WELCOME BACK!! We took a short break over January to come back from Christmas, but we are back! In this episode, Heather talks about her experience at the 2024 ELCA Youth Ministry Network Extravaganza (aka "the E"), and we also take time to introduce the theme for the 2024 ELCA Youth Gathering, "Created To Be," which is also what we will use for our Lenten Round Robin series and for Vacation Bible School this summer. Join us over the next few weeks as we talk about how we are Created To Be: Brave, Authentic, Free, Disruptive, and Disciples. As always you can contact us by emailing Katie O'Connell at katie@trinity-ec.org. P.s. We left a little glimpse of what it's like before we record, and really what it's like between recording episodes.
Tom, Heather, and Katie are back with Part 2 of A Very Bonhoeffer Christmas! In this episode, we really start digging in to Dietrich Bonhoeffer's writings and how we can learn from his experiences and apply his insight to our lives today. Although we were so excited to record this series, we also recognize that this quickly became a heavy, and yet still hope-filled, series. We appreciate you taking the time to listen. As always, you can reach us with any questions, comments, or stories you have by emailing Katie at katie@trinity-ec.org We'll talk to you all next week!
This month we are celebrating a VERY Bonhoeffer Christmas!! Join Tom, Heather, and Katie this month as we talk about all things Advent and Dietrich Bonhoeffer. This episode we tackle what exactly Advent is and why it's important to our Christian faith, what kind of traditions it holds, and how many churches - including Trinity! - celebrate it "incorrectly." As always, we appreciate you listening! We would love to hear from you - let us know what your favorite Advent tradition is if you have one. We'll talk with you next week!
Lídixe is back with us again this episode to talk about some of her story! As you can imagine, being born and raised in El Salvador only to move you and your child up to Wisconsin isn't easy. We got to learn about what some of her upbringing was like, how she became Lutheran, and why she ultimately made the choice to come to the United States of America. As always if you have any questions or comments, you can email them to Katie (katie@trinity-ec.org). We appreciate you listening!
Welcome back to Trinity's Podcast "What's the Point?" where we ask what the point is about all sorts of church-related topics. We took a bit of a break for the summer, but we are back and so excited to have Deacon Lídixe Montoya with us today to talk about what the point is of a deacon, what the differences are between a deacon and a pastor, and what her roles are both at Trinity as well as the Northwest Synod of Wisconsin. Lídixe will be joining us for the next few episodes, so if you have any questions for her you can email them to Katie at katie@trinity-ec.org or directly to Lídixe at lidixe@trinity-ec.org We appreciate you listening!
Tom and Katie hit the road for this podcast! Bishop Laurie Skow-Anderson from the Northwest Synod of Wisconsin joins us for this podcast to talk about what it is a bishop does, what some common issues are that they synod is tackling, and what some highlights of being our bishop is - along with what is most surprising. We hope that you find what Bishop Laurie has to say as thought-provoking as we do. If you have any stories, comments, or questions, or if you'd like to be a guest on an upcoming episode of our podcast, email Katie O'Connell at katie@trinity-ec.org Thanks for listening!
Though Tom might be away, Heather and Katie will still play! This time with our friend, coworker, and the best Food Pantry Coordinator around, Sue Marczinke! Join us as we chit chat with Sue about our favorite summer foods, the history of Trinity's Food Pantry, and the direction it's continuing to go in. If you'd like to support our Food Pantry, the greatest way you can do so is by making a monetary donation. You can make a donation online or by dropping off a check in our office. Additionally, you can donate your paper and plastic grocery bags, egg cartons, and more. For more information about our Food Pantry, please contact Sue at sue@trinity-ec.org or by calling 715-832-6601 ext. 211. If you have any stories, comments, or questions, or if you'd like to be a guest on an upcoming episode of our podcast, email Katie O'Connell at katie@trinity-ec.org Thanks for listening!
Herschel Day joins Tom, Katie, and Heather to talk about vocation. God calls us in many, many ways and sometimes it can be quite scary! Herschel tells us about some of his upbringing, where he was before becoming a professor at UWEC, and why he chose to take a leap of faith to become a professor. If you have any stories, comments, or questions, or if you'd like to be a guest on an upcoming episode of our podcast, email Katie O'Connell at katie@trinity-ec.org Thanks for listening!
WE HAVE OUR FIRST GUEST!!! Dr. Frank Watkins, Trinity's Music & Worship Director, joins us to talk about the music in all of our worship services, why we sing the songs we do, and the importance of the music we sing. Thank you to everyone who has listened along with us this far! We are having an absolute blast creating these, and we're glad to hear people are enjoying the podcast. As always, if you have any questions, comments, or topics you'd like for us to talk about, please contact Katie at katie@trinity-ec.org
What are these weird extra bits of worship that we do? A healing rite? Blessing of the backpacks? Affirmation of Baptism? Join Tom, Heather, and Katie as we talk about what the point is of all of these additional worship nuggets, and learn about what the Lutheran Book of Worship has to say on different aspects of worship. If you enjoy the podcast, be sure to give it a share! If you have any fun stories, questions, or comments, send them on over to Katie at katie@trinity-ec.org Thanks for listening!
