Rev. Dr. John D. Tolbert, Senior Pastor
Pastoral Reflections
May 6, 2018
Praise the Lord Trinity! I pray that you and your family have experienced the Amazing Grace and stimulating incomparability of our Awesome God in significant ways during this past week, and you have come ready to enter His gates with thanksgiving in your heart and praise on your lips. This morning as we gather to worship God in spirit and in truth let me express my gratitude to our guest worshipping with us today. You are welcome here at the Trinity Church, and I pray God’s richest blessings upon you and your families. If you and/or your family are looking for a Church home, we welcome you with open arms to this versatile ministry and multi-generational experience. Everybody needs a church family and a pastor. We want to be yours!
Trinity, as we cross the threshold into May of 2018 the Lord has had me reflecting on the first half of our year as a church family. God has been kind to us in extending both grace and mercy toward us individually and collectively. I pray that you will embrace my premise that God is calling us a church family to do more for Him, and more to represent Him. It is Alan Danielson who maintains that the primary reason churches plateau or decline is that they have lost their outward focus. I concur because when the church no longer has an outward focus they run the risk of enduring slow suffocation. Church can easily become about what the congregation wants instead of thinking about and serving people beyond the church walls. To combat this Trinity, we must remember what originally made the church great. Was it the music, the programs, the schedule, the preaching, the youth ministry? Those things were inspiring, excellent and fun, but they are not what made the church great. What makes the church great is the mission that Jesus Christ has given us in Matthew 28:18-20. This can be summed up in two expressions: 1.) Reaching people for Jesus Christ (Fishing for Men; 2.) Leading them to be fully devoted to Him.
Trinity, let us remember that the church does not just exist for us; but our churches exist for the lost. Our churches are not here to make us (the believers) happy, meet our needs, satisfy our desires or affirm our opinions. The church was established to reach people who are desperately far from God. As a church family, we must all ask ourselves some tough questions. What do I not like about my church? What if the very thing I don’t like is the thing that will reach people for Jesus Christ? What if the very thing I like most is the thing that is a barrier to reaching people for Jesus Christ? Am I willing to support changes that I don’t like? Am I willing to lay down my preferences and opinions for the sake of people who are lost? Trinity, I am not saying that our own desires automatically contradict our mission. I am maintaining that we must be diligent to never allow our desires to supersede the mission. What should we want more than seeing people come to faith in Jesus Christ? Nothing. Absolutely nothing! Let all of us lay our wants, desires, opinions and preferences on the altar. Let us continually sacrifice the notion that the church is here to meet my needs. Let us give our all for the sake of those who need Christ Love. What are you doing child of God to spread the love of Jesus Christ?
 
Still Amazed by God’s Grace,
 
Dr. John D. Tolbert
Senior Pastor
Home Daily Bible Readings
May 7   Honor God with Your First Fruits . . . . . . . . . Proverbs 3:1-10
May 8    Martyrs, First Fruits for God . . . . . . . . . . . . . Revelations 14:1-5
May 9    Gifts, a Pleasing Sacrifice to God . . . . . . . . . Philippians 4:15-20
May 10  Preparing Grain Offerings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Leviticus 2:1-10, 14
May 11  Acceptable Offerings are Without Blemish . . . Leviticus 22:17-20
May 12 Observing the Sabbaths and the Festivals . . . Leviticus 23:1-8
May 13 Present Your Fruits to God First . . . . . . . . . . . Leviticus 23:9-14, 22

SAVE THE DATE!

Saturday, August 25, 2018
Sanctuary Lake Golf Course, 1450 E. South Blvd. Troy, Mi 48084 

Trinity Missionary Baptist Church
presents its
7th Annual Golf Outing
Benefiting Trinity Christian Academy

Details to be announced later!
UPCOMING OPPORTUNITIES FOR MINISTRY INVOLVEMENT
Sunday, May 6, 2018
7:00am ~ Morning Glory
8:00am ~ Morning Worship
9:30am ~ LifeTyme Classes
11:00am ~ Morning Worship
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Monday, May 7, 2018
6:00pm ~ Youth & Praise
6:30pm ~ General Mission
7:00pm ~ Mime Rehearsal
7:00pm ~ Men’s Chorus
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Tuesday, May 8, 2018
6:00pm ~ B3 Night (Youth Ministry)
6:00pm ~ Prayer, Praise & Bible Study
7:30pm ~ Women’s Day Choir

Wednesday, May 9, 2018
11:30am ~ Prayer
12:00pm ~ Bible Study
6:00pm ~ Prayer & Praise Hour
7:00pm ~ Fit-to-Serve
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Saturday, May 12, 2018
9:00am-11:30am ~ Daughters of Destiny & SIMBA
Official Ministry
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UPCOMING OPPORTUNITIES FOR MINISTRY INVOLVEMENT

Attention: 2018 Graduating High School Seniors, if you are graduating from high school in 2018 and you have not given your name to Dr. Minnie Phillips please do so ASAP. You can do this via text to 248.885.3431 or by email to mop1@att.net . Please include your name along with your contact information.

