Worship With Us at Trinity Church

Sunday, 19 January

The Second Sunday after the Epiphany

10:00 AM

Holy Eucharist Rite II in the Church

and live-streamed via YouTube

Trinity Church YouTube

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ACF Bible Study - Starting 19 January

Martin Luther King Holiday Observed- 20 January

Vestry Meeting - 21 January

Women Together on Zoom - Starting 21 January

Upcoming Action and GHIAA 2025 Priorities

Invitation to Important Meeting on Church Budget and Financial Health - 26 January

A Message from the Transition Prayer Team

Exciting News: Transition Team Committees Formed!

Book Group - 31 January

What is Godly Play?

Join Our Choir! You’re Invited!

Prayer List Requests

Calendar

News from the Diocese



ANNOUNCING

Adult Christian Formation

BIBLE STUDY

JANUARY 19, 2025

The Adult Christian Formation team is pleased to announce that Rev. George Chien will lead a Bible Study on the third Sunday of each month, beginning after the Eucharist on January 19.

The study will focus on the scripture lessons for the day, and will be an informal discussion.

No homework! No pressure! Just an opportunity to explore in greater depth the lessons prescribed for the day. Plan to join us in the Library following the service.

The Church Office and Buildings will be closed on Monday, 20 January, in observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

Vestry Meeting Tuesday,

January 21 at 7:00 PM on Zoom

Vestry meetings are open to any member of the parish. Members of the parish are especially invited to bring concerns and feedback to the Vestry during the “Feedback from Congregation” section of the meeting which begins at about 7:20/7:30. (The first 15-20 minutes of the meeting are a time of reflection and connection).

Members who choose to do so are welcome to come only to the beginning of the meeting to share concerns or are welcome to stay for the entire meeting. Please note that if there are conversations that are confidential in nature, visitors to the meeting will be asked to excuse themselves for that portion and then will be invited back in. If you are interested in attending, please email wardens @ trinityhartford.org for the Zoom link. 

Women Together on Zoom Starting January 21st

Women Together: a group that gathers weekly to explore our Christian faith and practice through book discussion, prayer and fellowship. We will meet on Tuesdays from 2:00 to 3:15pm in the reception room at St. John’s (679 Farmington Avenue, West Hartford, CT) through January 14, 2025.

Beginning Tuesday January 21,2025 we will begin meeting by Zoom to aid those who cannot drive. Each Monday ahead of our meetings Erica Weinstock (ericajw@mac.com) will send Zoom Link information included followed by a reminder on the Tuesday. Please let Erica know your email address if you are new to the group.

On Tuesday January 21, 2025 we will begin discussing “Spirit Wheel: Meditations from an Indigenous Elder” by Steven Charleston. Publishers introduce the book: "When the Spirit speaks to him in his daily prayers, Choctaw elder and spiritual explorer Steven Charleston takes a pen and writes down the messages. He then shares these thoughts with thousands on social media. In these musings, Charleston taps into the universal questions that draw us to prayer, no matter our spiritual background: Why am I here? Where do I belong? Where am I going? This stunning collection of more than two hundred meditations introduces us to the Spirit Wheel and the four directions that ground Native spirituality: tradition, kinship, vision, and balance."

The books we choose are usually available at libraries, amazon.com and other booksellers. WT has been attended by women from St. John’s, Trinity, St. James and St. Monica’s. Please contact Cathy Rowe if you would like additional information.

Upcoming Action and GHIAA 2025 Priorities

Please take a moment to review the following to learn more about how to support GHIAA’s 2025 legislative and non legislative priorities. 

Just Cause Campaign Launch

Join us to call for all tenants in CT to be protected from unjust evictions!

• Thursday, January 23, 10:00 am, at the Legislative Office Building, specific room TBA.
• Wear your GHIAA shirt if you have one, and meet us in the first floor lobby starting at 9:30.
• Complete this quick form to let us know you can make it, and feel free to email us with any questions.

