Volume 72 - No. 2 | February 2020
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Message from Pastor Valeria
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What a month! We have the celebration and dedication of our brand new, certified kitchen on February 9. THANK YOU, EVERYONE WHO MADE THIS POSSIBLE!
There's a Valentine's Day Coffee House on February 14. Bring your loved ones!
We have a team of four going on TABCOM's Mission Trip to Puerto Rico from February 16-22.
Our study of the book "Priorities" which looks at current justice issues through the lens of the first three Commandments, begins on February 16.
And, February 26 is Ash Wednesday.
Yes, Lent is around the corner.
What a month.
How do I take all of this and tie it together with a nice bow?
I give thanks to God. I give thanks for faithful, committed disciples of Jesus Christ who share God's love within Trinity's walls, in our community, and in all the world. And I give thanks for Jesus who is the reason for every single thing we do at Trinity Church, for Trinity Church, and on behalf of Trinity Church.
As I was reflecting on this a song popped into my head that we sang in worship on January 26: The Heart of Worship, by Michael W. Smith.
When the music fades, all is stripped away
And I simply come, longing just to bring
Something that's of worth, that will bless Your heart
I'll bring You more than a song
For a song in itself is not what You have required
You search much deeper within, through the way things appear
You're looking into my heart
I'm coming back to the heart of worship
And it's all about You, it's all about You, Jesus
I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made it
When it's all about You, it's all about You, Jesus.
And that leads us to Lent, the 40 days before Easter when we look at Jesus' way to the cross and at our own suffering, and our own sins. Ash Wednesday kicks off that season as an opportunity for us to reflect on who we are, who Jesus is, and who Jesus wants us to be.
How do we make it "all about Jesus?" That's a question we grapple with every day as individuals, and as a community of faith.
Looking forward to talking and reflecting about this with you.
By the way, if you have a Lenten practice you are willing to share with the congregation during worship (between March 1 and April 5), please contact me.
May God help us make it "all about Jesus" and his love.
Blessings,
Pastor Valeria.
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In Case You Missed It
Subscribe to our YouTube channel and watch a
selection of Pastor Valeria's sermons and our worship music.
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WORSHIP SERVICES ~ SUNDAYS, 10AM
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February 2
:
"The Pastor Has a Dream," with Communion. Sermon based on Micah 6:6-8 and Matthew 5:1-12.
February 9
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"Thou Shalt Do the Dance." Kitchen Dedication and Commissioning of our Puerto Rico Mission Trip Team. Sermon based on 2 Samuel 6:1-5,12-23. Wear your plaid shirt if you have one!
February 16
:
"God's Commandments." Sermon based on Deuteronomy 30:11-20
February 23
:
"Safe with God." Intergenerational worship service based on Mark 4:35-41. Wear your PJs or favorite comfortable clothing!
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"Keep in mind that our community is not composed of those who are already saints, but of those who are trying to become saints. Therefore let us be extremely patient with each other's faults and failures."
Mother Teresa
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Kitchen Training
Sunday, February 2 at 11:30am
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We now have a certified "Safe Serve" kitchen and will need to uphold certain standards to keep that certification. Michele Wheelock has kindly agreed to offer a brief tutorial on "Do's" and "Don'ts." Anybody from Trinity who uses the kitchen and helps with clean-up after events should try to attend on
Sunday, February 2, after worship.
Thank you all!
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Kitchen Dedication
Sunday, February 9
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Our Kitchen Has Been Completed!
The renovation of our kitchen was a significant undertaking that the Trinity Church community has been working on tirelessly for the past 7 months. We want to celebrate this joyous occasion with those who made it possible: You!
You are invited to join us for our dedication and celebration on Sunday, February 9.
We will celebrate by giving thanks to God in worship at 10 a.m., followed by a reception with lunch hosted by the Deacons around 11:15 a.m.
Wear your plaid shirt if you have one!
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Third Floor Coffee House - Now held on the first floor!
Friday, Febraury 14, 7pm - 9pm
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We invite you to come enjoy talented musicians performing a variety of music. You may even hear some poetry recitation. Coffee and refreshments will be served with a suggested donation.
BYOM (Bring Your Own Mug). A $5 per person donation will be accepted at the door ($10 max per family).
