Message from Pastor Valeria
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Happy New Year!
First of all, THANK YOU for your kind and generous Christmas gifts. I was quite humbled and I consider myself blessed that we got to spend another year together.
Whatever your Christmas may have looked like: busy and hectic, fun and festive, calm and relaxing, or difficult and painful - I hope that Jesus came into your heart to let you know that he will lead you through this brand new year 2019.
I love this poem by Howard Thurman:
The Work of Christmas
When the song of the angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and the princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flock,
The work of Christmas begins:
To find the lost,
To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry,
To release the prisoner,
To rebuild the nations,
To bring peace among brothers,
To make music in the heart.
At Christmas, we receive the good news that God wants to be close to us. God wants to take on human form and go through all the trials and tribulations of humanity so we don't have to go through them alone. But more importantly, God wants to help us make this life better: more meaningful, more peaceful.
So let the work of Christmas begin, here at Trinity Church. May we be filled with the love of God whenever we come together so that we may take God's love with us everywhere we go.
For several months now I've been leading into my benediction by saying, "Our worship service has ended. May our service in the world begin."
Christmas has ended. (Although technically, it is still Christmas until January 6. So keep the tree up as long as you like and keep the Christmas carols playing even when others are tired of hearing them!)
May the work of Christmas begin, through us and with us.
2018 is over. Whatever it brought for you in your personal lives, I pray that you may find healing.
And I pray that whatever 2019 may bring, you will find God in your heart, giving you everything you need.
I understand Thurman's phrase "making music in the heart" to mean being creative, being joyful, bringing comfort and inspiration.
I look forward to another year with you: a year of making music, of service, of learning and of growth as a community that spreads God's love here in Northborough and beyond.
With warm wishes for you and yours,
Pastor Valeria.
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WORSHIP SERVICES ~ SUNDAYS, 10AM
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January 6
:
"Which Light Do We Follow?" Epiphany Sunday with Holy Communion
January 13
:
"Baptized by Jesus." Worship with brunch in Fellowship Hall. You are invited but not required to bring a dish to share.
January 20
:
"Free in Christ Jesus."
January
27
:
"Many Gifts, One Body" with our worship band.
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Thank you to everyone who helped decorate our Christmas tree. You may remove your ornaments from the Sanctuary after worship on January 6. Items will also be available for pick-up in the church office.
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ANNUAL CONGREGATIONAL MEETING
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Annual Congregational Meeting
Sunday, January 27th 11:30 am
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The Annual Meeting will take place in Fellowship Hall on Sunday, January 27th following worship. Your voice and your vote are needed as we make important decisions for Trinity's ministry in 2019.
Information for our Annual Report should be in to the church office no later than Sunday, January 6, 2019. Your help is appreciated!
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DISCONTINUED: HOPE FOR HOUSING
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Unfortunately we have experienced some issues with gift cards sold through the Hope for Housing gift card program at Trinity. June and I have tried extensively to resolve the issue with Hope for Housing, but they are unable to find a resolution and as a result we will be discontinuing this program. While no one has lost any money on the cards, many of them are not working properly and have caused much inconvenience. Most of the issues can be resolved by customer service in the store, or by the cashier entering the card number manually at the register. If you experience a problem with a card purchased at Trinity please try resolve it in the store first by asking the cashier and/or customer service to manually enter the card number. If that does not work, please return it to me at church and I will make sure it gets replaced. Over the years we have sold over $300,000 worth of cards at Trinity, resulting in over $18,000 in donations to Hope for Housing. Thank you for your support!
Nancy Robbins
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“
For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope."
~ Jeremiah 29:11
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Coffee House - Open Mic
Friday, January 11th, at 7pm
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Please mark your calendars for Coffee House now being held the second Friday of the month.
New this year: Purchase a VIP pass! $50 for an individual, $100 for a family. Passes can be purchased at the door.
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).
Sign up to help make our Coffee House a success - we need volunteers to donate snack items, baked goods and beverages, as well as help with setting up food the night of the event, collecting at the door or being the MC for the evening.
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Saturday Breakfast Fellowship - TOPIC: Original Sin
Saturday, January 19th, at 8am
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A topic which was suggested at the last gathering is “Original Sin.” I think this is a good, controversial topic into which we can dive this month. What is original sin? Where does it come from? Do other religions believe in original sin? Is it important to Christianity?
As usual, Google is full of references. The first three below give a good overview and an argument that we shouldn’t believe in original sin. The last article goes into much more depth about the origin of original sin and its relevance in other religions.
As usual, 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
tomdan4@gmail.com
Links:
Original Sin
What is original sin?
Author: Jesus didn’t believe in “original sin” and neither should we
Original Sin
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FROM OUR CHRISTIAN ED DIRECTOR
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Faith Foundations
January themes:
The Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:5-15)
The Disciples (Luke 5:1-11, 8:1-3, Matthew 4:18-22, 9:9-13, 10: 1-4)
Love is.... (1 Corinthians 13)
The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37)
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Faith Foundations Teachers are NEEDED!
We have a wonderful preschool class in our nursery and we look forward to seeing your little ones!
Don’t forget to send in your kids’ forms!
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Cantata
Congratulations and well done to everyone involved!
