SEEDS May 24, 2023

Whether you are marching in the Memorial Day parade or you are a spectator, you are invited to lunch after the short Memorial Day service in Barnard Park. We are right across Main Street, and we will be preparing everything you need, including freshly grilled hot dogs. We always feed the marching band members first, as they have another parade to march in that day.

This is our gift to you and it is a tradition launched by former vestry member, Grace Arzt. The momentum was carried forward by Jack & Pia Bellinger, who spearheaded Hot Dog Church for many years. Hopefully, they will be making a guest appearance on Monday. This year, Hot Dog Church is made possible by our friends at the elm at 20 Railroad Street in GB, and thrivent financial. We are grateful to our community for making Hot Dog Church a reality.

Introducing our new PRIDE & beekepers logos

Greetings from Teak Welch and Ed Valentine, co-coordinators of Sheffield Pride 2023!

First of all, we’d like to introduce our brand new Sheffield Pride Logo (above), and associated visual assets (below), soon to be available on t-shirts, stickers, and buttons. Thanks to Jon Magner for his hard work in creating these beautiful pieces of art!

As you may know, our family-friendly Sheffield Pride Festival is back, bigger and better than ever, on Friday June 9th at the parking lot of Old Parish Church, 125 Main Street, Sheffield. Join us for:

·      Pride Farmer’s Market 3-6 PM

·      Drag Storytime with Bella Santarella 5-6 PM

·      Free BBQ Pulled Pork or Mushroom Dinner by Padre Pollo 6-7 PM

·      Prideful Pet Parade 6 PM

·      Pride Variety Show 7-8:30

·      Dance Party 8:30-9

·      Face Painting, Pride Photo Booth, Community of Pride Tables, and a new Pride Brew Beer from Big Elm, all available from 3 PM on!

We still have room for community and ally volunteers, who we depend on to make all this happen. If you can volunteer, please fill out THE FORM AT THIS LINK, or email Teak at sheffieldmapride@gmail.com. Positions we need to fill are:

·      Event Physical Setup / Takedown Helpers: 3-4 people

·      Welcome Table / Raffle Table Staffers: 3 people

·      Merch Table Staffers: 2 people

·      Face Painters: 2 people

·      Photo Booth Staffers: 2 people

·      Right-hand People for the Coordinators: 1-2 people

·      Greeter for Drag Queen Bella Santarella: 1 person

·      Wandering Photographers: 1-2 people

·      Dinner Prep: Erik, Joe K, + 1-2 people

·      Dinner Table & Chairs Set-up, Food Service, and Dinner Breakdown:

In addition, we’re looking for friends who want to join us to represent Sheffield at Berkshire Pride in Pittsfield on Saturday, June 3. Please let us know right away if you’re interested in any of these jobs, or in volunteering in general. We need you!

Thanks, everyone. Happy (almost) Pride Month! We’re really looking forward to seeing you on June 9^th.

Teak and Ed

BEEKEEPERS PRIDE PLAYREADINGS 2023

June 10, 2023

Readings 6 - 7:30 PM at Bushnell Sage Library

Afterparty 7:30 - 10 PM at Dewey Hall

Both Events Free (Donations welcomed)

The Beekeepers Theater presents staged readings of inventive new plays by LGBTQ+ playwrights of the Berkshires and beyond! Celebrate our second edition of this Beekeepers crowd favorite in the back garden of the Bushnell Sage Library 48 Main St, Sheffield, MA, June 10, 6-7:30 PM, followed by an afterparty immediately following at Dewey Hall, 91 Main Street, Sheffield. Both of these events are free, thanks to a generous grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council.



Closed captioning available on your personal device. 

For more information,

 https://beekeeperstheater.com/upcoming-events/pride-play-readings-2023

Ride your Bike to church

Join us for worship on May 28th. Immediately after the service, Pastor Erik will lead us through the garden to our large maple tree where we will launch The Cycling Hospitality Station for 2023. We will place the finishing touches on our very popular, shady spot and Pastor Erik will bless the station and any bicycles present.

