May 2023: Giving was up by 4%

For those who weren’t at the Pre-Semi-Annual Meeting forum. Dan Scammon distributed a report of Giving for January through April of this year. It showed that giving was up by four percent for the period. Dan congratulated the congregation for their generosity. I want to add my thanks to you for being good stewards of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church.

It is wonderful to be a member of such a vibrant congregation where the whole congregation understands how important it is to aid in the success of our Church when some are failing. We should all give thanks to each other and to God for our continued growth and commitment.

David Arrington

April 2024: Looking for new helpers for the committee

Stewardship is so much more than giving money to do the work of God. Stewardship is the act of caring for something or someone unable to care for itself or him(or her)self. We have an opportunity to act as stewards of our church building on Sunday. It is our SPRING WORK DAY! Even if you haven’t signed up to help, I’m sure that Scott will be able to find a task you can perform. AccuWeather on my phone, indicates a beautiful day on Sunday.

The Stewardship Committee is looking for new helpers for the Committee. At present the Committee consists of two people. It is time for new blood on the Committee. Please see David Arrington if you are willing to help

October 2023: New Beginnings-Continuing Commitments

With the installation of our new Pastor, we have a new beginning of our shared ministries. We also have a continuing commitment to Holy Trinity with our attendance, our financial support, and our support of the programs and ministries we undertaken. We have ministries we need to nurture and ministries of which we need to let go.  As it says in Ecclesiastes 3: "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven….”  There are ministries we need to continue, ones we need to discover, and ones that need to end.

August 24, 2023: Upcoming Time & Talent

I have been writing about Time and Talent Ministries here at Holy Trinity for several editions of the Tidings in the last several weeks. These little articles were meant to intrigue your curiosity about what is happening here at Holy Trinity. There is so much more that is happening that I don’t know about.

In the Bible Study group, we have just done a study of the Sermon on the Mount. It ends with the words relating to being Hearers and Doers of Jusus’ words. Matthew as the writer states that Jesus taught with Authority and not as the scribes.

Mark Donahue will soon publish a pamphlet that will give a paragraph about each function of our time and talent opportunities. In addition, you can look at Holy Trinity’s website at: https://www.htelc.com/time-and-talent.

July 30, 2023: Being a good steward.

Generally, when we think of good stewardship, we think of how we manage our finances and our faithfulness in paying God’s tithes and offerings. But it’s much more than that. In fact, it’s more than just the management of our time, our possessions, our environment, or our health. Stewardship is our obedient witness to God’s sovereignty. It’s what motivates the followers of Christ to move into action, doing deeds that manifest their belief in Him. Many years ago, we at Holy Trinity were asked by Immanuel Indonesian Congregation if we would allow them to use our building on Sunday afternoons for their worship. At that time their congregation was a Reformed Church. Their pastor became a Lutheran pastor and Immanuel became a Lutheran Congregation. Now, many of the Indonesians worship with us at Holy Trinity because they have no Pastor, although they do have a worship service on Sunday afternoons for the Indonesian Community.

We have a vital relationship with Isimani Lutheran Church in Tanzania. That relationship has been transforming for us here at Holy Trinity as well as Isimani. Two of our members spent a term teaching at Iringa University in Tanzania.

We have assisted in the relocation of an Afghan family when they came to Portsmouth from Afghanistan. Holy Trinity has aided in the ministries of the Dover Friendly Kitchen, Operation Blessing, and other local outreach.

In addition, there are many in-house areas here at Holy Trinity, such as, helping in worship, the Church library, building maintenance, and building our faith through teaching and inspiring. These are some of the ways our actions in the world and locally that have shaped us in our Vision of our faith and the stewardship of our time and talent. It is time to consider our participation in the Time and Talent Ministries here at Holy Trinity Church. We have many ways of serving. These can be found at Holy Trinity’s website: https://www.htelc.com/time-and-talent.

