All Members, Winter Residents, Family and Friends,
Greetings on this last Monday of January! Every year Susan and I say to each other January just seems to fly by so quickly. This year we have captured and accomplished some things, but still there is so much left to be done throughout the coming months. I was so thrilled to see so many wonderful people in church yesterday. We had to take down the tables in the back to accommodate the outstanding number of people in worship. It was clearly one of the largest attendances we have had in quite a while! We are blessed with a great welcoming congregation!
Susan has indicated to me that we still need about 7 more people to sign up for the production at South Florida State College on Sunday April 6th, 2025 at 3:00PM to get the group rate. The group rate is about $22.00 per ticket and regular cost is $30.00. This production will be featuring and acting out about 20 different accounts in both the Old and New Testament. Maybe you neighbors may want to attend with you. Call Susan soon so we can get the tickets!
This year Trinity Lutheran Church will be celebrating 50 Years of Ministry here Lake Placid. Trinity was started by Rev. James Guelzow who was the pastor at Peace Lutheran Church, Okeechobee. The church first started meeting at the Lake Placid Art League building located on Dal Hall Blvd. They soon purchased the facility at the corner of Phoenix and Pine. The building I believe was a Baptist Church before Trinity purchased the property. Then in 1992 we moved into out present location. The configuration of the building was intended to be a first unit, and our current Sanctuary was to be the fellowship hall for the church and a new church was to be built elsewhere on the property. Over the years we had wanted to move forward with additional facilities, but we never were able to move forward. At the current time Trinity is absolutely debt-free and we have no plans at this time for additional facilities. I will be contacting Rev. Guelzow to see if he would like to come and preach for us sometime this year.
On February 9th, 2025 immediately following our worship service we are hosting “Holy Land Christian Solidarity Cooperative”. The representative, who will be with us, is part of a recognized service organization of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. They will be briefly sharing the plight of the Christians in the Holy Lands and the diminishing numbers of active Christians in the Land of Jesus. It should be a very Trinity Lutheran Church was chartered as a congregation in December of 1975. This year is our 50th Anniversary year and we want to celebrate, but we can’t without your help and assistance. To begin with interesting and informative presentation.
Susan is seeking Patrons to assist with giving Keith Goodson a “stipend” for coming on February 23rd to paint another beautiful picture during worship as we focus on “God’s Children”. If you are so inclined to assist with this “stipend” for Keith please speak to Susan when you can.
The New Floridians are scheduled to have a concert here on Saturday afternoon March 15th time to be determined. There will a time of fellowship perhaps following the concert.
One last thing! The Church Council and I have discussed and given consideration to endeavoring upon a $50,000.00 fund raiser to set aside for the new Pastor and administration to have access assisting the new Pastor get things moving here at Trinity. It would be wonderful if 100 families or individuals could pledge $500.00 over the next two years or about $21.00 dollars a month we could achieve our goal by the beginning of 2027. We already have received from the Men Saturday Morning Breakfast and Fellowship group $200.00 to get us started.
I have attached Elder Mike Bardon’s study guide for Sunday’s Adult Bible Discussion Class. We spent this past Sunday discussing Calvinism compared to Lutheranism. And we discussed the difference between an Ordinance and a Sacrament. Therefore we did not get to the study on Baptism, so that will be the discussion this coming Sunday.
I have also attached my sermon for Sunday.
Rev. Richard A. Norris
Trinity Lutheran Church
25 Lakeview Street
Lake Placid, Florida 33852
863-441-4168
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