Wow, what a wonderful Christmas Eve we had! Both services were very well attended and a joyful spirit filled the air as we gathered to usher in Christmas Day and reconnected with old out-of-town friends we haven’t seen in a while. I trust that you had a good Christmas holiday with your family and friends and that you rang in the New Year with good expectations of opportunities ahead. I am grateful that we ended a strong year of ministry in a good financial position, and thrilled that we received 29 new members this year, mostly from Milner Memorial Presbyterian Church. I am also excited that the plans to build affordable housing on the Milner site are going forward and appear to be an attainable goal.
I want to thank everyone for their financial generosity last year, especially in December, our best in many years. Kudos to our refurbishment team of Missy Farrow, Cheryl Anderson, and Vickie Byrd for redecorating the parlor in loving memory of Neill and Mary Sinclair, made possible by a generous gift from their daughters, Karen and Maryneil. I also want to thank Nancy Elder, Frank Breazeale, and the members of our three choirs for giving us inspiring music during Advent and Christmas. We are blessed to have such a fine music program at Trinity. As we enter another semester, if you feel God calling you to sing or ring in one of our choirs, please give that some serious thought and prayer. We would love to have you join us.
As we enter a new year, I pray that you will not only resolve to improve your faith and service, but that you will take advantage of the spiritual disciplines we offer to assist you in meeting your goals. Even though God loves each human being as the unique individuals that we are, one of the first things God said in Scripture is that to be alone is not a good thing. Fundamentally, we are social creatures, created to live in loving relationships with our Creator and each other. The Christian life was designed to be lived with one another. This is where love grows best – in communities where sisters and brothers in Christ love each other and share their hopes and dreams, fears and pains with people alongside whom we walk on the path of faith and life. So, if your attendance at worship, or participation in a small group, or connection with one our mission efforts are not very frequent, I invite you to consider changing that in 2020. I promise you that you will be amazed by how such a change will bring you joy and peace.
On January 25th we are having our first Winterfest, which will include a talent show, live auction, and a dinner to have some fun and raise some money for our ministry and mission. If you play an instrument or sing or can pull a rabbit out of a top hat, I hope you will sign up. In the meantime, I hope to see you on Sunday. Happy New Year!
Winterfest is Saturday, January 25! Fun and fundraising are ahead for that afternoon and early evening, including…
A talent show – sign up to participate (or prompt your loved one/friends to do so!). See Amy Rhoades or Millie Swan for info.
Festive cake walk –Several cake walks will be held in the afternoon.
Live auction – Homemade/handmade goodies, as well as other donated items, are welcome! The Mission Team welcomes all vacation stays, tickets, gift cards, or other fun experiences to be donated for auction.
Limited number of baskets – look for the bins in the narthex to donate items. The goal is to have a good number of fun, affordable baskets for your strategic bidding.
Chili Cook-off – Sign up in the narthex to enter your savory creation.
The Mission Team hopes that each family of Trinity will participate by donating or attending this fun event!
Your Generosity is Appreciated!
Each member of Trinity’s staff thanks the congregation for their generosity throughout the year. And we are more than grateful for the delicious breads, seasonal treats, thoughtful gifts, and kind contributions to the staff gift fund. We feel loved, appreciated, and supported – thank you, friends!
In addition, on behalf of the church’s many ministry teams and groups, we say thank you. Beyond the congregation’s generosity each Sunday in 2019, members and visitors gave monetary assistance and donations of goods to Trinity’s Preschool, youth ministry, music ministry, mission ministry, the Good Samaritan assistance fund, the church’s food pantry, the church office, Friday Night Friends program, Wilburn Elementary, the Salvation Army, and the Diaconate, to name a few. Thank you for making a difference, changing lives!
You are invited to sign up on the 2020 flower calendar on the tripod in the narthex. At the beginning of the month of your dedication, Virginia will confirm the placement of flowers and remind you the $35 suggested donation. All donations, after the cost of the flowers, are applied to Trinity’s designated music fund.
Would you like to help arrange flowers for one Sunday a month? Sheila Bailey, Robin Brown, Louise Taff, and Elaine Wolf would be delighted to add you into the mix. Email Virginia to learn more.