Writing a sermon can be quite the process, and it certainly isn't for everyone. Join Tom, Heather, and Katie as they dig deeper into why we have sermons during worship, what can make or break a sermon, and hear what some of the best and worst sermons we've heard are. If you enjoy the podcast, be sure to give it a share! If you have any fun stories, questions, or comments, send them on over to Katie at katie@trinity-ec.org Thanks for listening!
We go to it, we pay people to lead it, but why is it so important? Join Tom, Heather, and Katie as they talk about their worship experiences, how worship has changed over time, and why people find so much joy (or resentment) in going to worship.
Easter is one of the biggest liturgical holidays for obvious reasons, but how much do we actually know about this holiday? Join Tom, Heather, and Katie as they unpack the different Easter stories and talk about just how much happens in the Easter stories (spoiler: It's probably more than you think!). Let us know what you think or what questions you may have by emailing Katie at katie@trinity-ec.org. We would love to hear from you! And let us know what your favorite Easter candy is (or if you think Katie is insane for not liking peanut butter cups).
What makes Good Friday good? Join Pastor Tom, Heather, and Katie as they dive deeper into why Good Friday is called Good Friday, what each of our experiences in worship has been like, and what kind of atonement theories there are surrounding this day. Let us know what you think or what questions you may have by emailing Katie at katie@trinity-ec.org. We would love to hear from you! And let us know what your favorite "Jesus movie" (or TV show or book) is.
The next addition in our Holy Week series is on Maundy Thursday. Join Tom, Heather, and Katie as they talk about Jesus' last supper with his disciples, why a foot washing might take place during a service, as well as what the stripping of the altar means. There's a lot of wondering, a lot of pondering, while still holding space for laughter. As always, please send us your questions, comments, or stories! We would love to hear them. You can send them to Katie: katie@trinity-ec.org Lastly, if you're looking for an amazing communion bread recipe, we recommend using Luther Seminary's which can be found here.
Holy Week is quickly approaching! In this series, we break down each day of Holy Week starting with Palm Sunday. Join Tom, Heather, and Katie while they discuss the importance of Palm Sunday, why some churches celebrate Passion Sunday, and ponder whether or not palm branches were actually significant when Jesus entered Jerusalem. Feel free to send us any comments, questions, or stories to katie@trinity-ec.org! We would love to hear from you. Thanks for listening!
Trinity Lutheran Church became a Reconciling in Christ (RIC) congregation nearly 10 years ago, and it's something that we pride ourselves strongly in. But what was that process like? What does being an RIC congregation mean for us? Why is this important? Join Tom, Heather, and Katie as they discuss why being an openly supportive congregation of the LGBTQIA+ community is important to them, and why Trinity decided that this process was one that they needed to go through. If you have any questions, comments, or stories that you'd like to share with us, please email our Digital Communications Coordinator at katie@trinity-ec.org Thanks for listening!
There are several branches of Lutheranism, all with their own sets of rules and beliefs. What sets the ELCA apart? How did the ELCA come to be? What does it mean for Tom, Heather, and Katie to be members of an ELCA congregation? Join us as we discuss all of these questions and more! We promise to provide some laughter, moments of pondering, and stories to enjoy. Also, we would love to hear from you! Email us at katie@trinity-ec.org with any comments, questions, or stories that you have for us.
Have you ever wondered how Lutheranism came to be, what some of Martin Luther's teachings are, or how being a Lutheran can play into your everyday life? Then you've come to the right place! Trinity Lutheran Church is excited to present Episode 1 of our newest podcast, "What's the Point?" Join Tom, Heather, and Katie as we unpack common questions amongst church-goers. In this season, we will ponder, "What's the point of being Lutheran?", "What's the point of being an ELCA Lutheran?", and "What's the point of being an RIC congregation?" We hope you will join us!
Join Tom, Heather, and Katie while they talk about the final theme for the 2024 Youth Gathering, Vacation Bible School, and our Lenten Round Robin series: Created to be Disciples. The idea of being a disciple can be so simple, and yet bet so difficult at the same time. For young children it can be as simple as being a good neighbor to your friends and peers. And for adults it becomes trickier as we often ponder how we can be a good disciple in the midst of working, maybe having a family to care for, or whatever call we are facing. We appreciate you joining us as we work through what it means to be created to be authentic, brave, free, disruptive disciples. We can't wait to continue this podcast with our next series! We'll talk to you all soon!