DOVE November 2017

Trinity

Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church 23 Church Street, New Hamburg, ON N3A 1J1

519-662-1810 www.telc.ca mail@telc.ca

Witness Sunday

Sabbaths and Celebrations

November 2017 | page 2

Sunday, November 5 All Saints + Confirmation ▪ Community Worship at 9:30 am ▪ Coffee, Juice, and Conversation ▪ Faith Adventures: Indigenous Faith ▪ Adult Learning: Indigenous History Before the

Europeans with Bob Thaler Sunday, November 12 Pentecost 23 ▪ Community Worship at 9:30 am ▪ Coffee, Juice, and Conversation ▪ Faith Adventures: Indigenous Faith ▪ Adult Learning: Indigenous Contexts with Scott

Knarr Sunday, November 19 NVMA Reformation ▪ Nith Valley Ministry Area Worship at 10:00 am at

the Shakespeare Community Centre ▪ No worship at Trinity ▪ Anglican/Lutheran Worship at Nithview at 1:30 pm Sunday, November 26 Reign of Christ ▪ Community Worship at 9:30 am ▪ Coffee, Juice, and Conversation ▪ Faith Adventures: Christmas Presentation Practice ▪ Adult Learning: My Trip to Vimy with Leeta Currah Sunday, December 3 1st Sunday of Advent + Bishop’s Visit ▪ Community Worship at 9:30 am ▪ Coffee, Juice, and Conversation ▪ Faith Adventures: Christmas Presentation Practice ▪ Adult Learning: Q & A with Bishop Pryse ▪ Lunch

Sunday, December 10 2nd Sunday of Advent ▪ Community Worship at 9:30 am ▪ Coffee, Juice, and Conversation ▪ Faith Adventures: Christmas Presentation Practice ▪ Adult Learning: Christmas Carols and Stories with Pastor

Tanya and Jamie Sunday, December 17 3rd Sunday of Advent ▪ Community Worship at 9:30 am with Faith Adventures

Christmas Presentation ▪ Coffee, Juice, and Conversation ▪ No Faith Adventures, Youth, or Adult Education ▪ Anglican/Lutheran Worship at Nithview at 1:30 pm Sunday, December 24 4th Sunday of Advent + Christmas Eve ▪ Community Worship at 9:30 am (4th Sunday of Advent) ▪ Coffee, Juice, and Conversation ▪ No Faith Adventures, Youth, or Adult Education ▪ Christmas Eve Worship at 5:00 pm and 7:00 pm

Commemorating the Reformation

The Rev. Tanya Ramer

In just a few weeks, the Nith Valley Ministry Area (14

Lutheran congregations) will come together to

commemorate the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation in a

weekend of fun, education, worship and fellowship. This

weekend long event, is just one of the many

events that are being hosted by the area

ministries of the Eastern Synod and in the

wider Evangelical Lutheran Church In Canada

(ELCIC).

All church synods, area ministries, and many

local congregations have been participating

in the build up to the commemoration. For

the last two years the ELCIC has been

encouraging support of the Reformation

Challenge. To date, there have been 540

refugee sponsorships, 194 scholarships to support the

Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land,

84,061 trees have been planted throughout Canada and the

world, and $150,090 was raised for the Lutheran World

Federation Endowment Fund. Our medium-sized ELCIC has

truly embraced the spirit of the reformation, serving God and

neighbour.

On the weekend of November 18th and 19th the Nith Valley

Ministry Area Reformation planning team has created events

for the 14 congregations and community. On Saturday,

November 18th, a Reformation Fair will occur at the

Shakespeare Community Centre from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm.

The interactive booths at the fair will include: 95 Theses,

Luther & Scripture, Diet of Worms, Frederick III & Castles,

the invention of the printing press (that’s our Trinity

contribution to the fair events!) and many more

opportunities to celebrate our Lutheran beginnings. It’s a

family friendly event and it’s totally free. Bring a friend!

That same evening, following a leisurely walk around the

Reformation Fair, we will come together inside the

community centre for a Medieval Feast, a hands-on meal

with medieval entertainment. There are still a limited

amount of tickets left, and can be obtained from the Pastor

Helen Toman, on behalf of the planning team.

Our weekend together finishes off with a Reformation

worship service at 10:00 am at the Shakespeare Community

Center. The Rev. Dr. Robert Kelly, (who joined us at Trinity

for Adult Education on October 15th) is our guest preacher.

The congregations of the Nith Valley Ministry Area are

invited to close their doors on that Sunday

morning and come together in worship and

celebration. Trinity has accepted the invitation

and we will join with our Lutheran brothers and

sisters from our 14 congregation to

commemorate the reformation. Our worship

attendance goal is to have 500 people gather to

celebrate our 500 years of Reformation. And

following worship, we will have refreshments

and fellowship.

