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Trinity Lutheran Church

502 Sanders Avenue, Hildreth, Nebraska Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Trinity Lutheran Church

P. O. Box 187

Hildreth, NE 68947

Address Service Requested

Non-profit Organization US Postage Paid Permit #3 Hildreth, Nebraska 68947 CAR-RT-SORT

“Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

Our Mission We pledge ourselves to serve and

glorify God by spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ through procla-

mation, teaching, fellowship and ministry to all people in our area and ultimately the world at large.

TRINITY LUTHERAN

CHURCH

Hildreth, Nebraska 502 Sanders Avenue

P. O. Box 187

Congregation Council

Carol Loschen—President

Wayne Hinrichs—

Linda Fecht—Secretary-Education

Dean Casper—Treasurer-Stewardship

Ryan Knaus—Cemetery Custodian

Melanie Johnson—Property

Rob Evers— Congregational Care

Seth Johnson—Outreach

Mary Bunger—Worship

Office Secretary

Diana Bunger

Pastors

Patti and Steve Byrne

Church Office—938-3395

Parsonage—938-3000

E-mail trinityhildreth@yahoo.com

Web site:

trinitylutheranhildreth.com

REFLECTIONS Sandi, Wayne, and Peggy have just returned from an exciting trip to Tanzania to visit with our brothers and sisters in the Lutheran Church in that country. The Northern Diocese of the Evangelical Lu-theran Church in Tanzania is our Nebraska Synod’s sister synod. Jessica Harms also visited our sister synod a couple years ago with a group from Midland Lutheran University. There are over 7 million Lutherans in this country about the size of Texas. And they are growing. These three from Trinity returned inspired by the people of that synod. It is great to see their excitement. On March 11, Wayne, Sandi, and Peg will be sharing their excitement with us in worship as they introduce us to the remarkable Christians and the Church that they experienced in Tanzania. They will do this as a part of the 10:30 worship ser-vice. Switching gears just a little…. On Sunday, February 18, the Council spent the early after-noon hours in a special workshop where we oriented the new members as to how we can best work together for leading God’s people in mission… And we also did some visioning as to what ministry directions that God may want to lead Trinity in its mission to God’s world and God’s people. Several of us had been praying for God to give us guidance in the next big step in minis-try that God wanted from us. Wayne brought to us a possibility that immediately cap-tured the imagination of the whole council. Our three ambassadors to Tanzania came back with the information that one of the churches they visited in Tanzania and really loved did not have a sister congregation in its sister synod. They were open and perhaps eager to that idea of entering into a sister congregation relationship. This is something that several congregations in Nebraska Syn-od are doing with other churches in Tanzania. Some have even brought pastoral and lay leaders from their sister congregations to Nebraska for a person to person visit. The council immediately saw this as a real relationship and not just a place to send mis-sion dollars, as good as that might be. This is an opportunity to build a real relationship. Our members being welcomed in their Church and their members being welcomed in ours. It wouldn’t be some sort of empirical model of one supporting another, but a true relational model where we share the gifts God has given us for their well-being and they give to us of the gifts God has given them. I can see God’s hand moving this thing. Like Gibbs says on NCIS, “There is no such thing as coincidence.” Especially not where God is concerned when he drops a ministry op-portunity in front of his people. Nobody knows where this is all going. We know this much. We have an opportunity. I can see some of our members going to visit our sister Church and being welcomed and inspired by their Tanzanian brothers and sisters. I can see bringing some of our Tanzani-an Brothers and sisters to Trinity to let them inspire and encourage us in the work of God we are doing. Please mark your calendars for March 11. Come to worship that morning. But pray be-fore you come. Ask God to grant you discernment and vision to see if this is what God is calling Trinity to as our next big step in serving our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Like Philip said to Nathanael, “Come and see for yourself.”

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Worship

Sunday Morning

10:30 a.m.

Evening Worship—5:30 p.m. 1st Sunday—Holy Communion

2nd & 4th Sunday - Gospel Singing

3rd Sunday—Regular Worship

Lenten Worship—7:00 p.m. Wednesdays March 7 , 14, 21

Maundy Thursday. March 29

Good Friday—March 30

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Council *Carol Loschen,

Rob Evers, Seth Johnson

Altar Guild—Shannon Adam,

Teresa Evers, Marilyn Hays

March 4

Greeter—Steve & Melanie Johnson

Marge Jelden

Readers—Laurie Lush

Sound— Eric Ingram

Acolytes– Carson Lindau

Joe Lee

March 11

Greeters—Ron & Deb Knaus

Kris & Cheryl Schepker

Readers—Ryan Jurgens

Sound—Ryan Knaus

Acolyte—Keya Knaus

Grayson Sheen

March 18

Greeters—Nick & Tonya Bunger

Rob & Nicole Evers

Reader—Linda Fecht

Sound—Dean Casper

Acolyte—Chase Casper

Joe Lee

March 25

Greeters—Chad & Tracy Lindau

Dale & Lidija Loschen

Reader—Katrina Bauer

Sound—Ryan Knaus

Acolyte—Tate Garrett

Sam Gruwell

Worship Services

March 4– Third Sunday in Lent The third covenant in this year’s Lenten readings is the central one of

