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Interim's Report for November
O
give
thanks
to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever. (Psalm 107:1)
Dear friends,
November is the time of year we remember to give thanks. After all, it is the month that has a holiday called Thanksgiving. It is always good to be reminded to give thanks. However, giving thanks should be a habit. I noticed on our recent trip that when we were helped with something whether it was our luggage or a flight attendant giving us a meal, we said, "Thank you." Expressing gratitude can be very simple.
For Jews, the Passover is a liturgy of remembrance and gratitude. "Remember that you were once slaves in Egypt." They were delivered from slavery in Egypt and went to a land of milk and honey, a land promised them by God. In the face of deprivation and cruelty, the Israelites were freed. In modern times, a remembrance of the holocaust is added to the Passover. In the face of despair, there is deliverance and with deliverance, thanksgiving.
Oprah Winfrey once said "Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough." Some of us have much. Some of us have less. Our hearts are much lighter when we give thanks for what we have. Our hearts shrink when we are envious of others. I have been in places outside of the United States where poverty is extreme. The poor of our country are better off than they are. Yet the poor of these other places are happier than the poor in this country.
Another opportunity to give thanks is at meals. Everything that grows and exists on this planet comes from our creator. It is a good spiritual discipline to give thanks for what we are to eat.
The Eucharistic prayer is also called The Great Thanksgiving. It is a great prayer offering thanks to God for the gifts of bread and wine and for Jesus' salvific acts. We are spiritually fed, forgiven, and given assurance of life everlasting.
We will have a service of Thanksgiving on November 19th. Anyone bringing bread or wine that they will use at their Thanksgiving tables are welcome to bring those to the altar and have them blessed.
Let us give thanks for all the blessings we have. I also give thanks for you.
In gratitude,
Fr. Craig Kuehn+
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Did You Know?
-Have you met our new choir director, Deena Holland? Please welcome her to her new home at Trinity Church. If you're interested in participating in the choir, contact Deena at deenaholland@hotmail.com.
-On Nov. 5, between services, there will be a Parish Transition town hall meeting. There will be an update on the Call process for finding a new priest. Everyone is encouraged to attend. (No bible study due to meeting)
-The church office will be closed Nov. 7-10.
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Vestry Notes
by Margaret Lewis
Your Vestry Members met for their regular monthly meeting on October 25. Points of discussion included:
Fr. Craig shared about his vacation in Australia. If you haven't had a chance to talk to him make a point of it!
Two lists, compiled by the Wardens for the Profile Committee and the Applicant Review Committee, were presented to the group. The Vestry unanimously agreed on the parishioners who had both been suggested for and had agreed to serve on these committees.
It was agreed that a "Town Hall" meeting would be held on Sunday, November 5th allowing the parish to ask any questions about the Calling Process that they may have. At this time the committees will also be announced.
The possibility of making changes to where the choir is located was discussed.
The Vestry members were reminded of important upcoming dates which include:
Diocesan Convention - November 3-4
Parish Town Hall - November 5
Vestry Meeting - November 16
Thanksgiving Packing - November 19
Pledge in gathering - November 19
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Senior Warden's Report
By Margaret Lewis
"And now, Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in You." Psalm 39:7
Even as we are experiencing summer-like temperatures, the signs of Autumn are all around. The leaves are changing, the evening air is beginning to have a bite to it, many of us leave for work in the darkness and the outdoor lights are back on when we arrive home. After the energy and excitement of summer, this time of year invites us to begin to grow quiet and to reflect. Liturgically, we are nearing the end of the year - also a time of unwinding and a time of waiting. But we don't tend to be a people who are very patient with these times of "in-between." Even when things are running smoothly and all is well, we still seem to be anxious to move on to completing whatever "task" is next to come.
As we continue in this time of transition at Trinity we've been invited into just such another time. The Calling Process, the way in which our Church calls a new Priest, can seem a very slow process indeed; committees to be formed, questionnaires to be completed, profiles to be compiled, it's easy to get caught up in the hurry-up-and-wait that might ensue with so many people involved in such a big process. But if we step back and ask ourselves just what it is we hurry for, we might find that things are running smoothly and that all is well exactly as it should be in this moment.
As we place our trust and faith in God, we might ask ourselves, as the Psalmist above, just what it is that we are waiting for. As long as we are continually listening, praying, and discerning God's Call for Trinity, we will be moving at just the speed we need to go.
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Project Thanks
Trinity has been participating in Project Thanks for several years, providing Thanksgiving boxes to needy families in Amador County. This is a fun and rewarding activity for everyone. Trinity has agreed to provide 40 families with a Thanksgiving box again this year. Your generosity enables us to meet our commitment and allows us to purchase everything thing we need to give these families a Thanksgiving meal.
This year the Food Bank received over 800 applications for Project Thanks but less than half have been adopted by either a church or organization. The Food Bank makes every effort to secure funds, donations and turkeys to provide everyone with a Thanksgiving dinner. Any extra donations they receive will be distributed to needy families.
