Why a Newsletter?

When I came to Trinity 8 years ago, the church was doing what many churches and organizations do: publishing a monthly newsletter with a variety of articles about upcoming and recent events. Ultimately, we reached the conclusion that, given the changes in the way people received information, it made more sense to switch to a shorter weekly email focused on current and upcoming events in the life of the congregation. The vast majority of our people subscribe to this email, and those who do not receive a monthly digest of that information sent to their homes.

While switching to this format has accomplished our goals, one thing that was sacrificed in that transition was an opportunity to reflect on past events, with the opportunities for remembrance, celebration, and thanksgiving that such reflection provides.

So, we are trying an experiment: we are publishing an occasional newsletter, that would be published perhaps two or three times a year, and that is focused primarily on highlighting recent past happenings. This first edition is composed mainly of staff contributions, and focuses on those areas that we, as Trinity staff, identified. It includes both text and photos, and covers primarily (though not exclusively) the Lent and Easter periods.

We hope you enjoy it, and we hope you will let us know what you think!

Peace,

Matthew+

The Trinity Newsletter

In ThIs EdITIon

Easter Review

Healing the Heart of Democracy

An Illustrated Lent

Lenten Garden of Prayer

Children’s Ash Tuesday Service

The Easter Basket Build

New Creation Dinners

Youth Mission Trip to DC

The Bingo Dinner

The Rector’s Class: Mystics

Interfaith Focus

The Festival of Music

Pastoral Care Changes

Jail Ministry

Redwood Family House

Rebuilding Together

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May 2017

Easter and Holy Week

Holy Week and Easter is always a special time at Trinity. From Palm Sunday’s procession, reminding us of the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem where he was acclaimed by the crowds, only to have those same crowds call for his crucifixion, to our intimate Maundy Thursday and Good Friday services that deepen our sense of Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion, to the Easter Vigil – small this year, but nonetheless powerful – where we welcome the newly baptized and proclaim the arrival of Easter: it is a deeply meaningful season. Then, of course, there is Easter morning, which we celebrate with such exuberance, and which, this year, attracted even larger crowds than last year!

These services don’t just happen by themselves, of course. There are so many people who work to make them possible. Our deep thanks goes to the Flower Guild, Altar Guild, Choir, Bell Choir, acolytes, ushers and chalice bearers who work so hard in this season to help us all have a powerful experience of God’s presence among us, and to celebrate the Risen Christ.

And, of course, to all of you who attend these services and contribute your faith and your energy, and who work to welcome the many guests that we host, particularly on Easter morning.

As we celebrated the Risen Christ this Easter, may we carry that spirit of joy and that energy with us through the summer and into the Fall!

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Healing the Heart of Democracy & Faith in Action

This year for our Lenten study we invited the congregation to join together in reading Parker Palmer’s Healing the Heart of Democracy. We chose it in light of the political climate our country faces, and the deep yearning that many of us share in wanting to learn how to engage these conversations in a meaningful and life-giving way. Palmer’s text gave us a wonderful starting point as it focused on relationships and conversation, especially with those whom we often disagree, and a starting point towards moving our democracy forward.

Around twenty parishioners engaged in small groups throughout Lent. As a group they read and discussed together, wrestling with the challenging tasks that Palmer lays out. Many more parishioners read along on their own, and the clergy blogged weekly as they read through the text as well. It proved to be meaningful for many people, and gave life to interesting conversations and sermons for Trinity.

Part of the work we engaged in this Lenten season, in light of Palmer’s text and our current political climate, also had us discerning our call to faith in action. A group met one Sunday in Lent to begin discussing how we at Trinity, might engage our civic duty as Episcopalians. Following the work set out through the Episcopal Public Policy Network, we explored what topics the church and our bishops’ had called the Episcopal Church to engage in. This led to a couple groups from Trinity attending the March for Science and the March Against Climate Change. They represented Trinity and the Episcopal Church’s commitment to caring for the Earth.

An Illustrated Lent

Over the weeks of Lent during Sunday morning programming, lunch formation sessions, and youth group on Sunday evenings, youth as well as some children and adults colored a set of the Stations of the Cross. It was time to hear and see the story of Jesus in a new way. These stations were then used in the wider church’s Good Friday Service.

