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Trinitarian

“The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so.” Romans 8:6

The nature/nurture question has raged for decades. Are people the way they are because they are born that way, or are they the way they are because of their environment? The answer most often reached over the years is: both. We are born with certain traits and predispositions, but we can learn behaviors and attitudes that either augment or contradict our natural predilections.

While that answer is reasonable, rational, and demonstrable, a new answer to the question - nature or nurture? - has been steadily and forcibly foisted upon our society - the homosexual agenda. To make sin sound reasonable, rational, and acceptable, the argument has been put forward that homosexuals are born with sexual desires for people of the same sex, and therefore their desires and actions cannot be helped. You cannot help, so the argument goes, but be who you were born to be. It also cannot, the argument continues, be wrong to be who you were born to be.

While that argument is emotionally enticing, it is also intellectually and theogically vacuous - and therefore dangerous to both body and soul.

Witness the above passage. The Scriptures reveal to us that we are by nature sinful. When we are born, we are born hostile to God, our creator. When we are born we are filled with all kinds of sinful desires that militate against God and his good will. That is a consequence of sin. It cannot be helped, but it can be healed.

In other words, people may be born with homosexual desires. But that doesn't make those desires right. People are also variously born with the desire to take what belongs to others, to not share, to lie, to be completely self -centered, and to misuse their sexuality in a multitude of ways. None of which makes those desires right. In point of fact, it illustrates the depths to which mankind has fallen - the total depravity from which he must be rescued.

And therein lies the answer. We must have a fallen nature from which we must be rescued, not to which we must give in. Whether we were born with it, or it was learned, any thought, desire, or deed that falls outside the will of God is sin and must be paid for. And paid for it was - they all were. Jesus bore the burden of all sin. God does not tolerate sin, he punished it in his Christ. Your sins are paid for, you are reconciled to God for Jesus' sake.

You were born a damned sinner. You were reborn a saint and heir of eternal life. Now which nature will you nurture? Will you continue to use the excuse that you cannot help but be what you were born to be, a sinner, and refuse God's forgiveness, love, and direction? Or will you use the tools God has given you to nurture the new nature he has birthed in you? Always be mindful of your baptism, come to the Lord's table frequently, hear God's Word regularly, and you will have answered the nature/nurture question correctly.




Pastor McKenzie

Ushers For September

Flower Calendar for September

Ladies Aid

Christian Women’s Circle

Meetings will resume with a potluck dinner on September 8, 2010 at 6:30 p.m.
Servers for that date are Carol Johnson, Carol Mueller,
Mary Dreschel, and Gerry Hase.

Trinity Lutheran School

Trinity Lutheran School opens its doors for another school year on August 30th with an opening service in church at 8:30 a.m. What a marvelous blessing we have in our school where our children can not only learn all they need to know to outfit them for life, but also all they need to know to fit them for eternal life, and to be able to do it all in a Christian atmosphere! Our school will open with a new computer lab and a renovated basement hallway to better enhance the learning experience of our children. The faculty of TLS will be as follows:

Preschool - Mrs. Carolyn Von Deylen
Kindergarten - Mrs. Kayla Fager
Grade 1 - Miss Naomi Laabs
Grade 2 - Mrs. Joann Klemp
Grade 3 - Mrs. Jill McGovern
Grade 4 - Mrs. Cheryl Miller
Grade 5 - Mrs. Nancy Goodman
Grade 6 - Mr. Matthew Fager
Grade 7 - Mr. Dustin Uhlenbrauck
Grade 8 - Mr. Jason Gibson, Principal
Secretaries - Mrs. Linda Aalpoel
Mrs. Lisa Laabs
Custodian - Mr. Michael Huebner
Head Cook - Mrs. Crystal Timm


May God bless TLS, its staff, and its students with a wonderful, productive year!

Any adult member interested in helping with the Trinity Youth Group (Grades 8-12) this school year should contact Traci Simington at 920-558-9541 or email ksimington@new.rr.com. Any help is appreciated and new ideas are always welcome!

The youth group is on Facebook! For the latest information on upcoming events, find us by searching Trinity Lutheran Youth Group.

