Journeys

My name is Carlyn Cochran, and I am excited to be confirmed this year. I am a 7th grader at Westridge Middle School, and I play volleyball and basketball and participate in vocal music. My parents are Andy and Brenda Cochran. My brother Braden and sister Aubree were baptized and confirmed here at Trinity. I grew up in this church and was baptized by Pastor Jay in 2011. What I love about Trinity is the environment and the people here. I look forward to being a full member of the church and continuing to be active in many ways. I love to go to Camp Fontenelle. I first went with my mom when I was four years old, and I have gone every year since (except when I couldn’t because of COVID). I look forward to going again this year because I love the counselors, meeting new friends, and growing my faith. Thank you to my mentor, Sebrina, for giving me so much support and being a wonderful person to look up to!

-Carlyn Cochran

One of my favorite things about Trinity is that everyone is always kind and talkative. They are always open to questions and they are always honest and supportive. Another thing that I like about Trinity is that we have a lot of things that we do for others outside the church like the food box, Loaves and Fishes, and more. These help many people around us in our community. It feels good when you donate something to other people so they can feel better themselves. Another reason I enjoy church is that we all get to be a part of the Trinity family together, and we can help each other out. We also get to make new friends in Confirmation, and in other things as well. I remember one summer when I went to Vacation Bible School and I met new people that I am good friends with now.

One reason I want to become a member of the church is because I want to get closer to God and to be able to learn more about the Bible, Jesus, and God. I also want to learn more about what I need to do as a human to be able to have the best life on earth possible. Another reason why I want to become a member of this church is because I want to have stronger friendships with the people around me and in church. I want to be able to feel that I am a member of this church and that I can ask anyone anything, and they will respond with their honest opinion while also not being rude about it. I want to have a sense of belonging. I feel that I am getting ever so close to that goal because of Confirmation. Lastly, I want others to feel how I do about asking questions. I want them to feel free to ask me something and get an honest answer. I am really looking forward to being Confirmed.

-Kanon Jasa

I have attended Trinity with my parents and grandparents since I was a baby. I have always enjoyed participating in Vacation Bible School and helping with it. I enjoy listening to Pastor Kelly’s sermons and learning about his past experiences, how he sees them, and how they relate to God.

Another one of my favorite things about Trinity is the people; they are always so nice and welcoming.

I want to become a member of the church because I want to continue my faith journey with the love and support of the members of this congregation.

I want to thank my Grandma, Jody Freeman, for being my mentor and Sebrina Bergmeier for taking over as my mentor when my Grandma could no longer. I also thank Pastor Kelly for leading us through this confirmation journey.

-Alexa Seely

My favorite thing about Trinity is the people because they are kind and caring. Also another one of my favorite things is the sermon because I learn a lot about the things Christ did.

Some things I like doing here at the church are helping with the Vacation Bible School, lighting the candles, going to Sunday school, and learning about God.

I want to be confirmed into the church because I can pursue my love for God; being a church member will also give me more opportunities to expand on my love for God.

I want to thank my family for helping me with my faith journey. I also want to thank Zach for being my mentor and Pastor Kelly for teaching me in confirmation.

-Hadley Haake

My name is Jace, and I’m currently in Confirmation. My favorite part of our church is the cemetery in the middle. (aka the columbarium) I like to see all the people at church and learn about GOD. My favorite part of Zone is going outside and throwing water balloons and doing community service projects.

I’m excited that our church helps pay for Camp Fontanelle, and I’ve gone for many years. Going to camp is fun, and we do lots of things like hiking, swimming, zip-lining, archery, worshiping, and singing. My favorite part is having fun with my friends and all the counselors and meeting new people.

I like that our church helps people with the food box in front of the church and loaves and Fishes.

I’m glad I picked Steven – He’s cool, fun, and gets the work done. (Haha, that rhymed.) Thank you, Steven Stoppkotte, for mentoring me.

I like our church, but we should get more kids to join. That’s one thing I wish we had more kids. It’s a really good church, and I invite you to suggest it to your friends and family.

Thank you, everyone, for all the things you do for the church and for supporting me and my friends.

– Jace Bergmeier

Rev. Woody Leypoldt baptized me as a baby at the Albion Methodist Church. In the United Methodist Church, when we’re baptized as infants, the parents promise to raise this child and teach them how to be a Christian until they can make up their minds. Then, at age 13 or so, they confirm the promises made for them by their parents when they were baptized and do confirmation to become full members of the church. The congregation also promises to help the parents teach this child how to be a Christian. From baptism to confirmation, they are preparatory members.

Many times at their baptism, I’ll lift the baby and say their full name and proclaim that they are a new member of the family of God. I also make the point to the parents that this child is not going to listen to them until they get to be 30 years old. But they will learn what it is to be a Christian by watching them, how they treat each other, how they treat their friends and neighbors, how they treat family, and how they treat their enemies.

And you never know how far that family of God is going to stretch. Carol Sandsted, a member here at Trinity’s Dad, Rev. Andy Anderson, was my pastor at Albion during most of my growing up years. Virginia White, here at Trinity, was one of my Sunday School teachers at Albion Methodist Church.

All my kids were baptized by their grandfather, my Dad, Rev. Gil Karges; Katie in Charleston; Zack at Albion; Emily at Ainsworth. Most of the time, Cindy and I were serving separate congregations. So we’d invite both churches and our families to a Sunday afternoon baptism for our kids. So, the family of God for my kids is a large extended family. They’ve been a part of up to eight congregations as we’ve served as itinerant United Methodist pastors over the years.

Today, Cindy and I (Grandmama and PaPa) will baptize our grandson, Andrew Ward O’Brien. He is the second child of our daughter, Katie, and her husband, Eric. Cindy and I had the honor of baptizing their first child, Connor Kelly O’Brien, in Durham, NC, as a part of Katie and Eric’s second COVID-delayed wedding at the chapel at the Duke Divinity School, where Cindy and I went to seminary. For Connor, the representatives of the family of God included both his parents’ families and their friends from high school, college, and Duke Law School.

Today, Trinity’s congregation will make the church baptism promises on behalf of Katie & Eric’s home church, Mt. Olivet UMC, in Arlington, VA. And the family of God will continue to grow!

Grace & Peace,

This is the fourth Sunday in Lent. Lent is 40 days (excluding Sundays) from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday.

I want to lift up some questions and suggestions that Rachel Held Evans has for Lent:

“When I wake up on Resurrection Sunday morning, (Easter), how will I be different? What am I preparing for? Is there something in my life – a habit, a grudge, a fear, a prejudice, an addiction, an emotional barrier, a form of excess – that keeps me from loving God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength and loving my neighbor as myself? How might I address that over the next 40 days?

Lent is a time to listen to God, but sometimes God speaks through others, particularly the poor, oppressed, marginalized, and suffering. To whom should I be listening this season?

A few years ago I gave up sleeping in for Lent and found that fast surprisingly challenging and meaningful. Last year I tried to give away 40 things I don’t need for Lent. Each day, I went through my closet, through my book and DVD collections, etc, and picked something I didn’t need and found someone to give it to. I found it meaningful. The year before that I fasted from using my debit card. It allowed me to become painfully aware of how easily I swipe and waste; and, allowed me to meditate on and act with better stewardship. Or maybe you’d like to commit to memorizing a verse of scripture each day for 40 days.”

What commitment are you going to make with God for these 40 days of Lent 2024? What are you going to let go of that keeps you from loving God and your neighbor? What new behavior are you going to offer to God to bring you closer to God and your neighbor?

Grace & Peace,

In 2005, I had been married to Andy for five years, our son Braden was one year old, and I had been teaching for two years. My mom started having some odd health symptoms in May of 2005 and was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in June. We were repeatedly told she had a 50% chance to live two years and a 20% chance to live five years. Much to our shock, she passed away on December 17 – six months after diagnosis. My angels arrived in this dark time. My husband supported me through it all, my siblings and I (unfortunately) bonded over decisions and tasks after our mom’s death, my friends helped out in more ways than I can count, and my coworkers wrote all my sub plans. So many times, the words “Don’t worry about it – we’ve got it covered” eased my mind so I could focus on what was most important at the time.

Starting in 2015, my dad began to have a myriad of health issues. I spent MANY days driving back and forth between Grand Island and Gothenburg, being with my dad for doctor appointments, and recovering from procedures and surgeries. In June of 2023, my dad was placed on hospice due to kidney failure, congestive heart failure, and amyloidosis. I am beyond thankful for the extra time I spent with him because he passed away on September 29 after falling ten days earlier. Again, my angels showed up! Andy was my rock through it all, and my siblings, in-laws, and I have worked as a team, making decisions and completing tasks. Having understanding in-laws, who are now my bosses and who let me take care of my dad as much as he needed, made it all a little easier. My friends have provided support during the tough times — coming to my dad’s funeral, as well as continuing to check on me, have pulled me through.

I never imagined being 43 years old and experiencing the death of both of my parents. Without my angels in my wilderness – my family, friends, faith, and coworkers – I honestly have no idea how I would have survived it.

– Brenda Cochran

Many of you know that I am a teacher in Central City. But what you may not know is that Central City is also my hometown. My sister and I grew up across the street from North Park and were frequently allowed to go over and play in the evenings, as our parents could easily see us from the living room window.

One evening during my first-grade year, my sister and I went to the park with our parents’ permission. Shortly after arriving, our neighborhood friends met up with us. They had brought their German shepherd and tied the leash to the swing set. My sister hopped off the swing and went over to pet the dog. The dog wagged its tail excitedly. After that, she and one of the girls went over to the jungle gym. I remained on the swings by myself and then decided to hop off and go pet the dog as well. As soon as I approached the German shepherd, it jumped up to my height, placing its front paws on my chest. The dog knocked me on my back and, in one swift motion, bit a gaping hole into my left cheek. I thrust my feet into the dog’s chest, knocking him off of me. I rolled out of the dog’s reach, beyond the length of his leash.

Across the park, a young woman was pushing her baby in the baby swing. My sister, who was only in preschool at the time, had seen the dog attack me and began running frantically around the park, waving her arms in the air and screaming, “Help! Call 911!” The woman took notice and immediately left her child to run over and help me. She scooped me into her arms and ran as fast as she could, carrying me home to my front door. I still remember the horrified look on my mom’s face when she opened the door. My parents rushed me to the hospital, and I was immediately transferred to Lincoln for emergency surgery.

Last Sunday, when Pastor Kelly challenged us to think of the angels in our lives, my mind immediately went to the woman in the park. To this day, we have never seen that woman again. Although we tried to locate and thank her many times, no one seemed to know who it could be, despite our family being from Central City and knowing almost everyone in town.

Just as the angels in the wilderness protected Jesus, the woman protected me in the park that day. I will never forget her selfless act of leaving her own child to bring me to safety. Although we never got the opportunity to thank her, I hope that I can pay it forward for someone else in a time of need.

– Dane Christensen,

Choir & Hand Bell Director

As I reflect on my journey for the 40 days of Lent, I am drawn back to the days I spent in my home church. Lent was an intense yet deeply meaningful time for our family and community growing up. It is like people were checking on each other to see if they were really fasting. In those early years, Lent was marked by practices of fasting and prayer. Back home, fasting wasn’t just about abstaining from food; it was a symbol of sacrifice and devotion.

Lent, to me then, held a sense of reverence and discipline. It was a period of introspection and repentance, where we sought to purify our hearts and minds in preparation for Easter. The emphasis was often on what we could give up or deny ourselves during this season. As I ponder about those formative years, I realize how Lent has evolved in its significance for me, especially now as a pastor. While the traditions of fasting and prayer remain central, my understanding of Lent has deepened.

Today, Lent is not simply about abstaining from certain foods, drinks, or permissions; it’s about discerning what truly matters in our lives and redirecting our focus toward God. As a pastor, I’ve come to see Lent as a time of intentional giving rather than deprivation.

In our modern context, fasting extends beyond food to involve the distractions and attachments that oppose our attention. We are called to fast from the things that consume us the most – be it social media, entertainment, or excessive busyness and instead, devote that time and energy to God. Through acts of service, prayer, and ministry within our church community, we seek to deepen our connection with God and each other.

As I journey through Lent this year, I am reminded of the transformative power of sacrificial love. It’s about offering ourselves wholly to God, surrendering our desires and aspirations at the foot of the cross. In this sacred season, we are invited to walk alongside Jesus, embracing the path of humility, self-denial, and, ultimately, resurrection.

May this Lenten journey be a time of spiritual renewal and awakening as we draw closer to the heart of God and the promise of Easter joy.

Associate Pastor,

Anny Kapundu

This Wednesday is Valentine’s Day (and Ash Wednesday). We’ve set aside this one day a year for love.

When you fall in love you lose yourself. No, that’s not quite it. Love smacks you upside the head. Yeah, that’s closer.

There is something about loving another that’s outside your control; like you can’t help yourself. At the same time, you’ve made a choice to give yourself to it.

I will admit that I have been in love several times in my life. Sometimes I knew it. Sometimes I had no idea. Dad love is different than husband love. And Grandpa love is unlike anything I’ve known before.

The father side of me, trying to explain this love thing to my kids has said that it’s like all of a sudden, that other person’s happiness becomes as important or more important than your own. Seeing them smile brings a joy that’s bigger than the stars! And the best is when it is mutual; when they love you and you love them. That’s not to say that their love is equal to yours. Cause’ love cannot be measured. It is as individual and unique as a snowflake.

My three kids have been in multiple relationships. And each time they’d fall for another, I’d start fearing “the break-up.” But a part of me wants them to fall hard and deeply in love; no half-way in the things of the heart. The other part of me wants to protect them from getting scars and callouses on their souls.

One side of love is like being knocked over by a huge wave. The other is a clear conscious decision; the will to give yourself away, to serve, no matter what their response. Their reception of your love does not matter as much as your desire to give it.

I have told couples at their weddings that from now on, every day you will wake up and choose to be married. And that wedding ceremony is the beginning of you publicly telling the world that you choose to love this other person like you love no other person in this world. And I say that knowing full well that I could not talk them out of it if I wanted to. Cause’ love has smacked them upside the head and they re out of their minds, head over heals, gaga over each other. And it’s just fun to be in the same room with the power and depth of that kind of love.

What is your Valentine’s Day expression of love going to look like this year?

Grace & Peace,

The Birth of the “Plarn” Party?

Have you ever been asked the question: “How is God working in your life?” Sometimes, it is in retrospect that we see how God was at work!

Do you ever attend church and feel like that day’s message was specifically meant for you? In his sermon “Just Do It,” right before I went on the mission trip to the Midwest Mission Distribution Center, I felt affirmed by Rev Kelly’s words: “We who are God’s people should be known for keeping our promises. God is calling you to work in his vineyard. OK, Boomer, will you just talk about it – or will you go? Then, Pastor Anny’s message is “Giving Back”—“By giving to God, we contribute to ministries and programs that support the vulnerable and make a positive impact in the world.” Finally, in Kelly’s message “Take the Risk,”–“Think of all the opportunities we could harvest with our God-given talents and opportunities if we were just bold enough to base our goals and priorities on God’s promises instead of on our own security.”

“Just Do It”, “Give Back,” and “Take a Risk!” Along with my mission trip experience, that is where the Plarn Party and Sleeping Mat ministry were born! On February 18 from 4-5:30 pm, you will have the opportunity to become part of a mission/ministry opportunity for the vulnerable as we prepare “plarn” (plastic yarn) for weaving sleeping mats. Make it a family affair! Bring any used, clean plastic shopping bags. Each mat requires 500-700 bags. Even the scraps will be repurposed by Trex—a company that makes benches from recycled plastic.

Following our good work, we will “party on” with pizza and set future dates and times. See Pastor Carla to sign up!

Blessings, Pastor Carla

Dear Church Family,

As I reflect on the journey of my life, from the warmth of the Democratic Republic of Congo to the snowy embrace of Grand Island. I am reminded of the varied landscape that God paints for each of us. Snow was a concept I only knew from pictures and stories. In sharing my story, I aim to convey the beauty of embracing new experiences, the challenges of adapting to a different climate, and the gratitude that fills my heart for the seasons of life.

Growing up in the Congo, a land where snow is nothing more than a distant dream, I never imagined that I would one day find myself surrounded by the glistening white landscapes of Grand Island during wintertime. This year, the snowfall seems more abundant than ever, blanketing the streets and rooftops in a serene white coat. It is like an adventure beyond my wildest dreams, nothing short of magical. The cold, crisp air and the hushed stillness of a snowy morning are lessons in patience and appreciation that I am still learning to navigate.

Our boys, on the other hand, have embraced the snow with unbridled enthusiasm, turning our front yard into a playground of snowmen and snowball fights. Their laughter echoes through the frosty air, a reminder of the joy that can be found amidst the chill.

I must confess that I am still adjusting to the idea of venturing out to play in the winter wonderland. It seems that the novelty of snow doesn’t discriminate, and whether you were born here or not, we all share in the delight and occasional frustration that it brings (the slick, the freeze, the melting… and so on…)

One humorous observation I’ve made is that I initially assumed those born in snowy regions would be immune to the cold’s effects…lol… However, as it turns out, we are all in the same boat, shivering our way through winter and bundling up in layers of warmth. And even canceling church services… lol. It’s a reminder that no matter where we come from, the shared experience of weathering the cold brings us together in a common bond.

Yet, in all these contrasts, I am grateful for God’s creation and the diversity of seasons that shape our lives. While the winter months bring challenges, they also pave the way for the beauty of spring. Each season holds its own magic and wonder. As we anticipate the melting of snow and the emergence of new life, I find myself eagerly looking forward to the gardening season.

So, my journey from the Congo to Grand Island has been a direction of contrasts, from a land without snow to a place where it blankets the world in white. Through it all, I am reminded of the wisdom in Ecclesiastes 3:1, “For everything, there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven.” Let us embrace each season with gratitude, finding joy in the uniqueness of our journeys and the shared experiences that bring us closer as a church family.

Blessings & Yours Truely, Anny Kapundu

By the time you read this, it’s supposed to be a high of minus 3 degrees. Right now the temperature outside is hovering around freezing. Denver is warmer than us right now. One of those frigid cold
fronts has escaped from Canada and invaded the middle of the country.

Inside, it seems like the heater never stops. If you’re outside it hurts to breathe. The outside of your clothes feel brittle to the touch. Any exposed skin tingles before it goes numb. It feels like the outside air is pushing down on you as you walk. Every vapor that comes out of a house or car looks white and thick. Even if I don’t have a cold, my nose running mechanism gets turned on and left on.

When it’s this cold the birds seem to disappear. Even the fattest squirrels move really fast. No living breathing animal walks slowly in this kind of weather if you can help it. Living in this cold of weather is an endurance test. Your soul’s constant question to your mind and body is, “Can you make it until it warms up again?”

So we watch the weather reports. We read the five-day forecast in the paper and online. We wonder what it’s like to live in Arizona, Florida, or California right now. Around the coffee table, we debate whether it’s worth the effort to live out the winter on the high plains.

When it’s this cold, my South Carolina-raised wife comes in from outside and declares, “It’s not supposed to be like this! People aren’t supposed to live in places where it gets this cold!” I say, “Tell that to the Canadians.” Even after all these years in Nebraska, Cindy still has a hard time remembering to zip up her coat, (the first few years she’d carry her coat from the house to the car). Those of us who’ve grown up with an annual expectation of sub-zero weather in January go to our bottom drawers and pull out the long johns and wool socks. We go to the closet and dig out our insulated boots, scarves, extra warm gloves, and our biggest, heaviest coat with a hood. We button and zip and yank it all on and take a deep breath before going out the door. We lean into the wind and close our eyes to little slits to keep them from freezing shut between the house and the car.

When it is this cold, may God help us remember that there is an end to this. And, please God, help me remember what my body felt like that day back in July when I complained about it being too hot.

Grace & Peace,

It is the first Sunday of the new year. 2023 is done. 2024 is all before us.
My Zen Buddhist friends remind us that “the past is perfect.” So even though memories and regrets of this past year are fresh in our minds, there is nothing we can do now to change any of that. 2024 is a clean slate in front of us. It is time to move on.

True, there are still some people we could say, “I’m sorry,” to from 2023. There are still some “Thank you’s, “You mean so much to me’s,” and “I love you’s” left unsaid last year. There are tons of things we may wish we could do over. But fretting over all that doesn’t change anything.

What can happen in this new year is that maybe, if we’re lucky, we can make one significant change from our 2024 behavior. Rev. Fred Wideman, a pastor friend of mine from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, challenged his congregation to choose one thing they’d be willing to get up early or stay up late to accomplish this new year. One thing we’d be willing to go that extra mile to do.

Ask God to help you do it. Then, if we’re lucky when we cross over into 2025 one year from now, the past will be perfect, and you will have one less regret.

Here’s the Wesley Covenant Prayer that many United Methodist Churches say together on this first Sunday of the new year every year:
“I am no longer my own, but thine.
Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt.
Put me to doing, put me to suffering.
Let me be employed by thee or laid aside for thee, exalted for thee or brought low for thee.
Let me be full, let me be empty. Let me have all things, let me have nothing.
I freely and heartily yield all things to thy pleasure and disposal.
And now, O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
Thou art mine and I am thine. So be it.
And the covenant which I have made on earth, let it be ratified in heaven. Amen.”

Grace & Peace,

The two minutes of Christmas present, giving and receiving, have passed.

The magic moment has come and gone. The buildup to the letdown has occurred. Now… somebody’s just got to clean up the mess. That sweater has got to be exchanged.

You spent more time looking for that toy than it took to break it. And if I eat one more bite of turkey, I’ll … You get the picture. And did you really choose to lock yourself in a house with all those people and only one remote control?

Christmas is not just that frenzy of ripping paper and opening boxes.

Christmas is much more than a moment:
❄️
Christmas is a state of mind.
❄️
Christmas is looking forward to …
❄️
Christmas is learning to wait.
❄️
Christmas is being disappointed. (When Jesus was born, I’m sure somebody said, “What? … That’s it?”)
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Christmas is totally surprising.
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Christmas is God’s coming to be one of us, despite knowing us for who we really are.

On this Sunday after, I’m asking you not to let Christmas go quite yet. Hang on to the feeling of receiving a gift. Linger on the idea of being totally surprised.

Let the total unbelievability of how God chose to do this thing soak into your soul. If you do, I believe that you may become Christmas to somebody else. This year, you may be Christ in the flesh – God’s surprising gift – to someone. And Christmas will last much longer than it ever has before.

Grace & Peace,

There is a hush that falls over the city Christmas Eve night. There is hardly a car on the road. Only the really hard-core stores and gas stations are open. People are on the way, making preparations, or already together.