How to Get There

The LOB is located at 300 Capitol Avenue, Hartford. Parking is available in the garage behind the LOB, or in the overflow lot if the garage is full. GHIAA member congregation Emanuel Lutheran Church is located across the street and welcomes us to use their parking lot as well.

GHIAA’S CURRENT LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES

Just Cause Eviction Protections (contact Bea Santiago with questions or to get involved)

GHIAA is working with the CT Tenants Union and other allies to fight for the passage of legislation to expand just cause eviction protectionsto more tenants in CT. This will be a legislative effort, and your engagement will be needed! We will alert you when it’s time to:

• Show up for press conferences and other public actions
• Testify at a public hearing in support of this bill
• Contact legislators to urge the bill’s passage, first through the Housing Committee and then in the full House and Senate
• Contact the Governor’s office urging his approval

Fiscal Policy Reform (contact Marika Stewart with questions or to get involved)

GHIAA is working with CT For All, CT Voices, SEIU 1199, and other allies to reform our state’s budget policies and ensure that our state invests in people and communities, advances economic growth, and manages our finances responsibly. This will be a critical issue in relation to the budget process this year and may extend into future sessions as well. We will alert you when it’s time to:

• Show up for education sessions, both in person and online, to build your understanding of the state’s fiscal policies and equip you to educate others in your congregations
• Engage in dialogue with legislators from GHIAA districts
• Show up for press conferences and other public actions calling attention to this issue
• Advocate with your elected officials to make people-centered budget policy a priority for our state

GHIAA’S CURRENT NON-LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES

Municipal Housing Action Teams (contact Bea Santiago with questions or to get involved) 

GHIAA leaders in towns across our region are convening to advocate for housing affordability on the municipal level. HAT team members will receive training to learn the landscape of affordable housing, the obstacles and opportunities ahead, and effective ways to build and wield power for change. If you haven’t already expressed interest, you can do so by completing this quick online form.

Combating Racial & Religious Hate (contact Jocelyn Gardner Spencer with questions or to get involved)

GHIAA leaders are developing a leadership development series entitled Broadening Understanding, Deepening Solidarity (BUDS for short). Details and registration will be coming soon. In addition, we are curating additional opportunities for learning around antisemitism, anti-Muslim bigotry, and racism, and how to combat them. If you haven't already expressed interest, you can do so by completing this quick online form.

Invitation to Important Meeting on Church Budget and Financial Health - January 26, 2025

Dear Trinity Family,

You’re invited to join us for an important meeting immediately following the 10 AM service on Sunday, January 26th, 2025. During this session, our Treasurer, Donald Romanik, will present a comprehensive overview of the church's budget and lead a meaningful discussion on the financial health of Trinity Church Hartford.

Your presence and input are invaluable as we reflect on our stewardship and work together to plan for a sustainable and faithful future. We look forward to hearing your thoughts and collaborating on how we can continue supporting the mission and vision of our church community.

Meeting Details:



Date: Sunday, January 26, 2025

Time: Immediately following the 10 AM service

Location: Sanctuary

We truly hope you can join us for this important conversation. Together, we can ensure a strong and faithful path forward for Trinity Church.

A Message from the Transition Prayer Team

As we continue to lift Trinity Church and our pastoral transition in our prayers, all are invited to join the Prayer Team for a few minutes of prayer in the Memorial Chapel immediately following the Postlude each Sunday.

Members of the Prayer Team include George Chien, Nancy Crandall, Cathy Rowe, Kate Smith and Peter Vreeland.

If you want to join our Prayer Team via Zoom on Thursday mornings at 8:00 am, send an email to Cathy at crowedy@yahoo.com and I will send you the Zoom link. Drop-ins are welcome. 

Exciting News: Transition Team Committees Formed!

We want to extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who participated in the Transition Meeting, whether in person or in spirit, led by Rev. Cn. Tim on Sunday, November 24. Your presence, prayers and engagement are a testament to the strength and unity of our parish.

During the meeting, we invited volunteers to join four key committees to guide us through this important time of transition. We are thrilled to announce that this call to action was met with tremendous enthusiasm! Many parishioners have stepped forward, and we are deeply grateful for their willingness to contribute their time, talents and faith to this vital work.

