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

Rita is here to help you. If you need technical assistance please email her at [email protected] or call her (508) 393-8156 and she will walk you through each step.

Join us for coffee hour after worship!

As you read this, Lent will have just begun. 40 days (actually, 46 days including Sundays which traditionally are not considered fasting days) lie before us as an opportunity to take a closer look at our relationship with Jesus and how it affects our personal lives, our involvement in our community, and in global issues. COVID is still here. There is a war raging in Ukraine. Refugees from all over the world are coming to the U.S. And scientists, climate experts and the younger generations are reminding us of the serious threat climate change poses to life on this planet.

That's a lot of heavy material. Sometimes we just have to stop looking at the news or we will get overwhelmed and depressed.

But we also don't want to pretend these things are not happening, just because they may not affect us personally (yet).

I found this photo as I was looking for visuals for worship last week:

It shows the feet of two people standing close together. Are they friends, a couple, parent and child? What might they be doing? Praying? Admiring artwork or an architectural structure? Maybe they're singing, attending a concert, or protesting?

To me, the image exudes peace and passion. Passion led them here. Passion for each other, for whatever it is they might be looking at or listening to, or for a cause they care about.

It was passion that made it possible for members of Trinity and the wider community to form a Neighborhood Support Team and welcome Rose and Mark to Northborough.

It's passion that leads the Social Justice Team to keep us educated and talking about current issues.

It's passion that makes members of the ONA Team plan events and projects to help us as a church become more inclusive and welcoming.

It's passion that inspired a new member to bring back the food pantry bags.

It's passion that keeps us actively supporting Worcester Fellowship and Community Meals.

It's passion that encourages Sherry and the CE Team to discover new ideas about how to connect to our families.

And it's my passion to keep preaching, talking and writing about matters of faith, justice and peace.

The word "passion" not only refers to a strong emotion and dedication that individuals may feel. It also refers to the suffering of Jesus Christ during his arrest, trial and crucifixion. That's what "passion" in Latin literally means: to suffer. In Germany we call Lent "Passionszeit." The time of passion. (Interestingly, German Catholics call it "Fastenzeit." The time of fasting.)

The word "passion" expresses that love and suffering go hand in hand. If we love our neighbor as God repeatedly calls us to and as Jesus has shown us, we will inevitably suffer. We will suffer because we will feel their pain ("compassion" literally means "to suffer with"), we will suffer when we realize the extent of injustice in our nation, we suffer when we hear about the number of children who are living below the poverty line. We suffer when we sacrifice some of our time and money to support them, or any cause that we may feel passionate about. We suffer when we fail, or think we can't make a difference. We suffer when we get frustrated and worn out because systems change so slowly and reluctantly.

That's what being a disciple of Jesus means: loving, and suffering.

May His Passion, and our passion, bring us closer to God and closer to all of God's children and the life God intended for them.

Wishing you a meaningful and blessed season of Lent!

With Passion,

Pastor Valeria.

If you would like to receive 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.)

In accordance with Town of Northborough policies, masks will be optional (recommended but not required) starting March 4th for all indoor activities at Trinity Church.

March 13: "You Welcomed Me.” Members of the team supporting an Afghan refugee family in Northboro will present a round-table discussion of the how and why of refugee assistance. With John Posluszny, Jane O'Toole, Kathie Nichols, Pete Carlsen, Mary Kemp, Sharon Chin and Jean Leif.

March 20: "First Fruits" based on Deuteronomy 26:1-11. Celebrating World Down Syndrome Day.

March 27: "At-One-Ment" based on Romans 3:21-28 with our worship band.

We will be singing Chris Tomlin's "I Will Follow" in worship throughout the month of March. Listen to it here so you can sing loud and proud:

Lent is the season when we follow Jesus' example in fasting and praying to become clear about what God is calling us to do, and to find the strength and courage to heed the call. Pastor Valeria invites you to choose a spiritual practice that will be meaningful to you in this way. She encourages you to try the Racial Equity Habit Building Challenge that lists activities for 21 days but can easily be extended to fill the 40 days of Lent:

During worship in Lent you will hear Deacons and members of the Worship Team share their personal Lenten practices.

Pastor Valeria also invites anyone who is interested in "going deeper" about the topic of each Sunday's sermon to join her at coffee hour. We will have a separate round table to the side of the hall to allow for conversations, questions, and sharing.

