March 2023: Rev. Don Larsen returns on Easter Sunday.

“Time flies over us, but leaves its shadow behind”, Nathaniel Hawthorne.

Over the years, our Holy Trinity family has been blessed with wonderful and inspiring pastoral leadership. We’re about to turn another page in our collective history, while we continue to honor the past and look with joy to the future. On Easter Sunday, Pastor Don Larsen will be joining us as a temporary, part-time interim pastor, while Pastor Luther returns to the summer congregation in Manchester by the Sea, Massachusetts. Pastor Larsen will be with us beginning Easter Sunday, and will be with us throughout the summer. During these summer weeks, he will be with us for Sunday worship, join us for Bible Study on Wednesdays, and be available for other pastoral concerns.

Some of you may remember Pastor Larsen from last year when he was with us during the month of August preaching on the book of Hebrews. Pastor Larsen has been active in ministry in a variety of roles, including congregation pastor, instructor of Biblical studies in Hartford Seminary and Harvard Divinity School, and has been involved with interfaith and synodical efforts. Prepare yourself for a lively summer at Holy Trinity. And stay tuned for word coming soon about the Fall and beyond!

January 2023: Budget Meeting

Beginning before Christmas, the church council has devoted many hours to studying our finances - looking backward to see whether our projections from last year were accurate, and looking forward to prepare the budget for 2023. Perhaps some of you were doing the same sort of work to prepare your personal or family budget. It’s likely we all encountered some similar challenges. It costs more to provide electricity to our buildings, it costs more to heat our structures, and the cost of almost everything is significantly more than it was a year ago. The additional challenge to projecting our church budget is that we don’t know when we will be entering into a relationship with a permanent pastor. The good news is that we ended 2022 in a strong financial position. This Sunday, January 22, we will be holding a session immediately after worship to discuss financial projections for next year. We need everyone’s input in order to develop the financial plan that best reflects our ministries. If you attend worship in person on Sunday, please get a cup of coffee and something to eat and join us in the sanctuary prepared to share your thoughts.

December 2022: The Hope of God

But we have a hope that's stronger than any of this, stronger even than death. The hope of God comes in the form of a tiny baby, a helpless child; nevertheless, who grew to a man and in his fragile strength was willing to die on the cross and was raised again.

I hope today, just a few days before we celebrate the birth of Jesus, you have completed your preparations for Christmas Day. I imagine your preparations might have included some baking and cooking, present buying, connecting with friends both near and far through visits, calls, and written notes, emailed, texted, or mailed. And perhaps through the years your family has developed some traditions that help you remember this celebration of hope and love in a special way. We at Holy Trinity have developed some traditions that help to fill us with peace, hope, joy and love. Our Advent wreath at the front of the church now has 4 candles lit, and we will light the central candle, the Christ candle, on Christmas Eve. As I write this, the property team is decorating the church with white banners, green, and poinsettias. On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, we will join together in celebratory worship, to listen to the account of that day long ago when Jesus born, to sing those wonderful old and new Christmas carols, and to greet one another. These traditions help to remind us that because of God’s love for us, we have hope stronger than anything we can comprehend. This Christmas season ”May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” Romans 15:13

November 2022: Give thanks

Just one week ago today, many of us gathered with family or friends to celebrate the national holiday of Thanksgiving, intended as a time to give thanks for many blessings – not only food, but for family, friends, wonders of God’s creation, health, and a long list of various items that may be particularly significant in each of our lives. In this time of Advent which is the start of the new church year as we await the coming of Christ Jesus, I am deeply thankful for our church family, and the many groups and individuals who are the cornerstone of our mission: Come Together, Grow in Faith, Serve the Lord. I ask you to join me in thanking and praying for these teams and individuals:

• Worship Team, including altar guild workers, musicians, and worship assistants who support Sunday worship, midweek worship in Advent and Lent, and many special services;
• Fellowship Team, supporting ways our church family can come together to know one another;
• Faith Formation Team, developing and implementing ways for children and adults to grow deeper in their faith;
• Library Team, providing resources to guide us on our faith journey;
• Caring Connections that provides services for our church family as we strive to stay healthy, and caring support when we are in need;
• Social Ministry, supporting social justice and financial support to those in need working with domestic and international partners;
• Property Team, who work tirelessly to maintain our building and property, and prepare our sanctuary for special services and seasons;
• Stewardship Team, helping us use our gifts and talents in a meaningful way;
• Call Committee, currently leading our search for a new pastor.
• Church Council, providing for the coordination of all the above;
• Additionally, there are ad hoc groups who convene for special tasks such as the Nominating Team and the Audit Team.
• And of course, there are individuals who work in a myriad of ways to support our mission, including those who work in the church office: counters, financial experts, and of course, Mark who makes all things happen. We give thanks to Pastor Luther who has graciously shared his faith, expertise and spiritual presence with us since January.

