Trinity Lutheran Church of Long Island City and Astoria installs council members for 2023.
Trinity Lutheran Church of Astoria and Long Island City installed its council this past Sunday, July 16th, after members of the congregation elected them to help grow and lead the church. We are very fortunate to have such faithful servants of God and community.
Here's a recap of Easter at Trinity Lutheran Church of LIC and Astoria. HE IS Risen Indeed!
Pastor Paul Milholland delivers a rousing and poignant Easter message.
Our choir, guest musicians, and our handbell choirs fill our church with joyful noise up to the rafters!
Preparing for Holy Communion
HE IS RISEN INDEED!
Our deacons are essential to the Easter celebration, and to our worship life at Trinity! Thank you (from left to right) Deacon Rob, Deacon Gwen, and Deacon Roberta!
Trinity Lutheran Church of Astoria and LIC welcomes leaders from different faiths to pray for peace in our hearts, homes, city, country, and world.
Join us June 12th at 5PM at the Astoria Heights Playground, at 30th Road and 46th Street in Astoria, Queens, New York City.
In case of rain we will meet at Trinity Lutheran Church at 31st Avenue and 37th Street.
On January 22nd, 2022 Pastor Paul delivered this Sermon about his Outreach Vision of 2022. This month we will share a series of Outreach initiatives that we will implement this year. Here is the written version. You can always visit our Vimeo channel to watch Sunday Services.
This week, Director of Outreach Luisana Santana question:
What shall be our Outreach vision for 2022?
What priorities should we set for this next year
As Trinity engages with the greater society?
This past Wednesday, the
Church council spent time putting together 2022 budgets.
As these two events came together:
A question about missional outreach
And developing the budget for Trinity in 2022 –
I reflected on today’s gospel lesson
Which folk often refer to as
Jesus’ Mission Statement
And I realized that
Mission of Jesus is the Mission of the church!
If one asks what will the ministry of Trinity Lutheran
Look like in 2022
One can do no better than reflecting on today’s gospel lesson.
Jesus says:
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me· to proclaim good news to the poor.
· He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
· and recovery of sight to the blind,
· to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.It seems to me that THIS is our calling. In 2022. And all of the time.
So let’s get into it right away.
First and foremost:
WE WILL PROCLAIM GOOD NEWS TO THE POOR
I see this as not a message solely to the economically challenged
But to those spiritually challenged
Who so DESPERATELY NEED
To hear Good News
That they are loved
That they are accepted
That God is FOR them
And with them – even when they don’t
Feel God’s presence.
As I said at a memorial service I conducted this past Friday
(I won’t mention the name of the person)
As far as I know Joe (not his real name)
Was not a church going person.
The audience laughed, because they KNEW it was true
As do I!
But I continued:
And the truth is that God’s love is NO LESS for Joe
Than it is for me, the son of a pastor
Who has gone to church all my life.
It’s not about how often you show up in church.
It’s not about what YOU AND I DO.
It is ABOUT WHAT GOD IN JESUS CHRIST
HAS DONE FOR US.
And he has died on the cross for us
So no matter how lonely, or lost, or forsaken
We may feel -WE ARE NEVER ALONE!
THE CRUCIFIED ONE IS THERE WITH US
IN THE DARK VALLEY OF THE SHADOW
AND
HE IS RISEN FROM THE DEAD
TO REVEAL TO US
THAT THERE IS NEW LIFE
BEYOND OUR DARK VALLEYS.
We will proclaim this
Not only from the pulpit
As the deacons and I do every Sunday
But in our teaching
And in our compassion for hurting souls.
We will also bring good news to the poor
Through the feeding program of our Food Pantry
And God willing – with the pandemic ultimately behind us
In our Community Supper and fellowship again.
And we will find ways:
With our financial commitment to
Lutheran Ministries in Higher Education
Who is providing food to university students
Struggling to make ends meet
As well as giving them Good News of God’s love
And a new relationship with RESTORE NYC
As we find ways to empower women
Who have been the victims of human trafficking
Helping to give them a new life.
We will educate ourselves
On health ministries
And ask: how can we make an impactful difference.
All of this we do
Because Jesus calls for it
And we follow his example:
Bringing Good news to the Poor.
WE WILL PROCLAIM RELEASE TO CAPTIVES
Our ministry of healing takes many forms:
Providing space for AA and other groups to heal
Continuing to provide Making Peace with Your Past –
Help for those who grew up in dysfunctional families
Providing pastoral care and counseling
To individuals who feel captive to their present circumstance
And to couples who have lost their way and love
We will continue to be advocates for social justice
And equality
Giving space for people to speak their truth
And finding TANGIBLE ways to work toward justice
While at the same time being supportive of safety for our city & world.
