Beer Bread Recipe

Since hospitality and feeding people is important to me, part of my Lenten discipline this year is to teach some baking skills to a willing student.  Roxy has been a great student and she and I have really enjoyed making the bread for Catechemunnity each week.  So far we have made chipas, french bread, pretzel rolls, and the most popular... beer bread.  I've given this recipe to everyone who asked orally, but I figure I should write it down :)

So here it is, the infamous, easy beer bread:

Preheat the oven to 375

Mix:

3 cups self rising flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 can of beer

Mix well, should be a bit crumbly.  Put the whole thing in a greased loaf or cake pan, bake about an hour until nice and brown.  You should be able to pull a dry knife out of it.

Now, you may want to get fancy with this recipe and I encourage that.  

• Sometimes I substitute the beer for any other carbonated beverage... my dad will use sprite and add a half cup of cranberries for a lovely breakfast bread.
• Sometimes I add cheese and/or jalepenos.
• Drain a can of Rotel and throw that in!
• Chocolate Chips = Yes.
• Nuts = Why not?
• Yep, you can melt half a stick of butter on top while baking.  I find this unnecessary and I want the vegans to enjoy my bread too, but it is popular.  

Enjoy the recipe, love your neighbors, and build relationships with bread!  

Being a Kid at First Trinity

In this year's Advent newsletter, youth representative, Roxy Mendez shared three things that she likes about First Trinity.  Roxy attends elementary school, practices the piano, and leads lemonade stand and bracelet fundraisers at the church.

We also heard from Barbara Egan, who returned to First Trinity recently.  We are so happy she is here!  Barbara attended Trinity Lutheran School in the 1950s and shared some of her experiences.

Read the full newsletter here.


What I Like About First Trinity

Roxanna Mendez

There are 3 things I like about First Lutheran Church of the Trinity.

The first thing I like about my church is meeting new friends. I found 8 new friends in 2 weeks. Also some of them are brothers and sisters. This would never happen if there was no church, God’s Closet and school because that is how we all met.

The second thing I like about my church is that it has lots of events. The event I really liked was the Halloween party. What like about the halloween party is that when people party, they party. Also that makes people come to church more.

The third but not least thing I like is to welcome people. I welcome people because I was welcomed to this church. I want everybody to be welcomed just like me. Welcoming people feels like you are going to know everybody.



First Trinity 1954
Barbara Egan

In 1954, my name at the time was Barbara Jean Newsom. I went to first grade at First Trinity Lutheran School. We had five grades in one room and one teacher. .We walked home for lunch then walked back. No matter rain, snow, or sleet; we did it.

Every Saturday we would clean the school bathrooms downstairs: sink, toilets, drinking fountain. Upstairs we swept the floor, took out garbage, washed down the desk. We never complained or even asked why we had to do it.

On Sundays we had Sunday School. Mrs. Marie Fashing was my Sunday school teacher; I loved her. She enjoyed being a Sunday school teacher. We would go over to the church at 10:30 AM until forever. I mean, the pastor would preach until 12:30! We had organ music.

I liked to sit upstairs in the balcony with my friend Mary, and her twin sister Cherie. One time we took our money for collection and went across the street and got chili cups and ate them upstairs. We did not know our pastor could see us and he stopped the sermon, and told us no eating in the church, unless we had enough for everyone! I was a very shy kid never talked to anyone.

One Saturday Mary and I were at the church. My father was fixing the furnace, so we decided to ring the bells. Well I went first and I went up in the air and Mary tried to grab me and we were both in the air. My daddy came and saved us both. We could have gotten killed. Then there was the time we decided to light the candles and have our own communion. The candle fell out of the holder when we lit it. No damage to the altar was done, but I had to scrub the church on my hands and knees for a month. One time we put jellybeans in the silver collection plates behind the altar. The pastor made us eat them all! Ha ha!

I was always at church bake sales, Christmas pageants, dinners, school. My mother made lemon merengue pies. People would order them, sometimes 50 pies! I would bring the egg whites and pour them on the pies. You had to bring your own pie tin to the church. My mother would bake the pies and then you would pick up your pie after church. We would put tape on the pie tin with the name of the person. We would bring all the pies in my daddy's Chrysler. They would be all over the backseat front seat and trunk of the car.

