Announcements

Devotionals

Are you interested in ordering a subscription to the Lutheran Witness magazine or Portals of Prayer devotional?

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Start your day. End your day. Take a break in the middle of the day. No matter when you need it, Portals of Prayer inspires you to live each day in Jesus’ name. Each daily devotion includes a Bible reading, meditation and prayer to apply to your daily life, published in multiple sizes and formats – note the slight cost increase for this years’ subscription, for pocket size (regular print) is $15.57, digest size is $20 and large-print is $21.25.   

You may also wish to order The Lutheran Witness Magazine. The cost is $24.97.

Please place your orders and payments for Portals of Prayer or Lutheran Witness in Michelle’s church mailbox by February 24th.

 




February Newsletter

No photo description available.Trinity Lutheran Church

             417 Oak St. Carver, MN 55315

Vacancy Pastor:   Dean W. Gade

Cell:  (763) 333-5896

E-mail:  dewilga@gmail.com

Administrative Assistant:  Michelle Pearson

Phone:   (952) 448-3628

Email:   office@trinitycarver.com

Websitehttp://www.TrinityCarver.com

FB:  https://www.facebook.com/TrinityLutheranChurchCarver/

 

2025

Pianist:  Gunnar  Olson

 

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FEBRUARY 2025 Worship Schedule

Bible Study at 8:45 AM    Worship at 10 AM

Feb 2     4th Sunday after the Epiphany w/Holy Communion

Feb 9      5th Sunday after the Epiphany

Feb 16    6th Sunday after the Epiphany w/Holy Communion

Feb 23    7th Sunday after the Epiphany

 
   
 

 

 

The King James Version of Proverbs 29:18 reads: “without a vision, the people will perish.”  Although the NIV translation is somewhat different, the impact is equally powerful: “without a revelation, the people cast off restraint.”  In other words, unless God’s people have a clear understanding of where they are headed, the probability of a successful journey is severely limited, at best.

   Yet, how many Christians – or more directly, how many Christian leaders or congregations– operate from day to day with a clear sense of God’s vision for their ministry?  As I’ve been evaluating the differences between the Churches that are growing and healthy and the churches that are stagnant or in decline, the one key distinction that emerges between these categories is the existence of a true vision for ministry. 

   In every one of the growing, healthy churches, there is a discernable link between the spiritual and numerical growth of those congregations and the existence, articulation, and widespread ownership of God’s vision for ministry by the leaders and participants of the church.  Conversely, there is invariably, a clear absence of vision in those congregations in which there is neither spiritual nor numerical growth taking place.

   As I begin my work with you, my assumption is that, for most of you, your goal for yourselves and this congregation is the alignment of your heart, mind, and actions with God’s desires and intentions for the entire ministry of God’s people here at Trinity.  It is in that hope, as we journey together, that the emphasis will be on training up leaders in this congregation (this doesn’t mean just the elected leaders) who will step forward to the challenge which God places before this congregation to see His vision.  For it is to this vision that He calls each of us, His Children who call Him Father, to listen, learn, follow, and grow in our Christian maturity.

   Learning Christian leadership qualities and putting them into practice in our lives can be described like a small path.  The first people to use the path find it very difficult because it is narrow… but the more people who walk on this path, the larger it will become.  In the end it will be a well-traveled road that everyone uses with ease and delight.  So, we who are pioneers on this small and narrow path, must press on so our children and grandchildren will find an easy road.  Thanks to those who have been ahead of them preparing the way.

Ten Commandments for Church Leaders

THOU SHALT accept thy place of service, believing that God needs you where HE placed you.

THOU SHALT seek to learn your job and understand what it involves.

THOU SHALT be faithful to the services of the church and to your God-called, elected position.

THOU SHALT study the Word of God and spend time in prayer EVERY day.

THOU SHALT pray for the unfaithful and seek opportunities to lead them to Christ.

THOU SHALT put the best construction on what you say about the church and joyfully lead others to do likewise.

THOU SHALT work with the entire program of the church, support the pastor and staff as well as other leaders.

THOU SHALT follow God’s plan of Christian Stewardship of first fruits giving of time, talents and treasures.

THOU SHALT do the very best ... not the second best.

THOU SHALT seek the leadership of God in all matters & follow that leadership above all else.

 

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Only those who look with the eyes of children can lose themselves in the object of their wonder,” said Eberhard Arnold.  A child’s sense of wonder, unconditional love, and hope are to be cherished. These are the foundational links to the heavenly Father, links we should never sacrifice under the guise of a false maturity.  Hold fast to the wonder and revel in God’s love.  Youth may be fleeting but a relationship with our Father and Creator only grows greater with the passing of time.

 

I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen:

not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.