We are VERY intentional, in our weekly prayers to:
Prayer for those seeking justice in this world
Immediately followed by
Prayers for our local NYPD police precinct.
We don’t just pray for the police when an officer is shot or killed.
As the spiritual leader of Trinity –
EVERY time I see a police officer
I let them know we pray for you every week.
And now and then, I send food or flowers
To the 114th as a show of support.
TRUST ME It means a great deal to them.
You know that, except in a very few cases
I don’t use the pulpit to make political statements
I don’t believe it is the place of the pastor to do so
Though many of my colleagues completely disagree with me.
I have my own personal feelings about whether
Rikers Island should be closed
And bail reform laws in our state
And commentary about not prosecuting people.
I try to keep those feelings to myself.
That being said, we will continue to educate ourselves
About the injustices and racial inequality of
Of our Criminal justice system.
It is a sad commentary
That so many people in our prisons
Are persons of color
Often with little financial means
Deacon Gwen and Lily will continue to challenge us
To think in new ways
And try to find a way to make a difference
As people of faith
We are called by the God of justice
To see that ALL persons are treated fairly and with dignity
AND THAT OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND SUBWAYS
ARE SAFE FROM HARM
From police, if that should be the case – and from criminals that carry weapons of destruction.
WE WILL BRING RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND
Today I’m wearing new glasses with a new prescription
And the eyes have not completely adjusted yet.
I have a new appreciation of some of our members
They know who they are but I won’t name them
What have seeing challenges.
Jesus LITERALLY healed blind people
Some born that way
And others who had become blind.
But additionally
Jesus’ ministry was about bringing light to dark places
Opening the eyes of those he encountered
To see with new vision
The amazing things our God has done
And continues to do.
You hear me say quite often
How dark our world is
Especially in the fear of the pandemic
Violence
Disharmony
Economic challenges
AND HOW THE WORLD NEEDS THE LIGHT OF CHRIST
AND THAT YOU AND I ARE TO BE THAT LIGHT.
In this next year, through Evangelism efforts
Especially with Deacon Roberta,
Deacon Lois of Trinity in Middle Village
And Deacon Jill of Covenant in Ridgewood
Through the working of our Western Queens Conference
We will create opportunities for training
In sharing our faith
In proclaiming in words
And deeds
The Great and Marvelous deeds that God has done for us
As a church
And as individuals.
(I know, this might sound scary: I’ve gotta share my faith??)
But we will provide non-threatening ways to learn
So that we can have new vision
And invite others into a new vision
A new reality
So that the blind shall see
God’s amazing love for them.
WE WILL PROCLAIM THE YEAR OF THE LORD’S FAVOR
Aren’t you tired of this Coronavirus?
Aren’t you tired of the rules and regulations
Put in place for our safety?
Aren’t you tired of us not knowing
What is best for us
And our leaders having to guess and try
As they learn new things about this virus?
Don’t you want some NORMAL back in your life?
I know I do!
In this next year
We will spend our time
As a congregation
As your leaders
As your pastor
Dispelling fear and uncertainty
With joy!!
God is in charge of the universe, not us.
God knows what the future holds
Not our political leaders
Not even all the technicians & scientists
God, as we will soon hear with that soaring
Voice of our amazing sister, Laura Ethington:
HAS THE WHOLE WORD IN HIS HANDS!
AND WHO IS OUR GOD?
C’MON, YOU CAN SAY IT WITH ME
THE ONE WHO RAISED JESUS FROM THE DEAD!
This next year will be filled with God’s favor.
With new possibilities
With new and exciting challenges
With new opportunities to rejoice
With new freedom from fear
And injustice
And hatred
And inequality
Those who trust in the Lord shall renew their strength
They shall mount up as on eagles’ wings!
Now you’re sayingPastor Paul is nuts!
It’s too much.
We can’t accomplish that.
Certainly not in one year
Perhaps not in a 1000 years.
Let me share the wise words of Jaime Dunlop
Whose article on church budgeting
I used for our church council devotions this past week
And it appeared in the Stewardship section
Of the First Day of the Week.
(If you skipped over it, go open up the email and read it!)
He says:
A faithfulness mentality
trusts that God will meet every need that needs meeting,
and we are just fortunate to have the opportunity
to come along for the ride.
My friends
This is GOD’S VISION FOR US
This is Christ’s mission statement for us!
As St. Paul says:
Now YOU are the Body of Christ
And individually members of it.
What does that mean?
It means that each of us individually
Will find a calling to some PART of this vision
And help to bring it about.
So, reflect on today’s sermon.
If you want a copy of it, look on Facebook,
Or ask me to email it to you.
