From the Pastor
David Nehrenz

Dear Fellow Redeemed in Christ,

Though it is still summer, school starts already this month!  Pray God’s blessings again on our Church, School and Campus Ministry as everything begins this month.

Lutheran Student Fellowship begins again this month, as we again conduct the LCMS Oklahoma District campus ministry at OU with our 21st Vicar Matthew Moss. We look forward to getting to know these great college students and seeing them grow in God’s Word.

Trinity Lutheran School and Childcare will also begin this month and we rejoice that we can continue to share the love of Jesus with our school families as we have for the past 21 years!

Parents of our Confirmands will receive a letter this month about the Confirmation Orientation Session and about our Confirmation Classes which will begin in September.  The Vicar and I will be teaching these classes again in the Fall.

Our next adult catechesis and instruction class begins next month on Thursday September 9th at 7:30 p.m. It is entitled: “Lutheran Catechesis” and it is a good review as well as an introduction to the basics of Christian doctrine, Luther’s Small Catechism, liturgy and hymnody, and the Christian life.  Invite a friend and attend with them!

It is VERY important that you help us invite people to these classes! In the Lutheran church we take seriously the charge of our Lord to evangelize through baptizing, teaching and catechizing in God's Word.  Those who attend can then choose to become communicant members of the LCMS if they so desire.

This is one of the main ways by which we "grow in number" in God's harvest field! I can't do this myself - so PRAYERFULLY CONSIDER whom you will invite to attend this next set of exciting classes in Christian truth and doctrine!

We also draw our attention to three special days this month:

AUGUST 15th - ST. MARY, MOTHER OF OUR LORD. Psalm 45:10-15; Isaiah 61:7-11; Galatians 4:4-7; Luke 1:46-55. Read these Scripture lessons and rejoice in this humble woman, blessed by God to be the mother of the Savior!

AUGUST 24TH - ST. BARTHOLOMEW. Psalm 121; Exodus 19:1-6; 1 Corinthians 12:27-31a; John 1:43-51. Read these Scripture lessons and see that Bartholomew was also called Nathanael and was an honest man who confessed with exuberance that Jesus was the Son of God!

AUGUST 29TH - THE MARTYRDOM OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST. Psalm 141; Jeremiah 1:17-19; Mark 6:17-29. Read these Scripture lessons and re-evaluate the real purpose of our lives - to point others towards Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the Lord. John gave his head for the Head of the Church - Jesus!

In our Lord Jesus Christ,
Pastor Nehrenz

From the Vicar
Mathew Moss

To all those of Trinity Lutheran Church who are loved by God and called to be saints: It is my great pleasure to be with you as the 21st vicar of Trinity Lutheran Church. It is with great humility that I take this assignment. When faced with the duties, tasks, and privileges of this position I can only see my unworthiness and inadequacy. Yet in my human frailty I am forced to look to the grace of God in the cross of Christ Jesus. It is a testimony to His almighty power and providence that sinners such as I may serve you and learn from you in this vicarage experience.

Since receiving this placement back in April I have prayed for you and I will continue to do so. My prayer is first and foremost that in all things Christ might have the pre-eminence (Col. 1:18). Secondly, I pray and trust that God will protect you from all of my short-comings. Finally I ask you to join me in praying that I may be attentive to the lessons that God will have me learn through you this year. Amen.

A bit about myself: I was born and raised in a Lutheran household just outside of Chicago, IL. My parents, David & Clarisse are lifelong Lutherans who met in a Bible study at the congregation of which we are still members. My older sister, Abigail, and I are blessed to have Christian parents who made daily devotions a regular part of our family’s life. I also was blessed to attend our congregation’s Lutheran day school from preschool through 8th grade.
 After High School I decided on attending Concordia University- Ann Arbor, MI to begin Pre-Seminary training. I double majored in Religious Studies and Biblical Languages, where daily I was amazed by the richness, depth, and unity of God’s Word. I graduated from CUAA in 2008 and enrolled at Concordia Theological Seminary- Fort Wayne, IN. Mid way through my first year at the seminary I was presented with the opportunity of spending my second academic year of seminary training at our sister seminary in Cambridge, England.

My year at Westfield House was an incredible experience. Studying in a Lutheran Church body much smaller than the LCMS allowed me a different look at how God provides for His Church on earth. In addition to the studies in England, I was able to visit seven other European countries: Scotland, Spain, France, Switzerland, Italy, Greece, and Germany. Despite the studies and adventures, deep within every seminarian’s heart is the desire to go on vicarage. This is no less true of me. Now that I am here with you I see that my expectations were not in vain. After 24 years of innumerable blessings, God has decided to richly and abundantly bless me to even more tremendous bounds by placing me here with such a wonderful congregation from whom I will learn so very much.  May God who has graciously given us His Son continue to bless and preserve us in His Church. (More Campus Ministry news...)