It is one of the few true religious times of the year. It is time to stop, give thanks, and look for life’s simple blessings. It is a time to pull back the muck of daily trials and tribulations and see the brighter side of life. It is a time of hope. It is a time to give.

By Christmas Eve, all our work and efforts have either happened or not. We have bought all the right stuff for each other. We have wrapped it in the right kind of paper. By then, we have made all the right kinds of food. We have put on the right clothes. We sang the right kinds of songs. We have done all this hard work as if we were the ones making Christmas happen.

When this Christmas Eve hush hits, we realize that it is God (not us) who makes it happen. There is no special formula for the right things that make Christmas, Christmas. Christmas – God coming to us – happens no matter what we do. Christmas is not something you do or don’t deserve. Christmas happens whether we are ready or not. Christmas is all about the gift of himself that God places in the world’s hands. God says, “Here this is for you.” And we say, “Oh, you shouldn’t have.” But we open it anyway.

God’s gift to us is the gift of new life, the gift of acceptance, the gift of love. In the hush of the moment this year, may each of us take God’s gift for what it is and say, “Thanks God, it’s just what I needed.”

Grace & Peace,

An awareness of happenings within our church community during December brings a feeling of hope. There are many places for each of us to serve in some way. Of course, attending worship is at the top of the list. Supporting all that goes on through prayer is vital. How about purchasing a basket from the Baskets of Love display? Or perhaps it is noticing the delightful decorations all around our building that have lovingly been placed by our decorating committee and other helpers. Thursday mornings bring a Zoom scripture discussion. Let’s not forget the beautiful music provided by many gifted singers, accompanists, bell ringers, and drummers. There are prayer shawls to be shared with anyone needing that comfort. Small gift bags are being assembled and delivered to our shut-ins. Communion is regularly taken to nursing homes around GI. Howard School is the recipient of snacks, gifts for their Christmas gift store so that every student can have something to give to their family, helpers for the store, and bags of snacks to send home with some students for the holiday break. The drive-by food box helps feed those in the neighborhood. The Miller Hall kitchen will soon be remodeled. Our circles, if needed, will serve funeral luncheons. The Tuesday Bible study is looking at people who are a part of the Christmas story. Our men’s Bible study is meeting on Friday mornings. Later in the day, there is a coloring group at the Chocolate Bar on Fridays. On Sunday mornings, there is a Bible study and a sharing group after worship. Also, on Saturday night, there is a discussion group prior to worship. Our children and youth will be providing us with a Christmas program. 500 boxes of food will be given out at Loaves and Fishes. There is always coffee to share on both Saturday night and Sunday morning. And, drum roll please, our office staff keeps things going, and our ministerial staff will plan meaningful worship services throughout the month including three Christmas Eve services. Wow, I’m breathless and incredibly grateful to be a part of such a vital church. Thank you to all who make these many things happen!

– Debbra Brummund

Dear Trinity family,

As we reflect upon the years gone by, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the unwavering support and love this congregation has shown me since I arrived in 2021. The warmth and kindness you have extended to me, my family, and my ministry have been instrumental in shaping our shared journey of faith.

Since my arrival, the Trinity United Methodist Church community has been a source of strength, encouragement, and inspiration. Your support has been a beacon guiding me through the challenges and joys of ministry, creating a nurturing environment that allows both me and our church ministry to grow. From the countless prayers to the selfless acts of service, every gesture has been a testament to the depth of our shared commitment to the work of God.

As a pastor, I recognize that there are moments when I fall short of fulfilling all my pastoral duties, and I have hurt many of you. Please find in your heart a place to forgive me for my hurtful words, attitudes, and wrong actions. Additionally, there have been times when I couldn’t visit everyone, make calls, or send cards or letters as I would have wished. I sincerely apologize to anyone who anticipated a visit and did not receive one.

Beyond the obstacles of ministry, my commitment to our shared mission remains steadfast. With God’s guidance and the unity of our congregation, I am confident that we will continue to create a living image of God in our church and the wider community.

During Pastors’ Appreciation in October, I was deeply moved by this incredible community’s outpouring of love and gratitude. The thank-you notes, thoughtful gifts, heartfelt phone calls, and the stops in my office or the hallways were more than tokens of appreciation; they affirmed our relationship. Your gestures touched my heart and were a powerful reminder of the love that binds us.

I extend my heartfelt appreciation to each Trinity United Methodist Church family member for being with me throughout this transformative journey as I learn from each of you. Your prayers, encouragement, and acts of kindness have been a testament to the strength of our community and the power of God’s love working through us. Thank you for all you do; let us continue to be a beacon of God’s light in our church and community.

With heartfelt gratitude and in God’s love,

Anny Kapundu

As United Methodist Clergy, you have to ask permission to retire. So your retirement has to be approved by the Board of Ordained Ministry, your District Superintendent, and the Bishop. Ultimately, your retirement is voted on by the Clergy Session at the Annual Conference in June. I’ve watched several friends retire over the years. My older brother, Rev. Todd Karges retired a couple years ago. Now it’s my turn.

I wrote my letter requesting permission to retire as of July 1, 2024, a few weeks ago. It was kind of a weird feeling. I never imagined doing this. When I was a senior Psychology major at Nebraska Wesleyan, I remember asking my Dad, (Rev. Gil Karges), what he thought if I went to Seminary. He said, “A year of seminary can’t hurt anybody!” I had started college pre-law. So in the end I had minors in Political Science, Sociology, and Religion tacked on to my Psychology degree. My first job in the church was in 1981 as a “Miller & Paine Intern” at St. Paul UMC in Lincoln, working with the UMYF. That seems like just yesterday. I’ve been working/serving in the United Methodist Church ever since.

After being ordained as a Deacon in 1984, I was then ordained as an Elder in 1986. While going to seminary at Duke Divinity School, I served as an intern at Metropolitan UMC, Detroit; Lebanon UMC, Highpoint, NC; The Temperance Hall Parish in eastern North Carolina; and Clinical Pastoral Education at North Carolina Memorial Hospital in Chapel Hill, NC. In Nebraska, I was appointed to churches in Fremont, Ainsworth & Johnstown, Seward, Beatrice, Doniphan & Rosedale, and here at Trinity in Grand Island. In South Carolina, I served St. Andrews Parish UMC in Charleston.

This will be a year of “lasts,” the last VBS, the last Praise on the Plaza, the last trunk or treat, the last stewardship campaign; the last Christmas Eve, etc.

Right now, we’re planning on moving mid-June to the Washington DC area to be near our kids and help take care of our grandkids. Our daughter Katie’s family is there. Our son Zack’s family and daughter Emily are in North Carolina.

As one of the large churches in the Conference, Trinity should be one of the first Senior Pastor appointments made in the spring. I invite you to help me enjoy this year of lasts, like the last Lent, last Easter, last confirmation, last graduation, etc.

Grace & Peace,

Thanksgiving Day is one of the few “stopping” holidays that still exists in the U.S.A. Sure, there are some restaurants that stay open. Hospitals, gas stations, and fast food places don’t close. But schools, and most businesses, and manufacturing places give folks the day off for Thanksgiving. So most Americans stop and get together with family and/or friends to eat together as a way of saying thanks for the many blessings of our lives.

Many families attach other traditions to this national day of thanks. Some go hunting every Thanksgiving. Some have to fall asleep to the NFL or NBA on TV. My wife and kids have always watched the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on TV in the morning. We also have to have both turkey and ham, green bean casserole, southern cornbread dressing, mashed potatoes, Grandma Karges’s pineapple casserole, and chutney cranberry sauce for the meats.

Since our kids were little, we’ve also added going to a movie on Thanksgiving night after the family dinner at noon. A lot of those were the new Disney animated features (i.e., Beauty and the Beast, Lion King, Toy Story, etc.).

When we lived in Charleston, South Carolina, my Mom and Dad would drive from Nebraska and meet us halfway in Nashville, and we’d stay at some Residence Inn and go to Cracker Barrel for the Thanksgiving meal.

This year my family will be meeting at our oldest’s in Arlington, Virginia for Thanksgiving. Our son Zack, his wife Mandy, and our youngest, Emily will be driving up from North Carolina together. Our daughter Katie and her husband Eric are expecting their second son on December 1. Me and Cindy were to fly there Tuesday, Nov. 21st. But Cindy decided to go last Tuesday to help, in case the baby came early. We love that non-stop flight from Omaha to Reagan International.

May God be with us and help us to stop to give thanks for all the blessings of our lives. May God also be with us as we step onto that moveable walkway called Advent that will accelerate us toward Christmas at break-neck speed.

Grace & Peace,

Living on borrowed time. That’s how it feels every Nebraska November day that it is not snowing or cold. “Can you believe how nice the weather is?” – was the entry into most conversations this past week.

Living on borrowed time – is the feeling that ninety-something folks of our parish have expressed to me as I have visited around. They want me to know that every healthy minute you get on this earth is a blessing. They tell me, “You’ve got to enjoy your kids while you’ve got them, because all too soon they go away!” The older you get, the faster time goes!”

Living on borrowed time. Family in the hospital waiting room in the middle of the night, waiting word from the emergency room doctor, look up with reddened eyes and say, “You just never know do you? You just never know from one minute to the next how your life can change.”

Time is something that we cannot control. It will just keep on flowing, with or without us. How we choose to spend that time that God has given us, however, is what gives meaning to our lives. It is our choice to use, abuse or ignore our allotted time on this earth. Our time is one of that most precious gifts we can give to each other. God help each of us to take the risk to give our time to others. Maybe giving our time away will even help us get a little extension of our life loan from God.

Grace & Peace,

The other night we had one of those perfect sunsets. You know the kind. The air was perfectly still. There were no clouds in the sky. The last 20 minutes before the daylight ended, the western sky was a brilliant orange. Trees, buildings, and machines were stark black cutouts holding back the horizon’s glow.

We here in south-central Nebraska are lucky enough to be able to see the turning of the earth. With good peripheral vision, we can see the dark blue edges slowly close in on the sun’s reddish-yellow influence. A yellow glow radiates in streaks through the blue sky as the sun’s angle gets steeper and steeper. The orange slowly consolidates into the top half of a brilliant ball of light that sinks away to darkness.

You just don’t get that view from heavily wooded places. You need places with a clear view of the entire horizon; places where you can see the outline of the earth begin to bend in the furthest corners of your vision.

When we lived in Charleston, South Carolina, I had to go to the beach for my sunset fix. You can go to the mountains, but you have to be on the top of the tallest one looking down on the horizon to get the same feeling. Being in the middle of the ocean works. Tundra does it too.

But there is nothing like having a flat horizon to frame your sunset. The simplicity of the line gives you a sense of the greatness of our world, and the smallness of our place in it. It is one of those thin places, where the boundaries between heaven and earth are permeable and it seems easier to cross over from one side to another.

A sunset like that makes you sigh deeply. The orange glow seems to have gotten inside you somehow. And before you know it you find yourself bowing your head and saying these words out loud to no one in particular, “Thank you God . . Thanks.”

Grace & Peace,

Prayer is such an important part of our Christian journey. At times, someone will say to me, “I wish I could do more, but all I can do is pray.” My reply is “Don’t underestimate the power of prayer.” I recently received a thank you note from an 18-year-old high school senior. I have requested prayers for her several times as her health deteriorated due to spinal pain. She even had to quit going to school. Fortunately, they found a doctor with the correct diagnosis. Successful surgery followed, and she has been able to return to her senior year of high school. As a side note, she has spent much of her growing up in Turkey with her missionary parents. Here is what this amazing 18-year-old wrote to our church.

“Dear Trinity United Methodist,

Thank you so much for praying for me these past two months. I am so grateful to you. I am happy to say that the surgery went perfectly and I am back at home, getting stronger every day. The Lord brought me through with my faith stronger, and I can’t wait to see what He does through my testimony. Your prayers had a part to play, and I am so grateful for you praying for me, on my behalf.
Thank you. God bless you.

Jessica”

Need a Kleenex yet, I did. We never know what life we touch, or what seeds we may plant. Keep praying my friends. You make a difference!

-Deb Brummund

Good morning Trinity Members,

This weekend has been set aside to dedicate it to Trinity’s women, especially those who are members of the “United Women in Faith” as we are now named. Our organization is made up of women dedicated to God, experiencing freedom as whole persons through Jesus Christ, involved in supportive fellowship, and involved in the many kinds of local and global ministries of our church. At Trinity, we have four circles. We welcome ALL women and would love to have more join us. Hope and Love Circles meet on the 3rd Monday of each month at 1 pm, Martha Circle meets the 3rd Thursday of each month at 9:15 am, and Dorcas Circle meets the 3rd Thursday of each month at 1:30 pm.

Our mission giving involves Big Garden (Omaha), Red Bird Mission, McCurdy School (Both Native American Reservations), and Epworth Village of Nebraska. We give locally to the youth and children’s programs here at Trinity. We also contribute to the community food pantry, Hope Harbor, Neighbors in Need, and 1st Light Child Advocacy Center. You’ll see our women serving weddings, funerals, vacation bible school, and helping out in numerous ways around Trinity.

It’s often been said that “without active women, a church can not survive.” However, we always need more such women especially younger individuals. You do NOT need to be a member to be a part of Trinity to be a part of United Women in Faith. Please contact me if you wish to join (and we certainly hope you’ll consider it.)

Blessings to each of you,
Connie Schaaf
Trinity’s UWF President

Today is World Communion Sunday. Christian churches all over the world are celebrating holy communion with us today. It is a symbol of the church’s unity around the world.

In the United Methodist Church, all are invited to participate in communion. We believe that God’s grace can work through our participation in this holy meal, even if we don’t fully understand it; member or not, no matter what age. It is a mystery that we enter into together as a community of faith.

World Communion Sunday special offering is one of six special offerings that we United Methodists take during the year. This one goes toward helping students with their college and other higher education costs by providing scholarships.

There is a lot of symbolism happening here. Followers of Jesus need to be fed, (physically, spiritually, mentally), in order to walk in his footsteps and serve like he did. If we are not fed regularly, (taking him into who we are), we will not be able to keep up after a while. The world has a way of wearing us down.

Followers of Jesus need to leave behind what’s dragging us down, so we can move forward and grow into who God needs us to be. At communion, we symbolically drop our burdens at the altar and lift our hands to receive Jesus in a real way, (his body and blood). We have a chance to symbolically become new people as we take this meal; letting go of the old as we come forward and walking into a new way of living when we return to our seats.

As you come forward to receive communion today, I invite you to think about your fellow Christians in Russia/China/Iran/Palestine/India/Iraq/Kenya/Congo/The Philippines, etc., doing the same thing.

Grace & Peace,

I am so grateful for the work of our Trinity Trustees, chaired by Tom Graves. In addition to Tom, they are: Tim Victor, Keith Eschilman, Kim Kosmicki, Rob Horky, John Bell, Josh Bergmeier, Gloria Gress, and Jerry Glass. They have worked with our United Women in Faith to get our church Kitchen remodeling project up and going.

Our main kitchen at Miller Hall has been in need of repair for a long time. It started with a leaky flat roof over all of our fellowship hall area that was replaced. That leak damaged the kitchen walls and ceiling. Then the gas stove/oven became unreliable. Then the flooring began to slowly degrade. So with other problems in the kitchen, it has been unusable for several years. That, in combination with COVID, has meant that any food in Miller Hall needed to be catered or carried in for some time.

The Trustees asked our Administrative Team if we could do a capital campaign to raise money for remodeling the Kitchen. The Administrative Team approved, and this summer the Trustees began asking some of our more generous givers to contribute to this $100,000 project. So far approximately $70,000 has been given or pledged (over three years). In a letter we’ll send out this coming week we’re asking the rest of the congregation to help finish up the funding for this important project. Tom will speak more about the details of this project today and invite the congregation to take a tour of our current Kitchen after worship.

I am inviting you to please pray about how you can contribute to completing our Kitchen remodeling project. A newly remodeled Kitchen will enable Trinity to be in the ministry of food and fellowship for years to come.

Grace & Peace,

I was born and raised mainly in Buffalo, Wyoming. Both sets of grandparents came to Wyoming from Iowa and homesteaded near Buffalo. My dad was the family sheepherder and farmer, and for most of my life, he was a commercial beekeeper. I was his helper. Those were wonderful years.

My mother was a homemaker and “practical” nurse, as they were called in those days. She helped care for folks in their home.

Two of my favorite friends were from our town who were handicapped. I spent lots of time with them. Those, too, were wonderful years. I had no idea then that I was in training for my future.

I loved attending MYF, a church camp in the beautiful Big Horn mountains, and I also had great Sunday School teachers in our Buffalo Methodist Church. They taught us how to apply the bible teachings to our lives. Those concepts have given me strength, courage, and a love for God that has carried me through many life challenges. Because of my faith, I have been able to gain an understanding and ability to help others, including my own family.

The scripture that has kept me going for many years is Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

I’m proud and blessed to be a United Methodist for life. There have been so many changes through my 80-some years, and each change has had its challenges and its blessings. Each one has made me grow in my faith and in my confidence as a Christian.

-Marge Terman

What’s the BIG DEAL about Homecoming Sunday? I’m so glad you asked! Trinity UMC will host its third annual Homecoming celebration on September 17. We will start with our very first “TOGETHER” worship service at 9:30 a.m. Together worship is a traditional service with the addition of some contemporary music, as both the chancel choir and Crosspoint band will be TOGETHER every week. On this first TOGETHER Sunday, we will present our third-grade students with a Bible and a homemade Bible bag. This is an exciting milestone for students who are now able to read the entire Bible.

Following worship, we will hold a luau in Miller Hall. Pulled pork, Hawaiian rolls, pineapple upside-down cake, and Hawaiian punch will be served. You are encouraged to wear a Hawaiian shirt; everyone will receive a lei. You can pose with friends at the photo booth or dance the hula to Hawaiian music. The highlight of this time will be the announcement and crowning of our Homecoming Royalty. Every year, we honor two people who have faithfully served Jesus Christ through Trinity UMC. Previous Homecoming Royalty are Del and Carolyn Roper (2021) and Bob Steele and Marjean Terman (2022).

Homecoming Sunday is an excellent opportunity to invite family, friends, and neighbors to visit Trinity UMC. We are better together, and that’s the way we want every Sunday to be. As Jesus said, “Where two or three people gather in my name, I am there with them.” Matthew 15-20.

-Christina Landenberger, Director of Family Ministries

We’re going to try something different this fall. For the past two years, we’ve had one Sunday morning worship service in the summers, then switched back to two Sunday services in the fall. This year, we’re going to try having just one Sunday worship service at 9:30am during the school year with blended music (traditional and contemporary) every Sunday. So the Chancel Choir and Cross Point Band will participate every Sunday. This change in worship time and style will begin on Homecoming/Luau Sunday, September 17th.

What happens in worship is ultimately up to me as Senior Pastor.  But I wanted input from our music directors and accompanists, a young adult group researching how to attract and keep young adults in the church, our Administrative Team, and our staff. The feedback about a change was generally positive. Folks were willing to give this change a try. At our Ad Team meeting in August, I asked the Administrative Team to approve my recommendation to go to one Sunday morning worship service in the fall. After a good discussion, the vote was unanimous to move ahead with this change.

After living through COVID with different worship times, sometimes only live-streamed worship on Facebook, I think we discovered how important it is for us to be together in worship. We moved to one Sunday Service in the summer because we liked worshipping together when the sanctuary “felt full.” In these past two summers, we’ve averaged between 80-100 in live Sunday morning worship and 30-40 online. There has been positive energy. It has felt full.  Saturday night worship has remained consistent at 25-30 people.

We’re hoping to grow our Sunday morning worship and keep this “full” feeling in the fall and during the school year.  We are blessed with wonderful music from our Chancel Choir and Crosspoint Band. We hoping to get the adult Bell Choir back up and running after it shut down during COVID. Imagine how great it will be to have Chancel Choir, Crosspoint Band, and Adult Bell Choir together on Sunday mornings!

Grace & Peace,

In today’s world, reports of declining church attendance, particularly in mainline Protestant churches, are common. The hope is that this church can be a part of a positive forward movement in order to avoid falling into that category. Right now, here at Trinity, there is the perfect opportunity to set a new tradition. Even though change is often challenging, Trinity’s Administrative Council has voted to support Reverend Kelly’s recommendation to move to one combined worship service at 9:30 beginning September 17. The service will take place in the sanctuary. And——drum roll please—-it will be a new combination service. Music will be provided each week by both Crosspoint band and Traditional choir. In short, it will be a new hybrid TOGETHER service that incorporates the best of both worlds. If you especially love the old hymns, they will be sung. If you prefer the modern songs of praise, they will be sung. The choirs will alternate weeks with a spirit-filled anthem, and everything else in worship will be a mixture of the two services. (Saturday night worship will continue as is at 6 pm. On Sunday morning, worship will be followed by GIFT hour, where people can meet for further study and get to know each other better! The GIFT hour includes children’s Sunday School.) One of the strengths of this church is the wonderful support of others it provides. Everyone will have an opportunity to meet and know fellow congregants in this new hybrid TOGETHER service. This change will truly help us put the UNITED in Trinity United Methodist Church. Here is a challenge: Think of someone you have missed seeing at services lately, give them a call, and offer to pick them up for this new worship service. Or better yet, invite someone who doesn’t have a church. Either way, it’s a win/win situation. Be a part of moving Trinity forward in a positive way. Please give this new combined worship service a chance. Change may be challenging, but good things can come out of it.

-Ad Council
Chairman: Rob Winter
Vice Chairman: Deb Brummund

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news. It will bring great joy for all the people. Luke 2:10

The angel said to the women, “Don’t be afraid. I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. Matthew 28:5

The Bible is full of passages where God sends an angel to deliver an important message to people. Not just the important people, like kings and prophets, but also the ordinary people, like shepherds and Mary Magdalene. While the Bible doesn’t give much of a physical description of angels other than having wings, it does make clear that angels know how to make an entrance. Their dazzling and sudden appearance is so startling that their usual opening line is, “Don’t be afraid!” Wouldn’t it be fun if pastors started every sermon that way? “Don’t be afraid; I have a message for you from God!”

All four gospels make it clear that Jesus intended his followers to take on that same messenger role. As his disciples, we are repeatedly told to go out into the world and spread the good news to everyone. In other words, be an angel to someone through your prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness. Not just one time, but as often as you can for your whole life. When this task seems hard, or you need a little inspiration, step into our Columbarium and stand in front of the new angel mural. Take a picture with those wings behind you and the halo above you as a reminder that you are called to be a messenger of Christ. God equips his people for this task in many ways, just as he did the angels of the Bible. Be dazzling, be startling, but don’t be too scary!