Israel’s history: the gift of the law to those God

freed from slavery. The ten commandments are

one of the chief parts of Luther’s catechism, a

core piece of baptismal instruction. They begin

with the statement that because God alone has

freed us from the powers that oppressed us, we

are to let nothing else claim first place in our

lives. When Jesus throws the merchants out of

the temple, he is defending the worship of God alone and rejecting

the ways commerce and profit-making can become our gods.

March 11—Fourth Sunday in Lent The fourth of the Old Testament promises

providing a baptismal lens this Lent is the

promise God makes to Moses: those who

look on the bronze serpent will live. In to-

day's gospel Jesus says he will be lifted up on

the cross like the serpent, so that those who

look to him in faith will live. When we re-

ceive the sign of the cross in baptism, that

cross becomes the sign we can look to in

faith, for healing, for restored relationship to God, for hope when we

are dying.

March 18—Fifth Sunday in Lent God promises Jeremiah that a “new covenant” will be made in the

future: a covenant that will allow all the people to know God by

heart. The church sees this promise fulfilled in Christ, who draws all

people to himself when he is lifted up on the cross. Our baptismal

covenant draws us to God’s heart through Christ and draws God’s

light and truth into our hearts. We see God’s heart most clearly in

the way Jesus shares human suffering, in an agony both the John and

Hebrews readings describe.

March 25—Palm/Passion SundayThe first and second readings and psalm are the same this Sunday every year: Christ emp-tying himself of divine power and protection, willingly becoming vulnerable to those who struck him and put him to death. With Christ we lament his suffering and all human suffer-ing, but expect God’s final vindication. Mark’s passion story begins with an unnamed woman anointing his head, perhaps to proclaim him Messiah, and Jesus saying she has anointed him beforehand for burial. Mark’s Easter story will begin with women going to anoint Jesus for burial, only to find that he has been raised, God’s living Anointed One.

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In Luke’s gospel, as Jesus prepared to enter the city Jesus said that he thought many in Jerusalem would

not accept him and his ministry. Even so, he said that he had the desire to “gather your children together

as a _____________, and you were not willing!”

Which statement below belongs in the blank above?

A. mother dog gathers her pups to her side

B. hen gathers her brood under her wings

C. father protects his wife and his children

D. shepherd gathers his flock

(The answer is in Luke 13:34, NRSV.)

Of all the people on earth, Christians ought to have

smiles on their faces and be ready to laugh. After all, if

God has defeated death by raising Christ from the dead,

we have cause for joy at all times.

After a long day at work, two ministers decided to take a

walk before darkness came. As they walked, they told

humorous stories and were soon laughing heartily. It felt

so good, so therapeutic, that one pastor turned to the

other and said, “Theodore, let’s kneel down and thank

God for laughter.”

They did just that. Then they arose and went joyfully on

their way.

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DAUGHTERS of the SPIRIT

“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” 2 John 1:4 Theme Hymn “Children of the Heavenly Father”

SOUTHERN PRAIRIE CONFERENCE SPRING GATHERING

April 14, 2018

Trinity Lutheran Church

Tangible Offering—For the big Blue Cupboard at UNK—paper products, hand, laundry & dish soap, hair care products, personal hygiene and basic first aid

items, or gift cards.

Registration

Registration due April 7, 2018. Fee $18.00 includes lunch—transferrable but not re-

fundable. Make check payable to NSWO and mail with form to Sandy Terry,

Forms are on the table in the narthex.

We encourage all Trinity women to attend the gathering. What a great opportunity

to join other women in a day of fellowship and inspiration. Serving Groups are being

asked to help with the hosting of this event, so please come for the day.

Tanzania—Mission Trip

The congregation is

invited for coffee

and rolls on March

11th to hear about

the Mission Trip

that Sandi Einspahr

and Wayne & Peg-

gy Hinrichs went on

a month ago. They

have lots of pic-

tures and stories of

their experiences.

Sunday,

March 11th

at 9:00 a.m.

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Sunday

Evenings at

5:30 p.m.

Choir will

continue to

meet on

Sunday

mornings at

9:15 a.m.

The Fellowship Committee encourages members/families

to sign up for the fellowship time following worship.

A sign-up sheet is in the narthex for you to mark a Sunday you

would like to host.

(See page one for more information)

WEDNESDAY LENTEN SERVICES

At 7:00 p.m.

During the month of March we continue our Mid-

week Services with the PARABLES OF JESUS.