And see where YOU are being called
For you ARE BEING CALLED
To be a part of the vision, the mission
Of God in Jesus Christ
Working through Trinity Lutheran
In this next year.
In 2022 and beyond:
Let us with boldness join Jesus in saying AND BELIVING
THESE WORDS:
TODAY, THIS SCRIPTURE HAS BEEN FULFILLED
IN YOUR HEARING
AMEN
✨Celebrate the season with good music and enjoy these special performances from the 2nd Sunday in Advent experienced in-person and through Livestream on December 5th, 2021✨
Musical Credit: Bell Peal— Away in a Manger—Hymn tune: Cradle Song Arr. Larry Sue
Natalia Paruz plays the bells
“Thus Saith the Lord”—G.F. Handel
Bryan DeParsia, Baritone
“Comfort Ye” & “Ev’ry Valley”—G.F. Handel
John Easterlin, Tenor
Laura Ethington, Soprano Choral Section Leader at Trinity LIC/ASTORIA
William Easterling, Piano Director of Music at TRINITY LIC/ASTORIA
Pastor Paul's Sermon
We live in a world of MUSTS.
That is just the way it is.
Our human approach to things is to provide
Rules and regulations in order for us to live
Well, ORDERLY.
Parents have certain rules for the household.
Couples set up rules for how to manage their finances
And schedules.
Teachers have musts that are to be obeyed in order to avoid
Chaos in the classroom
And provide for true and effective learning
For their pupils.
Of late, here in the United States
And especially here in New York City
There have been some MUSTS put into place
For our safety.
One MUST get the vaccine.
Especially if one works for the city of New York,
Or in the health professions.
(There has been some pretty significant pushback to this –
As one member of the Fire Department of NY stated:
It is not the vaccine to which I object.
It’s the MANDATE!)
If one wants to eat inside a restaurant these days
One MUST show proof of the vaccine.
And one MUST wear a mask when at all possible.
All of this is done, we are told, for our own safety.
In fact, even here at Trinity, when we worship In person,
One MUST wear a mask.
We don’t distinguish between those who have been vaccinated or not
ALL ARE WELCOME.
And to protect us all, we wear masks.
In our political world these days, there are MUSTS.
Regardless of whether you are politically on the Left or the Right
It seems that one MUST believe and act in a certain way.
There is no longer much wiggle room
In one’s political beliefs and arguments.
You want to be orthodox – and go with the crowd.
Even in our speech, there are MUSTS.
If you don’t want to be CANCELLED.
Don’t want your whole life put out there
And shamed by all and kind of
At least wiped off the face of the digital world
You MUST speak and think in a certain way.
No opportunity for mistakes from the past
If you are a public figure,
Or you say something that is not popular
Folk will look up EVERYTHING you ever said or did
And share it with the world.
With appropriate vitriolic commentary
About what a BAD PERSON you are.
So to avoid that, one MUST keep opinions in check.
No making speeches that would not be welcome
By certain groups.
MUST
MUST
MUST.
The world is filled with MUSTS
And it can be exhausting trying to live up to
All these expectations.
Don’t get me wrong:
Some of them are essential for our safety.
One MUST stop at a red light.
And some are essential for us to live a faith-filled Christ revealing life:
We MUST repent of our self-centered and hurtful attitudes,
Comments and actions toward those who differ from us.
But the MUSTS can squelch the life out of a person.
That’s why the theology and teaching of Martin Luther
Are so powerful for me.
That’s why I love REFORMATION SUNDAY so very much.
Because it is the one day of the year
(if we aren’t doing it EVERY week)
When we can acknowledge that
We can NEVER live up to all the MUSTS of life.
Especially all the MUSTS we find in the bible.
Jesus says, toward the end of Matthew’s version
Of the Sermon on the Mount:
YOU MUST BE PERFECT,
EVEN AS YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER IS PERFECT.
AND WE CAN’T.
Luther says that we will NEVER measure up to that standard.
The joy of the Reformation is that
With God, there is no MUST.
FOR IT IS DONE FOR US IN JESUS CHRIST.
IT IS GOD’S LOVE.
Luther once wrote:
One is not righteous
who does much,
but one who, without work,
believes much in Christ.
The law says do this
and it is never done.
Grace says believe in this
and everything is already done.
This is the heart of who we are and whose we are
As Lutheran Christians.
Those who champion the gospel of God’s love.
I read a post on Connection Church Pastor Daniel McGhee’s Instagram
This week.
He was quoting Preston Sprinkle who wrote:
Jesus upheld a ridiculously high standard of obedience
and yet excessively loved those who fell short of it.
(Go and do likewise)
Luther said:
All laws and philosophy merely tell us what SHOULD be done,
but they do not provide the strength to do it.