High school student Rylee Seely painted the angel mural background. Thank you for your service, Rylee!

-Christina Landenberger, Director of Family Ministries

I became a member of Trinity about one year ago, on August 13, 2022, and I credit it to my sister Linda Clark, who has been a member here. We were raised Catholic, and it seems that all Members of my family had drifted away from that Religion; for me, it was about some of the doctrines Of the Catholics that I could not understand, I won’t go into that here, and now, my point is. Since I have become a member here, a door has been open for me, I have made new friends, and they are encouraging me to study the bible. I attend two bible studies; the first is at Shady Bend Rd., where Jerry, Del, Norm, Mark, Connie, Marty, and I study and discuss Bible verses. I attend the Five O’clock discussion in the gathering place where Linda C, Linda H, Linda R, Joyce M, Joyce T, and Helen B discuss bible readings. I also enjoy volunteering to fold bulletins and newsletters and other opportunities as they arise, and I feel blessed to be a member of The United Methodist Church!

-Steve Purdie

She was a 50-year-plus member of TUMC and active in circle, chorus, and mission trips. When she was in her 70s, she had a health episode that left her in the hospital as she was perplexed and was running a fever.

One night, she kept talking about dying. As a nurse, I knew sometimes that people knew this would happen. So, I tried to get her to change the subject but to no avail. I climbed into bed with her and said, “If you are going, then I am going with you.” It was like a light bulb came on. She hugged me, kissed me, and was so excited about the funeral. People were coming, and everyone together was going to heaven. She was so happy.

What I am saying is~~I have never heard anyone else talk this way, and I have never read a book or seen a movie with this kind of situation. I feel the Holy Spirit was there with us. I thought HE was with us and told us we don’t need someone to accompany us when we die. Jesus will be there holding our hand.

-Susie Andrews Thomsen

Earlier this summer Rev. Kelly gave a sermon about how we need others and others need us. Our son Jim was born on Aug. 12, 1975. My first two children were sleeping all night within 3 weeks, and I always told people, ‘Have them like you raise them”. Not Jim. He never slept all night until he was 10 months old. To say he was a boy on the go is an understatement. April 6, 1992, at the age of 16 Jim’s life was changed forever. He was driving our pickup with 2 friends when he pulled the steering wheel to the left. He hit a concrete bridge. The boy in the middle went through the back window but appeared to be okay. The Jaws of Life were used to get Jim out. On the way to the hospital, his friend died. Jim was life flighted to Kearney, where he had brain surgery. The next morning the surgeon said they had done all they could and that we would not want him to live. Jim and God had other ideas. On April 30 Jim was transferred to Madonna’s in Lincoln with one eye open. In Sept. Jim came home. In May, Jim walked across the stage at graduation. But later, Jim developed tremors and today is confined to a wheelchair and requires 24-hour care. He has his mind but cannot do anything for himself. By bracing his arm on a desk, he can operate a computer and still has a great sense of humor most of the time. He has had treatment at facilities in Gardner, Kansas, twice in Austin, Texas, Sheldon, Iowa, Omaha, Beatrice, and Grand Island, and now lives in a group home in Kearney. He will be 48 in Aug. After a meeting with staff this summer, we walked out in the commons area to find Jim rubbing the arm of a non-verbal male and talking to him. Staff told us that he does this often. At a doctor’s appointment the next week, I told Jim how great I thought that was. Jim’s response, “Mom, he Needs Me”!

-Leila Johnson

Filters of Hope: Sharing clean water and the gospel with those in desperate need of both.

Just as it is important for our children to share in worship, it is also important for them to share in mission. At Vacation Bible School, we are learning about and contributing to the Filter of Hope ministry by Kids Clean Water Project. We are asking the whole congregation to support this mission by donating money. You can give directly to Trinity United Methodist Church, just make sure to note on the check or envelope that it’s for our project. We hope to demonstrate the filtration system in worship soon. The following is some information from the Kids Clean Water Project about Filters of Hope:

“When the Filter of Hope people told me the filter they were giving me would last for 10 years, I couldn’t believe it! I had been sick with parasites 3 times in the past year. Now my family would no longer have to go to the clinic all the time! After installing the filter, they started telling me about Jesus and how God loved me—my heart almost leapt from my body. God…loves…me? I invited God to be my Savior and my King.”

—Carmen, filter recipient in El Salvador

People are thirsty, physically and spiritually. By manufacturing and distributing simple, life-saving water filters, we provide families living in poverty easy access to clean, safe drinking water. For most families, receiving our water filter means they have clean water in their homes for the first time ever. But sharing clean water is only half our mission. Each family that receives a filter is also given the opportunity to hear how they can begin a relationship with God through Jesus.

Can you spare a few dollars for this mission? Each filtration system costs about $40 and has a major impact!

-Christina Landenberger, Director of Family Ministries

Saturday, July 1^st, was the day for our 5^th ‘DeMary’ family picnic which started in 2011. It has been held at Monica & Randy and Mark & Brenda’s (my children’s) Calvin, which is east of Centura School and north and east along the Loup River.

My children and a niece started planning it in May. Save The Date cards were sent, and replies were due back in June. Meat, potatoes, rolls, and paper products would be furnished. Everyone else had a choice of an item to bring. I was getting excited around the middle of June because I don’t see much of the family often.

Out of eleven children, only four of us are living. I and three brothers, so I was hoping they would come. My twin Max and brother Rick have health issues, so would not be coming. It would be my brother Paul and I. As time got closer, people started responding, and so we had a count of 87. We were excited, but in the last week of June, it rained several days, so we were concerned. The kids went to the cabin on Friday to get things ready. Saturday morning came, and it was a little cloudy, so we hoped for the best.

Arriving there at 2:00 was a beautiful sight, and felt peaceful. A cool breeze was blowing, tents were set up, picnic tables and chairs were plentiful. I could just feel God’s presence, and I was thankful. Seventy-five family members showed. The day was filled with talk and laughter, good food, fun games, kids wading in the river and canoeing, and many pictures!

When God brought my parents together 96 years ago, they would never have imagined the legacy that grew out of their love: 33 grand, 58 great, and 111 great-great-grandchildren. We are so blessed.

-Maxine White

My Journey as a member of Trinity began in 1985 after marrying George and moving to Grand Island. Members that have passed away instrumental in my journey are too numerous to mention.

Rev. Vernon Schroeder was my first Trinity contact when he called on us. At the time, Bill Doran and George Wheat were pastors here, and during that year, Rev. Roper moved to Grand Island. I became active in UMW (now United Women of Faith), and George became involved in UMM.

Many events nurtured us…UMM Pancake Feeds, UMW Ladies Night Out, and the Bazaar. We were encouraged to join District 15 Volunteers in Mission. Examples of our work included building casitas in Mexico, working at Camp Comeca, remodeling a parsonage, finishing churches, working on Habitat for Humanity houses, and remodeling a library on the Winnebago Reservation. We were part of the first Live Nativity, which took place outside on South Locust.

During our winters in Texas, we both went on Walks to Emmaus and continued meeting with an Emmaus group at Trinity. I had the privilege of working a Walk with Pastor Onamae. She also organized a Woman’s Retreat at Camp Comeca. Pastor Onamae was a strong example of dying with dignity.

We hosted missionary groups traveling from Mexico to work in Grand Island during Rev. Keyser’s time at Trinity. Rev. Vetter was an excellent, faithful friend who brought communion to George in hospice.

With George’s passing, I became more involved with the Rummage Sale, joined a Tuesday Bible Study Rev. Russ named Mathetes, became a Circle Chair, and am now responsible for the Prayer Chain. Pastor Kalaba was a wonderful addition to Trinity and brought a diversity we had not before experienced. I love our present Pastors, Kelly, Anny, and Carla, and all they do for our Church.

When I came to Trinity, I was a Christian, but the nurturing I’ve received here has, I hope, made me a better one. Thank you, Trinity!

– Betty Patrick

We drove by my family home near Edgar, NE a few months ago. I wanted to take a picture of the tree that had served as my refuge during childhood. The tree was a few yards east of the driveway near the road. As we approached the tree site, I was disappointed to learn that the tree had recently been removed. Fresh wood chips and shavings surrounded the remaining stump.

Why was a photo of that tree significant? In addition to being a refuge, it was the place I felt closest to God during the chaotic times of my childhood. I could retreat to that tree, feel at peace, converse with God, and just be “me.” It was my safe place and became a sanctuary. It was not a particular tree like the walnut or fruit trees that once dotted the property. It was just a plain old tree…my tree, my refuge, quiet place, and listening place.

Do you have an outdoor sanctuary? I have always found that being immersed in nature is where I feel closest to God. I don’t climb trees anymore! However, walking around Sucks Lake or sitting by the pond at Stuhr Museum provide that outdoor sanctuary. One of my favorite places to retreat in Nebraska is the St. Benedict Center near Schuyler. The breathtaking scenery and tranquil environment offer a perfect setting for listening to the Lord, reflecting, contemplating, and feeling at peace. My tree may be gone, but the need to find that quiet place never changes.

In Mark 6:31, we read: “Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” Jesus understood the importance of retreat…setting ourselves “apart” to rest and listen to God. Where is your deserted place to go and rest awhile—recharge, regroup, and renew yourself?

Blessings,
Pastor Carla

Next Sunday, I will start my eighth year as Senior Pastor at Trinity. We’ve had several Associate Pastors in my time so far: Russ, Dave, Kalaba, and now Anny. On July 1st, my wife, Rev. Cindy Karges, also will start her final year of an eight-year term as District Superintendent of the Gateway and Great West Districts. It’s hard to believe that eight years ago, we were packing up our parsonage in Hastings to move up the road to our small rental house in Grand Island. Since I graduated from seminary at Duke Divinity School in 1984, we’ve had seven ministerial moves across two conferences (Fremont/North Bend/Hooper, Charleston, SC, Ainsworth/Johnstown, Seward/Beaver Crossing, Beatrice, Hastings/Doniphan/Rosedale, Grand Island). Did I mention that I hate moving?

Most of you know that I have two brothers and a Dad who are also United Methodist ministers. So whoever moves that year saves boxes and wardrobes to pass on to the next mover. Things get messed up if two of us move in the same year. We also have the tradition of everybody coming to help clean the old house (and sometimes the new one) before the truck arrives. We each have our specialties: Mom and Dad washed windows, brother Casey vacuums, and brother Todd breaks down bed frames and puts them back up. Cindy and I and Todd’s wife Dianne pack up the kitchen.

The move here was the first one without kids. So there was considerable downsizing. We also lucked out to find a house with a huge garage to store all our kids’ stuff in big plastic totes. My predecessor, Rev. Theresa Mason, and I were already friends from carpooling back and forth to spiritual retreats and St. Benedict’s in Schuyler. So we spent that June/in-between/moving time back and forth between our two houses; trading boxes, packing, and unpacking in the transition.

We have been through a lot in my seven years here: funerals, weddings, baptisms, and especially COVID. Many times the folks you get closest to are the ones who have the most trauma in their lives. I look forward to year number eight at Trinity. You never know what’s going to come down the pike. But I do know that this is the year, the kitchen gets redone! Thank you in advance to a great group of Trinity Trustees!!

Grace & Peace,

This is my second Father’s Day as a Grandpa. More accurately, I am Pa Pa for our grandson, Connor Kelly O’Brien.

When I first became a Dad, I was worried that I wasn’t ready. Then when Katie was born, they put her into my arms, and she looked straight through me with those big brown eyes. And I knew it didn’t matter if I was ready. I was Dad. I was responsible for nurturing and growing this little life into a bigger life.

I love being a Dad. Some days I’m good at it. Some days I am not. And despite my fatherly failures, my kids have made it to full-fledged adulting. Becoming adult friends with my three humans who were once totally dependent on us parents to make it from sunrise to sunset has been wonderful.

As Pa Pa, the pressure of responsibility for Connor’s daily survival is gone. As Pa Pa, I am responsible for smiles and giggles; for swings and horsey rides on my shins; for drumming with our hands on every flat surface. As Pa Pa, loving and cherishing come first. Survival and responsibility come second. Because I love and adore Connor’s Momma and Da Da, I have a double influence on him. My love filters down to him through his parents. Then it happens directly by my getting down on my knees, giving him all my attention, and responding to his every move.

This Father’s Day, I thank God for the gift and life-long challenge of being a Dad. I also thank God for the extra thrill of being Pa Pa. Of course, part of being Pa Pa is that even though I am not directly responsible, I will now worry about his every step and breath for the rest of my life!

Grace & Peace,

I write this in anticipation of the Great Plains United Methodist Church’s Annual Conference meeting, Wed., June 7 – Sat. June 10. By the time you read this, Annual Conference will be over. I’m also anticipating that what will make the news will be the fact that around 250 United Methodist Churches in Nebraska and Kansas will have disaffiliated this year. Most of those were smaller congregations. Kansas had double the number of churches leave than Nebraska.

At the 2019 General Conference, a process for leaving with your church property was created. That window of opportunity ends in December 2023. Our Great Plains Conference started that window with approximately 1000 churches and will end with 750. Nationally, approximately 12.5% of United Methodist Churches chose to leave the denomination this past year. So the vast majority of churches in the U.S. stayed United Methodist. The number of pastors who also chose to leave is far less. For example, in my wife Cindy’s two districts, 38 churches were disaffiliated, and seven of those pastors also left the denomination. The rest stayed United Methodist.

The process created by General Conference was that 67% of the membership of a congregation needed to vote leave. Many of those church conference votes were very close. So in a couple of cases, (Lewellen and Imperial UMCs), those 30% who voted not to leave have already organized new UMC congregations at storefronts in their towns. The nearest UM churches that voted to disaffiliate would be the Phillips, Giltner, and Trumbull UMCs.

I am fortunate. The church I grew up in, (Albion Methodist Church), stayed. And none of the churches I have served as pastors (in Nebraska, North Carolina, and South Carolina) have voted to leave. I have colleagues who are heartbroken to learn that churches they poured their hearts into have left the denomination.

So our United Methodist Denomination is in a time of transition, grief, healing, and hope. The hope is around the idea that we can now begin to move on from this 50-year battle over the full inclusion of LGBTQ folk in our church and begin to focus on making disciples of ALL nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Grace & Peace,

It is that time of year once again. This week, all United Methodist Ministers and at least one layperson from every parish in Nebraska and Kansas will gather for Annual Conference at the convention center in LaVista, NE. At Annual Conference, Bishops have asked the same basic questions for generations: “How many ministers are retiring? How many wish to be ordained into full connection? How many people have been drawn into the saving action of the church this year? There are four days and nights of questions and answers.

Pastor Anny, I, and LeEllen Haynes will represent our church this year. We will read all the notebooks full of reports. We will worship, sing, pray, praise, and argue with our fellow United Methodists from all over Nebraska and Kansas.

This year, there has been a Conference Zoom voting session this past week to approve the disaffiliating of approximately 150 churches from United Methodism. With those approved in September, that makes 250 churches that have left. That leaves 750 active United Methodist churches in Nebraska and Kansas. Some of the pastors of those churches have also left. Most stayed. There is grief in the loss of churches that we grew up in. Grief in the loss of colleagues we’ve worked beside for years. There is also hope that we can move on from this 50-year conflict over the equal treatment of LGBTQ+ folks in the church.

This year the annual Pastor’s Golf Outing will be on Tuesday. This year it is in memory and honor of my Dad, Rev. Gil Karges. Dad and former Trinity Senior Pastor Jay Vetter were known to start each day of the annual conference at sunrise at a local golf course. It will be fun to golf with my brothers, Rev. Todd Karges & Rev. Casey Karges.

I have been at the Annual Conference almost every year since I was 12. My Dad was Lay Delegate for the Albion church, then a candidate for ministry, and finally an Elder. Every year we would load up the camper and head to Lincoln to set up at the campground by Superior Street and the interstate. I bought my first New English Bible (with the money I made cleaning out the dairy barn) at the Cokesbury Bookstore, that’s always set up at Annual Conference. I attended Youth Annual Conference through High School and participated in the annual Youth Worship Service for those years.

Many of the same people are lay delegates to the Annual Conference year in and year out. And even though we add a new crop of pastors each year, the retired pastors still come. So for me, it’s like a family reunion. Even if I don’t know the names, the faces are still familiar, like distant relatives you only see once a year.

I thank you for your prayers for us this week. We will feel them as we sit, walk, talk, sit, eat, sing, and pray this week at Annual Conference.

Grace & Peace,

My earliest memories of Memorial Day are loading the car with handheld grass trimmers, a watering can, flowers, hangers, wire cutters, and pots. My little brother Casey, Mom, Grandma, and I would head to the Rose Hill Cemetery in Albion. Casey and I would play in the big dirt pile by the shed at the back. Mom and Grandma would go to work. Then we’d pile back into the station wagon, drive to St. Edward, pick up my Grandma Clark, and head up the hill to their cemetery to repeat the process. In later years, the Memorial Weekend Cemetery tour would include Scotia and Greeley, where my Grandma Karges’ relatives are buried. It became an annual pilgrimage.

I want to thank Trinity members Betty and Penny, who were up at Rose Hill Cemetery last week to tend to Betty’s family plots. They also put flowers for us at our son Luke’s grave and checked on the other Karges kids’ plots too.

As a pastor at graveside internment services, I like to talk about how the grave is just a place. A place for us. It’s the last place we see the remains of our loved ones. We know that their spirit, their essence is with God. But this place is for us; to take care of, to come and talk to them, to go and talk to God. It allows us to keep a thread of our relationship with them alive by taking care of their place of final rest.

It’s just a small piece of grass, a little cement foundation, and a rock with a name and date. But it’s our grass, our rock. And keeping the weeds from creeping around the foundation is what I can do right now to express my continued love and care for my child. It keeps the memory alive. The grief that’s always a part of that memory seems to ebb and flow in intensity. But making sure that space is cared for does something for me. It helps with that, and I’m not sure how.

Grace & Peace,

I was born into Trinity. Grandma’s house sat where the Gathering Place is now. We attended church nearly every Sunday. I remember my baptism. It was the day my dad was baptized too.

Scouts were a big part of my life. Boy Scouts had the God and Country award – the girl’s nothing. Mom attended many ministerial association meetings setting up a God and Community award for girls. That meant hours of service every week. Much of the Confirmation info was required to know, so I went through Confirmation twice.

Choir and MYF were on my agenda. I can’t carry a tune, so Jack Learned (recruiting for choir) suggested I teach Sunday School. I did. I helped with the four-year-olds. Later I taught them by “myself.” Thought I’d teach Kindergarten – taught High School math instead.

In the 60s, no MYF work trips. As a teacher, I drove several trips for Trinity. We took the MYF to a reservation in Oklahoma, helping to update their worship areas. I was a hit there as I dipped my bread into the grease pot. The kids – No way! The last trip was to the mountains in 1980. The MYFers showed up at my house to help with the tornado damage. Mine was minimal. They assured me that God was returning my (sponsoring) favor.

My life is one of serving. When the summer services were in Gollaher, Ruby convinced me to bring altar flowers weekly. The first looked small on the altar, so they were the width of my car from then on.

Being a greeter and or usher wasn’t service enough. I discovered Aurora’s church made prayer shawls. Previously I crocheted 750 Christmas stockings for Trinity. So logically, I began a trek to Aurora every Wednesday morning.

Jay Vetter asked me to cook Wednesday night meals several times. Jay retired, and I needed to do more, so when Teresa asked who crocheted – we could be part of a prayer shawl ministry – I asked if we had one! She replied, “Yes,” and “you’re starting it.” It’s the most fulfilling service I’ve done. Giving prayers to those with life changes was needed.

Thanks to all who keep me giving through my faith journey.

I was recently at a training for family ministry leaders of the Great Plains Conference of the UMC. During a session on intergenerational ministry, a woman in her 70s who had been working with youth for many years reminded us, “The children and youth are NOT the future of the church. They are the church right now.” What an eye-opening and mindset-shifting statement!

This got me thinking about how well Trinity is doing in this aspect of ministry. We provide some traditional activities, like Sunday morning Bible classes and Wednesday night small groups. These are known as “silo” ministries because they include only one congregation demographic based on age. While there are enjoyable and valuable aspects to doing things the usual way, they have unfortunately proven ineffective in keeping people engaged in the church long term.

On the positive side, Trinity has successfully moved towards the intergenerational ministry. Our Sunday GIFT Events, congregational nights out, and welcoming children and youth in worship are all on the list of the “right” things to do for relationship building. Research shows that good relationships are the number one factor for young people continuing to be active in a church congregation into adulthood.

If you’d like a Biblical take on this idea, read 1 Corinthians 12:12-31. It’s the passage that describes Christians as the body of Christ. Read this with children and youth in mind and pay special attention to verses 22 and 23: “The parts of the body that seem to be weaker are the ones we can’t do without. 23 We treat the parts that we think are less important with special honor.”

If you grew up in church, think back to your youth. Are there people from your home church that treated you with honor? That is certainly true for me. If you did not grow up in church, think about what it would have been like to have caring adults paying special attention to you.

There are more opportunities to include our young people at Trinity. I dream of confirmands being appointed to church committees, ways to involve more adults on Wednesday nights, and intergenerational classes during the Sunday GIFT hour. What are your thoughts? When you think of the children and youth as the church RIGHT NOW, what does that look like? Please let me know; I always look for new ways to “do” church!

Christina Landenberger, Director of Family Ministries

I have been coming to this church since I was very young. Everyone here is so comforting and willing to help anyone. Nobody in the church will judge me for being my true self. This church is the best family I will ever have. I love the way that the church comes together as a family. They will take care of each other no matter what. That all people are friends and friendly to each other. I wish the world would be a little more like this church.
The church is a peaceful place where you can feel better about yourself—where nobody will judge you no matter what you do. Church is a place that makes you feel better about yourself and your sins.
One of the best things about this church is the windows. They are so pretty. The way the light shines through the windows in the morning is magnificent. The way the sun shines through them is just a magical feeling—a perfect way to wake up.

Dear Trinity members and friends, I have felt God’s urging to search for a new job position in the community and was led to the United Way. After prayerful consideration, I have accepted a position at the United Way as their Public Relations and Events Specialist. I start this new adventure on Monday, December 13. Thank you for making me feel like a part of the Trinity family for the last three and a half years. I know that I will continue to be friends with many of you for the rest of my life. I have been blessed beyond measure to serve and watch everyone grow in this church throughout the last few years. You are all an inspiration. I have seen members dedicate time, money, and other resources to not only support fellow members and friends, but also strangers in need throughout the community.

