Church closes its doors
Contributed by Trinity Lutheran Church

After much exploration and "plowing," Trinity Lutheran Church on Nell Street in Northeast Columbia is disbanding that congregation and sowing the seeds of their sale to significant efforts within the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. They will successfully conclude this seeding effort at a Sending and Sowing Service September 30, 2007 at 11 am.

At this service, recipients from several Lutheran Institutions will receive facsimile checks that will be watered and nurtured to bear fruit in the future.

In addition to the monetary gifts of encouragement to institutions of the church, the congregation members will be sent to new assemblies of faith in their Christian vocational call. This is an outstanding model for another viable option in evangelism.

In the afternoon, at a 3 pm Service of Closing, the church will formally close their faith presence in the northeast area with the pulpit address by Bishop David A. Donges of the South Carolina Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The Parish Register will be passed on to Jeannette Bergeron, curator of the James R. Crumley Jr. Archives.

Members of the congregation will process out of the nave of the church with symbolic selections of worship furnishings and sacramental vessels. The magnitude of these gifts in the spirit of love and representing the continuation of consecrated purpose is evident. The items will mark the extension of the Lutheran presence in the community as they are received by a new fellowship.