And I say to you:
If we are able to do it on our own by following God’s law,
there would be no need of the Cross and Jesus died in vain,
for no reason.
But in fact, we are not able,
and Jesus’ death and resurrection
are essential for our life with God and with each other.
This is essential in our teaching and preaching and living.
We hold that a person is set right with God (justified)
By faith
APART FROM WORKS OF LAW.
In other words,
We TRUST in God’s love for us.
More than in our ability to love and obey God.
We trust God’s love given to us in the death and resurrection of Jesus.
With no strings attached.
NO HAVE TO’S.
NO MUSTS!
It is at the heart of what it means to be a Lutheran Christian
But there can be a problem with that.
This is the 8th year that I am leading
Making Peace with Your Past
Help for adult children from dysfunctional families
The gift of this amazing program was given to me by a
Southern Baptist Female ordained pastor
(try to wrap your head around that!!!)
She and I were studying at Presbyterian School of Christian Education
In Richmond VA
She challenged me greatly when she said to me one day:
You speak and teach and preach so much of
God’s unconditional love.
You’ll never amount to much as a pastor
for those who have never experienced love.
And after that shocking comment, she gave me the book that has
Changed my ministry.
And we talked for a long time, not only about the book, but the content of it and how it might shape my ministry.
If one has never experienced love –
let alone UNCONDITIONAL love,
what does that mean?
What does love look like?
How does love feel?
How does one respond to love that will not let them go?
These are very good questions
Essential to those who are recovering from dysfunctional relationships
And living into this love
For ALL of us
Is a process.
It doesn’t just INSTANTLY come.
That is why we talk about faith.
About grace.
About trust.
In our children’s sermon today,
We talked about what love is
What it feels like
And what it looks like.
And at one point, I have shared with the children
Who, in my experience, really DO get what love is
God be praised
I take them to our side chapel
And show then the cross, on our old altar
Which is a Crucifix.
And share with them the words of Jesus:
No greater love can one have than to lay down one’s life
For one’s friends.
AND YOU ARE MY FRIENDS.
THAT is what love
Unconditional love
NEVER ENDING LOVE looks like.
And our spiritual life as Lutheran Christians
Is trusting in THAT love.
Which is so much broader
So much greater
So much more powerful
Than any expression of love we humans can experience
Among ourselves.
And living into that love
Experiencing it
Day in and day out
We can begin to trust that it is real
EVEN IF WE HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED
UN-CONDITIONAL LOVE in our lives before.
As the AA folk say:
Fake it till you make it.
Trust that it is true.
And live in such a way that it IS true.
Let that unconditional love
That embrace of a God who lives beyond the MUSTS
Of this world
Begin to shape your identity
You way of being
Your way of living.
As we shall sing shortly
Faith clings to Jesus’ cross alone;
And rests in him unceasing.
All blessing, honor, thanks and praise
To Father, Son and Spirit.
The God who saved us by his grace;
All glory to his merit.
O TRIUNE GOD IN HEAVEN ABOVE
YOU HAVE REVEALED YOUR SAVING LOVE
YOUR BLESSED NAME WE HALLOW.
AMEN
On October 3rd, 2021 we had our Blessing of Pets. It had been such a long time since we have had so many of you in our in-person worship.
Our animal companions are a profound part of our daily lives and family and God has allowed us to oversee their care. Do not take for granted your pet and every living creature. Include them in your prayers and also pray for the endangered animals and pets in need of a home.
Contemplate this quote by Martin Luther “animals are footprints of God” and remember that everything from God bears significance.
Say a prayer for your pet tonight.
St. Francis of Assissi’s Canticle of The Creatures
Most High, all-powerful, good Lord,
Yours are the praises, the glory, the honor, and all blessing.
To You alone, Most High, do they belong,
and no man is worthy to mention Your name.
Praised be You, my Lord, with all your creatures,
especially Sir Brother Sun,
Who is the day and through whom You give us light.
And he is beautiful and radiant with great splendor;
and bears a likeness of You, Most High One.
Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars,
in heaven You formed them clear and precious and beautiful.
Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Wind,
and through the air, cloudy and serene, and every kind of weather
through which You give sustenance to Your creatures.
Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Water,
which is very useful and humble and precious and chaste.
Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Fire,
through whom You light the night
and he is beautiful and playful and robust and strong.
Praised be You, my Lord, through our Sister Mother Earth,
who sustains and governs us,
and who produces varied fruits with colored flowers and herbs.
Praised be You, my Lord, through those who give pardon for Your love
and bear infirmity and tribulation.
Blessed are those who endure in peace
for by You, Most High, they shall be crowned.
