It is November and it is a time to be thankful for both the joy and the challenges of life. A time to find God in every minute of my day and to be thankful that I am alive, that my struggles are nothing compared to those of many people who are suffering with food insecurity, homelessness, living in a devastated homeland, or any number of other challenges the world’s people experience, But it’s more than that. No matter what we are going through, there really is a lot to be thankful for if we can open our eyes to see it.

Scripture says in Psalm 118:1: “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, his love endures forever.” That is one of my favorite verses. What does it mean to truly believe that the Lord is good? If God is truly good, what do we have to worry about because God is with us. In 1 Thessalonians 5:18 scripture says: “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”. Giving thanks in all circumstances. I have wondered what that actually means. I also think about and wonder how I can live this out in my daily life. And lastly Philippians 4:6 that says: "Be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” It feels like the way to know the peace of God, and the presence of God is to be anxious for nothing & to trust in God, always thanking God for everything.  Being thankful, and telling God about how thankful we are for everything is important and it has an immense impact on the way you lead your life and the attitudes and energy you have in life.  At least that has been true for me.

There are many ways to practice being grateful. I have an ”always-thankful-for“ list of things that I try to read through at least once a week. Things like: thank You Lord for the gift of this day. Thank You for walking with me every minute of every day. Thank you for the beauty that can be found everywhere I look. Thank you for wonder, joy and goodness that I experience myself and see in the people around me. Thank You for Your Presence in my life. Thank You, God, for Your amazing, transforming, & faithful love of me and of those all around me. Thank You for Your abundant generosity. Thank You for opening my eyes so that I can see how much you have given to me. Thank You for the food in my kitchen & a bed to sleep in, clothes to wear & a house that keeps me warm.  This is just a small part of my list. There are so many things I’m thankful for always: specific friendships, family relationships, the health of my kids & grandkids, my growth & transformation over the last 8-15 years in my faith, in my relationship with God, in my emotional development, and in my awareness of so many things.

One way that I have tried to be thankful in addition to my “always-thankful-for” list is to identify 3 things that I’m grateful for particularly on each day (that is not on my ”always-thankful-for” list). Like this morning the sunrise really spoke to me & I appreciated it; or a phone conversation I had with a friend or a family member; or thankfulness for getting something accomplished that I wasn’t sure whether I would be able to do. I’ve been keeping a list for many years. I miss a few days, here and there, but I keep coming back to it because of the power I experience in my life by being grateful.

I have started to look for other ways to be grateful as well. I read something a week or two ago that suggested that we be grateful not only for a specific thing, but for how that thing came into our lives.For example: I am grateful for the tea that I’m drinking this morning.  Then, I trace that present-day gratitude by identifying how that gratitude came to be.  Then, not only am I grateful for the tea that I’m drinking this morning that warms my soul, but I’m grateful for my sister who gave me the tea, & I’m grateful to my son (who also loves tea) who gave me an electric kettle that heated the water for my tea. Then I realize I am so grateful for my relationship with my son, such that we know what each other like & are generous & caring enough to gift such a gift. And I am also grateful for my relationship with my sister and her generosity to share something that she enjoyed to share it with me. I am grateful, further back, for all the years we have spent together. Thinking my gratitude through and connecting all of the things that happen in order for me to experience this thing that I’m grateful for, seems to amplify the gratitude & make it even larger. I like that.

Lastly, if it feels like there’s nothing new for me to be grateful for today, I can take a deeper look at what I did this past month, week or day. This is another way to dip into how grateful we can be. Again something I read asked that I spend just 10 minutes to reflect on one or more of the following questions & write down my answers: 

1.  What is something that I accomplished today? Was there something that particularly challenged me? Was it a positive choice I made (like I ate healthy food, I walked or moved more than I usually do)?
2. What is a blessing I experienced? I laughed with a friend, I cried with a family member, I helped someone with something and I received something also from the experience.
3. What is one area I want to grow in the next day, week or month? I want to not waste food in my refrigerator, I want to eat less processed food; I want to walk more steps or do more moving during the day; I want to sleep more; I want to spend less time on social media; etc.

