Tranfiguration Lutheran Church

Bible Study Update Spring 2021

We are proud to announce that TLC is back open for worship services! All are welcome to come worship with us. See this post about our reopening safety protocols. We are still live-streaming the services on our Facebook page and Zoom.

We are so glad to welcome our family back into the sanctuary! Because of this exciting change, we will no longer have Adult Bible Class at 10 AM before service. We are taking precautions and have only opened the church for worship services. As soon as it is deemed safe to hold other church activities in-person, we will send out notifications.

Our Winter/Spring Bible study on the book of Esther has concluded. Thank you to all those who taught and participated.

We will now hold our Adult Bible Class via Zoom on Tuesdays at 6 PM. This is a great opportunity for in depth study of the Word led by Elder Donnell Jackson. We know you all have been missing the fellowship of our adult Bible class and we’re excited for it to resume!

TLC Reopening!

Big News: Transfiguration Lutheran Church will be reopening for Sunday worship services. Our first in-person service will be held on April 4, Resurrection Sunday. View the slideshow below to learn more about our safety protocols.

For those who are more comfortable attending from home our services will still be streamed live via Zoom. Link: https://zoom.us/j/3146303930

Thank you to the leadership team, members, volunteers, and cleaners that helped make our reopening possible!

Spring 2021 Bible Study & Bible Study Updates

There are two more weeks in our spring Bible study series. Pastor Dickerson has been leading Bible study on the book of Esther. The theme is “For Such a Time As This” and we have been studying Esther’s faith journey and all that she was able to accomplish by the grace of God. All are welcome.

Weekday Bible Study Update

Our next weekday Bible study series will be announced soon and will continue to be held on Zoom. Link: https://zoom.us/j/3146303930

Sunday Bible Study Update

Because we will be returning to in-person church services, our Sunday adult Bible class will be in recess until further notice. The church will be reopening for worship services only. We will begin in-person meetings and Bible studies once it is deemed safe by our leadership team.

Thank you to all of those who have led and participated in Bible studies. Your presence has made all of this possible even though we couldn’t meet in person! It has been a blessing to continually fellowship with our family.

February and Black History Month Events

Hello TLC Family! Here is our schedule for the rest of February 2021:

Join us for Adult Bible Class (10 AM) and Worship Service (11 AM). We will be having Black History Month Presentations by different church members and organizations during service all month long!

Our new Bible Study of the book of John- “So That You Might Believe” will be led by Pastor Dickerson on Tuesdays @6 PM.

The season of Lent will begin on Ash Wednesday. Service will be held on February 17 @6 PM. We will also be hosting Lenten Services via Zoom. The dates will be announced soon.

On Friday, February 26, TLC will host an online movie night @6 PM. The feature film will be announced next week!

All are welcome to join. We meet via Zoom and through a Conference line. Links can be found here on our website and on our social media pages.

To TLC, From Your Pastor, For the New Year

Dear members of TLC,

“Be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Be Joyful Always.

I must confess there have been days where I have found it hard to be joyful for even a few minutes let alone all the time. I suspect I am not alone in this. The last 10 months have been difficult for all of us, I am sure. For some it has been the enforced isolation, for others the changes to work schedules and routines, for others having to set fear aside and continue working, for some the loss of a love one, for still others dealing with people who are ill and struggling with this virus. However, despite all the gloom and doom, there are many reasons to be joyful. I would like to take a few lines to tell you about what brings joy to my heart as your pastor:

When I think about all that God has done for us and our families I can’t help but to give him Praise.

The way you have supported our Zoom Sunday School, Divine Service and Bible Study – When we went to Zoom in March we were all nervous about how it would go. A week later when the church was empty and zoom was our only connection to you, we wondered how many would receive our services in this new format. I am so thankful that you have continued faithful in your worship and for all the comments you share with us. We have rejoiced to see members who were not able to attend in person are joining us on Zoom. We even have some visitors joining us for service. As this will be our primary way of delivering services for now, please continue your faithful support and invite your family and friends to join us!

Your care for each other – Since our programs went into recess, through our Reach Out and Touch Program you have been making extra effort to call members, especially seniors and others who might not otherwise be able to view our services. In those calls we often can pray with them, hear how members are doing, and address some of their needs. This is so wonderful. Please continue to show this love to each other. You are demonstrating what it means to be the body of Christ, with each part caring for the other parts.

Your continued financial support for the proclamation of the Gospel – I am deeply thankful for the continued support you are giving for the work of the church. It is my prayer that we will continue to send in our tithes and offering to help support the ministry.

Pray Continually – One of the things I committed to do during this pandemic is to be more focused on my own devotional life and time in prayer. This has been a blessing to me amid the worry and unease. I do hope you are taking time regularly to be in the Word and to pray to our God who is always ready to hear what is on our hearts. As we move forward as a congregation, it is my prayer that you will commit to being more focused on your devotional life and time in prayer. Let this be a time of Spiritual growth for you and your family.

Reopening for Worship Services – Based on what we are seeing in our area the virus is still out of control and the numbers are still going up. The leadership team of the congregation is meeting and discussing a reopening plan and what that might look like. Without doubt, it will be different from what we are used to. In addition, there will be many health and safety protocols we will need to adjust to. Please join our leaders in praying about this!

Continue to Pray for each other and the overall Ministry of TLC

Give Thanks in All Circumstances – I am certain that when all is said and done, the events of the past 10 months will make for some interesting memories. It has been a challenging time for us all. But God has been good and even though there are many things I wish were different, I am deeply thankful for his tremendous blessings that God gives us each day.

Philippians 1:3-7 says, “I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now. I am confident that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to think that this way about all of you, because you hold me in your heart, for all of you share in God’s grace with me….”

