8/01/21 Weekly Congregational Updates

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Dear Members and Friends of Holy Trinity,

 

Greetings on this hot and humid Thursday afternoon!  Here are this week’s updates to pass along to you:

 

  1. This past Saturday we had 23 volunteers come out to make sandwiches for our Saturday Servants project.  We will gather one last time, for this year, on Saturday, at 10:00 a.m. in Fellowship Hall.  Thank you for all your involvement and support over the month of July.

  2. We are very grateful to Rita Bell and Bonnie Lutz for all their work in putting together our beautiful Sunshine Baskets.  They have been very busy with all the baptisms and new members we have received in recent months.

  3. You are asked to keep Lisa McGowan in your prayers.  Earlier in the week she suffered a hemorrhagic stroke. Lisa lives in Carlton, Oregon and is the daughter of Brenda McGowan and sister of Bonnie Emanuel.

  4. You are asked to keep Nancy Korn in your prayers.  Nancy was admitted to AnMed on Monday of this week for the treatment of blood clots in her lungs.

  5. If you have been keeping up with the national news then you are aware of the changes the CDC has made in respect to the wearing of masks.  Our Church Council is scheduled to meet on Monday, August 9.  As we always do, discussion of COVID changes are on our agenda.  I will keep you posted if anything changes connected to our worship.

  6. Sunday, I will be preaching on the Second Lesson from Ephesians 4:1-16 as we take a look at Paul’s words, “I beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

In Christ,

Pastor Fischer

7/25/21 Congregational Weekly Updates

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Dear Members and Friends of Holy Trinity,

Some items to pass along to you this week:

  1. We had another great turn out this past Saturday to make sandwiches/lunches for the community, with 20 participating.  We will gather again at 10:00 a.m. in Fellowship Hall to do it again.  Please, do not arrive early as we will wait until the 10:00 a.m. time to start.

  2. We are very thankful to Robert Allen who has picked up the bread, fruit and water each week for our Saturday Servants projects.

  3. At the Late Service this Sunday, July 25, we will be baptizing Don Simon.  We are grateful to all who have helped him on his faith journey.  He will be 92 in August!

  4. Sunday, I will be preaching on the gospel text, John 6:1-21, as we explore the disciples being asked by Jesus to feed the 5,000 and their response, and how that might apply to our own lives.


In Christ,

Pastor Fischer

7/18/21 Weekly Congregational Updates

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Dear Members and Friends of the Congregation,

 

Some weekly updates to pass along to you:

 

  1. We were very grateful to have Dave Rasche back among us this past Sunday at the Late Service, as he continues to recover from his stroke. 
  2. We keep Jill Helgeson, and her family, in our thoughts and prayers upon the death of her brother, Gene Cromer. 
  3. We will gather in Fellowship Hall on this Saturday at 10:00 a.m. in Fellowship Hall to make sandwiches and food bags for the hungry in the Anderson area, through our Saturday Servants project.  Come join us! 
  4. The Lord has blessed us as we continue to grow.  Sunday, we will be baptizing Abi Caldwell at the Early Service, and then sisters – Lacy, Faith and Riley Bernhardt at the Late Service. 
  5. After completing his First Communion classes with me, we will be welcoming Michael Caruso to the Lord’s Table, at the Late Service on Sunday. 
  6. I will be preaching on the gospel reading this week, Mark 6:30-34, 53-56, as we hear our Lord tell his apostles and us, “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.” 
  7. We are grateful for Diane Richardson, who filled in for Pat in the church office this week.  Thank you Diane!

 

 

In Christ,

Pastor Fischer

 

7/11//21 Weekly Congregational Updates

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Dear Members and Friends of Holy Trinity,

 

Some updates to pass along to you:

  1. We had 25 volunteers this past week to make sandwiches for our Saturday Servants event, which is one of our largest turnouts ever!

  2. Do not forget that this Saturday, July 10, we will NOT gather to make sandwiches.  Another organization has that responsibility for every 2nd Saturday of the month, for the year.  We will resume on Saturday, July 17.

