Trinity Weekly
December 17 2021 Edition

The Service of the Longest Night - THIS Saturday at 6pm
The Christmas season is often marked by expressions of joy, excitement, and happiness. It’s a time when families gather and churches worship together - pointing to the hope that is found in the coming of the Christ child. However, for many, this time of joy and expectation can be overshadowed by the pain and hurt you may be experiencing, when the world's merriment makes your grief and sorrow feel so much more intense and isolating.

This service provides an opportunity for those struggling during the holidays - a chance to worship while acknowledging your grief or pain, to combine fellowship with your loss, and celebrate the love of Christ even in the midst of your sorrow or struggle. Please join us for this more solemn worship service full of hope and understanding. Rev. Dr. Rick Armstrong with Lutheran Counseling Services (LCS) will share the message at this service and will also share information about LCS. You will also learn more about Trinity's upcoming Grief Share support group beginning in January. Please share this invitation far and wide, and invite friends. You never know who might need this.
Last Week to Sponsor a Poinsettia for Trinity's Christmas Decorating
You can sponsor the cost of a Poinsettia that is displayed in the sanctuary for Christmas services and then take it home after Epiphany. It will be a red, 7-8 bloom poinsettia. $12 sponsorship per plant.

To have your sponsorship information shared, please email TLC@TrinityDowntown.com with information as follows:
Number of plants ______ sponsored by ________________________________
In memory of _____________________ *OR* In thanks for _________________

Please put your sponsor payment with a memo attached stating that it is for a Poinsettia Sponsorship into the offering plate during worship, drop it off into the locked payment box in the front office, or mail it to the Finance Office of Trinity Downtown at 123 E. Livingston St, Orlando, FL 32801. Questions? Contact the church office.
Trinity Adopt-A-Classroom Ministry
Trinity Downtown is home to a dynamic and Christ centered Child Development Center (CDC) whose staff ministers to hundreds of children and families 51 weeks each year. The past 20 months have been challenging, but they have persevered and continued to provide high quality childcare and early education. Due to COVID protocols over the past months, it has been difficult for Trinity church members to physically come alongside our CDC staff to support their vital work. But we want to change that!

You are invited to become part of Trinity’s Adopt-A-Classroom ministry where individuals, families, or groups can commit to recognizing and praying for the staff of one of our CDC’s 18 classrooms and administrative groups. Your commitment would be for 6 months beginning January 2022. Please sign up only if you are able to participate for the full 6 months.

Below are some suggestions (but not limitations) of ways in which staff may be recognized:
  •  Regularly pray for the teachers and staff you’ve adopted. You can also check in with them each month for specific prayer needs.
  • Bring cards, notes, or gifts into the school to deliver in person if at all possible. This will go a long ways toward developing more personal relationships between our church and our school.
  • The CDC is open M-F from 7:30 am-5:30 pm. Check in is at the front desk; masks are required.
  • This ministry is to recognize and show appreciation for our school staff only. You are not required to bring treats for the students.
  • Recognitions could also include:
  • Writing encouraging notes with your favorite uplifting Scripture verses
  • Dropping off a candy bar or other small treat for each person in your adopted room
  • Deliver donuts and juice/coffee one morning
  • Deliver a box of tea or cocoa with insulated cups/lids (during December this could include candy cane “stirrers” and marshmallows)
  • Bringing in a small fun gift (doesn’t need to be expensive)
  • Deliver a single rose or other flower for each person
  • Please commit to making at least one delivery each month beginning this month. 
  • When you reply to the e-mail address below, please indicate what size staff team you would prefer (the CDC has teams consisting of 2 to 7 staff members).
  • When you are assigned a class or staff team, you will be given a contact e-mail to communicate with a lead person who can let you know of any allergies or the best times to drop by with a delivery.

Thank you for prayerfully considering being part of this ministry. We would like to have all 18 classrooms and staff groups adopted by January 2022. There are still classrooms to be sponsored. It means so much for teachers to receive recognition, encouragement, and appreciation for doing the challenging and holy work of helping shape young hearts and minds day after day.

And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.”
Colossians 3:14 ESV

Please contact: juliamalenke@hotmail.com to sign up to adopt a classroom or with any questions.
New Foundations Class
Trinity will be offering a Foundations Class beginning January 15. If you or someone you know is interested in joining Trinity or wants information about the Lutheran faith, this is the class for you! An introduction to Christian teaching and the Lutheran faith, the purpose of this class is to provide the information needed to understand what Lutherans believe and decide whether Trinity is the church for you. Joining Trinity after completing this class is not required, but our hope is that you will find this to be a wonderful community where you can be involved and grow spiritually.

Meetings will occur January 15-March 5 from 4:00pm-5:30pm in Loggia 2. If you are interested in the class or need more information, please RSVP by January 9, 2022.