We have been through a lot together, haven’t we? God eased me into this position in 2018 before chaos hit in 2019 and 2020. We survived the 2019 flood only to enter 2020 and experience a worldwide pandemic. We leaned on one another through COVID and continue to depend on one another as we enter a new ‘normal.’ There are so many of you who impacted me in meaningful and life-changing ways. Thank you for sharing your stories and friendship with me. I know that God has a plan for the next person in the Publications Coordinator position.

Don’t be a stranger! Please come say hi to me at the United Way.

Farewell for now, dear friends.

Alexandria (Allie) Remm

Sabbath, a day of rest or worship.

I don’t know how this happened.  But in the past few years, Thanksgiving Day in the USA has gone from a day of mostly no work (except for a couple NFL/NBA games) to just another Christmas shopping mania day.  Did we take a vote?  Cause if we did, I missed it.

Thanksgiving has lost its sabbathness.  It used to have enough holiday power to push its influence out over a four day weekend.  Hunting or harvest happened Thanksgiving morning.  Husker football happened to day after.  The other family Thanksgiving dinners got spread over the Saturday or Sunday after.

Now, Christmas has pushed its power right down to the meal on Turkey Day.  So buying for Christmas is a virus that’s infected the meaning of our national neighboring holiday.  It’s a boundary issue.  That’s what viruses do.  They don’t respect boundaries. For years Black Friday had a hard and fast starting point of midnight Thanksgiving Day.  Now it has grayed over onto the weeks before.

I propose taking a stand here.  I will not buy anything on sale for Christmas until midnight Thanksgiving Day.  I will not buy Christmas wrapping paper or outside lights until sunset on Thanksgiving Day.  I will not play my favorite Christmas music until I wake up from my Thanksgiving Day turkey induced nap.  There. That’ll teach ‘em!

Grace & Peace,

Rev. Kelly Karges,

Senior Pastor

Trinity UMC

GI, NE

At Trinity UMC, we are blessed to have three pastors who minister to us throughout the year, and who often work more than 40 hours a week. Let’s pay it forward. Here are some gift ideas for our wonderful spiritual leaders.

Personalized ideas:

1. Rev. Kelly loves The Chocolate Bar in Grand Island. Buying him a slice of cake or giving him a gift card to one of his favorite coffee shops would be a hit!
2. Pastor Anny enjoys tending to plants and has quite the amazing garden. Consider gifting her a plant or an item for a garden.
3. You might not know this, but Pastor Jeff is obsessed with Christmas lights! He wants to outshine his neighborhood this coming Christmas season, so Christmas lights are a must! He also loves carrots and celery if you want to give him a snack!

Gifts for All Three:

1. Pray for them! Commit to praying every day in October for your pastor and their families.
2. Make or buy them lunch/dinner sometime. You could also give them a gift card to one of their favorite restaurants.
3. Write a note, create a card, or color a picture to show your appreciation. Spread the word to others and create an avalanche of appreciation cards!
4. Organize a getaway for the pastors! There are many places they can go to be renewed and receive spiritual guidance, because even pastors need gospel teaching.
5. Write a note for their kids! Say something special to your pastors’ children and let them know you know THEM.
6. Give your pastors a gift basket! Either create one on your own or get a group of people together to create a gift basket! Include gift cards, baked goods, and hand-written notes—anything that would encourage them.
7. Finally, remember to say thank you to them in person! This lets them know that you care and appreciate them.

A Word from Rev. Kelly,

Recruitment of volunteers to work with our children and youth this fall has been going on all summer. Our Family Ministries Director, Christina Landenberger, has used multiple ways to reach out to our congregation and we’re still falling short of the adults needed to foster the faith development of our children and youth.

It is crunch time. If God is speaking to you, nudging you to step forward and offer your gifts to our children and youth, please contact Christina at 308-382-1952 or email her at Family@trinityumcgi.org. This is not a life-time commitment. If you could help for one month or six weeks, it’d be greatly appreciated.

I know that COVID effects everything we do right now, but if we don’t have the needed teachers and helpers, we will not be able to offer Sunday School or Wednesday night Kid Zone this year. Please prayerfully consider how you can help!

Grace & Peace,

Rev. Kelly Karges

Sr. Pastor, Trinity UMC

Family Ministries Volunteers needed as of September 1, 2021:

Wednesday –

• 1 teacher for age 5 – 2nd grade
• 1 helper for age 5 – 2nd grade
• 1 teacher for 3rd-5th grade
• 1 helper for 3rd-5th grade
• 1 teacher for middle or high school (so we can split them)
• 2 helpers for middle or high school

Sunday –

• 1 teacher for preschool
• 1 helper for preschool
• 1 teacher for K-2nd grade
• 1 helper for K-2nd grade
• 1 teacher for 3rd-5th grade
• 1 helper for 3rd-5th grade
• 1 teacher for high school (maybe social/game time?)
• 1 helper for high school

Masks are back!

Trinity’s Administrative Team met and voted to respond to the recent spike in the occurrence of the COVID Variant in our area with a return to requiring masks inside the church building.  “Safety First,” has been our main concern since the beginning of the pandemic. So, at the advice of our local and national health officials, we’re taking this simple step to protect both those who have and those who have not been vaccinated. We will also be reinstating the barriers on every other pew to help us keep social distancing as much as possible.

The remodeling of Gollaher Chapel is finished! Many thanks to our Trinity Trustees, chaired by Gloria Gress, for leading us through the renovation of Gollaher Chapel. Thanks to a generous gift by the estate of Wilma Morton we were able to seal in the leaking windows, finish the tuck-pointing of the bricks, take off the damaged wallpaper, and fix and paint the walls. Special thanks to our Janitor Jason Chohon for stepping in above and beyond the call of duty to help with tuck pointing and placing putty around the windows when it was critical to do these projects before the scaffolding was taken down. Thanks to those church members who also helped our Trustees clean up and put all the pews back at the end of the project.

Saturday night worship will return to Gollaher Chapel on Saturday, September 11th at 6 p.m. Since this renovation began, we’ve been spoiled by being able to broadcast our Saturday night worship in the Sanctuary live on Facebook. Returning to Gollaher Chapel means that life broadcasting will no longer be possible. We’ve made the choice to put our resources (human and digital) into having the best possible broadcasting of our services in the main Sanctuary. It is a future possibility, but broadcasting from Gollaher would take a major additional investment of both equipment and manpower.

Homecoming Sunday is September 12! Much prayer, discussion, and research has gone into the decision by our Long-Range Planning Committee and Family Ministries Team to make a change in our Sunday Mornings. Many thanks to those who filled out surveys this spring and summer. Thank you for all the great ideas!

The kick-off for the new Sunday schedule is September 12:

• Traditional Worship will be at 9:00 a.m.
• 10:00 a.m. will be a Growing in Faith Together hour. There will be activities and food for all ages outside door number 1 (the parking lot by the circle drive or across from the Walnut apartments) on Sunday, September 12. In the future at that time, there will be Sunday School for children and small group studies for adults. We’re also hoping folks will hang out in the Gathering Place during that hour in a time of fellowship.
• At 11:00 a.m., we’ll have our contemporary worship with our Crosspoint band.
• The nursery will also return on September 12.

You know they say that “When one is born and raised in Nebraska, one will have some kind of connection with others who were also born and raised here; whether you played sports against them, or have common friends, or connected through marriage, or attended a consolidated High School …” But when I came to Nebraska, I was a complete stranger. I came here by faith—trusting in God that God’s grace was enough. And indeed, it has been a journey of faith where God’s grace pours even more in our lives and the lives of the people we meet.

I am grateful that now I know people from Grand Island, Doniphan, Ainsworth, Albion, Dannebrog, Ravenna…I am grateful for the people I have met in this journey—
the people that God has used to create space for us to be a part of Trinity UMC. Now when I meet someone somewhere else in Nebraska, there is some kind of connection, such as, you are my brother’s or my sister’s pastor, my parents got married at the church you are serving 40 years ago, you were my parents’ pastor in Grand Island…It feels like I have some kind of connection and it feels like I do belong and am not a stranger anymore…

Thank you to you all at Trinity UMC, Grand Island.

Pastor Kalaba Kapundu

Dear Church family,

I thank God for leading us this far since I returned to Trinity United Methodist Church as an Associate Pastor. I would like to thank you all for the warm welcome. I am profoundly grateful for being here. The first time I came here I was the pastor’s wife, and me and my family never felt like outsiders. You welcomed us and included us in the church family. I never would have imagined that I would be serving here as a pastor. God always has plans for us—sometimes they surprise us.
For a year, I served at Twin River United Methodist in Silver Creek, Monroe, and Genoa, NE—many of you communicated with me, prayed for me, and attended online worship to support me in ministry. Others visited me by attending in-person services. Rev. Kelly also continued to support me as my mentor and my Pastor. Many people helped me write recommendations for scholarship applications. Trinity alone gave me a scholarship to support my studies at Saint Paul School of Theology. This church family has continuously been there for me and I consider this church home.
When I was appointed to Trinity, I had a million questions. One of them was if it was a good move. Here I am. You welcomed me back and have shown me light. Thank you and may the almighty God continue to bless you all and your families.
I thought that I did not need an introduction but I feel that I must at least talk a little about myself. I was born in Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo on December 23, 1980. I grew up in a Christian home with 5 siblings: 3 girls and 2 boys. We are not perfect, but our parents taught us a lot and that is where my call to ministry started.
My father is an elder in the United Methodist Church and my mother is a teacher at a women’s school (Pastors’ wives) and a leader in United Methodist Women’s group. Growing up as a pastor’s child was challenging and, at the same time, a blessing and a privilege. I grew up attending church, Children’s Sunday school, and Youth for Jesus Christ.
I was baptized and confirmed in the Methodist Church. When I was in high school, I taught and helped with children’s Sunday school.
I have served in different groups in the church including the young women and the United Methodist Women’s group. I have been given many opportunities to preach and share the word of God with youth and young women. I enjoyed blessings and guidance from God while being around people.
Growing up as a pastor’s kid, I wanted to be like my dad, but I was not sure of it. Many of my pastors, friends, families, and mentors testified to me that God wanted me to become a pastor.
However, I had rejected the calling to serve Him as a pastor, even though I enjoyed doing other ministries in the church. God never stopped leading me toward answering the call. I believe you can run but you cannot hide from God or His calling. I could no longer run and I accepted God’s call to serve Him as a pastor. This is now my second year in ministry. God has confirmed to me that this is what He wants me to do for Him—caring and spreading His words. Still, I cannot do it alone, so all your support and prayers are greatly appreciated. It is a journey. Together, we do the ministry of Jesus Christ.
Since I have said yes to God’s calling, I feel alive and enjoy serving you and serving the Lord. I am open to a one-on-one meeting or group meeting as we grow together. If anyone would like to chat, I am available in person or on my cell: (308) 370-9465, or you can email me at
akapundu@greatplainsumc.org. Otherwise, I am in the office Mondays through Thursdays. I am off on Fridays, but then back Saturday and Sunday as needed. I plan on doing home visits, but I care for everyone’s health and would not want to compromise anyone during COVID-19. Please know that if you are okay for me to come to your house, I will be there.
I thank you all for your time, support, worship moments, and contributions to our church. May we all find the peace that surpasses all understanding in Christ Jesus. Let us encourage one another, pray for one another, and show gratitude for God’s mercies, which are new every morning. I pray that God’s love and healing covers us all. God is faithful, and His steadfast love endures forever in our lives and in our community. May God continue to bless us all.

Yours in Christ,
Kalingwishi Anny Kapundu
Associate Pastor

“Are we there yet?” Remember those childhood drives to relatives far away? Four, five, ten-hour treks in the car with Mom and Dad in the front with the kids in the back. Our old station wagon was retrofitted with two long clothe covered foam pads that fit snuggly in the back when you laid the seat down. Us three Karges boys staked out our territory back there with books, toys, and coloring books amidst the luggage until we got bored and decided to raid our brother’s space just for the fun of it.

“Are we there yet?” That is where we are with this COVID/Pandemic/Plague. It is winding down in many areas. But it is not quite over yet. Different variants are spiking, especially in areas where not many folks have been vaccinated. In Hall County, we are somewhere around 40% vaccinated.

“Are we there yet?”  “No, it’s not very far. Can you hold on just a little while longer?”

Looks like holding on may mean wearing masks in indoor public places for a little while longer, just in case. Holding on, may mean seeing if there is a spike in new cases after family Fourth of July gatherings (cross your fingers, knock on wood).

This Fourth of July, as we enter the second half of summer, we are desperate to be together.  We have been deprived of the social contact we need to be human for far too long and we can see the end of this pandemic nightmare on the far horizon. May God grant each of us a safe and non-contagious weekend. May God give us the spiritual stamina to do what we need to do to get to the other side of this plague. May God help us to soak in the joy of the fireworks, watermelon, hamburgers, hot dogs, baked beans, and potato salad that go along with gathering with friends and family to celebrate our nation’s annual birthday.

Grace & Peace,

Rev. Kelly Karges

P.S. Pastor Anny Kapundu will start her new appointment as Trinity’s Associate Pastor here in July. We will pray over her new beginning on the weekend of July 10/11.

As we continue to meet for in person worship, we are humbled by the amount of people who have willingly stepped forward and served on Sunday mornings. These people include readers, greeters, ushers, communion stewards, tech team, musicians, family ministry volunteers, acolytes, and more. Your help makes worship a huge success and helps us spread the word of God!

Your willingness to serve your church family reflects 1 Corinthians 12:12: “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.” Although we are one church body, each of us is blessed with a variety of spiritual gifts. When these spiritual gifts are used and fostered, our church body blesses those around us by spreading the word and love of Jesus Christ.

If you have a spiritual gift that has been dormant or put on hold throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we would love to put that spiritual gift to use! If you are interested in serving on Sunday mornings as a reader, greeter, or usher, please let Allie know by calling the church office at (308) 382.1952 or email Allie at publications@trinityumcgi.org

If there is another area that you would like to serve in, please let one of the pastors know by calling the church office. As we begin to meet more and more at the church for in person events, groups, and Bible studies, please let one of the pastors or Allie know if you want to be involved or join a group.

To read more about spiritual gifts, read 1 Corinthians 12.

Our Administrative Team met in May and discussed changes to our COVID, “Safety First” policy.

Here’s what our Church leadership came up with for the summer:

• Everyone is responsible for their own safety.
• Folks need to be respectful of those around them.
• Masks are recommended but not required.
• Social distancing is recommended.
• Masks should be worn if singing.
• Children are welcomed back to worship.

We’re waiting to see what the variants to the virus do this summer.

But right now, the number of cases in our area is trending downward.

United Methodist Women have begun meeting in-person in the building. Our Prayer Shawl group has begun meeting in the Gathering Place on Thursday afternoons. This week, we had an in-person Staff Meeting for the first time in over a year.

What our health officials are telling us is that if you are vaccinated, you are safe to meet in groups indoors. We had our first large wedding during the first weekend in June. Maybe, (cross your fingers) we’re moving toward the end of this pandemic nightmare!

We will continue with in-person and live-streaming worship on Saturday nights and Sunday mornings. We’ll continue with one 10 a.m. worship service on Sundays through the summer with a return to two Sunday morning services in the fall.

As always, Trinity’s mantra in response to the pandemic is “Safety First.”

I’ll see you, (or you’ll see me) in worship!

Grace & Peace,

Rev. Kelly Karges

Recently I spoke with a married couple who were both raised in the United Methodist Church. When they moved to a new town, they attended a non-denominational church for a time, and got involved in some of their ministries. To make a long story short, returning to a Methodist church felt like “coming home” for them.

During the youth-led service, Pastor Geoffrey gave advise to our young people about transitioning to college. He told them to remember where they came from, and to whom they belong. (Check out the 4/18/21 worship on our YouTube channel or Facebook page if you missed it!)

How does the church create a place where young people feel they belong? How can the congregation nurture them so returning feels like coming home?

Worship is the center of the church. Although many other ministries are of great importance, worship is both a personal and a community experience with God. It helps equip us and centers us to offer our gifts in those ministries. The book of Acts describes the early church: “The believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the community, to their shared meals, and to their prayers.” Acts 2:42.

We know that worship is the heart of Trinity because it is the one thing that kept going, without interruption, during the pandemic. When all else came to a screeching halt, and even the church office was closed, our pastors, staff, and volunteers found a way to bring worship into your homes. As one parent told me, worship on Sunday morning was the only reliable entry on the family calendar.

If worship is the center, it is logical that creating a sense of belonging should start there. With no Sunday School this past year, Trinity has fully welcomed our children to worship. Now that we are meeting in person, families worship together. When children attend the service, whether they are old enough to understand the content or not, they are learning how “church” works. As they grow, they will witness baptisms, take communion, learn the music, recognize the pastors and get to know some people in the congregation. One of my favorite memories of being a foster mom was taking “Sam” to worship. He was only a year old when he started standing up on the pew during the greeting time and shaking hands. We never told him to, he just learned by watching others and he loved it!

As we continue on the path to a “new normal,” let’s make Trinity UMC a home for all ages, both in and out of worship.

-Christina

Director of Youth and Family Ministries

Normal Easter is just a memory this year. There is still grieving going on about Easter as it could have been; Easter as is should be. Now, we’re trying to figure out what the new normal is going to be. Before COVID (B.C.), for me, Holy Week would include a Wednesday night confirmation class road trip to the Seward UMC for their annual Living Last Supper presentation. I’ve hardly missed a year since we were pastors there (1997-2002). Jesus and the boys placed you dramatically in the room where it happened. Normally, before COVID, Thursday evening of Holy Week was Maundy Thursday worship with communion. Friday evening was a Good Friday Tennabrae service of light and darkness. In GI, both of those services were shared with First Faith UMC rotating back and forth between their place and our place. Before COVID, in Ainsworth, Seward, Beatrice, and Doniphan, Holy Saturday meant a community wide Easter Egg Hunt. Before COVID, Easter Sunday began with Sunrise worship. Then regular Easter worship was packed with whole families filling the pews. Family after family had promised Grandma, they’d be there all dressed, pressed, and polished at her church for Easter worship. Of course, Grandma had blackmailed her family into coming to church or there would be no Easter dinner! It was a Christian salmon returning to their home stream kind of thing.

Before COVID, there was something different about preaching to a packed house on Easter. My heart would try to jump out of my chest I’d get so excited! Normally, at Trinity, the annual Easter singing of “Christ the Lord is Risen Today” with the full chancel choir behind you with extra brass instruments and the organ cranked up to full capacity was a soul filling experience. It made water escape from my eyes uncontrollably. Before COVID, I liked to have the kids race around the sanctuary during children’s time. I’d make them raise their hands and promise not to hit their heads on the corners of the pews, and I’d talk about the foot race between Peter and John on that first Easter morning. It was a worship celebration like no other.

Before COVID, in my family, the Karges preachers (four of us right now), would crash for a glorious Easter Sunday afternoon nap. Then we’d gather at Mom’s place in Lincoln for our own family Easter feast and Easter egg hunt for the little ones after supper. Before COVID, Mom would make deviled eggs, her fruit pizza, Grandma’s pineapple casserole, green bean casserole, and ham in some form. Sister-in-law Dianne would make her crescent rolls and bring her Dad’s homemade orange marmalade.

Last year, the new normal of Easter was live-streamed worship videoed in an empty sanctuary. The scripture and the message are the normal ones. But last year, Easter was a blizzard, and everyone stayed home and watched from their living rooms. Last year, Seward UMC streamed an old video of the Living Last Supper. Maundy Thursday worship was live-streamed from our Bishop Rueben Saenz in Topeka. Good Friday was live-streamed from First Faith UMC’s webpage. Last year, we had a drive-by family Easter Event where we handed Easter packets to folks through their car windows. We also handed out palm leaves after church on Palm Sunday in a drive-by car parade. Last year, on Easter afternoon, we did a Zoom call with my family that included Karges grandkids in Nebraska, North Carolina, and California.

This year, we’re crossing our fingers and having in-person Easter worship at 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. with masks and social distancing. Christina, our Family Ministries Director, has provided us with Sunday School videos and a Family Easter kit to do at home. The New Normal is teaching us words like Hybrid Worship and Hybrid meetings. The New Normal is having just as many folks watching on line on Saturday night and Sunday morning worship as we have present in-person. Some of our on-line guests are from all over the world.

In the end, normal is more about the past than the present; more about our comfort level—our desire to not be afraid of an unknown future. The good thing is that God is not, and has never been, normal. And next year at Easter, we’ll be talking about the difference between life before COVID (B.C.) and life after COVID (A.C.).

Grace & Peace,

Rev. Kelly Karges

It has to happen sometime. We can’t just keep going and going. At some point, the ongoing movement of time has to stop, tuck, and pass away before looking to the future. In modern times, we call this break in the time-space continuum the week between Christmas and New Year’s Eve.

Modern media gives us “the best of 2020”in as many forms as possible before we launch into 2021. This year, the break is accentuated by a record-breaking snowstorm on Tuesday, December 29.

The danger of stopping in the dead of winter (of course) is that it’s hard to get going again.  You’re tired from scooping snow. The college football bowl games aren’t done yet. So it’s hard to squint toward the horizon of the New Year and think about the future.

What is there to look forward to in this New Year? What do you expect to do in 2021? Of all your dreams, which ones will come true this year?

In this yearly transition time we call January, I invite you to try out an old religious concept called “Discernment.”  Discernment is simply making an extra effort to listen. Listen for God’s direction for you in this New Year. Take extra time to listen in prayer or through the reading of a different psalm every day or a chapter of a gospel. I encourage you to do this right after you wake up, or right before you go to bed each day. Deliberately put chunks of silence before and after the scriptures. Use all your senses to absorb from God how your gifts can be used to do what God wants in 2021.

What is it that you will be glad to leave behind in 2020? What does God want you to do/be for your family this year? Whom does God want you to serve? What hidden gift does God want you go pull out and use this year? What ancient sore in your soul does God want to help heal this year?

January is the time to ask these questions. We’ll spend the rest of the year listening for the answers.

Grace & Peace,

Rev. Kelly Karges

Head Pastor

I thought I’d share a favorite Advent Journeys article from the past.

Some of you know that our son, Zack, was born on Christmas Eve (30 years ago). In 1990, getting ready for Christmas had a double meaning in the Karges’ house. Not only did we celebrate the anticipation of the Christ Child, we were also anxiously awaiting the birth of our second child.

Though the due date was December 31st, Cindy had “this feeling” that the baby might come early. So, getting Christmas shopping done early was added to her already exuberant pre-birthing nesting instincts.