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Upcoming dates:
January 6th
:
Youth Group 6 pm - 8 pm (special guest Brigette Mitchell will talk with us about her mission trip to West Virginia followed by Fear Factor Youth Group)
January 13th
:
Worship in Fellowship Hall
January 20th
:
Faith Foundations will make lunches for Worcester Fellowship
January 21st
:
MLK Jr. Community Day of Celebration 9:30 am -12:30 pm
Jointly sponsored by Westborough Connects and the Westborough Schools. We are hoping to bring together people of all ages, from school students through adults. While hosted at the Westborough High School, the event is for all of our partner communities from across our Central MA Connections in Faith network, and we hope that you will plan to join us and bring your families.
PLEASE CLICK ON OUR FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE, LET THEM KNOW IF YOU’LL BE COMING, AND/OR SHARE THE EVENT WITH YOUR SOCIAL NETWORK TO HELP SPREAD THE WORD!
1) The event will feature keynote presenter Ken Nwadike Jr., better known from his online viral videos as 'The Free Hugs guy'. Ken first appeared with his 'Free Hugs' sign the year after the Boston Marathon bombings, to provide encouragement and hugs to all who were running the following year. Since then, he has brought his peace activism to the front lines of many protest events to embody a different way of listening and loving. You can get a taste of his work here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5I6wPqtQ02s&t=21s
2) The keynote program will be followed by an opportunity to join with others for some hands-on service projects to offer compassion and caring to those in our wider community.
3) The morning will end with opportunities to gather in small circles to reflect on the day's themes, facilitated by members of the core group of Central MA Connections in Faith.
January 24th
:
Church band practice 7:30pm
January 27th
:
Church band
Happy New Year!
Sherry
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GSA Link
The Link that Connects
The GSA Link is a project connecting local GSA high school 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
6:00pm-8:00pm
January 4th , January 18th
For more information please contact:
Melissa at projectgsalink@gmail.com or 508-735-1267
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Worcester Fellowship
Sunday, January 20th
1pm
Worship @ Worcester Common
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We need donations! Faith Foundations will be making lunches to donate on January 20th during their class (during worship). Donations of food or small monetary amounts towards lunch supplies are welcome.
Join us on the Worcester common at 1pm for an outdoor service.
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Coffee Hour Coordinators Needed!
Sign-up: Please see John P. during coffee hour or contact him directly
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Coffee Hour is an important part of our Sunday morning worship together and it is a great way for people to connect and for us to welcome visitors to our church.
We are in need of people to host coffee hour. One way it can be done is have a captain for the month, whether an individual or a committee. They would organize the month and get others to help. However, if someone would like to do it only one week, that is also welcomed.
Sign-up: Please see John P. during coffee hour or contact him directly
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The Trinity Video Team needs you!
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The Trinity Video Team is looking for folks to help out on Sunday mornings. With enough folks we only have to cover Sunday mornings once a month or even fewer times. Tasks include running the video camera so we can tape the service for rebroadcast on Charter for shut-ins to enjoy. We also run the “sound board” that controls the microphones in the sanctuary and make us all sound good. Full training and support is provided, you are not left alone until you are ready!
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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.
Start your online giving here:
LINK
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The “Count Your Blessings” thrift shop is open for the season.
Saturdays 10am - 1pm and Tuesdays 10am to 3pm.
Donations of gently used clothing can be dropped off in the marked bins in the church hallway.
We are also looking for more volunteers to “work” at the shop on Saturdays and/or Tuesdays. Please contact Linda Corbett if you are interested:
lcorbett12@hotmail.com
or 508-688-9392
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Please help by bringing food donations to Trinity.
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Trinity Church has a drop off area for donations going to the Northborough Food Pantry.
Please check the dates on food items to make sure they have not expired.
Thank you to Barbara Mulligan who has volunteered to transport the donated food to the Northborough food pantry.
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Trinity now has online sign-ups for altar flowers! 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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Festive Breads w/Pastor Valeria
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Pastor Valeria is at Festive Breads every Wednesday (EXCEPT January 2 and 9) from 8:30 - 10am and looks forward to your visit! Festive Breads is located at
299 W Main St
in Northborough, near Romaine's.
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Community Meal
- Join us each Wednesday, 6pm in the Fellowship Hall. 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!
Thrift Shop -
Thrift shop hours of operations are Tuesday, 10 – 3 and Saturdays, 10 – 1. Donations of gently used clothing can be dropped off in the marked bin in the church hallway.
Give us a review on Google!
Coleman House Service
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There will be no Coleman House Service in January.
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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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Christmas Tree Removal - Sponsored by: Troop 101 Northborough BSA
leave your address. This adds you to our route.
On Saturday January 12, 2019 before 8:30 AM:
Leave your tree(s) near the curb.
Place an envelope on your door with $8 per tree (cash or check payable to “BSA Troop 101 Northborough”).
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Deadline Date ~ February
Tidings
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Please be sure to have all your info for the February issue of
Tidings in to the church office by Sunday, January 27th, 2019. 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 - 3pm
Tuesday: 8:30am - 1:30pm
Wednesday: 9am - 10:30am & 11:30am - 3pm
Thursday: 9am - Noon & 1pm - 3pm
Friday: 9am - Noon & 1pm - 3pm
Rev. Valeria Schmidt, Sr. Pastor
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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