Volume 74 - No. 2 | February 2022
FEBRUARY TIDINGS
Worship on Sunday, February 6, 2022 @10:00am
Worship with Communion and Installation of New Deacons

The service will also be live streamed to Facebook.

If you are worshiping from home, please have a piece of bread or cracker and a drink ready for Communion.

Don't have Facebook? Don't worry, you can still view the live service from any device by following this link: https://www.facebook.com/Trinitychurchnorthborough/      

A step-by-step tutorial on how to access Facebook Live, click HERE

Have your Bible, a candle and lighter ready and create a worshipful space, maybe with a cross, a nice tablecloth, or other devotional items that are meaningful to you.

Replay on Verizon channel 31 and Charter channel 191
Sundays (previous week's) at 6pm and Thursdays at 8:30am. 

Rita is here to help you. If you need technical assistance please email her at trinitychurchnboro@gmail.com or call her (508) 393-8156 and she will walk you through each step.
No Refreshments at Coffee Hour 
Due to COVID concerns we will not be serving drinks or food at coffee hour until further notice.

The Town of Northborough now has a face covering mandate for all public indoor spaces (including churches). Please remember to wear your mask. The CDC recommends a mask of two or more layers of breathable fabric that completely covers your nose and mouth, fits snugly against the side of your face and has a wire bridge around the nose. We have surgical masks on hand if needed. We will not be serving coffee after worship until the mandate is lifted, but everyone is welcome to stay and visit, socially distanced, wearing their masks.
MESSAGE FROM PASTOR VALERIA
As I am writing this, the sunlight is sparkling on the snow. Doesn't it always look so pretty the next day?
I hope you were able to stay home last Saturday and watch the snow fall. It helps us to slow down. Yes, many of you have to think about getting out there in the cold and wet and cleaning it all up... But for those hours while the snow is falling heavily, the best thing to do is just stay put. Relax. Do whatever you feel like doing. Play a game, watch a movie, read a book, bake cookies, take a nap...
Time spent doing nothing is always time well spent. Our value as human beings is not determined by our productivity, by how much we get done on any given day. Our value is determined by the One who created us, out of love, and for love.

February is for lovers. At least that's what the stores try to tell us starting the day after New Year's: time to buy chocolate and pink things! As people of faith, every single day is for lovers. And not just romantic lovers but for lovers of people, lovers of pets, lovers of nature and lovers of God. Any kind of loving relationship is worth celebrating. Even if the one you love passed away. Your love for each other is still alive, and it is a gift that no one can take from you.

May you slow down this month, watch the snow fall (or the rain, or the sun shine!), and celebrate the love that is all around us, the love that is in us, the love that is God.

May the Warm Winds of Heaven
Blow softly upon your house.
May the Great Spirit
Bless all who enter there.
May your Moccasins
Make happy tracks in many snows,
And may the Rainbow
Always touch your shoulder.
                 (A Cherokee Blessing)

Amen!
Pastor Valeria
WORSHIP SERVICES
February 13 - LOVE
February 20 - Who Is My Neighbor?
February 27 - With our Worship Band
ASH WEDNESDAY MARCH 2, 2022
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the season of Lent.

This year, we will offer a variety of ways for you to incorporate this ancient tradition into your lives. Bags of ashes will be distributed after worship on February 27 for at-home use. Or, if you prefer receiving the sign of the cross on your forehead from Pastor Valeria, you may come to the church parking lot during or after Community Meals on Wednesday, March 2, between 5:30pm and 5:45pm. Please remain in your car.
At 7pm. we will gather on Facebook live for a brief reflection and to make a sign of the cross on our own foreheads together. (You may use any kind of ashes for this.)
FROM THE DEACONS
We would like to continue our practice of giving lay-preachers the opportunity to share a sermon with us from time to time. If you are interested in sharing your story with the congregation, please contact Jean Leif (jhleif@gmail.com). We will meet as a group to talk about how to structure a sermon, and practice our sermons with each other. Believe it or not, this can be a fun, non-threatening experience. We each have a spiritual story to tell, and we would love to hear YOUR story.
KINDNESS WEEK FEBRUARY 7 - 13
The Northborough Community Affairs Committee (CAC) is sponsoring a town-wide kindness week, with activities being offered by schools, town agencies, the library and other non-profits. Trinity wants to be part of this effort to spread kindness, and we invite you to send a caring note to members of Trinity who might appreciate a special gesture of kindness. If you'd like to participate, please contact Pastor Valeria.