For the first time in my life, Christmas gifts were bought and wrapped and ready to go in November. And even though it just didn’t feel right to have more than two trees to choose from, our tree was bought before the month of December. Why? Because it was on Cindy’s list! And you can’t fight the list of a pregnant woman. Just try and stay off of it.

That year, we were more prepared for Christmas than we had ever been in the past. We had to be read, . . . just in case, which if you think about it, is what Advent is all about.

These four Sundays before Christmas are the time to remember Christ’s first coming, and, to get ready just in case He’s about to come back and finish what he started.

If you had to make a list of things to do before God came into your life in a new way, what would you put on that list?

Grace & Peace,

Rev. Kelly

Thanksgiving.

This is an odd year to give thanks. Usually, I give thanks for the things I know and appreciate. This year, nothing is the same. This year, all those old usual things I’d give thanks for have been ground up and boiled down to some very basics.

I’m thankful I’ve survived this pandemic (so far). I’m thankful no one in my immediate family has tested positive (so far). It seems like every day I learn of a new church member, friend, or family member who have tested positive. We do have a Karges contest going for who’s been tested the most; daughter Katie and husband Eric are in first with five negative tests, daughter Emily is next with three negative tests. Our son Zack and his fiancé Mandy, and I have one negative test each (so far). I’m thankful everyone in my family still has jobs (mostly). Some have been cut back to less-than-full time a bit.

I’m thankful for the foresight of our Trinity Trustees who purchased new lighting and cameras for the sanctuary a couple years ago. Then they upgraded our 30-year-old soundboard in the balcony to a new digital one along with new computers in the tech booth. I’m thankful we’d already been live-streaming our Sunday morning worship for about a year before COVID hit, so we’d already worked out a lot of the bugs around miking the organ, piano, electric piano, and singers up front. I’m thankful for Tim Victor and Josh Bergmeier who are always looking for ways to improve our technology capabilities for worship in the sanctuary (especially my “Kelly-prompter”). I’m thankful for our music staff (Dane, Carolyn, Brenda, & Kim) and volunteers who have faithfully kept offering their gifts and talents to make our live-streaming on Facebook worship as much like “normal” as possible.

I’m thankful for our Trinity Staff who just keep rolling with the punches and finding creative ways to keep being the church amidst this pandemic. Right now, four out of our eight staff have tested positive for COVID and are at different stages of recovery; Allie, Susan, Jason, and Geoffrey. I’m thankful for our Trinity leadership who’s had to make hard decisions about masks and social distancing and in-person worship (or not).

Even though it’s just me and Cindy on Thanksgiving Day this year, we’re still having cut-down portions of turkey, green bean casserole, dressing, mashed potatoes, and Grandma Karges’ pineapple casserole. It just seems like the right thing to do. Each food item has historical significance. We’ll be zooming with our kids and with my Mom and my side of the family.

I invite you to do your boiled down Thanksgiving list this year too. I think it helps as we wade through this difficult time together.

Grace & Peace,

Rev. Kelly Karges

Senior Pastor

Trinity UMC

It is such a joy to connect with you again after a long time. I am very happy to let you know that I was successfully able to complete my first year of seminary. This spring semester was not what I expected, but I thank God that I was able to finish it in one piece.

When the pandemic hit, we moved to remote learning. Because of this change, the school gave us an option to choose “pass” or “no record” instead of a letter grade. This decision was meant to help students not to worry about failing while adjusting to the new system. We were also given an option to request a letter grade if needed. So, I decided to ask for a letter grade for all my classes. The reason I requested for a letter grade was to help me be motivated about learning and doing my work. I did not want to just pass my classes, but I wanted to do my best. Thank God, I managed to get good grades in all my classes.

I was planning to do my field education during this summer. Due to the pandemic, that did not happen. All the placement sites I applied to cancelled their summer programs. So I just stayed here in Evanston.  I stayed in the dorms on campus. Even though everything shut down, I was able to participate and make a video for the children’s chapel at First UMC Evanston. I also was part of some book discussions. The books discussed were Just Mercy and White Fragility. I have also spent time watching the news, movies, and documentaries.

I am excited to start the fall semester in September. I am grateful that I will be able to stay here and learn online. As you might know, international students were shaken in early July when ICE declared that we were not allowed to stay in the US if our schools were going to operate remotely. I am very grateful that this changed, and I can peacefully stay here and learn online. I will be taking four classes this fall and will be an intern at First UMC Evanston, working with children and youth. I am looking forward to that.

I am very grateful for all your help, support, and encouragement. I am looking forward to the time that I will be among you again!

–Pauline Shongo

When I saw the request for Journeys articles, I really did not think I had anything to share. Then on August 23, I read an Upper Room devotion written by Emiriana Maleka-Bana of Indonesia titled “Invitation to Witness.” She talked about reading Saat Teduh, which is the Indonesian Upper Room. She saw an invitation for readers to write their own reflections and her thoughts turned to thanksgiving, because God had answered her prayer of a way, which she could share her faith.

When I started doing the UMW Prayer Chain, my plan was to clean up the list and pass it on. I discovered I really enjoyed sharing these prayers with the Church. During the pandemic, I decided maybe we needed reminders, as I do, to pray every day.

On a nearly daily basis, I have listed prayers. Sometimes you have gotten spiritual tidbits from others, and some days you have gotten things that are heavy on or speaking to my heart.

Prayer is so important. Through COVID-19 and my personal distancing, I’ve spent more time reading the Bible and devotional material, and I feel I’ve really grown in my understanding and inner peace. Our Tuesday Mathetes Bible Study, the daily checking in of this group, and Thursday’s Lectio Divina have helped, too. Getting out of myself by reaching out to others during this time of isolation has enhanced my growth.

Every day when I send the prayers to those of you on the list, my thoughts turn to thanksgiving, because God has given me a way to share some of the creativeness I thought I had lost.

If you are not on the Prayer Chain, but would like to receive it, contact the church at 308.382.1952.

Betty Patrick

My mother was diagnosed with lung cancer a week after I turned 17. Fifteen weeks later, she was gone. She died on a Tuesday, her funeral was on a Friday, and my twin sister and I started our senior year in high school the following Monday. The day I finished High School was the day I moved out of my family home, with very few personal belongings. I rented a room in the home of a family I worked for and had been grown increasingly close to. Within three months of that, my father sold the family house, and had an auction and sold everything in it. When I first moved in with the family that eventually became my “adoptive” family, I only planned to spend the summer with them before starting college in the fall. Plans changed and I ended up staying with them for a little over a year before proceeding to college. While living with this family, I became one of them and learned a completely new way of life. This family helped me in many, many ways; emotionally, spiritually, socially, and financially. They never asked for anything in return. I often told them that I would never be able to pay them back for all that they did for me. Their response was that the best way to pay them back would be to help others in time of need if/when I was ever in the position to do so.

Fast forward to the present: To this day, I do not feel that I can adequately do enough for others to even begin to repay my “adoptive” family for all that they have done for me. Nevertheless, I am still trying.

In doing so, I constantly keep the message from Matthew 6:1-4 in the back of my mind:

Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. ²“So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly, I tell you, they have received their reward in full. ³But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

I hear the messages that always reinforce the concept of loving, accepting, and helping others in need from Pastors Kelly, Kalaba, and Geoffrey in their weekly sermons. TUMC does many good things in our community, and often it becomes newsworthy. However, I want to take a moment to thank each and every one of you who does things for others that does not make the news. I would like to believe that my church family helps others in more ways that go unrecognized than in the ways that make the news. I also believe that when someone receives help and mentions that they would like to “repay” it in some form, telling them that the best way they can “repay” it is to help others in need if/when they have the opportunity to do so becomes one of the most effective forms of ministry that exists. The benefits of this type of ministry are unmeasurable in earthly terms. We will never know how many people are impacted. We do not need to know. God knows.

Grace and Peace,

Deb Larsen

¹⁰ This is why we work and try so hard. It’s because we have put our hope in the Living God. He is the Savior of all people. Most of all, He is the Savior of those who believe.

1 Timothy 4:10

According to today’s headlines, more children are being infected and hospitalized with Covid-19. All over the country, parents are faced with difficult decisions.

In our own congregation, we recently lost a precious new life – Noah Dean Smith, the son of Jeremy and Jennifer, and brother of Jaden, Jaycee, Jaxon and Jordan.

Both of these situations have inspired me to prayer and reflection. As the Director of Family Ministry, how can I foster spiritual growth in our children when we aren’t meeting in person?

Let me share with you a powerful truth that I learned at my first-ever ministry training: Nothing that the church does to influence children and youth towards faith in Christ is as powerful and effective as what their parents do. Nothing I do – not programs, or sermons, or education, or materials, or mission trips or activities – can compete with the words and actions of parents.

Before the pandemic, I was focused on buying the right curriculum, finding volunteers, planning a youth mission trip and the other day-to-day activities of working in ministry. Even though I know that faithful parents are the best route to faithful children, I let other things take up my time. Now, I am searching the internet for ways to equip and encourage parents, swapping ideas with other Christian educators, and connecting with families that I hadn’t met in my first year here. The new normal has given me the time and inspiration to get parents invested in their kids’ faith journey.

Many parents believe that being “good people” and knowing who Jesus is will be enough. But, being aware of Jesus and being a good person do not have the same impact as being in relationship with God. A child who experiences God’s love, knows Jesus’ forgiveness, and trusts the Holy Spirit has a great advantage in life, and less fear of death. That’s the gift of faith.

I have been with parents in the emergency room, watched them receive the news of their child’s passing, and heard their testimony: “We are so fortunate that our child knew Jesus, that she relied on Him in life, and that she is now with Him in death.” These parents do not regret choosing worship over other activities, spending time reading the Bible and praying, or taking opportunities to point out others’ faith in action.

May we, The Church, lift up all parents in prayer, and equip and encourage those around us during this difficult time and always. Amen.

Christina

P.S. – Check out “Give You Faith” by Laura Story for some musical inspiration about passing on the faith.

You would think that being stuck at home with no place to go would find you plenty of opportunities to rest while putting that Netflix subscription to good use. The first months of quarantine, however, proved to be some of the most challenging and stressful days of my young life. While attempting to work full-time from home helping teachers transform our educational system, I was also trying to ‘manage’ a baby, a toddler, and a kindergarten needing his daily dose of school. Every day was chaotic and centered on me balancing 10 things at once. The uncertainties of our current situation combined with my extroverted personality and this professional-personal life mish-mash had me spiraling quickly down a negative, anxiety filled hole. I found myself angry, quick to lose patience, and depressed about the situation we all were forced to confront. By the first week of April, I decided to take control of what was in my control, and took a good, hard look in the mirror. What do I need to do to take care of myself so that I can better take care of others?

Answer: I needed time to myself.  

As selfish as it may seem on the surface, I desperately needed quiet, daily, uninterrupted time to myself.  With the help of my husband and resetting that alarm (I know right, who sets an alarm in quarantine??), I made myself schedule time to be alone – to pray, read, reflect, and take care of myself emotionally, spiritually, and physically.  I began a daily devotional building into a continuous 365-day devotional journal.  I spent time each morning writing and praying before heading out on an early morning run.  During my runs I could talk to God without interruption, get lost in the Christian music I had blaring through my headphones, or just enjoy the beauty that comes with early spring mornings.

The peace that came from my new routine cannot be described in words.

I simply was happier, more patient, and less stressed. I now crave this time daily, and when I don’t get it, I can tell in my interactions immediately. Even now, the kids are in bed, and I’m sitting outside with a glass of wine by the fire – enjoying my quiet moments with God.

You see, Covid-19 has taught me a thing or two about what I need to feel rested and stay healthy. I know now that in the midst of this crazy, chaotic life, I need to schedule time daily to just be with myself and God. I am a better mother, colleague, and wife when I do.

“Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” 

                                                          Matthew 11:28

Trinity UMC has a new addition to our many outreach ministries, which is a little red box that could make a big difference in someone’s life. If you have not been by the church lately, take time to drive by the west side of the building, pull into the circle drive by the office door, and you will spot the little red box.

The little red box is a portable food pantry. Ben Kelley has graciously bestowed it upon Trinity. Ben chose this as his Eagle Scout project, and we thought it was very appropriate to place it close to another Eagle Scout project from many years ago—the benches under the tree. The premise of this project is quite simple: if you need some food, help yourself! If you have a bit of extra food, leave some for another person! Ben even stocked it to start with.

Now, Trinity, it is up to us to keep it stocked! Of course, donated goods cannot be anything fresh or frozen. Therefore, you might be asking what would be appropriate to place inside the red food box. Here are some ideas: canned fruits and vegetables, boxes of crackers or cereal, peanut butter, pasta and sauce, a can of tuna or snack items. Anything nonperishable is appropriate. The pantry is water proof and easy to open.

During this uneasy time in our world, Trinity is working to help feed those in need in our community. Trinity, along with others, hosts the Loaves and Fishes food distribution on the second Saturday of every month. Trinity also allows individuals to use our building to help assemble 173 backpacks each week. Every week, schoolchildren receive one of these backpacks across the city. By keeping nonperishable food items stocked in this portable food pantry, we have another way of providing food to those within our community. I recently learned that 40% of people who could use help with food now have never asked for food before. This easy access pantry will make it simple to get some help.

A dedication of this gift from Ben Kelley is July 19. Our little red box will not be feeding the 5000 that Jesus fed, but it will help to feed one or two people, or even a family. It will make a difference in someone’s life.

Feel free to use it. Please take some food if you need help, or leave some food if you have extra. Thank you, Ben! Thank you, Trinity, for supporting this mission of providing food.

To read more about the free food box, click here to read about it on the GI Independent.

Happy Father’s Day 2020

This is Rev. Kelly Karges, Senior Pastor of Trinity United Methodist Church in Grand Island, Nebraska and I wanted to share a collection of some of my favorite Father’s Day – Journeys articles from the back of the bulletin from years past. I hope you’ll enjoy them;

Journeys
6-16-13

Today is Father’s Day. It is my first Father’s Day spent without my Dad. For years on Father’s Day we Karges sons would migrate home for a meal (usually dinner out at Misty’s in Lincoln). We’d give him the golf club or golf accessary we’d gone together to buy and he and Mom would wallow in the joy of having as many kids and grandkids around as possible.

This year, we’re all getting used to the new normal of not having Dad around anymore. As with all families after a loss, this first year of firsts without them is hard. So I find myself out of sorts this Father’s Day. I miss him. And Father’s Day has dredged up all these questions that I never got to ask him, like: “What was it about all those Norman Vincent Peale “Power of Positive Thinking” books that he had in his bathroom library that took him from the dairy to seminary?” or, “Why did he wait ‘til his Dad died before he did anything about his call to the ministry?”

This year, Father’s Day is processing me way to much to put much more reflection down on paper, so I leave you with bits and pieces of James Emery White’s list of what a good father is.

“…a good father is…

…one who knows that children have only one love language – time;…one who daughters want to marry, and sons want to emulate;…one you know will protect you and defend you;…one who provides everything you need (but not necessarily everything you want);…one who is brave when you are scared;…one who teaches you how to treat a woman, and what you should expect from a man;…one who cherished your mother;…one who is stronger, and taller, than you (at least, at first);…one who taught you how to swim, how to ride a bike, how to throw a ball, how to open a door for a woman, how to…you get it;…one who taught you how to drive;…one who set curfews;…one who didn’t make a big deal of the things you thought he would, but did of the things that you know, now, mattered;…one who took you out “trick or treating”;…one who drove you to your first day at school, your first day at college, and your first day at…;…one who paid the ticket;…one who introduced you to God;…one who, most of all, loved you so much he would have laid down his life for yours in a heartbeat. And still would. Happy Father’s Day. From all of us Dads. You’ll never know how much we love you. Or maybe, now, you will.”

Grace & Peace,

Rev. Kelly Karges
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Journeys
6-18-17

My Dad passed away four years ago. On this Father’s Day I wanted to share this piece I wrote a while back. This is in memory and honor of my Dad, Rev. Gil Karges.

“The Dreaded Oil Test”

When we Karges children go home, no matter how grown up and adult we may think we are, Dad reminds us who’s in charge by asking if he can check our oil. ‘Cause you see, even though Dad is no longer on the farm, he still changes his own oil on his cars. And if you’re a man you’ll learn to take car of the oil on your own car too.

Sometimes I have been able to slip away. Other times he has forgotten. But one time a few years ago, Cindy and I were loading up the car for a trip to South Carolina and Dad came out and asked, “How do you get this foreign hood open.” He went right for the dip stick. And I flunked the oil test big time. Dad, even with his new bifocals, could not get a reading on the oil stick of my 1985 Volkswagen Diesel Turbo-charged Jetta. He tried it over and over.

As far as he could see, my car had no oil. And the funny thing was, I had paid someone to make sure I passed the dreaded oil test this time. I’d had my car jiffy-lubed the day before. The pros had let me down. But Dad was happy.

You should have seen him smile as he walked over to get his 10-W40 from the case he kept in the garage. He whipped out his special funnel and said, “You’d better put some oil in this car son if you want to get to South Carolina and back.”

Even though I am a father of three, I’m still getting used to it. I am still learning the thrill and agony of what it means to be Dad.

This Father’s Day I thank God for my Dad who loves me enough to check my oil. And Dad, I hope your oil is up too.

Grace & Peace,

Rev. Kelly
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Journeys
6-16-19

Father’s Day

Today we thank God for fathers. This Father’s Day my kids are 30, 28 and 23 years old. I can still remember waiting for that first one to be born and having serious reservations about whether I was ready to be a father. After I witnessed our daughter Katie’s birth, my reticence over my readiness for fatherhood became irrelevant. When the nurses cleaned her up, put her in my arms and her little eyes met mine that was it. I was Dad. That fatherhood connection, that new relationship happened with Zack and Emily too.

This Father’s Day I find myself reflecting on what I love about being a Dad.

I love hearing my kids laugh. I loved rocking them to sleep with their baby heads resting on my shoulder. I still love watching them sleep. I love seeing them take a risk and be successful. I love to see their thirst for a challenge. I love to see them mature and grow up before my very eyes. I love those moments when they actually want to be around me. Becoming friends as adults is an amazing thing. Pretty regularly, in between their text messaging and instant messaging with multiple friends around the country we get to chat on the phone or FaceTime.

I hate to see them disappointed. I hate to witness their pain. I hate when their happiness is out of my control. I hate that they have grown up and left the nest (even though I know it’s my job to get them out of the nest).

I know from my own experience that I will always be their Dad no matter how many connector flights it takes to get to them. I also know that my fathering skills have not always been up to par. I just hope that they were able to soak in the good stuff and let go of the bad so that when the time comes they’ll not be afraid to be a Dad or Mom themselves.

Grace & Peace,

Rev. Kelly Karges

Rosedale & Doniphan Cemetaries Memorial Day Ceremony 2014

This is Rev. Kelly Karges, Senior Pastor at Trinity United Methodist Church, Grand Island, NE. And this is my video Journeys article. I pulled out the Memorial Day speech I was asked to give at the Rosedale and Doniphan Cemeteries in 2014:

“Memorial Day was started by former slaves on May, 1, 1865 in Charleston, SC to honor 257 dead Union Soldiers who had been buried in a mass grave in a Confederate prison camp.

They dug up the bodies and worked for two weeks to give them a proper burial as gratitude for fighting for their freedom.

They then held a parade of 10,000 people led by 2,800 Black children where they marched, sang and celebrated.

It’s hard to imagine the huge risk those newly released slaves took – to do this thing. I lived in Charleston for five years and there are some who still call it the war of Northern aggression.

This Memorial weekend has become about proving that we haven’t forgotten. We need to do what we can to prove to those that served in our military that we have not forgotten their sacrifice. Not forgetting is how we honor them.

In our lifetimes there were 405,399 U.S. military deaths in World War II.

38,516 in the Korean War.

58,209 in the Vietnam War.

6,717 in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars so far.

We have a friend from our Beatrice church who went into the military late. We was a successful teacher and coach. Now he’s a paratrooper, serving his second tour in Afghanistan.

Jered Salazar is my friend on Facebook and he’s recently posted that he’d like us to not forget his friend Corporal Burnside – who was killed by an IED.

There are still US Military being killed in service to our country as we speak.

This weekend is also about remembering our loved ones who’ve passed away.

So, we buy grave markers made of stone and steel for our loved ones to prove the permanence of our memories of who they were and what they meant to us.

My Dad’s grave marker is on a wall at the columbarium at Christ UMC in Lincoln. Our son Luke’s grave marker is at Rose Hill Cemetery just south of Albion Nebraska.

This weekend we need to visit and tend to the last places we saw the remains of our loved ones who’ve passed away to prove we haven’t forgotten them.

We take care of that little outdoor space as a continuation of what we did for them while they were alive.

We continue our caring for them even though they are no longer able to reciprocate.

Even though it is one-sided, the relationship goes on. We’re doing our part. It helps somehow.

We do battle with wire hangers and sculpt flower foam and pick out just the right flowers, (plastic and otherwise), as a gift to the memories of our loved ones who no longer walk this earth.

Memory is a strange thing.
Especially when its attached to grief.
Cause our emotions play such a big part in our ability to remember.

And when we lose a loved one, we get scared and we want to hold on to everything we can. But it’s hard. Our emotions get in the way.

Cause how to you hold on to a laugh?
How do you not loose that look they had in their eye when they teased you?

How do you keep what it felt like to have one you love smile like they did when they were really happy?

Sometimes, the harder you try and clutch it, the faster it goes away.

You want to maintain what they meant to you. So you keep things.

My Dad died a year ago in January. And I’ve got some of his bibles that he used when he was pastor here.

I sit in his office and preach in the churches that were built while he was here. Sometimes it helps to have something to hold on to.

I always tell folks that if their loved one didn’t mean anything to them, they would not cry.

Our grief, our pain, is tied to how much our loved one meant to us.

Our grief keeps their meaning fresh in our hearts – even if that means we have to suffer to get there.

In our sadness, its easy to panic when we can’t pull up a memory.

We start to worry that that memory is lost forever. It’s not. Its just that we have to come up with a new way to pull that memory up.
Grief and memory, memory and honor.

Not forgetting, maintaining a memory – can be a way to honor one we’ve known and loved.

When those who have served their country in the military die while serving, it becomes important for the community to remember them . To remember together. It honors their service to their country – their community; their giving themselves to protect their loved ones.

Cause see, they do not fight for themselves only. They fight for each other, and they fight to protect those that they love. So honoring them is a community thing and a personal thing at the same time.

Cause I don’t think anyone enters the Marines, Army, Air Force, Navy or Coast Guard thinking they are going to die.

