June will be a busy month here at Trinity! The kitchen renovation will begin, we'll be celebrating our graduates and our kids, and will be getting ready for the fall with Applefest and a new year of Faith Foundations. 

Our choir will go on its well-deserved summer break after June 2, but you will hear them bless us with music periodically throughout the summer. Our worship band will also continue to share their gifts with us once a month. 

Summer is a time to relax, to be a little more informal, spontaneous and creative - even in worship. Your ideas and thoughts are always needed and welcome! If you have a favorite hymn you'd like to sing, please let me know. If you have a question, a topic or a particular Bible passage you'd like me to address in my sermons, please send them to me. I understand my responsibility as a preacher to be two-fold: to comfort, and to challenge. To reassure, and to give food for thought. To provide answers, and to inspire questions. In order for my sermons to be comforting, reassuring and providing answers, I need to know what your struggles, your thoughts and your questions are. 

As you know, I believe worship is more than a passive sitting in the pew. Worship is a verb, an action: you worship God with your heart, your mind, your voice and your body. Worship is not something the worship leaders do for you. It is something we do together as a community of faith. Therefore your active participation is vital. 

We've had the privilege of hearing different members of Trinity Church speak: sharing their God Moments, doing the offering invitation, moments for mission, ONA moments, sharing their personal Lenten practices and speaking about Jesus' seven last words on Good Friday. These moments are always inspiring and encouraging. Let's keep them going! 

If you have something to contribute during worship - and YOU ALL DO - you know who to call.

This month we will be celebrating Pentecost: the festival of the Holy Spirit. God pours out God's Spirit on all of God's children, and we all have gifts of the Spirit to give and to share. Let us bless each other by doing so.

Gratefully and Faithfully Yours, 

Pastor Valeria.

Visit and follow Pastor Valeria's blog: https://pastorvaleriatrinitychurch.blogspot.com/

June 2 : Ascension Sunday. "Letting Go and Learning," with Communion

June 9 : Pentecost Sunday. "God Helps Us Understand Each Other." Children's Sunday and Baccalaureate Sunday with our worship band

June 16 : Trinity Sunday

June 23 :  with the bell quartet

June 30 :   TBD by God's Spirit

"When it is a question of God's almighty Spirit, never say, I can't."   

-Oswald Chambers

TRINITY FUNDRAISING TEAM

In light of our anticipated budget deficit this year, the Board of Deacons has established a Fundraising Team. The team, composed of Jean Leif, Donna Miller, and Fran Hemstreet, will be looking at fundraising opportunities, assisting groups in their fundraising, and generally helping coordinate the many fundraising activities at Trinity Church. We ask that any team or group planning a fundraiser be in touch with Donna ( [email protected] ).  

Our biggest community fundraiser this year will be our Applefest activities on Sept 21-22. Trinity will be hosting a craft fair and auction. Please consider volunteering to help - more info will follow. 

Our "Got Sneakers?" project is ongoing. By donating your used footwear to to our collection box, third world countries will receive gently-used recycled shoes, and Trinity will be earning money.  

Jean Leif, Fundraising Oversight Committee 

In April, Trinity sent in 10 bags of footwear which included 36 pairs of sneakers which earn us $51.60, plus 130 pairs of shoes (non-athletic styles) that will be distributed across the world and 26 pairs of unwearable recyclable sneakers.

Did you know that your shoes could help Trinity Church? Well, they can and here’s how… Our church is participating in a fundraiser where there is nothing to buy or sell; all we need is your support and your shoes!

We are looking for caring community members to help support us by dropping off shoes of any kind in any condition (including sandals, flip flops, etc.), barely worn to worn OUT!

We even earn money for shoes that cannot be reworn,

but can be recycled for other uses.

Here’s how you do it: Start in your family’s closets and gather pairs of shoes that you’ve out-grown, are out of style, or out of season. Please ask your neighbors and/or co-workers too. Every pair counts! The shoes that we all collect will help support Trinity Church's ministry as well as individuals in developing nations like Ghana, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Bolivia. Can we count on you? Every pair helps us make a difference!

We are also looking for people who can take a "gotsneakers?" fundraising box to their workplace, school or community center.

Please contact Donna Miller for your a box and/or more information: [email protected]

DONATIONS CAN BE LEFT IN THE MARKED BOX IN THE COAT CLOSET.

Kitchen Renovation Project Update

Our goal has been met! Thanks to everyone who has donated to the kitchen project in recent weeks, plus two large donations just received, we have enough money to complete the project as it was originally planned. Amen!

If additional funds are received, they will still go toward the project and be used for things that we did not include in our initial budget but that will enhance our new space.

Plans are to start work on the kitchen on June 3rd, so look for changes soon!

Many thanks for your donations and support from all of us on the kitchen team.

Tom Danforth

Mary Kemp

Martha Michalewich

Nancy Robbins

Applefest Update

Reminder to all ministry teams, please let Pat Faldetta ( [email protected] ) know who your basket coordinator is for your team by the end of May. 