Pastor Valeria will be on study leave from March 7 - 13. She will check her email periodically. In case of a pastoral emergency please contact Rev. Lee Atherton at 508-308-7116 or [email protected].

We have found our new music director! Scott Arnold will be joining the Trinity staff after Easter. The search team unanimously agreed that Scott is the right one to help lead us in our worship and music ministry.

Robin Jubenville's last Sunday with us will be March 27. We are grateful to Robin for blessing us with music these past six months!

The remaining April services will be covered with substitute organists.

Noelle Dattilo, June Hamilton, Laurie Hunter, and Pastor Valeria

Please support Massachusetts Senate bill 365 which will create a commission to study and provide changes and or additions to our K-12 history curriculum. Our students need a “more complete” history which will help them understand themselves and also those of other racial/ethnic backgrounds better! Better informed and more aware citizens enable our democracy.

What can you do to help?

1. Email or contact your state senator and state representative with your support of bill 365. This bill was initiated by high school and college age youth. See website: care4eduequity.org

2. Join us for a rally at the state house on Saturday, March 19, time TBD (reserve morning and afternoon). Meet in the church parking lot. Email [email protected] to arrange rides.

Dave Chin, Social Justice Team

In celebration of World Down Syndrome Day we invite you to wear mismatched socks to worship on Sunday, March 20.

To learn more about Down Syndrome and inclusion, please refer to this website: https://www.worlddownsyndromeday.org/

Trinity’s large and beautiful building is home for our worship and meeting spaces but spends much of the rest of the time under-utilized. The Building Study Committee has been formed to determine (1) how we can expand the building use to the community and (2) how we can create more income from the building to pay for building maintenance.

We are currently gathering information about the church building’s history, physical assets, and intangible assets – like community meal. Soon, we will be asking for your input on Trinity’s history and its assets. Later, we will be reaching out to community members to get their input about how they perceive our building and how it can be used by the community.

As usual, if you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact any member of the committee.

Trinity’s Building Study Committee:

Tom Danforth, Jean Leif, Martha Michalewich, Barbara Sutherland, John Posluszny, Pete Carlsen, and Jennifer MacNeil

March 13th – Join us for worship with a special round-table discussion of refugees, “You Welcomed Me”.

March 27th – We will be collecting our One Great Hour of Sharing offering for the UCC and ABC denominations. Put your LOVE into ACTION for disaster, refugee, and economic development ministries.

Afghan Refugee Family – Our Northboro NST group is supporting a single mom and her six-year-old son from Afghanistan. They are currently staying at the home of Mary Kemp, but will be moving into their own apartment in Northboro in mid-March. Help our team by donating at bit.ly/Northboro-NST

The NST Team is working to set up the apartment that will be ready mid-March.

If you have any used, but in good condition of the following items, please contact Sharon Chin at [email protected] or 508-981-7995.

2 bureaus

1 or 2 end tables (for living room)

lamps

toaster

2 area rugs, medium to large size, some pile (not shag)

flat screen TV

New items

Cleaning supplies (kitchen and bathroom)

Contact Sharon with any questions.

Thank you!

Thank you!! So far, we have collected 230 kitchen items for Fresh Start Furniture Bank in Hudson. Fresh Start is bundling them into kitchen kits for the Afghan refugee families in Central Massachusetts. We are still collecting donations. Donations may be placed in the bin marked "Kitchen Utensils for Fresh Start".

We will be collecting items for the Northboro Food Pantry on the last Sunday of every month. Grab one of the blue Trinity tote bags, and bring it back to church with your donation. Thanks to Faith DeMarinis for spearheading this effort!

We will be providing Worcester Fellowship Sunday worship service lunches on: Apr 17, and Jun 19, and lunches for Thursday Café on Mar 24, May 12.

We will be back in person during the month of March!! Come and have a say on what we will spend our spring learning and doing! Will it be some gardening, hiking, outreach, meditation….a little bit of all of them? Are you looking to earn some service hours for school or another activity and want to help at church? Sherry has some fun ideas to put your strengths to work! The Spring is upon us and the days are getting longer…use some of them seeing your friends at church again :-)

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 [email protected] 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

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.

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. 

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.  

Please use the instructions HERE to add yourself and your family to the Trinity Church online database.

(508) 393-8156 or [email protected]