GREENVILLE, Pa.—Holy Trinity Lutheran Church and Thiel College partnered Sunday, Sept. 7 for the annual “God’s Work, Our Hands” initiative, joining tens of thousands of Lutherans across the country in a day dedicated to service.
Nearly 40 volunteers — 20 from the church and 20 from Thiel — completed four projects in Greenville: assembling care packages for college students and military members, preparing Rotary Park for fall plantings, organizing clothing at the Good Shepherd Center, and mulching and cleaning up at Riverside Park.
Thiel’s women’s basketball team and coaches took on a major share of the outdoor work, spreading mulch around newly planted trees at Riverside Park and collecting trash. Inside, church members and College volunteers assembled boxes of snacks and supplies for students and service members.
Holy Trinity Lutheran Church Pastor Brenda Martin, who also began serving as Thiel’s campus pastor this year, said the goal is to reach beyond the walls of the church. “Many hands make light work,” Martin said, noting that all four projects were wrapped up in under two hours.
The effort drew participation from several familiar campus and community faces. Among them were:
Catherine Mott, a member of the Board of Trustees; and her husband, John Logan ’65, an alumnus and former business professor; Matthew Morgan, Ph.D.,Professor of Philosophy; alumni Barry ’75 and Linda (Dean) Oman ’74; Sean Oros ’15, lecturer of English at Thiel; and Mary Reames, Lecturer Emerita of Education.
Since 2019, Holy Trinity has set aside the first Sunday after Labor Day for “God’s Work, Our Hands” Sunday, reaffirming both the church’s and the College’s shared commitment to serving Greenville and strengthening ties between faith and community.
About Thiel College
Thiel College is an independent college founded in the Lutheran tradition. Located in Greenville, Pa., the College offers 60 majors and minors, 24 varsity sports, and an 11:1 student-faculty ratio. The College is also home to a new Master of Science in speech-language pathology and 2Master of Business Administration. Both master’s degree programs offer innovative and accelerated five-year paths which allow students to earn a bachelor’s and master’s degree in five years. The speech-language pathology program also has an accelerated 15-month graduate-level program. The M.B.A. program also has a 12-month post-graduate program.A dedicated faculty paired with dynamic research and internship opportunities produce numerous graduate school and job placements. Coeducational from its beginnings, the College remains committed to combining tradition with innovation as it celebrates 150 years.