Trinity Tidings
September 2010
Trinity Episcopal Church, P.O. Box 635, Meredith, NH 03253, 603-279-6689
Web page – www.trinitymeredith.org
The Rt. Rev. Gene Robinson, Bishop
The Rev. Robin Thomas Soller, Rector, E-mail: robin.soller@trinitymeredith.org
The Rev. Roxane Gwyn, Deacon
Carol Twomey, Organist Ron Ummel, Choir Director Steve Johnson, Sexton
Church Office E-mail: churchoffice@trinitymeredith.org
MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of Trinity Episcopal Church, Meredith is to worship God and strengthen our spiritual life through prayer, education and outreach. Working together as the family of Christ, we seek to share God’s love, throughout our church, the community, and the world.
CALENDAR
WEEKLY EVENTS
Holy Eucharist: Sunday: 9:30 a.m.
1st and 3rd Sundays – Christian Education at 9:30 for 6 years through teens, Nursery care for younger children
Rector’s Office Hours – Tuesday 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. and by appointment
Christian Education: 5:00 p.m. Wednesday Pot luck supper 6:00 p.m. Wednesday
Holy Eucharist with Unction: 7:00 p.m. Wednesday
AUGUST
29, Sun Surprise Sunday
8:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist
9:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist
SEPTEMBER
1, Tue 10 – 12 Robin’s office hours
2, Wed. 5 p.m. Wednesday School education
6 p.m. Pot Luck Supper
7 p.m. Holy Eucharist with unction
3, Thu 9 a.m. Stewardship Ministry
5, Sun 8:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist
9:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist/Sunday School/Nursery
Last Sunday for two services
Ministry Minutes begin – Kickoff for Pledging
7, Tue 10 – 12 Robin’s office hours
7 p.m. Lakes Region Convocation – Trinity, Tilton
8, Wed 3:30 p.m. Prayer Group
5-7 p.m. Wednesday program (see above)
9, Thu 11 a.m. Golden View Holy Eucharist
12, Sun Reunion Sunday
9:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist
11:30 a.m. Church Picnic at Jackie Roy’s home
15, Wed 5-7 Wednesday program (see above)
16, Thu 5:30 p.m. Eating Right program
19, Sun 9:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist/Sunday School/Nursery Care
5 p.m. Newsletter deadline
21, Tue 10-12 Robin’s office hours
6 p.m. Education for Ministry begins
22, Wed. 5-7 p.m. Wednesday Program (see above)
23, Thu 6:30 p.m. Vestry meeting
26, Sun 9:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist with Choir
5 p.m. Newsletter Deadline
28, Tue 10 -12 Robin’s office hours
6 p.m. Education for Ministry
29, Wed 5-7 p.m. Wednesday Program (see above)
30, Thu 10 a.m. Newsletter collation
OCTOBER
3, Sun 9:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist/Sunday School/Nursery
1:30 p.m. Blessing of Animals – First Congregational Church
5, Tue 7 p.m. Lakes Region Convocation at Holy Spirit, Plymouth
10, Sun 9:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist/Choir sings
12, Tue 6 p.m. EfM
13, Wed 5-7 p.m. Wednesday Program (see above)
14, Thu 11 a.m. Golden View Holy Eucharist
16, Sat 5-7 p.m. Harvest Supper – benefits Habitat for Humanity
17, Sun 9:30 am Holy Eucharist/Sunday School/Nursery
18, Mon 6:30 p.m. Vestry Meeting
Standing Notices
All are welcome to share in communion at Trinity, including children.
The Rector has office hours on Tuesday mornings from 10 – 12, for those who want to drop in or call. She is also available at other times, by making an appointment, or calling ahead. The office hours are meant to be one set regular time that is consistent, but not the only availability. The Rector normally takes Friday as her day off.
In case of hospitalization or a death in the family or other pastoral needs, please notify the Rector.
In case of emergency, please leave a message at the church, and also call 998-9660. For non emergencies, please leave a message at the church, where messages are checked regularly.
Prayer list names may be given at any time. To include the last name on the written form, we request you
have permission of the person being prayed for.
The alcohol policy of the church is that with the exception of wine used for communion, there will be no
alcohol use on the property.
Vestry meetings are open to any member of the congregation who might like to listen in. If you have an item for the agenda, please let the Rector know by the week before the meeting.
Meetings should be scheduled through the church office, as we have a number of groups now using the
building.
Scheduling of baptisms and weddings require instruction and contact with the Rector.
The Church library is located in the undercroft. Please come and browse, and borrow books at any time.
Gluten free wafers are available for communion. Please alert the usher or priest before the service.
CONGRATULATIONS TO:
Ron and Meg Ummel, who celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary
WELCOME TO:
Francisca, an exchange student from Chile who will be a member of the Gustafson family this year.