Trinity 300 Men, we will perform a community outreach task on Wednesday May 2 nd from 11:30am to 4:30pm. We will take 20 boys from Walt Whitman Elementary School to Carl’s Golfland for the “First Kids Club Experience”. Each of the boys gets a free club fitting and free 7-iron to keep. Volunteers are needed to drive the church busses as well as assist with instructing the boys as they practice hitting balls on the driving range. Please see Dea. Curtis Boyd, Bro. Mitch Harris, Bro. Larry Knox Sr., Bro. Herb Drayton or Bro. John Carroll to volunteer.

Save the Date!!! May 19-20, 2018 Women’s Emphasis Weekend. Theme: “One Hundred Years of Reaching a City to Touch the World” Sub-Theme: “Women of Trinity Serving Christ on the Road to 100” Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8. Schedule of Events: Saturday, May 19, 2018, 12:00pm-3:00 pm Devotion ~ Lunch ~ Fashion Show ~ Fashions Through the Decades “Celebrating 100 years of Fashion”; Sunday, May 20, 2018 – Worship Experiences @ 8 and 11 am. Women that are interested in ushering, there will be an usher rehearsal on Saturday, May 5, 2018 at 12:00pm; and for those interested in singing in the choir, rehearsals will be on Tuesdays, May 1 st , May 8 th and May 15 th at 7:30pm and then on Saturday, May 19 th following the Fashion Show and Luncheon.

Men of Trinity, we are well on our way of meeting our goal of having the projectors and monitors for our Sanctuary, but we still need your help; we are more than halfway to our goal! If you have not already done so, please contact me with your decision. If you have already given your commitment we are accepting your payments on Givelify, in the church office or you can see Dea. Curtis Boyd.

Attention: Trinity Young and Bold weekend is just around the corner. Please all children, youth, and parents, mark your calendar for this epic weekend; June 8th through the 10th! On June 8th come and support our choir and mime ministry at their young and bold concert at 7pm. Then on Saturday we are headed to Cedar Point. Don't worry, we will be back in time to rest and go bold in leading Sunday service. If you are interested in singing, miming, ushering, or leading service on Sunday please sign up in the vestibule after service. Also, if you are interested in going to Cedar Point, tickets are $70 which includes your ticket into the park, transportation, and snacks! Space is limited. Children 9 and under must be accompanied by an ADULT chaperone. More details to follow in the coming weeks!

As we journey down the road towards 100 years of worship and praise at Trinity Missionary Baptist Church we are going to celebrate by, "Making a joyful noise unto the Lord, Serving the Lord with gladness and coming before his presence with singing." (Psalm 100: 1-2) The music ministry at Trinity church has a long-held tradition of enriching lives through song and music, and we must not discount the richness the choir brings to the church worship experience. Therefore, to celebrate our centennial year church anniversary, Trinity Church is putting together a centennial choir composed of past and current choir members. If you are a past choir member or know of any past choir members, please see Sister Princetter and Brother Bill Lewis. We would like very much for all past choir members to have the opportunity to participate in our musical expression of thanks to our God for 100 years of spreading the Word of God, through music. Contact e-mail address: whll55@sbcglobal.net

Centennial Gala – Tickets are available! If anyone is interested in purchasing a ticket for the Centennial Gala which will take place on Friday, Oct. 26 th please see Deaconess Gwen Bynum or Sis. Malishia Hill in the Fellowship Hall after either service today. Payment arrangements are available!

Church Mission Statement
 
" The Trinity Missionary Baptist Church is spiritually impacting our families, neighborhoods, city, and state by Exalting the Savior, Equipping the Saints & Evangelizing the Sinners . ~Ephesians 4:10-15.
 
He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things. And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ: that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; but speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ. ~Ephesians 4:10-15  


Vision Statement

The Trinity Missionary Baptist Church will be a 21st century model for the Christian Community. Our hope is to be a church family that faithfully and intentionally prioritizes ministry initiatives following the example of Jesus Christ, the teaching of the Apostles, and the New Testament Church.
 
We will be a God-Centered Church, devoted to the practices and disciplines of personal discipleship, evangelism, and servant ministry. We will be determined to promote the Gospel, and share the Compassion of the Lord Jesus Christ through missions, evangelism, and outreach.

 
2018 Church Theme
One Hundred Years of Reaching a City to Touch the World

And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,   teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:18-20) but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth." (Acts 1:8)