The Carillon Nurture the Newsletter of Trinity United Methodist Church Serve

Celebrate The Carillon Nurture The Newsletter of Trinity United Methodist Church Serve A Message from the Pastor Let’s Cross the River Together I imagine that after 40 years they were all exhausted. They were tired of the almost-there announcement that Moses would make every so often, telling them that the Promised Land was almost within their reach. They were tired of the sun-dried days in the desert. They were Trinity Church is a congregation tired of walking and never arriving. They were tired of putting up their of The United Methodist tents and taking them down. Basically, every day was a reminder that Church and is a Reconciling they were not yet home. Long journeys have a way of exhausting us Congregation. and wearing our souls. I think that is why one of the things that we read in the books of Exodus through Deuteronomy is about their murmuring and WHAT’S INSIDE complaining to Moses: not enough food and water, no meat, where is God? Not the way things used to be, not good enough leadership from Moses, and on and on. I don’t know how many times they complained, Pastor’s Message , Giving Link 1 but to be honest, I don’t blame them. It was a longer journey than they had expected; but I am sure they also had good days when they were Prayers, Thanks, Sympathy, Congratulations 2 immensely grateful to God for God’s presence and provision. A Note From SPRC 3 It reminds me of the many times when I have been through my own Altar Flowers,, Birthdays & Anniversaries 4 deserts. It is so much easier to focus on the weariness and the Children & Youth News, Schedule, Parent Café 5 frustration of it all, than to meditate on what has gone right and on Sunday Volunteers, Dance Movement Choir 6 the things I should be grateful for. I can also think of how hearing one negative comment weighs so much heavier on my heart than feeling Volunteer LIGHT@9, Crop Walk, Confirmation 7 uplifted by several positive and encouraging comments. Unfortunately, Spiritual Direction, Block Party, BHF Update 8 sometimes the ugliness and weariness of life feels so much heavier Opportunities for Adults, Women , Parkside Pantry 9 than its beauty. Leadership /Back Page Back 10 But at last, Chapter 1 of the book of Joshua tells us that God is finally giving Joshua instructions that the one thing left to do is to cross the Jordan River. To prepare for their new journey, Joshua sends spies to check out the land, and they come back with the following news: “the Trinity friends and family, Lord has surely given the whole land into our hands...” Then, chapter 3 If you would like to give takes us back to the edge of the Jordan River where everyone is electronically please scan this eagerly waiting to cross. QR code below. After 3 days of waiting, Joshua sends officers to give the final instructions. “When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the Levitical priests carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it. Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before.” Joshua’s words remind me of what I heard someone say “sometimes the end is the beginning.” Even though crossing the Jordan River would mark the end of a 40-year journey, this was really the beginning of their new life together. They had never been to this new place. Joshua’s directions to the people encapsulate not a message of what’s behind us, but a message of what is before them. Although, as a church we have not been on a 40-year Also, you can help the people of desert journey; some days it feels like we are about to cross our own Haiti after their devastating river. Like the people of Israel, I feel we are at the edge of an unknown earthquake by scanning the code river, eagerly awaiting for what is next, trying to sense what the other above or clicking here and include side may look like, and perhaps discerning if we want to cross it your donation as an UMCOR ourselves. donation. Thank you for your generosity. (Continued on page 2) Pastor’s Sermon Cont., Prayers, Thanks, Sympathies, Congratulations Congratulations to Mike Carney and Family Please Pray For Our Members & Friends: Blessings and congratulations to Michael, Maria and Clara Carney on the birth of baby John. Marilyn A, James B (Bridget B’s brother), David C, Margaret (Peg) C, Dominick E, Heather F-B (Bridget B's cousin), Donell J (Gina’s son), Annie K, Cristopher L, Katherine L, Ann M (friend of Ginny Y), Judy K, Jimmy N (Wendy R's brother), Erin O, Jackie O, Sue P, Daryl P, Jack & Mary P, Claire (L) P, (Pastor’s Message Continued from the front page) Larry R, Catherine Ann R, Ann B R, Ron S (Beryl N's brother), Jean S, Nancy S, Margaret S (friend of Jacki Back in March of this year, Trinity’s Ad Council formed two B, Madeline S (David S & Monica A’s granddaughter), teams, a visioning team, who would prayerfully discern Lynn T, Gary T, Mary (T) G (Nate T’s sister & Trinity’s future; and a financial planning team, who would Camille’s sister-in-law), Alison W, our service men, look into our current financial situation and consider some women and their loved ones. financial projections. Both have been faithful and diligent in their work. The financial planning team has created a current In Sympathy projection, a pessimistic projection and an optimistic projection. Needless to say, I love the optimistic projection, Please keep in your prayers the and want to believe that somehow that is the direction God family of Longtime Trinity can take us. member Joan Kocot, who passed away last month. The visioning team has also come up with several focus areas which we are excited about, and believe that is the path God Please keep the Meza Family in your prayers, is tracing for us moving forward. Although it would be after the passing of Alma Meza from COVID premature for me to share anything in detail with you, I can complications. Alma was the sister-in-law of share that our view is comprehensive and refreshing. Some of Pastor Rene’s sister. She leaves her husband it is based on the house visits SPRC and I had with many of Joaquin and their 5 children. you in 2019. Other parts are based on the conversations many of our team members had with members of the Thank You Notes congregation and the community in the last couple of I would like to thank months. all the people who prayed for me, The themes that emerged during our envisioning process brought flowers, and included: our commitment to develop and nurture cultural sent cards following my heart surgery. I felt humility; a desire to create connections that affirm supported all the way. Special thanks to Jo everyone’s essential worth in the congregation; a specific Anne Evans, Marion Whiteside, and Jacki Barden focus on children, youth, young adults and adult spiritual for keeping my spirits up through the formation; an increased openness to and welcoming of procedure. It’s been an up and down ride, but I diverse worship experiences; an effort to engage the wider hope that now I am on the mend. Thank you community with a broader appreciation and partnerships; Trinity for the lovely altar flowers brought to and a re-organization of our governance structure to nurture me by Doreen. They are a lift to the spirit. and develop volunteers. Katherine Lovell Although we have never been this way before, as the people of Israel did, we also follow that presence of God, which was Gratitude for Camp for Everyone real to them through the ark of the covenant, and becomes real to us in the presence of the Holy Spirit, who invites all of Camp for everyone was a big success! There us to envision a life on the other side of the river, on the was music, art, prayer, and lots of joy. Thank other side of the pandemic, on the other side of yesterday, to you to all who worked to make this special welcome us to a new place of new days and opportunities. I week happen: Mike Carney, Steve Chisholm, hope we can cross that river together. Leslie Hastings, Cathy MacGovern, Rev. Rene Perez, Ellen Lutz, Rob Powell, Abney Seyler, Adam Smedberg, Clara Lee and Jim Sharrard, Pastor René and Rachel and Piper Smythe. 2 A Note From SPRC A Note From SPRC Stephanie Garrett Hello Trinity! As announced a few weeks ago, our Staff Parish Relations Committee is very pleased to announce that Stephanie Garrett has been hired, and already begun her work, as the new Director of Trinity Nursery School and Kindergarten. The SPRC conducted an extensive search, led by Nicole Smith (and joined by other TNSK stakeholders), and we are now so excited to introduce Stephanie to you. Stephanie has a bachelor’s degree from Fitchburg State University in interdisciplinary studies education, as well as experience at several learning centers in Westfield and in the Newton Public Schools. Perhaps most significantly, Stephanie knows TNSK well, as she was a kindergarten teacher here from 2018-2020. Below is part of a recent conversation with Stephanie. Please join us in welcoming her and her family into our Trinity community.

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