2008
I N D E X		Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers in the congregation! An interesting passage is found in I Corinthians 15:33 “Do not be misled: Bad company corrupts good character”. The context of the chapter is talking about the importance of the resurrection of Christ to the Christian faith. Of utmost importance as St. Paul urges is for Christians not to allow the bad moral and unbelieving attitude of others to influence a Christian to abandon this belief in Christ Jesus and the importance of the resurrection! Every parent at one time or another has been or will be concerned about the company that one’s children keep. One can be very cognizant of the way those friends dress but one is more cognizant of how they act or react to people and if that reaction is a positive influence on one’s children. One can truly get into disagreements about the company that one’s children keep as children defend their friends to the utmost! Many times the parental concern is about actions but St. Paul’s concern is about the faith that friends confess and if indeed they believe in the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. St. Paul would add the importance of this faith when he writes “The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you” [Vs. 56-58a]. It is important that loved ones be encouraged in that walk of faith. That encouragement comes not only from parents but also from Christian friends who truly believe in the importance of the resurrection of Christ and the assurance that nothing can overcome Jesus Christ and His power to save. May the Lord lead families to confess Jesus Christ as both Lord and Savior and encourage children to be with Christian friends who truly believe that Jesus Christ is risen from the dead and is with us today and every day! In His Service, Pastor Stenzel
Anniversaries	14
Attendance	15
Baptismal Birthdays	14
Be Joyful	10
Big Sky Lutheran
Foundation	13
Birthdays	14
Calendar/Schedule for
May	Yellow
Church Council	13
Church Directory Updates	15
Confirmation Classes	2
Confirmation Sunday	4
Confirmands	4
Friday Ladies Bible
Class	11
Graduates	5-7
Habitat	11
LWML	10
Pastor’s Article	1
Pastoral Care	2
Personhood Amendment	9
Prayers	3
Recycling	10
Shut-Ins	9
Stewardship	12
Sympathy	11
Thank You	2
Treasurer	11
Trustees	9
Vacation Bible School	8
Van	11
Volunteer of the Year	16
Wee Disciples	7

I speak to you as a member of the congregation and also as your elected President of the Congregation.

Pastoral Care:  What do these two words mean to you?  A congregation is given
a pastor as a Shepherd to care for you, its' members (sheep), both in spiritual
and physical ways.  He is not only the spiritual leader of this congregation,
but his calling includes much more.  The pastor cares for the congregational
members, whomever they may be, when he conducts regular services each week
telling us of the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, administers the
sacraments, counseling and uplifting those of us that need reassurance,
visiting the members in hospitals, nursing homes, shut-ins in their own homes,
meeting the physical needs of those in need, and caring for all of us in times
of distress and sorrow or other family situations.
Our Pastor and family now needs our SUPPORT,  PRAYERS, KINDNESS, COMFORT and
HELP while undergoing this period in his life regarding the cancer and medical
treatments he now faces.  We need to come together as a congregation to give
to him and his family the support needed since he has given so much to all of
us.  I believe that caring for one another is a vital part of Stewardship.  As
it was said in a sermon a few months ago "Let's Do It".  Let us show our
Christian love and compassion to our Pastor and his family.

Robert Haensel, Congregational Chairman

CONFIRMATION CLASSES HAVE ENDED AS OF APRIL 30^TH. CLASSES WILL RESUME THIS FALL! THANKS AGAIN TO PARENTS AND ESPECIALLY TO WEE DISCIPLES AND THEIR STAFF FOR ALL THE HELP WITH SERVING MEALS!

Thank you

(The following is a reprint of a thank you to Trinity Lutheran Congregation.)

Dear Friends in Christ,

I wish to send my personal thanks to each of you at Trinity Lutheran Congregation for the Memorial Gift in my good husband Gerhard’s name. He had a great desire to know more Hispanic men were being prepared for being pastors in the Lord’s vineyard.

We always were blessed to join you in worship with our son Joel and family. How Blessed we are to have the freedom to worship our Savior and King.

Peace in His name,

Betty Kempff

National Day of Prayer Task Force

Holy Father, in a world where so many are hungry,

You have given us food in abundance;

In a world where so many are hurting,

You offer to bind up our wounds;

In a world where so many are lonely,

You offer friendship to every heart;

In a world longing for peace,

You offer hope.

Yet, we are so stubborn and resistant,

Have mercy upon us, Lord.

Our nation is at a crossroads this year;

we look to you to be our strength and shield.