For anyone who may want to participate but is not available when we are meeting or is not comfortable meeting in person, we are working on an online option that will give you the same information but can be completed on your own. However, we encourage you to attend in person if possible as you will have the opportunity to interact with the others in the class and become connected to people at the church who are learning alongside you. If you are interested in this online option, please contact the church office at TLC@TrinityDowntown.com
Updated Women of the Word Schedule
The Women of the Word (WOW) Bible study will be taking a break for the holiday season and will resume on January 4. In January, they will start studying "Joining Jesus on His Mission" by Greg Finke. Have questions? Contact the church office at TLC@TrinityDowntown.com
Updated Grief Share Schedule
The last Grief Share meeting before Christmas was December 7. Meetings will resume January 4 and will last through March 29. If you have questions about Grief Share, please contact Norma Smith at normie1939@gmail.com.
CDC Class Christmas Celebrations
The Pre-K classes from Trinity's Child Development Center are thrilled to be holding their Christmas celebrations in December. Anyone from the church is welcome to attend. Please note that the celebrations will be on the lawn next to the church and observers are asked to bring their own chairs. All dates and times are below:

December 10 at 4pm: Leading LadyBugs
December 15 at 4pm: Talented Turtles
December 16 at 4pm: VPK
December 17 at 4pm: Gifted Gardeners
December 21 at 4pm: Fantastic Frogs
Greetings from the Wasmund's
Dear friends in faith at Trinity Downtown, 
 
Advent greetings to you in the name of our coming Lord. We hope this note finds you well in this season of expectation. 
 
Restrictions in Korea continue but thankfully Lily (days away from 16) and Olivia (14) have been able to attend school on campus more or less this whole first semester. We have also experienced the blessing of a somewhat normal in-person church service schedule. This comes as a huge relief to many of us who were feeling fatigued – emotional and even spiritual – by the lack of community gathered around God’s gifts given to us through His Church. 
 
Still unable to travel physically to the ministry sites that incorporate part of our work here, Matt continues to rely on technology to connect with and support those serving around the region. Dee Dee’s volunteering at the orphanages has taken on more of an organizational aspect in this interim – recruiting other volunteers, virtually planning activities for the children, and building up contacts and educational resources. Apart from school duties, Lily and Olivia have been able to organize and facilitate a local fund-raising campaign to assist individuals affected by displacement. They also enjoy helping out with our church-based activities as our capacity increases under Korea’s ‘Living with Covid’ strategy.   
 
Most importantly, however, we see the Gospel being shared in our home, at church, in school, and in our community. We strive to be good stewards of these opportunities granted us, no matter the form. 
 
Through your partnership, this is possible. We truly wish to thank you for your most recent donations, in addition to the support you have given over the years. You bless us generously and mightily. Thank you. 
 
God’s blessings of peace and joy to us all through the coming of our Lord and King, Jesus. 
 
The Wasmunds 
Matt, Dee Dee, Lily & Olivia 
LCMS missionaries in South Korea 
Right Now Media
We are so excited to introduce this amazing platform to all of you! As a gift from Trinity Downtown to you, this spiritual development resource, RightNow Media, is now available to you wherever you are! What looks like a Netflix showcase of movies is actually a HUGE library of Bible study videos, Christian author resources, Children and Teen Resources, and so much more. With a downloadable app, RightNow Media is a safe option for the entire family and will help grow your faith. Trinity is dedicated to your spiritual growth and has partnered with RightNow Media to provide this service free of charge to you.

To sign up and create an account, click on the link below:

Or text TRINITYDOWNTOWN to the number 49775 to receive a text with the "Invite Link" to sign up for a free account.
DECEMBER SERVING SCHEDULE
The serving schedule for December has been updated:
You can also view the schedule on the website at

For any specific questions regarding the schedule, please email TLC@TrinityDowntown.com or your volunteer coordinator.
Sunday School for Adults
Sunday School for Children and Students
Adult Sunday School, Children's Sunday School, MS/HS Sunday School

