Seeds October 9

Welcome to our joy-filled evening of Beer & Hymns at Big Elm Brewing on Silver Street in Sheffield on October 18th 6:00 - 8:00. We will serve the most incredible bratwurst supper with sauerkraut and potato salad along with delectable homemade desserts and soft drinks. Attendees purchase their own beer. We will eat and drink together at long communal tables in the Big Elm brewing room. This is the one with the big giant vats of beer! Then, we will sing some favorite hymns, old and new. We also have some German drinking songs lined up, as well as a conga line dance! A free-will donation at the door will support our 2025 Appalachian Trail ministry,

Be a part of the community that makes all of this happen and share in the JOY!. We would love to see the wonderful people who volunteered on the Appalachian Trail this year! Some of the folks from our guest churches may also be attending! If you can't come, please make a donation to our Appalachian Trail ministry on our website. Please let us know if you are willing to help move tables and chairs!

Bishop[ Doug Fisher has been one of the biggest supporters of our Appalachian Trail shared ecumenical ministry. He is here on the trail with his son. A special invitation goes out to Bishop Doug to join us at Beer & Hymns on October 18th. We orchestrate this very worthwhile ministry with the parishioners of First Congregational Church of Sheffield, UCC, and St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Stockbridge. If you would like to volunteer in 2025, talk with your pastor or priest. We have many guest churches who participate from across the UCC conference, the Lutheran synod, and the Episcopal diocese.

TWO THINGS FROM PASTOR ERIK

I wanted to pass on to you two unrelated things so here they are:

• A number of you have kindly asked how my mom is doing in her home in Western North Carolina. Thank you so much for thinking of her. She is doing very well. Her small neighborhood actually never lost power or water. Cell service and the internet have now been restored. The destruction all around her is tremendous but she is doing well. If you are looking for a way to help, both Lutheran Disaster Response and Episcopal Relief and Development are excellent choices.

• Bishop Doug Fisher has officially announced his retirement and called for the election of the next Episcopal Bishop of the Diocese. In the Episcopal church this means a search committee will be formed, and a profile of the kind of person we are looking for will be published. Candidates will send in their materials, some will be selected for interviews, and a final slate of three or four candidates will be identified. The election will happen in November of 2025 and the new Bishop will be consecrated around March of 2026. If you would like to read Bishop Fisher's letter, it is here.  

Put Your Money Where Your Heart Is

On November 10th, after church, we will have a special Lasagna Lunch combined with our Put Your Money where Your Heart Is event. The only stipulation is that you must sign up for the lunch. We are serving Lasagna, and Eggplant Parmesan VGF for those with dietary restrictions. There's a sign-up sheet in the parish hall and you have all of October to place your order for either option. If you don't sign up, the chef won't be able to prepare a lunch for you. Once you sign-up, we will also start preparing a packet of money for you to spend at the event. Without signing up, you are not going to have a money packet! This is your opportunity to decide where the Christ Trinity outreach dollars go! It's so much fun and it is very important to direct our resources in a meaningful way.

All who care about the stewardship of Christ Trinity are invited to attend.

Fall Foliage in Vermont October 25th

For their October outing, the OWLES (Older, Wiser Lutherans and Episcopalians) are planning an end-of-foliage season ride to Bennington, Vermont. Just over the Mass. border, Bennington features a museum with a large Grandma Moses exhibit, the Bennington Monument, and the church and graveyard where Robert Frost is buried. The date is Friday, October 25.



Afterwards, time permitting, we can stop in Old Bennington village on the way home to check out the Bennington Monument and Robert Frost's burial site, and his beautiful colonial church, if open. 

Email Liz Wells and Nancy King, Co-leaders, or the church office if you'd like to come. New participants are always welcome. 

Enhancing our use of photographs

Above, Willy and Teak Welch serenade us at Berkstock 2024.

Photo by Thaddeus B. Kubis www.tbkphotos.com

Thad is currently guiding us as we work toward making the church come alive with photographs. This Thaddeus B. Kubis tutorial is sponsored by Thrivent!

More photos coming in future issues.

Tango is postponed until further notice

We are celebrating 

10 Years

of Thrivent Action Teams

Berkstock, Oktoberfest, Cycling Hospitality, Sheffield Pride,

Broadway Cabaret, Mardi Gras, & Lich Gate Concerts

are all made possible, in part, by

Thrivent.

Contact us during Coffee Hour to find out how you can get involved.

One of our parishioners just submitted a Thrivent application to support our Lasagna Lunch. If approved, this grant should cover most of the cost of the ingredients for the lasagna and the eggplant parmesan. We currently need a Thrivent Action Team leader to support our

Outreach Partner Education Project. Email us if you are ready to do so and we will guide you through it.

What does the Community Preservation Act mean?

How will this act affect Sheffield? There will be an informational meeting here at Christ Trinity on Sunday, October 13 at 11:30. This will be an opportunity to have your questions answered about the implications and possibilities for this act. All are welcome to attend. A delicious Rhubarb Crumble will be served.

How Can The CPA Benefit Sheffield?

The CPA will provide funds for community-enriching projects that may otherwise never be realized. Examples include: 

· Outdoor Recreation 

Creating or rehabilitating: public parks, playgrounds, and trails, athletic fields for youth and adult sports, and canoe and kayak launches 

Rehabilitating public recreation spaces for accessibility per the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) 

· Open Space Protection 

Acquiring or preserving available land that directly impacts water supplies, and available lake and pond frontage for active or passive recreation and acquiring or preserving available parcels to protect as a nature preserve or for recreation 

· Historic Preservation 

Preserving qualifying historic buildings and structures, monuments, cemeteries, historical records and artifacts 

· Community Housing 

Creating low-income senior and other housing 

Supporting housing assistance programs for qualifying residents 

Acquiring historic structures for preservation and repurposing them for affordable housing

Link to a recent video presentation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7P82qpn-DA

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

Find Pastor Erik's sermons at Rectory Ramblings erikkaras.blogspot.com



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

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Seeds editor: Jean Chapin