Deepening Our Experience of God

This spring, Holy Trinity is offering an overnight retreat to members of our congregation on the topic of Deepening Our Experience of God. In this retreat, we will explore a number of spiritual practices we can use to strengthen our relationship with God and deepen our spiritual journey. In each session, presenters will introduce a particular spiritual practice which we will then each use in a period of silent, individual meditation. At the end of each session, there will be time to discuss the spiritual practice. Please read about the retreat here.

Online Giving Is Now Available!

Holy Trinity now has the capability to accept online donations. Donations can be made securely online from your checking or savings account and can also be made using credit cards and debit cards. Whether you wish to make a one-time gift or schedule regular, continuing donations, you can do it safely online using a secure server. This allows you to conveniently give financial gifts that will be received by the church regularly, whether you are in town to worship with us or traveling on vacation or business. Donations can also be directed to specific purposes, such as campus ministry or memorials. The details are explained here.

Psalm 46

See and hear Holy Trinity's Chancel Choir in concert with choir members of other area Lutheran churches in a beautiful rendition of Psalm 46, recorded at the Centennial Celebration Kickoff Service on October 30, 2011. Please click here.

The Stewardship Cross

The stewardship cross has been filled with our tokens, and will remain a powerful reminder of our commitment to stewardship that can lead us into our 100th year. There are some extra beads, and I invite anyone who wishes, to take home one of each of the four colors as a reminder of the acts of stewardship we have recorded - red for stewardship to the family, clear for the church, blue for the community, and green for the earth. There are a lot of beads in the cross, more than 2000. It is my hope that the same spirit that led us to place our tokens into the cross, and the joy we felt as we watched it fill, will encourage additional giving as we try to fill the gap between our pledged donations and the unmet needs that remain.

(Photos by Bob Hildreth)

ALATHEA Concert

As part of Holy Trinity's Centennial Celebration, the Christian acoustic group Alathea performed at Holy Trinity on January 22. If you missed the performance, or want to see and hear it again, Sharon Freeze's video of the concert is here.

We need your stories about our Holy Trinity family

Special stories, funny memories and fascinating incidents: We know most of the "facts" about the church; now we would like to round out our 100th anniversary celebration with personal stories and anecdotes about the people, pastors and events that have contributed to making Holy Trinity special and unique.

If you have memories about significant events in the church's history, we would be honored for you to share them with us. We will use these recollections to publish a booklet filled with the wonderful stories of the people of Holy Trinity.

Below are some ideas to get you started:

• I remember when …
• Holy Trinity is special because …
• I remember that at worship services we used to …
• My favorite part of worship at Holy Trinity is …
• We look forward to _____________ each year (picnics, Christmas programs, Epiphany, events, etc.) because …
• I saw God's love demonstrated by … or …
• I will never forget the day that …
• I was first invited to the church by _______________. I felt …
• When I look back over the years, I remember most …
• My favorite memory is …
• My most cherished memory is …

Don't limit yourself to these ideas, which are given to help get you started. To submit your stories, please either (1) send them to recollections@htelc.org, or (2) return them to the church office. Thank you for helping tell the story of Holy Trinity!

Alex Danchi Becomes an Eagle Scout

On January 21, Alex Danchi became an Eagle Scout at a Court of Honor ceremony held in Holy Trinity's Fellowship Hall. As part of his Eagle Scout journey, Alex created a meditation garden at the back of the church's Clark Avenue parking lot and landscaped the adjoining area.

Alex is the son of proud parents Amanda (Mandy) and Richard Danchi, who is also an Eagle Scout.

Recipes for cookies served at the Centennial Service Reenactment.

Eric's Farewell

Our congregation is one of the sponsors of the Sing for Joy radio program produced by St. Olaf College in Minnesota. The broadcast is on local station WCPE (89.7 FM) at 7:30 am. on Sunday mornings, and the show can be heard online here in its entirety any time during the week.

Adoramus

Adoramus Te
Giovanni da Palestrina (1525 – 1594)

Adoramus

Poor Wayfaring Stranger
African-American Spiritual (Roud 3339)

Adoramus

O Sing unto the Lord
Johann Leo Hassler (1564 – 1612)