Worship on Sunday, January 24 @ 10am:
"God’s Vision for Trinity Church"
Vision Statement
Following Jesus’ example, Trinity Church welcomes all of God’s children. Young children are enticed with the warm, vibrant colors on the walls and in the play areas. The youth and teens feel comfortable and safe in the connected spaces while the programs remind them that they belong here. We celebrate being an Open and Affirming / Welcoming and Affirming Congregation and being a safe place for everyone whether marginalized or not. Everyone is served equally in our accessible and environmentally friendly building which honors God’s creation.
Trinity fills its people with the love of God through varied, exciting, and meaningful Worship and Music. Music moves us in moments of beauty and thrills us in moments of joy and exuberance. Each week we praise God with a variety of musical styles using the sound of singing, clapping, organ, piano, guitars and other instruments. Our services not only honor our traditions but push us to think beyond our customs with experiences designed for all ages and backgrounds. We encourage and facilitate open and honest conversations in worship as well as in small groups, challenging each other to grow in our faith and in our commitment to Jesus.
Trinity Church has become Northborough’s newest community center meeting the material, emotional, and spiritual needs for the town. We’re a place to come for a hot meal, to purchase affordable clothing, to listen to local music, or to just have a cup of coffee and good conversation, supported by an active and vibrant congregation. We connect to the community to determine needs and how we can help - not only financially, but with our actions and direct involvement. Trinity also looks beyond Northborough to Massachusetts, our country and the world to provide comfort and assistance and spread God’s word.
Please think and pray about what you can do to help Trinity reach God's vision.
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A step-by-step tutorial on how to access Facebook Live, click HERE
Have your Bible, a candle and lighter ready and create a worshipful space. Maybe with a cross, a nice tablecloth, or other devotional items that are meaningful to you.
Replay on Verizon channel 31 and Charter channel 191
Sundays (previous week's) at 6pm and Thursdays at 8:30am.
Emily is here to help you. If you need technical assistance please email her at trinitychurchnboro@gmail.com or call her (508) 614-8989 during virtual office hours and she will walk you through each step.
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Coffee Hour before worship
on Zoom @ 9:30am
Meeting ID: 861 4930 6259
Password: 201552
Meeting Link:
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Pastor Valeria's Inspiration for the Week |
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An opportunity to learn and connect. |
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Annual Congregational Meeting
January 31, 2021 at 11:30am (Please log in between 11:15 and 11:30.)
Hard copies of the annual report are available for pick-up in room 107 (to the immediate left after entering the building from the parking lot.) The building is locked. If you need a door code please contact Emily.
The annual report will also be sent out via email to Trinity Church members. If you are not a member but would like to receive the report please contact Emily.
The Annual Meeting will take place on Sunday, January 31st following our Worship Service. Because of the pandemic we will be meeting via Zoom with the option to call in over the phone rather than in person. However, we hope that will not deter anyone from attending. We need your voice and your vote to make important decisions for Trinity’s ministry in 2021.
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Lay Preaching
Everyone has one Sermon in them.
Yes, you have, residing in you...at least one “good” sermon waiting to come out. Our winter Lay-Sermon Workshop will help you give it “voice.” Rev. David Fountain will lead a four session (Feb. 17, 24, March 17, 24) Zoom workshop to give it life this winter. While Pastor Valeria is on her spring sabbatical, we will enjoy some of them to lend an exciting lay perspective to the virtual pulpit (on Zoom). Teens and adults welcome!
Want to know more? Sign up with the church office by February 9, and David will contact you about the classes and how easy and actually, well...fun it is to share your message with the congregation.
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PASTOR PARISH RELATIONS COMMITTEE |
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We promised to share our new Covenant with you and so present the opening statement and the first section.
Continuing with sharing our Community Covenant:
We will strive to act with gentleness toward one another, expressing our thoughts and feelings appropriately, speaking as individuals from our own personal experience, from “I” not from “we” or “they”.
A third party will be utilized (for example, a member of the Pastor Parish Relations Committee) to most effectively communicate with each other when there is conflict or disagreement. Confidentiality will be respected.
As mentioned before, if you have any questions or comments, please contact any member of the Committee.
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A MESSAGE FROM THE DEACONS |
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This year, Pastor Valeria will be on a sabbatical from April 12 to July 18. The Deacons have contracted with Rev. Lee Atherton of Marlborough, MA, to be our on-call pastor while Pastor Valeria is away, and to lead worship on three Sundays.