Patrick Kangrga, Trinity Church’s Associate for Youth Ministries introduced these Stations of the Cross with two purposes. First, giving the youth another practice in which to engage with their faith and the story of God and Jesus. Second, to provide a way for youth to interact with the wider congregation. The youth will see their work and prayerful coloring put to good use as they see their finished stations hung up in church or witness adults and others moving through the Stations on Good Friday. This is one of many ways in which the youth are attempting to have more interaction with the wider congregation.

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Lenten Garden of Prayer

Just as Jesus knew the need for spiritual nourishment, we too have a need to be fed through the presence of God. During the season of Lent, we invited all in our congregation to visit “The Garden of Prayer” and experience a variety of models for personal prayer that provided nourishment for their souls. Prayer “stations” that reflect a variety of Spiritual Practices were set up to provide opportunities for personal reflection and meditation. A Prayer Garden, like worship, is a place for the head and the heart. It is a place for learning about and engaging in an experience of the living God. It is sacred space, holy ground and a time set apart. It is self-guided and self-paced. In the Garden, participants are invited to be comfortable, to visit and revisit, to rest and renew, to play and pray, to experiment and try things out.

Spiritual Practices offered in Trinity Church’s Prayer Garden included praying with art, praying with crosses, praying with a labyrinth, praying with beads, using the prayer loom, and praying with music.

For those who wanted to respond to their time of prayer in tactile ways, there were materials provided throughout the Garden that encourage creativity and response. We invited all to respond to God with gifts of their choosing. Trinity Church’s Garden of Prayer was open every Monday – Thursday during Lent to all in our congregation. The prayer loom is still being used in the Youth Group’s room and will be brought back at different times during the year.

Children’s Ash Tuesday Service

On Shrove Tuesday, we hosted our annual Pancake Supper at 5:30 p.m. in Trinity Hall. Families and parishioners of all ages joined together for one last splurge before the season of Lent began on Ash Wednesday. Pancakes, bacon, sausage and other indulgent breakfast foods were prepared by our Kitchen Crew and enjoyed by over 50 people.

As part of our evening festivities, we hosted a Ash Tuesday service for children and families. After enjoying pancakes and mask making, the children “buried” a stark Alleluia banner under the altar in the church, where it stayed until Easter morning when it was unburied in full color and will continue to be displayed in church until Pentecost. The main Ash Tuesday service was held in the chapel and presided over by Rev. Elizabeth. The family-friendly, instructional service included the children making their Lenten promises on butterflies that were transformed into a banner and flown in the church on Easter.

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The Easter Basket Build

In 2008, The Tambling Family called up a shelter during Holy Week and learned that families needed Easter Baskets. They built over 20 at their home and saw the need from the shelters for more baskets. In 2009, they asked the Trinity clergy if they could use the Church fellowship hall for the build that year so more baskets could be built. That year the Build provided over 200 Easter baskets and Trinity’s Easter Basket Build was born. It then grew from there to over 300-325 baskets per year for local organizations.

Shelters are often forgotten at Easter and these groups that the build serves really appreciate the baskets. Many of these kids would not have an Easter Basket were it not for the Build. And, many of these families have really gone through some times that are hard for any adult much less a child. A bright and shiny Easter basket helps provide hope of better days to come. As Easter is a holiday about hope, renewal and fresh starts, the Easter Basket Build is a great way to share that hope with others and celebrate Easter at Trinity.

The Build serves three family shelters and the Redwood City Friends of Literacy at the Redwood City Library which runs after-school and evening literacy programs for children. Over 90% of the children in the literacy program are on assisted lunch at school.

The 2017 Build was incredibly successful. By hosting the Build after our 10 am service, many families were able to participate.The Build is a great intergenerational event and a service project families can all do together. Even very young children can follow the instructions and build a basket for a child. Older members become reacquainted with their inner Easter Bunny. Baskets this year were even able to go to Redwood Family House, one of our ongoing Outreach partnerships.

