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36 Main Street, Newtown, CT | |
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You're Invited to a “Low Country Boil”
Celebrating Stewardship 2025
As we close out the 2025 Stewardship Program, we are thrilled to invite you to a delightful evening filled with food, fellowship, and fun! Join us for a “Low Country Boil”, a wonderful way to celebrate our commitment to the Trinity mission in 2025.
October 26th
5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Glover Room - Trinity Church
What’s on the Menu?
Indulge in a traditional Low Country Boil featuring several options including delicious seafood, along with non-seafood and vegetarian dishes to cater to all tastes. Whether you’re a seafood lover or not, there will be something for everyone!
Why Attend?
This gathering not only offers a chance to enjoy fantastic food but also provides an opportunity to connect with fellow parish members and celebrate the wonderful programs your gifts of time and treasure will support for 2025. Together, we can make a difference in our community!
RSVP by October 23rd
To ensure we have enough food for everyone, please RSVP by either signing up at church doorways or going to the Trinity website. Let us know your meal preference so we can accommodate all diets.
We look forward to celebrating with you and expressing our gratitude for your continued support and commitment to Trinity. Let’s come together to make this evening memorable!
Warm regards,
Stewardship Committee & Breakfast Bunch
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Join us for All parish pumpkin carving after church in undercroft on Sunday 10/27. We will display them as part of Trinity’s 9th annual Great pumpkin challenge and ask for $5 per pumpkin. 100% of all donations will go to Hole in the wall gang camp which provides free camp for children with serious illness so they have a chance to experience diverse and transformational friendships that go hand in hand with camp. It was founded in 1988 by legendary actor and philanthropist Paul Newman. The organization serves children and their families with year round programs celebrating the fun, friendship, and spirit of childhood. | |
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Halloween Candy Collection!
Candy collection bins are out at each entrance. Please help us support Newtown's epic Halloween on Main!
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Halloween at Trinity
Trinity is the place to be on Halloween! Every year, we have our front lawn lit up with Jack-O-Lanterns for the Great Pumpkin Challenge (more on that next week!) We need volunteers to hand out candy to all the trick-or-treaters. Please click here to join in the fun!
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"A Future With Hope" - An Invitation to Stewardship
Rosemary Gallant offered an inspiring vision, last Sunday, for our annual giving
to Trinity Church. Thank you, Rosemary, for your moving words! A few weeks ago, we received in the mail our autumn Stewardship Appeal, “A Future With Hope.” We invite you to return your Pledge as soon as possible, as we begin to craft our Budget for 2025.
We give of our prayer, our energy, our unique gifts to Trinity’s many ministries – and we
give money! A word for our many newcomers – Trinity Church is fully self-funding. If
you give regularly, prayerfully consider making a Pledge. A financial promise of what
we expect to give next year helps our Vestry to be wise and faithful stewards and
‘forecasters.’
We are in a multi-year pattern of reducing the percentage of what we take from our
inherited endowment, and 2025 is the year we move down to a 3 ½ percent draw. I am
incredibly proud of Trinity for this outstanding commitment to our future. I will be
increasing my pledge, and we invite you to do so as well, as we meet the financial
expectations this reduced draw will entail.
We continue to juggle low staffing hours with an unusual level of growth in ministries
and members. We need you! Pledge online here!
Thank you!! Rev. Andrea and the Trinity Church Vestry
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A Message from our Treasurer - Noel Bellesheim
Reimbursements potentially delayed: Due to the recent storms in the Southeast, our software connection has been sporadic due to power outages. We are in contact with our provider by email and as the access stabilizes we will be able to process reimbursements. Please expect a delay if you are submitting reimbursements.
Stewardship: Please send in your pledge cards as soon as each parishioner has made prayerful decisions. There are several ways:
1. Electronic is preferred.
2. Paper pledge cards can be either mailed to the church, put in the box outside the office or in the collection plate on Sundays.
After receipt, the parishioner will receive a Thank you card confirming your pledge.
Please speak with Noel Bellesheim or any vestry member with any questions.
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October 20th is Pantry Appreciation Day!
Come to coffee in the Glover room after service on October 20 for celebratory cake and Pantry stickers!
Let’s all applaud this incredible Ministry that celebrates its first Anniversary on October 22! Everyone at Trinity has contributed in some way!
Thanks to -
• All those who donate items
• The teams of restockers
• The Children’s Ministry for bag decorating
• Ushers who bring the bags for blessings
• The cupboard team, who makes sure the donated items are available and organized
• The landscaping and maintenance team, who continue to improve on the original design
• The Vestry and the Property Commission for believing in the project.