So dear friends, “Be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” These are trying times, but also times of blessing. We are in the season of Epiphany, the season which means “to show, make known, or reveal Christ.” Living through the pandemic with an outpouring of the Holy Spirit, let us begin to show, make known, and reveal Christ to those who may not know Him. St. Paul encourages the Thessalonians to be joyful always, pray continually and give thanks in all things. He closes the letter with this benediction:

“Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.”

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

In Christ our Lord,

Rev. Aaron Dickerson

COVID Contributions: Member Highlights (Fall 2020)

As kids came back to school this fall, educators and parents stepped up to educate their children in a new formats. We are so grateful to have members at our church aiding in the formation of our next generation. We have educators all over the St. Louis and East St. Louis area, shaping minds in St. Louis Public Schools, University City School District, Pattonville School District, Unity Lutheran Christan Elementary School, and St. Louis Community College- Florissant Valley.

One of our members, Mrs. Monique Hite, was recently highlighted as a mySci teacher. According to the mySci website,”The mySci K-5 curriculum strives to develop the region’s next generation of scientific thinkers by engaging elementary students in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) through interactive learning experiences and creative curriculum.” She is pursuing a PhD and is researching methods to create humanized STEM curriculum for students of color.

We thank God for our educators and shout out our members who are working with and for our young learners: Rose Green, Monique Hite, Leslie Jones, Rev. Aaron Dickerson, Charlene Dickerson, Keyera Dickerson, and Robert Miller.

“In the same way, encourage the young men to live wisely. And you yourself must be an example to them by doing good works of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching. Teach the truth so that your teaching can’t be criticized.” Titus 2:7-8

COVID Contributions: Member Highlights

Though TLC has only been meeting virtually, our members have been stepping up in their jobs and everyday lives to help the people of St. Louis transition and function during this pandemic.

Throughout the summer and through September, members of TLC teamed up with the USDA to provide boxes of fresh produce to those in need. Thank you to members, Shirley Jackson, Marie Medcalf, Ida Mobley, Elmerrine Smith, Ruth Walker, Kathy Hawkins, as well as our neighborhood and USDA volunteers.

Member and volunteer, Shirley Jackson states, “First, thank you Father for giving us another day. The day started with rain and it was continous on and off throughout the afternoon. This caused some volunteers to stay away. How often have you paused to notice how God always provides…rain or sunshine. The rain may slow mobility but it didn’t cancel the event. To God be all the glory.

We are grateful to USDA, Urban Strategies and the faithful volunteers. The dedication of service during this pandemic was nothing but a GOD thing. We were blessed to serve approximately 110 families… We shall weather this storm the pandemic caused only by His mercy and grace.”

TLC Quarterly Schedule (Fall/Winter 2020)

Due to COVID-19, there have been some schedule changes and cancellations. Thanks to technology, we have been able to convert a lot of our beloved activities to a digital platform as well as some socially distanced events.

October

Women’s Day- Sunday, October 11, 11:00 AM

The women of TLC will hold a virtual Women’s Day Celebration: “Kingdom People Produce Kingdom Fruit”. The service will be held on Zoom and all are welcome. The women will offer contemplations on the fruits of the spirit.

November

Virtual Trivia Night- Saturday, November 21, 5:30 PM

Join us for our second virtual trivia night. Invite your friends for a night of fun and socialization. All you have to do is log in! Once you log into Zoom, you will get all the information you need to participate in the trivia rounds. Virtual doors open at 5:30 PM and the game begins at 6:00 PM.

Thanksgiving Service- Thursday, November 26, 10:00 AM

In keeping with Transfiguration’s traditions, we will still have our annual Thanksgiving service. The service will be held via zoom. In such trying times, it is a wonderful reminder to be thankful.

December

Advent Services- Wednesdays, 6:00 PM

Join us December 2, 9, and 16 in preparation from Christmas and the second coming of Christ. Rev. Aaron Dickerson will be bringing us the Word via Zoom.

LCC Christmas Giveaway- Saturday, December 12, 11:00 AM

The Lutheran Community Center will be giving away Christmas vouchers, Christmas hams, and blankets to the children and families of the LCC.

COVID-19 Update- We’re Back!!!

On March 24, we sent letters to our members to inform them of how we can stay in touch and in prayer with one another. We outlined the ways in which TLC is working to continue our outreach virtually.

An excerpt from the letter to our members:

The leaders of St. Louis City and County have issued a shut down of all non-essential travels to help with social distancing to avoid the spread of COVID-19. In light of this information, our Leadership Team has met (via conference call and videoconferencing) to layout plans to continue worship, bible study, and prayer as a community for the members of TLC. We will need to take advantage of the many technological tools and other options that are available to achieve our goals.

We will be using conference calling, video conferencing, Givelify and the good old postal system to help us through this time.

A more detailed schedule with web links and conference numbers will be posted to our homepage, but here is a general schedule:

Church Service- Sunday, 11:00 via am Zoom Video Conference

Word and Prayer- Wednesday, 10:15 am via Conference Call

Bible Study- Tuesday (2nd and 4th of the month), 6:00 pm via Zoom Video Conference

COVID-19 Update

In order to best serve our congregation and community, TLC’s priority is with the health and well-being of our people, especially during this time. As we learn more about the impact of coronavirus, we want to limit person-to-person contact. The church will be closed for the events and services for the next week. This includes:

Paint Party- Saturday, March 21
Sunday School, Adult Bible Study, and Church Service- Sunday, March 22
“The Journey” Bible Study Session- Tuesday, March 24

We are looking into alternative ways to reach out to our congregation and community. We will update you with information and instructions when the details have been finalized.

Be well and know you are loved.