As we move forward, we are especially grateful for the Prayer Committee and their commitment to lifting our parish and its work in prayer. We ask that you keep the entire Transition Team in your prayers as they begin this meaningful journey.

Below is the list of committee members who have graciously volunteered to serve:

Anne Rapkin (may she rest in peace)

Martha Freimuth

Susan Post

Everett Post

Kevin Rennie

Casey Rousseau

Amy Arlin

Peter Green

Penny Pearson

Linda MacGougan

Alan Rice

Liz Kirkpatrick

Kate Byroade

Mark MacGougan

Betty Plumley

Paul Zimmerman

Cathy Rowe

Nancy Crandall

Kate Smith

George Chien

Peter Vreeland

Leslyn Odom Clark

Jacqueline Lucier

Thank you again to all who have stepped up to support our church community during this time of transition. Your dedication is truly a blessing, and together, we trust that God will guide us every step of the way.

With gratitude and hope,

Jacqueline Lucier and Leslyn Clark

Wardens, Trinity Church

Book Group - January 31

Trinity's Book Group kicks off the new year with the book The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese. Spanning the years 1900 to 1977, the book is set in Kerala, India, and follows three generations of a family that is part of a Christian community that traces itself to the time of the apostles. The meeting will be on Friday, January 31st, from 7-9 pm, at the home of Steve Zhitnik in West Hartford. Everyone's welcome to attend Book Group meetings, whether it's regularly or just once! We start with dessert, and the book discussion follows. Please let Steve know if you plan to attend (s.zhitnik@snet.net) so he'll know how many goodies to prepare; some may even be from Kerala!  

What is Godly Play?

Godly Play is a wonderful way to tell stories of faith—Bible stories, baptism, church seasons, and others in ways that allow us to enter the stories as “children”, and discover the riches that are waiting there for us all.

The stories are told very simply with simple props and without interpretation or moral instruction.

After a story is presented, we work with the story props, or create whatever they choose in response to what they feel most important or most interesting in the story.

What’s up for the next couple of months in our Godly Play class?

Our list of stories in the coming two months (not necessarily in order) are as follows:

St Nicholas of Myra

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 

Mary, The Mother of Jesus

Parable of the Good Samaritan

The Good Shepherd and World Communion

Parable of the Deep Well

Our students ages 2 1/2 and up are welcomed into our Godly Play sacred space at 9:45 each second, third, and fourth Sundays. Our classroom is on the second floor of the education building. We join our families in church at about 10:40.

Anyone 18 yrs of age or older is welcomed to choose this as one of your ministries; once a month or once every other month ,and bring more JOY into your life!

To comply with safe church guidelines we must have two adults 18 yrs and older in our class.

Questions about this ministry? talk to Nancy Crandall in person or text (860) 503- 3353 She looks forward to hearing from you.

Join Our Choir! You’re Invited!

We know you’ve heard it before, but we want to remind you: Everyone is welcome to join our choir! Whether you’re a seasoned singer or just love to make a joyful noise, there’s a place for you here.

Why Join?

• Share your love of music
• Build friendships within our church community
• Enrich our worship experience together

When: Rehearsals every Thursday, 7:00 -8:30 p.m.

Where: The Choir Room 

Don’t miss out on this wonderful opportunity to connect and contribute! If you have any questions or want to learn more, feel free to reach out to the Director of Music, Markus Centola, email: mcentola@trinityhartford.org.

Prayer List

Should you like a name added to the Prayer List, please contact the office at office at Trinityhartford.org or 860-527-8133 ext. 204.

Please note that unless the office is otherwise notified, the name will be on the list for 4 weeks and then removed.

News from the Diocese

Click the link below to read up on what's going on in the Episcopal Church in Connecticut.

ECCT Newsletter - January 15, 2025

eVoice Deadline

All announcements should be submitted to the office at office@trinityhartford.org by Wednesday 9am for publication that week. Announcements that are submitted late will be held until the following week’s edition.