C. S. Lewis

Getting to know your Vacancy Pastor

I was born in Forest City, Iowa, the third son of five siblings. I have two older brothers and two younger sisters. After leaving Iowa at an early age I grew up in Windom, Fairmont, Rochester and finally Shakopee. I graduated from Shakopee High School in 1972. After a short stint at Moorhead State and later Normandale Community College, I started at Continental Machines in Savage in Inventory Control. I married Diane in 1979 and was blessed with three sons, Michael, Matthew and Mark. In 1983, I started the Pre-Seminary program at Concordia College in St. Paul, MN. graduating in 1986. Moving to La Crosse, WI to work for Norplex Oak, a division of Allied Signal as an Inventory/ Production Control manager. In 1991 we moved to St. Louis to attend Concordia Seminary. In 1993-94, I served my vicarage at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Waseca, MN. I graduated from CSL in 1995. My first call was to St. Peter Lutheran Church in Randall, MN. After a year I came to the Twin Cities and served Messiah Lutheran Church in Lakeville for 6 months before serving Shepherd of the Grove, Maple Grove for a year while I also worked at Ergotron Inc. in Eagan as a Purchasing Buyer and later as Assistant Production Control Manager. I was trained as an Intentional Interim Pastor and served Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Spring Lake Park for a year and a half. There were no Intentional Pastor needs when I finished so I became the warehouse manager for Part’s Plus in Hopkins and later as a buyer for Rockwell Automation in Eden Prairie. In 2004 I accepted a call to Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in NE Minneapolis where I served until the end of 2019 when I retired. I week later I started with Endeavor Air at MSP and worked for 2 1/4 years while also serving Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church, Richfield with homebound and shut in ministry. I served pulpit supply at numerous churches until I accepted the Vacancy Pastor’s position at Holy Cross starting on April 2022 and served that vacancy until the end of 2024. In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with our 7 grandchildren, genealogy research and traveling to Europe. My hobbies are fishing, hunting and woodworking (crafts).

 

CHURCH NEWS

The Elder’s & Council Meetings will take place on Monday, February 10 at 6 and 7 PM.

 

We are looking for volunteers to run the PowerPoint presentations during the worship service.

Please contact Barb Schug or Carol Hansen. Training will be provided.

 

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Description automatically generatedA Daily Devotion For All!

Start your day. End your day. Take a break in the middle of the day. No matter when you need it, Portals of Prayer inspires you to live each day in Jesus’ name. Each daily devotion includes a Bible reading, meditation and prayer to apply to your daily life, published in multiple sizes and formats – note the slight cost increase for this years’ subscription, for pocket size (regular print) is $15.57, digest-size is $20 and large print is $21.25.   You may also wish to order The Lutheran Witness Magazine. The cost is $24.97.

Please place your orders and payments for Portals of Prayer or Lutheran Witness in Michelle’s church mailbox by February 24th.

 

Thrivent Choice Dollars!

If you have Thrivent Insurance, don’t forget about Thrivent Choice Dollars! Call 1-800-Thrivent (1-800-847-4836). When asked for subject, say “Choice Dollars.” When asked for a choice, press 1. Then answer the next question with your birth date. A Thrivent representative will come on the line, tell the representative you want to direct your choice dollars to Trinity Lutheran Church, 417 Oak St, Carver, MN 55315. By directing Choice Dollars through the Thrivent Choice program, eligible members recommend where Thrivent Financial distributes some of its charitable outreach grant dollars. These dollars are distributed among thousands of participating nonprofit organizations and congregations each year. Thank you for your generous giving!

I’ve Been Wondering……..

[If you have any questions you’d like answered, let me know and I’ll try to answer them.]

The question this month was:  Will God forgive me of my sins if I haven't forgiven others?

The question you have raised often arises in connection with the words spoken by Jesus in the context of the Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:14), "If you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will forgive you;  but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."

In view of Scripture's wider teaching concerning forgiveness, it seems proper to understand Jesus' point in Matthew 6:14 to be that the stubborn, persistent refusal to forgive others is evidence of a blinded and hardened heart which lacks a real understanding of and faith in God's forgiveness in Christ.  What Jesus is doing here, therefore, is issuing a strong warning to us to "search our hearts" to see if we really understand and accept the Gospel and its practical implications for our lives.  If we say, "I want God to forgive me, but I refuse to forgive those who sin against me," we really don't know what "forgiveness" and "faith in Jesus" are all about.  We cannot expect God to "forgive" us if the attitude of our heart reveals that we have no real understanding of faith in His undeserved grace in Christ Jesus.  Anyone who truly understands the true nature of God's grace and forgiveness in Christ and puts his or her trust in that forgiveness will desire and seek to extend that forgiveness to others.  God's forgiveness is not a "reward" for our forgiving others, but once we receive it in true faith and gratitude, it is impossible not to want to share it with others.

 

THE LEGEND OF VALENTINE....