Please give us the guidance to elect one who will honor you

and to respond to the wisdom from above

so that our hope may be renewed and our blessings be treasured.

In God’s holy name.

Responsive Prayer
L We pray for the members of our Armed Forces who serve on land, sea and air, for those who safeguard our shores, and those called to bear arms.	R Heavenly Father, keep them safe from harm and give them strength and courage to faithfully do their duty; protect them and make them strong in spirit.
L We pray for Veterans Administration chaplains who share your love and healing with injured and disabled veterans.	R Bless the care they give to men and women suffering not only physical injuries, but deep emotional scars, including post traumatic stress disorder.
L We lift up the chaplains who serve in prisons and jails as they work with a community isolated from the mainstream of life.	R May they serve those separated from family and loved ones, those unable to share in productive work, that they find freedom in the Gospel of Christ.
L We pray for those pastors who serve as reserve and guard chaplains, mobilized to active duty, deployed far from home and congregation.	R Bless these pastors, their families and parishes, during the months of separation, making them strong through your sustaining presence in Word and Sacrament.
L We pray for our Civil Air Patrol chaplains.	R Bless them as they offer moral leadership training to young men and women of all ages, letting Christ be central to all their instruction and guidance.
L Finally, we lift up to You the LCMS “Ministry-by-Mail program.	R May all the materials we send to support more than 6,000 Lutheran families and personnel make them strong to serve and bring joy to their assigned tasks.
ALL O God, sustain our chaplains and all men and women of the Armed Forces whom they serve, giving them strength in weakness so that they might complete Your mission of sharing Christ with the world; through Jesus Christ, Your Son our Lord, who lives and rules with You and the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.
		CONFIRMATION SERVICE God’s blessings to our two new Confirmands! The Confirmation Service for the 2008 Confirmation Class at Trinity will be on Sunday, May 4, at the 10 am service.
This year’s confirmands are: Samantha Jordan Phillips and Cailyn Marie Schroeder There will be a Reception for the 2008 Confirmation Class after the worship service in the Fellowship Hall of the Church (lower level). All members of Trinity and their guests are cordially invited to attend!

	Confirmation Bible Verse: Psalm 119:105 “Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” Samantha (Sammy) Jordan Phillips was born June 7, 1994, at Benefis West in Great Falls, Montana. She was baptized in June, 1994, at Mountain View Lutheran Church in Great Falls, Montana. Sammy and her family joined Trinity Lutheran Church on September 30, 2007. She attended the Junior Youth Lock-in held recently at Trinity. Her parents are Cory and Lois Phillips, and she has one brother, Zachary. Sammy attends North Middle School. She likes volleyball and played on the team at North Middle School this year. She also loves to spend time on her grandparents ranch at Highwood, Montana.
Confirmation Bible Verse: James 1:2-3 “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.” Cailyn Marie Schroeder was born July 9, 1995, at Enid, Oklahoma. She was baptized on August 27, 1995, at St. Paul’s Lutheran in Enid, Oklahoma. Cailyn and her family transferred their membership from their previous congregation of Messiah Lutheran Church in Mason City, Iowa, to Trinity Lutheran Church on January 15, 2006. Her parents are Jon & Sandra Schroeder, and she has one sister, Courtney. Cailyn attends North Middle School. She loves playing basketball and her 7^th Grade Basketball Team won their Division at North. She’s a big fan of the Denver Broncos and is looking forward to bird hunting with her Dad, and their German Shorthair named Herkey. Cailyn’s grandfather, Pastor Fred F. Schroeder, from Bethel Lutheran Church in Lander, Wyoming, will be our guest Pastor and will give the sermon on this year’s Confirmation Sunday.

We know all of our Graduates have worked very hard to reach this very important time in their lives!

There will be a Reception for the 2008 Graduates on Sunday, May 11, after the 10 am Worship Service that will coincide with honoring Mothers on Mother’s Day in the Fellowship Hall of the Church (lower level). All members of Trinity and their guests are cordially invited to attend!