The CAC will be hosting a town-wide “live” event on Friday, February 11th from 4:30pm- 5:30pm at the Northborough Town Common (rain date - February 12th, same time). During the event, everyone will receive a luminary bag to decorate and write a kind word on it (bags will be available for pickup and drop off too in case someone is unable to make it). All bags will be illuminated at the end. We’ll give out some treats to the children as well.
FROM THE SOCIAL JUSTICE TEAM
A Big Thank You!

Thank you to Jean Leif and the Trinity Church Social Justice Team for making the “Asian American” history video/discussion a success and benefit for Trinity Church members and beyond! FYI: The “Asian American” history video is available through the Northborough Public Library, PBS Passport or direct purchase through PBS online sales for more in depth viewing. It is “fascinating and eye opening”!

We had a great turnout for our Asian American discussion group, and we learned a lot about the history of discrimination against Asians in our country. Below is a link to the Korematsu Institute, a non-profit dedicated to the WWII Japanese-American internment story, and the application of those lessons to current events. Fred Korematsu was the Japanese-American young man in California who challenged the curfew/internment all the way to the US Supreme Court. While losing in the Supreme Court in 1944 in a now acknowledged travesty of justice, his legacy is carried on by the institute and his daughter Karen. His story in and of itself is remarkable.


Dave Chin, Trinity Church Social Justice Team
THE OUTREACH TEAM
Thank you for your donations to our Afghan family resettlement project. Although this project started as a Trinity initiative, we have created a community-wide team, Northboro Neighborhood Support Team (Northboro NST), to help an Afghan refugee family resettle in the Northborough area.

We are in the midst of our fundraising campaign. We set up our online fundraising portal on Jan 19th, and within three days raised enough to qualify for a $5000 matching grant from Ascentria Care! But that doesn’t mean our fundraising is over. Our goal is to raise enough to support a family for six months. Online donations may be made at our fundraising site bit.ly/Northboro-NST, or send a check made out to Trinity Church with the note "Northboro NST" in the memo line.

Our next challenge will be to find housing for a family. If you know of anything, please contact John Posluszny at johnposluszny@gmail.com.

Dates to Remember
We will be providing Worcester Fellowship Sunday worship service lunches on: Feb 20, Apr 17, and Jun 19, and lunches for Thursday Café on Mar 24, May 12.
FROM OUR CHRISTIAN ED DIRECTOR
After an uptick in Covid numbers and a survey to our families we have switched back to Zoom Faith Foundation classes for the time being. We will be working on vision boards and our faith books. Please access class each week at 11:30am by using this information:

Trinity Church is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Faith Foundations
Time:11:30 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
    Every week on Sun, until Feb 27, 2022, 5 occurrence(s)
    Feb 6, 2022 11:30 AM
    Feb 13, 2022 11:30 AM
    Feb 20, 2022 11:30 AM
    Feb 27, 2022 11:30 AM
Please download and import the following iCalendar (.ics) files to your calendar system.

Join Zoom Meeting

Meeting ID: 816 7720 7962
Passcode: 391482
One tap mobile
+19294362866,,81677207962# US (New York)
+13017158592,,81677207962# US (Washington DC)

Dial by your location
    +1 929 436 2866 US (New York)
    +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
    +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
    +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
    +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
    +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
Meeting ID: 816 7720 7962
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kdW1aALU3q
We are in need of teachers and assistant teachers. Sherry preps all the material and sends it to teachers to preview before Sunday. If you can help please email her at trinitycenorthboro@gmail.com It is a wonderful way to spend some time with our youth and cultivate intergenerational relationships.
Reminders: Please be sure to go online and fill out all the necessary forms for your child(ren) to participate in our programs. https://www.trinitynorthborough.org/children-youth-forms

BREAKFAST FELLOWSHIP
Breakfast Fellowship - February 19

Project 1619 - what is it?

The third Saturday of each month (October - May)
8:30am - 10:00am Fellowship Hall
Breakfast followed by discussion

All are welcome and I hope you join us!