And finally to the team who began the project, including the construction crew. They worked for no pay (except for a few beers from JM) and toiled with dedication to install the box onto the Trinity property in pouring rain last October.
Thanks to Rev Andrea for officiating the blessing of the Little Panty and the crowd of parishioners who were there to witness the event.
We also are grateful to the “Community Food Rescue”, “Faith Food Pantry”, “Trinity Day School” and the many other members of the community who have donated items.
And we welcome your donations on Sunday, October 20th.
As we go into our second year, we’d love to see new faces who would like to contribute in some way. Contact Nancy Cole, Marcia DeBrock or Kim in the office.
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The Scheduler will be run for November and December next week. Please be sure to add all of your "can't serve" dates into your profile. Reach out to Kim if you have questions.
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The Creation Care Team calls your attention to these upcoming programs at the CH Booth Library:
Climate Change and Connecticut's Forests, Thursday, October 17, 7:00 pm via Zoom
Trent McCann, Executive Director of the Newtown Forest Association, gives an update on the health of our local forests, how climate change is affecting them, and what we can do to help.
CT Lights Out for Migratory Birds, Tuesday, October 22, at 6:30 pm in the Meeting Room
Craig Repasz, Co-founder and Co-chair of Lights Out CT, gives an update on the state of the millions of birds passing through CT during their migration. CT is located along the Atlantic Flyway so many birds use our shorelines and green spaces to rest and refuel. Light pollution emitted by homes, buildings, street lights and bridges confuses and disorients birds, causing them to land near buildings, crash into windows, and circle around for hours until they drop from exhaustion. Find out what you can do to help the birds.
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A rewarding and Fun Sunday afternoon of service
On October 13, the Youth of Trinity along with Mission and Outreach will travel to New Haven to Chapel on the Green to hand out meals.
After our service on 10/13, we will make sandwiches in the kitchen at Trinity, pack up cold meal bags and go to New Haven. The event includes an outdoor service with music and communion and handing out food bags.
We meet at 12:30 and carpooling is available.
For more information, contact Julie Dunn or Martha Dayton.
Please join us in this rewarding fellowship, either by making sandwiches or joining us in New Haven at:
Trinity on the Green, 230 Temple Street , New Haven, CT.
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The Little Pantry continues to help our community with food and household needs. Thank you for your continued donations!This week's needs are:
Canned beans-- black beans, chili, pinto...
Canned fruit
Stove top stuffing, Mac n cheese,
Instant potatoes
Canned Ravioli, spaghetti, etc.
Dog food
Pasta sauce
Toilet paper, dish soap,
Toothpaste, bar soap/body wash, deodorant, shampoo
Boxed milk, salt/pepper, crackers, juice
Grocery or Walmart gift card-
We will do the shopping
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Mark Your Calendars & Reserve Your Spot: Marking the Ordination of Women
July 29, 2024, marked 50 years since the ordination of eleven Episcopal women priests in Philadelphia, PA. A few months later, on November 10, 1974, one of the "Philadelphia 11" presided at communion in Washington DC and became the first woman in the denomination to publicly celebrate the Eucharist. These momentous events are documented in a new film, The Philadelphia Eleven.
To honor these events and the people who made them possible, Trinity will host a virtual screening of The Philadelphia Eleven on Sunday, November 10, at 3:00 PM. The film runs 90 minutes. Click here to reserve your spot. We will also share this invitation with the ECCT and via the Newtown Bee.
This film might be especially meaningful for younger people who've never known a world without women in positions of leadership both within and beyond the Church. It can be an encouragement to us all that what once was deemed impossible can indeed become "normal."
Contact Lisa Mages at 202-469-2568 with questions.
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In choir, we are always about five steps ahead of the season. While folks are beginning to put out pumpkins and mums on their porches, the choir is practicing music for Thanksgiving. In fact, our Trinity choir will very soon be learning and rehearsing music for Advent and (gasp!) Christmas! Truly, one of the most fun aspects of choir rehearsal is the indulgence of singing Christmas carols and anthems well before Advent. Likewise, we get to sneak in those “alleluia’s” in rehearsal during lent. The choir, by design, very much always has an undertone of anticipation.
So then, it is the challenge for us as musicians to live in the moment and observe God’s bounty and perfect timing in our lives. We are always looking forward, but we must remind ourselves to look at the “now” that God has provided. Last year in choir, we read through Terry York’s devotional Observing the Rests in which we were encouraged to notice and appreciate those quiet moments between all of the beautiful musical notes- those moments when the Holy Spirit ministers to us. It was heartening to hear choir members reminding each other (and reminding me!) to remember to rest.