The other Sundays will be led by Deacons and other members of the church. We will be putting together a steering committee to plan worship, and will be exploring different formats, including round-table discussions, interviews, and, yes, lay-sermons! (See David Fountain’s notice of a Lay-Sermon Workshop in this issue of Tidings.)
We wish Pastor Valeria all the best on her sabbatical, and we are excited to bring you some creative worship services in her absence.
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FROM OUR CHRISTIAN ED DIRECTOR |
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We are in need of teachers and assistant teachers. Sherry preps all the material and sends it to teachers to preview before Sunday. If you can help please email her at trinitycenorthboro@gmail.com. It is a wonderful way to spend some time with our youth and cultivate intergenerational relationships.
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Zoom Bible Study
Mondays @ 1pm
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Want to connect with other Trinity people while we are self-isolating? Join us for an informal Bible study on Mondays at 1pm via Zoom. Each week we will select a chapter or passage of the Bible, and discuss what it means to us.
Jean Leif will be facilitating. Email her at jhleif@gmail.com (include your name) for log-on information.
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If you or someone you know recently lost a loved one and is looking for a safe space to share your experiences with others, you are welcome to join our grief support group. The group now meets weekly on Zoom, every Thursday at 7 pm. For more information please contact Pastor Valeria at trinitypastorvaleria@gmail.com
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Coffee or Tea with Pastor Valeria on Zoom
Wednesdays @ 9am
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Chat with Pastor Valeria on Zoom, Wednesdays at 9am.
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 954 033 518
Password: 569713
Dial by your location
+1 929 436 2866 US (New York)
Meeting ID: 954 033 518
Emily is here to help you. If you need technical assistance please email her at trinitychurchnboro@gmail.com or call her (508) 614-8989 during virtual office hours.
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FROM OUR PASTORAL CARE TEAM |
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We Are Hiring!
We all have Holy Spirit infused gifts, given to us by God to help us serve those in need, and to show Jesus’s love in our world, and right now we are seeking anyone who want to use their gifts of compassion, empathy, servanthood, joy, encouragement, prayer and more to join our Pastoral Care team. Do you have the “gift of gab”? Perfect!
“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms.” 1Peter 4:10 NIV
If you are thinking “This is a job for the more ‘feminine’ among us who are much more suited for this kind of stuff” (or anything along those lines), consider this: Has there been a time in your life when you were ill, or struggling in some way? Can you think of other people who encouraged you, lifted you up, or stood by you as you heal? Now can you imagine yourself coming alongside others that may be struggling, and sharing the love that Jesus put in your heart to help them on their journey? Love has no gender, and we know the impact that more diversity on our team can have.
On the Pastoral Care team, you will find a group of positive, encouraging, fun & dedicated people who share the desire to serve others in their time of need. From making visits (when acceptable to do so), to being a friendly voice on the phone, or writing encouraging and heartfelt notes, and delivering a thoughtful gift, our team seeks only to bring light & love to those in need, and to ensure that none of our family feel far from our collective Trinity heart.
We plan to broaden our reach in 2021 and we have faith that God is working in and through our Pastoral Care team to reach more people. We are ready for you to join us!
Please email Donna Miller at dmm4863@gmail.com (put “pastoral care” in the subject line), if you have questions and/or would like to join our awesome team!
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These are challenging times for many. If you are not financially impacted by the current situation we ask you to prayerfully consider increasing your support to Trinity Church, to make up for those who cannot meet their pledge, so we may continue to do God's work through Trinity Church. Thank you for your faithful, generous giving!
Please make your checks payable and mail them to Trinity Church:
23 Main St
Northborough, MA 01532
You can also use “bill pay” and have your bank mail a check to us on a regular schedule set up by you, at no cost.
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Did you know your shopping can earn Trinity money?
Shop at your convenience all year!
Trinity Church is set up as a charity on iGive! Please consider downloading the app or shopping through the iGive site and a percentage of your purchase will be sent to Trinity Church! This does not cost you any extra money, the donation comes from the stores you already shop at.
Please consider shopping through iGive to help support Trinity.
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You shop. Amazon gives.
- Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to the charitable organization of your choice.