Don’t forget to ask your favorite vendors around town for gift cards or items for gift baskets. 

We are still looking for a face painter and henna tattoo artist to volunteer services on Sunday, September 22.  

 

Thank you!

The Applefest Fun Days Committee

 

Linda Corbett

Donna Miller

Pat Faldetta

Food Pantry Donations

Are you like me, you mean to donate to the Food Pantry routinely, but you forget to buy specific items to donate, or you forget to bring them with you on Sunday morning? Well, Trinity Church will give you the opportunity to change that! Beginning in the second Sunday of June (June 9 ^th ) we will be passing out Trinity grocery bags. You can keep your bag in your kitchen or pantry as a reminder and when you shop you might pick up an item or two to put in the bag. We will then collect the bags on the fourth Sunday (June 22 ^nd ) and deliver them to the Food Pantry.

We will do this every month going forward on the same Sundays! Of course, any item you wish to donate will be greatly appreciated, but we will be putting lists in the bags every month of the top 10 items needed! 

A friend started this project at St. Bernadette’s Church and their donations increased by 75%. We hope this simple project with give you the opportunity to support our local Food Pantry if you wish!

Thank you,

Martha Michalewich, Mary Kemp and John Posluszny

MORE INFO about the food pantry.

Youth Opportunities for Leadership

We invite our youth to experience God’s love through service along side our more experienced members on our Ministry Teams. Our Ministry Teams have opportunities for youth to lead activities and make decisions in a variety of different ways. Specifics of each new opportunity will be created to fit the individual. This is a great opportunity to learn and grow. If you are interested, contact John Posluszny,  [email protected] .

Ministry Teams and Youth opportunities:

Worship, music

Outreach

Property

Open and Affirming

Fund raising

Christian Education

Pastoral Care

Video Team

Faith Foundations

June theme:

We will be focusing on our skits for Children and Youth Sunday. The theme will focus on Acts 2.

Youth Group Mission Trip Planning/Fundraising

The teens decided at their last meeting to keep their mission trip closer and participate somewhere in New England during April vacation 2020. They came up with many fundraising ideas that will happen in the fall and can and bottle recycling that will happen starting immediately. If you have cans or bottles to recycle please bring them with you in a bag to church!

Youth Group

The teens participated in another painting day and have almost completed the new room. They also discussed their mission trip and other ways to give back to the community that will roll out in the fall.

Summer Camp  

Trinity Church is part of the American Baptist Churches of Massachusetts (TABCOM) who own an outdoor camp in Groton, MA. They offer both day and sleepaway camps all summer long.

We have brochures available at the church, or go to their website for more information:

https://grotonwood.org/

TABCOM also has a camp in Ocean Park, ME: http://oceanwood.org/

Through the Central Association of the American Baptist Churches you are eligible for a $100 campership per child (to either Grotonwood and Oceanwood), and we will offer additional financial support through Trinity Church.

We believe this is a great opportunity for kids grades 4 - 11 to make friends, have lots of fun, and be part of a community of faith that will shape them for years to come.

If you have any questions or want to apply for a campership, please contact either Sherry or Pastor Valeria ( [email protected] ). Applications are available to download ( click here to download ) and also on the bulletin board across from the office. The deadline for submitting campership applications is May 31st.

Upcoming dates:

June 1st

June 9th

Blessing Bags at Applefest

The youth at Trinity will again be having a Blessing Bag table during Applefest at Trinity. If you have been collecting hotel size hygiene products or will collect them over the summer please consider donating them!

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

June 7th and June 21st

For more information please contact:

Melissa at [email protected] or 508-735-1267

The “Count Your Blessings” thrift shop will be open Tuesdays only 12pm to 3pm through the month of June, and then will be closing for the summer.

Donations of gently used clothing, costume jewelry, and handbags can be dropped off in the marked bins in the church hallway.

Please contact Linda Corbett if you are interested: [email protected]  or 508-688-9392

Saturday Morning Hiking - Our informal Trinity Church Hiking Club is walking most Saturday mornings. We meet at the church and hike on one of the many Northborough trails. Everyone is welcome (including dogs). 

Contact Wade Robbins at 508-393-2512 or  [email protected]    to receive weekly notifications via email. Each week, the email will state which trail we will be walking and the approximate length. Please consider joining us for a time of nature appreciation and friendly conversation.

Community Meal - Beginning Wednesday June 5th, Community Meal will be at Church of the Nativity (45 Howard Street, Northborough) until the Trinity kitchen renovation is complete. 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!

Thrift Shop - Thrift shop hours of operation through the end of June are Tuesdays only, 12 – 3. 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 - Tuesday, June 18th at 2:30pm.

A sincere "THANK YOU" to Nancy Robbins who covered in the church office while Emily was on maternity leave. Nancy's presence was invaluable to Trinity's ongoing ministry. Please thank her when you see her! The office will be closed from May 27 - 31, and Emily will return on Monday, June 3.