Praised be You, my Lord, through our Sister Bodily Death,
from whom no living man can escape.
Woe to those who die in mortal sin.
Blessed are those whom death will find in Your most holy will,
for the second death shall do them no harm.
Praise and bless my Lord and give Him thanks
and serve Him with great humility.
We are at the tail-end of our August School Supplies Drive where Trinity members and neighbors donate school backpacks and school supplies for students in our community. The event culminates in a Blessing of the Backpacks an event where students of all ages and educators get their educational supplies blessed.
Thanks to all who have donated. Donations will continue to be accepted this week. Please consider donating backpacks and school supplies, Your donations are greatly appreciated.
Join us for in-person/livestream Blessing of the Backpacks this Sunday, September 5th, 2021 at 10:30 am & Zoom Blessing of the Backpacks @12:15 pm.
See you there!
Deacon Gwen during her installation ceremony.
On Sunday July 11th, 2021 Deacon Gwen was officially installed as a Synodical Deacon who has answered the call of service to the outreach and prayer ministries at Trinity LIC/Astoria.
Deacon Gwen has demonstrated her strong faith, concern to the communities we service, and leadership throughout 2020 through The Prayer Care Ministry and outreach initiatives such as the “Living Faith Boldly” presentation & “Color of Faith” initiative, and our trivia nights.
Color of Faith is a safe and respectful space for discussions on various issues faced by people of color within faith communities from ethnic cultural perspectives.
Through The Prayer Care Team, Deacon Gwen has overseen the development of Prayer Call-In Line on Monday Evenings at 8pm and Blessings & Brunch. These dial-in spaces are for callers to request and participate in community prayers. In April, The Prayer Care Team also hosted a “Blessing of the Ministries” on our Zoom Worship.
We are grateful for the initiatives, service, and work that Deacon Gwen has done for over a year as an Intern-Deacon during the pandemic and look forward to her continued service. Congratulations Gwen!
You can contact Deacon Gwen by email: trinitydeacongwen@gmail.com.
Prayer Call-In Line is (732) 434-3943.
Today, Pastor Paul preached the 1st part of his 4-part Sermon for the first time in 32 years Pastor Paul has been preaching. Tomorrow on Good Friday, he will continue the Sermon during worship at noon and at 7:30pm during the Service of Shadows.
Here is a little of the Sermon as shared by Pastor Paul on Facebook.
[You can view the entire Sermon here. ]
“Love exist, but no greater love exists than that of our God, our Father, to us”-Pastor Paul during Maundy Thursday
From Maundy Thursday sermon this noon.
John does not tell us that Judas was not loved.
God's love in Jesus is so great that Jesus washed the feet of Judas, who would betray him; even washed the feet of Peter, who would deny him; even washed the feet of the others, who, because they feared for their lives, ran away and deserted him.
That's the kind of love our God has for us. When we desert God by running away, by sinning, by doing all of those things that are not of God, GOD'S LOVE DOES NOT STOP!
Eleanor & Margaret, as representatives of the community, had their feet washed by Pastor Paul like Jesus washed his disciples’ feet before the Last Supper as a sign and example of humility and love.
God's love for us draws us back to God.
On Maundy Thursday we hear the story of Jesus washing his disciples feet - washing all the dirt off. Jesus, their rabbi; Jesus, the One that John refers to as God himself, washes their feet - shows his love for them by bowing down as a servant to give his love by washing their feet clean.
He also transforms the Passover meal into something new - a New Covenant: this is my body, this is my blood.
No Greater Love has one than this, that they lay down their lives for their friends.
How amazing is God's love that not only does Jesus wash the feet of Judas and Peter and all of the disciples; not only does he give the new covenant of his body and his blood - but he is willing to die for them - for us - for you! Willing to give up his life to show you how much God loves you and will NEVER let you go!
Love exists, but no greater love exists than that of God our Father to us.
Amen
____________________________________________________________________________
Follow the 3rd part tomorrow Good Friday, April 2nd at Noon during our in-person and live stream.
By: Deacon-in-Waiting Gwen Miller
The Prayer ministry began from the spiritual prompting of Lisa Canellas, who desired to incorporate individual prayer time into Trinity’s worship service. Along with Lily Sage Mathias and Lynne Enman, these women open an opportunity for Trinity to provide on-site prayer sessions for its congregation.
During my Diaconate Internship, my vision was to increase our reach beyond the Sunday worship to include a focus on “care” to address various needs to uplift others during challenging times. We provide monthly outreach by sending personalized notes to keep the connection between those who, for various reasons, can not attend worship.
We offer a weekly Monday evening prayer call-in line, Blessings and Brunch, which is a dial-in fellowship gathering held on the last Saturday of the month, and we now have a dedicated area on the church’s website for online prayer requests.
