Church guide

A special service today to present quilts to our high school graduates. 🎓 May this quilt be a reminder of your parent’s love, your church’s love, and Jesus’ love for you! May it help you remember you are never alone. 💕

Tonight's the night: Thursday, May 9 Trinity Lutheran Church 816 E Clark ST, Vermillion 6:30 PM-8:00 PM Fellowship hall A time of THANKS with Bishop Zellmer, associates, and staff. Thanks for 12 wonderful years of shared ministry together is South Dakota. The evening includes refreshments (pie, ice cream, coffee, water), Bible study, fellowship, and the opportunity to meet partners from Lutherans Outdoors and Lutheran Planned Giving. Everyone is welcome to attend!

There is no Foot Care Clinic at Trinity Lutheran Church in Vermillion today.

You Were Created for Influence “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5 “Just think,” “if ripples spread out across our lake when you throw your rocks into the water, how do the words you say and the things you do affect the people around you? And then, how do those people affect the people around them?” “If you say something unkind to someone, they will feel badly and might be unkind, too. The unkindness spreads. We want to spread good things that honor God rather than bad things that don’t.” Read the story of Daniel and the lions’ den (in Daniel 6). Although Daniel lived in a godless culture, he impacted nations, kings, wise men and his friends by living a life that pleased the Lord. His ripples of influence expanded incrementally, leading to an impact he never could have predicted — one that extends to my family and yours almost 3,000 years later. When we reflect God’s character through the gifts and opportunities He gives us, we’re like rocks tossed into a pond, producing ripple effects that inspire those in our sphere and beyond to think and act differently. You don’t have to be famous, rich or successful. You don’t need an impressive degree or lots of followers on social media. A specific age, nationality or personality is not a requirement, and you’re not limited by your job, location or marital status. You, my friend, have the power to positively influence others. Every person can be influential, in any place and at any time of our lives. We can engage our God-given opportunities for positive influence. We have the unparalleled opportunity to influence this generation and those to come. God uses ordinary people like you and me in extraordinary “God stories” — real-life narratives of purpose and influence. Although we’re all imperfect and inconsistent, we can still be influential because of God’s grace and power in and through us. As Jesus said: “If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5b). ~ Lord, I may be an ordinary person, but with Your help, I can accomplish extraordinary things. Help me to clearly see the places where I can have the greatest influence. Give me the courage, wisdom and grace to speak into others’ lives and reflect Your goodness — so through You, I might make an eternal impact. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. -Pam Tebow

Choosing the Meaningful Over the Urgent Unless we choose wisely, digital distractions will steal time that would be more meaningfully spent connecting with the people in our lives and the purposes God uniquely created us to accomplish. Scripture addresses this in Ephesians 5:15-16: “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” Digital distractions aren’t the only problem creating a greater feeling of busyness. Many of us are wired in ways that make us more vulnerable to misusing our time. I call them “Core Vulnerabilities.” Do any of these describe your habits? • Optimism (you usually underestimate how much time you need to do things). • Perfectionism (you make things harder than they have to be and take longer “perfecting” — because it’s never quite good enough). • Over-responsibility (you spend time doing for others what they could — and should — do for themselves). • Over-achieving (doing more than necessary in order to gain acceptance or accolades). • Approval addiction (saying “yes” to requests to avoid disappointing others). • Excessive Guilt (you overcommit and overcompensate out of guilt). These vulnerabilities can have tremendous influence on the choices we make with our time. They can sabotage God’s best plans for us and cause unnecessary time stress. Our Core Vulnerabilities can open the door to a spiritual battle in our mind, swaying our choices from wise to unwise. God calls us to be wise. He wants us to choose the meaningful over mundane or even false urgencies which lead to continual stress and hurry, rather than purpose and contentment. If we don’t, we risk spending our time on things that seem important — only to look back and realize we missed out on the things that actually are. When you’re making a decision about time, ask yourself: Is it meaningful … or just mundane? Tune into God’s voice guiding you toward the meaningful. Then heed His voice. ~ Lord, Thank You for the precious gift of time. Help me daily see the eternal value of my finite time, so I can spend it in ways that glorify You and enable me to focus on what matters most in Your eyes. Free me of insecurities and emotional bad habits such as perfectionism, misplaced guilt and over-responsibility that cause me to be unwise in how I spend my time. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. - Valorie Burton