  3. “How many were at worship this past Sunday?,” you may ask.  We had 65 in attendance at the Early Service and 60 in attendance at the Late Service for a total of 125!  That is the most we have had on a Sunday in quite a while.

  4. This Sunday, July 11, we will be receiving a total of 5 new members at both worship services.  Please make sure and introduce yourselves to all our new folks in the coming weeks.

  5. Do you know what a plumb line is and how it is used?  Sunday, I will be preaching on the First Reading from Amos 7:7-15 as we wrestle with God’s question to Amos and to us, “What do you see?”   

 

In Christ,

Pastor Fischer

07/04/21 Congregational Weekly Update

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Here are several updates to pass along to you:

 

  1. The July/August edition of the Messenger was mailed out yesterday (Tuesday).  Hopefully, you will receive your copy soon.

  2. Saturday, we will gather in Fellowship Hall at 10:00 a.m. to assemble the sandwiches for the Saturday Servants project to feed those hungry in the Anderson area.  If you have used plastic grocery bags you want to donate, bring them with you.  Otherwise, please do not bring any bags on Sunday morning, as we have all we will need.   For those who would like to participate in the distribution, we will carpool over to the Anderson Soup Kitchen (on Franklin Street) at 10:50 a.m. and finish up around 11:30 a.m.

  3. We will return to singing hymns this Sunday in worship, just in time for a few patriotic favorites.  The hymnals have been returned to the pews.

  4. At the Late Service this Sunday, we will be receiving new members into our congregation.  Mila Emmons will be baptized, and her parents, Scott and Joann, will join our church membership.

  5. Sunday, we will grapple with, “When God Says No,” to our prayer requests.  Our message/sermon is based on the  Second Reading from 2 Corinthians 12:2-10, specifically, Paul’s “thorn in the flesh.”

  6. We keep in our prayers, Steven Goodson, upon his recent rotator cuff and torn bicep surgery.

  7. I am saddened to inform you of the death of Ron Carlson earlier this morning.  You are encouraged to keep his wife, Kathy, and family, in your thoughts and prayers. The funeral arrangements are pending and are being handled by Gray Mortuary of Pelzer, SC.
    “Into your hands, O merciful Savior, we commend your servant, Ronald Keith Carlson. Acknowledge, we humbly beseech you, a sheep of your own fold, a lamb of your own flock, a sinner of your own redeeming.  Receive him into the arms of your mercy, into the blessed rest of everlasting peace, and into the glorious company of the saints in light. Amen.”  – Evangelical Lutheran Worship, p. 283

 

In Christ,

Pastor Fischer      

Saturday Servants July 2021

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Saturday Servants

Again this year, HTLC will prepare bagged lunches for the Anderson Emergency Soup Kitchen through the Saturday Servants Program. Adequate precautions will be taken due to COVID-19. Each Saturday in July (except the 2nd week) we will gather in Fellowship Hall to prepare 100 peanut butter/jelly sandwiches and 100 bologna sandwiches, along with other food items. This year the following will take place:

 We will be providing food for 4 Saturdays, July 3, July 17, July 24, and July 31, (another group will be taking care of doing the second Saturday of each month).

We will begin at the usual 9:30 a.m. to allow more time.

Masks and gloves will be required to prepare the food and to distribute the food.

Gloves will be provided.

 Kroger Bakery will be providing the bread this year, but Carolina Produce will not be providing the fruit.

 We are asking for financial donations to allow us to cover the cost of the fruit.

 We will be providing individual packaged pretzel bags instead of creating our own.


  1. Here is an updated list of needs we still need for the Saturday Servants projects:

      Saturday Servants is fast approaching.  We now have all the food items we need to make sandwiches.  The only thing we        still need are two things:
1) used plastic grocery bags, and
2) You!  We would like to have between 15-25 volunteers each Saturday during July.  There are no sign-ups.  Just show up            each Saturday morning in July at 10:00 a.m. in Fellowship Hall.  (Keep in mind that another group will be taking care of            the sandwiches on July 10 so we will not gather on this day.)