But they enter knowing that death is a possibility. It’s like 2 % of their thinking. The other 98% is with something else. But that 2% is a giving over – a gift to us.

I don’t know about you, but my earliest memories of Memorial Day are of loading up the car with hand held grass trimmers, a watering can, flowers, hangers, wire cutters and pots.

My brother Casey, Mom, Grandma Karges and me would head up the hill to the Albion Cemetery.

My little brother and I would go play in the great dirt pile by the shed at the back. Mom and Grandma would go to work. Then we’d pile back into the station wagon and drive to St. Edward, pick up my Grandma Clark and head up the hill to their cemetery and repeat the whole process again.

In later years, the Memorial Weekend cemetery tour would include Scotia, and Greeley, where my Grandma’s Karges’s relatives were buried. It became an annual pilgrimage.

As Pastor at graveside internment services, I like to talk about how the grave is just a place. A place for us. It’s the last place we saw the remains of our loved one. We know that their spirit, their essence is with God.

But this place is for us, to take care of, to come and talk to them, to talk to God.

It allows us to keep a thread of the relationship we’d had with them alive, by taking care of their place of rest.

It’s really just a small piece of grass, a little cement foundation, a rock with a name and date. But its our grass, our rock, and keeping the weeds from creeping around the foundation is what I can do right now to express my continued love and caring.

It keeps the memory alive. The grief that’s always a part of that memory seems to ebb and flow in it’s intensity. But making sure that space is cared for does something for me. It helps with that. I’m not sure how.

The older I get, the harder it is to remember. It seems like there is only so much room in my brain, and it randomly dumps excess images and feelings to make room for today’s entries.
May God bless our grave tendings this weekend.

May they help us hook and hold our precious memories of those we can no longer hug and hold and love like we used to.

Grace & Peace,

Rev. Kelly

Prayer: The Antidote to Fear and Anxiety

Dear Friends, I know there are debates right now around whether to fully or partially open the economy across the nation. We have those who are very cautious and those who feel like it is time to go back to our routines. One of the point people are stressing out in these debates is fear and anxiety. I was thinking of sharing with you what apostle Paul says about fear and anxiety:

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:4-7 NIV)

“We are at war, at war against a sly and invisible enemy: the Coronavirus or COVID-19” These are words from French president, Emmanuel Macron. “The fight to slow the spread of COVID-19 is our big war… We have to win this war” said president Donald Trump. “We must act as any wartime,” Said the British prime minister, Boris Johnson…The common denominator from these three political leaders is that they all recognize that we are at war…

Scientists are busy in laboratories around the world trying to come up with the solution to this war. They are working day and night to find the antidote to the predicament that the world is facing right now. They are working to find the drugs to treat effectively COVID-19 but also to find the vaccine.
While we are anxiously waiting for the vaccine and the treatments to be found, I believe we need a vaccine to deal with our anxiety and fear. I do not want to minimize the fear and anxiety going on right now around the world. My intention by writing this reflection is not to say those who have faith should not fear or be anxious. No, I do not understand faith that way and I do not see fear or anxiety as lack of faith but they (fear and anxiety) are natural feelings.

However, God has always invited us to go beyond what is natural. God has always invited us not to worry as the Scripture says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, let God know about your anxiety and fear through prayer and petition…” Even in times of global pandemic, God asks us to trust in God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Of course, trusting in God does not mean being irresponsible, it does not mean breaking the measures taken by government and health practitioners. It simply means God loves us and wants the best for us and for people around us.
Do not be afraid or fear not is repeatedly in the Bible not to insinuate lack of trust in God but it is an assurance that God is always with us. It is a reminder that God is God and we are not God and that we can easily have our moments of fear and anxiety. Even in such moments God is there to reassure us that all is well.
The topic that dominates theological reflections during this pandemic is “things will never be the same…” This could reflect how anxious we are for the future. This could demonstrate the fear of the uncertainty.
The following is the interpretation of the antidote to fear and anxiety presented to us by apostle Paul:
1. Make your needs known to God. Pour out your soul before God. It is in prayer and intimacy with our Lord that everything happens! Prayer helps us not only to gain something but also prayer helps us lose whatever has been weighing on our mind (depression, insecurity, anxiety and fear…).

2. Be grateful… full of gratitude for all that God has already done for you and your loved ones also be full of gratitude because God loves you. Remembering God good deeds in our lives and that God loves us is an excellent remedy against anxiety. When you read about the story of the Hebrew people’s long walk to the promised land, you will realize that the most important thing that had kept their faith in God was their ability to remember the great things God had done for their ancestors. So, remembering God’s faithfulness can help us navigate through this storm.

3. Receive the peace of God, which transcends all understanding. May that peace continues to guard our hearts and minds away from any insanity. May it (peace of God) helps us understand what it takes to stay safe and compassionate in this challenging time. May the Lord’s peace keep our hearts and thoughts fixed on Jesus.
The apostle Paul while going through his moments of anxiety and fear, he only had one antidote, prayer. And so my prayer is that our hearts are not going to be the storage of fear and anxiety but in everything we are going to share our fear and anxiety with our Lord through prayer.
Amen.

Kalaba Kapundu
Associate Pastor, Trinity UMC GI

Mother’s Day – old Journeys from the back of the bulletin – circa 2003:

OK, OK, so I was spoiled. Growing up, both my grandmothers made sure we three Karges boys knew that our mom was, “Too good to us.” They wanted us to appreciate what we had. But sometimes it’s only when you look back that you realize your blessings.

Now that I have my own children I appreciate my Mom more than the two Grandmas could have ever conceived. Mom has always been there for us. Our clothes were just always there in the drawer ready to go. Those football pants and baseball jerseys were overnight, magically cleaned of all traces of grass stains and mud. Three hot meals a day were at the table when we finally dragged ourselves up the stairs from the basement after the fifth or sixth call to come and eat. Mom was there to haul three boys to three different schools and three different team practices and games. Mom helped with homework and typed and edited every paper I ever wrote up through that first year in college. Mom was the one who was intricately involved with all of our lives as advocate and advisor.

Mom was the one who talked this scared skinny sixth grader into running the mile for the first time. Mom was there to help haul the drum set to and from school. Mom still comes and helps get the house ready for company. I’ve never seen under the refrigerator or behind the stove, ‘cause when she comes to help, I know she’s been there, done that. I can’t thank God enough for my Mom. Now Mom is grandma to my kids. And I overheard her the other day telling them that they don’t appreciate their mother enough. I smell a conspiracy.

Here’s the prayer for Mother’s Day from our United Methodist Book of Worship:

For our mothers, who have given us life and love, that we may show them reverence and love, we pray to the lord . . . For mothers who have lost a child through death, may their faith give them hope, and their family and friends support and console them, we pray to the Lord . . . For women, though without children of their own, who like mothers have nurtured and cared for us, we pray to the Lord . . . For mothers, who have been unable to be a source of strength who have not responded to their children and have not sustained their families, we pray to the Lord. Loving God, as a mothers give life and nourishment to her children, so you watch over your church. Bless these women, that they may be strengthened as Christian mothers. Let the example of their faith and love shine forth. Grant that we, their sons and daughters, may honor them always with a spirit of profound respect. Grant this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Here’s another Journeys article from the back of the bulletin, Mother’s Day 2004.

Cindy has been gone for 12 days representing Nebraska and serving her church at the General Conference meeting in Pittsburgh. Her absence has given our family a unique opportunity to really know what she means to us on this Mother’s Day. So I thought I’d ask my kids what they missed about their Mama.

My succinct seventh grade son Zack said, “I miss seeing her face.” Being the more practical one, he also said he missed her, “Cleaning up and driving us places.” Our baby, eight year old Emily said she missed watching TV and getting in the hot-tub with her Mama. Emily is also the only child who’s got our cell phone numbers memorized and she called her Mama in Pittsburgh on a daily basis to tell her in her best whiney voice that, “I really miss you Mama!”

Katie, our 15 year old said she missed talking with her Mama as they watch Letterman and Leno together in our bed while I’m in my late night reading chair in the living room. The teenagers also agreed that they missed how she laughs when she’s nervous and cries at anything on T.V.

This is the longest Cindy and I have ever been apart from each other. Cell phone relationships are better than nothing, but that’s about it. I miss her being there, just being herself. I’ve missed having someone to listen to. I’ve missed having someone to talk to. I’ve missed having someone to tease and play with. I’ve joked before that our decision making pattern has always been that I’m the risk taker and she’s the perfect-or. I have no problem making a decision, then she tells me whether I’m right or not. I kinda’ hate having to say this out loud, but I’ve missed having a second opinion on things. In the church we use each other as sounding boards for the fifty million little decisions we make each week.

I know that being missed means a lot to Cindy. Her Dad died when she was three. Her whole life, the only way she’s had to express her love for him has been to miss him. Our Mother’s Day gift to you this year Cindy, is that we missed you – a lot!

Grace & Peace,
Rev. Kelly Karges
Sr. Pastor

The question that many of us are struggling with right now is: for how long this confinement, this social distancing will last? For how long are we going to live in fear? When are we going to have access to our church building? We are dealing with the question of time whether it be Kairos (opportune moment) or Chronos (chronological). Almost, everything in life is timed, and time is one way, we, humankind, try to make sense on the events enfolding in our lives.

Last year when I was introduced to the game of football by Rev. Kelly, the first thing I learned about football was time and space. I learned that the game of football is played in 60 minutes divided into four quarters. When we look at life, it might also be like a game of football. Life can be divided in different quarters from childhood to adulthood and I do not know in which quarter you find yourself.

However, I would like to offer to you what the Bible says about time. I invite you to turn to the book of Psalms, where you will find that even the Great Moses had struggled with the notion of time. Please, read Psalm 90 (the only Psalm attributed to Moses in the Bible) then you can continue reading what follows.

The commentary that I am going to share with you is from Prof. Clinton McCann Jr. Who was my professor of Old Testament and Interpretation of the Bible. This is what he says in his book Theological Introduction to the Book of Psalms:

Psalm 90 is about God’s time and space. It helps us deepen our understanding of how to discern God’s time and space and how God’s time and space affect our faith…

Prof. Clinton McCann says: It looks like Moses’ career was centered on the problem of space, namely, getting Israel out of one place to another place. However, Moses’ problem was not space but time, namely, he ran out of time (he never entered the promised land). Moses becomes the paradigm for Israel’s existence and for human existence since we always run out of time. Never we will fully accomplish what we would like to accomplish nor be what we would like to be. This should not be a depressing message, however, is actually an encouraging one. If great Moses came up short, then perhaps it is not such a disaster that we shall too.

He (Clinton McCann) says: Moses’ death was a reminder that it was God, not Moses, who would lead the people into the promised land. Our time, therefore, is not all there is to measure. God’s time is primary, and as Psalm 90 suggests, our time must be measured finally in terms of God’s time.

You will recall that my messages since we started this journey in a deep and dark valley has been about prayer. Prayer that comes with statement of faith and Psalm 90 just starts with a statement of faith. It says, “Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations.”

According to Prof McCann this statement of faith is a pertinent and powerful. God is really the only place that counts. The land is not indispensable, the church building is not indispensable, because God is our dwelling place. God is the only necessity for the life of God’s people. Such as always been the case in all generations. The word generations obviously implies the passage of time, but so do the two verbs in verse 2 (born and brought forth), both of which are used elsewhere in relation to childbirth:

Before the mountains were born, or you had brought forth in labor the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting, you are God.

But I would like to point out that the use of “you” in Hebrew is often for emphasis.
The divine “You” is all-encompassing of time (generations) and space (earth and the world). Human life and the life of the world find their origin and destiny in God. And so Psalm 90 highlights the movement from God’s time to human time as it says well that for God a thousand years are like few hours! This implies that God can redeem time.

God’s redeems time means the future belongs first to God. It is God’s work that humanity needs to perceive and upon which humanity depends. To be sure, humans have work to do, but “the work of our hands” is the object of God’s activity. The priority of God’s activity and the priority of God’s time reshape human activity and human time.

Thus, Psalm 90 is an act of faith. And it is also an act of hope. Without having to see it happen, the psalmist trusts that God can and will satisfy and make glad and make manifest God’s work and establish the work of our hands.

Psalm 90 is also an act of love. The psalmist’s trust puts him/her in communion with past generations who found a dwelling place in God and with future generations, the children, to whom the work of God will be manifest.

Psalm 90 finally, is a profession of faith that invites us and instructs us to live the only way it makes any sense whatsoever to live – in faith and in hope and in love.

I hope the reading of Psalm 90 can help us navigate all questions we have about time.

Amen.

–Pastor Kalaba Kapundu

My name is Geoffrey Murithi Iringo. I grew up on the slopes of Mt. Kenya in a beautiful country called Kenya. I was brought up on a small farm where we grew crops and kept animals. As Christians, my family introduced me to the faith, and I started going to church as a small boy. Church has always been a part of my life. I come from a family of three brothers and two sisters.
I was called into ministry over 22 years ago but kept resisting the call until about seven years ago. I followed God’s direction and joined Asbury Theological Seminary. I am graduating from Asbury Theological Seminary later this year. I am also a trained Rehab counselor and am currently doing coursework for a Ph.D. in Counselor education and supervision.

I currently serve at Roxbury, which is my first appointment. I have served this church since July 2018, where I started as a DA and was licensed as a local pastor. Roxbury is relatively a small church with an average attendance of 30 people per Sunday. I have gotten the priceless experience of service from them. I will always treasure my time with them, because they taught me great lessons about ministry.

I am married to Rev. Susan Murithi and we have two beautiful daughters. Faith Murithi, who will be 15 in June and is in ninth grade; and Neema (Nem) Murithi, who is 10 years old and is in fifth grade. Faith and Nem are our priceless gifts from God. They both love serving God by participating in different worship activities like scripture reading and Sunday school lessons.

In this new appointment, I look forward to working with you as we honor God by serving our neighbors and the world at large.

I, therefore, look forward to moving to Nebraska, so that I can meet and get to know each one of you this coming July. For now, my prayer is that God will keep all of us safe until that time. I also pray that this pandemic will be eliminated soon, so we can return to work and fellowship.

I am so glad to be part of this great community of Trinity UMC and am excited to see what God has in store for all of us as we join hands to serve Him.

You may contact me at my conference email giringo@greatplainsumc.org

I don’t know about you. But for the most part I’ve lived a pretty sheltered life. For a lot of my time on this earth, bad stuff happened to other people; people out there; people somewhere else. And even though that illusion from the back of my mind has been shattered several times now; a cousin killed in a car crash when I was in high school; losing my grandparents one by one; the death of a child; my Dad dying. As a pastor I’ve had several parishioners attempt or succeed at suicide, and I’ve lost count of the members and friends of all ages who’ve died with cancer. Right now, I average performing over 40 funerals a year.

But then my mind will go back to old patterns and cubby hole the bad stuff and put it beyond the reach of me and my home town. So up until now pandemics happened in other countries, other places like New York City, New Orleans and Detroit. Not here. So this past week when Grand Island became the number one city in Nebraska for the CORONA virus, my mind had a hard time catching up to the fear and panic my heart and soul were generating. No, that can’t be right. Not here.

But this deadly virus is here. Right now. And whether I get it comes down to how long the virus has been on the hard surface I touch. Or how far apart I am when someone at the grocery store who has it and doesn’t know it coughs, or breaths.

Suddenly, the angst over having to learn how to do Zoom, or how to upload a video on Facebook seems minor. Suddenly the basics move to the forefront really fast. And saying thank you has become basic to the life of my soul.

So I’m thankful me and my family members still have jobs. I’m thankful for those that stock the shelves at our grocery stores; those who truck our food in; those who stand at drive through windows interacting with the public every day; those who deliver packages from all over the world to my doorstep. I’m extremely grateful for doctors and nurses, police and fire fighters who risk exposure to the virus every day to be there for those who need them most. I’m thankful for scientists working night and day to try and find a vaccine.

I’m thankful for the Trinity volunteers who risk exposure to hand out free food from the Heartland Foodbank as a part of our Loaves and Fishes ministry. I’m thankful for 16 or so women from my Tuesday afternoon Mathetes Bible Study who do a group text every morning and then pray together by text every afternoon at 1 p.m. I’m thankful for our church staff and leadership getting creative in how to stay in touch and reach out when face to face is no longer an option. I’m thankful for those in Trinity’s Caring ministry who are checking up on our elderly and home bound. I’m thankful for our UMW circles keeping track of each other by phone. I’m thankful for our tech team, Josh and Tim, and Allie, our publishing coordinator who roll with the constant changes needed to live stream our Sunday worship. I’m thankful for our musicians who come out to bring Sunday morning worship alive for us on line. I’m thankful for Susan who comes into the office to receive the mail and work on our books and communication. I’m thankful for all of you who have continued your regular giving to Trinity & those who have given above and beyond in this time of crisis. I’m thankful for Bruce, our Finance chair who fit our Trinity CARES SBA application into his busy tax preparation season so Trinity received assistance with our Payroll Protection Plan. I’m thankful for Jason who’s deep cleaning chair pads and wiping down walls while our building is not used right now. I’m thankful for Pastor Kalaba still teaching and preaching and Lectio Divina-ing and sharing his spiritual journeys. I’m thankful for Christina our Family/Children’s Ministry coordinator who’s put together video of our kids sharing what they miss about church and delivered home Sunday School kits to 14 or so families who requested them. I’m thankful for Kim, our parish nurse, who’s calling and checking up on Trinity folks she knows need extra attention right now. I’m thankful for Betty, our prayer chain person, who’s keeping us up with prayer requests by email and sending cards to folks she knows are in need. I’m thankful for each of you who check up with friends, family and neighbors as we isolate together. I’m thankful for Deb, who coordinated the writing and distributing of thank you notes written to front-line workers all over Grand Island.

Right now, its looking like this may not be over for a while. It’s looking like we will be talking about life before and life after the pandemic. We are in the middle of a world-wide defining moment. My hope is that as Christians, we are living with the assurance that God is with us no matter what. And as followers of Jesus Christ, we will extend God’s love and spend our lives being there for each other.

Grace & Peace,

Rev. Kelly Karges

Normal Easter is just a memory this year. So there is grieving going on about Easter as it could have been; Easter as is should be. Normally, for me Holy Week would include a Wednesday night confirmation class road trip to the Seward UMC for their annual Living Last Supper presentation. I’ve hardly missed a year since we were pastors there, (1997-2002). Jesus and the boys placed you dramatically in the room where it happened. Normally, Thursday evening was Maundy Thursday worship with communion. Friday evening was a Good Friday Tennabrae service of light and darkness. In GI, both of those services were shared with First Faith UMC rotating back and forth between their place and our place. In Ainsworth, Seward, Beatrice and Doniphan Holy Saturday meant a community wide Easter Egg Hunt. Normally, Easter Sunday began with Sunrise worship. Then regular Easter worship would be packed with whole families filling the pews. Family after family had promised Grandma they’d be there all dressed, pressed and polished at her church for Easter worship. Of course Grandma had blackmailed her family into coming to church or there would be no Easter dinner! It is a christian salmon returning to their home stream kind of thing.

Normally, there was something different about preaching to a packed house on Easter. My heart would try to jump out of my chest I’d get so excited! Normally, at Trinity, the annual Easter singing of “Christ the Lord is Risen Today” with the full chancel choir behind you with extra brass instruments and the organ cranked up to full capacity was a soul filling experience. It made water escape from my eyes uncontrollably. Normally, I liked to have the kids race around the sanctuary during children’s time. I’d make them raise their hands and promise not to hit their heads on the corners of the pews, and I’d talk about the foot race between Peter and John on that first Easter morning. It was a worship celebration like no other.

Normally, in my family, the Karges preachers (four of us right now) would crash for a glorious Easter Sunday afternoon nap. Then we’d gather at Mom’s place in Lincoln for our own family Easter feast and Easter egg hunt for the little ones after supper. Normally, Mom would make deviled eggs, her fruit pizza, Grandma’s pineapple casserole, green bean casserole and ham in some form. Sister-in-law Dianne would make her crescent rolls and bring her Dad’s homemade orange marmalade.

The new normal of Easter is live-streamed worship videoed in an empty sanctuary. The scripture and the message are the normal ones. But now, everyone stays home and watches from their living rooms. This year, Seward UMC streams last year’s video of the Living Last Supper. Maundy Thursday worship is live-streamed from our Bishop Rueben Saenz in Topeka. Good Friday is live-streamed from First Faith UMC’s webpage. Last week, we had a drive-by family Easter Event where we handed Easter packets to folks through their car windows. We also handed out palm leaves after church on Palm Sunday in a drive-by car parade. The Saturday before Easter Trinity will distribute 750 boxes of food from Heartland food bank at Fonner Park. This year, we’re talking about doing a Zoom call with my family including Karges grandkids in Nebraska, North Carolina and California.

In the end, normal is more about the past than the present; more about our comfort level, our desire to not be afraid of an unknown future. The good thing is that God is, and has never been, normal. And next year at Easter, we’ll be talking about the new virtual/electronic normal that connects us in ways we’d never dreamed of to folks all around the world.

Grace & Peace,

Rev. Kelly

Dear Brothers and Sisters, as we are observing the social distancing/physical distancing my prayer is that we get closer and closer to God. I allow me to bring to you this short reflection, as a journey piece:
As a child, we grew up making our own toys and the only time we were expecting toys as gift was on Saint Nicholas day (6th of December). However, those gifts did not last to the next December 6th . Sometimes, we played with them just for few days and they were broken and thrown away. I remember one day a childhood friend of mine asking why Saint Nicholas has to come only once a year with gifts, does he not know that the toys we receive do not last longer?, he asked.

Years later, I met that childhood friend and we started talking about our childhood memories and then there was a sudden silence for few seconds. He then said, “You remember I did complain fifteen or sixteen years back about Saint Nicholas bringing gifts to us only once a year?” Yes, I remember that conversation, I replied. He continued, “We were looking for gifts that come and go while we had gifts that were renewed every morning by a faithful Saint Nicholas…” I was a bit lost and asking him to explain more on what he meant by gifts that were renewed every morning. My friend noted, “God has given us the gift of creativity to make our own toys, and we had the power to transform useless materials into useful toys…”

Dear brothers and sisters, God has blessed us all with gifts but sometimes we envy the gifts we do not have while forgetting the gifts we already have. We feel like our gifts are not as important as the gifts other people have. Remember, all gifts are equally important, and it is God who gives us not for selfish ambitions but so that the name of God can be glorified through our work.