Colossians 3:23, “Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and not for men.” We all have times in our lives when we aren’t where we want to be or where we think we should be. But in those times, we can ask God which assignment He wants us to fully embrace today — right where we are. ~ Father God, Thank You for using all things for my good, even disappointment. Help me to look at my disappointments with fresh eyes today, discovering gifts where I am tempted to only see heartache. And show me how I can love and serve others with passion and purpose today. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. - Lysa Terkeurst

We have been enriched this school year having Ana Oliveira lead our worship from the piano keyboard! On Saturday, Ana will be graduating from The University of South Dakota with a Master’s degree in piano performance. Sunday, May 5 will be her last service with us. Thank you Ana for sharing your talents and blessings to you as you return to Brazil. 🎼 🎹

Psalm 30 1 I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up, and did not let my foes rejoice over me. 2 O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me. 3 O Lord, you brought up my soul from Sheol, restored me to life from among those gone down to the Pit. 4 Sing praises to the Lord, O you his faithful ones, and give thanks to his holy name. 5 For his anger is but for a moment; his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning. 6 As for me, I said in my prosperity, "I shall never be moved." 7 By your favor, O Lord, you had established me as a strong mountain; you hid your face; I was dismayed. 8 To you, O Lord, I cried, and to the Lord I made supplication: 9 "What profit is there in my death, if I go down to the Pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it tell of your faithfulness? 10 Hear, O Lord, and be gracious to me! O Lord, be my helper!" 11 You have turned my mourning into dancing; you have taken off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, 12 so that my soul may praise you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever. ` "You have turned my mourning into dancing; you have taken off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, so that my soul may praise you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever." Here the psalmist testifies to the work of God in the midst of a human life. Although struggles and pain are part of reality for all of us, God listens and answers our cries for help. Because of what God has done, the psalmist will praise God's name forever. Often, I find myself bringing prayers to God and asking for help amid sorrow and hurt. Like the psalmist, I know that in my time of need, God will answer and provide for a new day. This proclamation of thanksgiving and praise to God reminds us that our Provider is present in our times of struggle. Praise be to God for the goodness provided in the midst of pain! ~ O Lord, We cry to you in our time of need! Help us turn to you so that our mourning might be transformed into dancing with the light of day. Amen. Amanda Sabelko, '13 Deacon St. John’s Lutheran Church, Kasson, Minn.

Acts 9:1-6, [7-20] 1 Meanwhile Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3 Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" 5 He asked, "Who are you, Lord?" The reply came, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6 But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do." [7 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless because they heard the voice but saw no one. 8 Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9 For three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank. 10 Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, "Ananias." He answered, "Here I am, Lord." 11 The Lord said to him, "Get up and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul. At this moment he is praying, 12 and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight." 13 But Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem; 14 and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who invoke your name." 15 But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel; 16 I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name." 17 So Ananias went and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul and said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit." 18 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was baptized, 19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength. For several days he was with the disciples in Damascus, 20 and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, "He is the Son of God."] - Have you ever been working toward what you thought were the right things, only to realize you were wrong? Life's epiphany moments sometimes hit us right over the head. For Saul, this was certainly the case. In the story of Saul's conversion, we find a man on a mission to arrest followers of "The Way," only to be blindsided (quite literally) by Jesus himself. Despite trying to destroy the followers of Jesus, Saul is chosen to be an instrument of the body of Christ and to share the gospel among the Gentiles. God seeks out Ananias and blindsides him in a different way. Ananias's conversion is a change in his understanding about who is worthy to follow Jesus. And as with Saul (Paul) and Ananias, in spite of the things we have done or failed to do, God uses us for the mission of Jesus the Christ. ~ Holy God, Help us remember that despite wrongs we have done and the good we have failed to do, you work through us for the sake of the gospel. Amen. Amanda Sabelko, '13 Deacon, St. John’s Lutheran Church, Kasson, Minn.