This past week, I was forced to stop because of knee surgery. I’m not one to sit on the couch and do nothing, so it has been hard for me as I am admittedly one who anticipates and lives a few steps ahead. But I was reminded to live in this moment and appreciate the “now”. I have been ministered to by the Trinity Parish Care Team with meals that I had no idea how much I would appreciate and need by the time evening comes and I’m out of energy and patience in this healing process. My children have been in awe of the goodness of God through the kindness of others, and I have been allowed to rest and observe. What a gift!
We do live lives of anticipation, just like the choir practicing Christmas music in October. Let’s take some time this week to breathe in the season we are currently in and appreciate God’s bounteous gifts.
In Christ,
Jennifer
Choir rehearsal resumes tonight at 7pm.
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Registration continues for church school at Trinity. If you haven't already done so, please see Miss Frances for a registration form. Our theme this year is "We are God's Masterpiece!" This welcoming and inclusive theme will cover stories about hand-picked messengers that did God's good work. Kids will learn that God does not expect us to be perfect but willing to work together to make positive change. We are just as he made us, ready to shine in His name! During our first rotation we will be learning about David, how he was chosen and his battle with Goliath. Kids will have workshops in music, Bible games, cooking, and video. We look forward to seeing you! | |
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Upcoming Events:
Sunday, 10/13, Families and youth make sandwiches, Chapel on the Green
Sunday, 10/27, Halloween costume parade, Pumpkin painting and carving after worship
Sunday, 11/3, Clocks fall back
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Welcome back youth!
(Grades 7-12th)
Sunday October 13- make sandwiches after church and serve them that afternoon at Chapel on the Green in New Haven
Saturday October 26- set up planks and “gut pumpkins” for pumpkin carving after church on 10/27 (time TBD)
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Please Support Hurricane Recovery Efforts
Episcopal Relief & Development is working closely with partners to support people affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. The Hurricane Relief Fund is an important tool for responding to immediate needs and supporting long-term recovery. Please contribute to Episcopal Relief & Development’s Hurricane Relief Fund to support long-term recovery efforts.
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Nursery Guidelines
What Trinity Church agrees to do:
· Provide consistent child care, staffed by Wee Care Nanny Agency, on Sunday mornings from 9:15 - 11:15 AM.
· Provide a welcoming and clean nursery area.
· Provide a changing table and nursing/feeding area.
· Call you in case of emergency, needed diaper change, or needed trip to the bathroom.
· Call you to come and retrieve your child should your child request it.
· Welcome infants and children younger than Kindergarten into the nursery.
What you agree to do:
· Retrieve your child by 11:15 AM.
· Make sure your child has been free from fever (100.4 F or higher), vomiting, and/or diarrhea for 24 hours. Also, if your child has symptoms that would readily spread illness please keep them home.
· Make sure the nursery attendant has your current cell number, in case of emergency, diaper change, or needed trip to the bathroom.
· Abide by Trinity Nursery's age limit.
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Christian Yoga
Join Christian Yoga class on alternating Tuesdays at 7 pm for an hour of movement incorporating prayer and scripture. This is a great way to connect to yourself, with others and with God. The next session will be held on 10/22. All are welcome!
Free will offering is completely voluntary.
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Weekly Happenings
Trinity's nursery is open every Sunday from 9:15 - 11:15, and is professionally staffed by Wee Care Nanny Agency.
Trinity's Grief Support Group runs every first and third Thursday of the month from 4-5:15pm, and is open to all.
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New Process for Vouchers
Thank you to all of you who have seamlessly transitioned over to the new system - it is such a pleasure to be working with Lori Rohrbacher again!
Vouchers can now be submitted virtually. There is a new page on Trinity's website (Vouchers). Please use this online form as a way to submit vouchers. If you need help learning this new system, please contact Kim.
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Praise and Thanksgiving
For those requesting our prayers
Maureen, Janet, Rick, Marie, Jennifer, Joyce, Jacky, Gail, Alveta,
Bode, Gracie, Martha, Daniel, Shirley, Dan, Barbara, Lucille, Caroline,
Eric, Brent, Paula, Karen, Judy
For those celebrating a birthday this week
Logan Reagan-Rivera, Pauline Donovan, Jean Kreizinger
For those celebrating a birthday this week
Erin & Dough Lutz, Kelly & Andy Rowan
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