A 2013 thank you from Pastor Paul

I want to say thank you to you and all of the people of Trinity-Lynnwood and Pointe of Grace. This has been a remarkable year. You might think that I have the challenges of the past year in mind, but I don’t. Instead, I am thinking of the amazing ministry that we have accomplished together and that together we support. God’s grace and love and abundance is so present in you all.

I firmly believe that what we do in ministry is a reflection of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I also firmly believe that, while none of us can participate in every ministry, everything we do in ministry is a reflection and an extension of each one of us. The congregation is you as much as you are the congregation.

So, here’s a sort of celebration (incomplete to be sure) of the ways we’ve partnered in God’s love for the world over the last year.

• 90+ elementary school children nurtured in our Footprints program on Sundays
• 200+ elementary school children engaged in growth and fun in VBS
• 240+ new receivers of care from our Pastoral Care Ministers
• 300+ children daily in our Preschools and Child Development Center
• Over a dozen concerts and an art show
• Weekly worship in both an assisted living complex and in a long-term care facility
• Space made available for Lutheran Community Services’ Family Support Center and for Compass Health’s Consumer Group
• 4 worship services every Sunday
• Worship space made available weekly to 3 developing congregations – Chinese, Korean, and Estonian
• Weekly drop-in youth programming for students from Kamiak High School
• Space for community events to address awareness and the needs of those who are homeless or underemployed
• The new diversity in adult faith formation opportunities through Communiversity
• Significant steps toward creating a “green” classroom for the schools at Trinity-Lynnwood
• Beginning steps toward creating a community center for youth and older adults with partners from around south Snohomish County
• Providing meeting space for 4 AA groups, for Scouts – Girl, Boy & Cub, and for a youth basketball team coached by one of our members
• Volunteers that help keep the office going (including the gift of a weekly batch of cookies)
• Volunteers (a lot of them) that support and help lead worship.
• Volunteers (incredibly faithful) that help maintain and repair our facilities
• $40,000 dispersed by the Living Water team for potable water projects around the world
• $13,700 to support ministry in Tanzania
• $27,000 to provide basic support and hope to those served by Neighbors in Need – Saturday Morning, the Neighborhood Youth Alliance, the Emergency Cold Weather Shelter, and Packs for Kids
• Dozens of ministry groups of all sorts that touch the lives of members, participants, neighbors, and friends
• Our experienced, dedicated, and innovative staff

And the list could go on and on.

This is an amazing, gifted and VERY blessed community of faith.

I hope that you will continue to support, and more than that, to grow in your awareness, understanding, and support of all we do TOGETHER. Pray, give, participate, and celebrate our ministry, your ministry, this ministry.

May the peace of Christ be yours this Christmas,

Pastor Paul