Adrianna LoBianco, our new secretary, who will be working on Tuesday and Thursday mornings
Rest in Peace:
Marvin Moulton (Norma Hughes’ brother)
Ariana Sanabria
PRAYER LIST (08/23/10)
Glenda Lively Thomas Alan Bates Brett Follett
Pat Carmen Sanabria Barbara
Evelyn Hassell Jean Gould Cliff
Rondi Stevenson Sue Smith Tom H.
Norma Johnson Angela Krehan Paul Buell
Joe LaFrance Glenn & Maggie Crawford Sybil
Those serving in the military overseas, especially Justin Coletti and Emmanuel Garcia,
and all who strive for peace.
Thanks To:
Directory Updates
Jackie Roy’s E-mail address: jackieroy32@gmail.com
John and Beth Crandall will be at their Florida address full-time
Pat Carrasco
81 Randall Road 119 Panorama Drive
Moultonboro, NH 03254-3435 Boiling Springs, SC 29316-5634
603-707-2162 (cell)
Prayer Shawls/Knitting Ministry
A group of knitters has begun to gather regularly to work on making prayer shawls. Trinity has a great supply of yarn that can be used for these projects. They can also be crocheted, or quilted, or if you like to do fringe, you can help finish a shawl. Our next meeting will be Monday, September 27 at 3:30 p.m. and all are welcome to attend.
Meet our new secratary
Hi, my name is Adrianna. I’m the new office secretary here at Trinity. I just obtained my associates degree from UNH in applied business management. I live in Holderness, right near Squam Lake. A couple of my favorite things to do are fishing, swimming, playing tennis, dancing and drawing. I look forward to meeting everyone! J
You may have heard the news that food pantries around New Hampshire are struggling to keep up with the need for food to provide to hungry people. The Meredith Emergency Food pantry is no exception.
When there are items in the blue basket in the narthex, or designated monetary donations in the collection plate, Jim and Gertie McGlinchey bring them down to the food pantry. Wouldn’t it be great if the basket was full at the end of each Sunday? Or, if there were monetary gifts in the collection plate each week?
Monetary donations, whatever the amount, are good because the food bank can purchase what is needed, often at discounted rates.
Wondering what to put into the basket? Here are a few ideas:
Hearty canned soups
Crackers (Try for those that include some whole grains or whole wheat)
Canned fruit especially peaches, pears, or pineapple
Chili
Stews
Canned turkey, chicken, or tuna
Cereals (especially ones that contain whole grains)
Canned baked beans
Tomato sauce
Canned vegetables – especially green beans, other beans, carrots, and low sodium varieties
Pasta
Macaroni and cheese
Tomato juice
Vestry Highlights
Your Vestry met on Monday, August 16th and is pleased to provide the following highlights from the meeting:
1. Minutes from the July meeting were reviewed and approved.
2. The treasurer's report was reviewed for income and expenses through July and approved.
3. Ursula Allen will assemble a Memorial Garden committee for a meeting pursuant to use and care of the garden. Of particular interest will be preparation of procedures and policy for interment in the garden,
4. Robin advised she will be attending the Episcopal CREDO conference in Arizona later this fall.
5. Jane Webb advised she has obtained a new guidebook for child and nursery care during our Sunday morning church services.
6. Lisa Garcia and Deacon Roxanne Gwyn are pleased to announce the planning for cooking classes as part of the church's food related ministry is coming together well. Classes will be held at our kitchen for low income people to improve their selection and preparation of healthy foods in their diet.
7. The meeting with Bishop Robinson on July 24th at Ursula and John Allen's home with members of the vestry and the Bishop's Sunday morning service were most enjoyable and well received by those in attendance. Topics of Diocesan direction and growth were covered with candid discussion at July 24th meeting and dinner
8. The program for replacement of the church pews with new chair-type congregational seating is moving well. Informative and open forum meetings with members of the congregation following Sunday service have been held. A committee will be formed to continue with the informative process with parishioners and for discussion and resolution of concerns raised as part of the planning process. Points of interest have been raised with respect to space usage, arrangement example visuals, color and type of chair, number of chairs to be purchased, sample chair(s) trial prior to selection, cleaning, restoration of church sanctuary floor, special seating for handicapped, options for kneeling, book racks, and schedule date(s) for replacement. The congregation will continue to be consulted for comment and informed of progress as the process continues.
Respectfully submitted, Don Margeson for the Vestry
Stewardship Ministry
Dear Friends,
If we could share in the celebration of the Lord’s Supper with Christians during the early centuries after the resurrection of Jesus, we would receive the familiar bread and wine and maybe, probably to our surprise, a piece of fish.