When I am weak and my soul is weary, in those seasons of my life I am reminded of the apostle Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 12, “Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness…” These words inspire me, and I hope they inspire you as well during this season of human vulnerability. Remember in our weaknesses in face of the pandemic, Covid-19, God’s strength is made perfect. God’s strength is made perfect for us to look beyond past our own needs to think of those in our community, especially the most vulnerable ones. Friends, God creates us for a purpose and God gives us gifts and enough resources to carry God’s mission on earth. I am inviting us in this challenging time to remember that we are created for a purpose, God has called us for this moment to be the church that transcends the four walls of our building and carry the gospel of life, peace, and caring even through the mystery of technological advancements. Covid-19 has no power to contain the move of the spirit to reach out to people in new and creative ways.

The question for us is, are we willing to allow God to use our gifts to uplift someone? Are we willing to let God use our resources to save someone’s life? Friends, are we open to trying a new thing in order to point other to the source of life, who is God through Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy spirit? Remember, there are no big and small gifts, more and less important gifts, all gifts are important and unique, and it is God who graciously gives all gifts for the sake of accomplishing the mission here on earth. To some is given the gift of wisdom, to others the gift of knowledge, and still to others the gift of healing, organization, or just to put a smile on someone who is having a tough day or the gift of caring for those who are isolated, those who experience loneliness.

We are going through a challenging time where we need God and we need one another. No one is stronger enough to go through this challenging time by himself or herself. Let us use our gifts to help people around us as we go through this darkest valley. This is an invitation for to be good neighbors, humble and faithful servants with the gifts God has entrusted us with. Good and faithful servants are not those who do miraculous things but those who put their gifts to their accomplishment of a few things so that the name of God can be glorified as Matthew 25:21 reminds, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things…”

My prayer is that when my journey on earth is done, the Lord will welcome me as a good and faithful servant. I believe that is what you want to hear from the Lord too when your journey on earth is done, “Well done good and faithful servant!”

So dear good and faithful servants of our Lord Jesus Christ, this is a call to compassion through the various gifts given to us by the source of life, God. Let us not stay indoors to contemplate walls and sleep but as we stay indoors, let us use the tools we have to care for our neighbors, especially the most vulnerable members of our communities. It is time to use Facebook to encourage someone rather than disparaging others. It is time to tweet about others the way we wish them to tweet about us. Now more than ever before, social media can be used as tool to bring the love of God to people around us. And as the end of the week approaches, let us look around us and ask ourselves what have we done this week to keep ourselves safe and keep people around us safe? What can we do better to ensure that we are safe, and our neighbors are safe?

Remember, dear good and faithful servants of God, it is not about how big one’s impact can be, rather it is about being faithful with the small things and gestures that we do to lighten the life of others during this time that matters the most.
Well done, good and faithful servant for the work you are doing in keeping yourself and people around you safe.

My Dad entered St. Paul School of Theology in Kansas City when I was 12 years old. Up until then, home was our two story farm house on the hill just above the Albion Country Club. Home included the Karges and Sons Dairy Farm that I roamed from sun-up to sun-down as soon as I was big enough for Mom to let me pack a jar of water in my back-pack and head for the dam at the edge of our property. There were loads of great frogs hiding in the cow hoove prints in the mud around that pond. Since then, for me, there has been no permanent place to go home to.

Sunday School

*Picture was drawn by Tim Kapundu

Tim drew a teacher, Jackson, Dan, Tim, mom, Ian, Grandpa, Jace, dad, and Penny.

I love the bell music! It makes me think of God.

—Ryu Gomez

Hello my friends.

As we all navigate this “new normal” there are adjustments to the ways we stay connected with each other. Here are two possible ways.

First know that doing for others is the best antidote to depression. Let’s reach out to those in our community who are keeping things running in a simple way. You could write a thank you note.  Write about how their presence at work makes a difference in our community. Yesterday I thanked Walmart employees for working so I could buy groceries. It was obvious that they did not hear this much. Sign it with your first name and perhaps Trinity United Methodist Church as well. Place your note in an envelope with “Thank You” on the outside. Then put it in the plastic bin that is outside door number 1 (the office door) at church. Be sure to put the lid back on tightly so the notes don’t get wet. Do this as often as you like, I will keep collecting them and delivering them. However, if you have a specific place to thank, write the business a note and mail it. We trust they will post it for their employees to read. This could include daycares, the police, the firemen, the hospital, nursing homes or financial institutions and drive throughs for food as well as grocery and pharmacies.

The second possibility is to reach out to others from Trinity. Send emails, texts, or phone people just to say Hi. Start with those you have contact information on (like I am doing with this). And when you think of someone you don’t have that information on, you can leave a message at church and ask Susan to get that to you. Be patient, she will get back to you. Her email is: trinity@trinityumcgi.org if you would rather reach out that way. Feel free to forward this message on to anyone in your contact list. And of course, we know the power of prayer so keep storming heaven with prayers for overcoming this virus!

Thank you for your caring,

Blessings,

Deb

Picture drawn by Alanna Warner

The bell tower music is beautiful. It makes me think about God.

—Barrett Price

Being a PK (Pastor’s kid). I need to be at church all the time for Loaves and Fishes, and all three services and much more. So I have gotten used to it. It became fun like Loaves and Fishes. It is so fun to help people and much more stuff I like about it. But my all time favorite is kids zone. It is funny and it is great. It teaches me about God and Jesus. I love much more than that but I am running out of space. But I love church. And I will always be a Christian.

—Ian Kapundu

The cross tells us Jesus is alive.

—Jaxon Smith

You are probably wondering what this is… it is acolyting. It is so much fun—it is where two people hold a candle lighters or I just call them a candle stick and you walk down a hall at church and you put the candle lighter on the candle then after church you acolyte again—it is so much fun!

You are probably wondering what this is… it is a sign of a cross—a cross is where Jesus dies on the cross.

—Melia Hongsermeier

I like to help at the food bank. Crosspoint makes good music.

—Dan Kapundu

It is fun to light the candles. Jesus is the light of the world.

—Bradlee Gomez

I love surprises at Easter. Jesus comes back alive! Christmas is Jesus’ birthday. My teacher, Mrs. Hanson, is kind like Jesus.

—Elaina Santos

Believe what they say, three kids are a lot of work. Most of my day feels like organized chaos: baths, feedings, middle of the night soothing, transportation, more middle of the night soothing, laundry, packing bags, emptying bags, etc. Did I mention laundry? Add to this a full-time job where my #1 role is to address the needs of others, and most days I can barely keep my head above water. I’m tired. I lose my patience. I scatter my attention in 20 different directions.

Amidst the supersonic pace of life, it’s easy to let the chaos get the best of me. I am so busy trying to do this thing called ‘life,’ I forget to actually live it. And unless God is on my ‘to-do’ list, I find myself letting Him get overshadowed by the daily demands of being a working mom.

In an effort to calm the storm, the four Buhrman boys and I make it a priority to eat supper as a family every night. For twenty minutes, we attempt to block out the rest of the world to focus our attention on God and each other. We begin by holding each other’s hands and praying, concluded by an enthusiastic “AMEN” by Nolan. Then everyone goes around the table and shares their joy for the day. In fact, you cannot be excused from the table unless you have shared your joy. It’s my favorite family tradition. It reminds me that no matter how tired I am, no matter how many directions I feel pulled, I am centered by my faith and my family. I can ALWAYS pick out something in my day that brought me a smile, that I’m thankful for, or was a reminder of the many blessings God has given me. I leave the dinner table emotionally, physically, and spiritually renewed.

What centers you through the chaos? What do you do to bring yourself emotional and spiritual renewal daily? I pray that in this furious storm of life, you find moments of joy and calm—bringing you closer to God and the people who matter most to you.

Danielle Buhrman

The date was January 15, 2020. The place was Miller Hall. The time was 6 p.m. The reason for the people to gather was to fellowship over pizza and then to have a time of prayer. The long-range planning committee of Trinity has a goal of bringing people of different worship services together and making us one congregation rather than three. What better way to fellowship is there than to come together over food?

Somehow food relaxes people and relaxed people like to talk and share. Our first 3Ps—Pizza, People, Prayer—saw people from under age 2 to over 80 coming together. Much laughter was heard. Children’s excitement was abundant as they played together. Conversation flowed easily. We saw faces we recognized and introduced ourselves to faces we didn’t know. We were simply people of God, people of Trinity, together.

And then we had a time to think about prayer in our lives. We were able to write prayer requests and place them in the Trinity prayer box knowing the requests would be honored by a group to pray over them. Newspapers of old used to report on social and family gatherings in the community and they often ended with “a good time was had by all.” I think we could conclude the same, “a good time was had by all” and now perhaps we can expect more good times in the future; the 3rd Wednesday of the month—prior to youth gatherings, prior to choir practice, and prior to bell choir practice—a time for all people to come together as one to eat pizza and pray.

We hope you will join us on Wednesday, February 19 for the next Pizza, People, and Prayer event. Oh, and by the way, another way long range planning is bringing people of Trinity together is implementing combined worship on the 5th Sunday, known as TRINITY UNITED, but we will save that for another time.

Everyone is invited on Wednesday, February 19 for Pizza, People, Prayer!

Blessings,

Deb Brummund

I love to candle light. I love Jesus cause He loves me and He is our helper. I love church. I love Bible study. I love Bible study, because I love to learn.

—Preston Price

I really love how I can get a chance every Wednesday to learn about God. It gives young kids like us a chance to learn about God and different stories of the Bible!

Another adventure I love about Trinity is that every year they do a Vacation Bible School. It is a different theme every year. For example, they did a Space theme and they had a robot named RT-D2. The previous year, they did a River Rampage theme.

—Jaycee Smith

Pastor Kelly recently did a sermon series on Anne Lamott’s book Help, Thanks, Wow: The Three Essential Prayers. I read her book a few years ago and decided to reread (more like skim over it and read my notes) after the sermon series. I have sticky notes pasted throughout the book and my own scribbles, circles, and thoughts written throughout the margins. After reading her book in 2016, I reevaluated what it means to pray.

I am not an elaborate prayer, which is why her book resonated with me. When I pray to God, it is short and simple, and usually in my mind. Something like, “God, thank you for getting to me work safely” or “God, please comfort my friend” or even “God, did you hear that? Of course you did.” Prayer to me is an intimate time with God. I can be myself, and don’t have to worry about impressing Him with big words or fancy thoughts. I figure—God knows my heart and my intentions, so no need to sugar coat it.

As I’ve grown closer to God, I have become so accustomed to Him being with me all the time that I almost have a conversation with Him 24/7. Sounds kind of crazy, doesn’t it? But I know He sees and hears everything that I do, so I don’t have to explain anything. He just knows. How do you pray? Are you an elaborate prayer or more of a simple prayer type of person?

The take away? Don’t worry about impressing God or coming up with a ten minute prayer—just talk with Him. If you see a friend or family member struggling, pray to God. Keep it simple and sweet. Something like “I love this person and they need help. Please God, give them peace.”

As the Methodist church moves forward, it is good to remember to pray for one another. Pray for patience. Pray for peace. Pray for your leadership. And just remember, your prayers don’t have to be extravagant. God knows.

Blessings,

Allie Remm

Recently I began teaching the 5^th and 6^th grade Sunday School class. Our first lesson together was about the women who followed Jesus. After reading the few verses that mention women followers by name, our conversation veered away from the lesson plan and we talked about how Jesus spent time with people that society considered unimportant, unworthy or even hated. I asked the students, “What groups of people do you think Jesus would spend time with today, people that we may think were a waste of time or a bad choice?” Here’s what made the list:

• Gang members – they need Jesus the most because they don’t have any hope
• LGBTQ people – people treat them badly and call them sinners even though everybody sins
• People in the Middle East – there is always fighting there

From there, we went on to discuss a few other topics, until it was time to leave and I was left wondering if anyone knew the story of Mary and Martha that was supposed to be today’s lesson. But later in the day, I reflected on the sincerity and accuracy of the students’ statements. It brought to mind what happened after Jesus was in the Temple, turning over the money lenders’ tables and healing the blind and disabled. Children watched and began shouting “Hosanna!” The priests and legal experts confronted Jesus:

¹⁶ “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him. “Yes,” replied Jesus. “Haven’t you ever read about it in Scripture? It says, “‘Lord, you have made sure that children and infants praise you.’” Matthew 21:16

Do you hear what these children are saying? Jesus loves gang members, LGBTQ people, and everyone in the Middle East. Kids have a way of responding to the most difficult and complicated problems with a clarity that adults have lost. Hosanna!

—Christina Landenberger

It is the first Sunday of the new year. 2019 is done. 2020 is all before us.

My Zen Buddhist friends remind us that “the past is perfect.” So even though memories and regrets of this past year are fresh in our minds, there is nothing we can do now to change any of that. 2020 is a clean slate in front of us. It is time to move on.

True, there are still some people that we could say, “I’m sorry,” to from 2019. There are still some, “Thank you’s,” “You mean so much to me’s,” and “I love you’s,”  left unsaid from last year. There are tons of things we may wish we could do over. But fretting over all that doesn’t change anything.

What can happen in this new year is that maybe, if we’re lucky, we can make one significant change from our 2019 behavior. Rev. Fred Wideman, pastor Coach and friend of mine from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, challenged his congregation to choose one thing that they’d be willing to get up early or stay up late to accomplish this new year. One thing we’d be willing to go that extra mile to do.

Try that. Ask God to help you do it. Then if we’re lucky, when we cross over into 2021 one year from now, the past will truly be perfect and you will have one less regret.

Grace & Peace,

—Rev. Kelly Karges

Trinity has so many amazing ministries. And it follows that Trinity has many amazing people. We could be a Hallmark commercial – “when you care enough——.” I marvel daily at all the ways our church is in mission to our community. One area that particularly touches my heart is — drum roll here — and no surprise to those who know me, Loaves and Fishes. Last weekend you read some year-end numbers. Amazing, 19,199 people had more food this past year, because of all those who help. Let’s look at a few more numbers, that’s 4788 families served in 2019. And that translates into 7992 children who had more food in 2019, plus 9762 ages 19-64, and 1445 seniors over 65. More importantly, let’s talk stories for a moment. There are people in their 80’s who are raising great grandchildren and are extremely grateful for the food help. There is a physically challenged lady who comes each month. Our group calls a cab to pick her up. In December, she baked cookies and brought them for the volunteers! We give out blankets, hats, socks, gloves, and scarves during the cold months. In December, a man got two hats and hugging them close to his heart, he said he had two kids and asked for two blankets for their Christmas gifts. Children who receive a blanket and are warmer while waiting with their parents have huge smiles.

A lady brings Bibles to give away most months. A man from Hastings brings grocery carts every month. A group brought books in December. And in addition to those from our church, some of the consumers volunteer plus the hard-working ROTC from Senior High, people from First Presbyterian, some scout troops have helped as do people from Principal Finance and others who have heard of the distribution. We are also very grateful that the city of Grand Island allows us to use the utilities garage. It takes over 110 people each month to man Loaves and Fishes and that translates into about 480-man hours per month or about 5760-man hours in 2019. Also, in 2019, we began taking prayer requests. We get anywhere from 35 to 98 requests a month. The care, the smiles, the pats on the back, the prayers we give are every bit as important as the food we distribute. So, here’s that word again, AMAZING. Yes, Trinity, you are an amazing and loving church and today I salute you as we celebrate our first TRINITY UNITED!

–Deb Brummund

Reflections

Are we there yet?

We have journeyed for 4 weeks during this advent period. We have had time to reflect on the coming of our Savior and we have had time to prepare for his coming. We have called family and friends to make plans for this coming holyday. We have done some shopping, wrapped gifts, we have decorated our houses, we have made plan for what we are going to eat on Christmas Eve and Christmas day.

As a child, I remember Christmas was the period I could get toys and we could eat delicious food and wear new clothes and shoes. Christmas used to be a time where our dreams and hope could come true. It was a time where we go to church to sing Christmas songs, watch the movie about the birth of Jesus, it was a time to move around in the neighborhood showing of new clothes and new toys.

I never had time to reflect on what was going through Joseph’s mind when he first heard that his fiancée was pregnant. All that was important was to receive a new toy, new clothes and shoes, and eat delicious meal. As a grownup man I have started asking myself what was Joseph’s first reaction to Mary’s new about her pregnancy. Have you ever reflect on what was going through Joseph’s mind when Mary announced that she was pregnant? I do appreciate Rev. Dr. Joe Pennel reflection on what makes a real Christmas. He says, “What makes a real Christmas must be found in human history. This is what Joseph did. And in a very real sense, it was the theology of Joseph which made possible the first Christmas. If Joseph had not cooperated with God’s plan in human history, the birth of Jesus would have been quite different.”

God’s plan for redemption does include humanity and Joseph had played his part and it is up to us to play our part in the divine redemptive plan.

Merry Christmas!

—Pastor Kalaba

After today we’ve got two days until Christmas. With school out on Friday, a lot of families with kids hit the road the minute those school doors opened to release the masses. Things will begin shutting down Tuesday night. Christmas Eve day will have selected stores and businesses open, some only half-day. Christmas Day only the economically challenged will be open. Nobody wants to work on Christmas Day. But, no matter what the day, the cows still have to be milked and fed. Hospitals still have to function. Law enforcement will still be out there along with firemen/women and emergency response teams and staff at the wide variety of humans and animal care facilities.

The gifts as the bottom of the list should be crossed off this week. Wrapping paper and ribbon are important. We’re way past the mailing time for Christmas presents. You can still send that yearly family Christmas letter to 50 to 100 of your closest friends that you communicate with once a year, but they won’t get there ‘til after “the day.”

Now, we’re basically down to the gifts and the food. And we’re praying for good weather. Now, it’s about getting everybody together at the same time and place, to give each other something, to watch the kids enjoy Christmas, to record the moment with pictures and video. It’s a day to say thanks, and to be filled up with food, family, stuff and love. Christmas is a reason to care about each other, and to show it in as many ways as possible.

In my family, it is important that no one is left out. Gifts are as equal as possible. Love is fair.  Caring is universal. The same is true of the church family. God’s blanket love gift to the world pours over onto us and we throw that blanket over everyone within our reach and call it Christmas.

Grace & Peace,

–Kelly Karges

There are only 10 shopping days until Christmas! All the stores are out of that one and only things your child (or grandchild) wants for Christmas. Have you mailed your Christmas cards yet?

Have these words been uttered or screamed in your house?

“Where did all that wrapping paper go from last year?”

“Has anyone seen the tape?”

“What did we do with the scissors?”

Uncle John moved again. Do we have his new address?”

All the neighbors have their lights up.  When are we going to put up ours?”

“Do we have any replacement bulbs for these green strings of lights?”

“I think we blew a fuse.”

Advent is the season of anticipation, expectation . . .and panic. There is so much to be done on top of the regular stuff. And the days still have just 24 hours in them. Our nostalgia tells us to do all those things that made us feel good in the past. Our sweet tooth tells us to eat all those goodies that will make us feel good now. Our sense of responsibility tells us that family, friends, co-workers, the mail man, the newspaper delivery person, all our children’s teachers and Sunday School teachers need some sort of gift to be wrapped and delivered sometime before December 25th.

Our faith tells us that Christmas comes down to one thing: God loves us so much that God comes to be one of us. God’s love overflows into the gift of a baby that would grow up to save us from ourselves. And because God gives, we give too. So, before you get totally overwhelmed by the season, take a moment to stop the madness. Take a deep breath, close your eyes and receive the gift of peace from God. Take God’s love and it will overflow into the patience and endurance you will need to make it through Christmas day and beyond.

Grace & Peace,

Growing up in Valentine, my siblings and I were taught the value of hard work, honesty, and Christian values. My road to the Methodist Church was through my ex-husband. We had not been steady church goers in our first few years of marriage, but after the kids came along, I knew I wanted them to be raised in the church. So, instead of going back to the Episcopal Church, we started attending the Methodist Church in Aurora, NE. After the divorce, I transferred membership to Trinity. I have served on the Admin Council and SPRC.

Music has always been a big part of my life. I attended college in Kearney as a Music major/ Theatre minor. I sang in a few bands, including The Southside Blues Band. We played at a number of Blues Festivals and area establishments, weddings, birthday parties, Christmas parties, etc. After the band broke up, I needed an outlet for the creative side, and Crosspoint has served that purpose. I love singing with this wonderfully talented group of fellow Christians!

The best part of my life now is my kids and grandkids! John and his wife Gina have two boys, ages 3 & 5 in Lincoln. Billie Jo and her husband Alex have four kids. Three daughters, ages 9, 10, & 11 and a 12-year-old son. It is so fun spending time with them and spoiling them rotten!

I find myself on the road a lot between Valentine, Kansas, and Lincoln. I am the Nebraska Regional Coordinator for IMPS (minpinrescue.org) and am a huge advocate for animal rights. I’m pretty adamant about human rights, especially those rights of women that we fought so hard to get! In my spare time, I like to spend time with friends or family. I’ve been an insurance agent for Shelter Insurance Companies for over 20 years and take pride in trying every single day to provide the best care for my clients as possible. A great team of folks help me achieve that goal!

Thanks, Trinity family for all you do for the Church! I feel so uplifted after service! It helps me get through the week!

—Joni Rodabaugh

I participated in my first ever Trunk-or-Treat this past Wednesday. Having never been to a Trunk-or-Treat before, I didn’t know exactly what to expect. So, when choosing how to decorate my trunk, I knew I wanted it to be easy, but also somehow meaningful.

The result, a simple mirror with the words, “God’s Masterpiece” surrounding it. I threw in a couple of paint trays and some brushes and Ta-da!!…I was quite proud of my cleverness and creativity. However, I was not at all prepared for the response it would receive. As each child approached my trunk, they read the words and peered into the mirror, looking for “God’s Masterpiece.” Watching the smiles that followed as they made the connection was priceless!!…Woot! Woot! They “GOT IT”!!

Then the “Awes” that came from their parents as they looked over their child’s shoulder and saw the smiling child’s reflection. I could sense in those awes that for a moment those parents flashed back to the day they were blessed, the day they first laid eyes on that child as they entered their life.  They awed as they remembered and awed as they too recognized the wonderful Masterpiece God had created in their child, and perhaps maybe, even in themselves. It was quite heartwarming! Still, the younger children were the best!! They would get as close as they could to that mirror. Some would twist their bodies and turn their heads trying to get different angles and views. Some raised their eyebrows, smiling and then frowning, hoping to change the shape of their face. What caught my attention the most, was that they didn’t care who was watching. They weren’t critical of themselves and they weren’t boastful. They didn’t doubt what they saw, and they didn’t feel insecure. Not one of them wanted to look away and when I asked them if they liked what they saw, if they thought it was beautiful, every single one of them answered with a yes! Even with the intentional distortions, they truly admired the work of art that was reflecting at them. Seeing only a reflection of themselves…uniquely and perfectly made, just as God intended. They couldn’t read, but they still “GOT IT”!