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Saturday Breakfast Fellowship - TOPIC: TBD
Saturday, February 15th at 8am
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The next Saturday Breakfast Fellowship will be on Saturday, February 15
th
at 8:00 AM.
At this point, Tom is still working on developing the topic so please stay tuned.
We will start with breakfast and follow with fellowship and discussion.
For more information or to add yourself to the Saturday Breakfast Fellowship email list, please contact Tom Danforth at
[email protected]
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Adult Small Group Discussion - Book Study
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Priorities
: Adult Small Group Discussion
The Adult Ed Team is offering a book study based on Anne Robertson’s book “Exploring Justice: The Ten Commandments.” We’ll be starting with “Volume 1: Priorities,” which covers the first three commandments.
This series is about justice – the Social Justice issues which are around us every day – and how the commandments can guide our thinking about the issues. The following is taken from the introduction to the book.
You might be a bit nervous in beginning a study like this. In our polarized society, issues can hit a friendship like a lightning bolt. That’s not how we want life to be. We want to have a place to ask our honest questions and express our concerns without fear of judgment or ridicule and starting a group to talk about social issues in this climate might seem risky.
If that’s you, you’ll be in good company with this series. Our concerns are real: What will happen if I say what I think? Suppose someone I care about has a different opinion and feels strongly about it? Suppose my experiences are met with ridicule or judgement?
This series seeks to help all of us, both separately and together, to explore the hot, fiery issues of our day from a safe distance. We’re not going to solve them or erase all differences, and we don’t aim to try. But neither is anyone going to insist that you walk directly into the fire. We often think of social justice in terms of a fight. We talk about justice “warriors” and believe we need to be fierce in arguing for our position. There is a place for that. However, God also calls many people to work for justice in ways that aren’t quite so fraught with tension and conflict.
This series is about education and dialogue and reflection. As the title implies, we are
exploring justice.
Our goal is to enable real dialogue and to provide a protected space to ask questions and think things through.
Then, with a fuller understanding of both the issues and our own beliefs, we can listen for God’s call to act in the role that we are uniquely gifted to fill.
We hope you’ll join us as we look at social justice issues in the light of the commandments.
We’ve had to change the start date for the study. It will now run for six weeks, from February 16 through March 22. We are offering two groups, one at 11:30am and one at 7pm. Please register by using this link:
https://forms.gle/k9sMCx86ACCjHE5W7
or by calling the church office, and indicate your preferred time.
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Ash Wednesday Service
Wednesday, February 26th at 7pm
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"[Hu]man in the Mirror"
Ash Wednesday begins the season of Lent as an opportunity for us to reflect on who we are, who Jesus is, and who Jesus wants us to be.
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Chili Cook Off
February 29th, 6pm - 8pm
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Join Trinity Church for our annual Chili Cook Off! Win bragging rights in three categories:
- Best Taste
- Under 13 years old
- Most Creative Display
For more information or to sign-up please contact Linda Corbett, by email
[email protected]
.
No entry fee and admission for tasters is free. Cast your vote for $1 each.
Proceeds will go towards the Trinity youth to raise money for their mission trip expenses!
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Easter Music - Singers needed!
Sunday, April 12 during worship
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YOU are again invited to bring your singing voice to a new project for Easter morning. This project will present "Redeemed", a musical work centered on Christ's resurrection. Only 4-5 rehearsals are necessary, and you will also be provided a CD to practice your part on your own (these make learning much quicker).
Contact Music Director, Mike Westberry, to sign on or if you have any questions!
[email protected]
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FROM OUR CHRISTIAN ED DIRECTOR
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Faith Foundation classes were focused on Moses last month. The high school class first learned and then prepared a lesson for the K-4 class that they will teach on February 2nd. Worcester Fellowship lunches also continued to be a regular part of our curriculum. The new interactive youth bulletin board is also up and open to people of all ages. It is wonderful seeing all the photos coming in.
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This month our first OWL class will conclude. The feedback from teens and adults continues to be very positive.
Our Youth Group activity in January focused on team work, which provided lots of laughs for both the teens and adults. Ask one of the teens about being blindfolded and lining up by shoe size to get the inside story :-)
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Please be sure that you have filled out forms for your kid(s) if you have not done so yet before Sunday’s classes.
Be sure to fill out all forms for your child's age group.