July 2023: What the Bible says about Stewardship

The following three paragraphs have been copied from the website www.gotquestions.org, with some minor changes relating to inclusiveness. ada

“To discover what the Bible says about stewardship, we start with the very first verse: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). As the Creator, God has absolute rights of ownership over all things, and to miss starting here is like misaligning the top button on our shirt or blouse—nothing else will ever line up. Nothing else in the Bible, including the doctrine of stewardship, will make any sense or have any true relevance if we miss the fact that God is the Creator and has full rights of ownership. It is through our ability to fully grasp this and imbed it in our hearts that the doctrine of stewardship is understood.

The biblical doctrine of stewardship defines our relationship to God. It identifies God as owner and us as managers. God makes us His co-workers in administering all aspects of our life. The apostle Paul explains it best by saying, “For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building” (1 Corinthians 3:9). Starting with this concept, we are then able to accurately view and correctly value not only our possessions, but, more importantly, human life itself. In essence, stewardship defines our purpose in this world as assigned to us by God Himself. It is our divinely given opportunity to join with God in His worldwide and eternal redemptive movement (Matthew 28:19-20). Stewardship is not God taking something from us; it is His method of bestowing His richest gifts upon His people.

More often than not, when we think of good stewardship, we think of how we manage our finances and our faithfulness in paying God’s tithes and offerings. But it’s much more than that. In fact, it’s more than just the management of our time, our possessions, our environment, or our health. Stewardship is our obedient witness to God’s sovereignty. It’s what motivates the follower of Christ to move into action, doing deeds that manifest his belief in Him. Paul’s stewardship involved proclaiming that which was entrusted to him—the gospel truth.

It is time to consider our participation in the Time and Talent Ministries here at Holy Trinity Church. We have many ways of serving. These can be found at Holy Trinity’s website: https://www.htelc.com/time-and-talent. In the next edition of the Stewardship portion of “The Tidings”, we’ll get further into this area and how we can serve the Church and our World, near and far.

March 2023: We in the Church...

Stewardship is the act of caring for or managing something. We in the “Church” tend to see stewardship as the act of giving money, which is caring for the Church. In a larger sense, stewardship is the caring for all aspects of our Worship and our Church. There are many areas which seem to get short shrift in our caring. One major area, whose carers always need more help is the Altar Guild. It isn’t terribly demanding, but it requires someone to be there and helping for each service of Holy Communion. Another area is the preparation and set up of our coffee after services on Sunday. If you are able, please offer your assistance to the person, on Sunday, that you see doing this. That person may not be the head of the of committee for that function, but I’m sure they can put you in touch with that person.

December 2022: Total Pledges

The stewardship drive for 2023 resulted in total pledges of about $267,000. The Stewardship Team would like to thank all of those who so generously provided the means to keep Holy Trinity a viable church. It is particularly heartening when so many churches have suffered during the Covid Pandemic. The Church Council has not yet given the Congregation what we need to support a full-time pastor and the church, but in my estimation, we will still need a greater pledge base and additional pledges. We have always risen to the occasion and we will this time also.

August 2022

Never Fear! It is going to happen and soon! The Time and Talent volunteer form will be coming out in mid-September. The Stewardship Committee and Ministry chairpersons hope that everyone who attends Holy Trinity will find an area where they can be of help to the congregation, the area, and the world. Each of us has a unique interest or expertise in something which will make a better place for all. When Pastor Luther begins his interim ministry, there will be many opportunities. Many of our world-wide ministries have faltered during the Pandemic, but now we are again able to come together to put ourselves into volunteering. We ask you consider where you interest lies and to use that interest in helping.

July 2022

After almost a year without a Pastor, it is time to reconsider what we, as individuals, are doing to further the work of God. After all, we do say “God’s work-Our hands.” The Stewardship team is working to update the Time and Talent flyer, so that each of us can use our best talents for the upbuilding of the Body of Christ. There are many who give of their time without any checking off from a listing. There are others who need to know what sorts of things they could do. Checking off the listing gives the activity chair and the administrator an idea of what is being done and by whom. This isn’t supposed to be an onerous task, but rather a reminder of what one can participate in.

