Trinity Church Newsletter

Dear Trinity Family, The Advent season is upon us. Advent is a time for us to prepare our hearts and minds for the coming of Christ. This preparation is both a celebration of Christ’s entry into this world in Bethlehem, but also a hope that Christ will come again in final victory. To help us on this Advent journey, we are centering our thoughts on Jesus, the real reason for the season, with the sermon series, “Silent Night.” This is to celebrate the 200 th anniversary of the Christmas song “Silent Night.” To go along with this series, we will be doing some things that help us to celebrate Jesus’ birth. One of the key ways we can celebrate Jesus’ birthday is to think about what we are going to spend on Christmas. I am not suggesting that we tend toward the side of Ebenezer Scrooge, but that we really think about whether what we are spending brings honor and glory to our Lord Jesus Christ. This question may lead us to find that we need to cut back on what we spend on ourselves and

We had a lovely evening with friends and family who came to hear more about Quechua Benefit.   There was one question that we were asked more than once.   It’s a common question.   “If they go away from their villages to learn and then experience the city, doesn’t that jeopardize their villages when they don’t go back?”   Many people assume that once the children are educated and have had “wordly” experiences, they would not want to return to their own people.   Last week, I received three interviews from the staff at Quechua Benefit Peru.   I would like to share with you the impact that Quechua Benefit is having on the children and two adults we met while on the trip. The mayor of Ichupampa is in her late 20s.   When Ichupampa experienced an earthquake that destroyed 80% of the village 3 years ago, she went to work gathering government support for rebuilding.   They will now have a new sewer system and potable water.   That’s better than before.   She is a product of programs in

What’s Going On (by Pastor Chris) Some of you may or may not be aware that we as a church have a Cares Team. This team is a church-driven group of servants that provide care to the congregation. Now I know this needs a little explanation because we all have different definitions and expectations of what care looks like in the church. The Cares Team provides basic support to persons in the church who are going through a tough time because of illness or loss in the family. They provide meals and other limited services for those that need and want the extra help. (One important note is that this group is not a replacement for professional assistance like home health care, mental health support, Noble County Transit, or many other forms of assistance available in our area.) The best way to describe it is an organized way for the church to be the church. To help better understand what the Cares Team does, here are a few frequently asked questions. What role do the pastors play in the

A Message From Mike Safley of Quechua Benefit Angie I have been thinking about you and the mission you so expertly led. The philosophy of involvement and relationship building by the volunteers is most often absent from volunteer effort. I have been considering why this is so important an ingredient. I think that the answer lies in the fact that the volunteers built something that will last. In the case of your group you made an improvement to the green house that will add productivity to Casa Chapi over the years. But even more importantly the group helped create memories for the children that will remain with them their entire life. Too often a child’s memories in the highland are best forgotten. These kids went shopping for the first time, saw the condors fly, rode an escalator, visited their new home for the next phase of their life and met people from far away that showed them love. We have had lots of missionaries in Peru and at Casa Chapi. To be honest they are

A Fun Game We are going to have a contest to see if you can name Pastor Chris’ favorite Christmas songs (this year.) There will be prizes for whoever correctly guesses his favorite songs first. He has picked a classic song and a contemporary song and as we get closer he will release hints. This should be a lot of fun. A good hint to start us off is to not ask his wife because she will just tell you she does not know because it changes all the time