**We are hoping to involve the kids in communion this year and I have created a sign up for kids interested in helping set up, serve and clean up after communion.**
COMING UP:
Youth Group: February 2nd 1pm - 3pm
Movie, popcorn and vision boards.
Mission Trip
We have dates!!
Our teens ages 13+ will have the opportunity to go on a Mission Trip to Camden, NY from April 20-April 23 for a group called Cluster 13. This is a group that adult members of Trinity have worked with in the past. Chaperones for this trip will be Sherry Clark, Dave Gauthier, Amy and Glen Kwasny, Larry Hemstreet and Al Mosher.
Currently all of our teens that are of age to go on the trip are going!!
HELP NEEDED!!
I am going to set up an
adulting day at Trinity
and will needs adults to run different "classes". Do you feel particularly adept at budgeting, taxes, interviews, applications? Maybe you would like to show your skills of how to change oil or a tire.
WANTED
TEACHERS
: CE in K-4, 5-8 or 9-12
WANTED ADULT: Youth Group helpers
I need at least one adult once a month
WANTED ADULT: Builder / Handy Person
an adult who is good with building and can help us build a neighbor chair.
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GSA Link
The Link that Connects
The GSA Link is a project connecting local GSA high school and middle students to collaborate, share ideas, and socialize in a SAFE space. LGBT and allied high school students are welcome.
Trinity Church of Northborough
23 Main Street Northborough MA, 01532
Middle School: 4pm - 5:30pm
High School: 6:00pm - 8:00pm
February 7th & 21st
For more information please contact:
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Food Pantry Donations
Bag Distribution: February 9th
Bag Collection: February
23rd
Thank you to everyone for your generosity!
We will pass out the bags on the second Sunday of the month with a list inside indicating the most needed items as well as a special item for the month, but we will have the bags available every week on the pew in the back of the Sanctuary (in case you do not come to church on the second Sunday and you still want to participate).
We will continue to collect the bags the fourth Sunday and deliver them to the Food Pantry, but if you are unable to be in church that Sunday, there is a bin in the hallway marked, “Food Pantry” and you can drop off your bags there any time.
The Food Pantry right now has many more canned vegetables than they can use, so please think about other items to donate. Meals in a can are always welcome.
Thank you,
Martha Michalewich, Mary Kemp and John Posluszny
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COOKIES FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS
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It's time to start baking!
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Attention All Cookie Bakers!
On February 9
th
the
Friendly Visits Team
at Trinity will be assembling boxes of cookies to our young adults attending college to let them know their church family is thinking of them.
We are asking anyone who has some time to just bake a batch of cookies, (NO NUTS OR PEANUT BUTTER, PLEASE). You may bring them to church on Sunday, February 9th – just mark them ‘College Kids’ – and we will pack them up after church and mail them out on Monday.
Thanks for your help – we know the kids appreciate your kindness. Please contact Barbara Sutherland with any questions
[email protected]
.
Thank you,
Barbra Sutherland and the Cookies for College Students Team
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Scammers Pretend to Be Pastors
Last month, a church member received a text from someone claiming they were Pastor Valeria, asking for gift cards. Several other clergy from the area have reported similar events. Please know that Pastor Valeria will never text you asking for gift cards or any kind of financial donation.
This information is from an article published by the Southern New England Conference of the United Church of Christ:
Churches and church members can do several things to help prevent scams like these. One all-purpose step is this: when in doubt, check it out. If something appears even slightly odd about a request from a pastor, co-worker, or Conference staff, reach out in a different way to find out if the person truly made the request. If the request was a text, do not call the number. Email the person instead, or call the person through a different number, like a church or office number. When emails contain links appearing to be from a well-known company, do not click the link. Instead, go directly to the website of the company. Scammers are very good at making fake websites look authentic. And never send personal or financial information by replying to a text or email from an unknown source.
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Drivers Needed
Occasionally we have requests for a ride to church by folks who have no transportation. The Pastoral Committee is compiling a list of Trinity folks willing to give rides to those wishing to come to church.
If you would like to be included on the "Driver" list please contact Carolyn Squillante:
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“Count Your Blessings” Thrift Shop
is having a $5*
bag sale!
Open Wednesdays, 9am to Noon and Saturdays, 10am - 1pm.
*Excludes jewelry and wedding gowns.