Please give thanks and pray for our brother and sisters. And please prayerfully consider how you can share your gifts in one of these many ways in which we work together to serve the Lord.

October 2022: Consider joining Holy Trinity

Dear Holy Trinity friends,

We all know these 2 past years have been challenging in many ways. We at Holy Trinity look back to 2021 the beginning of 2022 when we were still meeting only on a limited basis, relying heavily on virtual methods of gathering. As the weeks went by, we began to feel more comfortable being with each other, and resuming worship in person. We are now on a steadier course of in-person worship, faith formation for adults and youth, community service and social activities. And as you know we are actively involved in a search for a new Pastor to provide spiritual leadership.

I am writing to invite you to consider whether joining Holy Trinity is something that would enrich your life. Please be assured that you are always welcome to attend Holy Trinity regardless of whether or not you choose formal membership. There are specific advantages to membership. We are recognized legally as a non-profit organization, and we designate a council to oversee church management and finances. Only members of the church may be a part of the council. In addition, membership would give you the opportunity to vote on the person who will lead us. Membership also provides a way to vote on important decisions about finances and changes in how we manage our organization.

If you are interested in joining Holy Trinity at this time, or would like to learn more about our Lutheran heritage and beliefs and more specific information about Holy Trinity, we would like to hear from you. We will be offering several sessions for anyone interested in membership or want to know more about membership during the month of November. Please contact Mark in the church office to have your name added to the list of those interested in attending.

We look forward to hearing from you.

September 2022: Thank you to our Transition Team and MSP writing team

I imagine you all remember Pastor Larson discussing the New Testament book of Hebrews while he was with us for the 4 Sundays in August. Hebrews 11:1 says …”faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” I was reminded of that verse this past Sunday when I talked about where we are in our journey to bring a new pastor to Holy Trinity. We are right now at a critical juncture in this journey. The Ministry Site Profile (MSP) has been submitted to the Synod office in preparation for being posted on the website for review by rostered clergy in New England and around the country. In addition to Lutheran clergy, there are numerous Protestant denominations with which the ELCA is in communion. Clergy from those other Protestant denominations may also be interested in the position. The future of our search process is unknown, but we have “faith in the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

At this point, let’s pause for a moment thank the team members who have been working to get us to this point, and to pray for the Call Committee members as they lead the interview process. Those who worked on the first component of the journey, that is planning and executing transition activities in preparation to writing the MSP include: Dan Scammon, Rebecca Schrumm, Jessica Feeley, Jeff Morrison, Auderien Soeun, Cheryl Brigham, Byrl Short and Paul Karl as Council liaison. Take a moment to thank them when you see them. The MSP Writing Team utilized the data from all the transition activities to craft the document that we sent this week to the Synod office. The writers are Mark Beliveau, Dot Kasik, Linda Edwards, and Eileen Kackenmeister. They did a masterful job.

The Call Committee is convening now to begin the process of reviewing applications in preparation for interviews. The group will be led by Dick Topping and includes Dave Smith, Julie Moore, Tina Maiorino, Bobbi Febbo, and Stephanie Goupil, with Erline Beliveau as Council liaison. Their work must remain confidential so we will not be able to follow developments in their activities.

We know from recent discussions that at the moment there are a number of churches in New England as well as several right here in New Hampshire searching for new pastoral leadership. We pray for the Call Committee in this important discernment process and that their minds will be open to the words of the Holy Spirit.