The wellness of the Prayer-Care Partners is crucial. We come together in one accord to nurture, support, and pray for one another. Our time together is to renew our hearts and minds to go forward strengthen to serve.
This Ministry of Prayer is centered around Ephesians 6:18 “and pray in the Spirit for all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests, with this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” The Prayer-Care ministry, as individual disciples of Christ, are diligent in our awareness of the prayer concerns of those we pray for and are vigilant in addressing the needs of God’s people; whether they are among our congregation, within our families, our circle of friends, our colleagues and most importantly, the stranger within our midst.
"I run in the path of your commands for you have set my heart free"-Psalm 119-32
Our church is the home of many women who understand the urgency in the call to action that is said each and every Sunday at the end of our worship services. They truly go out and serve the Lord through the ministries they lead, participate in, and within their communities.
Trinity LIC/Astoria fiercely believes in the power that these women carry in the action of their initiatives and is grateful that such women consider Trinity LIC/Astoria their church home.
Ministries such as the Food Pantry, Prayer Care Team, Lay Ministry, Fellowship (now virtual), Trinity Women's Group, Sewing Ladies ,and Women of the Bible are women organized and led.
We, also, have Deacon Roberta and Deacon-in-Waiting Gwen leading ministries that both feed and grow our flocks.
Our women readily rolled up their sleeves and sought out ways to continue to provide service from the start of the pandemic and shutdown mandates in New York City (March 2020). In the midst of the pandemic our women continued to meet virtually and provide community, care, and outreach to the community beyond the church walls.
Our women strategically planned and executed for the different ministries and flock they tend to.
Women like Jess Tusing, along with other women in her network, performed much-needed outreach and mobilized people to donate food that was distributed to the most vulnerable neighbors in the community.
Lisa Helmi Johansson heard the voices of our Black brothers and sisters demanding racial justice and was moved to take action by joining Interfaith Justice Queens and has been in the frontline as an agent of change.
"I can do everything through Christ who strengthens me"-Phillipians 4:13
Thank you ladies for living boldly in your faith, answering the call of service to others, and being part of our church community. Happy International Women's Day 2021!
Join us on March 14, 2021 as we celebrate Trinity LIC/Astoria Women's Day as we celebrate all women in our church and give a special recognition to The Prayer Care Team.
Trinity Lutheran Church L.I.C./Astoria has opened its building doors again. We have taken safety measures and are strictly following CDC Guidelines as well federal, state and local recommendations to fully protect and support our worshippers while they are in the building during service.
According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) indoor activities are at a higher risk for COVID-19 spread. With this and our congregants’ safety in mind we have taken proper measurements to ensure that our congregants walk into sanitary space and focus their attention on their worship.
Safety Measures
We have installed automatic hand sanitizer stations at every entrance, exit and at various locations within the building. Signs to indicate social distancing requirements of 6 feet apart, and have clear entrance only and exit only doors.
We taped the pews with carpenter's tape to easily restrict the amount of people in one pew and have cordoned off every other pew to maintain proper distance. The restrictions are one person or family unit (up to 6 in the same group) per section. This method restricts both the amount of people during service and the amount of people around you once you are in service.
Congregants must also wear a mask at all times during service and in the building.
Surfaces common areas are cleaned and sanitized before and after church service.
These are some of the changes you will see during in-person worship:
Sermon
Pastor Paul delivers his sermon behind a plexiglass face screen, built by our handyman Gabriel Arras, on the pulpit from where he usually preaches. This allows our Pastor to be heard clearly while he preaches without a mask.
Music
The congregation will not be singing during service for the time being. We encourage you to continue feeling praises through songs and sing in your hearts.
William, our Music Director, and one member of the Trinity Choir will be providing music. William playing the piano and organ and choir member singing from a distance.
Greetings and Peace
It pains us to not be able to hug each other at the beginning of service during our peace. However, our congregants are the most important people here! And health is a priority at Trinity. As we already did back in March (before lockdown) we will be doing greetings and peace with the peace sign.
Holy Communion
Instructions of Holy Communion are included in the bulletin as follows:
The pastor will commune himself at the altar with both bread and wine. Worshipers will only receive the host. He announces one time, for everyone: The body of Christ, given for you. He will not speak these words to you individually, so as to practice health safety when in close proximity to each other.
Distribution of Holy Communion
Please carefully observe these safety protocols to receive Holy Communion.
Come by way of the center aisle only. Blue tape indicates 6 feet distance from each other.
Come forward to the pastor. Offering plates are found to your right and you can place your offering there if you wish. Hand sanitizer is also available for your use. Be aware that LOTS of liquid comes out for both hands.