Thank you to everyone who came and helped us build over 300 baskets this year. And a huge thank you to Holly Tambling and her family for facilitating this wonderful outreach opportunity.

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New Creations Dinners

This year, the Family Ministries Commission selected a local charity, New Creation Home Ministries, for a Lenten service project. We partnered with New Creation Home Ministries to provide dinner and childcare for the mothers and children one Tuesday evening in March, April and May. We invited all in our congregation to prepare and serve dinner; over 15 people in our congregation assisted during these meals and Heather Noone facilitated a life skills class for the moms. New Creation Home Ministries is an East Palo Alto residential home and community facility that supports teen mothers by providing them emotional and physical support.

Our Explorer’s class also ran a collection drive for New Creation Home Ministries where the Explorers collected house cleaning supplies, toiletries, food and other household items for their Lenten service project. In May, they prepared and served a meal for the families and helped take care of their children while the moms went through a life skills class led by Elise Jones and Michelle Koglin.

Thank you to all who supported the Explorer’s Lenten project!

Youth Group Mission Trip D.C.

Trinity Church’s youth group will be on a mission trip in Washington D.C. from Saturday, June 17th-Saturday, June 24th. This week will include service to various communities in need in the Washington D.C. area as well as an exploration of both faith and politics. Through seeing Congress in session and meeting with our elected representative, Congresswoman Anna Eshoo, as well as meeting with individuals and groups of faith that are involved in political action, youth will learn about various ways to be good citizens and potentially ways that their faith lives might come into play in regards to their civic lives. The youth group will visit cultural points of interest such as the National Mall, the Smithsonian Museums, the African-American Museum and the National Cathedral. Along the way much fun and fellowship will take place.

Other highlights of the trip will include: Worship at the National Cathedral, a Scavenger Hunt (Mall/Smithsonian), a Work day with Youth Service Opportunities Project, a Tour of the National Church’s Office of Government Relations and a Capitol Tour, a Tour the United Nations Information Center, and a Tour and Media Simulation with Faith in Public Life.

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Bingo Dinner: Youth Group Fundraiser

On Sunday April 2, the youth group’s annual Bingo Dinner fundraiser was held in Trinity Hall. Over 80 members of the congregation and the wider community came together raising over $7,000 to support the youth group’s mission trip to Washington D.C. in June.

The room was decked out in all things red, white, and blue. Other decorations included life-size cardboard cutouts of the White House and the Washington Monument. The Skeleton of a dinosaur as well as an astronaut were present to represent the Smithsonian Natural History and Air and Space museums, respectively.

Attendees began by enjoying pasta prepared by Chef Bob Cleveland and Trinity Church’s Kitchen Crew. Patrick Kangrga, Trinity’s Associate for Youth Ministries, welcomed all who were present and introduced the emcees for the evening. “Back from the grave,” Alexander Hamilton (Bruce Deal) and Thomas Jefferson (Stephen Andrew) began with a few jokes followed by games of bingo.

In-between games, a live auction was held. Three items were up for bid. The first was a weekend at a beach house at Aptos, California donated by Shirley and Harry Hagey. There was also a weekend at a home in Stinson Beach, California donated by Michael and Frannie Kieschnick. Attendees bid on a pair of tickets to the musical, Hamilton, and dinner for two in San Francisco, as well. There were additional items available in a silent auction, including lunch with Congresswoman Anna Eshoo.

As the evening ended sharply at 8pm having begun two hours earlier, attendees trickled out as they collected their winnings or shared a final laugh with those at their table. According to attendees, youth, Trinity Staff, and volunteers, the event was a great success. The youth group is already planning for Bingo Dinner 2018.

Thanks to everyone in the congregation who leant their support to our youth!

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The rector’s Class: Mystical Christianity

Each year, Rev. Matthew leads a class on Monday evenings (with content repeated on Wednesday mornings) on a topic related to our spiritual journey. This year, the class focused on the mystical tradition in Christianity.

From mid-October through March, we explored that tradition, beginning with the “desert fathers and mothers”, the first Christians to go into the desert to find themselves and to find God. These desert saints initially led solitary lives as hermits, but many became well known for their way of life and their wisdom, and people would seek them out for advice. They also became guides to others who entered the desert to follow their example. The desert fathers and mothers became the basis for the eventual development of the Christian monastic tradition.