  • Adult Sunday School: the Lessons from the Lectionary study meets in Loggia 3, and Conversations of Grace meets in in Loggia 2
  • Children's Sunday School for children 4 years through 5th grade will utilize a curriculum published by Kingdom Quest.
  • Serving this year:
  • PreK-4 and Kindergarten with Mrs. JoAnne Gusewelle
  • 1st-2nd grades with Mrs. Desiree Kallesen
  • 3rd through 5th grades with Mrs. Gail Wilkosz.
  • All classes meet on the first floor of Heritage Hall.
  • MS and HS Youth Bible Study will begin with a study of Paul, co-led by Faith Finger and her father Tom Finger, utilizing Right Now Media video study resources. Youth will meet in the church undercroft (basement) in the Youth Room. MS and HS Bible study will not be meeting on December 19, 26, or January 2, but will resume on January 9.
Open Positions at Trinity Downtown
We're seeking a part time Sunday childcare worker for our Nursery. Please share this job opening with anyone you feel might be a good fit!!
Livestreaming
We're livestreaming Sunday 9am worship every weekend, Saturday 6pm and Sunday 11:15am will be taped and posted after worship. All services are archived on Trinity's website and YouTube page for future viewing. If you need any help finding any services or subscribing to our YouTube channel, please contact the church office at TLC@TrinityDowntown.com.
Christian Yoga
Christian Yoga continues online via Zoom on Mondays @ 6:30pm. Now more than ever - the relaxation of yoga is a tremendous benefit. Email Beth for more information at baschu4@bellsouth.net.
Support Trinity Downtown while you shop!  
Start your Amazon shopping from Amazon smile, and you’ll a small percentage of your shopping totals will be donated to Trinity ministries! THANK YOU!
Dec. 1 Advent services (12:10pm and 7pm)
Dec. 3 Lake Eola Tree Lighting
Dec. 8 Advent services (12:10pm and 7pm)
Dec. 15 Advent services (12:10pm and 7pm)
Dec. 18 The Longest Night service (6pm)
Dec. 24 Christmas Eve services (5pm, 7pm, and 9pm)
Dec. 25 Christmas Day service (10am)
Dec. 31 New Years Eve service (7pm)
Jan. 1 No service
Jan. 2 Regular Sunday services (9am and 11:15am)
Jan. 4 Bible studies and Grief Share resume
Jan. 15 Foundations Class (4:30pm)
Jan. 22 Foundations Class (4:30pm)
Jan. 23 Voters Meeting (12:30)
Jan. 29 Foundations Class (4:30pm)
Monthly Trinity Calendars
Beginning in 2022, the church office will be providing a monthly church calendar detailing weekly and specific church events. A limited number of copies can be accessed in the narthex beginning this week, or can be viewed and printed by clicking on the link below:


Questions? Contact the church office at TLC@TrinityDowntown.com
Submit your prayer requests by emailing them to TLC@TrinityDowntown.com.
All prayers are kept on the list for a period of three weeks, so please resubmit long term prayer needs regularly.

Those Fighting Cancer 
Rachel C., Jan F., Kurt, Bruce S, Rick B., Andy S., Karl S., Sandy A., Mary B, Ray S., Mike R., Rev. Robert Besalski, Danny B., Doug H., Linda B., Hank S., Sara R., Nancy K., Penn M.

Health Concerns 
Hazel, Chuck, Kenneth B., Bill H., Phillip, Jason K., Pam B., Alfred, Jaming S., Chase, Gaby and Camila, Patty H., Pastor Doug, Myrtle R., Eric and Jennifer,

Surgery and Recovery/Recently Hospitalized
Jim S., Roy, Buddy A., Steve S., Chris W., David S., Aaron D., Mike H., Sofia S., Matt B., Steve C., Lucine H., Erin H., Kelly S., Mary Lou E., Dianne A., Sherry W., Joyce S., Jeff F., Milan Weerts

Other Needs
  • For all those affected directly or indirectly by the effects of Alzheimers - strength, grace and comfort for them and their families
  • Norma and Don
  • Jerry Brewer and family - safe travels
  • Natalie
  • Maria
  • Emily Y.

Peace and Comfort
  • For the family, friends, and coworkers of Rich
  • For the Gentry family at the sudden passing of James "Shea" Gentry
  • For the Monroe family at the loss of their mother, Joanne
  • For the friends and family of Dorothy Stephens
  • For the Smallwood family
  • For the family and friends of Winter
  • For the Lehman family
  • For the Bruno family
  • For the Fowler family
  • For the family and friends of Ingrid Weld
  • For Pam and her family
  • For the Middleton family
  • For the Gabriel family

Confidential Prayers
For those prayers that have been shared in confidence, you know the details, Lord. We lift them up to you.

Our Trinity Missionaries
  • Wasmund Family in East Asia
  • Trump Family in Kenya
  • Clausing Family in Tanzania
  • Lehman Family in Spain

Thanksgiving
  • Thanks and praise for a successful surgery for Joyce Seager!
  • Thanks and praise for Robin and Wyle's recovery from COVID!
  • Blessings on everyone who is celebrating a birthday or anniversary!
  • Thanks and praise that Evan recovered from the flu!
  • Thanks and praise for the arrival of grandson Christopher!
 
For Our Communities - For Our Nation - For Our World
We pray for our nation, for our Nation's leaders, for its people, and for our future together as One Nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all! We pray that we may all be a reflection of Christ's love, sharing grace and mercy, living in peace with one another. Reach out, listen, connect, and have those hard conversations. Love is first. Love wins.

Additional Prayers
  • For world, state, and local leaders in making safe decisions about COVID
  • For all those caring for aging and/or ill family members in need
  • Prayers for our CDC staff & families, Trinity membership and all Trinity staff & leaders
  • For all those struggling with mental health issues
  • Prayers of thanks for God’s daily provisions. 
  • Prayers for the community in Michigan after the recent shooting
  • Prayers for those affected by the tornados in Kentucky
Community News
The St. Luke's Concert Series
To view ONLINE concerts, visit St Luke's website for links. Links to watch live.
Attendance & Giving

Sat. in person: 25
Sat. online: 14

Sun. 9am: 41
Sun. 11:15am: 57
Sun. online: 11

Current Covid-19 Safety Procedures

The latest update from JULY 30 can be reviewed here: http://church.trinitydowntown.com/covid-19/
Quick Links