September 5th
9AM – T. Wilde / B. Wilde

September 12th
9AM – B. Aalpoel / L. Aalpoel

September 19th
9AM – G. McKenzie / C. McKenzie

September 26th
9AM – D. Strand / S. Strand

October 3rd
8AM – C. Gehrt / J. (Bea) Hintz
10:30AM – M. Melso / A. Lott

Dartball resumes in September. Those interested in playing should contact Wally Thorson at 725-5369.

The Wisconsin Lutheran Chapel is a WELS Campus Ministry that offers Jesus’ Word and Sacraments to college student members. If your son or daughter will be attending the University of Wisconsin – Madison in the fall, you can find out more information about the chapel at www.wlchapel.org.

Chase Joseph Mignon was baptized into Christ on July 24, 2010.

Camilla Mae Ott was baptized into Christ on August 22, 2010.

Ronald Meyer was called to his Savior on
August 3, 2010. He received a Christian burial on August 6, 2010.

Jeanette Matthias was called to her Savior on August 10, 2010. She received a Christian burial on August 13, 2010.

William Page became a member of our church through adult confirmation on August 15, 2010.

Travis Castellion & Family has transferred to Immanuel, Greenville.

Congratulations to Jane Seward & Kevin Dolan, who were married on July 24, 2010.

Congratulations to Emily Goss & Rick LaFleur who were married on August 6, 2010.

Congratulations to Jeralin Braun & Gregory Bucholtz who were married on August 14, 2010.

If you change your address, please notify the church office. Even if you notify the school office, we need to hear from you to keep the church records up to date.

If your son or daughter is away at college, please notify us of the address so we can keep him or her in touch with the congregation through the Trinitarian and other correspondence. You can call the church office at 722-6712 or email Lynne.Koepp@trinityneenah.org with the information anytime.

Themed Ports of Call – FVL’s 7th annual dinner auction will be held on Saturday, October 16th. Tickets are $40 each or $75 per couple and can be purchased through the FVL office at
920-739-4441.

If you already shop at Morton Pharmacy you can enroll in the Morton Members customer appreciation program, through which our church can receive a donation. By enrolling, you earn points toward reward certificates for yourself as well as a cash donation for Trinity Lutheran Church. Applications can be picked up at Morton Pharmacy or found online at www.mortonpharmacy.com.

Speaker: Linda Liesener,
CAMM Contact Coordinator
Date: Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Time: 6:30 p.m. artifacts display/socializing; 7:00 p.m. lecture
Place: Grace Lutheran Church,
1390 Breezewood Lane, Neenah

The Lutheran Women’s Missionary Societies of Neenah invite you to join them for a Central African Medical Mission photo presentation by Linda Liesener, Tuesday, October 5th. The mission, a concept of the 1957 WELS convention, provides missionary and humanitarian aid. Today, over 75,000 individuals are given aid annually at the Malawi and Zambia sites. Linda’s knowledge of the mission, through her daughter Alicia, who served in Malawi from 2004-2007, will inspire you. The mission’s current daily activities and its gospel outreach to the people of Malawi, Africa, will be covered. A free will offering will be taken. Refreshments will be served following the presentation.

Trinity’s Senior Choir is gearing up for another year. Rehearsals will begin on September 7th at 7:00 p.m. We are looking for any Trinity members (high school or older) to join us for all or part of the year. Please contact Naomi Laabs with any questions.

Join us Tuesday nights, in the school gym, for some exercise, some fellowship, and some fun! Adult volleyball is open to all members high school age or older and meets at 8:00 p.m. Please contact Mr. Uhlenbrauck with any questions.

The new FVL bus schedule for the 2010-2011 school year is posted in the church narthex.

Talking openly about sex to their middle school or high school-age children is something many parents dread. But, today -- more than ever -- that conversation needs to take place and Christian parents are looking for the right things to say and the right way to say it. Pastor Ski will help parents and students break the sound barrier and look at this topic through the lens of God's Word. This presentation is designed for parents and students from grades 6 and up to attend TOGETHER. Younger parents are welcome to attend, but please leave the younger children at home for this sensitive topic. Audience questions are encouraged - please bring your cell phone to text or call in your questions! (Paper provided for non-cell phone users!)

Invite your neighbors and friends with children the age of your children -- How great would it be to have EVERYONE talking about this important topic from a Biblical perspective. Tickets available from the FVL School Office or the office of any FVL School.