Our explorations took us beyond the desert, to sample the writings of mystics over the centuries. Some of those – like St. Theresa of Avila and Thomas Merton – are rather well known. Others, not so much.

So what is a mystic? Basically, a mystic is a person who seeks to experience God through the use of contemplative prayer techniques. It was clear from our explorations that the mystics are often difficult to penetrate. In part, because their context is often so different from ours, and, in part, because they are attempting to describe their experiences of God in human language, which is simply inadequate to the task.

What seemed to emerge clearly from our studies is that, ultimately, experiences of God take a person beyond what she or he knows about God, beyond all of the categories and language we use to talk about God. It is a reminder that the mystery of God truly goes beyond anything we can imagine, to paraphrase St. Paul. But it is also clear that those who have had a profound glimpse of this mystery, a taste of God, if you will, are deeply affected and transformed by it.

In the end, our exploration of the mystics helped us to think about where we experience God in our own lives, how our own spiritual practices help that to happen, and how our way of life can facilitate our experience of God’s presence or get in the way of that experience.

InTErfaITh focus EmErgIng for 2017-2018

As we enter the second year of our three-year plan this Fall, we will begin to focus on interfaith work addressing our Muslim neighbors. The clergy are working with a great planning team — Lynn Pieron, Jeannie Thomas, Jane Phillips, MaryAnn Sabelman, and Anita Seipp — and elements of our interfaith work will be showing up in many parts of our life and ministry. We will preview this exciting and informative initiative during the 10:00 service on June 11th. Stay tuned and get involved!

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Festival of Music

On Sunday, May 21, we celebrated our wonderful music programs with the annual Festival of Music. Every year we take this opportunity to celebrate the diverse musical talents at Trinity. As Ron Valentino says, it’s like a one hour Episcopalian Coachella in the way that four very different groups perform.

Our Bluegrass Group brings a great mix of singers and musicians together under the direction of Nat Lewis. They bring impressive solos, awesome vocals, and a unique sound through banjos, mandolins, and fiddles. Their rendition of I’ll Fly Away was a familiar classic and a fantastic offering at the festival. OMG (the Once a Month Group) under the direction of Ron Mancini, is like time traveling back to the folk music movement of the 60’s and 70’s. Ron treats us with his wonderful guitar playing and Meg Rorden’s lovely harmonies are a beautiful addition to their music. Follow The Light is one of the inspirational anthems you heard from OMG at the festival. The Trinity Ringers under the direction of Rick Hoffmeister is always a highlight. The congregation LOVES when the bells play! And they’re fabulous. The Ringers played some solo pieces and teamed up with the choir for Paul Halley’s Ubi Caritas, which the choir did for Bishop Marc’s visit last Fall. Bishop Marc loved it so much that he invited the choir and bells to perform it at Grace Cathedral next June. Rounding all of this out is the core of our musical team at Trinity, and that which is nearest and dearest to many of us. The 23 voice adult choir sings everything from Brubeck to Beethoven. They brought a diverse cross section of anthems at the Festival, demonstrating their incredible range and highlighting the morning with many lovely and unique voices.

Thank you all for being such wonderful supporters of our music ministry. And a special thank you to all our musicians and choir members who give so much of their time and talent to music at Trinity!

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Pastoral Care

Three years ago we launched Stephen Ministries as a lay-based pastoral care program. Stephen Ministers go through fifty hours of training to provide ongoing pastoral care to members of our congregation. Our team has become a vital part of pastoral care at Trinity. Currently we have six active Stephen Ministers who meet regularly with care receivers and with one another for ongoing support and learning.

Since this program launched we have wondered how best to make it grow and thrive, and how best to modify it to meet the needs of Trinity and our community. While the lengthy training provides an incredibly solid foundation in pastoral care, it also presents a barrier in bringing new members onboard to our program. The structure of Stephen Ministries has not always allowed us to have the flexibility we need to address the pastoral concerns of the community. The leadership team of Stephen Ministries, and all of our Stephen Ministers, have been in ongoing conversations about our next step. We’ve learned a great deal from Stephen Ministries, and we recognize the time has come to launch our own program that allows for flexible training, a variety of skills, and a thriving pastoral ministry.

