Greetings from the Trinity Radio Club!

It’s been a very busy time for us in the Radio Room! Over the last few years, we’ve updated our computer systems, added a new high-definition camera, brought our services to YouTube, expanded our website and introduced Live Streaming of our services over the Internet. And we’ve also continued our broadcast over KDHL radio. And it’s time for an anniversary!

Our History

Did you know, that the radio broadcast was started by a bunch of Trinity members who saw an opportunity with the new local radio station in town? The first meeting of this group was April 7, 1948. Less than 3 weeks later, on April 25, 1948, the first Trinity Church service was broadcast on KDHL live from the sanctuary! From conception to first broadcast that quick is amazing!

The original members of what was known as the “Trinity Radio Council” who met the first night in April were:
Pastor W. A. Lemke, Albert Bartelt, Ben Krueger, Gilbert Kiekenapp, Art Johannson, Walt Pofhal, Karl Neumann, Art Wegner, Herman Ballenthin, Ernst Kelm, Harold Boldt, Oscar Kuntz, Hugo Velszke, Ray Maag, Henry Velzke, Arnold Will, Gust Borchert, Rudolph Borchert, Christ Boevers, Fred Kiekenapp, Albert Behlke, Fred Schulz, Gerhardt Prigge, Edgar Fuchs and Elmer Schulz

The first contract with KDHL had each Sunday broadcast costing $29.25. Today, we’re paying $175 per service. Our friends at KDHL have taken care of us over the years. According to the government,  that $30 in 1948 would equate to $330 in 2018. We’re paying less today for broadcasts than the equivalent in 1948!

We figure, in 70 years of broadcasting, we have had nearly 4,500 services on KDHL. That includes regular Sunday services as well as special services during the year (Advent, Christmas, Lent, etc). We’ve missed very few services in those 70 years. This is all due to the dedication of the Radio Club volunteers throughout the years. Without all of the people who have given their time and talents, this ministry would have failed shortly after beginning.

Organization and Funding

From the very beginning, the Radio Club was organized separately from the church, but still a part of the church. This was done by the members to be able to make sure all funding that was received went back into the broadcast. The philosophy continues to this day. It is the generosity of our listeners, various church groups and memorials that continue to fund our operations. This past year, besides the gifts from individuals and memorials, we had many Trinity groups help us pay for the radio broadcast for 2018. The Radio Club would really like to thank:

The Trinity Pie Makers, Trinity Women in Missions, Trinity Elders and Trinity’s Bible Study groups

70th Anniversary Celebration

During the month of April we will be celebrating our 70th Anniversary. Our theme will be based on Acts 1:8. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

We will be having the Rev. Dr. William Utech, Assistant to the District President for Missions from the Minnesota South District, as our guest speaker on April 7/8. We are also working on a plan for a potluck lunch and program after services on the 8th. The three following weeks will also have special messages from Pastors Nirva and Rieger.

One of the things we will be doing each Sunday in April is opening the service with Hymn 940, “Holy God, We Praise Thy Name”. This song used to be Hymn 250 in “The Lutheran Hymnal”. It was the song that opened each and every Sunday morning to provide our radio listeners a standard song so they knew it was the broadcast from Trinity. This was done from the early 1950’s through sometime in the late 60’s or early 70’s. During the weekend of the 7th and 8th we will also sing Hymn 826, “Hark the Voice of Jesus Crying” as our Sermon Hymn. This was Hymn 496 in “The Lutheran Hymnal” and was the song that was used to open the very first meeting of the Radio Club in 1948.

We are really excited to celebrate our 70th anniversary and hope you all will join us!

Wrestling at Trinity? YES!

Join us on Saturday, March 24, at 2:00 pm in the Trinity Gymnasium, where we will be sponsoring professional wrestling matches as a fundraiser! We did this a couple of years ago and had a great turnout and a wonderful time! Come down with the family for some great entertainment and support our ministry! It’s a lot of fun!

Our next post on the anniversary will have information about our video and Internet ministry and where we see ourselves going in the future. We’d love to have your thoughts on our ministry and how we’re doing. We’re always looking for more people to help us out as well. Please contact Todd Voge via email(todd at trinityradioandvideo.org – just replace the “at” with “@”).