We encourage you to join our community in stamping out hunger at this year’s 27th Annual National Association of Letter Carriers Stamp Out Hunger® Food Drive, on Saturday, May 11, 2019. Make sure to watch for special bags delivered by your letter carrier to fill with unexpired, non-perishable items to leave out for pick up on May 11th. This event is the largest food drive for the VFP each year and requires a number of volunteers to make it successful. We need an army of volunteers to load/unload trucks, weigh, sort and check expiration dates. It's going to be an amazing day where we bring in over 5,000 pounds of food. If you can assist please contact the VFP at: [email protected] or call /text 605-670-3409 Thank you for all the support you give the Pantry.

Enjoying the beauty of new lighting! Thanks to all who made this possible! #LetYourLightShine

Ephesians 2:8-10, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” It's Easter 2 this weekend~ Worship with Holy Communion Saturday, April 27, 5:30 PM Sunday, April 28, 10:00 AM, with coffee & fellowship at 9:00 AM

**LOCATION CHANGE** Saturday, April 27 the Southeastern Conference Women of the ELCA has changed its location for this Saturday's Spring Gathering. Flooding in the Northern part of Clay County necessitates moving to: Scandia in Centerville, SD rather than Swan Lake Bible camp. Same time and schedule with coffee at 830!

The National Day of Prayer is Next week on May 2nd. There are 2 times to gather in prayer across denominational lines in Unity. The first is at the Flag Pole at the Court House at noon on May 2nd. The next time ia at Danforth Chapel at 7:00PM on May 2nd. When we prayer together and despite differences, God is honored and we help fulfill his prayer that "We would be one as He and the Father are one." Great things are possible when we unite in prayer.

Remember ~ • It is rare that a “storm” hangs over indefinitely. What may seem like a storm today may be just a blip in a few weeks. • If you are called to a vocation, you need to realize it will be messy at times. • It is normal to want to quit at times, but remember He who called you will sustain you. • It takes time for fruit to grow. To see fruit, you have to stick around. -Thom S. Rainer

For more information, please contact: Connor Singhisen Assistant Director of Intramurals & Sport Clubs Wellness Center University of South Dakota O: 605-677-8806 [email protected]

The Vermillion Children’s Choir presents their Spring Gala Concert Sunday, May 5, at 3:00 pm at the UCC (226 E. Main St.) in Vermillion, SD. Enjoy your Sunday afternoon with these wonderfully talented children as they showcase the selections they have learned throughout the course of the year. There is no cost to attend, but a freewill donation will be collected.

The University of South Dakota Opera presents Massenet's enchanting adaptation of "Cinderella," a cherished fairy tale worldwide, April 27 and 28 in Aalfs Auditorium. Set at the French Moulin Rouge, the audience will witness Cinderella's quest for the Bohemian ideals of truth, beauty, freedom and love against all odds. With some of the most magical moments in all of opera, this Cinderella story will delight audiences of all ages. Children are encouraged to dress up as their favorite fairy tale characters.

Palm Sunday! 🌿🌿 Thank you Trinity Choir with Director Paul Almjeld, plus Clayton Lehmann on trumpet. 🎺 🎼

If the snow kept you home from morning worship, enjoy the Trinity Choir “Blessed Are They (The Beatitudes)”. Remember the radio broadcast of Sunday morning services can be heard on 101.5 FM or 1570 AM.

First Sunday of Christmas. Thank you for the special music C.J. Kocher, Stephanie Kocher and Becky Rider. We appreciate your gift of music!

To our members and friends plus the community of Vermillion, we wish you a blessed Christmas.

Silent Night....

Some serious vocals....😇

Hark!! 😇

Join us for worship!