The Cycling Hospitality Station costs us about $400 each summer to operate. The most popular component of the station is the portable toilet but it also includes a small self-repair stand. We have already had folks from neighboring communities show up in the church office wondering when we will launch this year. These bicyclists are very grateful for our warm hospitality. Come be a part of it.

Arcangelo will be at the Lich Gate concert

ARCANGELO CORELLI's Concerto grosso in G minor, Op. 6, No. 8, “Christmas Concerto” for string quartet was commissioned by the Italian cardinal Pietro Ottoboni (1667-1740), a great patron of music and art in his time. Corelli’s work bears the inscription "Farro per la notte di Natale" (made for the night of Christmas). Corelli (1653-1713) was an Italian composer and violinist of the Baroque period.

The Lich Gate Concerts performance is on Saturday, June 17 at 4 pm and features our string quartet with Jorge Ávila, Violin I; Rachel Handman, Violin II; Alissa Smith, Viola; and Sarah Hewitt Roth, Cello. More information and tickets below.

A look at Mary's life

The next session of Women’s Bible Study will be on Friday June 2 at 1:00 in the Parish Hall. We will explore 'The Apocryphal Jesus' by author David Brakke. The story is from the Proto-Gospel of James. It looks at the birth and childhood of Mary, her marriage to Joseph and the discovery of her pregnancy. We will watch the DVD and follow with a discussion led by David Spidal. All are welcome to come.

Please let Imelda of the church office know if you plan to attend.

Open volunteer hours

Gideon's Garden has open volunteer hours twice a week starting now and ending at the end of September. Our Spring hours are on Tuesday/Thursday from 10a-12 and our Summer hours (starting in June) are on Monday from 9a-12 and on Wednesday from 1-5pm. Come for the work and stay for the conversation and company! Green thumbs are not required.

If you have other ways you might want to get involved with Gideon's, email Joel at gideonsgarden@graceberkshires.org.

Congratulations to our graduates!

Graduating from William Paterson University, Jesus A. Mendoza, Jr. (JJ)

(grandson of Linda and Jack McKelvey) 

Jason Peck and Jordi Peck are graduating from Mt. Everett Regional

and will be attending the University of Massachusetts in the fall.

(twin grandsons of Martha Katz)

Emmett Vollmer is also graduating from Mt. Everett Regional

(grandson of Diana Vollmer and son of Trish & Robert)

Sheffield's Repair Workshop

Children's faces looking up

Our reflection began with a quote from St. Anselm of Canterbury (1033-1109): "For I do not seek to understand in order to believe but I believe in order to understand. For I believe this: that I shall not understand unless I believe" Our conversation led us to a line from a poem called "Barter" by Sara Teasdale, …'and children's faces looking up, holding wonder like a cup'

Sublime God who fills our cups with wonder,

We gratefully enter into the mystery of coming to know You.

We pray that we can remain open to Your incomparable love,

So that we may have the confidence and joy to join with others

For the sake of Jesus, the Christ.

Amen

Lighting the Way

Gideon's Garden serves all our local pantries

Appalachian Trail Magic June 19 - August 12

If you want to become a Trail Angel, join us at coffee hour after church at about 11:00 on Sunday and introduce yourself to Imelda or Bishop Jack. They will get you connected, offer you on-site training and we will get your name added to the mailing list..

Come Together!

BERKSTOCK July 15, 2023

The Cottage Blessing & other roadside observances

We haven't seen Farmer Bruce for a while, largely because he has been busy planting corn. Here, he is doing just that, as seen from Rannapo Road.

WORSHIP SUNDAYS 8:00 & 10:00

Christ Trinity Church 413-229-8811

180 Main Street

PO Box 127

Sheffield, MA 01257

In-person & Livestreamed services at 10:00 Sundays:

Facebook and our YouTube channel

Our weekly worship bulletin and questions you may have about us will probably be answered at:

ChristTrinityChurch.org

The best way to get a message to the office is via email: christtrinitychurch@gmail.com



If you have a loved one who you would like us to remember in our Sunday prayers, please email us Monday morning before 10:00.

Seeds editor: Jean Chapin



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