Hold your hands together, making a bowl shape. The pastor will drop the host into your hands without touching you. Please step to your left or right, AWAY from the pastor and consume the wafer/host prior to returning to your seat. There will be no speaking during the distribution.
Fellowship
In-person fellowship will not resume and/or congregating in common areas will not resume until further notice. Fellowship has continued through our virtual Zoom worship.
Worshippers are encouraged to leave the building as soon as worship finishes.
Virtual Worship
With all these safety measures put into place, we want to remind our congregation that we are open but can only serve a restrictive number of congregants during in-person worship. We still want to encourage our congregants at the highest risk to remain at home when appropriate. Our Zoom worship is ongoing and permanent.
Trinity In-person Worship Sundays @10:30 pm
Virtual Worship @12:10 pm
BLESSINGS
Luisana Santana - Director of Outreach, Trinity Lutheran Church of Astoria & LIC
Last November, some Trinity members spent a special weekend unwinding and reflecting on their spiritual journey at Crossroads Camp and Retreat Center in New Jersey.
We participated in a series of workshops and conversations that invigorated and refreshed our faith. We also completed the Spiritual Gifts survey which helped us explore ways to grow in our faith, and instilled a strong sense of purpose, connection, and confidence in our walk with Jesus.
Ephesians 4:7 says “But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gifts.” Corinthians 12:7 says “To each is given the manifestation of the spirit for the common good.” I was inspired by the gifts we possess and use in our daily lives, and even more grateful for the gifts that God has given us to make our walk with Him smoother. Seeing Jesus in each other brought us closer together, and closer to God.
We also played games, watched movies, provided service, and fellowshipped throughout the retreat. Personally, I was able to see 3 shooting stars for the first time in my life! And more than two months later the experience remains uplifting and many of us continue to reap the benefits of retreat.
Retreats are an important part of our faith life. As Christians we are called to carry out God’s work, to seek a relationship with God, and to walk with Jesus and spread the gospel. We never know when the Holy Spirit will guide us to be with someone, a group of people, or a cause that needs immediate attention. How about when you need?
There are times to serve God, but our wonderful Lord also provides time to pull back and re-energize.
Trinity Lutheran Church L.I.C./Astoria is committed to nourishing our community and neighbors by providing these experiences. You don’t have to be a long-time member, or even an “official” member, to take part because all are welcome! And if you feel that you are financially challenged, please ask about our scholarships for families and individuals.
If you are interested in the Trinity Retreat 2020, or if you would like to become a sponsor, please reach out: trinitylicoutreach@gmail.com. You can also donate to our Retreat Fund.
A cake to celebrate 30 years of ministry from Pastor Paul.
This past Sunday was a very special day at Trinity. We celebrated a milestone: 30 years of ministry by our very own Pastor Paul Milholland. To put that into perspective, Pastor Paul has worn “the uniform” (as he likes to call it) as long as the Simpsons, Seinfeld, Garth Brooks, and the Nintendo Gameboy have been around.
Council president Ray Hummel and Deacons Rob and Roberta led the ceremony to renew Pastor Paul’s oath.
It was an emotional service as Pastor Paul renewed his pastoral vows and pledge to keep ministering to God’s children and his flock at Trinity Lutheran Church in Astoria/LIC.
We feel very blessed to have Pastor Paul as our shepherd and we are excited about his next 30 years in the ministry.
We had a record turnout for our annual Christmas nativity! And despite the cold the Christmas spirit-and some hot chocolate-helped keep us warm.
This year we had a goat:
A sheep.
And a donkey.
Our nativity, which brings the story of Jesus’ humble and profound birth to life, brought many people to the front steps of Trinity this year, to see the adorable animals, and to see our adorable cast of shepherds, wise people, angels, and of course the Joseph, Mary, and the tiny baby Jesus.
Our nativity cast serenaded onlookers with Christmas carols and hymns, and members of our Children’s Handbell Choir also performed for people gathered at the Church, giving many angels their wings.
We feel very blessed to have the opportunity to give this gift to our Trinity family and neighbors and if you missed it this year, don’t worry, our nativity will return next year.
With the Cross of Christ leading the way, the Trinity Family of Astoria/Long Island City dedicated a new apartment building on what was for many years a parking lot that the church owns.
Several years ago Trinity entered into a 99-year land lease with Azimuth Development Corp. to develop the property into housing that will bring significant income to the congregation for mission and ministry, as well as help fund major repairs on their main church building, rectory and the school building.
With a groundbreaking in February of 2019, no one expected the building to be ready for dedication and occupancy so quickly. No one but Matt Katz of CW Realty, who coordinated all of the building.