Ministry Site Profile

The Ministry Site Profile (MSP) has been completed and will be sent to the Synod office shortly. Thanks to the MSP team members - Mark Beliveau, Dot Kasik, Eileen Kackenmmeir, and Linda Edwards - for preparing the document based on the results of the work done by the Transition Team and all of you. The document is a summary of all the comments and discussions that we had between January and June. For those of you who remember the last MSP, please note that the Synod has adopted a new form that is quite different than the version in use a few years back. Please take time to read the document, or pick up a paper copy in church on Sunday. Thanks for your continued prayers as we move to this next phase in our journey.

August 2022: The Book of Hebrews

During these first 2 weeks of August when we have been studying the New Testament book of Hebrews on Sunday mornings with Pastor Larsen and in weekly Bible Study with Pastor George, I have been struck by how these words written so long ago seem to me like they were penned just a short time ago. Sure, isn’t that the point. But somehow, I feel like I’ve been hit over the head with a new insight. Here we are in 2022, the entire world seems to be in chaos dealing with very serious climate changes with world wide impact, international financial instability and political upheaval that leave us shocked and frightened, and we’re recovering from a pandemic that seemed to last far longer than we expected. And here at Holy Trinity, we’re in the throes of the search for a new pastor. Yes, we’re all tired.

The people to whom the text of the book of Hebrews was addressing were tired. The author’s intent was to provide words of encouragement. As Pastor Larsen explained, she reminds the readers that much like the experiences of Old Testament heroes, faith looks to the future, and the final destination awaits us over the horizon. Clinging to nostalgia for the past ways – the old songs we love, the Sunday school room filled with kids, the crowded Easter Sunday services – won’t bring them back, and continued focus on the past won’t make our faith journey easier to navigate. But we can work together in this uncertain time, and find new ways to join the faith journey. In few weeks, we will be asking each of you to prayerfully consider what role you can play in moving our faith journey toward the new horizon. Why not participate in an activity you’ve never tried before – participate in Caring Connections, join the Worship Team and participate in the Altar Guild, join the Hospitality Team to work with others to make our church more welcoming. Or maybe you have an idea we’ve never tried before – we’ll listen. Please think about what gifts you have been given, and how you can use those gifts to move our faith journey forward. As we share our gifts, we can move ahead on our faith journey.

July 2022: Inflation and helping a fellow member.

We are all feeling the effects of inflation. Who hasn’t groaned when putting gas in the car, or buying a few groceries that cost a ridiculous amount, paying the monthly electric bill, or paying for an unexpected health care bill. Inflation raises prices, and lowers the value of savings, pensions, and social security income. But the reality is that the impact of inflation is not the same for everyone. The impact of rising prices and decline in the value of money and assets is not as devastating for some as it is for others. One of our fellow congregants who worships with us regularly is feeling the impact of inflation, and is struggling with an unexpected dental bill. This individual is seeking help from our church family. We maintain a line item in the budget labeled “pastor’s discretionary fund” which is a small amount designated for gas and local store gift cards that the Pastor (or Mark) can give to those in need. But we do not budget to provide assistance with things like health care bills, or help with life necessities. Our decision was to invite the congregation to help meet this need. The amount requested is $650. Please watch for additional information as we work to set this up.

June 23, 2022: Happy Summer!

Happy Summer! Based on tradition, as of the Sunday of the annual picnic, we are officially on our summer worship schedule. However, in today’s world, nothing much has changed. One thing that is different that the choir has no weekday rehearsals, and all are invited to come early to worship to rehearse the songs for that day. As we have done and past, services will vary week to week between a more contemporary style and a more traditional style. And as we’ve announced before, we will have a number of guest pastors and speakers through the summer. Meanwhile our Ministry Site Profile writers are busy working on the document to send to the synod, and the Call Committee is preparing to interview pastoral candidates. Faith formation team members have planned Vacation Bible School for 4 Wednesday evenings in July and August. VBS relies on many volunteers to host a fun and thoughtful event for kids of all ages. Please consider whether you might be able to volunteer to help make that a reality.

Meanwhile, it’s impossible to ignore that the world we currently know is not the same world we knew in 2019. Long weeks of isolation, virtual worship, connecting minimally with distant family and friends have reinforced the constancy of change. The saying that “change is the only constant” has never been so meaningful. We don’t have the answers to how our church will be changed. But our church and, in fact, all churches are working to understand a new reality and to discern how we approach the future. We are challenged to listen and understand how God is leading us on an unknown journey. Let us all pray for insight during our journey.