June 2022: Time & Talent

For those who attended the Semiannual meeting on June 12th, you heard the Church Council Vice-President say that Holy Trinity survives by the work of volunteers for the good of all the Church. Because of his plea for volunteers, the Stewardship team will use its space in the Weekly Tidings to reinforce this message with a small article first published in May of 2018.

Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them…. Romans 12:6-8 Every Christian has been energized by God with at least one spiritual gift, given so that each of us can play our part in building the body of Christ. Each of us has been made by God to be unique and God has prepared us to play our distinctive part! What is your distinctive part in building the body of Christ? In the book Wishful Thinking, the author writes, “The place God calls you to, is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.”

For those who are interested in pledging your time and talents there will soon be a form with many areas where you may volunteer. You will be asked to check off the area(s) in which you wish to volunteer. The form will be available as soon as we can accomplish revising the one used in 2018.

As each has received a gift, employ it for one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.” 1 Peter 4:10

August 2021: Pledge Campaign approaching

In my usual Stewardship articles, I have tried to write idyllic and lofty or, even, pretentious articles about giving. But now we are at the time to begin considering our giving for the current year and next year. I am not privy to any pledges except my own. I hope you are current in your giving. In this year of Covid and isolation, it is easy to fall behind. Now, we are meeting in the Church on Sundays and at other times for all types of meetings. It is nearing the time of the pledge campaign for 2022. We should begin planning our next year’s giving. It is a time to determine how we value our God and our Church.

* David Arrington*

March 2021: The Meaning of Stewardship

The meaning of stewardship according to my dictionary is to manage the domestic affairs of the owner of the estate. A related word, husband, is to manage prudently and economically. God has given us stewardship of the world He created. He expects our husbandry of His and our world to make it a safe and lasting place for us and our children and their children. We can do that by preserving (husbanding) our environment. We live in a throwaway society, where all our goods and possessions have a relatively short period of usefulness in our lives. Stewardship requires us to use and manage all resources, both goods and other possessions, in a prudent way that will preserve our world for the generations to come. Husbandry dictates that policies and usages require minimal or no damage to this wonderful Earth that is our home. Perhaps, we could begin thinking in a global way about what we could do to become active in our stewardship of God’s good Earth.

October 2020: Estimate of Giving letter

Friends,

In your hands, you are reading the annual stewardship giving letter. If you haven’t done so already, please begin with the tri-fold brochure titled, “Estimate of Giving Instructions.” Thank you.

Thanks for praying and all the ways you have been involved in Holy Trinity this year. We have remained fiscally and missionally strong during the pandemic because of your generosity. As we look forward to 2021, we don’t simply want to maintain what we are doing, we want to improve. Help us make that happen!

Therefore, when you are considering what your “Estimate of Giving” will be for 2021, please consider the following:

• Improvements of technology in the sanctuary to allow for the recording and streaming of our worship services, with eventual projection capabilities added.

• Money set aside for the Pop-Up Pantry each week.

• Continued partnership with Luther Crest to provide faith forming activities to be done in the home.

• Again, send kids, families and adults to Camp Calumet for life-changing faith experiences.

• Increase giving to area organizations and non-profits that have been hurt due to the pandemic.

• Develop new ways to utilize technology to engage people who have left the church or never been engaged in a church (think more virtual bible studies or podcasts).

These are just a few of the items. It isn’t an exhaustive list. Also, besides what we want to do, I am sure you can name some way you have been positively affected by Holy Trinity in this past year by what we were already doing.

In the packet you received, you should also see your giving statement for this year. Will you increase your giving by 5% or 10%? Vicky and I are pledging to increase ours by 5%. Alone, it won’t make a huge difference to the finances of the church, but it also won’t make a huge difference to our bottom line either. Can you do something similar? If you can’t, that’s okay. Give what you can. I am constantly reminded of the story in Luke about the story of the poor widow. Jesus commended her for giving what she could, not for the amount that she gave.

Lastly, thank you. Thank you for all the ways you have given in the past. Whether that be of your time, your money, or other resources. The church is the people. We gather in a building (or online), but WE are the church. Thank you for that.