If you have questions, please contact Shirley Ebert, our Service Committee Chair, 864-353-7366.

06/27/21 Weekly Congregational Update

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Dear Members and Friends of Holy Trinity,

Greetings this Thursday afternoon!

 

Some things to pass along to you this day include:

  • After taking a year off due to COVID, the Deutsches Fest date has been set for Saturday, October 23 from 4:00-7:00 p.m.  Please mark your calendars.

  • The new Christ in Our Homes devotionals, for the months of July, August, and September, are now ready to be picked up in the narthex.

  • Saturday Servants is fast approaching.  We now have all the food items we need to make sandwiches.  The only thing we still need are two things:  1) used plastic grocery bags, and 2) You!  We would like to have between 15-25 volunteers each Saturday during July.  There are no sign-ups.  Just show up each Saturday morning in July at 10:00 a.m. in Fellowship Hall.  (Keep in mind that another group will be taking care of the sandwiches on July 10 so we will not gather on this day.)

  • Sunday, I will be preaching on the gospel text, Mark 5:21-43.  This is a very unusual biblical story in that it is really two healing stories in one.  First, we hear of Jairus, who comes to Jesus to heal his daughter, who is near death.  On the way to her, Jesus’s trip is interrupted by a woman who has been hemorrhaging for 12 years, and only wants to touch his clothes, believing she will be made well.  Then the story goes back to Jarius who receives word that his daughter has died.  The power of faith and Jesus are very evident in this stories of healing.

 

In Christ,

Pastor Fischer

6/20/21 Special Fathers day offering

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Our Thanks to those who have contributed through the Lutheran Men in Mission to the SC Loan and Gift Fund for new SC Lutheran churches. These gifts will be awarded to a new SC Lutheran mission, to help them get started with building programs. These are interest-free loans and when the loans are repaid, they are invested again in other new churches.
These gifts have been given In Honor Of or In Memory Of the following men this Father’s Day:

IN MEMORY OF
*In Memory of Harold F. Cannon, Sr., given by Gail Cannon.
*In Memory of John Hardy, given by Pamela Michalski.
*In Memory of Robert G. Sandwick., given by Robin Sandwick.
*In Memory of Harold H. Rasche and Elvin J. Hannahs, given by Dave and Sue Rasche.
*In Memory of Claude Cromer and Jerald Helgeson, given by Bruce and Jill Helgeson.
*In Memory of Mark Raidel and Warren A. Lutz, Sr., given by Warren and Bonnie Lutz.
*In Memory of Lewis Heap and Harold Hunnicutt, given by Dan and Johnnie Hunnicutt.
*In Memory of James W. Weeks and Wayne D. Sexton, given by Tom Weeks.
*In Memory of Gary Furman Vinson, given by Bob and Jean Vinson.
*In Memory of Bill Caldwell, given by Chris and Anna Caldwell.
*In Memory of Jack Richardson, given by Diane Richardson.
*In Memory of Bob Metz, Sr. and Rev. J. Luther Ballentine, given by Mike and Bobbi Metz.
*In Memory of Ervin Hidlebaugh and Arnold Allen, given by Robert and Vicki Allen.
*In Memory of Ellis Dyar and Ralph Cole, given by Allan & Jeri Cole.
*In Memory of William A. Christmas, Jr. and Roy Hudson, given by Bill Christmas.
*In Memory of Bob Potter, given by Jane Potter.
*In Memory of A. Neal Cain and Earl P. Korn, given by Dave and Nancy Korn.
*In Memory of Ellsworth W. Brackney and Ernst E. Thoms, given by Ernie and Jeanette Thoms.
*In Memory of James E. Freeman and Robert E. Browder, given by Sandi Jordan.
*In Memory of Hans Mollgaard and Andreas Schwartz, given by Tony and Christa Mollgaard.
*In Memory of McKeva (Mac) Thomas and Rev. John (Jack) Fischer, given by Pastor and Beth Fischer.
*In Memory of Carl Rudsill, given by Cathy Rudsill.

