that are carried with you all year long! Each child will receive a special tag for his or her backpack that day. During these worship services we'll also dedicate all Trinity faculty and staff as well as anyone in worship who is serving in local schools. Join us, and invite a friend or neighbor - invitation cards are available in the Narthex!

Children's Ministry Team News

Children's Sunday School Kick Off

Children ages 4 years through 5th grade are invited to meet for Sunday School Opening in the Kindergarten classroom of Heritage Hall (first room on the left in our two story school building) at 9:30am on August 19 for a lively opening and celebratory activities to mark the beginning of a new school year. Our lessons this year will be based on the theme of "Discipleship" where we will explore Bible stories to learn more about the character of God and what it means to follow Him. Be sure to bring your Summer Sunday School Passport books to earn a special trip to the treasure box. Sunday school will continue each week on Sunday from 9:30-10:30 meeting for opening each week in the Kindergarten room.

Youth Ministry Team News

Middle School - High School Bible Study group will meet weekly on Sundays at 9:30 a.m. in the youth room in the church basement on Sunday, August 19 . Topics for Bible study will vary throughout the year.

Confirmation Instruction for 7th and 8th graders will begin on Sunday, September 9 at 12:30pm with a parent/student gathering, information sharing and registration.

2019 National Youth Gathering

Every three years, the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod hosts a not-to-be-missed, faith transforming four day experience for youth entering 9th Grade through 12th grade. These National Youth Gatherings are hosted in major metropolitan cities and next summer over 25,000 youth and their counselors will meet in Minneapolis, Minnesota under the theme of "Real. Present.God". Groundbreaking worship services, inspirational speakers and music, creative workshops, awesome recreation, and varied opportunities to serve in the community are just a part of what our youth will experience next summer. Many church leaders can trace their faith development and desire to live a life of service back to a spark that was lit during a  youth gathering experience in their teens. Jenn Blackwood and Crystal Jones will be spearheading the planning, fundraising, and team building for this exciting trip. They have first hand experience at youth gatherings and can answer any questions that you may have. They will also be hosting the first informational Parent-Student Meeting which will be held in the first Loggia room on Sunday, August 26 , at 12:15 pm (after late service). (pizza lunch will be served). If you have even an inkling of a thought that your teen might want to participate, please plan to join us for this important meeting. Registration for the gathering will take place in mid September; fundraisers have already begun and will continue through the end of April. We look forward to sharing more information about this great opportunity for your child.

Outreach Ministry Teams News

Comfort Dog Ministry Team Update

Service and Outreach Opportunity - Rebecca's Garden of Hope

Trinity's volunteer Outreach Ministry Team serves to organize opportunities for the whole Trinity family to share the gospel and serve those in need in our community. The new school year is starting and the Trinity family has the opportunity to serve with Rebecca's Garden of Hope again this year, once a month on the fourth Wednesdays, to meet the tutoring needs of young children in our area. During each tutoring event, we also commit to provide a meal, and Trinity volunteers sit and eat with the kids and any family members who come with them, to build relationships and share some love!  Trinity's first date is on Wednesday, August 22 , at Our Savior Lutheran Church. Tutoring begins at 5:00 pm and dinner is served between 6:30-7:00 pm. There are several options for YOU to take part in this outreach and service event!

You can serve in one capacity or all three!  It's a wonderful opportunity to set a regular date on your calendar to serve in your community once a month.  Trinity volunteers who have served previously will be with you to show you the ropes and introduce you to new friends. To let us know how you would like to participate, please contact Terry Boggs at mammierocks@yahoo.com.

Fall Foundations of Faith Class - Sign up Now!

You're Invited to Trinity's Foundations Class! The next session will meet on Wednesdays, August 22 through October 10, from 6:30-8:00pm. This class is for YOU!  For all those interested in learning more about the Christian Faith and the Lutheran Church, for those considering church membership at Trinity Downtown, for all new full-time staff at Trinity, and/or for current members who would enjoy a class about the foundations of faith, please mark your calendars!  