Each week a different parable is included in the

readings and the message focuses on a lesson the

parable teaches.

March 7 –Receive Mercy: “The Good Samaritan”

March 14 –Receive Grace: “The Workers in the Vineyard”

March 21 – Receive Forgiveness :“The Prodigal Son”

March 28 .. Maundy Thursday – Receive the Meal:

“The Great Banquet”

March 29 … Good Friday – Receive the Sacrifice:

“The Landowner and the Tenants”

Worship Assistants March 7

Acolyte— Zac Lee Sound Booth—Steve Casper

March 14

Acolyte— Camryn Potter

Sound Booth—Jerome Fritz

March 21

Acolyte— Chase Bunger

Sound Booth—Dean Casper

March 29—Maundy Thursday

Acolytes— Zac Lee & Logan Knaus

Sound Booth—Ryan Knaus

March 30—Good Friday

Acolytes— None

Sound Booth—Jeff Loschen

Soup Suppers on Wednesday

Soup is being provided by dif-ferent groups of members. We

encourage all members to come have a bowl of hot soup before the Lenten Worship Service. Feb. 28—Confirmation Class

March 7—Lydia & Dave, Laurel, Mary, Karen and Naomi

March 14—High School Youth

March 21—Old St. PEPS

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Confirmation News

The four confirmands are each as-

signed one of the PARABLES OF

JESUS as their assignment this month. They

are to tell the parable in their own words and

answer questions about this story. One of the

most important questions they are to answer

is:

How does this parable apply to your life?

As we move through the Parables on our

Wednesday evening services you might also

think about each parable and how it applies to

your life.

Happy 90th Birthday

Arleen Schenk

Arleen’s family invites everyone to

help Arleen

celebrate her 90th Birthday,

on Saturday, March 3

at Trinity’s Fellowship Hall.

Open House 2—4

90th

OUR ACOLYTES

Six young people have joined the ranks of Aco-

lyte this past month. These are our current 6th

graders: Chase Casper, Samuel Gruwell, Joseph

Lee, Keya Knaus, Tate Garrett and Grayson

Sheen. Becoming an acolyte is the first step in

their confirmation program. We are so blessed

to have these young people.

NOTICE TO PARENTS:

There will be a brief rehearsal for all in-volved in the Easter morning services

at 9:00 on March 25th.

On Sunday April 22 all 6, 7 and 8th grad-ers will meet at 9:00 a.m. to go over what each will be doing on Confirma-

tion Sunday – April 29th

Congratulations to Bob and

Marilyn Hays on the birth of their new granddaughter Olivia Eleanor Meier, born February 7th.

Daughter of Susan and Dan Meier.

Olivia will join brother, Roman and sis-ter, Ava in their home at Bennington, Nebraska.

God’s Blessings!!

Send cards to tell them you are thinking of them!

Bonnie Fuerst

Sorensen Resident & Assisted Living Center

4809 Redman Avenue

Omaha, NE 68104

and

Leon Bertrand

Mother Hull Home

125 E. 23rd Street

Kearney, NE 68847

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Financial Stewardship

February Giving

Income $22,253.00

February Expenses

Expenses $37.756.78

Thank you, so very much

Thanks to everyone who attended by retirement reception. It was a wonderful reception and a memory I will treasure. Thanks to all my family and friends for the many memories and support through

all those years.

God Blessings to all,

LaDonna Koch

Trinity Lutheran Church,

Thank you for your donation to Campus Lutheran. Your generosity allows us to continue to bring the grace and peace of Jesus Christ to the students at

UNK. We are so blessed by your thoughtfulness.

Peace to you and yours,

The Staff @ Campus Lutheran

Do you want

to remember

or honor your

loved ones this

Easter, you can

by contributing

to our flower fund for the

Easter holiday.

Suggested flower donation

is $15.00.

Flower forms on table in narthex.

Trinity Lutheran Church

Thank you so much of the thoughtful generous donation of $500.00. We are so grateful and truly

appreciate it.

Thanks & God bless

Minden Senior Center

Offering will again be given to our

Church Sponsored Missionary.

Rev. Linda Johnson Seyenkulo—

Liberia

Linda serves as

Curriculum Developer

and Trainer at the Louis T.

Bowers Lay Leader and Minister

Training Center in Totota.

Why every day should be Palm Sunday

[Jesus] was all about giving. He gave of himself. He who was rich became poor that we might be rich. He gave until there was no more to give. He was all about goodness. The essential good-ness of Jesus, unparalleled by anyone before him or after him, testifies to the life to which we are called. When he saw the crowds as sheep not hav-ing a shepherd, he was moved with compassion - he became almost physically sick, so great was his love. Let's give Jesus the palm branch treatment, but let's not make this a one-Sunday wonder. His grace, his giving and his goodness compel us to change our behavior, not just pat him on the back, or complain behind his back.