How simple is that??!!…God doesn’t want us to look in the mirror and not be happy with the reflection we see. When we are critical or dissatisfied with our own reflection, we are insulting the creator, God. You are a Masterpiece after all! – HIS Masterpiece!!

So, the next time you are around a child, give them a mirror and just observe. See how they see themselves. Then, I hope the next time you look in the mirror yourself, that you look with the eyes of a child. Look in the mirror without criticism, without insecurities, and without false image.  Instead, see “God’s Beautiful Masterpiece”!

—Marcy Johnson

The 1970s were a time of much happiness, but also turmoil.

My Mom left the Methodist denomination and became a member of a cult. My parents lived on a farm and one of their neighbors was a Jehovah’s Witness and it wasn’t long until my parents were studying with this group. My older brother, his wife, and three daughters joined the organization. My father did not join for a long time and this was very hard on him. He drove to Grand Island to talk to Kenny and I about this difficult situation. We continued to love Mom and she continued to love us.

We and our five kids lived in Grand Island and were over an hour away from our parents. When my parents left after a visit, I would find Watchtowers and Awake magazines hidden in various places around our house.

When our youngest daughter was married, Mom did not come to the wedding. She was taught by this group, ‘the devil is in the churches.’ My Dad came alone. When the ceremony concluded, our daughter handed out a rose to each Mother and Grandmother. My Dad accepted Mom’s flower and as he stood in the reception line, I saw a tear in his eye. The whole day was extremely hard on him, but we were blessed that he came.

I am so grateful that I was active in Bible studies. Kenny and I compared scripture from our Bibles to the one they used. We could see many of their errors. The major one—they did not believe in the deity of Jesus Christ. God is surely good. In later years, after Mom had a stroke and had been living in Columbus with my brother and family, they looked for a nursing home in that town and none was to be found. (We later found out through someone working at a nursing home in Columbus there was a room available, but God had other plans)

When my brother’s family brought her to Park Place, which is near our home, they informed the Activities Director she was to attend no birthday parties, no celebrations for Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc. The director told me after they left the building, “Marjorie will attend whatever she wants to attend!” She enjoyed passing out Halloween candy to costumed children, singing Christmas carols, and eating birthday cake. We were so blessed to have her in Grand Island where she reverted back to her Christian roots and enjoyed Thanksgiving and watching her grandkids do the nativity scene at our house. She could barely wait to rip the paper off her Christmas gifts as she celebrated the holidays with us once again. I am so glad we continued to love one another and not let this issue divide us permanently. It has been hard to condense this life changing event.

—Helen Brandt

What do we hear when we attend Church…trust and have faith? How easily we forget. Because Penny and I failed to prepare Rummage information for the Circles in a timely manner, we weren’t getting the needed volunteers for the Rummage Sale. We understood it was our fault and not anyone else’s fault. Pastor Kalaba’s sermon, “Lost in our own Grumbling,” fit us to a tee. All we needed was to trust and have faith. Because of the response from the United Methodist Women and others in the Church, both men and women, we had the needed help. Once again, our sale was a success.

Trinity…we thank you, as do those who benefit from our mission projects: Trinity Youth, Hope Harbor, Salvation Army Men’s Shelter, Community Food Pantry, Neighbors in Need, Epworth Village, United Methodist Ministries, Mongolian Mission, Red Bird Mission, McCurdy School, and others not mentioned.

UWM ladies, we’d love to have you come to our Prairie Rivers UMW District Meeting at Trinity on Saturday, October 12. The meeting starts with registration at 8:30 a.m. and ends by mid-afternoon. Cost is $8.00, which provides lunch and can be paid to Virginia White, 23 St. James Pl, 68803. The deadline for registering for the meeting is October 6. To contact Virginia White, please call her at 308.675.1063.

—Betty Patrick

Be still and know

that I am God.

Psalm 46:10

Recently, I was reminded that God freely gives us the best things in life to thoroughly enjoy. The 23rd Psalm, along with many other verses, let us know that God will provide for us by nourishing us, taking care of us. I believe that one of his best provisions is found in the beauty around us –rainbows, laughter of children, silently falling snow, genuine hugs, early morning birdsong, a tasty cup of cinnamon tea with a trusted friend and exquisite BUTTERFLIES to name only a few.

If you visited the butterfly pavilion at the state fair, you may have experienced the same deep joy that I did. Oftentimes, butterflies flit around our yards and if we are lucky, we may catch a glimpse of them or even snap a photo. For me, it’s a special treat when a butterfly actually lands on me. In the butterfly pavilion, the lovely butterflies landed on my shoulder, my arm and my hand. Oh, how blessed I felt! We were given a nectar-soaked paint pad when we entered and it then become quite easy to coax one of these wonders of nature onto my pad. And… then…. I could carry it around. He stayed with me. I was taken by surprise when this became a spiritual experience for me.

As I contemplated how the butterfly stayed with me when I moved around, I was reminded that God stays with me no matter where I go or even what I do or what I feel.

God stays with me when I have a sleepless night. God stays with me when I feel hopeless. God stays with me when I feel angry. And then I also know that God stays with me when I am filled with joy, when I am filled with peace, when I am filled with love. After all, he knew me in my mother’s womb. And he knows me today and blesses me with simple pleasures like an encounter with the butterflies. Thank you, God, for all the ways you bless my life.

—Deb Brummund

I want to share with you a piece I wrote a few years ago when life was much simpler and I had just taken our oldest daughter Katie on the one block walk to her first day of Kindergarten. Now, Katie is 30 and just got engaged to be married this past spring!

This is from September 1994:

“I walked my oldest child off to Kindergarten this year. Me, holding her hand with pride. She, siphoning as much security out of my palm in one block as humanly possible. It seems as if I have now eased ever so gently into the world of permanent adulthood.

You can still be a kid when you get married. You can even hold on to the illusions of kid-hood when you have a child. You can waffle back and forth with them as they grow; rediscovering the child part of you that you’d long since forgotten. But, when that child enters formal education it’s time to pass the childhood baton on to the next generation and settle into permanent, life-insurable, parenting adulthood.

The other thing that makes me proud and sad at the same time, is that she is growing up so fast.  She’s not my baby girl any more. A part of me wants to hold her back until she’s maybe eight or ten before throwing her into the public realm. But the time has come for her to take the first of many steps out of the nest. And it’s my job to prepare her for the flight, then let her struggle with learning how to make her own wings work.

I wonder if this is the way God feels as God watches us take our first tentative steps into the public realm of faith? When we first share our gifts with other people who might reject what we have to offer. . . When we risk seriously praying and listening to God for the first time . . . When we do anything that says to the world that God has made a difference in our lives?  Is God proud and sad to watch us grow and mature? I don’t know. But sometimes I wish that God would hold MY hand as I cross the street to greater responsibility in my faith journey.”

Grace & Peace,

Rev. Kelly

Last year, I wrote these blessings for the first week of school. I thought we’d do them again this year.

“This is the week to bless our students, our teachers, school staff, parents and grandparents.

(All students please stand) God bless our students. May you soak in all that is given to you this school year and grow into your true self; the person God needs you to be.

(All teachers please stand) God bless our teachers. May the content of your teaching be boosted by the quality of your soul, your character, and the person that you present each and every day.

(All staff please stand) God bless our school staff. You have no idea how the little things of your daily contact with our students and teachers make a huge difference in their emotional well-being. Your smile, your look, your prayers, and support change lives.

(All parents & grandparents please stand) God bless our parents and grandparents.  All the effort to herd those kids out of bed and off to school and back will show in the adults that they will become one day. God bless your being there for all those games and events; for making sure your children and grandchildren have what they need to be the best students they can be. God bless you for those hugs and kisses before they go out that door, and, for the courage to trust their growth to the people in the school system.

(Everyone please stand) God bless our school and our community. As we enter into another year of being there for each other, may we all—churches, school and community—do what we need to do to live into the Biblical command to live for the “good of our community” this school year.

Grace & Peace,

–Rev. Kelly Karges

My name is Christina Landenberger, but you can call me “Church Lady.” I am excited to be serving you as the new Director of Family, Youth and Children’s Ministries.

My husband, Adam and I have two adult children – Bryan and Christen. Adam is looking for a job in the information technology field. Bryan is a manager at Hy-Vee and Christen attends classes through Grand Island Senior High’s Workforce Prep Academy. We are also caring for two elderly dogs.

I have a BA in Human Relations with an emphasis on Child Development from Doane College. My prior work experience includes government and non-profit agencies. I was formerly employed at First Presbyterian Church in Grand Island.

My style of family, youth and children’s ministry is an emphasis on intergenerational ministry rather than age-segregated programming. When the church comes together, we are mighty! While I have lots of practice working with young church goers, I will need your help getting to know Trinity United Methodist Church. Please share with me the traditions you value and help me to create new experiences. Also, please forgive me more than seven times seven when I forget your name.

Parents of children and youth age 0 to 18, please COMPLETE THE ONLINE SURVEY to help me understand your hopes and expectations for Family, Youth, and Children’s Ministry. You can find it on Trinity’s Facebook page or on our website at trinityumcgi.org/kids-youth/

—Christina Landenberger

There is no journey without meeting new people, discovering new places, learning new cultures, appreciating new challenges, and creating new memories. From Johannesburg, South Africa to Saint Louis, Missouri, we met new people, made new friends, discovered new places, and created new memories… Here we are in Grand Island, Nebraska, even though for Tim, my last-born, he thinks we are not yet in Grand Island because we not surrounded by waters, he is still waiting to be in the Island. However, we are busy learning to figure out the geography of the city and its surrounding towns and in this process sometimes we get lost and end up looking at the map or GPS to find our way around. We have been busy meeting new people and doing our best to remember people’s names, grateful for the grace people give us when we mispronounce their names or call them by someone else’s name. We keep reminding ourselves that there are many names to learn and eventually we will get there. We have been busy unpacking boxes and trying to make a home out of our new place, we have been learning everyday about Trinity UMC.

While being busy with all the above, I have been trying to answer the following question: Where is God in all these? Is there more than just learning the geography of Grand island? Is there more than just learning names of people? Is there more than just unpacking boxes and making our new place a home? Am I rushing in my learning about what God is up in Grand Island through our church, Trinity?

There are times in our journey of faith when we have to learn to be more patient, to seek help when we cannot figure things out. Just as there are times when we have to accept our vulnerability and learn from people around us. Then, there times where we need to learn how to just be at Jesus’ feet…Our Christian journey requires from us patience, seeking help when needed, listening deeply not rushing ourselves or rushing God on doing what we want but to take one step at the time.

We would like to thank the church for the warmth welcome, the SPRC for the welcome party and for helping us with orientations. As we have embarked on our journey with you all… We say in Swahili “Katika kutenda mema musishoke… (please, do not get tired in being generous…)”

—Pastor Kalaba Kapundu

My name is Kalaba Kapundu and I am Zambian by nationality, but I have lived in different African Countries: D.R. Congo and Zambia in my formative years, Zimbabwe for my high education, South Africa country of my first career, country where I became husband and father for the first time. I come from a family of  eleven children, seven  girls and  four boys and I am the 8^thchild of the family. My Dad, the late Pierre Kalaba N’Kangalesa Kapundu, was the Lay Leader of the Zambia-South Congo Episcopal Area of the United Methodist Church. I hold a bachelor’s degree of Science in Economics from Africa University, postgraduate degree in Economics from the University of South Africa, and master’s degree in Divinity from Eden Theological Seminary. I have been fortunate to work with people of different backgrounds and origins and as a result I can speak few African languages, French, and English … I am married to Anny Kalinowski Kapundu who comes from a family of five children, three girls and two boys. She is a daughter of a United Methodist pastor. She holds bachelor’s degree in Humanities and Religious Studies, master’s degree in Social Development and master’s degree in Theological Studies. We have three boys, Ian Kalaba Kapundu, Dan Kongolo Kapundu, and Tim N’Kangalesa Kapundu.

I grew up in a Christian home where the foundation of our faith is the love of God and the love of our neighbors. And that has influenced my understanding of who God is. My understanding of God is more related to the “Ubuntu  (connectedness that exists or should exist between people) theology.” This is because my journey of faith is meaningless without people around me, my faith in God comes from my interconnectedness with people of different backgrounds, it comes from the respect I have for those who do not think, speak, look like me, it comes from my carrying of both strangers and friends. As far as I am concerned, Ubuntu is not just an ideology  or philosophy, but it is the foundation of my spiritual life. I do not see myself relating to God if I cannot connect with those created to the image of God. Thus, as a Christian and a pastor, I work to connect with “others” through their day to day life experiences. It is in that same way that I do not see the church as an institution which is based on material and rules/ principles but the church to me is something organic, it is something flexible and can adjust to new life experiences. The Church which is the body of Christ is more spiritual than material. I believe that human experience  is tied to both the new and old covenants through the Holy Spirit and not through material, and it is the Holy Spirit that inspires us to love the same way God loves us. And as John Wesley, I will say my heart is enlarged towards all humankind, to those I know and those I do not know… We say blood is thicker than water but for me the Spirit is thicker than blood.

We are blessed to be part of the Trinity family and thank you all for your warmth welcome.

—Rev. Kalaba Kapundu

It is with a heavy heart and great sadness that the Administrative Team of Trinity has chosen to close Noah’s Ark Daycare & Pre-School as of September 1, 2019. This decision was not an easy one to make. The Administrative Team, Finance Team, Noah’s Ark Board and Director have been working tirelessly to try and bring Noah’s Ark into the black for a while now. It just got to a point where the church could no longer afford to supplement the ministry of Noah’s Ark in the way we have in the past.

We celebrate 18 years of ministry to the children and young families of our community. I believe Noah’s Ark staff and families have had a great impact on the lives of so many young ones by showing them extra attention, love and care. And this will have a positive ripple effect in our community for generations to come

From 2012 to now, the church has supplemented Noah’s Ark to the tune of $221,000 dollars. In 2018, we helped Noah’s Ark out with $60,000. In 2019 we have infused Noah’s Ark $10,000 a month for six months so far just to make payroll. And all indications are that this will continue.  Each month we would exhaust our checking account before dipping in to endowments. So other funds have suffered. For example, we have not been able to help folks out with rent/utilities assistance with the Helping Hands Funds since early spring.

Our hope is that a closing date of September 1, 2019 gives the staff and families of Noah’s Ark some time to make other arrangements. I am thankful for the solid leadership of our church’s Administrative Team, Finance Team and Noah’s Ark Board. These are hard decisions. But I believe this is the right decision for our congregation as we move into the future. Our Ad. Team meeting on Monday night and Tuesday night’s meeting with Noah’s Ark Parents and staff were some of the saddest I’ve ever been a part of. Please keep our Noah’s Ark staff and parents in your prayers during this time of transition.

Grace & Peace,

–Rev. Kelly Karges

Today is Confirmation Sunday at Trinity. This year Nine seventh graders and their mentors devoted 13 weeks of Wednesday nights to learning about what it means to become a full member of the church.  Each time we would begin with 15 minutes of instruction by me with the whole group. Then the confirmands and their mentors would scatter to the corners of the church to discuss the questions in their workbooks and to read a couple chapters of the Gospel of Luke together. They also worked on their memorization of the 23rd Psalm, the Apostles Creed and the books of the Bible. Then we’d all reconvene after 40 minutes or so for final questions with me and discussion of the topic of the week. Our topics included things like: God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, Worship, the Ministry of the Church, Prayer, Service, Death . . . etc.

We took road trips to Seward for the Living Last Supper, and, All Faiths mortuary here in town.  They also each wrote the article on the back of the bulletin about where they had seen God, or their favorite things about the church. The confirmands also did service projects and talked about what gifts they have to offer both through in the church and in their daily lives.

Today these seventh graders are publicly proclaiming to the world that they are ready to confirm the decisions made for them by their parents when they were baptized. They are telling us that they are ready to make up their own minds about this faith thing. And we, the church, are telling them that they are now adults, (and full members), in the eyes of the church. I will stress to them that this is not a graduation, it is an initiation in full membership in the church.

This year’s confirmands at Trinity are: Grace Hill, Jaylen Hansen, Trey Engberg, Conner George, Madilynn John, Alec Sundberg, Makenna Garrels, Kyla Sybrandts, and Madyson Schley. Their mentors who went through the whole process with them are: Sebrina Bergmeier, Jeanne Graves, Vicki McDermott, Ron George, Danny John, and Jeremy Sundberg. Please take the opportunity today to congratulate them on this important step in their faith journeys.

Grace & Peace,

—Rev. Kelly Karges

My name is Madyson (Mady) Schley. I go to Westridge Middle School and I am in choir, volleyball, and track. I also play softball outside of school. My mentor is Sebrina. She is a good mentor, because she helps me understand my learning about God. We have two other girls in our class named Kyla Sybrandts and Grace Hill. I like having more than just me in our group, because then we can get a deeper understanding of God.

If we have questions, we always ask and sometimes we have the same questions so we can connect more. One way I communicate with God is by praying. Whenever I am having a bad day, I pray and hope that things will get better. And with God there, I know that they always will. I think the best thing about church is on Wednesdays. I like getting to see all of my friends.

—Madyson Schley

Hi! My name is Kyla Sybrandts and I am 13 years old and in the seventh grade at Westridge Middle School. My family includes my mom, dad, and three younger sisters: Kamry, Keely, and Katelyn. I am involved in volleyball, basketball, track, and show choir. I also enjoy playing golf and softball in the summer.

One thing that I have learned in Confirmation that has helped me to know God better, is learning that God can be anywhere and can be anything. I used to think that God was only a person, but after reading Luke I understood that God can be a flash of lightning or a gush of wind. One thing I hope to accomplish during my Confirmation journey is memorizing the books of the Bible. My mentor is Sebrina Bergemier and I have really enjoyed having her mentor me along my journey of getting confirmed. I feel safe when learning about God with Sebrina and my group, and that I can be open about what I am thinking.

—Kyla Sybrandts

My name is Alec Sundberg. I like sports and I play football and basketball. I am in 7th grade at Westridge Middle School. I am 12 years old. I am in orchestra at school. I play the string bass.

In confirmation, I have learned that God is not just a man. In my reading of Luke, I have learned that Jesus was tempted in ways that were bad. He was tempted with things like if you are God’s son then you can throw yourself off the roof and you will not die. My mentor is my dad, Jeremy Sundberg. He is a good mentor, because he makes me think hard about the answers to find a deep and meaningful answer.

—Alec Sundberg

My name is Madilynn John. I have four brothers and four sisters. I am 13 years old and am in 7^th grade at Westridge Middle School. My favorite sports are volleyball, softball, basketball, track, and I am going to begin hunting. Other things I like to do are reading, painting, and math. I am in my school’s choir and orchestra along with playing sports.

My favorite lesson we have done so far was probably the lesson on God. I feel that when we did this lesson, I took more consideration to how my thoughts of God have changed over the years. I always had thought of God as an old guy with a beard, but when I walked out of class that day my perspective changed a bit. I realized that God could be anything. God could be a candle light, the wind, or any type of person. My mentor is my grandpa, Danny. I really enjoy getting to have him as my mentor, because he always has a positive attitude and is always open to learn and to help me. Having him as my mentor, I feel has really helped us learn and grow together.

—Madilynn John

My name is Grace Hill and I am a 7th grader at Walnut Middle School. I’m 12 years old and I enjoy sports and art. The sports I’m in are basketball, softball, volleyball, and track. The things in art I like are painting and drawing. The reason why I like art so much is because you can make your own story in your picture. Reading the Bible each week has helped me get to know God better. The retreat to Seward is something I’m looking forward to in my confirmation group this year.

In my Confirmation group, I have a lot of people I know and that makes it really exciting. When we do confirmation group, we play the drums. I really enjoy that because I play drums at school for band. My mentor is Sebrina Bergmeier and the thing I like about meeting with her is that I have two other girls in my group so more voices are heard. Sebrina is a good mentor, because it is easy to learn from her and she listens to you when it’s your time to speak.

—Grace Hill

My name is Jaylen Hansen. I am 13 years old and in 7th grade at Walnut Middle School. Outside of church and school, I play volleyball, basketball, and softball. I also plan to run track this Spring. Through my confirmation experience, I have been able to understand God better and what my relationship with Jesus means to me. In our classes, we have read verses from the Bible and discussed them with our mentors. One thing I hope to discover through confirmation is how the things I’m learning about God and the Bible can be applied in my own life. My mentor, Jeannie Graves, has been a great leader for me, because I can gain from her perspective on things we talk about. One thing I felt was interesting is understanding what the Holy Spirit means. One thing that I really like in confirmation is the friends that I have in class with me, and getting to talk about these things together. From confirmation, I hope that I will gain a better understanding of God and strengthen my relationship with God.

—Jaylen Hansen

Hi, I’m Conner George. I like playing sports: basketball and football are my favorites. Two of my favorite things about our church is helping out with Loaves and Fishes and Vacation Bible School. During VBS, I enjoy helping out with the little kids in all the activities. I enjoy Loaves and Fishes, because I like meeting the people who come and helping them. If confirmation has taught me anything, it is that God is everywhere and He is always there for us.

—Conner George

My name is Makenna Garrels. I was born in Hastings, Nebraska and I am an only child.

I just turned 13 on January 10^th and I am a 7^th grader at Westridge Middle School. I am in dance, softball, and volleyball. I love to go hunting and fishing with my parents at our cabin, and I also enjoy spending time with our dog. I am going on my second year as being a volunteer at Stuhr Museum during special events, summer classes, and working in buildings. I am in choir and orchestra at school, and I am also on the dance team at school.

When we had a lesson on who God was a lot of us learned that God could be anyone or anything, but we don’t know. My mentor is my Grandpa. When we meet for classes, I feel that this is something that has brought us closer together.

Hi, my name is Trey Engberg and I’m thirteen years old. I love to play football and basketball.

In Confirmation, I have learned many things like how God is actually more of a spirit. He is just pictured in human form so that we can relate to him. Confirmation has also shown me that learning about the Holy Spirit can be fun. We always play drums at the beginning before we separate into groups with our mentors, mine being my grandma, Vicki McDermott. We also play them along with other music from the Greatest Showman.

Confirmation has also got me into reading the Bible. When we go with our mentors, sometimes we read chapters from Luke or other scriptures from the Bible. From the Bible I have learned that Jesus was tempted by the devil but still stayed loyal to God. This is what I have learned from confirmation.