Then end that reflection with a prayer of gratitude: Lord, thank You for guiding me, for helping me to accomplish what I accomplished today. Thank You for giving me this challenge, or this blessing. Thank You for helping me to grow and transform in my life. Your faithfulness, love and goodness bring blessings into my life Lord. Thank You.. 

Repeat this prayer throughout the week and see how gratitude and thanks given to God affect your days.

I am grateful that you took the time to read this blog post. If you have any other gratitude practices you would be willing to share, please let the Office know and we can add them to this post.

By: Deb Blum, HTLC member

The Faith and Finances team is attempting to inform our members about the many ways that we fulfill our Mission Statement which is  "Empowered by the Spirit, we love and serve in Jesus' name."  These words comprise our mission statement and are said by us at the close of our worship and go forth to serve our Lord and neighbors. 

There are many ways that we are empowered through worship and Christian education. There are also many ways that we love and serve in Jesus' name. The following summary of our outreach ministry highlights some of the wonderful ways that we fulfill our calling as Jesus' disciples. To learn more about HTLC outreach ministries visit our outreach webpage and our volunteer webpage. 

Habitat for Humanity

2025 Women’s Build is an examplie of a high impact and well executed ministry that expands the effectiveness of our service by partnering with Habitat for Humanity. A Holy Trinity team of 7 women answered the call to hang drywall and paint on lots of walls on  a HOT day in August. Habitat works with partner families to teach essentials of home ownership, financial management skills and requires sweat equity as part of the association they forge with new owners. Our church’s financial support and volunteer commitment will forever change the lives of two families in our community. 

Learn more about how HTLC participates in building houses for people in the community who need homes through Habitat for Humanity.  

Jubilee Christmas

Another impactful outreach ministry is Jubilee Christmas. Joining with other churches in our community we participate in a well-run program coordinated by Lafayette Urban Ministry (LUM). For example, LUM does background work to coordinate with other Christmas programs in the area (like Salvation Army, Christmas for Everyone, etc.) to avoid duplicate enrollments so that as many  eligible families are helped as possible. We host local parents who prepare for their own family Christmas. Another unique feature of Jubilee is the effort to make the parent the Christmas “hero” rather than well meaning folks dropping off boxes. We equip them to give their children gifts, a special holiday meal, a new outfit, household supplies and the kind of love Jesus asks us to extend. Last December 2024, we hosted 20 families with 62 children and are gearing up for another HTLC “Christmas Village” on December 13, 2025 - Mark your Calendars! 

Learn more about Jubliee Christmas.

Senior Living Community Worship Outreach

HTLC volunteers are active in several senior living communities. HTLC folks lead a worship service each week at our neighboring facility, Rosewalk Village Skilled Care. St. Mary’s Healthcare Center worships together on the first, third and fifth Sunday. Residents of many faiths participate in hearing scripture, praying together, listening to a message and enjoying music. In addition, Cumberland Pointe Health, with a campus in West Lafayette notifies the office to schedule a visit approximately four times a year.

Learn more about HTLC senior living community outreach. 

Back-to-School Barbecue & Blessing

We partner annually with Bethany Presbyterian for a Back-to-School Barbecue & Blessing to which families come to enjoy a meal and receive needed school supplies. HTLC was very generous with their donations of shoes, book bags, haircuts and time for this year's (2025) event.15 volunteers from HTLC were there at the time of the event. The barbecue gave away 335 pairs of shoes, 150 pairs of socks, 300 book bags, 300 hair cuts, and 600 hot dogs.

Mark your calendars for next year's event which typically takes place on the last Wednesday of July from 5:30 - 7 pm. 

Did you know that you can give your offerings and donations for the ministry of Holy Trinity Lutheran  Church electronically?  Yes, it’s easy and provides a steady source of income for the church. One way to do that is through Vanco. 

Vanco’s online donation platform is beneficial for several reasons. Online donations are easy to manage. Vanco ensures that your personal information is protected, making online donations secure. You can give at your convenience, whether it’s a one-time donation or recurring contributions. Online giving reduces the administrative workload and helps in budget forecasting. By choosing to give via Vanco's online donation platform, you contribute to our ongoing mission and support the church's efforts to make a positive impact in the community. Check out our Giving webpage to learn more about how HTLC uses Vanco.