“Despite the quick construction, this is a solid steel and concrete building and is quite sturdy,” said Pastor Paul Milholland. He and his husband live across the street from the apartment building and watched the construction site daily, amazed at the work. “I was like a little kid, enjoying seeing the large machines digging and building. The house shook when they were digging down for the foundation.”
There are 39 apartments in the building, most at market rate, but 20% in the affordable rate, for which one must enter a lottery with NYC to qualify. Brokers for the market rate are Nooklyn, and they have already received deposits for 50% of their portion of the apartments. The size ranges from studio to 3 bedroom. The building contains a laundry room, community room and a gymnasium for residents.
After the blessing and ribbon cutting, the Trinity Family members and neighbors were led on a tour by the brokers, which included going to the roof. The view is breathtaking – where one can see the whole NYC skyline from the Hellgate bridge in Astoria Park, to Manhattan and the new skyline of Long Island City.
In addition to the apartment building, Trinity requested and will soon have use of 2 Community rooms (one at street level and one in the basement). Each room is about 1000 square feet, and has 2 ADA compliant bathrooms. In addition, the street level room has a small kitchen.
“Our desire is to increase our outreach to the Astoria community, as well as having more meeting space for our own growing ministry,” Pastor Paul said. “In the 9 years I have served as pastor here, we have had to turn down several 12-step groups seeking space as we simply had no room for them. We look forward to providing safe space for people to engage in conversation and healing.”
Additionally, the church has 22 parking spaces behind the building for their members who drive to church.
When Pastor Paul says “All are welcome” he’s not kidding. Last week our church home was filled with all kinds of God’s beloved creatures, some with feathers, some with fur, and many with four legs. It was our annual Blessing of the Animals.
For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine. Psalm 50:10-11
God loves animals. And so do we, and it was a wonderful time to have all these lovable creatures in our midst and filling us with the joy they give their guardians every day.
Two legs or four… ALL are truly welcome at Trinity!
Our thanks to all the people of the Trinity Family and the greater Astoria/LIC community for your generosity AGAIN with our annual Backpack and School supplies drive.
We were able to collect over 50 backpacks this year to help our children be ready for the start of the school year.
This year, in addition to some local children at area schools we were blessed to share our resources with some very worthy children from two different groups:
Immigrant Children in a Detention Center here in NYC- The Metro New York Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America provides a youth ministry for these kids, ages 7 to 17 years of age, getting them out of their facility for recreation and enjoyment. Trinity provided 50 backpacks filled with supplies for these children from other countries. What an honor to help them live with dignity as they begin school in their new country!
Children with the Hour Children program here in Astoria. This program provides housing, meals, job training & placement, counseling and life skills to mothers recently released from incarceration, so they can build healthy, independent and secure lives. Children live with their mothers and receive training, tutoring, and of course go to school in the local community. We are honored to help children in our community be ready for the new school year.
Trinity is so thankful to YOU for helping us in our community outreach. Without YOUR support, we would not be able to accomplish so much for our neighbors from near and far.
THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS YOU!
Please contact Luisana Santana TrinityLICOutreach@gmail.com for more information.
This past Lenten season the Trinity Council voted to give our Lenten Denial offerings to City Harvest. The council recognized that City Harvest, one of the oldest food rescue programs in the country, is an essential part of the safety net for New Yorkers experiencing hunger and poverty, many in Queens, many in our own neighborhood. That’s because in addition to rescuing food from businesses, food expos, and farmers’ markets, and delivering that food to soup kitchens, shelters, and pantries all over the five boroughs — every day — City Harvest also gives away food at Mobile Markets, teaches nutrition classes, and advocates on behalf of those in need.
Trinity donated a generous $1,200 to City Harvest in July. It’s a donation that every Trinity family member should celebrate. Chelsea Ettlinger emailed Trinity to express her gratitude and to tell us just how much our donation means, and just how far it goes, to support our neighbors.
Chelsea writes: “This generous donation will help to feed 4,800 New Yorkers. Your gift goes towards supporting our fleet of 22 refrigerated trucks to be on the road seven days a week picking up food from over 2,500 generous food donors and delivering this food, free of charge, to hundreds of soup kitchens, food pantries, and other community food programs. We rescue and deliver some 167,000 pounds of food each day.”
City Harvest also sent this letter to thank you, Trinity family, for your generosity and faithful spirit:
Trinity, you did this. You! Thank you so much. We hope you feel emboldened to keep giving to — as you’ve seen here — make a big change in someone’s life, even by giving a little.
You can donate at City Harvest here: https://giving.cityharvest.org/donate-now. Just $1 helps feed a New York City family in need for a day. It could be the family next door.
Peace and Blessings.
