Senior Pastor Report (October 2016)

Senior Pastor Report

(OCTOBER 2016)

What GREAT things are happening at Trinity?

SENIOR PASTOR AND STAFF

• Monthly staff meeting, usually last Tuesday of the month, with all church staff, principal and admission’s director
• Monthly meeting with senior leadership team which consists of associate pastor, principal and business manager
• Two times a month meet with principal
• Every week meet with business manager
• Every month meet with church staff individually to discuss their ministries, how they are moving them forward, and how they are in agreement with the overall strategic direction of Trinity
• Once a week visit and speak with a classroom during religion class
• Opening prayer at school events
• Currently visiting each of the 41 small groups with small group director
• Weekly blogs on YouTube to church and community
• Beginning Oct. 1 have brought on staff an organist and hand bell director. This individual is also well versed in organ tune up and repair and tuning of the organ pipes (Jason Michalec)
• Visitations cover some 50 people a month on average (1,500-1,800 miles covered)
• Preaches 4 out of 5 Sundays on average
• Weddings and Funerals (40+ a year)
• Offers approximately 70 worship opportunities a year
• Administers the operations and ministries of Trinity Lutheran Church and School

DAY SCHOOL

• Trinity is blessed to share the Gospel message to 279 students on a daily basis.
• The school theme for this school year is “Act Justly, Love Mercy, and Walk Humbly” based on Micah 6:8.
• Our students continue to send correspondences to Trinity’s Shut-Ins. Each homeroom class has at least one shut-in with whom they correspond on a monthly basis.
• Trinity continued with the “Soccer Shots” after school program for students in 4 Pk – third (3rd) grade.
• Students in grades 3 and 4 have the opportunity to participate in Science Club. 7th and 8th graders are volunteer helpers during the meetings.
• Chess Club is being offered to our students in grades 6 through 8 and led by Mr. Bill Birk.
• Students in grades 7 and 8 have the opportunity to be a part of putting together Trinity’s yearbook.
• Several students in grades 7 and 8 participated in an Academic Bowl hosted by Providence High School.
• A peer tutoring program using National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) members as tutors is offered for our Trinity students. This group meets twice a week.
• Students in grades 6-8 are able to participate in Soccer and girls in grades 5 – 8 are able to play volleyball.
• We currently have 30 students in grades 4 through 8 participating in our band program.
• Trinity has continued to contract after-school Spanish classes for our students.
• New playground completed in August is now being enjoyed by the students. Volleyball nets and basketball hoops have been added to the school parking lot area for students in grades 5 through 8 to enjoy during their recess time.
• Students in grades 6 through 8 are continuing our 1:1 initiative. All 6th and 7th graders are using iPads throughout the day and 8th graders are using Chromebooks.
• On September 30th, students participated in Trinity’s annual Walk-a-thon. This year students walked to raise money for Feed My Starving Children.
• Baptismal Birthdays are recognized once a month during our weekly chapel service.
• Teachers will be attending and presenting at the Lutheran Education Association Convocation held in Grand Rapids, MI on October 13-October 15.
• PTL is once again sponsoring Trunk or Treat on Saturday, October 29th.

SMALL GROUPS

• New slogan campaign to increase awareness “We Can’t Do Life Alone”
• War Room church based sermon series in full swing with 67% of our active members participating or 537 people involved in 41 groups
  • “If you have managed to connect 30 percent of your adults in small groups, then congratulations are in order! You are among the top one half of one percent of all churches in America! Go ahead and pat yourself on the back! You deserve it!”
    • -Quote by author and consultant Allen White.
• Currently visiting each of the 41 groups with Pastor Strand
• Created and maintain a Facebook page for Small Groups
• Started a “College Collection” small group ministry and currently have 13 students
• Putting together a library of Christian movies to offer to small groups or others for check out
• Designing a catalog of all available past study materials with a supplement to include all new materials
• Visiting small group members who are ill or hospitalized
• Preparing a catalog of studies for Leaders to choose for their small groups
• Researching and planning for the winter session to begin January 15th

CHILDREN’S MINISTRY

• Currently have 131 children signed up for Sunday School
• Currently has a volunteer staff of 34 individuals who fill the role of worship leader, shepherd, crew leader, music leader and administrative help
• Sunday school rally day outdoors was a lot of fun for everyone both parent and child
• Have incorporated along with crafts, more science and music into the curriculum in order to engage more participation in Sunday school and differentiate it from day school curriculum
• The science curriculum allows for the study of science and the Bible to find parallels between the two, and lessons from nature that reinforce God’s Word
• Expanding current Sunday school curriculum to include special Sundays where children are taught how to pray, listen and watch for God’s answer. Also, special Sundays with a particular Bible emphasis in mind.
• Children lead opening and closing prayers, which in turn helps them to achieve more ownership of the day
• Currently have 40 students attending Triangles one time a month in the evening
• Beginning to work on Christmas program which will be help on Sunday, December 18th at 1pm