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Description automatically generatedOn February 14, many Christians celebrate Valentine's Day.  Valentine, a Roman priest, was made a martyr in 270 A.D. because of his love of Christ and his persistence in the Christian way of life. According to the legend, like so many of the early Christians, Valentine had been imprisoned because of his faith. Often and longingly he thought of his loved ones and wanted to assure them of his well being and his love. Beyond his cell window, but within reach, grew a cluster of violets. He picked some heart-shaped leaves and pierced them with a pin to spell, “Remember your Valentine," and sent them off by a friendly dove. On the next day and the next, he sent more messages that simply said, "I love you"  and signed “Your Valentine.”  By this the valentine had its beginning.

On Valentine's Day, people of all ages remember those they love by sending valentines. God loves us and He sends us gifts to show His love for us, not once a year, but every day.  He sends us many blessings: love, joy, peace, seasons of sunshine, health, even the fresh white snow to remind us Christ's righteousness which covers us. Best of all, He sent His only-begotten Son to earth to become our Savior.  Have you left God's valentines unopened?  If so, then take some time to read His messages of love in His Word and know His Son and your personal Savior.   Then, send Him a valentine -- your grateful heart -- to show Him that He has not loved in vain.  For in this we are certain, that "We love Him, because He first loved us." (1 John 4:19)  

SQUEEZING OUT THE LAST DROP

A certain circus strong man would grasp a lemon in his mighty fist and would squeeze out all the juice, leaving only dry pulp and skin. He would offer fifty dollars to anyone from the audience who could extract even one drop. Never was his challenge successfully met, until in one Midwest town a meek, mild-mannered little man took the dry mass, squeezed it, and out flowed a full, streaming jet of juice. “Wow!” cried the strong man. “This is a first! Here’s your fifty dollars. By the way, what is your business?” “I’m retired, but now I’m the treasurer over at the local Church.” That figures. Some Church officers and members are reputed to be conservative financially; others allow themselves to spend a bit more freely.  Which brings us to the main point in this dissertation: the importance of careful planning by individual Christians and by Churches, of wise spending, and full and accurate accountability.  You have a right to know how your Church conducts the stewardship of its material resources. There are not secrets. Its books are open. The Church urges generous giving because you give not “to” it, but “through” it. The Gospel is preached, schools and hospitals are built and maintained, the sick are healed, the  hungry and destitute are cared for, and improved methods of agriculture are introduced, where requested, in developing countries. You are being asked to present a Lenten Offering to you Church in the Folders provided. This is done with the continued assurance to you of faithful and prudent diligence by your chosen servants, both clergy and laymen..

 

THE LUTHERAN HOUR

WCCO 830 AM Radio Heard each Sunday

morning at 6:05 a.m. Hosted by Rev. Dr.

Michael Zeigler (unless otherwise noted)

 

February 2                                        John 4:9

"Do the Things That Make for Unity"

LH Speaker: Rev. Dr. Michael Zeigler

Jesus crosses borders and even breaks down the barrier of death to do the things that make for unity: shared worship, shared mission, shared harvest. 

 

February 9                                        John 5:6

"We Have an Advocate"

LH Speaker: Rev. Dr. Michael Zeigler

Where we might see only a problem, Jesus sees a person who needs an Advocate. 

 

February 16                                   John 6:35

"The Bread of Our Lives"

Guest Speaker: Rev. Dr. Daniel Paavola

Jesus gives us Himself as the Bread of Life so that everything we need can be filled by Him and His gifts

 

February 23                               John 7:28-29

"Need to Know"

LH Speaker: Rev. Dr. Michael Zeigler

If you don't need God, you won't know God.

 

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Daily Devotions from The Lutheran Hour Ministries With several ways to read and listen, you can get your daily does of Scripture when you need it. Visit www.lhm.org/dailydevotions to subscribe for email delivery to your inbox, sign up for the podcasts, or download the app for your mobile device – all for FREE!

Time of Grace

Time of Grace connects people to God’s grace—his love, glory, and power—so they realize the temporary things of life don’t satisfy. However, through Jesus we have access to the eternal God—right now and forever.

Pastor Mike Novotny

 Pastor Mike Novotny has served God’s people in full-time ministry since 2007 in Madison and, most recently, at The CORE in Appleton, Wisconsin. He also serves as the lead speaker for Time of Grace, where he shares the good news about Jesus through television, print, and online platforms.