For more information or to add yourself to the Saturday Breakfast Fellowship email list, please contact me at johnposluszny@gmail.com.
ONGOING EVENTS @ TRINITY
Zoom Bible Study
Mondays @ 1pm
Have you ever wanted to delve into the Bible and talk with others about how it really pertains to today's life? Zoom Bible Study will resume Mondays at 1pm starting Sept 13th. All are welcome. Contact Jean Leif (jhleif@gmail.com) for the Zoom link.
Count Your Blessings Thrift Shop
The thrift shop is open on Saturdays and Wednesdays from 10am - 2pm
The thrift shop is accepting gently used shoes and clothing donations
Pastor Valeria at Brilla Coffee Wednesdays at 9:30am
Pastor Valeria has resumed her Wednesday morning coffee chat. Brilla Coffee (formerly known as Inhouse Coffee) is located at 17 West Main St in Northborough. This is an opportunity to gather in an informal setting, and to show our presence in the community.
Coffee or Tea on Zoom Wednesdays at 9:00am
Chat on Zoom, Wednesdays at 9am.
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/954033518

Meeting ID: 954 033 518
Password: 569713

Dial by your location
+1 929 436 2866 US (New York)
Meeting ID: 954 033 518

Rita is here to help you. If you need technical assistance please email her at trinitychurchnboro@gmail.com or call her (508) 393-8156 during office hours.
SUPPORT TRINITY
Give to Trinity Church
These are challenging times for many. If you are not financially impacted by the current situation we ask you to prayerfully consider increasing your support to Trinity Church, to make up for those who cannot meet their pledge, so we may continue to do God's work through Trinity Church. Thank you for your faithful, generous giving! 

Please make your checks payable and mail them to Trinity Church: 23 Main St, Northborough, MA 01532
 
You can also use “bill pay” and have your bank mail a check to us on a regular schedule set up by you, at no cost.
 
Did you know your shopping can earn Trinity money?
Shop at your convenience all year!   
Trinity Church is set up as a charity on iGive! Please consider downloading the app or shopping through the iGive site and a percentage of your purchase will be sent to Trinity Church! This does not cost you any extra money, the donation comes from the stores you already shop at.

Please consider shopping through iGive to help support Trinity.

You shop. Amazon gives.
  • Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to the charitable organization of your choice.
  • AmazonSmile is the same Amazon you know. Same products, same prices, same service.
  • Support Trinity Church by choosing it as your charitable organization at smile.amazon.com 
WORSHIP VIDEOS
Watch Sunday's worship using the link below. You do not need to have a Facebook account to view this video!
Subscribe to our YouTube channel and watch a
selection of Pastor Valeria's sermons and our worship music.
COMMUNITY EVENTS
Community Meal Take-Out

We have resurrected Community Meals but in a to-go manner and we need your help.   

We will be ordering $5.00 meals from local food establishments and distributing them to our community meals guests to-go, every Wednesday at 5:30pm. in the parking lot of Trinity Church. Various organizations have committed to monetary donations for these entrees. 

But, you can't have a meal without servers, water and dessert. We are looking for volunteers to sign up to donate a case of water or 2 dozen individually wrapped desserts and/or stand in the parking lot and deliver the meals to guests in their parked cars. All guidelines of social distancing will be observed. 

If you are interested in helping, please see the available opportunities and sign up here: 

To donate towards the purchase of meals, please make your checks out to "Helping Hands Association" with "Community Meal" on the memo line, and mail them to Northborough Helping Hands, P.O. Box 383, Northborough, 01532.  

** Curbside Community Meals Sign up 10/6-12/15/21
ONLINE CHURCH DIRECTORY
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:
(508) 393-8156 or trinitychurchnboro@gmail.com
IN OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS
~ The family of Conrad Johnson (father of Linda Corbett) who passed away on January 26.
~ Everyone who is missing a loved one, especially during the holidays.
~ Everyone who is currently in cancer treatment.
~ Everyone affected physically, mentally, emotionally, and financially by COVID-19.
~ Nursing home residents, their families, and staff.
~ All first responders, health care workers, grocery workers and anyone who is working on the front lines. 

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.
Deadline for March 2022 Tidings
Please be sure to have all your info for the March Tidings in to the church office by Monday February 21, 2022.
TRINITY CHURCH
23 Main Street
Northborough, MA 01532
(508) 393-8156

Office Hours:

Monday: 9am - Noon & 1pm - 3pm
Tuesday: 9am - Noon & 1pm - 3pm
Wednesday: 9am - Noon & 1pm - 3pm
Thursday: 9am - Noon & 1pm - 3pm
Friday: 9am - Noon & 1pm - 3pm

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.