PASTOR’S REPORT
In 2022 it seemed that we traded the word pivot for transition. Or maybe we have just grown so accustomed to pivoting that the switch from the ELCA Youth Gathering (cancelled) to a different trip to the Twin Cities and the Labor Day Weekend fire evacuation at Luther Heights that led to fall retreats down in the valleys seem almost normal. But in the life of the congregation there were multiple transitions. Sometimes they were behind the scenes, like different people climbing the ladder to change cloths on the suspended cross and Karissa Armbrust stepping fully into role of Treasurer. Other times they were roles everyone sees, like College of Idaho student Kaiti Walton joining our team of accompanists after Trish Bishop’s move to Washington. New volunteers were added to our sound and streaming team and altar guild. We also transitioned our annual God’s Work. Our Hands. Day in September—partnering with CWI student groups to beautify neighboring West Middle School. Read about more transitions in our team and committee reports. I have thought often of these scripture passages as we transition roles and equip new disciples.
Numbers 27:22-23
22So Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He took Joshua and had him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole congregation; 23he laid his hands on him and commissioned him—as the Lord had directed through Moses.
Romans 16:1-2
I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church at Cenchreae, 2so that you may welcome her in the Lord as is fitting for the saints, and help her in whatever she may require from you, for she has been a benefactor of many and of myself as well.
We also had transitions in the cluster. The Confirmation Co-op Team looks completely different than the pre-pandemic one. We added a quarterly cluster e-news publication and two-part workshop: Listening with Ear of My Heart. Pastor Lucas Shurson was installed at Faith, Caldwell and hopefully more installations will happen around the cluster in 2023.
One of our council’s goals was to keep telling our stories. If you look at the tvprays.org website (with its many contributions from Trinity members), our Video Devotions page on nampatrinity.org, and our Advent Daily Devotional, you will see that, though the work of storytelling never ends, this year we made great strides.
Thank you finally for the faith active in love that you each exhibit in your daily lives. Everything we do at Midland and Lone Star is done so you can share the love of God wherever you are: work, home, playground, senior center, coffee shop, and even the highway. Thank you for taking seriously our dismissal to Go in peace and serve the Lord. At Luther Heights we all shout this response: You know we will. So it is at Trinity, I know you will and for that I am grateful.
Pastor Meggan Manlove
A Place at the Table 