Currently, 14 giving units contribute to our mission through Vanco. If you wish to give in this way, check out the church Vanco online webpage or contact Debra Blum, Floyd Garrott, or the church office. The new laminated contribution card in the pew rack has a QR Code through which you can make a donation to our ministry via Vanco. Take a picture of the QR Code and click on the link to see where you can contribute. Other electronic means are also available in order to make church contributions such as Qualified Charitable Distributions from an IRA. Starting Sunday, August 17, reusable pew cards stating one’s participation in electronic giving will be available to place in the offering plates. 

However you give your offerings to the church, know that your contributions are vital to our ministry. Thank you for your offerings!

Written by: Finance Committee Member Jim Lichtenberger (retired Pastor)

Who was a role model for you when you were growing up? More specifically, who was a Christian role model that helped shape your faith and spiritual life?

In today’s world there are many influences including social media, peer pressure, and entertainment figures that our youth aspire to follow. Several years ago the assistant pastor at my church shared that teenagers need at least five adults who are Christian role models for them so that their faith becomes vibrant and lasting.  Having several positive faith-filled people in their lives has to make a difference in a teenager’s faith and spiritual growth. These role models include parents, youth leaders, teachers, coaches, and other adults who demonstrate a strong Christian faith and lifestyle. 

For many children and teenagers, the most important role models are their parents and caregivers. Children look up to a variety of role models to help shape how they behave in school, relationships, or when making difficult decisions. I would hope that many teens choose their parents as character role models. Parents should never overlook the important role that they play in their child’s faith development. But it isn’t always the words that they say, it’s how parents listen. And it isn’t always what they do, but the things that parents refrain from doing that are impactful as well. 

Parents aren't the only character role models out there. There are also aunts, uncles, grandparents, siblings and cousins, non-family adults (like teachers), and friends that can serve as role models. Teenagers need understanding adults who will spend time with them, listen to them, and be an example of what it means to follow Jesus.

Back to one of the questions with which I started this article.  Who was a Christian role model that helped shaped your faith and spiritual life? First of all, mine were my parents who taught me the faith, saw that I went to church and Sunday School every Sunday, and gave me a dime to put in the offering plate as it passed on Sunday mornings. Also important were my two sisters, Pastor Troutman and a man named Chuck. 

I looked up to Chuck because he had played high school basketball and later served as a Sunday  School teacher for me and was our youth group leader. I could see in him his faith and his love for Jesus Christ. That made a profound impact on my life. And really, who is the best role model of all to follow? It’s Jesus. 

Who was the person that made a difference in your life? But don’t stop there in answering only that question. For whom can you be a positive role model of the faith and spend time with  young people and in doing so, point them to Jesus? Remember, your actions are just as important as the words that you say.  Maybe it’s the kid in church, your own child or relative, or the boy or girl down the street. Their future depends on it. 

 Written by: Jim Lichtenberger (retired Pastor)

ALS is an amplification system utilizing transmitters, receivers, and coupling devices to bypass the acoustical space between a sound source and a listener by means of induction loop, radio frequency (FM system), infrared, or direct-wired equipment. 

Holy Trinity Lutheran Church has an FM system which is like a tiny radio station with its own frequency and has two parts. One part is a microphone that the speaker wears. The microphone sends a signal to a hand-held receiver with headphones worn by the listener. This allows the listener to hear the speaker's voice more clearly, independent of distance and background noise. 

Alternatively, individuals with hearing aids or cochlear implant that have Telecoils (T-coils) can connect to the FM system by selecting the "T" setting. T-coils, are small, discreet copper wires built into many hearing aids and cochlear implants. They act as a miniature wireless receiver, picking up magnetic signals from assistive listening systems, allowing audio to be directly broadcasted to the individuals’ hearing aid or cochlear implant. When the "T-switch" is activated on a person's hearing aid or cochlear implant, amplified sound is delivered directly to the individual's ear, reducing background noise and improving clarity. 

The sound level received can be controlled by both the receiver and hearing aid/implant processor volume controls.

To utilize HTLC’s FM system, please let one of the greeters know you would like a hand-held receiver and they will provide you with one to use during church service. If you have additional questions, please contact the church.