June 24, 2020

The mission of Trinity Church is to share Christ's love and grace in a vibrant community whose joyful spirit empowers people to do God's work .

SENIOR WARDEN'S NOTES
Many of us in the parish are concerned about the underdog in our society.
 
I love that in our congregation. I share your feelings and have a few thoughts I'd like to share.
 
Most of us are kind to all, and that's what life is all about, helping where you can, I believe.
Some of you have signs, t-shirts, or slogans on your emails that state your beliefs: Hate has no home here.
 
At Trinity we are doing positive social action through Backpacks, Outreach, Micah, School Dressing Days, projects of the Brotherhood and Sisterhood, books chosen for group reading by the book group, GEMS projects, Christmas Elf program – even our walking ministry project of handing out water last fall. I have never known a church our size with such effective community involvement, a big part of why I am a Trinitarian. We are helping kids and adults with not enough food in their homes. We try to level the playing field a bit to put them on a more even footing with better-off families who never have to even think about whether there's enough to eat or whether they will be evicted next week, or lose their water or their electricity. Sunday school lessons, last year’s human sexuality classes, and other such educational efforts remind us that differences do not tolerate inequality.
 
We do what we believe will help others have a better life, even when it's inconvenient for us to put in that time. I have seen one Trinitarian make her way through snow to be sure Tuesday night Outreach was open for those who need food. While our Outreach is currently suspended, we have contributed money to assist other food pantries still in operation, as well as continuing our support of other local efforts.
 
For our younger parishioners, there are plenty of ways you can change the world, beginning with one person at a time. You can volunteer at school to help someone with their homework, learn to read better, just encourage someone to stay in school by being friendly to them. When you do well in school and have a finely tuned social conscience, you position yourself to do things in your career that make the world a better place. If you're going to be an architect, take a stab at creating housing for the homeless and poor in this country. If you go into law, represent the underdog, especially those who can't pay your fees. If you become a teacher, work with those students in your classroom who need the most help to build better lives.
 
Demonstrations are good, I believe, but only when they stay just that and don't become destructive. We ALL have the right to safety. I believe the slogan Black Lives Matter, and also that ALL Lives Matter. People of a lower economic level in our country really do have a harder time of it than most of the rest of us do. Some persons of color really do receive more attention from the police than most of us do. While most of us live on the privileged side of society, we still have a responsibility to help extend those same rights and privileges to those who currently do not.
 
What else can we do? We can write letters to our elected officials, vote (did you vote yesterday??), run for office, help someone get elected by working on or contributing money to a campaign.
 
We can read about disenfranchised populations and discuss those books for clearer understanding of social issues. We can watch movies, TED talks, webinars, Diocesan programs, or various other media and then discuss the issues together in small groups. We can volunteer to be on a community panel or task force seeking ways to make our cities, counties, workplaces, and schools better places for all. We can identify and applaud those places and programs already doing just that. We can proclaim our beliefs as Trinitarians to the community.
 
I believe the most important thing we can do right now is for each of us to explore our own beliefs, values, and actions, and see what our consciences lead us to do. We must apply our Christian beliefs to everyday problems and help those beliefs become manifest in society for everyone’s benefit. And we need to talk to each other. Bishop Shannon told us a few years ago that it’s not enough just to tolerate each other; we also must discuss our differences.
 
If you have ideas about how we at Trinity can talk about our differences and make our best contributions to our local area and beyond, please share them with me or any other Vestry member.
 
The Lord be with all of us in this troubled time.

Claire Curcio, Senior Warden
TRINITY NEWS
Trinity Discernment Prayer

O Everlasting, Omniscient, and Loving God
We confess that our daily worries and concerns often blind us to your voice and guidance in our lives. We thank You for this time of change, may it be an opportunity to grow together more closely as followers of your son Jesus Christ as we work to discern your path forward for our congregation. We pray that You will watch over the Bishop, diocesan transitional ministry team, the parish clergy, members of our vestry, and the other leaders of our church as they lead us on a new path for our parish. We pray for the members of the discernment committee as they endeavor to do Your holy work in calling a new rector for Trinity. We pray for all the members of our parish family during this time of transition that we come closer to You and feel your presence in our hearts. AMEN.
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL - We are going to try VBS online this summer! The program is called “Compassion Camp” and was designed by Illustrated Ministry. Our online VBS will be five weeks long instead of five consecutive days. It will meet at the normal Zoom Sunday school time of Sundays at 10:30 a.m. beginning July 12th. There will also be a 30 minute mid-week check-in session. These could be held on either Tuesdays or Thursdays at 10:30 a.m., Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m., or Thursdays at 4:00 p.m.  Please email Sam Burton to let her know if you are interested in online VBS and which mid-week session time would be best for your family so that at-home materials can be prepared.
NEWS AND UPCOMING EVENTS
VESTRY MEETING HIGHLIGHTS June 2020— The June Vestry meeting included the following items: In the May Treasurer’s report, Val Folden noted that collections were at 43% of the annual budget, partly because several Trinitarians had prepaid their 2020 giving. Non-pledge giving was below budget, as expected since we are not holding worship services at Trinity. Expenses were only about 36% of budget mainly because we are not paying a full-time rector. (Five months of the year would be 42%.) There was discussion about resuming worship services, but the Vestry agreed that until we have further guidance from the Diocese, we will continue to suspend worship services in our building. In opening a discussion on dismantling racism in America, several suggestions were made about possible activities. Suggestions included reading a book or watching a movie and then offering discussions via internet-based meeting software such as Zoom or inviting a speaker or panel discussion via Zoom. After the discussion there was a proposal to put up a sign in support of our community and a committee was appointed to recommend wording back to the Vestry. Barry Holliday reported that the Technology Committee was looking into ways to continue to broadcast or live-stream worship services after we re-gather for physical worship at Trinity. Lastly, the Vestry agreed to designate the Trinity Sunday offering for School Dressing Days.
 