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Tim

September 2020: Generosity

The Gospel for this Sunday, September 20th, is the story of the workers in the vineyard. The ones who were hired at the end of the day were paid the same as the ones who were hired early in the morning. It is a story which shows God’s generosity to those who are under his wing. God has been generous to us and we should be thankful to God in return. We show our thankfulness by giving back to God some of the wages that he has made impossible for us to earn. Whether we have come early or late to our belief God has provided.

August 2020: The Managing of Resources God has given us

Being a good steward is the sound management of the resources that God has given us, management that gives glory to God. In this Sunday’s Gospel, the Canaanite woman asked that Jesus heal her daughter of a demon. Jesus tells her that God’s resources are meant for the Children of Israel and that he was sent to minister to them and not to the “Others”. He tells her that it isn’t right to give the children’s food (God’s resources) to the dogs. She reminds him that even the scraps of God’s resources can be used for the Glory of God. At that point, Jesus changes his mind and uses God’s healing powers to relieve the woman’s daughter of her demon. Our stewardship probably won’t be as dramatic as the healing of demons; however, we should use our talents and resources to the Glory of God in any way we can.

February 2020: How we can be a true steward of God.

I read a post on Facebook yesterday that said, “Please pass this along if God has done anything for you today.” It seemed to me that the author missed the point. God does everything for us every day. I think the post should have read, “PLEASE PASS THIS ALONG IF YOU HAVE DONE ANYTHING FOR GOD TODAY.” We live in God’s world, and therefore we have a responsibility to be mindful of the ways we destroy God’s world. We must find ways to be true stewards who protect, preserve, and improve the place that God has given us. The call is to protect our environment so that we and all our descendants will have an Earth on which to live. We must preserve the noble elements of our humanity so that we promote the goodness in all people. God has a relationship with each of us. We must improve our vision of that relationship so that we may, in fact, do something for God today.

Dave Arrington

Time & Talent 2019

Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. 1 Peter 4:10

We have each received a gift to serve from God’s abundant Grace. Do you know where your gift fits in service to the Lord? Do you wonder how God asks you to serve at Holy Trinity? God wants you to serve in an area that gives you great joy. He doesn’t want you to begrudge serving. Do you know where your deepest joy is in serving? The answer to these questions lays in the discovery of your own spiritual gifts.

Here at Holy Trinity, it takes a huge part of our congregation to fulfill the mission of service to ourselves and to the world. Each person is uniquely gifted by God for ministry when we understand that we need to use those gifts to serve to build up the body of Christ. Some of the tasks at Holy Trinity seem mundane, but all who serve can be part of a vital mission here and abroad.

In the coming weeks we will be conducting our Time and Talent campaign. This year it will be done slightly differently, but we believe that our past drives have given a glimpse of the desired outcome.

In the book Wishful Thinking by Frederick Buechner, the author writes, “The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.” We each have special gifts from God and when we find and apply them, we will find the deepest joy.

We hope your service is our deepest joy.

June 2018: Encouragement

Posted by Mark Donahue on Thursday, June 14, 2018 @ 1:54 PM

The Stewardship Team has two areas of interest in this edition of the “Tidings”. The first is time and talent and the second is financial.

It’s always good to remind ourselves of how much God loves and gives us. We always hope that our response reflects that love. Halfway through the year the Stewardship Team wants to remind all members of Holy Trinity that, as important as our individual pledge is to the Church is, it is equally important to use our time and talent in the building of God’s Kingdom here on Earth. We have received more time and talent responses this year than ever before; however, some members who are active in doing the “work” of the church, have not let us know what you are doing. The responses are useful to the Teams in planning the possibilities of witness and scheduling the members to help accomplish these tasks.

Second, we would encourage any new or returning members to pledge to help the Church financially. The financial pledge campaign normally occurs in the Fall; however, the Stewardship team thinks the emphasis should be year-round. If you would like to make a pledge for the second half of the year, please ask Mark in the office for a pledge card.