In the Fall of 2017 we will be launching a new pastoral care program at Trinity. Our hope is that it provides training at a variety of levels and time commitments, so that all who feel called to caring for others have a place where they can share their gifts. Our program will allow parents and children to become part of our visiting team, bringing some of the light of Trinity to our homebound parishioners. We will keep many of the best practices from Stephen Ministry, including the community created around our caregivers, and the ongoing learning that we constantly engage in. Our new program will allow new trainees to discern what gifts they have to offer the community, and allow us match those gifts with those in need at Trinity.

It is our great hope that you will think and pray about how God might call you to care for others at Trinity and in our wider community. It is one of the unique gifts of being within this sort of community, that we have the opportunity to care for one another, and be cared for.. We hope you’ll join us.

Jail Ministry

In the Planning Extravaganza event last Spring, the outreach visioning group overwhelmingly voted to support the pursuit of jail ministry as a focus for local outreach at Trinity. Rev. Elizabeth has been cultivating a relationship with Elmwood, a correctional facility in Milpitas with five thousand inmates, both women and men. Elmwood is served by a team of chaplains through Correctional Institutions Chaplaincy Ministries. The chaplains train teams of volunteers from many faith communities to serve the communities at Elmwood. Teams from Trinity have accompanied the clergy for Christmas and Easter communion visits. These are always powerful experiences of bringing the sacrament and the light of God to those in an incredibly dark place. A small group from Trinity including Laurie Hunter, Rhonda Smith, Allison Burzio-Aagaard, and Carol Park are training and preparing to offer a monthly service to the women of Elmwood. Additional Trinity members will be training in the Fall to join and grow our team. It’s a difficult but meaningful ministry that we are grateful to be starting both for our community and for the inmates at Elmwood.

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Welcome Baskets for Redwood Family House

Redwood Family House provides families with transitional housing for up to 2-4 months while they regain self-sufficiency leading to permanent housing. Residents enter the program with limited resources, but still have move-in expenses for basic supplies that could strain their budget. To help alleviate this burden, and extend a warm welcome to the families when they move into their new home, Trinity volunteers shopped for, assembled and delivered 25 Welcome Baskets in late January. The Welcome Baskets included many essential items (laundry detergent, dish soap, broom, mop, cleaning and paper products, etc.) placed in a laundry basket along with a welcoming note from Trinity. As resident families transition out of this LifeMoves program at Redwood Family House, additional baskets of supplies will be needed and could be an ongoing Trinity Outreach project repeated in the latter part of this year.

Rebuilding Together

Rebuilding Together Peninsula has provided renovation and repair services for the Peninsula’s most vulnerable homeowners ---seniors, veterans, persons with disabilities and families with children as well as community facilities. In the past several years, Trinity Church as partnered with Church of the Epiphany from San Carlos and Christ Church of Los Altos to work on homes in Redwood City, East Palo Alto and this year in Menlo Park. Our recipient this year was Elizabeth, a 90 year old women living on her own going through cancer treatments. You would have never guessed if you just met her. Loads of energy and full of life, but cannot do things to keep her house up. With our combined efforts, we took out a trip hazard of concrete around a tree, painted the exterior of her house, repaired and reenforced a handicap ramp for her as well as electical issues she had inside and replaced a bathroom floor. This outreach program cannot continue to be successful without the help of our volunteers. Thank you for all that participated this year. Mark your calenders, next year’s date is Saturday, April 28, 2018.

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Save the Date for Fall 2017

Sunday, September 10 - Celebration Sunday

Sunday, September 17 - Sunday School & Youth Group Kickoff

Sunday, September 17 - The 5:05 Returns

Monday, September 18 - The Rector’s Class Returns

September, 29 - October 1- All-Church Retreat at the Bishop’s Ranch

Sunday, October 8 - Blessing of the Pets

Sunday, October 29 - All Saints & All Souls Party

www.trinitymenlopark.org/upcomingevents