IN HONOR OF
*In Honor of James Jordan, husband, son-in-law Dwayne Hamm, and Charles Meeks, uncle, given by Sandi Jordan.
*In Honor of Dan Hunnicutt, given by Johnnie Hunnicutt.
*In Honor of Christopher Caldwell, given by Bill Christmas.
*In Honor of Bill Christmas, given by Chris and Anna Caldwell.
*In Honor of husband, Bob Straup, and their three sons, Richard, Michael, Ryan, given by Susan Straup.
*In Honor of Warren A. Lutz, Jr., given by Warren & Bonnie Lutz.

06/20/21 Congregational Weekly Updates

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Dear Congregational Members and Friends,

Here are this week’s congregational updates:

1) I am happy to report that Bill Ebert has returned home after several weeks at the AnMed Rehabilitation Hospital.

2) We thank the Lord that the pathology report for Abi Caldwell came back showing that the surrounding tissues were 100% benign.

3) We celebrate with Reverend Stephen Roehrs upon the 50th anniversary of his ordination this past Sunday.

4) Saturday Servants updates:
    a. Since it is difficult to locate small bags of pre-packaged pretzels, we have decided that we will be purchasing these.

    b. Because of your generosity, we have now received all needed food items except Little Debbie cakes, and we are only              needing 13 dozen of these.
    c. Someone this week dropped off several bags of Little Debbie cakes, and in the process, left a small container of cake.            If it is yours, please contact me.

    d. Keep in mind that nothing will be wasted. If we receive too much of any food item, they will be given to a local food                  organization.

    e. We are now accepting used plastic grocery bags, to be used to give the food items to those in need. These can be                    placed in the room off the narthex as well.

f. The gathering time to assemble the sandwiches has been changed from 9:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. See you in the months of         July if you can help out.

5) This Sunday, there will be two themes running throughout the worship service, Father’s Day, of course, as well as dealing with the storms of life. I will be preaching on Mark 4:35-41, one of my favorite texts.

6) This is an exciting time for our congregation as we continue to take in new members. More are expected in the month of July. Stay tuned.

In Christ,
Pastor Fischer

 

06/13/21 Weekly Congregational Updates

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Dear Members and Friends of HTLC,

 

Some updates to pass along to you:

 

  1. I apologize for not giving you an update sooner on Abi but the Caldwell family is waiting for the final pathology report. I can tell you that little Abi did great through her surgery yesterday and it went much better than expected.  In fact, she may be able to return home as early as Sunday.   Again, thank you so much for the prayers and concerns!

  2. Here is an updated list of needs we still need for the Saturday Servants projects:
    1. 11 jars of peanut butter (40 oz. size)
    2. 11 jars of grape jelly (16 oz. size)
    3. 58 boxes of Little Debbie Cakes (12 to a box)
    4. Financial donations to cover the cost of the fruit.
    5. We have found out that Sam’s Club is currently out of stock for the prepackaged small bags of pretzels.  We are in the process of placing an order to have them shipped to the church.  The cost for the pretzels has already been covered with a donation so we have decided to remove pretzels from the list of items needed.
    6. All items can be dropped off into the plastic bin in the room off the narthex.  Just use the front door code to enter.

  3. As in years past, Kroger Bakery will donate the loaves of bread needed each week.  We just need someone to volunteer to pick them up.  Bill and Shirley Ebert have done this in the past but are unable to this year, due to Bill’s health.  If you are willing to do this, please contact me for the details.  The bread needs to be picked up on Friday of each week.

  4. Sunday I will be preaching on the Gospel reading, Mark 4:26-34, as we look at the Kingdom of God being compared to mustard seed.  I will be focusing on the potential impact of the small things in life.

  5. This is the time of the year when many folks go on vacation.  We pray for the safety of all who travel.

 

In Christ,

Pastor Fischer