Donations of gently used clothing can be dropped off in the marked bin in the church hallway.
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Coffee Hour is an important part of our Sunday morning and it is a great way for people to connect and for us to welcome guests to our church. Please join us after worship for coffee and a snack, and the opportunity to connect with old friends and meet new friends.
If you are interested in helping to host coffee hour, please see Michele Wheelock during coffee hour or contact her at
[email protected].
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We would appreciate your help signing up to take a Sunday. Please click on the link above or below and after you choose a date to bring altar flowers there is a comment section where you can add the blurb you would like written in the Sunday bulletin. Signup Genie will automatically send you an email reminder six days prior to the day you signed up to bring flowers.
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Are you interested in being added to the online church directory?
Please use the instructions
HERE
to add yourself and your family to the Trinity Church online database.
If you need any assistance connecting to the online directory please contact the church office:
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Online giving is now available through Trinity's website!
Start your online giving here:
LINK
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For those situations where a person feels inspired to make a donation in support of Trinity’s mission, online giving is now available on Trinity’s website to make giving easier.
- After a person clicks the DONATE NOW link on Trinity’s home page, online giving provides them with multiple options of which fund or ministry they can direct their gift.
- Payment methods include an electronic funds transfer from a checking or saving account, a debit card payment or a credit card payment.
- The first time that a person uses online giving, they can set-up their profile so that they will not have to re-enter the information, and they will be able to access their online giving history.
- IMPORTANT: Current members and regular donors do not need to change how they currently give to Trinity (collection plate, e-checks, etc.), if it works for them. Online giving is being made available primarily as a convenient payment method for spontaneous givers. Unlike other payment methods, Trinity is charged processing fees for each transaction by VANCO, our electronic payments vendor.
If you have any questions about online giving, please contact Pete Carlsen, Treasurer @
[email protected]
.
Start your online giving here:
LINK
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IN OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS
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If you know of someone who is hospitalized, ill, suffering from the loss of a loved one, or troubled in some way and in need of a pastoral call, please call Pastor Valeria at the church office, 508-393-8156.
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Pastor Valeria will be at Inhouse Coffee on Wednesday mornings from 8:30am to 10am. Inhouse is located at 17 West Main Street. She's looking forward to seeing you and making more connections to local businesses, and to people who live and work in Northborough. She will talk to anyone, not just members of Trinity. Help us spread the word!
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Community Meal
- Community Meal will be at Church of the Nativity (45 Howard Street, Northborough) until further notice.
Join us each Wednesday, 6pm. The meals are free but donations toward the voucher fund are accepted. Each Wednesday at 6pm there is a new community group hosting the meal. Please join us!
Coleman House Service
- Tuesday, February 18th at 2:30pm.
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Did you know that the Northborough Free Library has an outreach program that connects homebound residents to all the services that the Library has to offer? The program is called
Library On The Go
.
The objectives of this program are to engage homebound Northborough residents in the community and determine their library and information needs, and deliver library materials, including print and non-print materials so that they can continue to read, listen and view items tailored to meet their recreational interests. We want to provide the full range of our borrowing services and help make local residents who happen to be homebound, either short or long term, feel connected to the community and the Town in which they live. In short we want to bring the Library to their doorstep
.
For more information, contact Rick Starzyk, Outreach Coordinator at 508-393-6025 or [email protected].
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Did you know you can donate your gently used appliances, furniture and building supplies? And also purchase all these items at a low price while benefiting Habitat for Humanity?
More info here:
What and how to donate:
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Deadline Date ~ March
Tidings
Please be sure to have all your info for the March Tidings in to the church office by Sunday, February 23, 2020. Your help is appreciated!
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TRINITY CHURCH
23 Main Street ~ Northborough, MA 01532
(508) 393-8156
Office Hours
:
Monday: 9am - Noon & 1pm - 2:30pm
Tuesday: 9am - Noon & 1pm - 2:30pm
Wednesday: 9am - 10:30am & 11:30am - 2:30pm
Thursday: 9am - Noon & 1pm - 2:30pm
Friday: 9am - Noon & 1pm - 2:30pm
Rev. Valeria Schmidt, Sr. Minister
Trinity Church is an Open & Affirming / Welcoming & Affirming Congregation
Trinity Church's mission is to fill its people with the love of God
and share God's love in all the world.
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