We will start collecting items on Sunday, November 5th, and end on Wednesday, November 15th. There are only two weeks to get everything we need for our boxes so I am asking that you sign up to bring a turkey on Sunday November 19th. If you would rather donate money to purchase one please make a designation on the sign-up sheet and include your check. Items needed: stuffing mix, canned yams/sweet potatoes, corn, green beans, green peas, black olives, cranberry sauce, and chicken stock. Trinity also purchases rolls, pumpkin pies, potatoes, carrots, celery, lettuce, oranges, apples, milk, eggs and butter and whipped topping if we have enough money. When we are finished, each family receives a complete Thanksgiving meal. All leftover donations are returned to the food bank for distribution as well as any money to help purchase needed items.
Volunteers are needed on Friday (Nov. 17th) and Saturday (Nov. 18th) to shop and organize the canned goods and produce. On Friday, November 17th we will do the shopping for the non-perishables to supplement donated items. We will meet at 9:30 a.m. in Jane's Hall and organize the canned goods and then go shopping. We organize by teams and stores and purchase items on sale first. This process takes about four hours. On Saturday, November 18th, there will be a produce packaging day. We will meet at 10:00 am in Jane's Hall and repackage the bulk items in plastic bags for distribution. This should take about two hours depending on help. On Sunday, November 19th, we all bring our turkeys to church and leave them in the parish hall.
Come join the fun on November 19th at 9:30 am and help fill the boxes with canned goods and produce.
Thanksgiving boxes will be distributed from 1 to 4 p.m. Volunteers are needed in the kitchen to fill orders for milk, butter, eggs and pie. Folks are also needed to help families pick up their Thanksgiving boxes and carry them to their cars.
A sign-up sheet will be available on Sundays. Contact Noreen Lafferty to volunteer (209) 274-4000, or e-mail noreenlafferty@gmail.com.
Thank you for your continued generosity and support of this project.
Noreen Lafferty, Project Thanks Co-coordinator
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Las Posadas
On Saturday, Dec. 2 at 6:00 p.m., the 12th annual candlelight walk re-enacting Joseph's attempt to find a place of rest for Mary will take place. This has become a beloved tradition sponsored by Trinity, Creekside Methodist, and Sutter Creek Baptist churches. Following is a list of Trinity's responsibilities.
We need you!! If you have questions and/or would like to assist, please contact Nancy at 267-5182 or email at
nancymoore41@gmail.com. Thank you so much for your prayerful consideration!
- 3 shepherds to walk in the procession (costumes provided)
- Joseph, who walks beside Mary on her mule (costume provided; mule's owner walks her)
- 1 person to help Nancy set up the candle and program stands
- 4 people to man these stands (hand out candles and programs) and to help dismantle the stands (easy!)
- A cookie co-ordinator to ask parishioners for homemade cookies and for volunteers to help clean up Creekside's social hall after refreshments are enjoyed
- Choir members to walk in the procession and sing, wearing Trinity choir robes . IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO WALK, WE NEED A FULL COMPLEMENT OF SINGERS TO STAND ON THE CHURCH'S STEPS AND SING WITH CHOIR MEMBERS FROM OTHER CHURCHES.
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Want to be a "Petal Pusher"?
Would you like to take part in a special Trinity Health Ministry in which you or you and a partner take the lovely altar flowers after the 10:30 am service each week to folks unable to get out and about? This cheerful ministry called "Petal Pushers" is an extremely simple and gratifying way to connect to our members with a beautiful bouquet and a friendly visit.
If you think that this is something you'd like to do, contact Cathy Koos-Breazeal, chair of Trinity's Health Ministries, at 209-295-5811 or at
ckoosbreazeal@gmail.com.
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Interfaith Food Bank Quilt Raffle
The quilt is an extra large queen and tickets sell for 6 for $5 or 1 for $1. Tickets available at the Food Bank, Thrift Store and you may purchase them from Noreen Lafferty. Drawing will be December 14th and you do not have to be there to win.
See flyer on the Welcome Center at the back of the church for details and a picture of the quilt.
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Food Bank Donations
The Food Bank's cart, in the sanctuary, yielded 95 lbs. of food in September.
Total giving in 2017: 995 lbs. of food.
Thank you for your generous support of this special ministry.
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Trinity Singers Rehearsals
All are invited to join the Trinity Singers/Worship Team! Rehearsals are the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays at 7pm.
Bring your voices, your instruments, and a heart for worship and praise! For more information, please contact Deena Holland at 209-296-6616 or email deenaholland@hotmail.com
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November Birthdays
The following members of our church family are celebrating birthdays in November!
4th- Deb Walker
6th- Roberta Ross
14th- Sandi Pietronave
18th- Bob Miller
24th- Jean Suggs
27th- Meredith Miller
If you are celebrating a birthday in November, but you don't see your name listed here, please contact our Parish Administrative Asst.
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Would You Like to Contribute to the Newsletter?
If you have an article of interest to the congregation that you would like included in the newsletter, please email it to the office,
office@trinitysuttercreek.org by the
20th of the month. It will be included in the next month's newsletter.
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