 

Meet some new people in the Trinity family, spend some time in great discussions, explore your faith, and enjoy some light refreshments! These classes are always a lot of fun! Trinity's Senior Pastor, Doug Kallesen, will lead the class and discussion. You'll enjoy discussion on:

Feel free to extend this invitation to anyone else you think might be interested - these are open to anyone! Questions or concerns? Contact us at 407-488-1919 x101 or TLC@TrinityDowntown.com.

Please Register Here to let us know you plan to attend .  THANK YOU!      

                                     

Grace Notes Choir for Students K-5th Begins September 5

We love hearing children express their love and faith through singing, and Julia Malenke, our children's choir director, is making that happen! Any and all children in K-5th grade are welcome to participate in Trinity's Children's Choir, Grace Notes. Mrs. Julia Malenke leads this choir which meets on Wednesdays during the school year (begins on September 5th) from 4:30-5:15 pm in the church music room (basement of the Sanctuary). To find out how your child can participate this coming school year, please contact Mrs. Malenke at jmalenke@trinitydowntown.com.

Human Care Ministry Team

Human Care: Funeral Team 

Three have signed up, looking for a few more!

Seeking those interested in being part of a team under the Human Care Ministry to minister to those connected to the Trinity family who have lost a loved one and are preparing for a funeral or memorial service.  Servant volunteers would support their Trinity family by decorating and setting-up/preparing food and drinks for funeral receptions, helping to pick up food if needed, sometimes may be asked to bake, perhaps helping set up photo displays, hosting and serving food and drinks at a reception, and clean up afterward.  This would be a team that has some schedule flexibility to respond with short notice to attend to a family's need as assigned by the pastoral office when a family contacts Trinity for funeral arrangements. If you're interested, please contact Chanda at TLC@Trinitydowntown.com or call  407-488-1919 x101.

Looking for a Place to Serve Behind the Scenes?
The Altar Guild is a great place to serve behind the scenes to support worship needs. The Altar Guild is made up of multiple teams that serve together on a scheduled rotation throughout the year (one month of service each rotation). Each team has 4-6 members, and serves about twice a year. Setup for weekend worship services on an assigned month takes approximately one hour per weekend and is usually completed on either Friday afternoon or Saturday morning determined by each individual team. The individual team members are assigned to specific worship services based on individual preference and availability. (ie: if one person prefers/attends the 8am service over the 11am). The service requires only about 15 minutes of the individuals time to verify everything is properly setup. Then, after the 11:00 am service, (usually assigned to a person who regularly attends to that service) the cleanup is done which takes about 30 to 40 minutes.  Full support and training is provided until you are completely comfortable in your new role! If you'd like to learn more, please contact Connie Sobel at 407-341-8993.

FL-GA District Lay Leadership Summit

The first lay leadership summit of the Florida-Georgia District will be help on August 23-25 in the Orlando area! You will hear and learn from inspirational speakers and practitioners who will provide practical and useful training in specific areas of ministry. Under the theme, "It's Time,"  lay leaders have the opportunity to learn and grow as you serve Jesus in your local congregation. Learn more here .

Leadership Council: Summary of Special Voters' Assembly Meeting, July 29, 2018
On Sunday, July 29, 48 voting members of Trinity met in the Church Sanctuary to consider the Leadership Council motion to seek funding through the Lutheran Church Extension Fund to support campus properties restoration and renovation projects to support matching the campus to ministry needs at Trinity.  The meeting began with a review of the Trinity Mission Statement, "Our mission is to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ through ministries which strengthen and equip people for Christian witness and service in downtown, metropolitan Orlando, and the world" and a reading from Ecclesiastes 3 .