YOUTH

• Youth meets every other Sunday evening from 6pm-8pm where we are focused on a Christ centered learning experience to facilitate a deeper relationship with God
• Have steadily increased the regular attendance of junior and senior high students to 25<
• Creating experiences through retreats, thematic teaching, mission work and Christian concerts
• Rather than traveling outside the state to do mission work, Trinity’s youth have preferred to stay within the community and either do service projects at member’s homes or at local nursing homes
• Hosted a camping trip with fishing, swimming and BBQ in August
• Hosting a harvest bon fire in October
• Developing a more informational, exciting, user friendly youth page for the Trinity website
• Continue to reach out to current youth through inspirational e-mails and text messages
• Continue to make connections with youth by reaching out to public school students attending confirmation, speaking with the Day school children, attending sporting events both at Trinity and local high schools, and speak with parents of junior high and senior high students on Sunday’s at church

TECHNOLOGY/MEDIA

• In order to further the ministry of Trinity, we now have a media presence that engages members and visitors through video content such as sermons, mini-movies and personal interviews
• Currently building both a media and technology team of volunteers
• Using original video content in our services in addition to the mini movies we bring in
• Developing and using this technology/media to create a culture where parishioners feel comfortable using various forms of media throughout their week to encourage and invite their friends, family, and local communities to follow Jesus, through online and physical media
• Instituting a Trinity Lutheran Church and School app that will allow for a smarter way for members to stay connected to our church and school by providing video and audio; bulletins and newsletters; tithing and donations; blogs and promos; calendar and events; and push notifications
• Weekly blogs on YouTube by senior pastor to church and community

FELLOWSHIP

• New school playground was completed in August 3rd annual Friendship Sunday was August 28th with 350 people in attendance
• Pastor Schauer’s 25th Anniversary celebration held on September 25th
• 2nd FMSC packing event is being held October 21st and 22nd
• G.L.O.W. and Trunk or Treat scheduled for Saturday, October 29th
• 3RD annual Live Nativity scheduled for December 9th and 10th
• War Room movie shown Sept 9th with 200+ in attendance
• White Sox game on August 26th
• Fall Resale- September 17th
• Bi-Monthly worship at Tinley Court and Providence Nursing Homes and hoping to add Bickford Senior Living in the near future
• Sunday morning coffee between services off to a great start
• 2nd Sunday “Reveal” fellowship every 2nd Sunday of the month
• New Member luncheon October 2nd
• Men’s Group and Youth Group service projects continue on a weekly basis
• Senior Bible study/Lunch Bunch are back in swing on Tuesday afternoons
• LWML continues to meet every Thursday from 10am-12pm
• Daniel Plan group meets every Monday night from 7pm-9pm
• Christian writers group meets every Monday night from 7pm-8:45pm
• New member class currently in session on Monday nights from 7pm-8:30pm
• Grief Support group meets Tuesday afternoons

STEWARDSHIP

• NOW IS THE TIME theme established with monthly emphasis on specific monthly topics throughout the year
• Development of a stewardship team to advance stewardship awareness and commitments to giving
• More frequent communication with bi-monthly envelopes and quarterly statements
• Giving kiosk- a modern way to encourage giving and event registration in a comfortable setting
• Developing a gift planning video series to build awareness of the benefits of gift planning and endowment development
• Financial Peace University meets every Tuesday night through November 1st

PROPERTY

• School playground completed in August
• Replaced the noisy, wobbly industrial 3 blade fans that were installed in the classrooms with less noisy, energy efficient 5 blade ceiling fans
• Fall clean up October 15th
• Courtyard beautification made possible by a private donation
• Sanctuary Lighting improvement – removed faulty track lighting and replaced with 19 energy efficient LED luminaries located at left side, right side, and center of the altar; also organ side and banner side
• Back drive to be resurfaced and striped October 11,12,13 and 14
• Add speed bumps to specific areas of the parking lot where more protection for the children is needed October 13 and 14
• Adding an additional outdoor camera to door #7 for extended care in order to allow for video intercom and better recognition of parents coming to pick up their children. In the past the entrance is dark after 5pm and could create an unsafe condition