Sundays KARE (NBC 11) 10:30 AM

Subscribe to Time of Grace to be delivered to your email inbox daily. It’s easy to subscribe to resources that’ll keep you rooted in Jesus. Just select which types of resources you would like to receive and they will be sent right to your inbox   www.timeofgrace.org/subscribe

 

WORSHIP FOR SHUT-INS

Lutheran Ministries Media, Inc. produces a weekly, 30-minute Lutheran broadcast, Worship for Shut-Ins. Each service includes music, scripture readings, prayers, and a Lutheran pastor delivering a message that is designed to feel one-on-one to the viewer. Each program is closed captioned for the hearing impaired. Weekly programs are broadcast on Total Christian Television (TCT) network -- DIRECTV channel 377 at 10:30 am on Sundays OR watch online in the "Online Viewing" portion of the website www.worshipforshutins.org!

 

 

 

Special Occasions for Special People

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          Debra Buesgens         February 6                                                               None

            Jeanette Lenzen         February 8

Carol Hansen             February 19

Annual Fish Fry
Zion Lutheran Church, Cologne, MN

March 7th | 3:30 PM - 8:00 PM (or until the fish runs out)

Come and enjoy some of the best fish around (prime quality cod), delicious side dishes, beverages, and an assortment of bars and sweets that are sure to please!! $17 Per Adult (11+), $10 per Child (5-10), 4 and under eat FREE

 

Emmanuel Lutheran Church,  Hamburg, MN  

SILENT AUCTION 2025 Emanuel Lutheran School’s Silent Auction is Saturday, March 15th, 2025. The fantasist event provides an afternoon and evening of great food, fun and fellowship with an opportunity to bid on a wide selection of items in the silent auction, live auction and some items in advance on the online auction! And don’t forget to participate in the wine pull for adults and the punch wall for kids and teens! Tickets are available for purchase from Emanuel students or after worship services, beginning in February; $18 for advance tickets ($20 at the door, day of event). The dinner includes your choice of a smoked pork chop or turkey. Drive-through takeout meals will be available beginning at 3:30 p.m., with the meal service available in the school cafeteria from 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Silent Auction bidding will be open from 4:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. and the Live Auction beginning at 6:30 p.m. Don’t forget to check out our online auction at www.32auctions.com/Emanuel2025.

 

Potato Pancake & Sausage Meal - Sunday, March 30, 9 AM - 1 PM. First Lutheran Church, 925 E 13th St., Glencoe. Menu: choice of authentic German potato or regular pancakes, sausages, applesauce, cheese & beverage. Dine in or take out.

 

 

EVANGELISM THOUGHT

When researchers asked new converts, "What was the major influence in leading you to Christ and the Church?", they responded:

 

 

  • Church advertising 2%
  • The Pastor 6%
  • Organized evangelism programs 6%
  • Friends and relatives

 

STEWARDSHIP

The great Spanish violinist Pablo Sarasate was once called a genius by a famous critic.          “Genius!” he snorted. “For 37 years I’ve practiced 14 hours a day

 and now they call me a genius.”

God has given each one of us one or more special talents; a mechanical bent, a pleasing personality, a creative imagination, a green thumb. Realism warns us that we can’t do everything. Confidence tells us that we can do a great deal. Perhaps you have a special talent to offer your church as an artist, teacher, carpenter, writer, musician, or as a professional person with a unique ability that would be gratefully welcomed. Think of the spirit of cooperation and accomplishment that would develop if all church members devoted just an hour of their time and talent each week to a church activity. The best part of it is, while greatly helping the church, you would experience the good feeling of satisfaction that comes with doing something worthwhile, something especially meaningful, with all yout heart for your church.

 

Food for Thought: “Jesus invested His life in you. Have you shown any interest?”

 

 

 

Feb2025

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mon

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8:45 AM-Sunday School/Adult Bible Class

10 AM-Worship Service

 

 

 

 

           Debra Buesgen’s B’day

 

 

            Jeanette Lenzen’s B’day

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    8:45 AM-Sunday School/Adult Bible Class

10 AM-Worship Service

 

6 PM-Elder’s

Meeting

7 PM-Council   Meeting

              Pastor’s WINKEL @ Cologne

 

 

          Valentine’s Day

 

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8:45 AM-Sunday School/Adult Bible Class

10 AM-Worship Service

 

         Presidents’ Day

 

               Carol   Hansen’s B’day

 

 

 

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8:45 AM-Sunday School/Adult Bible Class

10 AM-Worship Service

 

          Portals of  Prayer/Lutheran Witness Orders Due

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 




Council Officers

We will have the installation of our newly elected Council Officers during the worship service on Sunday, January 12.

 




Suday School & Adult Bible Class

Sunday School and Adult Bible Class will begin on Sunday, Sept. 15 at 8:45  AM.




Heritage Preservation Award


 

Trinity Lutheran Church was recently presented this award by the the Heritage Preservation Commission and Mayor Courtney Johnson for being a significant part of Carver's history for over 100 years. A heartfelt gratitude goes out to all the people in our church and community who work heartily for the Lord to preserve this church building and this church as the body of Christ.

"Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ."  Colossians 3:23-24




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