~ COUNCIL TID
BITS ~
We
would like to share some items that were presented at our recent May
meeting.
· Pastor Jeff advised that due to the pastoral vacancy at Bethlehem Lutheran in Baldwin, he is assisting that parish with pastoral needs until an interim can be assigned.
· Congratulations to the following members for their election to the 2010 - 2011 Council: Dave Ajello, Diana Forman, Penny Longo and Sally Valenti.
· At the Metro New York Synod Assembly in May, Deacon Meg Fielding was elected to be one of the 14 voting members for the Churchwide National Assembly in Orlando, Florida in August 2011.
· Congratulations to Deacon Janice Wunsch as she was also recognized by the Synod for her 10 year anniversary of being set apart as a deacon.
· Capital Improvements is nearing the completion of the kitchen upgrade. Two dishwashers have been installed, new cabinets have been delivered and the electric is in place. The countertop installation is the last component for this much needed upgrade.
· Through the efforts of the Worship Committee lead by chairperson and Chef Eleana Bergmann, $1,250 was raised at the Cinco de Mayo event on May 1st. The Organ Fund balance is now $27,500.
· Did you know that January 2011 marks the 40th Anniversary of our Early Childhood Center?
· It was brought to our attention that our current computer server does not have the memory or operating system needed to support the new 2010 QuickBooks program. Estimates were secured and Council has authorized the purchase of a new server with funds from Gift and Memorials. This upgrade will not only make us compliant with new state and federal tax laws, but will also fix the constant internet interruptions our staff has been experiencing for months.
· Since last September, the property committee has been researching the possibilities of making our building more handicap accessible. Many people use our building during the course of the week and current access to our basement is virtually impossible. A vendor has been selected and we have decided on a chair lift installation to the narthex staircase. Through the generosity of bequests from both Bob Ledlie and Greta Seeman this dream will become a reality. Our hope is to have the installation completed by the fall of 2010.
Wendy Wolber, Council Secretary
~ A SMILE FROM ABOVE ~
As I sat at my computer to type my monthly news articles, I realized that June marks the first anniversary of the passing of our beloved member – Elinor Dykstra. For more that 50 years, we were blessed to have among us a living example of a truly faithful steward who knew how to share her time and talents for the good of all. Elinor was involved with Altar Guild, Christian Service Group, TRIOADS, Sunday School envelope coordinator, weekly counter and VBS to name just a few. But what you may not have known was that Elinor was Holy Trinity’s “Flower Lady”. She used to keep a record of the weekly requests and would even remind members when anniversary times came around to ensure their special occasion or memorial remembrance would not be missed. The altar flowers were very important to her, but the final benediction did not end their purpose for being picked from nature’s garden. For Elinor, it wasn’t until she knew the arrangements had been delivered to one of our sick and shut-ins that she was satisfied that her job was done.
Holy Trinity has never had a budget line for altar flowers. For all the years Elinor took care of this, the expenses were always covered by member donations. Unfortunately in the past year, that has not been the case and for the first time expenses exceeded income. The Worship Committee found it necessary to reduce our weekly order to just a single bouquet. We no longer have Elinor’s notebook, but I can tell you there are still some upcoming Sunday’s available if you are interested in donating $30 for altar flowers. Please fill out an envelope in the pew or call the parish office and let them know if the bulletin listing is going to celebrate a birthday or anniversary, be a memorial to a loved one or given to the Glory of God in thanksgiving for all our many blessings!
I was initially saddened by the changes our committee had to institute this spring until I arrived in church the first Sunday after Easter. It was then I saw that beautiful floral bouquet resting in its new place of honor below the main altar cross. As the choir member who for almost 20 years has occupied the seat directly beneath where those flowers now sit, I thought of Elinor watching over us all and smiled.
Wendy Wolber, Worship committee member