Succulent fresh fish as we take it for granted on our dinner tables was for the fortunate few only, but salted, dried fish was essential for the nutrition of the ordinary people whose diet was otherwise poor in protein. The fish was so essential for healthy life that it soon became a symbol for Christ. In the catacombs where the early Christians met in times of persecution they often added the fish to their paintings of the Eucharistic bread and wine, and the letters in the Greek word for fish are the beginning letters of Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior.
At this time when the need for food is so urgent in our own country as well as the world over, the Stewardship Ministry has chosen the fish as the icon for our upcoming stewardship campaign. We are grateful that as a congregation we may help meet some of the needs around us as we contribute to the local food pantry, as we prepare for the “Eat Right” classes at Trinity, and as we renew our involvement with the soup kitchen in Center Harbor. There are many other ways in which we as a parish or as individuals reach out to the world, and we rejoice in all of them.
We also rejoice that we are called to nurture each other and do so all the time through worship and prayer, through shared work and relaxed fellowship, through grieving and rejoicing with each other. We nurture each other through the faithful loving care our rector gives us. We nurture each other through the beauty and comfort of our church home.
As you prepare to fill out your pledge card please keep in mind the wonderful nurturing you provide for yourself and others. We little fishes are called to follow the Fish who leads us in the way of life. Thanks be to God.
Ursula Allen
Wednesday School
Our Wednesday education program has had a great time making our way through the Prayer Book, in no particular order. As we look ahead, we are hoping to begin another book study in the next few weeks. At the moment we are spending some time with the Catechism, which is an outline of our faith, in question and answer form. Come and join us any Wed. at 5 p.m. Stay for supper and/or the Eucharist at 7, where we celebrated the saint of the day.
Church Kitchen Painting Team
Don Margeson will be continuing with the upgrade and improvements to the undercroft and kitchen beginning soon after the church supper August 21st. Don is seeking 3-4 people to assist in the planning and execution of painting of the kitchen. The plan is to select color, prepare a sequence of work, and a timetable for completion prior to the next church supper. Please call Don (253-1051) or see him at the next Sunday service to be part of this team to complete a much needed task to 'sparkle' up our kitchen. Many thanks!
Bereavement Support Group August – September 2010
Once again Community Health and Hospice will be offering a 6-week Bereavement Support Group. This will be a series of evening meetings, held at CH&H’s office at 780 North Main Street in Laconia. John Davies, CH&H Chaplain and Bereavement Coordinator, and Twila Broadway, Hospice Bereavement Volunteer, will be the group facilitators.
The purpose of the Support Group is to give people the opportunity to learn about the grief process, discuss their own particular ways of coping with loss, and to gain the support of others in safe and caring ways. Although grief is a unique experience through which each person finds his or her own way, there are common threads we all share when facing this experience.
For more information or to register for the group, call John Davies at 524-8444.
Church Picnic
Please join in celebrating our Reunion Sunday (when we resume one Sunday worship service) and the beginning of our Pledge campaign, with a time for fellowship, creativity, and feasting. Jackie and Joe Roy have invited us to their home, at 8 Oak Knoll Road (turn right from church, right on Barnard Ridge, and right onto Oak Knoll)
The church will supply items for grilling – burgers (veggie and meat, hot dogs) and buns, and you are invited to bring a salad, side dish, drink or dessert to share.
Robin’s Reflections
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
God’s grace is always a wonderful gift of surprise. It reminds us of all the ways that God is at work in the world around us, and calls us more deeply into our faith and the making of connections.
For example, today we sang hymns at the later service that were chosen before I had worked through most of my sermon preparation, when I didn’t really have a sense of where I was heading. While I helped to choose the hymns, I didn’t read through every word of each one. Yet when I ended up preaching about the woman who praised God when she was set free of her ailment, by a gift of grace, the word praise showed up in almost every hymn. It wasn’t until I was on my way home that I realized that the final hymn, which included the words “the Holy Spirit must come down and set God’s people free”, also drew more deeply the sense of being set free of all that keeps us from living fully, as happened for that woman, and can be true for each of us, through no action of our own.
The same grace and connectivity is true of our liturgy and of Scripture. There is so much more to the words that what we hear and say and take in on any given experience. There is such richness and joy in the Scripture, and in our liturgy. We all make our own individual connections to what we experience, and when we begin to share those with others, there is even a greater magnitude of faith. I hope that you find opportunities to share with others the ways that God is at work in your life, the grace that comes when someone mentions an author that you had just encountered and reinforces your leading into deeper faith. Grace is all around.
When we are open to those moments of grace and to God calling us more deeply into our faith and our life, then we see even more connections, and the joy of God in all things and all people. May we be blessed with the grace of the Holy Spirit, and move more fully into the life that God shares with us.
Faithfully,
The Rev. Robin Thomas Soller, Rector