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Where is Trinity located?
Three blocks South and two East of the hospital.
From the interstate …. North on 37 (Burr Street)
to 2nd Ave. Turn East and go till you come to the
church.
From the North … South on 37
(Main), go past the Corn
Palace to 2nd Ave.
Turn East and travel until you reach the church.
Foster Ave is on the east side of Mitchell. We are
two blocks east of Foster
Ave.
How many members does
Trinity have?
There are 565 baptized
members. Our average worship attendance was 180 in 2004.
How do I join?
If you are Lutheran, we can simply transfer your membership.
If you are from another denomination and are already baptized, pastor
will visit you. If you are not baptized, then membership comes
when you are baptized. We recognize all Christian baptisms.
What is confirmation and when does it begin?
Confirmation is the program for youth in grades 6 - 8 where
students are encouraged to learn about and grow in faith. The
first half of the program is learning the Bible message and
stories. The second half is working on one’s core beliefs.
What is the age of First
Communion?
Since we understand communion
as God forgiving us, Holy Communion is offered to all the
baptized. The age of first communion is determined by the parents
in consultation with the pastor. First communion is offered to
any age level and is usually completed by the time a person is in 5th
grade.
How do I make a contribution to the Lord's work at Trinity?
Contributions can be placed
in the offering plate during worship or mailed to Trinity Lutheran
Church, 1400 E. 2nd Ave.
Mitchell, SD. 57301
What is the Endowment Fund?
We have an established endowment fund. Please check out the
endowment link on our home page.
Just what are Lutherans?
Back in 1517 a German Roman Catholic priest by the name of Martin
Luther tried to reform, or change, the Roman Catholic Church. For
his efforts he was kicked out of the church. His followers were
known as "protestors" or Protestants and laughingly referred
to as "Lutherans." Martin Luther never wanted to reform
his church. Over the years the Lutheran Church
and the Roman Catholic Church have changed in ways that make us
somewhat similar in worship practice and thinking.
Check out more at this site:
http://www.elca.org/communication/roots.html
What are our core
beliefs?
We are a church that proclaims that God is known through the Trinity,
God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
We are saved from our sinful selves by God's grace (God's love in
action) given to us as a gift through Jesus Christ.
God's grace comes to us through the sacraments of Holy Baptism and Holy
Communion. Sacraments are those actions commanded by Jesus Christ
that have a physical element and bring us God's grace.
In Baptism, God reaches out to us and claims us as God's own.
"You are mine," says God. From this time on we are part
of God's family. The water of baptism washes away our sinfulness
every day of our lives.
In Holy Communion, God brings us forgiveness of sins through the body
and blood of Christ. Christ is present in the bread and
wine. We can feel God's forgiveness spread throughout our bodies
and our lives.
ELCA Quick Facts (2004)
The Evangelical
Lutheran Church
in America resulted
from a union of three North American Lutheran church bodies: The
American Lutheran Church, the Association of Evangelical Lutheran
Churches and the Lutheran Church in America.
The three churches agreed to unite in 1982. They
formed a 70-member Commission for a New Lutheran
Church, which
planned the merger. The plan was approved by church conventions in
1986, and the ELCA constituting convention was held April 30-May 3,
1987, with the church actually beginning operations on January 1, 1988.
The ELCA meets in assembly every two years; at its
2001 Churchwide Assembly it elected its third
bishop, The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, who will be eligible for re-election
at the 2007 Churchwide Assembly.
MEMBERS:
·
Baptized Members: 4,984,925
·
Communing and Contributing Members: 2,349,855
·
Average Worship Attendance Each Week: 30.15%
·
Congregations: 10,657
·
Synods: 65 in nine geographic regions
·
Members of Color (or)
Whose Primary Language is Not English: 138,560
African-American: 53,258
Latino: 42,988
Asian or Pacific Islander: 22,030
American Indian or Alaska Native: 7,265
Other: 13,019
LEADERS:
·
Clergy: 17,703 (2,760 female; 494 people of color)
·
Associates in Ministry: 1,239
(1,006 female, 233 male; 18 people of color)
·
Diaconal Ministers: 84
·
Deaconesses: 67
·
Missionaries: approx. 300 adult missionaries, of which some 78
self-funded volunteers, serving in over 50 countries
·
Campus Pastors and Ministries: 195 campus ministry sites
supported by synod and/or churchwide funds
·
Federal Chaplains: Approximately 770
(Retired Military, Armed Forces Active Duty, Reservists,
Veterans Affairs, Civil Air Patrol, Federal Bureau of Prisons) age Giving Per Confirmed Member:
$550.04 (Regular $467.78; Designated $82.26)
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