	Cally Ann Felstet was born June 30, 1990, at Great Falls, Montana. She was baptized on October 7, 1990, and confirmed May 4, 2003. Cally’s parents are Connie and Brian Felstet, and she has one sister, Kaci. Cally will be graduating from Charles M. Russell High School, and will be attending the University of Montana in Missoula, Montana, to work towards a degree in Elementary Education. Church and other activities Cally has participated in include the Youth Group, she attended the 2007 National Youth Gathering in Orlando, and enjoys theater in school.
Mick Darell Jones was born November 5, 1989, at Helena, Montana. He was baptized February 4, 1990, and confirmed on May 16, 2004. Mick’s parents are OD and Patty Jones, and he has two brothers, Derek and Alec. Mick will be graduating from Great Falls High School, and is considering attending either MSU College of Technology or MSU Bozeman. He’s interested in automotive design, photo journalism, and possibly some other area of study. In high school Mick was in Senior Youth and attended the 2007 National Youth Gathering in Orlando.
	Jimmy Spencer Norris was born September 24, 1989, at Great Falls, Montana. He was baptized October 29, 1989, and confirmed on May 16, 2004. Jimmy’s parents are Kirk and Peggy Norris, and his brothers and sisters are Pat, Brad, Mattie, Courtney, Kelly and Tracy. He will be graduating from Great Falls High School and will be seeking a degree in Business at the University of Montana in Missoula, Montana. Wrestling, cross-country, DECA and Senior Youth have kept Jimmy busy during his high school years.

GRADUATES (Continued)

Patrick Shane O’Moore was born March 20, 1990, in Germany. He was baptized July 1, 1990, and confirmed on May 16, 2004. Patrick’s parents are Karl O’Moore and Kelly Olsen, and his brothers and sisters are Austyn, Daphne, Isaac and Mathew. He’ll be graduating from Charles M. Russell High School and will be taking general studies at the University of Hawaii.
	Susan Marian Pecukonis was born June 17, 1990, in Great Falls, Montana. She was baptized August 5, 1990, and confirmed on May 16, 2004. Susan’s parents are Mark and Anita Pecukonis, and she has one brother, Joshua. She’ll be graduating from Charles M. Russell High School and plans to attend college at MSU Bozeman to become a pediatric nurse or registered nurse. During her years in high school, Susan was involved in Speech and Debate; Trinity Lutheran Church; 4-H; and she did volunteer work helping with the Special Olympics.
Daphne Nicole Sellers was born September 2, 1990, in Great Falls, Montana. She was baptized September 30, 1990, and confirmed May 16, 2004. Daphne’s parents are Jill O’Moore and Darryl Sellers, and her brothers and sisters are Austyn, Isaac, Patrick and Mathew. She’ll be graduating from Great Falls High School, and will be attending the University of Montana in Missoula pursuing a Law Degree.
	Aaron Daniel Sybrant was born September 29, 1989, in Great Falls, Montana. He was baptized November 26, 1989, and confirmed May 16, 2004. Aaron’s parents are Bill and Kathie Sybrant and his siblings are Stephanie, Aimee and Jonathan, plus a soon to be brother-in-law, Joe Peabody. He’ll be graduating from Charles M. Russell High School and will be working towards a Degree in Fire Rescue and Research at the University of Montana/Technology. The activities he’s been involved in during high school include football and Youth Group.

These are all of our High School Graduates. Let’s be sure to congratulate each

and every one of them for their accomplishments!!

Our 2008 University/College Graduates
Amanda nee Eastley Ellingson actually finished college in December at the University of Montana majoring in French. She was born July 18, 1984, baptized August 18, 1984, and was confirmed May 16, 1999. Her parents are Barry and Jeannine Eastley and she has one sister, Jessica. Amanda and her husband, Nick, and the family celebrated her college graduation in December, 2007, and since Amanda and Nick have moved to Oregon. Amanda is considering going to grad school and/or teach French.
Johnathan Richard Larsen was born November 20, 1984, in Hampton, Iowa. He was baptized December 29, 1984, and confirmed May 16, 1999. Johnathan’s parents are Alan and Christie Larsen, and he has one brother, Jordan. He is graduating from the University of Iowa College of Engineering with a major in Chemical Engineering and minors in Mathematics and Chemistry. He plans to join the Navy.
Eric Daniel Mills was born August 4, 1980, was baptized November 9, 1980, and confirmed May 21, 1995. He is the son of Judy Tankink. He will be graduating from the University of Montana in Missoula, Montana.
Courtney nee Norris Walker was born December 5, 1982, in Phoenix, Arizona. She was baptized March 13, 1983, and confirmed May 4, 1997. Her parents are Kirk and Peggy Norris, and her siblings include Pat, Brad, Mattie, Kelly, Tracy and Jimmy. Courtney is married to Mason Walker and they’ve been blessed with two children, Clayton age 4 and Ryann age 2. Courtney officially completed her studies in January graduating from MSU Northern with a Bachelor’s Degree in Education. Currently she’s teaching 6^th Grade at Valley View Elementary School.