- AmazonSmile is the same Amazon you know. Same products, same prices, same service.
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Support Trinity Church by choosing it as your charitable organization at smile.amazon.com
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Mental Health:
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
NAMI Metrowest (Marlborough-Framingham):
Addiction/Substance Abuse Disorders:
The Mass Substance Use Helpline
Worcester Area Intergroup (Alcoholics Anonymous)
Domestic Violence:
The National Domestic Violence Hotline is offering assistance and safety planning 24/7
- 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
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TTY 1-800-787-3224 o If you’re unable to speak safely, you can chat online, or text LOVEIS to 22522
MA SafeLink MA Statewide Toll-Free Domestic Violence Hotline 1-877-785-2020
Food Assistance:
Northborough Food Pantry
Wednesdays 9 - 10:30 a.m.
Thursdays 6:30 - 8 p.m.
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GSA Link
The Link that Connects
The GSA Link is a project connecting local GSA high school and middle students to collaborate, share ideas, and socialize in a SAFE space. LGBT and allied high school students are welcome.
For more information please contact:
Melissa at projectgsalink@gmail.com or 508-735-1267
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Grotonwood and Oceanwood Camperships |
Since overnight camps had to be canceled this summer, Central Association will offer a campership of $100 for each camper who registers for any of the fall or winter camps.
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Watch Sunday's worship using the link below. You do not need to have a Facebook account to view this video!
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Subscribe to our YouTube channel and watch a
selection of Pastor Valeria's sermons and our worship music.
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Community Meal Take-Out
We have resurrected Community Meals but in a to-go manner and we need your help.
We will be ordering $5 meals from local food establishments and distributing them to our community meals guests to-go, every Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. in the parking lot of Trinity Church. Various organizations have committed to monetary donations for these entrees. But, you can't have a meal without servers, water and dessert. We are looking for volunteers to sign up to donate a case of water or 2 dozen individually wrapped desserts and/or stand in the parking lot and deliver the meals to guests in their parked cars. All guidelines of social distancing will be observed.
If you are interested in helping, please see the available opportunities and sign up here:
To donate towards the purchase of meals, please make your checks out to "Helping Hands Association" with "Community Meal" on the memo line, and mail them to Northborough Helping Hands, P.O. Box 383, Northborough, 01532.
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NATICK COMMUNITY-SENIOR CENTER’S ONLINE PROGRAMS
Mindfulness Meditation with Sharon Meets every Thursday, 1-1:40 pm, free. This meditation is audio only and participants are muted during the meditation portion. Everyone is welcome to join for some guided, some quiet and some reflection with Q & A and sharing. Email skirby@natickma.org to receive the Zoom link (different each week.)
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Are you interested in being added to the online church directory?
Please use the instructions HERE to add yourself and your family to the Trinity Church online database.
If you need any assistance connecting to the online directory please contact the church office:
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IN OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS |
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~ Everyone affected physically, mentally, emotionally, and financially by COVID-19.
~ Donna Miller and her family.
~ Nursing home residents, their families, and staff.
~ All first responders, health care workers, grocery workers and anyone who is working on the front lines.
If you know of someone who is hospitalized, ill, suffering from the loss of a loved one, or troubled in some way and in need of a pastoral call, please call Pastor Valeria at the church office, 508-393-8156.
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Deadline for February Tidings |
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Please be sure to have all your info for the February Tidings in to the church office by Sunday, January 24. Your help is appreciated! |
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TRINITY CHURCH
23 Main Street
Northborough, MA 01532
(508) 393-8156
Virtual Office Hours :
Emily is working from home. Please email her or leave a message on Pastor Valeria's voicemail on the church phone. (Please note Fridays are Pastor Valeria's day off and she will not check her voicemail. In case of an emergency please listen to her voicemail message for her cell phone number.)
Monday: 9am - Noon & 1pm - 2:30pm
Tuesday: 9am - Noon & 1pm - 2:30pm
Wednesday: 9am - 10:30am & 12:30pm - 2:30pm
Thursday: 9am - Noon & 1pm - 2:30pm
Friday: 9am - Noon & 1pm - 2:30pm
Rev. Valeria Schmidt, Sr. Minister
Trinity Church is an Open & Affirming / Welcoming & Affirming Congregation
Trinity Church's mission is to fill its people with the love of God
and share God's love in all the world.
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