The projects under consideration have been the focus of Trinity's Campus Development Task Force, an advisory committee to Trinity's Leadership Council, for the past year in an effort to bring Trinity's focus back to its long-term ministry plan, "Trinity Century II".  These priority projects were assigned to the Campus Development task force by the Leadership Council in June 2017 and were necessary to restore the Pastoral and Support staff back onto our main campus, restore the K-8 school office into Heritage Hall (the 2-story school building), and to renovate and restore the Magnolia Ministry Center and Ruth Lane homes to leasing status.  Two other priority areas identified over the past year were installation of a food service cooler to support school healthy eating initiatives and restoration and repair of the exterior stairs on Heritage Hall.

The following preamble and motion were presented to the congregation who then voted, nearly unanimously, to support moving forward with this initiative.

Preamble: This proposed LCEF Loan petition is based on being "Cost Neutral" to the existing and future Annual Operational Budgets of Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, Orlando, Florida; a.k.a. "Trinity Downtown."  The Cost Neutral definition for this loan is requires the Loan (inclusive of Principal & Interest), must be totally funded / paid for from the revenue streams of the leasing/rental of the Ruth Lane dwellings, and the Office Suites in the 427 N. Magnolia Office Building."  LECF will not approve this loan for Trinity, if Cost Neutral is not vetted and submitted as Cost Neutral.

Motion: The Campus Development Task Force, on behalf of the Trinity Leadership Council, motions to the Congregation of Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, Orlando, Florida, on this 29th day of July 2018, to petition the Lutheran Church Extension Fund, our Ministry Partner and Lender, for a Property Improvement Loan not to exceed $1,988,000.00 in value; for the purposes to execute three (3) Campus Work Streams which are: (1) Conversion of the Heritage Hall area now occupied by the Library to its legacy configuration as the K-8 Administration Offices; also to refurbish or replace the exterior stairs to Heritage Hall; and the placement of a Walk-in Refrigeration Cooler to support the CDC & School Lunch child nutrition program;  (2) Restoration & rehab of the three Ruth Lane dwellings from their existing legacy child care configurations, back to living space for the purposes of long-term lease to generate a revenue stream; and (3) to conduct rehab & restoration work of the 427 N. Magnolia Ministry Center to current code standards to achieve "Class C or C+" office space for lease as either a single tenant, or office suites for the purposes to generate a revenue stream."

Please let us know!
Please let your Trinity family know of any scheduled surgery or hospital stay.  In addition to scheduled procedures, please give the church office a call to let us know about extended illness, unplanned hospital stays, or even the birth of a child.  You can call the office at any time and leave a message-no need to wait until business hours (407-488-1919 x101). During business hours, that information can then be forwarded to the appropriate caregivers. 

For an emergency that requires the care of a Pastor after hours or over the weekend call or text us at 407-490-7339 and leave a message. We'll get back to you ASAP. We want to be sure to know when you need us - whether to pray with you before a scheduled procedure, sit with you during a loved one's procedure, pray for you while you recover, visit you in the hospital/at home or to share praise and thanksgiving prayers for good news/results. Just let us know.  Thank you.

Strength & Flexibility
You're welcome to join us on the first and third Mondays of each month for a fitness class at 6:30pm (new start time) in Fellowship Hall. Email Beth @ baschu4@bellsouth.net  to confirm you're coming. Class starts at 6:30 pm, please arrive by 6:20 pm. Thank you! Bring with you an exercise mat (and block if you have), $5, comfy clothes, a smile and enthusiasm!

Box Tops

Please remember to cut those box tops and bring them to church during the summer  months. We would love to get a jump start for the 2018/2019 school year!

Urgent Prayer Requests

If you have an urgent prayer request that can't wait until you fill out a yellow prayer card during worship, please submit it via email to Pray@TrinityDowntown.com .  While submitting a yellow card during worship is still the preferred way to share prayer requests, sometimes a prayer need can't wait until Sunday.  Your prayer request (first name and basic details of the prayer requested) will be shared with a team of committed weekday prayer warriors and will also be added to Trinity's regular printed prayer list for the congregation.  All prayers are kept on the printed list for a period of three weeks, so please resubmit long term prayer needs regularly so that they stay on the printed list. Thank you.