Trinity Church Newsletter

Dear Trinity , Today as I write my letter, I mourn a hero of our faith. The Rev. Billy Graham passed away this week at 99 years old. A friend of mine on hearing the news exclaimed the way many of us did, “so close (to 100).” He is perhaps best known for his preaching and unique ability to speak above the things that divide us as Christians. In fact he was one of the only evangelicals to be able to meet with Catholics and Protestants and share the good news with a unity that Jesus calls for in John 17:20-26. This preaching has led so many to faith. And I earnestly say he called them to faith because his crusades were more than just responding to a call because his teams connected those who came forward to the resounding call of “Just as I am” to local churches so that the spark that God brought forth through the crusades could grow into a relationship. Now I also know that Rev. Graham was not a saint as none of us are, I still admire his faith, teaching, and pure love that showed in

“I have learned in life that even if there are difficulties, you have to fight very hard until you reach your goal.” ~ Maria (8 th grade at Casa Chapi) “Tell them thank you, for we are mothers who cannot read.   Tell them to build more Casa Chapis.   I would like that.   I would like that a lot.”   ~ Santusa, mother of a Casa Chapi student Casa Chapi is a boarding school just outside of Chivay,   the capital of the Caylloma province in the Arequipa region of Peru.   It sits at 11,000 feet above sea level in the Colca Canyon.   While this is a destination for people from all over the world who want to trek the Andes Mountains, it is also home to people who live in such poverty that I cannot find an adequate word.   Poverty here does not even come close. My first visit to Peru was in 2007.   I’m not a big traveler and had only been out of the country once for a visit to the Holy Land.   I headed out with Joni and Friends’ Wheels for the World Mission in Arequipa, Peru.   It ju

What’s Going On? By Pastor Chris A few months ago, I shared that there were several safety concerns in the Gathering Hall that needed to be addressed. These issues included but were not limited to a worn out carpet that has become a trip hazard, a stage that at times creaks and is soft in places, and electrical issues that plague our sound system. With the help of the staff and the leadership team, we have found a way to resolve these issues and to give a face lift to the Gathering Hall. Late last fall, the leadership team voted to take on the project of renovating the Gathering Hall centered on these concerns, as well as, wanting to make sure we made changes that would last another 25 years. They allocated money from our Foundation (that saw a great year in interest last year) to make these changes. With this approval we sought multiple bids for flooring, paint, sound, wall repair, and electrical work. We now have settled on a few vendors and work will begin soon. I wanted to

What’s Happening in March 2—Blood Drive 10am—4 pm 3—Men’s Breakfast 7:30-9:30 10—Gathering Hall Tear-down 10am 11—Daylight Savings Time 17—Easter Egg Hunt 4:00 pm 17—St. Patrick’s Day Potluck and game night 4:30—7:00pm 27—Sewing for Missions 9am—2pm 30—Good Friday Community Prayer Windshield Tour 6:00pm

  Easter Egg Hunt This year we will be having our annual Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, March 17, at 4:00 pm, at Trinity Church.   Please join us and be sure to bring a friend. St. Patrick’s Day Potluck and Game Night Stick around for the St. Patrick's Day Potluck and game night from 4:30—7:00 pm.   Sandwiches and Green River Floats will be provided . Bring a dessert or side dish if you wish. Bring along a game or deck of cards to enjoy afterwards. Sign ups are in the ministry center.

Easter Transformation We will offer folks an opportunity to purchase real lilies for Easter but we will also continue our tradition of having paper lilies. For every ten dollars donated we will hang a paper lily in the narthex. All the money that is raised through the paper lilies will go to help our young people have life changing opportunities in their lives. This money will be divided evenly between scholarships for our children to go to church camp and our young adults to attend Momentum. These two events can provide life changing moments for our young people to grow deeper in their relationship with Jesus Christ. With the help of this campaign last year we were able to send many kids to camp for the first time. And we are happy to offer again this year camp scholarships at the rate of 75% of the total cost. For more information about camp and scholarships contact Debbie Miller.

Good Friday Good Friday is the day we celebrate/remember Christ death on the cross. This year to remember this we will have a special service beginning at 6pm. This will be an interactive service inspired by our “for” series that focusses on our community. We will be taking a prayer tour of our community. We will have a few vehicles and welcome others to caravan with us as we tour our neighborhood and pray for our neighbors and community partners. We hope to see you there as we celebrate Christ’s sacrifice for us and remember the mission that calls us to share this love with the world. (We will also be taking part in a traditional community service with our sister church Faith UMC at noon and welcome you to join us.)