T RINITY SUNDAY SPECIAL OFFERING – The Vestry has designated the special offering for Trinity Sunday for School Dressing Days to help those in need prepare to go back to school. Please send a check to Trinity Church (825 College Ave., 22401) with Trinity Sunday offering in the memo space or go to the Trinity website, pick online giving, and select Trinity Sunday as the fund. Hopefully we can be generous as the program will rely more on donations of money instead of donations of clothing this year.


UNITED THANK OFFERING presents the Inaugural Great EpisGOpal Race! The United Thank Offering (UTO) invites all to support the 2020 Ingathering by joining them in gratitude, grabbing a pair of sneakers, and racing YOUR way in the Great EpisGOpal Virtual Race. Anytime between July 22 - July 31, choose a preferred mode and distance and race to raise money for COVID-19 relief. Participants can bike a 10K, run a half marathon, skate a mile, and more—the options are limitless. All of the funds that are raised will be collected for the 2020 UTO Ingathering and dispersed to ministries responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Looking for some friendly competition? Start a team with friends, church, or diocese and see how far the team can collectively go. Registration is just $15 with the option to purchase a race shirt with an amazing original design by Chris Corbin. With a whole week to complete the event, UTO asks that participants please  adhere to all CDC recommended social distancing guidelines maintain a safe distance from others, and avoid trails and walking paths during peak times. To learn more about the race and how to participate, click here .


UNITED THANK OFFERING - More than $1 million awarded in 2020 for Episcopal Church and Anglican Communion mission and ministry and young adult, seminarian grants. To see a list of recipients, click here .


FORWARD DAY BY DAY and GOOD NEWS DAILY - Reminder: copies of the Forward Day by Day and the Good News Daily are available in the wooden box outside the Ida Beck doors. You are free to take copies. Please let the office know if there are no more copies or if the box has turned up missing.
 

ONLINE SUNDAY SCHOOL!!  Families with children are invited to join us at 10:30 am on Sunday mornings for a 30 – 40 minute Sunday school lesson on Zoom. Our time together will include a few minutes of social (gathering) time, a few songs we all know, some prayer time, a story, and an easy craft response to the story. This will be geared for children ages 5 through fifth grade, but older and younger people are welcome too. Each child/person will need a pencil, a few sheets of paper, and some crayons or colored pencils. I will email some additional materials to everyone on Fridays.  If you did not receive an email last week with the information to join the class meeting and would like for your child to participate, please contact  Sam Burton .


YOUTH GROUP MEETINGS VIA ZOOM!! Youth are invited to join us for a youth group meeting via Zoom on Sunday afternoons from 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. We will catch up with each other, do a brief Bible study, and this week we will play Scattergories! If you did not receive an email last week with the information to join the youth group meeting and would like for your youth to participate, please contact Sam Burton .


CAMPUS MINISTRY will continue to meet through the summer on Wednesdays from 5pm – 7pm! We would like to invite all college students (no matter which college!) to gather with us by Zoom. A Zoom link may be found on our church website, www.trinity-fredericksburg.org, or find the event on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/trinityfredericksburg/ .


During this time when we cannot be together physically, let’s keep in touch virtually.  Please check out the  TRINITY FACEBOOK PAGE  for information, inspiration, and some things to make you smile. Messages from Bishop Curry and from our Bishop Susan Goff are posted as they are received. Don't forget our follow  Instagram page  and subscribe to our newly formed  YouTube channel.
NEWS FROM THE DIOCESE OF VIRGINIA

A letter from the Bishops of Virginia regarding PREPARING FOR PHASE II REGATHERING ON OUR CHURCH BUILDINGS can be found here.
NEWS FROM THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH

Season 3 of The Episcopal Church’s podcast THE WAY OF LOVE with Bishop Michael Curry, is now available. These weekly conversations, featuring Bishop Curry, podcast host Sandy Milien, and a variety of guests, center on ways to live a life committed to living the way of God’s unconditional, unselfish, sacrificial and redemptive love. To read more about the podcast, click here .

The Episcopal Church encourages support of the DREAM ACT . The Episcopal Church has long advocated for legislation that protects Dreamers and offers a pathway to citizenship. Through Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), a program that allows those brought to the U.S. as children to remain in the country without fear of deportation, nearly 800,000 Dreamers have come forward, passed  background checks , and been granted permission to live and work legally in the U.S. Ending DACA in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic would be detrimental to the health and safety of families and communities around the country. For more information, click here .

The Episcopal Church invites everyone to participate in GOOD NEWS GARDENS . Join the movement to Plant, Pray & Proclaim! More information can be found here .

The Episcopal Church invites everyone to participate in a survey about sexual misconduct in the denomination . Please click here for a letter from Bishop Curry regarding the survey.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Wednesday, June 24
Rite II Morning Prayer with Bambi
5:00 pm Campus Ministry via Zoom


Thursday, June 25


Friday, June 26


Saturday, June 27


Sunday, June 28
Fourth Sunday after Pentecost
Rite II Spiritual Communion with Bambi
10:15 am Online Sunday School
2:00 pm Youth Group via Zoom


Monday, June 29


Tuesday, June 30
Wednesday, July 1
Rite II Morning Prayer with Bambi
5:00 pm Campus Ministry via Zoom


Thursday, July 2


Friday, July 3


Saturday, July 4


Sunday, July 5
Fifth Sunday after Pentecost
Rite II Spiritual Communion with Bambi
10:30 am Online Sunday School
2:00 pm Youth Group via Zoom
Links
(540) 373-2996