So, bring a friend to the fair and to worship,

find people to carpool with, and let’s add our numbers and

voices to this wonderful weekend of celebration.

November 2017 | page 3

Sacraments and Seasons

On Sunday, November 5th, six Trinity youth will affirm their

baptism in the rite of Confirmation: Joey Becker, Kyle

Burchatzki, Allie Courtney, Colby Ricketts, Carl Seltzer, and

Griffin Smith.

Trinity will welcome new members on Sunday, November

12th during the 9:30 am worship service. Please speak to

Pastor Tanya if you are interested in becoming a member at

Trinity. You’d be most welcome!

The Rev. Tanya Ramer

Neighbourhood Association

Unfortunately, our relationship with the New Hamburg

Neighbourhood Association has come to an end. At this time,

Church Council is looking at options for the usage of the

space they were renting.

From Trinity’s Reconciliation Task Team

November 2017 | page 4

This illustration was published in “Wrongs to Rights: How Churches can Engage the United

Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples”, edited by Steve Heinrichs, and

published by Mennonite Church Canada. It is reprinted in Trinity Dove by kind permission.

November 2017 | page 5

Gord Hill is a member of the Kwakwaka’wakw nation as well as an artist, writer, and activist.

He is the author an illustrator of The 500 Years of Indigenous Reistance comic book.

From the President

Lynn Thompson, congregational president

November has arrived! Advent and Christmas are just around

the corner! Where has 2017 gone? Following another

successful Fall Work Day, our building is looking spiffy once

again. Thank you to all who helped with the planning, the

work, and the lunch. Your efforts are greatly appreciated!

November is a busy month, but what month at Trinity isn’t

busy?! In this issue of the Dove, Pastor Tanya reports about

the Nith Valley Ministry Area’s plans for a Reformation

weekend on November 18th and 19th. In addition to this

exciting opportunity, Trinity’s Truth and Reconciliation Task

Team and the New Hamburg and area churches have

planned some events to extend our connection with our

Indigenous neighbours.

▪ On November 5th, at adult education, Bob Thaler will

share some Indigenous History with us, from the Ice Age

to around 1800. We have been hearing about the

Indigenous people from about 1800 forward. There is a

gap that Bob will fill in for us, as he pieces together the

history of Indigenous people in this area, particularly

from 1600-1800. We will come away with a more

complete understanding of where life began for our

Indigenous neighbours.

▪ On November 12th, Scott Knarr will join us for adult

education. He is a diaconal minister, with a call to be

Minister of Music at Mount Zion Lutheran Church, also

serving the Two Rivers Ministry Area as a link with the

Six Nations community. Scott will share with us about

contemporary Indigenous contexts, and share some of

our own local Indigenous history. To facilitate Scott being

with us, Jamie will be taking over his Sunday morning

music obligations at Mount Zion, and Scott will also lead

music at Trinity.

▪ Also on November 12th, Bren Huhtala will meet with Faith

Adventures and then with our Youth. Bren is an

elementary school teacher who spent a year living and

teaching in Whale Cove, Nunavut, where he was quickly

assimilated into their culture. The Faith Adventures will

learn some Inuit games and hear their stories. The Youth

will discuss the Residential Schools, life in the North, and

where we go from here.

▪ A Blanket Exercise will be offered on Monday, November

13th at the New Hamburg Community Centre from 6:30

pm to 9:00 pm. What is a blanket exercise? It is an

interactive experience, designed to share the historic and

contemporary relationship between Indigenous and non-

Indigenous peoples in Canada. The evening will include a

Smudging. The event is open to the whole community.

Come and bring a friend. You are guaranteed an amazing

experience. A free will offering will help to offset costs.

Every one of these events is exciting and guaranteed to

enrich our lives. How great it will be to see a full house for

each and every occasion. We are blessed to live in an area

so rich with opportunity.

November 2017 | page 6

Advent Mitten Tree

On the first Sunday of

Advent, December 3rd,

Trinity puts up our Mitten

Tree, an annual Advent

tradition.

Folks who knit or crochet

are invited to contribute

items. Don’t knit or

crochet? No problem! We’ll

also take donations of new

gloves, mittens, scarves,

hats, or slippers that you’ve

picked up from your

favourite shop. (This year,

we’ll look to avoid

homemade mittens, as they tend to soak up moisture when

little kids are playing in the snow.)

Items can be brought to worship starting on December 3rd.

All items will be donated to the Wilmot Family Resource

Centre for inclusion in their Christmas hamper program.

November 2017 | page 7

Lynn Thompson, president ▪ Tanya Ramer, pastor Helen Toman, visitation pastor ▪ Brian Racho, sexton

Jamie Courtney, parish administrator & minister of music Ron Leonard, honourary assistant pastor ▪ Gywin Murray, emerita director of music

Council met on Wednesday October 18th to update various

topics relating to the ongoing ministry happenings at Trinity.