My aunt Alice would make the spaghetti for church dinners and help with Halloween parties.We all helped, no complaints. I won the costume contest one year at the Halloween party. My sister Shirley made me a witches costume and made the hat.When I won I was so excited that I started to cry!


God's Closet Clearance Wrap Up!

Following a successful "Back to School Clearance" of God's Closet, Roxy Mendez took some time to interview some of the volunteers.  

God's Closet Clearance

By Roxanna Mendez

Journalists at work! Roxy, Julie and Alyssa

This week God’s Closet had a clearance. The clearance was Monday 8/25/14 - Friday 8/29/14 . We did a clearance week because we had too much stuff.  By stuff we mean a lots of clothes.  We also put a table outside with clothes and a person or two to look out for the table.

We had great volunteers: Roseanne, Rich, Kathy, Renee G, Mary, Claudia, Ben, Yamara, Irene, Al, Irene M, Alicia, Marge, John, Elma, and Sonia. The kids asked some of the volunteers some questions.

Irene M:
What is the is the weirdest thing you found in God’s Closet: shoes
What is the nicest thing you found in God's Closet: Coat
What did you think could use improvement: Nothing
Why do you volunteer for God's Closet: We volunteer for gods closet because this church gave us a lots of stuff and now i am giving back.

Kathy:
What is the is the weirdest thing you found in God’s Closet: Thongs
What is the nicest thing you found in God's Closet: Candy dish
What did you think could use improvement: They should put the women pants by the mens pants and the men pants can go to the womens pants because short people cant reach the womens pants because the table is in the way.
Why do you volunteer for God's Closet: It a happy place.  Kathy loves this place and feels welcome, safe.

Richard:
What is the is the weirdest thing you found in God’s Closet: Strange clothes
What is the nicest thing you found in God's Closet: The stuff I have on
What did you think could use improvement: More clothes!  Out with the old in with the new!
Why do you volunteer for God's Closet: To help others.

Mary:
What is the is the weirdest thing you found in God’s Closet: Dolls
What is the nicest thing you found in God's Closet: Books
What did you think could use improvement: Cleaner
Why do you volunteer for God's Closet: To give back to the community

Alicia:
What is the is the weirdest thing you found in God’s Closet: Athletic Supporter
What is the nicest thing you found in God's Closet: A red and black 1950s dress.
What did you think could use improvement: Bigger area and to make it homier.

Why do you volunteer for God's Closet: I love putting things away and I play with toys to find out if kids are going to like them! But the best is putting on different clothes and shoes to dance and act out.

Elma:
What is the nicest thing you found in God's Closet: Dolls
What did you think could use improvement: Cleaner
Why do you volunteer for God's Closet: I like to help people

Yamara:
What is the nicest thing you found in God's Closet: Dress
What did you think could use improvement: More fans
Why do you volunteer for God's Closet: I like the people.  I like to help others!

Thank you to ALL of the Volunteers!

E-Newsletter - Fourth Sunday in Easter

This week at First Trinity

Good Shepherd Sunday / Mothers Day / Fourth Sunday in Easter

Sisters and Brothers, Christ is Risen! Alleluia!

SUNDAY!
As we move into a beautiful weekend, a reminder that, in addition to it being Good Shepherd Sunday, this Sunday is also Mother's Day. We'll also be remembering some of the early Mothers of Christianity, Saints Perpetua and Felicity. A reminder of the radical and religious origins of this holiday can be found at this link, among other places!  We have flowers for all the mothers at worship AND Roxy and Cassie will be making pancakes for coffee hour after worship!

Sunday evening, we will carpool at 5:30 to South Loop Campus Ministry to deliver sandwiches to our homeless sisters and brothers! Feel free to join us!

Bishop's Visit
Mark your calendars! Bishop Miller will be preaching for worship 10:30AM, Pentecost Sunday, June 8. We will grill out and hang out after worship! If you are interested in being baptized or installed as a new member that day, please let me know this Sunday at worship, and we will prepare!

Liberation Theology - Learn About It!
(And live it!) Drew will be leading us, starting Tuesday, in a study on Liberation Theology for Armchair Theologians. Certainly this is a passion for Drew, and being in a class with him brings the topic to life in an exciting and engaging way. There will also be food! See you there!

God's Peace This Weekend!

Rev. Thomas R. Gaulke

 'Δόξα ἐν ὑψίστοις θεῷ καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς εἰρήνη ἐν ἀνθρώποις εὐδοκίας. Epi ges !