Your Trinity Herald Newsletter!

November 2024

We are entering the Season of Gratitude as November unfolds for Trinity UMC. We have many opportunities this month for gathering to give thanks to God through worship, fellowship, study, and service. One key component to worship is the act of giving: we give our prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness. The theme for our stewardship focus this year is a “Season of Gratitude,” and we will hear several testimonies from laity and clergy to inspire us.

The month of Gratitude begins with All Saints’ Sunday on November 3. This sacred service will allow us to remember Trinity’s members who have entered the Church Triumphant this past year. “Well done, good and faithful servants.” We are grateful for these saints:

Nancy Kitts, Rev. John Ripley, Viola Frazier, Christine Taylor, Phyllis Reed, Sadie Kinnamon, Gladys Dunaway, and Janet Blevins.

I am grateful, also, for the generous responses you have made in recent weeks to Holston’s Flood Relief ($5,280 and 50 cases of bottled water), for helping to host our Kids’ Fall Fest, providing snacks for Wesley House’s after-school ministry, supplying household items for the families of Bridge Refugee Services, the perpetual generosity for our food pantry ministry, and the essential offerings and prayers for our weekly ministries. May the Lord richly bless you for being a blessing to others!

To learn more about living a grateful life, be present for worship and Wednesday evening programs this month. We will welcome Rev. Mark Gooden, VP for Development at Holston Foundation, to speak with us about developing a generous lifestyle, Wednesday, November 13, 6:30 p.m. Another treasure you won’t want to miss is the testimony of Trinity’s own Rev. Mark Flynn, who will be our keynote speaker and guest preacher for the Season of Gratitude on Sunday, November 17. Our Consecration Service will be held during worship on November 24 as we dedicate our pledged offerings to the Lord.

Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday! I am grateful for you!

Blessings,

Barbara

November 3: Revelation 21:1-6a

November 10: Mark 12:38-44

November 17: 2 Peter 1:1-8

November 24: Matthew 6:25-33

Scripture Readers

November 3: Don Manley

November 10: Teresa Gross

November 17: Pam Cunningham

November 24: Pat Gillespie

Soup’s On!

The last day to order is Sunday, November 3. You can pick up your soup on Saturday, November 9 between 11:30 am and 12:30 pm at Trinity. We will have extra soup, cornbread, and cookies available on Sunday, November 10 if you missed out.

We will offer two kinds of soup:

Chicken Noodle

Made with savory rotisserie chicken and egg noodles

Mimi’s Italian Bean Soup

A brothy bean, ham, and elbow macaroni soup with garlic and Italian spices. Delicisos!

$10 for soup, corn muffins, and our famously huge chocolate chip cookies.

Music in Motion

Wednesday, November 6 - 6:30 pm—7:15 pm

Wednesday, November 13- 6:30 pm—7:15 pm

Wednesday, November 20 - 6:30 pm—7:15 pm

Wednesday, November 27 - No Rehearsal! Happy Thanksgiving!

Our grief support group meets on Tuesdays from 11:00 am until Noon in the Parlor.

This is a group for persons who have experienced loss of any type. Confidentiality is primary. We are using Kate Bowler's book, 100 Blessings for Imperfect Days, as a guide. If you or someone you know would like to join this group, please see Pastor Barbara for details.

In Memory of

Sadie Kinnamon

Given by

Her Family

Betty Wallace

Ken and Polly McNutt

Betty Hall

Annual Christmas Brunch is December 7 at 10am . Tickets are $20 and will be available each Sunday. See Betty Wallace. The Trinity crafters have been busy making items for sale at the brunch. Men again are invited to attend and we ask that you make arrangements for young children.

Funds after expenses paid will benefit the church general fund.

Hope to see you there.

Operational Fund Balance as of the close of September:

$47,866

New for 2023: The Secure 2.0 Act raised the age that account owners must begin taking RMDs. For 2023, the age at which account owners must start taking required minimum distributions goes up from age 72 to age 73, so individuals born in 1951 must receive their first required minimum distribution by April 1, 2025.

For those 73 or older with retirement accounts that require an annual minimum withdrawal, there is an option to make a direct distribution to a qualified charitable organization (QCD) and have that amount count toward the minimum distribution but not count toward taxable income. Trinity UMC is a qualified 501 (c) 3.

This option may be appealing to some since the 2018 changes to our tax law made it more difficult to have a charitable donation deduction. Please check with your brokerage /account manager to see if this is an option that might be beneficial to you as you meet your annual commitment to Trinity.

IRA owners age 73 or older may now make a one-time qualified charitable distribution (QCD) of up to $50,000 from an IRA to fund a charitable life income gift vehicle (CGA or CRT). Payments can be made to a donor and/or donor’s spouse. This is great news for individuals who do not need their Required Minimal Distribution and non-profits/churches who need funding and welcome this new opportunity to support their mission. (Source: Holston Foundation)

We distribute food on Wednesdays 10 am to 12 pm at the main entrance.

For Those In Need

We have no qualifying requirements. If you are in need of food, just ask! Food is available on a first-come-first-served basis on Wednesdays. We suggest that you call the church office at (865) 588-5763 before you arrive to make sure we still have food available that day.

For Those Who Wish To Help

Prayer: Ask our Lord to help us have the resources we need, the people to volunteer, and an end to hunger.

Time: Our Food Pantry gives every church member an opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus. On a weekly basis, we take inventory, shop for groceries, pack the food bags, and distribute the food bags. If you have the time to help with any of these tasks, just ask and we’ll find a place for you.

Donations: We have a large collection box located at the entrance to the Sanctuary. Below is a list of the items we routinely need!

Food Pantry Shopping List

Canned Tuna or Chicken

Canned Fruit & Vegetables

Boxed Breakfast Cereal

Peanut Butter

Jelly

Boxed Mac & Cheese

Spaghetti Noodles

Pasta Sauce

Rice

Club or Saltine Crackers

Mike Ooten is looking for a few good people who are interested in learning to video the Sunday morning worship and then edit the video and upload the service to Facebook and YouTube.

If you are interested in learning the processes and volunteers, please talk to Mike or email him at mike.ooten@knoxtrinity.org