Thank you to Don Jardin, Laurie Clarke, and Jamie Courtney

for cleaning out the storage room in the basement. Further

cleaning will be done at a future date.

Notes from the adult education session on the Financial

Assessment of Trinity’s properties have been completed. A

copy will be distributed with the November issue of the

Dove. Please review and consider whether you would like to

be part of a subcommittee to look further into this

assessment.

Property members met with a group of Trinity members to

discuss how to lighten their work load. A task list by month,

used in the past, as well as other ideas were discussed.

Quotes for replacement of air conditioners, and repairs to

the stained glass windows are pending. Both of these are

part of the 5-year plan. The fall work day was scheduled for

October 28th.

Jutzi Funeral Home has requested an updated fee schedule

for funerals held at the church. Council voted to include the

sexton, with a revised fee, on this schedule.

Council discussed the Endowment Fund guidelines for

memorial donations, with a recommendation for the

Endowment Fund Committee to review the Bylaws relating

to the Trinity Endowment Fund, in particular Section 3:

Operation of the Trinity Endowment Fund.

Nancy Brodrecht, Council Secretary

Gentle Readers

The November selection for Trinity’s

Gentle Readers Book Club is Under

the Wide and Starry Sky by Nancy

Horan. The group meets again on

November 21st at 7:00 pm in Trinity

Hall. All are welcome! Simply come

to the meeting having read the

selection in advance. See you there!

Council News

In the years leading up to the 500th

anniversary of the Lutheran

Reformation, Waterloo Lutheran

Seminary has been educating record

numbers of undergraduate, graduate

and PhD students — pastors for

congregations and lay leaders for the

community. To meet the needs of students today and in

future generations, the seminary’s Reform Capital Campaign

aims to raise $1.5 million to help pay for a $9-million renewal

and modernization project.

Trinity will collect special offerings to assist with the

Seminary’s campaign. If you would like to contribute, please

use an offering envelope, and mark it as “Seminary

Campaign” and put it in the Sunday morning offering, or

deliver to the church office. We will collect these offerings

until November 26th.

For more information on the campaign, visit

reformcapitalcampaign.ca.

Shape the 21st Century

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1 9:30 am NVMA Rost. Leaders 7:30 pm AA

2 1:00 pm Overeaters Anonymous 7:00 pm Trinity Choir

3 9:30 am Confirmation Camp Leaders Meeting

4 7:30 pm AA

5 All Saints + Confirmation 9:30 am Community Worship 10:30 am Coffee, Juice, Conversation 10:45 am Faith Adventures, Youth, Adult Learning

6 6:00 pm TOPS

7 9:00 am TOPS 9:30 am Prayer Circle 10:30 am Bible Study 6:30 pm Handbells

8 7:30 pm AA

9 1:00 pm Overeaters Anonymous 7:00 pm Trinity Choir

10 Dove Deadline (December Issue)

11 7:30 pm AA

12 Pentecost 23 9:30 am Community Worship 10:30 am Coffee, Juice, Conversation 10:45 am Faith Adventures, Youth, Adult Learning

13 6:00 pm TOPS 6:30 pm Blanket Exercise at Community Centre

14 9:00 am TOPS 10:30 am Bible Study 6:30 pm Handbells

15 7:00 pm Church Council 7:30 pm AA

16 1:00 pm Overeaters Anonymous 7:00 am Trinity Choir

17

18 3:00 pm NVMA Reformation Fair in Shakespeare 7:30 pm AA

19

NVMA REFORMATION WORSHIP 10:00 am at Shakespeare Community Centre (No Worship at Trinity)

1:30 pm Nithview Anglican- Lutheran Worship

20 6:00 pm TOPS

21 9:00 am TOPS 10:30 am Bible Study 6:30 pm Handbells 7:00 pm Gentle Readers

22 7:30 pm AA

23 9:00 am Dove Prep 12:00 pm New Hamburg Ministerial 1:00 pm Overeaters Anonymous 7:00 pm Trinity Choir

24

25 7:30 pm AA

26 Reign of Christ 9:30 am Community Worship 10:30 am Coffee, Juice, Conversation 10:45 am Faith Adventures, Youth, Adult Learning 3:00 pm A Classical Cabaret, in support of Interfaith

27 6:00 pm TOPS

28 9:00 am TOPS 10:30 am Bible Study 7:00 pm Handbells and Choir at Nithview

29 7:00 pm ACTion meeting (NVMA Shared Leadership) 7:30 pm AA

30 1:00 pm Overeaters Anonymous

November 2017 Trinity Church New Hamburg

Blanket Exercise An experience of Canadian History with Indigenous Peoples New Hamburg Community Centre November 13th at 6:30 pm Register in advance at Trinity by November 9th

Bishop’s Visit

On Sunday, December 3rd,

Bishop Michael Pryse will

preach at Trinity, and lead

our adult education time.

Lunch provided.

All are welcome!